Texas Catholic Herald - October 11, 2022

Saying goodbye to a beloved shepherd

MINISTRIES

Cardinal DiNardo to wedding jubilees: ‘God has blessed you’

Celebrating 50th and 25th wedding anniversary Masses

BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald

HOUSTON — Linda and Hiett Ives first met at the active singles club of St. Anne Catholic Church on Westheimer in the late 1960s. They enjoyed weekly volleyball games and occasional group trips to ski in Vail and a weekend in New Orleans.

Romances kindled, and by 1972, some 24 of these “singles” married each other and could no longer meet under the umbrella of the singles club, Mr. Ives said.

“So we started the St. Anne’s Double Ring Club and enjoyed Saturday night dinners with each other. As children were added to the mix, Saturday afternoon park parties were included,” he said.

He and his wife celebrated their golden anniversary, and four other couples

VATICAN

True discernment requires knowing oneself, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To know oneself is a gift and a grace that allows Christians to properly discern between feelings and convictions, Pope Francis said.

During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 5, the pope said that knowing oneself requires “patient soul-searching” and the awareness of one’s “way of acting, of the feelings that dwell within us.”

“It also requires that we distinguish between emotions and spiritual faculties,” he said. “’I feel’ is not the same as ‘I am convinced.’ ‘I feel like’ is not the same as ‘I want.’ Thus, we come to recognize that the view we have of ourselves and of reality is, at times, somewhat distorted. To realize this is a grace!”

Continuing his series of talks about discernment, the pope reflected on the element of self-knowledge that is crucial in discovering what one truly wants or needs in his or her life.

The pope explained that, at times, it is difficult to discern the path for one’s life “because we do not know ourselves well enough.”

“You have heard many times: ‘But that person, why doesn’t he or she sort out their life?’” he said, departing from his prepared remarks. It “happens to us too that when we do not know clearly what we want, we do not know ourselves well.”

Spiritual doubts and vocational crises, he added, are often caused by “an insufficient dialogue between our religious life and our human, cognitive and affective dimension.”

Furthermore, “forgetting God’s presence” in one’s life goes “hand-inhand with ignorance of ourselves,” he said.

Pope Francis said that much like computer programs requiring a password to access important and personal information, the spiritual life also “has its passwords,” words that touch one’s heart in a particularly powerful way.

However, he warned, the devil also “knows these passwords well.”

“Temptation does not necessarily suggest bad things, but often haphazard things, presented with excessive importance,” the pope explained. “In this way, it hypnotizes us with the attraction that these things stir in us, things that are beautiful but illusory, that cannot deliver what they promise and therefore leave us in the end with a sense of emptiness and sadness.”

That sadness, he said, is an indication that “we have

IN BRIEF

Catholics decry clemency denial in Oklahoma, call for end to death penalty

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic leaders are speaking out about a Sept. 27 decision by Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board to deny clemency to Benjamin Cole, a 57-year-old man sentenced to die for killing his 9-month-old daughter in 2002.

Sister Helen Prejean, a sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, who is a longtime opponent of the death penalty, tweeted Sept. 28 that Cole “is the next person scheduled for execution in Oklahoma. He is a frail, 57-year-old man with a damaged brain. Cole suffers with progressive and severe mental illness. He is wheelchair bound and much of the time catatonic.”

embarked on a path that was not right.”

Pope Francis said Christians need to “know the passwords of our heart” to protect themselves from external manipulations and distinguish what is truly important from “current fads or flashy, superficial slogans.”

He also encouraged Christians to make “a general examination of conscience” each day in prayer to reflect on “what happened in my heart in this day” and “learn to note in our evaluations and choices what we give most importance to, what we are looking for and why, and what we eventually find.”

“Prayer and self-knowledge enable us to grow in freedom,” the pope said. “This is (what it means) to grow in freedom! They are basic elements of Christian existence, precious elements for finding one’s place in life.” †

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She also urged Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt to stop the execution, which is set for Oct. 20. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City similarly pointed out Cole’s mental state. In a Sept. 28 statement, he said: “While it is too late to provide Benjamin Cole with any care or treatment that might have prevented his crime almost 20 years ago, we still have an obligation to recognize the dignity bestowed upon him by God, and the effects of his debilitating mental illness.”

He said the denial of Cole’s clemency was disappointing, noting “there is hardly any justice to be seen in taking the life of a man who is hardly able to speak and lacks the basic understanding of why the state is seeking his execution.” †

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Pope Francis kisses a baby during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 5. The pope encouraged Christians to make a daily examination of conscience.

Archdiocesan Synodal synthesis report released

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston collected 385 synodal listening session reports and 502 online contributions from October 2021 to April 2022, totaling 515,000 words from 8,900 participants coming from 83% of our parishes.

The purpose was for the faithful to reflect upon Pope Francis’s call for the Church to invoke the Holy Spirit to guide Her into deeper communion and participation in life in Christ and commitment to the Church’s evangelizing mission.

The Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston Synodal Report includes the processes and milestones, turning points and spiritual dimensions that were presented. It is followed by a summary of reflections on our joint experiences, a shared responsibility to proclaim the Gospel, pivotal moments of inclusion, subconscious patterns of exclusion, companions on the journey, the Holy Spirit at work, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and concludes with pathways that may be open for the Church in its quest to journey together as a synodal Church moving forward.

the full report online at www.archgh.org/synod.

SYNOD REPORT AND RESOURCES

For more information and resources about the local Synod process in the Archdiocese, and to read the final Synod report, visit WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/SYNOD or scan the QR code at left.

All Souls Day Masses to be celebrated at Catholic cemeteries Nov. 2

HOUSTON — Praying for the souls of the departed to be blessed with eternal life in Heaven is the focus of All Souls Day that always lands on Nov. 2. This year, that day lands on Wednesday, and Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will celebrate with four Masses at three different cemeteries.

Mount Olivet Cemetery and Mausoleum, 7801 Gulf Freeway in Dickinson, will host two Masses. The first Mass will be at 10 a.m. with Father Jeff Bame, celebrant, and the evening candlelight ceremony will be at 7 p.m. with Father Larry Wilson, celebrant.

Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, 3502 North Main, will hold a 10 a.m. Mass with Father Julian Gerosa, celebrant.

Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, 2506 65th St. in Galveston, will hold a 10 a.m. Mass with a celebrant from Holy Family Parish.

Stephanie Nolan, Archdiocesan director of Catholic Cemeteries, said, “The Lord is always with us, especially during turmoil, loss and loneliness. Prayer is powerful, and more than ever, we need prayer.”

For more information, visit www.ccadgh.org or call 281-337-1641.

Effective October 3

Father Ebin Christopher Parochial Vicar – Prince of Peace

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.

Asian Mass set for Oct. 30

HOUSTON — The annual Asian Mass celebrates the diversity of Asian Catholics in the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston. Six Asian cultures – Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Korean and Vietnamese – will gather with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, 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.

The $50 registration includes both days of programming. To view the conference schedule or to register, visit www. archgh.org/proclaim. For more information call 713-7418723 or email proclaim@archgh.org. †

Mount Olivet Cemetery in Dickinson.

Hurricane Ian destroys Florida coast

‘Don’t be afraid,” Cardinal DiNardo tells jubilee couples

from that group who married in 1972, along with hundreds of others, at the Archdiocese’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass on Sunday, Sept. 25.

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the Anniversary Mass with the couples at the downtown Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

During the Mass, Cardinal DiNardo welcomed the couples and their families to the Co-Cathedral, calling it their “center and home.”

“You have been a center and home 50 years of marriage and in two cases, 60 years of marriage,” he said. “All these past years, God has blessed you, has challenged you, and we want to celebrate you today. Thank you for coming from all parts of this local Church. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Sacrament of Marriage.”

He also congratulated the couples, wishing them “a very happy anniversary jubilee.”

Cardinal DiNardo admitted that even though the day’s readings didn’t outright touch on marriage, the Gospel did speak about generosity, which Cardinal DiNardo said “is very, very important an ingredient in the Sacrament of Marriage.”

In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo called encouraged each couple, reminding them of the many challenges and beautiful things in life, such as children, struggles and trials, are “what makes marriage endure.” He said each couple is an example of Christ’s love for His Church, “it is so beautiful.”

“You are already a model... a paradigm,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to live it.”

He encouraged the couples to mentor and share their counsel with younger couples because as more experienced couples, they could bring an authoritativeness that no one else could bring, not even a priest or pastor.

Such advice from a longtime couple is “Patience, patience and more patience topped with love for each other and, above all, remembering to put God first in their lives.”

That sage wisdom came from Rosalina and her husband Loreto Abellera, who met when they were college students in different cities miles apart.

“It was a little embarrassing, but I was a college student living in a dormitory in southern Philippines and wanting to shoo away loneliness by receiving lots of letters,” she said.

She decided to list her name in a national magazine for a pen pal column. Mr. Abellera, an engineering student in Manila at the time, happened to pick up a neighbor’s copy of the magazine and saw her name in the middle of the page among hundreds and decided to write to her.

“So that started our communication — by snail mail! I received dozens of letters from pen pal seekers, but I responded to only a few,” Mrs. Abellera said. “Loreto’s letter was short but impressive, so that started our years of communication.”

He wrote to her about going to chapel daily and praying before studies and work.

“We finally met, in person, at the Manila airport while on my way to pursue graduate studies in Hawaii,” Mrs. Abellera said. “The rest is history!”

They were recently back in the Philippines on vacation but returned to Houston to celebrate their anniversary.

Another joyful couple celebrated their 60th anniversary. Harvey and Ann Oyler met in their mid-teens while at a Catholic high school dance in Seguin.

“But the problem was that he was with my best friend, and I was dating his best friend,” Ann said and chuckled.

The Oylers soon broke off those relationships so they could date each other.

Mr. Oyler, now 80, said, “We’ve been together since our junior year in high school. We’ve been best buddies ever since.”

They married June 30, 1962, in a Catholic church in Seguin, right after high school graduation. Then they moved to Houston, where he worked in the oil and gas industry while she focused on their three children.

“We basically grew up with our kids. For such a long marriage, you need love, be faithful, honest with each other and work out disagreements,” Mr. Oyler said. “I learned to say ‘yes’ a lot.”

The Archdiocese’s Family Life Ministry organized the 50th wedding anniversary as well as the 25th wedding anniversary, which is set for Sunday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. also at the Co-Cathedral.

Prior to the Masses, couples registered with the Archdiocese’s Family Life Ministry and submitted a copy of the wedding certificate issued by the parish of their marriage. Each couple received a rose during the special celebration.

For more information, visit www. archgh.org. †

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

Above, a woman prays before a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows during Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church’s patronal festival and feast day celebration on Sept. 18 in Houston.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

At right, Michael Smith, a retired engineer operator from HFD Station 28-C and current volunteer firefighter for the Columbus VFD, received this year’s Annual Kimberly Ann Smith award, named after the first female Houston Fire Department firefighter to die in the line of duty in 2000 when she returned to a burning building to rescue a fellow firefighter.

EDUCATION

Trio of local Catholic schools tapped as National Blue Ribbon communities

HOUSTON — St. Anne Catholic School on Westheimer, St. Cecilia Catholic School and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School are being recognized as 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Education announced recently.

They are among 24 private schools across the nation to receive the award this year. Private schools are nominated for the award based on the criterion that the school is in the top 15% of schools across the country in reading and mathematics.

The schools must also submit an overview of curriculum and instruction, school culture and climate, and the strategy for academic success.

“This distinguished recognition was made possible by the hard work and commitment of our students, our faculty and staff, our parent community, and with the support of our pastor, Father Francis Macatangay, and the greater St. Cecilia Catholic community,” said Principal Jeff Matthews.

This was the first time in the St. Cecilia school’s history to win the award.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School won this high honor in 2016, and schools are eligible to apply every five years. Principal Carolyn Sears attended the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., and remembered the U.S. Secretary of Education challenging the award recipients “to not rest on your laurels.”

This year’s application focused on improvements at St. Vincent de Paul since 2016, including repairs to the school after Hurricane Harvey, the commitment to provide face-to-face learning throughout the pandemic, and being the first Catholic school in the nation to be STEM-certified by the National Institute for STEM Education in 2019.

St. Anne Catholic School on Westheimer has also previously won recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School. The 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C., this November. †

• Mount Olivet Cemetery

Dick inson, Texas.

Mausoleum

a.m.

Bame,

• Calvary Cemetery & Mausoleum, 2506 65th St. Galveston.

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,

Catholic Cemeteries

YOUTH

The Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization provides formation for youth, including the Church’s teaching on peace and justice. Youth learn, reflect and discuss what it means to respect life from womb to tomb.

St. John Paul II called this practice of respecting and advocating for life “a culture of life” (Evangelium Vitae, 21).

Through their catechetical studies, young people learn and discuss how advocacy for life can take root when we reflect on our own relationship with God. His love and guidance are how we understand that dignity applies to each one of us. Youth understand we are God’s hands, and we strive to listen for God’s will in our lives. Through their own experience of life, youth trust that God will give them the strength and wisdom needed to serve the vulnerable at their individual level of capacity.

To this end, the teaching office of the Church states:

To understand more fully how to

by NORMA TOROK

Youth and a culture of life

defend and protect human life, we must first consider who we are at the deepest level. God creates us in His image and likeness, which means we are made to be in a loving relationship with Him. The United State Conference of Bishops states: “The essence of our identity and worth, the source of our dignity, is that we are loved by God.”

In this same perspective, St. John Paul II offered these encouraging words, confirming everyone’s capacity to be Christ for others and to build a culture of life.

We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son. (17th World Youth Day Homily)

When one understands what it

means to say that we are each the sum of God’s love, it gives us the delight of celebrating the source of our right to dignity. We soon realize that this dignity extends to every individual in the world: You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! (Psalm 139:13-14).

I have had the opportunity to assist young people seeking to learn more about building a culture of life. The Archdiocese provided an opportunity for young people to study and reflect on the pro-life principles from womb to tomb. After prayer and reflection, youth were given an opportunity to serve the community in one of the respect life ministries.

At the conclusion of this experience, the young people returned to their parish communities and were encouraged to advocate for the dignity of the human person through their own parish groups. I would encourage our

parishes and schools to consider implementing this type of experience.

Today, young people’s awareness of pro-life has increased.

For many, it has stirred a desire in them to protect human life. They have seen the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Youth have boldly spoken through various media platforms of their thoughts on the deadly violence that has happened in their schools.

Consequently, youth question issues of mental health and its impact on society. These issues stir youth to question: What can I do to help make a change?

By the power of God’s love for each one of us, we, too, are invited to make a change and help build a culture of life. How can I defend and protect human life?

Norma Torok is a former associate director with the Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangeliza tion.

COLUMNISTS

When our eyes meet

When I grew up in Vietnam, direct and prolonged eye contact was considered disrespectful or rude, especially toward the elders. Moving to the U.S, I quickly learned that eye contact in North American culture implies a level of focus, honesty or maintaining engaging social relationships with others.

However, both Eastern and Western have the same expression: “Đôi mắt là cửa sổ của tâm hồn,” or “The eyes are the windows to the soul.”Then both cultures agree that the expressiveness of one’s eyes plays an important role in conveying the person’s emotions.

What does it mean for us as Christians?

As a religious sister, every day, I get in touch with God, my source of love in prayers and in adoration. One of my ways of praying is to invite God to look at me and my day. Sometimes, I avoid

His gaze because I fall short of extending His love and mercy toward others throughout the day. It is uncomfortable to let Him look at me in those moments. Nevertheless, His gaze never changes - the gaze of the Lover who knows everything, accepts everything, even when I am at my worst. All the while, He patiently waits for me to look at Him again, to ask for His forgiveness, to immerse in His bountiful love, and to start over again when the new day comes.

I will never forget a powerful moment of grace when I served as a Eucharist minister at St. Louis Hospital.

Besides bringing Holy Communion to Catholic patients, I often had short conversations and prayed with those who were not able or not ready to receive the Blessed Sacrament. One day in July, I visited a long-term patient on

Solidarity is a major principal in Catholic social justice

As a child growing up in the 1980s, I was first introduced to the word “solidarity” on the evening news in the context of international geopolitics. Solidarity was the name of the independent trade union founded in Gdansk, Poland. Under the leadership of Lech Wałesa, it provided an alternative vision to the established Polish Communist Party and was instrumental in ending Communist rule in Poland. This then was one of the first dominos to fall in Eastern Europe, leading to the collapse of the entire Iron Curtain.

It is fitting that my introduction to this word came through Polish politics and history since it was another Pole, St. John Paul II, whose use of this word in his writings left a profound impact on the Church’s social teaching.

In the year 1987, at the height of the struggle between Solidarity and the Polish Communist Party, on the 20th anniversary of St. Paul VI’s encyclical letter on the Progress of People, John Paul issued his own landmark social encyclical, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis. In it, he invokes the word “solidarity” 28 times! Clearly, this word, and its meaning, were of critical importance to his understanding of how Catholic Christians are called to be and work in the world. He provides his definition for this word. “This then is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of

SUNDAY MASS READINGS

OCTOBER

each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.” Solidarity was the primary lens through which he viewed all of Catholic social teaching.

To this day, the bishops of the United States, in their pastoral letter, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, identify solidarity as one of four key major principles of Catholic social teaching that together “provide a moral framework for Catholic engagement” in public life. In that context, they write, “We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be.”

by BRIAN GARCIALUENSE

The bishops see this fundamental value as having an impact on the decisions we make, both domestically and internationally, regarding the persistence of racial inequities, poverty, disease, the plight of immigrants and refugees, and violence and war. As American Catholics, we may be tempted to buy into the divisive tribalism that marks contemporary political discourse.

As Catholics, however, we are called to see each and every person as another human being with whom we are called to be in solidarity, for whom we are to be concerned, and with whom we are to

Responsorial

the ninth floor who suffered from mental illness and was not capable of engaging in a conversation. As usual, I expected to come in, say a prayer for him, and then leave. But on that day, as I was holding his hand and telling him how God loved him and was always by his side, he suddenly smiled at me. His eyes met mine, and there were tears coming from those tender eyes to let me know he completely understood what I was saying. Then he immediately went back to his emotionless self. I left the room with a strange feeling as if, in his very eyes, I had just encountered Jesus.

Now, as a pastoral minister for Special Youth Services, I am accompanying the youth in the detention centers. I strive to look at them through the loving eyes of God to let them know that “I see you!”, “You have my attention!”

by SR. SYMPHONIE NGO, CCVI †

“I’m listening to you!” and “You matter!” Moreover, each of us was made in the image and likeness of God. May I recognize the presence of God through my brothers’ and sisters’ eyes.

“Lord, that I might see and have compassion [on those whom I encounter along the way] just like you see me and have compassion on me.” (Pope Francis’s prayer – May 22,2022) †

Sister Symphonie Ngo, CCVI, pastoral minister for Special Youth Services.

How we can support missions around the world

For Catholics, the autumn season signals the coming of World Mission Sunday. On the second-to-last Sunday of October, Masses are offered, and contributions are gathered to support the work of the Church in mission lands. Organized through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, this celebration provides an annual reminder of our baptismal call to go “to the ends of the earth” with the saving message of Jesus.

The parishes of the Archdiocese will join the Oct. 23 celebration with churches, chapels and cathedrals worldwide during the Eucharist. The second collection will be sent to assist the over 1,100 dioceses designated by the pope as “mission territories.”

Where are these mission lands? They are the areas where the Catholic Church does not stand on its own due to hardship or conflict. Personnel and financial assistance from other places sustain the priests, sisters and lay catechists and provide upkeep for the churches, seminaries, religious education and media programs.

The model for sharing started with the first Christians. “They shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed” (Acts 2: 45). In the 1800s, Venerable Pauline Jaricot organized workers in Lyons, France, to offer “pennies and prayers” for the Church in the French mission lands — Vietnam, China and the North American “Louisiana Territory.” Despite many challenges, in 1822, she obtained recognition for her

by HILDA OCHOA

plan for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from Pope XI. Consequently, her ideas inspired others to develop the four Pontifical Mission Societies that continue to this day.

Bishop de Forbin Jansen started the second society, the Missionary Childhood Association, in 1847 for children to help children around the world. In 1869, the mother and daughter team, Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, began the Society for St. Peter the Apostle for missionary seminarians. Father Paolo Manna created the Missionary Union for mission education and communication in 1916.

In 1926, Pope Pius XI launched the first “World Mission Sunday,” increasing awareness and participation among the faithful. New saint Pope Paul VI offered further mission education with his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi: “When the most obscure preacher, catechist or pastor in the most distant land preaches the Gospel, gathers his little community together or administers a Sacrament, even alone, he is carrying out an ecclesial act, and his action is certainly attached to the evangelizing activity of the whole

Second

Second

WORLD

Pope joins sports summit in call for more inclusion, dignity for players

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican synod hall became a stand full of cheering fans, pumping fists, clapping and shouting encouragement as instructed by Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, who led some 200 people in a group exercise.

“Imagine you’re in the stands ... and there’s a track behind me with a 100-meter race to be run,” Shriver told athletes, coaches, representatives of international, national and local athletic organizations, and people of faith in attendance on Sept. 29 — nearly 250 people from about 40 countries at the “Sport for All” summit at the Vatican Sept. 29 to 30.

Shriver asked everyone to imagine that at the starting line there is a child whose parents were told, “I’m sorry,” by the doctor who delivered the baby, whose mom lacked prenatal care, and whose school had said, “I’m sorry, we don’t have a program for your child” or who was never invited to someone’s birthday party.

“And there she stands on the starting line,” he said.

“I’m going to sound the gun, and I want you to cheer” for the child by name,“using your own name,” he said. Shouting: “On your marks, get set, go!” Shriver turned the attentive audience into a boisterous crowd of wild enthusiasts.

After the imaginary sprinters crossed the finish line, Shriver said, they threw their arms in the air, knowing the place they came in was immaterial to their victory of, “I did it.”

In a world where sports are defined by naming winners and losers, what happens when everyone in the race has value? he asked. “What’s the spirit that flows through people when they watch, when they cheer,” when they join together?

When done right, Shriver said, sports can meet people’s“starvation”for purpose,

meaning and belonging, and, according to the aim of the summit, everyone, no matter their age, abilities, gender, income, legal status or environment, must have access to the concrete and intangible benefits of sports.

The international summit was cosponsored by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life and the Dicastery for Culture and Education to promote sports as a way to foster important values and spiritual growth, but with an added emphasis on inclusion.

Summit participants signed and presented Pope Francis with a final written declaration on Sept. 30, recognizing “the tremendous power that sport exerts in the modern world.” The document has been published at SportForAll.va.

Meeting participants on Sept. 30, Pope Francis urged athletes to fight against a throwaway culture that “treats men and

women as products, to be used and then discarded.”

Sports can risk becoming “a ‘machine’ of business, profit and consumerdriven showmanship, which produces ‘celebrities’ to be exploited. But this is no longer sport,” the pope said. “Sport is an educational and social good and it must remain so.”

When sports is promoted as a “lifegiving activity” and focuses on forming mature personalities, socialization and education, “playing a sport can become a way of personal and social redemption, a way to recover dignity,” and overcome isolation or exclusion, he said.

Thomas Wurtz, founder of Varsity Catholic, a division of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) with outreach to student athletes, told Catholic News Service (CNS) that college athletes in the United States often

Helping each student shine is a spiritual work of mercy, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Education is a spiritual work of mercy not because it imparts information but because it helps another find meaning and learn to shine, Pope Francis told members of a Catholic group from Argentina.

When done with respect, “education offers a meaning, a narrative to every element of human life,” and it “helps to bring out the best in each person, to polish the diamond that the Lord has placed in each one,” Pope Francis said Sept. 30 in a written message to members of the Fraternity of St. Thomas Aquinas Groups.

Founded in the 1960s in Argentina, the groups are committed to strengthening Christian values in society and in different cultures, mainly through the educational work of their members and, more recently, through the schools and universities they sponsor or staff. Meeting members at the Vatican, Pope Francis distributed but did not read his prepared text. Christian education, the pope wrote, “helps this diamond to let the light, which is Christ, pass through it, so that in this way it can become a source of light and shine in the world.”

Multiple challenges help determine Catholic agencies’ response in Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) — A humanitarian official who works in Southern Africa said churches must offer a unified regional response to the problems crippling development in the region.

Mwila Mulumbi, the Zambian country representative of CAFOD, spoke to the assembly of the Interregional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa, IMBISA, in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, in late September. Mulumbi said the effects of globalization, violent extremism, migration, disease, politically driven conflict and tension, corruption, climate change and exploitation of natural resources continued to cripple development in Southern Africa.

“All these challenges have underscored for CAFOD that state-centric or country-specific approaches alone do not suffice and that there is a need for cohesive regional responses by the church,” said Mulumbi.

CAFOD is the official development organization of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and is part of the Caritas Internationalis network. She said CAFOD has been supporting the popularization of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’.”

“Therefore … we have decided as part of our new strategic framework called Our Common Home ... to be a bit bolder and take risks when it is right to do so,” she said.

face mental health challenges and may struggle to find time to go to Mass and grow in their faith.

Many experience great anxiety or isolation because of the intense pressure to perform and the training-traveling schedules they follow, he said.

FOCUS’ work with athletes aims to spiritually “support them amidst this intensity” so they know that God “helps them have peace and hope and flourish as a whole person,” body, mind and soul, he said.

Having their identity be rooted in being a beloved child of God and not just being a star athlete also helps students if they suffer injury or eventually leave sports when they start careers, he added.

Jesuit Father Patrick Kelly, professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, told CNS that lots of young people drop out of sports because “it’s not fun anymore,” with too much emphasis on winning, getting noticed for scholarships or overuse injuries from doing one sport year-round.

Dr. Joseph Dutkowsky, an orthopedic surgeon from Cooperstown, New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, told CNS he once challenged professional ballplayers to do more to help physically and mentally challenged fans.

“I told them, ‘It’s really great that you guys have handicapped seating for your stadiums and it’s no longer behind the post or next to the bathrooms,’” he said. “But that’s not enough. ‘These kids need to be on the field with you because they are just as competitive as you are’” and they want to experience it for themselves.

Players jumped at the chance, he said, and now, each year they have six former major league baseball players come to Doubleday Field to teach baseball to about 50 children and adults.

Dr. Dutkowsky saw the same enthusiasm and joy in elite dancers from the New York City Ballet when the company asked him to help start a free program that lets kids with physical disabilities, particularly cerebral palsy, learn the beauty of movement from its dancers and live piano accompaniment.

The greatest impact is on the dancers, he said, who discover the joy of celebrating what the kids can do.

The dancers and ballplayers “fight over” who gets to work with the kids, he said, and when he asked them why, “they said, ‘these kids don’t judge us.’”The kids “let them express and live their passion and enjoy it for what it is.”

Dancing or throwing a ball “becomes a blessing, instead of a job,” Dr. Dutkowsky said.

“The drive to be humanly perfect is killing our kids right now, giving them anxiety, depression and addiction,” he said; people should be encouraged to be perfectly human, instead. †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis greets Tegla Loroupe, a Kenyan long-distance runner and advocate for inclusion in sports, at the “Sport for All” summit in the Vatican audience hall Sept. 30.

STATE & NATION

Florida continues with rescue, recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Authorities in Florida continued rescue efforts Sept. 30, and Catholic parishes and dioceses in the U.S. moved rapidly to collect aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian as U.S. President Joe Biden said it could take years to rebuild what was destroyed.

Though Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm after wrecking swaths of Florida, it regained strength and regrouped as a hurricane before heading toward South Carolina. Biden approved an emergency declaration to send federal help before it made landfall in Charleston on Sept. 30.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, is holding a special collection at its parishes in October to help with the damage including in the neighboring Diocese of Venice, and is asking for others to help at https://www.dosp.org/ disasterrelief.

“Our hearts are moved with compassion for all those who have suffered damage and destruction due to Hurricane Ian, especially our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Venice,” St. Petersburg’s Bishop Gregory L. Parkes said of the diocese that suffered the brunt of the damage.

At least 108 fatalities were confirmed by midday Oct. 5 — 104 in Florida and another four in North Carolina.

On Sept. 30, he pleaded with those in the Carolinas about to face the hurricane’s wrath to heed warnings. He

CNS PHOTO

A car is seen on the destroyed road between Matlacha, Fla., and Pine Island Oct. 2 after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction.

told Floridians the federal government would do all it could to help, particularly to rescue people and other recovery efforts. He also announced that 44,000 utility workers were working to restore electricity for the more than 2 million who have been without power since the hurricane struck.

“It’s not a crisis for Florida; it’s an American crisis,” Biden said during the

news conference.

He said the situation on the ground was “far more devastating” than initially believed and “is likely to rank among the worst in the nation’s history.”

In the Diocese of Venice, Bishop Frank J. Dewane gave thanks via Twitter to those who prayed for people in the path of the hurricane.

“Damage is still being assessed, but

HOW TO HELP

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami Website: www.ccadm.org

Phone: 305-754-2444c

Catholic Charities USA Website: www.ccusa.online/Ian

Phone: 1-800-919-9338

it is clear that the devastation in the diocese is widespread,” he wrote. “There are several crews already at work throughout the diocese, and Catholic Charities is putting their local team into action. We are grateful for all those who have helped, and continue to help, during this difficult time.”

Catholic Charities USA is collecting donations at https://ccusa.online/Ian.

In Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop Jacques E. Fabre-Jeune offered Mass hours before the storm made landfall “for the protection of all people affected by Hurricane Ian and especially for our essential personnel working to keep us safe,” the diocese said on its Facebook page.

Ian hit close to 2:30 p.m. local time on Sept. 30 as a Category 1 hurricane, flooding historic Charleston, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. †

Alito kicks off project on originalism, Catholic intellectual tradition

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Justice Samuel Alito told a group of law students in Washington that he is always mindful that the rulings he and his colleagues on the U.S. Supreme Court issue “are not abstract discussions” and “have a real impact on the world.”

Alito made the remark in a question-and-answer session on Sept. 27 after delivering an address at the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America to kick off the school’s new “Project on Constitutional Originalism and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.”

As honorary chair of the project, the Catholic justice launched its fall speaker series with an overview of what it will explore. In offering his thoughts, he raised a lot of questions, saying he hoped they would spark discussions among those involved in the project and lead to a better understanding of the topic.

“What I want to do is set the stage for the work that will follow,” he said, “so you can think of me like a member of the stage crew at a theater who comes out and turns on the lights and sets up the scenery so that the stage is ready for the players who will provide the main event.” †

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Cómo podemos apoyar misiones en todo el mundo

Para los católicos, la temporada de otoño marca la llegada del Domingo Mundial de las Misiones. El penúltimo domingo de octubre se celebran misas y se recolectan contribuciones para apoyar la labor de la Iglesia en las tierras de misión. Organizada por la Sociedad de la Propagación de la Fe, esta celebración nos recuerda año con año nuestro llamado bautismal a ir “hasta los confines de la tierra” con el mensaje salvífico de Jesús.

Las parroquias de la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston se unirán para esta celebración mundial del 23 de octubre a las iglesias, capillas y catedrales del resto del mundo durante la Eucaristía.

La segunda colecta se enviará para ayudar a mas de 1,100 diócesis designadas por el Papa Francisco como “territorios de misión.”

¿Dónde están estas tierras de misión? Son los lugares donde la Iglesia Católica no se sostiene por si misma debido a dificultades o conflictos. Nuestros donativos ayudan a sostener a los sacerdotes, hermanas religiosas y

catequistas laicos y a mantener a las iglesias, seminarios y programas de educación religiosa.

Este modelo de ayuda a los más necesitados tuvo su inicio con las primeras comunidades, “compartían todo cuanto tenían” (Hechos 2:45). En la década de 1800, la Venerable Pauline Jaricot organizó a los trabajadores de la fabrica de su padre en Lyon, Francia para ofrecer “centavos y oraciones” por la Iglesia en las tierras misioneras de Vietnam, China y el “Territorio de Luisiana” de los Estados Unidos. A pesar de muchos desafíos, en 1822 obtuvo del Papa Pío XI el reconocimiento a su plan para la Propagación de la Fe.

por HILDA OCHOA

Como consecuencia, sus ideas inspiraron a otros a desarrollar las cuatro Obras Misionales Pontificias que continúan hasta el día de hoy.

El obispo Forbin Jansen fundó la segunda sociedad, conocida actualmente como la Infancia Misionera en 1847 para animar a los niños a ayudar a niños necesitados alrededor del mundo. En 1869, Stephanie y Jeanne Bigard, madre e hija, comenzaron la Sociedad de San Pedro Apóstol para apoyo a seminaristas misioneros y finalmente el sacerdote Paolo Manna creó la Unión Misionera para la educación y comunicación misionera en 1916.

En 1926, el Papa Pio XI decretó el primer Domingo Mundial de las Misiones incrementando la conciencia y la participación entre los fieles. El nuevo santo Papa Paulo VI promovió aún más la educación misionera en su exhortación apostólica Evangelii Nuntiandi: “Cuando el más humilde predicador, catequista o Pastor, en el lugar más apartado, predica el Evangelio, reúne su pequeña comunidad o administra un Sacramento, aun cuando se encuentra solo, ejerce un acto de Iglesia y su gesto se enlaza mediante relaciones institucionales ciertamente,

pero también mediante vínculos invisibles y raíces escondidas del orden de la gracia, a la actividad evangelizadora de toda la Iglesia” (n. 60).

El Papa Francisco continúa proclamando la importancia del esfuerzo misionero en su mensaje anual para el Domingo Mundial de las Misiones: “La Iglesia de Cristo era, es y será siempre “en salida” hacia nuevos horizontes geográficos, sociales y existenciales, hacia lugares y situaciones humanas “límites”, para dar testimonio de Cristo y de su amor a todos los hombres y las mujeres de cada pueblo, cultura y condición social.”

Hoy en día, seguimos formando parte de esta hermosa tradición de generosidad, al mismo tiempo que celebramos el 200º aniversario de la labor de apoyo espiritual y financiero a las tierras de misión a través de las Obras Misioneras Pontificias. †

Hilda Ochoa es la directora de la Ofi cina de Mision.

Acojan, apoyen, acompañen a todos los migrantes, dice el papa

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS)

— Con motivo del Día Mundial de los Migrantes y Refugiados, el papa Francisco pidió a todos a trabajar juntos para construir un futuro más inclusivo y fraterno.

“Los migrantes deben ser bienvenidos, acompañados, apoyados e integrados”, dijo el 25 de septiembre antes de rezar el Ángelus con personas reunidas para una Misa al aire libre de clausura del Congreso Eucarístico Nacional de Italia en la ciudad de Matera.

“Renovemos nuestro compromiso de construir el futuro de acuerdo con el plan de Dios: un futuro en el que cada persona

encuentre su lugar y sea respetada; en el que los migrantes, refugiados, desplazados y víctimas de la trata de personas vivan en paz y con dignidad”, dijo.

“Es también gracias a esos hermanos y hermanas que las comunidades pueden crecer a nivel social, económico, cultural y espiritual; y el compartir las diversas tradiciones enriquece al pueblo de Dios”, dijo. “¡Trabajemos todos juntos para construir un futuro más inclusivo y fraterno!”

El papa también hizo llamados urgentes por la paz en Myanmar, Ucrania y Camerún.

Al referirse a la crisis en Myanmar, el papa dijo que “durante más de dos años ese noble país ha sido martirizado por graves enfrentamientos armados y violencia, que han causado muchas víctimas y desplazados”.

“Esta semana escuché el grito de dolor por la muerte de los niños en una escuela bombardeada. Se ve que hoy se ha vuelto una moda bombardear las escuelas”, dijo.

“¡Que el llanto de estos pequeños no

pase desapercibido!” dijo el papa. “¡Estas tragedias no deben suceder!”

Al menos 13 personas murieron, 11 de ellos niños, cuando fueron atacados por ataques aéreos de helicópteros y por tropas afiliadas a la junta militar gobernante del país el 16 de septiembre. Se informó que otros 15 niños desaparecieron de la escuela en un monasterio budista en el pueblo de Let Yet Kone, en el centro norte de Myanmar. †

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

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

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 takeout. 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.

OKTOBERFEST , 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Thomas More (10330 Hillcroft, Houston). Live polka band, international foods, carnival games, Bingo, inflatable rock wall and giant slide, a

Around the Archdiocese

raffle, plants and more. Free admission. 713729-3434

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 in-person 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 JUBILEE 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.

FESTIVAL , 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School at Lake Jackson Civic Center (333 Highway 332 East, Lake Jackson). Live and silent auctions, raffles, games. www. olqpschool.org/events-1

FESTIVAL , 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. Mary Magdalene (527 South Houston Ave., Humble). Games, food, Bingo, silent auction and raffle. st-mm. com/fallfestival; 281-446-8211

OCT. 29

HALLOWEEN DANCE , 7 to 10 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-dance-fundraiser

OCT. 30

HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL , 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (10114 Hwy 6, Hitchcock). This child-centered, family friendly event offers a costume contest, “Punkin’ Rock” entertainment, new games, prizes, haunted house, vendors, giant turkey legs, carnival foods, cake wheel and more. Open to the public. Free parking. 409-925-3224; ololcs.org

SACRED RELICS ON DISPLAY , 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). Father Carlos Martins, a Vaticanappointed expert on sacred relics, will be bringing his extraordinary collection of relics. Come view and venerate saints. Free and open to the public. ap.church/treasures

NOV. 1

FESTIVAL , 5 to 8:30 p.m., St. Anthony of

Padua (7801 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands). Celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints Day with games, crafts, food and more. Come dressed as your favorite saint. Free and open to the public. ap.church/saintsfest

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. 10

NIGHT OF PRAISE , 7 p.m., Sacred Heart (704 Old Montgomery Rd., Conroe). Features singer/ songwriter Cody Carnes, Woodlands Worship and Sam McCabe. miraclecitycollective.com

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

GALA , 6 to 11 p.m., Frassati Catholic High School (22151 Frassati Way). Blue & Gray Gala will celebrate 10 years of Frassati Catholic. Cost of ticket is $150, or $1,100 for a table for eight. 832-616-3231; m.hill@frassaticatholic.org.

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

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, at center, presides during a Mass at Our Lady of St. John Catholic Church in Houston, where he blessed the parish’s new altar and ambo.

Bishop Dell’Oro blesses new altar, ambo at Our Lady of St. John HOUSTON — Father Jhon J. Flórez and the parishioners at Our Lady of St. John Catholic Church in Houston welcomed Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, on Aug. 21 when he visited the parish to bless the parish’s new altar and ambo for the Aug. 8 patronal feast of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.

The Marian devotion is considerably strong in Texas and Mexico, with the original shrine near Guadalajara and a popular pilgrimage shrine at the Basilica of San Juan del Valle in McAllen, Texas. The parish, located at 7500 Hirsch Rd. in Houston near I-59 and E. Crosstimbers St., is home to at least 800 families. †

GARCIA-LUENSE, from page 7A

work for the common good of all. There is no room in Catholic social teaching to place any group, no matter how it is defined, as having the first claim on our allegiance so that we are able to ignore, marginalize, or demonize the “other.” As Catholics, we are called to affirm that there truly is no “other.”

This notion of solidarity has implications for our spiritual lives as well. St. John Paul II makes this clear, especially in his Apostolic letter on the beginning of the new millennium in 2001. The virtue of solidarity has as its natural consequence the development of a spirituality of communion. He writes, “A spirituality of communion indicates above all the heart’s

OCHOA, from page 7A

Church by institutional relationships, but also by profound invisible links in the order of grace.”

Pope Francis continues proclaiming the significance of the mission effort in his annual address for World Mission Sunday:

“Christ’s Church will continue to ‘go forth’ toward new geographical, social and existential horizons, toward “borderline” places and human

contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us, and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers and sisters around us. A spirituality of communion also means an ability to think of our brothers and sisters in faith within the profound unity of the Mystical Body, and therefore as ‘those who are a part of me’.”

Visit the adult catechesis section of the OEC’s website (www.archgh.org/ AdultFormation) for links to read some of the original documents exploring the notion of solidarity. †

Brian Garcia-Luense is an associate director with the Office of Evangeliza tion and Catechesis.

situations, in order to bear witness to Christ and his love to men and women of every people, culture and social status.”

Now in 2022, we join in this long tradition of generosity, celebrating the 200th anniversary of extending spiritual and financial help to the pope’s mission lands. †

Hilda Ochoa is the director of Mis sion Office.

PHOTO BY ANIBAL T.