November 2007

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ooking out my window it seems as though the world is slowly, gently going to sleep. The gardens of spring and summer, with their bright array of blossoms and flowers, have once again been tilled in preparation for several months of rest. The trees, whose leaves we eagerly anticipated, and whose gorgeous spectrum of colors we have celebrated, are now largely bare of their shady canopies. They seem to have gone to sleep even as they stand proud against the chill and wind of late autumn. The world seems prepared to take its rest for a time. We learn early in our lives that this rest is not only necessary but also good. It is this time of slumber – of seeming death – that will enable the new life of spring.

Without a time of hibernation, spring, and the radiant beauty of new life as we know it, would not be possible.

My family, like many families, has had to contend with these lessons of dying and rising in close succession. In early June we gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of my grandmother, Leotta. At the age of 97, after many years full of life and love, she had gone home to God. At the same time our family was eagerly anticipating the birth of new life, as my brother, Mark, and his wife, Michelle, awaited the birth of their daughter, Amy, just a short time later. The time between grandma’s death and Amy’s birth felt much the same as this autumn time. We know death will come; we also know there will be new life. It is a time of mixed emotions.

As a church, we enter into this mixture of emotions as we begin this month of November.

One day, we celebrate All Saints; the next, All Souls.

The liturgies that help us to begin the month of November also help us to be mindful of this process of dying and rising and our own participation in the paschal mystery. These times help us to remember that death is not an end, but a very mysterious beginning of something new and beautiful. At the same time we are reminded that living is not an end in itself; we are also called to our personal experiences of dying – so that we might rise anew. Our experience of the paschal mystery often reveals itself in our own daily struggle to let go of those things that keep us from becoming the people God calls us to be – those ways of being that prevent us from living life as God intends us to live. We are called to die to selfishness, insensitivity, greed, uncaring, racism, despair, bigotry and the many other ways of “un-living.” In letting go – dying – we also experience a rising to new life, the ongoing process of becoming more and more like Christ.

How will we be in the coming springtime? How will we change and grow? That is difficult to say with any certainty, but if we take seriously the lessons of this time of the year, we will find ourselves rising to new life. And so our journey in FAITH continues.

How do we change?

The mystery of death leading to new life

– Father Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude.

FAITH Magazine

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Liturgical Calendar: All Saints’ Day Nov. 1 | All Souls’ Day Nov. 2 | St. Martin de Porres, Religious Nov. 3 |

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Where was God when John’s daughter drowned?

what you’ll get out of this issue

A crusading columnist’s personal faith journey John Schneider is a columnist for the Lansing State Journal. His readers have long come to respect his focus on the issues, as well as his tender columns about his family. They joined in his sorrow at the drowning death of his daughter and have journeyed with him as he found God in that pain.

in the know with Fr. Joe 6 Dear Fr. Joe: What happened to limbo?

– Father Joseph Krupp

work life

– Todd Schulz

9 Is it greedy to go for that promotion?

– Tim Ryan

marriage matters 10 He says: We’re retired – it’s time to chuck it in and travel. She says: I want to spend retirement at home with grandkids visiting. What do they do?

–Tom and JoAnne Fogle

parenting journey 11 Should I let my teenager get a job?

– Dr. Cathleen McGreal

theology 101 12 By his touch we are healed – Jesus as healer. – Elizabeth Solsburg

from the bishop 14 When the pope was shot – what I learned from his ‘divine trial’ – Bishop Carl F. Mengeling

spiritual fitness 24 How to handle road rage and the other things that make us lose our cool.

p r o f i l e Ministering to those struggling with same-sex attraction – the courage to live a different life. Father Steve Mattson is one of six priests in the Diocese of Lansing who work with Courage, an organization for those struggling with same-sex attraction. Read about this support group and a group for parents, Encourage. – Bob Horning

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– Father Bill Ashbaugh

culture 26 An edible still life. – Michelle Sessions DiFranco

last word 31 Patient suffering – is that possible?

– Father Charles Irvin

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o u r s t o r y The terror of waiting. When Daniel was sent to Iraq, Doug and Shirley turned their worry into something positive – care packages for our troops. Read their story and find out how you can help, too.

s p e c i a l r e p o r t What keeps a parish alive? FAITH continues its exploration of the Parish Evaluation Inventory – what keeps a parish alive? A look at parish sustainability.

– Bob Horning

– JoAnne Eason

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Nov. 3 | Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Nov. 9 | St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor Nov. 10 | St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Nov. 12 | St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin Nov. 13

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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR

November 2007 • Volume 8: Issue 9

Rev. Dwight Ezop EDITOR IN CHIEF

Patrick M. O’Brien MANAGING EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Patrick Dally ART DIRECTOR/WEB DESIGNER

Jillane Job SUBSCRIPTIONS/SECRETARY

Rev. William Ashbaugh Michelle Sessions DiFranco Elizabeth Grodi Marybeth Hicks Shannon Hoffman Rev. Joseph Krupp Tom and JoAnne Fogle Cathleen McGreal Rick and Diane Peiffer Tim Ryan Jan Rynearson Lindsey Walter CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Melot Margaret Perrone PROOFREADING

Tom Gennara James Luning (cover) Philip Shippert CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

FAITH Publishing Ser vice Rev. Dwight Ezop CHAIRMAN

Patrick M. O’Brien PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Enomhen Odigie Abby Wieber GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Patricia Oliver SECRETARY

InnerWorkings PRINT MANAGEMENT FAITHPublishingService.com FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Publishing Service, Catholic Diocese of Lansing, 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933. 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 onto FAITHmag.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, MI or additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 209 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933 ©FAITH Publishing Service. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Publishing Service.

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Contact person: Patrick O’Brien Telephone: 517-342-2522 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters of general business office of publisher: Same 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher: Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of Lansing 300 W. Ottawa St., Lansing, MI 48933 Editor: Rev. Dwight Ezop, 209 Seymour Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 Managing Editor: Patrick M. O’Brien, 209 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933 10. Owner: Faith Publishing Service (a Michigan nonprofit) Address: 209 Seymour Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total bonds, mortgages or other securities: None 12. Tax Status: The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: X Has not changed during preceding 12 months.

14. Issue date for circulation data: October 15. Extent and nature of circulation a. Total number of copies (net press run): Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 76, 544 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 76,321 b. Paid circulations (by mail and outside the mail): 1) Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 52,260 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 51,797 2) Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 20,354 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 20,610 3) Paid distribution outside the mails including sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other paid distribution outside USPS: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 0 4) Paid distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 0 c. Total paid distribution (sum of 14b 1, 2, 3 and 4): Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 72,614 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 72,407 d. Free or nominal rate distribution (by mail and outside the mail): 1) Free or nominal rate outside-county

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copies included on PS Form 3541: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 2027 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 2002 2) Free or nominal rate in-county copies included on PS Form 3541: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 0 3) Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS (e.g.

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We want to hear from you!

Tell us what you think. We want to hear your opinions – about articles in the magazine, happenings in our church or anything you want to share.

Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 255 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 360 h. Total (sum of 15f and g): Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 76,544 Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 76,321 i. Percent paid (15c divided by 15f times 100): Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 95.17% Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 95.33% 16. Publication of statement of ownership: X If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the November 2007 issue of this publication.

Patrick M. O’Brien, Managing Editor 17. Signature and title of editor, publisher, business manager or owner: Patrick M. O’Brien, Managing Editor 9/10/07 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

Send e-mail to: esolsburg@ faithpublishingservice.com Or mail us a letter: Editor FAITH Magazine 209 Seymour Ave. Lansing, MI 48933 Your thoughts and ideas matter, please share them with us.

St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor Nov. 15 | St. Margaret of Scotland Nov. 16 | St. Gertrude, Virgin No

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tortured on a wheel Saint Catherine of Alexandria Saint Catherine of Alexandria Birthplace: Egypt Feast Day: Nov. 25

am I a terrible mother?

Well, nobody’s perfect

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s soon as I answered the phone, I could tell something’s wrong. “What’s the matter?” I asked my sister, taking a mental inventory of all the things that possibly could have happened. An asthma attack?

A car accident? An overflowing washer?

Through tears and a horrible upper respiratory infection, she choked on her words, “I’m a terrible mother.”

Oh. Just that. I sighed with relief.

“We’re all terrible mothers,” I said, “but why are you crying?”

“No, really,” she protested. By way of evidence, she offered up details of an emotional meltdown with her 4-year-old son. She tried to convince me why it’s her fault he’ll probably need therapy someday, all because she ran out of patience and raised her voice.

“You don’t understand,” she said. “My throat actually hurts, I yelled so loud.”

“Your throat hurts anyway,” I said. “Besides, by the time he decides to get therapy, he’ll be off your health insurance plan. Relax.”

Somehow, this isn’t comforting.

I decided some sisterly action was in order. She was sick as a dog, and her husband was on the road for business, so I popped over to her house with the makings of chicken noodle soup and a bottle of wine (to sip while I’m cooking, of course).

Soon enough, she has tucked her children snugly into bed for the night, she was under a blanket on the couch watching an old movie, and a vat of chicken soup chilled in the fridge for the next day.

How any mom of three small children can hold it together while her husband travels and she nurses what sounds like pneumonia, I can’t imagine. I drove out of her neighborhood, reminded once again that, indeed, motherhood is hard.

– Marybeth Hicks

Read more of Marybeth’s motherhood struggles, and other news and essays, only on www.FAITHmag.com.

Claim to fame: Tradition says Catherine of Alexandria was born to non-Christian, aristocratic parents. After speaking with a hermit one day, she converted to Christianity. Soon after, Catherine dreamed she was the bride of Christ and woke up wearing his ring. At this time, Christians were being persecuted

by Emperor Maximinus. Catherine went to him and rebuked him for his cruelty, offering intelligent reasons for embracing Christianity. Instead of responding, Maximinus had 50 pagan philosophers debate her. Aided by the Archangel Michael, Catherine out-reasoned them and converted all of them. Enraged, the emperor ordered the philosophers to be killed. Yet, he was highly impressed with Catherine and asked her to marry him.

She refused and was beaten and thrown into prison.

Why she is a saint: Catherine is considered one of the 14 holy helpers in heaven. Many legends circulate about her, many of which cannot be substantiated. For example, it is said that upon her death, milk flowed from her veins instead of blood. Catherine is also said to have been one of the divine voices who advised Joan of Arc. The bravery and intelligence of young Catherine of Alexandria continue to provide inspiration.

Best quote: Catherine was among the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. The story of her life prompted much song and poetry. Adam of Saint-Victor wrote a magnificent poem in her honour: Vox Sonora Nostri Chori.

How she died: Many pagans visited Catherine in prison, including 200 of the emperor’s soldiers. Catherine converted them all to Christianity. Maximinus, determined to stop Catherine once and for all, ordered her to be tortured to death on a spiked wheel. However, at her touch, the wheel shattered miraculously. Catherine was then beheaded. Legend has it that angels whisked her remains to Mount Sinai, where a church and monastery were later built.

Prayer: O God, Catherine devoted her life to spreading the news of your love. Through her intercession, may we learn to love one another as she did and to preach your Good News.

Amen. – Jan Rynearson

rgin Nov. 16 | St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious Nov. 17 | Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nov. 21 | St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Nov. 22 | St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr Nov. 23

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Dear Fr. Joe what happened to limbo?

A man walks into a doctor’s office with a stick of celery in one ear, a carrot in the other and a grape up his nose. Confused, the man asks, “Doctor what’s wrong with me?” The doctor looks at the man and replies, “You’re not eating properly!”

Q:

A: FAITH Magazine

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What happened to limbo? I can’t find anything in church documents about this.

I think it’s near Poughkeepsie, N.Y., now – next to the Ramada.

OK, that was just wrong. I know.

So, what happened to limbo?

I found a great article on this written by Gerald Faggin and published in America magazine.

He really breaks it down well, and I am going to use his article as a guide.

The key issue is this: As our early Christian brothers and sisters worked through their understanding of God – his love and grace – they formed theories and ideas about, for lack of a better phrase, “how it all works.”

When discussing baptism, our early Christian leaders recognized

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how important it is; Jesus made baptism a part of every commission in each Gospel. In Matthew 28:19, for example, Jesus puts it this way: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Taking their cues from Jesus’ words and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, our earliest teachers in the New Testament emphasized how essential baptism was for salvation. There are many examples of this (1 Pt 3:21; cf. Acts 2:38, 22:16, Rom 6:3-4, Col 2:11-12),

but I think the clearest is this: How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,

we too might live in newness of life.

(Romans 6:2b-4)

As they wrestled with the necessity of baptism for salvation, they also bumped into an issue of key importance: free will. In this case, free will is our ability to say “yes” or “no” to Jesus and is essential to any question of salvation.

The next concept in all of this was heaven: People who never had an opportunity to say “no” to Jesus obviously never had a chance to say “yes” either.

Although Jesus won’t condemn anyone who never had a chance to know him, the early Christians believed that if we can’t say “yes” to Jesus, then we cannot enter heaven.

This led, then, to the question of babies who died before baptism: Since they couldn’t exercise their free will and refuse or

St. Columban, Abbot Nov. 23 | Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Priest and Martyr Nov

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early Christians believed that if we can’t say “yes” to Jesus, then we cannot enter heaven.

• Come & Paint, presented by Mary Southard, CSJ, Nov. 9-11. Single occupancy cost is $225; commuter cost is $125.

• Candlelight Meditation on the Healing Chants of Hildegard von Bingen, presented by Soprano Norma Gentile, Nov. 11, 5 p.m., preregistration price is $15; price at the door is $20.

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What year was Winston Churchill born?

Perhaps best known as the prime minister of Britain during World War II, or as an author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Oxfordshire, England, on Nov. 30, WHAT YEAR? Now home to 35,000 works of art from eight different departments, displayed within 60,000 square meters of exhibition space, and housing sculptures and paintings by historical artists such as Rembrandt, Da Vinci and Michelangelo, the Musee du Louvre opened in Paris, France, on Nov. 18, WHAT YEAR? When it opened, it was considered the world’s longest suspension bridge, at five miles long with a span of 3,800 feet (between the main towers). Connecting Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, the Mackinac Bridge opened to traffic on Nov. 1, WHAT YEAR? The official date of All Saints’ Day, a day to honor and celebrate the anniversary “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors; of all the just, made perfect, who are at rest throughout the world,” was designated Nov. 1, by Pope Gregory III, WHAT YEAR?

37%

of Catholic priests are age 61 or older (CARA, Spring 2007)

FAITH asks: What role does faith play in your daily decision making?

We asked students at St. Francis High School Youth Group in Ann Arbor: What role does faith play in your daily decision making?

At the Weber Center The following programs will be hosted at the Weber Center in Adrian.

Please contact 517.266.4000 for more information about any of these:

i n

Answers: 1874, 1793, 1957, 735

the Catholic Church doesn’t even mention it. There are those who, like Faggin, believe this is because the church no longer finds the idea of limbo acceptable. I know in all my time at seminary, we weren’t taught anything about limbo being acceptable Catholic theology. The church can’t retract any statement about limbo, because it Persons, such as infants, who never made one. have not committed actual sin and This doesn’t mean God who, through no fault of theirs, “changed”; God doesn’t change. die without baptism, cannot enter But what we can handle does. heaven; but it is the common belief they will go to some place similar to In the same way that kids learn more and more about their folks limbo, where they will be free from over time, we learn more and suffering, though deprived of the more about God as time goes on. happiness of heaven. (Q.632) God’s tenlove and Although Jesus won’t condemn anyone der compaswho never had a chance to know him, sion stretch beyond our the imagination and we can, and must, always take comfort in that.

The odd thing is, you really Enjoy another day in God’s can’t find anything in church presence! documents about this, and even our Baltimore Catechism specifies – Father Joseph Krupp it as “the common belief.” This is one of those situations where Send your the church didn’t give us specific questions to: direction, so we began teaching “In the Know with Fr. Joe” our speculation as fact.

FAITH Magazine Today, it’s hard to pin down 209 Seymour Ave. where the church is on this Lansing, MI 48933 whole thing, as the Catechism of Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com embrace baptism, what happened to them?

Our earliest answers were frankly not our best, but eventually, the idea of free choice and the importance of baptism merged in this concept that was called “limbo.” The revered Baltimore Catechism put it this way:

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Carolyn

Carolyn, 14 I go to a school that’s stereotyped as a druggie high school. So there are times when you are pressured to do something or when people have all these assumptions. I have to deal with it [using faith].

Anne

Anne, 15 I do things as in the really Christian lesson as treat people as you want to be treated.

Jack

Jack, 16 It [faith] kind of makes you think about how you would want people to be to you, how you want to be treated.

tyr Nov. 23 | St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr and his companions, Martyrs Nov. 24 | Our Lord Jesus Christ the King Nov. 25 | St. Andrew, Apostle Nov. 30

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what in the world? the top-10 Catholic News events this month

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Irish abortion rates fall New statistics show the number of Irish women seeking abortions has fallen by almost 25 percent in the last six years.

184,000 registered for World Youth Day in Australia This number surpasses expectations. Of those registered, 50,710 are Australians and 36,171 are Americans. More than 500,000 people are expected to take part in at least one World Youth Day event.

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Love for poor is remembered It has now been 10 years since blessed Mother Teresa passed away and the anniversary of her death reminds the faithful to care for the poor.

T STR NEW/R EUTERS

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Australia’s bishops tackle divorce A booklet released by the episcopal conference in Australia is an attempt to explain the church’s approach to the issues of divorce, remarriage and the Eucharist.

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Sex education in question After decades of sex education in New Zealand’s schools, the country still has the second-highest rate of teen pregnancy among the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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Daughters of St. Paul re-elect superior Sister Maria Antonieta Bruscato was elected for another six years as the order’s superior-general. She was named to this post

by Benedict XVI.

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Seminary in Serbia The foundation stone has been laid for the first Catholic seminary for Serbia. It is hoped the seminary will help strengthen bonds between clergy.

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Underground bishop dies After almost eight years of imprisonment, Bishop Han Dingxiang, a bishop of the underground church in China, died Sept. 9, 2007. The Chinese government had the bishop’s ashes buried within six hours of his death.

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New Chinese bishops Benedict XVI approved the ordination of Father Giuseppe Li Shan as archbishop of Beijing and Father Paolo Xiao Zejiang as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Guiyang.

FAITH Magazine

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Terri Schiavo shown here with her mother, Mary Schindler, in a photograph dated 2001.

Vatican affirms obligation of feeding tubes

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End human trafficking U.S. bishops are urging Congress to reauthorize the current legislation to combat human trafficking, which expires this fall.

REUTERS

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he Vatican clarified that administration of nutrition and hydration to people in the vegetative state is, with rare exceptions, morally obligatory. The announcement came on Sept. 14, 2007. It answers questions presented to the Vatican by U.S. bishops in 2005, just months after the death of Terri Schiavo.

Schiavo’s estranged husband wanted her feeding tube removed, but her Catholic parents said this would constitute murder. After years of legal battles, a judge decreed that the tube should be removed. Shiavo died 13 days later.

After the fierce debate over the Schiavo case in Florida, news came from Arizona a few months ago about a man who unexpectedly woke up from a coma. Jesse Ramirez suffered brain injuries in a car crash on May 30, reported the Arizona Republic on June 27.

On June 8, his wife, Rebecca, had asked his doctors to remove the tubes providing him with food and water. Jesse’s parents objected and obtained a court order to reconnect the tubes.

Subsequently, Jesse suddenly woke up from his coma.

Earlier this year, another case was reported from Denver, Col. Christa Lilly had been in a coma

since the mid-’80s in the wake of a heart attack and stroke. In the past, Lilly had wakened for brief periods, but until this year the last time was on Nov. 4, 2000, reported the Denver Post on March 8.

According to the article, a neurologist from the University of Colorado Hospital, James Kelly, thinks that Lilly might have been in a “minimally conscious state” during these years, as opposed to a persistent vegetative state.

Edward Furton, ethicist and director of publications for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said that the Vatican statement “speaks directly to the Terri Schiavo case, stating flat out that the removal of food and water from her was not the right thing to do.” The announcement affirms that food and water are ordinary care and not considered medical treatment.

– ZENIT

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Since the U.S. is the leader of the coalition forces in Iraq, it should also lead the humanitarian response, say the U.S. bishops. The bishops released a report urging increased assistance by the government to Iraqi refugees and the countries to which they are escaping.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., consultant to the episcopal Committee on Migration, released the report after heading a delegation that spent two weeks in the Middle East in July assessing the situation of Iraqi refugees.

“The situation of Iraqi refugees grows worse as each day passes,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “What has not changed is that the international response to this crisis, and particularly that of the United States, remains woefully inadequate.”

Even “saints” have doubts God speaks even in silence, Benedict XVI told 500,000 young people – referring to the “dark night” of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Mother Teresa’s spiritual suffering was one of the topics covered during a discussion with 500,000 youth in Loreto, Italy.

A young Italian woman, Sara Simonetta, said, “I feel human solitude, and I would like to feel God close.

Holiness, in this silence, I ask, ‘Where is God?’” The pope replied, “We all, even though we believe, experience this silence of God. “A book was just published on the spiritual experiences of Mother Teresa, and what we have known is now more openly presented: With all her charity, her strength of faith, Mother Teresa suffered the silence of God,” he said.

The pope was referring to the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, written

by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator for the cause of canonization of the founder of the Missionaries of Charity.

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is it greedy to go for that promotion?

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iStockphoto.com

REUTERS

U.S. bishops urge more help for Iraqi refugees

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Frank has had his current job for many years, and he’s repeatedly been offered other positions with more responsibility, but he’s turned them down.

rank says: I’m comfortable where I am, and I’m not looking for any new challenges. Although I do see problems in management that I know I could solve, ambition for position or money is not what God wants us to pursue. I don’t want to get stuck in the hassle of politics in management. So, I enjoy where I am. I don’t want all that responsibility and attention.

The expert says: On the surface, Frank sounds like a humble man who is content where he is, and isn’t tempted by position or money. On the other hand, Frank may have allowed himself to become complacent by not taking full advantage of his talents for the greater well-being of people around him. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins addresses this danger by saying, “Few people attain great lives, largely because it is just so easy to settle for a good life” (p. 1).

We settle for pleasant, comfortable lives, avoiding the greatness to which we’ve been called in building God’s kingdom. Collins says that “good” is the enemy of “great.” This is exactly what Christ teaches in the parable of the talents. The master rewards the servants who took a chance, invested their talents and multiplied wealth; but admonishes the servant who buried his one talent because he was afraid to risk losing it. Christ calls him lazy and wicked.

Likewise, God admonishes us for not investing in the

talents he’s provided us to build his kingdom.

While he believes he is being good and humble, Frank may actually be neglecting God’s call. Frank could do much more in serving others by taking a position of greater responsibility, but he’s afraid because it is outside his comfort zone, and he doesn’t want to lose the comfort he has established.

Are you living up to God’s expectations? You might ask yourself the following questions to reflect how God may be calling you: • Are you focused primarily on maintaining your comfortable life; afraid to try something new?

• Have you been blessed with gifts or talents that you are not using or investing in serving others?

• Do you realize that your gifts and talents are not yours, but they belong to God? You have a responsibility to invest them as God would.

• Do you pray daily to align your motives and desires with God’s expectations?

– Tim Ryan

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arl and Marie have just retired after long and successful careers.

But they are discovering that they have very different ideas about what retirement means.

Don’t put it off any longer.

Along with the annual maintenance for your car, your furnace and your finances, attend a marriage enrichment or retreat. After all, isn’t your marriage more important than your car, your furnace and your finances?

We’re retired – it’s time to chuck it in and travel.

iStockphoto.com

Carl says: We’ve finally retired and it’s time to have the adventures we didn’t have time for when we were working full-time. I want to see the country – go to New England in the fall, Arizona in the winter, maybe Alaska. I think we should sell the house, buy a really nice motor home and hit the road. But Marie doesn’t want to do a darn thing! I won’t sit home for the rest of my life – I’m going on the road with or without her.

money

Don’t wait until the end of the year.

Consider a consultation with an accountant or financial planner to make sure that you are getting all the deductions to which you are entitled.

Consider making a donation to your favorite charity with all or a portion of your refund.

FAITH Magazine

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I want to spend retirement at home with grandkids visiting Marie says: I don’t know what has come over Carl. We never talked about doing anything like this. Our home has always been here: Our children and grandchildren all live within 25 miles of where we are. I don’t want to hit the road; I envisioned retirement as a time to spend with the grandkids, really get into some gardening. I don’t want Carl to leave, but I’m not a road warrior.

Jo Anne and I have had this discussion several times over the last few years as we plan for our retirement years. We are fortunate – not that we have found a solution yet, but that we started our discussion long before now. Of course, that doesn’t help Carl and Marie as they are facing the crisis of

10 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com

He said She said what do they do?

conflicting wants and desires head on. We all know that decisions made in the heat of the conflict aren’t always the best decisions, but at least the conflict can end and life can begin again.

Jo Anne and I know quite a few couples who have, or are currently facing, a similar unpleasant situation.

Carl and Marie need to modify their desires slightly, and they both can achieve their goals without driving a wedge into a relationship that has survived these many years. There really is a win-win solution here, but it takes the same flexibility and consideration that Carl and Marie have obviously experienced – or else they would not still be together.

Deacon Tom Fogle is director of fam

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p a r e n t i n g

As a married person, your focus

should still be centered on your relationship with each other and not on your children or grandchildren.

Jo Anne’s comment to Marie is, “You go, girl!” Traveling with your spouse can be a lot of fun and it can be a great time to have uninterrupted talks. If Carl and Marie treat this traveling time like a special date, where you don’t worry about the time, great memories can be created. Do something special each day for each other to let your beloved know you are happy to be in his or her presence. This is a new time in your life, enjoy the time together while you still can, because many other couples are denied this type of opportunity after retirement.

As a married person, your focus should still be centered on your relationship with each other and not on your children or grandchildren. Yes, they are fun to be around and are often enjoyable, but the most important persons in your life should be your spouse and God. When we focus on the good of our spouses, we are doing what God has intended us to do – serving him through loving and caring for each other.

com m uni ca ti o n

should I let my teen get a job?

Are you finding the prospect of Thanksgiving and Christmas more stressful than exciting?

Maybe you’re dreading the overcommitted schedule that so often accompanies them. Spend some time talking with your spouse about what you really want this year.

Together, you can find a way to make the holidays memorable. time

They put in 30 hours per week at school and many work an additional 15-20 hours at their jobs.

Is this a good idea?

A

small café near our home comes to life early on Friday mornings during football season. The players’ parents provide money for breakfast and also work as cooks, dishwashers and servers. As I delivered platters of food between the kitchen and the dining room, I realized I was moving between two worlds. Parents frequently knew their way around a restaurant because of part-time jobs earlier in life. Walking back into the dining room, I’d overhear snippets of conversation about weekend plans structured around the boys’ jobs. We may ask ourselves, “Is it a good idea for high-school students to work?”

Encourage an employer that is a “good fit.” iStockphoto.com

The key is communication.

Carl could suggest a short trip (give Marie several weeks to prepare) or let Marie pick the destination. Then – together – do the research and really make this a memorable trip.

You could even take a couple of grandchildren along.

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1 2 3

“... what is to be the rule for the boy’s life and work?”

Samson’s father asked God for input about how he should bring up his son. Each of us would like to know what rules would be best for our children. If a fast-food restaurant closes at 10 p.m., the work day doesn’t end then – there is cleanup, too. Could your child finish homework and get enough sleep to thrive at school with this job? Have him apply to businesses that fit his schedule and temperament. For example, my son, Ryan, found a deli shop in a plaza catering to an early crowd.

(Judges 13:12)

How many hours?

It isn’t necessary to spend lots of money to dine and dance together. In the quiet of your home, plan an evening together with a nice supper, lights down low, and soft dancing music playing in the background.

Set the table with your “reserved for company” best, and then treat your spouse as you would royalty.

For that is who he or she is!

– Tom and Jo Anne Fogle

Employed teens tend to work long hours – they put in 30 hours per week at school and many work an additional 15-20 hours at their jobs. Is this a good idea?

Ask yourself: What would she be doing if she weren’t working? Playing video games? Participating in an after-school Model United Nations Program? Decide whether work is replacing a valuable extracurricular activity. Limit hours if homework or a healthy family and social life begin to suffer.

Teaching them the value of a dollar or premature affluence?

Jerald Bachman notes that many employed teens have too much money too soon. Fewer families rely on adolescents’ income to supplement their coffers than in earlier generations. Often, a teen’s money is discretionary income, and adolescents are enthusiastic consumers. It can be a rude awakening as adults to find that paychecks have to be used for boring items, such as utilities and rent! Use your teen’s job as a chance to encourage money management skills, so that the CD they want to purchase is a certificate of deposit and not a compact disc! If they don’t learn to delay gratification in high school, they may resent having to do so later.

Pope John Paul II pointed out that Jesus was “a man of work, a craftsman like Joseph of Nazareth” and “... the eloquence of the life of Christ is unequivocal: He belongs to the ‘working world,’ he has appreciation and respect for human work.” (Laborem Exercens, #118) – Dr. Cathleen McGreal

of family life ministry, a ministry supported by the DSA.

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t h e o l o g y

1 0 1

Why did Jesus

theo lo g ian o f the m o nth

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

some and not others?

By his touch we are healed

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his year, FAITH is exploring Christology – the study of Jesus Christ. We asked several eminent seminary professors some questions about Jesus. Their answers are enlightening and thought-provoking.

Meet the professors Father Acklin

Father Muller

Father Stevens

Father Thomas Acklin is a monk of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa. He is a graduate of Duqesne University, St. Vincent Seminary, The Catholic University of Louvain and Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute.

Father Earl Muller is The Bishop Kevin M. Britt Professor of Theology/Christology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He formerly taught at Marquette University in Wisconsin.

Father Gladstone Stevens is vice rector of St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore.

FAITH Magazine

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12 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com

Q

FAITH: Jesus is often presented as a healer. Why did he heal only some and not others?

Father Stevens: Why did he heal anybody? We can’t see Jesus’ ministry as something he owes us. The fact that he even healed one person is a cause of wonder, gratitude and awe. The fact that it happened often makes us seem ungrateful. We also can’t separate his healing ministry from his preaching ministry – the proclamation of the kingdom is not one thing he does among others.

When he heals a blind person, the person can also see a path. They can follow him in a way not currently available to them. The woman with the flow of blood is ritually impure and cannot be part of the community until Jesus heals her.

Thomas was a younger son, destined by his family to become the abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, succeeding his uncle. But while he was studying at the University of Naples, Thomas was drawn to the Dominicans, revolutionaries in the clerical world of the Middle Ages.

Thomas’ family objected strenuously – to the point of kidnapping him and holding him captive for more than a year in order to change his mind. It took an appeal to the pope to persuade them to allow Thomas to become a Dominican.

His most famous work, The Summa Theologiae, has profoundly influenced Catholic theology through the centuries.

Thomas is the author of the beautiful Office of Corpus Christi, which affirms the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

What is “Corpus Christi?” Corpus Christi is Latin for “the body of Christ.”

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WHO

IS

CHRIST?

A Y E A R - L O N G C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T H E O L O G I A N S

Heresy!

Predestination: God has already decided who is saved Heaven or hell – where are we going? According to predestinarians, God has already decided and there’s nothing we can do about it. Christ died for the elect, not the non-elect, who are already condemned. Although we cannot know what camp we are in, our actions may indicate what God has already decided – someone who is a mass murderer is probably not one of the elect, for example. Although predestination was condemned by the Council of Lyons in 475, it still exists today. One of its most famous adherents was John Calvin, for whom Calvinists are named. Predestination eliminates the concept of free will and universal salvation.

His healings all restored people to fellowship and communion, which is what the kingdom is all about. In a sense, each of his healings brings out a different aspect of his kingdom. He empowers all humanity to be participants in the kingdom.

Father Acklin: There has been a tendency to take a rationalistic approach to miracles – to write them off. For example, the miracle of the loaves and fishes has been reduced to a beautiful story, but not a supernatural one. I believe in miracles – they always come where there is great faith. The faith Jesus calls for when he is performing a miracle is not something that is required because Jesus is unable to perform it otherwise. When Jesus performed miracles, there was always a request and interaction – always a summoning of faith.

Jesus didn’t simply wave his hand and make magic. He wants us to participate in faith – as when he said to his disciples, “You give them something to eat yourselves.”

God never performs gratuitous miracles – he comes down into our very suffering. He didn’t raise Lazarus from the dead without participating in the grief. The Last Supper didn’t happen without the washing of the feet. The Eucharist is a miracle in which we must participate by receiving. We need to listen to God’s answers to our prayers – often as miracles. God gives people something different than what they requested.

We sometimes cannot find him in suffering, because he is not working a miracle from outside but is right there in the middle of the suffering. For example, in the Holocaust, God was in the smoke and

w h a t d o e s th a t symbol mean?

Peacock The peacock is depicted in the catacombs and early churches as a symbol of Christ and the resurrection.

The peacock represents immortality and its flesh was believed to have antiseptic qualities and to be incorruptible.

Bible Quiz I get no respect! Who am I? I am the son of Gideon, who was such a great judge that my name can be interpreted to mean, “My father, the king.”

People always made a big deal about the fact that my mother was not my father’s wife – she was his concubine. In fact, they thought all 70 of my half-brothers had more right to the throne than I did. So when my father died, what choice did I have? I killed all of them but one and took the throne. And I just didn’t get the respect

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I deserved from some of my subjects – so I had to resort to force. When the town of Thebez revolted, I went in to take care of things, but some woman threw a mill-stone from the town wall and wounded me. I knew it was fatal, so I asked my armor-bearer to run his sword through me – better to die like a man than to go down in history (in the Book of Judges) as someone who was defeated by a mere woman.

Who am I?

the fire – in there with his people.

Jesus gave us the model for our prayer in the Our Father and then lived it out in his prayer in Gethsemane. We ask for what we need, but then say, “Your will be done.”

This allows God to give us what is best for us.

Father Muller: Part of the issue of healing is the connection that physical disability or illness has with demonic powers. So, when Jesus came and opposed the forces of evil, one manifestation of that is physical healing. It shows concretely an undoing of the effects of sin.

Illness and death are understood to flow from the sin of Adam. Christ came not just to save our souls but our whole realities, and we are creatures of body and soul. So, saving us involves saving our bodies. Healings give testimony to the totality of the salvation that God brings.

Jesus’ healings are focused where faith can be evoked without being compelled.

He did not perform signs for the scribes and Pharisees because these were people who were deliberately staying on the fence – had refused to make a decision about John the Baptist.

To give them a sign would be to undo what he’d done with the temptations at the beginning of his ministry. If he’d floated down from the top of the Temple, the Jewish leaders would have been compelled to faith.

– Elizabeth

Turn to page 30 for the answer

Solsburg

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FAITH Magazine

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14 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com 10/2/07 3:40:09 PM

f r o m

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uring my grave illness and steady recovery, our Lord was at work in powerful ways. Remembering Pope John Paul II was a timely grace. This giant of our recent time offered a sure way to follow Christ in sickness, pain and recovery – and in the face of death. Pope John Paul and so many more accept the way of their suffering and dying with courage and hope in the Lord – for life now and forever.

same time to understand clearly and thoroughly that this was a special grace for me as a man and at the same time that it was – in consideration of the service which I do as bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter – a grace for the church ...

“Christ, light of the world and shepherd of his fold, above all, prince of pastors, granted me the grace of being able to bear witness to his truth and his love, through suffering and with danger to my life and health. I consider that this was precisely the particular grace imparted to me.”

The attempt on the pope’s life occurred on the anniversary of the apparitions of Mary to three children at Fatima, Portugal. Convinced that his life was spared by the intercession of Our Lady, John Paul II scheduled a pastoral visit to Portugal for the next year. On May 13, 1982, a year after his attack, the pope stood at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and said:

The pope spoke often about the shocking and violent attack he experienced in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981. His Christ-like message of truth, courage and love shows the way for all who suffer and all who face death. His reflections were a gift of wisdom, consolation and strength for me; I gladly share them with you.

After 10 days, the Holy Father left the hospital under As the pope greeted crowds from the “popemobile,” he his own power and returned to the Vatican. was shot. Within minutes, he was being treated at a nearby in St. Peter’s Square from his window. hospital. He suffered multiple bullet wounds to his left hand, colon and abdomen. The small intestine, “I touch upon the culminating point of my jourhit five times, required four hours of surgery. One ney in Portugal. bullet came within a fraction of an inch of a major “I want to tell you something in confidence: I had artery and almost killed him. already long had the intention to come to Fatima.

After 10 days, the Holy Father left the hospital Ever since the well-known attempt on my life in under his own power and returned to the Vatican.

St. Peter’s Square, and regaining consciousness, my thought turned immediately to this shrine, to put my thanksgiving there, in the heart of the celestial mother, for having saved me from peril.

“In everything that was happening I saw – I do not weary of repeating this – a special maternal protection of the Madonna.”

On April 1, 2005, countless people around the world saw the dying pope on television and heard his last words before losing consciousness.

The Holy Father had been told of the 100,000 young people keeping vigil in St. Peter’s Square and at the hospital. From his bed at an open window, he spoke Within an hour, he resumed his with great effort and intense ministry, addressing the faithful in emotion – “I have looked for St. Peter’s Square from his window. you. Now you have come to me.

Five months later, he wrote about And I thank you.” his great “divine trial,” saying: He died the next day, April 2, “God permitted me to experience 2005. suffering over the past months; he permitted me to experience the peril of – Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling is the fourth bishop losing my life. He permitted me at the of Lansing.

Within an hour, he resumed his ministry, addressing the faithful

When the pope was shot What I learned from his ‘divine trial’

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Where was God when John’s daughter drowned?

A crusading columnist’s personal faith journey

FAITH Magazine

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By Todd Schulz Photography by Jim Luning

ach morning, thousands of Lansing State Journal readers flip past the front-page headlines to see what local columnist John Schneider has to say.

John has his own morning routine. Nearly every day at 6:30 a.m., he puts on a pot of coffee and starts the quarter-mile stroll down his driveway to snatch the newspaper. Along the way, he offers his daily prayers to God and talks with his daughter Jessica, who died almost five years ago at the age of 25.

“I don’t hurry,” John says. “I talk to Jessica and just sort of express my wishes for my family and my work. One of my prayers is to keep my work fair and accurate.”

John Schneider has served as the conscience of the Lansing community for almost 20 years, sticking up for the little guy, exposing injustice and corruption, and leveraging the power of his column to help needy readers.

The Lansing State Journal – and the newspaper industry – have changed dramatically in two decades. But

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John’s blue-collar, crusading style and passion for social justice have not. The veteran journalist’s ink-stained principles are woven tightly into the fabric of the Catholic faith that’s buoyed him in difficult times.

“Journalism to me is at its best when it’s a force for good,” says John. “It mainly comes down to justice and giving a voice to people who would otherwise not have one. I was raised to not turn away from my responsibility as a human being to other human beings, to identify what I think is a social injustice and to speak up about it. Luckily, I have a forum as a columnist, which is a real privilege, to influence some things.”

John was raised in a working-class neighborhood on the west side of Detroit, where his father, John Sr., worked as a mail carrier. The family faithfully attended Mass every Sunday at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, sometimes walking the mile to church. He remembers sacrificing candy for Lent and getting called inside from afternoon ballgames to quietly recognize Good Friday.

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y mother was the enforcer when it came to church,” John says with a chuckle. “She made sure people got up and went and that we did our sacraments. She would sort of march us through the whole thing.

“Like any kid, you sort of bristle about having to be in church. But there was something about the ceremony that really stuck with me.”

After graduating from high school and a stint in the Navy, he used the G.I. Bill to attend Wayne State University and study journalism. The early 1970s were heady times for reporters, who chronicled the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. John couldn’t wait to start his own digging.

Like many young adults, he didn’t have God high on his radar. But that changed soon after he met his wife, Sharon Emery, also a journalist. The couple started a family. Jessica was followed by Justin, 26; Benjamin, 22; and Caitlin, 20.

“It was your textbook turn away and turn back [to God],” says John, who worships at St. John Student Parish in East Lansing. “There’s that natural rejection of your parents’ values. You get a little bit self-centered where you start saying, ‘I don’t need God, that’s for old people’ and you also start questioning some of the values and teaching of your religion.

“But then you get married and suddenly the church is looking pretty good as a place to marry you. And then children come along and you start asking yourself, ‘Well, what are we going to do with the kids? Are we just not going to have religion in their lives?’ In most cases, people turn back to what they know.”

John’s faith was shaped indelibly by Jessica, the oldest of his four children, who was born with developmental disabilities and battled seizures as a teenager. Though they grieved the loss of a “perfect” child, John and Sharon determined quickly that God specifically matched them with Jessica, who was always an equal partner in family games, activities, decisions and vacations.

Jessica shared her dad’s passion for baseball and fish-

Services for those with disabilities Through its ministry with Persons with disAbilities office, the Diocese of Lansing provides many needed services. They include: FAITH Magazine

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Blind/Sight Impaired Ministry • Annual retreat • Monthly Scripture group • Resource for Braille materials • Audio tapes of FAITH Magazine • Catholic Inquiry for the Blind • Audio tapes distributed world-wide, explaining the

Catholic faith Christians Concerned about Mental Illness (CCMI) • Christians Concerned about Mental Illness support group • Network with support groups • Resource for counseling referrals

Physical disAbilities • Consultation on structural accessibility • Promotion of Americans with Disabilities Act Developmental Disabilities • Consultation and in service to religious education

18 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com 10/2/07 3:40:38 PM

ing. The two spent countless hours trolling Lake Huron and talking during expeditions from the family’s cottage near Cheboygan. No matter how early John set out in the morning, Jessica was always ready and waiting for an adventure.

“She was automatic, she never missed,” he says of their trips.

“Something about the vibration of the boat motor soothed her.”

Tragically, Jessica died while swimming in Lake Huron in August 2002. She suffered a seizure and drowned in the moments before help could arrive.

“Talk about something that tests your faith,” John says. “In the beginning, you say [to God], ‘How could you do that?’ I felt betrayed.

Then, you find there’s healing through him, too. I’m confident I’ll see Jessica again someday. The promise that he offers of everlasting life is what helps keep you going when you’re trying to get through something like this.

“You never get over it. You survive it and then you sort of incorporate it into who you are and your outlook on life.”

John shared his grief surrounding Jessica’s death with his readers, to whom he’s opened his life regularly since taking over the daily columnist’s job in 1988.

He has won a large and loyal following (he’s greeted by about 20 voice mails and 50 e-mails each morning) by delivering a

unique blend of consumer advocate, political watchdog and personal columns seven days a week. He routinely writes about people in dire circumstances – and his readers The Schneider family on vacation in New York City. (Left to right) Justin, respond with Sharon, John, Caitlin, Benjamin and Jessica staggering force.

“Sometimes the depth of it surgood column idea?’ I always say, prises me,” John says. “Never have ‘I couldn’t define it. I just know it I written about something where when I see it.’” people didn’t come forward to help.

John plans to crank out his It’s a beautiful thing to see people so column “for another few years.” willing to help a stranger.

Even he’s unsure what path he’ll take “That’s the perfect use for journalafter typing his final sentence for the ism. To identify a problem, expose Lansing State Journal. Surprisingly, he it, give people an avenue to help and often contemplates a future without just sort of let them take over and do r e s o u r c e writing. the work. It’s really amazing.”

“Maybe I’ll grow Christmas trees To read Depending upon the day and the or something,” he says with a laugh. some of John subject, he writes with humor, heart Schneider’s “I’m torn sometimes. But I think I’d or hard-edged opinion – sometimes miss writing. I might have a novel in columns, visit all of these. In a typical week, he can www.lsj.com. me some day.” write about chirping frogs trumpetFor now, John continues to ing spring’s arrival, battles with poichronicle life in Lansing. That means son ivy, a consumer’s dispute with a rising early to fetch the newspaper chain office-supply store and a local and start his daily discussion with doctor serving in the Air Force in God and Jessica.

Iraq. The secret to a successful daily “At Jessica’s funeral, our priest column, he says, is variety. said, ‘Now don’t forget you have a “If I don’t keep people enterclose contact up there and don’t be tained, they’ll get bored and I’ll shy about using it.’ I took his advice lose them. Sometimes people will on that. On days when I don’t do it, ask me, ‘What do you consider a I miss it. I go through the day sort of feeling that something was not quite in place.” confident I’ll see Jessica again someday.

That’s the same way many of John Schneider’s readers feel on days they when you’re trying to get through something like this. miss his column.

The promise that he offers of everlasting life is what helps keep you going I’m

• Coordination of special religious education program • Retreats for persons with disabilities • Caregiver retreats • Consultation to parochial school programs • Annual Mass and potluck with bishop

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Facilitating Rainbow Homes • Project to provide Christian semi-independent living for adults who have developmental disabilities Parish Awareness • Assessment of accessibility • Collaboration with tomorrow’s

parish • Pamphlets on responding to persons with disabilities • Training for ushers • Advocates in parishes • Consultations to staff • Presentations to parish groups • “Welcome to My World” for youth

For more information, contact JoAnn Davis at 517.342.2497.

This ministry is supported by your generous donations to the DSA.

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p r o f i l e

to those with same-sex attraction

The Courage program in the Diocese of Lansing

F FAITH Magazine

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ather Steve Mattson is one of six priests in the Diocese of Lansing who work with Courage, a support organization for those struggling with same-sex attraction.

He shares some experiences with the group here: At present, there are six men in our group. My role is to encourage them, point out the love of God for them and help them encounter Christ. We discuss how to talk honestly with God, to be candid, and to draw Jesus into their hearts.

God strengthens them through the sacraments, and through each other, to fight sin and to live a chaste life.

20 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com

I became involved two years ago after attending a Courage conference. I was invited by Bob and Susan, who have been family friends since I was a child. There I saw a great spirit of Christian discipleship and fellowship in the men and women who are making a heroic effort to live according to what the church teaches about homosexual-

ity. It’s hard, because the world tells them that they should just accept themselves as they are. And many well-meaning Catholics say the same thing. But they know in their hearts that homosexual acts are sinful, and they want help to live chaste lives.

Our meetings, which are confidential and last about an hour, begin with reviewing the five goals of Courage (see sidebar). Then there is prayer, sharing of the difficulties and successes of the past two weeks, and a look at one of the 12 steps from a booklet by Father Emmerich Vogt, adapted for Catholics from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Bob and Susan, the family friends I mentioned, started a group for families of those with same-sex attraction. It is called Encourage.

Their son had become rebellious. At age 18, he ran away from a drug treatment center and came home, broken. He kept putting up smokescreens about his underlying problems. “Finally, he told us that he had been sexually abused at age five and that he struggled with same-sex attraction,” they told me.

That was 18 years ago. Christopher is now deep in the gay lifestyle, having lived with several friends over the years. Bob and Susan were devastated and hurt. They still grieve. “The pain goes on and on,” they say.

“When Christopher first told us, I thought that with some reasoning and explanation, I would be able to change his mind,” Bob recalls.

“Surely he would see the consequences of what he was doing. But it didn’t work. We found out that same-sex attraction is complex and not always logical. Moreover, I eventually discovered that I couldn’t fix him, and that he had no desire to be fixed. He believes that gay is how he was made, and who he is.”

Though Christopher knows his parents can’t affirm his lifestyle, their relationship is much better now, and he still communicates with them regularly. Susan says, “Whenever he calls, he always ends

By Bob Horning | Photography by Tom Gennara 10/2/07 3:45:17 PM

“Encourage is a support group, not a fix-it group,” Susan says. “I have been healed as we reach out to other hurting parents.” by saying, ‘I love you, Mom. God bless you.’ We have met several of his friends, and they are fine men, though in error.” Bob adds, “When we go to his apartment for dinner, we have had wonderful times and conversations with him and his friends, because now we focus on loving him, not fixing him.”

When Bob and Susan tried to deal with the facts of their son’s same-sex attraction, and their grief, they didn’t know where to turn. “Our story is similar to that of others,” Susan said. “You are heartbroken, and, as Catholics, you know your son is being affected physically and spiritually. You also gradually realize that you have no control over the situation. You try to figure out how to love your child and speak truth to him at the same time, especially if it’s a case (unlike ours) where the child demands that you accept his lifestyle. You need someone to talk to.”

Bob and Susan went to priests.

Some were sympathetic, but didn’t know what to do. Some said to have nothing to do with him. Some even said that Bob and Susan’s lack of tolerance was the real problem, and that they needed to accept Christopher’s choices.

Help finally came when they heard of Courage, the program begun by Father John Harvey in the Archdiocese of New York in 1980, to minister to people struggling

The five goals of Courage Courage, an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church, ministers to those with same-sex attractions and their loved ones.

Courage has been endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family; and Pope John Paul II said of

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r e s o u r c e

The other priests involved in Courage in the Diocese of Lansing are Monsignor Bob Lunsford in Dewitt, Father John Byers in Lansing, Father John Rocus in Flint, Father Jeff Njus in Ann Arbor and Father Roy Horning in Flushing.

To get involved with Courage or Encourage, call 517.351.3315.

A priest in your area will return your call.

For more information, go to www. couragerc.net.

with homosexuality. ”For us, Courage was a breath of fresh air,” they say. “It gave us peace as we began to better understand the area of samesex attraction.”

After Bishop Carl Mengeling came to Lansing, the couple were instrumental in drawing up guidelines for the diocesan approach to the issue of homosexuality. Soon, by default, they became the resource people for the diocese, then for the whole country, for families and friends of those involved with samesex attraction. Thus began Encourage, as an offshoot of Courage.

Bob remembers the first time he was asked to talk to a group of priests and deacons about his experience. “I got 10 words out, started crying, and couldn’t continue,” he said. “The tears still come at times when I share about it. I love my son.”

Encourage is a support group, not a fix-it group,” Susan says. “I have been healed as we reach out to

other hurting parents. We try to let God be in control; our job is to pray.

We go to daily Mass when possible, and say the rosary for Christopher and others. Our relationship with God has deepened due to the need to rely on him.”

What have they learned over the years through Encourage? Bob says that he has learned to share the truth in love. “At the beginning, I shared truth with my son, but not with love. That alienates. It was because I was feeling my own hurt instead of feeling his. On the other hand, if you don’t also speak truth, you are enabling. Christopher knows where we stand on the issue, and that we are involved in Encourage. So now I don’t need to talk to him about that; I need to touch and hug him more when we are with him as a way of expressing my love to him. I look forward to the day when he embraces the teaching of the church on homosexuality and comes home to it and to us.”

What does the church say?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued Always our children: A pastoral message to parents of homosexual children in 1997. It may be found in its entirety at www.usccb.org/laity/always.shtml.

The following are excerpts from that pastoral letter:

You can help a homosexual person in two general ways. First, encourage him or her to cooperate with God’s grace to live a chaste life. Second, concentrate on the person, not on the homosexual orientation itself. This implies respecting a person’s freedom to choose or refuse therapy directed toward changing a homosexual orientation. Given the present state of medical and psychological knowledge, there is no guarantee that such therapy will succeed. Thus, there may be no obligation to undertake it, though some may find it helpful …

All in all, it is essential to recall one basic truth. God loves every person as a unique individual. Sexual identity helps to define the unique persons we are, and one component of our sexual identity is sexual orientation. Thus, our total personhood is more encompassing than sexual orientation. Human beings see the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart. (cf. 1 Sm 16:7)

this ministry, “Courage is doing the work of God!” The following five goals were created by members when Courage was founded.

They are read at the start of each meeting and each member is called to practice them in daily life.

1. Live chaste lives in accordance with the Catholic

Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

2. Dedicate one’s life to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass and the frequent reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and holy Eucharist.

3. Foster a spirit of fellowship to

ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone.

4. Be mindful that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary to live a chaste Christian life.

Friends provide encouragement to one another in forming and sustaining each other.

5. Live lives that serve as good examples.

10/2/07 3:45:36 PM

o u r

s t o r y

how Shirley and Doug Brown endured their son’s tour of duty in Iraq

the terror of

I

t wasn’t unusual for Shirley Brown’s phone to ring at 2 a.m.

She knew who it was. In Anbar Province, Iraq, it was 10 a.m., the best time to call for her 24-yearold son, Daniel, who was stationed there with Charlie Company of the 24th Marine Regiment.

Daniel didn’t give a lot of information about what he was doing (Shirley’s husband, Doug, a Vietnam veteran, had advised him not to), but she could tell when he was sad or happy. And one thing Daniel did mention often was that he was freezing, since the temperature goes down into the 30s at night in the desert in the winter.

He could really use some long underwear that wasn’t polyester.

“You don’t know how hard it is to find long underwear made of all cotton around here,” Shirley says. “But his request for that and other items got me to thinking about sending a whole care package to him, and to others.”

“We had heard that the Methodist church here in Chelsea was doing something like that for its members, so why not us?” Doug recalls. “We decided to do it for all St. Mary parishioners stationed in Iraq. We quickly expanded to include our relatives, townsfolk and anyone else we knew. We wanted to help those FAITH Magazine

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guys out. The Vietnam troops didn’t get that.

Soon we had 40 to 50 people to mail to.”

Shirley couldn’t go back to sleep after the phone calls from Daniel. Though she didn’t get many details from Daniel about the fighting, she did pick up some things from the news and from friends. One thing was that troops were being killed. While Daniel was in Iraq, from September 2006 until the end of April 2007, 24 of the 230-member company were killed, and 49 received Purple Hearts.

“Those nights became a time of prayer instead of sleep,” Shirley says. “In fact, during those eight months, I prayed every chance I had. It was a long way to work and back, so I would pray the rosary

while driving. I even prayed in the shower. All that prayer sure draws you closer to God. “But that’s how I coped. Also, by crying a lot, by myself and with friends, especially those who had relatives over there. And exchanging e-mail messages with them. The people at work were wonderful about letting me share, too. A lot of them were Christians and good prayer partners.

“Probably the hardest part was

By Bob Horning | Photography by Tom Gennara 10/2/07 3:45:53 PM

when Daniel didn’t call for a while.

Normally, he would call every week, but when someone was killed in their company, the others weren’t allowed to use the phone or computer, so that the Marines could be the first to notify the family. So I worried more when we didn’t hear from him for a longer time. Watching the news was tough, too – hearing about casualties in Anbar Province, and wondering if Daniel was among them.

That’s why my husband limited my time of watching the news to 15 minutes.

“We were on pins and needles all the time. Doug is part of a big family, and a praying family. One of his cousins had his whole family pray a rosary every day for our son. Daniel was on so many prayer chains.

When he got home and I told him how much we prayed, he said, ‘I know. Your prayers got me out of a lot of close calls.’ Now in my prayers, I thank God for protecting him and ask that he won’t have to go back. It’s a big relief, obviously, to have him home. He has two more years in active reserves, then two in inactive reserves.”

Daniel said that during his time in Iraq he also felt closer to God. “When you’re in danger, particularly like when I was on patrol for 10 to 12 hours at a time by myself, I naturally prayed. I think everyone there did. ‘Lord, help me get out of this alive,’ was a common prayer.”

Once Doug and Shirley got the care package idea, they put a notice in the church bulletin, asking for donations or cash. The response filled a whole room at St.

What kinds of things do our troops need?

• Undershirts (white, short sleeve) • Socks (bootcut: black, green or white) • Single-use cameras • Pre-sweetened flavored beverage mixes • Letters of support

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I prayed every chance I had. It was a long way to work and back, so I would pray the rosary while driving. I even prayed in the shower. All that prayer sure draws you closer to God. Mary with items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, baby wipes, hand warmers, beef jerky, candy, peanuts, Pop Tarts, canned tuna and chicken, feminine products, magazines, playing cards, soap, tissue, shoe insoles for blisters and more.

Included in each care pack was a card made by first- through fifth-grade catechism classes, with a psalm and prayer in it. There was also a letter from St. Mary pastor, Father Bill Turner, expressing appreciation from himself and the parish for the work of the troops in Iraq, recognizing their separation from family, and praying for a speedy resolution to the conflict, along with their safe return.

After all the packages were mailed in late March, in time to arrive for Easter, the surplus goods were sent to an organization that assists battered women.

“The American Legion and VFW in Saline heard what we were doing, and I was able to help them do the same thing,” Shirley says. “We plan to send packages again at Christmas, which can be a lonely time for the troops.”

The care packages were a big hit in Iraq. Captain Louis Gianoulakis, the commanding officer of a detainee prison in Baghdad, and Shirley’s nephew, sent a thank-you letter to the church for what they received. It was signed by many of the troops who received the gifts.

• AT&T global pre-paid military calling cards (to work in Iraq and Afghanistan, it must be these specific cards) • Coffee, coffee mixes, tea • Hot cocoa mix • Lemonade mix, Kool-Aid mix, Tang, iced tea mix • Gatorade mix (powdered only) • Crystal Light (or other brand) “On The Go” flavor packets (these

r e s o u r c e

For more information about care packages, visit www.care packageproject. com In Michigan, you can designate a portion of your income tax to the Military Relief Fund, which provides grants to qualifying families of members of the Michigan National Guard or reserves who have been called into active duty since Sept.

11, 2001. For more information, visit www. michigan. gov/dmva.

For Daniel, who also received packages from the Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph Church in Dexter, it was a morale lifter.

“It makes you feel that people care about you,” he said. “My wife would send home-videos of the kids, which was my favorite thing.

We also received some movies, which we would watch during our down time in order to take our minds off of our situation.”

The week before the end of Daniel’s tour was the most exciting, but also the scariest, for Shirley.

“The closer it got, the more nervous I became. I had a boyfriend in Vietnam who was killed three weeks before coming home,” she said.

“We told everyone that we were going to have a party for Daniel when he returned. We thought it would be right away, but at the debriefing, the military advised us to let those coming back settle down a bit. We had the party on June 2, and about 100 people came.

“The party was great,” Daniel said.

“At times when I was bored over there, or scared out of my mind, I would think about what people back home were doing. It was good to visit with family and friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Being in that poor, miserable country makes you thankful to live in America. The whole experience, when you realize that tomorrow you may not be here, caused me to try to be a better person.”

sleeves of flavoring can be added to a 16-20 oz. water bottle) • Sugar and creamer packets for coffee • Gum, Lifesavers, mints • Fruit: individual-serving size cans of fruit, dried fruit • Nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, trail mix • Power bars, protein bars • Beef jerky, beef summer sausage

• Single-serving bags of snacks, crackers, chips, snack mixes • Pop Tarts, cereal bars, “milk & cereal” bars, granola bars • Ramen noodles, Cup-O-Noodles serving cups • Ravioli and other canned, ready-toeat meals • Tuna lunch kits (includes foil pouch of tuna, crackers, and condiments in each single-serving kit)

10/2/07 3:46:20 PM

s p i r i t u a l

f i t n e s s

How to handle road rage

and the other things that make us lose our cool

I

was stuck in a two-mile traffic jam, with my family in the back seat. Fortunately, we were not in a rush and were chatting as we waited. A huge Mack truck was directly behind us. For some odd reason, the driver kept blowing his horn. There was nowhere to go – traffic was literally parked.

At first, we thought he might have been blowing his horn for kids in a car nearby. But after another 15 minutes, he kept it up! We wondered what was going on. But then, as unbelievable as it was, the truck smashed into us and began to push us off the road.

Thank God I avoided missing the person directly in front of me by inches. I got out of the car, and the truck driver was angry and confused. I asked him why he had just plowed into my car. He said his anger got the better of him. It sure did!

Now, my own patience was put to the test. We certainly let the man know how wrong his actions were, but thank God I was given the grace at that moment to keep my cool. His own anger was diffused as I listened to him. The Holy Spirit gives us special graces when we need them. I needed it right then. The police finally came and took care of things, and it ended much better than it could have had I gotten angry.

Patience gives us the ability to endure many things. It reveals a wonderful dimension of selfless love. A patient person is more interested in the one before him than in his own needs or interests. Usually, we think of patience in opposition to anger. An impatient person tends to quickly respond to situations in angry ways. We use phrases like “blew up,” “flew off the handle,” “exploded”; or people as having “a short fuse” or being “hot headed” to describe a lack of patience.

Patience is a virtue of the soul. Remember, a virtue FAITH Magazine

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is a habit of the heart – a way of thinking and acting in a consistent way that leads to specific behaviors that reveal Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of all virtues reside.

St Paul reminds us all that “Love is patient and kind.” (1 Cor 13:4) Patience and many other virtues will grow in us as we love, for love exercises these virtues.

I knew of a woman who took care of her husband for many years as he suffered with Alzheimer’s disease.

She had to keep her eye on him all the time, for he might decide to go out in the neighborhood for a walk and forget where or who he was. Each day brought new challenges. It was difficult, but she knew it was so important for her to fulfill her vows – “I promise to be true to you in good times in Patience gives us the bad, for richer ability to endure many or poorer, in sickness and things. in health, until death do us part.”

One day, her husband got into some magazines and books that she had arranged and really made a mess of them. She got angry with him, then left the room to cool off. Her husband wandered in and said, “Oh there you are, my dear. It is so good to see you. Hey, if you go into the den, be careful. There is a strange woman in there, and boy, is she mad!”

She was immediately hit with a sense of his love for her. What a humorous way to be reminded of the importance of patience. Her husband did not recognize her as the “angry” woman. He knew and remembered her as the woman who was patient.

Patience allows us to endure all the little inconveniences of life, and the difficult suffering that can come our way. No wonder there is the expression, “He has the patience of Job!” Job was a man who suffered greatly. He lost all his family, his possessions and even his health. He was tempted to curse God and die. There are times when life presents horrible situations to us that would move us to being angry with God or others. How can a person endure except by God’s grace and love?

I got a call one day from the hospital from one of our parishioners. Their teenage son had just died from a rare form of encephalitis. He was probably bitten by a mosquito. He had been fine in the morning, but later that day he died. Many would be tempted to lose faith and turn away from God. Many would be tempted to be angry with God. Who could blame them? Martha and Mary seemed a little more than upset with Jesus when they sent word that Lazarus was ill and Jesus did not come. “If only you had been here, Lord, our brother would not have

It reveals a wonderful dimension of selfless love.

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Spiritual Exercise Praying for the gift of patience This month, pray for the gift of patience. Be ready, for you might find yourself in a storm!

In my life, I have noticed that when I ask for a gift, often a situation stands before me that will directly call that gift forth. For example, in praying for patience, I might end up in many situations that directly test my patience. Look at them all as great opportunities that are full of God’s help. One old saying is that “God does not give us anything more than we can handle.” Another way of looking at it is that God gives us the grace we need to handle whatever situation arises! One help to receiving patience is to recognize the opportunities one has to be patient.

So, for the first exercise:

Ask yourself what circumstances you face daily that test your patience. If another party is involved, sometimes we just look at him or her as the problem.

Indeed, he may have a problem, but if we are not patient, so do we.

How do you normally act? What would patience look like in your circumstance? Talk to the Lord about it. When you pray, think of Jesus.

Think of his patience. How patient the Lord is in his dealings with us!

Make a decision to act patiently with others and yourself.

At the end of the day, reflect on how well you did. When during the day were you patient or not? What can you learn about yourself through your impatience?

What kind of expectations do you have concerning yourself or others?

How patient do you believe God is?

1

2

died!” Anger often is present when tragedy strikes.

In the case of the family who lost their son, they did struggle, but worked through their loss and anger.

What do we do if we recognize impatience within us? What if we have lost all patience with God, self or others? We want change and we want it now! Recognizing the anger and impatience within us can begin our inner healing. Our hearts need healing. What expectations do we carry within us about God, self or others? Maybe we need to adjust our expectations? If we find ourselves mad, hurt and disappointed with God, self or others, we must cry out. We surrender ourselves to God – who knows our hearts and our pain.

Remember how the Father sent his only Son to us with great love, as a perfect gift, and we sent Jesus back to the Father, rejected and crucified. The Father allowed his only beloved Son to suffer and die on the cross. The Father understands the pain of devastating loss. Give it to him. We cannot bury and hide it from the Lord anyway! God knows our hearts.

Patience draws strength from the virtues of faith and hope as well, for patience always believes that God will make all things well in the end. Patience leads a person to inner peace.

– Father Bill Ashbaugh

10/2/07 3:46:44 PM

soup that’s a

work of art one of God’s simple blessings

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26 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com 10/2/07 3:47:00 PM

c u l t u r e

O

ne crisp, autumn evening, I decided to make some of my homemade butternut squash soup to go along with dinner. Not only did it sound good at the time, but I was feeling a little creative and finally embracing the arrival of fall and all of its colorful offerings. I was also in the mood for Thanksgiving and the cozy feelings that come with the season. My mind went to a recent still life I had once seen of the fall harvest and how I always wanted to either buy a copy or paint a similar one for our dining room.

While chopping away at the onions, I gazed at our very colorless blank walls.

I was sharply reminded of the lack of progress my husband and I had made in interior decorating. My eyes then shifted toward our dining table, which was devoid of an attractive centerpiece. Instead, it was covered by the accumulated paperwork that seemed to stare menacingly back at me. I was suddenly feeling overwhelmed and annoyed – and started chopping harder and faster.

I continued to internalize my feelings of selfpity. If it were up to me, I would just get a sitter for an entire day and go on a shopping spree at Pottery Barn to buy what I want – starting with a still life for the dining room. Forget the discussion. Forget the money. Forget cooking dinner for a night. I wanted my house to look like the cover of an interior design magazine, and I wanted it now.

How can I be expected to enjoy cooking when the very process only serves to remind me of how “behind” I am in my house projects? At that instant, the cooking that started as a moment of inspiration felt a lot more like an unrewarding job on my long list of to-dos. I let out a frustrated sigh as I opened the toddler-handprint-covered stainless fridge door.

As I garnished each bowl of soup with some freshly chopped chives, my husband walked in. He didn’t even notice the scowl I must have been wearing. His reaction, and his words, hit like a lightning bolt.

Butternut squash soup

His eyes widened in surprise as the smell greeted him. He looked at the soup with the remnant ingredients clustered around it and exclaimed that it looked as pretty as a still life.

Well, when the Lord wants to tell you something, he sometimes whispers. In this case, he shouted.

No interior design could have been as rewarding as my husband’s reaction. And he was right. At that moment, no still life could have looked as pretty, nor tasted as good, as that soup. Steaming and colorful, it sat in warm contrast to the cold November day.

Most important, it helped me remember that when we are patient for the things we are seeking, we often receive other gifts we aren’t looking for.

Although I would like to have some art on my walls before I die, I think I can be more patient and thankful for what God has blessed me with in the meantime.

Directions: Sauté the chopped onion in butter or olive oil for 4-5 minutes in a medium-size stockpot. Add the minced garlic and wine.

Sauté for one more minute, constantly stirring. Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock and paprika. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, until the vegetables are

• 2 tablespoons of butter or extra virgin olive oil • ¼ cup dry white wine • 1 large onion, finely chopped • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed (about 4 cups) • 1 large baking potato cubed • 1 ½ quarts of chicken stock (canned or homemade) • ¾ teaspoon paprika • salt and pepper to taste • ½ cup whipping cream (optional) • fresh chives for garnish

tender. Pour soup into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (A wand-style mixer will also work in the pot.) Return the soup to the pot and add salt and pepper to taste. For extra richness, stir in the whipping cream and reheat slowly. Top each bowl off with a drizzle of whipping cream and a few chives.

Enjoy!

Find more tasty recipes and fun crafts at FAITHmag.com

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10/2/07 3:47:18 PM

s p e c i a l

r e p o r t

What keeps a parish A look at parish sustainability

M

eeting the everyday needs of people is really what parish sustainability is all about. Yes, the Sunday offerings and financial health of a parish are factors but, so too are the parish’s ability to sustain a volunteer base, parish staff, facilities, education and formation opportunities and much more. This month FAITH, looks at the third aspect of the Parish Evaluation Inventory (PEI) – sustainability.

During the diocese’s scheduled 50-year strategic process for Planning Tomorrow’s Churches, all parishes – and the diocese as a whole – are going through a progression of thorough reflection that will lead toward increased parish effectiveness within the diocese’s 10-county area.

Sustainability The parish community has collaborated in developing a clear vision of what it wants the parish to become, has taken ownership of that vision and has developed a corresponding clear mission and pastoral plan to carry out that vision.

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This article focuses on parish sustainability – one of the three aspects of the PEI. The other two aspects have been highlighted in the past two FAITH Magazine issues – sacramental nature of the parish (September issue) and parish as disciple (July/August issue).

PEI criteria: • Is the lay leadership reflective of the makeup of the parish, and how does the parish encourage such leadership to emerge?

• Does the parish have an active parish council that, under the leadership of the pastor/pas-

28 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com

toral coordinator, serves as a keeper of the parish vision and the developer of the parish pastoral plan? (Canon 536) • Is stewardship a way of life and an integral part of parish spirituality?

• Is the work of the parish supported by parishioners’

What is parish sustainability?

In essence, it is a parish’s ability to maintain its mission and facilities, according to Diocese of Lansing director of pastoral planning, Sister Rita Wenzlick, OP. How does the Diocesan Coordinating Commission determine which parishes are sustainable and which are not?

This question gets down to brass tacks – is it all about the dollars? No, it’s not. active participation through stewardship of their time, talent and treasure?

• Does the parish have an active finance council to assist the pastor in managing parish finances?

• Does the parish operate on a balanced budget? Income

By JoAnne Eason 10/2/07 3:47:47 PM

Where are we in the process?

Parish/Faith community evaluation Regional Review Committee discernment and evaluation Formulate regional preliminary observations Parish assemblies Observations forwarded to the Diocesan Coordinating Commission (DCC) DCC reviews observations and prepares draft recommendations DCC sends draft to the regions for review Bishop’s consultative bodies review PLANNING draft recommendations DCC forwards final recommendations to the bishop for his decision and actions. tomorrow’s churches DIOCES E OF LANS I NG

Though the diocese and parishes are non-profit, they must work in the world – where financial projections and the ability to maintain facilities and programs are realities.

However, this is not the only overriding consideration when determining a parish or school’s sustainability. Many of the programs that carry out the teaching, social and sanctifying mission of the church rely on capable human resources – vested parishioners and staff who devote countless hours of time to ensure that programs offered to the faithful meet their needs and are successful.

Isn’t the sustainability measurement biased against older parishes – those with an aging infrastructure and population?

Absolutely not. A building can be a century old, but its parish can be more vital than a community that was founded just a decade ago. One important factor is the maintenance of the facility – are accommodations being made for the deaf and physically impaired? Sometimes it is the simple things that factor in, such as keeping the grounds tidy.

“It doesn’t cost much to sweep the floors and clean the windows,” says Sister Rita. “Dollars If the programming and the finances aren’t always are not meeting the parish’s mission, necessary. It’s the ways that parishes bring about change through people If the programming and the that make the difference. It’s all finances are not meeting the about the charisma of a community parish’s mission, then that parish and how they are meeting the needs or school may not be sustainable. in the community.”

then that parish or school may not be sustainable.

should keep pace with the increases in operating costs of the parish for the next 5 years.

• Can the parish afford to hire professional lay staff?

• Can the parish maintain its operations without depleting reserves or capital investments?

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• Are cash reserves adequate to support parish operations for a minimum of six months?

• Do the facilities support quality ministry?

• Can persons with disabilities, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and elderly ac-

Sustaining a Community Christ the King – Flint For the past 18 years, Christ the King Parish in Flint has opened its doors and the hearts of the neighboring community through an annual African-American Festival. Its purpose is an intergenerational sharing of the African-American culture through food, entertainment and goodwill.

Though the parish is home to approximately 200 parishioners – 50 of whom participate in the planning and implementation of the celebration – attendance at the festival averages between 300 and 500.

“When we developed this program, we didn’t envision making a profit, we just wanted to cover our costs,” says Sister Joanne Fedewa, SLW, pastoral coordinator of Christ the King. “We have always paid the bills, but the festival isn’t a fundraising affair, it’s about meeting a parish goal.”

The two-day event begins on the third Saturday in July. It includes a barbeque – complete with chicken and ribs, collard greens, corn on the cob, baked and green beans and a plethora of desserts. The festivities start early in the day with music like jazz, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop bands. There are African dancers and gospel singers. There are games for the little ones – a “moon walk,” an obstacle course, and limousine rides. Big kids also have games – there’s a golf tournament thrown in just in case someone can’t find enough to do. The next morning, parishioners and community members gather at Mass to continue their renewal of faith and commitment toward building stronger bonds.

“This isn’t the only program we do,” says Sister Joanne. “We offer a multitude of other services – Bible sharing, adult and children’s choir, Communion services, ballroom dancing. It is all dependent upon what the faith community desires and can maintain.”

And, that is what sustainability is all about.

cess key services provided by the parish?

• Does the parish have a permanent church building with enough seating capacity? Is the church aesthetically appealing and liturgically appropriate?

• Are the facilities without

major structural weaknesses that would limit their longterm use or put the health or safety of occupants at risk?

• Are any major repairs required in the next five years identified, and does a funding plan exist to ensure they are completed?

10/2/07 3:47:56 PM

c o m m u n i t y

things to do:

Chandler Rd., Bath. For details, log on to www.st-martha.maestroweb.com.

Women’s Retreat, Nov. 9, 11 a.m. at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, Detroit. Call 517.263.4681 for information.

Volunteer coordinator needed for the Huron Valley Men’s Correctional Facility. If interested, call 517.342.2495.

Winter Wonderland, St. Patrick School’s 13th annual benefit auction, will be Nov. 9, 6 p.m.-12 a.m., at Crystal Gardens. Tickets are $70 per person. Call 810.229.7946.

Steven Angrisano, renowed singer and storyteller, will give a presentation Oct. 21, 6 p.m. at St. John Parish, Davison. Call 810.658.4776, ext. 272.

Holy Redeemer Catholic Church’s annual craft show and bake sale will be Nov. 17, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., in the Family Life Center, 1227 E. Bristol Rd., Burton. There will be crafts, a raffle, homemade pies and lunch is available.

“Be a Hero” is the topic of St. Patrick Catholic Men’s Night, Nov. 15. It begins at 7 p.m. with Mass.

Blessed with Happy Days, St. Martha School in Okemos is hosting its annual auction, Nov. 10, 6 p.m. at Eagle Eye Golf Club, 15500 S.

Transfiguration Parish, Ypsilanti, will host “A More Excellent Way,” a non-traditional Advent Parish Mission, Dec. 2-4, 7:30-9:30 p.m., in the church hall. Refreshments will follow. For more information, call 734.482.6240.

Chapter Receives Highest Honor Recently, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians awarded the Lansing chapter “Chapter of the Year.” This is the highest honor a chapter can receive. The Lansing NPM was founded, and is currently directed,

by Dr. Robert Wolf.

Our Apologies Kevin Mahar, of St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Brighton, was incorrectly identified as a member of St. Mary Parish, Chelsea in our September issue.

FAITH apologizes for the error.

t r a n s f e r s

Bishop Mengeling announces the following priest appoints and transfers, effective Oct. 2, 2007:

Father Steven Anderson from parochial vicar, Holy Family, Grand Blanc to chaplain, Father Luke M. Powers high school.

He will provide weekend assistance at St. John, Howell.

Father Steven Makranyi from parochial administrator, Holy Spirit, Hamburg to parochial administrator, St. Agnes, Flint.

In 2006, the school’s environmental stewardship program earned it a “green school” certification from the State of Michigan.

Faith is growing at St. Gerard Church. The parish recently finished a project that has been in the works for the past three years.

Now the courtyard area right outside the St. Gerard school office is a rosary garden where people can pray by walking a meandering path imprinted with the rosary.

FAITH Magazine

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30 November 2007 | www.FAITHmag.com

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. will speak at a two-day conference on beginning-of-life issues, Dec. 7-8 at Our Lady of Grace Conference Center, Alma. For more information, visit www.sacredheartmercy.org. CME credits available.

Faith Journey: Study of the New United States Catholic Catechism for Adults meets the first and third Mondays of the month at St. Mary, Adrian. Call 517.263.4681 for details.

Decoding the Book of Revelation, a presentation by Dr. Mary Dumm, will take place on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at St. John Student Parish.

For details, call 517.337.9778.

Diocesan Cathechetical Day 2007, Oct 20-21, at Lansing Catholic Central High School and Father Gabriel Richard High School.

Call 517.342.2484.

Prayer with Body, Mind and Spirit: Moving Through Loss, Nov. 17, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., cost $22 (includes lunch), Christ Church, 61 Grosse Pointe Blvd., Grosse Pointe Farms. For more information, contact Janene at 734.429.7754.

St. Mary Catholic School, Pinckney collects nearly 66,000 pounds of paper in its recycling bin.

Growing Faith

“The Life and Theology of Pope Benedict XVI” will be presented at St. Martha Parish in Okemos on Monday, Nov. 12, 7-9 p.m. The speaker will be Michael Andrews, diocesan director of education and catechesis.

Father John Rocus from pastor of St. Agnes, Flint to pastor of Holy Spirit, Hamburg.

Father Ioane Sigarara (not pictured) to parochial vicar, St. Anthony, Hillsdale.

Lenawee/Hillsdale Regional Mission, Nov. 4, 6 p.m. For information, call 517.432.2447.

The Adoration Chapel will host Father Bill Casey, C.P.M. on Oct. 25 at IHM Parish in Lansing. Mass at 6:30 p.m., followed by a talk on Jesus Christ, the Miracle Worker in the Most Holy Eucharist. Refreshments will be served afterward. For information, please call 517.393.3030.

Answer to Bible Quiz (page 13): Abimelech

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l a s t

November Readings Thursday, November 1 All Saints’ Day Rv 7:2-4,9-14 Ps 24:1-2,3-4,5-6 1 Jn 3:1-3 Mt 5:1-12a Friday, November 2 All Souls’ Day Wis 3:1-9 Ps 23:1-3a,ab-4,5,6 1 Jn 3:1-3 Mt 5:1-12a Sunday, November 4 Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 11:22-12:2 Ps 145:1-2,8-9,1011,13,14 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 Lk 19:1-10

Sunday, November 11 Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Mc 7:1-2,9-14 Ps 17:1,5-6,8,15(15b) 2 Thes 2:16-3:5 Lk 20:27038 or 20:27,34-38 Sunday, November 18 Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mal 3:19-20a Ps 98:5-6,7-8,9 2 Thes 3:7-12 Lk 21:5-19 Sunday, November 25 Our Lord Jesus Christ the King Last Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Sm 5:1-3 Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5 Col 1:12-20 Lk 23:35-43

St. John the Baptist celebrates pastor’s 20th anniversary Parishioners of St. John the Baptist church in Howell joined with family and friends of Father Francis George to celebrate his 20th year of ordination.

The parish held a special Mass on Sept.

15, followed by dinner in the parish hall.

Father George has been the pastor of St. John for seven years. Previously, he served at St. Agnes, Fowlerville; St. Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing; St. Thomas, Ann Arbor and St. John, Jackson.

Dancing for those who cannot Recently, 130 teens from the St. John area decided to dance their Friday night away. The teens danced for 10 straight hours at the REMIX Teens Dance for Those Who Can’t Dance-a-thon.

The dance-a-thon was held to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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w o r d

patient suffering is that possible?

Patience is the power and the strength to turn to God and ask for his power and his strength.

Patience is the willingness to make God’s ways our ways.

O

ur word “patience” comes from a Latin word, patientia, the willingness to endure suffering. Sick people in hospitals and clinics are called patients because they are willing to suffer, even for a long time, in order to be healed eventually.

Life isn’t often what we want it to be. In fact, it can be downright unfair, and some of us receive more than our fair share of pain, loss and suffering.

In a certain way, it’s easier to endure suffering when it is inflicted on us by life. It’s not so easy to deliberately choose to be patient. But, often, we are called upon to choose patience, even if we are reluctant to do so.

There have been times when I’ve turned to God and prayed, “Lord, give me patience – and give it to me now!” Isn’t it true that you and I have schedules and agendas that differ from God’s?

Isn’t it true that many times we think we could have done things in better ways than God? Patience is the power and the strength to turn to God and ask for his power and his strength. Patience is the willingness to make God’s ways our ways.

I can’t tell you how many times in my life as a priest that I’ve had a young man or a young woman in my office wondering if they will ever find “the one” – their destined mate for life. There’s a long, slow, hidden suffering in such souls. They long to be married, have a home and a family and a soul mate for life – but one has not yet appeared. My heart goes out to such folks. I know of the longing loneliness of which they speak.

Then there are parents of young men and women who are on the other side of the world serving in our nation’s armed forces. Joined with them are the boyfriends and girlfriends of those serving in our military. They all need major doses of patience. They all learn to develop strong prayer lives. They all share in the patient longing of God – who waits for us to turn to him, to seek him out, to draw close to him and to love him.

The heart of God has known such feelings. St. Matthew tells us that, just before he began his terrible suffering, Jesus was on the Mount of Olives – looking out over at Jerusalem in all of her beauty and crying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!” (Matt 23:37) God knows the sadness of long suffering.

When you must patiently endure loss and suffering, know that God is close to you. God the Son, Christ Jesus, has been there – he knows what you are patiently enduring. Give him your heart and he will give you his.

– Father Charles Irvin

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