St. Anthony Messenger March 2021

Sharing the spirit of St. Francis with the world VOL. 128/NO. 8 • MARCH 2021 • PUBLISHED BY FRANCISCAN MEDIA

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

A Different Take on Fasting page 16

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

MOVING MOUNTAINS WITH CANNED GOODS

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FOLLOWING JESUS’ FOOTSTEPS FRESCOES OF HOLY WOMEN THE SACRED SILENCE OF LENT

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Franciscan friars and followers around the world!

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VOL. 128 N O. 8

MARCH

2021 20/21

22

COVER STORY

22 The Society of St. Vincent de Paul:

Moving Mountains with Canned Goods

ABOVE: Along with providing sustenance to those in need, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul gives its clients hope for a brighter future.

By Katie Rutter

When a classmate challenged Blessed Frédéric Ozanam to put his faith into action in 1833, he took it to heart.

Today his legacy lives on through this organization.

18 Flipping the Questions

By Mary Ann Steutermann

COVER: GERENME/ISTOCK; ABOVE: MC KOZUSKO/SAM

Asking yourself these three questions could change your mindset, putting you on a path that follows Jesus’ footsteps.

30 Faith & Frescoes:

Celebrating Holy Women through Art Story by Patti Normile; photography by Paula Laudenbach

When COVID-19 prevented artist Mark Balma from traveling to Italy to paint frescoes of holy women, he devised a novel solution: Paint them in the United States and ship them there.

37 Sacred Silence

By Phyllis Zagano

“Lent is not an intellectual exercise, but an affair of the heart,” says this author. By centering ourselves in prayerful stillness, we open ourselves up to a deeper engagement with this holy season.

COMING NEXT

ISSUE

An Easter reflection that explores the nature of miracles and the power they hold in our spiritual lives StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 1

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Saint Day

T

he saints were real people with real stories—just like us! Their surrender to God’s love was so gen-

erous that the Church recognizes them as heroes and

of the

heroines worthy to be held up for our inspiration. Join Franciscan Media in our daily celebration of these holy men and women of God. Sign up for Saint of the Day, a free resource delivered right to your inbox.

St. Agnes of Bohemia

St. Nicholas Owen

March 2 St. Agnes of Bohemia never married but had a number of nobles interested in her as a possible wife. Preferring the religious life, Agnes joined the Poor Clares, but not until after she had built a hospital and a friary for the local friars.

March 22 St. Nicholas Owen was a creative builder who helped persecuted Catholic priests of England find hiding places. Because of his important work, the fact that he joined the Jesuits was held secret. Arrested a final time in 1606, Nicholas Owen was tortured and killed.

St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero

St. Catherine of Bologna

March 24 Oscar Romero was recognized as a martyr for the faith in 2015. The time when he was the archbishop of San Salvador was a period of civil unrest and widespread government-sponsored violence. The voice of the Gospel, St. Oscar Romero spoke out for justice.

March 28 The obscurity of the Poor Clare life seems somewhat expected, yet St. Catherine of Bologna was well known for her holiness and deep virtue. Even in the quiet Poor Clare life, nuns can provide solid examples for the whole Church.

ALL IMAGES FALL UNDER PUBLIC DOMAIN USAGE RIGHTS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

Saints featured in the month of March include . . .

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VOL. 128 N O. 8

“We should make a dwelling place within ourselves where he can stay, he who is the Lord God almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

MARCH

2021

—St. Francis of Assisi

SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS 10 Ask a Franciscan

12 POINTS OF VIEW

15 Editorial | Daniel Imwalle

Was St. Joseph a Virgin?

The Hard Work of Healing

12 Followers of St. Francis

16 At Home on Earth | Kyle Kramer

14 Franciscan World

44 Faith & Family | Susan Hines-Brigger

Father Michael Martin, OFM Conv

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15

A Different Take on Fasting

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Healing Waters

14 St. Anthony Stories

The Missing Dessert Spoon

CULTURE

40 Media Reviews

Blog | Now That I’m Catholic Streaming | Becoming

40 42 Film Reviews Finding You

The Life Ahead The House That Rob Built

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 Dear Reader 5 Your Voice 6 Church in the News

45 46 48

48 Pete & Repeat Let Us Pray A Tribute to Jack Wintz, OFM

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dear reader The Light of Easter

PUBLISHER

Daniel Kroger, OFM

A

t this time last year, most of us here in the United States were heading into a new reality that included lockdowns, quarantine, masks, and social distancing, all thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a year later, thanks to the arrival of the vaccine, we are starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel. In some ways, it reminds me of the season of Lent that we are currently in.

That is because, as we travel the 40 days of Lent, we do so while keeping our gaze focused on the great light that is Christ’s resurrection at Easter. The season of Lent offers us a perfect time for reflection—on both our everyday and faith lives. Right now, there is a lot to unpack on both fronts.

In this month’s issue, Phyllis Zagano encourages us to spend time in reflective silence in order to connect on a deeper level with the season. And in her article “Flipping the Question,” Mary Ann Steutermann calls on us to reflect on three questions that could change our mindset and put us on a path that follows in Jesus’ footsteps.

During this time of Lent, may you find some peace and comfort amid these chaotic times—knowing that we are heading toward the light of Easter.

PRESIDENT

Kelly McCracken EXECUTIVE EDITORS

Christopher Heffron Susan Hines-Brigger

FRANCISCAN EDITOR

Pat McCloskey, OFM ART DIRECTOR

Mary Catherine Kozusko MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Imwalle

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Sandy Howison

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Sharon Lape

Susan Hines-Brigger, Executive Editor

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Ray Taylor

PRINTING

EP GRAPHICS Berne, IN

A Kansan by birth, Mark Balma is also an Italian by choice.

After sketching teachers and fellow students throughout his early school years, Mark spent two years studying drawing and painting at Atelier Lack in Minneapolis prior to leaving at age 19 to study portraiture and fresco painting with Pietro Annigoni in Florence, Italy. Two of his paintings hang in the Vatican’s permanent collection.

DR. PHYLLIS ZAGANO

PAGE 41

PAGE 37

Erika Glover, originally from Lebanon, Ohio, is a senior at Bowling Green State University studying public relations and marketing.

When not tending to her education, she finds herself managing a small business, traveling, and writing. Erika was previously an editorial intern for St. Anthony Messenger, and she is thrilled to be back in its pages.

Dr. Phyllis Zagano is senior research associatein-residence and an adjunct professor of religion at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. She is the author or editor of 23 books in religious studies. In August 2016, Pope Francis appointed her to the Papal Commission for the Study of Women in the Diaconate, which convened in Rome in November of that year.

writer Culture Review: Becoming

writer Sacred Silence

To subscribe, write to the above address or call 866-543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $4.99. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See FranciscanMedia.org/subscriptionservices for information on your digital edition.

Writer’s guidelines can be found at FranciscanMedia.org/ writers-guide. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons.

Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2021. All rights reserved.

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PAGE 30

ERIKA GLOVER

LEFT: PAULA LAUDENBACH

MARK BALMA

master artist Faith & Frescoes: Celebrating Holy Women through Art

ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X) (U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 128, Number 8, is published 10 times per year for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. Phone 513-241-5615.

Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, PO Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8.

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POINTSOFVIEW | YOUR VOICE Using Journaling as a Teaching Tool

I loved Terry Hershey’s December/January article, “Praying on Paper.” As a person of faith who uses journaling to know myself and my God, I appreciate the truths brought forth.

I often teach my high school students about journaling. I confess that as much as I value this form of prayer, I am not always successful in conveying its value to my students. I will be adding this article to my teacher tool kit. I think it is easy for the students to relate to and gives insights in a way that will attract them and give them the courage to give it a try.

—Name withheld upon request

Craft Ideas Welcome!

Thank you for publishing Susan HinesBrigger’s article in the December/January issue, titled “A COVID-19 Christmas.” It was very timely, and I enjoyed her practical tips for how to celebrate Christmas safely while injecting more meaning into the holidays.

Supporting organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a great suggestion for getting into the Christmas spirit of generosity. One thing I wish was in the article was an arts and crafts activity or a cookie recipe to try out. I realize space was probably tight, but I couldn’t help but wonder what the kids in the photo on page 38 were making.

.S.P.S. TION ed 10 Friars Street, 5615. addiddress ngers, AIM, 8.

call n the Single notice ption-

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a.org/ manun fic-

Beth McCarthy, Littleton, Colorado

Orthodox Christmas Article Steeped in History

The article by Alberto Elli and Claire Riobé in the December/January issue (“Christmas in Bethlehem with Orthodox Christians”) was highly informative, and I enjoyed the photos showing the variety of celebrations of different Orthodox Churches. The photo on page 25 of the Kawas security guards was fascinating. I had no idea that such a group existed to keep the peace during the celebrations.

It prompted me to do some historical research of the Kawas and the Ottoman Empire. I highly recommend the book God’s Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World, by Alan Mikhail, for anyone interested in the history of this empire and one of its most ambitious rulers.

Martin Fenwick, Greenwich, Connecticut

Nun Not a Uniter

I’m writing in regard to Susan Hines-Brigger’s December/January Church in the News column, specifically the item titled “Sister Simone Campbell to Step Down.” The last sentence claims that Sister Simone has worked to bridge divides in politics and society. In my opinion, she embraced a liberal agenda over the years, and I hardly see her as someone who unifies people on the left and right.

I respect her as a woman of faith, but I don’t always agree with her politics or her perspective on certain issues. I believe many on the right are put off by her work with the Nuns on the Bus. Grant Schaefer, Des Moines, Iowa

Christ’s Humble Birthplace

David Dault’s Faith Unpacked column in the December/January issue (“Throw Open the Doors to Christ”) was an inspiring reminder of how humble the setting was for Jesus’ birth.

Mary and Joseph probably had more farm animals than people as company when Jesus was born. Even the manger itself is sometimes depicted in a glorified way that makes it look more comfortable than it really was. I imagine that the Holy Family huddled together, struggling to stay warm.

Dr. Dault’s column also reminded me that, just as Mary and Joseph were denied a room at the inn, there are many people we deem as unworthy, either in our personal lives or as a society. Now that Christmas is over, I hope I can keep that in mind throughout the year.

Beverly Sheldon, Baltimore, Maryland

Supporting Our Veterans

I would like to formally and sincerely express my gratitude for the amazing St. Anthony Messenger magazine that we receive at the Dublin VA Medical Center’s Chaplain Service.

It is your continued support that sustains our mission and makes all the difference. You have gone above and beyond to help support and inform our veterans by providing us copies of St. Anthony Messenger. I cannot begin to explain how your magazine has touched and encouraged our veterans, providing them with enjoyable and knowledgeable articles.

Once again, thank you for your drive and hard work.

Rodney A. Lindsay, Dublin, Georgia

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church IN THE NEWS

people | events | trends

By Susan Hines-Brigger

SPECIAL REPORT

JOSEPH R. BIDEN BECOMES

SECOND CATHOLIC US PRESIDENT

n January 20, Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as president of the United States, only the second Catholic to hold the office. The first was John F. Kennedy. The day was filled with a number of nods to Biden’s Catholic faith, which he has spoken of often.

PRAYING FOR THOSE LOST

The evening before the inauguration, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, head of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, offered a prayer before a ceremony remembering the people who have died from COVID-19. The ceremony took place at the Lincoln Memorial, where 400 lights were illuminated along the edges of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, marking the more than 400,000 Americans who have died by late January.

During his prayer, the cardinal said, “We turn to the Lord of all to receive these, our sisters and brothers, into eternal peace and to comfort all of those who grieve the loss of a loved one.

“Our sorrow unites us to one another as a single people with compassionate hearts,” he continued. “May our prayer strengthen our awareness of our common humanity and our national unity at a time when harmony is a balm that

seeks to comfort and strengthen us as a single people facing a common threat that is no respecter of age, race, culture, or gender.”

Catholic News Service (CNS) reported that, during the memorial, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception tolled its largest bell—the Blessed Virgin Mary Bell—400 times. Each toll of the bell represented 1,000 lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

MORNING MASS

The morning of the inauguration, Biden attended Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle, the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Washington, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders from both political parties. Jesuit Father Kevin O’Brien, president of Jesuit-run Santa Clara University in California, celebrated the Mass, reported CNS. At the beginning of the Mass, Father O’Brien told those in attendance: “Before all the activities of this wonderful day, we quiet ourselves and ground ourselves in the faithful love of God and love we have for one another. This day, when we emphasize national unity, we welcome people of all faith traditions and all political preferences, for we are all sons and

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CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT AND TOP RIGHT: TOM BRENNER/REUTERS; CENTER: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS

O

CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS; RIGHT: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

On January 20 of this year, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, surrounded by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and children Ashley and Hunter.

He took the oath, administered by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, using a 127-year-old family Bible.

SPECIAL REPORT

CNS PHOTOS: TOP LEFT AND TOP RIGHT: TOM BRENNER/REUTERS; CENTER: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS

CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS; RIGHT: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

On the morning of the inauguration, Biden and his wife, Jill, attended Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle, the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Washington. He was joined at the Mass by members of both congressional parties.

daughters of God and we all need to say thank you to the Biden’s speech—unity—Father O’Donovan said: “Today, God who has been so, so good to us and to our country. And we confess our past failures to live according to our vision we also need to rely on God’s help, God’s encouragement.” of equality, inclusion, and freedom for all. Yet we resolutely The cathedral has played a key role in the Catholic life of commit still now to renewing the vision, to caring for one the nation. The funeral Mass for President John F. Kennedy another in word and deed, especially the least fortunate was celebrated in the cathedral on among us, and so becoming light for November 25, 1963. The parish’s website the world. There is a power in each and also notes that Mother Teresa visited the every one of us that lives by turning to cathedral in 1974, and, in 1979, Pope every other one of us, a thrust of the John Paul II celebrated Mass in the spirit to cherish and care and stand by cathedral during his visit to the United others, and above all those most in need.

States. When Pope Francis visited the It is called love, and its path is to give United States in 2015, he presided at a ever more of itself.” midday prayer service with the US bishFor his inauguration, Biden used a ops at the cathedral.

127-year-old family Bible. He has used Every year on the Sunday before the the Bible twice before when he was Supreme Court of the United States being sworn in as vice president and begins its regular term, a special Mass is seven times as senator from Delaware. celebrated, praying for the Holy Spirit It also was used by his late son, Beau, in to guide those in the legal profession. his swearing-in ceremony as Delaware’s Father Leo O’Donovan, SJ, delivered the opening Known as the “Red Mass,” the Supreme prayer at the presidential inauguration, January 20. attorney general.

Court justices, members of Congress, the president’s cabinet, diplomatic corps, local municipal, PARISHIONERS PRAISE INAUGURATION POET state, and national government leaders, and sometimes the Amanda Gorman, who received praise for her poem “The president of the United States join the celebration.

Hill We Climb,” which she recited at the presidential inauguration, was heralded by her fellow parishioners at St. Brigid CALL FOR UNITY Church in Los Angeles, reported CNS. Jesuit Father Leo O’Donovan, former president of St. Brigid’s pastor, Josephite Father Kenneth Keke, told CNS during a January 22 interview that he viewed Gorman’s Georgetown University and current director of mission for Jesuit Refugee Service, delivered the opening prayer at the achievement as a representation of the entire parish. St. Brigid’s is predominantly African American but now also has inauguration. The priest, a friend of the Biden family, was the main celebrant at the funeral Mass for Biden’s son Beau a growing number of Latino, Filipino, and white parishionin 2015. ers too.

“We are a community; everyone here is important,” the In what seemed like an introduction to the theme of StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 7

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SPECIAL REPORT

priest said. “Whatever belongs to the parish belongs to everyone; in our parish, the success of anyone is the success of all.”

Gorman was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles at the age of 16. Around the same time, she wrote a poem about St. Brigid Parish that she recited at the end of a Mass commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Father Keke said of Gorman: “She is a very, very intelligent young lady. The first time I saw her, I knew that one day she was going to be very important.”

POPE, US BISHOPS SEND MESSAGES TO BIDEN

Pope Francis, as well as the president of the US bishops’ conference, sent messages to the new president, offering him good wishes and an assurance of prayers. The head of the bishops, however, also addressed areas of concern with the new president.

Pope Francis wrote, “At a time when the grave crises facing our human family call for farsighted and united responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by a concern for building a society marked by authentic justice and freedom, together with unfailing respect for the rights and dignity of every person, especially the poor, the vulnerable, and those who have no voice.”

He concluded the message by writing: “I likewise ask God, the source of all wisdom and truth, to guide your efforts to foster understanding, reconciliation, and peace within the United States and among the nations of the world in order to advance the universal common good. With these sentiments, I willingly invoke upon you and your family and the beloved American people an abundance of blessings.”

Bishop John E. Stowe, OFM Conv, of Lexington, Kentucky, bishop-president of Pax Christi USA, said he was offering a prayer of thanksgiving and breathing “a deep sigh of relief ” that the transition from one administration to another was occurring peacefully, reported CNS.

Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles

As Biden takes office, Bishop Stowe said he will focus not on the new president’s shortcomings “because I know there will be plenty to disagree about and work to change” during his term. “Today I give thanks that a person of decency, morals, and character will inhabit the White House again, and I am proud that he is a Catholic and has been formed by the values of our faith,” he added.

In a statement released the day of the inauguration, Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the bishops looked forward to working with only the second Catholic president in the country’s history.

“In a time of growing and aggressive secularism in American culture, when religious believers face many challenges, it will be refreshing to engage with a president who clearly understands, in a deep and personal way, the importance of religious faith and institutions,” the statement read.

“Mr. Biden’s piety and personal story, his moving witness to how his faith has brought him solace in times of darkness and tragedy, his long-standing commitment to the Gospel’s priority for the poor—all of this I find hopeful and inspiring.”

The archbishop did not, however, shy away from addressing areas where he felt Biden’s policies strayed from Catholic teaching.

“I must point out that our new president has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences,” he said, adding, “If the president, with full respect for the Church’s religious freedom, were to engage in this conversation, it would go a long way toward restoring the civil balance and healing our country’s needs.”

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CNS PHOTOS: LEFT AND RIGHT: VATICAN MEDIA; MIDDLE: CREATIVE COMMONS 2.0/DANIEL X. O’NEIL

Bishop John E. Stowe, OFM Conv

CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: KEVIN LAMARQUE, REUTERS; MIDDLE: CREATIVE COMMONS 4.0; RIGHT: PAUL HARING

Amanda Gorman

CNS PHOTOS: LEFT AND RIGHT: VATICAN MEDIA; MIDDLE: CREATIVE COMMONS 2.0/DANIEL X. O’NEIL

CNS PHOTOS: LEFT: KEVIN LAMARQUE, REUTERS; MIDDLE: CREATIVE COMMONS 4.0; RIGHT: PAUL HARING

church IN THE NEWS

people | events | trends

NEWSBRIEFS

Pope Francis’ personal physician, Fabrizio Soccorsi, died from COVID-19 complications in January.

Father Michael Pfleger stepped away from his ministry following a sexual abuse claim against him.

A man who resides in one of the Vatican-owned care and resident facilities receives the COVID vaccine.

POPE FRANCIS’ personal physician, Fabrizio Soccorsi, died on January 9 of complications caused by COVID-19.

Soccorsi had been the pope’s personal physician since 2015.

pope referred to the vaccination as “an ethical action, because you are gambling with your health, you are gambling with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others.”

That same day, as it was vaccinating residents and employees, the Vatican also distributed the vaccine to a group of around 25 homeless people permanently housed in Vatican-owned care and resident facilities. More vaccines were scheduled to be given in the following days. Members of the first group to receive the shots were men and women over the age of 60, most of whom have serious health problems, Vatican News reported.

St. Sabina and members of the parish school, St. Sabina Academy.

THE DIOCESE of Lansing, Michigan, in collaboration with Catholic Healthcare International, is working to build a replica of the hospital built by the Capuchin Franciscan St. Padre Pio in the Italian town of San Giovanni Rotondo, according to Detroit Catholic, the digital news service for the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Michigan project, located in Howell, Michigan, is known as Casa USA and will duplicate St. Pio’s hospital complex for the first time outside of Italy, including an exact replica of the saint’s original friary church.

ON JANUARY 20, Pope Francis and former Pope Benedict XVI received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, reported Vatican News Service. The

FATHER MICHAEL PFLEGER, a popular Chicago priest and advocate against gun violence, gangs, poverty, and racism, has stepped aside from his ministry after the Chicago Archdiocese said it received an allegation that the priest had sexually abused a minor more than 40 years ago. Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced the move in a letter to Father Pfleger’s parishioners at

ON JANUARY 6, the US Supreme Court voted 6–3 to reinstate a federal requirement that women who are seeking abortion-inducing drugs must do so in person, not by mail, as a federal judge had allowed last year due to the pandemic and the high court had let stand.

According to CNS, the justices said women must follow previous Food and Drug Administration requirements that they visit a doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic in person in order to obtain Mifeprex, the brand name for mifepristone, also called RU-486, which is used to end pregnancies during the first 10 weeks.

CATHOLICS IN public life, saints, and sainthood candidates will be featured in a new National Garden of American Heroes that former President Donald J. Trump created by executive order before leaving office.

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SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | ASK A FRANCISCAN

By Pat McCloskey, OFM

Was St. Joseph a Virgin?

Eucharistic Prayer I refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as “ever virgin” but does not use the same expression for St. Joseph.

Why? ome Church fathers speculated that Jesus’ “brothers and sisters” (Mt 13:55– 56) were the children of Joseph from a previous marriage instead of cousins of Jesus. The Gospels do not say that Joseph was a widower before marrying Mary.

Nevertheless, some Christians have had an easier time thinking of Joseph as an older widower than as a man approximately Mary’s age. Some painters have portrayed Joseph at the birth of Jesus as significantly older than Mary. I am not saying that this interpretation is correct—only that it is somewhat common.

Pope Francis last December issued “With a Father’s Heart,” an apostolic letter on the 150th anniversary of the proclamation by Blessed Pius IX of St. Joseph as patron of the universal Church. He also proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph. The pope writes: “Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history, and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses” (2). The complete text is available at vatican.va.

S

ONLINE: StAnthonyMessenger.org E-MAIL: Ask@FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Ask a Franciscan 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

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What Is the Meaning of the Tau Cross?

Why do Franciscans so often wear a Tau cross or use it in their artwork? Also, compared to the crosses we usually see, why doesn’t it have a top part? au is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is thought to be the symbol with which Ezekiel marked those chosen by God (Ez 9:4). Pope Innocent III opened the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 (which was very important to St. Francis) with a homily on this Scripture passage.

St. Francis of Assisi eventually signed his letters not with his name but with this symbol. Many Franciscans wear such a cross on a piece of leather, and Franciscan pilgrimage programs often begin by giving each participant such a cross. It represents a journey never completed this side of heaven. The Tau reminds us of St. Francis’ saying, “Let us begin again.”

T

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WE HAVE A DIGITAL archive of Q & As, going back to March 2013.

To get started, go to StAnthonyMessenger.org.

Material is grouped thematically under headings such as forgiveness, Jesus, moral issues, prayer, saints, redemption, sacraments, Scripture—and many more!

How Can I Guarantee This Final Wish?

I would like a priest or layperson to recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy beside me as I am dying.

Is this a vital preparation for one’s soul to enter heaven?

No, it is not, although it is a fine prayer. Jesus’ disciples have lived their faith and died “in the Lord” for centuries before that prayer existed. Living out the Lord’s advice to be always prepared is a more trustworthy preparation for death than hoping that someone else will pray this prayer while a friend or loved one is dying.

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Father Pat welcomes your questions!

TOP AND LOWER LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP RIGHT: ANKE/FOTOSEARCH

Pat McCloskey, OFM

Quick Questions and Answers

How can I help my 16-year-old younger sister avoid being ensnared by the lures of this world, to discern and walk in confidence about God without envy, resentment, or accepting the lies so prevalent today?

Encourage her simply to tell the truth, especially to herself—and then model that truth-telling in your own life. People most often get into trouble when they lie to themselves about what they are doing and what the likely consequences will be.

It sounds as though they have suffered much yet do not know what to do with their pain. In the face of great suffering, people always move toward greater bitterness or greater compassion. You might ask them privately if they know anyone who ever suffered greatly and didn’t become bitter because of it. Bitterness and compassion are always choices, not the only possible response to life’s bruises.

Some of my evangelical friends are very big on the Rapture and expect Christ to return very soon. I am concerned: Who will take care of my pets?

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TOP AND LOWER LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP RIGHT: ANKE/FOTOSEARCH

Three friends whom I have known for over 50 years now speak very negatively about life. I listen to them, but I have no idea what to say. Their anger about their lives is so great that they cannot hear me when I try to tell them I believe in God’s mercy. What can I do besides pray for them? I do not want to “write them off.”

The same God who created them and sustains them will continue to take care of them. We may or may not be alive when Jesus returns, but that return should not be allowed to keep us from the corporal works of mercy that those condemned by Jesus (Mt 25:31–46) failed to carry out. Jesus’ return does not excuse us from current responsibilities but should motivate us to carry them out calmly. St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians may help you on this issue.

St. Anthony’s intercession before God is powerful!

Visit StAnthony.org to post your prayer request and pray for others.

StAnthony.org

The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492 513-721-4700, ext. 3219 StAnthony.org

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SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS | FOLLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS

By Janice Lane Palko

Being a Friar a ‘Powerful Witness to Unity’

S

t. Francis’ witness has spoken to many people throughout the centuries. Some have related to his love of nature, while others have embraced his simplicity, and still others have admired his detachment from worldly goods.

Father Michael Martin, OFM Conv, cites another aspect of Franciscan spirituality that he believes we could all use these days: unity.

“Religious life, at least in our community, is one of the most, if not the most, powerful witness to unity. We live in a fractured world that keeps trying to ask itself how we can be less fractured. As a Franciscan, I have no control over who I live with. I’m assigned to live in a community with other friars. We have to find a way to love each other, and not just love each other but live with each other,” says Father Michael, who is the director of the Duke Catholic Center at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and resides with three other friars.

EARLY STIRRINGS OF THE SPIRIT

Father Michael, 59, grew up in Baltimore in a Catholic family. “My dad’s side of the family was Catholic, but my mother’s side was Lutheran,” he says. “My mom converted to

marry my dad, who is one of the best Catholics I know. We went to church on Sundays. I never felt like we were ‘uber Catholic,’ but faith was very much a part of our identity.”

He first thought about becoming a priest when he was in middle school. “The pastor of my parish was a fine man, very rooted in Jesus. He was a horrible administrator—he couldn’t organize a sock drawer, but everyone loved him, and he lived his faith very powerfully. He taught me how to pray,” says Father Michael. “Once I went to high school at Archbishop Curley, which the friars have administered and taught at since its opening in 1961, I felt a connection to them.”

By his senior year, he had already applied to colleges, had a girlfriend, and was ready to launch his adult life, but he couldn’t deny his calling. “I found that I couldn’t shake the idea of becoming a priest,” Father Michael recalls. “I felt like I wouldn’t allow myself to think about it. Once I gave myself permission to think about it, however, it became clear to me that this was what I needed to do. I think I was just afraid of what it meant. And what it would cost.”

Father Michael entered the seminary in Ellicott City, Maryland, right out of high school at 17 and made his

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FATHER MICHAEL MARTIN, OFM CONV

“We live in a fractured world that keeps trying to ask itself how we can be less fractured. As a Franciscan, I have no control over who I live with. I’m assigned to live in a community with other friars. We have to find a way to love each other, and not just love each other but live with each other,” says Father Michael Martin, OFM Conv.

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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FATHER MICHAEL MARTIN, OFM CONV

NURTURING FAITH FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

After being ordained a deacon in Rome, he spent a year at St. Adalbert’s Parish in Queens, New York, where he oversaw religious education. He was ordained a priest in June of 1989 and was sent to the Franciscan high school in Buffalo, where he served as the director of admissions for five years and did some teaching as well as coaching basketball. While there, he attended Boston College during the summers, earning a master’s in education administration.

In 1994, he returned to where it all began, Archbishop Curley High School, his alma mater, serving as the admissions director for two years, principal for five, and then president of the school for nine years. “It was a pleasure to lead the school that had made such a difference in my life,” he says.

In 2010, his provincial asked him to consider an open position at Duke University, and he was hired. “We are a full-service Catholic campus ministry.

Although we are not a parish, we function like one for students, both undergraduates and graduates,” says Father Michael. “Catholics are the largest single denomination on campus. About 23 percent of the student body (approximately 2,500 students) is Catholic.”

Father Michael reflects on and discusses vocations with students on a regular basis. “Often students will say they would never consider being a friar [or joining the clergy or other religious orders] because they want to be married,” he says.

“I tell them that I wanted to be married, too, but that is the story of every call. In Scripture, it always shows the Lord asking, ‘Why don’t you come do this instead?’

I love the life that I’ve had and that I have. I never see it as God has some big plan all set and that he expects us to play ‘20 Questions’ and figure out what he already knows. I don’t believe God works that way. He allows us to flourish in a lot of different ways as long as we’re open to allowing our lives to give him glory. I hope that my life has done just that.”

ST. ANTHONY

BREAD

FRANK JASPER, OFM

Father Michael celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the tomb of St. John Paul II.

first vows at the end of that year. After that he went to St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby, Massachusetts, and then taught for a year at the Franciscan high school in Buffalo, New York, before taking his final vows.

Father Michael then was sent to Rome for three years to study theology at the Pontifical Theological Faculty at St. Bonaventure–The Seraphicum.

“It was exciting to be in Rome studying Catholic theology then. This was 1985–1988, pre-computers and Internet,” Father Michael remembers.

“The Vatican would issue a document in the morning, and we’d have it and be discussing it by lunch. You’re reading Paul’s letter to the Romans, and you’re there in Rome.”

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation.

The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below.

Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. viSit our webSite to:

StAnthony.org mAil poStAl communicAtionS to:

St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

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SPIRITOFST.FRANCIS “As long as God does not stop giving to us, we shall not stop giving to the poor.”

—Mother Mary Francis Bachmann

FRANCISCAN WORLD

By Pat McCloskey, OFM

Aston, Pennsylvania

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ST. ANTHONY STORIES

The Missing Dessert Spoon

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orty years ago, while my husband was on a business trip to Brazil, he stopped for lunch and ordered a dessert called flan. The dessert came with a small flat-headed spoon, which he was allowed to keep when he noted to his hosts how unique it looked. Indeed, almost daily my husband has used it to spoon small amounts from small containers and even eats with it from time to time. One Sunday, though, the spoon was gone. He had last used it the previous night while sitting on the couch watching TV in his bathrobe. We noticed its absence after Mass. After an intense search, he sat to read St. Anthony Messenger and commented on an article of interest. So, I said a prayer of petition to St. Anthony and began another search while my husband went to work out. The spoon was in the pocket of his robe dutifully hung behind our bedroom closet door the previous night. Upon his return and my telling the story, he insisted we share our timely find—and most satisfying good fortune— with St. Anthony Messenger.

—Karen Lucas, Richmond, Virginia

MOTHER MARY FRANCIS BACHMANN

She saw a need and gathered other women who shared her vision about responding in a Franciscan way.

In 1855, Bishop John Neumann of Philadelphia received Anna Maria Bachmann, Barbara Boll, and Anna Dorn into a new religious community that would become the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia (now headquartered in nearby Aston).

The sisters opened a home for immigrant girls, a school, and an orphanage, and cared for the sick. Bishops in Buffalo and Syracuse successfully exerted pressure on members of the community to create new Franciscan congregations in their dioceses.

Mother Mary Francis Bachmann died of tuberculosis in 1863.

—Pat McCloskey, OFM

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WANT MORE? Learn about your favorite saints and blesseds by going to: SaintoftheDay.org

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: COURTESY SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF PHILADELPHIA; LOWER LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM

he Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia were founded in 1855

by Mother Mary Francis Bachmann, encouraged by St. John Neumann. Today they serve in prayer ministry, health care, education at all levels (including their Neumann University in Aston), parish and diocesan ministry, spiritual and pastoral care, social services, counseling, Sisters in ministry often advocacy, and leadership in national organizations. In 1965, the congregation work with the local youth, helped found the Franciscan Federation giving educational tours of the Third Order Regular. They support and assisting at shelters. the Franciscan Action Network and promote Franciscan renewal around the world.

In the 19th century, local bishops strongly pressured sisters working in their dioceses to form separate congregations concentrating on the needs of that diocese. In 2004, several congregations once connected to Aston created a new one.

This congregation’s members choose a Gospel way of life lived in community, loving God and being in relationship through loving service. Committed to the economically poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed, the sisters minister in approximately 13 US states as well as in Ireland and Africa. They are assisted by 400 Franciscan Companions in Mission, women and men inspired by the congregation’s members and charism.

The Aston congregation can be contacted at OSFPhila.org.

—Thanks to Florence Smith for assisting with this profile.

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POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL

By Daniel Imwalle

The Hard Work of Healing

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et’s face it: We’re exhausted. It is a profound fatigue that envelops people from the far right to the far left, and no matter the changes in personnel and policy made at the federal, state, or local level, nothing seems to remedy it. Just when we think we can rest for a spell and recharge our batteries on a societal level, some new tragedy or painful disappointment blows in, and we’re back to square one. So what do we do?

There’s been a lot of talk—and not nearly as much action—about the need for healing in our nation. With all the vitriol and aspersions cast from both sides of the aisle, and perhaps from across the dinner table during family meals, healing is a tall order. But we all know our society needs it, that it is the only true salve to the aforementioned fatigue. The question is how. We can look to our Catholic faith to guide us through these murky and messy times.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

Though we may wish we could, we cannot will healing into happening. We also can’t expect our elected officials to fix this for us.

It’s going to take effort— and in equal measures from individuals across the political spectrum. At the core of this effort is reconciliation, something so important that it has a whole sacrament devoted to it in our faith. Our Catholic tradition places the Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism and before holy Communion, so many of us have carried the implications of this revered act within us for a long time. But what is reconciliation, really? It must go beyond saying “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you.” Reconciliation is a two-way street. One person might forgive another, but unless that outreach is accepted and returned, there is no reconciliation. Even so, honest forgiveness is never wasted.

We humans would like our reality to be nice and tidy, with no annoying loose ends or unfinished business. And yet reality consistently presents us with the opposite scenario.

There’s always something more (or less) we could have said, some fence that never was mended, a relationship that didn’t quickly end, but just dissipated. When we reconcile with each other, we bind ourselves to each other and reaffirm the inherent value and dignity of the other person. With reconciliation, we free ourselves and each other, and we keep the door open to love, peace, and goodwill.

Pope Francis has referenced reconciliation many times since becoming pope. Considering how frequently reconciliation has figured in many of his writings and homilies, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it’s one of the pillars of his papacy. In a general audience in April 2020, Pope Francis said that peacemakers are people “who have learned the art of peace and practice it, they know that there is no reconciliation without the gift of one’s life, and that peace must be sought always and in every case.”

In his latest encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” the words reconciliation and forgive (or related words) appear 15 and 28 times, respectively. “When conflicts are not resolved but kept hidden or buried in the past, silence can lead to complicity in grave misdeeds and sins,” Pope Francis writes.

“Authentic reconciliation does not flee from conflict, but is achieved in conflict, resolving it through dialogue and open, honest, and patient negotiation” (244). The hard work of reconciliation is not only noble; it is nested in the Gospel call to plant the seeds of the kingdom of God on earth.

‘AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST’

We live in precarious times, to be sure. A devastating pandemic and vicious political division have left us shaken, afraid, and vulnerable. Now is the time to be all the more vigilant of the dangers of extremism and lack of dialogue. With the assault on the Capitol on January 6 not nearly far enough away in the rearview mirror, we must remember how delicate the balance of a stable society is. As Americans, we are bound to each other as citizens.

As people of faith, we are bound to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Reconciliation builds and strengthens those bonds.

As we find ourselves in the midst of Lent, a season of penance, may we not only seek to cleanse our own souls, but reach out and reconcile with those we find ourselves at odds with. Doing so brings us closer to each other and paves the way to healing. It also brings us all closer to God. As St. Paul wrote: “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). And as “ambassadors for Christ,” we are called to do the hard work of healing our broken nation and our broken hearts.

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POINTSOFVIEW | AT HOME ON EARTH

By Kyle Kramer

A Different Take on Fasting

Kyle Kramer

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s a zealous young man, I often undertook pretty extreme Lenten fasts. One time, back in graduate school, I even fasted from electricity. I still chuckle about how strange my friends and neighbors must have thought I was back then—and, of course, they were absolutely right.

Looking back, I see how much those fasts were fueled not only by the enthusiastic idealism of youth, but also by my need to flex my moral muscles, to feel self-righteous. I was proud of the degree of deprivation that I undertook—and, if I’m honest, I felt some disdain for those who couldn’t or wouldn’t go to such extremes as I had.

As I’ve aged, my idealism and moral muscle power aren’t quite what they were back in my 20s. I don’t attempt such look-at-me kinds of fasts anymore. I’d like to hope that this stems from a bit more spiritual maturity, more humility, less need to impress myself or others, and a clearer focus on the spiritual invitations of the penitential season.

But as I think about the new generation of young climate activists, such as Varshini Prakash and the Sunrise Movement or Greta Thunberg and her school strikes for the climate, I’m reconsidering. These young people are asking hard things of us who are

older. They see clearly that the world we are handing to them is damaged and degraded.

They understand, in stark terms, that if we continue with our too-little, too-late, business-as-usual approach, the world will pass various environmental tipping points from which we can’t recover—and that they, in their lifetimes, will experience the brunt of the ensuing catastrophes. In the face of such a bleak future, they are demanding that we change our lifestyles, our laws, our economics, the very assumptions and habits of modern first-world living—an entire paradigm shift that must happen at scale and at speed, which is no small thing.

I think that, at our core, we also want what they want. We don’t want to preside over the kind of destruction that is happening right now. We want a kinder, gentler, thriving, cooperative world—for them, for generations yet unborn, and for ourselves. The pleasures and satisfactions offered by our current way of living pale in comparison to the kind of just and equitable future they are asking us to help create.

It’s no exaggeration to say that we are addicted to using a lot of energy and natural resources to support our current way of life. In fact, according to the article “2,000

H

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EarthandSpiritCenter.org

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LEFT: COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; RIGHT: SATURATED/ISTOCK

Kyle is the executive director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, which offers interfaith educational programming in meditation, ecology, and social compassion.

He serves as a Catholic climate ambassador for the US Conference of Catholic Bishopssponsored Catholic Climate Covenant and is the author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt (Ave Maria Press, 2010).

He speaks across the country on issues of ecology and spirituality.

He and his family spent 15 years as organic farmers and homesteaders in Spencer County, Indiana.

Watt Society,” in the United Nations University magazine Our World, we Americans use about six times more energy than our global “fair share” and 40 times more than the average Bangladeshi.

How can we make the changes that the younger generations rightfully demand of us? It feels impossibly daunting, so the temptation to do nothing is very great. But while any one person’s impact may seem small, each of us can do what is ours to do. Both as a Christian and as a world citizen, I want to do something more, and I think the Lenten season may be a way to move toward the future I want to help create.

FASTING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Lenten fasting has traditionally been about food. Given that a meat-heavy diet is more than twice as environmentally impactful as a plant-based diet, couldn’t that be a place to start? What if, for the season of Lent, we ate half as many animal products as we usually do—or even, if we want to be hard-core, none at all?

Another potential Lenten fast is from consumption. What if, for the season of Lent, we decided to cut in half our purchase of nonessential items or even cut out such purchases entirely?

We might also look at our use of energy—for our household and our transportation. What if we made at least one energy-saving investment in our home, whether that is installing LED light bulbs or a more efficient furnace? Or perhaps we could cut out any unnecessary travel. Given the restrictions of the pandemic, this should be an easy lift.

Almsgiving is another aspect of the Lenten season. Why

TIPS

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LEFT: COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; RIGHT: SATURATED/ISTOCK

HELPFUL

not choose to direct some of our resources toward organizations—faith-based or secular— that are working hard to create a more livable future for all?

What if we made a commitment to purchase renewable energy credits, which help offset the environmental impact of our energy use?

IN GOD’S HANDS

The third element of Lent is, of course, prayer. Because the task before us is so all-encompassing and intimidating, prayer is essential. It not only sustains our own hope, but I believe prayer also has powerful, worldchanging effects far beyond our own sphere. I don’t pretend to understand how this works, but as a person of faith, I believe that it does—not as an excuse to avoid doing something “tangible,” but as a complement to it. Prayer really can move mountains, and that is the scale of what is required now.

The needs of our historical moment are pulling me out of my middle-age comfort zone into a sharper-edged sense of commitment. And I’d like to think that the deprivations of the pandemic have both helped me pare things down to a more essential level and toughened me up enough to live out my commitments more seriously. The Lenten season provides a wonderful opportunity to make all of this tangible.

The question, of course, is whether we can do this in a way that rises to the seriousness of the moment and yet somehow holds our own actions lightly at the same time: caring deeply and yet unattached to outcomes. That’s the paradox, which only the faithful, contemplative imagination can manage. Our future may be in our hands, but we are in God’s.

RESOURCES

According to Founders Pledge and Giving Green, the three most effective charities working on US climate policy are the Clean Air Task Force, Carbon180, and the Sunrise Movement Education Fund.

Faith-based charities working on climate change issues are the Catholic Climate Covenant, the Franciscan Action Network, and Interfaith Power and Light.

If you want to quantify your environmental impact, especially in regard to climate change, you can find carbon footprint calculators at the Environmental Protection Agency, The Nature Conservancy, CarbonFootprint.com, the Global Footprint Network, and others.

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Flipping the Questions

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ike most of us in the developed world, I have too much stuff. Just last weekend, it took a ridiculous amount of time to find a jacket I wanted to wear to work, all because my closet was simply too full. It was past time to go through it all and give away what I no longer needed.

Also like most of us, I tackled the task KonMari style, the popular method of decluttering popularized by organizing consultant Marie Kondo in her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Kondo suggests deciding which belongings should stay and which should go by asking of each, “Does it spark joy?”

I gave it a shot, but I failed miserably. That pair of extrathick wool socks that I haven’t worn in years? It doesn’t bring me joy in this moment, but it certainly might if next winter comes with subzero temperatures. And that lovely evening gown I only wore once when I was thinner? It doesn’t excite me right now, but what if I dropped a couple dress sizes?

The wool socks and evening gown seemed to have too much “potential joy” for me to part with them.

I realized then that the question about joy was the wrong one to ask. On a second attempt at tackling the clutter, I

By Mary Ann Steutermann

asked a different question: “Did I even know this item was in my closet before I started looking?” That one did the trick. No, I didn’t remember that those wool socks or that old evening gown were in my possession before I started the purge, so they had to go. They joined two big boxes full of other items that I didn’t remember owning but were now ready for new homes, regardless of any future joy they may have promised. Now when it comes to decluttering, I have a new question that guides my choices.

In a very real sense, Christianity is all about flipping the questions. The Jesus we meet in the Gospels continually turned the tables on more than the money changers in the Temple. He flipped the very foundations of the Jewish power structure of the time and the interpretation of religious law.

He flipped people’s understanding of who is worthy and how God’s mercy works. And he flipped the meaning of death completely on its head. Unfortunately, some Catholic Christians today hold fast to the Son of God we know from Church doctrine but forget about the Jesus of Nazareth we meet in the Gospels. To reclaim the full truth from both, we may need to flip some of our usual questions.

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Asking yourself these three questions could change your mindset, putting you on a path that follows Jesus’ footsteps.

“WHAT DO I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP?”

“WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED ME TO GROW INTO?”

SSJ414-TABITHA PATRICK/ISTOCK

PUSH VS. PULL

There’s one question that every young person, regardless of country or culture, loathes: What do you want to be when you grow up? That question haunted me through childhood and well into adulthood. At one time or another, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, bus driver, nun, social worker, and computer programmer. And on it went, that desperate search for a future identity, careening from one career aspiration to another.

Eventually, I gave it up. During my freshman year of college, I decided to be “undecided.” That’s when a strange thing happened. I stopped obsessing about the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” and started asking myself, “What does the world need me to grow into?” I stopped searching for what I thought I’d like best and tried to listen for how I could best contribute to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Ironically, deciding how I could best serve led me to the fun and fulfilling career I had long sought. Thirty years later, I can say that choosing to become a Catholic school teacher was the best decision I’ve ever made. But the truth is that I didn’t explicitly choose education as a career. Through months of prayerful discernment, it chose me. It wasn’t until I flipped the question of “What do I want to be?” into the question of “How am I called to serve?” that the path became clear.

I think Jesus learned that same lesson, just more quickly than I did. I imagine Jesus’ friends and family were taken aback by his choice to be anything but a carpenter, the profession of Joseph and probably Joseph’s father and grandfather before him. But Jesus could not “push” himself into a role that was anything other than what he was called to do.

He let the Holy Spirit “pull” him into his ministry, and in doing so, he transformed the world.

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“WHY MUST I SUFFER?”

“HOW CAN I BE BRAVE?” bounced or we want to address the problem of homelessness in our city. When applied to the meaning of life, however, why doesn’t work as well. So I’ve learned to flip the why question into more of a how. Instead of “Why must I suffer?” I now ask myself, “How can I be brave?” The answer to this question has been different at different times in my life.

Once, the answer was to reach out to someone who had hurt me deeply. Another was to rip off the Band-Aid and admit my elderly parents into a nursing home. And yet another time, the bravest thing I could choose to do was to get out of bed in the morning.

Jesus, too, was no stranger to the struggle for meaning amid pain. Hanging on the cross before taking his last breath, he cried out, echoing the words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But Jesus’ whole message was about helping us answer the hows. How should I treat my neighbor? How often should I forgive? How am I to pray?

How must I deal with my enemy? In short, Jesus’ ministry was all about teaching us the answer to this question: “How am I to live?” Flipping the question from why to how not only helps us grapple with the question of meaning, but also gives us a practical road map for moving forward.

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Human beings are wired to seek meaning. As Christians, we know that we come from God and will return to God, so it only makes sense that the space in between is something beautiful, logical, and meaningful. Too often, though, it’s none of these.

When both parents and their three young children are tragically killed in a car accident, it’s none of these. When the diagnosis involves the phrases stage 4 and nothing we can do, it’s none of these. When a loved one’s mental health issues eventually lead to suicide, it’s none of these.

Still, we continue to ask why. Why did this happen? Why didn’t God prevent it? Why do good people suffer? We try to fill in the blanks with rational explanations for irrational tragedies. Perhaps God is trying to teach us a lesson or help us grow in character and moral fortitude. Might God be testing our faith or preparing us for some unknown future? No matter how superficially logical they may seem, each of these answers comes up short. The God of love we know through Jesus could not possibly be so small and vindictive.

Why is a handy question to ask when junior comes home with a bloody nose or the bank manager says the check

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WHY VS. HOW

“WHAT DO I DESERVE?”

“WHAT DOES MY NEIGHBOR NEED?”

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DIMA SIDELNIKOV/ISTOCK

FAIR VS. JUST

By far, my least favorite parable in the Gospels is the one about the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1–16). In it, a vineyard owner goes out to find laborers early one morning and sets them to work. Then, at about 9 a.m., he discovers more idle workers and sends them to join the others. He repeats this process at noon, 3 p.m., and even 5 p.m., shortly before the end of the workday. But when it’s time to pay the laborers, he pays those who arrived latest in the day and worked the least a full day’s wage. Naturally, those he hired early that morning and who worked all day long expected more, but no—they received the full day’s wage, just like those who worked very little.

The parable goes on to say that “they grumbled against the landowner.” I can hear them saying, “But that’s not fair!” and probably much worse. We humans expect the greatest rewards to go to the most deserving individuals, and we have a powerful need to keep score to ensure that they do.

But the vineyard owner has a fascinating response to those who felt they deserved to be paid: “I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?” I can imagine the workers’ response: “Well, yes, but . . .” The vineyard owner counters with a clever question: “Are you envious because I am generous?”

This parable has always been hard for me because I believe fairness is a good thing. And it is. It’s just not the most important thing. I’ve learned to flip the question, “What do I deserve?” and instead ask, “What does my neighbor need?” In doing so, I let go of my self-centered, regimented grip on fairness to make room for the more compassionate, loving embrace of justice. Surely, justice is the greater good.

BE TRANSFORMED

Jesus was all about turning things upside down. The religious authority of the Pharisees and scribes gave way to the sincere faith of some prostitutes and tax collectors. An eye for an eye was replaced with turning the other cheek. The darkness of death was transformed into new life. When we flip some of the questions that guide our paths forward, we open ourselves to the possibility of that same transformation in our own lives.

Mary Ann Steutermann is the director of campus ministry at Assumption High School, a Catholic all-girls school in Louisville, Kentucky. She’s also a freelance writer whose articles have been published in this magazine and on the popular Catholic website BustedHalo.com. Mary Ann lives in Louisville with her husband and son.

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LEFT AND RIGHT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP CENTER: PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL USA

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

LEFT AND RIGHT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; TOP CENTER: PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL USA

MOVING MOUNTAINS WITH CANNED GOODS When a classmate challenged Blessed Frédéric Ozanam to put his faith into action in 1833, he took it to heart.

Today his legacy lives on through this organization.

By Katie Rutter

I

t probably started when a mother noticed that her not-solittle boy’s ankles were showing. She sighed; all his clothes seemed to be perpetually shrinking.

She gathered the outgrown trousers along with a few other items and dropped them off at the local St. Vincent de Paul conference. It was a tiny donation forgotten as soon as she was home, but more than 60 years later, that gift is still remembered by the recipient.

“I remember walking to this little building that St. Vincent de Paul had in Elkhart, Indiana, and getting clothes to go to school,” recalls Ed Dolan, now 73.

He was 10 or 11 at the time, and his family had hit a rough patch. His dad, the breadwinner, had lost his job. With StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 23

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no income, the family turned to St. Vincent de Paul, which supplied Ed with those donated pants and other outfits to get him through the school year. Ed believes that the volunteers also gave his family enough food to fill their cupboards.

“That little time period always stuck in my mind—that our family received help at one point . . . I never forgot,” he explains.

The impact of those secondhand trousers has since multiplied a hundredfold.

Inspired by his childhood experience, Ed spends nearly every day volunteering at his hometown St. Vincent de Paul conference. His pickup truck, with a blue St. Vincent de Paul bumper sticker, circles the neighborhoods of Bloomington, Indiana, picking up furniture donations and distributing them to families in need.

To him, it’s the least he can do after the generosity of others saved his own family from dire straits. “I’m giving back what my family received so many years ago,” he says.

FAITH IN ACTION

KATIE RUTTER

This story of a small donation making a huge difference is repeated innumerable times. In this country alone, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul serves 4,400 communities. Lay volunteers, known as Vincentians, raise money and collect material goods to provide the necessities of life: food, clothing, emergency housing, financial assistance for rent and utilities, prescription medication, education, and help with transportation.

Though many conferences are known for running thrift shops, the organization exists entirely for charity. Any profits are given back to the poor of the community, and material assistance is given free of charge to those who cannot afford even the lowest prices.

The national society estimates that they gave away more than $1.2 billion in tangible and in-kind services in 2017. In Bloomington, Ed and his colleagues distributed over 4,800 pieces of furniture in a single year, all provided at no cost.

Every single one of those pieces, piled high into Ed’s truck before being unloaded and given away, could tell a story. More times than he can count, community members have recognized Ed’s blue St. Vincent de Paul shirt and stopped to thank him, describing how the society helped them out of a tough spot or provided a bed to sleep in after they got off the streets.

One grateful recipient posted a photo of her new chairs and table on the organization’s Facebook page, commenting that her space finally felt like home.

Another grateful mother commented, “They have helped me and my children in so many ways!”

“People do realize that we’re not doing this just because it makes us feel good; it is also because it’s responding to a call,” Ed says. “I feel that as a person who professes to believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God, part of the profession of faith is putting my faith into action,” he adds, echoing a belief that goes back to the very founding of the society.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was begun by a single individual shortly after the French Revolution. Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, a Catholic student at the University of Paris, was challenged by a fellow student: “What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?”

Frédéric took that challenge to heart. Gathering a few friends, he founded what he called the “Conference of Charity” in May of 1833 and personally tended to the poor in the tenements of Paris. Before long, others joined the group and the society placed itself under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th-century saint known as the “Father of the Poor” because of his dedication to missions and serving those who are in need.

Volunteer Ed Dolan makes his rounds nearly every day, picking up donated furniture and distributing it to people in need. For Ed, it’s a way to give back and put his faith into action.

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Almost as if to prove that the power of Jesus, the multiplier of loaves himself, was at work, Frédéric’s idea spread like wildfire. Before his death in 1853, conferences could be found throughout Europe. Today, Vincentians serve in 150 countries across five continents.

LOAVES, FISHES, AND FORKLIFTS

Loaves, and especially nonperishable items, continue to multiply miraculously in the hands of the Vincentians.

Catholic families are as familiar with charity drives as

they are with the creed. The request goes out, and the faithful gather up cans of corn, carrots, and peas from pantries and store shelves. Children lug bulging grocery sacks back to their school and get a sticker or extra credit as a reward.

Adults drop the bags off at their home parish and hardly think of the canned goods again.

Most never know that, through the efforts of these dedicated volunteers, those items feed thousands. In Indianapolis, the St. Vincent de Paul Council hosts what they believe to be the largest food pantry in the Midwest, if not

COVID-19 assistance in Kenya

Visiting the elderly in Thailand

Flood relief in India

Health care in Lebanon

First aid in Burundi

Emergency meals in Mongolia

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL INTERNATIONAL DIVISION (6)

INTERNATIONAL VINCENTIANS

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL INTERNATIONAL DIVISION (6)

in the country. Traversing a sprawling warehouse, an army course offered for free by many St. Vincent de Paul conferof volunteers empty the grocery sacks and sort the contents. ences. Those who attend meet once a week to learn about the Cans of peas are dropped into a pallet-sized box with the essential resources needed to live a more stable and prosperrest of the peas. Boxes of macaroni are stacked neatly on a ous life. They are asked to assess themselves and to plan how freestanding shelf. they can change their own situation. Attendees also receive Forklifts transport the filled boxes to another room, information about community resources. where more Vincentians prepare balanced-diet boxes of “They write a plan out, but it’s not a pie-in-the-sky plan. food for their guests. During normal times, the Indianapolis It’s a step-by-step, how do I get there,” explains Domoni group could expect to serve about 3,000 families each week.

Rouse, coordinator of the Changing Lives Forever program During the coronavirus pandemic, that number increased to in Indianapolis. “If [they] want to go to school, they have 3,700 or more. to write all the steps to get there—what’s the financial part, Before the pandemic, families would wind their way what’s the childcare part, the transportation part, the study through the warehouse in aisles created by the huge boxes of part?” she explains. food, selecting items and placing them into a grocery cart.

Like John, many of the graduates finally achieve stability, When social distancing orders came in place, families would which means they no longer have to turn to a food pantry. pile into cars instead and wait their turn in a long queue They can give to others the assistance and the knowledge snaking through the St. Vincent de Paul parking lot. The line that they themselves have received. ends in a tent, where smiling volunteers lower boxes of food “I saw one person in particular,” Domoni recalls, “having into the trunks of cars. her first savings account, and she said, ‘What In all cases, however, one of the first faces I learned in the session, I taught my daugh“We try to think that guests see is John Thomas. Usually he is ter, and she got a savings account too.’” of ourselves as dressed in a neon-yellow reflective jacket and not just paying is directing cars into the parking lot. John has ONE BODY, MANY MISSIONS been a security guard at St. Vincent de Paul Nationwide, it is hard to overstate the a utility bill or since 2017, braving rain, snow, and ice to number of ways that Vincentians serve helping with rent, serve those seeking help. their brothers and sisters. In most of the but really trying “This is like a family. I go to them, or some 4,400 communities served by conferences, to see the face of come to me, if I have something going on in volunteers give out food, clothing, financial Christ in those we my life,” he says, describing the Vincentians assistance, and educational resources. But serve.” he works with every week. the generosity does not end there.

—Deb Smith The first time John came to this building, In New York City, Vincentians visit the sick and imprisoned, regularly spending however, he was seeking help himself. In the time at nursing homes and correctional cold of January 2017, John was between jobs facilities. Volunteers also bring dinner to families staying and needed food. For him, the canned goods stacked neatly at the Ronald McDonald House while their children are in into a box were more than nourishment; they were the lure nearby hospitals undergoing treatment for serious illnesses. that led him to a new life.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society serving central and north“I started turning things around,” John recalls. “I started ern Arizona boasts its own medical and dental clinic, serving telling people about the program because the program low-income families. The group also tends nearly an acre changed my life around.” of farmland that supplies a community kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables.

BREAKING THE CYCLE What John describes as “the program” is known in In the large metros of Los Angeles and Detroit, Vincentians provide disadvantaged kids an opportunity to Indianapolis as Changing Lives Forever and is called Getting experience the joy of nature. The councils in both of these Ahead by other St. Vincent de Paul conferences across the country. Vincentians have learned that the goods donated by cities host summer camps at low or no cost, with Detroit offering a special session for grieving children who have the community, such as clothing and canned foods, proexperienced the loss of a family member or friend. vide a powerful opportunity to meet those caught in a cycle Vincentians in Chicago take their thrift stores one step of poverty. Instead of only providing a handout, they also provide a hand up and tell their clients about an educational, further, hosting a “Giving Store,” where those who are life-changing opportunity. reentering society after incarceration can receive clothing, shoes, coats, and other items.

“I try to let people know about the Changing Lives The St. Vincent de Paul councils of North Texas and program,” says John. “[As a security guard] I meet lots of different people, talk to them, encourage them—be a better Cincinnati both host pharmacies that dispense free prescripadvocate for yourself; turn your life around.” tion medication to those who cannot afford it, most often Getting Ahead, or Changing Lives Forever, is a 16-week for chronic, treatable conditions such as heart disease and StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 27

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Michael Vanderburgh (left), executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Dayton, stands with Jim Butler, who served in the disaster relief division and has been a volunteer for 40 years.

Participants follow pandemic safety protocols to attend a Getting Ahead class in Dayton, Ohio, where they learn about strategies and resources that can help them regain their economic footing. Many graduates go on to help others on the path to a more stable future.

diabetes. Texas Vincentians estimate that in 2018, the group gave out nearly 1,000 prescriptions valued at about $150,000.

He used to bake bread, donuts, cakes, and Danishes, but by the time he came to St. Vincent de Paul, Chris could barely move his right arm. “If it wasn’t for Deb, I probably would have given up. There were some times I would come into the Getting Ahead class, I’d be in tears almost. I’d be like, ‘I just can’t do this anymore,’” he recalls.

Deb and the volunteers didn’t give up, and Chris successfully finished the course. Even after he graduated from the Getting Ahead class, Deb kept in touch. They talked regularly on the phone, and volunteers sent cards on Chris’ birthday and holidays.

Vincentians drove him to surgeries and stayed through the procedure to drive him home. They celebrated and gave baby supplies when he and his wife welcomed their firstborn son in 2018.

They provided bus passes to get him to physical therapy and connected him with a clothing outreach that provided professional outfits as he started landing job interviews.

“The people are great; they will do anything for you,” Chris glows, speaking with St. Anthony Messenger while en route to a promising job interview. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them.”

received. Some build resilient families.

Others contribute meaningful work to their community. Still others offer their time as volunteers. So the gift continues on, creating larger ripples with each passing moment. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that those waves began with a pebble.

For Chris and John, this journey to hope began with a bag of nonperishable items. For Ed, it started with clothing for school. For others, it was the mattress, the emergency rent payment, or the prescription medication. These small items, given in charity and passed through loving hands by a volunteer looking for the face of Christ, literally became the pivot point of a lifetime.

It is more than a slogan, more than a convenient metaphor to prompt charitable giving. The Vincentians prove day after day that pants and canned peas, not unlike the humble seed planted in good soil, bring about the kingdom of God on earth.

After all, Christ wore clothing too.

And in his own words, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

To learn more about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or to make a donation, visit svdpusa.org.

‘THE LEAST OF THESE’

Katie Rutter is an award-winning video producer, editor, and journalist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Her article “Nuns and Nones: Connection across Generations” was the November 2020 cover story in St. Anthony Messenger.

THE FACE OF CHRIST

Most importantly, however, the free material goods, visits, outreach, and education sessions provide Vincentians the opportunity to achieve an even grander goal: building friendships.

This is the key to their ministry, the breath of life that prevents clients from becoming numbers lost in a cold distribution system.

“We try to think of ourselves as not just paying a utility bill or helping with rent,” explains Deb Smith, the manager of conferences at the St. Vincent de Paul Council in Dayton, Ohio, “but really trying to see the face of Christ in those we serve and providing the opportunity for those we serve to see the face of Christ in us.”

Over the course of three years, Deb, and her colleagues at St. Vincent de Paul in Dayton, became as close as family to their client Chris.

Chris first came to the downtown St. Vincent de Paul pantry unemployed and in need of food. His career as a baker had been cut short by a severe car accident, which broke his back and neck, and the subsequent need for rotator cuff surgery. Insult was added to injury as he battled for disability and insurance coverage for surgical procedures and physical therapy.

Hope. It’s the unseen gift handed to millions by the volunteers of St. Vincent de Paul. They, in turn, feel the need to share the hope that they have

LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: COURTESY SSVP-DAYTON/GETTING AHEAD PROGRAM

C

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LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; RIGHT: COURTESY SSVP-DAYTON/GETTING AHEAD PROGRAM

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The first step for Master Artist Mark Balma is a preliminary drawing study. The studies shown here are Sarah (above), Eve (middle), and Hagar (right).

Faith & Frescoes Celebrating Holy Women through Art

T Story by Patti Normile Photography by Paula Laudenbach

he Umbrian town of Terni, Italy, suffered extensive damage from World War II bombing. It paid the price for being a center of armament production. Through the decades, much of the town has been restored. The Cathedral of Terni presides over the town piazza. Tourists and residents hike to view the magnificent Marmore Cascades that plummet hundreds of feet into the valley below.

Despite all the restoration efforts in Terni, one large church stood alone in need of major renovation. The Church of the Immaculate Conception peered out lifelessly across a meadow. In 2017, Don Giovanni, then pastor in the Diocese of Terni, saw potential in the church. Its very name indicated life: Immaculate Conception, life from a woman.

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ABOVE: The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Terni, Italy, currently displays the studies until the frescoes are completed and installed. BELOW: Mark’s custom-made palette keeps the paints separated while he works atop the scaffolding.

When COVID-19 prevented artist Mark Balma from traveling to Italy to paint frescoes of holy women, he devised a novel solution: Paint them in the United States and ship them there.

Gathering parishioners, townspeople, Italian theologian Lilia Sebastiani, and other imaginative individuals, Don Giovanni experienced the birth of a plan. This church would bear witness to women whose faithfulness—as recorded in the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran—has endured through millennia. The women selected for the project have inspired, nurtured, and often suffered for their faith. What unites them is their faith in God, the Holy One, revered and worshipped in the Abrahamic religions.

The purpose of the project is to ignite discussion about what these women of faith reveal regarding the “genius of women.” This phrase comes from St. John Paul II’s 1997 book, The Genius of Women. What role does God desire that

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The special material used for the canvas was made in Sweden and shipped to Minnesota. The 14’ x 19’ panels must be primed before painting can begin.

The Italian brushes Mark uses are made from wild boar hair, the only material resilient enough to withstand the fresco paints.

He has owned these brushes since the 1980s.

The MoZaic Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provided the space and lighting Mark needed to paint the Women of Faith frescoes, as well as room for others to observe art in action. The group responsible for the building is a Jewish organization, highlighting the fact that many of the women featured in the paintings are Jewish.

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women exercise to bring about the kingdom here on earth?

For far too long the true gift of women to the life of faith and the life of the Church has been underemphasized. Attention is needed to bring into full consciousness the feminine “genius of women.”

Once the women were selected—Eve, Hagar, Sarah, Ruth, and Naomi; the woman in the Song of Songs; the Samaritan woman; Mary, the mother of Jesus; friends Martha and Mary; women disciples at the Last Supper; and Mary Magdalene—to grace 10 large (14’ x 19’) panels in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the question arose: How would they be portrayed? The ancient and enduring medium of fresco was selected.

ENTER THE ARTIST

After priming, Mark sketches the figures with charcoal and then paints over the lines using charred grapevines, also known as “vine black,” a technique used by the masters during the Renaissance.

The fresco artist chosen to portray Women of Faith is a master of the art. Mark Balma, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Assisi, Italy, is known as the premier fresco artist in the world today as well as a portraiture artist. Drawn to art as a child who constantly sketched his teachers and classmates, Mark was trained in portraiture by Richard Lack, and in fresco art

by Pietro Annigoni of Florence, Italy, who became his mentor when Mark was 19.

Balma creates memorable portraits in a technique created

by Leonardo da Vinci. His portraiture includes five presidents, generals and government leaders, and simple street people. Balma’s portrait of John Lewis, the courageous, tireless member of the House of Representatives, hangs in the Smithsonian Gallery honoring African Americans.

But it was Balma’s talent in fresco that was needed for this project. Bringing Women of Faith to life requires a multitude of qualities in addition to superb artistic ability. Many of these qualities are revealed in Balma’s personal life: a deep spirituality, a devoted prayer life, a passion for his work, intense focus, and the strength and energy for lengthy workdays often standing on scaffolding high above open space.

Preliminary sketches of the 10 panels were complete, and sacks of plaster awaited transformation into art in Terni, according to the ancient technique of buon fresco. Then the coronavirus pandemic wrapped the world in change and fear. Balma has dual US and Italian citizenship, but transportation of materials and permission to enter Italy were not possible during the pandemic’s onset.

Balma’s alternative? He has chosen an ancient Greek form of fresco from the fifth century BC to continue with Women of Faith during the pandemic. He will create frescoes on heavy linen fabric stretched on frames, not in Italy, but in Minnesota. The panels will be completed in the MoZaic Building in Minneapolis. Balma contacted the construction

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“Art and beauty are two forms of communication that humans have always used. These new frescoes have a unique potential to bring a message of love, peace, joy, and fullness to this and future generations.”

—Don Giovanni

corporation about using the space, and the response was positive and immediate. The structure, which is to be an art center, has well-lit, ample space for his work.

Paints will be created by grinding the fresco colors into an ancient recipe used throughout the Renaissance. Prayer will initiate each day’s creation. Section by section, images of women of faith will emerge. When a panel is complete, it will be removed from its frame and rolled for transport. Panels will be shipped to Terni when the pandemic loosens its grip on the world. Immaculate Conception Church will remain a place of worship as it awaits its adornments of faith.

St. Francis of Assisi was called to a lifetime of service and devotion to the Lord by words he heard from God, “Go and rebuild my church which, as you can see, is falling into ruin.”

Perhaps the message of Women of Faith is this: “Go and restore faith in God, the holy one.”

Don Giovanni says of the project: “Art and beauty are two forms of communication that humans have always used. I believe these new frescoes have a unique potential to bring a message of love, peace, joy, and fullness to this and future generations. They will give beauty and a sense of completion that this building has never seen and new life to a church . . . in desperate need of repair and love.

“In the time of confusion in which we live, when old values seemed to have disappeared, we find ourselves in need of knowing more fully God’s will for our lives. We propose this study of biblical women as an attempt to reveal further the will of God.” In this place of meditation, visitors will find solace and direction as they reflect on the women who nurtured the churches of antiquity.

The frescoes are more than exquisite art. They are visible prayers that will reach from a church once destroyed by bombs into a world pleading for peace. The women’s stories expressed in Scripture and tradition offer hope and direction for living in the 21st century. Each panel contains a message

PHOTO COURTESY DON GIOVANNI

BEAUTY, GRACE, AND UNDERSTANDING

Don Giovanni (left), the driving force of the Women of Faith project, and Father Don Paolo, newly appointed parish priest, stand outside the Church of the Immaculate Conception, where the frescoes will be installed.

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The faces are covered with paper to protect them from stray drops while Mark works on another area.

The art of fresco painting is unforgiving: The paint dries quickly and does not allow much time for reworking. Each brush stroke must be intentional. The Women of Faith project will be the largest contemporary installation of its type since the Renaissance. Its size is comparable to that of the Sistine Chapel.

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for God’s people today. In meditating on each biblical story, seekers may gain a deeper understanding of the will of God. The project invites people of various faiths to visit Immaculate Conception Church in person, virtually, or through printed material to worship and discover their shared faith in the God of all. The faith that joins these women of Abrahamic faiths is more powerful and unitive than the differences of culture they experience. Don

Giovanni expresses that hope: “Our prayer is that the images of Sarah and Hagar with Abraham will allow us to believe that an interreligious dialogue is possible between Hebrews, Christians, and Muslims.”

Patti Normile is a Secular Franciscan, retired teacher, and hospital chaplain who resides in Terrace Park, Ohio. A wife, mother, and grandmother, she is the author of several books and has written numerous articles for St. Anthony Messenger.

Watch the Artist in Action and Lend Support While the worldwide pandemic has slowed the creation of the Women of Faith frescoes, the work is now underway. When the pandemic subsides, arrangements will be made to allow visitors to view Mark Balma in action in the MoZaic Building in Minneapolis.

In addition, Mark’s team has provided a link on the Women of Faith website, WomenofFaithFrescoes.com, where interested individuals can watch the work in progress until its completion. The site also features descriptions of the women chosen, as well as videos detailing the art of buon fresco.

Creating works of fresco is an expensive endeavor. Don Giovanni has found support for Women of Faith from individuals and companies in Italy and abroad. No church or government funds are used for Women of Faith. CAF AMERICA is an organization that enables cross-border giving by Americans to validated charities and charitable projects across the world. For more information, go to CafAmerica.org.

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Sacred Silence “Lent is not an intellectual exercise, but an affair of the heart,” says this author. By centering ourselves in prayerful stillness, we open ourselves up to a deeper engagement with this holy season.

I

YES BRASIL/ISTOCK

By Phyllis Zagano

n his Lenten message several years ago, Pope Francis focused on our common humanity, our common hungers, and our common needs for spiritual fulfillment. He wrote that we all face three types of hunger: material (poverty), moral (sin), and spiritual (lack of a relationship with God). Each can be healed with the Gospel, but first, Francis wrote, we must be “converted to justice, equality, simplicity, and sharing.”

We are all hungry. We are destitute and desolate in our search for what will fill us. We usually know what we want; too often we do not know what we need.

Do we want fortune? Do we want fame? Do we want a better car or a better house? Do we want more friends or fewer responsibilities?

These are questions of human life. Some are, or at least become, very real needs. Others are merely distracting temptations.

The one thing we really do need is to answer them. We need to pay attention to and select among the great kaleidoscope of choices life puts before us in such a way as to fulfill our legitimate desires without disrupting our own or others’ lives. We are always choosing between and among goods, but like the little girl in the toy store whose mother says she can choose just one doll, eventually we need to kiss the other choices goodbye.

So, how do we figure out what we truly need? How do we figure out, therefore, what we really want?

I think we find an answer in silence. Not the answer—at least not immediately—but at least the method, the path we can take (each of us) toward the way to find the answer for ourselves, and for no one else.

It is about prayer. It is about stillness. It is about stillness and silence in Lent.

In many parts of the world, Lent begins in the silent time of the year. The earth is gently awakening from its winter slumber, gradually bringing forth its StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 37

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Lent is not an intellectual exercise, but an affair of the heart. Ash Wednesday comes around each year.

We get ashes. We remember prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We say we’ll do better at something, or not do something else at all. Whatever sin or addiction has plagued us since the turn of the year, the one we have not yet managed to get rid of despite our New Year’s resolution to somehow dislodge it at the roots, Lent presents us with another chance. But how?

We think and we think and we plot and we plan. If the use of too much Internet or salt or sleep is on our minds, like the three little pigs we huff and we puff until we blow those little houses down, unfortunately to no avail. We work away at our dependencies as if everything depends on us. It does not.

Everything depends on our own dependence on God. And we cannot learn anything about that dependence by thinking and plotting and planning—by huffing and puffing.

We need to open our hearts. We

LESSONS LEARNED

So here is what I have learned. Take it, or not, as you begin your own journey through Lent. Whether the ground around you is getting colder or warmer, whether the light outside is getting dimmer or brighter, I offer you the suggestion, at least, that the desire you carry in your own heart to listen to and love the Lord with all you are and have will be opened and answered if you offer first of all your own silence to the project.

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KARTINKIN/FOTOSEARCH

ENTERING INTO SILENCE

need to be quiet.

But how?

Some time ago, when I was relearning how to pray for the umpteenth time, I realized that I was just plain talking too much. Everything was going on in my head. That was it. Just in my head, nowhere else.

I’d built a wall between me and my emotions, a very practical thing to do if you want to maintain control over everything in life. It is not a very practical way to approach prayer, because it stifles the longings of the heart. I yearned for knowledge that I was really praying, that I was someway, somehow connecting to the God I said I loved and whom I said, at least, I wanted to follow in the way Jesus taught.

But, as I learned in graduate school, so long as I was talking— whether in class or on an oral exam— there was no way I would be questioned, especially no way I would be asked a question I could not answer.

That may work in graduate school, but it is not a smart way to pray.

MROLANDS/ISTOCK

remembered fullness. In other parts of the world, Lent is a time of slowing down, of increasing coolness, of moving toward the dark bright of longer nights, when the burst of dawn truly does break forth day after day, promising more, promising deeper, promising a greater silence, and, conversely, promising a greater light.

These are the days we cherish in silence as we move toward the Resurrection.

KARTINKIN/FOTOSEARCH

MROLANDS/ISTOCK

That does not mean becoming a vegetable. There are many ways of being silent and many aids to doing so. Of course, if you know what keeps your mind active on thoughts other than the presence of God, you should be able to become aware of when such thoughts present themselves. I hesitate to call whatever it is a “temptation,” for it may or may not be. But there are some things in our lives—food, music, conversations—that stick a little more firmly to the surface of our minds and form a sort of coating that keeps away the silence.

I am not saying you need to give up all conversations, or music, and certainly not all food for Lent. I am saying that as we become more and more aware of our need for silence, even throughout this holy season, one or some of these choices might pop up as a bit of a barrier to silence, and therefore as a bit of a barrier to our maintaining the type of silence we need so as to be able to hear the voice of God in our hearts.

Let me give you an example. I happen to like jazz. I kid around sometimes, calling it my “liturgical music” because the syncopation and the words of some of the songs, especially the love songs, often fit my mood when I am trying to be alone at prayer.

But sometimes, that very syncopation and those very words become an obstacle as they take over my mind. I think here of what is called “the Boléro effect,” the repetitive beating of a single strand of music that the French composer Maurice Ravel did on purpose. As the syncopation and words

take over my mind, I find I am helpless to hear anything God might present or even to say anything to the Lord. So, sometimes—actually more than sometimes—I “give up” jazz.

Now, there is nothing wrong with jazz. For other people, for other people’s minds, the same thing might happen with Gregorian chant, or with ABBA, or with the music of the Beatles.

These are all wonderful creations, but they can each in their own way become distractions to the project at hand. Which is silence with an open heart. Which is silence with an open heart before the Lord.

This article is an excerpt from the book Sacred Silence: Daily Meditations for Lent (Franciscan Media), by Phyllis Zagano.

Phyllis Zagano is an internationally acclaimed Catholic scholar and lecturer on contemporary spirituality and women’s issues in the Church.

Her books include Women Deacons: Past, Present, Future (with Gary Macy and William T. Ditewig) and Mysticism and the Spiritual Quest.

Her twice-monthly column, Just Catholic, runs in the National Catholic Reporter.

To order a copy go to:

Shop.FranciscanMedia.org.

For 20% off, use code: SAMSacred

StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 39

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By Daniel Imwalle

Now That I’m Catholic Blog

ICONS

music

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books

podcast tv & streaming

film

video

e-learning & online 1/29/21 2:04 PM

WIKIMEDIA IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: LORIE SHAULL; GAGE SKIDMORE; DANIEL AREVALO

n the swirling, ever-expanding media unidelves into the subject of the Rite of Christian verse, blogs might seem dated or not as Initiation of Adults and explores fundamenappealing as a new, flash-in-the-pan social tal questions such as “How much does RCIA media app. But blogs have stuck around cost?” (it’s free) and “Do I have to finish the despite the constantly shifting sands of the program once I’ve started?” (no). digital environment. It might have something Johnston mixes a practical approach to to do with the staying power and popularnuts-and-bolts-type questions with more ity of journaling. Or perhaps it’s the niche reflective blog entries on questions such as interests that well-written blogs home in on.

“Why was Jesus baptized?” He also has a keen Whatever it might be, blogs have persisted, interest in the history of the Catholic Church and, for Catholics and Catholic practices. and those interested Johnston’s entry titled in Catholicism, there “The Nicene Creed: is no shortage of Introduction” delineblogs to engage with. ates not only the what, In fact, there are so but also the how and many that it might be the why behind the hard to know where oft-repeated creed as a to start. After scrollresponse and repudiaing through a dozen tion of various heresies or so Catholic blogs, that threatened the one that stuck out in direction of the early terms of its quality and Church. strength of voice was History buffs will Now That I’m Catholic find a kindred spirit (NowThatImCatholic. in many of Johnston’s com), written by a Charles Johnston stands with Bishop Thomas Olmsted blogs, but he also keeps man named Charles things current. At the outside the Sts. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix.

Johnston who lives in outset of the COVIDthe Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona.

19 pandemic, he was quick to post a blog urgJohnston had converted from an evangeliing people to stay home from Mass if they felt cal Protestant denomination to Catholicism, unsure or unsafe. This was prior to the major and he felt the call to share his newfound shutdowns that occurred last spring. Other Catholic faith with others as it had been timely content on Now That I’m Catholic shared with him. Evangelization is not always includes posts on holy days and feast days, a strong suit for Catholics, but those who have such as “Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord” converted from other denominations or reliand “St. John Ogilvie.” Along with the written gions often bring with them an enthusiasm to word, click around Johnston’s website to find spread the word about Catholicism. Johnston links to podcasts, videos, and social media is a perfect example of this phenomenon, and channels. Wherever you land on his website, his blog reflects both his energy for the faith you will find this blogger striving to meet the and an interest in deepening his knowledge of high bar set in his blog’s subtitle: “Exploring Church history and teaching. His post from the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Church January 14, 2021, titled “What Is RCIA?,” Christ founded.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES JOHNSTON

I

By Erika Glover

Becoming Disney+

Los Angeles Sparks player Candace Parker is pictured in a game against the Minnesota Lynx.

Caleb McLaughlin, seen here at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, is known for his role in Stranger Things.

Julianne Hough, pictured here in March 2009, gained fame on Dancing with the Stars.

g&

WIKIMEDIA IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: LORIE SHAULL; GAGE SKIDMORE; DANIEL AREVALO

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES JOHNSTON

T

WNBA star Candace Parker’s episode takes viewers on he path to becoming a celebrity is often blurred in the an emotional roller coaster that touches on elements of her muddy waters of mainstream media. It’s common to tumultuous life, including the loss of mentors, sickness, and dismiss the hard work and dedication that go into becoming injury as well as overcoming odds, celebration, and victory— an A-list celebrity, from humble beginnings to the place of prominence they occupy today. Becoming, a 10-part series on all in 30 minutes. The immediate dive into the dramatic ebbs and flows of the celebrities’ journeys to fame creates a pull Disney+, sets out to tell the stories of actors, athletes, musion the viewers that is hard to break. cians, dancers, and comedians—and how they worked for The series does not cease their accomplishments. to inspire those who watch it.

In brief 30-minute epiThe immediate dive into the Through these notable names, sodes, the lifetime journeys of dramatic ebbs and flows of the we learn to have persistence in stars such as Adam DeVine, celebrities’ journeys to fame creates a pursuing our goals. Julianne Colbie Caillat, Ashley Tisdale, Hough, for example, found Rob Gronkowski, and Anthony pull on viewers that is hard to break. herself moving across the Davis are retold, stemming world to pursue her dream of from their first dance lesson, dancing. We learn determination from Caleb McLaughlin, football practice, or commercial all the way to the spotlight. who landed the role of Simba in Broadway’s The Lion King With the diversity of talent across these episodes, you’re for two years, ultimately setting himself up for a breakbound to find one that speaks to you. through role on Netflix’s Stranger Things. The people proThe brevity of the episodes is worth mentioning. The filed in this series put the power of dreams into perspective. brief length could be a downside because it does not allow While we may be aware of the work of many of these for a full, in-depth walk through each one’s life, but rather a celebrities, Becoming allows us to see firsthand that their jobs time line of the highest highs and the lowest lows. In other ways, the length of each episode could be a selling point, as it are more than athlete, singer, or entertainer; rather, they are allows viewers, who might not find themselves interested in a masters in the profession of inspiration. This new series can motivate viewers to go out and chase their dreams, however topic or individual, the opportunity to learn something they big they might be. didn’t know.

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HAVE A FAVORITE CULTURE ITEM YOU WANT US TO REVIEW? Let us know about it: MagazineEditors@FranciscanMedia.org StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 41

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CULTURE

By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP

Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP

FAVORITE FILMS

WITH

LENTEN THEMES

Wild (2014)

Chocolat (2000) The Way (2010) The Tree of Life (2011) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

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B

ased on There You’ll Find Me, the 2011 novel by Jenny B. Jones, this comingof-age story is touching, entertaining, and inspiring. It tells of 18-year-old Finley (Rose Reid), a violinist who fails an audition for a highly respected New York music conservatory. Filled with disappointment, she accepts an offer to study a semester abroad in Ireland. Still coping with the unexpected death of her brother, Will, Finley seeks a new beginning. She brings Will’s journal with her, hoping to locate a drawing he once made for her while in Ireland.

On the plane to Dublin, the flight attendant seats Finley next to a haughty and handsome young man, Beckett (Jedidiah Goodacre). Finley is not impressed, even when she finds out he is an actor in a wildly popular fantasy film franchise.

They end up staying at the same guest house. As time goes by, she helps him with the film while he guides her around Ireland.

Beckett’s father and manager, Montgomery (Tom Everett Scott), is pushy and disruptive. Meanwhile, Finley is also introduced to the local Irish music scene and is thrilled when she is invited to play with the local band at the pub. But even more than this, as part of her Irish studies course, she gets to know a senior citizen, Cathleen (Vanessa Redgrave). She and Cathleen become

unlikely friends; Finley helps her heal old wounds.

Finding You is a story of grief, healing, reconciliation, and hope across generations.

I was very moved at the relationship between Finley and Cathleen, which shows how caring knows no boundaries. The focus is largely on the young people who struggle to become independent and choose meaningful paths in life. Romance is likely, and it will require sacrifice.

Writer/director Brian Baugh pulls a strong performance from Oscar-winner Redgrave, while Reid’s extraordinary violin performances almost overshadow an otherwise competent film.

Not yet rated, PG • Family tensions.

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THE LIFE AHEAD: COURTESY OF NETFLIX; THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT: COURTESY OF FAMILY THEATER PRODUCTIONS

Sister Rose’s

FINDING YOU

LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; FINDING YOU: ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/ANTHONY COURTNEY

Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the award-winning film columnist for St. Anthony Messenger since 2003 and is the author of several books on Scripture and film, as well as media literacy education.

THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT

A

THE LIFE AHEAD (LA VITA DAVANTI A SE’)

THE LIFE AHEAD: COURTESY OF NETFLIX; THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT: COURTESY OF FAMILY THEATER PRODUCTIONS

LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; FINDING YOU: ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/ANTHONY COURTNEY

M

adame Rosa (Sophia Loren) is a retired prostitute who lives near the docks in Naples. She spends her days taking care of the children of other sex workers, but she has a secret few people know. Currently she is caring for a little girl as well as the son of her friend Lola (Abril Zamora), who is transgender.

A doctor friend of Rosa’s asks her to take in 14-year-old Senegal refugee Mohammed (Ibrahima Gueye), called “Momo” by everyone, so they can avoid involving child services.

Momo, whose father killed his mother, is a challenge for Rosa. Seeing that the boy needs a positive male influence, she asks Hamil (Babak Karimi), her Muslim friend who owns a shop, to let Momo work there three days a week to keep him out of trouble. As the days go by, Momo settles in. He notices the row of numbers tattooed on Rosa’s arm, and one day follows her to the basement. Rosa, who finds comfort there, sometimes falls into a trance, remembering days long ago of fear and suffering.

The Life Ahead is the second time Romain Gary’s 1975 book The Life Before Us has been adapted for the screen. This time, Loren’s son, director Edoardo Ponti, has created a role for his mother that showcases her great talent and inner beauty.

The film allows her to be hard-edged, worn, and generous—a Jewish mother of sorts to children along the periphery of society. Gueye is a promising new talent.

There is goodness aplenty in this release, which is available on Netflix.

Not yet rated, PG-13 • Mature themes, drugs.

Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings.

A-1 General patronage

A-2 Adults and adolescents

A-3 Adults

L Limited adult audience

O Morally offensive

nyone who follows women’s college basketball knows about the legendary Robin Selvig, who coached the Lady Griz team from the University of Montana (UM). This new documentary from Megan Harrington, a former Lady Griz, is an engaging and moving portrait of Selvig, who transformed women’s college athletics, basketball in particular.

Title VIII of federal law prohibits racial discrimination in athletic programs in schools that receive federal funds, but not sexual discrimination. It took Title IX in 1972 to fund scholarships and athletic programs for women. In 1978, at the age of 25, UM alum Robin Selvig became the coach for women’s basketball for 38 seasons, until his retirement in 2016.

Under Selvig’s leadership, the Lady Griz became a powerhouse of athletics and opportunity for students who played on the team. Out of 1,151 games between 1978 and 2016, Selvig led the team to 865 wins. But as one of the former team members says in the film, it’s not about winning basketball games.

It’s about the person you become.

Selvig was an intense coach, as this beautifully rendered film shows, but he knew the backgrounds of his players and the challenges they faced. He was able to demand the best without breaking them. The House That Rob Built belongs in the canon of great films about basketball in this country.

Not yet rated • No objectionable material.

Source: USCCB.org/movies

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POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH and FAMILY

By Susan Hines-Brigger

Healing Waters

Susan has worked at St. Anthony Messenger for 26 years and is an executive editor. She and her husband, Mark, are the proud parents of four kids—Maddie, Alex, Riley, and Kacey. Aside from her family, her loves are Disney, traveling, and sports.

Susan welcomes your comments and suggestions!

E-MAIL: CatholicFamily@ FranciscanMedia.org MAIL: Faith & Family 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

SOFTENING OF THE HEART

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With age comes wisdom, and, over the years, I have softened in my feelings about water.

Both in life and in our faith, water is kind of a big deal. It is essential for life, and up to 60 percent of the human body is made up of

water. And in the Bible, water is mentioned a total of 722 times—more frequently than faith, hope, prayer, and worship.

I have come to be more aware and open to the many roles water has played in my life— both good and bad. I think of the water that sustained my kids inside my pregnant belly. I celebrate the water that was poured over my children’s heads at their Baptisms, yet mourn the water that was sprinkled over my dad’s casket during his funeral last year.

I curse my kids’ extremely long showers, but celebrate that we are blessed with the resources that allow them to do that. In a complete turnaround, even I now find comfort in the water.

A WORKING RELATIONSHIP

It came when our family bought a hot tub. It was mostly my husband, Mark, and the kids who pushed for it. I was still kind of holding a grudge against water and refused to acknowledge that it could be a place of peace. But Mark finally won me over when he suggested the warm water might help with the pain and stiffness caused by my multiple sclerosis. I reluctantly agreed to give it a shot. And, as much as I hate to admit it, he was right.

I didn’t jump right in when it came, though, but rather after a particularly painful night. I got up early and headed to the backyard in hopes that I could find some comfort in the warm waters. It worked and suddenly it became a ritual. I found myself soaking in the early morning hours, well before the noise and activity of the day began. That time has brought me much more than physical relief, though. It has also become my place of prayer, reflection, comfort, and healing.

In those waters, I find both physical and mental relief. And, after all these years, I can say that water and I are in a good place with each other.

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RIGHT: COURTESY FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE

Susan Hines-Brigger

’m not a fan of water. Our bad relationship started in my youth while I was taking swim lessons. I was taking the lessons because my mom, who was afraid of water and never learned to swim, wanted to make sure that my sisters and I would be safe anytime we were around water.

On the final day of one of my classes, I was informed that, in order to pass to the next level, I had to jump off the 10-foot diving board. That was a problem. You see, I don’t like heights, and I definitely didn’t like the thought of taking a 10-foot free fall into the water. I knew that much.

I reluctantly made it up the ladder and then hesitantly walked as far as the edge of the board. I looked down at the water far below and quickly decided that moving from a guppy to a minnow on the swim lesson hierarchy just wasn’t worth it. Unfortunately, my instructor had a different idea and “helped” me jump off the diving board.

All I remember was hitting the water and then sinking. I was shocked, terrified, and not a strong enough swimmer to make it back to the surface. Luckily, my older sister Beth was nearby and jumped in to save the day.

From that moment on, water and I began our love/hate relationship. I went on to finish what my parents felt was an acceptable number of swimming levels, but, believe me, I did so begrudgingly. I have continued to swim over the years, but it is definitely not my activity of choice.

TOP LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; MIDDLE: ERINCADIGAN/FOTOSEARCH

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B

FAITH and FAMILY THE THEOLOGY OF WATER

W

e Catholics love symbols. Go to just about any Catholic church and you will be greeted by a legion of statues, a dazzling display of stained glass images, a prominent altar, a golden tabernacle, and loads of candles.

For many non-Catholics, the sheer vastness of it all can be overwhelming. Indeed, even for many Catholics these images often go unnoticed. They are simply a part of our normal backdrop, the air we breathe.

Chief among these symbols is water. Water is such a common part of our life. Like sunlight and air, it is absolutely vital for our survival, but how often do we think about it?

Unless water is scarce, we hardly think of it at all. Yet, if we were to sit down and think about water, what are the first things that come to mind? We may think of words like thirst or life or cleansing.

How about words like death or liberation? These might not be as obvious. Just as water can mean all these things for our bodies, so, too, for our souls. In God’s plan of salvation, water speaks of life, death, cleansing, and liberation.

Consider the very beginning of creation where “a mighty wind [was] sweeping over the waters” (Gn 1:2). From the beginning, water has been a part of God’s plan of creation.

Just as we need water to live, we need God too, which is why the psalmist says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God” (Ps 42:1).

As water satisfies the body, the Spirit of God satisfies the soul. And the Spirit of God has come to us through the person of Jesus Christ. He is our savior who says to us, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14).

Yet water can also be a terrifying thing. Anyone caught out at sea in a storm knows the frightening power of water.

Water can destroy life as well as give it. Floods and storms are a constant reality in our world. Water was used by the hand

of God to rain down terrible destruction on the earth in the great flood. So, water also means death.

In the waters of Baptism, we believe we die to sin so as to be reborn in Christ. That is why many old baptisClifford Hennings, OFM teries have three steps going in and three coming out on the other end.

The plunging into the baptismal waters is a sign of death to our old ways of being.

Water also means cleansing. We use it to bathe, to wash our dishes, and to mop our floors. Water removes the dirt and grime of everyday living. So, too, do we use water to represent a spiritual cleansing.

Elisha sent Naaman to be washed in the Jordan River, where he was cleansed of leprosy. John the Baptist used those same waters as a sign of repentance and spiritual cleansing.

Water is a sign of the healing powers of God, to remove the stain of our faults from us and restore our souls.

Water also means liberation. When the Israelites fled from Egypt, God parted the sea. He opened a path of liberation through those waters and brought low the mighty army of Pharaoh. When they finally arrived at the Promised Land, God split the waters of the Jordan so Joshua could lead the people into the Promised Land.

As the Israelites went through the waters to be free, we go through the waters to be free from sin. As the Israelites went through the waters to enter the land, we go through the waters to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Water means all these things: life, death, cleansing, and liberation. When we use this common symbol, let us be reminded of all God has done for us. He has given us life, saved us from death, healed our hearts, and opened the path to paradise!

—Clifford Hennings, OFM

RIGHT: COURTESY FATHER FRANK JASPER, OFM; PETE & REPEAT: TOM GREENE

These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two.

So look and see if you can name Eight ways in which they’re not the same.

(Answers below)

GET THE FUN FOR BOOK

ALL AGES!

Go online to order: Shop.FranciscanMedia.org For ONLY $3.99 Use Code: SAMPETE ANSWERS to PETE & REPEAT: 1) The colors on the kite have changed places. 2) The buttons on Sis’ dress are bigger. 3) More clouds are visible behind the tree. 4) The notch in the top of the tree is gone. 5) The balloon strings are longer. 6) The stripe on Pete’s arm is shorter. 7) More kite string is visible behind Pete. 8) The handle on the kite winder is larger.

TOP LEFT: MC KOZUSKO/SAM; MIDDLE: ERINCADIGAN/FOTOSEARCH

PETE&REPEAT

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LET US PRAY

reflect | pray | act

By Deacon Art Miller

Deacon Art Miller

M

y two brothers and I awoke in an unfamiliar place. This new house was different. It squeaked with unfamiliar noises—sounds that weren’t eerie but new.

The different, yet comfortable, smell of the new house hung in the air, waiting to embrace my family, the new owners. The smell of the previous owners would linger until we made this place our own.

We moved in two days earlier on a Friday in 1957. Boxes were strewn all over the large attic, which my brothers and I claimed as our new bedroom. It had windows looking down into the backyard, which made the room airy and bright.

We no longer lived in the one-bedroom, third-floor apartment on the South Side of Chicago with our parents and sister. We no longer made the small dining room our bedroom, as we had since birth. Now our family lived in a huge house, with a backyard, a porch, and a front yard. We could make noise without worrying about someone tapping on their ceiling in the apartment below us, scolding us for being too rambunctious.

We fell in love with our home in a neighborhood that didn’t want us there.

PRAYERS OF HEALING

We barely slept before the morning sun filtered through the windows over our beds.

Unaccustomed to sleeping alone, on that first night we pushed our single beds together into one large bed. Sleeping apart from one another was unknowable.

The three of us got up knowing Mom was going to make us go to church. After readying ourselves, and a quick bowl of cereal, we walked to St. Clotilde Catholic Church, which was two blocks from our home. It was our first Mass in our new community. It was a quiet walk, with the normal warnings of good behavior from Mom. There was hesitation and nervousness, which came over my mother as we approached the church.

Upon entering, we were greeted by an amalgam of white faces. They turned and stared. We found a pew near the back of the church and sat quietly as the priest began the service. He prayed in Latin and spoke in English, while my brothers and I busied ourselves by poking one another.

There was a quiet tenseness on my mother’s face during the service—and she didn’t go up for Communion. My broth-

PR

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T SDI PRODUCTIONS/FOTOSEARCH

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My Mother’s Voice

TOP LEFT: SESHU PHOTOGRAPHY; TOP RIGHT: WAVE BREAK MEDIA/ISTOCK

Deacon Art Miller was ordained in the Archdiocese of Hartford in 2004. He was arrested during the summer of 1963 as he sat in peaceful protest over segregation.

He was 10 years old in 1955 when his schoolmate Emmett Till, 14, was murdered in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman—an incident that energized the nascent civil rights movement. His book, The Journey to Chatham (AuthorHouse), details the events seen through the eyes of Till’s friends.

ers and I, though older, had not yet at every meal, as we prayed for God to received our first Communion. After bless the food, she’d always whisper, Mass concluded, we walked out of “Please heal your priest.” Day after day, the church through the sea of white meal after meal, she prayed: “Please parishioners who, strangely, parted as heal your priest. Please heal your we approached them. My mother, who priest.” was kind and soft-spoken, moaned through a barely opened mouth as we WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN walked home.

What I learned from my mother’s It was difficult to determine what simple prayer was that the reason the she was saying, but whatever it was, she priest didn’t want us at the church was was not happy. I was because we were Black. unfortunately holding He didn’t want us her hand as her fingers there because he was My mother’s dug into the flesh of broken—by fear, ignoprayers helped my hand. Again, she rance, anger, and by a to heal a racial muttered something, society that taught him but we dared not ask to be afraid of what division. what was wrong. he did not know. He Then I began to needed to be healed. understand her angry words: “That Over the next few years, the priest, man is not going to put me out of my Father Mattimore, got to know my church!” she said over and over. mother, and my mother got to know We later learned the priest was not and forgive him. On my parents’ 25th welcoming to the new Black parishwedding anniversary, he came to our ioners. He wanted us to go elsewhere. home and blessed their marriage and Evidently, he didn’t realize who my was blessed in return. That day, Father mother was and the depth of her faith Mattimore became our pastor. and determination to confront what A great truth was taught to me was so terribly wrong. From that day long ago: We are all God’s children. If forward, she attended daily Mass and I discriminate or hate someone—for sat in the front pew. reasons of race, gender, capabilities, or lack thereof—it is not that person who But what I found extraordinary was is broken. It is me. the tenacity of my mother’s faith. For

TIPS

TO OPEN

OUR HEARTS Lord, there is no better time than now for our faith to become more vibrant, more evident, more on fire with love.

Our love is needed in our parishes, our families, and our communities. Lord, you have told us you are the way. With your grace, we shall follow.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Search within to find your fear of “the other.”

Q: Q:

Have you bought into a societal belief that is fed by fear and ignorance?

SDI PRODUCTIONS/FOTOSEARCH

TOP LEFT: SESHU PHOTOGRAPHY; TOP RIGHT: WAVE BREAK MEDIA/ISTOCK

PRAYERFUL

A PRAYER

Have you ever challenged those who speak pejoratively of others because they are discriminatory in their actions or beliefs?

Q:

Have you sat quietly and not challenged those words of hate because you were afraid or didn’t want to offend?

StAnthonyMessenger.org | March 2021 • 47

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tribute Jack Wintz, OFM

February 22, 1936–January 11, 2021 Friars’ novitiate: August 15, 1954 Solemn vows: 1958 Ordained: June 13, 1963 St. Anthony Messenger: 1972–2013

Jack’s first article in St. Anthony Messenger, about St. Anthony’s sermon on Moses and the bronze serpent, was published in the March 1961 issue, two years before he was ordained. He continued to contribute articles and poems until the summer of 1972 when he returned from three years of teaching in the Philippines. In typical Jack fashion, he came via Italy where he had interviewed Franco Zeffirelli, who was filming Brother Sun, Sister Moon.

I always admired Jack’s writing in St. Anthony Messenger—clear, personal, and reflecting his worldwide sense of Church. I am grateful for my three years as his associate editor and for his help when I became editor.

He always made good contributions to the company’s Publisher’s Board. Jack was an excellent photographer whose interviews with celebrities, politicians, and Church leaders were widely read. His articles on foreign countries graced many of our covers.

I had already written several Catholic Updates before I wrote “How to Get the Most Out of Lent” (March 1976).

Immediately following Leonard Foley, OFM’s issue on the New Rite of Penance, orders for these two Catholic Updates helped begin the sale of back issues. Over the years, Jack took full advantage of the liturgical calendar in selecting topics. Jack combined gentleness and determination in a uniquely Franciscan way.

–Pat McCloskey, OFM

MORE THAN WORDS

It has been said that a cluttered environment can lead to great creativity. If that is true, then it’s no wonder Friar Jack was such a fountain of creativity. For amid the coffee mugs, papers, and pictures all over his office lived an unbelievably creative and talented man. Over the many years I worked with Jack, I watched the way he would almost effortlessly— or at least it seemed that way to me—turn an idea into a work of art in the form of an article, a book, or a newsletter.

As a less experienced writer than Jack, I always appreciated the gentle but helpful ways that he reviewed my writing and offered suggestions for improvement. I always took those suggestions because they made me a better writer.

But what I always loved most about Jack was not his mentoring of me as a writer but his support for me as a mother. After the birth of each of my children—as well as many other times over the years—Jack reached out to me with notes of encouragement and care. He was a constant cheerleader for me outside of the writing world.

While I will always remember Jack for the amazing interviewer, writer, editor, and creative soul that he was, I will remember him more for his amazing heart. That’s what will be missed the most.

–Susan Hines-Brigger ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PROVINCE

GENTLE AND DETERMINED

48 • March 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org

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To discuss his critically acclaimed 2010 film The Way, actor Martin Sheen (pictured next to Jack Wintz, OFM) visited with Franciscan Media’s staff.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PROVINCE

ALWAYS A WINNER

I interviewed at St. Anthony Messenger over 20 years ago. The first person I spoke to was Jack Wintz, OFM, the editor at the time. My initial read of this friar: teddy bear. As I got to know him, that impression stuck. Jack was a softy—a jovial man who was quick to laugh. But his sweetness belied a fierce intellect and talent. His editorial feedback, early in my career, helped shape me into the writer I am today.

Jack traveled far in service to the readers of this magazine. I have many memories of him seemingly tethered to his desk and pounding away at his keyboard. He was prolific and tireless. But it’s his humor that I’ll remember most. In 2006, he was nominated for the Catholic Media Association’s St. Francis de Sales award—the highest achievement for a Catholic journalist—and one that eluded him after several nominations. I sat next to him during the awards banquet.

As the presenter read the list of nominees, Jack turned to me in a sort of panic.

“Chris, quickly, who’s the soap opera actress who was nominated for all those Emmys before winning?”

“Susan Lucci,” I whispered.

“Got it—thanks.”

Minutes later, they announced Jack as the winner. When he took to the podium, he said, to the delight of the crowd, “What a relief! I was becoming the Susan Lucci of this award.”

Funny, warm, relatable—that was Friar Jack. And always a winner.

–Christopher Heffron

Jack’s love for our four-legged friends materialized in his book Will I See My Dog in Heaven?

A QUIET FORCE

Among my fellow editors, I had the least amount of experience with Friar Jack Wintz. And yet he left a lasting impression on me, and his prowess as a storyteller will serve as an inspiration to me as I seek to grow and evolve as a journalist. By the time I joined the editorial team in July 2014, Friar Jack was in the twilight of his career. We were but ships passing in the night, but I had the great fortune to meet him and break bread.

I remember a lunch with Friar Jack and another editor at a beloved Cincinnati culinary staple, Skyline Chili. We talked shop while enjoying some regional cuisine. I had begun work on an article on director Martin Scorsese and was fretting a bit about how to pull the story together.

An ace journalist who shared stories of faith from Hollywood stars such as Martin Sheen and Gene Kelly, Friar Jack listened patiently as I detailed how I hoped the article would turn out. Soft-spoken, but with sage advice, Friar Jack shared with me some pointers on how to mold the article from the raw material I had to work with.

Although I knew him for only a short time, I’ll forever be grateful for our paths crossing.

–Daniel Imwalle

Jack Wintz, OFM, was a mainstay in the offices of Franciscan Media for decades.

His articles, books, and blogs perfectly reflected the mission of this organization: drawing people closer to God in the spirit of St. Francis.

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