Holy Family
CATHEDRAL NEWS
May 2012
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Volume 17 Issue 10
Congratulations to the teenage Confirmation class: Levi Conley Blaine Davis Madison Drake Michael Maras Johnny Thierry III Liesl Spoerl Mary Williams
Monsignor Gier reviews parish finances Cathedral School names new Principal: Leslie Southerland Dozens enter the Church at the Easter Vigil RCIA prepares for Summer Inquiry classes Knights of Columbus look towards Summer Vacation Bible School dates set
Receipts
From the Rector Dear Holy Family Parishioners: We have much to celebrate in our financial history at the moment, but we also need to look carefully and seriously at ourselves. We have come to a near completion of the Restoration of our beautiful and historic Cathedral. We have spent six million dollars since this all began with the rebuilding of the attic area and adding the sprinkler system to protect us against the threat of fire. Never did we borrow more than $750,000 during this whole process and we currently owe only $200,000 to Manhattan Construction, who allow us to pay conditionally, meaning we are free of interest on that debt.
Disbursement of Funds
The construction of the shrines in the back of the church is paid for. So is the stenciling that should be completed during the summer months. So we can truly celebrate all that we have accomplished with this very expensive and extensive Restoration. Our Cathedral is truly more solid and structurally sound now than at the time of its completion in 1914. The serious need however is the drop off in Sunday and Holy Day collections. It is from this revenue that we operate the daily activities of our parish. While I have been aware of this for some time, I have hoped that the economy would turn around and we would survive. I know that all of us are affected by the economic situation and therefore I have
Identification Statement: The Cathedral News Issue 10 May 2012 (USPS 022-729) is published 10 x per year (monthly, except for June and July) by Holy Family Cathedral at 122 W 8th St., Tulsa OK 74119-1402. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CATHEDRAL NEWS, PO BOX 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101-3204. 2
Collection v. Expenses used funds from wills and one-time donations to keep us solvent. However it seems that it is now time to face the facts and make some decisions concerning the future. Before I make any serious decisions concerning cutting some of our activities, you need to know the situation. To this end, I have asked the Parish Council to present the information before you in this Cathedral News. The Council has been very cooperative and helpful in advising me on this matter.
Requested Adjustment
The bottom line is very simple: if we are to continue functioning as we have been, we need twenty cents more for each dollar we receive. As you can see from the graphs and financial statements, our expenses are running well above our current income. So for every dollar we now receive in the regular Sunday collections, we need $1.20. If that is accomplished, we can continue as we have been with little or no adjustments. If not, then we will simply have to make some serious changes. I do not know what those might be but they obviously will have to be made. It would be very unfair of me however to do anything without first
Please us this chart to determine the amount I am requesting you give. If you currently donate one dollar every week, please consider giving $1.20. If you give $20, please give $24.
informing the parish of the need. So please think and pray about our parish and your support of it. I know that many of you are generous beyond and above and I ask no more from you. However
$1.00
$1.20
$5.00
$6.00
$10.00
$12.00
$20.00
$24.00
$50.00
$60.00
$100.00
$120.00
many are also able to stretch just a little more and that may be all we need to continue as we are. Sincerely in the Holy Family,
Msgr. Gregory A. Gier, Rector PHOTO: C ATHY NELSON
Cathedral News deadlines: The newsletter is not published in June or July. The next newsletter will be published in August. Please submit articles and announcements to the Cathedral News by the 15th of the preceding month. Email mikemalcom@gmail.com or send your article to Mike Malcom at the parish office. 3
Cathedral School names Leslie Southerland new Principal Mrs. Southerland says that she is, “very excited” about opportunity. She
In Mr. Luetkemeyer’s four years at Holy
promises that “great things that are
Family, the school has grown in num-
going to happen” to the school.
bers, stability, and in financial security.
Monsignor Gier says, “We are all
current fifth grade teacher Leslie
their family. The move to Yukon means
Southerland to the position of Principal.
moving his children closer to their
Leslie has been teaching in our school
grandparents. “Truly these have been a very good
very apt and competent member of the
four years and Mr. Luetkemeyer leaves
staff.” Monsignor Gier notes that she
us in very good standing. We appreciate
worked beyond being a good teacher,
all that he has done,” Monsignor Gier
supporting the work of the of the ad-
says.
ministration of the school too.
Southerland to fill the role of principal. She taught at our school for three years.
Jay and his wife welcomed twins to
thrilled to welcome Mrs. Leslie
for the last three years and has proven a
Holy Family Cathedral School hired
school teacher when he moved to Tulsa.
Mr. Luetkemeyer will continue in his Jay Luetkemeyer, the present princi-
role until the end of June. Mrs.
Mrs. Southerland is well liked by her
pal, is taking a position at the Catholic
Southerland will be learning the specif-
students and their parents. She is
school in Yukon, Oklahoma: Saint John
ics of her new position this summer. Her
known for her solid teaching style.
Nepomuk. Jay was a popular middle
official first day is July 1.
We are proud of the HFCS graduating Class of 2012: Connor Dunn Jared Mason Brooklyn Rousset Elizabeth Skrzypczak Chris Spoerl Bradley Tidmore 4
Dozens baptized, received, and confirmed at Easter Vigil The Easter Vigil Mass in April is the traditional time when new Christians are Baptized, new Catholics are received into the Catholic Faith, and when the faithful are Confirmed. We congratulate those who were Baptized: Melissa Benisch, Dakota Byrd, Axton Calkins, Gage Calkins, Jadon Calkins, Jenna Calkins, Kylie Calkins, Jennifer Cobb, Samantha Cooper, Kevin Fox, Abbygale Johnson, Ethan Johnson, Guy Johnson, Heather Johnson, Cameron Whitworth, & Danyelle Whitworth. We welcome everyone who entered the Church: Melissa Brace, Kathryn Byrd, Marc Cardenas, Bradley Cooper, Matthew Crow, Carrie Jarboe, Bryan Jodoin, Tina Manning, Laurel Owen, Kari Stockton, & Brandon Warner. Congratulations to those who were Confirmed: Tabitha Dihn, Nicole Ferrea, Sheila Hacker, Hiep Nguyen, Charles Van Gilder, and almost everyone in the previous lists.
RCIA Inquiry open to anyone curious about Catholic teachings Summer sessions begin June 6
what “living Catholic” is like. Also
the kitchen door, so please go to the
and continue Wednesday evenings
we welcome anyone who has been
south side of the church, iron gate to
until September when the formal
away from the Church for any rea-
the right that enters the basement
sessions begin. We’ll be covering a
son and wants to reconnect.
and ring the bell to get the door
wide range of topics. See the calendar on the HFC website: HolyFamilyCathedralParish.com
opened if the Cathedral side enWe meet at 6:30 in the Halpine
trance is locked.
room on Wednesdays. Entry is via
Each session is designed for open discussion of any topic an individual may bring. While the RCIA team presents an overview of specific topics each week, the main goal is to get to know those who are curious about Catholicism and to get their questions answered. The intent is to simply present what the Church teaches, how it communicates, and 5
Notes from the Knightstand BY MARTIN REIDY
Well, April showers brought forth the flowers - but also dandelions by the hour! But weren’t they wonderful - the showers, that is? Let us pray that God turns down the furnace and turns on the faucet as the months progress and, perhaps, the summer will be a lovely one. Meanwhile, May is on course to be a very busy month with Mother's Day, Ascension Sunday (nee Ascension Thursday), graduations, altar server awards, and, yes! - Pentecost! Usually, the Feast of Pentecost falls in June but squeezes in on the last Sunday of the month this year. Pentecost the nomenclature literally means “50th day” - is the oldest feast in the Church, older even than Easter. The reason for this designation is that Pentecost was actually a Jewish festival by various names - Shavuot, First Fruits, Harvest, Latter First Fruits - which began on the day after Passover Sabbath (Sunday) and culminated 50 days later. It was basically an ancient harvest festival having its roots in God's dictum to Moses as found in Leviticus 23:15-16. Ironically, it began each year with the High Priest waving a stalk of new grain figuratively before God in the Temple on the Sunday after the Passover Sabbath, or Easter Sunday to us. As it was a moveable feast, and yet is for Jews and Christians, the Pharisees and Sadducees debated its exact date constantly. It was a 50 day period of great celebration even into Christian time. The high time of celebration was the week, or octave, of Pentecost but eventually devolved to just Sunday. The Council of Constance in 1094 limited the “week” to 3 days, and Pope Clement XIV in 1771 abolished Tuesday as a holy day of obligation. Finally, Pope Pius X did the same to Monday in 1911. However, many European countries yet celebrate Pentecost Monday as a legal holiday. Red is the vestment of color for the day to symbolize the “flame of the Holy Spirit.” It is also called Whitsunday. It is unclear as to why but probably has to do with the fact that converts were baptized, clothed in white, on Pentecost - as well as on Easter Sunday and All Saints Day. Why these three days? Very simple: people attended church on these days. In days gone by, people would observe a Novena 6
to the Holy Spirit and/or recite the Litany of the Holy Spirit which, of course, you may do so today.
Peering ahead into summer there is Corpus Christi Sunday in which we as a Council are involved; the installation of Council Officers for the coming year; and, the annual Priest Appreciation dinner in August for Cathedral clergy, Knights, and immediate family members.
labeled “the most dangerous prisoner in the federal system.” He spent his nearly entire prison life of some 30 years in solitary confinement and in a cell designed to sequester Timothy McVeigh who was to spend his life therein but was executed instead. Clayton eventually became a monk associated with the Benedictine monastery at Ava, Missouri though he never left his prison cell. Written by Fr. W. Paul Jones of Assumption Abbey it is an abbreviated one of 117 pages and can be purchased for under $15.00. The second book is "The Girl in the Green Sweater" which is the perspective of a 14 year old Jewish girl, Krystyna Chiger, as written by her as to her and her family's existence in the sewers of Lvov,Poland in WWII. Even more inspiring is the assistance given to the Jews of the sewer by Leopold Socha, a Polish sewer works employee and sometime petty thief who initiated his help for the money and jewels that the Jews had with them, and continued to help them when their money/jewels were no more. A few of you may have had chance to see the movie at the Circle entitled,"In The Darkness which relates this same story from the perspective of Leopold Socha. A riveting book of 272 pages for under $15.00.
Congratulations are in order for graduating altar servers John Maras and Patrick Wilborn who will be receiving a Certificate of Appreciation along with a slight stipend to see them off on the road of life. This annual recognition of our altar servers is a cooperative enjoinder of the Council with the Cathedral parish. Gentlemen, we wish you well and Godspeed!
A tip of the chapeau to Jay Leutkemeyer for his gracious donation of the leftover hamburgers and hot dogs from the Principal's BBQ on Mary 4th for the Council's use in providing dinner to the homeless center in June & July. Also, congratulations on his promotion to another school in another diocese: Saint John Nepomuk in Yukon, Oklahoma. Go with God, Jay!
Ordinarily, we do not recommend books to be read for obvious reasons related to individual tastes in the written word. However, given the summer doldrums ahead you may want to reach for a good book to while away an afternoon. So, much to my temerity, I recommend two easily read booklets attesting to not only the integrity of the human spirit but as to how God works in the strangest ways. First off is "A Different Kind Of Cell: the story of a Murderer who became a Monk". It relates the arduous trek of Clayton Fountain from hell to heaven, literally. Clayton was a murderer of five, including an abusive Marine sargent, a prison guard, and three inmates over a period of years. He was
Finally, in closing out this final column for the summer let us not forget the Mothers! Literally, where would se be without them? Unfortunately, this Newsletter is printed after the Sunday observance of Mothers Day so to all the Mothers everywhere we say,
So, briefly, this is why Pentecost is the “birthday of the Church” and not Easter which only many years later supplanted Pentecost as the great holy feast of the year. May winds up the Council monthly pancake breakfast until September and happens to occur on Ascension Sunday so why not celebrate Ascension Sunday by descension downstairs to Heiring Hall for the grand finale. Sorry about the Styrofoam plates and plastic ware but the automatic dishwasher has seen its last and if and when another will grace its place I do not know.
We hope your day was wonderful. We pray it was not less We hope your day was memorable And, by God, was blessed! Have a great summer, everyone! Pax!
Summer Vacation Bible School:
1818-22
74119.
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Holy Family Cathedral P.O. Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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