Texas Catholic Herald - March 23, 201

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

A PITA PARTY

A dinner side or a movie night snack, this meatless recipe is easy to make.

▪ SEE PAGE 3

MARCH 23, 2021

texas catholic herald

CHRISM MASS PRIMER

1

Rich in symbolism and tradition, annual Chrism Mass set for March 30 ▪ SEE PAGE 13

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

VOL. 57, NO. 19

YEAR OF THE FAMILY

WE ADORE YOU, O CHRIST, AND WE PRAISE YOU

Deepening family love in the ‘Year of the Family’

BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — On March 19, Pope Francis declared the start of the Year of the Family. It marks the fifth anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”).

“I consider this document the modern manual of the parent and the family life minister,” said Ricardo Medina, director of the Family Life Ministry of the Archdiocese.

“It brings us an opportunity to deepen our understanding and exercise our daily family love.”

Medina said the pandemic made evident that family spirituality plays a crucial role in life and faith.

Through parental leadership, families continued to attend Mass remotely and kept education afloat.

YEAR OF THE FAMILY

FILE PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

See FAMILY, page 7

A life-size statue depicts Jesus Carrying His Cross at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in northwest Houston. The parish, located at 6550 Fairbanks North Houston Rd. in Houston, features a sprawling life-size Stations of the Cross walking path that is open to visitors.

GIVING

Dwelling among the Stations of the Cross

IGNITE Campaign continues mission with digital outreach

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — At the height of nationwide stay-at-home orders in 2020, Pope Francis presided over an emotional and sobering Stations of the Cross, or Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) in an empty St. Peter’s Square on Good Friday.

The meditation was a stark contrast to past events, usually held in Rome’s Colosseum. The emptiness of St. Peter’s Square seemed to highlight the impact of isolation and desolation felt throughout the world as the pandemic grew.

The meditations were written by a diverse group of people who work, live and minister to those in prison.

The meditations from a Paduan prison were written by a prisoner serving a life sentence, two parents whose

FAITH IN LENT

Parishioners at Immaculate Conception and Immaculate Heart Catholic Churches of Houston re-enact the fifth Station of the Cross, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross, during a Living Stations of the Cross. The re-enactment travels through the streets between the two East End parishes.

See VIA CRUCIS, page 4

THE FIRST WORD † 3

|

COLUMNISTS † 12 - 13

|

ESPAÑOL † 17 - 18 |

HOUSTON — The IGNITE: “Our Faith, Our Mission” Capital Campaign launched a new website and Facebook page.

The website, located at www.archgh. org/IGNITE, includes information about the capital campaign and how to donate. The Facebook page, located at www.facebook.com/Ignite.OurFaith.

OurMission, offers constant updates of how the funds are helping in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Guidance in Giving is assisting the Archdiocese in facilitating the IGNITE campaign.

“Launching the new IGNITE website

MILESTONES † 20

See IGNITE, page 6

2 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

VATICAN

Gift of the Holy Spirit connects people to Christ, pope says at audience VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every Christian is unique because the Holy Spirit inspires something new and original in each person, creating “an endless field of holiness,” Pope Francis said.

“The one God, the Trinity of love, allows the variety of witnesses to flourish — all are equal in dignity, but also unique in the beauty that the Spirit has willed to be expressed in each of those whom God’s mercy has made His children,” the pope said March 17 during his weekly general audience.

During the audience livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis concluded his series of talks about prayer by looking at prayer as a relationship with the Holy Trinity, in particular with the Holy Spirit.

“The first gift of every Christian existence is the Holy Spirit,” he said. It is the key, essential gift because without the Holy Spirit, “there is no relationship CNS PHOTO with Christ and with the Father.”

Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican The Spirit opens the human heart to March 17. The pope spoke about the role of the Holy Spirit in making Jesus present in Christ’s presence “and draws it into that people’s lives. ‘vortex’ of love that is the very heart of God,” he said.

The Holy Spirit “dwells in us; it is He who transforms us deeply and makes us experience the moving joy of being loved

by God as His true children,” the pope said.

The Spirit writes the story of the Church and of the world, he said, and “we are open pages, available to receive His handwriting.”

“In each of us, the Spirit composes original works because there is never one Christian who is completely identical to another,” creating a vast and flourishing “field of holiness.”

The Church invites the faithful to call upon the Holy Spirit every day, to make Christ present so He can guide and transform His disciples, he added.

Calling on the Spirit for support and inspiration is important, especially when one has not prayed in a long time, has lost the desire to pray or recites prayers “like a parrot,” with no depth of feeling or faith, he said.

“This is the moment to say to the Spirit, ‘Come. Come, Holy Spirit and warm my heart. Come, teach me to pray, teach me to look to the Father, the Son, teach me the way the path of faith goes, teach me to love, and above all, teach me to have an attitude of hope.’”

“If Christ were only far away in time, we would be alone and lost in the world,” Pope Francis said, but with the Spirit, “the possibility of encountering Christ is open to Christians of every time and place.”

Christians must “keep alive this flame” of the Holy Spirit, of God’s love, in their heart, the pope said, the same way the lamp next to the tabernacle stays lit “even when the church empties and darkness falls, even when the church is closed.”

“No one sees it, yet it burns before the Lord,” he said. “That’s how the Spirit is in our heart, always present like that lamp.” †

$25

$50

$100

$250

Publishing since 1964 (USPS 936-480) NEWSDESK 713-652-8215 • Fax: 713-659-3444 tch@archgh.org • archgh.org/tch CIRCULATION 713-652-4408 ADVERTISING ads@archgh.org • 713-652-4407

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop, President & Publisher Jonah Dycus Communications Director & Executive Editor Rebecca Torrellas Managing Editor James Ramos Designer & Reporter Catherine Viola Graphic Designer & Advertising Manager Kerry McGuire Contributor The Texas Catholic Herald, an awardwinning member of The Catholic Media Association, is published semi-monthly on Tuesdays, except for 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 13 Deadline: Noon on March 30 Issue date: April 27 Deadline: Noon on April 13

$500

$1000

other

Suffix:___________ Name: ______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________ State: _______ Zip: _________________________________ Phone #: _______________________________Email: _________________________________________ Parish: _______________________________________________________________________________ Established in 1901

Make checks payable to St. Maryʼs Seminary Trust Fund.

Mail to Archdiocese of Galveston – Houston, P. O. Box 4817, Houston, Texas 77210-4817

www.smseminary.com www.smseminary.com • facebook.com/smseminary www.facebook.com/smseminary

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

3

THE FIRST WORD PASTORAL APPOINTMENT Effective May 1 Father Richard Hinkley Director of Spiritual Formation — St. Mary’s Seminary

IN BRIEF Next Café Catholica Lite set for March 25 HOUSTON — The next Café Catholica Lite will be held online March 25, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host Sister Celestine Menin, who serves in campus ministry at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Her topic will be “Healed, Forgiven, and Restored by the King.” The night will include the talk, Q&A and communal prayer.

The Café Catholica program seeks to help young adults ages 18 to 39 encounter Christ and His Church. All young adults are invited to join Café Catholica Lite throughout the year.

For more information, contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at www.archgh.org/ cafecatholica or yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778. To register, visit https://bit.ly/CafeLite2021. †

DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues PHOTO BY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES

Fattet Laban is a meatless recipe highlighted by Catholic Relief Service’s Rice Bowl campaign. During Lent, The Texas Catholic Herald continues an annual series that highlights simple meatless recipes from kitchens around the world.

How does CRS help?

Catholic Relief Services help communities around the world find solutions to problems like This simple and refreshing dish comes from a country that hunger and malnutrition. Few countries have has borne the weight of the international refugee crisis: borne the weight of the international refugee crisis like Lebanon. Today, it is the country with Lebanon. the highest refugee population per capita.

Many refugees went to Lebanon specifically INGREDIENTS because of the country’s Christian heritage.

• One 32-ounce container of plain whole milk yogurt Partnering with Caritas Lebanon and also with • Cheesecloth religious congregations and interfaith • 1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped organizations, Catholic Relief Services is • 1 teaspoon dry mint Your Lenten sacrifices helped families working in Lebanon to address the • 2 garlic cloves, crushed around the world overcome the challenges growing needs of the massive refugee • Two 16-ounce cans chickpeas of hunger and poor nutrition.

Turn in your population, vulnerable Lebanese and • Pita bread or chips CRS Rice Bowl today. migrant workers.

• Almonds, chopped, toasted (optional) Give the money you saved crsricebowl.org/give • 2 tablespoons fair trade olive oil each week by not eating meat— about $3 per person per METHOD (MAKES 6 SERVINGS) meal—to your CRS Rice Bowl Place a colander into a bowl, line it with cheesecloth and to feed those in need place yogurt in it. Cover and place in refrigerator. Allow yogurt around the world. to drain for a few hours, or overnight. Combine drained yogurt, For more information fresh and dry mint, and crushed garlic in a bowl. In a pan, heat and other free chickpeas in their liquid until warm, then drain and set aside. recipes, including Toast pita bread in oven until golden in color. Break some of videos, visit www. the pita bread and place pieces in a large bowl with chickpeas. crsricebowl.org/ Add yogurt mixture. Top with fresh mint and toasted almonds. recipe. †

Thank you!

Drizzle olive oil over top. Serve with remaining pita bread.

S

ubscribe to the Texas Catholic Herald For Texas residents send $15 yearly, for residents outside of Texas, send $20 yearly; and for residents outside of the U.S., send $35 yearly.

1

Free with any contribution to the Diocesan Services Fund

or

2

You may subscribe by mail

Name: ________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________ City: _______________________ State: ____________ Zip: __________

Please make checks payable to: Texas Catholic Herald, 1700 San Jacinto, Houston, TX 77002. Thank you!

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

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

Food assistance distributions continue

HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston continues to offer food assistance with drive-through distribution at three locations: the Guadalupe Center in Houston, appointments required; Mamie George Community Center (MGCC) in Richmond, appointments required; and Beacon of Hope in Galveston, a Galveston County super distribution site.

In Galveston, distribution is on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The next distributions are on March 24 and April 10, starting at 9 a.m. No appointments required. Call 409-762-2064 for more information.

In Fort Bend, The MGCC is a Houston Food Bank super distribution site, and appointments are required.

Distributions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For assistance, call 281-202-6289. Monthly food fairs have also resumed, with the next fair scheduled on March 27.

At the Guadalupe Center in Houston, distributions are by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For addresses, times and to make an appointment, visit www.catholiccharities.org/food or call 713-874-6521.

The University of St. Thomas also hosts food distributions. Open to the community and not limited to UST students, the distributions will be on campus in the Link Lee parking lot, located at 3800 Montrose Blvd. from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on March 26, April 30 and May 28.

Contact events@stthom.edu for more information. †

Join the effort to restore

ST. MARY CATHEDRAL BASILICA WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/RESTORYSTMARY

4 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

STUDENTS CELEBRATE BELOVED PRINCIPAL

St. Clare of Assisi Catholic School students honor Dr. Al Varisco, who died Feb. 13. ▪ SEE PAGE 11

VIA CRUCIS, from page 1

HERALD FILE PHOTO

A wood-carving depicts the sixth Station of the Cross, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in southeast Houston.

BRAUNS ROOFING, INC. Commercial | Residential CARPENTRY PAINTING SIDING Free estimates

LENTEN RESOURCES

daughter was murdered, prisoners, the mother of a prisoner, a catechist, a priest accused and later acquitted, a corrections officer, a civil judge, among others.

In the Stations of the Cross, “God tells of Himself and speaks to us within a story; e invites us to listen attentively and mercifully,” Pope Francis said to them in a message. “I want to thank you also because you have scattered your names not into a sea of anonymity but rather into that of the many people linked to the world of penitentiaries. Thus in the Via Crucis, you will lend your story to all those who share your same situation throughout the world.”

In the Stations of the Cross, we lend ourselves to Christ in His own story.

Often as we pray the Via Crucis in our parishes, we do not know the crosses that the others around us are carrying.

But in praying the Way of the Cross, which so intimately reflects on the Passion of Jesus Christ, we reflect what the pope said last year: we do not cast our names in anonymity, but into a faithful prayer of a Church united. We become like Pope Francis, who said, “I dwelt amid your words, and I felt welcomed, at home.” We dwell among the Stations of the Cross, and we may feel at home like the pope did.

For centuries, artists and painters have depicted the Stations of the Cross, trying to interpret the story of Jesus Christ.

Below, a 1565 oil painting by the Italian artist Titian shows Christ Carrying the Cross, with Simon the Cyrenean behind Him. Renown for its detail and intimate view of Christ, Jesus’s eyes seem to follow the viewer, drawing all into Christ’s story.

According to the U.S. bishops conference, the Stations of the Cross began as the practice of pious pilgrims to Jerusalem who would retrace the final journey of Jesus Christ to Calvary.

Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form

PRAY THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS ONLINE AT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/LENT of the 14 stations currently found in almost every church.

Today, in parishes all around the world, faithful pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. Different meditations offer varying perspectives of the Passion of Jesus Christ, connecting the story to today’s crosses, such as human trafficking, poverty, racism and other intentions, like vocations and pro-life causes.

Several parishes and ministries around the Archdiocese have large life-size outdoor Stations of the Cross that are perfect for social distancing and peaceful meditation.

Parishes include Christ the Incarnate Word Catholic Church (8503 S. Kirkwood Rd., Houston; 281-495-8133), Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (Church grounds close at dusk; 6550 Fairbanks North Houston Rd., Houston; 713-9391906), and Holy Name Retreat Center (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston; 713-464-0211), among others.

Officials said they welcome visitors to pray and meditate. Various health guidelines remain in place, including masks and other measures. Be sure to call the parish offices for visiting hours.

In his 2009 Way of the Cross meditation on Good Friday, Pope Benedict XVI said: “After Jesus left this world, Christians began to look back and interpret His life and mission. They carried His message to the ends of the earth. And this message itself is Jesus Christ, who is ‘the power of God and the wisdom of God.’ It says that the reality is Christ and that our ultimate destiny is to be with Him.” † Editor’s Note: ‘Living a Life of Prayer’ continues a series exploring the deeper meaning, context and history of some of the Church’s greatest treasures: its prayers, like the Stations of the Cross.

Coming up next issue: the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

713-645-0505

www.braunsroofing.com Discount with ad

KEEPING HOLY THE SABBATH EVEN AT HOME

The Archdiocese continues to offer an online hub of SPIRITUAL RESOURCES with links to how to keep the faith while at home including: • Online Mass worship aids and stream links • Spiritual Reflections videos presented by priests in English, Spanish and Vietnamese • Daily Readings, online prayer guides and links to Pope Francis’s prayers and Liturgies • Special prayers for the pandemic PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MUSEO NACIONAL DEL PRADO

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/SPIRITUALRESOURCES

Christ Carrying the Cross is a 1565 oil painting attributed to the Italian Renaissance master Titian Vecellio. The painting depicts the fifth Station of the Cross: “Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus Carry the Cross.” It is on display at the Museo Nacional Del Prado in Madrid, Spain.

LOCAL

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

The Stations of the Cross 1. Jesus is condemned to death 2. Jesus takes up His Cross 3. Jesus falls for the first time 4. Jesus meets His Mother 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 7. Jesus falls for the second time 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem 9. Jesus falls for the third time 10. Jesus is stripped of His garments 11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross 12. Jesus dies on the Cross 13. Jesus is taken down from the Cross 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb HERALD FILE PHOTO

A stained glass window depicts the fourth Station of the Cross, Jesus meets His Mother, at St. Magdalene Catholic Church in Humble.

Entrust Your Long-Term & Retirement Savings to Us OPEN AN IRA OR A TAX-DEFERRED ANNUITY OR ROLLOVER YOUR 401 (k)

NOW PAYING

3.55

%*

APY

*Includes current yield + 1.65% first year additional interest

EUGENE SMART GENERAL AGENT (713) 721-8262

ANN BOENISCH PASADENA (281) 881-2594

TJ SBRUSCH ANGELTON (979) 345-7364

BILL MAUTNER HOUSTON (281) 413-4558

EJ BAYER WEIMAR (979) 263-4287

ALVIN HOLLAS HOUSTON (713) 464-2592

LYNNELL STIEBER RICHMOND (281) 451-6492

RICHARD VACEK SUGAR LAND (281) 545-9868

JOE DOMINGUEZ HOUSTON (281) 481-6487

DEBBIE SLAVINSKY MAGNOLIA (281) 748-0866

RON PETERSEN HOUSTON (832) 251-2332

Home Office: San Antonio, Texas • (210) 828-9921 • www.cliu.com

*Interest rates are subject to change & vary by plan.

The minimum interest rate guaranteed is 1.00% 1.21

5

6 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

IGNITE Campaign supports myriad of needs, efforts IGNITE, from page 1 and Facebook page is tremendously exciting,” said Michael Goodwin, IGNITE executive director. “We look forward to highlighting parishes, pastors, volunteers and parishioners who are working together for the good of the campaign and the Archdiocese. Having a central source of information with the IGNITE website helps us channel the flow of information and meet parishioners where they are, in a format they are comfortable accessing.”

Most recently, the Facebook page featured the seminarians and faculty at St. Mary’s Seminary signing a structural beam during the building process for the new dormitory.

“This is a good milestone for us,” Father Eurel Manzano, rector of St. Mary’s Seminary, said.

The major capital campaign was launched in 2015 to address the needs of the seminary, as well as the Catholic schools, individual parish needs and faith formation. The campaign also added a future disaster recovery fund and a fund to address rebuilding parishes and schools in light of Hurricane Harvey.

As part of the campaign, 33% of the funds collected from a parish are returned to that parish on a quarterly basis to be used toward specific church needs, including technology upgrades, beautification and repairs.

The Church of the Annunciation in downtown Houston kicked off their campaign this March. They will use their portion of the IGNITE funds to restore their historic pipe organ.

Father Paul Felix, Annunciation pastor, said, “I think the IGNITE campaign is important for the Archdiocese and our parishes because it addresses our shared needs and provides opportunities to live out our discipleship in the mission we have as a local diocesan Church.”

He said the IGNITE campaign addresses all the areas that impact the Church’s outward expression of its teachings in matters of faith and morals, sacred worship and sacramental life as well as outreach in service and charity.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. MARY’S SEMINARY

Part of the IGNITE: “Our Faith, Our Mission” Capital Campaign supports St. Mary’s Seminary, including the construction of a new dorm for seminarians in formation for the priesthood. Last year, a ceremonial beam signing was held to celebrate the milestone event. To learn more, visit www.archgh.org/IGNITE.

“These are all visible signs of our communion with God, the angels and saints, the souls in purgatory and with one another,” he said. “It is important for every parishioner throughout our Archdiocese to recognize that God has brought all of us together as a family united, with our Archbishop, in faith.

And we desire to support the work of the Church with grateful and generous hearts.”

Bryant Chapman, chairman for the campaign at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sealy, said the church will use the funds to improve the parking lot with lighting, striping and sealing; re-keying the property, installing a new phone system, updating technology in the CCE classrooms and replacing carpeting in the church.

“Some of these improvements have

already been done,” he said. “My wife (Marcie) and I are supporting IGNITE because we believe the things in our parish as well at the diocesan level are things that are needed and worthwhile.”

Chapman said every parishioner across the Archdiocese should support this campaign because the Church is the Body of Christ.

“Although we sometimes refer to the church as a building, it is really the people; our brothers and sisters united in Christ,” he said. “The goals of the IGNITE campaign are all designed to benefit us and our brothers and sisters.”

Chapman said, “I would encourage everyone to participate in the IGNITE campaign to whatever degree you can.” †

For more information, visit www.archgh.org/IGNITE.

New Hospital Indemnity Policy, HI-2019

A no deductible hospital, outpatient and preventive care policy. No lifetime maximum, up to $250,000 per sickness or injury.

First day confinement $3,750 or $4,750 ICU. Second day and beyond $2,500 or $3,450 ICU. Pays 200% of Medicare fee schedule for surgical benefits. Home recuperation benefit of $200/ day for 75 days. Includes: Doctors office visits, tests, ER, ambulance and drug card.

An individual age 50 to 64 can buy this HI policy for $281 a month.

Underwritten by A+ rated Better Business Bureau, Southwest Service Life, serving Texans, Since 1962.

Medicare Supplement

Issue age supplements can save you money over the life of the policy. A married female, age 68 pays $119.02 monthly, for an issue-age Plan G supplement.

Holy Week 2021: Palm Sunday: March 28 Holy Thursday: April 1 Good Friday: April 2 Easter Sunday: April 4

Underwritten by Old Surety Life Insurance Company, Since 1934.

George Keller & Associates, PLLC Serving Texans, Since 1983

281-460-5698 or 936-597-6969 74 Naples Lane, Montgomery TX, 77356

www.archgh.org

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

7

Family Life Ministry jumps into action, ministry in response to upcoming Year of the Family FAMILY, from page 1 “Parents provide reassurance and hope to afraid and affected family members,” he said. “Families assisted other families when supplies were limited, or some of us were homebound.”

Serving all needs The Family Life Ministry has more than 40 different active ministries and dozen more in development for families across the family life cycle. Deacon Ly Nguyen is working on such a project at Our Lady of Lourdes parish, which is preparing to launch a St. Joseph series.

Deacon Nguyen said that as the pandemic shut everything down, people lost their normal means of receiving “spiritual food” on an ongoing basis through in-person Masses, retreats, youth events or community service activities.

“It became pretty evident that their whole world and universe went ‘online,’” Deacon Nguyen said. “That’s where they encounter the world, get all of their information — both good and bad — and basically live. And if we are trying to provide any spiritual food for them, it will also have to be made available online as well.”

Using technology and media He said the Year of the Family in connection with the Year of St. Joseph inspired the idea of him creating a threeto five-minute video series. Each segment will highlight a particular virtue or character of St. Joseph.

“We just wanted to pool together all our insights, gifts and talents to build up this project in the footsteps of St. Joseph,” he said. “We want the series to be organic and relatable and inspiring, and not theological or controversial or demeaning. The hope is to inspire every young man to take on the virtues of St.

Joseph and to walk in his footsteps, thereby becoming the best version of himself and a great gift to his family and community.”

Helping others find hope Olga L. Najar, director of social services at St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood, said she is always looking for alternatives and programs that can help the church’s Hispanic community to grow spiritually and provide spiritual companionship, especially to those who are suffering and grieving after losing a love one or going through tough times such as divorce or losing their job.

“With too many families experiencing any type of loss, we decided to implement a bereavement program in our parish in the fall of 2019 and continue it in 2020 for many families who suffered loss during the pandemic,” she said. “However, given how fast this ministry grew and the lack of volunteers prepared to support and accompany these families, we came to the realization that we needed to create a program to prepare volunteers. That turned into the idea of developing a network of facilitators for the ministry.”

Along with the Family Life Ministry, Najar said they will be able to start preparing the first group of facilitators this May. Nurturing growing families Vanessa Johnson and her husband, Casey, are volunteers implementing the Marquette Natural Family Planning (NFP) model for the Archdiocese.

The Marquette model uses a fertility monitor to measure hormones indicating ovulation along with the method’s protocols and algorithm.

“Through conversations with clergy and parish staff about Marquette, I have hoped to make the method more

Guidelines for Lenten Observance Lent continues through Good Friday, April 2, 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 selfdenial are highly encouraged. For more resources, visit archgh.org/lent.

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston

WEEKDAY MASSES

Monday through Friday: 7 a.m., 12:10 p.m.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Monday through Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 6:50 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

Saturday: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Sunday: 8:15 to 8:45 p.m., 10:15 to 10:45 p.m., 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m., 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Vietnamese and Spanish: 30 minutes prior to weekend Masses.

Holy Family Parish of Galveston-Bolivar www.holyfamilygb.org

WEEKDAY MASS

Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Church (3424 Avenue K, Galveston) Spanish: Wednesday, 6 p.m. at St. Patrick

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at St. Patrick Church (3424 Avenue K, Galveston) or by appointment via Parish Office (409-762-9646).

accessible. I have spoken with priests who had never heard of Marquette and were excited to share with the couples they were preparing for marriage,” she said. “If couples are shown the beauty of Theology of the Body, educated on NFP and encouraged to find a method that is a good fit, they may be more open to following the Church’s teaching.”

Strengthening marriages Fernando and Rita Colina lead English Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends (WWME) in the southern part of the Archdiocese.

Over a weekend or in seven threehour sessions, the Marriage Encounter experience gives couples the tools to remain strong as a couple and “be a united force to provide a stable and loving environment for their children,” they said.

“In every WWME experience, couples are reminded that they are indeed a domestic Church and that their love is contagious, and a gift to the Church and society. They are encouraged to be open and apostolic and spread the good news of their sacramental union.”

Father Kingsley Nwoko, parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands, is the author of “Before the Vows,” a new marriage preparation program. He said the program is an effective premarital preparation for the Sacrament of marriage.

“Adequate and engaging marriage preparation is more pertinent for today’s emerging adults,” he said. “’Before the Vows’ is a response to this emergent pastoral need. It is an expedient program that assists engaged couples in evaluating their readiness prior to the celebration of their vows and as well providing them with skills to improve their relationships.”

Medina said it is precisely through these foundational communities of love that the Church has faced and overcome numerous adversities across time.

“For when we recognize that Christ is family and let His light shine at our dinner tables, bedrooms, home studios and garages, our hope, joy and mercy will flourish too,” he said. “We have an exciting year ahead of us to strengthen and consolidate our habits of love.” †

Bishop Rizzotto

PRESENTED BY

MEMORIAL

GOLF TOURNAMENT Due to COVID-19, our 2020 event was canceled. This year, we need you more than ever. Here are some ways you can help!

benefiting

Register online prior to event date.

Check-in starts at 11:00 AM. Shotgun start at 12:30 PM. Wildcat Golf Club | 12000 Almeda Rd.

Take a look at all of the amazing items up for grabs by going to www.32auctions.com/brgc2021

SPONSORS AND GOLFERS Your contributions to the Bishop Rizzotto Memorial Golf Tournament raise funds for the resident subsidy program at St. Dominic Village. Thank you for helping us honor Bishop Rizzotto’s legacy by supporting the tournament that he founded.

For more information contact Monica Snell at 713-391-2685 or visit stdominicvillage.org/bishop-rizzotto-golf-classic

SEE YOU MARCH 25, 2021

8 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

Ethnic ministries bond together in the universal spirit of Christ’s love

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — In the universal spirit of loving like Christ to all those encountered, especially in light of the COVID-19 mandates restricting large gatherings now over a year, the Vietnamese and Filipino ministries continue to bring the light of hope and comfort to those they serve in the Archdiocese.

While the pandemic has put on hold many of the traditional events and devotions treasured by these two communities, their bond of fellowship and care for those they serve have not diminished.

“We have realized with this pandemic the importance of our community and not just on Zoom — that human interaction fosters better collaboration and working relationships,” said Father Edmund P. Eduarte, vicar of the 50,000 Filipino Catholics in the Archdiocese. “There are still areas of the Filipino-American Catholics in Houston that we want to address and be more involved with in the future.”

While many ministry events have been canceled, Father Eduarte said one of its largest annual celebrations, Simbang Gabi, was still held in December, but without the large fellowship gathering at the end. While certainly not the same experience, he said his community was grateful to celebrate together in-person.

According to the vicar for Vietnamese Catholics, Father Thu Ngoc Nguyen, the Annual Vietnamese Christmas Eve Mass, his community’s largest gathering, was canceled, as well as the Asian Mass that brings together the Asian Catholic

PHOTO COURTESY OF FILIPINO ETHNIC MINISTRIES

Filipino Catholics gather with Filipino priests for a Simbang Gabi Mass in 2020. Filipino Ministries is one of the largest ethnic ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund.

community in the Archdiocese each fall.

“In support of the local Church, once a year, along with other Asian Catholic parishes and communities in the Archdiocese, we come together with other Asian ethnic groups to celebrate Mass together,” said Father Nguyen.

“After the Asian Mass, a reception with entertainment from each Asian ethnic group is typically provided, which includes the Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesia, Korean and Vietnamese communities.”

Although this main event was canceled in 2020, Rita GoodrichMarcelino, a representative on the Filipino Ministry Council for five years, said she looks forward to the return of

Guidelines remain as parishes continue at 50% capacity

HOUSTON - After reopening parishes following the state-mandated closure, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo continued the second step in the phased reopening of parishes in the Archdiocese. Parishes were permitted to expand to 50% capacity provided they, and parishioners, observe health guidelines set by the State of Texas when attending Mass.

These include at least the following:

Wash hands often and for 20 seconds

Keep a safe social distance and avoid gathering after Masses

Cover mouth and nose with a mask or cover when around others Avoid close contact; Share a ‘Sign of Peace’ from a distance

this annual tradition. She feels the unity experienced between Asian Catholics is a good example of groups coming together to join in the bond and spirit of Christ’s love.

“We find commonality among our Asian brothers and sisters of our love for God and the joys of religious freedom,” said Goodrich-Marcelino. “Though we speak different languages, we express our love for each other and understanding through the smiles and sharing of ethnic food.”

Goodrich-Marcelino said she looks forward to gathering in fellowship once again in parishes that celebrate Filipino cultural celebrations and feast days, such as Salubong, Santo Niño, Fiestas of San Lorenzo Ruiz, and San Pedro Calungsod, Santa Cruzan in May. She feels these traditions are important in keeping them united in their support of the local Church.

“Immigrants are best supported by recognizing and incorporating their spiritual traditions and culture in parish communities and in the Archdiocese,” said Goodrich-Marcelino.

“These naturally evoke us to ‘walk in the light of Christ’ as evangelizers, catechists and lay ministers/leaders.”

Clarissa and Anthony Garcia, also members of the Archdiocesan Filipino Ministry Council, agree the Filipino Ministry helps bring about the spirit of community among the entire Archdiocese.

“One of the greatest strengths of Filipinos is our ability to integrate into our host country’s culture and traditions while maintaining our forefather’s strong family values and generous nature,” said

Ethnic Ministries is supported by the Diocesan Services Fund. The 2021 DSF theme draws from a hope: “Walk in the light of Christ.”

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

Anthony Garcia. “That is why many Filipinos are in the areas of health care, teaching, and caretakers of young and old.”

To help support the spirit of community among the 30,000 Vietnamese Catholics in the Archdiocese, Father Nguyen said the Ministry to Vietnamese Catholics has several communications tools that have become important sources of information.

“Our radio program has been on the air for at least 20 years, with a mission to evangelize and provide information of the Archdiocese and our ministry to the Vietnamese community in their own language,” said Father Nguyen.

“In addition, our weekly bulletin provides reflection and information in Vietnamese that are circulated at each of the Vietnamese Catholic parishes and communities.”

The Ministry to Vietnamese Catholics and Ministry to Filipino Catholics are a part of the Ethnic Ministries of the Archdioceses of Galveston-Houston that are supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) annually.

DSF support allows each ethnic ministry group to continue to be a source of help and information to those they serve, including sacramental and pastoral care and special faith traditions and customs of the people of the particular ethnic group, such as the Asian Mass.

The ministries also provide a means to educate the greater community about their respective linguistic and cultural gifts.

To learn more about the Ethnic Ministries of the Archdiocese and DSF, go to www.archgh.org/dsf. †

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve

Stay at home if feeling sick

For more information, visit www.archgh.org/healthupdates

The Texas Catholic Herald is always looking for new stories!

However, since the TCH staff cannot or cover all of the news in the Archdiocese, those in the community are a great resource for news stories and tips.

Email story ideas to TCH@ARCHGH.ORG for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue.

For information on what to submit and issue deadline dates, visit the website at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/SUBMISSIONS.

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

LOCAL

IN BRIEF March 27 Young Adult Day features Lenten reflection, Adoration and Confession at Holy Rosary in Midtown

HOUSTON — All young adults ages 18 to 39 are invited to attend the 2021 Archdiocesan Young Adult Day on March 27.

With in-person and online options, the day begins at 9:30 a.m. with a Lenten reflection, Adoration and confession at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, located at 3617 Milam St. in Midtown.

The day continues in the afternoon with two online speakers, including Father Agustino Torres, CFR, and Sarah Swafford. Various parishes are also hosting small group gatherings for this hybrid young adult event.

Attendees then have the option to attend the vigil Mass at their parishes. All events are available online. Registration required. Spaces are limited for the in-person events, and face masks will be required. Early bird registration is $25 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on March 9. Rate increases to $35 after the deadline.

For more information, visit www.archgh.org/YADay or contact the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry at 713-741-8778 or yacm@archgh.org. †

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 20: Ramiro Gonzales

texas catholic herald

OBITUARY Father Gerald E. Kelly, M.M.

HOUSTON — Father Gerald E. Kelly, M.M., who served as a Maryknoll missioner in Chile and as director of Maryknoll’s Southern Region for Mission Education and Promotion, died March 7 in Houston. He was 85 years old.

Father Kelly attended Maryknoll Seminary was ordained in 1967 and spent 25 years in Chile working with the Mapuche Indians and later in Urban Ministry. He was also a past chairperson and present member of the Texas Mission Council, which represents the 15 Catholic Dioceses in Texas.

Funeral Mass was celebrated March 11 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. †

IN MEMORIA 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

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

April 9, 1890 Rev. V. Gury April 9, 2002 Rev. Christopher Bang Le, CSSR April 10, 1892 Rev. James Giraudon April 12, 1931 Rev. Simon Spinneweber April 15, 1935 Rev. Otto Bauer April 16, 1867 Bishop John Timon, CM April 16, 1947 Rev. William Roach April 16, 1994 Rev. Edward Rehkopf, SJ April 18, 2003 Rev. Francis Strafalace, SCJ April 19, 1958 Msgr. Jacob Schnetzer April 19, 2013 Msgr. Donald J. Fruge April 24, 1976 Rev. Edward G. Lee, CSB April 26, 1916 Rev. Peter Bienemann April 26, 2007 Rev. Isaac O. Francis April 27, 1900 Rev. Antoine Borias April 30, 1992 Msgr. Dexter L. George

HOW ABOUT A TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND? But it’s an virtual trip. While we can’t go right now, The Texas Catholic Herald presents ‘Diversions,’ a website with links to FREE digital offerings, including digital pilgrimages to the Sanctuaries of the Holy Land, online video tours, puzzles and links to religious exhibits. Sites include St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel in Houston, the Vatican and other religious places. Puzzles feature beautiful images of St. Peter's Basilica, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, and religious art from around the Archdiocese. The content can be played on computer and mobile devices.

Take a trip with us at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/DIVERSIONS

Need Help?

If you or a loved one is in need of help, contact these Archdiocesan social services:

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

9

Give to them, and you give to HIM Help the poor in our community this Lent ... and meet our Lord in a new way

You have an opportunity this Lent.

It’s a time of prayer, reflection, selfdiscipline, and the giving of alms — helping the poor among us.

Christ made it clear: Whatever you do for the poor, you are doing for Him. That’s why the Church has made almsgiving a central part of our Lenten observations.

Reach out to the poor this Lent — the elderly, the homeless, children, all in need. Donate to Catholic Charities. You’ll help people here in the community with food, shelter, counseling, and other transformational help that can alter the course of their lives. A warm, nutritious meal costs just $5! Think of the difference you can make ... for them, and for you!

Donate now at:

CatholicCharities.org/lent Or fill out and send this coupon to: 2900 Louisiana St, Houston, TX 77006

My Lenten Gift to Help the Poor YES! I’m standing with the poor in our community with my Lenten donation of:

$15

$25

$50

$100

Other: $___________

Name Address

Phone A United Way Agency

Please make checks payable to Catholic Charities

10 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

Thank you for continuing to

SUPPORT YOUR PARISH St. Joseph, pray for us! www.archgh.org/stjoseph

As Catholics, we believe that all we have is a gift from God. Our response in faith is to offer these gifts back to God in gratitude. With gifts of prayer, we pray for our nation, Church and our parishes. With gifts of treasure, we support our parishes even when we cannot be there in person.

Make a gift to your parish online at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/PARISHOFFERTORY

www.archgh.org/parishoffertory

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

11

EDUCATION St. Clare of Assisi School celebrates the life, legacy of Dr. Al Varisco HOUSTON — St. Clare of Assisi Catholic School is celebrating the life of their beloved principal, Dr. Al Varisco, who served the St. Clare community for 17 years before his tragic and sudden passing last month.

Thanks to his family, his wife Christine Varisco and daughters Madison and Emily have brought such dedication to continuing his vision and commitment to the school.

Sharing Varisco’s love of supporting St. Clare students, both Madison and Emily helped get the kids excited about their campus-based Steps for Students Color Run, where colorful powder is tossed at the runners to cover them in a rainbow of colored smoke. The ladies even allowed themselves to have pies thrown at them as a reward for the first class who reached 100% Steps participation.

On the morning of the Color Run, St. Clare students were honored to have Christine, Madison, and his grandpuppy Winston start the race for over 120 participants.

The St. Clare community is setting up a scholarship fund in Varisco’s name to continue his legacy of providing students with a quality Catholic education. †

St. Augustine School’s Lenten journey filled with reflection, acts of kindness

IN ACADEMICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL

St. Martha Catholic School in Kingwood conducted a mock trial based on the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton.

Kingwood students learn about justice system through mock trial KINGWOOD — St. Martha Catholic School (SMCS) in Kingwood continued a now two-year tradition of conducting a mock trial based on the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton, complete with a jury of seniors from Frassati Catholic High School, and David McTaggart, an SMCS parent and practicing lawyer, serving as the judge.

Weeks of study and hard work finally came to fruition as Johnny Cade’s trial for the murder of Bob Sheldon began. Though COVID-19 prevented the trial from taking place in a federal courtroom downtown as initially planned, the students still performed to the best of their ability and immersed themselves fully into their assigned characters, complete with costumes.

Students were tasked with playing the roles of the prosecution and defense lawyers, the bailiff, witnesses (characters from the novel), as well as some students working behind the scenes to record the mock trial to provide as a keepsake for the eighth grade class. Students had to prepare their arguments, testimonies, evidence, programs for the event and learn standard courtroom procedures.

This is the second annual mock trial conducted by St. Martha Catholic School students, but it was the 20th mock trial middle school literature teacher, Teresa Childress, has assigned in her career.

“Every trial has been different, fun and educational,” Childress said. In reference to this year’s trial, she said, “I was very pleased in the performance of the students for this trial. They exceeded my expectations. From the programs, to witnesses, to lawyers, to ushers, to the videographers-the students were outstanding. I was impressed with their work ethic and enthusiasm for the project.”

The students read the novel in September, began meeting with McTaggart in December, and spent the whole month of January preparing for the trial.

“The strongest take away from an endeavor of this magnitude is learning the judicial system,” Childress said. “They are surprised to learn of a unanimous verdict, lawyers unable to approach witnesses for all of the questions, and the sheer amount of work it takes to conduct a trial.” †

WISH TO ADVERTISE IN

the Texas Catholic Herald?

visit us online to download a media kit www.archgh.org/TCH

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

St. Augustine Catholic School students showcase their class Kindness jar filled with acts of kindness they have performed.

Yes, We Do

401(k) & IRA Rollovers!

3.55%*

APY

*Includes Current Yield + 1.65% First Year Additional Interest

For more information call:

Eugene N. Smart, CLU, MBA (713) 721-8262

*Interest rates are subject to change & vary by plan.

The minimum interest rate guaranteed is 1.00%.

Home Office: San Antonio, Texas

#ASU 11.20

12 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

YOUTH Calling youth to seek the truth of Christ in AYC 2021 In the fourth chapter of Christus Vivit where Jesus says to (Christ is Alive), the Holy Father, Pope Pontius Pilate, “For this I Francis, identifies three great truths that was born and for this I each of us need to be constantly came into this world, to reminded of: 1. God loves you, 2. Christ testify to the truth,” to saves you and 3. Christ is alive! As we which Pilate responds, walk with the young Church at this “What is truth?” year’s Archdiocesan Youth Conference, From July 30 to Aug. 1, by we will continually return to these three we will gather over 2,500 TIM great truths. It is with this knowledge young people for the 65th that young people can ultimately know COLBERT annual youth conference that the one place to seek and find the to break open this theme truth is in Christ and His Holy Church. with our dynamic keynote Each year for 64 years, the Office of and workshop speakers.

Adolescent Catechesis and There, we will celebrate Evangelization has gathered young the gift they are to the Church, listen to people to share with them the truth to be their voices and challenge them to live a found in a relationship with Jesus the dynamic Catholic faith. We will explore Christ. This year will present some five main themes at the conference. challenges with the pandemic, but be Joel Stepanek, director of Resource assured we are working closely with Development for LifeTeen, will begin our Hilton of the Americas and our Risk program by exploring the variety of Management Office to ensure a safe arenas in which young people seek the conference experience. Contact truth. What can we learn from tcolbert@archgh.org for a detailed list of influencers, social media, celebrities? Is the protocols in place for this gathering. their truth our truth?

2021 DSF 9.75x7 catechesis_A.pdf 1/11/21 director 11:27 AM Our theme this year,Evangelization& “Seek the Truth,” Cynthia1 Psencik, of the comes from the Gospel of St. John, Office of Youth Ministry for the

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

OFFICE OF ADOLESCENT CATECHESIS AND EVANGELIZATION

†

Archdiocese of New York, will unpack our foundational Scripture for the weekend. Psencik will examine what it means to seek the truth.

Father Ekenedilichukwu “Jude” Ezuma, pastor of Holy Family in Galveston, will show participants Catholic Social Teaching is a key source of truth that calls us to action.

Finally, Father Agustino Torres, C.F.R., a New York-based priest who works extensively in youth ministry, will conclude our gathering by sending the young Church forth to live the truth as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. In addition, Father Torres will serve as our emcee for the weekend.

Infused throughout this three-day conference are opportunities for fun, building new relationships, prayer, adoration and confession. The fifth theme of the conference is “Finding Truth in Christ through prayer and worship.”

The conclusion of our time together will be the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. As is tradition, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be our celebrant and homilist.

0ur office serves

adolescents through a three pronged approach: training and mentoring youth ministers, providing leadership opportunities at the diocesan level for young people and keeping clergy and church leaders informed as to what is required to keep youth engaged in our Church.

The Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization challenges each of you to encourage the young people you know, graduating eighth graders through graduating seniors, to contact their local parish to join us in this unique and dynamic celebration of our faith.

Let me conclude with these inspiring words from Pope Francis. He concludes Christus Vivit in this way: “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, ‘attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.’” † Timothy E. Colbert is the director of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.

Engaging youth at the beginning of their lives is incredibly important in living a full life rooted in the Catholic faith.

My role on the Archdiocesan Youth Council is to bring back what I learned to my community, my school and my church.

PATRICK PHAM Senior, St. Thomas High School Member, Archdiocesan Youth Council

TIM COLBERT Director, Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization

Diocesan Services Fund Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Please consider a gift to the DSF.

archgh.org/dsf

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

13

COLUMNISTS How St. Joseph leads us to Jesus On Dec. 8, 2020, in his Apostolic Letter, Pareis corde (With a Father’s Heart), Pope Francis celebrated the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church by announcing this coming year as the Year of St. Joseph.

St. Joseph is not only the patron of the Universal Church, but he has also been declared the patron saint of unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants and a happy death. With so little written in Scripture about St. Joseph, what do we actually know about him, and how can this popular saint lead us to Jesus?

I always wondered what it must have been like for him to stand in the shadows of both Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph cared for and raised Jesus, knowing that he was not his biological father. In faith, he was entrusted to fulfill his role as step-parent for the Son of God. By doing so, St. Joseph teaches all fathers and step-fathers how to serve the Lord by parenting with humility, by not seeking self-glory, and by selflessly caring for his children.

As Pope Francis says: “A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child.”

We learn in Scripture that Jesus was the Son of a carpenter. As a carpenter, St. Joseph was a tradesman, a working man. We can assume that he must have not only taught by Jesus the skills of carpentry, but also how DEBORAH to deal fairly and JONES honestly with those he sold his wares.

Another assumption is that Joseph did not make a great deal of money since the offering he and Mary brought when they presented Jesus at the temple was that of turtle doves. This was an offering of those with modest incomes. St. Joseph leads all of us by his example of working honestly for a living and giving back from what he has earned.

Evidence of St. Joseph’s kindness and compassion is also found in Scripture.

When he discovered Mary was pregnant with a child who was not his, he could have had Mary stoned as was the custom.

Instead, he agreed to quietly divorce her so that she would not be exposed. Of course, that was before he was visited by an angel who instructed him to take Mary

†

as his wife. By his kindness, St. Joseph models for us how not to be judgmental, but rather to be compassionate and merciful, qualities Jesus spoke of many times during His ministry.

Scripture again tells us that St. Joseph was a strong and courageous man. After Jesus’ birth, he was told by an angel in a dream to flee and go to Egypt. How brave he had to be to leave the land he knew, leave his way of life, and travel to a foreign land.

St. Joseph leads us to Christ by showing us that it sometimes takes great courage to follow Jesus’ teachings, especially when it means we need to leave the familiar or do something that is counter-culture.

Without a doubt, St. Joseph was a faithful follower of God and observed Jewish traditions and law. First of all, it is with great faith that he took Mary as his wife after an angel revealed to him that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Observant of Jewish laws, he brought Mary and Jesus to the temple to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth and to perform the redemption of the firstborn Son in obedience to the Torah. Later, St. Joseph went to the Temple in Jerusalem for the observance of Passover, where he and

Mary temporarily lost Jesus. By his faithfulness and obedience, St. Joseph shows us all how to be faithful followers.

It’s not surprising that Pope Francis chose to call this year the Year of St. Joseph. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we should all pause to reflect on the life of St. Joseph as our patron.

Many of us have been hidden away, isolated and alone. Others have suffered great illness. We can also turn to him in our time of struggle and illness, for it is believed that since there is no mention of St. Joseph during Jesus’ ministry, he must have passed away before its beginning and must have been aware of the suffering of old age and death.

St. Joseph is both a great example and patron for us. By striving to imitate his examples of parenthood, humility, work ethic, kindness, compassion, mercy, courage, faithfulness and obedience, we can grow in our commitment to faith.

Let’s all call on St. Joseph for prayers.

He can be our companion in this life, and we know that he can lead us closer to Christ. St. Joseph, pray for us. † Deborah Jones is an associate director with the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization.

This history, purpose of Chrism Mass Chrism Mass is held each year during Holy Week.

At Chrism Mass, the olive oil which is used for anointing is blessed and consecrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. These oils are then distributed throughout the Archdiocese for use in the administration of Sacraments and for particular preparatory rituals.

While we do not have the precise ritual used in the early Church, we do have reference to the blessing of oils, which would be used at initiation at Easter Vigil. Tertullian writes about candidates being “anointed with the blessed oil” after Baptism. Around 215 AD, Hippolytus describes the bishop praying a prayer of blessing over the “oil of thanksgiving,” making reference to the oil of exorcism and describes, in particular, the blessing of the oil of the sick after the Eucharistic Prayer. To this day, this ancient practice of blessing the Oil of the Sick occurs at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer.

The Oil of the Sick is used during the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick for those who are seriously ill or dying, frail from old age or about to undergo major surgery. “The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven” (James 5:15). The Oil of the

Catechumens strengthens the person who is going to be baptized to help them to turn away from sin and evil.

Sacred Chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balsam fragrance, which by is consecrated at Chrism SANDRA Mass. It is used to anoint HIGGINS the newly baptized, to seal candidates at Confirmation and to anoint the hands of priests and the heads of bishops at their ordination. Altars and churches are also consecrated with Sacred Chrism when they are dedicated.

At Chrism Mass, prior to saying the Prayer of Consecration over the Sacred Chrism, the bishop (Cardinal DiNardo) breathes upon the vessel containing the oil and balsam. This action is a sign of the Holy Spirit during which the bishop recalls the Spirit of God “moving over the face of the waters” at creation and Jesus’ appearance to the disciples post-resurrection when He “breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).

In his third Mystagogic Catechesis, St. Cyril of Jerusalem profoundly expresses:

†

WATCH LIVE Watch the Chrism Mass livestreamed from the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 6 p.m. on March 30 online at www.archgh.org/live.

But beware of supposing this to be plain ointment. For as the Bread of the Eucharist, after the invocation of the Holy Ghost, is mere bread no longer, but the Body of Christ, so also this holy ointment is no more simple ointment, nor (so to say) common, after invocation, but it is Christ’s gift of grace, and, by the advent of the Holy Ghost, is made fit to impart His Divine Nature. Which ointment is symbolically applied to your forehead and your other senses; and while your body is anointed with the visible ointment, your soul is sanctified by the Holy and life-giving Spirit. (3.3) The assembled priests extend their hands during the consecration of the Sacred Chrism, signifying their participation in the bishop’s office of teaching, sanctifying and governing the Church.

Pope Paul VI desired Chrism Mass to be a time when the priests would renew their commitment, made at ordination “out of love for the Lord Jesus and His

Church,” in the presence of their bishop.

The faithful from the parishes are encouraged to witness this commitment and are exhorted to pray for their priests and bishop.

The readings at this Mass also affirm the priestly character of the people of God. “You shall be called the priests of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:1-9) and Christ has made us “a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Rev. 1:5-8). The Preface instructs, “For Christ not only adorns with a royal priesthood the people he has made His own, but with a brother’s kindness He also chooses men to become sharers in His sacred ministry through the laying on of hands.”

This year, since attendance at Chrism Mass is by invitation-only due to limited seating, you will have an opportunity to join in the Mass via live stream at www. archgh.org/live at 6 p.m. on March 30. I encourage you to join in this rich and ancient tradition. The presentation of these newly blessed and consecrated oils at the Holy Thursday Mass at your parish will have a fuller and richer meaning for you. † Sandy Higgins is the director of the Office of Worship.

SUNDAY MASS READINGS MARCH 28

First Reading: Is 50:4-7

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24

Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11

Gospel: Mk 14:1-15:47 or Mk 15:1-39

APRIL 4

First Reading: Acts 10:34, 37-43

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Second Reading: Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6-8

Gospel: Jn 20:1-9

APRIL 11

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Second Reading: 1 Jn 5:1-6

Gospel: Jn 20:19-31

14 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

WORLD

Pope to confessors: Be fathers, brothers who offer consolation, mercy VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every confessor should understand he is a sinner, forgiven by God, and he is there to offer his brothers and sisters — sinners, too — the same divine mercy and forgiveness he has received, Pope Francis said.

“The religious attitude that emerges from this understanding of being a forgiven sinner that each confessor must have is peacefully welcoming (the penitent), welcoming as a father” would with a smile, a peaceful look and “offering tranquility,” he said March 12.

“Please, don’t have it be a tribunal, a school exam; don’t be a snoop into other people’s souls; (be) merciful fathers, brothers,” he told a group of seminarians, new priests and priests who hear confessions in the major basilicas of Rome.

The pope made his remarks in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall to those who participated in a weeklong formation course offered each year by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that deals with matters of conscience and coordinates the work of confessors in Rome’s major basilicas.

The pandemic meant the course was held online, which meant nearly 900 priests and seminarians close to ordination from around the world were able to take part in the course — more than the usual 500 when the course is held onsite in Rome.

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis addresses priests taking part in a course on the Sacrament of Penance organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary during an audience at the Vatican March 12.

The pope said the meaning of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is expressed by abandoning oneself to God’s love, letting oneself be transformed by that love and then sharing that love and mercy with others.

“Experience shows that whoever does not abandon themselves to God’s love ends up, sooner or later, abandoning themselves to another, ending up ‘in the embrace’ of a worldly mentality, which leads to bitterness, sadness and solitude,”

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston St. Dominic Chancery | 2403 Holcombe Blvd. | Houston, TX 77021

Administrative Assistant Special Youth Services

Summary: The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking a full-time Administrative Assistant for the Office of Special Youth Service (SYS) which serves at-risk youth and includes juvenile probation ministry. Serving between three to four thousand youth annually, many of the youth served often return to the same environment with little to no support upon their release. In ministering to the youth, SYS sees the changes as they embrace their faith life, establish goals for behavior changes, and when released they leave with a sense of hope for a better life.

Skills and Abilities: Suitable candidates must possess excellent and proven secretarial skills, especially filing and keyboarding, have advanced computer competency, especially with MS Word for Windows, Excel, Access, and Publisher, good written and oral communication skills; pleasant telephone manners, excellent organizational skills and understands the confidential nature of the work. The Administrative Assistant must work closely with and in support of the Director and staff of Special Youth Services to provide clerical support to maintain and coordinate programs and services.

Education and experience: Minimum high school diploma or general education degree (GED); and eight to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Some college preferred. Must be proficient in the use of all Microsoft Office products including MS Word, Excel, Access and Publisher.

Interested candidates may send a cover letter, with salary requirement, and resume to resume@archgh.org with Administrative Assistant - Special Youth Services on the subject line. *Submissions that do not include the salary requirement will not be moved forward for consideration.

he said.

So, the first step to being a good confessor, the pope said, is understanding an act of faith is unfolding before him with the penitent who is abandoning himself or herself to God’s mercy.

“Therefore, every confessor must be able to always be amazed by their brothers and sisters, who, out of faith, ask for God’s forgiveness,” he said.

Laws or rules do not save people’s souls; it is God’s unique and immeasurable love that makes all things new, he said, so the penitent needs to encounter “a ray of this welcoming love” during confession.

Then, they can let themselves be transformed by it, and “they begin to live

that transformation of a heart of stone to a heart made of flesh,” he said.

The pope said human beings can never match the kind of love the Creator has for His creation, but God does show what kind of love is possible — love for one another.

A good confessor will indicate this path, that loving God requires concrete love for others, he added.

However, the essential ingredient of all confessors is knowing they, too, are sinners who have been forgiven “and if one of us does not feel that way, it is better you don’t do confessions.”

Confessors must serve in a way that shows they have encountered God’s miraculous love, and it has changed their lives.

Speaking off-the-cuff, he repeated his frequent warning against making confession a form of torture and against asking “indiscreet questions,” digging for details, as if trying to recreate “a film” in their head.

When a penitent is having difficulty in expressing themselves, he said, just say, “Yes, I get it, let’s move on.”

He also warned those who offer confession in Rome’s major basilicas to be more merciful because their ministry should be a great opportunity for people; instead, he said, he has heard that seminarians studying in the city tell each other which confessors to avoid “because he will be like a sheriff and torture you.”

“Word spreads,” he said to laughter.

Being merciful does not mean being lenient, “it means being brother, father, consoler.” †

IN BRIEF

Pope names woman Scripture scholar as secretary of biblical commission

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has named Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages, an Old Testament scholar and professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, to be secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

The Spanish member of the Missionaries of the Holy Family of Nazareth is the first woman to hold the position, which involves coordinating the work of the 20 biblical scholars from around the world who study topics in Scripture studies and interpretation on behalf of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

According to the norms of the commission, as revised by St. Paul VI in 1971, the secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission also serves as a consultant to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Sister Calduch-Benages, who will celebrate her 64th birthday on March 26, was born in Barcelona, Spain, and earned a bachelor’s in theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome. She earned

her license and doctorate in sacred Scripture from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and has taught at the Gregorian University since 1991.

Pope Benedict XVI named her an expert at the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, and Pope Francis named her a member of the first commission studying the historical identity and role of women deacons; that commission worked from 2016 to 2019.

She served as a member of the biblical commission from 2014 to 2019 and was reconfirmed for a second five-year term in January.

Since it was reorganized in 1971, the commission has studied topics ranging from inculturation to the biblical vision of women’s role in society. Among other topics, it has studied modern methods of biblical interpretation, as well as biblical anthropology. The commission published a major study in 2001 on the relationship between the New and Old Testaments and between Christians and Jews. †

WORLD

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

15

Post-pandemic world must learn from mistakes, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The uncertainty and death brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic can be an opportunity for humanity to reflect on how to build a better world, Pope Francis said in a new book.

“The world will never be the same again. But it is precisely within this calamity that we must grasp those signs that can prove to be the cornerstones of reconstruction,” the pope said.

The book, titled “Dio e il Mondo che Verra”(“God and the World to Come”), was written with Italian journalist Domenico Agasso and was to be published by the Vatican publishing house on March 16.

An excerpt was published March 14 on Vatican News.

The pope denounced the manufacturing and trafficking of weapons where large sums of money are spent “that should be used to cure people and save lives.”

“It is no longer possible to pretend that a dramatically vicious cycle of armed violence, poverty and senseless and indifferent exploitation of the environment has not crept in,” he said.

“It is a cycle that prevents reconciliation, fuels human rights violations and hinders sustainable development.”

The world instead must be “fraternally united” to face common threats without resorting to “counterproductive recriminations, the exploitation of problems, shortsighted nationalism, propaganda, isolationism and other forms of political selfishness,” the pope said.

And while the pope said the world won’t be the same after the pandemic, he insisted men and women can turn “this time of trial” to “a time of wise and farsighted choices for the good of all

humanity.”

“The path toward salvation for humanity passes through the rethinking of a new model of development, which has as an indisputable point the coexistence of peoples in harmony with creation,” he said.

He also said that changing the inequitable distribution of resources does not involve “a downward equalization” depriving people who are better off now but instead means giving “broader rights” to those who are marginalized.

Pope Francis also highlighted the need for protecting the environment through “sustainable behavior” that ensures that the Earth is no longer used “as a storehouse of resources to be exploited.”

“If we don’t roll up our sleeves and immediately take care of the Earth, with radical personal and political choices, with an economic turned toward ‘green’ (technology) and directing technological developments in that direction, sooner or later our common home will throw us out the window,” the pope said.

Asked about the burden of economic recessions laid primarily upon women, the pope highlighted the need for the presence of women at“the center of social, political, employment and institutional renewal processes.”

He also denounced discrimination against women “in terms of pay and work or by losing their jobs.”

The world, Pope Francis said, “cannot overlook the fact that the rebirth of humanity began with a woman. From the Virgin Mary salvation was born. That’s why there is no salvation without the woman. If we care about the future, if we desire a flourishing tomorrow, we must give the right space to the woman.” †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis prays in front of the “Miraculous Crucifix” from the Church of St. Marcellus in Rome during 2021 CC_FEST 706_3_r2.pdf 1 2/11/21 3:01 PM a prayer service in an empty St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 27, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INNER CITY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TRANSFORM THEIR COMMUNITIES

IN BRIEF Vatican plans expenditure cuts for 2021 without hurting jobs, mission VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Revenue shortfalls and a current budget deficit require increased efficiency, transparency and creativity while working to continue to fully carry out the C mission of the universal Church, said the head of the Vatican’s economic office.

“A time of financial challenge is not a time to give up or to throw in the towel, it is not a M time to be ‘pragmatic’ and forget our values,” Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, told Vatican News March 12. “Protecting jobs Y and wages has been a priority for us so far,” the priest said. “Pope Francis insists that CM saving money does not have to mean laying off employees; he is very sensitive to the plight of families.”

MY The prefect spoke with the Vatican’s media outlet as his office released a detailed report of the Holy See’s 2021 budget, which had already been approved by the pope and released CY to the public Feb. 19. The Vatican expects a deficit of 49.7 million euros ($60 million) in its CMY budget for 2021, given the continued economic repercussions caused by the COVID-19 K pandemic. †

Do you have a Loved One

in Jail or Prison?

Let us help you.

Correctional Ministries Archdiocesan Office 713-741-8732

archgh.org/correctionalministries

Members of The Cardinal’s Circle invest in the lives of students in the Inner City Catholic Schools through an annual contribution of $5,000 or more.

Join The Cardinal’s Circle Today!

Call 713.652.4417 or join online choosecatholicschools.org/cc Assumption Holy Ghost Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Guadalupe Resurrection St. Augustine St. Christopher St. Mary of the Purification

16 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

NATION & STATE Catholic parishes roll up their sleeves as COVID-19 vaccine clinics WASHINGTON (CNS) — Just over a year ago, many Catholic parishes were starting to close their doors, temporarily, at the start of the pandemic.

Now, some of them are opening their parking lots or church halls as venues for people in their local communities to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Hospitals have been teaming up with churches of all denominations to make these vaccine clinics happen, primarily as a way to reach more people and to get them to a place they might know or can get to quickly.

Church leaders who have opened their doors or parking lots can’t help but see a spiritual connection in this partnership.

Vincentian Father Gregory Gay, the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Charlotte, North Carolina, found it fitting that the parish’s first clinic was on the Feb. 11 feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which also was World Day of the Sick. The parish hosted another clinic a month later for people to get their second shots.

The vaccination clinic was organized by the parish’s health ministry and Atrium Health, a health care system in North Carolina and Georgia.

Rita Dominguez, Atrium’s community health project manager, said it partners “with community organizations trusted in underserved communities to bring the resources, services and support. We want to eliminate barriers, such as transportation and internet access, required to make an appointment.”

Father Gay said the three priests at the diocese’s largest Latino-majority parish have emphasized the importance of receiving the vaccine echoing Pope Francis’ New Year’s Day message about creating a culture of care.

“We have also encouraged the people as the U.S. bishops said. We’re not obliging people, but as they said, it is an act of charity and solidarity to get vaccinated,”

CNS PHOTO

Father Gabriel Carvajal Salazar get his COVID-19 vaccine at Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville, N.C., March 6. Almost 600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered during the clinic sponsored by a local pediatrician and the local health department.

AROUND THE STATE Pope Francis names Victoria priest as new auxiliary bishop of San Antonio SAN ANTONIO — Pope Francis named Father Gary Janak, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Victoria, as well as rector of The Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

The appointment was publicized in Washington on Feb. 15 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

BISHOP-ELECT “I wish to thank the Holy Father for GARY JANAK his generosity in appointing a second auxiliary bishop to us. The pope and the nuncio both appreciate and recognize the rapid growth taking place in this part of south-central Texas, and the state as a whole,” said Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller.

Father Janak was born in El Campo on March 22, 1962, living for six years in Eagle Lake before moving to Palacios, which is his hometown. He was the third of four children born to Josephat “Joe” and Rose Marie Janak. His father died of brain cancer in 1998.

Father Janak says his Czech heritage has provided a great grounding force for him, in terms of his faith and the call to be connected to God, family, and service to God’s Church.

He was raised in Palacios, a multi-lingual and multi-ethnic community, and graduated in 1980 from Palacios High School. He then attended Wharton County Junior College for one year before transferring to the University of Texas. In 1982, he entered Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Santa Fe, N.M., as one of the first five seminarians for the newly formed Diocese of Victoria. In 1983 he received his

bachelor’s degree in History and began his theological formation at Assumption Seminary in 1984. He later obtained his Master of Divinity Degree from Oblate School of Theology in 1998.

Father Janak was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Victoria on May 14, 1988. He later earned his Licentiate in Canonical Jurisprudence (JCL) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1995; his master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Houston-Victoria in 1997, and has been licensed by the state of Texas as a professional counselor supervisor since 2000. His pastoral experience in the Victoria Diocese includes assignments at several parishes, his most recent assignment as rector of the cathedral since 2013. Father Janak was elected to be administrator of the Diocese of Victoria from April 27, 2015 to June 29, 2015. He served following the retirement of Bishop Emeritus David Fellhauer and prior to the episcopal ordination of Bishop Brendan Cahill. Currently, Father Janak is chancellor and vicar general for the Diocese of Victoria. He is a member of the Canon Law Society of America and the American Counseling Society. Presently, he is chaplain for the Victoria Police Department and state chaplain for KJZT Family Life.

Father Janak also has a keen interest in assisting married couples and has been a presenting priest for the Retrouvaille ministry since 2006. He also designed a marriage retreat for couples. In 2016, he helped found The Emmaus Center, a diocesan-sponsored counseling and spiritual direction center, where he practices professional and pastoral counseling. His hobbies include reading about spirituality, marriage enrichment and psychology; writing; running; biking; and paddle boarding.

His installation is set for Tuesday, April 20. †

he told the Catholic News Herald, newspaper of the Charlotte Diocese.

“That is why I wanted to get the vaccine. We come into contact with lots of people — I don’t want to infect anyone. One of the ways to prevent that was to get the vaccine myself,” he added.

Seeing people from the community coming in to get their vaccinations gave Claudia Carcamo, the parish’s safety and environment coordinator, a sense of relief.

One elderly couple who came in for their shots needed assistance getting in and out of the church, she recalled.“It was emotional because you see that situation; they need help. I’m glad to know that the parish can provide this service. We are always trying to do the best because God is teaching us how to be the best servers for the community.”

Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, whose health ministry has already built a strong partnership with Atrium Health to provide monthly COVID-19 testing and information, partnered with a local Presbyterian Church and the health system for vaccination clinics on March 5.

Organizers said the churches were ideal locations because they are familiar and nearby and also smaller and less intimidating than large-scale vaccination sites.

Ron Berry, health ministry leader at Our Lady of Consolation Parish, said he hopes the effort to provide vaccines will help give parishioners the confidence to return to church soon.

The pastor, Father Basile Sede, agreed, saying, “The vaccination is one way we can all help to restore activities and engagement in a safe and healthy manner so that we can support the financial, emotional, physical and spiritual welfare of all individuals who have been and continue to be challenged by the ills of COVID-19.”

More than 1,500 miles away, in Denver, elderly members of the Latino community received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at St. Cajetan Church at a drive-through clinic on Feb. 5.

Linda Sosa, parishioner at St. Cajetan for more than 30 years, was one of the first people to support this initiative, along with the pastor, Father Angel Perez.

“Many of our people don’t have health insurance, do not know how to register online, and don’t speak English,” Sosa told the Denver Catholic, news outlet of the Denver Archdiocese. “All these obstacles stop them from seeking help altogether. This is one of the main reasons this initiative started.”

Young adults and teens from the parish helped by making phone calls to register those who wanted the vaccination and guiding them through the process.

About 2,000 people were vaccinated in the parish clinic.

In dozens of other parishes, vaccine clinics ranged from one-day events to daily programs scheduled throughout the summer.

St. Philip Phan Van Minh Vietnamese Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida, was the site of a state-run vaccination site on March 6, where 500 members of the community received their vaccines.

Vu Nguyen, a parishioner who helped register fellow parishioners for the vaccine along with other members of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, told Spectrum News 13, a 24-hour news channel in Orlando, that he was relieved so many were getting the vaccination.

He said for many of them, just getting the vaccine at a place they trusted was “comforting not only from a health perspective but from a spiritual and mental perspective.”

In York, Maine, the basement of St. Christopher’s Catholic Church is slated to be a vaccination center through August in a partnership with York Hospital, and it plans to vaccinate 500 people there each weekday.

Since February, the District of Columbia has been running a pilot program with clinics at churches in the alleviate some vaccine hesitancy and improve access in neighborhoods with high rates of COVID-19. †

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

17

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Papa: La vida triunfa sobre la muerte mientras cristianos reconstruyen en Irak QARAQOSH, Irak (CNS) — Entre los escombros y los restos bombardeados de cuatro iglesias destruidas por los militantes del Estado Islámico, el papa Francisco les rindió homenaje a los cristianos iraquíes que han sufrido persecución e incluso la muerte.

Pero en su visita a Mosul y Qaraqosh, en el norte de Irak, el 7 de marzo, también instó a los cristianos a vivir su fe y honrar el sacrificio de los que murieron promoviendo la paz y la reconciliación.

Gran parte del centro histórico de Mosul sigue en ruinas o en reconstrucción.

Y el papa Francisco se paró en Hosh alBieaa, la plaza de la iglesia, frente a algunas de esas ruinas: los restos de las iglesias católica siria, ortodoxa armenia, ortodoxa siria y católica caldea, todas ellas destruidas entre 2014 y 2017.

Su mensaje fue claro: “Si Dios es el Dios de la vida --porque así es--, entonces está mal que matemos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en su nombre”.

“Si Dios es el Dios de la paz --porque lo es--, entonces está mal que hagamos la guerra en su nombre”.

“Si Dios es el Dios del amor --porque lo es--, entonces está mal que odiemos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas”.

En Mosul, a 250 millas al norte de Bagdad, el papa Francisco escuchó las historias de los cristianos que se vieron obligados a huir, el miedo que muchos tienen de regresar y la motivación de los vecinos musulmanes comprometidos a hacer que la ciudad sea otra vez una metrópolis próspera y multicultural.

Pero también escuchó coros de niños dándole la bienvenida, mujeres danzando en honor a su llegada y las ovaciones de jóvenes que agitaban banderas.

El padre Raid Adel Kallo, párroco de la Iglesia de la Anunciación de Mosul, le dijo al papa que él y mucha de su gente abandonaron la ciudad en junio de 2014.

Dijo que, en ese entonces, a su parroquia acudían unas 500 familias. “La mayoría ha emigrado al extranjero”, y 70 familias han regresado. “El resto tiene miedo de regresar”.

La invasión de Irak en 2003 por parte de las fuerzas de Estados Unidos y una coalición destrozó la ciudad, pero el mayor y más horrible daño ocurrió a principios de junio de 2014, cuando militantes del grupo Estado Islámico lanzaron una ofensiva. Controlaron la ciudad durante tres años, aterrorizando a la población, ejecutando a cientos de personas y secuestrando, violando y vendiendo mujeres. Destruyeron los principales monumentos, tanto musulmanes como cristianos, igual que bibliotecas y museos y decenas de miles de vidas.

Ofrezcamos oraciones “por todas las víctimas de la guerra y de los conflictos armados”, dijo el papa Francisco.

Mosul es una prueba concreta de “las trágicas consecuencias de la guerra y la hostilidad”.

“Hoy, sin embargo, reafirmamos nuestra convicción de que la fraternidad es más duradera que el fratricidio, que la

FOTO DE CNS

El papa Francisco participa en una oración conmemorativa por las víctimas de la guerra en una plaza en Mosul, Irak, el 7 de marzo.

esperanza es más poderosa que el odio, que la paz es más poderosa que la guerra”, dijo el papa. “Esta convicción habla con mayor elocuencia que las voces pasajeras del odio y la violencia, y nunca podrá ser silenciada por la sangre derramada por quienes pervierten el nombre de Dios para seguir caminos de destrucción”.

La doctora Rana Bazzoiee, cirujana pediátrica de 37 años, que huyó de Mosul a Irbil en 2013, les dijo a los periodistas: “No me gusta recordar ese momento”.

Antes de que llegaran los combatientes del Estado Islámico, “vivíamos aquí en Mosul todos juntos --cristianos, musulmanes--” y “no podíamos creer que algo así ocurriría. Creo que nadie se quedó aquí. Todos los cristianos se fueron”.

Al explicar que sus amigos musulmanes y yazidíes la ayudaron en esos días sombríos, Bazzoiee dijo que no está enojada y que espera que la visita del papa ayude al proceso de volver a la normalidad. “¿Por qué no?”, dijo. “Hemos vivido juntos durante mucho tiempo en Mosul”.

Tras el servicio de oración y una visita privada a las iglesias en ruinas, el papa Francisco tomó un helicóptero a unas 20 millas (30 km) hasta Qaraqosh, una ciudad donde predomina la población cristiana que también sufrió la devastación por

parte del grupo Estado Islámico. Menos de la mitad de los habitantes de la ciudad han regresado desde que los militantes fueron expulsados en 2016.

Mounir Jibrahil, un profesor de matemáticas de 61 años dijo que regresó en 2016, pero recién terminó de reconstruir su casa el año pasado.

“Ahora es más seguro aquí”, dijo.

“Es fabuloso ver al papa. Nunca nos hubiéramos imaginado que iba a venir a Qaraqosh. Quizá ayude a reconstruir el país, trayendo por fin amor y paz”.

Durante la visita del papa a Irak, del

5 al 8 de marzo, la mayor multitud se aglomeró en las calles de Qaraqosh.

Aunque las preocupaciones de seguridad obligaron a dejar el papamóvil en Roma y utilizar en la ciudad un Mercedes-Benz blindado, el papa llevaba la ventanilla baja y el conductor iba lo suficientemente despacio como para que la policía y los agentes de seguridad a pie ni siquiera tuvieran que trotar.

Las campanas repicaron para dar la bienvenida al papa a la iglesia católica siria de la Inmaculada Concepción, profanada al ser utilizada como base por los combatientes del Estado Islámico, que convirtieron el patio en un campo de tiro.

Si bien gran parte de la ciudad todavía necesita ser reconstruida, el papa Francisco dijo que la presencia de la multitud jubilosa dentro y fuera de la iglesia “muestra que el terrorismo y la muerte nunca tienen la última palabra”.

“La última palabra le pertenece a Dios y a su hijo, vencedor del pecado y de la muerte”, dijo el pontífice. “Incluso en medio de los estragos del terrorismo y la guerra, podemos ver, con los ojos de la fe, el triunfo de la vida sobre la muerte”.

Con invitados musulmanes y yazidíes junto a los católicos en la iglesia, el papa Francisco le dijo a la gente que “este es el momento de restaurar no sólo los edificios, sino también los lazos de la comunidad que unen a las comunidades y las familias, los jóvenes y los ancianos juntos”.

Y agradeció a las organizaciones internacionales, en particular a las católicas, que están ayudando a financiar la reconstrucción de casas, escuelas, iglesias y salones comunitarios en la ciudad.

El patriarca sirio-católico Ignace Joseph III Younan hizo lo mismo, mencionando específicamente a organizaciones como Ayuda a la Iglesia Necesitada (Aid to the Church in Need), los Caballeros de Colón y “L’Oeuvre d’Orient”, una entidad benéfica con sede en Francia.

Y, en la víspera del Día Internacional de la Mujer, el papa Francisco rindió un homenaje especial a María --una foto de una estatua de ella decapitada de Qaraqosh fue noticia en todo el mundo-y a “todas las madres y mujeres de este país, mujeres de valor que siguen dando vida a pesar de las injusticias y las heridas”. †

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.



18 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD MUNDO CATÓLICO

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

Al regresar de Irak, el papa habla sobre los ‘riesgos’ en el viaje A BORDO DEL VUELO PAPAL DESDE IRAK (CNS) — El compromiso de la Iglesia Católica de dialogar con otras iglesias y con otras religiones fluye del Evangelio, pero el papa Francisco dijo que sabe que algunos católicos no están de acuerdo.

“A menudo hay que arriesgarse” para promover la armonía, dijo a los periodistas el 8 de marzo mientras volaba de regreso a Roma desde Bagdad. “Hay algunas críticas: ‘El papa no es valiente, es imprudente’. Está haciendo cosas en contra de la doctrina católica. Está a un paso de la herejía’”.

Aún así, dijo, a través de la oración y escuchando los consejos de expertos y asistentes, se ha convencido de que Dios quiere que la iglesia, y toda la humanidad, continúe promoviendo un sentido de pertenencia a una sola familia humana.

Y, dijo, que no importa si algunas religiones, sectas o grupos parecen estar más lejos de compartir esa visión.

“El gobierno de Jesús es el amor y la caridad”, dijo el papa. “¿Pero cuántos siglos nos llevó poner eso en práctica”?

Predicar y vivir la “fraternidad humana”- reconociendo que todos los hombres y mujeres, creados por Dios, son miembros de la misma familia humana y hermanos y hermanas entre sí - es un proceso que requiere esfuerzo, énfasis y repetición.

“Eres humano. Eres un hijo de Dios.

Eres mi hermano o hermana”, dijo el papa.

Con la violencia esporádica que continúa en Irak, el viaje del papa del 5 al 8 de marzo involucró una operación de seguridad masiva con el despliegue de miles de policías y oficiales militares.

Incluso la policía del Vaticano y la Guardia Suiza usaban chalecos antibalas debajo de sus trajes oscuros, una práctica inusual en un viaje papal.

Pero el otro peligro lo planteaba el COVID-19 y el riesgo de que las personas que se reunieran para ver al papa, que ha sido vacunado, genere un aumento en el número ya creciente de casos en Irak.

FOTO DE CNS

El Papa Francisco habla con periodistas a bordo de su vuelo de Bagdad a Roma el 8 de marzo.

El papa Francisco dijo que la pandemia, no el problema de seguridad fue lo que lo hizo pensar varias veces, “tal vez, tal vez no” sobre la visita.

Las decisiones sobre viajes al extranjero “se acumulan en el tiempo”, dijo el papa.

“Pensé tanto, recé tanto” sobre el viaje a Irak por la pandemia del coronavirus, “y al final tomé la decisión libremente, pero vino de por dentro y me dije a mí mismo que él que me ayudó a decidir esto va a cuidar a la gente”.

Y aunque muchos expertos no esperan que la pandemia se resuelva para el otoño, el papa Francisco dijo que prometió ir a Budapest, Hungría un día en septiembre para celebrar la misa de clausura del Congreso Eucarístico Internacional, que se pospuso de 2020.

El otro viaje que le gustaría hacer pronto, dijo, es una visita al Líbano.

El cardenal Bechara Rai, patriarca de

la Iglesia católica maronita, incluso le pidió que se detuviera en el Líbano en el camino hacia o desde Irak, dijo el papa, pero hacer eso parecería darle “migajas” al pueblo libanés dado su sufrimiento.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre su reunión del 6 de marzo en Nayaf con el ayatolá Ali al-Sistani, una figura de autoridad para los musulmanes chiítas en Irak y en todo el mundo, el papa Francisco lo describió como “un gran hombre, un hombre sabio, un hombre de Dios”.

La reunión, dijo, “fue buena para mi alma” y fue un paso más en el camino de promover una mayor comprensión y cooperación con los musulmanes.

El día después de reunirse con el ayatolá, el papa Francisco viajó a Mosul, una ciudad aterrorizada y dejada en gran parte en ruinas por los militantes del Estado Islámico que controlaron el área de 2014 a 2017.

Aunque dijo que había visto fotos de

las iglesias en ruinas de Mosul, el papa Francisco dijo que estar parado entre los escombros era “increíble, increíble”.

Pero aún más conmovedor, dijo, fue el testimonio de los sobrevivientes, incluso la de una madre que perdió a un hijo, que habló sobre la importancia del perdón y la reconstrucción.

“Somos muy buenos para insultar y condenar a la gente”, dijo, pero demasiadas personas han olvidado el poder de perdonar a los demás.

Cuando se le preguntó, si alguna vez, haría un viaje a Argentina, el papa Francisco repitió que se imaginaba muriendo o renunciando y permaneciendo en Roma, “mi diócesis”.

Bromeó diciendo que había pasado 76 años en Argentina y no veía por qué la gente quería que pasara más tiempo allí.

Pero, negando tener lo que denominó “patrio-fobia”, dijo a los periodistas que había planeado un viaje a Argentina, junto con Chile, en noviembre de 2017.

Sin embargo, el viaje se retrasó hasta enero de 2018 debido a las elecciones en Chile. Y enero en Argentina habría sido demasiado cálido.

“No sé si los viajes van a disminuir, pero les puedo decir que en este viaje me he sentido más cansado”, dijo, y agregó que tener 84 años viene con algo de cansancio.

Sin embargo, dijo, disfruta estar con la gente, especialmente “después de estos meses de encarcelamiento” debido a la pandemia y el cierre en Italia.

“Me siento diferente cuando estoy lejos de la gente”, dijo, y agregó que continuará siguiendo las recomendaciones de las autoridades gubernamentales de salud en cuanto a realizar audiencias generales u otros eventos que puedan atraer a un gran público.

“La cercanía al pueblo de Dios” es una parte esencial de ser sacerdote, dijo el papa. “Los únicos que nos salvan del orgullo son el pueblo santo de Dios”, de lo contrario los sacerdotes corren el riesgo de actuar como “una casta de élite”. †

MARCH 23, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

19

WITHIN THE ARTS Catholic sculptor hopes to inspire with his liturgical art FALLS CHURCH, Va. (CNS) — When he was 7 years old, Dony Mac Manus’ mother gave him a bag of clay for his birthday.

The boy wasn’t thrilled to receive what he considered a bit of mud.

But he soon learned to create beautiful things with that humble bag of moldable earth. “She showed me how to make whatever I wanted,” said Mac Manus. “It opened up a whole world to me.”

Mac Manus has sculpted ever since, starting with elephants and cars and graduating to bronze statues of holy men and women displayed in churches around the world. Recently, the Irish artist moved to Northern Virginia, and he hopes to share his love of art and God with young people here, just as his mother first shared it with him.

“I see my calling, my vocation as an artist is to resurrect the Christian tradition in the visual arts,” Mac Manus told the Arlington Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Arlington.

The sculptor, 49, was born in Dublin and raised in a devout Catholic family.

Having dyslexia pushed him toward art.

“Dyslexia was a big part of my formation as a person because it closed off areas in my life, made school quite difficult with regard to numbers and letters,” he said. “It forced me into another grammar, another language in which to understand the world, and myself, and to communicate to the world.”

After high school, he attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin but was deeply dismayed by his perception of how ideologically motivated it was.

“The sculpture department wanted to remove me from the fine arts department because my understanding of what it means to be a human being was very contrary to their understanding,” he said. “They were more interested in deconstructing art history and I really wasn’t buying that.”

So he moved to the craft department and learned goldsmithing and silversmithing.

“They gave me the lowest (passing) mark possible but that same year I won

CNS PHOTO

Dony Mac Manus of Falls Church, Va., sculpts the body of Christ on the cross in the basement of his home Feb. 10.

craft designer of the year in Ireland, and I was selected by the National Museum of Ireland to launch the contemporary silver collection,” he said.

After graduating, he spent time in New York City, Florence, Italy, Rome and Dublin taking classes, giving classes and making art.

For an Irish rehabilitation center, he created a statue of Mary crushing a bottle and a syringe beneath her feet. For one church, he made a statue of the Irish martyr St. Oliver Plunkett that depicted the moment before he was hanged, drawn and quartered. Beside the River Liffey in Dublin, his statue, “The Linesman,” honors the city’s dock workers.

Mac Manus’s work can be seen stateside as well. He created a bust of Pope Benedict XVI for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. In Washington, four of his statues are in the Catholic Information Center, including “St. Joseph and the Child Jesus.” He aimed to make the saint look both macho and tender, carrying his carpentry tools while cuddling the baby Jesus.

“It’s one of the most popular sculptures

LOCAL CATHOLIC NEWS.

WHERE YOU WANT IT. WHEN YOU WANT IT.

I’ve ever done because it really touches people,” he said.“With it, I tried to address the crisis of paternity, one of the major crises of contemporary culture. I spent 10 years working in inner-city projects with underprivileged kids, mostly guys. And there I realized the crisis — big time.”

Before sculpting, Mac Manus spends weeks researching the subject and sketching out design ideas. While crafting the piece, he attends Mass and spends time in prayer before the sculpture each day.

Mac Manus believes that all art is the overflow of the interior life of the artist, so if he’s growing in a deeper understanding of God and creation, his art will reflect that.

He said his approach sparked the creation of two schools: the Irish

Academy of Figurative Art in Dublin, which has since closed, and the Sacred Art School in Florence.

“The schools that I founded, I didn’t really found them (intentionally),” he said. “Basically, local artists pressured me to give classes, and those classes just grew and grew. They weren’t satisfied with what they were receiving in their schools, which are very good schools, but they didn’t have the full grounding.”

Several of his students became Catholics.

Mac Manus recently moved to the United States to marry an American woman, Christine, and they settled near St. James Church in Falls Church because he thinks Northern Virginia is the perfect place to launch a new liturgical arts school and studio.

The area has a vibrant Catholic community, and it’s close to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which allows artists to draw and paint the classics on display. He plans to instruct interested high schoolers for the same reason he likes working with soft clay — it’s easily moldable.

“I deal with high school students because they’re more open, they’re more excited about visual art and the great masters,” he said. “I’m trying to create an army of artists to serve Christ.”

Mac Manus believes artists have a special ability to evangelize through their work, creating not only lovely art but easily consumed catechesis.

He feels that beautiful churches and Liturgies will strengthen the Church, and in turn, bring the culture back to Christ.

“Beauty has the power to pierce the heart and to bring with it truth and goodness,” he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI. “That phrase really sums up the whole mission of art in the hands of the Christian.” †

MOVIE RATINGS By Catholic News Service A-I – GENERAL PATRONAGE

A-III – ADULTS

• The House That Rob Built (NR) • Tom & Jerry (PG)

• • • •

A-II – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS

• •

• Raya and the Last Dragon (PG) • Yes Day (PG)

• • •

Blithe Spirit (PG-13) Boogie (R) Chaos Walking (PG-13) Coming 2 America (PG-13) Dark Waters (PG-13) Judas and the Black Messiah (R) Land (PG-13) Minari (PG-13) Nomadland (R)

• Our Friend (R) • The Little Things (R) • The Mauritanian (R)

L – LIMITED ADULT AUDIENCE

• The White Tiger (R)

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• Promising Young Woman (R)

PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

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.



20 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

ARCHGH.ORG/TCH • MARCH 23, 2021

MILESTONES

St. Faustina initiates Phase II construction with groundbreaking

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER GUNN

On Sunday, March 7, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ordained Father Nicholas Divine, CP, to the priesthood at the Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALBERTO AND MONICA DUVA/ST. FAUSTINA CHURCH

A groundbreaking ceremony for a Community and Education Building and on-site rectory was held at St. Faustina Church in Fulshear on March 7. The event took place after the afternoon Mass to initiate Phase II construction of the parish’s “Deepening Discipleship/Expanding Mercy Campaign.” St. Faustina was established in 2014, and currently has more than 4,000 families as parishioners. Father Dat Hoang (pictured above) serves as pastor. (Bottom photo): Gary Newberry, Capital Campaign Chair; building committee members: Trung Nguyen, Terry Soderstrom, Brenda Gillespie, Brian Lennox and Lisa Guerre; Father Hoang and Fran Aldrich, Honorary Chair. Not pictured are Richard Stolleis and Angelica Batac.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE Editor’s Note: Contact event organizers for the latest updates and information.

View more listings at www.archgh.org/ata.

LENTEN EVENTS

FISH FRY, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays at Epiphany of the Lord (1530 Norwalk Dr. Katy).

Pre-order and drive-thru pick up only. Enter church on Highland Knolls entrance, no cash or checks accepted. Order online at: www. knights-of-columbus-epiphany-council-9759. square.site

APRIL 10

DRIVE-BY FOOD DRIVE, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at St. John Vianney Catholic Church (625 Nottingham Oaks Trail). The parish invites everyone in the community to bring a bagged or boxed donation of non-perishable food to our drive-by food drive. Drive up to

one of the four drop-off stations on the main parking lot and our volunteers will pick up the items from your trunk.

Most-needed items include: non-refrigerated shelf-stable milk and fruit juice; canned meats, fruits and vegetables; pasta, dry rice and beans; peanut butter, jelly, cereal, vegetable oil, nuts, ground coffee, personal hygiene items, and household cleaning supplies.

APRIL 19

GOLF TOURNAMENT, 10 a.m. at Willow Fork Country Club (21055 Westheimer Parkway, Katy). ACTS Ministry hosts Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church second annual golf tournament fundraiser with 10 a.m. shotgun start with prizes and meals. $135 per golfer, $525 per foursome. Register: epiphanycatholic.org/epiphany-golftournament, 832-544-9655.