Cathedral News: April 2011

Page 1

Holy Family

CATHEDRAL NEWS April 2011

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Volume 16 Issue 7


From the Rector

Dear People of Holy Family: Lent is in full swing and Holy Week is fast upon us. This is THE WEEK of the year for practicing Catholics. We come together to remember and celebrate the depth and joy of our redemption and God’s most generous and gracious gift of our salvation. Truly we do this in a most beautiful and meaningful fashion. On Holy Thursday we call to our memory and memorialize the great gift of the Eucharist. This is the gift which enables us, here on earth, to be ever present to the one perfect act of our salvation, the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this great gift Jesus has made available to us His final act of obedience to the Father. We gather together in our Cathedral in this most solemn moment to be one with the angels and saints as they join with Christ in the worship of God the Father. When we say that earth joins with Heaven, we truly mean just that. Good Friday brings us face to face with the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. We pray the Stations of the Cross and we gather to call to mind the passion and death of Jesus. Here we humble ourselves and come forward to kiss the cross of Christ and realize how deeply we should appreciate this total giving of Himself for us. Here we are allowed to receive this same Christ in the Eucharist. Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday are days of great joy and exaltation as we join Christ in His victory over sin and death. If we have been touched by Christ in His Eucharist and remembered His great gift of suffering, then our Easter joy can truly be complete as we remember Jesus is truly Risen. He is truly Risen as He said. Please make every effort to be present for the events of Holy Week so that Easter may be a time of profound joy and true communion with Christ. Prayerfully,

Msgr. Gregory A. Gier Rector Identification Statement The Cathedral News is published ten times per year by Holy Family Cathedral located at 122 West Eighth Street, Tulsa, OK 74119. This is Volume 16 Issue 8. Periodicals Postage Permit 022-729 is Paid in Tulsa, Oklahoma. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Holy Family Cathedral, P.O. Box 3204, Tulsa, OK 741013204.

Three-Year Renovation Pledges update: $65,517.69 is currently outstanding on the pledges for the Renovation Fund. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Photo: Cathy Nelson


Lent at Holy Family

Holy Week Schedule Monday, April 18 12:05 Mass Tuesday, April 19 7:00 Mass 12:05 Mass 5:30 Chrism Mass Wednesday, April 20 7:00 Mass 12:05 Mass Thursday, April 21—Holy Thursday 3:00-5:00 Confessions 5:30 Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00-12:00Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Friday, April 22—Good Friday 1:00-3:00 Confessions 3:00 Stations of the Cross 5:30 Good Friday Liturgy Saturday, April 23—Holy Saturday 3:00-5:00 Confessions 8:30 Easter Vigil Sunday, April 24—Easter Sunday 8:00, 10:00, Noon, 5:00 Masses

Holy Family

Holy Family

Cathedral

Cathedral

Lenten Fridays 5:05 Mass 5:35 Adoration 6:00 Dinner 6:45 Benediction 7:00 Stations of the Cross By Reservation only! Make reservations by Wednesday for each week’s dinner. Call Monika, 582-6247 ext. 18, with the number of people in your party.

Macaroni & Cheese Apr. 1 Tender pasta meets rich creams and cheeses in this variation of grandma’s old fashioned recipe. Served with warm, toasted bread.

Pizza Apr. 8 No Lenten fast is complete without Cheese Pizza. Choose from a variety of meatless pizza pies.

Pasta with Marinara or Alfredo Sauce Apr. 15 Classic Italian pasta cooked al dente topped with your choice of red marinara or creamy white Alfredo sauce.


THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN DURING THE FIRST SCRUTINY AS THE ELECT AND CANDIDATES LISTENED TO THE EXORCISM BY THE BISHOP.

Easter Joy for the Catechumens and Candidates BY THE

RCIA MINISTRY TEAM

At 10:00 a.m. Mass on the three

From these rites, they receive new

perform valid baptisms do not pro-

Sundays leading up to Holy Week,

strength in the midst of their spiritual

vide a record, or do not keep files on

the RCIA elect and candidates

journey and open their hearts to re-

their members. While some of our

gather for the “Scrutinies” within

ceive the gifts of the Spirit.

RCIA candidates have an official form, many have records that fami-

Mass. The Bishop prays over them and includes a minor exorcism that

In order to receive any other sac-

lies kept, or simply letters from wit-

frees them from the ef-

nesses. If those are not

fects of sin and the influ-

found, candidates are

ence of the devil. The

treated as catechumens

three events draw their source from the scriptures of the Mass. First is the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, where

This joyful celebration of their first Easter as Catholics will remain a significant transition point in their lives.

and will be baptized at the Vigil in a “conditional baptism.” This creates a permanent record stored in the church. This same

Christ, the Living Water

record is amended each

is given. Second, “The

time a sacrament is

Light of the World” is drawn from the

raments in the Catholic Church, one

added, so after the Vigil, they will

Gospel of the man born blind. The

must be baptized. Our candidates

have a record of their baptism, first

third scrutiny is about the Resurrec-

have already been baptized, but

tion and the Life from the Gospel.

many Christian denominations that

(Continued on page 5)


(Continued from page 4)

communion, confirmation and in some cases, marriage. Many married candidates have their marriages blessed in the church immediately following the Vigil rite. The Celebration of the Easter Vigil at Holy Family includes those who will be baptized plus those who are received into full communion with us. The sequence of events during the Vigil begins with the baptism of catechumens (the Elect), followed by renewal of the entire congregation’s baptismal promises, then celebration of the acceptance into full communion of the candidates. Those newly baptized and received into communion are then confirmed. Now they are prepared to receive their first Eucharist along with the rest of the congregation. This joyful celebration of their first Easter as Catholics will remain a significant transition point in their lives. After the initiation at the Easter Vigil, our newly baptized are “Neophytes” literally “New Branches,” beginning their first year as new Catholics. They still have much to learn about being Catholic in a community setting, and need to be invited into the various ministries and groups within Holy Family. Please make them feel welcome and needed here so they can continue to enrich our parish life. Encourage them by your example and reverence, as the Faith becomes a way of life for them.

Students Pray, Learn, and Have Fun Holy Family Cathedral School 8th students recently took a trip to Clear Creek Monastery with Mrs. Spoerl, Monsignor Gier, and Mr. Malcom. Students toured the grounds and talked to the Monks about their work. Over 50 Holy Family students “slimed” their principal recently as a prize for successfully completing the Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser. The first annual Walk-A-Thon was a huge success bringing in over $6,000. The Home and School Association did a fantastic job and deserve credit for bringing in money that goes towards funding field trips and other worthwhile endeavors in our school. In fact, over the past three years each and every field trip taken by Holy Family Cathedral School has been funded 100% by our Home and School Asso-

STUDENTS SLIME THEIR PRINCIPAL

ciation. Early this semester we held our Annual Geography Bee and Connor Winn was our school winner. Connor then took a qualifying test which was submitted to the National Geographic Society. Conner scored in the top 100 qualifiers in the State of Oklahoma! As a result Connor will represent Holy Family at the State competition on April 1st in Edmond, Oklahoma. If Connor wins he will compete for the National title! Congratulations to Conner and his great accomplishments.


Helga Gorman is the Cathedral’s Woman of Achievement Helga Gorman is the 2011 Woman

Elizabeth and Ariana.

to immigrate to the United States.

of Achievement from Holy Family

One of the first tasks was to learn

Cathedral. Mrs. Gorman was hon-

English, especially all of the prayers,

ored with fourteen women from other

while attending the Catholic school of

parishes at a recent meeting of the

St. Mary's in Michigan

Council of Catholic Women. The fol-

City, Indiana. She

lowing is Mrs. Gorman’s biography

graduated in 1964,

as printed in the Women of Achieve-

and began working in

ment commemorative program:

a finance company,

In 1972 Tom‘s job brought the (Continued on page 7)

where she met Tom Helga was born in Elsass, Muehl-

Gorman. They were

bach. Germany was nearing the end

married and started a

of World War II. When she was just

family. Helga and Tom

one her father was killed in the war.

have two daughters,

Consequently, she and her mother

Helga and Monika,

returned to their hometown, Krefeld,

and six grand children,

to live with her grandfather. She was

Bobby, Candace,

raised in a very devout Catholic

Blaine, Alex, Caleb

home. In November 1957 she and

and Maddy, and two

her mother received the opportunity

great grand children

HELGA GORMAN AND BISHOP SLATTERY IMAGE COURTESY OF EOC, DIOCESE OF TULSA


(Continued from page 6)

family to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her hus-

Holy Family

band traveled while she was a stay at home mom. She busied herself with PTA, brownies, Girl Scouts, bowling, soccer, softball, swimming,

Council 10388

Notes from the Knightstand BY

MARTIN REIDY

handball, skiing, and skating. An Easter lily, an Easter bonnet In 1991 the family became parish-

an Easter garland, There upon it!

ioners of Holy Family Cathedral. Shortly thereafter Sister Eugenia

An Easter basket, an egg there in

Brown spotted Tom and Helga. Ini-

all celebrating, the death of sin!

tially they became Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers and members of

Come soon, come late!. Easter will

the parish council. Helga joined the

soon come upon us. Now, if you

Woman's Club and was Vice Presi-

were to have surely thought that

dent for a term and is currently the

Easter could come no later than it is

secretary. She has been a sacristan

coming this year — think again! And

since 1994 taking care of all linens,

what do lilies, garlands, and colored

laundering, ironing, and mending.

eggs have to do with Easter? Well,

Willingly she also took on the job of

Easter can actually come on any

maintaining all candles in the cathe-

Sunday between March 21st. and

dral. Repeatedly she has been a

April 25th - a variable date related to

sponsor for catechumens in the

and associated with the perambula-

R.C.I.A. classes. However, her favor-

tions of the sun and moon. we owe

ite job is sewing and cross-stitching

our ( respect to this occurrence to

baptismal collars for every baby who

the deliberations of the Council of

is baptized at Holy Family.

Nicea in 325 and the Alexandrians, star gazers extraordinaire, to whom

Helga is also pleased to be an

the task was given to ascertain an

active participant in the perpetual

agreeable annual date for Easter so

adoration program at St. John‘s Hos-

that all Christendom would be on the

pital. She has always helped at the

same wave-length. Now, this did not

cathedral with receptions, funeral

happen as to plan as the Orthodox

lunches, meals-on-wheels and any-

and certain others went their sepa-

thing else the parish needed.

rate way regarding Easter but for the most of Christendom Easter was set

The most rewarding and humbling

to occur on the first Sunday following

time she recalls was participating

the first full moon occurring after the

with her husband Tom in the deacon-

vernal · equinox - which happens to

ate program. In 2007 he was or-

be April 18th this year for the moon

dained a permanent deacon. This life

and, thus, Easter on the following

changing experience has altered her

Sunday - April 24th! This, in turn,

daily walk with Our Lord.

means that Palm Sunday occurs on the 17th which, by coincidence, is

the scheduled date for our world famous pancake breakfast which is also a movable feast and which will be moved to the 10th of April - so mark your calendars accordingly. Now, Easter is replete with myths and legends as to the "whys and wherefores “of our various customs but none is so colorful as the colored egg. One such myth is that upon the Resurrection Mary Magdalene went to the Emperor of Rome and greeted him with "Christ is risen!" - to which the Emperor duly replied "Christ is no more risen than that egg is red", pointing to an egg on his table. Immediately, the egg turned blood red· Thus the legend: the "red" represented the Blood (death) of Christ from which Life would spring forth. Various appropriate colors soon followed: purple (royalty), blue (heaven), and so on. Flowers carried the same connotation: a new life springing forth from a seemingly dead branch and were woven through the hair as a symbol of Christ's Resurrection. And the Easter lily? well, when Christ walked the earth all the flowers bowed in reverence before Him - all except the proud lily. However following the Crucifixion the lily, overcome with remorse, bowed its head in sorrow and shame and grows that way today! Happy Easter to one and all! Pax.


Holy Family Cathedral P.O. Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204

The relics of St. Damien, the Leper Priest of Moloka'i, The Council of Catholic Women’s Family Concerns Commission along with the Holy Family Women’s Club are asking for help from the women of the parish. We are collecting hygiene products, hairbrushes, lotions, soaps, toothbrushes, etc. These items will be given to the Day Spring Villa in Tulsa. Collection boxes will be placed at the main entrance and the south side door. Donations will be accepted until May 15.

will be visiting Tulsa this Tuesday through Friday (April 5 through April 8). You can come and venerate these relics at the Cathedral Tuesday night, April 5, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Wednesday after the 7:00 a.m. Mass til noon Mass; and again from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. Actor Casey Groves will be presenting a one—man play on the life of St. Damien at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night, April 7, at Bishop Kelley's PAC. (Suggested donation is $10.00.) Priests will be available to hear Confessions during the time the relics are venerated at the Cathedral. The Anointing of the Sick will be conferred on those with serious and chronic illnesses during a special 5:30 Mass at the Cathedral on Wednesday night. For more information or to register to receive the Sacrament, e-mail Martha Chambless at martha.chambless@dioceseoftulsa.org


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