September 2009

What’s really in the news –

teens who give back @

from the editor

Father Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude. E-mail: editor@FAITHmag.com.

ver the last few weeks, we have been deluged by a variety of stories ranging from the death of a popular music star, confirmation hearings for a new Supreme Court justice, the continuing debate about efforts to reform our nation’s health-care system and much more. With so many stories clamoring for our attention, it would be understandable if most people missed the story about the nationwide increase in volunteerism that has been taking place during the past year. Despite the fact that our economic 5.7 percent during the same period. Acstruggles continue, and those struggles cording to the same report, currently 26 have resulted in the first downturn in percent of Americans donate their time. monetary charity Even as the since 1987, the economy continues As our parish comnumber of people to sag, the commitmunities move into ment to volunteervolunteering their the busy times of the year time to help othism on the part ers grew steadily ahead, perhaps all of us, no of over a quarter last year. Recent of our nation’s matter our age, can learn statistics from the population grows. from our young people. federal governAs the recent study ment show that the shows, young overall number of volunteers increased people are leading the way in this surge. I by 2 percent between 2007 and 2008. hope that all those young people are like Among young adults aged 16 to 24 the ones we are featuring in this year’s years, the number of volunteers grew by annual teen issue. From a young man

local news

Holy Cross Parish, Lansing closes after 85 years of service Holy Cross Parish in Lansing celebrated its last Masses as a community on June 20 and 21. The June 20 Mass was celebrated at 4 p.m. by Father Maurice Hayes and was followed by an open house in the parish hall. Bishop Boyea concelebrated Mass with Father Maurice on June 21 at noon. This Mass concluded with a reverencing of sacred church objects and the transfer of symbolic sacred items to St. Mary Cathedral. The activities concluded with a reception at St. Mary.

who is serving as a junior volunteer firefighter to young woman who is advocating for those like herself with a very rare medical condition, the young people featured in this issue have a deep commitment to their parish communities and the larger civic communities in which they exist. Being teenagers, they don’t have significant financial resources to draw upon. What they clearly have are loving hearts, lots of energy and a passion for wanting to make a difference motivated by their faith. As our parish communities move into the busy times of the year ahead, perhaps all of us, no matter our age, can learn from our young people. Our young people are showing us how to make use of the valuable resource of our time to assist our brothers and sister in Christ. Perhaps they are reminding us that there are new ways and diverse opportunities for all of us to put the resources of our time and energy to good use in building up the Kingdom of God. And so our journey in FAITH continues.

In January 2009, the Diocese of Lansing and the parishioners of Holy Cross were notified the church would close due to the recall of Reverend Maurice Hayes by the Kentuckybased Conventual Order of Franciscans. After receiving recommendations and reports from various diocesan offices and commissions and careful deliberation, Bishop Earl Boyea issued a decree “that the consolidated territories of Holy Cross Parish … and Saint Mary Cathedral Parish in Lansing … form one territorial parish with the resulting suppression of the present Holy Cross Parish. The consolidation shall take effect at midnight at the end of Tuesday, June 30, 2009.”

Liturgical Calendar: St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the church September 3 | Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 8 | St. Peter Claver, prie

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Earl A. Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

September 2009 • Volume 10: Issue 7

FAITH Catholic

14 Taking care of Aunt Sherry This year’s Father

Patrick M. O’Brien PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg

Charlie Irvin essay contest winner. – Corey McEldowney

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Joanne Eason DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY MARKETING

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 Rev. Joseph Krupp Dr. Gelasia Marquez Dr. Cathleen McGreal Nancy Schertzing Sister Ann Shields Susie Skowronek Michelle Sessions DiFranco CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Melot

would you wish for? Laurence’s 10 What surprising Make-a-Wish request

Laurence Carolin, 15, is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. When the Make-a-Wish Foundation couldn’t arrange for him to meet the rock star Bono, Laurence asked them to donate the money to end hunger and AIDS in Africa. Read FAITH’s interview of this remarkable young man. – Bob Horning

from the Diocese of Lansing, who give to their parishes, communities, families and friends. They may seem ordinary, but they’re anything but! – Bob Horning

21 Why did they become Catholic? Aman-

inside this issue

16 Service with a smile – why these teens give more than they get Meet some teens

Patrick Dally

da and Jordan became Catholics while they were students in college. – Jordan Kowalkowski

PROOFREADING

24 The Year for Priests – FAITH’s

Carlson Productions Tom Gennara Amy Kiley James Luning (cover)

continuing special report on the priesthood. This month: What does it mean to be ordained? – Doug Culp

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

was skiing when her life changed forever. Find out how this teen keeps moving, and helping others move, despite her disability. – Bob Horning

what you’ll get out of this issue

ADVISORY BOARD

faithcatholic.com

5 f act or fiction Catholics do not need to go to Sunday Mass if they are good persons who try to live charitable lives. – Doug Culp 6 from the bishop In the world or of it? – Bishop Earl A. Boyea

Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling

8 spiritual fitness How to calm the storms in your life. – Sister Ann Shields

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin

FOUNDING EDITOR

the know with Fr. Joe in Was there ever a pope named Joan? – Father Joseph Krupp

est September 9 | Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 12 | Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 14 | Our Lady of Sorrows September 15

columnists

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 FAITHmag.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. ©2009 FAITH Catholic. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Catholic.

22 Life in Motion Jordan

Dear Fr. Joe: T. Gennara

Was there really a Pope Joan? @

Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine, 209 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com

Q in the know with Fr. Joe

There’s a movie coming out about someone called “Pope Joan.” My teacher said there was no such person and my parents don’t want me to see the movie. What can you tell me about her – was there really a female pope in the 16th century? Sorry, folks – but while there have been popes and lots of Joans, there’s never been a Pope Joan. Let’s start by helping those folks who have no idea what we’re talking about here. What is the legend of Pope Joan? Well, there are a couple different accounts of this story. As near as anyone can tell, a Dominican in the 13th century was the first to mention it in writing. A summary of the story of Pope Joan goes like this:

Between Popes Leo IV and Benedict the III, a woman was pope for about two-and-a-half years. She managed to get elected pope because she dressed and acted like a man for most of her life. While pope, she became

A police officer sees a guy driving a car full of penguins and pulls him over. “Hey, that’s illegal! Take those penguins to the zoo immediately.” The guy agrees and drives away. The next day, the cop sees them all again, and now the penguins are wearing sunglasses. He stops them and says, “I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday!” The guy replies, “I did. Today I’m taking them to the beach!” pregnant by a papal advisor and then gave birth in public unexpectedly during a procession in Rome. When her deception was revealed, some of the stories have her being tortured to death by the church, some have her getting killed by an angry mob. So, that’s the story. For a while, it was somewhat accepted as a real historical event. However, it didn’t and can’t hold up to the light of

investigation. The problem is, there are too many holes in the story. Many mothers reading this will point to the whole “giving birth unexpectedly during a procession” line, but I’ll leave that one alone. The biggest problem is the historical one. There isn’t a timeline that makes it fit. I’ll break it down as best I can, with kudos to newadvent.org for giving me a timeline I can

understand. So, Pope Leo IV died on July 17, 855. Immediately, the clergy and people of Rome elected Benedict III the new pope, as a man named Hadrian refused the position. The problem was that there was an “anti-pope,” Anastasius (not the saint),who caused quite a stir. Because of that, Benedict III was not consecrated until September 29th of 855. Now, while that leaves us with a short gap, it’s not the two-and-a-half year gap the story of Pope Joan needs to make it succeed. Besides the timeline issue, we also have coins that have on them both Pope Benedict III and Emperor Lothair at the same time. Emperor Lothair died on Sept. 28, 855; clearly, Benedict III was recognized as Pope during this supposed period of a male impersonator as pope. So, why does this story make the rounds if it can’t stand up to scrutiny? I would assume that there are enough people out there who wish it was true that it’s repeated.

Wait. You typed “antipope”. What’s an anti-pope? Well, an anti – pope is just what it sounds like: a man who claims to be pope when we already have one legally elected. Often, these anti-popes even attempted to make rulings and decisions and the like. There appear to have been about 30 anti-popes in our 2,000-year history. So, there it is! Hopefully, this helps shed some light on the real situation. Enjoy another day in God’s presence!

St. Cornelius, pope and martyr, and St. Cyprian, bishop and martyr September 16 | St. Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor of the church September 17 | St. Januarius, bishop and martyr September 1

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

Here are the facts: The catechism is clear on this point: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (2180). In fact, the catechism indicates that unless one is excused for a serious reason (illness, the care of an infant) or dispensed by one’s pastor, he or she commits a grave sin by not fulfilling this obligation (CCC 2181).

Catholics do not need to go to Sunday Mass if they are good persons who try to live charitable lives.

fact or fiction?

The foundation of the church’s teaching on the obligation to attend the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is the moral commandment “inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship” as a sign of God’s goodness to all. (2176) The Sunday Eucharist is indeed the heart of the church’s life (2177); the celebration of the paschal mystery – Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – through which we are saved and participate in the very life of God. It is not only the foundation of Christian practice, it is the confirmation of this practice. (2181. Participation in the “communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and his church.” It is a means of mutually strengthening each other in the faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the affirmation of our belief in God’s holiness and of our hope of salvation. Amy Kiley

(2182)

In 2004, St. Robert School in Flushing doubled in size with a state-of the-art building upgrade. This, however, created a large empty courtyard in the center of the school. This spring, St. Robert took on the courtyard. The Wellness Team received a grant from Genesee County. Students raised funds selling bulbs. Kindergarteners built the pathway. First-graders moved mulch. Eighth-graders pulled weeds. Parents constructed vegetable beds. The garden club planted flowers. Everyone pitched in! St. Robert’s courtyard garden is a testimony to the power of God’s creation when we come together as one parish family. It will nourish the body, mind and spirit of many students for years to come.

A Decade of FAITH FAITH Magazine will be 10 in 2009! As we gear up for this important anniversary, we are going to be looking back at some of the great stories from the past decade, and finding out, “And then what happened?” In December 2000, FAITH readers followed Paulette Burgess’ diary as she told us about her trip to Barnako, Africa. She and her students helped build a village school from the ground up. Later, they went to Bolivia to do the same. And then what happened? Paulette has made nine treks to poor villages around the world to build schools. Her students from Jackson Lumen Christi High School accompany her – in June and July, they got back from El Rodeo, Nicaragua.

19 | Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist September 21 | St. Pio of Pietrelcina, priest September 23 | Ss. Cosmas and Damian, martyrs; September 26 | St. Wenceslaus, martyr September 28

10 10 years years of of FAITH FAITH

St. Robert’s courtyard garden – nourishing the body, mind and spirit

In short, Sunday Mass is essential to what it means to be Catholic.

Feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael, archangels September 29 | St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the church September 30

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

omething has been puzzling me of late. As Catholics, precisely as Catholics, should we see ourselves more as partners with others in our society or more as a leaven in that same society? Ever since our first American bishop, John Carroll of Baltimore, back in the 1790s, we Catholics have tried to fit in, to contribute, to be a part of the great American experiment in democracy. We even continued to work at this when we were being hassled and attacked by groups such as the Know-Nothings, the American Protective Association, Ku Klux Klan, and Protestants and Other Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

that we must always be offering our two cents (which, based on the Gospel, is of much more value than that) to try to change the direction of our society. This also means that we must consciously become examples of correct living, demonstrating joy at being sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. And, of course, this means that we pray. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.â&#x20AC;? (Mt 5:16. Perhaps this should be our general approach. Instead, up until now, we have

In the world J. Carlson

or of it?

Bishop Earl A. Boyea is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Lansing.

tended to focus more on a political approach. That works when we are all in agreement on general principles. However, in the present circumstances, we Catholics seem very much to be going against the tide. However, it is probably very much the case that we still need to do both, to partner with a society and country we love when we can, in good conscience, do so, and be more the strangers in a foreign land when we recognize that what happens around us is contrary to the Gospel. Jesus himself reminded us that his kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36), that he has called us to be in the world, but not of the world. (Jn 15:18; 17:16-18) St. Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. (Ephesians 3:20) It is still puzzling how all this is to work out, but let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek to be salt for the earth and light for the world.

from the bishop

to view children as commodities to be We maintained this posture for two reasons, it seems to me. First of all, we produced in test tubes, which seems did not want to appear to be un-Amer- unable to recognize the value of having a father and mother in the family, ican and thus give credibility to the which moves toward assisted suicide, anti-Catholics in our midst. Second, which cannot seem to find alternawe really believed there was a great tives to the death penalty, which prodeal in common between the truths motes a contraof our faith and ceptive mentality, what largely ProtEver since our which cannot estant America first American seem to care for stood for. Partnering then bishop, John Carroll of Bal- the mentally ill, uninsured, with our society timore, back in the 1790s, the the immigrant, to achieve that we Catholics have tried to and the poor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is American vision made a lot of fit in, to contribute, to be a such a society in which we sense. However, part of the great American one can consider ourthe puzzle for experiment in democracy. selves, precisely me now is this: as Catholics, to Have we reached be partners? Or, instead, should we a point where what America actually more see ourselves as leaven? does, rather than what it stands for, What would the difference be? makes our partnering become a kind Perhaps what it would mean for of sell-out of our Catholic principles? us Catholics is that we should see Is a society that promotes abortion ourselves more as the loyal opposion demand, which seeks to undermine marriage, which does not enable tion. This does not mean that we are allowed to fall into a position of being parents to choose the best means of educating their children, which seems merely nay-sayers. Rather, this means

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

spiritual fitness

T. Gennara

How to calm the storms in your life 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

n that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’ And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?’” Mark 4:35-41

Before we ponder what Jesus is teaching us in this incident with his disciples, let us have a brief geography lesson. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills having very steep valleys, which create a funnel effect when the wind rises. Because of this, even today, severe storms can escalate very quickly in this region. (I had an opportunity to cross that lake one day by boat and I can testify to the beauty of that body of water, and to the very rapid changes in weather.) Beginning with verse 35, we see that toward evening, after a long day of teaching the crowds from the boat, Jesus indicates that he wants to go to the other side of the lake. Some others follow him in their boats. While they are on the lake, a storm arises – a particularly fierce one. And I want you to notice that these experienced, professional fishermen are terrified! Have you ever come to a time in your life when the “storm” was so great, so heavy, that no matter what wealth of experience you had in life, you see that you are about to be overwhelmed – you are about to drown. Suddenly all your confidence seems to evaporate and you are terrified. And to top it all off, Jesus is asleep in the boat! In the storms of your life, has it ever seemed to you that Jesus must be asleep? Why doesn’t

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

St. Joseph Cupertino Feast Day: Sept. 18 Patron Saint of: aviation, astronauts, people with mental handicaps, test takers and students

He tried to be admitted to the Franciscans, but was refused on account of his ignorance.

Joseph was known for his humility, however, and offered to work in the stable as an oblate at the Franciscan convent. His obedience and love of penance caused the abbot to agree to admit him to the order, and he was ordained a priest.

He became humble and obedient, and loved to do penance.

He was even investigated by the Inquisition, and the examiners exonerated him.

A lifelong mystic, his tendency to levitate during prayer caused comment. He was even investigated by the Inquisition, but exonerated. He died in 1663 and was canonized in 1767.

he do something? And if there is no immediate answer, we are that I wanted to die. So another guy and I found an abantempted to terrible anxiety or anger or despair. doned warehouse, used our last money to buy the best drugs Look at what the disciples do. They go to Jesus and call his and decided that we would ‘go out’ in style, so to speak. “I name until he wakes up – then they berate him in their terror: had no hope, no reason for living. But just before we injected Don’t you care if we die? the drugs, this guy said to me, ‘Can Have you ever been pushed to that you think of one good reason why we In the storms of shouldn’t do this?’’ And Archbishop desperate point? Archbishop Timothy Dolan told this story of a high-school Dolan’s friend said, “When he asked that your life, has it friend of his who went to Vietnam and words I’d learned in first grade ever seemed to you that question, came back a drug addict. Archbishop just popped into my head: ‘God made us Jesus must be asleep? Dolan heard from people how his to know him, to love him and to serve friend’s life went from bad to worse over him in this world and to be happy with Why doesn’t he do the next number of years. And then, him in the next.’” The guy listening to something? one day, his friend called him on the these words, said, “Well, that’s as good a phone: “Could I stop over and see you? reason as any not to do it.” They didn’t, “ Archbishop Dolan was very surprised, but, of course, said yes and Archbishop Dolan’s friend said his life changed from that – trying to prepare himself to see his good friend practically moment. destroyed by drugs and alcohol. But, to his greater surprise, the What’s the storm in your life where you think there is no man who walked in looked healthy, well-dressed and in the hope? Turn to Jesus – literally turn to Jesus – and, as the discompany of a lovely woman. What happened? ciples did, cry out to God for help. Don’t stop until he “wakes Then his friend told this story: “I was in such bad condition up” and hears your plea.

saint of the month

Joseph’s father died before he was born, leaving him with many debts.

St. Joseph is often called the flying saint because he went into ecstasies that raised him off his feet and left him suspended in midair. His first ecstatic vision occurred when he was only 8 – and caused him to be labeled intellectually slow. Because of this, the Franciscans rejected him when he was a young man.

INSIDE: Teens in the Diocese of Lansing are living the Gospel message in their service to others. Many of them truly represent Jesus’ words to “love one another as I have loved you.” In the following profiles, we meet some of the young people who quietly give of themselves to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

By Bob Horning | Photography by Jim Luning

When you are 13 and the doctor tells you that you have inoperable brain cancer, what do you do? Feel sorry for yourself, get mad at God and the world, squeeze whatever you can out of life during your remain-

cover story

ing time? Or do what Laurence Carolin, now 15, has done since being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer, which most adults survive only about three years. aurence has set a goal – to see the end of extreme poverty in Africa and Southeast Asia before he dies. “I don’t want to be saddened and depressed with my situation. I want to use my time living,” he says. “It’s not a productive use of energy to be wondering why this happened to me. You get nowhere thinking that way.” Instead, as he has done often in his life, Laurence is thinking of others. His grandmother, Mary Ann Carolin, says that isn’t surprising. “His spirituality has always been to care for others. For example, he is the one who, in elementary school, asked his dad if they could send diapers to the hurricane victims he had just heard about. He is the one who would intervene when things weren’t going well for a classmate. And, recently, his soccer team raised money to help him, but he turned around and donated it to buy soccer nets at the

local park for the kids who play there. He lives the social dimension of the Gospel.” Laurence’s interest and concern with poverty in Africa and Asia are partly the result of his dying wish not being granted. Because he has a life-threatening medical illness, Laurence qualified to make a request through the MakeA-Wish Foundation. He asked to meet members of the Irish rock band U2 and its lead singer, Bono. That couldn’t be arranged, and a year later Laurence revised his wish, a wish he considers much better than his first one. He asked that the money that Make-AWish would have spent on him be given instead to the United Nations Foundation’s fund combating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. Susan Lerch, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, said that they will contribute a minimum of $5,000 in honor of Laurence, and will

pass on any additional donations made to the UN fund or to Make-A-Wish Foundation. “We do receive altruistic wishes, but they are rare,” she says. “That he would do this is amazing. I am impressed with his level of maturity and how he has thought through his whole situation and his wish. From Laurence wanting to meet Bono, I could imagine it becoming that Bono will want to meet him.” aurence knew that Bono was a big supporter of the UN charity because, while sick, he has done a lot of research through ONE, the campaign and advocacy organization co-founded by Bono, to help fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. He can tell you, for instance, that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria together killed nearly 4.6 million

Visit www.stjos.com to learn more about Laurence’s parish, St. Joseph, Dexter

13 people worldwide in 2007, or that the UN Fund since 2002 has distributed 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets to protect families from malaria. “That level of death and disease is unacceptable” Laurence says, “and we need to do something about it. In all religions, and among those who have no religion, there is agreement that it is right to help the poor. My aim is to raise awareness among Americans about the conditions in those countries, and encourage them to contact their congressmen to let them know that we care, and that we want government action. “It is a battle, but one we can win, in the same way that we put a man on the moon or helped in the downfall of the Soviet Union. We have an ethical and moral obligation to help those in need, to help them get back on their feet.” Laurence’s appreciation of Bono goes beyond simply enjoying his music for music’s sake; Bono’s songs had a big impact on him medically. Before being diagnosed with cancer, his balance suddenly became shaky and he was easily fatigued. Worse, he had inexplicably become depressed and constantly thought about suicide. One of the things he turned to was the music of U2 and the lyrics of some of the songs. “They calmed my mind and gave me hope when I was feeling trapped,” he says. “They kept me from committing suicide. In one song in particular, A Beautiful Day, that I played over and over, the music stops momentarily near the end. During those seconds, I could see in my mind the dark clouds part. It was the neatest thing. It saved my life.” ithin 24 hours of being diagnosed with the brain tumor, Laurence had emergency surgery, which he looks back upon as a happy experience because the diagnosis explained his symptoms, and the surgery eliminated them by routing his spinal fluid around the tumor. At the same time, he was frustrated with his new situation. It was then that he decided that rather than dwell on it and live miserably, he would accept it for what it is. During six weeks of radiation, five days

Make-A-Wish Since 1984, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan has granted wishes to more than 5,600 special children in Michigan. Of each dollar spent in 2007, more than 80 cents went directly to granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Funding comes from individual contributors, special events, corporate donations and sponsorships, foundation grants, workplace giving programs and planned gifts. These wishes would not be realized without the dedication and support of the volunteers, donors, and staff. To learn more, visit www.wishmich.org. a week, he lost all of his hair except for a couple patches he then shaved. It grew back, but is thinning again as a result of his current treatment. His weight dropped from 106 pounds to 89 at one time. Now, at 5’ 7”, Laurence is back to 104 pounds. In May of this year, an MRI showed that the tumor, which had been decreasing, is growing again. Along with it, his memory has worsened. What happens today he can remember; for the events of yesterday he often needs a reminder. As with his other physical symptoms, though, he doesn’t complain, letting others know only so they won’t be uncomfortable when he has difficulty remembering something. Laurence rarely attends school because of his condition, but has a tutor help him twice a week. He sleeps 10 hours a night, and often takes a couple of naps during the day. Besides his research, he spends his time playing electric guitar, doing

By Bob Horning | Photography by Jim Luning

homework, keeping up with world news and the current conditions in Africa and Asia, and even cooking. Ever since he was 3, Laurence was fascinated by cooking shows on television. He eventually learned to make his own recipes for Korean food. He loves it and often makes it for guests his mother has over. His mother, Lisa, says that they have received great support from friends and the families at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter, and from parishioners at St. Joseph Parish where Laurence was baptized and confirmed (he took Luke as his confirmation name since Luke was a physician). On most weekends, friends from school come to his house to be with him and support him. isa and her husband, Patrick, adopted Laurence from South Korea when he was 5 months old. The couple divorced when he was 7, and Patrick since has moved to Tennessee for work, but sees his son often. “He is a fantastic person,” Patrick says. “I think of him as being the way we all pray we would like to be. He has always been a good sport, constantly helping others, Christ-like.” Lisa says, “I’ve always felt that he was born with compassion. It’s amazing that at his age he knows his priorities, what he wants out of life, and is trying to make it happen. I admire him and am proud of his strength and maturity in a tough situation.” Laurence acknowledges that having cancer has been rough, and recognizes that it could kill him, yet has never been afraid of dying. “As my grandma points out, ‘Dying is another part of life,’” he says. He knows, too, that his cancer has had at least one benefit – it has given him a platform to get his message out, and an audience. As he says, with a knowing smile, “If I didn’t have cancer, nobody would write about me or listen to me.” His friends, his family and his music keep him going, and the hope that more people become aware and do something about poverty in Asia and Africa.

The 2009 Father Charles Irvin Essay Contest Winner Every year, FAITH awards a $1,000 scholarship to a highschool senior in our diocese, based on an essay on a topic related to life in the church. Our goal is to promote insightful thought and excellent writing, and to encourage careers in

Catholic journalism. There are many ways to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and good writing is one of them. We hope you enjoy this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essay, by Corey McEldowney, of Jackson Lumen Christi High School.

Father Charlie

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

y Aunt Sherry is mentally handicapped. She was 2 when she received a bad vaccine that stunted her brain growth, yet let her body develop into an adult. She was supposed to live only to age 20; she is now 56. This has put a huge strain on our whole family having to take care of her, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sherry can’t talk, walk without assistance or take care of herself, yet she smiles. A lot. Many would ask the question, “How could God let this happen?” You see the presence of God in those like my Aunt Sherry. Sherry is my angel on earth, and I believe that God does everything for a reason. I have faith in his love. Modeling faith is sometimes challenging, so it helps to attend retreats where one can spend time in quiet and thoughtful prayer. I realize that I believe more than ever that God exists and that he is always with me. I am able to model my faith in the real world, every day of my life.

as they are and adjusts to – not compromises for – them. I am a realist. I take my aunt’s condition and adjust my life accordingly. For me, that means accepting Sherry for who she is and appreciating her inner beauty as one of God’s creations. A lover, of course, loves God, but also loves others and themselves. I am a true lover. I love helping people and that has guided me in choosing a career path where I can help others. As a physical therapist, I plan to focus on ways to bring assistance to people in their homes. In my daily life right now, I show I am a lover by making sure nobody feels out of place at school. As a senior, and as captain of both the varsity football and varsity basketball teams, I always strive to be someone whom the underclassmen can look up to. I often invite those who might sit alone at lunch to join me, or I say “Hi” to those who are sometimes overlooked so that they know I am looking right at them; I see them. Being a Christian leader is an ideal we set for ourselves, but none of us, including me, will ever succeed all the time. What defines the leader of failure. The important thing is not to give up because the only real mistake Corey McEldowney is this year’s Father Charles Irvin Essay Contest winner. Corey is made is one in which nothing is learned. I a graduate of Jackson Lumen Christi High School and a member of Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish. He will be attending Grand Valley State University. can think of times when I definitely failed to model my faith, but I can’t think of one time I try to live by the words, “lots of little,” where I can reach out and be a model of that I haven’t learned something from that which enables me to share my faith with faith to others. Through Students Against experience of failure. others. This means to do lots of little acts of Destructive Decision, Campus Ministry, I am given plenty of opportunities to kindness. Taking care of my Aunt Sherry Traveling Science and many others, I work model my faith. Whether helping my is something of a burden on my grandma’s hard at involving myself in the community. grandma out by helping her with Sherry shoulder, so I try to lift the weight off with As a member of varsity football and varsity or doing the recycling, or helping my peers little acts of kindness. At Mass, one of the basketball, I always strive to rekindle the light of God in their things I do to help my grandma is to wait exhibit behavior that shows life, I show my faith. I show my character – one who outside the church and help her walk it on my sleeve. Sherry T h e is a Christian athlete. Sherry in. For most people, walking the has given me a reason diocesa n C a t Another way 40 yards may not take long; for my aunt to help; for that, I h high sc hools aolic I am able to and me, it takes forever. Sherry is truly as am thankful. My re: Ann Ar model my faith is slow as molasses, so this little act helps my faith has been a bor – F ather Ga b through Kairos grandma out tremendously when she has big part of shapriel Rich 734.662 ard .0496 Flint – – “God’s time.” signed up to be an extraordinary minister ing me into the Father L uke Pow This retreat has of holy Communion. Another small act of young man I am 810 ers Jackso .591.4741 greatly helped kindness I do for my grandma is to help becoming. I have n – Lum e n C me develop my her with recycling. Whenever I take it back confidence, trust hristi 517 Lansin .787.0630 faith in God and for her, it’s like I have moved a mountain. and the belief that g – Lan sing Cath These services I do for her are greatly appre- model it for others. God is the unseen 517.267 olic .2100 ciated because it’s hard for her to get around I went last spring as a presence in my life. junior and just returned with Sherry. I also volunteer, along with my He will be seen by others on March 20 after serving family, as a minister of hospitality at our through me. as a leader for this year’s retreat. I “People of ordinary goodness church, Queen of the Miraculous Medal. delivered a speech to 40 or more retreatants walk in God’s way, the devout run, and at Welcoming people into Mass is something about leadership and the different kinds length they almost fly.” (Francis De Sales) This I enjoy; being able to participate more fully quote rings true for me. I want to continue is something I appreciate. At Lumen Christi of Christian leaders: the realist leader, the lover leader and the failure leader. A realist working on modeling my faith in God, so, High School, where I am a senior, I am is a person who accepts things and others perhaps, I will fly, too. involved in my extracurricular activities

Taking care of

Aunt Sherry

teen essay winner

Photography by Tom Gennara

16 “When I give back to others, I am thanking God.” Eric Deitering, 18, attends St. John Vianney Parish in Flint and is a senior at Flushing High School. When we go to the North End Soup Kitchen in Flint to prepare and serve meals, I see how little the people have who come there. It reminds me that I have a lot. At church, I work on the grounds with other men once a month in the summer, and serve at events like the spaghetti dinner and Thanksgiving dinner. I am on the youth leadership team, attend the Diocesan Youth Leadership Camp, and participate in our youth group Passion Play on Palm Sunday. At school, through the Student Leadership Organization, I tutor at a fourth-grade class every other week. I also help set out hundreds of candles in town every December for the Candle Walk, and bowl to raise money for cystic fibrosis. On student council, we plan the homecoming dance, parades, pep rallies and banquets and serve at the senior citizen dinner and movie night. I have also been the class secretary for three years and a member of SOUP (Student Organization Unifying People), and SADD (Students against Destructive Decisions). I belong to the Michigan Youth Leadership Organization. We do 100 hours of community service, like the Walk for Breast Cancer Cure, helping nursing home residents play bingo and donating blood.

smile Service with a

why these teens give more than they get

I love to make others happy, like seeing the fourth-graders catch on to a math problem, or the blind lady win candy at bingo. God has given me a lot, and when I give back to others, it is a way of thanking him. It seems that no matter how much I know about Catholicism, there is always something new to discover. And it’s good to know that my faith can’t be taken away. My parents are hardworking, honest and caring. They have been a great example for me.

By Bob Horning | Photography by Tom Gennara

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

care of migrant children one night a week in the summer while their parents attend Mass at the farm. They are full of energy and hard to keep up with, but lots of fun.

Erin Orlowski, 18, attends Oakland University and is a member of St. Elizabeth Parish in Tecumseh.

I also enjoy the PB&J ministry. Members of our church and other churches make food and take it, along with clothing, to a pre-arranged street corner in inner-city Detroit on Saturday mornings. We hand it out to those who have a ticket, and who have been waiting in line for us. They are so appreciative.

My family and 10 members of my confirmation class went to Morehead, Ky. for a week two summers ago to build decks, porches and wheelchair ramps for needy people. We had so much fun that it didn’t seem like work. I spent a lot of time with a 7-year-old girl, Adora, who has a spinal disease and can’t speak. She was so happy to have someone do little things with her like paint her fingernails and color. Besides building, we provided hope to the families. They saw that there are good people in the world who are willing to help without expecting anything in return. One of my favorite service projects has been taking

teen profiles

“I feel like I am making a difference through my service.”

Since middle school, I have participated in “Rake a Difference” through the Kiwanis Club each fall, raking leaves for elderly homeowners. I feel like I am making a difference through my service. What others see me do, and the joy I get from it, may inspire them to volunteer. I’m sure God appreciates what I, and others, do. My faith is always on my mind since I was raised to do everything through the Lord and abide by his rules. I’m sure it will be more difficult in college and as I grow older, but I will do the best I can.

For more information about Youth Ministry or Diocesan Youth Leadership Camp, contact Pat Rinker at prinker@dioceseoflansing.org

DIOCE

SAN SERVIC ES A

PPEAL

18 Caleb Roty is paid with the satisfaction of helping others

ing snow and mowing the lawn for an elderly lady and a single mother who both live nearby. And on my own initiative, I rake the lawn of an elderly, blind neighbor.

Caleb Roty, 16, is a junior at Jackson High School and attends Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish.

My grandfather and I stock shelves at the food pantry and help in the linen closet of Jackson County Catholic Charities. I have sung and played saxophone at the Halloween and Christmas parties at the Rotary Club in Michigan Center.

I learned to serve by following the example of my parents and grandfather. They always go the extra mile. I find that when I help others, I always have time for what I need to do for myself. I have helped on a number of Eagle Scout projects. We have done highway cleanup, built a resting place on the side of a walking trail, and collected and recycled computers. At school, I am in the choir, band, honors band and jazz combo. I play the saxophone and we occasionally perform for civic groups. With a nudge from my parents, I began shovel-

Since seventh grade, I have helped with Vacation Bible School. I set up chairs and clean tables at the Knights of Columbus fish fries, and am on the youth leadership team. One of my favorite things has been helping my dad do the sound at the middle school youth rally and the high school jamboree for the diocese. For a few of the things I do, I get money, but usually my pay is the satisfaction of helping others. Plus the fun of making new friends or growing in relationship with those I work with. Spiritually, it helps me grow closer to God; perhaps a bit like the Good Samaritan when he used his talents to do what God wanted him to do. My faith helps me to know that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not alone, and that, through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things (Phil 4:13).

“To see the appreciation on the faces of people we helped was worth it.” Stephanie Becker, 18, attends Saint Mary of Chelsea and is a freshman at Western Michigan University.

We had prayer each night to thank God for the ways we were able to help others. It was fun just being with each other for the week. I did a lot of volunteering through the Interact Club

I have also been involved with food drives during Halloween. And I’ve helped my parents coach a soccer team. At church, I have been an altar server, an extraordinary minister of holy Communion for many years and helped train new altar servers. I also worked on Vacation Bible School and helped clean the grounds. This year, I was on the Diocesan Youth Leadership Camp planning team. The camp is a great week of learning to be a leader and of being close to God. I still have friends from it and from the National Catholic Youth Conference I attended in November 2007. That was awesome having 20,000 Catholic kids who all believe the same thing you do. God has become personal to me, to the extent that when a problem comes up, I can turn to him and find relief and be relaxed after talking with him – whether it’s in a secluded spot at church, or while saying the rosary.

teen profiles

For the last four years, I went with our church youth group during summer break to work on homes for Habitat for Humanity. We got tired, sweaty and dirty, but to see the appreciation on the faces of people we helped was worth it. One lady cried when she saw her home ready to move into after waiting for three years. Another man would bring us oranges and drinks.

at Chelsea High School. There were 20 to 30 of us who worked on local charities, and also raised money for things like the Darfur Project, cancer research, Faith in Action and Ele’s Place.

Chris Price fights fires and loves animals

teen profiles

Chris Price,17, is a senior at Howell High School and goes to St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton. I am on call seven days a week for the Brighton Area Fire Department as a volunteer junior firefighter. If there is room on the truck during a call, I get to go. I am certified to do CPR, and will be taking two more firefighting classes soon. When I am 18, I will be certified to do anything medically on a call. I can be called even in the middle of the night on weekends. It is rewarding to see the gratitude of the families we aid. With my parents and sister, I go to the Humane Society once or twice a month. We take the animals out of their

cages, play with them and clean the cages. It’s good for the animals since the only people they get to see are those who work there. I’m a leader for the middle school youth group at church, which means I help organize their meetings and answer any questions they have. I have also taught fifth- and seventh -grade religious education class. Part of my motivation for doing volunteer work is that it gets me out of the house, meeting new people and getting to know the community better. I’ve learned that not having a job doesn’t mean you have to sit home and do nothing. There is plenty to do. It also gives me experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise,. That helps in figuring out what to do with my life. What I do is enjoyable, and I want to continue helping others my whole life. If I didn’t do what I do, life would be 100 percent different. I wouldn’t know half the people in the church, and I wouldn’t be hanging out with so many good friends.

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

Jordan and Amanda both converted to Catholicism while they were students at Hillsdale College

Why did they become Catholic? I always sensed something deeper was going on that wasn’t present at any of the other churches I attended.

Hillsdale College is a small liberal arts school unaffiliated with any Christian denomination. However, even though the school isn’t Christian in name, it’s extremely Christian in spirit. The

Amanda Schleue joined the Catholic Church at Hillsdale College after a long and gradual conversion. Before coming to the Catholic Church, she struggled with religion. She says that throughout most of high school, “I didn’t believe in anything, and I argued with people who did. I thought it was silly that people believed in God – all that time, money and energy wasted.” However, shortly before Amanda came to Hillsdale, she began to notice that, “Christians just seemed to be happier than other people. I was a depressed teenage girl, and I was just looking for ways to be happy. I asked what the Christian secret was to happiness. Did their happiness come from their morals, or did the way they treated others make them happier themselves?” Amanda began attending different churches to answer these questions. However, she still wasn’t ready to accept everything Christianity had to offer. “I still wasn’t ready to believe in God. I actually thought I could just go to church and get good morals to figure out the Christian secret to being happy.” Through numerous conversations, especially with her sorority sisters, Amanda came to a deeper and more lasting appreciation for Christianity. She finally realized that Christians were happy because of what they were allowing God to do in their lives and not because of what they were doing for God. Three weeks after beginning to pray about what church to join, Amanda began to meet Catholic students at Hillsdale. She began attending weekday Masses on campus at Hillsdale. Soon, Amanda was praying with Catholics and attending Mass on a regular basis. “Before I came to the Catholic Church, I would feel good when I went to church, but I never felt satisfied. I knew there was something else out there I was missing. When I finally viewed the world through a Catholic lens, my eyes were opened.” – Jordan Kowalkowski

Catholic Community in and around the college has especially been experiencing large scale growth in recent years. Last Easter, 18 people joined the Catholic Church at St. Anthony, the local parish.

Many of the people who have joined the church at Hillsdale have done so because they were first inspired by the large number of young devoted Catholics on campus.

For more information about how you can become Catholic, contact your local parish’s RCIA director.

conversion stories

Jordan Jennings came to the Catholic Church at the end of his senior year of college after he spent about eight years “bouncing around between 10 to 15 different denominations.” While at Hillsdale, some fellow students invited Jordan to the Easter Vigil Mass. Jordan says that, before attending that Mass, he was “always fascinated by the Catholic Church. I always sensed something deeper was going on that wasn’t present at the other churches I attended.” Soon Jordan began meeting with the priests at the parish every week. Jordan was impressed by the priests who would “sincerely consider my questions, research them, and then come talk about them with me.” “I built a real relationship with the priests. We became friends, and we would even go to the gym together to work out,” Jordan says. Unfortunately, Jordan’s dad was diagnosed with throat cancer and passed away while Jordan was still discerning whether or not to join the Church. Jordan says that his dad rediscovered his Protestant faith and focused more on his relationship with God while he was ill. “He had difficulty with me exploring the Catholic Church at first,” Jordan says. “Not having a complete view of the church, he wondered what it meant for our relationship and my relationship with Christ, his two main concerns. Because of this, I went back and forth on whether or not to join the Church for a long time. But in the end he and my mom saw the Lord leading me and supported my search. Looking back, Jordan realizes the very thing that kept him from joining also drew him closer: “A lot of people in other Christian denominations talk to loved ones who have died,” Jordan says. “But only Catholicism admits that a tangible relationship exists between us on earth and those in heaven. It’s comforting. I feel like I’m in touch with my dad, and I like knowing that it’s OK for me to talk to him and even pray for him.”

When I finally viewed the world through a Catholic lens, my eyes were opened

Life how Jor

ix years ago, 12year-old Jordan Keen was skiing with her dad at Mt. Brighton. When she fell and twisted her knee, it seemed no different than any of her minor injuries from basketball. She went on skiing. The next day, though, the knee was bright red and swollen; it felt ready to explode. It hurt to walk, so they headed for the emergency room. At the hospital, Jordan was given crutches and sent home. Two-and-a half years later, the crutches had become part of her. Trips to doctor after doctor were fruitless. No diagnosis and no relief. “I had a constant ripping, tearing, burning pain,” she says, “like pieces of broken glass tearing at every part of my leg.” The physical pain was bad; the mental pain equally so. “I knew nobody else with the same condition,” she says. “It was illogical and frustrating. Many experts, because they didn’t know what I had, thought I must be faking. The worst feeling was when one doctor told me that he is a bone doctor and doesn’t fix mental disease.” Because she looked normal, many of her friends figured she was faking it, too, or was a wimp. “Overall, I was alone and depressed,” she said. “After school, I was so tired that I slept until dinner. I felt disconnected at home and looked to my dog for acceptance and companionship because she never said anything cruel. I was slipping in school. I lost my friends and my identity. I was dealing with a monster that was taking over my life and there was little I could do about it.” In 2005, the Keens heard about Cleveland Clinic. There, Jordan was diagnosed within a few minutes with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). To finally know the reason for her condition was a relief for the By Bob Horning | Photography by Tom Gennara

eve

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

e in motion rdan helps others keep moving

en though she is disabled

that I was looney,” Jordan says. “I would tell myself ‘you’re just being lazy. If you get out of bed and get going, life will follow.’ Then when I tried it, the pain was overwhelming.” Jordan says she was crushed at times. “Everyone’s life was continuing, but mine was stuck. I couldn’t get my driver’s license. I couldn’t march in the band or go to the homecoming dance. I was mad at God. Why did he, who was supposed to love me so much, do this to me, with no warning? I felt betrayed. I stopped praying and going to church. I would still go to youth group to see people, but I tuned out the God stuff.” When Jordan was 14, she met Rachel Schneemann, who had just been diagnosed with RSD. Jordan visited the 11-year-old every week while Rachel was at University of Michigan Mott Hospital in Ann Arbor, and helped her go through what she had been through herself. Rachel was diagnosed early enough that she went into remission using physical therapy. A story about the two ran in the Ann Arbor News, which led to phone calls. Soon there were four people they knew in Washtenaw County with RSD. Then five, then six. Jordan began noticing a passion developing within herself to meet and help others with RSD. She began to see that God might be in her life after all, and that what he was doing was going to make a difference in her life and in others. As she said later, “I could turn

Vist www.rsdinmotion.org for more information about RSD and how you can help.

For more information about Catholic youth groups, contact your local parish.

my story

family, though what they learned about RSD was not encouraging. It affects the nervous system and causes pain and mobility problems vastly out of proportion to the initial injury. One or more extremities are affected, so that touching them – even wearing certain clothing, or a slight breeze – can cause the pain to be unbearable. A temporary spinal stimulator was put in Jordan’s back to block the pain. Two months later, it was removed, Jordan’s pain was gone, and life became normal again. Until June 2007, when at a medical school camp, she and two friends got food poisoning from eating nacho chips. In a couple days, the others felt fine, but Jordan’s food poisoning continued. Again, the doctors had no idea what to do. Over the next year and a half, she was in and out of the emergency room 12 times, and in the hospital for months. “Most of the time I couldn’t move, eat, walk, tie my shoes,” she says. “I was basically a blob.” Jordan’s mother, Sue, left her teaching job at St. Mary Catholic School in Pinckney to care for her daughter at home. During the five years of dealing with RSD, family life was chaotic with Jordan’s condition. Her mother, and/or father, Doug, were taking her to endless doctor appointments. Her two younger sisters and one brother didn’t get to see her much. “There were times even I began to think

my hurt into someone else’s hope.” It was finally at Cleveland Clinic again that they determined that the RSD had moved to her abdomen as a result of the food poisoning, and that implanting a spinal stimulator permanently would help. There was one catch: it cost $75,000 and the Keens’ insurance didn’t cover it. Meanwhile, because Jordan had become unable to eat or drink, she was going to the ER every week to get fluids intravenously. In November 2008, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Pinckney held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Jordan. About 650 people showed up, and $18,900 was donated. The Keens were stunned by the generosity. Then, when the company that makes the stimulator agreed to cut the price in half, they suddenly had enough for the downpayment. After successful surgery, Jordan’s life returned to normal once more. Today, she can do everything except play contact sports. And her classmates consider her a real person. “I’m not a patient, a fake, or someone to be pitied anymore,” she says. On the other hand, her life isn’t normal. During her hard times she started a nonprofit to help those with RSD, RSD in Motion. The local group, based in Washtenaw County, has grown to 18, with members from surrounding counties, including three in Jordan’s hometown of Dexter. Jordan says that one of the greatest things is when two mothers of RSD children meet. “They cry because they have found someone who understands.” She has teamed with a physician to make educational presentations to school groups and medical personnel about RSD. One girl was diagnosed within one week because the doctor had learned about it from Jordan. “My dream is to have a week-long camp for RSD kids and a weekend seminar for families to learn about the disease and receive support and information,” she says. “And to someday put into a book what we have learned from the journey.” “I now see that God was present during the entire struggle,” Jordan says. “He is using this hardship for something great, and to make me a stronger person. My relationship with God now is energized instead of lifeless because I see his presence and purpose in every stumble. Now I’m even thinking of a career in the medical field.”

Year for Priests

What does it mean to be ordained? By Doug Culp

year for priests

Q: A:

What is the significance of the term “ordination”?

The catechism states that, in Roman antiquity, order (ordo) was used to designate an established civil body. Ordination (ordinatio) then simply meant the incorporation of a person into a particular order. In the church today, ordination is reserved for the sacramental act that integrates a man into one of three recognized “orders”: bishop (ordo episcoporum), presbyter or priest (ordo presbyterorum) and deacon (ordo diaconorum). The rite of ordination is not simply a rite of election, designation or institution by the community, rather, it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit upon the ordained. This gift permits the ordained to

exercise a “sacred power” that comes only from Christ himself through the church. Consecration (consecratio) can also be applied to describe the rite of ordination because is signifies a “setting apart” of the ordained for a special ministry within the church. This understanding of ordination may have its roots in Acts 13, where the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to the work which I have called them.”

are the steps Q: What toward ordination?

Until 1972, the Latin Rite Catholic Church had four minor orders leading to the major order of subdeacon, which were conferred on all seminarians before they became deacons. The minor orders and the subdiaconate were not

happens Q: What at ordination?

The stole is the long strip of material that hangs around the neck of a priest during the performance of sacramental functions. It is also worn diagonally across the chest by deacons who are assisting at Mass. There is a small embroidered cross in the center of the stole, which the priest kisses before donning it. The stole is a symbol of the office of priest or deacon.

How has Hollywood depicted Catholic priests?

father on film

The ordination of a bishop, priest or deacon takes place within the eucharistic liturgy. Its essential rite consists of the laying on of hands by the bishop and of the consecratory prayer, which together constitute the visible sign of ordination. Like baptism and confirmation, ordination imprints an “indelible sacramental character” upon the ordained that cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily. Through his ordination, the recipient is configured to Christ so that he may serve as Christ’s instrument for his church. There are also additional rites that are part of ordination. Initial rites consist of the following: presentation and election of the ordinand (the man being ordained), instruction by the bishop, examination of the candidate and the litany of the saints. After the consecration, additional rites symbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished. For a bishop, there is an anointing of holy chrism (a sign of the Holy Spirit who alone will make his ministry fruitful); the giving of the book of the Gospels (as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God), the ring (a sign of his fidelity to the church), and the miter and the crosier (signs of his office as shepherd of the Lord’s flock). For a priest, there is also an anointing with holy chrism, plus the presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, symbolizing “the offering of the holy people” which he is called to present to God. Finally, there is the giving of the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

stole:

what is he wearing?

considered sacraments proper and were practically suppressed under Pope Paul VI as part of the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. The church retained only the three sacramental orders, (deacon, priest, bishop), but modern Catholic seminarians are “instituted” in “ministries,” called acolyte and reader/lector, which replace the former “minor orders.” As an acolyte, the seminarian has the duty to attend to the service of the altar and to assist the priest and any deacons in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Mass. As a lector, the seminarian proclaims the readings at liturgy and is invited into a living, loving relationship with sacred Scripture. In addition, the seminarian most likely will distribute communion when appropriate at Mass or during communion services at hospitals, etc. Typically, in the last year of seminary training, a seminarian will be ordained to the diaconate, called by Catholics in recent times the “transitional diaconate.” This is to distinguish candidates bound for priesthood from those who have entered the “permanent diaconate” and do not intend to seek further ordination. Deacons, whether transitional or permanent, are licensed to preach homilies (under certain circumstances, a permanent deacon may not receive faculties to preach), to baptize, and to witness Catholic marriages. They assist at Mass, but are not able to consecrate the bread and wine. Additionally, they cannot hear confessions nor anoint the sick. Normally, after six months or more as a transitional deacon, a man will be ordained to the priesthood.

B. Patten

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

We often hear complaints about how priests and the church are portrayed in the movies. Have things really changed? Take a look back at some priestly depictions from the 1930s and ‘40s – an era some call the ‘golden age’ of filmed priest-heroes.

In 1944’s Going My Way, Bing Crosby portrays Father Chuck O’Malley, a tough but kind priest who saves young men from gang life, and helps the aging pastor of his congregation (Barry Fitzgerald) along the way. Father O’Malley returned in 1945’s Bells of St. Mary’s. DIOCES AN SERVIC ES Thinking about the priesthood? Contact Father Jerry Vincke, jvincke@dioceseoflansing.org AP

PEAL

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

things to do: Run Drugs Out of Town 10k/5k run and walk and Children’s Fun Run will be Sept. 12 at Howell Parks and Recreation Bennett Center, 925 W. Grand River, Howell. For more information or to register, call Michelle at 517.545.5944 or visit www. livingstoncatholiccharites.org. Sept. 18-20, Worldwide Marriage Encounter will be at the Best Western in Ann Arbor. Open to all couples. To register, contact Harry and Karen Porter at 888.628.7433 or visit www.wwme.org.

community

Marriage Matters of Jackson will have a married couple retreat Sept.11-12 at Camp Michindoh, 4545 E. Bacon Rd., Hillsdale. For information and to register, call 517.796.5116 Join us at St. Casimir Parish, Lansing for a special series entitled Meeting Christ in Prayer. This eight-week series is based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. It will be Thursday evenings in the church hall from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 17. Please call 517.482.1346 to register by Sept. 8. Cost is $10 and includes a study book. All are welcome. Catholic Community of St. Jude in DeWitt will host a Dave Ramsey Financial Planning Course Sept. 21-Dec. 14. For more information, visit the parish Web site, www.stjudedewitt.com. St. Mary Church in Flint, will be having a raffle, silent auction and dinner dance on Sept. 26 An evening session on annulments will be held on Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Davison. Eileen Jaramillo, M.Div, JCL, a tribunal judge, will speak on marriage as a covenant, invalid marriages and misinformation about annulments. The session is open to everyone. There is no need to register. Sept. 23, St Mary Magdalen, Brighton needs volunteers age 14 and older to cook, setup,

September Café events St. Mary Church, Mt. Morris will have registrations, Sept. 13 and 20, for Sunday morning religious education classes that will be from September 2009-April 2010. For more information or to register, call 810.686.3920, Ext. 11. Inquiring Minds Want to Know - Maybe you know someone who might be interested in becoming a member of the Catholic Church or who would just like to know more about what Catholics believe; or perhaps you were baptized Catholic but never received your first Communion. If you or someone you know falls into one of these categories, there will be an informational meeting about the RCIA on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. in the St. Gerard adult education room. For more details, contact Jan Haselschwerdt at the parish office, 323.2379. Clergy formation opportunity - The New Translation of the Roman Missal is Oct. 6-9 at St. John’s Retreat Center in Plymouth. Region VI will be hosting the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions national meeting. This year’s meeting will focus on “Liturgical Formation with Zeal and Patience” (SC 19). Oct. 7 has been set aside as a study day and is open to the priests of Michigan and Ohio. Visit the FDLC Web site, www.fdlc.org, for more information or contact Father Karl Pung at 810.229.9863 or Rita Thiron at 517.342.2476. Our Father’s Plan Bible Study Series is offered at Holy Spirit, Brighton every second and fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m. in portable classroom 4. Contact Deacon Gerald Brennan at 810.231.9199 for more information. A Women’s Scripture study is held on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at St. Mary, Charlotte. Call 517.543.4319 for further information. Study the Book of Kings on Thursdays, 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing. Call 517.484.5331 for complete information. St. Casimir in Lansing will have the program JustFaith from Sept. 2009 to May 2010. It helps to answer questions through reflection, study and prayer. For more information, contact Paula Young, 517.482.1346 or young@stcas.org.

cleanup, serve or provide desserts at God’s Kitchen. Call Duke Davis at 810.227.6374.

symbolic keepsake. To register, contact Rose Robertson at 517.676.9111.

Bereavement Educational Series for men only is an eightweek support group for men who have experienced a loss through death. It is offered at the Palmer Bush and Jensen – Holt Chapel Monday evenings, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Sept. 28-Nov. 16. For more information and to register, call Johanna Workman at 517.268.1000.

Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County commemorates 50 years with a recognition event, “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future,” Oct. 4 in Ann Arbor. Reservations are required. Please call 734.971.9781, ext. 313 or visit www.csswashtenaw. org for more information.

Divorce and Beyond – Recovery and Healing, co-hosted by Livingston Region Catholic Social Services, will be Friday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m., Sept. 18–Nov. 20, at St. Mary Magdalen, 2201 Old U.S. 23, Brighton. Fee is $10 for the program materials. To register, call Sister Maryetta Churches at 810.229.8624.

We CARE is a communication and relationship enhancement program for engaged couples in Washtenaw County. A two-day class is held monthly; next class is Sept. 11, 6:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. and Sept. 12, 9 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. Fee: $95 per couple. Registration is required. Please call 734.971.9781, ext. 421 or visit www.csswashtenaw. org for more information.

Join the women of St. James, Mason for a rewarding women’s renewal event – Contagious Joy – on Oct. 19. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The $20 fee includes a

Catholic single men and women in Genesee County can meet other people who share their faith. For details, call Mary at 810.635.0989. To learn about

upcoming events e-mail terrymc_2000@yahoo.com. ASL interpreted liturgies in the Diocese of Lansing are at: St. Agnes Church, 855 E. Grand River Ave., Fowlerville, first Saturdays at 5 p.m., second Sundays at 9 a.m. and all other Sundays at 11 a.m.; St. Gerard Church, 4437 W. Willow St., Lansing, the second Saturday of the month at 4:30 p.m.; St. Joseph Church, 440 E. Washington, Howell, the first Sunday of the month at noon; St. Thomas the Apostle, 517 Elizabeth St., Ann Arbor every Sunday at 9 a.m; and St. Jude, DeWitt every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Learn more about the charitable arm of the Catholic Church – join us for a Tour of Hope, Sept. 8, 5:30 p.m. at St. Vincent Catholic Charities Children’s Home, 2828 W. Willow St., Lansing. You also are welcome to schedule an alternate day and time to attend or to schedule for STVCC to bring a virtual Tour of Hope to you. Please contact Rhonda

Parish festivals

Pilgrimages:

Sept. 17-20, St. John the Evangelist, Fenton is having its annual Applefest. For more information about each day’s activities visit their Web site at www.stjohnapplefest.org.

Oct. 8-17, There will be a special pilgrimage for deaf people to Medjugorje. For more information, visit Father Mark Depcik’s Web site www.frmd.org/category/news.

Sept 11-13, Church of the Resurrection, Lansing will have its annual Ox Roast Festival – blackjack, kids’ games, raffles, bake sale, ox roast/soup and sandwiches, beer tent, line music and a silent auction.

Oct. 28-Nov. 7, An Italy pilgrimage and tour, visiting Venice, Florence, Assisi and Rome, is sponsored by the Dominican Center at Marywood, Grand Rapids. The cost is $2,699 from Chicago. For more information, e-mail nbrousseau@aol.com.

Sept. 20 is St. Agnes, Fowlerville’s Fun Fest – children’s games, chicken dinner, DJ, food concessions and raffle.

Nov. 7-16, You are invited to join Father Jim Eisele and Father Fred Thelen on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For more information, call 800.654.4560.

Sept. 11-13 is SS. Charles and Helena, Clio’s September Fest – food booths, raffle, bingo, crafts, baked goods, children’s games and entertainment tent.

Nov. 10-19, A pilgrimage to Israel with Father Andrew Czajkowski, St. John the Evangelist, Davison. The cost is $3,479. There are 30 seats available. For information, call 810.653.2377.

Abood at 517.323.4734 ext. 1205 or aboodr@stvcc.org. www.stvcc.org. Give a Gift to a Child or Family in Need this Christmas. There are many opportunities to help those in need and we are already planning for Christmas. From hosting a Giving Tree at Christmas, to providing a present to a child on Christmas morning there are numerous ways to help give to those in need. For more information, contact Elyse Lee, St. Vincent Catholic Charities, 517. 323.4734, ext. 1204 or e-mail lee@stvcc.org. Cristo Rey, Lansing has Ballet Folkloric Estudiantil classes taught by Santos Gutierrez, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. -8 p.m. For more information, call 517.410.2062. The Flint Newman Center, in the lower level of St. Michael parish, 609 East Fifth Ave., is open from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. on Tuesdays for college students. The evenings feature praise and worship, speakers, Bible study, food and fun. For more information call 810.238.7931. Catholic Medical Association Lansing Guild is a group of health-care professionals who are committed to living their Catholic identity within their professional environments. The guild provides opportunities for professional and spiritual development. E-mail Janet at

cmalansing@gmail.com for information.

minister. To find out more, call 517.546.7200.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lansing has a senior fitness program for those 60 and older from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. on Thursdays. For details, call 517.651.2788.

St. Mary Star of the Sea, Jackson’s Child Care and Development Center will have an ongoing developmental kindergarten shower. Families can donate used play equipment, toys or books. For more information, call 517.784.3366.

Pregnancy Help Center, located at 3150 Packard Road in Ann Arbor, needs volunteers Thursday mornings, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1p.m. Please call Jeanne Schafer Tuesday or Wednesday between 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at 734.9754357. M.O.C.H.A. – Join other Eastern Michigan University students in the University Lounge, located at Holy Trinity Student Parish, 511 W. Forest in Ypsilanti, for an evening of prayer and discussion in this faith-sharing group at 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. Christian Meditation Group meets every Monday, 7 p.m.-8 p.m., in the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Ann Arbor. The group is for beginners, as well as advanced mediators. This is an ancient form of Christian prayer. Contact parishioner and experienced mediator Paul Thompson at 734.665.6802 for more information. St. John the Baptist, Howell parishioners experiencing financial or health crises, divorce or death of a loved one can receive help from a Stephen

Tri-County Office on Aging is in need of Meals-on-Wheels volunteers in the Greater Lansing area to deliver hot meals to homebound senior citizens, Monday-Friday, during the noon hour. This is a nonprofit program that depends entirely on volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kathy Giganti at 517.887.1460 or visit www.tcoa.org. The pastoral care department at Sparrow Hospital,

1215 E. Michigan Ave., needs Catholics to visit sick members of their parishes and to minister to both patients and patients’ families. Hours and days are flexible. To volunteer, or for more information, call Chaplain Nanette Mathe at 517.354.3880. Parkinson’s Support Group meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. in the Dominican Life Center on the Adrian Dominican Sisters campus, 1277 East Siena Heights Dr. The meetings are open to Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers in Lenawee County. The Job Seekers Support Network of St. Patrick Parish, Brighton meets every Wednesday and is open to anyone in the Livingston County area looking for employment. Morning meetings are the first and third Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and evening meetings are the second and fourth Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Learn how to more effectively market yourself. For more information, call the parish office at 810.229.9863 or e-mail ray_blush@ameritech.net. Protecting God’s Children training sessions for adults are: Sept. 10, 7 p.m., St. Patrick Parish, Brighton; Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m., St. Patrick Parish, Brighton; Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., St. Mary School, Mt. Morris; Sept. 15, St. Mary Parish, Westphalia, 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall; Sept. 17, 7 p.m., St. Patrick Parish, Brighton; and Sept. 19, 9 a.m., St. Mary Student Parish, Ann Arbor. For more information, contact Sally Ellis, 517.342.2511. To pre-register for a session, visit www.virtus.org.

Weber Center, Adrian, 517.266.4000: Special Series: Let’s Talk, Catholic Spirituality and Prayer, Sept. 17, (choose afternoon or evening session) 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Facilitated by Father Martin Iott, OP. Cost is a free will offering. Sept. 26, Claiming our Kinship with Earth Community: Humans and Animals as Companions in Creation. Facilitated by Sisters Joan Weithman and Sarah Sharkey. Oct. 9-11, Piece Work – Soul Work quilting retreat, registration deadline is Sept. 11 – limited to 25 participants. Oct. 14, HEARTBEAT: Gussy Up Your Spirit, registration deadline Sept. 21. Oct. 16-18, We Walk a Wide and Gracious Path, registration deadline is Sept. 15. St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, 866.669.8321: Beyond Survival, Sept. 25-27, is a weekend of healing for women who have experienced sexual abuse. Facilitated by Patricia Martin and Father Larry Delaney.

28 Foundation announces $100,000 in tuition support for local families The Greater Lansing Catholic Education Foundation announces $100,000 in tuition assistance grants to families sending their children to Catholic schools in the northwest region of the Diocese of Lansing. The northwest region includes schools in Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties. The foundation awards tuition assistance grants based solely on the financial need presented by applicants. Applications are reviewed and ranked in order of need by an independent organization (Private School Aid Service). Each family that applies is eligible for up to one $1,000 tuition assistance grant per school they have children attending, with a maximum of $2,000 awarded to any one family. Grants are paid directly to the family’s tuition account at the school. For additional information on tuition assistance grants and other programs of the Greater Lansing Catholic Education Foundation, contact Danielle Casavant at 517.485.8333 or visit www.glcef.org.

local news

Mass and graduation ceremony for homeeducated 8th and 12th grade students The home educators from Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Hamburg hosted their annual Baccalaureate Mass and graduation ceremony for home-educated eighth- and 12th-graders May 31, the feast of Pentecost. Father John Rocus, the pastor, celebrated the Mass and the graduation keynote speaker, Msgr. Robert McClory from the Archdiocese of Detroit, concelebrated. The date for next year’s graduation is Sunday, May 23, 2010, the feast of Pentecost. For more information on participating in the 2010 graduation, please contact Sheila Kumke at dozenhuskers@aol.com. @

Peacemaking in Palestine Sister Paulette Schroeder, OSF, of Tiffin, Ohio, shared with parishioners of St. Mary on the Lake Parish in Manitou Beach her travels with a Christian peacemaking team in Palestine. She explained that Israel is

building a wall from the northwest to the southwest of the West Bank. The Palestinian West Bank is more fertile than the Israeli area and the Israeli people keep settling in the Palestinian area and subsequently a new wall will go up around this new settlement. “We need to keep after our government,” Sister Paulette urged. “This wall is like chipping away at the Berlin Wall.” She suggests for those who can’t travel to Palestine to join a local Pax Christi group and work together for peace. – Jan Hoffbauer

Michigan Catholic Conference launches Twitter page “We’re looking forward to using this tool as another means of keeping the Catholic community in tune with what is taking place here in Lansing at the State Capitol. We’ll be linking to any press statements and releases that go out, news stories pertinent to our issues and anything else that is deemed relevant to the mission of the Conference. If you’re looking for content for your publication, Web site or bulletin announcements, we would be much obliged to see a blurb promoting the page,” said Dave Maluchnik, the Michigan Catholic Conference director of communications. “You can follow us on Twitter @MiCatholicConf,” said Maluchnik.

Father Andrew J. Dunne celebrates 50th Jubilee Father Andrew J. Dunne O.S.F.S. celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination during a standing-room-only 11 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Michigan Center on June 7. Father Dunne was joined by Deacon Tom Franklin, four brother priests, Msgr. David Whalen, O.S.F.S., provincial superior and Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing.

City of Lansing Catholic Schools to Unify Bishop Earl Boyea announced that, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the Catholic Schools in the city of Lansing (Immaculate Heart of Mary /St. Casimir, St. Therese, and Resurrection), in cooperation with Lansing Catholic High School, will form a single unified school system. The system will be comprised of two K-5 elementary schools and a common middle school. The K-5 schools will be located at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and St. Therese Parish. The middle school will be located at Resurrection Parish. The Diocesan Pastoral Plan, promulgated by the diocese in 2001, called for “Catholic school education that is accessible, available and affordable”. The plan for the unified school system is the result of two separate school studies conducted by the Diocese of Lansing since 2003, and an outgrowth of the Planning Tomorrow’s Churches blueprint released by the diocese in September,2008. Bishop Boyea, in consultation with the pastors of each of the four affected parishes, determined that the configuration of a system of a north and a south elementary school, with a centrally located middle school, offers the best opportunity to provide an enhanced curriculum and continuum of Catholic school education to families in the Greater Lansing Area. Details of the plan for the consolidated system will be presented to school families in December, 2009. Bishop Boyea’s letter to Catholic school families in Lansing is available at: www.dioceseoflansing.org/bishop/Lansing_Catholic_Schools.pdf

FAITH Magazine / September 2009 / www.FAITHmag.com

Sister Joanne Fedewa bids farewell

St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing hires new preschool director Jennifer Rule has been hired as director of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Preschool. Her many qualifications include teaching at local parochial schools and a master’s degree in child development from Michigan State University. The addition of the preschool program marks an important expansion of the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School’s ministry to children. For more information on enrolling your child into the preschool, please contact St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School at 517.332.0813 or stop by the main office this summer. Enrollment is under way. Space is limited.

Knights of Columbus Council 3027 – vocation fundraiser On July 11, the Knights of Columbus Msgr. Esper Council 3027 held their 4th annual ‘Returns’ for Vocations fundraiser. The council represents Most Holy Trinity Parish of Fowler. The group raised $4,200 to aid local seminarians by collecting returnable bottles and cans and monetary donations from the community. The event was a way for the community to ‘Return’ support to their local seminarians. It was truly a community effort with more than 70 volunteers participating in the collecting and sorting. The fundraiser was such a success that the planning has already started for next year!

Bishop Mengeling to aid in the canonization of a saint The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation is pleased to welcome Bishop Carl F. Mengeling to the Episcopal Advisory Board for the cause for beatification of the servant of God – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Bishop Mengeling joins bishops from around the U.S. in supporting the cause. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) was a popular evangelist, radio/TV personality, writer and missionary.

Decades of dedication Genesee County Catholic School principals met in June to celebrate the retirements of administrators Carla Corrado, Gail Negrinelli and Mike Kehoe. Current and former principals in the region always have enjoyed their times together and have shared their journeys as leaders in area Catholic Schools. Members of this group of ‘greats’ have dedicated 506 years to Catholic education!

Ron Landfair named Coach of the Year Ron Landfair is the varsity head coach for boys’ tennis at Lansing Catholic High School. Ron was named Division 4 Coach of the Year in 2009 by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association and has been a three-time Regional Coach of the Year in Division 3 and 4. Ron has been either coach of the year or all area coach in the Lansing metro area every year since he began his coaching career in 2003.

Priest appointments Effective July 1, 2009 unless otherwise noted 1. St. Joseph Parish and St. John the Evangelist Parish, both in Jackson, will cluster effective July 1, 2009 with the intention of merging by July 1, 2010, when St. Joseph Church will become St. Joseph Chapel. Rev. James Shaver will be the pastor of the clustered parishes. Rev. Randy Miller appointed parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, continuing as parochial vicar of St. John the Evangelist Parish. Rev. Robert Pienta appointed parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish and St. John the Evangelist Parish. 2. St. Alphonsus Parish, Deerfield and St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Blissfield will cluster effective Sept. 7, 2009, with the intention of merging by July 1, 2010 to continue with the two worship sites. 3. Rev. Jeffrey Robideau appointed pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Michigan Center. 4. Rev. George Puthenpeedika appointed parochial administrator of Holy Rosary Parish, Flint. 5. Rev. Steven Makranyi granted senior priest status. 6. Msgr. Steven Raica appointed temporary administrator of St. Mary Parish, Charlotte and St. Ann Parish, Bellevue from Aug. 1 – Sept. 7, 2009.

local news

Mass was June 21 at Christ the King, Flint with Sister Joanne’s brothers, Father Matt Fedewa and Msgr. Sylvester Fedewa; Fathers Philip Schmitter and George Puthenpeedika concelebrated. The church overflowed with family and friends and the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver were in full support to honor her. At present, the parish has 130 families and everything is alive and well. “I believe (the church) will continue to grow. It will be 80 years old in November,” said Sister Joanne. “I feel that, as pastor, Father Philip Schmitter will continue the good work at Christ the King, which was begun by Father Norman DuKette, who founded the church in 1929.”

What in the world? The top 10 Catholic news events this month

U.S. deacon’s healing clears way for Cardinal Newman’s beatification – Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing as miraculous the healing of an American deacon, which clears the way for the beatification of British Cardinal John Henry Newman.

2 37 U.S. senators call for release of Vietnamese priest – Members of the U.S. Senate called on President Nguyen Minh Triet to release Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, a longtime human rights advocate, who has been jailed three times since the 1970s for a total of 14 years.

No one held responsible for death and destruction archbishop laments – Archbishop Rafael Cheenath of CuttackBhubaneshwar, India, deplored the fact that two years after the attacks on Christians in Orissa, no one has been detained or charged for the grave damage to property and lives that resulted.

Pope welcomes Obama to Vatican – Pope Benedict XVI welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama to the Vatican July 10. The two discussed world issues addressed at the Group of Eight summit. The G-8 meeting included the world’s wealthiest industrialized countries.

Carlson, Vigneron among 5 U.S. archbishops who receive pallium from pope

world news

rchbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, former Bishop of Saginaw was one of 34 bishops from 20 countries who received the white, narrow circular band called a pallium during a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica June 29. He and four other U.S. archbishops spoke to reporters after the ceremony. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis said this was his 25th year as a bishop and that St. Louis would be his fourth diocese. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw until April 21. “I’ve had a really hard time holding down a job,” he joked. But he said he has been blessed with meeting and working with so many wonderful people over the years “who have touched me so deeply.” He said the Mass was “a deeply moving experience of faith for me” and that it gave him an opportunity to reflect

on the faith of the people in St. Louis and how privileged he feels to be there. Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans said it was “a very powerful experience” to see the tremendous diversity and universality of the Catholic Church during the ceremony. After the pope gently placed the woolen band over his shoulders, it was very moving “to have that connectedness with the Holy Father wearing a pallium similar to his,” said the New Orleans native. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit said the

Pope Benedict’s third encyclical released Pope Benedict XVI’s third encyclical is entitled, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). It was released July 7 and addresses a range of social justice issues. The truth that God is the creator of human life, that every life is sacred, that the earth was given to humanity to use and protect and that God has a plan for each person must be respected in development programs and in economic

Pope Benedict XVI greets U.S. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis after presenting a pallium to him during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 29. During the Mass, 34 archbishops from 20 countries knelt before the pope and received a pallium, a woolen band worn around their shoulders as a sign of their authority and their responsibility as shepherds.

ceremony made Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, “I am the vine, you are the branches,” come alive. Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha said it “felt like a dream” to be able to celebrate the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul above the tomb of St. Peter

recovery efforts if they are to have real and lasting benefits, the pope said. Pope Benedict also insisted that the idea of the world’s richest nations scaling back development aid while focusing on their own economic recovery overlooked the long-term economic benefits of solidarity and not simply the human and Christian moral obligation to help the poor. “In the search for solutions to the current economic crisis, development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means

and receive the pallium and blessings from the pope and to feel such solidarity with him Pope Benedict held a special audience with the archbishops and the nearly 1,000 members of their friends and family in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall June 30.

of creating wealth for all,” the pope said. He said the environment, life, sexuality, marriage and social relations are inextricably united. If society does not respect human life from its conception to its natural end, “if human conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology,” he said.

Pope opens restored Pauline Chapel – Pope Benedict XVI presided at the re-opening of the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace and restored the chapel to its full use by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The new Ecclesia Dei – July 8, Pope Benedict XVI merged the Ecclesia Dei commission into the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The CDF is the No. 1 Vatican office in terms of doctrinal authority, after the pope.

Church in Honduras rejects accusations of aiding in ouster of president – The executive secretary of Caritas Honduras, Father German Calix, said the church in that country rejects accusations that it was complicit in the ouster of President Manuel Celaya.

Supreme knight criticizes use of pope’s encyclical for political agendas – The head of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, has denounced attempts to use the pope’s newly released encyclical, Caritas Veritate, to further political agendas.

Pope Benedict decries the bombing at Philippine Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – After praying the Angelus at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his “deep rejection” of the bomb attack near the cathedral that killed five and injured more than 30 people.

5 Sinaiticus Codex, 4th century biblical manuscript now available online – The British Library announced that the 4th century biblical manuscript called the Sinaiticus Codex can now be viewed, with translations in English, German and Russian, at www.codexsinaiticus.org.

Joseph R. Cistone, new bishop of Saginaw

Dear teens... T. Gennara

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

his old priest, old enough to be your grandfather, writes you this letter to tell you how much he admires and respects you. He has heard many voices decrying your “attitudes” and the way many of you behave; voices deploring your tastes in music, your sometimes seeming lack of appreciation for what your parents are doing for you, and how some of you appear to distance yourselves from God and his church. But you have other qualities, too, qualities that my heart is delighted to find in you. It’s no secret that you are altruistic. You quest for the best; you expect your parents to be the best, your friends to be true to you, and our world to be a whole lot better than it is. God bless you! I hope you never lose your idealism. Many of us adults have abandoned our ideals and so have messed up our world – really messed it up. In adjusting to reality, please don’t lose your vision of what can be and thus merely settle for what is. You want your parents and

elder family members to trust you, to respect you, and have confidence in you. Really, those are not things that you should just want; they are things that you need. The truth is we all need those things – adults too. Serving others, helping others, caring for others – those are the qualities that, if found in you, will bring you the admiration and respect that you want and need. Try including your parents in those “others” and see what happens! Try including your

teachers among those “others” and see what happens! Serve them, help them and care for them. The Gospels report that Jesus spoke of God’s kingdom 107 times. The kingdom isn’t some sort of institution or social structure like the United Nations or the Red Cross. The kingdom is found in our relationships with each other. Jesus is made real, He is realized, in your relationships with others. Serve others and you will be serving our blessed Lord. It is there that you will love Jesus and Jesus will love you. Remember, too, that you need good food to be strong, loving and caring for others. More than healthy food for you body, you need the bread of life. Receive Jesus in holy Communion a lot. If you do, God himself will respect you, trust you and love you. Your elder friend, Father Charlie

last word

Bishop Joseph R. Cistone, a Philadelphia native and former auxiliary bishop for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, was installed as the sixth bishop of Saginaw July 28 at St. Stephen Church. Bishop Cistone, who served all 34 years of his priesthood in Philadelphia, including the last 16 in administration for the archdiocese, challenged the faithful of the 11county Michigan diocese to ‘serve the Master, to preach and teach and live the truths of the Gospel.’” “The church draws her life from the Eucharist. Without the Eucharist we have no life,” said Bishop Cistone in his homily. “Ultimately, you and I are called to serve the Lord – the Master – with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength and all our minds.” Bishop Cistone, 60, was appointed May 20 by Pope Benedict XVI to succeed Bishop Robert J. Carlson, who was named archbishop of St. Louis in April after serving as bishop of Saginaw since February 2005. Saginaw’s new bishop celebrated his installation on the fifth anniversary of his episcopal ordination as an auxiliary bishop by Cardinal Justin Rigali in Philadelphia. He was vicar general and vicar for administration for the Philadelphia Archdiocese for the last 11 years.

notes:

Tuesday, Sept 1 , 2009 Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye 10 a.m. shotgun start on both courses

Âˇ ~ Honorary Hosts Knights of Columbus Councils of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

For registration and sponsorship1 call 517.342.2535 or e-mail lweber@Dioceseoflansing.org

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