Holy Family
March 2015
Volume 19, Issue 7
Cathedral News In this Issue: •
Fr. Jovita asks Are You Proud to be Catholic?
•
RCIA members describe their spiritual journey
•
Bible Study group plans summer retreat
•
Universal Church celebrates Year of Consecrated Life
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Are You Proud to be Catholic? BY V. REV. JOVITA C. OKONKWO COMMUNICATING THE FAITH A week ago, the Universal Church entered the Holy Season of Lent. I was nicely surprised at the number of people who poured into the Cathedral, and I believe, many Catholic churches, to be signed with ashes on Ash Wednesday. Many felt very proud to carry our Catholic insignia of nothingness throughout the day. No one complained that I threw dusts on her or him. I actually got the complaint that I didn’t put enough ashes on some, and I promise that we (the clergy at Holy Family) will be more conscientious next year. As late as 9.00pm a stranger was in front of my garage as I drove in. She waved for attention and when I obliged, she asked: “Preacher, can I have some ashes, please? I couldn’t make it to one of your services today.” Of course, she was not Catholic, but she wanted that Catholic smudge on her face. The event has picked up speed in recent years. I heard that some evangelical churches are beginning to offer Ash Wednesday services; and mark my words, in no distant time the business world will institute an “Ash Wednesday Sale.” COMMUNICATING THE FAITH THROUGH LENTEN PRACTICES In the February Newsletter, I discussed issues relating to spiritual and liturgical renewal and how we can grow in intentionality through conscious and deliberate participation in the Mass and personal prayers. In this edition, I will focus on the communication of our Catholic faith to ourselves, our family, friends and coworkers. I chose to concentrate on communication this month because we are in the season of Lent when the church pro-
vides us through the Lenten practices and liturgical celebrations, multiple ways to internalize the faith and communicate it nicely to others.
V. Rev. Jovita C. Okonkwo
HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THE JOY OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH? I was getting ready for bed on the evening of Jan 29 when I noticed a program about to air on EWTN. It was the Episcopal Installation of Bishop Christopher Coyne of Burlington, Vermont. I hung around the living room, at first, just to see the face of the new bishop of Vermont. When the Mass started, I became trapped and saw myself watching the entire twoplus hours that the program lasted. What first drew my attention was the singing in the Cathedral. Believe me, every lip was awake and singing. Then the assembled clergy, religious and lay in the small cathedral looked excited. Given that I love to listen to great homilists, and because the commentator had earlier made references to Bishop Coyne’s homilies, I decided to
hang around to get his homily. Bishop Coyne began his homily with a story about an experience he had at a restaurant. He was at his own table waiting for his meal to be served when he overheard two ladies in a nearby table talking about the Catholic Church. You cannot be a bishop and resist paying attention to that. He overheard one of the ladies say about Catholics: “They seem to mourn their religion.” It immediately reminded me about what my niece in Florida said to me when I sent her pictures of my November 30, 2014 installation as the rector of the Cathedral. My niece Ifeoma commented: “The Cathedral looks awesome…, but why does everyone inside look sad?” (I admit that my niece’s comment based on a few pictures she saw was not a fair description of what happened at my installation. She’s known to exaggerate quite a bit). However, the point is that we can do a better job communicating the joy of our faith during the liturgical assembly and in the public square. And that brings me to a discussion on the sign. THE HUMAN PERSON AND LANGUAGE: THE SIGN John of St. Thomas defined the sign as that which makes present for knowledge something which is other than itself. The sign makes present and manifest, makes real and tangible something other than itself. In fact, in relation to the reality signified the sign performs a ministerial role. For example, the sac ramental signs of Christianity make the reality of the saving death and resurrection of Christ historically contemporaneous with every Christian or non-Christian who seeks to
Identification Statement: The Cathedral New s Issue 8 Marc h 2015 (USP S 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.
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draw near to it. Similarly, in pre-reflective bodily gesture and posture, whether in relation to natural or liturgical signs, nonverbal but significant psychic patterns can be made present and expressed. Liturgical gestures and bodily stances can signify an interior devotion, reverence, joy and adoration of the all holy God. The opposite is true; bodily gesture, posture and movement can communicate a basic lack of devotion, a profound irreverence and even an existential unbelief. That’s how I’m able to tell a non-Catholic who shows up for communion. The woman who thought that Catholics seem to mourn their faith was expressing a reality signified to her by Catholics; or else how could you explain singing Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee with a stone-face. It signifies a mental absence though there is a material presence. It says, we aren’t intentional. ARE YOU PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC? Who is more devout than the other: The man or woman hanging her head as a reed during Mass or the boisterous individual who would like to attract everyone’s attention by shaking every hand and hugging all in the Church during the kiss of peace? The answer is in the middle. Is it better to keep my faith to myself or express it when occasions demand? I was in a law office one Monday morning to visit a friend. She took me round the office block showing me what happens at every department and who is in charge. She came to an office and the attorney who should be manning the office was not there. She then told me, “Oh, this is Mr. Brian’s office. He’s not here today because today is a Jewish holiday.” I recalled that my attorney friend had told me a number of times (not in confession) that she couldn’t attend Mass on our own Holy Days because she had to
work; but she was fine with Mr. Brian’s observance of his. How can we communicate the joy of our faith to a society that has lost its hold on the divine if we are shy to intentionally practice it? Sherry Weddel, author of Intentional Discipleship noted that many Catholics have grown to believe that religion is a minority opinion in the public square and prefer the Clintonian attitude of “don’t ask, don’t tell” to matters relating to their faith. This is further reinforced by the Spiral of Silence theory which says that people are less likely to voice what they think is a minority opinion because of the fear of isolation from the majority. Hence, our religion-doesn’t-belong-in-the-publicsquare cultural norm has exacerbated the throttlehold on intentional Catholicism. BUT ARE WE A MINORITY? GIMME A BREAK…! Do you know that one out of every three members of the United States Congress is Catholic? Do you know that the idea of the university is a Catholic idea and that the first university in the world (University of Bologna) was a Catholic university? Do you know that for more than 500 years, only the Catholic Church had universities? All the earliest universities in the world like Oxford, Salamanca, Cambridge, Santiago de Compostela, etc. from 1088 to 1499 were established by the pope or by papal authority? Do you know that all the earliest scientists and literary geniuses were Catholic Church men and women? Do you know that Holy Family Cathedral was the tallest building in Tulsa for many years before the sky-scrapers came, as was St. Patrick’s in New York? What about the hospitals, the prestigious schools in town. Do you need the names? For many years, our Catholic hospitals
have been among the highest employers of labor in Tulsa, and Oklahoma State. Even in a city with only four percent Catholic population, you cannot hide its Catholic presence. Who says we are a minority? PROUDLY PROCLAIM WHAT YOU ARE We can no longer be stymied into believing we do not matter. Jesus matters. The Catholic Church matters so much that when we speak everyone listens. They already know what the rest are saying or will say; they do not know what we’ll say. Hence, they always wait for the Catholic stand. They may not accept it, but they know it is true because truth is always superior to error, and it is the office of wisdom to meditate and speak the truth, as well as to expose and overcome errors. St. Thomas would say: “Contemplata aliis tradere” (We give to others the fruit of contemplation). You are an ambassador for Christ; that is, Jesus’ own diplomat (2 Cor 5:20). You are a diplomat of the heavenly city. You’ll be proud to answer an American diplomat in a foreign land, won’t you? How much more proud should you feel that you are a diplomat of heaven? Or are you afraid of the obligations attached to your noble status? The French would say: “Noblesse oblige” (Nobility obligates); that means, there is a benevolent, honorable behavior considered to be the obligation of anyone of high or noble rank. That’s what we are. In the April edition, I will concentrate on catechesis as a means to learn and internalize our faith so we can be proud to communicate it. May our Mother Mary share with us the joy she had as she beheld the face of Jesus, so we may truly be sharers of the joy of the gospel!
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Fridays of Lent: Come to Holy Family for
Notes from the Knightstand
•5:05 Mass •5:30 Adoration, with recitation of Rosary •6:30 Stations of the Cross, followed by Benediction •7:00 Lenten Dinner, followed by a movie
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BY MARTIN REIDY
I dressed myself in sackcloth and sat upon the ashes took a reed of thistle and laid on me 30 lashes, Then said I; "My Lord for my sins I'm done!" But the Lord replied ; "You've only just begun!" Well! I thought I knew my sins (I counted nearly ten!) but the Lord thought otherwise and said to, "Think again!"
How to Teach Your Kids True Love: First Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. HFCS 4th Floor March 4, 2015 When is my Child Ready to Date? – Fr. Bryan Ketterer, St. Benedict Having THE Talk with your Children April 1, 2015 How do we Model Chastity in Our Marriage?
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I thought all my sins were thought & fleshOh, so little did I know! I never thought my words and deeds would condemn me so! For the Lord said thought & flesh were sins, indeed, do tell but it is what we say & fail to do that is the slippery road to Hell! So, I washed my face, combed my hair as the Lord instructed and in prayerful thought on my sins redacted. I cannot say I'm better now tho now my prayers I mumble and no longer boast aloud and try to be more humble. So now, my Lord, I hope this Lent will bring to me your Grace so that I will have the couragethose many sins to face!
"My sins have brought me low, O Lord - I pray for Your Grace and Mercy!" Yes, Lent is upon us once more when we must face the mirror on the wall and know the sins that make us fall - as much as we dislike to do so. So many times have I looked in that mirror to see a spiritual Adonis and see, instead, a spiritual Dorian Grey! And so goes the price of sin! Sin, according to minds more educated than mine relate that a sin is missing the mark, missing the bulls-eye! In ancient Greece when an archer missed the target in archery practice he was said to have committed a sin - he missed the mark! (You can readily appreciate his situation in battle unless his archery skills improved!) So, for us Lent is the field of practice to hone our spiritual skills, so to speak, and Easter is the target - both in an immediate and an eternal sense. I must say that I will miss the target if I do not give credit where credit is due and I bespeak of Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras on the 14th in Heiring Hall was a joint venture of the Knights and the Women's Club and they did a superb job in presenting a wonderful evening. Even Fr. Jovita slipped into the spirit of the moment with his "costume" which was a change of hats - and even he was caught tapping a foot to the beat of the music. I do not know of anyone in attendance who did not have a wonderful evening. A round of ap(Continued on page 6)
The Spiritual Journey RCIA class members learn about their Faith
The RCIA catechumens and candidates are more than halfway through the spiritual journey towards the faith. Recently, Fr. Jovita spoke on morality and included an audio presentation of Father Robert Barron’s study on The 7 Deadly Sins and The 7 Lively Virtues. In it, Fr. Barron explains how the virtues will help us to overcome the sins. On Sunday, February 16, the candidates and catechumens participated in the Rite of Election.
Neal French & Whitney Kyser “I am attending RCIA classes to learn more about the Catholic religion and strengthen my own faith in God.” Neal French graduated from Broken Arrow High School in 2010, where he grew up. When he began dating a Catholic woman, Whitney, he says, “She and I began attending several Catholic churches.” After going to the mass at the cathedral one Sunday they both decided “Holy Family was the one.” Now Neal says he is learning a lot more about the Catholic faith and attributes Whitney for playing a major role in where he is with his faith. He is looking forward to entering the church this Easter.
Reneé Skalenda “As I learn more about my faith, I am better able to evangelize.” Wanting to help a friend who was seeking information about Catholicism, Reneé Skaleda, hoping to convert her friend, offered transportation to the RCIA classes at Holy Family. Soon Reneé’s friend had issues with her schedule and was unable to continue. However, she says, “As a cradle Catholic, I have spent my life taking my faith for granted, I didn’t study enough, I didn’t pray enough, I don’t know all I should know.” Reneé continues to attend the RCIA classes for this reason and is very excited learning more about her faith. 5
Cathedral Bible Study group plans Summer Retreat Deacon Jerry Mattox will lead the retreat held at Subiaco Abbey The Bible as a Roadmap to Eternal Life is the subject of the Summer Retreat sponsored by the Holy Family Cathedral Bible Study Group on June 12-14, 2015 at beautiful Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas. Retreat Master Deacon Jerry Mattox will lead the classes and will point out the biblical routes we can follow in order to achieve unity with God. Everyone is welcome to come and not only enjoy the lovely Abbey and breathtaking scenery, but to also experience the privilege of praying side by side with the monks. The fees are $130 each person for a double occupancy room and $190 each for a single. This includes two nights lodging, six meals, and the conference room. Rooms are already being reserved, so get yours early. Contact MaryAnne Lovell at 918445-4480 or mlovell.4468@gmail.com.
Beautiful Subiaco Abbey less than three hours away from Tulsa.
Continued: Notes from the Knightstand (Continued from page 4)
plause must go to Michael and Kathleen Davis and her daughter and son-in-law, Danny & Suzette Forestier for their culinary skills at the stove. No sin there as the food really hit the spot! And get this! Danny & Suzette came all the way from "Lusanna" just for this occasion! A round of applause is also in order for the outstanding job Ed Owen did in bringing the Mardi Gras celebration to the fore - and for the ladies who assisted him. Unfortunately, I am not conversant with them by name so they must remain forever applauded but unknown. However, I did miss the mark in omitting a mention of Edna Hawkins, her nephew and his wife, Raymond & Theresa Dean, 6
last month for their efforts and contribution in providing a turkey stew dinner in January at the Homeless Center. Mea Culpa, Edna. And to pay it forward, Johnny and Sharon Thierry will once again prepare the “mac & cheese” for our March homeless dinner. No one can make up “mac and cheese” as can Sharon. A final thought: last month I noted the severity of fasting in the early Church. What I did not mention is that the water only was for the daylight hours and one substantial meal was allowed after sundown. A typical would be: a porridge of bread of wheat or millet, and pulse (edible seeds such as peas, lentils, etc.) all mixed together with,
say, spinach & herbs cooked in an oil. This was known as the Black Fast prior to the 10th century (it was also observed by Ordinates to Holy Orders all the time) and absolutely no meat, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, or alcohol allowed! But better was in the offering: By the 800s one could eat after 3 p.m., and by the 1400s it was noon! (Now, since clocks had not yet been invented I have no idea as to how one could tell 3 p.m. or noon - especially on a cloudy day!) Next month I'll tell you the Holy Week diet! Until then, beware of the ides of March and Happy St. Patrick's Day on the 17th! Beannachtai na Feile Padraig! (or, St. Patrick's Day Blessing!) PAX!
Year of Consecrated Life Universal Church honors Men and Women in Religious Orders
Pope Francis declared 2015 a Year of Consecrated Life to recognize the immeasurable contributions to the Church made by the 895,595* men and women who are professed members of religious orders. These are Catholics who feel called to live a life devoted to extra prayer and extra service for the rest of us. They forgo marriage and secular pursuits. Where would the Church be without them? Pope Francis asks us, “What would the Church be without Saint Benedict and Saint Basil, without Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard, without Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Angelica Merici and Saint Vincent de Paul.” We might ask ourselves, “Where would Holy Family be without religious orders?” Although no members of religious order currently work at our church or school, we need to look back only a few years to see the work of Sister Eugenia Brown, a Benedictine sister from Saint Joseph Monastery in Tulsa. Our School was graced recently with the presence of several Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, a local community of sisters that primarily serves St. Catherine School in Tulsa.
Holy Family Church If we look further back in our parish’s short history, we find eleven Associate Pastors from three orders: the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S), the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (M.S.SS.T), and the Jesuits (S.J.). Their names are listed in the center vestibule in the Cathedral. The initials following their names indicate their religious order. Holy Family School Our school was financed by Saint Katharine Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Several orders taught there including the Sisters of Mount Carmel, the Sisters of Divine Providence, the Sisters of the Holy Family, the Franciscans Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. Bishop Kelley and Cascia Hall The charisms of the Christian Brothers and the Augustinians influence the spiritualities of Tulsa’s two Catholic high schools.
*895,595 religious according to 2014 research by CARA at Georgetown. 7
Holy Family Cathedral PO Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 Return Service Requested
Holy Week at the Cathedral Tuesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 1
Thursday, April 2
Friday, April 3
Saturday, April 4
Sunday, April 5
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7:00 a.m. Mass 12:05 p.m. Mass 5:30 p.m. Mass of the Oils 7:00 a.m. Mass 12:05 p.m. Mass 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Confessions 5:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 p.m. to Midnight Adoration 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Confessions 3:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross 5:30 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Confessions 8:30 p.m. Easter Vigil 8:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. Mass 12:00 p.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Mass
Upcoming Activities and Events Bible Study meets Thursdays at
Cathedral Youth (7th-12th grades)
7:00 p.m. in the Halpine Room. Deacon
will continue the Saints Alive! series,
Jerry Mattox leads a study of one book
something new that includes praying,
of the Bible at a time, exploring it in
eating pizza, and studying the life of a
context and in depth.
different saint each week - all in the Auditorium from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on
When is my child ready to date? What’s the best age to start talking about dating? How do I help my child have a positive experience dating? Discuss these questions with local parents and with Fr. Bryan Ketterer on March 4 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Holy Family Cathedral School.
Mar. 5, 12 & 26. Parents are welcome to either event, but must be covered volunteers. RSVP to Mike Malcom, 918810-0652 or mikemalcom@gmail.com. The annual Women’s Club Garage Sale w ill tak e plac e on Marc h 19, 20 & 21. Watch the Sunday bulletin for details.