Texas Catholic Herald - September 27, 2022

25 priests, religious sisters celebrate Jubilees with Cardinal DiNardo

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — A hometown priest and religious sister who served as a medical missionary in conflict-torn Yemen are among clergy and consecrated women celebrating their silver, golden, diamond and platinum jubilees on Oct. 9 with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.

They will celebrate Mass together at 4 p.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, located at 9900 Stella Link Rd. in Houston.

Hometown priest Father Paul Chovanec was ordained in 1972 by Bishop John L. Morkovsky, S.T.D., in his home parish of St. Peter the Apostle Church off Old Spanish Trail. Now pastor for the past 15 years at St. Justin Martyr parish, Father Chovanec credits his parents, Albert and Martha Chovanec, for creating a devout home and sending him to Catholic school.

“I grew up in St. Peter the Apostle parish, staffed by the LaSalette Fathers, and I attended the parish school staffed by the Dominican Sisters,” Father Chovanec said. “I was an altar boy, and the idea of becoming a priest came to me quite naturally. I never wanted to be anything else.”

Being of Czech heritage, the pastor has helped organize an annual project ongoing since 1999 of sponsoring transitional deacons from the Czech Republic studying to become priests to visit Texas.

“All my ancestry is Czech. My ancestors came to Texas a hundred years ago and brought their Catholic faith with them. Traditional Czech Catholicism is part of who I am,” Father Chovanec explained.

“I am glad to share the project of bringing Czech deacons to Texas so they can practice their English and share their youthful Czech faith with me and my parish. I’m on the board of the Czech Catholic Foundation of Texas, and bringing these deacons to Texas is one of our stated objectives,” he said.

Father Chovanec said the Czech deacons “always rekindle” his joy in being a priest.

“There’s something wonderful and inspiring about mature young men or

HOUSTON — Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza, the long-time bishop of GalvestonHouston and a tireless social justice advocate throughout his priesthood, episcopacy and in retirement, died Sept. 19. He was 91.

The Beaumont native served as bishop of the Diocese of GalvestonHouston from 1985 to 2006 and was made Archbishop in 2004 when the diocese was elevated to the status of Archdiocese by then-pope, St. John Paul II.

“Archbishop Fiorenza was known to be a champion of civil rights and

a tireless worker in overcoming the presence of racism in our community. He was also known as a great promoter of genuine renewal in the Church and in making the teachings of the Second Vatican Council known,” said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of GalvestonHouston. Cardinal DiNardo succeeded Archbishop Fiorenza as Archbishop of Galveston-Houston in 2006.

Ever committed to serving the people of GalvestonHouston, Archbishop Fiorenza was a steadfast advocate for social justice issues and a supporter of

interfaith collaboration for positive social change across all social and economic borders. As a young priest, he had marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma; in 2020, he spoke at a panel discussion regarding race relations hosted by Interfaith Ministries. He was joined by fellow Houston faith and civil rights leaders Rev. William Lawson, Pastor Emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, and the late Rabbi Emeritus Samuel Karff of Congregation Beth Israel — the “Three Amigos.”

“Archbishop was always attentive to the marginalized, to those in the periphery ... from the African

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

CNS PHOTO

Pope Benedict XVI greets Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza after bestowing the pallium on Archbishop Fiorenza during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on June 29, 2005.

‘He was meant to be a priest’

FIORENZA,

Americans in the 1960s to the welcoming of the many immigrants from all over the world, especially from Latin America,” said Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, who also noted that Archbishop issued the diocesan Hispanic pastoral plan in the 1990s. Archbishop Fiorenza was the active bishop in Galveston-Houston when Bishop Dell’Oro arrived in the local diocese as a parish priest.

Karen Clifton, founding executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network and currently the executive coordinator of Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC), said Archbishop Fiorenza was “a pastoral bishop who, through his example, mentored many to work towards justice. He leads with a prayerful, courageous stance for the least among us without fear of opposition,” she said in an article celebrating Archbishop’s 90th birthday last year.

Even in retirement, Clifton noted that Archbishop Fiorenza’s passion for justice never wavered, which gave her and others “courage to follow in his shadow and join him in pushing forward one of the many issues he champions.” She referred to him “as a great leader by his example of never compromising his beliefs to gain status or power, and through humble leadership, knowing his own weaknesses and tolerating the weaknesses of others.”

Joseph Anthony Fiorenza was born Jan. 25, 1931, in Beaumont, Texas. The son of Italian immigrant parents, he was the second of four children born to Anthony and Grace Fiorenza. Archbishop Fiorenza graduated from St. Anthony High School on May 29, 1947. He began studies for the priesthood the same year and was ordained a priest for the then-Diocese of Galveston-Houston on May 29, 1954.

Archbishop Fiorenza’s cousin, Sister Benignus Galiano, O.P., said when he was young, he would pretend to be a priest.

“He was meant to be a priest. His mother told us when he was a little boy he pretended to be a priest. From an early age, he knew what he wanted to do,” Sister Galiano stated in an article that ran in the Texas Catholic Herald

Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza Funeral Arrangements

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston, Texas 77002 Livestream schedule — www.archgh.org/live

Tuesday, Sept. 27

Solemn Reception of the Body: 7 p.m.

Visitation with Fiorenza Family Present: 7:15 - 9 p.m. Rosary: 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 28

Lying in State: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Solemn Vigil Liturgy: 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 29

Funeral Mass: 2 p.m.

Rite of Committal Following Mass: Private

last year.

Following his ordination to the priesthood, then-“Father Joe” served as an assistant pastor in Houston for three years and then became the professor of medical ethics at Dominican College and chaplain of St. Joseph Hospital in Houston. From 1959 to 1967, he was the administrator of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. He was pastor of several churches from 1967 to 1973 when he was named chancellor of Galveston-Houston.

St. John Paul II named him the Bishop of San Angelo on Sept. 4, 1979, and he served in that West Texas diocese until 1985 when he was named the Bishop of Galveston-Houston, an Archdiocese that now has more than 1.7 million Catholics. He became Galveston-Houston’s first Archbishop on Dec. 29, 2004.

With an eye to the future and the growth of the Church during his time as ordinary of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Fiorenza became acutely aware of the need for the burgeoning local Church to expand its spiritual home in response to the vastness of the faithful.

He dedicated himself to building the new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred

Heart, a sacred space in the heart of downtown Houston where all were welcome to worship. Through his commitment and support of the campaign, the Co-Cathedral opened its doors to the people of GalvestonHouston on April 2, 2008.

Throughout his tenure as shepherd of Galveston-Houston, Archbishop Fiorenza also served the Church on a national level as the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (1998-2001). In this responsibility, he served as the chief spokesman for 3,000 active Catholic bishops in the U.S.

His memberships have included the Bishops’ Committees for Black Catholics, Science and Human Values, Foreign Missions, and Social Development and World Peace.

He has also served on the board of trustees of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association; Catholic Relief Services; the University of St. Thomas, Houston; and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

On a daily basis until his death, Archbishop Fiorenza continued his faithful commitment to the Church in Galveston-Houston and to all brothers and sisters in the community. †

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON

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Issue date: October 11

Deadline: Noon on September 20

Issue date: October 25

Deadline: Noon on October 4

THE FIRST WORD

HOUSTON — For 156 years, the Sisters of Divine Providence of San Antonio have served in a variety of ministries within the current Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston. In 1866 Bishop Claude Dubuis, bishop of all of Texas, extended an invitation to the non-cloistered sisters at Saint-Jean-de-Bassel, France, “to found everywhere rural schools for girls” in Texas. Sister St. Andrew Feltin and Sister Alphonse Boegler accepted his request and arrived in Galveston on Oct. 25, 1866.

In 1867 the sisters opened their first school, St. Mary’s in Austin. Bishop Dubuis then sent the sisters to Castroville in 1868, where they established their first motherhouse and another school. Within its first 20 years in Texas, the congregation opened or staffed more than 25 schools not only in rural areas but also in Austin, San Antonio and Galveston.

St. Joseph’s Academy in Galveston (1876-1926) was the first school opened by the sisters in what is now the Archdiocese. Larger schools where they ministered in the Houston area include Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Anne and St. Pius V in Pasadena.

IN BRIEF BACK IN HISTORY

Other schools in Houston included St. Stephen, St. Benedict and St. Patrick. Schools in other towns were Guardian Angel, Wallis; Immaculate Conception, Industry; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Rosenberg; St. Joseph, New Waverly; and St. Mary’s Schools in Frydek and Sealy.

Initially, sisters ministered primarily in education. Later they diversified their works to include parish and diocesan ministries, social work, health care, community organizing and retreat and spiritual direction in not only Catholic but also in secular institutions. Sisters, for instance, ministered at the Catholic Chancery, the Baylor College of Medicine Midwifery Service, Our Lady of Guadalupe Clinic (Rosenberg), The Metropolitan Organization (community organizing) and St. Mary’s Seminary. They also served in parish ministry in Houston parishes such as Assumption, St. Jerome, St. Michael, St. Mary of the Purification and St. Theresa.

PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS

Effective July 9

Father Luu Thomas Vu

Parochial Vicar – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Effective Aug. 23

Father Jesus Lizalde

Pastor – St. Charles Borromeo

Effective Sept. 15

Father Eliseus Ogbonna Ibeh, MSP

Pastor – St. Nicholas

Father Tokha Hoang, CSsR

In Residence – St. Clement’s Monastery

Effective Oct. 3

Father Jose Alonso

Parochial Vicar – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Father Chad Henry

Parochial Vicar – Holy Family, Galveston

Father Loc Phan

Parochial Vicar – Vietnamese Martyrs

Father Steven Tran

Parochial Vicar – Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

While in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Sister Benitia Vermeersch, CDP, mentored a group of lay catechists that eventually developed into an independent congregation, the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence.

The Sisters of Divine Providence’s response to Bishop Dubuis’s request 156 years ago is still ongoing.

Although their mission has extended beyond teaching children, today, sisters in the Archdiocese minister as pastoral assistants and licensed professional counselors. In San Antonio, the sister’s sponsored ministries include McCullough Hall Nursing Center, Providence Catholic School and Our Lady of the Lake University. As sisters who went before them, they work to further the mission of Jesus in our time. † since 1866

WYD 2023: Deadline to register is Sept. 30

HOUSTON — The Archdiocese is hosting a pilgrimage to World Youth Day for young adults ages 18 to 39 coming up from July 26 to Aug. 7, 2023. This trip includes visits to Madrid, Avila, Toledo and Fatima before heading to Lisbon for World Youth Day with Pope Francis.

To sign up, all pilgrims need to make a $300 deposit. Spaces are almost full. Register by Sept. 30. Fundraising opportunities will be available this fall.

For more information about the trip, go to www.archgh. org/wyd2023 or yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778. †

Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life

HOUSTON — The Office of Pro-Life Activities is hosting a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 5 p.m.

The special Mass is to give thanks for the Gift of Human Life and to celebrate all those volunteers who have worked so hard to create a culture of life.

Mass will be celebrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart followed by a reception at the Cathedral Centre.

For more information contact our office at 713-741-8728, jkfritsch@archgh.org or www.archgh.org/prolife. †

White Mass honors healthcare professionals

HOUSTON — The public is invited to attend the White Mass. The Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, C.R.S., will be the celebrant.

The White Mass is sponsored by the Archdiocese, the San José Clinic and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The purpose of the White Mass is to honor St. Luke as the patron of physicians, and honor the healthcare professions as a whole. Visit sanjoseclinic.org or call 713-490-2620 for more information. †

CNS PHOTO

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE OF SAN ANTONIO

The Sisters of Divine Providence of San Antonio ministered several Houston area, including Immaculate Conception. Pic tured is their First Communion in 1939.

Storm surprises and to the Texas Gulf coast

1943 hurricane forced Galveston Catholic high school to house storm evacuees

BY LISA MAY Special to the Herald

GALVESTON — Hurricanes and tropical storms have impacted the lives of individual Catholics, the parishes and ministries of the Archdiocese throughout its history.

The first church on Galveston Island, a small frame building named in honor of the Virgin Mary, had been open only a few months when a hurricane in September 1842 blew it off its foundations. The great Galveston Storm of 1900, still considered one of the worst natural disasters in American history, brought thousands of fatalities and destroyed seven churches in the Galveston diocese alone.

The names Carla, Alicia, Allison and Ike still resonate with residents of the Gulf Coast, as this year marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction.

Though warnings about the 1900 Storm came too late for many, through the 20th century, people came to depend on alerts from the National Weather Service about developing storms. In 1943, however, censorship imposed during World War II left the Galveston-Houston area unprepared for a hurricane that made landfall in Galveston on July 27 as a Category 2 storm.

In a time before satellites or even airplane reconnaissance, the Weather Service relied on reports from shipping.

Crucially, under fear of German U-boat activity in the Gulf of Mexico, ships were ordered to radio silence.

The first notices of the storm came on Monday, July 26, the day before it would make landfall. At that time, the predictions were for a “small tropical disturbance.”

Only as the storm made landfall on

Bolivar Peninsula around noon the next day did it become clear how strong the storm would be and how unprepared the population was. Radio stations, then the only media that could have sounded warnings, went silent with power outages.

As the center of the hurricane moved north, people were caught in the wind and rising water. Plants in Texas City, Baytown and Deer Park that were producing war materials did not have enough warning to shut down safely.

At Ellington Field, air cadets were sent out into the storm to hold down

planes caught on the ground. In Houston, people working downtown had to shelter in place at their jobs.

By Wednesday morning, the storm had reached Navasota, moving to the northwest. Residents could begin to assess the damage and clean up in the aftermath. Kirwin High School in Galveston (later O’Connell High School) welcomed 100 people taking refuge during the storm. Many of its windows were broken, letting in rain that flooded the chapel and damaged other buildings.

In La Porte, the chapel at St. Mary’s Seminary also suffered major damage when the roof blew off. The gymnasium was in such bad shape that it would later be razed.

Bishop Christopher Byrne reported in August, “We carried sufficient insurance on the Seminary Chapel to meet all the damage that was done there. We were not so wise with the other buildings.”

Among the parishes, St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Church in Texas City suffered the worst, with the church destroyed in the storm. The parishioners would rebuild, only to lose their church again four years later in the Texas City Disaster of 1947.

Bill Read, formerly of the Houston/ Galveston National Weather Service office, wrote in an article about the 1943 “Surprise” Hurricane that “The news of this hurricane was heavily censored by the government due to national security. The loss of production of war materials couldn’t be found out by the Axis Powers.”

News stories about the storm were published only in Texas and Louisiana, the two states impacted by it.

Catholic publications, including the Southern Messenger out of San Antonio and the Catholic Youth, the Galveston diocese’s Catholic youth organization paper, carried stories on the storm. Bill Read notes, however, that “After this hurricane, never again were advisories censored from the public ... the risk to human life is too great.” † festival

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHDIOCESAN ARCHIVES

The Catholic Youth, the Catholic Youth Organization’s diocesan newspaper, published photos of the seri damages to St. Mary’s Seminary in LaPorte following the 1943 hurricane that struck the diocese. Storm warnings before the storm, news and information about the devastation was quashed due to na tional censorship efforts because of World War II.

Jubilee:

women who are committed to serving God and the Church,” he said. “Their dedication to praying the Liturgy of the Hours always impresses me. No matter where they are, when it’s time to pray the various Hours, they take out their cell phones, find the right app and they pause to pray. That’s edifying.”

Sister Gina Iadanza, MSC, is wellknown throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, serving as associate director for the Secretariat for Clergy, Formation and Chaplaincy Services for the past 10 years.

Dealing with a variety of cultures came naturally with Sister Iadanza as she grew up on military bases around the world with her career Army father Major Igino (“Gene”) and medic mother Josephine Iadanza.

Born in Japan, Sister Iadanza remembers her mother taking her as a child to an orphanage where she volunteered to help the other children, many of them disfigured from the war and bombings.

Growing up surrounded by Army nurses and meeting a Sister of Charity in New Jersey who served as a missionary in China “lit a fire inside me that grew into God’s call to enter religious life, become a missionary, a nurse, and much more.”

She made her first vows as a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart at its Motherhouse in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 21, 1971.

She also became a registered nurse working in the emergency room in MSC hospitals until she was sent as a medical missionary to the Middle Eastern country of Yemen from 1981 through 1985. During that time, government soldiers and tribal conflicts kept Sister Iadanza and her team of international doctors busy patching up injuries and conducting lifesaving surgeries.

In learning fluent Arabic, she said, “I supervised teams of doctors and nurses back then who were Russian, Chinese, Syrians and other nationalities.”

She would also travel by camel to visit villages, bringing medical supplies and services to the sick throughout the Tihama desert. Yemen, the ancient area thousands of years old where the queen of Sheba in the Bible originated, remains locked between a Saudi-backed government and rebels supported by

Iran.

JUBILARIANS 2022

PLATINUM – 75 YEARS

Sr. Emily Bordages, O.P.

DIAMOND – 60 YEARS

Sr. Annette Dworsky, O.P.

Rev. Janusz A. Ihnatowicz

Sr. Scholastica Schwarzbach, C.V.I.

Sr. Mary Celestine Kavanagh, CCVI

GOLDEN – 50 YEARS

Rev. John L. Boscoe, C.S.B.

Rev. Paul R. Chovanec

Rev. Ronald F. Cloutier

Sr. Gina Maria Iadanza, MSC

Carol Lohla (Focolare)

Rev. Nicolas O. Pasadilla

Rev. Benjamin Smaistrla

Rev. Edward Wade, C.C.

SILVER – 25 YEARS

Rev. Joseph T.P. Bui

Rev. Peter T. Bui, C.Ss.R

Sr. Mary Catherine Thu Do, O.P.

Rev. Martin Eke, M.S.P

Sr. Anne Frances Ai Le, O.P.

Sr. Maria Thanh Huyen Le, O.P.

Rev. Won-Choul Lee

Sr. Anna Maria Lan Luong, O.P.

Sr. Mary Magdalene Hang Nguyen, O.P.

Sr. Chinwendu Nnokwutem, HHCJ

Sr. Maria Goretti Hang Ta, O.P.

Sr. Anna Monica Suong Tran, O.P.

“We were not allowed to evangelize, but we were doing so by our presence and service to raise the dignity of life,” Sister Iadanza said.

The mostly Islamic country had requested the Vatican to send women religious as nurses and doctors, which then-Pope John Paul II granted.

Sister Iadanza’s assignments after Yemen led her to minister to those traumatized by life events and then down a different pathway serving the diverse needs of the clergy through ongoing formation programs, consultation and committees supporting priestly ministry.

The decade in her Archdiocesan position has placed her in multiple roles, with the Secretariat and chancery departments collaborating with leadership in responding to the needs of hundreds of priests.

“As our world, even locally, is far more multicultural than when I first entered religious life, the gift and challenge today is to actively welcome women and me from diverse cultures to live a life committed to serving wherever they are sent, even beyond their own culture,” she said.

Vicar for Religious Sister Francesca Kearns, CCVI, born in Ireland, organizes the Jubilarian celebration and celebrated her own Diamond Jubilee last year after taking vows in Houston at Villa de Matel Convent 60 years ago.

“In this 175th anniversary year of

the founding of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, we rejoice with 25 priests, sisters and consecrated women celebrating their own anniversaries,” Sister Kearns said.

She concluded, “Jubilee time is… a time to ponder the mystery of how God has been present and guiding us all the way, even when we were unaware of his guidance. It’s a time of gratitude for the people we have served with and ministered to. As Cardinal DiNardo has said, our lives and communities have prepared us to enter fully into Synod of 2023.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES DEGHELDER

Father Paul Chovanec, St. Justin Martyr Pastor and Knights of Columbus chaplain, invites Czech transi tional deacons to Texas so they can practice their English and share their youthful Czech faith.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SISTER GINA MARIE IADANZA Sister Gina Iandanza, MSC, smiles while shopping at a street market in Yemen.

Firefighters Mass honors those who face dangers beyond blazes

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

Houston — Firefighters face dangers beyond the duty of handling blazes, dying of cancers and heart attacks as they dedicate themselves to protecting the lives of residents and their property.

On Sunday, Oct. 2, the Archdiocese will thank and pray for all firefighters from departments and volunteers at the Annual Archdiocesan Firefighters Mass.

The 11 a.m. Mass, presided by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and sponsored by the St. Florian Society of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, will be held at the downtown Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

“This Mass is an opportunity for all active and retired firefighters to pray together, to honor those firefighters who have passed and to have a fraternal gathering with other firefighters and their families,” said Chief Christopher Chavez, Mass organizer and Houston firefighter.

“This is a dangerous, high-risk profession. Support from family, friends and the community lets our firefighters know they are appreciated,” Chief Chavez added.

During the Mass, a special tribute will be given to firefighters who have passed in the previous year. The tribute will include a reading of the names of deceased firefighters, which will be accompanied by the ringing of bells.

This tribute includes Houston Fire Department firefighter Malcolm Willis who passed away of a heart attack at only 24 years old this past July after fighting fires in the record-breaking summer heat. Cardiac arrests account

for nearly half of all on-duty deaths of firefighters, according to reports.

But cancer also takes more than its fair share. Jordan Dane Downing, who, among his firefighting duties, also served on the personal medical detail of late former President George Bush and Barbara Bush. Downing was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. He joined a clinical trial but passed away at 38 years old last Dec. 2. He is survived by his wife, son and parents.

Another duty-related cancer death, Walter Graves was a 20-plus year

veteran of the Houston Fire Department and former Harris County sheriff’s deputy. The 54-year-old also volunteered for the Waller County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office. In November 2020,

WANT TO GO?

2022 FIREFIGHTERS MASS

WHEN: 11 a.m. Sunday, October 2

WHERE: Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. Houston

CELEBRANT: Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

he was diagnosed with stage 3 multiple myeloma. After undergoing treatment, he passed away last July 6. He is survived by his wife and four children.

Fires regularly expose first responders to carcinogenic chemicals, including formaldehyde, benzene, arsenic and petroleum byproducts, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena reported, “Occupational cancer has proven to be the new epidemic we face.

Far too many members of the fire service have been lost to this relentless illness.”

Fire trucks will line the street in front of the Co-Cathedral with crossed ladders hoisting a large U.S. flag.

The Archdiocesan Annual Firefighter Mass is open to active and retired firefighters, their families and the general public. †

Red Mass

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – 6:15 p.m.

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Main Celebrant & Homilist

Optional Red Mass Dinner Following Mass Cathedral Centre – 7:30 p.m.

John L. Allen Jr., Journalist and Author, Crux Dinner Speaker

To purchase dinner tickets: www.archgh.org/redmass

FILE PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Fire tower trucks prepare to lift up a U.S. flag outside the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston during a past service for a Houston firefighter. The 2022 Firefighters Mass will be celebrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo on Oct. 2 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. FOR:

Young Adult Campus Ministry

Family Life Ministry Wedding Jubilee Mass

San José Clinic

Hurricane Harvey recovery: Catholic Charities is in it for the long haul

BY BETSY BALLARD Special to the Herald

HOUSTON — Alvin resident Cindy Tellez and her husband had four feet of water in their home during Hurricane Harvey.

“It was crazy,” said Tellez, who noted that they had to live in hotels for nearly eight months. They were able to do some repairs to their home with the help of friends but had to live with much of the damage for more than four years.

Then, the Tellez family was connected to the Disaster Recovery program at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. After the long wait, “with the help of Catholic Charities, we have a kitchen and a bathroom,” Tellez said. The Tellez family story is far from unique. Based on the widespread damage caused by Harvey’s 47 inches of rainfall, area experts predicted it would take years before the community could reach wholeness.

Families with the greatest financial challenges would face the highest barriers to recovery. That was the rationale behind the formulation of Catholic Charities’ Disaster Recovery Program.

“Our board of directors understood that recovery from Harvey would take years,” said Catholic Charities President Cynthia N. Colbert. “We designed a program that would last at least five years for Harvey, then keep us prepared for the next disaster. We are able to walk beside the most vulnerable families in our community who need more time to rebuild.”

In the five years since Harvey, long after most neighborhoods returned to pre-Harvey conditions, Catholic Charities’ Disaster Recovery program continues to help those who don’t have the means to restore their homes from damages caused by the catastrophic flooding event.

“Catholic Charities has a decades-long history of service to people who contend with poverty,” said Colbert.“So we are well positioned to help this same population following devastating natural – and manmade – catastrophes.”

Since 2017, Catholic Charities’ Disaster Recovery program enrolled 22,162 individuals; helped 2,474 households with basic needs such as mortgage assistance and temporary housing; purchased 1,831,482 pieces of furniture and 197,785 appliances; and provided construction/ repair services to 587 homes.

Mary Ann Welch is a disabled senior whose Braeswood-area townhome had a foot of murky brown water standing inside for five days before it could drain.

Getting by on a fixed income, Welch lacked the resources to repair her home or find alternative housing.

She continued living in a few rooms in her home for four years until another agency referred her to Catholic Charities, which finished the repairs that allowed her to make full use of her home.

“I am so pleased to have these repairs completed,” said Welch. “My testimony on the power of patience, perseverance and prayer is real as it has been a frustrating journey.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been another factor that delayed repairs for Harvey-damaged homes.

Cindy Tellez and her husband had to take a long pause in their restoration efforts. Due to her husband’s health issues, they were forced to wait until it was safe for them to have workers in their homes. Catholic Charities facilitated repairs to the foundation, bathroom and kitchen, in addition to replacing appliances and bedroom furniture.

Catholic Charities provided immediate assistance after Harvey as well in 2017. As the skies began to clear, Catholic Charities sprang into action to help desperate families with the most immediate needs: food, cleaning supplies, clothing, gift cards for gas and more.

The need for help was staggering. Catholic Charities saw a huge increase in requests for food assistance as lines at their three largest food pantries expanded beyond anything seen before.

In addition, the agency received increased cries for help with rent, utilities

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES

In the five years since Hurricane Harvey, Catholic Charities rebuilt or repaired nearly 600 homes damaged by flooding. Early in the process, Catholic Charities collaborated with nonprofits that provided volunteers, in addition to engaging construction firms to do the work.

and other essential expenses. Harvey meant loss of income for many families with lower-wage jobs who couldn’t work due to damaged businesses and workplaces.

“In many ways, Harvey prepared us for another extended disaster that occurred only a few years later — the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colbert. “Catholic Charities is always prepared to respond when the community needs us most. Thanks to generous friends throughout the Archdiocese, we are able to serve as the hands and feet of Christ.”

To learn more and support Catholic Charities visit catholiccharities.org. †

CYNTHIA N. COLBERT

President, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

BY THE NUMBERS

Since 2017, the Catholic Charities Disaster Recovery program has:

• Supported 22,162 individuals

• Helped 2,474 households with basic needs like mortgage assistance and temporary housing

• Purchased 1,831,482 pieces of furniture and 197,785 appliances

• Provided construction and repair services to 587 homes.

“We designed a program that would last at least five years for Harvey, then keep us prepared for the next disaster. We are able to walk beside the most vulnerable families in our community who need more time to rebuild.”

OBITUARIES

Sandra Ann Barrow

OPELOUSAS, Louisiana — Sandra Ann Barrow, mother of Doris Barrow, campus minister at Texas Southern University, died Sept. 3. She was 68.

The funeral Mass was held Sept. 10 at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana. Interment will be in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Cemetery in Arnaudville, Louisiana. †

Sister Vincent Haverty, C.V.I.

HOUSTON — Sister Vincent Haverty, C.V.I., died on April 14. She was 93 years old.

In her ministry, Sister Haverty was a high school math teacher Marian High School, although she spent most of her teaching ministry at Incarnate Word Academy.

The funeral Mass was held April 22 at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. Interment is in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. †

Margarita G. de Ochoa

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Margarita G. de Ochoa, mother of Hilda Ochoa, director of the Office of Missions, died Aug. 14. She was 91 years old.

A funeral Mass was held Aug. 15 in Mexico City. †

Father Joseph Vu Thanh

HOUSTON — Father Joseph Vu Thanh died Aug. 12 after a long battle with cancer. He was a spiritual advisor for the Vietnamese Cursillo. †

Father Jay Walsh, CSB

HOUSTON — Father Jay Walsh, CSB, parochial vicar at St. Anne Catholic Church in Houston, died Sept. 18.

He was pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Missouri City and pastor at St. Basil Catholic Church in Angleton before it became Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The funeral Mass was held Sept. 23 in St. Anne Catholic Church. Interment is in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. †

IN MEMORIA

Development Coordinator Needed

Pray for the following priests whose anniversaries of death are during the month of October.

Oct. 1, 1853

Oct. 1, 1853

Oct. 1, 1981

Oct. 2, 2014

Join our dynamic team! St. Dominic Village is a nonprofit, senior care community where your success will expand our reach in the community in support of our mission: CaringforOurElderswith theCompassionofChrist. Come be part of the team that sets and crushes goals where no two days are the same!

Oct. 3, 2012

Oct. 5, 1866

Oct. 5, 1962

Oct. 5, 1970

Oct. 9, 1993

Competitive Salary Medical Dental Vision 403B Casual Friday Dress Flexible Workday Hours

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oct. 10, 1972

Oct. 10, 1993

Oct. 12, 1847

Oct. 12, 1993

Responsible for the performance, integrity, and security of the database (Network For Good) as well as issuing all related correspondence. You will assist with grant proposal preparation; planning, organization, and execution of special events; developing the quarterly newsletter; social media posts and email blasts.

Oct. 14, 1928

Oct. 14, 1996

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

Oct. 14, 2020

Oct. 15, 1884

Bachelors/3 years experience in Development/Event Planning Network For Good, Canva and Indesign Experience

Oct. 15, 2001

Oct. 15, 2009

Oct. 16, 1967

A record of measurable results in organizing and implementing such activities as: major gifts, annual gifts, grant writing, corporate and foundation giving, direct mail and special events

Oct. 16, 1983

Oct. 16, 2002

A successful track record of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors, corporations, and foundations

Oct. 16, 2007

Must demonstrate initiative this role is for someone who is self sufficient and self motivated.

To apply, go to: stdominicvillage org/careers

Development Coordinator

St. Dominic Village is a nonprofit senior care community. Your success will expand St. Dominic Village’s reach in the community in support of our mission, Caring for Our Elders with the Compassion of Christ.

Responsibilities: The Development Assistant is responsible for the performance, in tegrity, and security of the database (Network For Good) as well as issuing all related correspondence. Responsible for assembling and sending out proposals for grants. Will support the Development Director in the planning, organization, and execution of all Special Events. Will organize and develop the quarterly newsletter, social media posts and email blasts.

National conference on disability coming to Spring next month

HOUSTON — The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) is hosting its national conference at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring) on Oct. 2122. The conference, themed “One Lord, One Faith, One Family: Disability Ministry in a Synodal Church” will feature keynote addresses from Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria and Dr. Joseph White, director of catechetical resources for Our Sunday Visitor Publishing.

More than 30 speakers will present during breakout sessions, panel and roundtable presentations and plenary addresses that will explore a variety of topics including inclusivity, digital accessibility, Sacramental preparation, intellectual and developmental disabilities, adaptations, diverse learning, and several presentations in Spanish. The NCPD Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is coordinating this conference. The NCPD is led by Charleen Katra, who formerly was an associate director in the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston leading Ministry with Persons with Disabilities.

$175 in-person registration includes access to all on-site events. One day registrations are $105. A virtual registration option includes both keynotes and four breakout sessions. To register or for more information, visit ncpd.org. †

Catholic Charities’ food distributions continue at three locations

HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston offers food assistance at three locations.

In Houston, client choice food distributions are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe Center, located at 326 S. Jensen St. Appointments required, for appointments, call 713-874-6781 on Mondays and Fridays. Only registered clients will be permit ted; no walk-up registrations. Food fairs are scheduled for Oct. 7 and Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

In Galveston, the Beacon of Hope Center, located at 4700 Broadway, Suite F-103, hosts drive-thru distributions on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, starting at 9 a.m. No appointments required. Call 409-762-2064 for more information.

In Fort Bend County, The Mamie George Community Center, located at 1111 Collins Rd. in Richmond, hosts both drive-thru food distributions and in-person shopping. Drive-thru distributions, in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, are on Tuesdays, from 5 to 7 p.m., and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register by texting “HFBPS” to 855-788-3663, then select “Catholic Charities — Richmond.”

Clients should visit by appointment only on Mondays, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Center also hosts monthly food fairs, with the next one set for Oct. 29, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. For help, call 281-202-6200.

For more, visit www.catholiccharities.org/food or call the Catholic Charities COVID Assistance Line at 713-874-6521. †

Expand and deepen our hearts all victims of violence everywhere and their families. Pray for those being executed in Texas and their families: 5: John Ramirez

For further details or to apply, visit stdominicvillage.org/careers

Connecting young adults to Christ and His Church encourages lifelong faith

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — Accompanying young adults on their faith journeys means creating space for worship, prayer and community to encourage active, lifelong relationships with Christ and His Church.

The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry (YACM) in the Archdiocese seeks to provide a home for all young adults within the Catholic Church in their late teens, 20s and 30s. One of 64 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), YACM serves about 7,000 young adults through programs and services provided at five college campuses and more than 60 parishes across the Archdiocese.

Angie Pometto, director of the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, said recent surveys show that when young people go off to college, a high percentage stop practicing their faith. But they may not realize how the Campus Ministry staff can support these students as they grow in their faith and discern their vocation during this integral and challenging time of their lives.

“Anyone who supports DSF is directly supporting the work of keeping Catholic college students connected and engaged in their faith,” said Pometto. “If they can remain faithful in college, there’s a high likelihood that they will remain active into their young adult years and seek God’s will when deciding on careers, where to live, and vocations to marriage, priesthood or religious life.”

Angelica Sanchez discovered a “home away from home” during her freshman year at the University of Houston Catholic Newman Center. She felt that it was a safe place for her to express her thoughts, values and beliefs. Growing up in small Catholic schools and transitioning to a large, public university, she wanted to connect and find a faith family who encouraged her and supported her in a way that she had never experienced before.

“As a commuter student, having a place to go to between classes or after long days has been a blessing,” said Sanchez. “I’ve had the opportunity to attend daily Mass during the week, receive a free lunch, attend Adoration, and visit the chapel that is always available for me to have a moment with God in a quiet space. I have created lifelong friendships and found mentors to help me grow as a young adult in my relationship with God and guide me on my spiritual journey.”

Sanchez also learned about evangelization through her involvement with the Newman Center. She witnessed friends convert to Catholicism, rely on each other through prayer in difficult times, and create lifelong memories and friendships. She said being a part of this community was an experience she always longed for and didn’t even realize it.

“Not only could I share my faith within the Newman Center, but I was encouraged to share it with the community of the University of Houston,” said Sanchez. “I made the choice to attend a large university, so I could meet different people and learn about different cultures and beliefs. I now realize it was the Holy Spirit creating this burning desire within

me to go out and evangelize, and without this campus ministry, I do not know how I would have been able to fulfill that calling at UH.”

Pometto said the five campus ministry centers have a long and rich history of supporting students like Sanchez, some for more than six decades. The Rice University Newman Center was founded first in 1959, followed by the Galveston Newman Center (1960), University of Houston Newman Center (1961), Texas Southern University Newman Center (1967), and Sam Houston State Catholic Student Center (1986).

“I was recently cleaning the director’s office at the University of Houston Newman Center and found a list of people in vocations who had come from alumni there,” said Pometto. “It was a long list, and after such a long history, I know there have been many vocations—priesthood, religious, and married life, which have come from each of those centers.”

Another YACM program with a longstanding tradition is Café Catholica, an annual summer series running strong for the past 23 years. It offers young adults across the Archdiocese opportunities to hear dynamic speakers, pray, and enjoy fellowship together.

Fabiana Toro, a young adult from St. Faustina Catholic Church in Fulshear has attended Café Catholica, YACM retreats, leadership workshops, and events since 2018, when she began graduate school. She eventually began to volunteer at these events and at her parish’s young adult group.

“These programs created a safe space for me to go deeper into my faith, make holy friendships, discern how God is calling me to serve in my vocation, and actually put it all into action at my parish and in the Archdiocese,” said Toro. “I feel so blessed that God put these resources and people in my life!”

Toro said her experience with YACM made her realize the importance to donate to the DSF. She pointed out young adults will eventually be 50 or 60 or 70 years old,

so efforts to shepherd the next generation to listen to the Lord’s voice and discern their call will help change the future.

“To be good stewards of God’s gifts means that we are administrators who serve and give back,” said Toro. “There are so many good things happening in the Archdiocese and our contributions, whether big or small, make a life-long impact on how those in leadership

The 2022 Diocesan Services Fund theme draws from 1 Corinthians: “All For the Glory of God.” DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying.

DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 60-plus ministries.

positions can administer to the needs of us all. I give (to the DSF) because I am grateful, and I want to give back to God and to my brothers and sisters the love that I have experienced myself.”

To learn more about YACM for young adults on college campuses and young adult ministries at parishes, visit www. archgh.org/yacm.

To donate to the DSF, visit to www. archgh.org/dsf. The DSF supports ministries that require this critical funding to remain in operation. Out of each gift given to DSF, 100% of every dollar goes directly to supporting these ministries. †

PHOTO BY ANGIE POMETTO

Held March 26 this year, the Young Adult Day of Service is an opportunity for the young adult community and serve through a service project. The event is set for April 1, 2023.

EDUCATION

30 seniors named National Merit semifinalists

HOUSTON — Thirty high school seniors in the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston were named semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship program (NMSC), a 30% increase over last year’s total of 23 and a 150% increase from just two years ago in 2020, when just 12 Houston-area semifinalists were recognized.

As semifinalists, these high school seniors are in the running for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $28 million offered next spring. These students were recognized based on scores on last year’s preliminary SAT college-entrance and National Merit scholarship qualifying tests.

The students recognized are Mark Parmenter of St. John XXIII College Preparatory; Blythe Bath, Rebecca Bi, Vivian Lorch, Lorena Maher, Monica Orozco, Emily Parmenter, Christine Parrish, Sophie Sheara, Anika Shethia of

St. Agnes Academy in Houston; Stephanie Birkelbach of St. Pius X High School in Houston; Austin Burke and Damian Wilson of St. Thomas High School; Jack Brodie, Marco Cerritos, Rushil Chetty, Alexander Citardi, John Greeley, Aidan Guthrie, Jake Jongebloed, Jeffrey Kollar, Jackson Mitchell, Daniel Ragazzo, Imran Siddiqui, Nicolas Valladolid, James Walker, Albertus Wiesedeppe, Zachariah Wrobel, Owen Zeng and Harvey Zhu of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory; and Michael Sibille of Frassati Catholic High School in Spring.

STEEP COMPETITION

The nationwide pool of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Less than 1% of high school students achieve this honor.

The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

These students continue in the scholarship competition and are set to be among the 2,500 high school students who will earn $2,500 National Merit Scholarships.

About 95% of the semifinalists are expected to be named finalists, and approximately half of all finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

In order for the semifinalists to become National Merit Finalists, students must submit a detailed scholarship application with information about their academic record, their involvement in school and community activities, their leadership abilities and other honors and awards received.

Semifinalists must have outstanding academic records throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT (American College

LANGUAGE ARTS

Test) scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. The National Merit Scholarship Program estimates that 15,000 students will advance to the finalist level.

National Merit Scholars will be named on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in college.

The program expects to award nearly $28 million to students around the country next spring. Students also compete for two other scholarships: 950 awards are sponsored by some 180 corporations and businesses and the other are 3,800 awards sponsored by roughly 160 colleges and universities in the U.S.

The mission of NMSC is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States. NMSC accomplishes its mission by conducting nationwide academic scholarship programs. †

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CATHOLIC LITERARY ARTS

Come and join the celebration of our loved ones. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Catholic Cemeteries All Soul’s Day Mass schedule for Friday, November 2, is as follows:

• Mount Olivet Cemetery & Mausoleum, I-45 Southbound at Hughes Road, Dickinson, Texas. Mass at 10 a.m. with Fr. Jeff Bame, celebrant.

• Calvary Cemetery & Mausoleum, 2506 65th St. Galveston. Mass at 10 a.m.

• Holy Cross Cemetery & Mausoleum, 3502 North Main St., Houston. Mass at 10 a.m. with Fr. Julian Gerosa, celebrant.

• Mount Olivet Candlelight Ceremony, I-45 Southbound at Hughes Road, Dickinson, Texas. Mass at 7 p.m. with Fr. Larry Wilson, celebrant.

The students chosen for the Teen Writing Mentorship Program are (top row, left to right) Gabriela Garza, Maegan McCarthy, Maria Jesko, Nina McCarville, (bottom row, left to right) Mary Elizabeth Mc Clane, Elizabeth Taboada, Stephane Zanovello and Mariam Henderson.

Eight students chosen for teen writing mentorships

HOUSTON — Eight students are set to receive writing mentorships thanks to a program sponsored by Catholic Literary Arts, a Houston non-profit teaching creative writing skills.

Following a competitive application procession, students and their families received a virtual orientation to better help each student succeed in the program, which helps the young writers with skills, confidence and a vision centered in Jesus Christ.

The students are Gabriela Garza, Mariam Henderson, Maria Jesko, Mary Elizabeth McClane, Maegan McCarthy, Nina McCarville, Elizabeth Taboada and Stephane Zanovello.

The students come from Archdiocesan schools, home school communities and public schools, with one student from South Carolina. Am ong the eight students are three poet laureates from the middle-school sacred poetry contests sponsored by Catholic Literary Arts in the Archdiocese.

In addition to improving writing skills through virtual classes and feedback on each writing assignment, the students are mentored to enter their work into contests and submit pieces for publication. In the debut academic year of 2021-22, 40% of the cohort won regional prizes in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. This year’s cohort will work with their mentorteachers to work towards becoming full-time writers as adults.

For more information, visit www.catholicliteraryarts.org/teen-writers-mentorship-program. †

YOUTH

The history and impact of the Archdiocesan Youth Council

In response to the mission statement of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization (OACE), the Archdiocesan Youth Council was established in March 1994 by then Associate Director Brian K. Johnson, with the first members beginning July 1994 for the following purposes:

• To represent the youth of the Archdiocese and to articulate and advocate for their particular needs and concerns to the members of the Archdiocesan leadership, including meeting with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.

• To promote spiritual and personal growth of their peers by facilitating active participation of youth at Archdiocesan events;

• To raise Catholic leaders in the Archdiocese through the council’s involvement in the development of special programs for youth; and

• To help draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and works in the faithful community of the People of God.

Two young people from each parish

throughout the Archdiocese are chosen to discern, plan and execute the many events OACE hosts for younger and older adolescents. These events include the annual Archdiocesan Junior High Youth Rally and the Archdiocesan Youth Conference. With the youth council, the OACE truly answers the USCCB’s call to have comprehensive youth ministry “to, with, by, and for young people.”

The youth council members gather several times a year. In August, they have breakfast with Cardinal DiNardo, which they greatly appreciate and enjoy.

Additionally, they discern to be part of a committee that plans an Archdiocesan-wide event. Without their input and service, these events wouldn’t be the same. In December, they meet as a group to focus solely on working on their faith life and their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, We pray that the young church might boldly take charge of their lives, aim for the most beautiful and profound things of life and always keep

their hearts unencumbered.

Accompanied by wise and generous guides, help them respond to the call you make to each of them, to realize a proper plan of life and achieve happiness.

Keep their hearts open to dreaming great dreams and make them concerned for the good of others.

Like the Beloved Disciple, may they stand at the foot of the Cross, to receive your Mother as a gift from you.

May they be witnesses to your Resurrection and be aware that you are at their side as they joyously proclaim you as Lord. Amen. †

With the youth council, the OACE truly answers the USCCB’s call to have comprehensive youth ministry “to, with, by, and for young people.”

Know a loved one in jail or prison? HELP!

COLUMNISTS

What do lay people have to do with vocations?

I remember waking up and making my way to the living room at a young age. My dad would always be sitting in his chair with only the lamp above him lit, just enough so he could see the Bible in his lap.

While I was just getting up, he had been up for at least an hour praying in silence with Scripture. Although this ritual was not spoken about that often, we all knew of it, and personally, I was inspired by it.

Dad was not part of a special lay apostolate; he was just a man knowing that he needed to be filled up before he went about the day to be a dad, husband and businessman. This time guided the rest of the day.

Without specifically speaking about it, my dad profoundly taught me how to fulfill the call to holiness and how to be a lay person in a secular world. He visibly lived out his vocation.

In Lumen Gentium chapter IV, we read about the common vocation all lay people have to “make the Church present

by CLAIRE MCMULLIN

and fruitful.” Furthermore, this is done through a “witness of life.”

Our lives should witness the Love of Christ and make the Church present. This Witness of Life is possible only through a life of regular prayer and reception of the Sacraments.

This working towards holiness is the foundation for us to draw close to the Lord and hear what he is calling us to, whether that vocation is our state of life or what he is calling us to today.

Lay people are essential to the Church growing in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. How is this so? The Body of Christ striving for holiness paves the way for a culture of vocations because we are already working to do His will by fulfilling the call of holiness.

There’s a spiritual domino effect of sorts. If we live our call correctly and act as “leaven” to our world, then the Church becomes tangible, real; the varied callings associated with serving the Church become realized. Holy families provide the space for children to desire and strive for holiness. Holy teachers sharing their love of vocation fosters the environment for their students to want to do the same. A holy female engineer

working to sanctify her work sets the tone for the workplace environment. This also makes her life work contagious to other young women seeking to be engineers.

If we, as the Church, are not answering the call to holiness, then it makes it almost impossible for our fellow members to hear the call to priesthood and religious life.

All priests and religious were lay people at one point in their lives. Their journey towards hearing and answering this call began before they said yes. It began with their families, and if not with their families, with someone showing them Christ’s love in their life.

We all need someone to model what holiness looks like in our lives. †

Claire McMullin directs Ministry Col laboration and Formation for the Office of Vocations of the Archdiocese.

Knowing the living Christ in the Holy Mass

The Feast of Corpus Christi this past June has begun a truly momentous event in the life of the Church in the U.S.: the National Eucharistic Congress, which will be held in the summer of 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The results of a recent Pew Research Poll found that the majority of American Catholics are currently on a steep decline of faith; namely, they do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Undoubtedly, we need a Eucharistic revival. Fewer Catholics participate in the weekly sacred Liturgy of the Holy Mass. Only a handful of those reported being ever excited about attending Mass.

Attending Sunday Mass and/or daily Mass is a great privilege and blessing for Catholics, yet it can quickly become a monotonous routine. The purpose of this short article is to awaken in each of us a deeper sense of gratitude and genuine love towards the Eucharist as we approach the Holy Mass.

The Mass is not just a nice prayer service that we gather to have once a week; rather, it is a sacrifice. More specifically, it is the same sacrifice that Jesus offered to the Father on the cross over 2,000 years ago for the salvation of all mankind. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that when we celebrate the Holy Mass, God makes Jesus’s sacrifice present to us; and we participate in it with the company of angels and saints and offer it up to the

SUNDAY MASS READINGS

OCTOBER 2

OCTOBER 9

Father with Jesus (CCC #1362-1372).

The Church also teaches us that when we gather on earth to celebrate this sacred Liturgy, Jesus is truly present through the assembly, the Word, the priest (in persona Christi), and the Eucharist (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). He is truly present there and ready to offer Himself up as “the food and source of strength for the tired, weary and disoriented” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).

Jesus is food for our souls and our source of strength. When we receive Jesus through the Word and the Eucharist at Mass, we truly receive the very life of God in us to animate and revive our wretched souls.

I can attest to this fact: not long ago, I recall coming to Mass with a heavy heart. My energy had been depleted for days. Prior to Mass, I took a moment in silence, recollected myself, and intensely prayed with hope that God would lift that weight off me. Lo and behold! The moment I heard the cantor sing the refrain “The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord” from Psalm 34, I felt so comforted. It seemed like the heavy burden in my heart was slowly

disappearing. Once the congregation finished singing the Psalm, amazingly, I found myself at peace.

Encountering the living Christ at the Holy Mass transforms, heals, forgives and draws us ever deeper into the mysteries of Christ. The Holy Mass is where loving encounters between God and man happen, so He can deeply care for everyone’s well-being… physically,

emotionally and spiritually. Certainly, Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist at the Holy Mass. Eucharist is Jesus Himself.

For a more vivid image of Jesus in the Eucharist, sacrificing every drop of His blood and every cell of His body at the Holy Mass for the salvation of all mankind, I strongly recommend that you read the prologue to “Rediscover Catholicism” by Matthew Kelly. I guarantee that after reading this powerful story, you will find yourself in tears or even sobbing. May God give us genuine love for Him and grateful hearts for His many blessings each time we participate in the Holy Mass. †

Sister Maria Goretti Thuy Nguyen, OP, is an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

MANAGING SUBSCRIPTION

First Reading: Haba 1:2-3; 2:2-4

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 95:1-2, 6-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1-4

Second Reading: 1 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14

Gospel: Lk 17:5-10

Second Reading: 2 Tm 2:8-13 Gospel: Lk 17:11-19

“If we, as the Church, are not answering the call to holiness, then it makes it almost impossible for our fellow members to hear the call to priesthood and religious life.”

by SR. MARIA GORETTI THUY NGUYEN

“Encountering the living Christ at the Holy Mass transforms, heals, forgives and draws us ever deeper into the mysteries of Christ.”

WORLD

Pope urges world leaders to ‘work for peace, not weapons’

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (CNS) —

Speaking on behalf of dozens of religious leaders, Pope Francis called on world leaders to put an end to violence and bloodshed and instead strive for peace.

“We plead with you, in the name of God and for the good of humanity: work for peace, not weapons,” the pope said on Sept. 15, the final day of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan and the final day of his three-day visit to Kazakhstan.

“Only by serving the cause of peace will you make a name for yourselves in the annals of history,” he said.

The pope joined the 80 religious leaders and hundreds of delegates participating in the interreligious meeting at the Palace of Independence for the reading of the congress’ final declaration.

The declaration, read by Anglican Bishop Jo Bailey Wells of Dorking, England, expressed the leaders’ belief that “extremism, radicalism, terrorism and all other forms of violence and wars, whatever their goals, have nothing to do with true religion and must be rejected in the strongest possible terms.”

“We call upon world leaders to abandon all aggressive and destructive rhetoric which leads to destabilization of the world, and to cease from conflict and bloodshed in all corners of our world,” the leaders said. And they called upon “religious leaders and prominent political figures from different parts of the world to tirelessly develop dialogue in the name of friendship, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.”

Addressing congress participants, Pope Francis said that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, a collective response was needed to counter the “incendiary atmosphere” caused by religious extremism that “threatened to turn religion into a grounds for conflict.”

However, “pseudo-religious terrorism, extremism, radicalism and nationalism, dressed up in religious garb, nonetheless continue to foment fears and concerns about religion,” he said.

The congress’ declaration reaffirms that religious extremism, radicalism

and terrorism “have nothing to do with the authentic spirit of religion and must be rejected in the most decisive terms possible,” he said.

And, he said, “since the Almighty has created all people equal, regardless of their religious, ethnic or social origin, we are agreed that mutual respect and understanding should be considered essential and indispensable in religious teaching.”

At the same time, the pope said, governments must not exclude the voice of those who adhere to religion but must guarantee that the rights of believers, including to speak publicly, “must be protected, always and everywhere.”

For its part, he said, the Catholic Church is committed to “the unity of the human family” and “the path of interreligious dialogue,” which is “necessary and irrevocable.”

“Interreligious dialogue is no longer merely something expedient,” the pope said. “It is an urgently needed and incomparable service to humanity, to the praise and glory of the creator of all.”

The pope also told religious leaders that the declaration’s affirmation that the dignity of women and the improvement of their “social status as equal members of the family and of society” is crucial in achieving peace.

“Women must also be entrusted with greater positions and responsibilities,” he said. “How many calamitous decisions might have been avoided had women been directly involved in decisionmaking! We commit ourselves to ensuring that women are increasingly respected, acknowledged and involved!”

The voice of young people, who too often fall prey to extremism, also must be heard, Pope Francis said. They must be given “opportunities for education, not weapons of destruction. And let us listen to them without being afraid to be challenged by their questions. Above all, let us build a world with them in mind!”

“Let us press ahead on this path, walking together on earth as children of heaven, weavers of hope and artisans of harmony, heralds of peace and unity,” he said before heading to the airport for his return flight to Rome. †

Ukrainians ‘feel the power of your prayer,’ says major archbishop

LVIV, Ukraine (CNS) — Catholics in Ukraine feel the prayers of Christians around the world, said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

“We do not just believe, but feel the power of your prayer, which stops the war and is the source of our optimism (and) hope that together we will defeat evil, and peace will bless our homeland,” the archbishop said Sept. 14, a special day designated by European bishops as a day of prayer for Ukraine.

Noting that Latin-rite Catholics marked the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross that day, Archbishop Shevchuk said, “It’s in the crucified Savior that Europe and the believing world see today crucified (in) Ukraine. His Holiness Pope Francis, whom we accompany to Kazakhstan in prayer, invites Christian believers on this day to see the wounds of the crucified Savior in the wounds of Ukraine.”

He thanked Lithuanian Archbishop Gintaras Grusas of Vilnius, president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, for planning the day of prayer, in which people were encouraged to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament to pray for peace in Ukraine.

European bishops repeatedly have joined Pope Francis in calling for weapons to be silenced, war to be ended, and for efforts to promote peace. †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis attends the reading of a final declaration during the conclusion of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Sept. 15. Also pictured are Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, left, head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church, and David Baruch Lau, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel.

STATE & NATION

A Catholic’s preview of the upcoming Texas state legislative session in Austin

BY JENNIFER ALLMON Special to the Herald

AUSTIN — We have had a very busy summer at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB). Now that Labor Day has passed us, we are officially looking forward to fall and gearing up for the 88th Texas Legislative Session in Austin.

Tuesday, Nov. 8, is Election Day and Monday, Nov. 14, is the first day legislators and legislators-elect may start filing bills.

A top priority for us for next session is parental choice. As our Catholic schools welcome new and returning students for the 22-23 academic year, we are cognizant not everyone who desires a Catholic education for their child can afford one.

Parental choice in education is an important element of Church teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church

states, “As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators. Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.” (CCC 2229)

In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis writes, “Parents themselves enjoy the right to choose freely the kind of education – accessible and of good quality – which they wish to give their children in accordance with their convictions.”

As the primary and principal educators of their children, parents must be free to determine the best educational environment for their children, whether

that be public, charter, private, or homeschool. Their choices should not be limited by family income or zip code. The bishops support parental choice programs, especially for the poor and children with special needs, to increase access to quality education options for all students.

We support legislation that establishes Education Savings Accounts (ESA) or scholarships that include the following provisions:

- Funding for tuition and fees, textbooks, curricula, academic assessments or post-secondary entrance exams, tutoring, and therapy.

- Funding sources could include state revenue, private philanthropy, and state tax credits.

- Financial accountability using random audits of ESAs by a third party.

- Academic accountability by administration of a norm- or criterionreferenced assessment each year (current practice at accredited schools).

- Preferential option for the poor by ensuring students with the greatest academic and financial need are prioritized.

- Homeschool families can voluntarily participate. Any who do not want to accept

IN BRIEF

it are free to continue to homeschool in any manner they choose.

- Safeguards and protections for the privacy, autonomy and religious freedom of participants by ensuring that educators are not required to modify their creed, practices, admissions policies, curriculum, performance standards, or assessments to serve ESA students.

While most students will continue to benefit from thriving public schools, parental choice programs provide hope for the thousands of families who need better access to personalized educational options. After the election, we encourage our readers to contact their representatives and ask them to support parental choice in education. †

Jennifer Allmon is the executive direc tor of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, the association of the Roman Catholic bishops of Texas which repre sents 15 dioceses and 19 active bishops.

Through the TCCB, the bishops provide a moral and social public policy voice, accredit the state’s Catholic schools, and maintain archives that reflect the work and the history of the Catholic Church in Texas.

Kidnapped nun ‘filled with gratitude’ following her safe release in Africa

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — During nearly five months of captivity in Burkina Faso, Marianite Sister Suellen Tennyson wondered aloud where God was hiding in the midst of her isolation and loneliness.

Then, in an instant, she looked down at her feet, where one of her toenails had been battered and bloodied during a harrowing post-kidnapping motorcycle ride deep into the forests of West Africa, after which she was turned over to a rival Muslim group.

Her new captor saw her gouged toe and, inexplicably, began washing her feet.

“I’m sitting there, and this Muslim man is washing my feet. And I said, ‘God, is something going on here?’ It was like God was using him in some kind of way. I was just taken aback,” Sister Suellen said in a Sept. 13 interview with the Clarion Herald, newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Sister Suellen, 83, was abducted by a group of armed men the night of April 4-5 from the medical mission residence in Yalgo she had shared since 2013 with two other Marianite sisters and lay employees.

Through Sister Suellen’s ordeal, the Marianites of Holy Cross, of which she is the former international leader, heard nothing about her whereabouts. She was freed peacefully in late August in neighboring Niger into the custody of the FBI and U.S. Embassy and Air Force personnel. †

MUNDO CATÓLICO

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) —

Los hombres y mujeres mayores están llamados a transmitir su sabiduría y alumbrar un camino hacia un mañana mejor para las generaciones futuras, manifestó el papa Francisco.

A medida que uno se acerca al tramo final de su viaje mortal, pequeños detalles — como “una caricia, una sonrisa, un gesto, un trabajo apreciado, una sorpresa inesperada, una alegría acogedora, un vínculo fiel — se viven mas intensamente”, y lo que es más esencial en la vida “se vuelve definitivamente claro para nosotros”, expresó el papa durante su audiencia general semanal del 24 de agosto.

“Esta sabiduría de la vejez es el lugar de nuestra gestación, que ilumina la vida de los niños, de los jóvenes, de los mayores, de toda la comunidad. Los ancianos debemos ser esto para los demás, luz para los demás”, acotó.

En su catequesis, la última de una serie de charlas sobre la vejez, el Santo Padre reflexionó sobre la reciente fiesta de la Asunción, que dijo sirvió como un recordatorio de que “el destino es el cielo”.

Para los cristianos, explicó, la muerte es “un poco como un segundo

nacimiento”.

“Si el primero fue un nacimiento en la tierra, este segundo es un nacimiento en el cielo”, dijo el papa. “Así como, en el momento en que salimos del vientre de nuestra madre, seguimos siendo nosotros mismos, el mismo ser humano que estaba en el útero, así, después de la muerte, nacemos en el cielo, en el espacio de Dios, y seguimos siendo nosotros mismos, aquel que caminó sobre esta tierra”.

La resurrección de Jesús de entre

FOTO DE CNS

El papa Francisco saluda durante su audiencia gen eral semanal en el Vaticano, el 24 de

añadió, prepara a los cristianos para el paso a la vida eterna y “nos pone en sintonía con el destino inédito de la vida que sembramos”.

los muertos, prosiguió el Sumo Pontífice, y su aparición posterior a sus discípulos, son una fuente de esperanza que permite a los cristianos ver la muerte no como un final, sino como “una especie de paso hacia el encuentro con Jesús, quien me espera para llevarme a (Dios)”.

“El Resucitado vive en el mundo de Dios, donde hay lugar para todos, donde se forma una nueva tierra, y se construye la ciudad celestial, la última morada del hombre”, dijo.

Una vida vivida según el Evangelio,

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. la es un faro para generaciones futuras

“Nuestra vida es como una semilla que debe ser enterrada para que nazca y pueda dar fruto. Nacerá, junto con todo lo demás en el mundo. No sin dolores de parto, no sin dolor, pero nacerá. Y la vida del cuerpo resucitado será cien y mil veces más viva de lo que la hemos experimentado en esta tierra”, expresó el papa.

El papa Francisco llamó a todos los cristianos a “esperar en esta plenitud de vida que nos espera a todos”, que no es “una espera aburrida”, sino más bien “una espera que anticipemos con ansias”.

“Sí, queridos hermanos y hermanas, especialmente ustedes los ancianos, lo mejor de la vida está por venir. ‘Pero somos viejos, ¿qué más está por venir?’ Lo mejor, porque lo mejor de la vida está por venir”, dijo el papa.

La muerte puede causar “un poco de miedo, porque no sé lo que significa este pasaje, y pasar por esa puerta da un poco de miedo, pero siempre está la mano del Señor que nos lleva adelante, y más allá de la puerta hay es una fiesta”, dijo. †

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

SEPT. 27

ONLINE SESSION ON BOOK LAUNCHES, 7 to 8:15 p.m. Claire Fullerton offers instruction and advice on the process of promoting and publishing a book in the current literary market. Online Zoom class costs $35. Register online, and view upcoming classes at www.catholicliteraryarts. org/classes. cathla.org@gmail.com.

SEPT. 29

LECTURE, 5:30 p.m., Sacred Heart (704 Old Montgomery Rd., Conroe). The USTMAX Luminary Lecture on End of Life Bioethics will be presented by Dr. Steven Jensen, UST Professor of Philosophy followed by a panel discussion. Free, open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP: www.tinyurl. com/septlecture; maxcenter@stthom.edu

OCT. 1

FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., St. Maximilian Kolbe (10135 West Rd., Houston). Event includes barbecue dinner, cake wheel, silent auction, flea market tent, crafters, vendors, raffles, music and more. stmaxvendors@gmail.com; 281-7489463.

MASS OF THANKSGIVING, 5 p.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life, also honoring volunteers who work to foster a culture of life. Reception at the Cathedral

Centre follows. Open to the public. CONFERENCE, 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. at St. Dominic Chancery Auditorium (2403 Holcombe Blvd., Houston). The “Laudato Si’ - Faith in Action for Our Common Home” half-day conference explores environmental issues and the Church’s duty to respond. Register: archgh.org/ SocialConcernEvents.

OCT. 2

LIFE CHAIN, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., St. Hyacinth Guyot Hall (2921 Center St., Deer Park). Pro-life prayerful public demonstration begins at St. Hyacinth’s Guyot Hall and proceeds to line up along Center Street in prayer. 832-262-7795.

OCT. 1-2

FESTIVAL, St. Faustina (28102 FM 1093, Fulshear). Saturday: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday features a ticketed fajita dinner, live music and dancing. Sunday features a Knights of Columbus barbecue, live music, games, inflatables, rockwall, train, live and silent auctions, raffle and more. saintfaustinachurch.org/parish-festival.

BAZAAR, St. Albert of Trapani (11027 S. Gessner Rd., Houston). Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday activities include soccer tournament, food and Bingo (2 to 6 p.m.). Sunday activities include soccer finals, international food (American, Filipino, Hispanic and Nigerian), Bingo (2 to 5 p.m.), Loteria, children’s games, inflatables, live music, DJ, and raffle. 713-771-3596.

FESTIVAL, St. Edith Stein (3311 N. Fry Rd., Katy).

Saturday: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Features international food, entertainment, live music and special guest appearances from Isabella and Bruno impersonators, carnival games, Bingo, silent auction, raffle and local vendors. stedithstein.org.

OCT. 7

GALA, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., Prince of Peace (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston) Mercy Ministry Gala features dinner, dance, truck raffleand live/online silent auction. pophouston.org/ galaandgolf; 713-851-9955.

OCT. 7-9

PATRONAL FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY, Holy Rosary (3617 Milam St., Houston). Friday, 5:15 to 10 p.m., Pontifical Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry of Chicago with homily by Dominican Friar Lawrence Lew, O.P., from England. Catered dinner follows with a talk by Father Donald Calloway. Tickets: www.holyrosaryparish.org/ patronalfeast. Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rosary procession followed by Mass. Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, followed by food, fun and activities. 713-529-4854 ext. 105.

OCT. 8

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, 9 a.m., Notre Dame (7720 Boone Rd., Houston). 9 a.m. Rosary, Divine Mercy and Holy Face. 10 a.m. Mass. 713962-6572.

OCT. 9

RELIGIOUS JUBILEE, 4 p.m., Corpus Christi (9900 Stella Link Rd., Houston). Celebrate vocations at this annual jubilee celebration that honors priests, religious sisters and brothers who are celebrating a silver, gold or diamond jubilee in 2021-2022. Open to the public.

BAZAAR, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Stanislaus Kostka (1511 Hwy. 90 South, Anderson). Mass at 10 a.m. starts the 68th annual homecoming and bazaar, followed by barbecue dinner at 11 a.m., games, booths, kid’s area, homemade items, auction, free 150-year history books, 1917 church open for viewing, live Polish music and dancing with Brian Marshall and the Texas Paradise Band. 936-873-2291; saintstans.org.

BAZAAR, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sacred Heart of Jesus (6502 County Rd. 48, Manvel). Barbecue plate plus other food booths, market tent, children’s games and activities, raffle, live and silent auctions. Free Admission. Sacredheartmanvel. org; 281-489-8720; admin@sacredheartmanvel. org.

FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Queen of Peace (626 Laurel St., La Marque). Event includes a raffle, cake booth, games, vendors, food, beer garden and both live and silent auctions. 409-9387000.

FESTIVAL, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Holy Family (1510 Fifth St., Missouri City). Event includes barbecue, sausage on a stick, hamburgers, international cuisine along with games, Bingo, silent auction, raffle and more. Free admission. holyfamilychurch.us; 281-499-9688.

OCT. 10

GOLF TOURNAMENT, at Cypress Lakes Golf Course (18700 Cypresswood Dr., Cypress). Christ the Redeemer Fall Classic Golf Tournament benefit youth scholarships, Cypress Assistance Ministries, and other Knights of Columbus charities and outreach initiatives. $150 per golfer includes green fees, merchandise, range balls, service fees, cart, two drink tickets, bottled water on the course, box lunch and

barbecue dinner. Hole and other sponsorships available online. martyatm93@yahoo.com; www.8771events.com/golf.

OCT. 13-16

WOMEN’S ACTS RETREAT, Thursday 6 p.m. to Sunday 10 a.m., Circle Lake Retreat Center (19000 Circle Lake Dr., Pinehurst). St. Rose of Lima (3600 Brinkman St., Houston) hosts a women’s ACTS retreat. Registration open to women 18 years and older. Cost: $250; A $50 deposit required. Includes lodging, meals, snacks and transportation. Register: www. stroselima.org/acts. 832-338-7910.

OCT. 15-16

MARKET, St. Anne (2140 Westheimer Rd., Houston). St. Anne market of handcrafted goods sold by the artisans who created them is set for Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Parish Center. Admission is free, refreshments will be available. mthomas@saintanne.org; 713-5263276.

FESTIVAL, St. Thomas the Apostle (1323 16th St., Huntsville). Saturday: 7 to 10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bingo will be held on Saturday evening. Sunday activities include a raffle drawing, live and silent auctions, food, photo booth, kid’s activities, car show, moonwalks, plant booth, cake walk, and mystery card booth. saintthomashuntsville.org.

BAZAAR, St. Laurence (3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Saturday: 5 to 10 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Great international food, rides, games, activities, live entertainment, Bingo and an exciting raffle. Free admission. Buy food, activity and raffle tickets at the event. stlaurence.org/parish-bazaar.

OCT. 16

FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. John (800 W. Baker Rd., Baytown). Food, auction, games and more. $12 barbecue chicken plates available for purchase. 281-837-8180; stjohnbaytown.org.

BAZAAR, 11 a.m., Knights of Columbus Hall (20632 N Hwy. 36, Brazoria). Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sweeny and St. John the Apostle in West Columbia host their annual turkey dinner and bazaar. $15 plates include turkey, dressing, buttered potatoes, green beans, dessert and tea. A drive-up lane will be available for takeouts. Also featured: homemade pastry booth, kolaches, Mexican food, country store, raffle, live/silent auction, dunking booth and children’s activities. Live music by Duke Gamino. 979-548-2020; olphsjaoffice@gmail.com.

FESTIVAL, Guardian Angel (5610 Demel St., Wallis). Thanksgiving Masses at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Barbecue service begins at 10:30 a.m. and includes homemade dressing and all the trimmings. Grand auction at 1 p.m. under the Pavilion. Event features entertainment, all-day music, a drawing, rides, games and booths. 979-478-6532; guardianangelwallis.org.

BAZAAR, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Resurrection (915 Zoe St., Houston). Features live music, folkloric dancers, silent auction, lotería, and a variety of foods including turkey legs, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, nachos, pupusas, gorditas, enchiladas, funnel cakes, beer and refreshments. Free admission, open to the public. 713-321-0286.

OCT. 19

SERVICE PROJECT, 9:30 a.m., St. Bernadette (15500 El Camino Real, Houston). Bay Area Deanery of Catholic Women host a service

morning for women of assembling gift boxes for seafarers served by Stella Maris port chaplaincy ministry. To donate: sbalfour2009@ gmail.com.

OCT. 21

GOLF TOURNAMENT, 7:30 a.m., High Meadow Ranch Golf Club (37300 Golf Club Trl., Magnolia). Proceeds benefit Prince of Peace’s Mercy Ministry. Registration and breakfast at 7:30 a.m.; shotgun start at 9 a.m. Lunch, raffle, and gift bag. Register at pophouston.org/ galaandgolf; 281-900-0927.

OCT. 21-22

CONFERENCE, St. Ignatius of Loyola (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). The National Catholic Partnership on Disability hosts “One Lord, One Faith, One Family: Disability Ministry in a Synodal Church” conference with keynote addresses by the Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, and Dr. Joseph White, director of Catechetical Resources for Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. Conference includes breakout sessions, a panel presentation, roundtables and two plenary addresses. Exhibitors and inperson networking opportunities also available. Register: ncpd.org

OCT. 22

HOLIDAY MARKET, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (6646 Addicks Satsuma Rd., Houston). St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Ladies Auxiliary hosts their 29th annual Gingerbread Village Holiday Market, featuring arts, crafts, food and more. Free admission. gingerbreadvillage@yahoo.com.

FESTIVAL, 2 to 7 p.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Cor ad Cor Festival features a kids’ tent, games for adults, music, chili cook off, prizes and more. Food trucks and beverages are self pay. saquila@sacredhearthouston.org.

OCT. 23

25TH WEDDING JUBILLEE MASS, 3 p.m., CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Jubilee Mass honors couples celebrating the 25th wedding anniversary. Cost: $25 - $40 per couple. Register online at www.archgh.org/flmevents.

FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sts. Peter and Paul (936 S. Front St., Bellville). The event features a Polka band, barbecue, live and silent auctions,

carnival games, street corn, tacos and more. Free admission, open to all. 979-865-2368; stsppbellvilletx.org

FESTIVAL AND BLOOD DRIVE, St. Juan Diego (3301 Pasadena Blvd., Pasadena). Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Live Mexican norteño music, dancing, games, different Latin and Mexican foods, and a Knights of Columbus pulled pork barbecue. Raffle of a 2022 VW Jetta S. Tickets are $20 or 6 tickets for $100. Debit cards accepted.

BAZAAR, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Michael (13631 Hwy. 36, Needville). Features $12 barbecue beef and sausage plates with trimmings, dine-in or drive-thru, home-baked pastries and Mexican food. Polka dance with the Texas Sound Check Band. Auction at 1 p.m. Bingo, plants, ring toss, cake walk, raffle and more. Free admission and free parking with golf cart service. 979-793-4477; needvillecatholic.com.

OCT. 29

HALLOWEEN DANCE, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Ignatius of Loyola Christus Center (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring). St. Ignatius of Loyola Women’s Club hosts an evening of dinner, drinks, dancing with DJ Terry Parker and a costume contest. Cost: $50 per person ($55 at the door) includes Italian dinner and two drinks. Womensclub@silcc.org; www. ignatiusloyola.org/events/halloween-dancefundraiser.

NOV. 5

RUMMAGE SALE, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Mary (8227 CR 205, Plantersville). Annual rummage sale is among the largest in Montgomery and Grimes counties.

NOV. 5 - 6

BAZAAR, Holy Ghost (6921 Chetwood Dr., Houston). Annual bazaar celebrates the parish and school 75th anniversary and features grand raffle, games, rides, food and live music.

NOV. 12

FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Luke the Evangelist (11011 Hall Rd., Houston). Features food, DJ music, craft sale, raffle and kids activities. Free admission. fallfest@ stlukescatholic.com.

To find additional listings online, visit the website at WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

How to submit events for Around the Archdiocese

E-mail the event details (see below) to tch@archgh.org for possible inclusion in Around the Archdiocese. There is no charge for listings but space is limited

Around the Archdiocese

• Include the name of your event along with date, time, location (with full address) and a brief description of your event

• If the event is for charity, include the benefiting group or organization; Include the cost for tickets or note that it’s free

• Name, phone and/or e-mail address of the contact person that you want readers to call/e-mail with questions

• Website address for your organization (if you have one)

• Name, phone and e-mail address of the media contact person for verification

• Please write “Around the Archdiocese” in the subject line of the email to tch@archgh.org Please note that due to space and other factors, we cannot guarantee placement or frequency in Around the Archdiocese, but we will whenever possible do our best to get your event into the section.

IN BRIEF

CCE for deaf, hearing-impaired began Sept. 25

HOUSTON — St. Dominic’s Deaf Center began holding CCE classes for children who are deaf or hearing-impaired on Sept. 25. St. Dominic’s Deaf Center offers an opportunity for children and their families to gain knowledge regarding living and growing in faith with particular attention to the communication needs of the entire family. Masses are held on Sundays at 11:15 a.m. and are offered in American Sign Language with a voice interpreter as well as a monthly Mass in Spanish and American Sign Language. †

Oct. 11 Red Mass to pray for legal, legislative communities

HOUSTON — The annual Red Mass is set for Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 6:15 p.m. at the CoCathedral of the Sacred Heart, located 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in Houston. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be the principal celebrant of the Mass.

Red Mass is a special Mass that marks the beginning of the judicial year. The local judiciary typically follows the calendar term of the U.S. Supreme Court, which begins to hear cases on the first Monday of October. Judges, attorneys, law students and professors and other government officials are invited to participate in this centuries-old tradition, invoking the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

The Mass will be followed by an optional paid dinner at the Cathedral Centre, 1701 San Jacinto St. This year’s dinner speaker will be John L. Allen Jr., author and editor of Crux. Dinner seating is limited. For more information and to register for the dinner, visit www.archgh.org/ redmass. †

Asian Mass set for Oct. 30

HOUSTON — The annual Asian Mass celebrates the diversity of Asian Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Six Asian cultures – Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Korean and Vietnamese – will gather for with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. at Christ the Incarnate Word Catholic Church, located at 8503 S. Kirkwood Rd. in Houston.

In its 26th year, the Mass reflects the languages of the many Asian cultures in the Archdiocese, with participants encouraged to wear their traditional garb for the festivities. A reception featuring samples of Asian food along with performances of traditional music and dance followed the Mass. †

Catechists invited for ‘Proclaim 2022’ conference

HOUSTON — All ministry leaders, catechists, volunteers, core team members, and Catholic faithful are invited to join for Proclaim 2022: I Will Love. Hosted by Secretariat for Pastoral and Educational Ministries of the Archdiocese, the event offers two days for ministry leaders and volunteers to grow deeper in the knowledge of the faith, hone practical ministry skills, and meet and network with other leaders from around the Archdiocese.

The multilingual conference (English, Spanish and Vietnamese) will be held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, located at 7810 Cypresswood Dr. in Spring Nov. 11 to Nov. 12. The weekend conference includes keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and time for communal prayer.

Keynote speakers include Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Mike Patin, with workshop sessions with leaders like Lia Raquel Garcia and Father Francis Toan Vu, SJ, and nearly 40 other experts from around the Archdiocese and beyond. The workshops will explore a variety of topics including youth ministry, catechesis and faith formation, family life ministries, Liturgy and worship, Catholic schools, young adult and campus ministry and pro-life ministry topics, as well as how to live the Catholic faith.

$50 registration includes both days of programming. To view the conference schedule or to register, visit www.archgh.org/proclaim. For more information call 713-741-8723 or email proclaim@archgh.org. †

Need Help?

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

Catholic Charities

Food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, counseling, immigration assistance, veterans assistance, disaster recovery, refugees services, senior services and more. catholiccharities.org/need-help or 713-526-4611

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Home visits, food network, disaster relief, clothing and furniture. svdphouston.org/get-help or 713-741-8234

San José Clinic

Primary and specialty health care services, counseling and mental health services, dental and vision. sanjoseclinic.org or 713-228-941

MILESTONES

New sister celebrates perpetual vows, comes to Houston

SAN ANTONIO — On Sept. 3, Sister Megan Grewing, CDP, was surrounded by Sisters of Divine Providence, family and friends during the celebration of her perpetual vows in Sacred Heart Chapel at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

“I look forward to this lifelong commitment, my heart is filled with joy and awe at the gift this life has been and will continue to be,” Sister Grewing said. “The greatest desire of my heart is to serve our provident God and the people of God.”

Originally from Sacred Heart parish in Muenster, Texas, Sister Grewing attended public school and was enrolled in religious education.

“I was born, raised, went through all of my Sacraments in that town,” she said,

adding she “grew up in a typical German Catholic town, a typical German Catholic family.”

Sister Grewing first met the Sisters of Divine Providence when she was finishing her master’s degree in counseling psychology at Angelo State University. She was already discerning religious life. After her first visit to the congregation in San Antonio, she said, “I was excited to see how welcoming everyone was. By the end of that visit, I knew that I had found my home.”

Sister Grewing will stay in Houston where she serves as a licensed professional counselor with Gratia Plena Counseling Agency. She lives in community with Sister Rosalie Karstedt, CDP, who has 50 years of ministry in the Archdiocese. †

Spiritan friends mark key anniversaries

HOUSTON — On June 4, Houston friends of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit met on the campus of the University of St. Thomas for a Pentecost Vigil Mass at the chapel of St. Basil.

The Mass was followed by a reception to celebrate the founding of the Congregation, Pentecost Sunday 1703, and the 150th anniversary of Spiritans ministering to the United States.

At the invitation of then Bishop John Louis Markovsky the Spiritans arrived in Houston in 1970. For the next 50-plus years, 27 Spiritans ministered to five parishes within the Archdiocese, including Sts. Peter and Paul in Bellville, St. Mary Cathedral in Galveston, St. Philip Neri, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Benedict the Abbot in Houston. Today, they continue to serve at St. Benedict the Abbot Parish, and minister as chaplains at the Michael E. DeBakey V.A. Medical center and to inmates within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice System.

In 1994, Father Donald Nesti, C.S.Sp., founded The Center for Faith and Culture at the University of St. Thomas. The center, which now bears his name, continues under the direction of the Spiritans.

Houston is also home to the Spiritan Mission Development Office, responsible for the implementation of the evangelical priorities of the U.S. Province and to continue its long-standing charism into the future at the service of the poorest and most abandoned peoples it was founded to serve. †

KJT SOCIETY PRESENTS CHECK

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Sister Megan Grewing, CDP, prays during Litany of Saints with her family in the background during the celebration of her perpetual vows in Sacred Heart Chapel at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

Pictured left to right are Father Bihn Quach, C.S.Sp., director of the Center for Faith and Cul ture; Father Michael Grey, C.S.Sp. development of ficer of the Spiritan Office for Mission Advancement; and Father Donald Nesti, C.S.Sp.

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PHOTO BY RAY SYLVESTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ST. JEROME KJT SOCIETY #121 KATY/SPRING BRANCH

On Sept. 7, the St. Jerome KJT Society #121 Katy/Spring Branch presented Father Rafael Becerra, pas tor of St. Jerome Catholic Church in Spring Branch, with a $3,000 check from fundraisers to St. Jerome’s Giving Tree fund. The gift entitles Society #121 a bronze leaf which will be added to the giving tree in the Parish Activity Center. Presenting the check, from left to right, are Ted J. Sedlar, vice president; Father Rafael Becerra; Eleanor Sedlar, secretary/treasurer; and District State Director Michael Reznicek. Presi dent Patrick Nevlud was absent for the event.