The Texas Catholic 03.04.16 by The Texas Catholic

THE

March 4, 2016

The official newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas

Vol. 65, No. 14

The Light Is On For You DIOCESE

The Catholic Foundation Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist., was honored with the 34th Catholic Foundation Award on Feb. 19 at the Hilton Anatole.

See Page 5.

FAITH

Prince of Peace Bishop Kevin J. Farrell helps Prince of Peace Catholic Church and School celebrate their 25th anniversary.

See Page 6.

Catholic News Service

Pope Francis hears confessions during a Lenten penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican during a March 2015 service when the pope announced an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, which is being celebrated until Nov. 20, 2016. In observance of the Lenten season, all parishes within the Diocese of Dallas will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of its “The Light Is On For You” initiative on March 16 and 23. For specific times and schedules, check with individual parishes.

SERVICE

Diocesan schools merge to form new academy

Catholic Charities David Woodyard is named as the new chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Dallas.

See Page 7.

SPORTS

State champions Ursuline Academy captures TAPPS Division I state soccer title with a 1-0 victory over Bishop Lynch High School.

See Page 10.

By Seth Gonzales The Texas Catholic

Irving’s two diocesan schools are merging to form a new Catholic academy within the Diocese of Dallas. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, St. Luke the Apostle Catholic School and Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School will unite their student, staff and faculty bodies to form Holy Family Catholic Academy. The new academy will become the second created by the diocese using this model in the past two years and will be housed at the current campus of Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School. In 2015, St. Philip Catholic School and St. Augustine Catholic School merged to form the first academy in the diocese. “We truly believe this merger

will greatly benefit both the St. Luke and Holy Family communities with improved facilities and expanded curriculum and feel certain this will be a blessing to both schools,” Bishop Kevin J. Farrell said in a statement. Diocesan officials made the announcement on Feb .19 and said the decision to merge both schools came after an intense evaluation, which included the current state of campus facilities and student enrollment at each school. Officials said the move also follows through on recommendations in a 2013 report provided to Bishop Farrell on ways to strategically enhance Catholic education in the diocese. Matthew Vereecke, superintendent of Dallas Catholic Schools, said the diocese looked at its options See IRVING, Page 11

JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic

Fourth-graders Grace Marquez, from right, of Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School, and Adrian Peña and Clarissa Serrato of St. Luke Catholic School work together in a group to complete a science experiment during a “shadow day” at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School in Irving on Feb. 29.

VOCATIONS

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

FROM THE BISHOP 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

Be inspired by mercy to be merciful to others By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell Publisher of The Texas Catholic

In his play The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare wrote, “The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” (Act IV, Scene I). In his Lenten message, Pope Francis Bishop echoes the words Farrell of the bard, writing, “God’s mercy transforms hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn … Divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love our neighbor and to devote ourselves to what the Church calls the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.” Sometimes it is good to refresh our memory on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that, “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling,

Catholic News Service

Pope Francis greets a sick child during a visit to the Federico Gómez Children’s Hospital of Mexico in Mexico City Feb. 14.

comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.”

awaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty, and to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy.’ ” We must keep in mind that the poor include not only those in poverty but those poor in spirit, of whom Our Holy Father writes, “The real poor are revealed as those who refuse to see themselves as such. They consider themselves rich, but they are actually the poorest of the poor. This is because they are slaves to sin, which leads them to use wealth and power not for the service of God and others, but to stifle within their hearts the profound sense that they are only poor beggars … [but] by touching the flesh of the crucified Jesus in the suffering, sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need.” Therefore, mercy is not just something that is to be received. It should move us to be merciful to others so that the double blessing is not simply the giving and receiving, but being inspired by mercy to be merciful to others.

“These works,” the pope continues, “remind us that faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbors in body and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them. On such things will we be judged; for this reason I expressed my hope that ‘the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; this will be a way to re-

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell is the seventh bishop of Dallas.

interview with Catholic East Texas. “There were only 30-something of us at the time, and we were spread over a pretty big area. Of course, we also had to get to know each other, because we’d come from three different dioceses.” As one of those “original men,” Msgr. Metzger served the fledgling diocese on a number of councils and boards, including the Presbyteral Council and the Priests’ Personnel Board. He was dean of the West Central Deanery, director of the Apostleship of Prayer, and a diocesan consultor. Under his pastorate in Athens, St. Edward purchased a lot and house adjacent to the church and remodeled it into faith formation classrooms. He oversaw the construction of an education building for St. Therese, and, ultimately, the construction of a new church in 1997. He also saw St. Therese and St. Jude in Gun Barrel City elevated to parishes. In 1996, he was named monsignor and designated a prelate of honor

by Pope John Paul II, one of five priests from the diocese so honored at the time. Msgr. Metzger said his two primary loves as a priest were working with converts and anointing the sick. “I love working with converts,” he said. “Any time you can bring anyone into the faith, it’s always fulfilling. There’s a hunger for faith in this area, and we have to meet it. People need the Church.” Anointing the sick, he said, gave another kind of satisfaction. “I like being able to be with people in that situation,” he said, “people who are sick or dying, who are facing their mortality. As a minister of that sacrament, I can bring them peace. It’s satisfying knowing I’ve helped people prepare for whatever comes, whether that’s recovery or death.” In more than a half century of priesthood, Msgr. Metzger saw many changes, both in the church as a whole, and in the Diocese of Tyler. “It’s been a good life,” he said. “It’s really been something else.”

OBIT | MSGR. SAMUEL S. METZGER By Susan De Matteo Catholic East Texas

TYLER – Msgr. Samuel S. Metzger, a priest of the Diocese of Tyler since its founding in 1986, died Feb. 17. He was 83. He had been living in a retirement residence for priests in Plano since his retirement from active ministry in 2009. Bishop Joseph E. Strickland celebrated a Mass of Christian Burial Feb. 20 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano. The graveside service followed at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas. Msgr. Metzger was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Dallas on May 9, 1959, and a priest of the Diocese of Tyler from its creation in 1987. He spent the early years of his ministry as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Dallas; Christ the King Catholic Church, Dallas; St. Alice Catholic Church, Fort Worth; St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Dallas; and St. Elizabeth

Catholic Church, Dallas. He was pastor of Our Lady of Victory Church in Paris; St. Michael the ArchanMetzger gel Catholic Church, McKinney; St. Edward Catholic Church, Athens; and St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, Fairfield. Msgr. Metzger served his longest tenure in East Texas as pastor of St. Edward Church in Athens, from 1984-1998, as well as its missions of St. Therese in Canton and St. Jude in Gun Barrel City. He was serving in Athens when the Diocese of Tyler was created from the Dioceses of Dallas, Beaumont, and Galveston-Houston, and thus became one of the original 39 priests serving some 30,000 Catholics in 41 parishes and missions spread out over 32 counties. “We were a real close-knit group: I guess maybe because there were so few of us,” he recalled of that founding cadre of priests in a 2009

Mary Edlund Chancellor Bill Keffler Chief Operating Officer Annette G. Taylor Communications Director David Sedeño Editor of The Texas Catholic

CLERGY ASSIGNMENTS n Father Andrew Semler assigned as Pastor of St. Jude Parish, Allen. Effective April 1. n Father Timothy Church retires and becomes Pastor Emeritus of St. Jude Parish, Allen.

n Father Anthony Densmore assigned as Pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Wylie. Effective April 1. n Father Oscar Mora, a priest of the Archdiocese of Villavicencio, Colombia, assigned

as Parochial Vicar of Divine Mercy Parish, Mesquite. Effective April 1. n Father Jet B. Garcia assigned as Pastoral Administrator of St. Ann Parish, Kaufman. Effective April 1.

VATICAN / DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

YEAR OF MERCY

Pope Francis visits young addicts at rehab center By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY—In the second of his “Mercy Friday” gestures, Pope Francis spent two hours with a group of young adults at a Catholic-run residential drug rehabilitation center. To the complete surprise of the 55 residents, Pope Francis showed up in his compact Ford Escort at the San Carlo Community Feb. 26 with just a driver. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, organizer of the Vatican’s Year of Mercy events, arrived separately at the community outside of Rome near Castel Gandolfo. “We were speechless when we saw the car with the pope enter our community where every day our young people fight their battle to return to life,” said Roberto Mineo, president of the Italian Solidarity Center, which runs the facility. “The pope, like a caring father, spent a long time with each person, listening to their stories and embracing them one by one. Some of the young people showed him photos of their families, their children, and the pope had a word of hope and a blessing for each of them.” Using tiny photos of past and present community members, the

Catholic News Service

Pope Francis poses for a photo as he visits the San Carlo Community, a Catholic-run drug rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Rome Feb. 26.

Pope Francis accepts a slice of pizza as he visits the San Carlo Community, a Catholic-run drug rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Rome near Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Feb. 26.

residents had made a mosaic of Our Lady of Lujan, patroness of Argentina, and asked Pope Francis to sign it, which he did “with affection and friendship.” Sitting in a large circle, Pope Francis asked the residents about their activities and learned that one of their therapeutic projects is learning how to cook. “What is the best

Installing a new pastor Father Gaston Giacinti, IVE, distributes Communion during his Installation Mass as pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, on Feb. 28.

Paris, Texas

April 3 3 p.m.

Deepen your experience of the Mercy of God in this Holy Year

Divine Mercy Sunday

Mission FEATURING

Fr. Bill Casey, CPM EWTN CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER SUPERIOR OF THE FATHERS OF MERCY

Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church

3300 CLARKSVILLE ST. | PARIS, TEXAS | (903) 784-1000 |

OLVPARISTX@GMAIL.COM

thing you make?” the pope asked. Their response was not reported by the few people present, but at break time, they shared with Pope Francis some of their cheese pizza, made from scratch. In a news release, Archbishop Fisichella said Pope Francis chose the drug rehab center as a followup to his visit to Mexico where he

repeatedly denounced drug traffickers and urged Catholic pastors and parishioners to be close to all those who have fallen prey to drug addiction. In one of his earliest Year of Mercy events, in December, Pope Francis opened a “door of charity” at the main soup kitchen of the Rome diocesan Caritas. One Friday a month

for the rest of the jubilee year, Pope Francis was to demonstrate personally the works of mercy. In January, he visited a home for the aged and a nearby facility caring for people in persistent vegetative states. Reporters are not invited to accompany the pope and news of the events is not released until the pope already has arrived.

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

MASS READINGS March 6, 2016 Fourth Sunday of Lent Reading 1 Jos 5:9a, 10-12 The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan. Reading 2 2 Cor 5:17-21 Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So 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. Gospel Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your

Catholic News Service

estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his

father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father

came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

March 13, 2016 Fifth Sunday of Lent

Gospel Jn 8:1-11 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

Reading 1 Is 43:16-21 Moses was tending the flock of his Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise. Reading 2 Phil 3:8-14 Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending

FAITH

Pope Francis comes and goes, but leaves lasting effect By Father Timothy Gollob Special to The Texas Catholic

Pope Francis has come and gone. He was like Halley’s Comet, which has a predicted schedule. It comes and everyone in the world has to reflect on what this celestial occurrence might predict; but then things settle down to a normal routine. During his visit to Cuba and Mexico, I was able to see some of the events on television and read about some of his words in the

news reports. What I saw and heard inspired many thoughts. First of all, I was impressed by his actions as much as by his words. He met his counterpart from the Russian Orthodox Church with a once-in-a-thousand-years embrace. While traveling down the streets in the popemobile, this veteran cleric stood and waved and smiled as he kept up the pace of a comet. But he did come to a halt every now and then to celebrate a Mass or to visit a prison or to touch a crippled child. He was not selfish

in his giving of himself to those who needed a spiritual moment with the pope. One of the highlights for me was the prayer in silence that he offered in the little room with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He sat in silent prayer as a million pilgrims also stood in silent prayer in the streets and plazas. Another high point was when he ascended the ramp to the cross overlooking the Rio Grande between Juarez and El Paso. Silently he prayed for all of us who have to make

dangerous crossings in our lives. Of course, the commentators and the journalists had to make some hay while the papal sun was crossing their territory. So we heard about the pope “losing his cool” when pulled into a crowd. We heard about the pope commenting that it is the duty of the disciple of Jesus to build bridges rather than walls. He did speak to his bishops in Mexico that they had to be leaders in bringing the violence of the drug trade to a halt. He spoke to the

bishops of Texas, who were there so that they could not grow weary in this Year of Mercy from asking for an end to the violence of the death penalty. Pope Francis has gone back to Rome. We are still here working and praying to stay in the orbit of holy Christian-Catholics.

Father Timothy Gollob is the pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

CATHOLIC SEEN The Catholic Foundation Dinner Photos by Ron Heflin / Special Contributor Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist., of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas, was honored with the 34th Catholic Foundation Award during The Catholic Foundation Award Dinner on Feb. 19 at the Hilton Anatole. Victoria Lattner, left, chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Catholic Foundation, presents Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy, O.Cist., the 2016 Catholic Foundation award with Matt Kramer, president and chief executive officer of The Catholic Foundation, right, on Feb. 19.

From left, Brad Camp, Mary Blake Meadows, Barbara Camp and Chuck Meadows, all parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church.

From left, Bruce and Courtney Whitehead, parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, with Tere and Javier Creixell, parishioners of the Church of the Incarnation at the University of Dallas in Irving.

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell makes his remarks during The Catholic Foundation Awards Dinner at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas on Feb. 19.

Dr. Wayne Hellman and his wife, Doris, parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, talk with Abbot Emeritus Denis Farkasfalvy, O.Cist., during the reception on Feb. 19.

FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER

Alessandra Comini

University Distinguished Professor of Art History Emerita at SMU, Author & Lecturer

Catholic Charities of Dallas

Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compassion in Action PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE BRADY SENIOR CENTER

10:30 A.M. M as s Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin Guadalupe 2215 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75201

12:00 P.M. Lu nc h Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center 2301 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas 75201

$75 PER TICKET BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT: WWW.CCDALLAS.ORG/ANGELS-LUNCHEON UNDERWRITING AVAILABLE! FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE EMAIL MDUNLAP@CCDALLAS.ORG OR CALL 214-520-6590 EXT 1105

Honoring Angel of The Year 2016

Vicky Lattner

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

PRINCE OF PEACE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Growing Plano parish marks 25th anniversary By Seth Gonzales The Texas Catholic

When Msgr. James Balint celebrated the first Mass for Prince of Peace Catholic Church in a nowdefunct Lowe’s movie theater at Preston Park Shopping Center in 1991, he admitted it was a unique opening scene for the newly established Plano parish. Nonetheless, he knew immediately the parish would be just fine. “For the first three Masses in the theater, we had 1,150 people,” said Msgr. Balint, who served as pastor of Prince of Peace until 2010, guiding the community out of its infancy. This year, the parish and adjoining Prince of Peace Catholic School celebrate their 25th anniversary with 2,500 families and more than 800 students – some of whom are children of the parish’s founding members. When they joined the parish in 1991, John and Gail Lehman were newlyweds and expecting their first child, Chelsea. Gail said it only took one Mass to convince them Prince of Peace was the right place. “Everybody was so warm, welcoming and friendly,” said Gail, who recalled joining the parish shortly after

RON HEFLIN/Special Contributor

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell delivers the homily during a special Mass on Feb. 7, marking the 25th anniversary of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano.

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, right, with Father Tom Cloherty, left, and Msgr. James Balint, the first pastor at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano, on Feb. 7.

Masses were moved to Plano’s Renner Middle School. “It felt so right, right off the bat. There was so much energy. Everybody was moving in from all different areas and everybody was anxious to start a community.” Of their five children, three have graduated from Prince of Peace Catholic School, which began six months after the parish was estab-

first year of registration. He said they continue sending their children to Prince of Peace because of the school’s dedication to its Catholic identity. “From what they’re learning about the school today, it pleases them that we’re really focused on being a Catholic school and truly instilling those Catholic values,” Evans said. “We’re not just saying it; we’re really living that out.” Parishioner Jackie Kelly admits she initially was not very involved in the life of her parish until the passing of her first husband, James, whose funeral in 1995 was one of the first at the parish. “After that, people really reached out to me,” said Jackie, who even received a surprise house visit from Msgr. Balint expressing his condolences. “I had been to Prince of Peace

lished. Two Lehman children are still students at the school. “It takes a village to raise a family, and Prince of Peace has been our village,” Gail said. When he interacts with the school’s founding members, Principal Chad Evans said some of them recall camping out in tents just to ensure a spot in line for the school’s

Free Admission 972.721.5087 • udallas.edu/chagall

a number of times but never had any contact with Father Jim, but there he was at my door telling me my parish was there for me. That was absolutely amazing.” By the time he retired in 2010, Msgr. Balint had led the parish as its pastor for nearly 20 years and was instrumental in overseeing the construction of its current sanctuary and school in 1994. Current pastor Father Tom Cloherty said that sense of community fostered by Msgr. Balint continues today. “I think that’s one of the hallmarks of this community,” said Father Cloherty, who was taught by Msgr. Balint while a student at Jesuit College Preparatory School. “I’m very grateful not just that the founding parishioners had a dream, but they were able to see that dream become a reality.”

Etchings from the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University

1 year Term

Call for appointment. (972) 386-9950

*Also ask us about our competitive rates on money market accounts! 16400 Dallas Pkwy. Suite 350 Dallas, TX 75248

* $25,000 minimum opening balance. Penalty for early withdrawal. Annual Percentage Yield assumes principal remains on deposit for the term of the certificate. *APY is current through the date of this issue, is a limited time offer, and may expire at any time.

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF DALLAS

New CEO known for having a ‘heart for service’ By Cathy Harasta The Texas Catholic

Catholic Charities of Dallas on Feb. 29 announced that the organization has named David Woodyard, a veteran international businessman and active community volunteer, as its chief executive officer to oversee the next growth chapter of the mission-focused agency. The charity, which ranks among greater Dallas’ largest social service organizations, encompasses 17 programs serving more than 30,000 children, families and seniors in need annually. “I want to see the Diocese of Dallas and the Dallas community work in a very collaborative way to serve those in need in a very efficient and effective manner,” said Woodyard, who is a parishioner at All Saints Catholic Church. “I am extremely excited to work with this team of dedicated and capable professionals in serving our community.” Woodyard, who spent 22 years in executive positions at ClubCorp, most recently served as a service industry consultant. As ClubCorp’s executive vice

BEN TORRES/Special Contributor

David Woodyard was announced as the new chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Dallas on Feb. 29 at the Catholic Charities offices.

president of business development and operations, he was responsible for more than 4,000 employees and generating $175 million in revenue for the company, which is the world leader in private club management. Woodyard, 58, said that he traveled to many parts of the world when his ClubCorp responsibilities

included overseeing international development and hospitality in many contexts. A key mission of Catholic Charities is welcoming the stranger. “I got exposed to all kinds of different cultures on trips to India, the Middle East, Asia and Europe,” he said. “I like to see people light

up with having their needs met, whatever they may be.” Bishop Kevin J. Farrell commended the selection of Woodyard, whose hiring was effective Feb. 29. “I believe the Catholic Charities board of directors has done an outstanding job in selecting a proven leader such as Dave Woodyard,” Bishop Farrell said. “I know his expertise will help Catholic Charities Dallas reach even more people in need with life-changing assistance.” Catholic Charities’ Chief Financial Officer Joe Brogdon, who also served as the agency’s acting CEO since June 2015, said that he is excited about Woodyard’s leadership, caring attitude toward clients and employees, and the direction in which he will guide the charity. “I couldn’t be happier,” Brogdon said. “He’s very engaging and personable. He takes the time to listen and to reflect. He has the heart for service.” In addition to his robust businessgrowth track record, Woodyard’s background includes a commitment to community service, having served in board positions at The Catholic Foundation and Bishop Dunne Catholic School, as well as committee roles with All Saints

Catholic Church and the North Texas Food Bank. Cheryl Unis Mansour, vice president of Development for The Catholic Foundation, said that Woodyard’s service as a member of the foundation’s board of trustees, advisory council member and chairman of several committees prepared him well for his new position. “He brought professional skills to the table and a different perspective,” she said. “His expertise was very helpful. I think that his participation as a trustee in the distribution area has really helped him get to know the needs of the diocese.” Woodyard grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University. He and his wife, Kathleen, live in Dallas and have five children and five grandchildren. “Catholic Charities is thrilled to have someone of David’s caliber and service expertise joining our organization,” CCD Board President Bob McDermott said. “He’s a true servant leader and we believe he will do great things.” charasta@cathdal.org

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

Rite of election

A WORD TO ENKINDLE

Let us bow at the name of God By Father John Bayer Special to The Texas Catholic

BEN TORRES/Special Contributor

Elizabeth Seidemann, left, of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Oak Cliff, stands with a book listing candidates for the Rite of Election that has been signed by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell affirming Catechumens into the Catholic Church during a Rite of Election service Feb. 20 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Bishop Kevin J. Farrell celebrates a Rite of Election on Feb. 20 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas. In February, a total of 1,149 Catechumens were presented for election in the Diocese of Dallas. BEN TORRES/Special Contributor

March 4, 2016

One of the most commonly broken commandments is the second: “You shall not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain” (Ex 20:7). Why is that? Why is it so easy to trivialize the name of God, especially when the Bible suggests this commandment, the second in its list of 10, is so important? Perhaps it is because we do not really understand the word “God” or are somehow insensitive to its meaning. For centuries, Christian authors considered the word “God” as the most precious part of language, and in a different way so did some preChristian authors as well. For them, the word points to what is most marvelous about our experience; it points to the ultimate foundation of reality. Thus the word offers, as it were, a spiritual “horizon” within which everything can be rationally seen as existing, true, beautiful and good. Just like everything we see with our eyes is perceived within the boundless horizon of physical space, so too every finite thing is rationally recognized to

Come Help Us Save More Lives from Abortion in the DFW Community! Monday, April 4, 2016 Noon - 1:30 pm

Table Host and Sponsorship Opportunities Available Omni Hotel Dallas 555 South Lamar Dallas, TX 75202 Registration is available online at HEROICMEDIA.ORG/EVENTS For questions contact kevin.fitzpatrick@heroicmedia.org or call 214-504-1704

exist, and to be true, beautiful and good, within the infinite horizon of the transcendent being of God. For certain pre-Christian authors, “God” named the whole of being in relation to which everything – every part – found its meaning; for Christian authors, “God” names the transcendent Creator, fundamentally distinct from all things and yet still the one in relation to whom all things find their meaning. One way to appreciate the connection between God and existence, truth, goodness and beauty is to recognize that these are not “parts” of creation, for they “stretch” across to define the whole (cf. Wis 8:1). If they are at all, they are everywhere. But no one thing among the vicissitudes and ambiguities of creation can make all things (including itself) exist, be true, good and beautiful, simply because no “part” of anything can determine the “whole” as a whole. What defines the whole as a whole comes from a higher principle. As an analogy, consider a pointillist painting, such as A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. While each dot of the painting is indeed a part of the beauty of the whole, no one of them nor any collection is what ultimately causes this whole beauty – for you could take any one of those tiny dots away without even noticing a difference. It is the higher principle, the creating and organizing principle, in this case the “transcendent” artist, who is responsible for the beauty of the whole, as he grants beauty to each dot by setting it in its relationship to the others. So, what happens when we break the second commandment? When we do not use the word “God” to indicate what it really means (that is, when we use it “in

vain”), we speak and think in a way that ignores or outright denies the transcendent artist responsible for all existence, truth, goodness and beauty. We lose sight of the “horizon” within which creation and history can be rationally affirmed as existing, true, good and beautiful. When we deny God for who he is, that is, when we deny his transcendence, we deny the foundation of all things. When we trivialize him, we pull our idea of him down and think about him as a “thing” among other things, one more “part” of what we now imply is a senseless, chaotic and ugly mess. When we trivialize the name of God, we are likely not very far from other forms of cynicism and vulgarity. I once heard a lecture by an elderly bishop and theologian. Listening to him, I became moved when, at a certain point, he choked up as he read a citation from St. Augustine, which ran something like: “And what do we say, when we say the word God? In these three letters, just one syllable, we utter all we hope for.” Let us not trivialize our hope! Let us bow at the name of God, the author of all existence, truth, goodness and beauty, and the giver of “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). It is he who upholds all creation and history; and it is in his name that we ground and express our hope that at the end of time there will be meaning, value and glory shining from the destinies of all things.

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.

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

Celebrating a community

JENNA TETER/Special Contributor

Provincial Leader of the School Sisters of Notre Dame Sister Mary Anne Owens greets Sister Carol George, SSND, at left, and Lydia Torrez, at right, of Bishop Dunne Catholic School, before the start of the School Sisters of Notre Dame Leadership Luncheon March 1 at St. Monica Catholic Church.

Geo Tech Lecture Series

BEN TORRES/Special Contributor

An image belonging to National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, left, is on display as he speaks with Bishop Dunne Catholic School students about photography on Feb. 25 as part of the Geo Tech Lecture Series at Bishop Dunne in Oak Cliff. Each school year, as part of its Geo Tech Lecture Series, Bishop Dunne invites nationally and internationally renowned academics, scientists, authors, educators, and specialists who are recognized for their research and contributions to society to speak at the school.

March 4, 2016

SCHOOLS / DIOCESE DIOCESE

10 The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

Bishop Lynch hires new football coach Chuck Faucette has been named as head football coach for Bishop Lynch High School. He will assume the post officially on March 14. Faucette, 52, comes to Bishop Lynch with an extensive coaching background, which includes three head coaching positions at the high school level and several assistant coaching stretches at the collegiate and professional levels. Faucette played linebacker for the University of Maryland, where he currently ranks third on the all-time tackling list. He also played two seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Faucette spent the last five years as head football coach at Lutheran South High School in St. Louis, MO. Prior to his time with that program, he was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the St. Louis Rams. Faucette spent valuable time coaching with collegiate football programs as well, including the University of Texas, and Southern Methodist University. “I’m excited and honored to be a part of the Bishop Lynch community,” Faucette said. “I’m very familiar with the rich tradition of the Friar football program, and the passion of the BL community. I’m very eager to jump right in and continue on that legacy of excellence.” In making the announcement, Bishop Lynch President Chris

Courtesy Photo

Chuck Faucette, pictured above at left during his tenure as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Rams, has been named as the new head football coach for Bishop Lynch High School.

Rebuck said it was not only Faucette’s extensive resume, but his core values and belief in the mission of Bishop Lynch that helped to identify him as the most qualified to advance the program to new levels of excellence. “It was critical to identify a person who would focus on a specific, defined process of developing football teams on and off the playing field,” Rebuck said. “Faucette has distinguished himself as a coach at top level programs, and has shown a gift for developing his players

as strong athletes and exceptional people. Coach Faucette is a compelling leader and communicator, and someone who truly knows how to encourage his players to be the best versions of themselves. He will be a tremendous role model for these young men, and our Bishop Lynch community as a whole.” Athletic Director Andy Zihlman said that Faucette brings an enthusiasm and a proven record to the program. “Chuck comes to BL with a wide-range of experience. He has coached in TAPPS, collegiately with University of Texas at Austin and SMU, and in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams,” Zihlman said. “Chuck played collegiately with Maryland and in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers. His playing and coaching background, knowledge for the game and over-all reputation, lends to a great fit for Bishop Lynch Football and our community. With over 150 applications, Chuck stood out as the next man to lead our Friar Football program and take it to the next level. We are all very excited to see what’s ahead.” Faucette holds a bachelor’s degree from Maryland in general studies. He and his wife Peggy Ann have four daughters — Jenna, Juliann, Javoni and Jade — as well as four grandchildren.

BRAD BRUNTS/Ursuline Academy of Dallas

Ursuline Academy (24-1-1) captured the the Texas Association of Parochial and Private Schools Division I state soccer title with a 1-0 victory over Bishop Lynch High School (19-5-1) on Feb. 27 at Wheatley Heights Sports Complex in San Antonio.

Ursuline captures TAPPS Division I state soccer title The Ursuline Academy soccer team clinched the TAPPS Division I state title in dramatic fashion on Feb. 27. Ursuline junior Elli Brunts scored in the 50th minute, securing a 1-0 victory over rival Bishop Lynch at Wheatley Heights Sports Complex in San Antonio. Ursuline Academy finished the season 24-1-1, with Brunts scoring her 25th goal of the season. “Saturday’s goal was 100

percent the biggest goal of my career, and I will never forget that moment,” said Brunts, of her game-winning header. “Watching that ball go into the back of the net was one of the best feelings in the world.” “These girls worked as hard as they could the past year to get the outcome we did on Saturday,” Ursuline Academy coach Kelly Wilmoth said. “I am so proud of them.”

SAVE THE DATE n Holy Cross Catholic Church, will host special Year of Mercy service with Father Robert Seay of Lafayette, La., 7 p.m., March 14 and 15, 4910 Bonnie View Rd. near Loop 12, Dallas, 75241. n Bishop Kevin J. Farrell will cel-

ebrate Mass honoring St. Patrick, at noon on St. Patrick’s Feast Day, March 17, at Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, concelebrated by Father Rudy Garcia and Father Morgan White. Light refreshments after Mass in the Gran Salon.

DIOCESE

The Texas Catholic

March 4, 2016

Irving schools to merge in effort maximize resources (Continued from Page 1) for both schools and decided a merger would allow them to provide a long-term and more sustainable setting for students to receive an academically rigorous and spiritually enriching education. “The idea here is not that we’re eliminating a school,” Vereecke said. “The idea here is we’re taking the best elements of St. Luke and we’re going to marry those to the best elements of Holy Family and both campuses and both schools are going to be better because of it.” Vereecke said in its current state, Holy Family’s campus is best equipped to handle new student, staff and faculty that may double in size. Diocesan Chief Operating Officer Bill Keffler said any improvements to the campus will occur over the summer and are expected to be purely cosmetic, such as new carpet, flooring and paint. No additional facility expansion is needed for the Holy Family campus. “We’ll be able to merge these student bodies together within the existing configuration of that school and still be able to provide special education experiences with dedicated science, art and music capacities,” Keffler said. Keffler said no decision has been made yet on what to do with the vacated St. Luke

JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic

Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic School in Irving will become the site of the new Holy Family Catholic Academy in the fall.

campus facilities, but he anticipates they may be used for the parish’s burgeoning religious education needs. On Feb. 22, a group of diocesan leaders led by Bishop Farrell and Vereecke held a meeting with families at St. Luke to expound on the move and answer questions, among them, whether tuition will increase for stu-

214-379-2891 Attorneys

David Finn Attorney

Attorneys

Former Federal Prosecutor Juvenile Defense

(214) 651.1121 Texas Monthly Super Lawyer 2006-2015 Jesuit & Notre Dame graduate University of Texas School of Law

www.dallascriminallawyer.com

Campbell Centre I - North Tower 8350 N Central Expy, Ste 1310 Dallas, TX 75206

214.724.5364

Andy Olivo Andy Carlton Olivo Attorneys and Counselors

972-242-0924 1622 E. Beltline Road, Suite 100 Carrollton, Texas 75006

Real Estate

1976-2014 Jeeps New and Used Jeep CJ/YJ/TJ/JK Parts Full Heavy Line Service Department Paint and Restoration Services Classic Cars and Hot Rods For Sale We buy Jeeps and Classic Cars 3101 West FM 544 Wylie, Texas 75098 1-800-699-5337 972-442-6189

Transfer VHS, Photos, Slides to DVD Preserve & Share Family Memories

Call for Movie Film Quotes, too

Rental

972-466-4426

Destin Beach House 1/2 blk to water, 6bd/4bth perfect for family vacations. See house & reviews at vrbo. com/454133. 502-727-7426

Bob@keepsakesdvd.com

www.thewrightfirmllp.com Dallas & Surrounding Counties Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization www.thewrightlawyers.com

Personal Thank you St. Rita for your intercession; the Lord answered my prayers. . .VN.

Cemetery Sales

ATTORNEY & CPA BoardPlanning Certified -&Estate Planning Estate Probate Law & Probate Law • Wills • Trusts Texas Board of Legal Specialization • Probate • Guardianships

214-780-9696 214-780-9696

St. Ann parishioner

Personal Financial Planning Taxes • Accounting • Reports Percentage of all fees donated to National Shrine of Jude 1923 Ave. K, Plano 972-424-8113

St. Thomas Aquinas Parishioner

Dallas & Surrounding Counties

Visit www.cargoeyecare.com Most insurance plans including medicare and medicaid accepted.

LEAP by 2/29 for 2015 Prices from Keepsake Family Tree

ATTORNEYS & COUNSELORS

Trusts Business Law Guardianships Business Law

Jonathan Cargo, O.D. 1135 Kinwest Parkway, Ste. 100 Irving, TX 75063 972-432-2020

L.J. Kruger, CPA’s - PFS

Paul F. Wright, Jesuit Alum

•• • •

MEETINg yoUR ToTAL EyE CARE NEEDS Professional Eye Examinations • Eye Injuries & Disease Treatment • Contact Lenses • Laser Vision Correction • Eyewear Gallery

Business Services

THE WRIGHT FIRM, LLP

• Probate • Litigation

Personal Thank you St. Rita for your intercession; the Lord answered my prayers. . .VN.

Elderly

Elder Care LP

Real Estate

Wills • •Litigation

Business Services

Attorney Jesuit, Class of ‘80 Former U.S. Bank Examiner

Civil and Probate Law

Personal Injury Divorce Child Custody & Support Wills, Probate, Life Planning & Trust

Auto Sales

WILLIAM F. RITTER, IV

Financial Distress - foreclosure, eviction, collections, IRS levy, bankruptcy, divorce

Former Trial Judge

and staff at St. Luke for 14 years, including the last seven as principal. “I see a good future for both sets of students at the school.” Muelschen said the fusion of human and material assets will expand academic and extracurricular opportunities for students through the development of their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program, a full-time art teacher and the expansion of cultural programs that reflect the school’s diverse community. When the two principals were informed of the merger, Muelschen said they immediately began collaborating to help create a smooth transition for the students. As an example, students from St. Luke will participate in “Shadow Days” at Holy Family, where they will be given an opportunity to mingle, take classes and have lunch with their future peers. Muelschen said more activities between the schools are being planned, including a joint field trip and a joint Mass. “There’s a little bit of trepidation,” Muelschen said. “They don’t know what to expect, but once they come over and see they’re very happy and excited about being here next year. We want to provide students with enough opportunities so that by the time we get to the end of the school year the students are going to be very comfortable with each other.”

Classifieds Fax: 214-528-3411

"Helping good people through hard times."

Criminal Defense

dents moving to the new academy. Vereecke said tuition for all St. Luke students moving to the new academy will remain the same for at least two years. On Feb. 23, Vereecke, Associate Superintendents Sister Dawn Achs and Ann Poore, who oversees curriculum and instruction, did the same for parents at Holy Family. St. Luke Principal Kathy Carruth said families with students at St. Luke are already in the process of registering their children for the new academy. She said that as of Feb. 26, 102 students have committed to moving to the new academy. Carruth will join Holy Family Principal Janet Muelschen at the new academy where the two will serve in co-administrative roles that have yet to be determined. The remaining staff and faculty at both schools are currently re-applying for the teaching positions at the new academy. Vereecke said any teachers not making the move to the new academy would receive assistance from the diocese in finding other employment. Carruth said it will be bittersweet to say goodbye to St. Luke, but said she believes the new academy will open new doors for her students. “I’ve got a lot of hope; I really do,” said Carruth, who has been a member of the faculty

Patronize our advertisers

Calvary Hill, Dallas. Holy Family Estates. Lot #6, Spaces #1-4. Private Section. Beautiful Family plots. $29,995 for all 4. 713-828-8929. Two cemetery plots in Calvary Hill Cemetery NE Circle, Section 59 $3,000 for both plots please call 972-977-8784. Calvary Hill section S, lot 140 , spaces 1 & 2, upright monument, priv. $8400. Call Hank at 830-990-5840.

A private personnel service for your loved ones www.eldercarelp.com

972-279-2011 St. Joseph’s Residence, Inc. A Catholic Assisted Living Facility Serving in the Diocese for 55 years Staffed by the Bethlemite Sisters Chapel & Daily Mass 330 W. Pembroke Ave. Dallas, Texas 75208 214.948.3597

• Alzheimer's/Dementia Care • Personal Care • Meal Preparation • Homemaker Services • Transportation

972-239-3934 Each Home Instead Senior Care office is independently owned and operated

The Texas Catholic Advertising Policy

The Texas Catholic accepts advertising based upon the assumption that the advertiser operates his or her business with high ethical standards. We will not knowingly accept advertising from persons or businesses with questionable business practices. However, it is not possible for us to investigate each business. We urge readers to get several bids on any project or compare prices for products, and to call the Dallas Better Business Bureau at 214-2202000. The Texas Catholic reserves the right to reject any and all advertising which The Texas Catholic feels is not in keeping with the publication’s standards, policies and principles.

12 The Texas Catholic

DIOCESE

March 4, 2016

STEVE LANDREGAN

The past is prologue

or the past two years, this space has been devoted to Past is Prologue, a series in preparation for and in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the erection of the Diocese of Dallas by Pope Leo XIII on July 15, 1890. It has been a true labor of love. This marks the conclusion of the series but I will continue the Time Capsule recalling events reported in The Texas Catholic 50, 25 and 10 years ago and contribute an occasional article. Interestingly, beginning in March, the 50-year events recalled in “Time Capsule” come from issues of the paper under my editorship and as part of this farewell column I have been asked by Editor David Sedeño to reflect on the events of the last five decades. Vatican II had concluded less than three months prior to Bishop Thomas K. Gorman inviting me to replace Msgr. Jim Tucek at the editor’s desk on March 1, 1966. It was the beginning of some difficult times for the Barque of Peter as it encountered rough waters in the wake of the Council. It was, in the words of Charles Dickens, the best of times and the worst of times: Heady times for those who saw the Spirit of Vatican II as a spirit of change and updating but distressful for those who feared it would result in unfettered change that would subvert the intent of the Council. Council documents were the result of compromise and, as such, lent themselves to different interpretations. There was little or no preparation of the laity, and for that matter the clergy, for changes made by the council. Few Catholics read the docu-

‘‘

It has always amazed me that they would pay me to do what I love — writing and teaching.” ments, rather they formed their opinions based upon different spins, which laid the groundwork for the polarization that divided a church which was also being buffeted by significant societal changes. Among them was the GI Bill, which resulted in significant demographic shifts in the Catholic population. Ready access to colleges and universities for veterans transformed the Catholic population from largely working class to professional class. Availability of GI loans broke up Catholic ethnic enclaves and moved young families to the new suburbs. Higher income and greater mobility disrupted traditional family patterns and shattered the continuity they provided. Homogenization of America that began with the military during World War II and became the new norm in the 1950s and 1960s coupled with Catholic demographic shifts and post-conciliar changes seemed to have spread the seeds of religious relativism that resulted in large numbers of Catholics abandoning the faith. Following the council, the role of the laity expanded from witnessing to the faith in the market place when it was recognized that lay men and women had their own share in the work of the church and did not simply share in the work of the hierarchy. It became the era of the emerging laity as lay people assumed new responsibilities in the church. Concurrently, vocations to the priesthood and

Texas Catholic Archive Photo

Steve Landregan, a former editor of The Texas Catholic, now serves as the historian for the Diocese of Dallas. Over the past 50 years, he has witnessed firsthand the growth and change occurring within the diocese.

Steve Landregan, standing, with Bishop Thomas K. Gorman, on March 1, 1966, Landregan’s first day working for the Diocese of Dallas.

religious dropped precipitously and increasing numbers left active ministry. Along with the emerging laity were emerging permanent deacons as the ancient office was restored in 1967. Many Catholics today have never experienced a church without deacons and lay ministers and many of the same have never seen a sister in a religious habit. Part of the demographic shift saw the Catholic population shrinking in the north and growing in the south, not only in the U.S., but also in the world, resulting in closures of parishes and schools in northern and eastern states as the church was experiencing growth in Texas and other areas of the Sun Belt. New waves of immigrants, refugees from failed economies and failed states, many of them Catholic, began once again to diversify the church resulting in the reappearance of national and ethnic parishes, not Irish, German, Polish or Italian, but Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean. Catholicism became mainstream: John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the first Catholic president; the 114th Congress was 31.7 percent Catholic, the largest religious group; and at the time of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February, the majority of Supreme Court justices were Catholic; facts that were unimaginable when I grew up in the 1930s. Catholics in political power does not translate into Catholic political influence because Catholic officeholders are scattered across the political spectrum. In 1973, the Roe vs. Wade decision by the Supreme Court triggered the Pro-Life Movement, arguably the greatest and longest-lasting grassroots movement in U.S. history. Originally Catholic, the movement has expanded to involve Evangelical Christians and other groups. Unfortunately, it has yet to reverse the Roe vs. Wade decision but has resulted in outreaches to women with unplanned pregnancies and to those dealing with post-abortion trauma. Ecumenism pre-dated the council, but was not really on the Catholic stage. In the past 50 years, great strides have been made in practical ecumenical cooperation with other Christian communities and particularly with the Orthodox Church. Significant understandings have been reached with some Lutheran bodies and corporate reunion has occurred with some former churches of the Anglican Communion. There have been some downers since 1966: like the Pew report last year that half of the people

raised Catholic leave the church and less than half of those return later; the scandalous polarization among Catholics today makes me long for the days when Catholic identity did not require an adjective; and the stunning drop in vocations in the postVatican II years among priests and, particularly, women religious. Most shocking are the thousands of victims of sexual abuse by clergy and laity who were betrayed by those committed to protect them. On the upside was the universal admiration of St. John Paul II, who became an ecclesiastical pop star, and taught us how to live and how to die. Nobody expected the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI that left us in the unique position of having two living popes. His successor, Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas, and who chooses to be called the Bishop of Rome, has made mercy, simplicity and the gospel, the watchwords of his papacy and the style of his life. Most encouraging has been the growth of our own diocese. In 1966, the diocese embraced 60 counties with an area of 45,309 square miles with a Catholic population of 157,156. Today, since the separation of the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1969 and the Diocese of Tyler in 1986, the Diocese of Dallas has been reduced to nine counties with an area of 7,523 square miles, and a Catholic population of 1,258,656. I well remember long drives to Wichita Falls and Texarkana with the double-nickel speed limit. The past half-century is filled with happy memories, especially of the very special men and women I have been privileged to work with and for. Members of the Chancery and Pastoral Center staffs have been like family, especially so because that is where I found my wife of 25 years. I have served four bishops who have generously put up with my many shortcomings. It has always amazed me that they would pay me to do what I love – writing and teaching. That is a glimpse of my past and the prologue to my future.

The Texas Catholic thanks Steve Landregan, historian for the Diocese of Dallas and former editor of The Texas Catholic, for his extensive research and writing of a series of articles in observance of the 125th anniversary of the Diocese of Dallas over the past year.