Texas Catholic Herald • April 24, 2020

april 28, 2020

sewing in service

high school at home

Richmond parishioners craft protective equipment for frontline workers

In their final year, Catholic high school seniors adjust to studying, life at home

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Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964

april 28, 2020

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VOL. 56, NO. 21

education

together, apart

Four Catholic schools to close at end of academic year HOUSTON — Persistently low enrollment and other serious financial challenges, further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have forced the closure of four Catholic schools following the current academic year, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston announced April 21.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Queen of Peace and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Schools in Houston and St. Pius V Catholic School in Pasadena were informed of this painful but necessary decision, according to the Catholic Schools Office, who informed the pastors and principals of the respective school communities April 20.

In recent years, the four affected schools each individually had enrollments of fewer than 100 students and had seen sharp decreases in overall enrollment in the last five years. With a See SCHOOLS, page 2

photos by st. dominic village

Above: Dr. Winston Watkins Jr., at left, and his mother greet her husband Winston Watkins Sr., at right, through a window at St. Dominic Village in Houston. Below: Under a colorful set of balloons, another resident greets her family across the street on her 90th birthday they sing to her during her socially distant party. St. Dominic Village closed off its campus to visitors in early March in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Golden years find great care at St. Dominic Village

By James Ramos Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — Life goes on for residents at St. Dominic Village.

Residents still enjoy their typical social activities, said Amy Shields, CEO and administrator of the Texas Medical Center-area senior care community located on Holcombe Boulevard.

There are still social hours, happy hours, ice cream socials, snack time with popcorn and cookies, just social distance-style like

outreach

Ministries reach the vulnerable in face of pandemic

By Rebecca Torrellas Texas Catholic Herald

the rest of the world. The staff brings around the good times with “activities on wheels” since communal dining and activities have been put on hold.

There’s still the thrill of a good game of bingo, with numbers and letters called from a cart in the middle of the hallways, each resident sitting socially distant apart at their doors. Singalongs and trivia contests still bringing harmony and brain challenges.

But when senior care centers

HOUSTON — The surge of COVID-19 cases in Metropolitan Houston in early March brought all 10 counties in the Archdiocese to a grinding halt.

As the global pandemic forced everyone to quarantine, ministries at the Archdiocese took immediate action to ensure the faithful would continue to have access to ministry, especially those most vulnerable.

Katherine Bingham, director of the Office of Aging ministry at the Archdiocese, said the office has been spending a great deal of time with personal phone calls to seniors, particularly those who are frail, live alone or don’t have access to the internet.

“They have been so appreciative of the

life in a pandemic

See OUTREACH, page 7

See VILLAGE, page 3

THE FIRST WORD † 3

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EDUCATION † 12

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español † 18 - 19

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STEWARDSHIP † 20

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SCHOOLS, from page 1 total current enrollment of 257 students, the four schools had been utilizing less than 40% of their capacity and had required extensive, additional Archdiocesan financial support.

“Unfortunately, this global crisis has gravely affected the Archdiocese and our ability to financially sustain every school,” said Debra Haney, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “With parishioners across the Archdiocese being hit with uncertainty in their jobs, offertory donations and contributions to parishes and schools have been significantly reduced. Our parishes and schools and the Chancery offices have had to weigh the unspeakably difficult sacrifices of having to furlough and let go of their staff members.”

“This was a very difficult decision for all of us with the Archdiocese to make, especially during a very difficult time for so many,” said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. “Catholic schools strive to educate the whole person, and the declining enrollment in these schools made it more challenging to fulfill that mission. We had hoped that we would have more time to help these affected schools work through their significant challenges, but the cataclysmic effects of this pandemic have left us with no options — which breaks our hearts. That said, the timing of this announcement was intended to give both families and teachers the maximum amount of time to prepare for the upcoming transition.”

The Archdiocese will offer the families of the 257 students enrolled at the four closing schools the opportunity to receive a one-time credit toward their tuition at another Catholic school next year.

Additionally, the Catholic Schools Office will work

april 28, 2020

“Catholic schools strive to educate the whole person and the declining enrollment in these schools made it more challenging to fulfill that mission. We had hoped that we would have more time to help these affected schools work through their significant challenges, but the cataclysmic effects of this pandemic have left us with no options – which breaks our hearts. ”

– Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Mystery of God’s love is revealed on the cross, pope says

cns photo

Pope Francis celebrates Mass marking the feast of Divine Mercy at the Church of the Holy Spirit near the Vatican in Rome April 19. The church houses a sanctuary dedicated to Divine Mercy.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The cross is more than just a reminder of Christ’s death; it is a symbol of humanity’s redemption and God’s love for all, Pope Francis said.

“How many people, how many Christians spend their time looking at the crucifix,” the pope said April 22 in his homily during the live broadcast of his daily morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

“There they find everything because they have understood — the Holy Spirit has made them understand — that (on the cross) there is all the knowledge, all of God’s love, all the Christian wisdom,” he said. The pope began his Mass with a prayer for Europe as countries across the continent deal with the coronavirus pandemic and struggle to find a common plan for the post-pandemic recovery. †

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to place the principals and teachers from the schools identified for closure in new positions.

“Closing schools is a situation that we have prayed fervently would pass us by, but it now looms before us. I am truly sorrowful that this is the situation that we are in at this time. We have always been one family of Catholic Schools, united in faith and mission, and the loss of any Catholic school diminishes us in spirit more than I can express,” Haney said. “It is with heavy hearts but with enduring faith that we move forward to close out the academic year.” †

‘on the cross is all of god’s love’

THE Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

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On the cover St. Dominic Village • Courtesy photos PPE • Photo courtesy of Beckie Gautreau High School • Photo courtesy of St. Pius X High School

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THE FIRST WORD SDV staff remain ‘vigilant’ amid pandemic concerns VILLAGE, from page 1 across the world stopped welcoming visitors, a concerted, difficult effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus infection among a very vulnerable elderly population, life changed for the residents at St. Dominic Village.

But even so, Shields and her staff “stay vigilant” in incredible efforts to ensure that residents are both safe, comfortable and spiritually cared for during the pandemic.

With the physical absence of visitors within the doors of the center, staff are utilizing the internet to video chat, send photos and videos, and assist with the good old-fashioned phone call. The staff notifies families of any changes in a resident’s condition, and residents’ families are always welcome to call at any time, according to Shields.

While visitors are permitted to drop off care packages and items like notes, pictures and snacks for their residents, Shields said they actively sanitize them to protect their community.

Like other places of worship across the Archdiocese, the Warren Chapel remains closed to worshipers.

“Spiritual care is so important to so many of our residents,” Shields said. “And since we have had to close Warren Chapel, we have been having Mass and livestreaming it to our residents’ rooms.”

The Village’s spiritual care director also provided residents material and information on ways to continue spiritual care via television.

Though there have been no positive cases of COVID-19 on campus, Shields admitted the coronavirus pandemic provided new and different challenges for her staff and their residents.

These include the limitations of families and residents no longer being able to visit with each other, the decision to limit the admission of new residents in the Village’s independent and assisted living centers to keep current residents safe, among others like lack of access to personal protective equipment.

The Village was not spared from the financial difficulties of the pandemic, as Shields said they had to cancel two major fundraisers and were seeing a loss of revenue due to the decrease in hospital discharges to their facilities.

Still, time goes on, and birthdays are still celebrated. When a resident turned 90 years old, her family turned out to party across the parking lot with balloons, signs and more to mark the special event.

S

DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues HOUSTON — This year the theme of the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal is “Bring Your Greatest Gifts to The Lord.”

The annual campaign to support more than 60 Archdiocese-wide ministries is under way and the local Church is asking parishioners to continue their generous giving to DSF. The fund supports a variety of ministries, such as those forming youth in Catholic faith; providing support and preparation for clergy; teaching, evangelizing, worshipping, and outreach to the incarcerated, aging, poor and sick; and programming to strengthen Christian families, among many others. A full list of the ministries supported can be found at www.archgh.org/dsf. The Archdiocese counts on DSF funds to help meet the needs of people struggling throughout our region.

To pledge online, visit www.archgh.org/dsf. For more information about DSF and the ministries it supports, call 713-652-4417. †

St. Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us! st. mary cathedral basilica galveston

photos by st. dominic village

St. Dominic Village residents enjoy a game of bingo in their hallway as part of adjusted programming in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On social media, the Village continued to share posts with photos of smiling residents toting handmade bilingual signs with messages of love and care to their family and friends.

In a message to a younger loved one, one resident wrote: “I miss you and hope all is well.

I am doing okay, and I hope you are staying inside.” Maternal love crosses all boundaries.

Shields said she was inspired by the generosity of so many despite the pandemic.

“Families and visitors … have donated masks, medical supplies and resources” to the Village, she said.

She credits the Village’s staff for their evervigilant efforts to care for their residents.

“They have continued to provide the same level of care to our residents, all while dealing with the personal aspects of this pandemic in their own lives and families,” she said. “They show up each day and love our residents like their own.”

For more information about St. Dominic Village, call 713-741-8701 or visit www. stdominicvillage.org. †

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Prayer in the Time of the Coronavirus Comfort us, O Lord, for we are like your disciples on the storm tossed seas, unsettled by what lies ahead. We turn to You, our Healer and Guide, to still our hearts in our time of need and hear our prayer: Heal those who are sick with the coronavirus and protect the elderly and most vulnerable.

Give strength to all who tend to our health and wisdom to researchers who work toward a cure.

Open our eyes and hearts, as you did during Hurricane Harvey, that we may look beyond our immediate needs to care for others who need help.

Through the Holy Spirit, guide our leaders to make wise decisions for the welfare of all the people they serve.

Grant eternal rest to those who have died from the virus.

May Mary, Our Mother, who has heard our pleas in the storms of our lives, intercede to her Son, that we may find healing and a prompt end to this illness.

Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us. Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, heal us. Amen.

SPIRITUAL RESOURCES The Archdiocese continues to maintain its website with spiritual resources and links to digital guides on keeping the faith while at home including: • Daily Spiritual Reflections videos presented by priests in English, Spanish and Vietnamese • Links to Daily Readings, online prayer guides and links to Pope Francis’s prayers and Liturgies • Special prayers for the pandemic

www.archgh.org/spiritualresources THE Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

4 Texas Catholic Herald

local

april 28, 2020

WALKING With Moms

Nationwide effort to address the need for improved pastoral responses to women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies set to launch. ▪ pagE 8

Richmond parishioners craft protective equipment for area healthcare workers fighting coronavirus

By James Ramos Texas Catholic Herald RICHMOND — Alarmed by the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to frontline healthcare workers fighting to slow the coronavirus pandemic in the Galveston-Houston region, husband-and-wife duo Josh and Beckie Gautreau decided to take things into their own hands — and sewing and 3-D printing machines.

The couple, who attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Richmond with their three daughters, have been crafting homemade PPE to support city-wide efforts to provide healthcare workers with additional supply. Beckie, focused on cloth face masks and scrub caps, has made more than 75 items with her sewing machine, while Josh and his 3-D printer have produced more than 500 face shields.

Since March, their work joins dozens of other groups around the region all working to produce at least 4,000 face shields, masks and ear guards by the end of April. Every night, volunteers coordinate logistics for deliveries, requests and materials, according to Josh.

Dr. Jamie Hernandez, Josh’s sister who practices OB/GYN at CHI St. Luke’s Hospital and Caritas Women’s Care in Sugar Land, asked her brother Josh if he could help make PPE at home using a 3-D printer after reading about efforts in other places. The next day, Josh went to a nearby electronics store, bought a 3-D printer and started printing masks soon after.

Beckie said their faith prompted their efforts.

“Our Catholic faith is constantly calling us out of ourselves,” she said. “All

“Our Catholic faith is constantly calling us out of ourselves.

All the vocations and all the Sacraments reinforce this need to serve our community. During this current crisis, I needed to find a way to serve.”

Beckie Gautreau on making home-made ppe for healthcare workers in the region photos courtesy of beckie and josh gautreau

Beckie Gautreau sews a face mask in an effort to provide personal protective equipment for healthcare workers in the Galveston-Houston region alongside her husband Josh who has been producing face shields. Many medical communities across the nation have been taking donations of medical-grade and non-medical grade PPE to support their supplies while fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

the vocations and all the Sacraments reinforce this need to serve our community. During this current crisis, I needed to find a way to serve.”

And while social distancing prevented them from helping out in other ways, their DIY efforts were a “great solution” to serving the greater community.

“Hearing that there were serious concerns about a lack of PPE for the medical community was alarming,” Josh said. “Knowing that we had a possible way to help provided considerable motivation for us to get involved in some way.”

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Josh’s face shields are comprised of a transparency sheet, like those used on school projectors, secured to a special 3-D printed frame. Each frame takes about 50 minutes to make.

Sewing came easy for Beckie. With a musical theater background, she knew how to sew costumes and set dressings for her productions. Josh, who works in oil and gas, was a quick learner with his 3-D printer, empowered by his business, finance and law experience.

Initially, they raised funds online to pay for their supplies, more than doubling their original $500 goal. Soon, when they joined their efforts with others in the region, materials started flowing from donors to spur additional production.

The family, like millions around the world, continued to adjust to life’s new

challenges in the pandemic. While their children were already homeschooled for a year prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the kids miss seeing their friends who also remain in their own homes.

However, the closure of many art and craft stores due to nationwide stay-athome orders that shuttered businesses, Beckie found it challenging to keep a consistent supply of materials.

“Elastic, fabric and ribbons are sold out nearly everywhere,” she said. “I’m ready to make more masks, but I need to find fabric!”

Even in the massive coordination involved with producing so many pieces, Josh remained thankful for the united front to tackle the pandemic.

“Thankfully, everyone has rallied around the singular goal of providing PPE to those in need, so the group is able to stay focused amidst the chaos,” he said.

To donate materials or join the effort to make homemade PPE, visit the website online at www. houstonfightingcovid.com. †

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Josh Gautreau uses a 3-D printer to produce frames using a special material that will be used for face shields. He has produced more than 500 face shields, which are comprised of a special 3-D printed frame and transparency sheets.

LOCAL

april 28, 2020

texas catholic herald

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finding the faces of christ

Catholic Workers serve amid Houston quarantine

By Evan Bednarz Special to the Herald HOUSTON — On normal Tuesday mornings at Casa Juan Diego (CJD), the Catholic Worker house located in the Rice Military neighborhood of Houston, a line of people forms to wait for the weekly food distribution wrapping along the building and stretching out onto the sidewalk.

Since the coronavirus and Harris County’s stay-at-home orders took hold in March, that image has changed drastically.

Instead of people waiting and chatting outside nearby, there are traffic cones, idling cars and volunteers with gloves and facemasks bringing bags of food to opened trunks, as well as to the hungry who have no car and arrive on foot.

The amount of people coming for food has doubled or even tripled over the course of April, with little sign of slowing down.

CJD is no stranger to crisis: Mark and Louise Zwick formed CJD in the early ’80s during the Salvadoran Civil War after having spent some time there when thousands of refugees fled to the U.S. Since then, the Houston Catholic Worker has served the undocumented community of Houston.

More recently, CJD expanded its outreach during Hurricane Harvey, which hit the immigrant community particularly hard. Since Mark’s death in 2016, Louise and the team of volunteer Catholic Workers, assisted by immigrant guests who live in CJD houses, continue the exhausting yet joyous work of responding to the needs of the poor.

The coronavirus pandemic, however, has become a different sort of crisis for CJD’s undocumented demographic.

Overlooked within the stay-at-home orders and social distancing (and recommendations to work from home) is the assumption that everyone has a home to stay in as well as the ability to remain at the respective distances.

For the undocumented, who often live in crowded conditions and cannot afford not to go out and work, this is impossible.

They cannot work from home. The crisis has shuttered hotels and restaurants where many migrants worked, with many

tch file photo

Men move watermelons at Casa Juan Diego House of Hospitality in Houston. The Catholic-run center supports refugees and immigrants, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

families’ financial livelihoods drying up.

Unlike California, the undocumented in Texas will likely not receive any government check and cannot file for unemployment. Naturally, these days even more people come to the door of CJD asking for assistance.

It is often the only resource for disabled or paralyzed immigrants who cannot receive supplemental security insurance (SSI).

Many of the injured are victims of workplace accidents, revealing a twisted irony to their contributions to the American economy.

Inside the walls of CJD, undocumented children continue to learn, drawing the alphabet or learning to add and subtract.

For some, it is their first formal experience of education, a process further disrupted by the pandemic.

Though there are online education programs offered through the school district, for undocumented families in the community without access to computers or wi-fi, it is difficult to keep up with coursework, especially learning English as a second language. The difficulties are increased when, at times, the parents are

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not literate themselves.

Per the Catholic Worker tradition, CJD receives no money from federal and local

governments, relying solely on private donations and volunteers.

Going out as quickly as it comes in, money is spent on supplementing what is received from the Houston Food Bank with rice and beans, rental assistance for the disabled undocumented, medicine and medical supplies, among all the other needs arising unexpectedly on a daily basis.

The world of Houston’s need has become especially glaring in the unprecedented difficulties wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. What was already an epidemic of neglect for the injured, the paralyzed and the sick has only escalated.

In the vein of Catholic Worker cofounders Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, CJD is doing its utmost to take a loving responsibility for its neighbors, staying open and serving those whose presence is most easily forgotten.

Ultimately, it is CJD’s mission and joy to ask: Where else does one so clearly find the face of Christ?

For more information, or to donate to CJD, visit cjd.org. † Evan Bednarz is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego.

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april 28, 2020

Young adults advanced on using technology to keep up spiritually

By Jo Ann Zuùiga Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — Young adults, already handy with computer apps and using technology in everyday life, have kept up with prayer life and spiritual exercises online with the Archdiocese’s Young Adult and Campus Ministry reaching even beyond the Galveston-Houston area.

After having to cancel the YACM live conference because of the coronavirus, more young adults actually joined in the conference via online, said YACM Director Gabriela Karaszewski. “Archdiocesan Young Adult Day was a smashing success. We had 650 registered online while live we only had 350,� she said.

The Young Adult Day was bilingual with six presentations — three in English and three in Spanish. Prayer and even stretching exercises in between presentations kept the participants active. Out of the 650 participating, three percent were from other parts of the world, another 15% were from around the United States, and the remainder were from across Texas and the Houston area, she said. “We were able to reach corners we never thought we would. And now they are following us in other offerings,�

Photo courtesy of the Young Adult and Campus Ministry

Young adults participate in an online version of the Archdiocesan Young Adult Day March 21.

Karaszewski said. “It was amazing because it was a way to launch them into the world of ministry via webinar. I personally feel God designed it that way even before we were quarantined.�

From that outreach, nightly prayers are now being done by young adults with

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and for other young adults. “I noticed a young adult always signed on promptly every night. So I asked him what parish he was with, and he said he was an Army young adult stationed in Kentucky! It was humbling to hear,� she said.

Every night at 9 p.m., YACM organizes prayer for 15 minutes for young adults in English and Spanish and have had a great response, she said. “For example, the students from the University of Houston sang live for one hour from their homes and dorms on Holy Thursday,� Karaszewski said. “We had Liturgy of the hours led by a University of St. Thomas campus minister. “And great Spanish spiritual directors and young adults from different parishes are giving meditations. Also, young adults have led the Divine Mercy and Rosary. It has been a great team effort,� she said.

YACM is also planning an online Ignatian Spirituality Retreat in early May for six hours online as well as a Spanish formation program for five Mondays in a row for Hispanic young adult leaders, she said.

In reference to university campuses, ministers there have remained busy as well, even with many students leaving the campuses because of classes going online and returning home to quarantine in place.

Father Charles Johnson, O.P., known by students as Father Charlie at the

University of Houston’s main campus, said there remained a core group of about 10 active students still living on campus even as recent as mid-April, but about 500 quarantined students are staying in touch via various computer apps. “This has been a challenge for us since we had to close the Catholic Newman Center on campus across from the Rec Center on Calhoun. But our virtual community continues to grow via Zoom with our administrative staff, Skype, Google hangouts and other groups for our students,� said Father Johnson. “There is still a desire and need for community. Before we pray the Rosary for the day, we use the first 10 minutes just to check in with how everyone is doing. We also have video platforms, including Tuesday nights when we do adoration and veneration at the Holy Rosary church chapel, where I’m based,� he said.

For students to join in, a calendar list of events is available at www.uhcatholic. org. “Those preparing for graduation, my heart goes out to them most. Trying to finish up their degrees with online classes and not the usual support system, plus the worry of getting a job, these graduates are dealing with sadness. So we’re hoping to celebrate with a Graduating Seniors Mass alternative for the first Sunday in May,� Father Johnson said.

At Rice University campus, Father Ray Cook, O.M.I., said, “There are still international students living on campus and some off-campus students who remained here even though classes are online. But we have been continuing with ministry.�

In addition to livestreaming Mass as many other churches are doing, Father Cook is also offering “Drive-Through� confessions in the alleyway outside the Rice chapel at noon on Wednesdays. “We have a lot of one-on-one calls with folks who are having deep anxiety and faith struggles. The Catholic Student Leader Elections have just finished, and we are starting our retreat planning and alternate Spring Break planning after Finals are over,� Father Cook said.

The students are also reaching out through the Rice group service, the GroupMe apps along with phone calls and texts.

For Rice University Catholic Student Center calendar listing and event information, log onto https://ricecatholics. wordpress.com/. â€

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In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713-654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.

ď •

april 28, 2020

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Gospel inspires leaders to serve the imprisoned, older populations, those dealing with COVID effects OUTREACH, from page 1

over the next few weeks.

“It has become a joint effort from several Correctional Ministries offices around the state to provide services for the men and women incarcerated in TDCJ,” he said. “Our combined efforts will make sure these men and women who have become closely involved with their Church and have deepened their faith while serving time will not go without some connection to their love for Christ. Where there is a desire, God will find a way.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has also made the family unit more vulnerable.

Not only are families worried to lose loved ones to the coronavirus, but it has put the entire family unit together for prolongued periods of time in a continuosly stressful situation.

Law enforcement officials and advocates have seen a spike in domestic violence calls because victims are in a uniquely vulnerable position due to stayat-home orders and isolation.

Elsa Aguilera, associate director with the Family Life Transitions branch of Family Life Ministry, said at the very beginning of the “Stay-At-Home” order she created a document with listings of agencies with crisis hotlines numbers, including child, elder and animal abuse numbers.

She added they are currently finalizing a schedule for a Day of Reflection healing series titled the “New Landscape of Grieving.”

“It’s for people who have lost a loved one during this pandemic,” she said. “The intention is to offer them quarterly. I have not determined if it will be in-person or if we will go the streaming option. I am still evaluating that aspect.”

Another project they are working on is called “Embracing Transition Series,” which is more of a professional training/ formation event for parish staff.

“The intention is that more parish staff gets familiar with protocols in areas we serve and community resources,” she said. “This will be offered via webinars.” †

call and personally thanked the office for being here for them during this time,” she said.“It gives them the chance to talk with a real person about the current situation, share their fear, anxiety, depression as well as the things that now occupy their days.”

The ministry also sends ongoing emails to parishes’ senior club presidents offering spiritual encouragement and contact information for helpful community resources.

They also have personal phone call check-ins with key parish leaders. For seniors with internet access, they have radio programs and presentations online at www.archgh.org/aging/presentations.

“We send out group reflections and community resources to our senior group leaders twice a week and ask them to forward these to their group members,” Bingham said. “We are posting what we can on our webpage and directing them to that as well. The pastoral aspect of our ministry is so evident during this time.”

She said she had spoken to one senior who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and Photo courtesy of Special Youth Services hospitalized for five days.

“She just got home a couple of days Deacons Dan Gilbert and Fernando Garcia provide clothing to Lakesha Brown, program coordinator at ago and is now recuperating; she is weak Harris County Juvenile Detention Center. The center began hosting etiquette classes and were in need of but grateful to be out of the hospital,” donated formalware for youth. Special Youth Services got to work to provide these needed items.

Bingham said.

She added other seniors are getting also a welcomed addition,” she said.

Deacon Lovelady said. depressed while others are trying to find Lee said SYS volunteers have had After a number of challenges and things to distract them. to find creative ways to continue technical difficulties, Deacon Lovelady “(One of our seniors) told me that she ministering to the youth without entering met with Ralph Ambuehl, one of the was turning the news off so her mind the facilities. volunteers from the Jester III unit in wouldn’t be filled with things out of her “One example is their implementation Richmond, and received two copies of control — she was grateful for the call of newsletters. They include Bible Easter Sunday Mass led by Father Dat and asked that I call her back next week reflections, Bible trivia, words of Hoang, pastor St. Faustina Catholic — I will,” Bingham said. “Another is doing encouragement and a few fun activities,” Church in Fulshear. Lovelady drove it well and has decided to ‘rediscover’ her she said.“With everything going on, these to TDCJ Headquarters in Huntsville for talent at playing the amazing adults did them to duplicate and send to all the organ at home. Another not forget about [these units in Texas. is calling her group vulnerable people].”

He added there are several other members telling them For Correctional dioceses around the state — San Antonio to start cleaning out Ministries, continuing and Austin for example — who have their closets so they will their mission has posed priests who are recording their Masses be ready for the church many challenges. for TDCJ which will be ready for them garage sale in the fall.”

Deacon Alvin Another ministry Lovelady, director of the continuing their ministry, said both the outreach is Special Harris County and Texas Youth Services (SYS), Department of Criminal who was determined to Justice (TDCJ) jails be essential personnel went into lockdown in and given special early March with Texas permission to continue Governor Greg Abbott our pastoral visits to calling for a statewide the juvenile detention closure for volunteers centers they serve. and visitors alike.

Katherine Bingham SYS Director “For a while the Franchelle Lee said director, office of aging ministry offenders that have been that, while the kids have trained as field ministers good days and bad days, through the program mostly they’re handling the current crisis at the Darrington units were allowed to APY situation well. provide a service for the men based on *Includes Current Yield +1.65% First Year Additional Interest “The lack of parent visitation has their denomination,” he said. “That was been very difficult on the families so the stopped after two weeks to keep the men deacons ability to visit has been of some and women from gathering into large For more information call: consolation,” she said. “The facilities are groups.”

Eugene N. Smart, CLU, MBA also trying to offset the lack of contact Then, on April 13, Deacon Lovelady (713) 721-8262 with increased opportunities for phone received a phone call from Chaplain calls home.”

Timothy Jones, the head of chaplaincy The ministry has distributed word with TDCJ, asking if he could provide search/puzzle books, which Lee said “was them with a DVD for them to copy that very uplifting for the kids.” They have they could distribute to the entire state also been able to give them composition for viewing. *Interest rates are subject to change & vary by plan. books that were donated.

“No prison has access to the internet The minimum interest rate guaranteed is 1.00%.

“As you know they are very creative that a prisoner can watch, so there’s no Home Office: San Antonio, Texas #ASU 5.20 poets, songwriters and artists so this was way to put the livestream on their TVs,”

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april 28, 2020

Honoring Mothers: Initiative aims to help churches f trafficking, advocates say help mothers in need

By Rebecca Torrellas Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — As Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10 quickly approaches, the uncertainty regarding COVID-19 and the quarantine continues to complicate plans for family gatherings. However, regardless of location, mothers will be honored and loved.

It is the love and appreciation for mothers that inspired a new initiative by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

“Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service” is a nationwide effort to address the need for improved pastoral responses to women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies. While it was set to launch March 25 to coincide photo by jo aNN ZuñIGa/herald with the 25th anniversary of Evangelium ading a campaign to provide patient of careLife), for human trafficking Vitae (The Gospel a landmark area pathways for advocacy-based trauma-Informed healthencyclical by St. John Paul II, it was hI st. luke’s health, the collaborative includes baylor College delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. or Change and San Jose Clinic that are training staff how to In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the program is set to launch Sunday, June 7 and will run through Sunday, June 6, der in 2021. human trafficking. Most of the San José re are Clinic are women 18 years Juliepatients Fritsch, director of and the el that Archdiocesan over with theOffice average being aActivities, 47-yearof Pro-Life as well said old Spanish-speaking Hispanic female, that while numerous programs, ble. they said. such as the Gabriel Project, already many found n her credit name, er said. on had ational highest ar, law n 650 n area,

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provide various forms of support during pregnancy, the initiative encourages Endingtothe of “think human parishes get scourge together and outside trafficking the box” to help mothers in need.

HOUSTON — TheatUniversity ofcrisis St. can be “Feeling alone a time of Thomas and CHIas St.many Luke’sofHealth overwhelming, us arewill currently host an educational seminar called:alone is a experiencing.

We know feeling “Houston,experience We Have a Problem: The in crisis frequent of women Scourge of Human Trafficking.”

The event pregnancies and those struggling to raise will be held at University of St. Thomas – young children,” she said. “While help is Jonesreadily Hall, located at 3910 Yoakum Blvd. often available from Archdiocesan in Houston, on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. and parish ministries and other dedicated Speakers will we include former organizations, aretwosometimes less human trafficking victims. † effective at communicating that help directly to women in desperate situations; In 2018, the clinic served 3,762 individual Catholics often douninsured not know patients in 30,548 visits toto provide qualityto the places or resources recommend health care toor the uninsuredwoman while relying a pregnant parenting in need on 914 volunteer medical and dental of help.” providers, said.initiative aims to FritschSanders said the As part of grant the clinic will be allow each parishfunds, to identify and better hiring a bilingual licensed professional communicate the resources for pregnant counselor or perhaps work with Catholic and parenting mothers currently in place Charities provide counselingand to human in their to parish boundaries region, trafficking survivors, she said. how each and to prayerfully discern Othercan events for Human Trafficking parish improve and build upon its Awareness month includeinmembers of own response to mothers need. the “Every collaborative at college parish speaking is one-of-a-kind and campuses, includingtothe University of is best positioned identify the local Houston mainhelp campus on Jan. 17 currently and the pregnancy resources University St. Thomas on Jan. 23. † available of and to recognize potential – Byto Jo be Annaddressed Zuñiga gaps among its own

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community,” she said.

Fritsch said the USCCB is developing educational, pastoral, prayer and actionoriented resources for parishes to use.

These resources include suggestions for pastors on how to delegate efforts to appropriate parish volunteers.

“Although titled a ‘Year of Service,’ the idea isn’t that we’ll work for a single year and be done, but that we’ll work on planning for a year and then — once we know what the needs are and can plan to meet them better — begin implementation of the various service initiatives for the long-term,” she said.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, of Kansas City in Kansas, and chairman of the committee on Pro-Life Activities for the USCCB, said that well over 150,000 low-income mothers deliver their babies at Catholic hospitals each year and many tens of thousands of pregnant and parenting moms are helped each year through Catholic Charities programs and other help agencies. They also see the help of thousands of pregnancy care centers staffed by many Catholic volunteers.

“The challenges can be immense for women in difficult or unplanned pregnancies,” he said. “75% of women who choose abortion are low income.”

The Pro-Life Committee for the USCCB has developed educational, pastoral and action-oriented resources for parish use, including reflections on the teachings of Evangelium Vitae, Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato Si; prayers for building a culture of life; tools for documenting an inventory of local resources for pregnant mothers in need; and ideas and support for improving parish responses.

“Pregnant and parenting moms

This prayer and other resources can be found at walkingwithmoms.com A prayer for Expectant Mothers O Blessed Mother, you received the good news of the incarnation of Christ, your Son, with faith and trust. Grant your protection to all pregnant mothers facing difficulties.

Guide us as we strive to make our ​ parish communities places of welcome and assistance for mothers in need. Help us become instruments of God’s love and compassion.

Mary, Mother of the Church, graciously help us build a culture of life and a civilization of love, together with all people of good will, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

Amen. in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods,” Archbishop Naumann said. “Women facing challenging pregnancies should see the Church as a place where they can find help, especially with its myriad of social services and organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of people in crisis.”

For more information, visit www. walkingwithmoms.com or contact the Office of Pro-Life Activities at 713-7418728. †

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The Texas Catholic Herald has created 10 digital jigsaw puzzles with images from our staff. The puzzles feature beautiful images of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston and St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, and religious art from around the Archdiocese.

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april 28, 2020

LOCAL

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9

Triduum Liturgies livestreamed from Co-Cathedral Cardinal DiNardo, Bishop Sheltz preside over Holy Week Liturgies

HOUSTON — After celebrating Chrism Mass on April 7, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo presided over several Triduum Liturgies at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Though amended due to pandemic concerns, the Liturgies began the Church's annual immersion into the mysteries of Holy Week.

Parishes around the Archdiocese joined Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz in preparing to follow the Way of the Cross through the Passion, the Death and ultimately the Resurrection of the Lord. Nearly every parish in the Archdiocese livestreamed all or portions of Triduum Liturgies that week. †

Easter vigil mass Easter sunday mass

During this unprecedented time we pray that you and your family are safe and well. COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives, and has been challenging for everyone.

good friday liturgy

holy thursday mass

Providing high quality senior care at a time like this is crucial to our community. Our staff are taking every precaution to help maintain the health, safety, and well-being of our highly vulnerable residents.

St. Dominic Village is the only Catholic, nonprofit senior care community in the Houston area, and a ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Our funding comes from grants, fundraising events, and individual donations. We are currently seeing escalating expenses, all while having to postpone some of our largest fundraisers.

We are mindful of the hardship that many are facing, but if you are able to financially support our mission of “Caring for Our Elders with the Compassion of Christ” it would be an immeasurable blessing.

OUR RESIDENTS NEED YOUR HELP NOW, MORE THAN EVER. You can give online at stdominicvillage.org/donate or mail your check to c/o Development 2401 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, TX 7021

10 Texas Catholic Herald LOCAL

april 28, 2020

COVID-19 restrictions heighten awareness of love, need for Church

By Kerry McGuire Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — Since March 18, Catholics living in the Galveston-Houston area have joined millions around the world celebrating livestreamed Masses at home to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. This unprecedented moment in history when public Masses have been suspended has heightened a new awareness about the love of and need for the Sacraments of the Church.

“The global COVID-19 Pandemic is reminding us all of what is important in our lives, as evidenced by the phone calls and e-mails the Office of Worship has received from individuals who long for the reception of Sacraments,” said Sandra Higgins, director of the Office of Worship of the Archdiocese.

Higgins and her staff work closely with the Office of the Cardinal and Bishop to monitor and manage how the evolving COVID-19 civil directives impact all liturgies celebrated in Catholic churches in 10 counties in the Archdiocese. It is one of 60 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF).

Higgins said Holy Week earlier this month was the perfect example of the tremendous impact the COVID-19

The Office of Worship is supported by the Diocesan Services Fund. The 2020 DSF theme draws from an important meaning of the Catholic faith: “Bring Your Greatest Gift to the Lord.”

photo by james ramos/herald

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo delivers the homily during the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, April 9, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The Mass was livestreamed online to thousands of viewers.

restrictions have made to date.

“This year’s Holy Week was familiar and yet different, with certain elements

St. Mary Basilica renovation continues

Photo Courtesy of the Coltzer Company

The two spire roofs of the St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston were lifted in place Tuesday, March 31.

St. Mary has endured many storms since 1847. The interior of the church was renovated after Hurricane Ike in 2008 and reopened in 2014. The current project addresses needed exterior and structural repairs and restoration of the St. Mary, Star of the Sea statue. Additional repairs involving the Cathedral Basilica have been identified and will be completed pending funding.

To donate, visit www.archgh.org/restorestmary or call 713-652-4418.

of the Liturgies each day adapted to respect the civil mandates,” said Higgins.

“Cardinal DiNardo consulted with the Office of Worship to prepare guidance to parishes on how to celebrate the Liturgies. This was indeed a Holy Week we will long remember.”

The Office of Worship advised pastors and Liturgy directors on how to adapt to livestream Mass and particularly Holy Week Liturgies. The office worked with parishes on how to celebrate the intricate Triduum Liturgies when only a limited number of ministers are allowed. Even small details assist the faithful online, such as reminding lectors to look at the camera instead of across the church as they proclaim the readings.

For the faithful, the Easter Vigil was a time of rejoicing blended with sadness.

“Unlike years past, our Elect and Candidates in the RCIA program could not receive the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil due to the COVID-19 restrictions,” said Higgins. “As a community, we continue to pray for them and eagerly await the day when we can rejoice in their initiation and reception into the Catholic faith.”

In addition, all Confirmation Masses originally scheduled for March and April have been postponed. The Office of Worship has received many calls and e-mails from parents of Confirmation students with questions about these Masses, including those currently scheduled for May and June.

“In all cases, we have no answer until we know when the restriction to celebrate public Masses will be lifted and under what new restrictions we will operate,” said Higgins. “We assure the parents that they will be notified as soon as we have sufficient information to collaborate on a new date with the pastor and the bishop’s office.”

DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. Of the 60-plus programs under its umbrella, DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out these ministries.

The Office of Worship staff, while working from home, is still available via e-mail and phone for priests, Liturgy and music personnel that have questions and concerns regarding their parish Liturgies.

On the Archdiocesan website, the office has posted prayer and spiritual resources as well as updates about the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on Liturgical celebrations.

Higgins said the Office of Worship is thankful for the continued support of the faithful each year through the DSF fund.

The ministry’s mission is to help ensure the Liturgy remains the source of spiritual growth and development in Catholic churches across the Archdiocese.

“I believe people will reevaluate how they spend their time, talent and treasure as a result of COVID-19,” said Higgins.

“Our parishes and Archdiocese rely on the support of the faithful through the DSF to continue to serve their needs, and I am hopeful that, even in this difficult time, all will prioritize their support of their parishes and DSF.” As part of its responsibilities, the office oversees all Archdiocesan Liturgies and parish Masses at which a bishop presides to ensure the Liturgy is well prepared.The office also hosts workshops to provide formation and continuing educational opportunities to parish ministers in both English and Spanish. In addition, support is provided to those who lead the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in their parish.

For more information about the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on Liturgical celebrations held in the Archdiocese and access to the spiritual and prayer resources, go to archgh.org/ healthupdates. †

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april 28, 2020

Texas catholic herald

OBITUARies Peter Kinh Van Nguyen

NEW ORLEANS — Peter Kinh Van Nguyen, father of Father Hieu Nguyen, administrator of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, died April 3 due to COVID-19 in New Orleans. He was 73 years old.

Funeral arrangements are unknown at this time. †

Elizabeth Ekemma Okoye Adinde

NIGERIA — Elizabeth Ekemma Okoye Adinde, mother of Father Sebastine Okoye, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Freeport, died in Nigeria. She was 93 years old.

Funeral arrangements are currently pending due to COVID-19 restrictions. †

IN MEMORIAM Please pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are in the month of May. May 1, 2008 May 2, 2009 May 3, 1984 May 3, 1985 May 3, 1993 May 4, 1977 May 5, 1897 May 5, 1972 May 5, 1991 May 5, 2002 May 5, 2008 May 5, 2015 May 6, 1946 May 7, 1974 May 7, 1981 May 7, 2004 May 8, 1996 May 9, 1965 May 9, 1974 May 9, 2003

Rev. Albert Moraczewski, OP Rev. Royce Hughes Rev. Wm. Peter Elder, OP Rev. John F. Kiernan, SSJ Rev. Ignatius Gutmann Rev. Maurice Dho Rev. Antoine Faure Rev. Thomas H. Dailey, OP Rev. Lawrence Fanning, OMI Msgr. James A. Jamail Rev. William H. Brenda, OP Rev. Msgr. Paul Procella Rev. Michael I Hurley Msgr. John A. Cummings Rev. Leo Joseph Munelly, CSB Rev. Sylvester Heppner, OFM Rev. Walter H. Principe, CSB Rev. Florencio Andres, OMI Msgr. Victor A. DiPrimeo Rev. Anton Sheltz

May 11, 1928 Rev. Theodore Buffard May 11, 2003 Rev. David Burns May 14, 1884 Rev. Victor de Lisicki May 14, 2017 Rev. Joseph D. Bang May 14, 2019 Rev. Patrick Cummings May 15, 1962 Rev. Edward A. Sheffield May 15, 1996 Rev. Jose Barandiaran, SSS May 16, 1986 Rev. James O’Connell, CSsR May 21, 1895 Bishop Claude M. Dubuis May 21, 2012 Rev. Thomas P. Warden, CSB May 22, 1944 Rev. Innocent Raska May 22, 2017 Rev. Isidoro Vicent, OP May 24, 1962 Rev. Joseph P. Sullivan May 25, 1870 Bishop Jean M. Odin, CM May 25, 2017 Rev. Edigio Vecchio, MS May 27, 1929 Rev. Matthew McSorley May 28, 1934 Rev. Benedict C. Pfiffner May 28, 1990 Rev. Rudolph G. Beranek May 29, 1958 Rev. Authur J. Flannagan, SSJ May 29, 2009 Rev. Joseph Luc Van

W H AT W I L L

IN A

YO U

C C AT AT H HO OL L II C C S SC CH HO OO OL L ??

Expand and deepen our hearts . . .

Please pray for all victims of violence everywhere and their families.

Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families:

May 6: Edward Busby May 13: Randall Mays

health updates For the latest updates from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston about the coronavirus pandemic, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/HEALTHUPDATES. The online web hub includes links to spiritual resources, online Mass guide, and other information, including videos and materials for families at home.

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april 28, 2020

EDUCATION

Catholic high school students in Archdiocese adjust to new COVID-19 ‘normal’

By Rebecca Torrellas Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — Among the drastic changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of students across the country shifted from in-person lessons to distance learning.

For Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese, this meant changing their curriculum and methods entirely so students could learn from home.

For graduating seniors, school closings means no prom, no walking the graduation stage together, no throwing of graduation caps celebrating with each other — all of it gone.

For St. Catherine Montessori, that meant their first graduating class would not be traditional.

“The high school students at St. Catherine’s Montessori transitioned to our Learning from Home program without any difficulty,” Susan Tracy, head of school at St. Catherine’s Montessori, said.

Even with virtual connections, she said the most difficult part of the transition was the loss of social interaction because lessons in a Montessori environment are very interactive, enabling exchanging of ideas in person.

Tracy said the students have made films to share with the community, a day in the life of a high school student

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Photo courtesy of st. pius x high school

Students and faculty at St. Pius X High School in Houston honored the Class of 2020 in a drive-by event near Kubiak Stadium's Parsley Field which was lit up for SPX's senior class. Families were invited to light up their porches or drive through the stadium parking lot while faculty, staff and coaches cheered and honked their horns in celebration. The sign on the field said: "Hope for Houston #SPXStrong."

learning from home, how to make banana bread and a variety of students reading different books that younger children can tune into when they would like to hear a story read.

She said the graduating students played a role in meetings to coordinate what should be included in our first graduation ceremony. With school canceled for the rest of the session, they will re-convene to see how to move forward.

“It is important that the celebration has meaning for them and valorizes the incredible work they have accomplished

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Your help is needed TODAY!

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Visit www.archgh.org/ignite and click ‘Donate Now’ to make your gift online.

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as human beings,” she said. “We could not be more proud of the students we are sending out into the world and know without a doubt that they will make positive contributions to society.”

Sophia Devereux, senior at St. Catherine’s Montessori, said she had no doubt that “St. Catherine’s community will find a way to celebrate this exciting first step in our school’s history some way or another, whether it be virtually and/or later in the year.”

She said everyone at the school is taking the current situation in stride.

“We are learning to appreciate all that

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we took for granted, like being able to hug our friends, engage with our teachers face to face, and learn in the comfort and familiarity of our classroom,” she said.

Ruth Scherschel, also a senior at St. Catherine’s Montessori, said that while many seniors are missing out on beloved school traditions that they have been waiting to be a part of for years, she feels lucky to be a part of the first graduating class.

“We don’t have any senior traditions yet, and while I would have loved to have made some, we aren’t really missing out on that front,” she said.

Other Catholic high schools have made adjustments for students to continue their studies at home. Officials at Incarnate Word Academy said the school has adopted an asynchronous approach to learning, providing each student an opportunity to practice managing time and coursework at her own pace, similar to online learning in college.

The teachers post online lectures, host live tutorials via Zoom to answer questions, and research new technologies to enhance their remote teaching.

St. Pius X High School (SPX) has also moved to a distance learning approach.

Head of School Carmen Garrett Armistead said they never imagined a situation in which teachers would be required to teach from home and students would be required to learn from home for more than 2 months.

“Our teachers and students have shown that they are ‘SPX strong’ — willing to do whatever is needed to continue forming leaders and scholars in the St. Pius X High School tradition,” she said. “We all miss seeing and hearing the sights and sounds of being surrounded by students each day, but we are a people of hope and we know that we will learn from this experience, and perhaps even appreciate one another and this thing we call school a little more.”

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart not only continued their education remotely, but also their community service program. Upper School students wrote letters of support and encouragement to healthcare workers, and families have also been encouraged to pack lunches for Kids Meals from home.

“Our students have academically acclimated very easily with the plans implemented by our skilled faculty using our longstanding 1:1 laptop program,” said Patricia Swenson, head of school at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart.

“The most difficulty they are experiencing is their lack of daily social interactions with their friends on campus.”

Patti Abbott, principal at O’Connell College Preparatory School in Galveston, said they have been pleased with the student’s progress and the transition to online instruction.

In addition to Chalk, a program the parents and students are familiar with, Abbott added, “We use Zoom, remind app, email, text and IRIS alerts for communication with parents and kids. I have been meeting with the faculty weekly to make sure we are communicating and

april 28, 2020

Texas catholic herald

intervening if there are red flags or positive notes.”

At St. John XXIII, to keep students engaged in learning, teachers are using creative tools, such as recorded lessons, music, ice breakers and visual presentations.

“With little time to prepare for remote instruction, our students have not only risen to the challenge, but excelled,” Principal Joseph Noonan said. “I am very proud of the way they have handled the situation, especially our seniors who have not wavered during their last few weeks of high school.”

The staff at St. Agnes Academy remained focused on student education, but also on their mental wellness. The St. Agnes wellness department set up a COVID-19 information website that linked to information on managing anxiety during the pandemic. They also created an Instagram account for students to post positive and encouraging images, as well as self-care and stress-management tips.

At St. Thomas High School, their integration of optimal technology as an element of the modern classroom made the sudden conversation to distance learning less disruptive than expected.

“Our challenge is balancing the desire to give students an academic experience that is as similar as possible to what they would receive on campus while understanding the impact that the coronavirus is having on other aspects of their lives,” Principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez said. “Our goal for excellence is always with flexibility and compassion as our students are trying to juggle so many things they have going on in their lives right now.”

Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory President Paul Beck shared a similar sentiment.

“We were fortunate to have both the access to technology so all of our students can access online learning with no days lost and we have

been using online classroom software with all the students since they entered Cristo Rey Jesuit as freshmen,” he said.

Cristo Rey students who are part of the Corporate Work-Study program are either working remotely on projects for their supervisors, or completing online modules to sharpen their professional development skills in preparation of their return to work.

For Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, having the technology already in place made the transition seamless.

“Even our fine arts that are traditionally more hands-on are doing virtual tours of major art museums across the world and talking about their collections and impact,” the administrative team said.

Sister John Paul, O.P., principal at Frassati Catholic High School in Spring, said she was impressed by the way both students and faculty quickly pivoted and returned to school after Spring Break to a remote learning situation.

“I am impressed ... by the way so many of our students have expressed their concern for our seniors,” she said. “It’s beyond disappointing to not be able to celebrate with them appropriately.”

Frassati senior Micaela Richmond said she and fellow students looked forward to the senior privilege and fun moments happening at the end of the year, but with Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement that Texas schools will be closed through the end of the semester, it means all of it, including graduation, will not be happening.

“It’s upsetting because I feel deprived, missing out on of one of the most memorable moments of my life,” she said. “Nevertheless, when I compare my situation to others, it seems kind of small. I am letting go of what I would like my senior year to be, and am accepting it for what it is. I give it up to God, and rest assured that I know that I will never forget this year.” †

Pray with us archgh.org/onlinemass

OFFICE OF VOCATIONS

Fr. Justin Cormie The Office of Vocations helped me immensely in the process of my discernment, as well as in the different aspects of applying to the seminary.

I am deeply grateful for everyone’s encouragement through prayers and financial assistance for my education to becoming a priest.

”

Fr. Kingsley Nwoko This is such a wonderful Archdiocese that supports and values vocations.

The Archdiocese gives everything to make sure that those who are responding to God's call have the resources to become the best they can be for the people of God.

”

Fr. Ricardo Arriola The more that I searched for the Lord in prayer and especially in the adoration of the blessed sacrament, I was able to arrive at a true desire from the Lord that he wanted me for Him forever.

Thank you for being a part of this amazing mission of Jesus Christ in our local community of Galveston-Houston.

”

Fr. David Michael Moses The Office of Vocations helped guide me through the process of my discernment. It made me realize that God was truly calling me. The explorer and life awareness retreats offered for those considering the religious life helped me in truly understanding the life of a seminarian and the deep commitment needed to become a priest.

Diocesan Services Fund Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

”

archgh.org/dsf

Please consider a gift to the Diocesan Services Fund.

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14 Texas Catholic Herald

April 28, 2020

YoutH An Easter united in prayer For many of us, in this time of pandemic, our Lenten season became something we did not expect. Our planned prayers, fasting and almsgiving gave way to the ever-evolving challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Limitations on our daily routines interrupted our normalcy, and our regular ways to entertain ourselves were reduced to drive-thru windows and walks in our neighborhoods.

Most of all, our suffering changed dramatically when our access to the Sacraments changed. By not being able to attend Mass and visit our churches for prayer, we were given the ultimate opportunity to fast and pray from the desert of isolation and disorientation. We cried out, “Lord! Why? Why would you keep us away? Answer us!�Yet, through all of this, we learned a lesson more profound than any we could ever learn from a book, homily, or witness: we learned the inestimable value of prayer as a source of unity with Christ and others.

By uniting ourselves to Masses from our homes, we were given the opportunity to learn that prayer transcends borders and spaces. We were immersed in one of the most profound teachings of our faith, that we are intimately linked as one body in Christ.

Christ is our “head� and we are the “members.� As we learn in St. Paul’s first

letter to the Corinthians, “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, by whether Jews or Greeks, SR. THOMAS slaves or free persons, AQUINAS and we were all given to drink of one Spirit� (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). We learned to unite our sufferings, loneliness and disappointment with the rest of the faithful — whom we cannot see — with the prayers of the priest at the altar, to see with the eyes of faith the intimate union that exists in the body of Christ.

St. Augustine called this the “whole Christ,� and that is because of the grace of our Baptism, prayers, fasting and sacrifices are united with Christ’s prayers, fasting and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Thus, we learned that prayer is vital for us and expresses the connection we have with Christ and each other!

Now it is Easter. As we know from our faith tradition, the glory of Easter is not confined to celebrating just one day, Easter Sunday. The glory of Easter spills into the 50 days that follow, as we remember the 50 days between Easter

â€

with its unique circumstances and and Pentecost. The lesson the Church challenges. Yet may we practice more teaches through the Easter Liturgies is intensely our daily prayers both of the growing community of believers. individually and in our families, to allow The body of Christ begins to grow and take shape. The Church grows in number the hard lessons of Lent flower into the and begins to spread beyond the borders triumphal graces of Easter, and cause abundant growth for the Church of Israel. How was this growing Church throughout the world. †nourished? By prayer! In Acts of the Apostles, we read, “All these [disciples] Sister Thomas Aquinas is a member of devoted themselves with one accord to the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of prayer� (Acts 1:14). Perhaps we are learning through these strange days, too, the Eucharist (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and currently serves at the Cathedral of Our that prayer is not just a practice for Lent Lady of Walsingham. but belongs within our Easter season as well. Why not take on an Easter practice in much the same way that we take on prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent? We continue our “fast� from the Liturgy. Yet, with our new eyes of faith, we can see the glory of Jesus radiating from the Masses that we cannot attend.

Our experience and understanding of the Easter season as a season of growth

as the body of Christ should be paramount in our thoughts and our

hearts. We unite with those who are suffering, dying, lonely or afraid. We pray alongside others spiritually now in    � � � � � �� � �

 order to build up the body of Christ, the Church. May our Easter see us grow closer by prayer despite the separations Archdiocesan Office we put into place as families, 713-741-8732 communities and cities. archgh.org/correctionalministries Many are commenting that we will not forget this Lenten season just past,

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April 28, 2020

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columnistS Caring for the seafarers from home during quarantine I had a whole different article Immediately I began planned for this month, but our world reaching out to the had to stop and regroup quite suddenly seafarers on my intensive in this crisis. On March 17, I decided it care list. One of which is a wasn’t safe for the seafarers onboard young man named ships or me to continue ship visits. That Sampath from Sri Lanka. is when I packed up my office and Sampath had lost his hand brought it all home to shift to my in an accident aboard a by correspondence ministry full time. ship in 2008 just before The COVID-19 epidemic had been Hurricane Ike. KAREN ravaging the Eastern hemisphere for I spent countless hours PARSONS, OFS months before many people took much with him in the hospital as notice here. But those of us visiting ships he endured 22 surgeries with crews from Asia and Europe were while he was here. He told already hearing the fears from seafarers me on March 15 there were worried about family members back only 11 cases of the virus home. in Sri Lanka. We communicated again The day I decided to pack up my three days later, and the cases were up office was the day I heard a truck driver to 50. at the security gate in Texas City say, “All In the U.S. that day, the cases were this coronavirus %^&* is stupid. I’m not just over 2,000. On March 24, just six doing anything different.” I knew it was days later, the cases in Sri Lanka grew to too risky to be out there.

102, but the number in the U.S. was a

†

staggering 50,000. A few days after that, Sri Lanka was holding around 117, but the U.S. had skyrocketed to over 130,000.

I reached out to a Croatian captain, whom I have been writing to for years.

In his email, he said he cannot go home.

His contract is over, but his shipping company is not repatriating any crew for now. No one is leaving the ship, and no one is coming on board.

Many shipping companies are following the same protocol. So, those who are at home are without pay, and those who are done with their contracts, are stuck away from their families. The Croatian Captain wrote, “Somehow, your letters make my heart full always... My family is all OK. Thanks to your friends from the balcony (God). My wife, she thanks him too!”

In the two weeks I have been working from home, I have written over 263 letters to seafarers and their families

from 22 different countries and nine different states. I have sent messages out to two of our cruise ships to give the crew relations specialists my email address to distribute among the crew if anyone should need a prayer or someone to listen.

This is a global crisis. Seafarers are away from their families while they continue to bring much-needed goods to our shores. They are vulnerable out there.

A virus on board could wipe out an entire crew. They cannot go home when their contracts are over because of restrictions right now. I might be stuck in my house to keep my family and community safe, but I have not and will not abandon God’s People of the Sea. † Karen M. Parsons, OFS, is a port chaplain with the Apostleship of the Sea.

CRS Rice Bowl: Helping those in need through COVID-19 crisis Lent 2020 has been different from any season we have ever experienced.

Traditionally, it has been the time to commemorate the Paschal Mystery. We increase our efforts to pray, read Scripture, meditate on the Stations of the Cross and then rejoice on Easter Sunday.

This year, however, Lent has coincided with the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus around the world. We have been led to an even deeper reflection on suffering, death and resurrection. We look to our faith for support and direction. One of the traditional practices the Church has developed has helped us participate more fully in this extraordinary season.

The Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Lenten program ties our practice of prayer, fasting and almsgiving with the suffering people in the world, and many of us here at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston have participated in this wonderful program year after year.

This time, through stories and videos, we had a chance to hear about the challenges facing people like Trinh from Vietnam, Yvone from Kenya and Maria Ana from Honduras. Our prayers and

contributions bring relief and support to them and to so many others constantly facing hardship.

CRS Rice Bowl supports hunger and poverty alleviation around the world and in by the U.S. 75% of contributions are HILDA distributed OCHOA internationally, while 25% remains here to help local diocesan efforts. This support is vital, as everyone struggles with the economic impact of the pandemic, especially those most in need, living in poor countries in dire conditions.

Given the current realities of COVID-19 and that communities are unable to physically collect CRS Rice Bowls, we invite you to conclude your Lenten participation by counting the gifts you collected in your rice bowl as you reflect on your Lenten journey and experience. This year, we ask you to please send your gifts directly to the

†

Catholic Relief Services national office online, through their toll-free telephone number or through the mail.

You may wish to symbolically conclude the CRS Rice Bowl program using our Offertory Prayer to End the Lenten Season, available at crsricebowl. org under Prayer Resources or in another way that may be meaningful to you (see sidebar).

During this unprecedented time, we look to the suffering Jesus to accept our difficulties. As His followers, we continue to find ways to reach out to help our brothers and sisters, even during “social distancing.” Participating and contributing to CRS Rice Bowl is one of those ways.

As we patiently wait for a solution to this global crisis, we look to the resurrected Jesus for hope — the hope in eternal life that He promises to us all.

Easter Season Blessings!

For additional information, contact the Archdiocesan Mission Office at hochoa@archgh.org or 713-652-8231. † Hilda Ochoa is the director of the Mission Office.

ONLINE DONATIONS: English: www.support.crs.org/donate/ change-life-lent-0 Spanish: www.support.crs.org/donate/ cambia-una-vida-esta-cuaresma

By PHONE: Call 877-435-7277 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Eastern Time making sure you tell the operator that the gift is for CRS RICE BOWL.

By MAIL: Please write: “CRS Rice Bowl” in the memo line of your check and mail it to: Catholic Relief Service CRS Rice Bowl P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 219-21297-0303

sunday mass readings May 3 First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6

Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25

Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

MAY 10 First Reading: Acts 6:1-7

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:4-9

Gospel: Jn 14:1-12

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Upcoming issues: Issue date: May 12 Deadline: April 28

Issue date: May 26 Deadline: May 12

16 Texas Catholic Herald

April 28, 2020

WORLD

Pope says living faith without Sacraments, community is dangerous VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said he was praying for expectant mothers who may be anxious or worried about giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And he said the forced isolation devised to stop the pandemic was presenting the danger of people living the faith only for themselves — detached from the Sacraments, the Church and the people of God. Online Masses and spiritual communion do not represent the Church, he said in his homily at his morning Mass in the chapel of his residence April 17.

“This is the Church in a difficult situation that the Lord is allowing, but the ideal of the Church is always with the people and with the Sacraments — always,” Pope Francis said.

The pope began the Mass by praying for “women who are expecting, pregnant women who will become mothers and who are anxious; they worry,” he said.

Perhaps they are asking themselves, “What kind of world will my child live in?” he said.

“Let us pray for them, that the Lord give them the courage to carry these children forth with the trust that it will certainly be a different world, but it will always be a world the Lord loves very much,” he said.

In his homily, the pope reflected on serious concerns about the faithful not being able to come together as a community to celebrate Mass or to

receive the Sacraments because of government restrictions against people gathering in groups as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Masses, prayers and faith-based initiatives have been offered online, and the faithful have been encouraged to make an act of spiritual Communion given their lack of access to holy Communion, but “this is not the Church,” the pope said.

One’s relationship with Jesus “is intimate, it is personal, but it is in a community,” and this closeness to Christ without community, without the Eucharist, without the people of God assembled together and “without the Sacraments is dangerous,” he said.

It is dangerous, he said, because people could start living their relationship with God “for just myself, detached from the people of God.” As the Gospels show, Jesus’ disciples always lived their relationship with the Lord as a community — they gathered “at the table, a sign of community. It was always with the Sacrament, with bread,” the pope said.

“I am saying this because someone made me reflect on the danger of this moment we are living, this pandemic that has made all of us communicate, even in a religious sense, through the media, through means of communication,” he said.

By broadcasting his morning Mass, for example, people are in communion,

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CNS Photo

Pope Francis prays before a sculpture of Mary and the Christ Child at the end of Mass April 17 in the chapel of his Vatican residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

but they are not “together,” he said.

The very small number of people present at his daily morning Mass will receive the Eucharist, he said, but not the people watching online who will only have “spiritual Communion.”

“This is not the Church,” Pope Francis said.

People are living this “familiarity with the Lord” apart from each other in order

to “get out of the tunnel, not to stay in it.”

The pope said it was thanks to an unnamed bishop who “scolded him” and made him think more deeply about the danger of celebrating Mass without the presence and participation of the general public.

He said the bishop wrote to him before Easter when it was announced Mass would be celebrated in an “empty” St. Peter’s Basilica. He said the bishop questioned the decision and asked, when “St. Peter’s is so big, why not put 30 people at least so people can be seen” in the congregation?

The pope said that at first he didn’t understand what this bishop was trying to get at, but then they spoke and the bishop told him to be careful to not make the Church, the Sacraments and the people of God something that is only experienced or distributed online.

“The Church, the Sacraments and the people of God are concrete,” the pope said.

The faithful’s relationship with God must also stay concrete, as the apostles lived it, as a community and with the people of God, not lived in a selfish way as individuals or lived in a “viral” way that is spread only online.

“May the Lord teach us this intimacy with Him, this familiarity with Him, but in the Church, with the Sacraments, with the holy faithful people of God,” he said. †

IN BRIEF Celebrating 93rd birthday, retired Pope Benedict XVI is well, secretary says

Civil action group calls for protection of migrants amid pandemic

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Pope Benedict XVI “is well,” although the coronavirus pandemic restrictions meant he would receive no visitors April 16, his 93rd birthday.

“Thank God, all of us in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery are well,” Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the retired pope’s personal secretary, told Avvenire, an Italian Catholic newspaper. The retired pope, the archbishop and a group of consecrated women live in the former monastery in the Vatican Gardens.

Usually for his birthday, Pope Benedict is joined by his older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who turned 96 in January, but Archbishop Ganswein told Vatican News that, this year, the two spoke on the phone. Monsignor Ratzinger’s call was just one of many birthday calls the retired pope had received.

Despite the lockdown, Archbishop Ganswein told Avvenire April 16, the day would be “more festive” than usual in the monastery. And, he told Vatican News, it would feature the singing of Bavarian folk songs. The day began, as usual, with Mass in the monastery chapel. The retired pope, the archbishop said, prays each day for the sick and for those suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic. †

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A network of Church and civil organizations called on world leaders to make sure migrants and refugees were cared for during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement released in early April, the Civil Society Action Committee said that many essential service workers in health care, sanitation and transportation are migrants. However, despite their work, many find themselves in precarious situations due to their legal status and that jeopardizes not only their lives but also their families, the committee said.

“A fully inclusive, whole-of-society approach is essential to an effective response to this pandemic,” the organization said. “As leaders and organizations of civil society around the world — many of us ourselves migrants and refugees or their children and grandchildren — we urgently call on states and government authorities at all levels to protect migrants and refugees in this crisis.” The committee includes many Catholic organizations, such as the International Catholic Migration Commission and Caritas Internationalis, as well as organizations like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. †

April 28, 2020

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STATE & nation

Catholic school uniform company now making, donating face masks WASHINGTON (CNS) — When Tom Shipley, chairman of Dennis Uniform in Portland, Oregon, wondered how to respond to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the bolts of plaid fabric and sewing machines at the Portland uniform factory that has been in his family for three generations provided an obvious answer.

Amid a growing demand for face masks and the outcry of those in the health care workforce using bandannas or no masks at all, he decided his company could produce masks and donate them to those in the medical profession, using fabric on hand with an interface barrier sewn in.

He can’t remember the exact day he proposed the idea this spring, because for him, like everyone else, the days have blurred into each other. What was clear though is that everyone in the company — union and nonunion employees, executive team and board members — agreed this was the right thing to do.

So, the 100-year-old company, which makes uniforms for 2,500 private schools across the country including hundreds of Catholic schools, put its school uniform production on hold for a few weeks to just make face masks.

“People see the plaid and think that’s cute or funny, but it was all we had. It was out of necessity,” Shipley told Catholic News Service April 17.

To date, they have donated at least 15,000 masks, all with recognizable plaids that are the pattern of many Catholic school jumpers or skirts. Donations have been primarily in the Portland area for starters but requests for more masks has begun.

For now, he said, the masks are not for sale. “We felt strongly that this was not a time for anyone to be opportunist or profit from someone else’s grief or tragedy,” he said, adding that in the future, he was not sure if the masks would end up as part of the school uniform.

One aspect of this work that has been

particularly gratifying is how it connects their usual clientele of schoolchildren to an effort to help in this pandemic. “There are thousands of children we serve and a lot of them are confused and wondering ‘what can I do to make a difference, how can I help?’”

“This is their fabric, their uniform, turned into something that could save someone’s life,” he said.

Right now, he added, it is a balance for the company to respond to future uniform needs when schools reopen and to also be “present in this moment and try to do things that are right.”

The company has kept its employees at its Portland factory but has temporarily closed its retail shops across the country.

Many uniforms are made on-site, others are made in other locations.

Like many businesses nationwide, the school uniform company is trying to navigate what the months ahead will be like. Shipley doesn’t know if sales will decrease because people will be buying less or if private school enrollments will go down and impact sales.

What he does know is that his company has had a tradition of adapting to the times and helping out when there have been needs such as during World War II when Dennis Uniform made Red Cross uniforms and supplied towels and linens to military personnel shipping out of the Portland.

His father, the second generation in the family business, is now 92 and wearing one of the Dennis Uniform masks.

Shipley said his entire career has been in school uniforms and 60% to 65% of the company’s business is with Catholic schools. Although he is not Catholic, he is often asked if he is and said he is proud of the diverse group the business serves.

What the company is doing now, he said, gives everyone associated with it a lot of pride “knowing we are doing something no one else is doing permeates throughout every person involved with this program.” †

CIRCULATION

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CNS Photo

Medical workers from Kaiser Permanente in Oregon wear donated coronavirus masks made

by Dennis Uniform. The Portland company makes school uniforms for 2,500 private and Catholic schools throughout the U.S.

18 Texas Catholic Herald

April 28, 2020

mundo catÓlico

¿Qué signos haces para que veamos y creamos en ti?

Esta pregunta fue de la gente. ¿Cuál gente? La gente que buscaba a Jesús. ¿Y por qué le buscaban? ¿Por el pan, los signos o los milagros? El evangelista Juan a la altura del capítulo 6 verso 30 plantea esta cuestión: ¿qué necesitas ver para creer en Jesús? Ver y creer, dos condiciones necesarias para la fe de muchos.

Yo mismo me confieso ser así, ¿para qué me voy a engañar? He buscado a Jesús por conveniencia y por interés propio; es verdad. Si partimos de una premisa que sea sincera y honesta, tenemos la plataforma ideal para acercarnos al abrazo de Dios que es misericordioso aunque nosotros seamos lo contrario. Después de haber estado por varias semanas viviendo lo que nunca nadie imaginó, confinados y apartados a raíz de la pandemia global, es momento para volver a preguntarse lo siguiente, ¿qué necesito ver para creer en Jesús? Aquí algunas cosas que he observado recientemente: 1. He atestiguado ver ahora más que nunca que se valora lo que no se tiene.

Limitaron el acceso a los Sacramentos primordialmente el de la Eucaristía, y ahora entonces es como aquel ser querido que se fue, que murió y no lo volverás a ver. Cuando era niño escuchaba que decían, “¿y ahora para qué le llevas flores? En vida hijo, en vida…” Que cuando se vuelvan a abrir los templos se saturen de gente buscando al Ser amado, que las Misas semanales revienten de fieles buscando a su Salvador.

2. He visto como los hogares se han vuelto los templos vivos de la Iglesia. Es cierto que la Iglesia ha sido obediente al no contraponerse a las declaraciones civiles y gubernamentales, porque la Iglesia es sabia y siempre velará por el orden y el bien de sus feligreses. Pero este distanciamiento social irónicamente acerco más a las familias en su propio seno de sus esperanzas y dificultades.

Dicen que los divorcios y la violencia domestica aumentó paralelamente como si eso no fuera un indicador del distanciamiento familiar a priori la plaga fulminante, pero cuantas familias mas no se han vuelto a reencontrar en la fragilidad de sus humanidades.

3. He observado poniéndose en práctica uno de los roles principales de los padres de familia y que nuestra Iglesia Católica ha enseñado siempre; educar a los propios hijos. Pero no es

fácil. Vaya que no es fácil.

Y es que el sistema nos propuso una oferta casi imposible de rechazar: llevar a nuestros hijos casi el día entero a un sitio donde lo cuidan; les dan de desayunar, by almorzar y si tú quieres, GERARDO hasta lo podías recoger “LALO” en la noche. ¡Que SALAZAR conveniencia! Hoy es diferente. Hemos tenido que re-aprender a estar con nuestros hijos, convivir con ellos, lidiar con ellos, en fin. 4. He notado que los estándares para medir la crisis se suelen poner en términos económicos lo cual es muy real y cierto. ¿Para qué vamos a negar la triste realidad de familias perdiendo empleos, alimentación, acceso médico y demás? Como cristianos podemos pecar por acción, pero también por omisión. Y pocas veces confesamos nuestros pecados de omisión. Hoy más

†

que nunca la caridad y solidaridad debe brillar testimonialmente. Tal parece que el mundo se acaba para muchos cuando lo han perdido todo. Eso es absolutamente real.

5. He constatado que muchos cristianos hoy en día su fe es lo único que les mantiene de pie. Y los habemos de todo. Habemos unos que criticamos, otros que guardamos silencio, otros que salimos por diversos medios, otros que nos acobardamos, otros que oramos, otros que seguimos en nuestro pecado, otros y otros. Parece que el cristiano estaba acostumbrado a tanto hacer y hacer, que cuando ha llegado el tiempo de ser y ser, se ha tornado difícil.

6. He comprobado que hay héroes y campeones de la fe fuera de los templos y de las iglesias. Algunos de ellos se llaman médicos, mujeres y hombres, enfermeras, choferes, albañiles, jornaleros, campesinos, cajeras y empleados de centros de abarrotes, por mencionar algunos, que permiten que el mundo siga operando. No los estamos

canonizando, pero ya quisiera yo, cristiano de a medias, hacer algo como ellos para salvar las vidas de tantas personas.

7. He aprendido con la muerte de tantas personas víctimas de el coronavirus que la vida es una oportunidad. Que esta misma crisis es también una oportunidad. Que cada vida es preciada y amada por Dios. Que la fraternidad no es ningún romanticismo; debe ser el proposito número uno del cristiano. Hoy en día recordamos el compromiso que tenemos por defender y salvaguardar la dignidad de la persona en todos sus estados desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural de la persona. ¿Qué otros signos puedo demandarle a Cristo durante esta época? Si no veo, es porque estoy ciego o no quiero ver. Si no escucho, es porque me he vuelto sordo. † Gerardo “lalo” Salazar es director asociado con la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis.

Papa celebra Misa de Resurrección de Pascua

Foto de CNS

El papa Francisco celebra la misa de Resurrección de Pascua en la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano el 12 de abril de 2020. La misa se celebró sin la presencia del público debido a la pandemia de coronavirus.

APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO En un continuo esfuerzo por facilitar atención pastoral a las victimas de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, el Cardenal DiNardo gustaría recordar a los fieles de la Arquidiócesis la disponibilidad del Coordinador de Ayuda a Víctimas. Si alguien ha sido victim de abuso sexual del clero o del personal de la Iglesia, se les anima llamar a la Diane Vines al 713-654-5799. Por favor rece por la sanación de las víctimas del abuso y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.



mundo catÓlico

April 28, 2020

texas catholic herald

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Llevándole a los hispanos la palabra de Dios durante la crisis Por Rebecca Torrellas Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — La Oficina de Ministerio Hispano de la Arquidiócesis está usando programas y aplicaciones en línea para continuar ayudando a la comunidad hispana en su proceso espiritual.

El director de la oficina, Lázaro Contreras, dijo que la oficina desarrolló una iniciativa de respuesta pastoral en forma de un plan a corto plazo.

“Esta iniciativa cubre desde areas administrativas de nuestros programas y personal como medidas de precaución, el desarrollo de una red de comunicaciones, esfuerzos colaborativos en la promoción de recursos durante la pandemia, y conferencias electrónicas (webinars) semanales dirigidas por profesionales en consejería de Caridades Católicas, acompañamiento espiritual por sacerdotes locales, y una sesión informativa por organizaciones de servicio público como la Policía de Houston”, él dijo.

Contreras dijo que han hecho Facebook live con noches de oración que incluye reflexión, alabanza y Hora Santa como parte del acompañamiento espiritual.

“Gracias a las herramientas que nos proporciona la tecnología y al apoyo de muchas personas, hemos podido continuar nuestro servicio ampliando esfuerzos inmediatos y a corto plazo en respuesta a la necesidad de una ayuda pastoral en los momentos de crisis que nos encontramos”, dijo él.

Muchas parroquias han sido muy creativas utilizando diferentes formas para alcanzar a su gente en estos momentos difíciles de la pandemia.

“Por ejemplo, el Padre Clint Restler de Texas City salió en su bicicleta a visitar

Foto de La iglesia de ST. bartolomeo en Katy

En Katy, el Párroco Christopher Plant, Vicario Parroquial Ricardo Arriola y Seminarista Christopher Meyer montaron un crucifijo en la caja de una camioneta y lo llevaron en procesión por las calles de la comunidad alreadedor de la parroquia de St. Bartolomeo durante el Viernes Santo.

a sus parroquianos”, dijo Contreras. “En Katy, el párroco, vicario parroquial y seminarista montaron un crucifijo en la caja de una camioneta y lo llevaron en procesión por las calles de la comunidad alrededor de la parroquia durante el Viernes Santo”.

Grupos de oración o grupos laicos han formado grupos por medio de plataformas digitales para orar el Santo Rosario u otras oraciones.

“Lo mas difícil como parte del ministerio es no poder tener el contacto directo con las personas, estrechar la

mano, ver sus rostros, dar un abrazo, orar juntos dentro de la iglesia o algún salón como lo solíamos hacer”, Contreras dijo. “Como persona, lo más dificil es no poder celebrar y recibir los Sacramentos como el Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo o participar en Misa como comunidad.

Entendemos la situación y apoyamos todas las iniciativas de nuestros Obispos y autoridades civiles con el fin de cuidar la salud de las personas. Sabemos y tenemos la esperanza que todo regrese a la normalidad y que pronto podamos compartir juntos en la mesa del Señor”. Él dijo tambien que cuando la oficina ha platicado con algunos líderes por medio de llamadas o las reuniones digitales que han llevando a cabo, “en varias ocaciones he escuchado que este virus ha cerrado los templos de nuestras parroquias pero que la Iglesia sigue viva y que el Evangelio del Señor continua resonando por doquier”.

El 28 de abril y el 5 de mayo a las 3:30 p.m., la oficina ofrecerá “Dialogando Con el Evangelio”, un programa que da una oportunidad para hablar de el evangelio, observar detenidamente cada palabra o cada circunstancia narrada en el evangelio e invitar a la reflexión, y explorar la aplicación en la vida diaria. Para participar, visite h t t p s : / / at t e n d e e . g o t owe b i n a r. c o m / register/2922778290287752973.

José Dionicio Vázquez, asistente de programas de la Oficina de Ministerio Hispano, será el anfitrión.

Para más información sobre la Oficina de Ministerio Hispano, visite https://www. archgh.org/offices-ministries/ethnicministries/hispanic-ministry/ministeriohispano/.

Para ver Misas en línea en español, visite www.archgh.org/onlinemass. †

Gracias por recorrer esta cuaresma con nosotros La Cuaresma del 2020 ha sido muy diferente a cualquier otra que hayamos experimentado con anterioridad. De acuerdo a la tradición, nos apoyamos en los tres pilares espirituales que son la oración, el ayuno y caridad (limosna) para llevar a cabo nuestra jornada a lo largo de 40 dias. Este año, sin embargo, la Cuaresma ha coincidido con la propagación del mortal virus COVID19 en todo el mundo, lo cual nos ha llevado a reflexionar de manera aún más profunda acerca del sufrimiento, la muerte y la resurrección.

Un recurso único de la Iglesia de los Estados Unidos nos ayuda a participar plenamente en esta temporada extraordinaria. El programa cuaresmal de Catholic Relief Services, Plato de Arroz, vincula nuestras prácticas de oración, ayuno y limosna con otros integrantes de nuestra familia humana alrededor del mundo que sufren de multiples carencias. Mediante este programa respondemos al llamado de cumplir con nuestro compromiso de permanecer junto a los necesitados apoyándolos como el Evangelio nos llama a hacerlo. Y es por ello que mucho feligreses de la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston participamos en este maravilloso programa año tras año.

En esta ocasion, a través de los diversos recursos del programa, entre ellos las historias de esperanza, reflexiones y videos, tuvimos la oportunidad de ver los desafíos que

enfrentan en sus vidas tres jovencitas en sus respectivos países, Trinh en Vietnam,Yvone en Kenia y Maria Ana en Honduras. A través de CRS Plato de Arroz, con nuestras contribuciones por apoyando los programas de CRS en dichos países, HILDA nos convertimos en OCHOA agentes de cambio en sus vidas y las de sus familias.

Nuestros donativos al programa se distribuyen de la siguiente forma: el 75% de las contribuciones se destinan a los países donde CRS opera, mientras que el 25% permanece aquí para ayudar a los esfuerzos diocesanos locales. Las comunidades que hayan participado en el programa pueden solicitar becas a la Oficina de Misiones para subsidiar sus proyectos locales para aliviar el hambre y otras necesidades básicas para los mas necesitados de su comunidad.

Dada la realidad que vivimos debido al Coronavirus COVID-19 y que por lo mismo nuestras comunidades no pueden recolectar personalmente las cajitas del programa Plato de Arroz de CRS, invitamos a todos los participantes en este programa a concluirlo contando los donativos recolectados en su cajita al mismo tiempo que reflexionan sobre su experiencia cuaresmal. Este año, les pedimos que por favor envíen sus

†

donativos directamente a la oficina nacional de Catholic Relief Services, ya sea por internet, a través de una llamada telefonica (gratuita) o por correo regular.

Si desean concluir el programa CRS Plato de Arroz de una manera simbolica pueden utilizar nuestra Oración Durante la Presentacion de Dones para Concluir la Jornada de Cuaresma, disponible en crsplatode arroz.org en la seccion de Recursos Liturgicos para las Parroquias (Recursos para la Oracion) o pueden tambien hacerlo de alguna otra manera significativa para ustedes.

Pidamos al Senor resucitado que asi como tuvimos la oportunidad de participar en el programa cuaresmal CRS Plato de Arroz nos ayude a encontrar otras maneras de ser fuente de ayuda a los miembros de nuestra familia humana mas vulnerables en estos tiempos de pandemia.

Gracias por participar en Plato de Arroz de CRS. Que el Senor los llene de esperanza y les conceda su paz. “No teman, he resucitado y siempre estare con ustedes.”

Favor de comunicarse con la Oficina de Misiones de nuestra arquidiocesis para cualquier pregunta o mayor informacion. Estamos disponibles en hochoa@archgh.org o 713-652-8231. Nos reportaremos con usted a la mayor brevedad posible. † Hilda Ocha es directora de la Oficina de Misión.

POR EL INTERNET: www.support.crs.org/donate/ cambia-una-vida-esta-cuaresma Por TELEPHONO: Marque el 1-877-435-7277 a partir de las 7 a.m. hasta las 10 p.m. tiempo del Centro asegurandose de informar a la operadora que el donativo es para el programa CRS PLATO DE ARROZ. Por CORREO: Favor de escribir “CRS Plato de Arroz” en la linea localizada en la parte izquierda inferior de su cheque y envie a: Catholic Relief Service, CRS Rice Bowl P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 219-21297-0303

¡Estamos en linea!

Vea mas artículos en linea a www.archgh.org/TCH.

20 Texas Catholic Herald

Remembering our call to Stewardship

As Catholics, we believe that all we have is a gift from God. Our response in faith is to offer these gifts back to God in gratitude.

With gifts of prayer, we pray for our nation, Church and our parishes.

With gifts of treasure, we support our parishes even when we cannot be there in person.

Make a gift to your parish online at www.archgh.org/parishoffertory scroll down and select your parish.

www.archgh.org/parishoffertory

April 28, 2020