Texas Catholic Herald - March 22, 2022 by Texas Catholic Herald

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

MERCY AT THE BORDER

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STRAKE’S SLAPSHOTS

Knights of Columbus join other Catholic relief agencies in supporting Ukraine aid

High school hockey team celebrates winning inaugural season ▪ SEE PAGE 11

▪ SEE PAGE 5

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MARCH 22, 2022

VATICAN

Pope Francis to consecrate Russia, Ukraine to Mary

VOL. 58, NO. 20

FRYING UP A GOOD TIME

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a penitential prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica March 25, the Vatican said. On the same day, the Vatican said, Konrad Cardinal Krajewski, the papal almoner, will carry out a similar consecration at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. According to the Vatican’s translation of the messages of Fatima, when Mary appeared to the three shepherd children in Fatima in 1917, she told them, “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.” Warning of “war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father,” Mary told the children, “to prevent this, I shall come to ask for the See CONSECRATION, page 2

EDUCATION

St. Peter School to transform into first Catholic career, tech high school in Texas BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — Partnering with nearby downtown Houston businesses, the Texas Medical Center, and others who need a professionally trained workforce, the Archdiocese is opening the state’s first Catholic Career and Technical High School. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo said plans are to renovate St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School, a parochial elementary and middle school shuttered since May 2019, into the St. Peter Catholic Career and Technical High School. Located on a 10-acre campus off Old Spanish Trail near the 610 Freeway, the two-story brick building will offer programs for careers first in information technology and web development; See HIGH SCHOOL, page 8

PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Members of the Knights of Columbus Father Roach Council 3217 fry up some fish during their Lenten fish fry at their KC Hall on March 11 in Dickinson. The parish continues its Lenten fish fry service every Friday in Lent.

Lenten traditions revive, deepen parish community ties Season of penance, prayer signals rebirth of community life at several parishes BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald DICKINSON — It didn’t take long for the pan to empty. Four new plates of fried and baked fish flew out the serving window as Sandy Sabatier eyed a growing line at the register that sat at the double-door entrance to the Father Roach Council 3217’s Knights of Columbus Hall. Fish lovers had a choice this year: drive-thru or dine-in, and there were lines for both. Outside the hall, Knights, their wives and other volunteers braved a March 11 marked by a windy chill and occasional rain showers. They manned four vats of fry oil, sending hand-breaded fried

THE FIRST WORD † 3

fish and hush puppies to the indoor service kitchen, which also cooked up baked fish, and to a drive-thru center that ran out hundreds of meals to hungry diners waiting in their cars. Since Feb. 25, the Knights became a well-oiled machine, cranking out hundreds of meals every Friday to a community eager for a full return to parish life. Certainly not their first fish fry, as the group hosted a monthly fish service, but Feb. 25 was their first dine-in service since they transitioned to drive-thru only in July of 2021. The first few Lenten fish fries saw lines that wrapped around the block,

COLUMNISTS † 13 - 14

EMBRACING LENT

See LENT, page 4

ESPAÑOL † 17 |

Father Rodney Armstrong, SSJ, distributes ashes during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Texas Southern University Catholic Newman Center in Houston March 2. The Newman Center finally welcomed students and community members back for mid-week Masses for the first time since March 2020.

MILESTONES † 20

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CNS PHOTO

A statue of Our Lady of Fatima is carried during a candlelight vigil at the shrine in Fatima, Portugal in this file photo. The Vatican said Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25.

Our Lady: ‘In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph’ CONSECRATION, from page 1 consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart.” Some groups have continued to argue that Mary’s wish was never fulfilled or that it was never done properly because the pope consecrated the world and not “Russia.” The Vatican, however, has insisted St. John Paul II did so in 1984 when he led the world’s bishops in the consecration of Russia and the world. The late Sister Lucia dos Santos, the last surviving visionary and the one who received the instructions for the consecration, had said that it was properly performed. At his Sunday recitations of the Angelus since Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, people have been showing up in St. Peter’s Square with signs asking the pope for the consecration of Russia or of Russia and Ukraine to Mary. The Fatima message promised: “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated.” But, the message continued: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.” †

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop, President & Publisher Jonah Dycus Communications Director & Executive Editor Rebecca Torrellas Managing Editor James Ramos Designer & Multimedia Journalist Catherine Viola Graphic Designer & Ad Manager Kerry McGuire and Jo Ann Zuñiga Contributors The Texas Catholic Herald, an awardwinning member of The Catholic Media Association, is published semi-monthly on Tuesdays, with one issue in June, July and August by The Texas Catholic Herald Publishing Co., Inc., 1700 San Jacinto St., Houston, TX 77002. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX and other distribution points. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 907, Houston, TX 77001 Subscription rate: $15 per year; $20 outside Texas; $35 out of U.S. TCH publishing schedule Issue date: April 12 Deadline: Noon on March 22

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis places flowers near a statue of Mary as he prays in the Little Chapel of the Apparitions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, May 12, 2017. The Vatican said Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25.

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THE FIRST WORD ‘Sabor de Guatemala’: Our Lenten flavor tour continues

k you!

As Lent continues, we keep cooking with different easy-to-make meatless recipes from around the world. This week, Catholic Relief Service’s es helped families (CRS) Rice Bowl program highlights the ercome the challenges tostada, a tortilla-based dish from nutrition. Turn in your Guatemala. It might sound familiar, but y. when you put your own spin on it, it’s even more delicious. e Guatemala has the highest population of all the countries in Central America and also the youngest, with almost half under the age of 19. CRS has been doing humanitarian work in

Guatemala for more than 50 years, supporting food security, nutrition, health, agriculture, education, disaster risk reduction, and emergency response programs focused on the poorest and most vulnerable. CRS works through local partners in Guatemala to implement projects and interventions, a strategy that strengthens local capacity and skills and promotes sustainable solutions. Coupled with your favorite hot sauce or condiment, this uncomplicated recipe is convenient for meat-free Fridays in

Lent. It is an opportunity for families to experience new cultures through new ingredients and flavors. As we abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, journey with us around the world and incorporate these Lenten recipes into your meatless Fridays. Give the money you saved each week by not eating meat — about $3 per person per meal — to your CRS Rice Bowl to feed those in need around the world. For more recipes, visit www. crsricebowl.org/recipe. †

Tostada | Guatemala www.crsricebowl.org

30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

Guacamole • 3 - 5 large avocados, halved and pitted • 1/2 onion, finely diced • Juice of 2 limes • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • Salt and pepper to taste

SERVES 4

METHOD

Into a large bowl, scoop the avocado from its shell. Mash it with a fork to desired consistency. Stir in onion, lime juice and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, pour a half inch of oil. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas in a single layer and fry until crispy. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil. Once the tortillas have cooled, spread three tortillas with guacamole, three with refried beans and three with salsa. Garnish with cheese and cilantro.

Tostadas • 12 corn tortillas • Oil for frying (canola or olive) • Prepared guacamole (see above) • 1 jar red salsa • 1 can refried beans • 10 ounces of queso seco (crumbling cheese), or any cheese, grated • Chopped cilantro

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IN BRIEF Four parishes host pilgrimage sites for Filipino jubilee celebration

HOUSTON — Catholics around the Archdiocese have a unique opportunity to join the local Filipino Catholic community in celebrating the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines. Since Jan. 26, four parishes in the greater Houston area have been local pilgrimage sites for a special jubilee celebration. These parishes, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston, Prince of Peace Catholic Church in northwest Houston, St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Katy and Notre Dame Catholic Church in Alief, continue to welcome pilgrims with a series of special Masses and events to commemorate five centuries of Christianity in the Philippines. After a request from Cardinal DiNardo, the Holy See issued a decree that the four parishes can be designated as pilgrim churches. The faithful can visit any of these four parishes and obtain a plenary indulgence. A plenary indulgence grants the remission of all temporal punishment due to sin and must be coupled with a sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, praying for the Holy Father’s intentions and complete detachment from all sin including venial. For more information, visit the Filipino Ministry Council website at www.fmc-hou.blogspot.com. †

Catholic Charities’ food distributions continues in three locations

HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston offers food assistance at three food pantries that are open for drive-thru food distribution: Guadalupe Center in Houston; the Mamie George Community Center in Richmond; and the Beacon of Hope Center in Galveston. In Houston, drive-thru distributions at the Guadalupe Center, at 326 S. Jensen St. in Houston, are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. No appointment needed. The Beacon of Hope Center, located at 4700 Broadway, Suite F-103 in Galveston, is a Galveston County super distribution site. Distributions are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, starting at 9 a.m. No appointment is required. Call 409-762-2064 for more information. In Fort Bend, The Mamie George Community Center, at 1111 Collins Rd. in Richmond, is a Houston Food Bank super distribution site. Register by texting HFBPS to 855-788-3663, then select Catholic Charities — Richmond. In 2022, drive-thru distributions will be on Tuesdays, from 5 to 7 p.m., and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The next food fair is March 26. For help, call 281-202-6200. For hours and addresses, visit www.catholiccharities.org/ food or call the Catholic Charities COVID Assistance Line at 713-874-6521. †

Annual Caritas Day set for April 2

HOUSTON — On April 2, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart will be hosting their tenth annual Caritas Day, a Lenten day of Service. The day will begin at 8 a.m. with Mass at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in Houston. Then, volunteers will head off to a service project, which will conclude at noon. Projects range from sorting bags of pet food given to homebound seniors with Interfaith Ministries, assembling family-size soup bags of beans and prayer cards to be shared with families through St. Vincent De Paul and Casa Juan Diego, putting together special LifeBooks for children in foster care, creating “welcome bags” for Isaiah House clients, among others. Those interested can select their service project online at www.sacredhearthouston.org/caritasday or email outreach@ sacredhearthouston.org for any questions. †

4 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE CROSS Father McNeillie: No technology has ever accomplished more than the wooden cross of Jesus Christ. ▪ SEE PAGE 14

Cardinal DiNardo: ‘Never lose sight of the Cross’ LENT, from page 1 pushing into nearby intersections. Clearly Dickinson, like many towns around the Archdiocese, found their Lenten Friday evening dinner solution in the fish fry. Dining at the round table or taking it to-go, communal life dwells on these inperson interactions. Guiding drivers as they waited to place their order, the Dickinson council’s Grand Knight Joaquin Perez beamed as he recognized faces from the parish or from the town. As another knight handed four meals through a truck window, Perez shouted a greeting past the blistering wind. “Enjoy the meals! They’re fresh!” he said, sending a friendly smile to another familiar face. The kitchen buzzed as calls echoed to the outdoor fry kitchen: “More fried fish! More baked fish! More hushpuppies! More fries!” the knights cried out as the Friday service began to swell. Sure it was busy, sometimes a little chaotic even as the single door to the outside became two-way or blew open when a gust of wind thought to sneak in, but after having shifted to drive-thru service only since 2021, it was a welcome,

WANT TO GO? Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church ADDRESS PHONE WEB

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

The Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church in Dickinson is the only official shrine in the Archdiocese, containing relics of the True Cross. Faithful are invited to make a pilgrimage to the Shrine as part of their Lenten devotions in final weeks of Lent as Holy Week approaches.

exciting ruckus that meant everyone was back together again. The community, like many, was no stranger to overcoming adversity. Almost five years ago, that same KC Hall became a hub of another kind of relief, serving food, sharing clothes and supplies to the

You can put your faith into action this Lent.

Help a family in need by becoming a Hero of Hope! This Lenten season provides you with a timely opportunity to help a family who is at serious risk of hunger, poverty, and homelessness. For just $10 a month you can provide a needy family with food for an entire month and make a life-saving difference for a family each and every day of the year.

Will you help vulnerable families in your community by becoming a Hero of Hope monthly donor this Lenten season?

Make a monthly gift at

CatholicCharities.org/lent 2900 Louisiana Street • Houston, Texas 77006

region shattered by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Dickinson was among the hardest hit that weekend, seeing some 50 inches of rain, which pushed Dickinson Bayou into thousands of homes and into the parish too. But on that Lenten Friday, those memories were a distant thought as the Perez oversaw the fish fry operation. “It’s about community,” he said. “We’re all one family; we take care of each other, no matter what’s happening.” Back inside the hall, children ran about, maybe powered by a sugar-boost from a slice of cake or a stolen cookie, while some watched videos on their phones and snacked on fries. Father Larry Wilson, pastor at Dickinson’s Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church, which sits just 3 miles away, walked around the hall. He’d stop for a chat, catching up with parishioners, seeing newborn babies, students unchained from homework and assignments now basking in their Spring Break freedom, and sharing a consoling greeting to parents who then had their hands even more full. The fish fry continues each Friday during Lent through April 8, from 5 to 7:39 p.m. at 4132 E. 27th St. in Dickinson. Dine-in and drive-thru available. Visit kc3217.org for more information. RELIC OF THE TRUE CROSS The parish can be overlooked as thousands of Spring Breakers fly past its

300 FM 517 Road East Dickinson, TX 77539 281-337-4112 www.truecrosschurch.org

tall tan walls visible from I-45 on their way to Galveston’s beaches or the slides at Schlitterbahn. The church sanctuary offers a special encounter for prayer that’s unique to the Texas Gulf Coast: a relic of the True Cross. According to the parish website, the Shrine of the True Cross is the diocesan shrine for the Archdiocese. Faithful can embrace the Cross of Our Lord in prayer and receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion and praying for the pope’s intentions) to the faithful who, with a spirit detached from any sin, make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the True Cross. The shrine is just one of only six official Catholic shrines in Texas and the only one in the Texas Gulf Coast. Upon entering the large sanctuary, the relic is found in a special reliquary to the right of the altar. Dozens of flickering candles and a kneeler offer a special place to pray and venerate the True Cross. A golden crown of thorns adorns a gold reliquary shaped like a cross that holds the relic, two splinters of the cross. Four small pearls follow the shape of another cross that holds the small relic. While the faithful might not be able to physically touch the relic to venerate it, simply praying in the presence of it or touching the glass partition can offer a special encounter of prayer, especially during Lent and Holy Week. According to the parish record, roots of the shrine were planted in the 1930s by Father Thomas A. Carney, who oversaw Galveston County mission churches. He felt the need for a devotion to the cross and thought that a Shrine of the Holy Cross should be in Texas. After receiving the blessing of Galveston Bishop Christopher E. Byrne, Father Carney chose Dickinson as a central point between Houston and See LENT, page next page

Guidelines for Lenten Observance Lent continues through Good Friday, April 15, which is a day of fast and abstinence. Abstinence from meat is obligatory for all who have reached their 14th year. Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence. According to the U.S. bishops, fasting is obligatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may be taken, not to equal one full meal. Through works of fasting, prayer and abstinence, we heed the Prophet Joel’s exhortation to “return to God with our whole heart” (2:12). Lent is a penitential season and practices such as daily Mass, reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, works of charity and justice and acts of self-denial are highly encouraged. For more resources, visit www.archgh.org/lent.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

LOCAL

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Catholic groups spearhead Ukrainian relief efforts Special to the Herald HOUSTON — Local officials with the Knights of Columbus of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston said they were joining a national effort to contribute and raise funds to support the more than three million refugees fleeing as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine. “Aside from the $1.5 million being donated to Ukraine relief efforts by [the national office], we have also been challenged ... with a dollar for dollar match for all funds we raise locally, up to $500,000,” said Knights of Columbus Diocesan Deputy John Hinojosa. “The 135 KC Councils in the Archdiocese are making individual efforts to help reach this goal.” He encouraged others to contribute to relief aid and said: “Together we will help our brothers and sisters, Catholic and Non-Catholic, with supplies, food, clothing, water and the like.” In the days after Russia sent troops, bombs and missiles into Ukraine, the Knights of Columbus joined other Catholic relief groups in bringing relief supplies to the Polish-Ukranian border, as well into Lviv in western Ukraine. The supplies delivered to Ukraine — including medicine, generators, sleeping bags, warm clothing and other necessities — were collected by K of C LENT, from previous page Galveston. Soon the priest obtained permission from the Holy See, and the shrine became affiliated with the Shrine to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. Pietro Cardinal Fumasoni-Biondi, who was the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, was responsible for the connection. He wrote a letter to Father Carney and said: “The saying ‘In Hoc Signo Vinces,’ is true now as it was in former times,” saying it was“most opportune”that Bishop Byrne wanted to raise the “Standard of the Cross aloft in the center of the diocese” at the Shrine. Eventually, Father Carney’s efforts paid off when on Sept. 13, 1936, the day before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bishop Byrne renamed and dedicated St. Joseph’s Church as the Shrine of the True Cross. He processed with a Relic of the True Cross, splinters of the wood of the cross that St. Helena uncovered centuries ago. The relic was enshrined in the church for perpetual public veneration, a visible reminder to the faithful of Dickinson, the Archdiocese and the world of the Cross of Christ. At the centennial celebration of the Shrine’s dedication on March 15, 2009, Cardinal DiNardo encouraged the faithful to always look to the cross. “May those who come later say, whatever the trouble was in 2009, 2010, 2011, and beyond, whatever the anxiety, whatever the difficulty, it is these people who have matured in faith our Catholic heritage, who bring us through,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “I pray you have a wonderful Centennial, and you never lose sight of the Cross of Jesus Christ.” This message was fitting for Cardinal DiNardo, considering his episcopal motto that he adopted says: “Ave Crux Spes Unica,” meaning “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.” For church hours, directions and more information about the Shrine of the True

PHOTO BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Two children, Ukrainian refugees, smile as they warm up inside a “Mercy hut,” provided by the Polish Knights of Columbus near the Polish-Ukrainian border.

councils throughout Poland and brought to regional sites in Radom, Kraków and Tomaszów Lubelski. The items were then shipped and loaded onto an 18-wheeler — dubbed the “Solidarity Shuttle” — in Tomaszów Lubelski and departed for Lviv Feb. 28. Local Knights in Ukraine received the delivery and coordinated with an “Anti-Crisis Committee,” established by the Archdiocese of Lviv, Cross, which is located at 300 FM 517 Road East in Dickinson, call 281-3374112 or visit www.truecrosschurch.org. MASS RETURNS AT TSU At another Catholic community, Lent also signaled a rebirth and a return. The Catholic Newman Center at Texas Southern University, one of two historically Black colleges and universities within the Archdiocese, welcomed students and community members back for Mass for the first since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world in March of 2020. Yes, like many other ministries, they pivoted to virtual gatherings, hosting a weekly Rosary, online prayer vigils, Scripture studies and other events. But after the school transitioned to virtual learning in 2020, then an uneven return to in-person classes with a very modified semester schedule, Doris Barrow III, who leads the Newman Center as campus minister, could only hope to see his students if they happened to come by. During the summer of 2020, one marked by protests following the deaths of Houstonians George Floyd andVanessa Guillén, Barrow could only throw open the doors to the Newman Center and offer a place of solace and prayer amid the change and unrest. Barrow said stringent rules for oncampus gatherings made it difficult to host any events on campus. But on that Ash Wednesday, with students and community members filing in and filling pews and seats that have long been empty, Father Rodney Armstrong, SSJ, pastor at Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church in the Fifth Ward, offered a word of encouragement: “Lent is a time to begin again.” Then not long after the homily, he offered them something even more precious: the Eucharist. To learn more about the TSU Newman Center, visit www.tsunewmancenter.com or call 713-747-7595. †

to distribute the much-needed supplies. Leaders of the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine, including the state deputy, state secretary and a district deputy, are currently serving on the committee. Additionally, the Knights have set up a series of tents — or “mercy huts” — at the Poland-Ukraine border in Hrebenne, Poland, to welcome refugees escaping the conflict — thereby continuing the spirit of the Order’s “Everybody Welcome, Everything Free” campaign in Europe during World War I. Meanwhile, members of St. John Paul II Council 15299 in Suchedniów, Poland, shipped a field kitchen and power generator to aid displaced Ukrainians. In February, the Knights of Columbus announced that a commitment of $1 million for immediate distribution to support Ukrainian refugees, including

Ukrainian Knights and their families impacted by the recent Russian invasion of their country.The organization has also launched the Ukraine Solidarity Fund, an international fundraising campaign that will match all funds raised up to an additional $500,000. In a message to Knights around the world, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly encouraged the organization’s more than 2 million members to respond with continued prayers and material support. “The situation in Ukraine is dire and worsening. The people of Ukraine and our brother Knights in that nation need our help,” the supreme knight wrote. The relief funding will be used to provide shelter, food, medical supplies, clothing and religious goods, as well as other humanitarian needs as identified, both directly in Ukraine and through refugee sites in Poland. BOMBINGS NEAR POLISH-UKRAINE BORDER A Russian missile attack killed at least 35 people, striking just 15 miles from the Polish-Ukraine border near Yavoriv, the Associated Press (AP) reported March 14. The explosions woke up residents of a nearby Polish village that sits just a mile from the border of Ukraine, with smoke and fires glowing visibly in the nighttime sky. They later went to Mass at the nearby Immaculate Conception Catholic Church to find comfort in neighbors and share what they saw. Father Jozef Florek, Immaculate Conception’s pastor, told the AP: “If it’s bells not explosions that are waking us up, then we are safe. I am not a prophet, but we had bombs falling not far from us today that woke us up.” To learn how to help, visit www. archgh.org/ukraine. †

6 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

Rite of Election begins Lenten journey for new Catholics set to be welcomed into Church at Easter BY JAMES RAMOS AND JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald PEARLAND — An important part of Lent leading up to Easter is welcoming catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates studying in formation to be welcomed into the Church in full initiation as new Catholics. As part of this, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, C.R.S., celebrated the Rite of Election for those preparing to enter the Catholic Church at Easter. The Rites were celebrated at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Spring, St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood, St. Helen Catholic Church in Pearland and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston. People from parishes all around the Archdiocese, from Manvel to Huntsville, attended, including a number from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. During the Rite of Election, the catechumens — those who will be Baptized, Confirmed and receive their First Communion this Easter — are presented with their Godparents to the bishops and to the faith community. “From every corner of the Archdiocese, we come together. It is good that you are here,” Cardinal DiNardo said, eagerly greeting the congregation. “This is God’s election of catechumens and candidates, those who have been praying and studying the faith. Today the Church chooses them, as Christ has chosen you, to move towards the Easter Sacraments.” After the catechumens publicly affirmed their intention to join the Church, the bishops, on behalf of the Church, accept or “elect” them as being ready to take part in the Sacraments of Initiation. “The Rite of Election is an important moment in the catechumens’ journey to celebrate the Sacraments in the Easter

PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo reads the names in a Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election at St. Helen Catholic Church in Pearland March 6. Four Rites of Election were held around the Archdiocese with at least 1,652 set to join or enter full communion with the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese.

season. Here they will stand and publicly express their desire to be joined to the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist,” said Chris Labadie, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship. “Just as important, this is when the Church, through the bishop, formally acknowledges the conversion and preparation that has already happened by naming them as chosen by God,” he said. Following the Rite of Election, the catechumens, now known as “the elect,” begin a period of purification and enlightenment, which is the final, intense preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter Vigil. A unique moment happens at each

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Rite: representatives from each parish announce the names of those intending to join the Church to the bishop, who then views these names in the Book of the Elect. After the Rite, the bishop signs the book as a witness to their faith. In Spring, at St. Ignatius of Loyola, Bishop Dell’Oro beamed as pew after pew stood up, each filled with catechumens or candidates, alongside their godparent or sponsor, with family and loved ones nearby. A husband and wife from St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church are traveling the journey as candidates together. The young couple, MaryMargaret and Corey Howell, are also expecting their first child in March. “We come from a long line of Irish Catholics, but I was baptized in a Presbyterian church near my childhood home growing up, and my wife was Baptist. But now that we are expecting our own child, we wanted to find a Church home,” Howell said.

So they began the months-long journey of taking classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. RCIA has several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. “We fell in love with the teachings of the Catholic Church,” Howell said. Lauren Gallegos of St. Pius V Catholic Church also decided to become officially Catholic because she remembered her grandmother was Catholic. Although she had not been baptized, Gallegos helped her younger sister attend Catholic school, which re-ignited her interest. Now the 30-year-old is ready after attending two years of RCIA. “I am so excited about being able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. It is so very sacred and moving,” she said. The director of Faith Formation in English at St. Pius V, Gina Pasket, said she has seen a difference now that her classes have started meeting in person again rather than Zoom as the pandemic recedes. “The catechumens and candidates seem more engaged in person, a lot more comfortable sharing with each other, and they are opening up exploring deeper into the Catholic faith,” Pasket said. Cardinal DiNardo expressed his appreciation for the intentional work, often very intense and personal, of the catechists and the Elect. “Thank you for being on your journey and coming to the Lord,”he said.“Welcome to this important part of being members of the Church. You’re almost there. We pray for you for the next 40 days.” Ahead of the Rites of Election, a number of parishes also celebrated the Rite of Sending, when parishes publicly declare members of their community who wish to join the Church as a candidate or catechumen, and their names are enrolled into the Book of the Elect, later viewed at the Rite of Election. During Easter Vigil Masses on Saturday, April 16, at least 1,652 people from parishes across the Archdiocese will enter into the Catholic Church. An estimated 245 are youth candidates or catechumens. †

If you or a loved one is in need of help this season, contact our Archdiocesan social services listed below:

Catholic Charities

Food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, counseling, immigration assistance, veterans assistance, disaster recovery, refugees services, senior services and more.

catholiccharities.org/need-help or 713-526-4611

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Home visits, food network, disaster relief, clothing and furniture.

svdphouston.org/get-help or 713-741-8234

San José Clinic

Primary and specialty health care services, counseling and mental health services, dental and vision.

sanjoseclinic.org or 713-228-941

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, C.R.S. speaks during the Rite of Election, while a man places his arm around another in support at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring March 6. Bishop Dell’Oro also celebrated the Rite of Election at St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood that same day.

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New high school is a ‘gift’ to the wider community HIGH SCHOOL, from page 1 business, marketing and finance; education and training; and architecture and construction. “Our goal is to provide an affordable Catholic education for students who want to develop the skills they need to become working professionals after high school graduation,” Cardinal DiNardo said.“This school’s particular focus on job-readiness will go together with its commitment to forming virtuous young people who will bear witness to Jesus Christ in the world.” Students will have hands-on experience with industry-standard software and technology to be professionally competent in their chosen career paths, said Debra Haney, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “Students can choose to go on to associate degree programs, four-year colleges, or they can go directly into the workforce with certifications to do jobs that are needed by industry,” said Haney, in the midst of hiring the school’s new principal. Renovations to the existing school as well as adding new technology and equipment require funding from supportive community and business groups, Haney said. Dedicated volunteers and Church officials have been meeting with several individuals, businesses and organizations, including the Scanlan Foundation, for potential partnerships to open the school. An estimated $6.5 million is needed by this June for construction to begin Phase

RENDERING COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE

This rendering shows plans for a new Catholic high school in the Archdiocese. Preparations to launch St. Peter Catholic Career and Technical High School is underway, as leaders work to raise an estimated $6.5 million to start construction this summer to welcome up to 200 students in its first phase of opening in 2023. The new school will be located off Old Spanish Trail near SH 288 in Houston’s Riverside Terrace community.

1 prior to the scheduled August 2023 school opening. Partnerships can also include businesses offering internships to students and opportunities for their own company’s experts to be specialized instructors at the school to train students for the workplace. The school is designed to accommodate up to 200 students during Phase 1, beginning with an incoming freshman class of 50 students in 2023. As

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enrollment grows, Phase 2 would add a transportation, distribution and logistics career path, while Phase 3 would add health, science and pharmacy technology. On the St. Peter advisory board, Mark Letsos Jr., owner and president of Lambda Specialties, a commercial equipment company, said the board has been planning these past 30 months to have the new school benefit both students and Houston businesses alike. “St. Peter Catholic has been the product of two and a half years of prudent planning by an advisory board composed of a diverse group of individuals from various industries and backgrounds throughout Houston,” Letsos said. A parishioner at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Letsos explained, “The St. Peter Catholic career programs were selected based on future job market projections, well-paying sustainable careers, leverageable skills across multiple industries and postgraduation continuing education.” Father Evaristus Chukwu, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Church, adjacent to the school campus, is also serving on the school’s advisory board. Ordained as a priest in 2011 in Nigeria before coming to the United States in 2014, Father Chukwu said, “This school would be a life-changer!” “It is my hope that with this school, the students will build a bright future for themselves,” he said. Also, among those serving on the school’s advisory board is Mark Amelang, president and CEO of AlignESG, consulting companies on environmental, social and governance policies. The Houston native epitomizes the types of students that St. Peter hopes to attract. First-born of six children,

Amelang said he is a first-generation college student from an economically disadvantaged background. That experience gives him the passion in believing education is key to building strong families and societies that propel kids out of poverty. His parents met as students at Marian Catholic High School in Bellaire, and they raised their six children on the importance of Catholic education. Amelang started school at St. Anne Catholic School in Houston. But his father was a machinist working shifts, and the family could not afford to send their children to college. Yet after his family moved to Alabama, Amelang graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, where the teen worked three jobs to afford tuition. He has been a parishioner for more than 20 years at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Memorial along with his wife Karina, a lawyer, and family. “After graduation, I joined the U.S. Navy and was the top graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power School. The Navy also paid for my undergraduate degree,” he said. “I credit my Catholic education as the reason for my success in life. It not only gave me the excellent educational foundation to test into the Naval Nuclear Power program, but it gave me a belief in myself and a strong conviction that I could succeed. That ‘whole child’ education is critical and is one of the reasons Catholic schools are so successful.” He has since received his Executive MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and is now working on his doctorate in education at the University of St. Thomas, where he is also an adjunct professor at its Cameron School of Business. “God has given me great blessings in life, and my focus now is to help others to achieve their dreams and learn to believe in themselves. That is why I am so passionate about… the mission of St. Peter Catholic in particular… filling a vital but missing role for our city,” he said. Dr. Nicole McZeal Walters, Dean of the Kolbe School of Innovation and Professional Studies and associate professor of educational leadership at the University of St. Thomas, has also served on the high school’s advisory board. “We are preparing students to compete in a global society with a Catholic lens of faith and dignity of the human person while providing opportunities,” she said. Walters added, “A graduate of a [Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart], I am a direct recipient of an excellent education, and I see the value and merit in what we’re doing. It is our gift to this community.” To learn more or to donate and support the new school, call 713-741-8704 or visit www.stpetertech.org online. †

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:

April 21: Carl Buntion April 27: Melissa Lucio

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

LOCAL

texas catholic herald

Peace among the Pines: Retreat center serves those hungry for a deeper encounter with God BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — In the Gospels, when great multitudes of people gathered to hear Jesus preach and be spiritually and physically nourished, He repeatedly took time away to go into the wilderness to pray in solitude and quiet. To follow Jesus’s example, the Church encourages the faithful to regularly attend spiritual retreats to enter more deeply into an authentic relationship with God and leave daily distractions and busy-ness behind. Even the pope, clergy and religious are required to go on annual retreats to be spiritually fed. Pope Francis said, before leaving for his own retreat in 2014, “Those who live a retreat in an authentic way experience the attraction and fascination of God and return renewed and transfigured in their daily lives, their ministry and their relationships.” To get the full retreat experience, the faithful in the Archdiocese do not have to travel far to encounter God in the wilderness. Circle Lake Retreat Center (CLR) is located 40 miles north of downtown Houston on a 43-acre tract in the piney woods. “Our beautiful retreat facility has catered to the needs of family and friends of the Archdiocese for over 20 years,” said Ricardo Medina, director of Family Life Ministry and CLR.“We provide a tranquil, peaceful retreat experience for families, parish ministries, and other small and large groups that want a holy place to reconnect with God through nature, in silence, and with each other to grow in community and faith.” Currently, CLR has a maximum capacity of 146 people and offers 18 fully furnished homes for lodging, Holy Spirit Chapel for Mass and prayer, a fully equipped kitchen and dining hall for three meals a day, and spacious meeting facilities. Those using the facilities enjoy landscaped gardens and nature trails, 15-acres of stocked lakes for fishing and canoeing, a spacious recreational area for sports and outdoor activities, a wellequipped playground, and a fire pit and large outdoor film screen for evening entertainment. “Because of the pandemic over the past two years, people need a place to come together to celebrate their faith and special life events,” said Medina. “Circle Lake is a beautiful place surrounded by nature that gives them space for a deeper encounter with God, both silent and meditative prayer, as well as time for fellowship and community. Medina said the facilities have been improved over the last two decades, including recent additions made over the past six months. “Based on feedback from past participants, there was a desire for more comprehensive services provided by the retreat center, so we are now focusing on offering an enhanced experience overall, including excellent customer service from the staff in taking care of their needs and requests,” said Medina. “We want to keep their precious time spent at Circle Lake in ministry and in communion with God and others. Let us focus on the details, logistics and event programming ideas to help make this the best experience possible for all.”

The 2021 Diocesan Services Fund theme draws from 1 Corinthians: “All For the Glory of God.” DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 60-plus ministries.

PHOTO BY CIRCLE LAKE RETREAT CENTER

40 miles north of downtown Houston, Circle Lake Retreat Center offers a natural oasis of quiet reflection and spiritual rebirth on a 43-acre tract of land in the Pine Woods.

A popular request was the option for full-service food catering that now includes menu planning, meal preparation and cooking, full-service service staff, and cleaning. Medina said this allows the retreat staff and event coordinators to focus more on their own personal experience and time to connect with others versus dealing with timeconsuming logistical details. “Groups that want to celebrate Mass during the event at the Holy Spirit Chapel or want help planning the retreat program to help take the retreat experience deeper for all involved also may request assistance from the Family Life Ministry staff,” said Medina. In addition to parish retreats, meetings and days of prayer, the facilities may be used for wedding receptions and anniversary celebrations, family reunions, birthday parties, and other activities that bring families and friends together in fellowship. This includes field trips for scouts and school groups that want to explore the abundance of vegetation, wildlife and insects throughout the grounds. “We also can host multiple events at the same time, so we strongly encourage people to reach out to us to see if the facilities are available for their day or overnight event,” said Medina. “Our staff is here to help with brainstorming ideas and overall planning to enhance their total experience.” CLR and a second facility operated by the Family Life Ministry, Cameron Retreat Center located in downtown Houston, are included in 60-plus ministries supported by the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF). Medina said these facilities remain operational and regularly maintained due to the generous financial support of the faithful. If additional funding were available through the DSF, Medina said they would be able to hire additional staff and cover high overhead costs associated

with maintaining CLR’s facilities and grounds in its remote, wooded location. Also, the Family Life Ministry would like to host additional retreats to strengthen marriages and families in the Archdiocese. Currently, its Evangelizing Couples Retreat is offered twice a year for leaders and ministers in this Church movement. “Sometimes we don’t realize that we need a break and find ourselves disconnected in our relationships with the

Lord, our families, and those we minister to within our parishes,” said Medina. “We are wounded, experience afflictions, and feel a sense of loss or consolation at times. The DSF allows us to offer Circle Lake to parishes and families that need this precious time together to experience a deeper encounter with Christ and grow in faith and fellowship with one another.” To learn more about the services and available schedule and costs to reserve CLR’s facilities, contact Lupita Ponce at lponce@archgh.org or visit www.archgh. org/circlelake. To contribute to the 2022 Annual DSF Appeal that supports CLR and over 60 other ministries go to archgh.org/dsf. Out of each gift given to DSF, 100% of every dollar goes directly to supporting these ministries. †

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IN BRIEF

OBITUARIES

Annual Chrism Mass set for April 12

Helen Louise Foltyn

HOUSTON — The annual Chrism Mass will be held Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. The Mass is open to the public, as all the priests present to renew their commitment to priestly service and ask the lay faithful to pray for them. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will then bless the three sacred oils of the Church: the Oil of the Sick (used in the Anointing of the Sick) and Oil of Catechumens (used to anoint individuals before Baptism) and will consecrate the Chrism Oil. All three oils consist of olive oil, but only the Chrism Oil has the fragrant perfume of balsam, symbolizing the sweetness of Christ. The Chrism Oil is used at Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders (both for priesthood and the episcopate but not for the diaconate), and the dedication of a new church and/or new altar. The Mass will be livestreamed at www.archgh.org/live. †

IN MEMORIAM Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of April: April 1, 1874 April 1, 1950 April 2, 1965 April 3, 1996 April 3, 2011 April 3, 2013 April 4, 1983 April 5, 1850 April 5, 1926 April 5, 1992 April 6, 1989 April 7, 1991 April 7, 1995 April 7, 2009 April 8, 1912 April 8, 1980 April 9, 1890

Rev. Matthew Sarry Bishop Christopher E. Byrne Rev. Terenciano Montero, OMI Msgr. William L. Tinney Rev. Harold V. O’Leary, CSB Rev. Henry C. Rachunek Rev. John Hannaher, SVD Rev. J.A. Jacobs Rev. J.J. Gallagher Msgr. John E. Kukral Rev. Eugene Heyck, CSB Rev. George A. Harcar, CSSp Rev. Francis E. Monaghan, CSB Msgr. T. Joseph Culver Rev. C.M. Thion Rev. Eugene J. Farrell, SSJ Rev. V. Gury

April 9, 2002 April 10, 1892 April 12, 1931 April 15, 1935 April 16, 1867 April 16, 1947 April 16, 1994 April 18, 2003 April 18, 2019 April 19, 1958 April 19, 2013 April 24, 1976 April 26, 1916 April 26, 2007 April 27, 1900 April 30, 1992 April 30, 2016

Rev. Christopher Bang Le, CSSR Rev. James Giraudon Rev. Simon Spinneweber Rev. Otto Bauer Bishop John Timon, CM Rev. William Roach Rev. Edward Rehkopf, SJ Rev. Francis Strafalace, SCJ Rev. William Kelly Msgr. Jacob Schnetzer Msgr. Donald J. Fruge Rev. Edward G. Lee, CSB Rev. Peter Bienemann Rev. Isaac O. Francis Rev. Antoine Borias Msgr. Dexter L. George Rev. J. Donald Schwarting

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

HALLETTSVILLE, Texas — Helen Louise Foltyn, mother of Father Paul Foltyn, pastor of St. Augustine Catholic Church, died Feb. 20. A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 26 at Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Interment is in Hallettsville City Cemetery in Halletsville, Texas. †

Father William Joseph Frankenberger, CSB

HOUSTON — Father William Joseph Frankenberger, CSB, died Feb. 15. He was 79 years old. He came to Houston in 2004, where he was appointed to St. Anne Church and spent the next eight years before retiring to live with his Basilian brothers at Dillon House in Houston. For the last two years, he has been living at Silverado Herman Park Memory Care Community. A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 23 at St. Anne Catholic Church. Interment is in the Basilian Fathers plot in Forest Park Cemetery in Lawndale. †

Katherine Jackson

HOUSTON — Katherine Jackson, mother of Trivia Dieli, data entry specialist in the Development Records Office, died Feb. 27. She was 75 years old. †

Father Ronan Newbold, CP

HOUSTON — Father Ronan Newbold, CP, who served as a retreat staff member at Holy Name Retreat Center since 2014 until he was transferred on Feb. 11 to the Passionist Louisville, Kentucky community for health reasons, died March 6. He was 79 years old. A memorial Mass is being planned here in Houston at a later date. †

Father Leo A. Nicoll, SJ

GALVESTON — Father Leo A. Nicoll, SJ, who was born in Galveston, died Feb. 16 after being a Jesuit for 73 years and a priest for 60 years. He was 90 years old. A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 20 in the chapel at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Interment is in St. Charles College cemetery. †

Father Alvin A. Sinasac, CSB

HOUSTON — Father Alvin A. Sinasac, CSB, died Feb. 17 after years of fighting a courageous battle with cancer and the effect of a stroke. He was 70 years old. He was assigned to Houston in 1990, first to Casa San Basilio where he was the rector for many years and then appointed to St. Anne Catholic Church in Houston as associate pastor and then pastor in 2010. He remained there before retiring to live with his Basilian brothers at Dillon House in Houston in 2021. A memorial Mass was held at St. Anne Catholic Church on March 7. Interment is in the Basilian Fathers plot in Forest Park Cemetery in Lawndale. †

IN COMMUNITY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. LAURENCE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SUGAR LAND

The St. Laurence Life Teen Praise Group, under the direction of Dr. Kevin Klotz, led music throughout Heart of Worship event at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land on Feb. 12.

A full church for return of Heart of Worship

SUGAR LAND — After two years of pandemic issues, the faithful were ready to return to church for a full day of prayer, praise and fellowship. On Feb. 12, a 10-hour event called Heart of Worship at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land attracted more than 1,200 people. Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers was the featured speaker at the Eucharistic revival, which included praise and worship and a catered dinner, culminating in Mass and Exposition and Adoratoin of the Blessed Sacrament. For 14 years, St. Laurence offered Heart of Worship, filling the church to capacity each year. Last winter, in the midst of pandemic and the worst freeze in recent history, Father Drew Wood, pastor of the church, dreamed of inviting everyone back to the Heart of Worship. He set the date and began planning for a day of spiritual rejuvenation, restoration and refreshment for the large parish family. On Feb. 12, Father Wood welcomed the capacity crowd and encouraged them to “pray and love” every day of their lives; Deacon Burke-Sivers followed up with a challenge to pray with confidence, then spoke on the Eucharist and the powerful gift of Adoration. The St. Laurence Life Teen Praise Group, under the direction of Dr. Kevin Klotz, offered music throughout the day. The majority of people in attendance were parishioners, but the event also attracted the faithful from 42 other parishes, plus guests from at least eight different Christian faith communities in the area. Next year’s event is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The talks and the Mass at Heart of Worship were recorded and are available to view at www. stlaurence.org/how. †

LOCAL

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

EDUCATION

AMDG on ice: Strake Jesuit’s hockey team takes a fast break High school’s hockey team has a winning inaugural season

the Houston area, if you are a high schoolaged hockey player, you can play for your school if your school has one, or you are drafted to play for another school’s team,” he said. “Each of these boys at Jesuit was playing for another team while attending Strake Jesuit. The goal was to allow them to play for their own school and have pride in representing their team to their classmates.” Kipp said a survey of current students was issued last fall, and there were close to 150 responses. Of those who responded, many wanted to try the sport for the first time or just be a part of a hockey community. “There was a handful who had stopped playing and were interested in playing again,” he said. “There was a group of 13 who were playing at the time and of those six who had been playing for 10plus years. Once we began this fall, there were 22 players on the roster. Only two of those players were new to the sport.” The team has 19 skaters and three goalies.

BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — When talking about high school sports in Houston, football, basketball and baseball immediately come to mind. It is unusual for hockey to be brought up in the same group. At Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, with AMDG (ad majorem, Dei gloriam, which is Latin for “The greater glory of God”) across the backs of the studentathlete’s jerseys, hockey is now part of their athletics program. While the Crusaders hockey team started playing in October of 2021, hockey coach Jeffrey L. Kipp said the idea had been in the works for several years. “Each of the last several graduating classes has had a hockey player or two. In

See HOCKEY, page 12

PHOTOS BY REBECCA TORRELLAS/HERALD

The Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Crusaders hockey team beat the Friendwood/Pearland Flyers 8 to 1 on Feb. 11 at the Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center.

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IN SERVICE

IN BRIEF Archdiocesan high school students named National Merit finalists

HOUSTON — Twenty students from Archdiocesan high schools have been named National Merit Finalists. They are among 15,000 students nationwide to achieve the honor. They are now in contention to be among the 7,500 students across the country who will be named National Merit Scholarship winners. The following students were named finalists: Anna Lackner and Ashlyn Miller of Frassati Catholic High School Emily Quin and Nicole Cross of Incarnate Word Academy Mason M. Abrell, Jackson A. Berger, Vail A. Chen, Christopher J. Demoor, Andrew W. Hung, Grigoriy Y. Nikulin, Kile R. Stenoien and Jonathan S. Taffet of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Nicole Ahlgren, Kate Litton, Juliana Pratt, Kaeden Reese and Karis Williams of St. Agnes Academy and Janice H. Lin, Gray A. Podolak and Mary Margaret E. Speed of St. John XXIII College Preparatory in Katy. The students achieved the finalist designation after being first named National Merit Semifinalists and electing to continue on the journey through this prestigious scholarship program. The National Merit Scholarship Program identifies the top 1% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2022 competition based on their scores on the 2020 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. “Those being named Finalists have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for National Merit Scholarship Corporation. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.” †

Catholic Schools celebrate ‘A Pattern of Hope’ with award-winning author

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. THERESA CATHOLIC SCHOOL - MEMORIAL PARK

St. Theresa sends help to Ukraine refugees in Poland

St. Theresa Catholic School at Memorial Park completed a school-wide project to provide mittens, hats, socks, toothbrushes, school supplies and small toys for Ukrainian children entering refugee camps in Poland. Within 24 hours, enough items were collected to fill 270 shoeboxes. Junior high students decorated the shoeboxes, included notes and prayers, sorted the items by age, and filled the boxes to the brim. The following day they were delivered, ready to be loaded onto a private plane and sent to Poland.

IN ACADEMICS PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. THERESA CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN SUGAR LAND

HOUSTON — Published author Kathryn Whitaker, winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association award for her book “Live Big, Love Bigger: Getting Real with BBQ, Sweet Tea and a Whole Lotta of Jesus,” is the keynote speaker for an inaugural in-person “Pattern of Hope” luncheon March 22. Hosted by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Development Office on behalf of Catholic Schools, the fundraiser benefits Catholic students with tuition assistance and technology needs. The luncheon, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be at the Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane. General luncheon tickets are $100 each, with VIP luncheon tickets at $150 that include priority seating and a signed copy of “Live Big, Love Bigger.” The author, who lives in Austin, is a sixth-generation Texan raised as an evangelical Protestant and then converted to Catholicism on the eve of her wedding. Whitaker, also a popular blogger, has appeared in USA Today, EWTN, and as a radio and TV station guest around the country. To RSVP by phone or email, call 713-652-4417 or email RSVP@archgh.org. For additional information, visit www.choosecatholicschools.org/hope. †

St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land ranked sixth in the Classic Learning Test’s 2020-2021 National School Rankings.

Sugar Land school receives national award for classical learning exam

LENT & EASTER 2022 Palm Sunday is April 10 Holy Thursday is April 14 Good Friday is April 15 Easter Sunday is April 17

www.archgh.org

SUGAR LAND — St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land has been named one of the top 20 schools in the Classic Learning Test’s 2020-2021 National School Rankings. This award recognizes St. Theresa’s student body for collectively receiving one of the highest median scores — ranked 6th out of the hundreds of schools that take the CLT8 every year — in the nation on the CLT8. The CLT8 is a diagnostic or benchmark assessment offered by the Classic Learning Test and designed for seventh and eighth graders. Evaluating English, math and critical reasoning skills, it provides a comprehensive measure of achievement and aptitude and engages students with classical texts from the most influential authors across time. Since its inception in 2016, Classic Learning Test has offered assessments steeped in more intellectually rich and rigorous content than other standardized tests. † HOCKEY, from page 7 Prior to coming to Strake Jesuit, Kipp was a strength and conditioning coach at the college level for 15 years. “I began my career at Colorado School of Mines and had a short stint at the University of Denver (DU),” he said. “DU is where I started working with hockey players and then took over the hockey program’s strength training at the Air Force Academy when I began coaching there. With my involvement at the collegiate level, my sons had the opportunity to view hockey at a very high level. My middle son, who is now a freshman at Strake Jesuit, began skating at two years old and playing hockey at age four. He is a big reason that I am involved so heavily in hockey.”

At press time, the team’s record was 20-0 in the Interscholastic Hockey League (ISHL) and 22-3 overall. Next up is the USA Hockey National Tournament in Dallas. “In our inaugural season, we have managed to be the first Houston team to make it to the finals at the State Championship and earn a bid to the USA Hockey National Tournament,” Kipp said. High school principal Ken Lojo said, “We are so proud of their hard work and remarkable season. Our students came in with a high bar set for themselves and exceeded it in amazing fashion, all the way to making history by having the Interscholastic Hockey League’s first-ever undefeated inaugural season.” †

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

YOUTH Beginning anew: AYC set for July 29 to 31 A common sentiment these days is that we can’t go back to pre-pandemic ministry. We need to begin anew. Pope Francis, in his message for the 36th World Youth Day, confirms this sentiment in regards to the young Church: “…we cannot begin anew without you, dear young people. If our world is to arise, it needs your strength, your enthusiasm, your passion.” I am truly excited about the upcoming 66th Archdiocesan Youth Conference (AYC), where our youth will be invited to meet this challenge of renewal. From July 29 to 31, we will gather over 1,500 young people to break open the theme of mercy with our dynamic keynote and workshop speakers. There we will celebrate the gift they are to the Church, listen to their voices and challenge them to live a dynamic Catholic faith. Our theme of “Everlasting Mercy”

comes from the Gospel of St. Luke, where we find Mary proclaiming — The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. by Danny Ray, M.Div., will share two messages TIM COLBERT at AYC: Being open to God’s mercy on Friday night, and on Saturday night, he will challenge the young Church to bring God’s mercy to the world. Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis continually challenges us to reach out to those on the peripheries. In her keynote address, Sister Josephine Garrett will explore lessons of mercy from those on the peripheries.

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Father David Michael Moses, parish to join us in this unique and parochial vicar at St. Faustina Catholic dynamic celebration of our faith. Church, will break open the topic of Participants will leave this experience God’s Mercy revealed in the Sacraments. equipped to respond to this challenge of Alex Gotay, coordinator of youth and Pope Francis: The Lord, the Church and young adult evangelization at Prince of the Pope trust you and appoint you to Peace Catholic Church, will serve as our bear witness before all those other emcee for the weekend. young people whom you will encounter Infused throughout this three-day on today’s “roads to Damascus.” Never  Exciting games and inflatables conference are opportunities for fun, forget that “anyone who has truly  Awesome music building new relationships, prayer, experienced God’s saving love does not confession and Liturgy. The conclusion need much time or lengthy training to go Engaging talks, workshops of our time together will be theand Service Projects out and proclaim that love. Every celebration of the Eucharist, the source Christian is a missionary to the extent  Powerful prayer and worship and summit of our faith. As is tradition, that he or she has encountered the love  Lots of be fun our with hundredsof of God your peers! Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will in Christ Jesus” (Evangelii celebrant and homilist. Gaudium, 120). † Featuring The Office of Adolescent Catechesis National Presenter, motivator and community builder and Evangelization challenges each of Ricky is Hernandez you to encourage the young people you Timothy E. Colbert the director of know, graduating eighth graders through the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and graduating seniors, to contact their local Evangelization. Saturday, April 30, 2022

Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church 10:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. For all youth in grades 6-8

SUNDAY MASS READINGS MARCH 27 APRIL 3 APRIL 10

First Reading: Josh 5:9, 10-12 First Reading: Is 43:16-21 First Reading: Is 50:4-7

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-7 Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:17-21 Gospel: Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 Office of Adolescent Catechesis & Responsorial Psalm: Ps 126:1-6 Second Reading: Phil 3:8-14 Gospel: Jn 8:1-11 $40.00 person Registration ends April 22, See your Youth Evangelization Responsorial Psalm: Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 Second Reading: Philper2:6-11 Gospel: Lk2022 22:14-23:56 orminister/Parish Lk 23:1-49 Catechetical Leader or school leader for details.

Exciting games and inflatables  Awesome music  Engaging talks, workshops and Service Projects  Powerful prayer and worship Lots of fun with hundreds of your peers! 



Featuring National Presenter, motivator and community builder Ricky Hernandez

Saturday, April 30, 2022 Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church 10:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. For all youth in grades 6-8 Office of Adolescent Catechesis & Evangelization

$40.00 per person Registration ends April 22, 2022 See your Youth minister/Parish Catechetical Leader or school leader for details.

14 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

COLUMNIST

The greatest technological achievement ever

No tool, no weapon, no technology has ever accomplished more than the wooden cross of Jesus Christ. While secular historians will debate about the impact of things like the wheel, the city, the lightbulb, etc., on human society, nothing compares with the cross. For all eternity, Jesus did more when He turned an instrument of torture into an instrument of salvation. Although I objected to people treating technology as a god in a previous article, I now wish to consider how God actually used technology. As far as we know, Jesus actually used tools to build structures or other household items. And when it came time to accomplish the Divine work of atonement for sins, reconciliation with God, and the divinization of the elect, God chose something tried-and-true: wood and nails, the same wood and nail arrangement that Romans were using to 2022 DSF San Jose final.pdf discourage rebellions andClinic punish criminals.

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By willingly mounting the wood of the cross with infinite love, Jesus offered Himself in atonement for our sins, opening the possibility for every human person to enter heaven and share in God’s own by FR. RICHARD divine life. This is what makes the MCNEILLIE cross so extraordinary. Given God’s omnipotence, it’s possible for God to have done this without human technology. And given human technology’s inherent limitations, it’s impossible for any technology ever developed to achieve this kind of eternal salvation. In other words, Jesus chose the cross and used it to do something it should not have been able to do. Jesus chose an 1/10/22 1:44 PM instrument of wrath used by others to destroy human life and used it to

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Diocesan Services Fund MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

“By willingly mounting the wood of the cross with infinite love, Jesus offered Himself in atonement for our sins, opening the possibility for every human person to enter heaven and share in God’s own divine life.” manifest and confer the plentitude of God’s infinite love. It’s not unusual for people to “love” technology, such as their car or their coffee maker. For far more surpassing reasons, Catholics adore the cross. We wear it around our necks, place it in our homes, mark our bodies with it. And on Good Friday, during the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord,

Father Richard McNeillie is the director of the Archdiocesan Office of Vocations.

Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor. – Pope Francis

The San José Clinic provides quality healthcare to those in need. Founded 100 years ago, the Clinic serves 19,000 patients and fills 26,000 prescriptions annually. These treatments save lives. To support the San José Clinic, and over 60 ministries like it, make a gift to the DSF at www.archgh.org/dsf

we revere the cross in a special way. The cross is processed in, slowly revealed and then reverenced by everyone in the church. It can take a long time, but there are few things more beautiful than watching people pour out, in return, their love for Jesus and His chosen instrument of salvation. As St. Paul says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). Whether it be through prayer, such as the stations of the cross, a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the True Cross in Dickinson, or through the Good Friday Liturgy, this Lent, I pray that we all come to appreciate the cross of Christ in a deeper way. †

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MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

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WORLD

St. Romero’s sainthood journey helps us see God’s plan of justice BY BISHOP OSWALDO ESCOBAR AGUILAR Special to the Herald CHALATENANGO, El Salvador (CNS) — We often live with drama in the Church. We would like the Holy Spirit to guide us from point A to point B and take us through the world without complications. We feel hurt by some events and come to question decisions made by leaders, expressing disappointment to the point of indignation. We often forget that the present moment is not the last and that our Lord is the God of history. Our finite reality cannot see how God will make the truth prevail. But in El Salvador, as we mark the feast of our first saint on March 24, his journey toward sainthood shows us how God never abandons us, nor the truth. Many of our martyrs suffered defamation in life. Some died as Jesus did — as people with whom others didn’t want to be associated. But it was the Lord himself who made sure the truth about them would be known so that one day we would sing in unison with the psalmist: “Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.” This is the experience of St. Óscar Romero. The 1980s, for us in El Salvador, was a decade of suffering for the Church. As the changes produced by the Second Vatican Council began to settle, they did so with confrontation and sometimes defamation. In the history of our Church in El Salvador, an Argentine, Bishop Antonio Quarracino of Avellananeda, unintentionally played a part in the life of our saint, who was then the archbishop of San Salvador. St. John Paul II, who was not always provided correct information about what was happening in the Salvadoran Church, in 1978 sent Bishop Quarracino on an apostolic visitation to examine the pastoral work of Archbishop Romero. Accusations against the prophet and martyr were abundant. Some appeared in newspapers. Some reached the Vatican through government authorities and by the denunciations of his brother bishops. Bishop Quarracino spent a week in El Salvador, back then a hotbed of social movements advocating for change in an unjust system. The official propaganda

CNS PHOTO

St. Óscar Romero is pictured in an undated file photo.

machine called all these groups “communist.” The truth is that there was a wide range of movements. A few, but by no means all, were linked to insurrectionist movements that promoted armed struggle. Bishop Quarracino, in my opinion, failed to understand all the social problems taking place El Salvador. The country of his birth was going through similar changes but in a different way. Before the apostolic visit ended, St. Romero had expressed in his diary optimism about the visit, saying, “it seems to me to be very positive, so far.” He narrated the end of the visit, which took place when opposition against him was building up, particularly among his brother bishops. With the exception of Bishop Arturo Rivera Damas, most were in complete disagreement with the archbishop’s pastoral initiatives and tried to remove their seminarians from the Archdiocese’s San José de la Montaña Seminary. The visitation was not favorable. Although many had good things to say about the archbishop, the conclusion of the Argentine bishop was that St. Romero was inciting a rebellion. Bishop Quarracino recommended an apostolic administrator,“Sede Plena,” be appointed. In other words, the Vatican should directly intervene in the archdiocese. More than 10 years later, Bishop Quarracino would become archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1990, where he met a former Jesuit provincial. His name was Father Jorge Bergoglio. Archbishop Quarracino was dazzled by the personality of Father Bergoglio and thought of him as a future bishop, but the Argentine bishops’ conference objected, so he took it upon himself to speak directly to Pope John Paul II about the matter. The pope agreed and made Father Bergoglio auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. When Archbishop

Bishop Escobar, a Discalced Carmelite, is head of the Diocese of Chalatenango, El Salvador, and has written a book about St. Oscar Romero and his pastoral experience in Chalatenango.

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PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE 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.

Quarracino resigned as archbishop due to the age limit, no one believed Bishop Bergoglio would succeed him. But against all odds, he was elected as his successor in Buenos Aires. In one of those turns that only the divine can orchestrate, Bishop Quarracino, who provided the Vatican with a negative review of Romero, played a role in the path that would lead Father Bergoglio to become a bishop and eventually Pope Francis -- the pontiff who canonized St.

Romero. We’re often suspended in a single moment in time and forget to see the horizon. We forget that the spirit of God, as in the case of St. Romero, always leads us to the truth. I remembered this when, along with other Central American bishops, I was part of a group that met with Pope Francis during World Youth Day in 2019 in Panama. In his simple and direct manner, Pope Francis spoke of the slander against St. Romero when his name was “a bad word,” and he was “suspected, excommunicated by the secretive gossip of many bishops.” I believe the Spirit resurrects lies and truths over time if only to pair the lie with its author and to honorably illuminate those who suffered defamation. I often hear people in my diocese say, “a lie has short legs, but the truth always catches up to it.” St. Romero’s ascendance as a model to follow shows us there is great wisdom in that saying, and it reminds me a lot of what another saint, Teresa of Avila, used to say: “The truth suffers, but never dies.” †

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16 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

STATE & NATION

Airport chaplains offer sacraments, a listening ear to travelers in Texas, around the country BY JANET JONES The Catholic Lighthouse

FILE PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Deacon Ray Oden of St. James Catholic Church in Spring, Texas, marks a cross with ashes on a man’s forehead in the Interfaith Chapel at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport on Ash Wednesday in 2017. With Father Charles Samperi, Deacon Oden ministers to travelers at Houston’s largest airport.

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HIGH HILL — Just about every kind of person can be found in an airport — from vacationers heading for a little piece of heaven to business people whose schedules seem like hell on earth. The concourses are a limbo of sorts as people wait to get to their destinations. If any travelers are carrying around too much emotional baggage, they might find an airport chaplain to lighten the load. Father Charlie Samperi recalled a man who saw his priest’s collar and approached him because he was weighted down with the need for reconciliation. The priest, pastor of St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Spring, said they found a quiet spot off the concourse where he heard this man’s confession. “He just unloaded, and it was a wonderful confession,” he said, adding that the man said it had been a long time since he had his confession heard. Father Samperi serves in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, which hosted a retreat for Catholic airport chaplains in mid-February. The retreat was held virtually the past two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the chaplains said they were happy for their own getaway and face-to-face time with colleagues from around the country. Father Michael Zaniolo ministers at Midway and O’Hare airports in Chicago and is the president of the National Conference of Catholic Airport Chaplains. He recalled being drawn to the ministry as a young priest while leading a group of boys in an exploration of the priesthood. To demonstrate the different types of ministry, he took them on a field trip to an airport. The priest serving as chaplain seemed to have had an effect on everyone, he said. In the spirit of “synodality,” or becoming a listening church, it fits right in. “We literally are walking with these people,” Father Zaniolo said. During his airport rounds, people who are fearful of flying will approach. “You give them a blessing and it’s like a burden

has been lifted off their shoulders,” he said. “Within just a few moments, you can have an impact on someone.” Deacon Alfred Mitchell who ministers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, said he never knows how a day at the airport will go. The chaplains took a field trip to tour the painted churches in the Diocese of Victoria Feb. 19. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill celebrated Mass for the chaplains at St. Mary Church in High Hill. He said he sees the chaplains as ministers who truly love others “without any exception.” “You are striving to get us to go beyond making any exceptions, finding people where they are ... people who work at the ticket counter, business people traveling eight months a year who want someone to talk to, where people may often feel forgotten,” Bishop Cahill said. “We are constantly trying to see who’s in the shadows, who may feel forgotten, and who I can be present to and listen to, to bring them the heart of Jesus, and, as we come to realize, to experience the heart of Jesus through them,” he added. The chaplains said some airports offer Masses during the week and distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday for travelers who cannot make it to church. Chapels are often shared with other faiths that provide chaplains as well. Between formal services, they simply visit with anyone who wants a clergyman to talk to. The subcommittee for Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers at the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, serves people of other nations and “people on the move.” Prior to its merging with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Deveopment in 2016, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo served on Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, a Vatican group that also ministers to people who travel by air, her office is concerned with seafarers, circus and carnival workers, Roma and Irish Travelers, migrant farmworkers, race car drivers, people in tourism and truck drivers. †

IN BRIEF

Texas Supreme Court rules against challenge to abortion law

AUSTIN — In a March 11 ruling, the Texas Supreme Court ended a challenge by abortion clinics to a state law that bans most abortions in Texas. The court ruled that state officials, including licensing officials, do not have the ability to enforce the abortion law, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, so clinics cannot sue them. Under the law, private citizens can sue abortion providers for abortions that take place and could be entitled to $10,000 if successful. In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked the state’s Supreme Court to review a key question examining if medical licensing officials named in the lawsuit are responsible for enforcing the abortion law and can be sued by opponents of the law seeking an injunction on it. In court arguments, abortion providers said state agencies regulating doctors, nurses and pharmacists have an enforcement role that qualifies them as targets for their lawsuit. But lawyers for the state said the law specifies that only private citizens can enforce the law through civil litigation. The state’s Supreme Court justices, siding with the state, said the law includes “emphatic, unambiguous, and repeated provisions” explaining that that civil litigation is the only means for enforcing the law. †

MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

texas catholic herald

MUNDO CATÓLICO La Pascua: Meta de la Cuaresma La vida cristiana puede compararse con un peregrinaje. En un peregrinaje, hacemos preparativos y nos ponemos en camino hacia una destinación de importancia espiritual como la ciudad de Roma, la tierra de Jesús en Palestina, o algún santuario Mariano. El peregrinar implica viajar, caminar, muchas veces bajo incómodas situaciones. Nuestra vida cristiana por igual implica preparativos. Implica el movimiento hacia nuestro último destino — la comunión eterna con Dios. Al igual que en un peregrinaje envuelve dificultades, nuestra vida de fe también tiene sus desafíos a lo largo del recorrido. En ambos contextos, no podemos perder de vista el punto del trayecto, la razón de nuestro viaje, nuestro esperado destino. La Cuaresma es un tiempo propicio de reflexionar en esto, y que mejor que empezar reflexionando en la meta de la Cuaresma. Para algunos la Cuaresma ha sido ya olvidada, y escasamente le

ponen atención. Para otros, es el tiempo donde son incomodados y no pueden comer su platillo favorito algunos días, y hasta tienen que dejar de comer lo que queremos en otros. by Quizás para unos pocos, la Cuaresma es un JUAN MORENO tiempo para crecer en su relación con Dios a través de las prácticas penitenciales como la oración, el ayuno y la abstinencia y la caridad. Estas diferentes perspectivas nos recuerdan que aunque sea uno el camino que nos conduce al peregrinar terrenal o al peregrinar espiritual, los que lo recorren son muchos, y todos están en diferentes partes del camino: algunos más cerca que otros, y algunos más apenas comenzando. Con esto en mente me atrevo a

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IN BRIEF Papa: Longevidad de ancianos muestra valor de tomar las cosas con calma

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — La coexistencia entre las generaciones mayores y las más jóvenes puede generar una mejor apreciación de la vida que a menudo se pierde en la sociedad acelerada de hoy, dijo el papa Francisco. Existe un “espíritu del descarte” generalizado en el mundo moderno que “descarta tantos niños no queridos, descarta a los ancianos”, dijo el papa el 2 de marzo durante su audiencia general semanal. “El exceso de velocidad nos mete en una centrífuga que nos barre como confeti”, dijo. “La mirada de conjunto se pierde por completo” y, en cambio, se deja llevar por una actitud dictada por los flujos del mercado “para la cual los ritmos lentos son pérdidas y la velocidad es dinero”. El papa continuó su nueva serie de conferencias dedicadas al significado y valor de la vejez y reflexionó sobre el tema “La longevidad: símbolo y oportunidad”. La larga vida de los patriarcas registrada en la Biblia, dijo, “otorga a la relación entre longevidad y genealogía un significado simbólico fuerte, muy fuerte”. La Biblia, dijo, describe cómo el “apoyo mutuo entre las generaciones es necesario para entender las experiencias vividas y enfrentarse a las grandes preguntas de la vida”. †

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.

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proponer recobrar el propósito original que la Iglesia tiene para la Cuaresma para que sea un tiempo de intensa preparación para adentrarnos en el Misterio Pascual. En los primeros años de la Iglesia este tiempo anterior a la Pascua era un periodo de preparación para los catecúmenos para discernir el inmenso compromiso que conlleva el bautizarse y volverse discípulo de Jesucristo. La Cuaresma era un tiempo de purificación e iluminación: purificar nuestras mentes y nuestros corazones y dejar todo lo que nos separa de Dios e iluminar nuestras mentes y nuestros corazones con el profundo conocimiento de Cristo. Para nosotros los ya bautizados, la Cuaresma es por igual un periodo para ahondar en nuestro Bautismo como Sacramento de salvación donde nos configuramos inicialmente a Cristo. Es un tiempo de recordar que al sumergirnos en las aguas bautismales, participamos sacramentalmente de la

muerte de Jesús, y al salir de las mismas, participamos y nos orientamos hacia su resurrección, en anticipo de nuestra propia resurrección. En otras palabras, la Cuaresma está orientada hacia la Pascua. Las prácticas penitenciales nos ayudan a olvidarnos de nosotros y pensar en Dios y en los más necesitados. La meta de la Cuaresma es la Pascua. Si estás viviendo una “buena” Cuaresma, y no celebras alegremente la Pascua con su octava litúrgica y en sus 50 días de duración, entonces no fue del todo una buena Cuaresma. Espero que estas reflexiones te ayuden a dar algunos pasos hacia adelante en tu peregrinar terrenal y te ayuden a llegar a celebrar gozosamente de la Pascua del Señor. Así sea. † Juan Carlos Moreno es director asociado de la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis.

18 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

WITHIN THE ARTS

Catholic Mobilizing Network debuts podcast on restorative justice issues WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Catholic Mobilizing Network has introduced a new podcast, “Encounters With Dignity,” available on many popular podcast platforms. Hosted by Caitlin Morneau, the organization’s director of restorative justice, the half-hour podcasts break down talks given during Catholic Mobilizing Network’s seminar last fall on restorative justice. The first of the monthly installments made its premiere in January. It features Precious Blood Father David Kelly, who has been a parish-based jail minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago for the past 30 years and is one of the founders of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, which focuses on three Chicago neighborhoods. In the podcast installment, he details some of his ministry. “I’ve been in courtrooms too many times,” Father Kelly said. “The focus is on punishment,” while no resources are given to those who have been harmed, he added. He recalled the 1995 heatwave in Chicago that claimed 739 lives. “One community had six times more deaths” than another in the same city, Father Kelly

CNS PHOTO

This is a screen grab of Catholic Mobilizing Network’s welcome message for listeners of its new podcast, “Encounters With Dignity.”

noted. The difference: The neighborhood with fewer deaths had a place where people could check in on one another, such as a library or community center. So it is with troubled youths, Father Kelly said. They need, he added, “a place where we don’t say, ‘We’re just tolerating

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you.’” The priest recounted an episode when he invited the Spanish-speaking mothers of murder victims to come to a prison with him to meet young men whose ages were similar to their sons. They “quickly said no,” Father Kelly said. “But an invite to Mass — Mass they knew,” and they accepted. The Mass would be in the prison. After Mass, there was a restorative justice circle “with jailed young people” whose “eyes were wide open,” Father

Kelly said, as they heard the mothers describe their pain and heartache at the loss of children to violence. The mothers, in turn, listened in wideeyed amazement “as they heard stories of kids not knowing their mothers, families riddled with drugs,” he added. “The moms began to lean in and see these people differently. They carried their own trauma and their own pain. They, too, were victims,” Father Kelly said. “The mothers said, ‘Well, now, what are we going to do? We can’t leave them.’ ‘Well, you can’t stay.’” The compromise: “They insisted that they come back and bring food to these young people,” he added. “A community, albeit different, was formed.” The second podcast, released in February, features Christina Swarns, defense attorney and executive director of the Innocence Project, and Sheryl Wilson, victim outreach specialist and executive director of the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution. They tell the story of how restorative approaches were used in a death penalty case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The third episode in the series, to be posted in March, will feature Ernie Garcia, a former participant and current member of the alumni advisory committee for Rise Up Industries, an 18-month prisoner reentry program in Santee, California. †

IN BRIEF Authors: Find moments of silence this Lent, connect three pillars of season

WASHINGTON (CNS) — How can Catholics and Christians approach Lent this year in a fresh way? In interviews with Catholic News Service, two authors provided their insights on how to make Lent meaningful in 2022 — especially since this is the third Lent the Church will observe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Think of Lent as a season of rest, said Paul Jarzembowski, author of the 2022 book “Hope from the Ashes: Insights and Resources for Welcoming Lenten Visitors.” Many people come back and connect to the Church during Lent because “there’s something that’s weighing heavy on their hearts,” Jarzembowski said. “Lent is a time where the Church invites people to lay a lot of those issues at the feet of the Lord and to go through Lent alongside Jesus who is also, we see in Lent, is walking that journey too,” added Jarzembowski, associate director for the laity in the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Tsh Oxenreider, writer, podcaster and author of the 2022 devotional “Bitter & Sweet: A Journey Into Easter,” said that this third Lent of the pandemic is unique in that many are saying they are ready to reembrace Lent again. “It was almost like the first Lent snuck up on us” at the beginning of the pandemic, and “we were just in survival mode,” Oxenreider said. “Then the second Lent came around, and it was like, what we just had Lent. We’ve been in Lent this whole time; it feels like it.” †

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MARCH 22, 2022 • ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

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AROUND FISH FRY EVENTS Editor’s Note: Contact event organizers for the latest updates and information. For deadline/submission details and other listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

FRIDAYS OF LENT

ALVIN COLUMBUS HALL (129 Country Rd 146 (Hwy. 6), Alvin), 5 to 7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Council #6403 host a fish fry every Friday except Good Friday. $11 catfish dinners are available for dine-in or to-go. Catholic Daughters will also have desserts for sale. CHRIST THE REDEEMER (11507 Huffmeister Rd., Houston), 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council #8771, plates are $10 for adults and $6 for children. Dine-in or make a to-go order. Plates include choice of fish or shrimp, sides and a drink. The Ladies Auxiliary also offer desserts for sale.

THE ARCHDIOCESE the

AroundFrench fries, brown beans and hushpuppies, rchdiocese A coleslaw. OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA (1731 Blalock Rd., Houston), 5:30 to 8 p.m. OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA (1401 Fidelity St., Houston). More info: 713-674-9206; olsoshoustontx@gmail.com. PRINCE OF PEACE (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston), 5 to 7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Council #8482 host a fish fry at Prince of Peace and at Zaka Road Family Center (9623 Zaka Rd., Houston), which will be open 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.; $1 bingo and cash bar also available. Adult and kid plates include fish (fried or grilled) or shrimp and sides (hush puppies, coleslaw, baked potato or fries). Plates available for dine-in or take-out.

FORT BEND KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS (2007 Kay Cee Dr., Rosenberg), 5 to 7 p.m. Dine-in and drivethru for $12 per plate which includes fried fish,

ST. EDITH STEIN (3311 N Fry Rd., Katy), 6 to 7:30 p.m. Knights of Columbus Council #12955 fish fry is open every Friday except Good Friday. Fish plates ($4 to $12 ) are “all you can eat” and all dishes include French fries, hushpuppies, green beans. coleslaw and drink. Other sides available, including jalapeño poppers.

Editor’s Note: Contact event organizers for the latest updates and information. For deadline/submission details and other listings, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

of Columbus Council 12385 (Friday only), snacks and drinks available on Saturday. More info: Susan Miller, smiller@corpuschristihouston. org, 713 664-3351 x-222. ccparishhouston.org.

MARCH 19-23

LENTEN PARISH MISSION WITH FATHER BRUICE NIELI, C.S.P., St. John the Baptist (110 E. South St., Alvin). “Responding to the Spirit in the Soul, in the Church and in the World” begins with all-weekend Masses March 19 (5 p.m., 7 p.m. in Spanish) and March 20 (8 a.m., 10 a.m., Noon in Spanish) March 21 to 23: English sessions, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Spanish sessions, 8 to 9 p.m. Free. More info: 281-331-3751.

MARCH 20

ST. JOSEPH ALTAR, Christ the Redeemer (11507 Huffmeister Rd., Houston). Features Italian cookies, desserts, and a St. Joseph’s spaghetti lunch at parish hall. Altar admission is free, $8 adult plates, $4 for children 10 and under. All proceeds benefit Cypress Assistance Ministries. More info: carolynlsmith2@gmail.com. LENTEN DAY OF PRAYER, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (100 Oak Dr. South, Lake Jackson, Texas). Free event hosted by Women of St. Michael. Monday starts at 6 p.m. with Eucharistic Benediction at the church. Coffee and desserts are available. Tuesday starts at 8:30 a.m. with Mass at the church. Coffee, light refreshments and lunch included. RSVP by March 21. More info: rosariogunite@gmail.com or 979-299-2035

MARCH 31

OPEN HOUSE, 6 to 8 p.m., Catholic Charities’ Mamie George Community Center (1111 Collins Rd., Richmond). Visit the annual CCMGCC open house to learn more about Catholic Charities programs and services in Fort Bend County with a center tour, light bites and fellowship. Free. More info and RSVP: MJohns@ CatholicCharities.org; 713-874-6659.

APRIL 8-9

PLANTS/ARTS & CRAFTS SALE, Corpus Christi (9900 Stella Link Rd., Houston). Features variety of small to large potted plants, terrarium, handcrafted items such as baby blanket, retro clothes, jewelry, college wreaths and bears, kitchen items, fruit and vegetable preserves, and more. $12 dinner plate with fried/baked fish, choice of side, and dessert by the Knights

APRIL 11

GOLF TOURNAMENT, 11 a.m., Golf Club of Houston (5860 Wilson Rd., Humble). Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School is hosting a golf classic. 11:30 a.m. registration and lunch, 1 p.m. tournament, 6 p.m. dinner. Underwriting and sponsorship opportunities available. More info: Hannah, hjohnston@cristoreyjesuit.org.

APRIL 15-24

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA AND CHAPLET, 3 p.m., Mary Queen (606 Cedarwood Dr., Friendswood). Novena and Chaplet begins on Good Friday, April 15, following the 3 p.m. Stations of the Cross in the church, then continues in St. Joseph Chapel at 3 p.m. each remaining day of the Novena, April 16 to 23, including Easter Sunday. On April 24, Divine Mercy Sunday, prayers include Divine Mercy Chaplet, Adoration and Benediction in St. Joseph Chapel. More info: 713-898-1029 or 281-996-8585; Carolwillenborg@outlook.com.

APRIL 23

DIVINE MERCY CONFERENCE, 8 a.m., St. Faustina Church (28102 FM 1093, Fulshear). All-day Conference includes opening and closing with Mass, Praise and Worship, 3 o’clock Hour Prayer, and Adoration. Also includes talks from Sister Inga Krassayova from Poland from the National Shrine of JPII, and Gary Zimak, EWTN regular guest from New Jersey who is a leading Catholic evangelist on overcoming FEAR. Theme is “Do not fear anything. I am always with you” (Diary 629). Cost is $6 and includes lunch. Sponsored by Spirit of Divine Mercy Ministries and St. Faustina Parish. Register: www.saintfaustinachurch.org/divine-mercyweek; More info: 281-728-8671.

APRIL 30-MAY 1

ANNUAL BAZAAR, St. Ambrose Catholic Church (4213 Mangum Rd., Houston). Cornhole tournament on Saturday (Apr 30) 2 to 8 p.m. Bazaar on Sunday (May 1) 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Features silent and live auctions, food, drinks, variety of music, games and more. Raffle grand prize is $10,000. More info: stambrosehouston. org/parish-bazaar or call 713-686-3467.

ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE (22800 Aldine Westfield Rd., Spring), 5 to 6:45 p.m. Knights of Columbus Council #6557 host a fish fry every Friday except Good Friday. $12 catfish dinner plates include fried fish, coleslaw, fries, hush puppies, tea or lemonade. Dine-in or take-out available. ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST (800 W. Baker Rd., Baytown), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drive thru only. 5 to 7 p.m. Dine in and to-go. Catered by Catfish on Wheels. Plates $12 include fish, hushpuppies and French fries. More info: 281-837-8180. ST. LAURENCE (3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land), 5 to 8 p.m. Knights of Columbus host Friday fish fries in the Parish Hall. Plates include fish (fried or baked) and sides. $15/adult and $8/child (12 and under). $55 family dinner packs serve four and includes sides. Dinner packs must be pre-ordered online and picked up on Friday outside the parish hall between 5 to 7 p.m. Weather permitting, additional seating and games will be set-up outdoors. ST. MARY MAGDALENE (110 Isaacks Rd., Humble), 5 to 7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Council #6878 host a traditional fish fry every Friday during Lent. $10 plates include fried fish, fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies. Drive-thru and dine-in available for those attending Stations of the Cross. Cash or checks made out to KOC6878. ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL (1801 Sage Rd., Houston), 5 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Knights

of Columbus Council #14700, Adult plates: $12 to $15; Kids plate: $6. $2 desserts. Pre-order by 6 p.m., Thursday. Walk-ups are not guaranteed. Not open on Good Friday (April 15). ST. PETER CLAVER (6005 N. Wayside Dr., Houston), delivery and call-in orders. Sponsored by the altar committee and parish volunteers, a minimum of five dinners for delivery must be placed one hour or more prior to delivery time. For orders of 20 or more dinners, place 24 hours in advance. $12 fish dinners include potato salad, veggie of the week, bread and green salad. $8 fish basket includes French fries. Extra sides are also available at additional cost, including extra fish, soda, veggies, potato salad, green salad, French fries and water. To order: call 713-675-4943 or fax 713-674-6524.

MARCH 26

OUR LADY OF LOURDES PAVILION (10114 Hwy 6, Hitchcock), 4 to 9 p.m. Family fun with live music provided by Tyler Griffith along with sponsorship tables, boiled crawfish plates and additional servings sold by the pound. Hot dogs, beer and soda also available for sale. Purchase tickets online or on site. Open to the public. Free parking. More info: 409-925-3224 or visit ololcs.org. ••• To find additional listings online, visit the website at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

20 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

MILESTONES

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 22, 2022

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Cardinal DiNardo dedicates new Magnolia church BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald

PHOTOS BY JASON SNOW PHOTOGRAPHY

The new church is in the shape of a cross with cathedral seating facing the sanctuary on either side of the main aisle and includes barrel ceilings painted blue to depict the heavens above.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

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Downtown Chancery | 1700 San Jacinto | Houston, TX 77002

MAGNOLIA — On Feb. 11, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo dedicated the new altar and church of St. Matthias Parish in Magnolia. “This momentous occasion is the culmination of the hard work and determination of the many members of St. Matthias Parish who have contributed their time and gifts for the building of this church,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “More importantly, though, this new church gives glory to God as a fitting dwelling for our Eucharistic Lord and as the place where you will gather day after day to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.” Concelebrating with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro; Father Tom Rafferty, vicar for Clergy and director of the Secretariat for Clergy Formation and Chaplaincy Services for the Archdiocese; Father Norbert Maduzia, pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring; and Father Christopher Nguyen, pastor of St. Matthias Catholic Church, there were approximately 22 priests in attendance to witness the Mass of Dedication and Consecration. Father Nguyen said it was a day of rejoicing. “Having been prospered by the Lord who enabled us by His grace, we now have our new beautiful church,” he said. “This sacred place is set aside for us to worship the Lord and to invite more people to share God’s gift with us at the Eucharistic Table.” Father Nguyen said the new church allows the parish to grow as the Magnolia community is growing rapidly.

“There are many new homes either under construction or communities planned; our new church will provide a welcoming space to worship Our Lord,” he said. Named after the 13th apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot, the new church can seat “approximately 850” and could expand to 1,000 with more pews, he said. An attached chapel can seat 100. Additionally, a new St. Vincent de Paul pantry building has enabled volunteers to help more people in need than ever before. The project also included a new open-air pavilion and a storage building. The new church, which is in the shape of a cross with cathedral seating facing the sanctuary on either side of the main aisle, includes a spire at the front and a dome over the sanctuary. It is adorned with 35 stained glass windows and statues of St. Matthias, St. Paul and the other 11 Apostles. Statues of Mary and Joseph were moved from the old church and are on the back wall on either side of the sanctuary. Additional seating is on the left arm of the cross, while the choir will sit on the right arm of the cross. The barrel ceilings of the nave are painted blue to depict the heavens above. Origins of the St. Matthias community began in 1972, when two local residents sought out a local priest to start a new Catholic community in Magnolia. There were an estimated 150 Catholic families in the Magnolia area, prompting the creation of St. Matthias in 1978. The previous church was build and dedicated in 1989. For more information, including Mass times, visit www.st-matthias.net. †

Parish Accounting Services: Staff Accountant Vocations Office: Vocations Volunteer Program Manager St. Dominic Chancery | 2403 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, TX 77021

Chancery Facilities Lead Maintenance Technician Secretariat for Pastoral and Educational Ministries Executive Assistant Office of Evangelization and Catechesis: Director Correctional Ministries: Administrative Assistant Hospital Catholic Chaplain Corps: Administrative Assistant Plantersville

Instructor/Summer Programming Team Member Camp Kappe School of Environmental Education (S.E.E.) Interested candidates may send a cover letter, with salary requirement, and resume to resume@archgh.org with the job title on the subject line. *Submissions that do not include the salary requirement will not be moved forward for consideration.

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo pours chrism oil over the altar the new church building of St. Matthias Catholic Church in Magnolia during a Mass of Dedication and Concecration on Feb. 11.

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