Texas Catholic Herald - Oct. 10, 2023

‘THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT’

Answering the Gospel call to serve

Extending God’s love, care to vulnerable communities

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — Driven by the call of the Gospel, the Office of Justice and Peace strives to extend the love and care of God to all, transcending boundaries and embracing the diverse community it serves within the Archdiocese.

According to Sister Maureen O’Connell, OP, the director of the Office of Justice and Peace, the ministry is actively working to fulfill its mission to serve those most in need, including the most vulnerable, those on the periphery, and those who have no voice or who have

See JUSTICE, page 6

EDUCATION

Pope asks 21 new cardinals to join Church ‘symphony’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Joining the entire college of 242 cardinal members representing more than 91 countries, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo attended the recent consistory convened by Pope Francis in September, which saw 21 new cardinals receive their red hats and join Cardinal DiNardo in the College of Cardinals.

Coming from 16 nations and having different experiences and talents, members of the College of Cardinals are called to create a “symphony,” listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis said.

The pope used the biblical story of Pentecost to remind the prelates of the roots of their faith, and he invoked the image of a symphony to emphasize their call to be both faithful and creative. Pope Francis held his ninth consistory

Sugar Land school earns third National Blue Ribbon award

St. Laurence Catholic School welcomes repeated recognition

SUGAR LAND — St. Laurence Catholic School in Sugar Land, founded in 1992, has achieved an exceptional milestone, earning the prestigious 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award for the third time in the school’s history, the U.S. Department of Education recently announced.

St. Laurence is one of the largest prekindergarten to eighth-grade schools in the Archdiocese and has been recognized as a STREAM Synergy School, which celebrates the school’s efforts to incorporate science, technology, religion, engineering, the arts and mathematics in its programming. The diverse school is also accredited by the Texas Catholic

PHOTO BY VATICAN MEDIA

Before receiving their red hats, new cardinals stand before Pope Francis to make their public profession of faith and to promise obedience to the pope and his successors at a consistory in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 30. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who joined the College of Cardinals in 2007, attended the consistory.

CNS PHOTO

Red birettas and scrolls lie on a table before Pope Francis distributes them to new cardinals at a consistory in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 30.

World Mission Sunday

College of Cardinals come from 91 countries across the globe

to create new cardinals. 12,000 people joined Cardinal DiNardo in attending the Sept. 30 ceremony, according to the Vatican. Cardinal DiNardo was elevated to the College of Cardinals in November of 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Robert Cardinal Prevost, the 68-year-old Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, was the only U.S. prelate to receive his red hat at the consistory. He was joined by Christophe Cardinal Pierre of France, the 77-year-old nuncio to the U.S.

Luis Cardinal Dri, a 96-yearold Capuchin friar from Argentina, was made a cardinal when the pope proclaimed his name at the consistory, but he did not travel to Rome to receive his red hat because of his health.

With the consistory, the College of Cardinals has 242 members from 91 nations, according to Vatican statistics; 137 of the cardinals are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. The socalled “cardinal electors” come from 71 countries.

Italy — with 49 cardinals, of whom 14 are electors — continues to dominate the cardinal counts. The U.S. is second; according to the Vatican, there are 17 U.S. cardinals, including 11 electors. The total would be 18 when counting Italianborn Silvano Cardinal Tomasi, a former Vatican official who is a U.S. citizen.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Cardinal Prevost thanked Pope Francis on behalf of the new cardinals, noting how the consistory was taking place just before the opening of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops on synodality.

“The Church is fully such only when it truly listens, when it walks as the new people of God in its wonderful diversity, rediscovering continually her own baptismal call to contribute to the spread of the Gospel and the kingdom of God,” he said.

Before receiving their red hats, their cardinal’s rings and the names of their titular churches in Rome — an assignment that makes them formally members of the clergy of the Diocese

of Rome — the new cardinals made a profession of faith, reciting the Creed in Latin, and made an oath of fidelity to Pope Francis and his successors.

In his homily at the consistory, a prayer service that lasted just over an hour, Pope Francis drew the prelates’ attention to the Pentecost story in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

“Normally, we pastors, when we read the account of Pentecost, identify ourselves with the apostles,” the pope said. But if the cardinals recognize themselves as members of the crowd, he added, they would “rediscover with amazement the gift of having received the Gospel” in their own languages and would give thanks for having been evangelized among their own people, often by their mothers or grandmothers.

In humility, and with that diversity, he said, “The College of Cardinals is called to resemble a symphony orchestra, representing the harmony and synodality of the Church.”

Pope Francis said he referred to “synodality” not only because the synod assembly was set to open Oct. 4 “but also

because it seems to me that the metaphor of the orchestra can well illuminate the synodal character of the Church,” which relies on each member making a contribution, occasionally as a soloist, but usually in harmony with others.

“Mutual listening is essential,” he said. “Each musician must listen to the others. If one listens only to himself, however sublime his sound may be, it will not benefit the symphony, and the same would be the case if one section of the orchestra did not listen to the others but played as if it were alone as if it were the whole.”

“In addition,” the pope said, “the conductor of the orchestra is at the service of this kind of miracle that is each performance of a symphony. He has to listen more than anyone else, and at the same time, his job is to help each person and the whole orchestra develop the greatest creative fidelity: fidelity to the work being performed, but also creative, able to give a soul to the score, to make it resonate in the here and now in a unique way.”

“We have the Holy Spirit as our master: the interior master of each one of us and the master of walking together,” Pope Francis said. “He creates variety and unity; He is harmony itself.” †

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CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis places a red biretta on the head of new cardinal Christophe Pierre, nuncio to the U.S., during a consistory for the creation of 21 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 30.

THE FIRST WORD

PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO SERVE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GARY SPURGER/HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, greets Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry J. Satterwhite during a Blue Mass celebration at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Houston on Sept. 24. WATCH A VIDEO RECAP OF THE BLUE MASS AT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATAVIDEO

Blue Mass prays with law enforcement community

HOUSTON — Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, celebrated Blue Mass in honor of law enforcement and their families. The Mass was held on Sunday, Sept. 24, at St. Jerome Catholic Church.

Deacon Alvin Lovelady, director of the Office of Correctional Ministries of the Archdiocese, said Bishop Dell’Oro, as well as Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, love Blue Mass “because it gives the Church an opportunity to lift in prayer and celebrate in Mass all the men and women who protect and serve our communities throughout the Archdiocese. The Mass is also in celebration of the families of these brave men and women who step out daily to be the protectors of our communities.”

Deacon Lovelady said Blue Mass also allows communities to recognize the men and women serving in local law enforcement.

“It’s important for the people to see these officers and their families worship together in and with their community,” he said. Agencies were encouraged to bring equipment for the public to view and for Bishop Dell’Oro to bless after the Mass. †

Effective September 21

Father Porfirio Garcia, O.M.I. Spiritual Director – Cursillo Center

PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS GO PAPERLESS!

White Mass set for Oct. 16

HOUSTON — The annual White Mass celebrating those who work in healthcare will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, located at 6800 Buffalo Spwy. in Houston. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be the celebrant.

A reception follows the Mass in the Monsignor Jamail Center with speaker Jason Johnson, director of Church Mobilization and Engagement with The Christian Alliance for Orphans. To attend the reception, register for free at archgh.swoogo.com/whitemass2023. †

Oct. 29 Asian Mass celebrates culture, tradition

HOUSTON — The public is invited to attend the 27th annual Asian Mass, set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Christ the Incarnate Word Catholic Church, located at 8503 S. Kirkwood Rd. in Houston.

The Mass unites and celebrates the various heritages of the faithful in the Archdiocese including Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Korean and Vietnamese.

A reception with food samplings from each of the cultures and cultural entertainment in the parish hall will follow the Mass. Participants are encouraged to wear their traditional wear for the festivities. Within the Archdiocese, at least 15 parishes celebrate Mass in various Asian languages. †

Registration open for Silver Anniversary Mass

HOUSTON — The 2023 Wedding Anniversary Jubilee Mass honoring couples celebrating their Silver (25th) Anniversary of marriage in the Catholic Church is open for registration.

The Silver Anniversary Mass is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be the celebrant. Couples can receive a special recognition whether they attend the ceremony or not. Registration for the Silver Anniversary Mass is $40 per couple. The price includes an Archdiocesan certificate, a special issue worship aid and a commemorative pin. For more information and to register, visit www.archgh. org/flmevents. †

DSF annual appeal to support Archdiocesan ministries continues

HOUSTON — This year, the theme of the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal is “God is the Strength of My Heart.”

The annual campaign to support 64 Archdiocese-wide ministries is under way and the local Church is asking parishioners to continue their generous giving to DSF.

The fund supports a variety of ministries, such as those forming youth in Catholic faith; providing support and preparation for clergy; teaching, evangelizing, worshipping and outreach to the incarcerated, aging, poor and sick; and programming to strengthen Christian families, among many others.

To pledge online or see a full list of the ministries supported, visit www.archgh.org/dsf. †

A Jesuit astronomer helps NASA in Houston

Conference of Bishops’ Educational Department and was voted a “Best of the Best” finalist by the Houston Chronicle U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, “The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to raise the bar in education. The leaders, educators and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures. We take tremendous pride in the achievements of these schools and their commitment to empowering educators, serving students and engaging families.”

Dr. Debra Haney, secretariat director and superintendent of Catholic Schools, said,“Catholic schools have a long history of academic excellence, and St. Laurence continues that legacy with this third U.S. Department of Education 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award as an exemplary high performing school.”

She added, “I could not be prouder of the students, teachers and administrators for maintaining such excellence in achievement, even amidst the challenges that we have faced in education following a global pandemic. St. Laurence Catholic School constantly strives to ensure that each child on their campus has their spiritual, physical, academic and socio-emotional needs met, and more importantly, that they are prepared for Heaven!”

As one of only 40 non-public schools in the nation and three in the state of Texas (all Catholic in Texas and 90% Catholic nationwide) to receive the award, St. Laurence again joins the ranks among the state’s highest-performing schools as measured by nationally normed tests.

Father Drew Wood remarked, “What a beautiful faculty, administration and students we have at St. Laurence. I am so blessed to be pastor of this three-time National Blue Ribbon School. Our theme

this year from Sirach is ‘Give New Signs and Work New Wonders.’ I feel that our school is one of God’s wonders.”

Principal Suzanne Barto said, “Being recognized as a three-time National Blue Ribbon School is such an honor, and we are very proud of this accomplishment. This award is a testament to the dedication of our teachers, the hard work of our students and the support of our parents. It serves as a celebration of our community’s collective commitment to excellence.”

She added, “The timing is especially notable since qualifying scores were based on student performance during the pandemic when students and staff were working remotely and in person at the same time. As a Catholic school, we are blessed to have our faith guide and sustain us in difficult times. This also keeps us focused on our mission of developing well-rounded students who are challenged to go out and make a positive impact in the world.”

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education honors the National Blue Ribbon Schools at the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. At the ceremony, each school receives a plaque and flag to signify its exemplary status. These schools serve as examples for other schools throughout the nation, and details of their achievements are shared on the U.S. Department of Education’s website. †

Suzanne Barto in Sugar Land celebrates with students on recently winning the National Blue Ribbon School award for the third time from the U.S. Department of Education.

St. Laurence... I feel that our school is one of God’s wonders.”

FATHER DREW WOOD Pastor, St. Laurence Parish and School

Annual Firefighters Mass set to honor, bless first responders on Oct. 15

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

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

On Sunday, Oct. 15, the Archdiocese will thank and pray for all firefighters 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 retired 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 Chase Fleming, a 24-year-old who died from injuries in an off-duty motor vehicle accident this past Aug. 17.

Another young firefighter, Patrick Poppa Rocha, died at 25 years old last May after following the career path of his father, former Houston Fire Department District Chief Theodore Rocha. He was a graduate of St. Augustine Catholic School

and St. Thomas High School.

Also, among those being remembered, Gaspar Gomez, 60, served as a fire inspector for the City of Houston for 29 years before passing last October. Active firefighter Willie Clyde Nelson Jr. was a 16-year veteran with the Houston Fire Department when he passed at 50 last April.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said he salutes the brave men and women who are firefighters and pays his respects to their families.

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 public. †

SAVE THE DATE:

SAVE THE DATE:

red mass & dinner

red mass & dinner

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Red Mass

Red Mass

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

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

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Main Celebrant & Homilist

Main Celebrant & Homilist

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

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

To purchase dinner tickets, visit archgh.org/redmass

To purchase dinner tickets, visit archgh.org/redmass

WANT TO GO?

The 2023 Firefighters Mass will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 11 a.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate the Mass, which includes a memorial service.

HERALD FILE PHOTOS

At left, fire trucks lined the street in front of the Co-Cathedral with crossed ladders hoisting a large U.S. flag at last year’s Firefighters Mass. At right, a tribute to firefighters who have died in the last year includes a reading of their names accompanied by the ringing of a memorial bell.

Outreach brings God’s love to those in the margins

been silenced.

Along with the Office of Aging, Special Youth Services and the Campaign for Human Development, the Office of Justice and Peace is part of the Archdiocese’s Secretariat for Social Concerns. The ministry collaborates with local agencies serving the most vulnerable in society, including Catholic Charities, San José Clinic, St. Dominic Village and Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

According to Sister O’Connell, as the world struggles with ongoing challenges to reach the most vulnerable, the Office of Justice and Peace remains steadfast in its commitment to support the growing population of immigrants and refugees in the Galveston-Houston area.

“We continue to be challenged by the need to provide care and support for the many immigrants and refugees who come to us because of violence, climate change and corruption,” Sister O’Connell said. “Our mission is clear: To extend the love and care of our God to all.”

Sister O’Connell said the Office of Justice and Peace initiated a committee to encourage and support parishioners in understanding and responding to Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si. This initiative underscores the importance of addressing environmental issues and their impact on marginalized

SCAN TO WATCH FILM

Pope Francis and global activists are pictured in a banner for the new YouTube Originals film on the pope’s encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” The film is being screened around the Archdiocese during the Month of Creation, which also honors the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi. To watch the film, visit www.theletterfilm.org/watch.

communities. The committee also promotes the screening of “The Letter,” a documentary shedding light on the global climate crisis through the stories of those directly affected.

As one of 64 ministries supported by the annual Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) appeal, Sister O’Connell said the DSF collection allows the faithful to join the Office of Justice and Peace in becoming the hands and feet of Jesus to serve the vulnerable, the homeless, the forgotten

► JUSTICE, from page 1

and those most in need throughout the Archdiocese.

“Contributions to DSF fund programs and services go beyond the capability of one parish alone,” Sister O’Connell said. “These contributions benefit everyone in the community. They provide services to the vulnerable and give every parishioner the opportunity to participate in the mission of Jesus. The DSF monies help support outreach to formerly incarcerated individuals, uninsured, underinsured, and uninsurable individuals and families in the Archdiocese.”

Sister O’Connell identified areas where additional DSF aid could make a significant difference in the Office of Justice and Peace’s efforts. This includes Casa Juan Diego, an organization dedicated to serving immigrants and refugees, particularly women, children and families in dire need of basic necessities and safe housing.

Sister O’Connell shared a story about a young refugee and her family who recently benefited from the support given through the DSF appeal.

“This young woman and her father came to Houston because their crops had been decimated by climate change,” Sister O’Connell said. “They traveled to Houston in hopes of finding work that

The 2023 Diocesan Services Fund theme is “God is the Strength of My Heart.” 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 64 ministries.

would allow them to send money back to her mother and siblings. Thanks to DSF funds, we have been able to provide safe housing and access to legal services for this family.”

Sister O’Connell said the Office of Aging is looking to re-energize its efforts as communities strive to return to normalcy post-COVID-19. An Archdiocesan Conference on Aging, scheduled for Jan. 26 to 27, 2024, promises to be a valuable resource for parish groups and individuals seeking to support seniors in their homes, parishes and communities.

To learn more about how the Office of Justice and Peace continues to make a profound impact on the lives of the most vulnerable across the Archdiocese and how you can get involved, visit www. archgh.org/justiceandpeace.

To donate to the DSF, go to www. archgh.org/DSF. The DSF supports each of these ministries, whether direct service or education, which 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. †

Recognizing the dignity of others

KINGWOOD — At St. Martha’s Kitchen in Kingwood, volunteers feed a hot lunch meal to 300 to 400 people every weekday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as part of the service ministry of St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood. “Each person has dignity, and we need to treat them that way,” said Sister Carmen Sanchez, MCDP, director of St. Martha’s Kitchen.

CNS PHOTO/YOUTUBE ORIGINALS

SCOUTING A EUCHARISTIC SPIRITUALITY

Father Pat Garrett, chaplain of the Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting and pastor of Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in The Woodlands, holds a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament during a Catholic scouting retreat held on Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Bovay Scout Ranch near Navasota. More than 370 participants from 47 units at 43 parishes attended the annual retreat, according to officials. Scouts from Cub Scouts, American Heritage Girls, Trail Life, Scouts BSA and Venturer troops and crews also heard from Father Zach Muldrow, a parochial vicar at St. Martha Parish in Kingwood. Father Muldrow, who is an Eagle Scout, also offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation to the youth. Father Garrett, also an Eagle Scout, presided over Eucharistic Adoration with the youth in attendance. TO VIEW AN EXCLUSIVE PHOTO SLIDESHOW FROM THE SCOUT RETREAT, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/SCOUTS23.

MOVIE RATINGS By OSV News

A-I – SUITABLE FOR ALL

• Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (PG)

A-II – SUITABLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN

• A Million Miles Away (PG)

• Blue Beetle (PG-13)

• The Hill (PG)

A-III – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS

• A Haunting in Venice (PG-13)

• Gran Turismo (PG-13)

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (PG-13)

• The Creator (PG-13)

L – LIMITED MATURE AUDIENCE

• The Nun II (R)

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• Expend4bles (R)

• Deliver Us (R)

• Saw X (R)

• Strays (R)

• The Equalizer 3 (R)

For more reviews, visit osvnews.com/category/reviews

IN BRIEF

Bayou Awakening brings young adults to connect with Church

HOUSTON — Young adults ages 18 to 25 are invited to join the Bayou Awakening #32 Retreat, sponsored by the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry (YACM) of the Archdiocese. The retreat will be held Oct. 27 to 29 at the Cameron Retreat Center, located at 2405 Holcombe Blvd., Houston.

Bayou Awakening seeks to bring young adults to a personal encounter with Christ, provide an opportunity for spiritual renewal and connect young adults to the Catholic Church. The cost is $95 per person, with scholarships available. Deadline to register is Wednesday, Oct. 13. To request a scholarship, contact the YACM office at yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778.

For more information and to register, visit www.archgh.org/bayouawakening. †

Catholic women’s music group to make two stops in Archdiocese

HOUSTON — Gen Verde, an international women’s performing arts group comprised of 19 women from 14 countries who are lay consecrated members of the Focolare Movement, is set to make two stops in the Archdiocese during their U.S. national tour.

The Italy-based group, who writes and composes their own music, will perform an acoustic concert titled “Arise: Called to Live for Something Greater” at the University of St. Thomas - Cullen Hall, located at 3800 Montrose Blvd. in Houston, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. Then, on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m., the group will perform in concert at the St. Anthony of Padua parish gymnasium, located at 7801 Bay Branch Dr. in The Woodlands. The group will also host a Liturgical ensemble for St. Anthony of Padua’s 6 p.m. Mass.

Both concerts are free. To register for the Oct. 17 concert, visit www.houstonvocations. com/events. To register for the Oct. 12 event, visit www.ap.churchcenter.com/registrations.

Red Mass for Houston’s judicial community follows Election Day

HOUSTON — The annual Red Mass is set for Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6:15 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy. in downtown Houston. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will be the principal celebrant of the Mass.

Red Mass 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 a paid optional dinner at the Cathedral Centre, 1701 San Jacinto St., Houston. Dinner seating is limited. For more information and to

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE EISTERHOLD

EDUCATION Pair of Archdiocesan teachers win Kinder award

Prestigious award includes $25,000 prize

HOUSTON — Twelve Houston-area school teachers were recently honored with the annual Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award (KETA) and a gift of $25,000 each from the Kinder Foundation, including two teachers from the Archdiocese.

Jackie Nguyen-Meza, a kindergarten teacher at St. Augustine Catholic School, and Peter Rispin, a ninth-grade biology and 12th-grade human anatomy and physiology teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School, received the prestigious award.

Each recipient was nominated by their school leader or school director,

has taught at the same network or school for at least three years, is a positive motivator to students and faculty, and has led students to academic growth.

Nguyen-Meza serves as an early childhood teacher at St. Augustine. She has taught for nine years, serving the Archdiocese for the last five years, with the past three years at St. Augustine. Her nomination writeup stated: “Nguyen-Meza challenges students to maximize their full potential while providing a nurturing environment. She is an effective educator who

develops the whole child, embracing the different learning styles of her students and adapting to their specific individual needs.

Nguyen-Meza is a firm believer in recognizing and reinforcing positive behavior and performance.”

Rispin completed his 20th year of teaching this school year, with the past 10 years at Cristo Rey Jesuit. He has held various titles during his tenure, including teacher leader and instructional coach. His nomination write-up stated: “His work with students goes beyond the rigor of the classroom, focusing on the whole child’s development. Rispin is fully invested and models a sincere belief that all students will learn, as he perpetually reflects upon his own instructional practices and implements new strategies to engage learners and advance student

outcomes.”

“It is an honor and delight to recognize some of Houston’s great educators every year with the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Awards,” Nancy Kinder, president and CEO of the Kinder Foundation, said. “Every student deserves to have a teacher who cares about their success, and these 12 teachers go above and beyond to ensure their students succeed. We hope this recognition and financial award will serve to highlight their outstanding commitment to teaching.”

In total, $300,000 was granted to teachers from KIPP Texas Public Schools–Houston, YES Prep Public Schools, Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston and Teach for America Houston. KETA has awarded over $4.8 million in grants to more than 299 teachers since the program was established in 2001.

The program was created in honor of Rich Kinder’s mother, Edna C. Kinder, who taught special education students for many years in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. †

PETER RISPIN JACKIE NGUYEN-MEZA

ST. JOHN XXIII COLLEGE PREPARATORY BREAKS GROUND ON EXPANSION PROJECT

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOHN XXIII COLLEGE PREPARATORY

At St. John XXIII College Preparatory (SJ23) in Katy, (left to right) Walt Cooney, campaign board member; Father Jonathan Mitchican, SJ23 chaplain; Kelli DeGeeter, SJ23 board of directors member; Matt Schmidt, campaign board member; and Joe Raia, campaign consultant, attend a Sept. 21 groundbreaking on a new gymnasium addition, set to include a modern weight room, public stadium restrooms and a multi-purpose studio space. Construction is anticipated to be completed in four months.

2023 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Every year, on the next-to-last Sunday of October, World Mission Sunday joins all Catholics of the world into one community of faith. At Mass that Sunday, Catholics recommit themselves to their common vocation, through Baptism, to be missionaries through prayer, participation in the Eucharist and by giving generously to the second collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith to help the poor and marginalized in more than 1,100 mission dioceses. They are called to live out their baptismal call to be sent forth to evangelize the world. This is the mission that all Christians have received, and God gives them the grace to live it out wherever we may be.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Oct. 22, as we observe World Mission Sunday, we stand in solidarity with the Missions of the Church in this annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration.

Pope Francis chose “Hearts on fire, feet on the move” as this year’s theme. The Holy Father invites us to kindle the fire of Christ’s love in our hearts and to actively share this warmth with the world around us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we go forth and bring the Good News to all corners of the world.

Founded by French laywoman Blessed Pauline Jaricot in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an essential source of aid for the Church’s missionary work. In the U.S., we benefited from these donations — up until 1908, we received close to $7 million, the equivalent of over $250 million today. The dioceses in our country considered mission territories have continued to receive subsidies. Fairbanks, Alaska, was the last of those dioceses and received its final subsidy payment this year!

The World Mission Sunday collection assists the Holy

Father meet his Petrine obligation to build up the Church in over 1,100 dioceses and territories that are too young and/ or too poor to sustain themselves. Offerings support the formation of seminarians and religious men and women, assist in the construction of schools and orphanages, and enables missionaries to build churches in remote and resource-limited areas and to meet essential works to proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the Sacraments.

Embodying this year’s theme, I urge you to keep your hearts aflame and your feet moving this World Mission Sunday. Your prayers are invaluable, and your financial support provides life-giving aid to our brothers and sisters in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Gratefully in the Lord,

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

Celebrate World Mission Sunday with the Rosary

HOUSTON — Looking for a unique way to mark World Mission Sunday? In this month of the Rosary, turn to the World Mission rosary, which is a unique tool to both pray and speak about the missions of the Church.

The World Mission rosary was envisioned by Venerable Archbishop Fulton John Sheen, then the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, in 1951. He made the request on a radio show that his listeners “Embrace the world in prayer.”

To do so, he introduced this rosary. Its uniqueness is in the five colors represented in each of the decades. Color symbolism in a rosary is a gentle reminder on which to focus the prayers. This rosary honors the work of mission, our call to be missioners, and world unity and peace through its special emphasis on each of the Earth’s regions, where prayers are needed for all people.

The mysteries of the World Misson Rosary are the same as usual: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous. Each region is represented by a different color — green is for the forests and grasslands of Africa; red recalls the fire of faith that brought missioners to the Americas (U.S., Canada, Latin America and Native Americans); white symbolizes Europe, the home of the Holy Father; blue is for the ocean surrounding the islands of the Pacific in Australia and Oceania; and yellow represents the morning light of the East and “beginning of civilization” in Asia and the Middle East.

To learn more about World Mission Sunday, visit www.onefamilyinmission.org. †

What can we pray for?

Sometimes, when we’re told to pray for someone or something, it can be a challenge to think of what exactly to say when we pray. With this prayer guide, the Pontifical Mission Societies offers these specific intentions to pray for on this upcoming World Mission Sunday.

On this World Mission Sunday, we embrace the call to have our “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.” We come before the Lord, asking Him to fuel our passion and direct our steps as we bear witness to His love throughout the world.

• For Pope Francis, our leading missionary, and for all those who bravely proclaim the Gospel in foreign lands, may their hearts remain ablaze with love for Christ and all of humanity.

• For the enduring legacy of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith: May our commitment to mission be rejuvenated, echoing the fervor of early believers.

• Seeking the intercession of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, may her passion for the mission of the Church continue to light our path and inspire our actions.

• For families worldwide, the domestic Church, may they be ignited with a missionary spirit.

• For all those who support the missions, may their generosity bear abundant fruit and inspire others to contribute both in prayer and deed.

• For the Church in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and in every region scarred by conflict, may God’s peace reign, and may our support bring solace and strength.

• In places where the faithful face persecution, may God’s protective love surround them, giving them courage and hope.

• For mission territories rich in faith but in need of resources, may our collective efforts bring relief and spiritual nourishment.

• Where the name of Christ is yet unknown, may the Holy Spirit work through missionaries, drawing souls to the redeeming power of the Gospel.

• For an increase in missionary vocations, may the call to serve be heard and answered with a heart on fire and feet ready to move.

• For missionaries who have laid down their lives in service and for our departed loved ones whom we hold dear, may they experience eternal joy in God’s presence.

• For the youth of our Church, that they may be filled with missionary zeal, harnessing the power of digital evangelization to spread the message of Christ far and wide and inspiring their peers to a life rooted in faith.

• For the elderly and those in the twilight years of their lives, that they may continue to serve as pillars of wisdom and experience.

Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Having come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, Catholics are called to share with others the hope and joy that come from faith and that endure even when life gets difficult, Pope Francis said.

“What the world needs is the love of God, to encounter Christ and believe in Him. For this reason, the Eucharist is not only the source and summit of the life of the Church, it is also the source and summit of her mission,” Pope Francis wrote, quoting the late Pope Benedict XVI.

The connection between the missionary call of every disciple and the gift of Jesus present in the Eucharist was at the center of Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated on Oct. 22.

The theme the pope chose for the 2023 celebration is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move,” which he said was inspired by the story of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection. The Bible says the disciples’ hearts “burned within them” as Jesus explained the Scriptures and how they recognized Him when He broke bread with them, and they set off to share the Good News with others.

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated during the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, and Pope Francis also used his message to talk about the missionary profile of the synod.

“The urgency of the Church’s missionary activity naturally calls for an ever-closer missionary cooperation on the part of all her members and at every level. This is an essential goal of the synodal journey that the Church has undertaken, guided by the keywords: Communion, participation, mission.”

The synodal process, he said, is “not a turning of the Church in upon herself, nor is it a referendum about what we ought to believe and practice, nor a matter of human preferences. Rather, it is a process of setting out on the way and, like the disciples of Emmaus, listening to the risen Lord. For He always comes among us to explain the meaning of the Scriptures and to break bread for us, so

that we can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, carry out His mission in the world.”

While Pope Francis often warns against proselytism — using pressure or coercion to get someone to convert — he insisted that the Church exists for mission and that every person in the world has the right to hear the Gospel.

“Today more than ever, our human family, wounded by so many situations of injustice, so many divisions and wars, is in need of the good news of peace and salvation in Christ,” he said. “I take this opportunity to reiterate that ‘everyone has the right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to announce it without excluding anyone, not as one who imposes a new obligation, but as one who shares a joy, signals a beautiful horizon, offers a desirable banquet.’”

A person who has truly encountered the risen Lord necessarily will be “set on fire with enthusiasm to tell everyone about Him,” the pope said.

So, for the Catholic Church, “the primary and principal resource of the mission are those persons who have come to know the risen Christ in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, who carry His fire in their heart and His light in their gaze. They can bear witness to the life that never dies, even in the most difficult of situations and in the darkest of moments.”

Just like the disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus immediately went to tell others about their encounter with Him, the pope said, “Our proclamation will be a joyful telling of Christ the Lord, His life, His passion, His death and resurrection, and the wonders that His love has accomplished in our lives.” †

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH Parishioners of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston hold a rosary made out of balloons during the parish’s World Mission Sunday Rosary prayer service in 2020.

CNS PHOTO

Marta Barral, an Xavierian lay missionary from Spain, helps a boy read during an educational program sponsored by the Catholic Church in Atalaia do Norte in Brazil’s Amazon region.

“The Eucharist is not only the source and summit of the life of the Church, it is also the source and summit of the Church’s mission.”

Hearts on fire, feet on the move

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:13

This Year's Theme: "Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move"

Pope Francis invites us to set our hearts ablaze with faith and put our faith into action, serving God's mission with joy, enthusiasm, and tireless dedication.

�� "Hearts on Fire"

As Christians, we're called to kindle the fire of Christ's love in our hearts. Our burning faith fuels our actions, inspiring us to serve others in our daily lives

�� "Feet on the Move"

Pope Francis encourages us to not only feel the faith but to act on it It's our mission to move, serve, and spread the Good News, bringing God's love and peace to all His children.

What is World Mission Sunday?

World Mission Sunday is an annual global celebration within the Catholic Church, observed on the second to last Sunday of October This special day is dedicated to the support of the missionary work of the Church through prayer and sacrifices

How to take part:

Prayers: Pray for the success of the Church's missionary efforts, missionary priests, religious brothers and sisters, and lay people. And also pray for the people served by them in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and some regions of Europe.

Why Do We Celebrate it?

Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, World Mission Sunday is an opportunity for every Church community worldwide to express solidarity with our brothers and sisters living in mission territories. The collection supports mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe.

Donations: Your financial support helps fund missionary activities around the world, such as:

-Training future priests and religious

-Supporting religious Sisters

-Empowering catechists teaching the faith

-Funding clinics for the sick and dying

-Providing homes for orphaned children

Mary said ‘yes’ to Jesus, prays for us to give life to others

In 1973, abortion was legalized. For years, we have prayed for the end of abortion, and here we are, in 2023, living in an abortion-free Texas.

Whenever our group thinks of praying to end abortion, we usually think of praying the Rosary. Every month, the Catholic Organization Of Life (COOL) prays four Mysteries of the Rosary on the sidewalk of Houston’s largest abortion facility. But why pray the Rosary out of all the other countless prayers and chaplets? Why ask Mother Mary to intercede for us when you could go directly to Jesus?

There are many reasons behind our

praying the Rosary. At the wedding feast of Cana (Jn 2:1-12), the party goes flat; they have run out of wine. We know this story well. Mary informs Jesus about the dilemma. Jesus makes some surprisingly good wine out of dirty water, impressing even the steward of the feast. This was His first public miracle. Afterward, He begins His public ministry and goes on to perform other miracles. But it goes deeper than that.

Mary, as Jesus’ mother, implores Jesus to do something that He really does not want to do just yet. In doing this miracle, Jesus’ ministry begins. And Jesus, as God, knows that at the end of His public

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ministry, He will be nailed to a cross. But He cannot turn her down.

Mary was with Jesus for the first 30 years of His life, and therefore, He had a great relationship with her. Being her Son, He has a soft spot for her.

Because of all this, He performed a miracle that would begin His journey to Golgotha. By asking Mary to intercede for us and to go to her Son, our prayers are more likely to be answered. Note that we are not praying to Mary. Rather, we are asking Mary to pray on our behalf.

Okay, so now we know why we ask Mary to intercede for us, but why for the end of abortion? In praying the Rosary, we not only ask Mary to ask for God’s help on our behalf, but we put ourselves in a dependent position, acknowledging that she can talk to God more easily than we can. We are, in a sense, as helpless as babies.

Praying the Rosary shows Our Lady that we follow her as a protecting mother, shielding us from evil and leading us closer to her Son. She is the perfect person to go to for this intention! Not only will she care for us, but she’s willing to aid in the protection

of unborn life.

At the Annunciation, another story we know well, Gabriel tells Mary she is to be the mother of God. At this point, Mary could have said, “No, I don’t want this.” But even in her confusion and emotions, she says yes. In her “yes” to life, she becomes the mother of God.

We ask her to pray for those mothers in crisis pregnancies who might also be in confusion so that they may also say yes to life, just like Mary did over 2,000 years ago. †

Braden Barnfield is a member of the COOL youth.

“Praying the Rosary shows Our Lady that we follow her as a protecting mother, shielding us from evil and leading us closer to her Son.”

COLUMNISTS

Election Day 2023 – Whose side are you on?

On Nov. 7, an estimated 168 million Americans will cast their vote for local bond issues, state legislators, city councils, school board members, etc. Most of us will not make these decisions by carefully studying the ballot but will look instead to see which candidates and issues are supported by our preferred political party.

Research from the 2020 presidential election shows that in our era of red-vsblue, us-vs-them politics, the influence of politically unaffiliated voters has become critical to winning elections. This group is made up largely of voters under the age of 30, who are motivated by messages of justice, inclusion and equality, much more than politics-asusual.

They are less interested in supporting political parties and more interested in supporting solutions to problems like climate change, racial injustice and homelessness. They are tired of listening to leaders who tell them that “they are the future” while ignoring critical

by AMY AUZENNE

problems that require solutions right now. With their calls for justice now, young people remind us that although patience is a virtue, impatience has a grace all its own. Impatience is the feeling that something is not as it should be in this present moment and that something greater is just ahead. Instead of dismissing it as naivety or entitlement, we ought to see that youthful impatience is more often rooted in hope; hope that if we can just push past the obstacles in our way, our actions can create a better, more just world. But what will that world look like?

What is the vision that young people are inspired to help create? What might our hopes for our country look like if they were not limited by allegiance to political parties? What would our politics

look like if they were rooted in a desire for the common good instead of a desire to accumulate power?

Those of us on the upper side of 40 need to follow the example of young people who insist that politicians speak to their values, not their party affiliation. But young people also need our help to name those values and root them in a healthy, holy understanding of the human person. They need to understand that we cannot simply replace old fallacies with new ones and call it progress.

What can we say to young people who are rightly skeptical of politics? Very little. But we can show them with our actions what it means to seek the common good and uphold the dignity of all people, especially the poor and marginalized. We can join them in their efforts to build a culture of encounter that values and respects life. Most of all, we can show them what happens when Christians stop playing politics and take seriously our call to live the Gospel.

Our young people need us to accompany them as they face the challenges of this age. But we also need them — and their impatience — to see past the entrenched patterns of injustice that keep us stuck in the status quo. †

Learning at the school of Mary: The Rosary

October is here in all its fall splendor. As the seasons change, we still need to be reminded of our prayer duties. Oct. 7 was the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, coupled with the important anniversary of Our Lady’s last visit at Fatima on Oct. 13. It is also the month that St. John Paul II was elected pope back on Oct. 16, 1978. He was known as Mary’s Pope. Thus, we should not forget that October is the month of the Rosary.

The history of the development is fascinating. This lifesaving string began back in the days of Father Dominic Guzman in the 13th century. The threads of this garland of roses came from this era.

Father Guzman was chosen to go to the front lines in a battle against a major heresy: Albigensian, which held that all created matter was evil. The result was an attack on creation, incarnation, redemption and eternal life. The erroneous claim from this heresy is that Jesus cannot take on material form.

Under the tutelage of the Blessed Mother, Father Dominic Guzman went right to work, and yes, he got visits from her. He instructed people about the mysteries of the incarnation, redemption and eternal life. After each lesson, he had them pray 10 Hail Marys, which in his days was only half of the prayer we know today.

Father Guzman went on to create the fourth main priestly order of the Church, the Dominicans. He is known to us as St.

Dominic.

This practice continued and developed, and as Marian devotions grew, so did the desire for Marian teachings. The devotions grew, and the development came to address illiterate people who desired to pray the 150 Psalms as monks did. So those who could not read were encouraged to pray 150 Hail Marys for each Psalm. This became known as Our Lady’s Psalter. Eventually, the Hail Mary was completed with its second half.

mysteries to the Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries.

by CARL ERICKSON

Gradually, the 150 Hail Marys were divided up into 15 Our Fathers, and the divisions were given the name Decades. Not only were illiterate people now praying the Decades, but so were the educated.

Mysteries were given to this slowdeveloping chain, which had many variations. At one time, there were 150 mysteries for each Hail Mary! Gradually, this winded down to the 15 mysteries that we know today: Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious.

It was no secret that St. John Paul II’s favorite form of prayer was the Rosary. He was so devoted to Mary that he consecrated his whole being and priesthood to her. As part of his pontificate, he added a fourth set of

In conclusion, the Rosary is a powerful form of prayer. St. John Paul II writes: “With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of His love.” The Rosary is Mary’s school, where she teaches us about her Son and His good news.

If we want to know the Son, we should learn from His mother. Something to remember in observing October, the month of the Rosary. †

Carl Erickson is the director of Campus Ministry at the Galveston Newman Center.

Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE, is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

Being the neighbor during Respect Life Month

October is Respect Life Month in our Church. This annual observance reminds us how, as one mystical body of Christ, we work to look after each other and ensure the dignity of every individual.

GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART

by ALEJANDRA MAYA GARZA

In Evangelium Vitae, St. John Paul II states: “Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person’s life.”

As practicing Catholics, we try to live out “Respect Life” every day of the year, and what drives us to do so is the commandment of “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:39).

What can it look like to respect life every step of the way? We know where to begin: Conception. We walk with a mother through her pregnancy. Then the child is born. We must then look at the child’s condition: Are they taken care of? Do the parents have what they need to give their child a good life? The child begins school. Do they have the required supplies? Do they have shoes and clean clothes? Are they able to eat three meals a day?

They grow up a bit, and for whatever reason, they start getting into trouble. They are detained and taken to a juvenile detention facility. Their parents work four jobs between them and have a small child at home and cannot easily make time to visit them on the days that visitation is allowed. They feel alone... without neighbors.

But they are not alone, my brothers and sisters. We are the neighbor. We are the ones who love them as we love ourselves. In these scenarios, we donate baby clothes and food; we find supplies for school; we take the mother shopping

EDUCATION

for new shoes; we vote for the schools to provide free meals; we babysit the small child; we give the parents a ride to ESL classes; we help the young man enroll in a technical school like the new St. Peter Catholic – A Career and Technical High School. We are neighbors they have known for years, neighbors they recently met or neighbors they will never meet but who contribute their treasures in some way.

While we were helping in “the free,” Special Youth Services volunteers were in the juvenile detention facility, accompanying the young people on their spiritual journey. They studied Scripture together. They reminded them that no matter what they had done, they were forgiven by God. They helped them understand their value through the love God has for them. They were their neighbors.

We all worked together to serve that family, as it cannot be done by just one person. As part of the mystical body of Christ, there is always a place for you to respect life by serving that body. You are needed. I invite you to pray for the courage to answer the Lord’s invitation to where you are called to serve the body of Christ. St. John Paul II, pray for us! †

Alejandra Maya Garza is an associate director with Special Youth Services.

“As part of the mystical Body of Christ, there is always a place for you to respect life by serving that body.”

Hope must be restored in communities, young people, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Hope and fraternity must be kept alive, organized and coordinated into concrete action so every crisis can be read as an opportunity and dealt with positively, Pope Francis said.

“Hope needs to be restored to our European societies, especially to the new generations,” he told people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience Sept. 27.

“In fact, how can we welcome others if we ourselves do not first have a horizon open to the future?” he said.

The pope followed his usual practice of speaking about his latest trip at the first general audience after his return. The pope went to Marseille — an ancient port city on the Mediterranean Sea and France’s second-largest city — Sept. 22 to 23 to highlight the challenges and opportunities across the entire Mediterranean region and to focus on the plight of migrants crossing its waters.

“We know the Mediterranean is the cradle of civilization, and a cradle is for life! It is not tolerable that it become a tomb, neither should it be a place of conflict,” war and human trafficking, he said, referring to the thousands of men, women and children who fall into the hands of traffickers offering them passage into Europe and to those who die from unsafe conditions on the sea or in detention.

The Mediterranean bridges Africa, Asia and Europe and their people, cultures, philosophies and religions, he said. But a harmonious connection “does not happen magically, neither is it accomplished once and for all. It is the fruit of a journey in which each generation is called to travel.”

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The pope explained he went to Marseille to take part in the conclusion of the “Mediterranean Meetings,” which brought together bishops, mayors, young people and others from the Mediterranean area to look toward the future with hope.

“This is the dream, this is the challenge: that the Mediterranean might recover its vocation, that of being a laboratory of civilization and peace,” the pope said. Otherwise, he said, “How can young people, who are poor in hope, closed in on their private lives, worried about managing their own precariousness, open themselves to meeting others and to sharing?”

Communities, which are so often “sickened by individualism, by consumerism and by empty escapism, need to open themselves; their souls and spirits need to be oxygenated, and then they will be able to read the crisis as an opportunity and deal with it positively,” he said.

What came out of the Marseille event, he said, was an outlook on the Mediterranean that was hopeful and “simply human, not ideological, not strategic, not politically correct nor instrumental.”

“Europe needs to retrieve passion and enthusiasm. And I can say that I found passion and enthusiasm in Marseille,” the pope said, thanking its archbishop, Jean-Marc Cardinal Aveline, the priests, religious, lay faithful and the many people who “showed great warmth during the Mass in the Vélodrome Stadium.”

He also thanked President Emmanuel Macron, “whose presence testified that all of France was paying attention to the event in Marseille.” †

IN BRIEF

Vatican astronomer helps NASA in historic mission to study asteroid

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesuit Brother Bob Macke, an astronomer with the Vatican Observatory and meteorite expert, has built a custom device for studying material from the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.

The unmanned spacecraft Osiris-Rex was launched in 2016 to collect samples on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.

After collecting about a cup of material in 2020, before the spacecraft continued its space voyage to orbit the sun, it released its cargo to send the sample back to Earth on Sept. 24.

Because of Brother Macke’s known expertise in the field, he was asked if he could build the device needed to analyze the density and porosity of the samples to help identify the mysterious rocks on the asteroid’s surface, according to Mashable.com Sept. 16.

Brother Macke was game. He said he built it in five weeks with the help of students at the University of Arizona.

He delivered the device to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston in March for a trial run. †

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NATION CARA study shows positive signs of Catholic belief in Eucharist, but underscores need for revival

(OSV News) — Almost two-thirds of Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but only 17% of adult Catholics physically attend Mass at least once per week, according to a newly published survey from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). The survey also revealed a high correlation between belief in the Eucharist and weekly or even monthly Mass attendance.

The 2022 survey of self-identified Catholics published Sept. 26 and titled “Eucharist Beliefs: A National Survey of Adult Catholics” found 64% of respondents provided responses that indicate they believe in the Real Presence, that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine in the Eucharist.

That conclusion was drawn from both open-ended and closed-ended questions respondents were asked about their understanding of Church teaching about the Eucharist and additional questions to clarify their beliefs.

According to the CARA study, 49% of respondents correctly identified that the Church teaches that “Jesus Christ is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine.” The other 51% incorrectly identified the Church’s teaching as“Bread

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/ HERALD

and wine are symbols of Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper, meaning that Jesus is only symbolically present in the consecrated bread and wine.”

“Results of this question indicate that there is substantial confusion about what the Church teaches about the Eucharist with slightly more adult Catholics not knowing this correctly than those correctly identifying the teachings,” the report stated.

The survey report noted the data from the responses to the questions indicated, “Most who do not believe in the Real Presence are not rejecting the teaching, as they do not know this is what the Church teaches.”

The survey aimed to test or clarify the findings of a 2019 Pew Research Center survey that found one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with the Church that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. According to Pew’s analysis published in August 2019, “nearly seven-in-10 Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion ‘are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.’ Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that ‘during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.’”

The 2019 Pew survey was part of the impetus for the National Eucharistic Revival that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched last year, and which will include a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July. The initiative aims “to inspire a movement of Catholics across the U.S. who are healed, converted, formed and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist — and who are then sent out on mission ‘for the life of the world,’” its website states.

In a review of previous surveys asking Catholics about their belief in the Real Presence beginning with a 2008 American National Election Study, CARA indicated that the Pew Research Center’s phrasing for its question on the topic may have been confusing to respondents. CARA aimed to be as clear as possible with its survey’s approach, which is why it opened with an “unaided and open-ended question”:

“In your own words, what do you believe happens to the gifts of bread and wine after Consecration during Mass?”

The new CARA study, while showing more Catholics believe in the Real Presence than in the Pew study, still underscores the need for the Eucharistic Revival, said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, which supports the revival.

“It’s still not good news,” Bishop Cozzens, who also serves as board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress nonprofit formed in 2022 to plan the national event, told OSV News “What it reveals is that there’s … people who say they believe in the Eucharist, but they don’t go to Mass. In that sense, they obviously haven’t had a real encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist.”

“This is what we’re about with the Eucharistic Revival, this encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist that lets me realize He’s a living person, and that changes the way I live,” he continued. “That’s what we really need.”

The survey, however, “might actually show us we have more low-hanging fruit than we thought we did,” he said.“In other words, there are people who say they believe in the Eucharist, but they don’t go to Mass every week. … How do we invite them into an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist so that their lives can be changed?”

The survey found that knowledge of the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist and belief that teaching is true is highest among Catholics who attend Mass at least once per week, at 95%. Among Catholics who attend less than weekly but at least once per month, it was 80%.

It also found that weekly Mass attendance has dropped seven percentage points during the COVID-19 pandemic from 24% in 2019 to 17% in 2022 — around 5% watch Mass on television or online due to the pandemic. An additional 18% attend less than weekly but at least once per month. Twenty-six percent attend Mass a few times per year and 35% rarely or never attend Mass.

“What we need is not just good catechesis — we do need that — but we also need to invite people to a relationship,” Bishop Cozzens said. “Helping people understand that it (lack of belief in the Real Presence) is not just an intellectual problem, it’s a problem of the heart in that sense of relationship with Jesus. What we’re really seeking is inviting people to an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist because that’s what will have the biggest impact.”

The national study was commissioned by the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, “to better understand what the current Catholic population (selfidentified) believes about the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Eucharist,” the report stated. †

Father Richard McNeillie, director of the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese, distributes Communion to a consecrated woman religious at Mass.

Ser el prójimo durante el Mes del Respeto por la Vida

Octubre es el Mes del Respeto por la Vida en nuestra Iglesia. Esta observación anual nos recuerda que como un sólo cuerpo místico de Cristo, trabajamos para cuidarnos unos a otros y garantizar la dignidad de cada individuo. En Evangelium Vitae, San Juan Pablo II afirme: “Toda la sociedad debe respetar, defender y promover la dignidad de cada persona humana, en todo momento y condición de su vida”. Como católicos practicantes, intentamos vivir “el Respeto por la Vida” cada día del año y lo que nos motiva a hacerlo es el mandamiento de “amar al prójimo como a ti mismo” (Mto 22:39).

¿Cómo puede ser respetar la vida en cada paso del camino? Sabemos por dónde empezar: la concepción. Caminamos con una madre durante su embarazo. Luego nace el niño. Ahora deberemos ver la condición del niño: ¿Está atendido? ¿Tienen los padres lo que necesitan para darle a su hijo una buena vida? Él empieza la escuela. ¿Tiene sus útiles requeridos? ¿Tiene zapatos y rompa limpia? ¿Puede comer tres comidas al día? Crece un poco y, por alguna razón, empieza a meterse en problemas. Es detenido y llevado a un centro de detención juvenil. Sus padres tienen cuatro trabajos entre ellos y

tienen a un niño pequeño en casa y no es fácil hacer tiempo para visitarlo los días en que se permiten las visitas. Se sienten solos, sin prójimos.

Pero no están solos, mis hermanos y hermanas. Nosotros somos sus prójimos. Somos nosotros quienes los amamos como nos amamos a nosotros mismos.

En estos escenarios donamos ropa y alimentos de bebé; encontramos útiles escolares; llevamos a la madre a la tienda para comprar zapatos nuevos; votamos para que las escuelas proporcionen comidas gratuitas; cuidamos al niño pequeño; llevamos a los padres a clases de inglés; ayudamos al joven a inscribirse en una escuela técnica como la nueva Preparatoria Católica de Carrera y Técnica de San Pedro (St. Peter Catholic – A Career and Technical High School). Somos prójimos que conocen desde hace años, prójimos que conocieron recientemente o prójimos que nunca conocerán pero que aportan sus tesoros de alguna manera.

Mientras ayudábamos en “la libertad”, voluntarios de Servicios Especiales para Jóvenes (Special Youth Services) estaban en el centro de detención juvenil acompañando al joven en su jornada espiritual. Estudiaron las Escrituras juntos. Le recordaron que no importa lo que haya hecho, Dios lo perdona. Le ayudaron a comprender su valor a través del amor que Dios tiene por él. Ellos eran su prójimo.

Todos trabajamos juntos para servir a esa familia, ya que una sola persona no

lo puede hacer. Como parte del cuerpo místico de Cristo, siempre hay un lugar para que respetes la vida sirviendo a ese cuerpo. Eres necesario. Te invito a orar por el valor de responder a la invitación de nuestro Señor a dónde estés llamado a servir al cuerpo de Cristo. San Juan Pablo II, ¡ruega por nosotros! †

Alejandra Maya Garza es directora asociada de Servicios Especiales para Jóvenes (Special Youth Services).

OCTUBRE DE 2023

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/PROLIFE

APOYO PASTORAL A VÍCTIMAS DE ABUSO SEXUAL DEL CLERO

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

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

► FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS AND MORE LISTINGS, VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/ATA.

OCT. 11

WORKSHOP, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). “Deeper Wisdom of the Enneagram” explores self-awareness and self-knowledge. Cost: $40. emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

OCT. 13

SUPER BINGO, 7 to 11 p.m., St. Monica - Church Hall Bldg. #5 (8421 West Montgomery Rd., Houston). Features food and 10 Bingo games. Bring your daubers. Admission: $20 Presale/$25 at the door. 281-447-5837.

OCT. 14

BENEFIT DINNER, 6 p.m., The Revaire (7122 Old Katy Rd., Houston). “Wine & Dine Dinner” benefits Catholic Charities and includes a fourcourse dinner, welcome reception, wine pull, mystery wine game and live auction. nrivera@ catholiccharities.org; 713-874-6629.

BAZAAR , 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Holy Rosary (1416 George St., Rosenberg). Event includes food booths, sliced pastries, auction, kids’ games, cake spin, plant booth, Bingo and more. 832-278-9403.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA HOLY ROSARY VIGIL , 9:30 a.m., Notre Dame (7720 Boone Rd., Houston). Start with Rosary, Divine Mercy and Holy Face Chaplet. Mass follows at 10:30 a.m. with Father Luke Manuel, O.S.H., and Deacon Anthony Olsovsky. 713-962-6572.

FESTIVAL, 2 to 7 p.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Centre (1701 San Jacinto St., Houston). Features games, music, chili cook-off, food trucks and more. sacredhearthouston.org/coradcorfestival.

OCT. 14-15

BAZAAR, St. Laurence (3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Event includes ethnic and

carnival food, live music, Bingo, kids’ games, inflatables, a rock wall, a raffle and more. stlaurence.org/parish-bazaar.

OCT. 15

BAZAAR, noon to 8 p.m., St. Monica (8421 West Montgomery Rd., Houston). Features food, sweets, DJ, games and raffle. Vendor booths available. Free admission and parking. 713-4197239; 281-447-5837.

BAZAAR, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Resurrection (915 Zoe St., Houston). Features live music, kids’ games, Folklorico dancers, games, pumpkin patch, food, drinks and raffle. Free admission.

BAZAAR, 10:30 a.m., Guardian Angel (5610 Demel St., Wallis). Thanksgiving Masses at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Barbecue plates with homemade dressing and trimmings. Event includes rides, games, booths, drawing and 1 p.m. auction. 979-478-6532; gacwallis@gmail.

com; guardianangelwallis.org.

MASS FOR WOMEN, 9:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Seminary (9845 Memorial Dr., Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate a Mass honoring all Catholic women hosted by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Council of Catholic Women. RSVP at ghcw.org.

TURKEY DINNER, 11 a.m., West Brazos Columbus Club (20632 N. Hwy. 36, Brazoria). Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sweeny and St. John the Apostle in West Columbia host a $15 turkey dinner with dressing, buttered potatoes, green beans, dessert and tea. Drive-up lane available. Also includes pastry booth, live music, Mexican food, country store, raffle, live and silent auctions, and kids’ games. 979-548-2020; olphsjaoffice@gmail.com.

FESTIVAL, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Shrine of the True Cross (300 FM 517 Rd. East, Dickinson). Features

live and silent auctions, raffle, food, games, craft vendors, general store, mystery gift booth, gift card extravaganza, plants, cakes and more. truecrosschurch.org.

BAZAAR, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Immaculate Conception (7250 Harrisburg, Houston). Features food, games, raffle and live music. 713-921-1261.

BAZAAR, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Corpus Christi (9900 Stella Link Rd., Houston). Features food and drinks, kids’ games, live music, silent auction, pumpkin patch, plant booth and raffle. ccparishhouston.org; 713-858-3291; paulsobieski@att.net.

FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Thomas More (10330 Hillcroft Dr., Houston). Features food, live music, games, local international foods, skill games and Bingo. 713-729-3434; cpollard@ stmorenews.com.

OCT. 17

CONCERT, 7 p.m., Cullen Hall at University of St. Thomas (3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston). Gen Verde, a group of consecrated women of the Focolare Movement, performs an acoustic concert called “Arise - Called To Life For Something Greater” sponsored by the Office of Vocations of the Archdiocese. Free. archgh. swoogo.com/arise.

OCT. 18

SEAFARERS GIFT BAGS PROJECT, 9:30 a.m., St. Bernadette Church - Parish Hall, Marius Room (15500 El Camino Real, Houston). Bay Area Deanery Council of Catholic Women hosts a meeting and will assemble gift bags for the Seafarers Center in Galveston. sbalfour2009@ gmail.com.

OCT. 19-22

WOMEN’S RETREAT, Camp Lone Star Pines (22610 Tuwa Rd., Tomball). Journey to Damascus Ecumenical Retreat for women 18 and older is based on the Cursillo movement, inviting the Christian laity to witness for Christ on a daily basis. Cost: $250. houstonjtd.com; tomwtexas@ outlook.com.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SCHOOL STAFF SERVICE DAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SCHOOL

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School faculty and staff volunteered at Kids’ Meals in Houston to prepare and pack meals in August during their in-service week ahead of school.

OCT. 20

CONCERT, 5 p.m., St. Clare of Assisi (3131 El Dorado Blvd., Houston). Tony Meléndez “Secure the Future” concert. Food trucks open at 5 p.m., doors open at 6:15 p.m. with praise and worship. Concert starts at 7 p.m.

OCT. 21

CONCERT, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua Gymnasium (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). Gen Verde, all-female group of consecrated members of the Focolare Movement, in concert. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m. Free. ap.churchcenter. com/registrations.

OCT. 22

BAZAAR, 11 a.m., Columbus Club Hall (13631 Hwy. 36, Needville). Hosted by St. Michael, event includes barbecue beef and sausage with all the trimmings, Mexican food, pastries, live music, games and an auction at 1 p.m. Dine-in and drive-thru available. 979-793-4477.

FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Mary Magdalene (527 South Houston Ave., Humble). Event includes raffle, Bingo, silent auction, food, games and inflatables. 281-446-8211.

OCT. 26

GALA, 6 to 9 p.m., Chateau Crystale (2517 South Gessner Rd., Houston). Emmaus Spirituality Center hosts “Coming Together for a Beautiful World” gala with keynote speaker Laurence J. Payne, recognition to Lloyd Guerin and Dr. Lee Mountain, live auction, raffle and banquet. Cost: $125. emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

OCT. 27-28

FESTIVAL, Sts. Simon and Jude (26777 Glen Lock Dr., The Woodlands). Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 11 a.m. The “Happy Days” 50s-themed event includes Bingo, live auction, petting zoo, costume contest, barbecue, trackless train, obstacle course, balloon twister and more.

OCT. 28

WORKSHOP, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). “A Time to Nurture the Mind and Spirit” explores how to create and sustain a healthy mind and spirit, identify stressors and how to respond. Cost: $40.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

PRESENTATION, 10 a.m. to noon, St. Angela Merici (9009 Sienna Ranch Rd., Missouri City). “You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!” will foster self-confidence, peace of mind and put authority where it belongs. Cost: $25 adults, $10 ages 11 to 17. Childcare available for ages 2 to 7. Must register for limited space. adultff@ stamericigh.com.

CRAFT MARKET, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (6646 Addicks Satsuma Rd., Houston). St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Ladies Auxiliary hosts its 30th annual craft show rebranded Bags of Joy Market (formerly Gingerbread Village Holiday Market). Free admission. hrachw42@yahoo.com.

RETREAT, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Laurence Guardian Angels Hall (3103 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Father Martin Ekeh, MSP, hosts a retreat “Signs of God’s Presence in Seemingly Hopeless Situations” for teens and adults. After the Vigil Mass, a reception with African food and music follows in the parish hall. Cost: $20 per person, includes breakfast and lunch. Registration required: www.stlaurence.org/african-catholiccommunity.

OCT. 29

TRUNK OR TREAT, 3 to 7 p.m., Our Lady Star of the Sea (1401 Fidelity St., Houston). Event includes games, costume contest and food. 832-2949527.

NOV. 3

EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL NIGHT, 7 p.m., St. Angela Merici (9009 Sienna Ranch Rd., Missouri City). Event includes music, guest speakers and Eucharistic Adoration.

NOV. 3-4

HOLIDAY MARKET, St. Michael the Archangel (100 Oak Dr. South, Lake Jackson). Friday at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 41st Annual Mums & Mistletoe Holiday Market features 50 vendors, bake sale and the Market Cafe with sandwiches, baked goods and cheese soup. wosmlj@yahoo.com.

NOV. 4-5

SPEAKER SERIES, St. Laurence Ave Maria Parish Life Center (3103 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Friday at 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday at 9 to

11:30 a.m. Theologian John Bergsma hosts four sessions on the Eucharist. Cost: $30 per person includes all four talks and a light breakfast on Saturday. Register: stlaurence.org/bergsma. 281-265-5774; jfrato@stlaurence.org.

NOV. 4

GARAGE SALE, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. James the Apostle (22800 Aldine Westfield Rd., Spring). Catholic Daughters of The Americas Court 2308 are offering an opportunity to clean out your kitchen, drawers, attic and garage of clothes, unbroken appliances and household items (no books or magazines). Drop off items Nov. 3 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. 281-210-8010; cmkdestouet@gmail.com.

NOV. 3-5

MARRIAGE WEEKEND , 7 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Sunday, DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel (10609 Westpark Dr., Houston). Worldwide Marriage Encounter is an experience for married couples who desire a richer, fuller life together. Couples learn the tools needed to keep their marriage strong. $200 application fee. houstonme.org; btlittle2@me.org.

NOV. 11

BAZAAR, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (816 Park Dr., La Porte). Event includes games, food and live music. Free entry. 281-471-2000; stmaryslpcc@ sbcglobal.net.

CHILI COOK-OFF, 6 p.m., Christ the Redeemer (11507 Huffmeister Rd., Houston). Event

includes chili, hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, kid zone, beverages and more. carrie.taylor@ ctrcc.com.

NOV. 16

CRAFT MARKET, 1 to 7 p.m., St. Laurence Ave Maria Parish Life Center (3103 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land). Event includes over 60 vendors selling seasonal gifts, home décor, toys, jewelry, food items and more. Free admission. Food, drinks and desserts are available for purchase. stlaurence.org/shop-til-u-drop.

NOV. 19

ADVENT WREATH WORKSHOP, 1 to 3 p.m., Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). Houston Country Club florist Susie Miller and Christian author Joy Hilley host an advent wreath class. Cost: $75, includes all materials, including fresh greens. Register by Nov. 6 at emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

DEC. 2

WORKSHOP, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Emmaus Spirituality Center (12211 Memorial Dr., Houston). “Releasing the Power of Prayer: Deepening Our Image of God” explores understanding how God’s image can be distorted and understanding the lifetime process of healing with God. Cost: $75. emmausspiritualitycenter.com.

•••

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

Society of St. Vincent de Paul ‘Creating the Legacy’ dinner raises record-breaking funds

HOUSTON — The Society of St.Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston held its third annual “Creating The Legacy” endowment dinner on Sept. 14 at River Oaks Country Club, benefiting its fund that supports the endowment and expansion of services to help those in need within our community.

This year, the honoree was the Scanlan Foundation, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, furthering the mission of the Catholic Church in Texas.

“We were excited to be able to share an update on our Underserved Communities Initiative, which is being funded from proceeds from our endowment and from this evening’s proceeds,” said Ann Schorno, the society’s executive director.

The event was co-chaired by Katherine and Dr. Brian Parsley and Brenda and Nick Lanza. Over $550,000 was raised through significant underwriting and

a generous crowd that contributed the night of the event, making it a record fundraiser for the society.

Established by the Marek Family Foundation in 2021 in honor of Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, the goal of the “Creating The Legacy” endowment fund is to generate $1 million annually to ensure the expansion of services for the future. Since the inception of this initiative, more than $800,000 in financial assistance has been distributed.

The society has built capacity in six communities to serve the poorest of families with direct financial assistance. With support from generous donors, this vital aid will live on in perpetuity and expand the society’s presence within the Archdiocese, substantially increasing their services to impoverished neighbors. †

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Society of St. Vincent de Paul “Creating the Legacy” co-chairs, from left to right, are Nick and Brenda Lanza, and Katherine and Dr. Brian Parsley. The event, which raised more than $550,000, was held on Sept. 14 at River Oaks Country Club in Houston.