April 2018

SPECIAL REPORT: Pope Francis celebrates his fifth anniversary

FOR THE IYIOKE FAMILY,

‘THE VALUE OF A CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS VITAL’ GOODLIFE:

IN THE KNOW WITH FATHER JOE:

GROW+GO:

Can I be independent if I still live with my parents?

How can I help my friends whose marriage is falling apart?

Hit the ‘pause’ button and ask Jesus to enter your day

Bishop Emeritus Carl Mengeling welcomes Bishop Earl Boyea with the keys to the diocesan offices at the press conference announcing Bishop Boyea’s appointment as ordinary for Diocese of Lansing.

TOM GENNARA

FROM THE BISHOP

MY ARCHBISHOP BACK IN THE 1980s told me that I was not everything one would want in a priest.

I was not too taken aback, especially when it became clear that this was mostly about my eccentricities, which I leave to your imagination.

You, the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women and laity of this great diocese have formed and blessed me these years. Thank you.”

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However, I have held on to those words because they are true. I am a sinner, and not everything one would want in a priest. As my time with you here in Lansing reaches the 10-year mark, it is a truism that you could say the same about me, “He is not everything we would want in a bishop!”

Together, we have accomplished much in these 10 years. We implemented the “Planning Tomorrow’s Churches” study, which has led to the clustering and merging of a number of parishes and the closing of a few. We are near the end of that process and need to do more planning for the future.

We have set our diocese in good financial shape after having to make some steep cuts in 2008. The latest element has been to move us to invest in our future through the Witness to Hope Campaign, which has so far pledged $81 million dollars and strengthened all our parishes. The diocese has also assisted in the demolition of many unused buildings in our parishes. And we have established the Catholic Foundation for the oversight of the gifts which you give to our parishes and the diocese.

We have moved from maintenance to mission in our Catholic schools and Catholic Charities,

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BISHOP EARL BOYEA

is the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing @BishopBoyea enhancing the Catholic character of all of them. We also conducted a media campaign to support our schools and encourage enrollment.

We studied the decline of Catholic practice in our diocese and issued a Pastoral Letter in 2012, “Announce the Gospel of the Lord,” to move us to build up the Household of Faith, to reach out to the Lost Sheep, and to reform our culture, the Court of the Gentiles. Our two assemblies have been motivating for our leadership, and our third assembly this Sept. 22 will be a call to all our folks to become missionary disciples.

We have begun a great experiment in Flint, Faith in Flint, to make the presence of the Catholic Church there a brighter beacon of hope and love.

We have worked hard on creating a culture of vocations, especially our calling to live out our baptism. It has been a blessing to raise the Dominican Community of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor to a diocesan right, a sign of God’s grace at work.

Finally, you, the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women and laity of this great diocese have formed and blessed me these years. Thank you.

In spite of all this, I am a sinner. There is much more that I could have done and should have done to serve you. And I know that I have hurt some of you, for which I apologize. All that I can do on this anniversary is beg for your prayers. My only aim is to help get us all to heaven; may our journey there be guided by Jesus who is the truth, the way, and the life.

Carlson Productions

TEN YEARS WITH BISHOP BOYEA

DON QUILLAN TOM GENNARA

TOM GENNARA

TOM GENNARA

TOM GENNARA

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bishop Boyea prays before the Blessed Sacrament during Solemn Vespers at St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing, on April 28, 2008. | Bishop Boyea preaches at a Mass for Consecrated Life in 2015. | Bishop Boyea greets people at a reception in the Diocesan Center following a Mass of Thanksgiving on April 30, 2008. | Bishop Boyea celebrates his first Mass as bishop of the Diocese of Lansing. | Bishop Boyea ordains Father Anthony Smela in June 2017. | Bishop Boyea leaves St. Thomas Aquinas Parish after his installation Mass.

TOM GENNARA

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FROM THE EDITOR

CREDITS

THANK YOU, DEACONS, FOR YOUR MINISTRY

O

NE OF THE GREAT BLESSINGS I know in my priestly life is the gift of so many talented fellow ministers with whom I have collaborated in parish ministry. Included among these fellow ministers are lay men and women, who are a vital and life-giving part of the team of professionals in ministry who bring their creative energies and talents to their daily labors. These labors, in turn, help bring life and light to our parish communities each day.

T.Gennera

I have also been blessed to have collaborated with so many talented permanent deacons through the years. These fellow ordained ministers, with their spouses and families, have been for me a source of great inspiration, mutual support and deep joy. I have learned much through the years as we have ministered side-by-side, and there have been times of FATHER great humor and joy as well as times of sadness and testing. There have DWIGHT EZOP been beautiful celebrations of liturgies such as the Easter Vigil, and there is the editor of have been fun times spent on the back deck, sharing a meal and stories of FAITH Magazine life and ministry. Although I am hesitant to point to any one deacon whose and pastor of ministry and witness have had the greatest impact on my life, I do know of St. Mary Parish, one instance involving a deacon that stays with me to this day and which Charlotte and has profoundly shaped my priestly ministry.

St. Ann Church, From 1997 to 1999, I served as the parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Bellevue Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor. It was there that I was graced to meet Email: editor@ Deacon Gwynn McPeek, who at that time had just taken senior status as FAITHpub.com. a deacon due to failing health and age. Deacon Gwynn was well into his eighties and had been among the first permanent deacons to have been ordained for service in our diocese following the restoration of the order of the permanent diaconate in 1967. Deacon Gwynn had followed an interesting path to becoming Catholic, and an equally fascinating path to the diaconate. He was also a professor of music history and musicology at the University of Michigan, having eventually risen through the ranks to serve as chair of those departments. Deacon Gwynn was an internationally respected music scholar and one of the gentlest people I have ever known, due in large part to his Quaker heritage.

In early 1998, both the pastor and I were told that Deacon Gwynn desired to assist at Mass and preach one more time – something that he had not done in some time due to his weakened health. I was blessed to be the presider for Mass that Sunday, as Deacon Gwynn made his way to the ambo, proclaimed the Gospel and then took a seat on a chair that had been placed before the altar so that he could more comfortably speak to the assembly. There followed a beautiful homily during which Deacon Gwynn shared about his faith journey and journey to ministry, and the path that had led him to St. Thomas Parish.

He spent the rest of his time reminding people just how much God loves them and how much God desires that their love be expressed in service and care, most especially for the poor and those most in need. Throughout his homily, Deacon Gwynn spoke with great love and affection for the people of the parish, letting them know how thankful he was for their welcome into their lives and the great joy he had known during his years of ministry among them. Through it all, it seemed to me that Deacon Gwynn was speaking like a beloved grandfather, letting the family know he loved them, that he appreciated all they had done for him and for his wife, Mary, and their family, and that there would one day be a joyous reunion in the very presence of God. Deacon Gwynn went to his rest in Christ in March 2002.

As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the permanent diaconate, I say thanks to Deacon Gwynn for the gift of that last homily, and I say thanks to all the deacons with whom I have collaborated. Thank you for your ministry, your love for God and your willingness to remind all of us that we are beloved of God, too. And so, our journey in FAITH continues.

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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

SPECIAL REPORT: Pope Francis celebrates his fifth anniversary

FOR IFEOMA AND IKE,

APRIL 2018 VOLUME 18: ISSUE 3

www.FAITHpub.com Most Rev. Earl Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

‘THE VALUE OF A CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS VITAL’ GOODLIFE:

IN THE KNOW WITH FATHER JOE:

GROW+GO:

Can I be independent if I still live with my parents?

How can i help my friends whose marriage is falling apart

Hit the ‘pause’ button and ask Jesus to enter your day

FIND US ONLINE AT FAITHPUB.COM

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CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH JESUS AND HIS CHURCH WWW.FAITHCATHOLIC.COM

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Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR For advertising information, contact Tom Gaskin Call 517.853.7648 or email tgaskin@faithcatholic.com For subscription information: Call 1.866.76.FAITH

FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Catholic, Diocese of Lansing, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906-5550. FAITHTM is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and is published monthly except for February and August. To purchase a subscription, log on to FAITHpub.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid in Lansing, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing MI 48906-5550. ©2017 FAITH Catholic. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Catholic.

INSIDE APRIL

YOUR LIFE

6 marriage matters

She says: ‘He makes snide comments about our friends.’ He says: ‘If she doesn’t want me to talk, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.’

What do they do?

7 parenting journey H ow do I make my teenager do chores? work life Can I find true happiness in my career?

8 goodlife

Can I be independent if I still live with my parents?

9 culture We can’t live on bread alone … but try this bruschetta

YOUR FAITH

10 grow Hit the ‘pause’ button and

ask Jesus to enter your day

11 go We are all called to constantly invite

12 in the know with Father Joe How can I help … ?

14 discipleship 101 Seeing through the eyes of ‘outsiders’

YOUR STORIES

20 my story 45 years a deacon

22 my story When Jan came into the Church, ‘A blanket of warmth’ came over her

COVER STORY FOR IFEOMA AND IKE, ‘THE VALUE OF A CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS VITAL’ P. 16

PLUS 24 special report Pope Francis celebrates his fifth anniversary

P. 24

FOLLOW FAITH PUB SHARE YOUR FAITH WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS

30 making sense of bioethics

How does the Catholic Church resolve new bioethical questions?

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YOUR LIFE MARRIAGE MATTERS

Linda doesn’t want you not to talk, Jeff, just not to talk WHAT DO in a certain way, namely, THEY DO? tearing your friends down behind their backs. But maybe that kind of talk is so habitual that stopping it would, in effect, leave you speechless, much like the old joke of rendering a person who gestures a lot mute by tying his hands behind his back. But if that’s actually the case for you and your trash-talking, Jeff, it would be no joke at all.

SHE SAYS:

HE SAYS:

He makes snide comments about our friends

If she doesn’t want me to talk, I’ll just keep my mouth shut Listen, it’s called conversation.

If Linda doesn’t want me to talk, I’ll just keep my mouth shut. It’s going to make for a pretty quiet marriage if I can’t talk.

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When we go to parties or out to dinner, Jeff always makes some snide comments about our friends afterward. I’ve asked him to stop, because it makes me uncomfortable.

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This is not merely a matter of one of you doing the courtesy of not talking in a way that makes the other uncomfortable. This is a form of deadly speech which, like gossip, cursing and slander, is just wrong, period, even if both of you were comfortable with it.

Scripture is clear. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up … that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29) St. James is especially pointed: The tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly STEVE AND poison. With the tongue we praise BRIDGET PATTON our Lord and Father, and with it hold master’s we curse human beings, who have degrees in been made in God’s likeness … this theology and should not be.” (Jas 3: 8-10) counseling and What to do? If this is indeed serve as family a habit, Jeff, then it may take life ministers for considerable effort and patience the Diocese of from both of you to change it.

Sacramento.

First, give each other permission to lovingly correct one other. Second, brace yourselves. Third, know that you’re not alone.

Even after 23 years of marriage, each of us still has to occasionally ask the other not to speak unkindly either about us or other people, and that includes celebrities and politicians. It’s not always easy either to bring these things up or to hear them, but it’s key to a healthy, holy marriage.

Finally, try to be lighthearted. How about the two of you agree that the next time Jeff launches off on a rant that Linda has permission to intervene with a code phrase like, “And now we’ll review all that’s good about our friend!” If he keeps on ranting, Linda, just smile and flood the conversation with positive remarks.

HOW DO I MAKE MY TEENAGER

Q

My teenager won't do his chores.

How do I make him?

A

Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson noted that grade school children demonstrate a sense of industry. They are eager to shovel snow or mow the lawn. It takes a lot of patience to include them in our work. Once kids hit the teen years and are competent in completing chores, much to our dismay, that enthusiasm is gone.

Set up a regular chore time.

Find a time to work together as a family. We found that early Saturday morning before sports or other activities worked for us. All six of us spent an hour doing “Whole House Cleanup.”

Each of us had our own set of cleaning supplies so we could move through our chores without waiting for products from others.

T. GENNARA

DO CHORES?

YOUR LIFE PARENTING JOURNEY

DR. CATHLEEN MCGREAL

is a psychology professor and certified spiritual director.

Make a chore list to be checked off. Let your kids choose their chores from a list. Sometimes we just had grudging cooperation, but we let them know that we would be glad when the chores were done, too!

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In the 1600s, the Capuchin Brother Lawrence said, “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.” (Practice of the Presence of God) Adopting his attitude is challenging, but chore time can become a time of prayer.

Can I find true happiness in my career?

Q:

HOW DO I FIND TRUE HAPPINESS IN MY CAREER? I'M UNHAPPY IN MY JOB.

A:

WORK LIFE

knowledge, experience and connections you need to do the work that, with vivid clarity, you have envisioned.

St. Thomas notes that we are more attentive to the things that delight us. Delight yourself in the Lord.

Delight yourself in your career dream.

Motivation will follow. May the Lord give success to the work of your hands.

T. GENNARA

A happy occupation is a worthy preoccupation. We’re wired for happiness. And let’s face it – work makes up the lion’s share of our waking hours. No wonder the writer of Ecclesiastes cites enjoyment in one’s toil as one of life’s greatest blessings. (2:24)

First, love God. Ground your happiness in Jesus Christ. If you direct your affections toward his infinite lovability, you’ll possess a happiness that is foundational, delightful and unshakeable.

Second, know yourself. What kind of work do you love? What are your unique talents? What would be your dream career?

Third, paint the picture. Imagine futuristically. What would be your ideal career? What skills would you be using?

Who would you like working with and for? What would a perfect Monday look like? Jot down your thoughts, translate to images and add some positive feelings. Words, picture, emotions.

Fourth, equip yourself. Gain the

JIM BERLUCCHI is the executive director of the Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership.

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GOODLIFE

Q CAN I BE

independent IF I STILL LIVE WITH MY PARENTS? Independence is a natural desire of our hearts. But what if you are dependent on your parents financially? How do you maneuver the careful balance of respecting their influence without sacrificing your life's desires?

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Include your parents in your desire for independence. Ask for their guidance and exercise a grateful heart for all they do for you.

Remember that, while your parents have an important role in advising you, some decisions are only yours to make. When determining your choice of profession or spouse, the Church teaches that you have a right and a duty to make those choices.

3 Consider why you are living at home – are you saving for a goal?

Or are you unwilling to live a more simple life? Remember that while working to save money can be pleasing in God’s eyes, your desire must be to use your money to glorify God in all things.

There is no final destination in this life on earth. We have never arrived just where we need to be until we are in heaven. Honor the season of life you and your parents are in and God will bless you abundantly.

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BY CYNTHIA KAAN

YOUR LIFE CULTURE

We can’t live on bread alone …

BUT TRY THIS BRUSCHETTA

I

For the seven-year period prior to her death, St. Catherine of Siena took no food into her body other than the Eucharist. Her fasting did not affect her energy, however. She maintained a very active life during those seven years.

As a matter of fact, most of her great accomplishments occurred during that period. Her death had nothing to do with malnutrition, or anything connected with lack of food.

In fact, she received extraordinary strength upon receiving our Lord in the Eucharist!

Born in Siena, Italy, Catherine Benincasa was devoutly religious and knew she would devote the rest of her life to Christ at a very young age.

She eventually joined the Third Order of St. Dominic.

Catherine became known early on for her contemplative life of holiness, and was greatly sought out as a spiritual director. From there, her public influence reached new heights. She was involved in brokering peace between city states, and was influential in bringing the papacy back to Rome.

Catherine was one of the most influential mystics of the 14th century.

But it was her complete trust and love for Jesus in the Eucharist from which she ultimately drew her strength and divine inspiration.

St. Catherine was later recognized as a doctor of the Church for the spiritual and theological depth of her writings. Her feast day is celebrated April 29, which happens to be the same month dedicated to devotion to the Holy Eucharist. And of course, I can’t think of a better way to mark her day than with a Tuscan recipe that starts with … bread.

Bruschetta Al Pomodoro

(Bruschetta with tomatoes)

1 loaf rustic Italian (or artisan) bread sliced to ½-inch thickness 3 whole cloves garlic peeled and halved 5-6 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for bread) 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 8-10 fresh basil leaves (rolled and thinly sliced)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Shaved parmesan cheese for topping Mix the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator.

Drizzle slices of bread with olive oil and throw on a heated grill pan until desired doneness (toasting bread in the oven will work too). Rub garlic on each slice of toasted bread. Spoon tomato mixture on slices and top off with shaved parmesan.

Another Idea: There are no limits to how you

T. Gennara

I wonder if that is where bruschetta came from. Italians make amazing bread. And sure, one can’t live on bread alone, but slice it, toast it, adorn it with flavorful olive oil and various toppings and … perhaps now we have something we can live on? If you love bruschetta as I do, once again, you’d be tempted to try!

Of course, that’s not the point, as it is written in the Old Testament where Jesus refers us: It is not by bread alone that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. (Dt 8:3) The true meaning of the passage is clear. And it so perfectly ties in with the salvation we receive through the Eucharist, as Christ himself comes to us in the form of bread.

He proclaims, “I am the bread of life … I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:48-51) If one cannot live on bread alone, but we can live on the bread of life, then clearly the bread of life is no ordinary bread!

Indeed, there lived an amazing Italian saint who understood this, literally.

St. Catherine of Siena, a mystic and doctor of the Church, was said to have fasted for seven years on the Eucharist alone! Her confessor and biographer, Blessed Raymond of Capua, wrote:

SHANE FOLKERTSMA

love bread. All bread. I think I could live on it. Which is why in the book of Matthew (4:4) Christ reminds me – no, Michelle, one cannot live on bread alone. Which is good because there are times when I think I might otherwise try it.

MICHELLE DIFRANCO

is a designer and the busy mom of three children.

can prepare bruschetta! This Italian toast can be topped off with anything from cannellini beans to prosciutto-wrapped melon!

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YOUR FAITH

GROW

as a disciple of Jesus

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HIT THE ‘PAUSE’ BUTTON AND

ASK JESUS TO ENTER YOUR DAY “Peace be with you.”

T

(Jn 20:19)

HE KITCHEN IS my “calm in the storm.” I’m happy when I’m whipping up some food for someone who is hungry, sad or needs a

little love. Recently, I was making a batch of cinnamon rolls for a friend who needed a lift. It was at the end of a hectic day, and I was trying to cram one more thing in. The dough was rolled out and smeared with butter and brown sugar. In a quick twist to the cupboard, I grabbed, and was about to sprinkle on the cinnamon. Thank goodness I paused an instant to realize that I was about to plaster the buttery, sugary dough with CHILI POWDER instead of cinnamon. After putting the

rolls in the pan, I decided to be still and seek some peace.

The crazy pace of life can rob us of Christ’s beautiful gift of peace.”

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We are busy people on the move. While a good portion of our activity is pleasing to the Lord, what about those times when we run ourselves so ragged we nearly put chili powder in our cinnamon rolls?

The crazy pace of life can rob us of Christ’s beautiful gift of peace. If we scramble around without his peace, we can be overcome by worry, anxiety and stress. If we’re often frazzled and overwhelmed, perhaps it’s time for some peace.

When Jesus greeted the disciples in the locked room with the words, “Peace be with you,” he met them in the middle of their fear, grief, anxiety and worry. He’s willing to do the same for us each day.

Like the disciples, we simply have to open the door and let him enter in. If you aren’t sure how to do that, here are a few simple steps for finding his peace.

First, we have to be still and be present. Second,

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we need to simplify our lives and trade our “more, bigger, better” thinking for “enough and less” thinking. The equation is simple: less world; more Jesus. The third thing we can do is to think his thoughts. St. Paul told the Philippians, whatever is good, kind, lovely, pure … think of these things. (4:8) We can dwell on the troubles and worries of the world, and the shortcomings and disappointments of our day, or we can prayerfully consider the things of Christ. Go ahead, hit your pause button and ask Jesus to enter with his peace.

Pray every day: Before your feet his the floor in the morning, offer the day to the Lord. Review each activity of the day in your mind and invite Jesus to walk with you through each event and bless you with a peaceful spirit.

Study the faith: Read Chapter 4 of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. Slowly read and study his words written to those who, much like us, were trying to peacefully live their faith and draw deeper into relationship with the Risen Christ.

Engage in parish life: Wholeheartedly offer others the Peace of Christ at Mass. It’s more than a handshake, it’s an act of praying that his peace will truly enter in to another. Attend a Divine Mercy Sunday celebration and join Catholics worldwide as they pray for Christ’s mercy and peace in the world.

Serve others’ needs: If you know someone who is going through a time of turmoil or stress, offer to watch their children, help them catch up on household tasks or simply sit together and listen to and pray with them, asking for the Lord’s peace in their situation.

SHERI WOHLFERT

is a Catholic school teacher, speaker, writer and founder of Joyful Words Ministries.

Sheri blogs at www.joyfulwords.org

GO

evangelize

We are all called to constantly invite

YOUR FAITH GO

M

EETING PEOPLE ON THEIR JOURNEY and walking with them, Deacon Ken Preiss’ ministry at Holy Redeemer in Burton

challenges people to receive Jesus and to go bring him to others.

PRAYER: Prayer is really the center of it all. The power to accompany comes from prayer. The courage to invite comes from prayer. Prayer is the core of all of evangelization. I’ve had many times that after just a brief encounter with someone I’ve asked if they wanted to be prayed with or prayed over. Most often, people want prayer, so having the courage to step into that is important. We started Alpha a couple years ago and prayer is key there because people who come are seeking. We pray they would find the person they’re seeking, even if they don’t yet know who that is.

WITNESS: Last year on Holy Thursday at our parish, the 12 people whose feet we washed were not parishioners, but people in need from the broader community – some of them were homeless, some were struggling with addiction, some had received food and help from our parish. The witness wasn’t just on the part of the parish to wash their feet – these people were willing to come and be served, which was an example and gift to all of us. A lot of people were in tears that night.

INVITATION: At Holy Redeemer, we have an outreach food pantry.

About a year ago, a man came to get food. Someone at the outreach office invited him to our community lunch for those who may be homeless or struggling and could just use a good meal with friendly people. He liked what was going on there, so even when he didn’t need food from the pantry, he came back every week to be with us. One day at that lunch, someone invited him to a nondenominational praise and worship service we have on Sundays. When he attended this event, someone invited him to Alpha, where he had a profound encounter with the Holy Spirit. By the next round of Alpha, he was leading and, through those experiences, was forming relationships with people of the community and parish.

Someone invited him to think about becoming Catholic. His initial response was, “Are you kidding?!” With time, he accepted the invitation to go to RCIA, which he started this past fall. There were at least three people fighting to be his sponsor. He is coming into the Church this Easter, and we are all so excited. If you ask him, he’ll explain that no one forced him, but many people extended invitations along the way. He said he found something in the Church that he’d never found his whole life.

Every Christian is called to constantly invite – it is part of our mission.

ACCOMPANIMENT: Accompanying can be frustrating because your hope is that someone is willing or ready to take a step and that’s not always the case. A lot of time when I preach, I focus on the “go” of evangelization. I remind people how important it is that your motivation is love. If accompaniment isn’t motivated by love, it doesn’t work. [The Catholic author and speaker] Matthew Kelly writes about accompanying, and points out that it isn’t just about spending time with other people – it’s about sharing life. That’s at the heart of accompaniment – that you are willing to share your life with the people God calls you to share it with.

Visit TINYURL.COM/DOLPLAN to develop your personal evangelization plan

BY MARY GATES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FRIESEMAN

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helpful. Besides this, there are other excellent options out there that your diocese may be able to tell you about. … my priest, who always seems so harried?

HOW CAN

FAITHFUL READERS – many of the questions I get begin with these four words: How can I help …?

It’s a wonderful thing to get a message that basically reads, “I want to help someone!” As a priest, I am touched that so many people want to help their brothers and sisters.

So, I’m going to answer a couple of these questions with one simple caveat: No matter what type of problem someone has, the first and most important step is to pray for them and pray that God will guide you in your response. With that, let’s get right to it!

T. Gennara

YOUR FAITH IN THE KNOW WITH FATHER JOE

FATHER JOE KRUPP

is a former comedy writer who is now a Catholic priest. @Joeinblack

Q

DEAR FR. JOE: How can I help … my friends whose marriage is falling apart?

A

It’s a tough thing to watch a marriage falling apart, and I feel deeply blessed by knowing that you want to help people in that situation.

Obviously, there are times where divorce is not only allowed, but necessary for the safety of one spouse or the couple’s children. Generally, common sense will dictate understanding those situations where there is no other recourse, such as abusive relationships. Outside of those, I would urge you to see it as your duty to help this couple fight for their marriage – to help them to address the issue/issues together

with prayer and a professional in order to preserve the sacrament.

Share stories of times when you and your spouse struggled.

Remind them of the times when things were better, pray with them, encourage them to remember what they loved about their husband or wife, offer to help with the kids when they go to marriage counseling or even when they simply need time together as a couple. These are great ways to help people whose marriages are struggling.

Beyond that, there is an excellent program called Retrouvaille (pronounced retrovie). If you type that into Google, you’ll see how to sign up. I have sent struggling couples to this program and it was extremely

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I HELP …

As a priest, let me say this: Bless you for asking! A priest’s life is a blessed but busy one and personally, I find it to be a life that is filled with pressure. As a result, I have a lot of ideas here that can help, beyond prayer.

First, I’d encourage you to be supportive. Everyone is an expert on how the priest should be, what he should be doing, etc. Don’t be that person. In the immortal words of my dad, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Trust that he is doing his best. Trust that he loves God until he does something to take that trust away.

Second, let him pray before Mass and be present to people after. Don’t hang out in the sacristy before Mass to have a conversation unless you are doing a ministry. Personally, I know that asking me to remember something before or after Mass is generally a bad idea. Call the secretary and let him/her know what you want during the week rather than try to get him to remember something after a busy Sunday.

Be sure to let him know when you or someone you love is in the hospital. Don’t assume he knows or that someone will tell him; people get very hurt when the priest doesn’t come see them, but the priest can’t do what he doesn’t know.

Best thing? Don’t gossip.

Ever. You’ll add years onto your priest’s life.

In a future column, I’ll talk about how to help those who are grieving, and the person who is begging in the street.

In the meantime, pray for everyone who is struggling and needs help. And enjoy another day in God’s presence!

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Learn more at www.dolcatholicschools.com

YOUR FAITH DICIPLESHIP 101

Seeing through the eyes of

‘OUTSIDERS’

possibility of entering the Catholic Church. This was certainly true for me when I first considered entering the Church. I had been raised as a strongly anti-Catholic fundamentalist in southern Mississippi, and contemplating becoming Catholic was like considering becoming a Martian.

I brought a big book about Catholicism to my first RCIA session. In those days, I was completely clueless about intra-Catholic squabbles and presumed that all books on Catholicism came from the same basic perspective. I put my big book underneath my battered metal chair and waited for the session to begin. A member of the RCIA team sat down next to me, glanced at the title of my book, and fixed me with a knowing look. “I see where you’re coming from,” he said.

“What?” I was completely mystified. “I don’t even know where I’m coming from. How do you know where I’m coming from?”

That was my first clue that there were mysteries involved in being Catholic that weren’t covered in the catechism.

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IT’S A MYSTERY

In 2018, FAITH offers a new column, Discipleship 101, based on Sherry Weddell’s books, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (2012) and Fruitful Discipleship: Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World (2017). Sherry is a leading voice in the Catholic world in the field of forming missionary disciples – engaged Catholics who strive to grow as disciples of Jesus and go evangelize, sharing the Gospel with others.

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE It is important for those who are committed Catholics – especially those who have never known anything else – to remember that a threshold [or stage of conversion] usually looks and feels very different to “insiders” than it does to someone approaching from the outside. As evangelizers, we need to make a real effort to imagine; to see Christ, the faith, and the Church through the eyes of outsiders. The same threshold can seem overwhelming and insurmountable to them while looking very simple and obvious to us.

One important side note: We have found that people who are already disciples within another Christian tradition usually go through these same stages as they contemplate the 14

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There is no one-size-fits-all way of negotiating the journey to discipleship. People will move through at different paces.

In intense retreat settings, some may bound through a couple thresholds in a few days. Others may stay stuck in one place for years or ping-pong back and forth between different thresholds. There may be great leaps forward as well as relapses to earlier thresholds.

The thing to remember is that we are not in control of this process. Some people will not respond to our best efforts to be helpful. Jesus warned us that some people will not receive the “seed.” (Mk 4:14–19) Others may dazzle us by choosing to cooperate with grace and become the good soil that brings forth thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. We are dealing with the mystery of a relationship that God himself is initiating in the human heart.

Let me stress that we cannot bring anyone to faith through pressure, guilt, argument or cleverness. Conversion and true faith are works of the Holy Spirit. But it is also true that we can, by our responses, help or hinder another’s journey. Responding to seekers in a way that does not accept and honor their lived experience may cause them to “freeze,” or even move away from God. Understanding the thresholds can help us help them or, at least, help us to not get in the way of what God is doing.

(Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry A. Weddell, Huntington, Ind.: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012, pp 130-132.)

SHERRY ANNE WEDDELL created the first charism discernment process specifically designed for Catholics in 1993. In 1997, she co-founded the Catherine of Siena Institute, an affiliated international ministry of the Western Dominican Province, and currently serves as Executive Director. Sherry has developed numerous unique formation resources that are used around the world.

Witness to Hope dollars help fund new parish hall Pilot Wave parish Queen of the Miraculous Medal in Jackson has a new parish hall thanks to the Witness to Hope campaign. Located beneath the church's worship space, Vincentian Hall features exposed structural elements of wood and concrete complemented by contemporary design and systems, including a new kitchen. It is ideal for parish gatherings of all kinds. As Father Tim MacDonald says, “[The hall] features the best of modern technology and comfort while respecting the history of the space it now occupies – the foundation of God’s House.”

Women

Firsts

WE CAN TELL from your calls and notes that our last issue of FAITH magazine about women firsts in the diocese has been well-read. We wish we had room to include all the women who’ve made a significant contribution to our diocese and the Church; our representative sample just highlighted some of those dedicated people. One name we missed came up several times – Mary Tardif was the first director of the Office of Lay Ministry for the Diocese of Lansing. A true pioneer, she developed formation programs for many of the ecclesial lay ministers who serve our parishes and people today.

We’d love to hear about others – please share them on Faithpub’s Facebook page.

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YOUR STORIES

FOR IFEOMA AND IKE,

‘THE VALUE OF A CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS VITAL’ 16

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The Iyioke family table bridges the space between the living room and kitchen.

Walls just a few feet to the left and right showcase special memories captured in family photos.

On the west wall, Mom, Ifeoma, models a traditional Nigerian headdress. Dad, Ike, poses with his sons in their Sunday best outfits. Among the photos of each child, a white-robed Jesus laughs as boys and girls chase the soccer ball he deftly kicks along a playing field.

COVER STORY

The east wall features photos of Ifeoma and Ike at their commencement ceremonies, smiling in their robes and cowls that signify their levels of educational achievement.

Ifeoma’s photos appear most often: her doctor of philosophy in measurement and quantitative methods, a master of science in applied statistics and a bachelor’s in computer science and statistics degrees. She earned her last two degrees while she was pregnant. Ike –who earned his master of arts in journalism, a master of science in international relations and a Ph.D. in healthcare ethics – has fewer photos on this wall.

Sitting at their dining room table with Ifeoma, Ike explains: “We tell our children, the key to their future is getting a solid education. It might take a while, but whatever the socioeconomic climate: education, education, education is the key to life wherever they go.

“Education and steadfast faith are the two wings that will let them fly. My parents went to Mass every morning in my hometown, Nsukka. I grew up serving Mass and attending

Catholic schools even through college. My first degree is a bachelor of philosophy from the seminary I attended thinking I might become a priest. But eventually I realized I can serve God in different capacities.

“I think I am doing that now. In addition to attending Mass at [Lansing’s] Resurrection Parish, we don’t go to bed without saying prayers as a family. We do as Jesus encouraged and pray the Our Father. And, of course, we offer spontaneous prayers, too.”

Ifeoma nods. “This is where he has impacted me a lot,” she agrees. “I grew up thinking that prayers were only for when you are in need or when you are moved by the Spirit. I would occasionally say the rosary, but my family did not pray routinely as Ike’s did. I see that it has made us stronger. In challenging times, faith in God gives us hope that things will turn around.

BY NANCY ROSEBUSH SCHERTZING PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM LUNING

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“My family did always value education, though. In Nigeria, my parents are both professors at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, which was founded with personnel assistance from Michigan State University. My siblings and I attended school at all levels on the university campus. My parents shared the expectation that all eight of their children would become highly educated.

“When it came time to go on to graduate school, I looked at Michigan State University because my father earned his Ph.D. here. I was born in Midland when he was doing his post-doctoral work. It was a natural choice for me to follow in his footsteps.”

Ike shares his story. “My parents never even attended high school, but my father earned enough as a civil servant to put all five of us children through Catholic school. They believed, as we do, that the value of a Catholic education is vital. The grooming and training our children receive at Resurrection School helps protect them from negative social influences when they’re away from us.

“It’s not easy. When I told my sister how much we pay in tuition, she was shocked. Between my work as an adjunct professor at UM-Flint and my post-doctoral work at MSU, we make ends meet. Ifeoma’s work as a research faculty member at MSU allows us to cover our children’s education costs, and life goes on.

“We are hoping our socioeconomic status will change in the same way so much has changed over the years.

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When I came here in February of 1996, I was a MacArthur Fellow expecting to return home the next year. I have always advanced through hard work, so I applied myself during my fellowship, taking night classes and making presentations on weekends. Soon, I became editor of a small journal through MSU and started to build a life here.

I was president of the Nigerian Student Association at MSU and active in the African Studies Center as I was earning my various graduate degrees.”

Ifeoma interjects, “He hosted a welcome party for new students at this house in 2004 just after I arrived from Nigeria. We discovered that we both grew up in Nsukka, and Ike offered to take a message to my parents because he was traveling home shortly.”

Ike laughs. “I was looking for a wife. As Ifeoma and I talked that evening, I thought I might have found her.

When I met her family back in Nigeria, I was pretty sure.

We were married in 2005 and have been blessed with four children – Ikenna (11), Arinze (9), Ililochi (6) and our daughter, Sopuruchi (2). In 2012, I became an American,

so now we “WHEN WE RECOGNIZE all have dual THE GIFTS WE RECEIVE citizenships.

“When we go FROM ALL OUR CITIZENS, back to Nigeria to visit family, our children speak Igbo fluently and are comfortable in their other culture. I am proud that they can be citizens of both worlds.

Some have asked why we don’t give them American nicknames, but we feel it’s important to honor their Nigerian identity even as they love being American kids.

“This is what makes America great. People come from all over the world and contribute to our great country. I don’t know if you know this, but a Nigerian-American designed the Chevy Volt; and a Nigerian-American doctor – about whom a Hollywood movie has been made – identified the dangers of concussions in the NFL. “Throughout U.S. history, it has taken us awhile to appreciate those who come from other countries – especially those with darker skin. But our diversity is one of the things that makes America truly great. When we recognize the gifts we receive from all our citizens, the grace of God helps us to realize that we all matter.”

“Education and steadfast faith,” Ifeoma agrees. “That is what will allow our children to contribute to both countries. We look forward to seeing how they use their Catholic education to shape a better future for us all.”

THE GRACE OF GOD HELPS US TO REALIZE THAT WE ALL MATTER.”

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS If you would like to make a donation to help finance a Catholic school education for a child in a diocesan school, please contact John Madigan at john.madigan@ micathfound.org.

For information on applying for financial aid, contact Renee Fischman at 517.267.2107.

For more information on schools in the Diocese of Lansing, visit dolcatholicschools.com.

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YOUR STORIES MY STORY

YEARS A DEACON Patrick believes that ‘faith changes the world’

BY CYNTHIA KAAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM GENNARA

BE A LEADER. BE A FRIEND. BE OF SERVICE.

T

HIS IS DEACON Patrick McDonald’s family motto that has guided and defined their lives. There is no area of his life untouched by his evangelization. As he says: “When I go to Mass, I skip to Mass.

When I go to work, I skip to my office. I just look forward to it – there’s no better way!” At 80 years old and celebrating 45 years of being ordained a deacon, Deacon Patrick is the longest serving active deacon in the United States. His calling is currently at St. Patrick Church in Brighton.

50th anniversary of the PERMANENT DIACONATE 20

T

HIS YEAR MARKS the 50th anniversary of the 1968 approval

by Blessed Pope Paul VI for the bishops of the United States to renew the permanent diaconate as an active, permanent order of ministry.

ORIGINS AND DECLINE OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE According to a 1998 Joint Declaration of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the

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Clergy, the service of deacons in the Church is documented from apostolic times. “A strong tradition, attested already by St. Irenaeus and influencing the liturgy of ordination, sees the origin of the diaconate in the institution of the ‘seven’ mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-6).” The Congregations go on to point out that St. Paul refers to them and to the bishops in his Letter to the Philippians (1:1), and he lists the qualities and virtues which they should possess so as to exercise their ministry worthily in his

Happily married for 55 years to his wife Peggy, father to eight children, grandfather to 18 – Deacon Patrick is explicitly aware that God has looked after him to keep him on his path for Christ. “Peggy and I just really enjoy what we do. We can’t believe we’ve been so blessed – the Lord looks after us. We enjoy helping people and being instruments in being able to give the Eucharist to people, to assist them, being on different organizations and being of service. It’s not a job. It’s a vocation to be a disciple,” he says.

Deacon Patrick and Peggy are the hands and feet of Christ we are all striving to become.

Deacon Patrick has followed a four-part guide in his life. He says, “If you want to do good to influence others, you get into one of four areas – communication via TV or radio, teaching, community work or labor relations. So I did all four in my life.”

His work included a spot in a four-person rotation on a reoccurring radio program on WJR in Detroit called My Point of View, where he would insert the Christian perspective. Deacon Patrick also was an adjunct law professor at both the University of Detroit Mercy Law School and Ave Maria Law School in Ann Arbor for a total of 44 years, and he continues to serve as an arbitrator and attorney.

The McDonald family delights in having all eight adult children and spouses remain practicing Catholics. “Peg and I both feel very blessed to have that occurring. We sent them all to parochial school. We prayed as a family as they were growing up, they were all expected to be at dinner, and we emphasized the importance of family and called ourselves the ‘McDonald Mob,’” he recalls.

Deacon Patrick recalls the blessing of protection he and Peggy asked of our Blessed Mother once they realized the stitch count of their family at one point was more than 200. “We said, ‘We’re not doing a very good job of protecting these children!’ So we prayed to the Blessed Mother, ‘Dear Blessed Mother, we’re placing these children under your protection. We can’t do it. That’s been First Letter to Timothy (3:8-13).

The order continued to flourish in the Western Church up to the fifth century.

After this period, however, a slow decline ensued until it became simply an intermediate stage for candidates preparing for priestly ordination, i.e., only the transitional diaconate survived.

THE PATH TO RESTORATION It wasn’t until the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) that the stage was set for the restoration of the permanent

demonstrated. Would you please protect them?’

At that point, all the stitches stopped. It was miraculous!” The Blessed Mother surely extended her blessing beyond the stitches, bumps and bruises the McDonald family was experiencing.

The McDonald family was recognized this past year as the Knights of Columbus Family of the Year. In a letter written for the selection panel, Deacon Patrick and Peggy precisely spelled out the humility with which they live. They wrote: “We are aware that there are many strong Catholic families doing God’s work.

As a result, any award that we would receive would be accepted on behalf of all those wonderful families who are ‘following faithfully in the footsteps of Christ.’”

Deacon Patrick will not be slowing down any time soon, as he and Peggy continue to enjoy serving the families of St. Patrick. The call to action in Deacon Patrick’s homily given on Jan. 21 of this year is one that encompasses his life’s work, and challenges us all to be faithful and bold as we continue to live this life for Christ: “The call to faith – to live our vocation as Christians – is urgent. Faith has consequences.

Faith is dynamic. Faith changes the world. May we have the courage to be who we are called to be – to be Catholic. Amen. God love you.”

diaconate. There were three reasons for opening the door to restoration: (1) a desire to enrich the Church with the functions of the diaconate, which otherwise, could only be exercised with great difficulty; (2) the intention of strengthening with the grace of diaconal ordination those who already exercised many of the functions of the diaconate; and (3) a concern to provide some regions, where there was a

LEARN MORE FOR INFORMATION ON BECOMING A PERMANENT DEACON, CONTACT DEACON RANDY DESROCHERS, DIRECTOR OF DIACONAL FORMATION, AT 517.342.2571.

shortage of clergy, with sacred ministers.

Blessed Pope Paul VI acted on the recommendation of the Second Vatican Council in 1967. A year later, the apostolic constitution Pontificalis Romani Recognitio approved a new rite of conferring sacred orders, which included the diaconate.

Today, there are 14,588 active deacons in the United States.

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WHEN JAN CAME INTO THE CHURCH

‘A blanket of warmth’ came over her “I HAVE A GREAT STORY. But you could’ve told me all of this 20 years ago and I would’ve said ‘No way!’”

Surprising even to her, Jan Tietsort’s story of how the Lord brought her into the Catholic Church is one she loves to share as evidence of God’s goodness, patience and perseverance.

“It took me so long to get my first teaching job that I was going to stop looking and go another route. I finally came across a position at Hackett Catholic Central in Kalamazoo and I got the job. I worked there for three years, and then got a job at the Church of the Resurrection in Lansing, and then Lansing Catholic High School in 2000.”

Though she didn’t recognize it at the time, Jan’s years in each of her teaching jobs were steps toward her conversion. Raised Episcopalian, Jan and her husband Kerry attended an Episcopalian church every Sunday. But immersed in the teaching and practice of the Catholic Church at work, her first big prompt from the Lord came at a student retreat where the Lord stirred a desire in Jan’s heart to receive the Eucharist.

“Several years into teaching at Lansing Catholic, I went on the Kairos retreat for the first time. I was on the retreat as a participant and it was totally cool because I knew Jesus loved me. The last night of the retreat we went to Mass and it was absolutely incredible. When the time for Communion came, I didn’t go up for a blessing because I had a chip on my shoulder about not being able to receive the Eucharist.

Later, I went back to the chapel alone and told Jesus, ‘You brought me to this retreat and told me you loved me and then when I wanted to get closest to you I couldn’t receive you because I’m not Catholic.’” In an attempt to distract herself from her anger with God and the Church, Jan broke retreat rules and checked her phone. “I had a text from a friend that said, ‘Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.’ It seems silly now, but God took a weight off of me in that funny moment – I felt like Jesus was saying ‘chill out.’

“I stayed angry about not being able to receive Communion for a long time, but I tried to ignore my feelings. A couple years after the retreat, I was alone in my car and praying when I heard the words, “Well, maybe you’re Catholic.” I dismissed that message. But I was driving home after a teacher in-service a while later

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and heard the same exact words. That time I responded and asked, “What do you want me to do about it?” The immediate answer was, “Talk to Tom Maloney [president of Lansing Catholic High School].” It was such a shock to me to hear that I should talk to my boss that I turned my car around and went back to school. I was confident that Tom wouldn’t be available, so I was going to show God I was willing to listen, but that he was wrong.

Went I got back to school, Tom was right in his office, available. I told him the story through my tears. I was a cradle Episcopalian brought up in this faith I knew a lot about and I was supposed to be on board with stuff like Mary that I didn’t even understand. Tom told me I had to trust and he reminded me that the Church is human. He asked if I had talked to Kerry or my Episcopalian priest. I said, ‘No, Jesus told me to talk to you!’

“I went home and talked to Kerry, which was all very emotional and teary. Kerry was immediately supportive, and my priest at the time told me to look into it and keep praying about it because it was clear that the Holy Spirit was at work.

“For a year, I was at the Episcopal church for service and teaching Sunday school, and at the Catholic Church for Mass – I did both. I read a lot of books and kept praying.

“But the Lord kept working on me. On Aug. 29, 2012, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church. I was so nervous I felt sick. I stood in a beautiful church and recited the Nicene Creed. I actually cried my way through it. When the chrism oil was rubbed on my forehead, a blanket of warmth came over me. I can’t explain it but it was amazing. And I finally had first holy Communion in the Catholic Church.

“Less than a month later my son Logan came to me and told me he’d been talking to the priest and wanted to be Catholic, and the following Easter he came into the Church. The minute that Easter Vigil was done, my son Kyle asked me if he could become Catholic. My daughter Annie was still young, so she went through sacramental prep as a second-grader. And Kerry goes to Mass every week with us.

“As crazy as it all was, my story and my faith are really about the Eucharist. Mass is beautiful and the reverence surrounding the Eucharist speaks to the person, Jesus, who is truly present there. Along with being a wife and mom, my journey to the Catholic Church is one of the coolest things I’ve ever been through.”

LEARN MORE DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT BECOMING CATHOLIC, OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES? CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PARISH TO LEARN ABOUT THE RCIA (RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS) PROGRAM.

BY MARY GATES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM GENNARA

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ordained to the priesthood in 1969. He studied in Spain, and in 1973 made his final profession of vows with the Jesuits. In 1992, he was ordained a bishop and became auxiliary of Buenos Aires.

His episcopal motto, miserando atque eligendo, means, “He saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him.” He continues to employ this motto as pope.

Throughout his life as priest, bishop, cardinal and pope, Francis has lived a simple life and embraced austerity. Until he became pope, he always flew coach; now he travels on “Shepherd One. “ In Buenos Aires, he was a frequent bus rider.

Now, rather than live in the papal apartments, he lives in the Vatican guesthouse, where he often cooks his own meals.

HIS PUBLICATIONS

REUTERS

SPECIAL REPORT

Pope Francis celebrates his fifth anniversary P

OPE FRANCIS is a pontiff of firsts, to be sure. First pope from the Americas, he is also the first Jesuit, the first non-European since Gregory III, a Syrian, in 741, and the first from south of the equator.

Five years ago, on March 13, 2013, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signifying his election to the papacy by a two-thirds majority of cardinal electors. To mark his fifth anniversary as Holy Father, let’s take a look at some accomplishments and interesting facts about Pope Francis.

“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

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HIS LIFE

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, he is one of five siblings. Pope Francis entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958 and, after teaching at the secondary and post-secondary levels, was

Pope Francis is a prolific writer, and is the author of several books published before he became pope.

As pontiff, he is also the author of: • Two encyclicals: Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith, 2013) and Laudato si’ (On Care for our Common Home, 2015); • Two apostolic exhortations: Amoris Laetitia (On Love in the Family, 2016) and Evangelii Gaudium ( The Joy of the Gospel, 2013); and • More than 20 apostolic letters and other writings.

WORLD TRAVELER

To date, Pope Francis has visited 30 countries on five continents, not counting visits outside the Vatican (city-state) to locations within Italy.

Within the next year, he is scheduled to visit Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, India, Romania and Poland. He also has pending visits to 29 additional countries, including Australia, which would be the sixth continent he will have visited.

BY PEGGY DEKEYSER

DID YOU KNOW? He is the only pope to ever address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.

He loves the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Pope Francis had lung surgery as a teen, and today has only one functioning lung.

In spite of that, he is in excellent health at 81 years old.

A true Argentinian, Pope Francis loves the tango. And wine.

He misses the opportunity to walk through the city to a favorite pizzeria to enjoy a slice, saying delivery just isn’t the same.

Thursday Mass of the Last Supper in the chapel of a prison and kissed

He auctioned his Harley Davidson to benefit the homeless.

the feet of the prisoners as he washed them.

says: “Let the one who thirsts come forward and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.

Before leaving for the retreat, Pope Francis’ homily centered on Lent. He said, Lent is not a “sad time of mourning,” but instead a time for "a joyful and serious commitment to strip ourselves of our selfishness, of the old person within us and renew ourselves according to the grace of our baptism.”

He was the first major leader of a world religion to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.

REUTERS

Father Jose Tolentino, a Portuguese priest from the Catholic University of Lisbon, gave a series of talks on “In Praise of Thirst” to Pope Francis and members of the Roman Curia at their Lenten retreat in February just outside of Rome.

One of the talks was on “The science of thirst,” and discussed Revelation 22:17, in which Jesus

Rumor has it that he makes awesome paella.

HE SAYS THAT CATHOLIC BELIEFS ARE CONSISTENT WITH EVOLUTION AND THE BIG BANG THEORY.

He celebrated Holy

Lent is a time to ‘renew ourselves’

He is multilingual, speaking Spanish, Latin and Italian fluently, and understands and speaks some German, French, Portuguese, English and Ukrainian.

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YOUR COMMUNITY THINGS TO DO April 5-6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and April 7, 9 a.m.-noon, Holy Spirt Parish, 9565 Musch Rd., Brighton, will have a parish rummage sale. All are welcome. Wheelchair accessible. For information, please call 810.231.9199.

Peer-to-Peer Ministry welcomes children, teens and young adults with special needs that impact socialization skills to attend social events with their families. You are invited to attend one of its upcoming social events on the following first and third Saturdays at St. Gerard Church in the Adult Education rooms after the 6:30 p.m. Mass: April 7, April 21, May 5, May 19, June 2, July 7 and July 21. For more information, contact Tracey Keating at pourthyblessings@ gmail.com or Margaret Grima at 517.342.2555.

April 6-8, REFLECT Catholic weekend retreat at the St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. Mid-life singles (mid-30s to 50s): Looking for a renewed sense of purpose and belonging? Then register today for this life-changing retreat. Cost is $175 for meals and a single room. Call 586.770.1772, email reflect.michigan@ gmail.com or visit ReflectRetreat.com for details.

April 8, 11 a.m., Divine Mercy Sunday Mass for Persons with Disabilities at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour Ave., Lansing, celebrated by Bishop Earl Boyea and followed by lunch in St. Mary Parish Hall. To attend the luncheon, please RSVP to Margaret Grima by March 30 at 517.342.2555 or mgrima@dioceseoflansing.org, or Cathy Blatnik at 517.381.1410 or Icblatnik@juno.com.

April 13, 7:30 p.m., Livingston County Catholic churches will host Maximilian, Saint of Auschwitz, a live, one-man drama presented

by St. Luke Productions, at the Brighton Center for Performing Arts. Suitable for ages 10 and older.

Tickets are $10 and available at Catholic churches in Livingston County. For more information, email livingstonvicariate@gmail.com or visit saintmaxdrama.com.

April 14, St. Mary Catholic School, 10601 Dexter Pinckney Rd., Pinckney, will host a Stand-Up Comedy Night 26

RETREAT CENTERS ST. FRANCIS RETREAT CENTER, DEWITT, STFRANCIS.WS or 866.669.8321 • April 10, 9 a.m.-3:30p.m., St. Therese the Little Flower, a saint and a message needed for our times. St. John Paul II thought so and made her a Doctor of the Church. Come and be transformed in Christ’s love, humility, confidence and love for others. Cost is $65 and $55 for seniors 60+. Includes Mass, lunch and materials.

YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A PEER-TO-PEER MINISTRY EVENT

DOMINICAN CENTER AT MARYWOOD, GRAND RAPIDS, DOMINICANCENTER.COM or 616.514.3325 • Fridays, April 24; May 4, 11, 18, 25; and June 1, 8, 15, 10:30 a.m. to noon, God's Love through Memory Loss program is designed to: Give time for family caregivers to nurture and renew their spirit, and celebrate and support the role of family caregiver; and offer loved ones with memory loss an opportunity to participate in a creative program engaging them in their present moment and embracing them as they are. Cost is $5 per session. Presenters: Leara Glinzak, MSAT, and Timothy Tuthill, LMSW.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY MASS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, CELEBRATED

BY BISHOP BOYEA

ATTEND A THEOLOGY OF THE BODY EVENT

WEBER RETREAT AND CONFERENCE, CENTER, WEBER. ADRIANDOMINICANS.ORG or 517.266,4000 • March 25-29, 6:30 p.m., Sunday to 1 p.m., Thursday, Holy Week Retreat “Living as Light for the World.” It’s an enormous challenge to transcend our treasured certainties and respond deeply to a voice saying “Come follow me.” Cost: $300 and commuter $225. To register, call the Weber Center.

headlining Chris Young for ages 18 and older; dinner at 6:15 p.m. and comedy at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 presale or $15 at the door. The proceeds will go to the Playground Structure Fund. For information or tickets, please call 734.878.5616.

April 19, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., St. Michael Parish, Grand Ledge, will have its spring rummage and bake sale in the Fellowship Hall located in the basement of the church. For

APRIL CAFÉ EVENTS April 9, St. Pius X, 3139 Hogarth Ave., Flint, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday at the Hour of Mercy at 3 p.m. in the church. All are invited to attend.

April 23, 6-7:30 p.m., St. Pius X’s Divine Mercy cenacle is a group that meets to discuss St. Faustina's diary and examine the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is led by a Cenacle Formation Manual. The meeting closes by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song. Meetings are held in the Parish Center where the handicap ramp is located. For more information, contact Cindee McColley at spxdre@gmail. com or 810.235.8574.

FAITH Magazine | APRIL 2018 | WWW.FAITHPUB.COM

information, contact the parish office at 517.627.8493.

April 20, 7 p.m., St. Mary Queen of Angels Parish, Swartz Creek will host a euchre tournament fundraiser sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. For more information, call 810.635.3684.

April 21, noon-3 p.m., Holy Spirit School, Brighton will hold an open house for prospective pre-K and kindergarten families. For more information, contact the school at 810.231.9199, ext. 214 or office@ holyspiritrcs.org.

April 21, Beyond the Bedroom: Theology of the Body in Everyday Living. Both mature teens and adults are welcome to attend this event at St. Patrick Parish in Brighton.

Speaker Emily Stimpson will be presenting using her book These Beautiful Bones: Theology of the Body in Everyday Living. For more details, view the events page on dioceseoflansing.org or call Dawn Hausmann at 517.342.2506.

April 21, 9 a.m. to noon, St. Michael, Grand Ledge, is hosting is annual scrap metal collection in the church parking lot. Members of our Earth

Care team will be there to take your donations. Please start saving your scrap metal now. For more information, call the parish office at 517.627.8493.

April 21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Rosary Altar Society’s annual Mom2Mom sale will be in the parish center at 506 N. Union in Tecumseh. This event includes infant-teen clothing, toys, furniture, a bake sale and more. Open to the public, admission/donation is $1. For table rental or information, call Nance Schlanderer at 517.423.6003 or 517.281.1051.

April 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Shared Pregnancy Women’s Center is hosting its annual Lifesavers celebration and fundraiser at the Grand Ledge Opera House, 121 S. Bridge St. The event is free and includes: a silent auction, children’s crafts, face painting, hot dogs, ice cream and a short program at 7:15 p.m. Come join the fun and support Shared Pregnancy so it can continue to help women in unexpected pregnancies in the Lansing area. For information, visit sharedpregnancy. org or call 517.484.1882.

May 7, 2018, is the 34th annual Fr. Mac Scholarship Dinner. The keynote speaker is Peter Herbeck, vice president and director of missions for Renewal Ministries.

Community Service Awards will also be presented. For more information, contact Paula Wilcox at 517.267.2121 or paula.wilcox@lansingcatholic.org, or Colleen Murray at 517.267.2109 or colleen.murray@lansingcatholic.org.

May 17, 4-10 p.m., May 18, 4-11 p.m., May 19, noon-11 p.m. and May 20, noon-6 p.m., St. Peter Catholic Church, Eaton Rapids, is hosting its Ox Roast Festival and Carnival. This event includes carnival rides and midway, live entertainment, cash prize raffle, kayak package raffle, adult beverages and both a festival and Mexican menu and more. Presale ride bands are $15 until May 16, and available at the church office weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

For information, contact the parish office at 517.663.4735.

May 18, 7 p.m., St. Mary Queen of Angels Parish, Swartz Creek, will sponsor a euchre tournament fundraiser sponsored by its Knights of Columbus Council. For more information, call 810.635.3684.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF JACKSON, LENAWEE AND HILLSDALE COUNTIES, 517.782.2551, JACKSON; 517.263.2191, LENAWEE; and 800.219.1177, HILLSDALE or CATHOLICCHARITIESJLHC.ORG WE C.A.R.E: two marriage preparation classes, pre-registration with payment is required, both days must be attended and the cost is $75 per couple. May 11, 6-9 p.m. and May 12, 9 a.m.-noon; Aug. 3, 6-9 p.m. and Aug. 4, 9 a.m.-noon; classes are at Queen of the Miraculous Medal, Seton Hall, 606 S. Wisner St., Jackson. Registration form is available online at catholiccharitiesjlhc.org/additional-services.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SHIAWASSEE AND GENESEE COUNTIES, FLINT: 810.232.9950 or OWOSSO: 989.723.8239, or CCSGC.ORG April 18, 2 p.m., Catholic Charities will honor hundreds of dedicated volunteers at its annual Awards Banquet in Juan Diego Hall at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2316 Coldwater Rd., Flint. Includes a homemade meal, door prizes, 50/50 and entertainment. Volunteers who want to attend should RSVP by April 9 to the North End Soup Kitchen by calling 810.785.6911.

Calling all Easter bunnies: The North End Soup Kitchen will distribute 150 Easter baskets and feed 250 people on Easter Sunday. If you would like to donate an Easter basket for these children, please contribute candy or small toys by calling the NESK office at 810.785.6911 or drop off at NESK, 735 E. Stewart Ave., Flint, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES OF WASHTENAW COUNTY, 734.327.9717 or CSSWASHTENAW.ORG

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Do you know a senior who lives independently but needs help with basic home maintenance?

Our Neighborhood Senior Services provides repairs, home-safety installations and does chores for seniors in need.

Cost-covering contributions are requested, but not required if prohibitive.

Do you enjoy fixing things? Volunteer handymen and women are always welcome to join our team. Call 734.712.7774 or visit csswashtenaw.org/ seniors/neighborhood-senior-services/ to learn more.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY CATHOLIC CHARITIES, LIVINGSTONCATHOLICCHARITIES.ORG or 517.545.5944

April 20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Community Action Against Elder Abuse at the Livingston County EMS Building, 1911 Tooley Rd., Howell. Main speakers are: William Vailliencourt, Jr., prosecuting attorney, and Scott Ehifeldt, assistant prosecuting attorney. Registration is $15 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. For information or sponsor opportunities, call Jenn Jones at 517.545.5944, ext. 122 or penny@livingstoncatholiccharities.org ST. VINCENT CATHOLIC CHARITIES, LANSING, 517.323.4734 or STVCC.ORG Faith-based counseling is now available: It brings the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ from a Catholic perspective with the use of Scripture, prayer and tenets of the Catholic faith to offer healing, peace and hope to all who are hurting and struggling. These services are provided by Tammy Render-Morris, a licensed professional counselor with a Christian counseling designation. Issues treated include: addiction, anxiety, depression, family/ couple conflicts, faith, grief and loss and pornography. Please contact Tammy at 517.323.4734, ext. 1735 to schedule an appointment.

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DOROTHY’S HOUSE OF COFFEE OPENS IN FLINT:

a coffee shop with a purpose “THE ONLY SOLUTION IS LOVE, and that love comes with community.” These words, spoken by Dorothy Day, are the building blocks upon which Dorothy’s House of Coffee in Flint was built. The coffee shop, which opened on Jan. 1, sells more than your average cup of coffee – it sells community.

could engage with one another - a center for evangelization. According to Beth, he was led by the question, “How can we create a space to cultivate community, where there might be a lot of individuals who aren’t comfortable walking into our churches, but are seeking or exploring faith, or maybe don’t have any encounter with it?”

The answer is a coffee shop with a purpose.

During the shop’s normal hours (Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.), it has a space for quiet reflection, working on homework and meeting up with others.

On Saturdays, however, there are scheduled events that take place in Dorothy’s small chapel space, including special talks, prayer services and cultural performances. Also, because Dorothy’s is the home for the campus ministry program in Flint, college students meet there once a week for a Bible study, and Mass is celebrated for them there once a month.

With menu options ranging from coffee, tea and specialty drinks to French presses and baked goods, you’ll notice there are no prices – just a donation suggestion of $2-6. Ninety percent of all donations are reinvested back into Dorothy’s, while 10 percent is directed toward St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center.

“I want people to know about Flint, that we’re on mission here,” says Beth. “This is just a piece of what’s happening for the Catholic Church in Flint, for the city of Flint, for the people of Flint.

We hope that if anybody is feeling a call from the Lord to be a piece of that, that they would be very generous in responding to that just as Dorothy Day did in her life and as a lot of people are doing today, now, here in Flint.”

“Dorothy Day, she is a known layperson who is upheld for this community that she created all through her life,” says Beth Coon, manager of Dorothy’s House of Coffee. “So her commitment to providing for the poor, finding the Church in a secular world and helping with community engagement – that’s kind of our inspiration behind her being our namesake here.”

The idea for the coffee shop came from Father James Mangan. He wanted to create a space where the “churched” and “non-churched” 28

FAITH Magazine | APRIL 2018 | WWW.FAITHPUB.COM

BY EMILY ORLANDO

Ave Maria University Seeking Volunteer Football Scouts: 40 DAYS FOR LIFE KICKOFF Bishop Boyea, Father John Fain of St. Therese, Lansing, Father Mike Murray of St. Martha, Okemos, Father Mark Rutherford of St. Mary, Williamston, many deacons and religious, as well as pastors from other local churches attended the kickoff of the 40 Days for Life Lansing Spring 2018 campaign near the Frandor Shopping Center Planned Parenthood on Feb. 13, 2018.

Despite temperatures in the 20s and piles of snow, nearly 100 people gathered – including dozens of young students and families – in an ecumenical setting to unify the body of Christ to pray and fast for an end to abortion.

Do you enjoy high school football? Would you like to help young Catholic men have an opportunity to attend an authentic Catholic university and play football? If so … Ave Maria University (AMU) could use your help! AMU is developing a scout network in Michigan to help identify Catholic football players from all schools (public / private / Catholic) in this area.

Generous scholarships are available.

For more details, please contact Dr. Gary Jackson, Michigan Scout Coordinator, at gjackson@ avemariafoundation.org or 734-516-9615.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE Father Bennett Constantine of St. Peter Parish, Eaton Rapids, died on Feb. 19 at the age of 83. Father Constantine was born in Sri Lanka and ordained there. After coming to the United States, he served in several parishes in the diocese: St. Robert Parish, Flushing; St. Mary Parish, Pinckney; St. Joseph, Howell; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Jackson; and finally St. Peter Parish. Father Bennett also served as a judge for the Diocese of Lansing Marriage Tribunal.

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maximize your business potential with one of mid-Michigan’s largest magazines MEN’S CONFERENCE The 2018 men’s conference, The Man Event, was held in February at our Lady of Fatima in Michigan Center, and was a great success, with more than 600 in attendance. Steve Ray was the featured speaker. Music was provided by Brian Flynn and Bishop Earl Boyea presided at the Mass.

Contact Tom Gaskin to learn more about advertising in FAITH Phone: 517-853-7648 | E-mail: tgaskin@faithcatholic.com | www.FAITHpub.com

How does the Catholic Church resolve new

BIOETHICAL QUESTIONS?

A

NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, I participated in a debate at Harvard on embryonic stem

cell research which also included a Jewish rabbi, an Episcopalian clergyman, and a Muslim imam. The debate went smoothly and cordially, although I was the only voice in the group who defended the human rights of individuals who happen still to be embryos. After the debate, the Episcopalian clergyman pulled me aside and told me how he thought Catholics should consider themselves fortunate to have such an authoritative reference point in the Church and the Vatican, particularly when it comes to resolving new bioethical questions. With surprising candor, he shared how he had sat on various committees with others from his own faith tradition where they had tried to sort through the ethics of embryonic stem cells, and he lamented, “we just ended up discussing feelings and opinions, without any good way to arrive at conclusions.�

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MAKING SENSE OF BIOETHICS

MANY PEOPLE, INDEED, appreciate that the Catholic Church holds firm and well-defined positions on moral questions, even if they may remain unsure about how or why the Church actually arrives at those positions, especially when it comes to unpacking new scientific developments like embryonic stem cell research.

So how does the Church arrive at its positions on bioethics? For one thing, it takes its time, and doesn’t jump to conclusions even in the face of media pressure for quick sound bites and rapid-fire news stories.

I once had a discussion with a journalist for a major newspaper about the ethics of humananimal chimeras. He mentioned that a leading researcher working on chimeras had met the pope and afterwards implied that the pope had given his blessing to the project. I reminded him that it’s quite common for the pope to offer general encouragement and blessings to those he meets, though that wouldn’t be the same thing as sanctioning new and morally controversial techniques in the biosciences. As a rule, the Catholic Church does not address important bioethical questions that way, through chance encounters with the pope as you are strolling through the hallways of the Vatican.

Instead, the Church may reflect for months, years, or even decades, to identify important considerations and guiding principles when new moral dilemmas arise in the biosciences. Even with this slow and deliberative process, I think it’s fair to say that the Church generally stays ahead of the curve. By the time of the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, for example, the Catholic Church had already been reflecting on the question of human cloning for many years, and concluded, nine years prior to Dolly, that human cloning would be morally unacceptable in an important document called Donum Vitae (On the Gift of Life).

This same document also identified key moral problems with doing human embryonic stem cell research 11 years before it was even possible to destructively obtain those cells from human embryos. When the first test tube baby was born in 1978, the serious moral concerns raised by the procedure had already been spelled out 22 years earlier, by Pope Pius XII, in his 1956 Allocution to

the Second World Congress on Fertility and Human Sterility wherein he concluded: “As regards experiments of human artificial fecundation ‘in vitro,’ let it be sufficient to observe that they must be rejected as immoral and absolutely unlawful.”

Whenever definitive conclusions about medical ethics are reached or otherwise clarified by the Church, they are normally promulgated through official Church documents, like papal encyclicals and addresses, or, with the approval of the pope, documents and commentaries from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF – the Vatican office responsible for preserving and interpreting Catholic doctrine), or other congregations, councils or dicasteries of the Church.

Even today, certain bioethical controversies remain under active discussion within the Church, such as the question of whether The Church may reflect it would be allowable to “adopt” for months, years, or even abandoned frozen embryos by decades, to identify important implanting and gestating them in considerations and guiding volunteer mothers. While a 2007 CDF document expressed some principles when new moral reservations and concerns about dilemmas arise in the the proposal, debate continues biosciences.” inside and outside the Vatican.

New medical discoveries and technological developments challenge us to careful moral reflection and discernment. These scientific developments can either be an opportunity for genuine human advancement or can lead to activities and policies that undermine human dignity. The U.S. Bishops, in a recent document summed it up this way: “In consultation with medical professionals, church leaders review these developments, judge them according to the principles of right reason and the ultimate standard of revealed truth, and offer authoritative teaching and guidance about the moral and pastoral responsibilities entailed by the Christian faith. While the Church cannot furnish a ready answer to every moral dilemma, there are many questions about which she provides normative guidance and direction.” – REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.

REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org

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Watch for your Special DSA edition to arrive week of April 9! | DSA Commitment Weekend is April 21 & 22