April 2010

1 ords. What is liturgy? Part 1 of a14-part series culture: Will evangelize for food work life: I lied on my resume

should I come clean? and: FAOs about becoming Catholic

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all under

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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Earl Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

April 2010 • Volume 11: Issue 3

FA I T H Catholic Patrick M. O’Brien PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Joanne Eason DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY MARKETING

Patrick Dally ART DIRECTOR

Lynne Ridenour

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WEBMASTER

Janna Stellwag Abby Wieber

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jillane Job EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

InnerWorkings

PRINT MANAGEMENT

Doug Culp Dcn. Tom and JoAnne Fogle Paul Jarzembowski Rev. Joseph Krupp Dr. Gelasia Marquez Dr. Cathleen McGreal Nancy Schertzing Sister Ann Shields Michelle Sessions DiFranco CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Melot

PROOFREADING

Carlson Productions Tom Gennara (cover inset) James Luning (cover)

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mass

ers

a guide for visual learn

6/5/09 7:33:56 AM MassBookletFront.indd

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Wayne Case Michael Eichhorn Mary Jo Gillilland Diane Nowak Margaret Perrone Joseph Reid Rev. Bernard Reilly James Rhadigan Ricardo Rodriguez Dcn. David Rosenberg Rev. James Swiat Rev. Jerry Vincke Peter Wagner Sharon Wimple ADVISORY BOARD

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Liturgical Calendar: Holy Thursday April 1 | Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion April 2 | Vigil of the Solemnity of Easter April 3 | Easter Sunday and the Resurrection

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FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

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Real godfathers are not like the movies When you hear the term, ‘godfather,’ you may immediately think of the Marlon Brando role in the movies. But Randy Schonfield is a real godfather – someone who walks a faith journey with a person coming into the church. Find out why Randy thinks this is one of the most rewarding things he’s ever done.

I left the church when I was 17.

What brought me back?

24

Year for Priests – What does a priest do at Mass?

4 from the bishop Why do we kneel? – Bishop Earl Boyea 5 work life I lied on my resume – should I come clean? – Nick Synko 6 parenting journey My kid is on drugs! What do I do now? – Dr. Cathleen McGreal 7 marriage matters She says: “He wants me to do all the housework.” He says: “Some chores are women’s work.” What do they do? – Tom and JoAnne Fogle 8 culture Will evangelize for food – Michelle Sessions DiFranco 10 in the know with Fr. Joe I don’t like my pastor. What do I do?

– Father Joseph Krupp

11 spiritual popcorn What once was good and could be again– Paul Jarzembowski 12 theology 101 Same Mass – new words. What is liturgy? Part 1 of a 14-part series – Rita Thiron 14 spiritual fitness Do you have the faith of Mary Magdalen? Or doubting Thomas?

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– Sister Ann Shields

31 last word What does it mean to evangelize? – Father Charles Irvin

Tell us what you like –

tell us what you don’t Elizabeth Solsburg is editorial director of FAITH Magazine. She can be reached at esolsburg@FAITHcatholic.com

@

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n a few weeks, some of you will be receiving a survey in the mail. I know how tempting it is to just chuck mail like that in the trash, but I’m asking you to hang on to this one – and fill it out. Every five years, we at FAITH work with a professional, independent auditor to do a readership survey. We want to find out what’s working for you in the magazine and what’s not. What is interesting? What is ready to retire from our pages? This is your chance to give us feedback that will shape the course of our magazine – your magazine – for the next five years or more.

Your opinion is really important to us. We pore over these surveys carefully and use them to determine story ideas, decide what columns to initiate and where in the magazine they should appear. It is because of past surveys that we have columns such as Theology 101, Spiritual Fitness and Work Life. Your survey results have regularly let us know how much you love Father Joe’s column – and provide input for its future topics.

So, if you are one of the randomly “chosen few” to receive a survey from us, I want to make you a promise: If you take a few moments to fill it out, we will listen to your opinion. Thank you in advance for the gift of your time – so that we can take the time to make FAITH even better.

n of the Lord April 4 | St. Vincent Ferrer, priest April 5 | St. John Baptist de la Salle, priest April 7 | Divine Mercy Sunday April 11 | St. Martin I, pope and martyr April 13

columnists

what you’ll get out of this issue

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inside this issue

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4 part of being re-evangelized ourselves, even as we reach out to others, is understanding what we do when we worship God on Sundays. One gesture that we make during Mass is to kneel. We need to better grasp its significance.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes that gestures in Mass provide “beauty” and “simplicity” and enable all to participate. Thus, we need to follow the General Instruction, the traditions of the Roman Rite, and “what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.” In addition, “a common posture … is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred Liturgy.” (GIRM #42) After describing the postures of the first part of the Mass, the General Instruction notes: “In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen or the Eucharistic Prayer…. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.” (GIRM #43)

from the bishop

J. Carlson

during the two times of the Mass mentioned above. This has come to signify our adoration of our Lord, as well as the offering of our petitions and needs in humility.

This is a very important gesture for us to make during the Mass. We can, at times, lose sight of the fact that we are there primarily to worship God, something that is his due because he has created and redeemed us. This act of worship is not just an individual activity, but is rather the action of the body of Christ worshipping the Father in Spirit and in truth. Thus I, as bishop of Lansing, have mandated that all our churches and public chapels must Bishop Earl A. Boyea is the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing. have kneelers or kneeling pads so that the people can Thus we are to kneel during the entire eucharistic prayer and kneel at these times, unless this is simply impossible. when the priest lifts up the host and says: “Behold the lamb of Our own re-evangelization involves recognizing that God is God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed our loving Father and the one who deserves our adoration and are those called to the supper of the lamb.” Our response, as a praise. To bend the knee is a fitting tribute to such a great God. congregation, will be slightly different from what we currently say.

The new translation is closer to the Latin and to Matthew 7:8.

There, the centurion says that Jesus does not have to come to his house to cure his servant. We respond: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Obviously, we then stand to be a part of the procession to receive holy Communion. There is a laudable practice of the whole community remaining standing until all have received Communion. However, the Holy See has made it clear that this posture cannot be mandated. Instead, the people are free to return to their seats and kneel or sit or stand.

Finally, the other two times that we kneel are when we enter and leave church. Then we genuflect toward the tabernacle as a sign of adoration of Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

Kneeling during prayer is deeply embedded in the Scriptures.

When Solomon built his beautiful temple and placed therein the Ark of the Covenant, he prayed a long prayer of consecration, during which he knelt with arms outstretched. (I Kings 8:54) Daniel knelt in prayer three times a day. (Daniel 6:10) Jesus knelt in prayer in the Garden of Olives the night before his death (Luke 22:41) and Stephen knelt in prayer before his execution. (Acts 7:60) For many centuries now, in the Latin church, we have knelt

Why do we kneel?

St Anselm, bishop and doctor of the church April 21 | St. George, martyr April 23 | St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr April 24 | Feast of St. Mark, evangelist April 2

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FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

Q

I was so desperate to find a job that I changed my resume to say I had a master’s Nick Synko can be reached at nsynko@synkoassociates.com. degree from a graduate school I only attended for a couple of semes- Initiating the conversation, with an offer to resign, may be the best you can do – except for one major point: Immediately return to ters. I’m terrified my employer will find out and graduate school. Your situation suggests you are working in a field fire me. Is there any way for me to “come clean” where a graduate-level education is a high priority. Therefore, corwithout losing my job? recting and improving your employability for the long term involves

I lied on my resume

A

Thinking about retirement?

Can you afford it?

So you’re considering retirement? If you are, it’s great to have you reading this article. Here are some helpful

pieces of information to get you away from the desk and out on the beach • I f you’re retired, you should

work with a financial advisor to understand the long-term consequences of living off retirement funds. Early withdrawal penalties and other tax consequences can be an unpleasant surprise.

•F or any age, find out the specifics of how the rules apply to you. Next, be aware that “pension benefits require an election of how to receive payments with survivor options.” You should talk with your spouse about the options – think about how much your spouse will have to live on.

• Another big

question is Social Security.

Social Security income varies depending on when you elect to receive your benefits versus your normal retirement age (which varies according to your birthday). Another important thing to note – between age 62 and normal retirement age, your benefits might be reduced if you decide to keep working. Check with the Social Security Administration to see where you stand and what your benefits will be under various retirement scenarios.

– You can reach Chris Millio at christopher.g.milo@ ampf.com

25 | St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr; St. Louis Mary de Montfort, priest April 28 | St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the church April 29 | St. Pius V, pope April 30

money tip

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ith foreclosures still looming, and high levels of unemployment, it doesn’t seem like you’d be able to save a dime. But that doesn’t have to be you! We asked senior financial consultant Chris Millio for some common-sense tips to ride out the financial storm.

obtaining your master’s degree. No matter which of the above scenarios plays out for you, being currently enrolled in graduate school will improve your circumstances.

My experience with similar matters is that you are likely to lose your current job. Practically speaking, I would therefore recommend you resign and return to school full-time. In order to do so, you may have to temporarily modify your lifestyle, take out school loans and work part-time as you attend school. While that may not seem appealing, it may be a better alternative than to have your employment record blemished with an unfortunate termination. Looking for the positive in your plight, you can consider this the push you needed to complete your degree.

Finally, it is also vitally important that you understand that we all make mistakes in our lives and careers. No one of us is, or has been, perfect, except for the one who forgives us in all circumstances, Jesus Christ.

Forgive yourself, seek forgiveness and, then, move on. Doing so is consistent with the faith we live.

work life

Your employer may or may not find out; however, it is evident from your question that you know – and that is enough guidance to tell you what to do. Falsification of an employment application is routinely, if not always, grounds for termination. You should prepare yourself for that likelihood and hope for the best.

Given your situation, two options come to mind.

One, resign, taking on the full burden for your mistake. In this manner, you are self-correcting an unfortunate situation.

Your second option is to determine the highest-ranking official at your present employer with whom you feel comfortable discussing your situation. If mercy is to be shown, the higher the rank of the person making the decision, the more likely he or she will be able to consider the overall picture – including your work performance, plans to continue your education and repentance.

T. Gennara

should I come clean?

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My kid is on drugs!

What do I do now?

Dr. Cathleen McGreal is a psychology professor and certified spiritual advisor.

parenting journey

Q A

On laundry day, we get used to emptying pockets full of rocks and tidbits that are too irresistible for our children to leave behind. But the transition from childhood to adolescence becomes all too concrete when a parent ends up holding an illegal substance in front of the washer.

Call on your own support system.

A first reaction might include the desire to storm into your son’s room waving the baggie around and demanding answers.

A confrontational approach isn’t likely to yield positive long-term results. Instead, call on a trusted member of your own support system who will understand how devastated you feel.

Arrange for an uninterrupted discussion. See if a relative or neighbor will let younger children come over for a short time. Have older teens visit friends.

Turn off the cell phones. Ask your son to

tell you how marijuana became a part of his life. Was he curious? Seeking novel sensations? Was it an accepted behavior in a new clique of friends? Has he had an experience that he is trying to escape?

Does he see why this is a problem? What if he had been arrested for possession? Does he understand the consequences? Does he have dreams that involve college? THC affects the hippocampus, which influences short-term memory; this could make a difference in school performance. Does he want access to the family car? Those who use marijuana, just like those who drink alcohol, need to be concerned about driving under the influence.

Reaction times can slow down under the influence of THC. Increase parental monitoring and involvement. See if the high school, your parish or Catholic Charities have any programs focusing on substance abuse

Q

Our neighbor has complained about the cottonwood tree at the back of our property for years. It was near the property line, but clearly on our side of it. Last week, the neighbor had the tree cut down while we were away. I’m furious, but I don’t want to start a huge feud. How can I handle this?

You have the right to be furious. Your neighbor violated your rights and trespassed. In order to deal with this situation and reconcile with your neighbor – or at least come to some forgiveness – you must take positive steps to address this.

A

First of all, you must be sure that the tree was on your property. Check your deed or title policy, or make a visit to the county courthouse.

If there is no doubt that the tree was in your property, then set up a time to visit your neighbor. Talk about

that parents and/or teens can attend. Create a “parent peer group,” if possible, so that you get to know the parents of some of your son’s friends. See if other parents support mutual rules, such as supervised parties and similar curfews. Make your home a welcoming environment for the teen crowd with plenty of snacks, such as nachos or pizzas to put in the oven.

Call 1-877-NIDA-NIH. This is NIDA’s DrugPubs Research Dissemination Center. Ask for the Mind Over Matter: Marijuana brochure. Your family physician is an important local resource. Also, the SAMHSA Web site (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) has more than 11,000 different facilities that provide treatment. You enter your state, city and how far you would be willing to travel for treatment. A list of available services is provided. Go to www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

Our neighbor cut down our tree Dr. Gelasia Marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

how you are upset that he trespassed and destroyed your property. There are several possible responses your neighbor may make: he could regret his poor impulse control and apologize; he might suggest replacing the cut tree with another one.

Regretfully, it is even possible that your neighbor could

not accept his irresponsible behavior. If this is the case, leave it there and don’t try to change him. At that point, you may have to file a formal complaint with the police.

Finally, and perhaps ironically, I read that the propagation of cottonwood trees is best accomplished by cutting.

S. Kendrick

what gets my goat

I found a baggie of marijuana in my son’s pocket when I was doing the laundry. I am just devastated that he is using drugs. What do I do now? How can I keep him away from this stuff?

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

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“ He wants me to do all the housework.”

Sally says: Joe and I both work full-time, and have similar commutes. In fact, he is often home first. I have asked him to take care of some of the household chores, but he seems to feel as if everything is my responsibility. I am really worn out – I need help.

“ Some chores are women’s work.”

Joe says: Listen, I work really hard all day. When I get home, I need a break.

Sally acts as if I do nothing; I do take care of the lawn, Deacon Tom Fogle and JoAnne Fogle help prepare couples for marriage. the snow shoveling and the trash. It may seem old-fashioned, but I do think chores like vacuuming, dusting, cooking, Joe and Sally’s wedding or else this would not be an issue now. To correct the situation now will take some negotiacleaning and laundry are “women’s work.” tions from the heart and from the head. We trust Joe is open to a new arrangement if he is presented with a logical reason Tom cringed when he read Joe’s comments to change. Therefore, we recommend that Sally and Joe sit and Jo says she can’t wait to write him a down together and make a list of all the chores that need dobook on this one! We both agree that it ing and how long (approximately) it takes to accomplish each appears Joe is rather new to marriage, as item on the list. Include the lawn, “seasonal” snow shoveling he has not yet learned what it means to be a help-mate and and taking out the daily trash. Include the amount of time has not yet seen the light! We are unanimous in our opinion spent sleeping at night, the amount of time devoted to TVthat Sally is being taken advantage of and has a right (and watching or computer usage and the amount of time set aside duty) to express her displeasure. In today’s Western culture, for work (including travel time). it is expected in households where both spouses are working When they’re finished with the list, Sally and Joe should sit outside the home that both share equally in household tasks. down at the kitchen table (where all major life changes are deIn most two-income families, there is no longer a “male” cided) and discuss the equal distribution of the tasks that need chore list and a “female” chore list; there is a single chore list to be accomplished daily. If they will forget about stereotyping with no gender specified. If the lawn needs mowing, it’s up any one particular task, they will be able to see that jobs do for negotiation. If the meal needs to be prepared, that, too, is not come with a predetermined tag that says “female” for this negotiated. one or “male” for that one. The golden rule says, “Do unto Sally may wish to consider why Joe believes as he does. others as you would have them do unto you.” The splitting up We would be willing to bet that his parents lived in a marof tasks within a household of a Christian married couple is riage where his father was the sole income provider while his about love and justice. Love tells us to do what it takes to be mother stayed home and raised the children and managed a help-mate for our spouses – we are supposed to help each the household chores. Another possibility is that Joe is getting other achieve our fullest potential. Justice is about fairness and some very poor advice from an unmarried buddy! respect for our spouse. Both are important.

Obviously, this arrangement was not discussed prior to

He said | She said what do they do?

your marriage matters

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Will evangelize

culture

for food

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By Michelle Sessions DiFranco | Photography by Philip Shippert

ave you ever considered how dining together can break down walls? The meal, as a social endeavor, can transcend whatever differences divide us and can help relax our guards. Important business meetings often take place over lunch. Nervous couples meet for a first date at a nice restaurant. When you want to break the ice with a new neighbor, you invite them to dinner. Even Jesus knew he could win souls and open hearts by dining with sinners and tax collectors.

Yes, Jesus used food in a very important way: to evangelize.

tandoori chicken and channa masala

Tandoori chicken 8-10 chicken thighs or breasts, skin removed 1 cup plain yogurt 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil Juice of ½ lemon ¼ stick butter, melted (for basting) 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 1-2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper For the marinade: Blend the yogurt, onion, garlic, oil, lemon juice and dry spices. Set aside.

Cut 2-3 one-inch slits in each piece of chicken and place in large airtight container. Pour marinade over chicken and mix so all pieces are coated.

Cover and store in fridge for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and cook one of the following ways: On a grill for 8-10 minutes (or until cooked through) on each side basting very lightly with melted butter, or place on a baking sheet and cook in a 425 degree oven for 35 -40 minutes. Serve with Basmati rice.

Channa masala Two 15 ounce cans chickpeas rinsed and drained 2 medium onions finely chopped 4-6 cloves of garlic minced 3-4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons tomato paste Juice of ¼ lemon 1 cup chicken broth 2 cups water 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) ½ teaspoon garam masala ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper 4-6 whole cloves Blend all dry spices and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine chickpeas, water, chicken broth and tomato paste and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to simmer. In a medium sauté pan with butter, cook the onions on medium heat for 6-7 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add lemon juice and dry spice mixture and stir until combined and fragrant. Add the onion, garlic and spice mixture to the chickpea mixture and stir until combined. Continue to simmer (uncovered) for 45 to 50 minutes or until thickened (stirring occasionally). Remove cloves and serve over Basmati rice.

My husband and I were all over the idea of exchanging good eats with our new neighbors down the block. We met them and their young son on a walk one day and totally hit it off. Not only was I imagining play dates in the park and occasional walks with our children, I was salivating at the thought of maybe having dinner with them. Specifically, at their house. They happen to be from India. And I love Indian cuisine. Well, “love” isn’t a strong enough word.

When it comes to the aromatic and savory flavors of the south-Asian subcontinent, it’s more like “passion.” Indian food is my favorite.

So, with enough hinting, it was arranged. The seven-course spread they prepared exceeded our wildest dreams.

Exotic spices and unique ingredients opened our senses to completely new sensations. We shared food, compliments, stories and laughter. But that wasn’t all.

We also shared culture and, yes, faith.

My husband enjoys foreign cultures and loves to converse about theology.

His innate curiosity about their Hindu faith was welcomed, and we each learned something about our respective beliefs.

Now, we had no specific intention of converting souls for Christ at that moment. But there is nothing wrong with letting others see how happy and affirmed we are in our faith. And that night, they were visibly moved by our convictions.

Since then, they have raised additional questions about our faith and culture, and I like to believe that some walls were eroded during that first dinner. Perhaps a gentle and respectful curiosity was born in a way that might help lead some very good people to the Lord who loves them so much.

So what was it about food in particular that helped bring us together? For me, it is more than the enjoyment of tastes and textures. It is about sharing the flavors of cultures, history and community. On the evenings I make Indian at home, I think of our friends down the street. The fragrant aroma of distinct spices reminds me of our friendship. It also makes me salivate. If you want to try for yourself, a couple of tasty recipes follow. Enjoy them – with friends!

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

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10

I don’t like my pastor.

T. Gennara

What do I do? @

Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine, 1500 E. Saginaw, Lansing, MI 48906 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com

Q

My pastor is an incredibly cruel person. He is rude to people and yells at the parish employees all the time.

I literally can’t stand this man and wonder why the church would ordain someone like this. I wrote the bishop and got a letter back that really didn’t say anything at all. I’m so lost and angry – what do I do?

I’m sorry this is happening. It’s a tough thing for sure. I remember experiencing something like this as a young man with a priest at our parish. It is a hurtful, brutal thing when people who claim to love God are nasty to God’s people. So, what do you do?

Well, I have some ideas and I hope they help.

First of all, please don’t

in the know with Fr. Joe

A

forget to pray. We priests need a lot of prayer. Our own sin and faults can really do a lot of damage. I know a lot of times, at the end of the day, I think back to some of the things I said or did, or some of the ways I let people down, and feel tremendous guilt.

Just like everyone else, when

it comes to moments like that, we priests need grace to dust ourselves off, get back on our feet, receive God’s mercy and jump back into the fray.

Secondly, I think it important to keep away from any gossip. This may very well be one of those situations where a lot of people are angry and hurt and this gives one plenty of opportunities to discuss at length just what is wrong with Father. Seriously, this not only doesn’t help, it damages any chance for redemption that your prayers will offer. I think sometimes we forget that when we pray, God listens and moves. What if God started to answer your prayers for the priest, only to

What does a dentist do on a roller coaster?

He braces himself.

be slowed or even stopped by parish gossip which so stirred people up that they won’t let Father be different than he was before? Remember the story of Paul? A man who supported the killing of Christians became one of the greatest saints we’ve ever had – so we have hope! Besides that, people who spread gossip often add to what they hear so they can justify what they are passing on.

Allow me to share a personal story. On the feast of St. Francis, I set up a blessing of pets. More than 50 people showed up. It was such a joy to celebrate the gifts of our pets with each other – a really blessed time. After the blessing, I was approached by more than a few people who informed me that they knew I scheduled the pet blessing when I did so that people wouldn’t go to a pro-life event being held the same day.

As someone who believes strongly in the pro-life cause, and who has never supported abortion in any way, I found those accusations to be among the most hateful and hurtful ones tossed my way. I wracked my brain to figure out what would compel people to such a horrid line of thought and, in the end, I came to believe it was a result of gossip and a lack of charity on the part of those who accused me. Just like lay folks, most priests have tons of stories like this – and it can wear a man down.

Third, I ask you from the bottom of my heart to practice charity when dealing with your priest. Remember that all of us priests are flawed and, frankly, that’s what can make us great witnesses to the Gospel. However disrespectfully we are treated, we must always remember each person’s God-given dignity.

Now, so far, all of this advice is about you because, frankly, Illustration by Bob Patten

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On sale now www.FaithCatholic.com

What once was good

and could be again Read more of Paul Jarzembowski’s thoughts on www.spiritualpopcorn.blogspot.com.

B

aseball season is upon us, a clear sign that warmer weather and summer are coming again. After a long winter, it’s time to dust off the old baseball movies.

The sport has long evoked the Catholic values of tradition, commitment, community and family – and baseball films have followed suit.

But one value that runs through quite a number of these movies is honoring and respecting the wisdom of age and of the past.

Two Kevin Costner baseball films, Bull Durham (1988) and For Love of the Game (1999) both deal with aging players and the fact that, regardless of the years gone by, the players get better, wiser and more powerful with age. In The Rookie (2002), a retired pitcher (Dennis Quaid) still has the ability to leave the younger players awestruck. From The Pride of the Yankees (1942) to The Babe (1992), films challenge us to honor our elders and thank God for their contribution.

One movie that stands out amongst the others is Field of Dreams (1989), also starring Kevin

Costner. In this film, Costner’s character must atone for his anger and bitterness toward his father. In so doing, he finds wisdom figures (such as James Earl Jones’ Terrance Mann and Burt Lancaster’s Moonlight Graham) who remind him of the value of age and to take heed of the lessons of the past.

This film has a special place for men who had strained or disastrous relationships with their fathers because it reminds them how important it is to respect and honor family, teachers and mentors who have gone before us. Without their guidance and wisdom, we would surely be lost.

The Hebrew Scriptures put a high value on age that, sadly, has been lost. In Leviticus, the Law reminds us: “Stand up in the presence of the aged and show respect for those older than you” (Lev. 19:32). In Proverbs, it is written: “Gray hair is the crown of glory – it is gained by virtuous living” (Prov. 16:31).

Or, as James Earl Jones so eloquently says: “Baseball has marked the time. This field, this game… it’s a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again.”

Baseball movies are a reminder of the values of our Catholic faith that teach us to respect and honor age – so that what once was good could be again.

spiritual popcorn

that’s all you can control, right?

We can’t make Father a kind person. We can’t force him to be thoughtful and loving, but we can be those things ourselves, all the while praying for him.

When we do that, we address those things we can while not trying to control what we can’t.

Beyond these things, I think that writing the bishop is a good idea, assuming you’ve spoken to Father or have written him a letter that you signed (anonymous letters do no good, I promise).

Most bishops really care about how their priests minister and will address problems like the ones you share. Be sure and offer specific examples of things you’ve seen or experienced personally. This will help the bishop get a sense of what the problem is.

In terms of your bishop, please keep in mind the position he is in. His response to your letter or any of the others you have seen will be consistent with his conscience, the quality of the information he receives and the spirit of Christian charity.

You are probably not going to be aware of how your bishop responds, as he will more than likely take the first steps in private with your priest. Pray for God to guide him!

In the meantime, I promise to pray for you during this difficult time.

Enjoy another day in God’s presence!

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Everett Collection

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

12 It’s Sunday morning. We rise, get dressed, gather up the kids, get into the car and travel to our local parish. We nestle into our usual pew, say a brief private prayer and stand when it’s time to sing the opening hymn. We follow the usual routine. We faithfully fulfill our obligation. But what ancient ritual have we begun? What awesome mystery have we entered into?

Liturgy is the official public worship of the church. Our most important liturgy is the Mass, but we have other liturgies, such as funerals, blessings and all our sacramental rites. The word liturgy comes from a Greek word, leitourgia – “the work of the people.”

The work is actually God’s work and he invites all of us to participate in it (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1069).

Same Mass – new words What is liturgy? Part 1 of a 14-part series

Rita Thiron is director of the Office of Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and a member of the board of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

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n the next year or so, a new edition of the Roman Missal will be issued. You will notice some changes in the words of the Mass. In this series on the liturgy, FAITH explores various aspects of liturgy to prepare you for the upcoming changes.

Liturgy, by its very nature, is communal. We enter into relationship with the Trinity and with one another. We also enter into relationship with others all over the world who are gathering around the altar of Christ’s word and Eucharist. The assembly is not a collection of people praying in the same place, but a community of people, who “express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the church” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 2).

And it is this mystery of Jesus Christ that is the only “theme” of any liturgy.

The paschal mystery is the life, passion, death, resurrection and glorious ascension of Jesus Christ and our participation in it! Perhaps it’s that second part that we least understand – that “dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life” (Easter Preface I). Each liturgy, then, is a work of our ongoing redemption. We follow the command to “do this in memory of me.” But we do not merely remember what Jesus has done for us, but, with Christ as the head of every liturgical celebration, it is a remembering that makes present – anamnesis.

“To accomplish so great a work [our ongoing redemption] Christ is always present in his church, especially at its liturgical celebrations” (SC 7). Christ is present not only in the person of his minister … but especially in his eucharistic elements. He is present in the sacraments and his in his word “for it is Christ himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read …” (SC 7).

13 Who said that?

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

A:

t. Ambrose S (340-397)

St. Ambrose is the first doctor of the church and called the Pastoral Doctor. He is also called the “Patron of the Veneration of Mary.”

St. Ambrose started his career as a young lawyer/politician and became the people’s choice to become bishop of Milan (374-397) when the Arian bishop died. He had great presence and was one of the most influential men of the fourth century. He was known for his preaching, opposition to Arianism and friendship with St. Augustine (whom he converted to Christianity and baptized).

He is the patron saint of candlemakers and learning.

His feast day is Dec. 7 “not yet.” We are remembering what God has done for us, acknowledging

what he continues to do for us now, and anticipating what we will experience in the heavenly kingdom.

The liturgy has other “languages” besides the spoken word. In signs and symbols, in posture and gesture, in silence and in song, in our buildings and our art, we give expression to the faith we share.

We have been invited to this liturgy by the living God. We have encountered him in a special way and been sanctified by his grace. We have been nourished by word and sacrament, the ordained minister and by each other.

And we are dismissed until we can all meet again –perhaps next week, perhaps in the heavenly kingdom. We are reminded to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Some of you may remember the Latin words that ended our Mass, ite missa est, “Go, it is the sending.” From that word missa we get “mission” – our duty to go out and spread the good news and to serve the Lord. From that word, too, we get “Mass” – a liturgy which empowers us to do so.

Pilgrimage destination of the month

Krakow, Poland Krakow is one of the oldest (dating back to the 7th century) and largest cities in Poland.

It has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural and artistic

the convent’s chapel, along with the saint’s relics.

Notables:

life. It is one of Poland’s most important economic centers.

Krakow also is the home of the Lagiewniki Sanctuary, which is the world center of Our Lord’s Mercy. Every year, more than 2 million pilgrims visit the sanctuary where the convent where St. Faustina Kowalska lived and died originally stood. The brick convent of the Sisters of God’s Mother of Mercy is now part of the sanctuary.

St. Faustina (1905-1938) was a Polish nun to whom

Jesus revealed his teaching on Divine Mercy, a devotion that spread worldwide – due in large part to Pope John Paul II, who beatified and canonized St. Faustina. Pope John Paul II also consecrated the sanctuary’s basilica and entrusted the world to Divine Mercy in 2002.

The original painting depicting the Merciful Jesus who appeared to St. Faustina in a vision in 1931, with the inscription in Polish, “Jesus, I trust in you” can be seen in

• Wawel Cathedral is Poland’s national shrine that dates from the 14th century. Its giant bell ranks among the world’s largest and most Polish kings and greatest national heroes are buried here.

• The Basilica of the Virgin Mary is a large Gothic church and boasts the world’s largest Gothic sculpture (a 42-foot high and 36-foot wide piece by Veit Stoss).

• St. Norbert’s Convent on the Vistula River has been home to Krakow’s oncepowerful Premonstratensian Sisters since the 12th century.

pilgrimage destination

Every year, Catholics from around the globe travel to religiously significant locations in order to deepen their understanding and appreciation for the Catholic faith, to venerate Mary and the saints, to ask for intercessory prayers and to express gratitude.

Here is just one of the many places you might want to make a pilgrimage.

theology 101

Christ is present, too, in our assemblies, for he promised wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).

And so we gather – Jesus, you and me. We address our prayers to God the Father, the source of all liturgy.

We acknowledge all that he has done for us and give him thanks and praise (CCC 1081). We are inspired by the grace of the Holy Spirit. And we seek God’s continuing favor through his son, Jesus Christ.

We pray with words that express and foster our faith. These prayers are both ancient and new. They are crafted carefully, based upon the principle of lex orandi, lex credendi – “the words of our prayer are the words of our belief.”

We never pray anything that we don’t believe and we don’t believe anything that is not expressed in our prayer. For example, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the assumption in 1950, based on the fact that the church had long celebrated it in its liturgy.

There is always a “tension” in the way we pray – a good kind of tension that comes from fullness. We are thinking in the past, present and future.

We speak about the “already” and the

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Above: Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalen as a Gardener by Jacob Cornelisz Van Oostsanen

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FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

Do you have the faith of Mary Magdalen?

Or doubting Thomas?

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T. Gennara

Sister Ann Shields is a renowned author and a member of the Servants of God’s Love. Questions can be addressed to Sister Ann Shields, Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

o begin this month’s spiritual journey, read the Gospel of John, chapter 20.

I have chosen this passage because it speaks so much to us about our faith. The resurrection calls for faith – it is the core of the Gospel. We can’t just bypass the commitment it calls for and still consider ourselves Catholics or Christians Here in this month of the Resurrection – the glorious feast of Easter – let us ask ourselves a few questions:

Now, let’s examine the Gospel I asked you to read. Jesus died upon the cross; the disciples saw it and knew clearly that he was dead. Hope seemed lost. Many of the disciples hid themselves, hoping that the authorities would not come after them, too, now that their leader was dead.

Mary Magdalen went to the tomb on the morning after the Sabbath – even before the sun came up – to anoint Jesus’ body. She saw the stone in front of the Peter tomb rolled away. Panicstricken that grave robbers had already been there or that authorities had removed his body for their own reasons, Mary Magdalen raced to Peter and John to tell them the news. John and Peter ran to the tomb to see for themselves. Now notice, the passage tells us that John saw and believed, but the Scripture is silent about Peter. Both of them left – Peter most probably confused and exhausted at this new development, but John, perhaps, knowing

1. Can you picture yourself as one of these disciples.

How would you have handled it?

2. Would you have believed? Be honest! Here in these same verses, Jesus speaks to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe!” God is speaking to your heart in this verse. Ask him for a strengthening and deepening of your personal faith in him.

3. Or would you have been like Thomas? He wasn’t with the others when Jesus came and he needed proof. Do you have some of Thomas’ arguments working in you against faith?

John

Mary Magdalen

Thomas

Whose faith is most like yours? Are you like Peter, John, Mary Magdalen, Thomas, the other disciples present in the room?

This is the great season of the resurrection. There is grace for you to increase your faith or to receive the grace to begin again. Jesus never lies. His promises are sure! I will pray for you that the gift of faith may flourish in your minds and hearts.

spiritual fitness

1. Do I believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

2. Do I believe that Jesus conquered death so that our death would not be eternal, but a passage from this life to the next – to eternal glory in union with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – to union with the very Source of all truth and beauty and goodness?

3. Do I really believe that Jesus paid the price for my sin with his life and made it possible for me to inherit the kingdom of heaven – if only I live obedient to God’s law?

4. Do I know, really know, that when I fail and sin, God’s mercy will restore me to the inheritance that is mine, if I but repent, it is because of his great love? Make your own personal assessment before you continue reading.

how loved he was by Jesus, clung to faith and hope.

Mary Magdalen was outside the tomb, weeping, when Jesus appeared to her – but she did not recognize him. She believed him to be dead and her mind cannot process this so quickly. But Jesus called her by name. The sound of his voice, calling her name, changed everything. Awed and overjoyed, she became the first evangelist bringing the news – “He is risen!” – to the other disciples.

That evening, Jesus walked through the door of the building where the disciples were hiding. He showed them the marks of his wounds. They believed and he sent them forth to bring this good news to all.

Now ask yourself:

Real godfathers are not like the movies Randy Schonfield is an RCIA sponsor

c o v e r

s t o r y

By Bob Horning Photography by Jim Luning

One thought Randy Schonfield often had after he became Catholic was that the church needed an RCIA class for adults who were already Catholic, in order to deepen their knowledge of the faith.

Then, in 2006, when he was a sponsor for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults – see sidebar) at St. Patrick Parish in Brighton for the first time, he said to himself, “Wait.

We have it already. It’s called being a sponsor.”

cover story

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Randy says that being a sponsor was a wonderful experience, so wonderful that he would encourage everyone to do it. When he converted in 1989, Randy had gone through the program solely as a student. In 2006, he felt he was a student again, relearning, but also was a teacher in the sense that he would sometimes elaborate on the weekly lesson to the catechumen he sponsored. That required extra study and research at times, which helped him learn the information better. He was being catechized again.

Helping someone become Catholic was not something Randy pictured growing up. He was raised Jewish because his father was Jewish – though his mother was Methodist.

To him, learning about religion seemed like cold history, the story of what others had done to the Jewish people through the centuries.

At 15, his knowledge of religion expanded when he moved to Livonia. He spotted “a cute blonde” a few houses down, got to know her, became good friends with her family, which included her six siblings, and was impressed by their strong family and faith life. Later, he spent a weekend with them at a lake cottage, and, on Sunday, attended his first Mass. He experienced peace and felt at home.

That was 1973. Ten years later, he married that girl, and her brother the priest witnessed their wedding. Now Randy and his wife have three children, ranging from 16 to 23.

Randy went to Mass sporadically for 15 years before he decided to go through RCIA. He entered the church in 1989. etting married and becoming Catholic was as good as it gets, Randy thought. Then, in 2004, he went on a Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) weekend, and had what he calls a mountain-top experience. “During the weekend, I came to know Jesus. It was like he was my best buddy and was right next to me. Now I had a personal relationship in place of just knowing about him. Serving on the CRHP team for three more weekend retreats over the years has given me a stronger, more loving relationship with Jesus. I have found that our faith can grow continually deeper.”

Since his first CRHP weekend, Randy has wanted to be involved in everything at St. Patrick. He is on the stewardship committee, helps with the “Fish and Loaves” meals for the needy, attends a weekly Bible study and a monthly men’s night, and is in his sixth year as a catechist for seventh-graders.

“I am willing to try my hand at everything at church,” he says. It was that openness that led RCIA director Marcia Strausbaugh to seek him out as an RCIA sponsor. After considering it for all of an hour, he said yes.

RCIA classes at St. Patrick meet after Mass on Sunday, so sponsors have about a one-hour commitment each week from September until the Easter Vigil Mass.

Randy’s bookshelves have been transforming since

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Catholic, or would like to be a sponsor, contact your parish’s RCIA coordinator or your pastor.

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

on Catholicism.”

Randy says that year as a sponsor strengthened his knowledge of Jesus and his relationship with him – and increased the fire of his faith. “I saw myself as a co-worker with Jesus. I was doing what he asks us all to do – go out and make disciples. Me, a Jewish kid and a pew-sitter for many years as a Catholic. I love my faith, and had the opportunity to bring someone to the one true church.”

He sees the role of sponsor as being a companion for the candidate or catechumen so they don’t feel alone, and as being someone who can answer questions that they have outside class. “At the same time, as I went through the class, my heart become more inflamed, and I wanted to learn more in order to help (Mark) more,” he says.

“I think sometimes sponsors don’t think they are capable, but God knows what is inside of them, and can pull it out. Anyone can do it because God works through a sponsor. For example, I could see that Mark was nervous about going to the sacrament of reconciliation. I told him that it was like walking into the confessional with a load of concrete on your head, and when you walk out the weight is gone. That was a simple illustration, but it helped him.”

“I saw myself as a coworker with Jesus. I was doing what he asks us all to do – go out and make disciples.”

CRHP. “I have always been a nut about cars,” he says, “and that is what most of my reading concerned (he has worked at Ford Motor Company for 30 years). But now I want to learn everything I can about Jesus. After all, he is the most important event since creation itself. People are still trying to learn about him and figure him out 2,000 years later. I find myself slowly giving away my books on cars, and the shelves are being filled instead with books

What is the RCIA? RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a restoration of an ancient process for incorporating persons into Jesus Christ through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy Eucharist. It was restored after the Second Vatican Council

ark Auxter, the catechumen Randy sponsored, said that Randy was a great inspiration for him during the class: “Just being able to talk to him about spiritual things and e-mailing him questions during the week was helpful. I became an extraordinary minister of holy Communion shortly after entering the shurch, in order to give back for what he and the rest of the church had done for me. I still keep in touch regularly with people who went through the class with me.”

For Randy, the triduum that year was especially meaningful. He remembers that “on Easter Day I was floating, knowing what I had done for another person, helping him become Catholic. Though it was the Holy Spirit, of course, who did it, I was a body present and a voice.

“I would love to do it again, and maybe even be one of the catechists next time. Anyone who becomes a sponsor, even if they are a pew-sitter as I once was, won’t be afterwards. They will want to do more.”

and became mandatory in the United States in September 1988. The local Catholic bishop determines how RCIA will be administered in parishes under his care.

It is meant for those who haven’t been baptized and those from other traditions wishing to become Catholic. Sometimes, Catholics returning to the faith after an extended absence join in the classes.

Classes typically meet weekly

from September until Pentecost Sunday, which is seven weeks after Easter. Participants (catechumens or candidates) undergo a process of conversion as they study (especially the Gospel), pray, and profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church during rites at Mass.

Many parishes hold pre-RCIA inquiry sessions regularly throughout the year to help people decide if they want to pursue becoming Catholic.

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becoming Catholic

Catholic Relief Services

20 ing apostolic works and by celebrating the rites of the church (RCIA 75), the catechumens (and we) are called to reflect on the value of the paschal mystery and on their lives as Catholic Christians.

This journey includes periods of preparation and steps that are marked by liturgical rites. Because this process has a particularly paschal character – entering into the dying and rising of Jesus Christ – it is most appropriate that the catechumen is initiated at the Easter Vigil.

At that time, he or she will receive all three sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.

A period of mystagogia (“the mysteries revealed”) follows.

Though intense during the 50 days of Easter, this period is just the beginning of a life-long faith formation and participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

FAQs about becoming Catholic

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he Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes adults into the Catholic Church. Here are some of the common questions and answers about this important process.

What does baptism mean? The word baptism comes from the Greek, bapitzein, which means “to dip or to immerse.”

What does baptism “do?” “Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people.

This first sacrament pardons all our sins, rescues us from the power of darkness and brings us to the dignity of adopted children, a new creation through water and the power of the Holy

Spirit. Hence we are called and indeed are children of God” (CIG #1213).

Moreover, “holy baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through baptism, we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God: we become members of Christ, are incorporated in the Church and made sharers in her mission; ‘baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water

and the Word’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).

What are the steps to becoming Catholic? We welcome new adult members into our faith with the church’s official rite, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Developed after Vatican II, it restores a very ancient practice in the church – a catechumenate process. A catechumen (“one under instruction”) is called to follow Christ through the “many forms of God’s grace” (RCIA 5). His or her journey of faith is a gradual one, done best within a community of the faithful.

With catechesis based on the Scriptures, by living the Christian life, by practic-

Who initiates new members into the church? We all do! “... the people of God, as represented by the local Church, should understand and show by their concern that the initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptized” (RCIA 9).

We invite them to know our Savior and to join our church; we offer hospitality, we answer their questions to the best of our ability, we welcome them to Mass, and we are present at the various rites. We warmly welcome them to the font of life, to the sacrament of confirmation, and to eat with us at the Lord’s Table. Some of us may serve as godparents and sponsors; others serve as catechists. Bishops, priests, deacons, RCIA team members have special roles, but we all initiate them into our community of faith.

By Rita Thiron

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How can I invite someone to come to church with me?

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f you think you’d like to encourage someone to come to Mass with you, but aren’t quite sure how, the following questions and answers may be of some help.

I’m not comfortable with all this evangelizing stuff. Isn’t this the priest’s job? As baptized Catholics, we are all called to evangelize. Jesus asks all of us to do his work in the world by caring for the poor and sick, feeding the hungry and spreading the good news of his love for us. Evangelization doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stand on the nearest street corner preaching – it can be as simple as letting people know you’re Catholic and how important and life-giving your faith is. A true evangelizer draws on the gifts of his or her baptism to bring the Gospel into every human situation, convinced the power of that Gospel will draw people toward its giver, Jesus Christ.

Two of my adult children don’t go to church anymore, even though they know that’s where they should be on Sundays. How can I make them show up? You can’t.

You can offer an opportunity for renewal and reconnection,

My friends came to church with me last week – for the first time in years! Isn’t that great? What do I do now?

Should I make sure they get church envelopes? It might be best not to push too hard too fast. Be open to questions and conversation about your faith. This might require some study on your part – great for all of us! Don’t be tempted to bring up the subject of the church every time you see them. A daily presentation of their need for the church may begin to feel like haranguing, and can do more harm than good. Be patient. Pray.

What if I invite people and they say “no?” Maybe this is a bad time for them, or they’re still hurting for one reason or another. Remain open and let them know the invitation is good any Sunday of the year – we are always ready to say, “We’ve missed you, welcome home!”

Ideas for evangelization: • Be nice. You know the old saying, “you’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

• Let people know how your faith enriches your life.

• Don’t judge, don’t preach, don’t expect.

• Do invite, do encourage, do pray.

• Love your neighbor as yourself – how would you respond if someone asked you to do something you weren’t ready for?

How would you react if pressured?

Simple things to do at church: • Smile!

• Say “hello” to the person next to you.

• Introduce yourself and start a conversation – say, “I’m glad you’re here.”

By Elizabeth Solsburg

what you can do

My neighbors don’t go to church, but my parish has some information cards available at the back of church.

I picked one up – do I just mail it to them? Evnagelization is about invitation, not notification. It’s like inviting them to your family’s Thanksgiving dinner – you’d greet them at the door, sit with them, share the meal with them, wouldn’t you? The same is true of our eucharistic meal – plan to bring your friends with you to Mass, sit with them and help them find the pages in the Missalette or hymn book, and then maybe go out for breakfast afterward so you can chat about the experience and answer questions.

but you can’t force people to go where they don’t want to be. The most important thing you can do for your children is to pray for them and to be open to them wherever they are in life. A broken relationship will make it more difficult to have discussions about faith, and a judgmental attitude can do more damage to the work of evangelization than any program could ever compensate for. Remember, actions speak louder than words. If you are living the Gospel message with your whole heart, your life will be a light to those around you, including your children. St. Francis explained evangelization best – “Preach the Gospel always. Use words when necessary.”

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I left the church when I was 17.

What brought me back?

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hese days, St. Joseph Shrine member Cathy Howell readily affirms her faith and calls the Catholic Church home. But for brief period in her life, it wasn’t.

Raised in a Catholic home, Cathy spent her childhood attending Mass regularly with her parents and four siblings.

She participated in catechism classes and was confirmed.

But life was not without its troubles. Her father, an alcoholic, made home life unbearable. Cathy credits her mother with keeping church a constant in her life at the time, but with all that was happening at home, Cathy questioned the family’s reasons for attending church. At age 17, unable to deal with her father

and home life any longer, she struck out on her own, leaving her troubles behind – as well as the Catholic Church.

“Back then, I felt it wasn’t personal,” says Cathy. “It was just something you did growing up in a Catholic home, so when I left home I thought I could live without going to Mass.” She admits now that that was a time when she felt God’s presence the least, but she said that was because of the choices she made. “I didn’t talk to him, and I did things on my own,” says Cathy.

For more information about returning to the church, contact your parish’s evangelization director or pastor. Or visit the diocesan W

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

By Cristina Trapani-Scott | Photography by Tom Gennara

Web page at www.dioceseoflansing.org.

my story

As far away as she’d drifted from the Catholic Church, it was alShe admits to being skeptical at first because she wanted to ways there on the periphery of her life, and she even considered be sure that her beliefs were faithful to Catholic teaching. She getting married in the church. While the Catholic began attending Mass every week. “I heard the word wedding never happened, Cathy did marry. of God spoken and the Holy Thursday Mass Unfortunately, familiar patterns began with foot washing spoke deeply to me,” emerging, and drugs and alcohol beshe said. She began taking RCIA classes came a strong presence in her home. with Anne Williams. “I finally realWhen her first two children were ized my life was a journey seeking born, Cathy said she knew God in all areas of life and part of change was in order. this journey was for my reunion “I wanted to learn more about with Catholic Church. My this Jesus, so I began seeking charismatic prayer community God’s word,” she says. and mother’s faith were God’s After 10 years of being blessing in leading me back to away from the Lord, she the Catholic Church.” journeyed back by attending Cathy hasn’t looked back church, going to Bible studsince then and can’t imagine livies, teaching children’s classes ing without Christ in her life. and listening to Christian radio.

She feels some regret that she “My desire was to tell tons to was away from the church for so embrace Christ, to let him rule your long, but she feels she understands life, and to stay away from drugs and others who were in the same position alcohol,” Cathy says. as she was as a young woman. “I knew Her starting place was a nondenominational that that there was more to my life than what church near her home, which she views now as I was doing. I really believe it was time for After a stepping stone on her path back to Catholime to come back to the Catholic Church. I cism. “It seemed to serve the purpose of getting think the church really promotes fellowship.

Mother me close to God and hearing what he had to We have a lot of different ways of reaching passed away, I say,” says Cathy. This was when she felt the out to people. I think if I were to meet somecould hear the strength of God. “I felt most in the presence of body like that today, I would tell them that God, I think, when I came to know and realize there is so much more hope in the Lord than church bells from God’s word and that we are not alone and we in trying to do things our own way without St. Joseph Shrine have the holy spirit within us.” the Lord,” said Cathy. as I worked in my Cathy later moved to another church. She What she’s learned from her journey and and her husband had two more children, and from returning to the Catholic Church is that garden. Then one Cathy involved all of her children in church love is the greatest example of God. “I think Sunday I attended youth activities and summer camps. Even as the most important thing is to love people,” the small stone she was committed to bringing Christ into her she said, “to really show God’s love to people home, her marriage was falling apart. In 1999, if you really want to listen to them. I had that, church and I knew her marriage ended. people I could trust like Jean, my mother and this was where I Not long afterward, Cathy moved her mothmy friends in my prayer community. I think it’s needed to be.” er into her home in the Irish Hills, and she important to accept people where they are at became a member of a charismatic prayer comand not to judge them.” munity, which she credits for fostering her strong faith. At the She continues to attend St. Joseph Shrine Parish regularly, and same time, Jean Hausmann, from St. Joseph Shrine, began visitis involved in a small spiritual direction class taught by her RCIA ing to offer support, prayer and Communion to Cathy’s mother, leader, Anne Williams. who was ailing. “[Jean] was one of the first Catholic people in “My prayer is that the Lord will use me to draw others into my life who showed me that there was more than just going to a closer walk with him,” Cathy says. “I am trusting the Lord to church,” said Cathy. “It’s the way you live your life. Her husband guide and direct me.” was the same way. They were probably the first Catholics I knew who were like that.” In addition, Father Carl Simon of St. Joseph Shrine began visiting her mother, and Cathy became familiar with the parish. In February 2006, Cathy’s mother died.

“After Mother passed away, I could hear the church bells from St. Joseph Shrine as I worked in my garden. Then, one Sunday, I attended the small stone church and I knew this was where I needed to be.”

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what does the priest

do at Mass?

By Doug Culp | Photography by Tom Gennara

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FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

is priesthood understood within the Q: How context of the celebration of liturgy?

A:

How has Hollywood depicted Catholic priests?

In 1983’s The Scarlet and the Black, Gregory Peck plays Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish Catholic priest who saved thousands of Jews and Allied prisoners of war during the Nazi occupation of Rome during World War II. The Gestapo leader of Rome, Colonel Herbert Kappler, is portrayed by Christopher Plummer.

When the Allies liberated Rome, Msgr. O’Flaherty, in an act of charity, smuggled Colonel Kappler’s children and wife out of the country.

Kappler was imprisoned for his crimes, and, year after year, received visits from Msgr. O’Flaherty. This film, based on J.P. Gallagher’s book, The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, is a wonderful portrayal of courage, forgiveness and redemption.

DIOCESAN

Thinking about the priesthood? Contact Father Jerry Vincke, jvincke@dioceseoflansing.org. Another ministry supported by the DSA. SERVICES APPEAL

father on film

The priest presides over the liturgy. Essentially, this means the priest fulfills two vital and interrelated functions during the liturgy: he represents Christ to the church and he presents the church’s prayer to God. By the sacrament of holy orders, the priest is anointed by the Holy Spirit who enables the priest to “act in the person of Christ the head,” or in persona Christi capitis. This means that within the context of the priest’s service to the church, it is Christ himself who is present as the church’s head through the action of the priest. In this way, the priest becomes an “icon” of Christ.

The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults explains that an icon is “a religious painting that is considered to make present the mystery of salvation or the saint it depicts.” Therefore, when the priest is called an “icon” of Christ, it means that the priest is not simply a reminder or image of Christ but also a real means by which Christ can touch a person.

At the same time, because the ordained minister represents Christ, he also acts in the name of the whole church when presenting to God the prayer of the church. This is because the church is inseparable from Christ, who worships in and through his church. The whole church, the body of Christ and the common priesthood, prays and offers herself through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ – the one priest.

The ordained priest’s role here is especially evident in the offering of the eucharistic sacrifice. It is the priest, standing in the person of Christ, who alone can consecrate the bread and wine that will become the very body and blood of Christ offered as the spiritual sacrifice of Christ on behalf of his body, the church.

The bishop wears a cross called a pectoral cross. Its name derives from the Latin word pectus or “breast.” There are rules that dictate how the cross is worn depending on the bishop’s garments. If he’s in a suit and collar, the pectoral cross is usually placed in the vest pocket with the chain showing – that’s why you’ll often see the bishop with a gold chain across his chest.

EVERETT

is the specific role of the priest in Q: What the liturgy?

Pectoral cross:

what is he wearing?

Well, first of all, what is liturgy? According to the catechism, liturgy is an “action” of the “whole Christ.”

This means that the celebration of the liturgy goes beyond the visible celebration here on earth and includes all those who now participate in the heavenly liturgy – Mary, the apostles, the saints, and all those who have already entered the kingdom. In other words, it is the “whole community” of believers – on earth and in heaven – the entire body of Christ.

In terms of the priesthood, Christ alone is priest. At the same time, the entire celebrating assembly of the baptized participates in Christ’s priesthood through the power of the Holy Spirit, in order that they may actively offer the spiritual sacrifices of the liturgy. This is the referred to as the “common priesthood” of believers.

Within this shared priesthood of the one Christ, members have different functions. The ordained priest then is understood as one who has been “called by God, in and through the church, to a special service of the community.” Put simply, the ordained minister is charged with assisting the work of the common priesthood of the faithful, of Christ, in a very specific way – he is the means by which Christ continuously builds up and leads his church.

B. Patten

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Catholic Charities

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Catholic Charities

Gross at 517.262.0466 or e-mail her at lisamgross@ comcast.net if you plan to attend.

St. Vincent Catholic Charities Counseling Center – The St. Vincent Catholic Charities Counseling Center therapists offer a wide variety of clinical expertise to children, families and adults of all beliefs. Expertise includes counseling for: victims of trauma, play therapy, victims of rape and incest, depression, substance abuse, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), short term solution focused therapy and grief and loss counseling. Fees for services are determined on an income-based sliding scale.

Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties – The North End Soup Kitchen is located at 735 E. Stewart Ave. in Flint. Hot meals are served daily, Monday-Sunday. With the difficult economy, it is serving more people each day. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile ministry, please call 810.785.6911.

Catholic Charities of Washtenaw County – St. Patrick’s Feast, March 21 at St. Joseph Parish, Old Village Church, 3430 Dover St. in Dexter to benefit the Father Patrick Jackson House. Cost is $75 per person.

Call 734.971.9781 ext. 323 for reservations and information.

community

Catholic Charities of Jackson County – Please join us for a one-hour tour/presentation to learn more about Catholic Charities of Jackson County. Tours are held on the first Monday of each month at noon at our Mechanic Street office. Lunch is provided. Please RSVP to Lisa

Catholic Charities of Livingston County – How can you help? Join our Variety Club. Do you have a truck? Can you help with pick-up and delivery of donated furniture? Could you spend a couple of hours helping in our Clothing Cupboard or would you like to donate a few hours at our front desk answering phones and greeting clients? These are just some of the opportunities available.

For more information, call 585.658.4466.

Catholic Charities of Lenawee County – We offer a full range of foster care services for children removed from their homes. Our Foster Care Program provides a safe and nurturing substitute family until the child is either returned to their parents or guardian or is placed in an alternative placement home. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please contact our office at 517.263.2191.

things to do:

presenter will be Father John Riccardo.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish annual Swiss Steak Dinner is April 11 in the Parish Family Center located at 3815 S. Cedar St. in Lansing, from 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. The cost is adults $8, children 6-12 $5 and 5 and under are free. Join us for an afternoon of fun and fellowship.

April 18 at noon, the St. Louis Center will have its annual Recognition Dinner Dance at St. Mary Parish in Chelsea. To register, visit its Web site at www.stlouiscenter. org. If you have questions Blessed or would like Sacrament, to volunteer, Burton has a e-mail mail@ group whose stlouiscenter.org.

St. John the Evangelist, Damembers make vison has trained volunteers who lap blankets for On April 30, will assist you in creating a résumé nursing homes. there will be and looking for employment on the It is looking for a Beginning Internet free at the Family Center yarn donations. To Experience Building, Room 202, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. donate, please call Weekend in For more information, contact Rosie the parish office at Lansing for and Bernie Troll at 810.245.8559 810.742.3151. individuals grieving or rlt1146@aol.com. the loss of a love St. Casimir one through Parish, Lansing will hold the third death, divorce or separation. For more Food for Thought evening on April information, call 517.449.3906 or 26. Mass is at 6 p.m. followed by a e-mail habusta@aol.com soup supper in the hall. Presentation and discussion start at 7 p.m. All are Retrouvaille Retreat will be April welcome to attend the entire evening 9-11 at St. Francis Retreat Center in or just part of it. The evening is free; DeWitt. For information or to register,

St. Elizabeth Church in Tecumseh is having a Mom 2 Mom sale on April 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the parish center at 506 N. Union St.. For more information, call Judy Prater at 517.423.3391.

St. Mary, Westphalia will host the 5th Annual Evangelization Conference April 17. Mass is at 8:30 a.m. and registration at 9 a.m. Cost is $10 if you pre-register by April 9 by contacting the parish office at 989.587.4201 or $15 at the door.

St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn will have the Four Goods of Marriage: Do You Know what You’ve Gotten Yourself Into? on April 30 at 7 p.m. The

Holy Spirit Catholic Church women’s guild rummage sale April 8-9, 9 a.m-5 p.m. and April 10, 9 a.m.-noon.

Located at the corner of Winans Lake and Musch Road in Brighton.

Wheelchair accessible.

however, donations for parish food programs are welcome.

Job networking

FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

contact Teresa and Allan Sonfilippo Wilcox at 517.290.5596.

Project 2o3 is holding a Lock-in April 24 at Powers Catholic High School in Flint. For more information, contact Amber Zelley, coordinator of High School Ministry at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, 810.694.9072.

Habitat for Humanity House 2010 – this year Catholics are proud to be partnering with the Habitat Interfaith Group rebuilding effort. The actual work on the house will be in April and May. The house is located at 1208 Share in Ypsilanti. To sign up to work, go to www. catholic-habitat.blogspot.com or contact Lynne Punnett at lynnep@h4h.org or 734.677.1558.

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held May 14-16 at the Lansing West Hotel. For more info or to register for this Catholic marriage enrichment, contact Harry and Karen Porter at 888.628.7433 or ahrporter@charter.net, or go online at www.wwme.org.

Attention Single Men and Women 30s-50s: Lansing Catholic Singles upcoming events for April include; April 9, a night out for some fun and laughter at Connxtions Comedy Club in Lansing for an 8 p.m. show, cost $15, RSVP required; April 18, Mass at St. Martha in Okemos at 10 a.m. followed by breakfast/lunch at Panera’s in Okemos.

Come prepared to meet new friends

and have some fun. For more information on these and other events please call 517.321.7886 or e-mail lansingcatholicsingles@live.com. Check us out online at lansingcatholicsingles.com.

Praying with Body, Mind and Spirit: Listening to God, April 17, 9:45 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Margaret of Scotland Prayer Center, 21151 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., St. Clair Shores. Scripture, guided meditation, music and movement are used to engage you in prayer. Cost is $40. Phone 586.415.0709 to register.

For further information, contact Janene Ternes at 734.429.7754 or visit her Web site at www.prayer-in-motion.com Catholic Single men and women, ages 30s-60s, in Genesee County can meet other people who share their Catholic faith. For details, call Mary at 810.635.0989. To learn about upcoming events, e-mail terymc_2000@yahoo.com.

Diocese of Lansing Parishioner E-News is a monthly e-newsletter to parishioners diocesan-wide. The content regularly consists of news and information of events happening in our regions and at our parishes and schools, as well as the Central Service Departments of the diocese.

To subscribe, please visit www. dioceseoflansing.org and enter your e-mail address in the form, choose the “Parishioner E-News” checkbox and click “Submit”.

At our retreat centers Dominican Center at Marywood, Grand Rapids, 616.454.1241 April 1-4, Journey into Silence Retreat, Marywood Campus April 29-June 17, Yoga, continuing yoga, 5:30 p.m.-6:45 p.m. and beginning yoga, 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m.

April 18-23, Bread of Life Retreat April 30, 7 p.m-9 p.m., Annual gathering of spiritual directors – Scripture, Imagination and the Role of the Spiritual Director.

St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, 866.669.8321 April 21, Administrative Support Day - Come to Me All Who Are Weary. A time to come together to share our best practices, enrich our spiritual lives and to celebrate the work that we do in the service to the mission of the church; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Presenters are Father Larry Delaney, Patti Kenney and Deacon Dick Savage.

Rebecca Kiessling shares her story.

Pro-Life Seminar Almost 200 people attended the Mid-Michigan Pro-Life Summit in Montrose. Bishop Earl Boyea spoke, saying it is important for each person to care for others.

Rebecca Kiessling, a Detroit attorney and author, shared her compelling story about being conceived in rape. She was the first person in Michigan to receive court permission to learn her birth mother’s name, who had contemplated aborting Rebecca.

Rebecca, a strong advocate of life, created a video about adoption, rape and pregnancy.

Another speaker, Elder Levon Yuille, pastor of The Bible Church in Ypsilanti, said, “America’s greatest evil is abortion, It is worse than slavery.”

State Rep. Paul Scott stated, “Life is first. Talk to elected officials about pro-life.”

Dr. Kyle Beiter, from Giana Medical Center in New York, said that God gave us a moral code to live by. He said, “I’ll leave medicine before I leave my faith.”

Michael Voris, a former CBS reporter, stated that the Internet is the new media, where people can decipher what is correct or what the media wants people to believe.

The master of ceremonies for the day was Father Joseph Krupp, from St. John Student Center at Michigan State University and a FAITH columnist. Between speakers, Youth to Youth Catholic Evangelization entertained with skits and singing.

One of the guests at the seminar, Paul Schultz, from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Ann Arbor said, “I was impressed by the presence of Bishop Boyea. He was an excellent speaker and his candor and quality of message were wonderful.” – Jan Hoffbauer

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A shaken world

An interior view of the destroyed Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is seen in Port au Prince, Haiti.

How can you help?

Catholic Relief Services has had a presence in Haiti for years and is working to help that country rebuild. They are also collecting donations for victims in Chile. For information on donating, go to www.crs.org.

Haiti – the first month what is being done; what needs to be done

CRS distributed emergency shelter kits – waterproof sheeting, lumber and nails – to an estimated 6,500 families (about 32,500 people) at the Petionville golf course, where close to 50,000 people now live under sheets and other materials that will be useless as protection during the rainy season. CRS will be distributing 10,000 more of these shelter kits.

CRS personnel also are at work on more substantial – if still temporary

What’s happening in Chile?

CNS/Eliseo Fernandez, Reuters

A resident looks at the damaged San Francisco de Curico Church in Curico, Chile.

While media attention focuses on looting in Concepcion, the largest city near the epicenter of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred Feb. 27, Catholic Church workers struggle to reach quake victims in rural areas who are far

CNS/Carlos Barria, Reuters

As Haiti paused to mark the onemonth anniversary of the earthquake that devastated its capital city of Port au Prince, Catholic Relief Services reached its own milestone – providing food to a half-million people in the country.

CRS donors continue to demonstrate their care for the people of Haiti, giving or pledging $60.4 million for relief operations. Now attention is turning to providing shelter as the rainy season has begun.

Catholic Relief Services delivered tons of World Food Program rice – supplied by the U.S. Agency for International Development – to Haitians at a camp for displaced people in Port au Prince.

Lane Hartill/Catholic Relief Services

earthquake local news update

Worst of all have been the earthquakes. The first, on Jan. 12, shook the earth under Haiti, and was centered in the heavilypopulated and impoverished Port au Prince. The second, at 8.8 on the Richter scale, was one of the most powerful quakes ever recorded. It rocked Chile on Feb. 27 and caused tsunami warnings to be issued around the entire Pacific Rim.

CNS/Bob Roller

N

ature has been particularly fierce in many areas of the globe during the first three months of 2010. Europe and much of the United States have experienced severe winter storms – massive snowfalls in areas that usually receive none.

– solutions to the housing problem, identifying sites more suitable for camps and employing designs for improved accommodations.

– Michael Hill, Catholic Relief Services

from the spotlight.

“We are receiving funds to help the poorest people, who are in the countryside,” Father Waldo Alfaro, head of the Caritas Chile office in Linares, told Catholic News Service. Linares is in the Maule region, where most of the quake deaths occurred.

“The entire coast was hard-hit, but this is an area where the poor-

est rural residents live,” Father Alfaro said. “Aid is not reaching them because these are very small villages.”

Between 30 and 40 churches and chapels in the Linares Diocese were badly damaged or destroyed, along with two orphanages. In coastal villages, churches that remain standing have been turned into makeshift morgues. – CRS

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FAITH Magazine / April 2010 / www.FAITHmag.com

Neighborhood Senior Services merges with Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County In February, the Ann Arbor nonprofit organization Neighborhood Senior Services (NSS) merged operations with Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW) to enhance and streamline its existing programs.

The new affiliation “will strengthen the commitment and impact we all have toward helping people in the accelerating demographic of older adults and the community we live in,” says CSSW President Larry Voight.

“We are delighted to work with a program that has such a sound and meaningful legacy in our community.”

NSS, established in 1975, provides support and advocacy for older adults living in

their own homes with programs dedicated to injury prevention, home maintenance, medical access and companion services.

As part of Catholic Social Services, NSS will work jointly with CSSW’s Older Adult Services unit, which offers a spectrum of programs supporting local seniors.

“NSS and Catholic Social Services share similar missions, visions and values and already work closely together,” says Barbara Penrod, NSS program director. “The merger provides us with an excellent opportunity to help sustain and grow our client services in these difficult economic times and into the future.”

For more information, please visit the agency Web site at: www.csswashtenaw.org.

Update on Powers High School

Deacon Louis Weitzel

Pasty-making Habitat for Humanity

World War II veteran Deacon Louis Weitzel of St. Rita Parish in Clarklake knows how to get tasks accomplished.

“I have been told that I am the oldest active deacon in the country,” said Louis, who will be celebrating his 90th birthday in May. “I worked in the automotive industry in production control. I never got off the phone until I got what I wanted. I did the same thing for the diaconate program. I called every day until I got an answer.”

“The most gratifying thing is to conduct a Scripture service when someone has died. I give people comfort, because I know what it is like,” he shared. His wife died in 1987.

Louis prepares for Masses and funerals. He gives pre-baptism classes, takes Communion to shut-ins and visits at the hospital.

“I am different from most deacons because I didn’t become one until after my wife died,” said Louis.

He has three children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. – Jan Hoffbauer

An ecumenical project is the major fundraiser for the Lenawee County Habitat for Humanity. The churches in the county rallied for the 10th annual pasty-making event.

About 4,500 pasties were made by volunteers who ranged from LISD Technical School teenagers to those in their 80s.

Cindy Frownfelder was a dough roller for five years. Now she is in charge of recruiting at least 50 people for every two-hour shift to share their skills with others.

Almost 500 volunteers filled those time slots for three days.

They made, rolled and crimped dough. They cut up potatoes, carrots and onions to be mixed with ground beef for the delicious meat pies.

A parishioner from St. Joseph Church, Adrian, Bernie Potts, has been supporting this event for six years. She said, “I have done every job over the years. I am on the meat assembly this year. It is a great way to support Habitat.” – Jan Hoffbauer

local news

The Catholic Diocese of Lansing agreed in late 2009 to purchase from General Motors the Service Parts Organization building on Hill Road near I-475.

This purchase would have led to the relocation of Powers Catholic High School from its current site to the SPO building. The spread of this exciting news energized the Powers community. The flow of generous contributions reminds us again how dearly the Catholics of Genesee County treasure Powers Catholic High School.

There has been a new development, however. General Motors has decided to stay in its SPO facility. This is welcome news to everyone in the region and the Catholic Diocese of Lansing did not hesitate in giving its assent. This means that about 800 GM jobs will be preserved.

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What in the world?

The top 10 Catholic news events this month

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Series from Vatican secret archives on Pius XII going digital – Soon, 12 volumes of World War II documents from the Holy See, during the time of Pope Pius XII, will be published online.

Catholic nominated for China’s top 10 people of 2009 awards – Wang Ping An, a 71-year-old Catholic, was named as a candidate for having spent more than 23 years taking care of the elderly, abandoned children and the sick and disabled.

‘Another rock’

local news saint of the month

St. Peter Chanel

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Spanish laity condemns offensive use of crucifix – The Laity Committee of the Diocese of Almeria in Spain issued a statement condemning the use of an image of Christ on the cross to parody the economic crisis the country is experiencing by a local group.

Lebanon celebrates 1,600th anniversary of St. Maron’s death – The patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. George, marking the 1,600th anniversary of the death of St. Maron, father of the Maronite rite and patron saint of Lebanon.

Feast Day: April 28 Peter Louis Mary Chanel was born on July 12, 1803, in Ciet in the Diocese of Belley, France. His was a poor peasant family. Because Peter was intelligent and devout, the local priest, Father Trompier, ensured that Peter received a good education. He entered the seminary and was ordained in 1827.

During his first three years of priesthood, Peter was assigned to a rundown parish in Crozet.

He worked hard to rebuild it and to revitalize its people. Although he was a successful parish priest, his heart was set on missionary work.

Peter Louis was born in 1803, into a peasant family.

He longed for missionary work, but was ordered to teach in a seminary.

He reconstructed a dilapidated parish in Crozet.

King Niluliki became jealous of Peter and feared his people would convert to Christianity.

Peter joined the newly formed Society of Mary (the Marists) in 1831, hoping that he could finally realize his dream of becoming a missionary. Instead, he was ordered to teach in a seminary in Belley. Obediently, he taught there for five years.

In 1836, the Society of Mary set out to evangelize the New Hebrides islands in the Pacific. Peter became head of a small missionary group that travelled to the island of Futuna.

The king became jealous of Peter’s conversions, fearing they would diminish his own power, and he ordered Peter beaten to death. St. Peter Chanel is the proto-martyr of the South Pacific.

– Illustrations by Chris Sushynski

Catholics in Costa Rica outraged by disrespect of the Eucharist – Catholics in Costa Rica expressed disgust following the actions of the girlfriend of presidential candidate Otto Guevara, who broke off a piece of the Eucharist and placed it in a pocket.

St. Mary School in Charlotte Celebrates 50 Years

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Catholic relief groups plan for Haiti’s future – Archbishop Auza, apostolic nuncio to Haiti, met with the Caritas affiliates at the Holy See’s embassy in the Haitian capital to examine relief operations and long-term challenges.

Catholics and Mormons unite around religious liberty – Cardinal Francis George spoke at Brigham Young University and emphasized that Mormons and Catholics share a commitment to religious liberty in the United States.

Disagreements on ethics end Catholic sponsorship of Oregon hospital – Citing continued disagreement on Catholic ethical directives such as sterilization, the Catholic Diocese of Baker announced it was ending its official sponsorship of St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

What does it mean to

evangelize?

T. Gennara

Father Charles Irvin is the founding editor of FAITH Magazine and is retired.

E

vangelization is a big word – what does it mean? The mission of the church is to bring Christ to us as well as to bring us to Jesus Christ – God’s word, God’s self-expression made flesh – made incarnate of the Virgin Mary.

To be sure, that central mission is realized in many ways, but the main mission of the church is to bring us into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our brother and our savior. In him, we encounter God coming to us in a human way as a person who is one of us. Christ comes in our humanity to join us into himself and bring us back home to our Father in heaven. That’s really good news!

Evangelization proclaims this in preaching and teaching, in the church’s sacraments and in our actions that care for others. Evangelization isn’t confined to presenting us with sound teachings and authentic doctrines. It is certainly that ... but it’s more. It isn’t confined to bringing ourselves and others with us to Mass. It certainly is that – and more. It isn’t just teaching catechism lessons to children and adults. It is certainly that – and more. It isn’t simply an intellectual grasping of the truths of religion. It is certainly that, but a whole lot more.

The “more” part of evangelization is summed up in making Christ, God’s only-begotten son, personal – personal in our own lives as well as bringing others to a point where they can experience Jesus Christ personally in their own lives.

Sometimes we over-emphasize our dogmas, doctrines and teachings. Sometimes we can spend

excessive energy on making sure our teachings are taught authentically. Certainly all of that is necessary. But of greater importance is bringing others to experience the good news we proclaim, to experience God’s Christ, God’s anointed one, as we have experienced him in our church, in his sacraments and personally in our own lives.

Many people hear a lot of bad news, bad news about our world, about other human beings and bad news about themselves. But what about the good news? What about the good news that God our Father sent his only Son out of love into our world, into our humanity, not to condemn us but to rescue us from all that would diminish and destroy us. St. John sums it up in the third chapter of his Gospel when he declares: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).

So in the midst of all of the bad news about our world and the things we humans have been doing, be an evangelizer, be someone who lets others know what Jesus Christ has been doing in your life and in the lives of others. Let folks know of the good news that’s here among us. That’s what FAITH magazine is all about. Hopefully, as one of its readers, you will join us in being an evangelizer.

FAITH atlast 10word

On Feb. 5, St. Mary School celebrated 50 years of Catholic education in the parish. The evening’s centerpiece was a pasta dinner, silent auction, students singing, school tours and registration for the 2010-2011 school year for preschool 5th grade.

Approximately 300 people from the parish and Charlotte community enjoyed a spaghetti dinner cooked by local chef Dan Riedy, followed by a slice of anniversary cake.

Those attending had time to visit with former classmates and friends while looking through the many pictures, yearbooks and archival materials from the last 50 years. Art and written student work also were displayed throughout the building. Bids on the silent auction items, which were composed of theme baskets made by each classroom and the office, as well as donations by friends and parishioners, were competitive.

Relics of St. Bernadette brought to St. Peter’s by pilgrims – Five thousand sick people, supported by family and friends, accompanied the relics of St Bernadette Soubirous to St. Peter’s Square for the World Day of the Sick.

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top ten

Church honors patron of Sudan, St. Josephine Bakhita – On Feb. 8, the church commemorated the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan.

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notes:

SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, September 1, 2010 Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye 10:00 a.m. shotgun start on both courses

~

.. Honorary Hosts

Knights of Columbus Councils of the Catholi c Diocese of Lansing

For registration and sponsorship call 517.342.2535 or e-mail lweber@Dioceseoflansing.org

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