THE
Texas Catholic © 2016 The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
The official newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas
Vol. 65, No. 12
Celebrating Catholic Schools SERVICE
The Catholic Foundation Father Abbot Emeritus Denis Miklós Farkasfalvy, O. Cist., will be honored with the 34th annual Catholic Foundation Award on Feb. 19.
See Page 2.
DIOCESE
Bishop’s Awards Bishop Kevin J. Farrell honored more than 150 people for their service to the church during a special Mass on Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
See Page 6.
DAVID SEDEÑO/The Texas Catholic
Jacob Chute, a Pre-K4 student at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic School in Dallas, picks up a toy truck as his prize for winning a game of Buddy Bingo at the school on Feb. 1, as Jack Silvers, also a Pre-K4 student, reacts after a number on his card was not called by Principal Michael Davies.
ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Partnership builds upon formula for success FAITH
St. Mark the Evangelist The community of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano marked the parish’s 50th anniversary Jan. 29 by honoring past and present clergy.
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SCHOOLS
Dual language program Students at Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy expand their educational opportunities with a dual language program.
See Page 12.
By Cathy Harasta The Texas Catholic
The Diocese of Dallas and the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) recently formalized a strategic partnership through June 30, 2017 with the goal of strengthening Catholic schools and building on the almost-20-year-long relationship between the diocese and ACE, said Bill Keffler, the diocese’s Chief Operating Officer. “This has been evolving over quite a serious amount of time,” Keffler said. “Notre Dame was encouraged by the growth of the diocese and, with Notre Dame’s credentials as probably the most highly regarded Catholic university in the world, we thought that affiliating with Notre Dame would
be a good thing for our diocese.” ACE officials said that Dallas Bishop Kevin J. Farrell’s strong and constant commitment to Catholic education made partnering formally with the diocese a logical next step of what has been a productive collaboration. “The stage was well-set to move forward,” said Sister Kathleen Carr, C.S.J., who is ACE’s Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. “Bishop Farrell’s leadership and the fact that the diocese had a strategic plan for education led us to see opportunities. Priorities of that plan in Dallas—which had involved a lot of stake-holders in its strategic planning process—aligned with some of ACE’s priorities. “We had a fine working See ACE, Page 14
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
Fourth-grade teacher Bridgette McDermott, center, assists Sophia Baez with a classwork assignment at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School in Oak Cliff. McDermott is a first-year Alliance for Catholic Education teacher at the school.
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VOCATIONS
The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell Publisher Editor David Sedeño Managing Editor Michael Gresham Managing Editor Revista Católica Constanza Morales Business Manager Antonio Ramirez Jr. Staff Writer Cathy Harasta Staff Writer Seth Gonzales Photographer Jenna Teter Accounting Manager Leigh Harbour The oldest Catholic newspaper in Texas ©2016 The Texas Catholic THE TEXAS CATHOLIC (USPS 616620) ISSN: 0899-6296 is published biweekly, except for the months of June, July, August and December when it is published monthly by The Texas Catholic Publishing Co., 3725 Blackburn, P.O. Box 190347, Dallas, TX 75219. Subscription rates are $20 for one year, $35 for two years, $55 for three years. Periodical postage paid at Dallas, TX. Extra copies are $4.00 each; if mailed, add $1.00 per piece for handling and postage. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Texas Catholic, P.O. Box 190347, Dallas, TX 75219. TELEPHONE: 214-528-8792 FAX: 214-528-3411 WEB: www.texascatholic.com The Diocese of Dallas is comprised of 69 parishes and 5 quasi parishes in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Grayson, Hunt and Fannin counties. Estimated Catholic population:1,236,944.
Texas Catholic Publishing Co. Board of Directors Most Rev. Kevin J. Farrell Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas Publisher of The Texas Catholic Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel Vicar General Mary Edlund Chancellor Bill Keffler Chief Operating Officer Annette G. Taylor Communications Director David Sedeño Editor of The Texas Catholic
Cistercian priest to be honored for service By Jeff Miller Special to The Texas Catholic
IRVING — Father Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy, O.Cist., has spent the last 53-plus years as teacher and headmaster at Cistercian Preparatory School, then Abbot and now Abbot Emeritus of the adjoining Cistercian Our Lady of Dallas Abbey. When he accepts the 34th annual Catholic Foundation Award on Feb. 19, he said he’ll do so as “an arrival not of me but of this institution, abbey and school together.” Father Farkasfalvy, 79, will be recognized during the foundation’s annual dinner at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. “Father Denis’ impact on Cistercian Prep, the abbey and our Dallas Catholic community is one of perseverance, faith and educational excellence,” said Matt Kramer, the foundation’s president and CEO. “His remarkable success in the name of the faith and the countless lives he has positively changed makes it clear why he is being honored.” The Hungarian native readily made his presence known through his input and actions when overseeing the school and then the abbey. “I always have an opinion — a strong opinion,” he said with a laugh. “A successful leader should never hesitate, and I was never hesitant about my decisions.” Under Father Farkasfalvy’s leadership, the school, grades 5-12, maxed out at about 350 students a generation ago, and its facilities also are experiencing tremendous growth. The monastery — the only Cistercian one in the country — now houses 27 residents; Father Farkasfalvy proudly notes that 15 of them are only in their 30s. “The community which I represent now is a young community that has a future,” he said. And there’s the church, built from 427 massive blocks of
Bishop-elect visits parish Bishop-elect Greg Kelly celebrates Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Lancaster on Jan. 24. Bishop-elect Kelly will be ordained as a bishop on Feb. 11 at Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas. He will serve as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Dallas. DAVID SEDEÑO/The Texas Catholic
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
Father Abbot Emeritus Denis Miklós Farkasfalvy, O. Cist., will be honored with the 34th annual Catholic Foundation Award on Feb. 19.
Texas limestone through an alumni initiative and opened in 1992. The weekly 9 a.m. Sunday Mass is open to the public. Among those applauding the foundation’s selection is Father Abbot Peter Verhalen. He’s a Cistercian graduate who likewise served as the school’s headmaster and then succeeded Father Farkasfalvy as Abbot in 2012. “He’s done wonders for the monastery,” Father Abbot Verhalen said. “He’s done wonders for the school. But I keep on emphasizing; he’s done wonders for the diocese. He’s served the diocese in truly significant ways.” That includes Father Farkasfalvy’s participation on the prestigious Pontifical Biblical Commission, 2003-13. He still doesn’t know who recommended him for the position. He said he twice asked the group’s president, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, but received only a smile in response. Father Farkasfalvy’s faith life was formed by Catholic parents in his native Hungary, a practice that was strengthened and tested when the Soviet Union invaded in the mid-1950s. “The awareness of having to pray and depending on God’s
grace for survival was very, very deeply present in our family,” he said. Father Farkasfalvy was ordained in the Cistercian order in 1961 and was sent to the United States — specifically to the Diocese of Dallas. He’d prepared for a calling as a theologian before his superior — Anselm Nagy, the first Abbot at Cistercian – steered the young man into a career as an academician and specifically mentioned being a headmaster.
Father Farkasfalvy arrived at Cistercian Prep only weeks after its opening on the grounds of Ursuline Academy in September 1962. He taught math before becoming headmaster in 1969, four years after the school’s relocation on what has become Highway 114. His stay in the position lasted until 1981. In Cistercian graduate David Stewart’s book about the school and the order, the chapter covering that period is called “Tough Love.” “I had a very tall task,” Father Farkasfalvy said. “Especially my first few years as headmaster and first year as Abbot, a strong hand … I didn’t enjoy being the boss as much as people thought.” This was all accomplished while he endured multiple back surgeries and two open-heart procedures. “I got acquainted with a good number of Dallas hospitals from inside,” he said with a smile. While officially retired now, Father Farkasfalvy still teaches graduate classes across the highway at the University of Dallas in Irving. Asked what’s most Texan about him after spending nearly his entire adult life in the Dallas area, he said: “I think I have my own stubborn mind. That’s what every Texan tries to have; some succeed. I think it’s appreciated.”
Texas Catholic Archive Photo
Father Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy distributes Communion in an undated archive photo from The Texas Catholic.
CLERGY ASSIGNMENTS n Father Jason Cargo assigned as Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Richardson, effective March 1, 2016. n Father Marco Rangel assigned as Pastoral Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Corsicana, effective March 1, 2016.
VATICAN / NATION
The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
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FAITH
Vocations crisis needs prayer, not despair, pope says By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis told women and men religious that they should respond to the crisis of vocations with intensified prayer, not despair or a lax admissions process. He said he is tempted to lose hope, too, asking God, “What is happening? Why is the womb of consecrated life sterile?” But he warned against fast fixes, saying some religious “congregations experiment with ‘artificial insemination,’” in which they accept anybody, leading to a host of problems. The vocations process must be done “with seriousness, and one must discern well that this is a true vocation and help it grow,” he told members of religious orders, secular institutes and consecrated virgins Feb. 1 in the Vatican audience hall. The pope met with some 5,000 men and women taking part in events in Rome to mark the close of the Year for Consecrated life, which began Nov. 30, 2014, and was to end Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Jubilee of Consecrated Life. Handing his written text over to
Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Institutes for Apostolic Life, Pope Francis said he preferred to speak from his heart “because it’s a bit boring to read” a prepared talk. Both his prepared text and his impromptu talk highlighted the three most important “pillars” of consecrated life: being prophetic; being near all people; and having hope. It is important to be obedient while being prophetic, which is always about following God and reflecting his divine love, he told his audience. Obedience for a religious is not the same as “military obedience,” he said; it’s about giving one’s heart and seeking to discern what is being asked. If the rules or requirements are not clear, then one must speak with one’s superior and always obey the final word, he said. “This is prophecy—against the seeds of anarchy, which are sown by the devil.” Just doing whatever one feels like is “anarchy of the will,” which is “the child of the devil, not God.” Jesus wasn’t an anarchist, the pope said; he didn’t round up
PRO-LIFE
USCCB joins parties filing in Texas abortion law case By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Texas Catholic Conference joined other faith-based groups in filing a friend of the court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a Texas law requiring health and safety standards protecting women who undergo abortions. The filing comes in the case of Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt, on which the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on two provisions of the law regulating abortion clinics in the state later during its current term. The 2013 Texas law requires that clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers when performing abortions and also requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital near an abortion clinic. The brief argued that the Texas law should be upheld in its entirety. The document said the Supreme Court has held since the advent of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case legalizing abortion in the U.S., that states may enforce standards regarding the qualifications of doctors who perform abortions and the conditions of facilities in which abortions are carried out. “To hold that states may not
enact measures like the Texas law challenged here would be a betrayal of over 40 years of precedent,” the brief said. “There is ample evidence in this case that hospital admitting privileges and ambulatory surgical requirements protect women’s lives and health,” the brief continued. “When such requirements are not enforced, abuses detrimental to women’s lives and health arise.” The brief cited several Supreme Court decisions that upheld the rights of states to set standards for facilities performing abortions. The filing also pointed to at least one case in which the court rejected the claim that abortion regulations create an undue burden by making it more difficult or expensive to obtain an abortion. The case is the first involving abortion that the high court has taken in eight years. In 2007, the court in a 5-4 decision upheld the federal ban on partial-birth abortion, which was signed into law in 2003. Joining the brief were the National Association of Evangelicals, the Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Catholic News Service
Pope Francis arrives to lead an audience with religious at the Vatican Feb. 1. The audience was an event celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life, which concluded Feb. 2.
his disciples to fight against his enemies. While he pleaded that God “take this cup from me,” he still requested his father’s will be done. Likewise, the pope said, if members of a religious community are asked to obey something that doesn’t sit well, then -- he gestured taking a big pill and gulping it down.
“Since my Italian is so poor I have to speak sign language,” he smiled, adding that “one must stomach that obedience.” Being prophetic is telling and showing the world that “there is something truer, more beautiful, greater and better that we are all called to,” he said.
Consecrated men and women are called “not to distance myself from the people and live in comfort,” but to be close to Christians and nonChristians in order to understand their problems and needs, he said. However, when it comes to offering love and attention, the sisters and brothers who live in one’s community get priority, he said, especially elderly members who may be isolated in an infirmary. “I know that you never gossip in your communities. Never, ever!” the pope said smiling. Backstabbing and gossip are a danger to religious life, he said. “Whoever gossips is a terrorist,” he said, because they drop harmful words like bombs against others, leaving behind destruction while the attacker walks away unscathed. “If you feel like saying something against a brother or sister,” he said, “bite your tongue. Hard. No terrorism in your communities.” Resolve differences or problems face-to-face with the person in question, he said. But when it’s time for general chapters or other forums involving community life, then people need to be forthright in voicing concerns openly and frankly.
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DIOCESE
The Texas Catholic
February 7, 2016 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MASS READINGS upon us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”
Reading 1 Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above. They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” Reading 2 1 Cor 15:1-11 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, Christ appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Gospel Lk 5:1-11 While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from
February 5, 2016
Catholic News Service
the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
February 10, 2016 Ash Wednesday Reading 1 Jl 2:12-18 Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, and say, “Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people. Reading 2 2 Cor 5:20—6:2 Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Gospel Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
February 14, 2016 First Sunday of Lent Reading 1 Dt 26:4-10 Moses spoke to the people, saying: “The priest shall receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor
Reading 2 Rom 10:8-13 Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture sa y? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart —that is, the word of faith that we preach— for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, no one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Gospel Lk 4:1-13 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
DIOCESE
The Texas Catholic PAST IS PROLOGUE
Idea grows into Catholic university By Steve Landregan Special to The Texas Catholic
Today there is an upscale shopping center and office buildings at Oak Lawn and Blackburn streets in Dallas, across from the diocesan Pastoral Center. Some remember when it was the site of Jesuit High School, which opened there in 1942. Others recall that it was once the St. Joseph Orphanage. Few may remember that it was originally the location of Holy Trinity College, which was built in 1906. A Catholic college was one of many accomplishments of Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne, the second Bishop of Dallas. Others included Sacred Heart Cathedral (1902) and St. Paul Hospital, Dallas’ first community hospital (1898). Priests of the Congregation of the Mission, better known as Vincentians, had a rich history in Texas, playing a major role in the re-evangelization of Texas after independence. Vincentian Father Jean Marie Odin was assigned to Texas in 1840 as a missionary and subsequently became the first Bishop of Galveston, a diocese that embraced the entire state. Closer to home, another Vincentian, Father Richard Hennessy, as a circuit
riding priest from Nacogdoches, often visited St. Paul mission station in Collin County. Father Manuel de Francisco, a refugee from the Mexican revolution, opened a store front chapel in 1914 that eventually grew into Our Lady of Guadalupe Church In 1905, the Vincentian Fathers accepted Bishop Dunne’s invitation to conduct Holy Trinity College, which was to be built on 24 acres of land in the Oak Lawn area. On July 21, 1906, the bishop laid the cornerstone for Holy Trinity College on land purchased for $20,000. At the ceremony, the bishop said, “Education is power. It gives man a conscience that he would never otherwise possess. It makes him great. It makes him willing to lay down his life as a sacrifice in the defense of right. We want goodness. The world is crying for more goodness.” The college opened in September 1907. At the same time Holy Trinity College was established, Holy Trinity Parish, also under the direction of the Vincentians, was erected to serve the new residential addition of Highland Park. It also served as the chapel of the college. The parish was dedicated on Nov.3, 1907.
FAITH
Call out for peace, love and unity in our world By Father Timothy Gollob Special to The Texas Catholic
A long time ago, I was watching the Miss America Pageant during the part of the contest when the finalists were asked what was their greatest wish. Without exception the answers were similar....for world peace...for a healing for cancer..... for the end of violence....for food for the starving...etc. Recently, we have heard the wishes of the politicians....for the elimination of terrorism...for the security of our borders...for jobs for everyone....for a respect for law and order....etc. And also our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has been calling for an end to the destruction of the environment...for peace and harmony between factions within world nations and religions...for respect for life from conception to natural death...etc. What do all of these have in common? From the focus of a mountain top experience, these famous people are calling out for universal concerns. It is a good place from which to cry out for peace and for unity and for love between all in the human race. But the implementation of these summons depends on each indi-
vidual to take up a particular cause and work for it. At the end of January, I was challenged to step out on a street corner during rush hour traffic to hold a sign with the message: “EXECUTE JUSTICE AND NOT PEOPLE!” Others held signs which declared: “THOU SHALT NOT KILL!” The occasion was the date on which another inmate was about to be executed by our great State of Texas. Since this year is a year of Mercy, as declared by Pope Francis, and since he has spoken vigorously for the bishops of the world to abolish the death penalty since it is an ineffective way to reduce violence, it was a small step for me to take for an hour on a chilly evening at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway to remind us of a better avenue for justice. Most of the motorists were fighting the glare of the setting sun or talking on their cell phones. Many averted their eyes from my sign... but I did get five or six “thumbs up.” Thanks to them and for all who obey the signs of our time to make straight the way of the Lord. Father Timothy Gollob is the pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.
Holy Trinity operated only as a high school until 1910 when it became a college of liberal arts and sciences and was renamed the University of Dallas. A story in the Vincentian Heritage Journal (Vol. 30, Issue 2) by Father Stafford Poole, C.M., describes the facility. “It was housed in a magnificent building four stories high and with a southern façade of 370 feet. It was at first only a high school, with an opening enrollment of 88 which rose to 160 by 1910 … in 1916 the university reached its academic zenith and granted an M.A. degree.” Unfortunately, lack of support by Bishop Joseph Patrick Lynch and poor financial management by administration led to the school’s demise. In 1927 the college department was eliminated and the remaining high school division failed to reopen in September 1929. The charter for the university was not surrendered and lay dormant until 1955 when it was revived for the founding of the present University of Dallas in Irving. Holy Trinity Catholic Church still stands today at Oak Lawn and Blackburn as a remnant and reminder of Holy Trinity College.
February 5, 2016
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Diocesan Time Capsule 50 Years Ago Sen. William A. Blakely was honored Feb. 8, 1966, by the University of Dallas at events on campus and a dinner at the Sheraton-Dallas Hotel. Campus activities included the naming of the William A. Blakely Library in his honor and the designation of the soon-to-be-constructed graduate school building as the Braniff Graduate Building. Senator Blakely’s donation of $8 million from the Blakely-Braniff Foundation funded both buildings. 25 Years Ago Cardinal Joseph A. Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, highlighted the 10th Bishops’ Workshop on Ethics, held in Dallas. Cardinal Ratzinger spoke on “A Foundation of Christian Life and Moral Theology. Other speakers included Bishop Donald Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh, and Jesuit Father Avery Dulles. Cardinal Ratzinger concelebrated Mass at Holy Trinity Seminary Feb. 6, with Archbishop Patrick Flores and Bishop Charles Grahmann. 10 Years Ago Pope John Paul II High School which opened only the past August, became the first Catholic School in Texas to compete in the Texas Academic Decathlon (TAD). JPII was the only private school earning a spot in the TAD and placed 17th in the Medium School Division.
Excerpts taken from The Texas Catholic and compiled by Steve Landregan, diocesan historian and former editor of The Texas Catholic. Landregan can be reached by email at slandregan@ cathdal.org.
CORRECTION In a photo of the Diocesan Spelling Bee in the Jan. 22, 2016 edition of The Texas Catholic, first-place winner Joseph Spak of Cistercian Preparatory School was misidentified. The Texas Catholic regrets the error.
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DIOCESE
The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
Bishop honors volunteers for service to the church By Seth Gonzales The Texas Catholic
After nearly 40 years as a parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church, one would be hard pressed to find a ministry in which Kate Gary hasn’t participated. But it’s the parish’s grief ministry where you might find her most of the time. “I’ve had a lot of losses in my life, so I know how difficult it is when you lose a loved one, so I guess that’s my way of giving back and giving comfort to people,” said Gary, who was one of 160 receiving the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church during a Mass on Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. “It gives me comfort to see other people comforted.” Gary’s son was only 27 when he was killed in an accident in Boston. Her daughter later died of lung cancer in 2010. Bishop Kevin J. Farrell presided over the Mass and expressed gratitude that so many have given their time and talents to the church. He said he is often asked by community and business leaders how the church is able to function, given the growing Catholic population and the relatively few priests that are available to them. “It functions thanks to people
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell thanks Kate Gary of Holy Cross Catholic Church for her service to the church Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
like you,” Bishop Farrell said. “So many people who teach the Word of God, not only in catechism classes, but help in marriage
programs and so many different ministries; so many people who bring and carry forward the Word of God.”
Bishop Farrell encouraged the award recipients to always remember why they do the work they are doing, and to generously dispense
the mercy of God to those they encounter. Recalling the story of God forgiving King David’s sin of adultery, Bishop Farrell implored all those in attendance to ask for, then in return give the mercy of God. “There is nothing that we can do in this world amid all the atrocities, all the misery of the world that we know, there is nothing God won’t forgive if we open our hearts and we are willing to forgive and do penance,” Bishop Farrell said. “It is that spirit of God that I ask you all to have; you who are experts in providing service in all of our parishes, remember you must give witness to the mercy and love of God.” For Leobardo León, that mercy should extend to everyone, in any state of life. León and his family are parishioners at St. Monica Catholic Church and are heavily involved in ministries touching nearly every age in the Hispanic community. León said the reason for his participation is simple: God is asking this of him. “It’s what He wants us to do,” León said. “It’s a real blessing to have this award, but, more importantly, God has called us to serve his church.”
stgonzales@cathdal.org
Bishop’s Award for Service recipient Lois LaDay with her pastor, Father James Orosco of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Terrell, during the reception Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
José Luis De Labra, Jr. of the campus ministry at Southern Methodist University smiles alongside his younger brother, Angel, after receiving the Bishop’s Award for Service Jan. 30.
Steve Kim of St. Andrew Kim Vietnamese Church receives the Bishop’s Award for Service from Bishop Kevin J. Farrell on Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Diocesan Marriage Ministry volunteers and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church parishioners Chris Watt gets help from his wife and Bishop’s Award for Service fellow recipient, Teresa Watt, prior to Mass beginning at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell waves to recipients of the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church and their familiy members following a special Mass in their honor on Jan. 30.
Mary Herriges of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano is all smiles after receiving the Bishop’s Award for Service Jan. 30 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Photos by Jenna Teter/The Texas Catholic
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February 5, 2016
Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church recipients All Saints Chance K. Barkley Margie J. Medlin
Immaculate Conception-Corsicana Cipriano Garciá Mike Gámez
St. Augustine Gonzalo Marín Maria Del Refugio Narvaez
Blessed Sacrament Eloisa González Juan Cruz
Immaculate Conception-Grand Prairie Maria I. Dempsey Teresa V. Adames
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Carmen Villasana Juan Pablo Araiza
Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe Alton A. Perry, Sr. Erma D. Perry
Mary Immaculate Cecilia Hermes Manolo Yañez
St. Cecilia Marciano Olivarez María A. Rodriguez
Christ the King June D. LaPlante Michael Kurilecz, Jr.
Mater Dei Personal Angela Roach David R. Vidimos
Church of the Incarnation Andrew Mech Anna Mech
Mother of Perpetual Help Margarita Đặng Ānh Tuyết Võ Thị Ngọc Liêm
Corpus Christi Elvia Sanchez Maria E. Lopez
Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Dora Elia Hernández Nestor Hernández
Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Farrell Golf Don Hanratty Jane Hanratty
Our Lady of Angels Phillip C. García, Jr. Shelley McPheeters
Diocese of Dallas, Catholic Charities Dianne Doyle Joe Hogan
Our Lady of Lourdes Alicia Contreras Jose Garza
Diocese of Dallas, Catholic Schools Ted Tobolka
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Gregoria Cisneros Juan Cisneros
Diocese of Dallas, Chaplaincy Lucy Gonzales Manuel Gonzales Diocese of Dallas, Diaconate Office Diane E. Wood Diocese of Dallas, Disability Ministry John Blanks Diocese of Dallas, Marriage Ministry Becky and Joseph Daniels Chris and Teresa Watt Diocese of Dallas, Office of Worship Gerald Sparks Diocese of Dallas, Pastoral Juvenil Javier Arcadio Valtierra Mayra De La Sancha Diocese of Dallas, Prison Ministry Gary W. Garza Diocese of Dallas, Tribunal Gerald F. Perryman, Jr. Helen Ta Divine Mercy of Our Lord Jóse A. Ocaña Steven B. Laramay Good Shepherd Micaela R. González Victoria Ann Yeatts Holy Cross Ezequiel Juárez Kate Gary Holy Family of Nazerath Emma Ines Byrne Wilfrid William Bruce Holy Spirit Carol A. Lemmon Leo R. Romualdo Holy Trinity William L. Guzzetti
Our Lady of San Juan-St. Theresa Maria Carrillo Roman Hernández Our Lady of the Lake Joe Padilla Lorraine Chambers Prince of Peace Richard Leyendecker Shirley Cauduro Sacred Heart of Jesus Chinese Parish Chenni Liu Jingling Wang
St. Edward Jóse Avila Martha Tucker St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Alan E. Dippel Diane P. Martinez
St. Mark the Evangelist Ann Rossigno Mary “Missy” Herriges
St. Elizabeth of Hungary David Fisher Rosie Hernández
St. Martin of Tours-Forney Robert Schlebach Sharon E. Kuver
St. Elizabeth-Bonham Margaret Ross Robert Ross
St. Mary of Carmel Reynaldo Aviles Concepción Garciá
St. Francis of Assisi-Frisco Andrew R. Smith Susana Hernández
St. Mary-Sherman Ginny O’Hanlon Victor Serrato
St. Francis of Assisi-Lancaster Kenneth Littles Mary M. Tillotson
St. Michael the Archangel-Garland Laura L. Grant Scott W. Grant
St. Francis of Assisi-Whitesboro Anita Morales Jeri Kolash
St. Michael the Archangel-Grand Prairie Judith Ann Saenz Maria Christine Hogeda
St. Gabriel the Archangel Teresa Mroz Tony Saporito
St. Michael the Archangel-McKinney Héctor Hernández Rebecca E. Ferrill
St. James Merline T. Greene Sharon K. Snowton St. John Nepomucene-Ennis Joseph Galetka Sheila Galetka
St. Monica Barbara Brummitt Leobardo “Willy” León St. Patrick-Dallas Jeanne Larson Patricia M. Sherk
Sacred Heart –Rowlett Brenda Irvine Mark Nightingale
St. John the Apostle-Terrell Gary Eugene Frieden Lois LaDay
SMU Campus Ministry José Luis De Labra, Jr. Meagan Harkey
St. Joseph-Commerce Joan Lawrence Richard Lawrence
Santa Clara of Assisi Elvira Cortez Maria Villafana
St. Joseph-Richardson Ben F. Frazer Katherine A. Thompson
St. Andrew Kim Seungmin Celestino Yang Steve Kim
St. Joseph-Vietnamese Lan Thị Trần Thuận Xuân Nguyễn
St. Ann-Coppell Pauline Stein Peter Stein
St. Joseph-Waxahachie Ana Torres John Cásarez
St. Ann-Kaufman Annie Mae Vrzalik Katy Yenke
St. Juan Diego Jorge Antonio Ramos Margarito Garciá, Jr.
St. Anthony – Dallas Annie C. Coleman Marvin Coleman
St. Jude-Allen Sonja Yahnke Stephen Mauser
St. Thomas Aquinas Jim Krieger Therese Baird
St. Anthony – Wylie Eva Ramírez Richard Ramírez
St. Luke - Irving Alice B. Brnicky Larry F. Brnicky
St. William/Our Lady of Fatima Kristina Holleman R.W. Holleman
St. Patrick-Denison Dianne Scoggins Suzanne Broussard St. Paul the Apostle Joseph Semler Maryan Schirm St. Peter the Apostle Andrzej Kaminski Marcella Savala-Hamilton St. Phillip the Apostle Asunción R. Gloria Maria Gloria St. Piux X Len Ruby Peggy Ruby St. Rita Kara Gehan Peter Gehan
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The Texas Catholic
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
February 5, 22, 2016 January 2016 SCHO
Catholic Schoo
Celebrating communities of f
RON HEFLIN/Special Contributor
PK-4 student Lola Diggs greets her grandmother Mary Diggs during Grandparents Day at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School in Richardson on Jan. 29. The event was one of many St. Paul Catholic School planned in celebration of Catholic Schools Week 2016.
Sixth-grader Savanna Bacak, left, and eighthgrader Rachael Edgar deliver juice and doughnuts to a parent in the car line prior to the start of school Feb. 1 at St. Joseph Catholic School in Waxahachie. MICHAEL GRESHAM The Texas Catholic
Annie Rose Fallon passes out stickers while wearing a Captain America shirt. Students at St. M of Catholic Schools Week 2016. Several students also worked as teachers and administrators,
St. Philip & St. Augustine Catholic Academy Photo
Above: St. Philip & St. Augustine Catholic Academy second-graders, from left, Fani Martinez, Jimena Cobarubbias and Jocelyn Walker display artwork as part of a Catholic Schools Week activity on Feb. 1.
SETH GONZALES/The Texas Catholic
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School eighth-graders, from left, Olivia Fitzgerald, Ethan Rogers, and Jack Martin drop donated baby items in bins as part of the school’s collection for the White Rose Women’s Center during Catholic Schools Week on Feb. 1. The center provides services for women in crisis pregnancies.
At right: Mary Immaculate Catholic School students celebrate Student Appreciation Day with dress-down attire and book fair at the Farmers Branch campus. Mary Immaculate Catholic School Photo
CELEBRATING SCHOOLS: Find m within the Diocese of Dallas cele 2015 online at TexasCatholicYou
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
OOLS The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
ols Week 2016
faith, knowledge and service
RON HEFLIN/Special Contributor
Prayer buddies at St. Rita Catholic School, from left, sixth-grader Emma Kenchel, kindergartener Bethanny Kircken and sixth-grader Isabella Kruse work on birthday cards for homeless children in Dallas on Feb. 1.
Superintendent of Dallas Catholic Schools Matt Vereecke, back right, and Father Tom Cloherty of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano pose with the winning team of the Father Thomas Cloherty Diocese of Dallas Religion Scholar’s Bowl on Feb. 2. Winning team members include, from left, Nico Walz, Tri Ha, Nate Stecklein and Noah Vetter, of Cistercian Preparatory School. JENNA TETER The Texas Catholic KEVIN BARTRAM/Special Contributor
Mary Catholic School in Sherman dressed up as their favorite superheroes on Feb. 1 as part , including Annie Rose who was a student teacher.
Holy Trinity Catholic School Photo
From left, Sydney Midema, Santiago Segura, and Alexis Trigo help two of Holy Trinity Catholic School early childhood students, Bridget Dunbar and Aaron Marquez, add pennies to their buckets for this week’s “Penny War.” Holy Trinity Catholic School is collecting money to help victims of the recent tornadoes.
more photos of Catholic schools ebrating Catholic Schools Week uth.com.
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
Pre-K students present firefighter Paul Hobin with a card of thanks for his service to the community during their lunch period on the first day of Catholic Schools Week at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Grand Prairie on Feb. 1.
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February 5, 2016
ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH
Plano parish celebrates 50 years of faith, growth By Jacqueline Burkepile Special to The Texas Catholic
PLANO — With a nod to the past while celebrating its continued growth, parishioners of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano marked the parish’s 50th anniversary Jan. 29 by honoring past and present clergy. Several of the parish’s former priests concelebrated with current pastor, Father Clifford Smith, including Msgr. Leon Duesman, retired pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Coppell, and Father Rodolfo Garcia, rector of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas. The Knights of Columbus Santa Maria Council 6065 led the Mass procession with approximately 550 parishioners and friends in attendance. The Mass was followed by a meal in the St. Mark the Evangelist Parish Center. St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church was established in 1966 by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman. The St. Mark community has grown from 325 families in 1966 to more than 10,000 households today. Its youth faith formation programs serve 1,300 children in preschool through fifth
KEVIN BARTRAM/Special Contributor
Waverly Moore is surrounded by other choir members while singing during a Mass to celebrate the 50th anniversary of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church
KEVIN BARTRAM/Special Contributor
Past and present clergy from St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church — including, from left, Father Rodolfo Garcia, Deacon Federico Marquez, Deacon Shawn French, Father Jason B. Cargo, Father Clifford G. Smith, Msgr. Leon Duesman, Father James Yamauchi, Deacon Dominic T. Hoang and Deacon Ed Putonti — help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the parish on Jan. 29.
grade, and 560 middle school through high school students. St. Mark Catholic School (preschool through eighth grade) has grown from 113 students
with a faculty of eight members to its present size of more than 570 students and 65 faculty members. Father Smith has been the pastor
Free Admission 972.721.5087 • udallas.edu/chagall
Etchings from the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University
of St. Mark for 10 of his 20 years as a priest. He said he believes this milestone event is a great celebration, especially since the parish fosters so many vocations and is very culturally diverse. “It’s kind of like Pentecost every Sunday with the many faces that come,” Father Smith said. “We’re especially blessed with priests and seminarians here…We have three ordained priests so far, three currently in seminary, and one entering seminary this fall.” Father Jason Cargo, pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Corsicana, grew up as an active member of the St. Mark parish. He said he found his vocation while praying in St. Mark’s adoration chapel. At 40 years old, he remembers the parish from its beginning stages. “This was kind of a new parish from my memory. It was filled with lots of children…I was a rambunctious kid, doing all sorts of crazy things,” Father Cargo said. “Attending this celebration is a sign that even when we see rambunctious kids in our Masses, they can one day become priests and serve the Lord.”
Father James Yamauchi, parochial vicar of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney, was also a parishioner of St. Mark as a teenager. He said the parish has always been a place to call home. He added that this anniversary celebration is a way for him to understand the value of parish communities. “[This gives me the] opportunity…to realize, especially as a younger priest, how impactful a parish can be in someone’s life, and to think how I can be a priest that creates memories for people in the years ahead,” Father Yamauchi said. Long-time parishioner Jeanne Rickart also considers the parish a second home. She recognized every priest and deacon on the altar at Mass, including the priests who were originally St. Mark the Evangelist parishioners. “It’s really neat to see the homegrown children come back to their original parish and celebrate Mass,” Rickart said. “It’s very aweinspiring.” Parishioner Mike Zeleski was also amazed by the anniversary Mass and expressed his gratitude. “This is an incredible parish,” Zeleski said. “We love it here. It’s a great parish, and it’s home. Everyone here is my family.” St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church will have its high anniversary celebration during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Farrell on April 25, the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist.
KEVIN BARTRAM/Special Contributor
A pair of altar servers prepare to process into the church during the 50th anniversary Mass of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, celebrated Jan. 29 in Plano.
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February 5, 2016
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CATHOLIC SEEN Bishop’s Gala for Catholic Charities Photos by Ron Heflin / Special Contributor Nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Hilton Anatole on Jan.23 for the 18th annual Bishop’s Gala for Catholic Charities of Dallas. The band, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, headlined the event that featured silent and live auctions to raise funds for Catholic Charities of Dallas programs to aid those in need. Jim and Marina Bradley, parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church, pose with Bishop Kevin J. Farrell at the 18th Bishop’s Gala for Catholic Charities of Dallas.
Singer Frankie Valli, center, poses with Mary Noller, of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and David McCalla, of All Saints Catholic Church, at the 18th Bishop’s Gala for Catholic Charities of Dallas.
Terri and Dave Pellerin of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano, with Chuck Gross and Esther Fraler, both of St. Monica Catholic Church, at the 18th Bishop’s Gala for Catholic Charities of Dallas.
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February 5, 2016
SANTA CLARA OF ASSISI CATHOLIC ACADEMY
At Santa Clara, uno y one equals dos By David Sedeño The Texas Catholic
If you’re from Texas, chances are that you know the English translations for some common Spanish words such as hola, gato, perro, casa and agua. For some students at the predominantly Hispanic Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy in West Oak Cliff, the hope is that their introduction into a dual language immersion program will allow them to someday not only become bilingual and biliterate, but to have educational and socioeconomic opportunities that have eluded their parents or grandparents. The diocese’s first dual-immersion language program was initiated last fall at Santa Clara through a partnership with Boston College’s Roche Center for Catholic Education, which launched the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools in 2013, as a way to help students in Catholic schools learn and be successful in two languages. Santa Clara currently is one of 17
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
Dual language teacher Candice Baker visits with students in her classroom at Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy.
Rocelyn Rangel practices her writing skills in the dual language program at Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy.
schools in the nationwide network. At Santa Clara, 97 percent of the 201 students are Hispanic and more than 60 percent fall under the poverty line. To get started with the program, Principal Stephanie Ma-
Students learn to pronounce names in both English and Spanish and the staff has placed labels in both languages on objects, boards and charts in classrooms and throughout the school to help students better identify those items. For some parents, like Andrea Molina who has one child in the program, it already has anecdotal success, but the hope for a better future is even brighter. “I think it’s very important for their future mainly because of the job opportunities and it’s just better to know two languages,” she said. “Spanish is everywhere now. Knowing the language gives them a greater opportunity in life for the future.” Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill, the executive director of the Roche Center in Boston and the former Catholic schools superintendent for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., said that Catholic schools were once known for educating new immigrants. “We built these schools to address the needs of the immigrant population and we did that for years and years, but somehow we forgot what we were here to do,” she said. She said a global-centric mentality of educating students to commu-
tous and five Santa Clara teachers went to Boston College for a weeklong training program that touched on all educational aspects of what they will face in the classroom and beyond. The Santa Clara teachers also have mentors at the University of Dallas who help guide them. The Santa Clara program currently involves 65 students in PreKindergarten through first grade. In subsequent years, the students will continue to have 50 percent of their day in English and 50 percent in Spanish. “We felt the dual language program was necessary to give our students a leg up when they get to high school and college,” Matous said. “One of the things that is very important in the Spanish classroom is to make sure the students understand and are learning.” For the young students, part of that curriculum involves interactive learning, such as song and dance, using video clips or putting activities on the Smartboard to increase student participation. “When they are able to use more than one learning style, that’s when it really sinks in for the student and it really becomes an engaging activity,” she said.
nicate in more than one language should be the desire of church leaders, school administrators, parents, teachers and prospective employers. “Catholic education today is our responsibility to do what we can to build the new models for the future,” she said. “We must be faithful to our gospel values and allowing children to seek the truth and to be educated in the way that is academically excellent. Being bilingual will enhance that academic excellence for the children who have the privilege of being in those schools.” Kristin Melley, who directs the TWIN-CS project out of Boston College, said the network schools provide an opportunity for educators across the country to reach out to each other for solutions, but that more needs to be done overall. “Our church is changing and our Catholic schools have a fundamental responsibility to provide the best academic and welcoming experience to all families who seek a Catholic education,” Melley said. “This is something that we feel is overdue.” For now, Matous said pre-enrollment for next year is up by more than 10 percent and that Santa Clara administrators and teachers are in the process of writing their own dual language curriculum and hoping to one day become a model dual language school for the diocese. “It’s been exciting that we are embracing both languages and with that,” she said, “we are seeing students succeed who before may have been at the bottom.”
Video coverage
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
Students in the dual language program at Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy go through their morning routine during the class.
Find additional video coverage of the dual language program at Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy at TexasCatholic.com and pick up a copy of the March edition of Revista Católica for a Spanish version of the story.
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The Texas Catholic
Celebrating a milestone
Be reconciled to God By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell Publisher of The Texas Catholic
BEN TORRES/Special Contributor
A WORD TO ENKINDLE
Finding meaning, strength in death By Father John Bayer I once had the privilege of accompanying a woman as she peacefully passed away in the arms and words of her husband, children and grandchildren. It is impossible to measure these things, but I am tempted to say this was so far the deepest and most precious experience of my priestly ministry, if not my life. The total release of life into the hands of God — death — is a mystery capable of being lived in a profound and transforming way, both by the one passing as well as by those whose love unites them to him or her. I know I learned many important lessons from this intimate experience. During her final days, as the family sat around her bed or called from out of town, it was clear that words are important in both life and death. Words of love, understanding, sympathy, forgiveness, blessing, teaching and encouragement — so many people wanted to say so many things. Among the most moving words were those spoken by a husband of 60 years to his dying wife, along with the tear-filled expressions of children and grandchildren, grateful for every gesture of love shared over a lifetime. The courage to speak, to reconcile, to reach out and unite with someone in the twilight of life — this is, I believe, one of the greatest gifts we can give each other and ourselves. Naturally, there were times when no one knew what to say, or when what was said felt silly
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FROM THE BISHOP
The Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School community marked 50 years with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell on Jan. 24 in Irving. Below: Bishop Farrell greets Chris Klassen and his daughter Leona Klassen, 6. Top right: Second-grader Mothoni Njoroge sings during the special anniversary Mass. At right: First-graders Mariale Ramos, left, and Hailey Kajfosz, present the gifts during Mass.
Special to The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
or wrong. For this truthful woman did not want to die in false words, even if they were well-intentioned. So, she was dismissive of attempts to canonize her on her death bed, and both she and her husband seemed unmoved by seemingly pious certainties stemming from the religious Gnostics hiding in us all — Job’s misguided friends, or those who rush anxiously to assertions about God and the universe without taking seriously the mysteries of sin, suffering and death. She did not respond to, and at times even seemed to refuse, words such as, “You are going to get your wings” or “You never failed us” – in the face of death, she seemed to find much more security stepping into the humble, honest words of the repentant thief, read to her by a son-in-law whose tears gave power to every syllable of “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk 23:42). “Have I lived well? Will God forgive my sins? Will death hurt? Are my loved ones in heaven?” Where do meaning and strength come from when the last fig leaf hiding our mortality falls away and our physical, emotional and even spiritual frailties are exposed? Death is when such questions reach their highest pitch, like a fire alarm that will not be ignored. Those whose reason glimpses the Absolute upholding all that is relative – those whose mind in some measure reaches to the Creator palming every atom and tear – have the advantage of insight when approaching death. For there is peace in the knowledge of the One who made all
things, and that the One who “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Ps 121:4) can preserve, if he wills, all that passes in and out of history. For such souls, the tender words of Scripture are the greatest consolation. Read the Word of God to the dying – especially the psalms, gospels and timely passages from the prophets and epistles. In my experience, whenever Scripture or the ritual prayers of commendation were read as this woman lay dying, the whole room stood still. She who had been incapable of finding a comfortable position at last lay peacefully, breathing weakly but steadily; those who had been sobbing stilled to a gentle, mindful pace; and those who desperately wanted to speak but did not know what to say were unburdened, as in the word “Amen” they gave expression to all they wished to say. I look forward to drawing many more lessons from this holy experience. But the one that captures me today is the power of living and dying with words, and especially with the Word of God. This woman passed away as her husband held her, renewing his love again and again in her ears. And during her final pang, the last verses of Psalm 91 were being prayed aloud. May she forever rest in peace.
Father John Bayer, O.Cist., is a theologian and monk at the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas in Irving. His column appears occasionally in The Texas Catholic.
As you receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, the minister asks you to turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel. Those words are an invitation to God’s mercy. In his Lenten message to the Church, Our Holy Father Pope Francis asks that the Season of Lent in 2016 “be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy.” With the Pope’s words in mind, I will devote my blogs for each week of Lent and the Holy Week Triduum to the many aspects of God’s mercy. When he opened the Holy Door at the Vatican on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis reminded us of “How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of them being forgiven by his mercy — we have to put mercy before judgment.” Our Holy Father reminds us in his message that, “The mystery of divine mercy is revealed in the history of the covenant between God and his people Israel. God shows himself ever rich in mercy, ever ready to treat his people with deep tenderness and compassion, especially at those moments when infidelity ruptures the bond of the covenant, which then needs to be ratified more firmly in justice and truth. Here is a true love story, in which God plays the role of the betrayed father and husband, while Israel plays the unfaithful child and bride. These domestic images — as in the case of Hosea (Cf Hos 1-2) — show to what extent God wishes
to bind himself to his people … in Christ the Father pours forth his boundless mercy even to making him “mercy incarnate” (Misericordiae Vultus 81). Bishop Forgiveness then is Farrell not only something to be received but something to be offered. It should be part of our nature. Mercy should be proactive, not only given reluctantly when it is asked for but offered freely to those who have offended us and never withheld as punishment or retaliation. Reconciliation is sharing God’s mercy. For some of us it is easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves. Somehow we feel that our offenses are beyond forgiveness. Pope Francis points out that such is not the case, reminding us that “in Jesus crucified, God shows his desire to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him.” (EG 2) The sacrament of reconciliation is a personal and intimate experience of God’s mercy. Our priests, as missionaries of mercy, have been given the privilege to forgive the most serious of sins, even those reserved to the Holy See. They will be, in the words of Pope Francis, “living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon.” “We implore you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5:20) Bishop Kevin J. Farrell is the seventh bishop of Dallas. Read his blog at bishopkevinfarrell.org/blog.
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ACE enters partnership with diocese (Continued from Page 1)
JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic
John Groden, an Alliance for Catholic Education teacher at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Oak Cliff, looks over a student’s classwork. The Diocese of Dallas recently entered into a strategic partnership with the University of Notre Dame program.
relationship through our teaching fellows in Dallas, where we have the largest concentration of ACE fellows committed to one diocese and a large contingent of ACE graduates who have stayed in Dallas and serve in the Catholic schools.” John Schoenig, ACE’s Senior Director of Teacher Formation and Education Policy, said that 10 ACE teaching fellows currently serve in seven schools in the Diocese of Dallas. ACE, with about 180 teachers in more than 100 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in 30 U.S. cities, forms Catholic educators with a combination of intense academic courses and two years of classroom teaching, generally in under-resourced Catholic schools. Keffler said that the new strategic partnership positions the partners to join forces to maximize the opportunities provided by prominent ACE programs including: n The Latino Education Institute, which strives to increase Latino student enrollment in Catholic schools. n The Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, which helps develop aspiring Catholic school principals. n The Pastors Institute at Notre Dame, which offers summer workshops for pastors. n The Play Like a Champion Today program, which provides coaches and parents with coaching strategies that reflect Gospel values. Matthew Vereecke, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Dallas and an ACE graduate, called the strategic partnership a “tremendous gift.”
Vereecke said that the partnership underscores how profoundly Notre Dame and the Diocese of Dallas value Catholic education. “This is a real statement on the part of Notre Dame and the diocese about how important Catholic schools are in Dallas,” he said. “Our schools were built on the backs of our teachers, principals, pastors and administrators. They are the reason that we have had so much success, and going forward we are going to need even more energy, support and ideas as we open additional schools and grow the Catholic education community in Dallas.” Keffler said that the strategic partnership identified six schools in the diocese on which to focus resources initially: Mary Immaculate Catholic School in Farmers Branch; Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy in Dallas; St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School in Dallas; St. Mary of Carmel Catholic School in Dallas; St. Pius X Catholic School in Dallas, and Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas. “We picked them based on their percentage of Latino enrollment and the presence of ACE graduates these schools already have,” Keffler said. “A long-term goal is that a teaching and leadership pipeline will feed out into the other schools in the diocese. We will be focusing on results garnered from the impact we anticipate having with the ACE commitment to the six schools.” Schoenig said that developing a talent pipeline distinguishes the strategic partnership. “It’s really building a strong and vibrant pipeline to serve in the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas starting with the fundamentals
of teachers and leaders,” he said. “We’re capitalizing on an asset that was already there.” Keffler said that the diocese and ACE will share costs, with the diocese providing the school settings and ACE supplying professional development. ACE participants, who live in community houses while serving as teaching fellows, receive a stipend toward living expenses. Program graduates earn a Master of Education degree. Michael Murray, a second-year ACE teaching fellow who teaches math at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, said that his experience has heightened his appreciation of Catholic values and education. “The Bishop Dunne community has been extremely supportive,” said Murray, 24, who is from the Philadelphia area. “There’s so much thrust upon you as a first-year teacher. This was a really welcoming atmosphere, with so many people offering to help. That was really huge.” ACE’s pillars of professional service, community and spirituality unite and inspire the program’s teaching fellows and graduates, said Patrick O’Sullivan, an ACE graduate and Remick Leader who serves as the principal of Christ the King Catholic School. “Having an ACE teacher in your school reminds you of how and why you fell in love with teaching,” said O’Sullivan, who served as an ACE teaching fellow in Charleston, S.C., before arriving to teach at Bishop Dunne in 1997. “A lot of ACE teachers stay in Dallas because they’ve had such a positive experience. “ACE changed my life forever.”
EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
Pope urges Catholics to be missionaries CEBU, Philippines—Pope Francis urged Catholic families and young people, especially in the Philippines, to go out and be missionaries to the world. In a video message to the closing Mass of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress, the pope said Christ’s presence is a promise of everlasting joy and peace. “It is also a summons to go forth as missionaries to bring forth the message of the father’s tenderness, forgiveness and mercy to every man, woman and child,” he said as the crowd of about 1 million focused on large video screens. “How much our world needs this message.” With conflicts, injustice and “the urgent humanitarian crisis” of today, “we realize how important it is for every Christian to be a true missionary disciple, bringing the good news of Christ’s redemptive love to our world in such need of reconciliation, justice and peace,” the pope said Jan. 31. Pope Francis said Filipinos have
Catholic News Service
The Eucharist is carried in a procession during the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu, Philippines, Jan. 29.
been an example of fidelity and deep devotion. “They have also been a people of missionaries, spreading the light of the Gospel in Asia and to the ends of the earth,” Pope Francis told the
Massgoers, who included delegates from more than 70 countries. About 10 million Filipinos live or work in all continents, often practicing their Catholic faith in countries that are minority Christian.
DIOCESE
The Texas Catholic
February 5, 2016
Above: Alicia Combs, center and Mary Reisinger, right, both of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Wylie, hold each other during a religious song at the Ablaze youth retreat on Jan. 22.
Teresa Miranda, left, Jonathan Coxen and Helen Hall, all from St. Rita Catholic Church, hold hands in prayer during the ABLAZE 2016 youth retreat Mass, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell on Jan. 22 at St. Monica Catholic Church in Dallas.
Setting the world ablaze More than 450 youth in grades eight through 12 converged on St. Monica Catholic Church Jan. 22-24 for ABLAZE 2016, a faith-filled, Eucharistic-centered retreat sponsored by the Diocese of Dallas Office of Vocations.
At left: A young woman receives Communion from Bishop Kevin J. Farrell during the Ablaze youth retreat Mass on Jan. 22.
Photos by Ben Torres / Special Contributor
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February 5, 2016
In Mexico’s Chiapas state, bishop leaves large legacy By David Agren Catholic News Service
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico — Long before Pope Francis spoke of a poor church for the poor and taking the church to the peripheries, Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de Las Casas built the church in southern Chiapas state. Inspired by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and gatherings of the Latin American bishops in Medellin, Colombia, and Puebla, Mexico, he showed a preferred option for the poor, rubbed the rich the wrong way and ran afoul of the Vatican with his pastoral approach, especially with his ordination of married, indigenous deacons. Pope Francis will visit Chiapas Feb. 15 and celebrate Mass for indigenous peoples, including local Mayan languages in the celebration. He also will pray at the tomb of Bishop Ruiz, who died in 2011 at age 86, in the San Cristobal de Las Casas cathedral. It’s seen as a show of respect for a churchman often at odds with the Catholic hierarchy, though a pioneer in a pastoral approach since adopted by the pope. Pope Francis “can’t come to Mexico without visiting Our Lady of Guadalupe. He couldn’t visit Chiapas without saluting the legacy of Samuel Ruiz,” said Gaspar Morquecho, an anthropologist in San Cristobal de Las Casas. “We’re talking easily of a half century of social ministry work and starting in the ‘60s, having a preferential option for the poor.” The trip to Chiapas — part of a six-day visit to Mexico — highlights the pope’s preoccupation with indigenous issues and a population that has abandoned the church in large numbers across the Americas. While
Following is Pope Francis’ itinerary for his papal visit to Mexico:
Catholic News Service
Hundreds of indigenous attend a 2011 service for Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico, outside the cathedral in Chiapas.
speaking in Bolivia last July, the pope apologized for the role of the church in the “so-called conquest of America” nearly 500 years ago. His presence is expected to also bring attention again to the 1994 Zapatista uprising, when an indigenous-led rebel group demanded social, cultural and land rights. The indigenous issue in Mexico, where such populations are often impoverished and living in the most marginalized of municipalities, remains so sensitive in Mexico that local church officials said the Mexican government preferred that the pope visit elsewhere. But for the pope to travel to Mexico and not San Cristobal de Las Casas would be unthinkable, especially since he reversed a ban the ordination of indigenous deacons imposed after Bishop Ruiz’s retirement. Pope Francis also has approved liturgies in indigenous languages.
“(Bishop Ruiz) constantly had to defend himself to the Vatican and defend his work,” said Michel Andraos, associate professor at the Chicago Theological Union and a frequent visitor to Chiapas. “He kept telling them, ‘I’m Catholic. These are the texts of the Second Vatican Council, and I am following the teachings.’” In late 1959, St. John XXIII elevated Bishop Ruiz to serve a mostly indigenous population, many of whom worked in exploitative conditions on coffee farms, received little if any education and did not speak Spanish. Observers say Bishop Ruiz did not start off as a rebel, but rather took issue with the poverty of indigenous peoples in Chiapas. He became known as “Don Samuel,” or, “Tata,” “Father” in the Mayan languages. His diocese even included a ministry for care of “Madre Tierra,” Mother Earth.
FRIDAY, FEB. 12 n Arrival at “Benito Juarez” International Airport in Mexico City. SATURDAY, FEB. 13 n Welcoming ceremony at the National Palace. n Meeting with representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps. Speech by pope. n Meeting with Mexico’s bishops in the city’s cathedral. Speech by pope. n Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Homily by pope. SUNDAY, FEB. 14 n Mass in the area of the “study center” of Ecatepec. Homily by pope. Pope recites Angelus. n Visit to the Federico Gomez Children’s Hospital of Mexico in Mexico City. n Meeting in the National Auditorium in Mexico City with representatives of culture. Speech by pope. MONDAY, FEB. 15 n Mass at San Cristobal de Las Casas’ sports center with the indigenous community from Chiapas. Homily by pope. n Lunch with representatives of the indigenous community and the papal entourage. n Visit to the cathedral of San Cristobal de Las Casas. n Travel to Tuxtla Gutierrez to meet with families at the Victor Manuel Reyna Stadium. Speech by pope. TUESDAY, FEB. 16 n Departure by airplane for Morelia for Mass with priests, seminarians, religious men and women, and consecrated persons. Homily by pope. n Visit to the city’s cathedral. n Meeting with young people at the Jose Maria Morelos Pavon Stadium. Speech by pope. n Departure by plane for Mexico City. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17 n Departure by plane for Ciudad Juarez to visit to Cereso prison. Speech by pope. n Meeting with workers and employers at the Colegio de Bachilleres of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Speech by pope. n Mass at the fairgrounds of Ciudad Juarez. Homily and greeting by pope. n Departure by plane for Rome.
Details announced for papal-related events in Diocese of El Paso By Nancy Wiechec Catholic News Service
Details about road closures, possible delays at border crossings and a celebration on the U.S. side are surfacing as El Paso, Texas, prepares for the pope’s upcoming visit to its sister city, Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The city of El Paso announced it will restrict access to roads and neighborhoods near the international border Feb. 17, when Pope Francis celebrates an open-air Mass in Juarez. A portion of the Cesar Chavez Border Highway will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians for 24 hours. Many El Paso schools and city offices will close that day.
The El Paso Times daily newspaper reported that the road closures strayed from previous plans that had been considered, some of which would have allowed people to walk to the highway to be near the site of the papal Mass. Mayor Oscar Leeser cited security and safety as the reasons for the restrictions. “The most important part of our role is for the safety for the pope and our community,” he told a Jan. 25 media conference. “El Paso is Juarez and Juarez is El Paso,” Leeser said. “We’re one city and one community.” The Mass will take place at the old Juarez fairgrounds next to Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium on
the last day of Pope Francis’ trip to Mexico, which starts Feb. 12. More than 220,000 people are expected to attend the liturgy. Mexican authorities said as many as 450,000 people may arrive for the Mass or to see Pope Francis ride along in his popemobile. Anticipating an influx of border crossers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is extending service hours and staffing at the area’s ports of entry Feb. 15-19. The agency warned people who plan to cross the border during that time to anticipate delays. Passenger vehicles and pedestrians may experience “longer than normal” processing times at ports of entry, it said in a statement. The release reminded travelers that they
will need appropriate documents. Mexican officials said people coming from the U.S. into Mexico at the Bridge of the Americas may experience congestion because of Juarez road closures related to the pope’s visit. A U.S. State Department travel warning for certain places in Mexico was last updated Jan. 19 and includes Ciudad Juarez. The warning said U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states. It said to “exercise caution” when traveling to business and shopping districts in northeast Juarez and its major industrial parks.
People who cannot or do not want to travel to Mexico to catch a glimpse of the pope Feb. 17 can attend a watch party that day at Sun Bowl Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. The “Two Nations, One Faith” celebration hosted by the Diocese of El Paso will feature a live telecast of the papal Mass. Country music star Collin Raye, artist Andrea Thomas and singer-songwriter Tony Melendez, who was born without arms and plays guitar with his feet, are set to perform prior to the telecast. The program also includes the Tigua Indian Nation dancers, the El Paso diocesan choir, youth choir Elohim and local mariachi bands and “matachines,” or dancers.