Texas Catholic Herald - Nov. 22, 2022

TWICE IS NICE

Faith soars as Houston Astros claim second World Series win

U.s. bishops’ assembly focuses on ministry, outreach, synod

BALTiMOrE (CNS) — daniel Cardinal diNardo and Auxiliary Bishop italo dell’Oro, CrS, were among the bishops who joined in the election of Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services to a three-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) during the bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore.

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore was elected to serve a threeyear term as conference vice president. The two top officers began their terms at the conclusion of the fall assembly on Nov. 17. Cardinal diNardo served as vice president and president of the bishops’ conference from 2013 to 2019,

ministry

The living legacy of St. Mary’s Seminary

region rallies behind iconic astros victory

HOUSTON — The walk-off. That loss. The no-hitter. The heart. The catch. That other catch. And then that moonshot seen around the world.

Each moment helped the Houston Astros make it a habit of reaching the World Series, and in their fifth World Series appearance, the Astros topped the Philadelphia Phillies in a roller coaster ride of a Fall Classic.

many others who crowded the stands at Minute Maid Park or jumped from their couches at home.

By James Ramos texas catholic herald

For Father Bame, baseball has always been a lifelong favorite sport: he spent much of his youth on the diamond, primarily at second base or around the field as a utility player.

Both Catholic and Astros faithful were right there alongside the hometown team the whole time, including Father Jeff Bame, pastor and rector of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, together with a group of iconic religious sisters, among

The priest said he learned the game with his dad, Philip Bame, when his dad was his coach.

“Baseball has always been a huge part of my family life,” Father Bame said.

And that continues today,

Mary’S SeMinary

HOUSTON in 1901, Bishop Nicholas A. Gallagher, the third bishop of the diocese of Galveston, fulfilled a longheld plan when he established a diocesan seminary in La Porte, Texas. it included a high school to encourage vocations. The first year, the school consisted of some 30 boys from grade six to high school, six seminarians, a four-priest faculty from the Basilian Fathers, and dominican Sisters to manage the domestic duties.

As vocations began to increase, the bishop directed the construction of a concrete building to house the chapel, dining hall, offices and dormitories. due to needs in other areas of their ministry, the Basilian Fathers withdrew, and diocesan priests then assumed the duties of the faculty. The seminary continued to

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

St. Mary’s Seminary

Photo by JAmes R A mos/h e RA ld

Jeremy Peña #3 of the houston Astros gestures with his trademark heart during the World series Parade on Nov. 7 in downtown houston. the 25-year-old Astros shortstop was named mVP for the 2022 World series and 2022 American league Championship series, as well as a Gold Glove winner.

ST.

Photo C ou Rtesy of s iste R mARy C Athe R i N e d o, o.P.

dominican sisters of mary immaculate Province, dressed in their iconic black and white habits, walk to minute maid Park, to watch Game 1 of the World series. the dominicans, as well as several other consecrated men and women, were at every home game of the Astros’ World series victory.

The Church is a ‘field hospital’ for healing

respectively.

during the assembly, the papal nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, addressed the bishops and emphasized the need to remain focused on the Church’s missionary role of spreading the Gospel message.

This is particularly important “as we live through a time of accelerated change,” he said.

Papal nuncio urges U.S. bishops to stay true to Church’s mission

Archbishop Pierre said one way to determine if the Church is following its missionary role is to look at how local churches are functioning as evangelizing communities, something he said is especially evident in the current eucharistic revival in the U.S.

The nuncio also reminded the bishops of the need for the Church to reflect the image of a field hospital, a description used by Pope Francis, who said the Church must be about the work of healing those who are wounded. The archbishop said the Church lives this work out in its outreach to immigrants and to young mothers in the “Walking with Moms in Need” initiative.

He said Pope Francis is calling the Catholic Church to be “a missionary Church that encourages everyone to be an evangelist.” A key part of that work involves encouraging Catholic lay faithful to “accept responsibility for the Church,” the nuncio said.

For this to happen, though, he noted that the spiritual and liturgical formation of the laity can’t be ignored.

“if we accompany our people more closely, then we can more easily trust them and encourage their spiritual growth,” he said. He also asked the bishops how they are “promoting that ordinary holiness in our local churches” and if there are sufficient spiritual resources for priests and laity within their dioceses.

Archbishop Pierre also noted that the recent synod report makes clear that many young people in the Church have difficulty accepting Church teachings on a variety of issues. in response to this, bishops must articulate the faith clearly, he said,

but they should also “accompany them along the path so that they live their faith in a way that offers them peace of heart, experiencing the true, the good and the beautiful.”

He also urged the bishops not to be “paralyzed by the challenges that we face” but instead to confidently follow their path forward in a synodal way that involves listening, showing patience and having respectful dialogue in the midst of a culture that is experiencing so much division.

“We can sometimes get locked into crisis thinking and crisis talk,” he said, but he also noted that if one looks at Church history, times of crisis can “permit us to discern the presence of the Lord and to refocus on the mission and where we are going together.”

Outgoing conference president shares message of self-knowledge

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who ended his three-year term as USCCB president at the close of the meeting, called on his brother bishops to take time for self-examination and to renew their vocation and ministry.

The archbishop said that because God knows us so well — “better than we can ever know ourselves — God

understands that sometimes we can lose our enthusiasm and our sense of purpose; we start doing things more out of a sense of duty than out of a sense of love.”

Pace of preparations is quickening as Synod on Synodality approaches

Work is proceeding — and quickly — on next October’s synod on synodality, according to Bishop daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, in a Nov. 15 report to his fellow bishops.

diocesan listening sessions concluded this fall. Bishop Flores, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on doctrine, said dioceses “managed to host over 30,000 listening sessions and other means of coming together.”

He added, “While admitting the process was not perfect, we have learned much and can do better in the future.”

Coming right on the heels of the diocesan phase is “the continental stage” of consultations, Bishop Flores said. it will consist of a series of 10 online meetings for delegates chosen by each diocese in the United States and Canada, he said. “it’s an additional level of discernment,” the bishop added. †

You make the ministry of our future Priests possible.

Nearly 50 men are currently in formation to become the next generations of priests at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. These men spend anywhere from 5 to 7 years preparing for their Ordination to the Priesthood.

St. Mary’s Seminary 9845 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024

To read more about our seminarians and how you can support them, scan the QR code, at left, with your phone’s camera or visit www.archgh.org/smseminary.

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daniel Cardinal diNardo and seán Cardinal o’malley of boston arrive for mass at the basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nov. 14, on the first day of the fall general assembly of the u s. Conference of Catholic bishops in baltimore.

THE FIRST WORD

a look at St. Mary’s Seminary history

P hoto C ou Rtesy of lis A m Ay/ARC hi V es men from st. mary’s seminary are seen crowding around a seminary school bus in this undated photo.

SEMINARY, from page 1

prosper with the ordination of men to the priesthood, highlighting the end of the school year.

When St. Mary’s University, a high school for boys staffed by the Jesuit Fathers, closed in 1922, the state charter it had received in 1856 was later transferred to the seminary in La Porte. The seminary was then sometimes referred to as “St. Mary’s University.”

Bishop Wendelin J. Nold marked the celebration of the golden anniversary in 1951 with two major announcements: The Vincentian Fathers would replace the faculty of diocesan priests, and a new seminary would be built in Houston.

A 50-acre tract of wooded land located at the present site on Memorial drive was donated by the Laurent, Smith and Strake families. A fundraising campaign yielded over three million dollars for the project. Maurice and Charles Sullivan were contracted for the architectural design, and the Linbeck Construction Corporation was selected to do the construction.

The new library was named in his honor. during the academic year of 1968-1969, the theology department of St. Mary’s Seminary became the Graduate School of Theology of the University of St. Thomas so that graduate degrees could be awarded to the theology seminarians. This arrangement continues today. in 1982 the Vincentian Fathers withdrew from St. Mary’s due to their personnel needs. Bishop John L. Morkovsky then appointed Monsignor Chester Borski as rector on May 20, 1982, and the administration and formation faculty was staffed by diocesan clergy.

in brief

Café Catholica Lite set for Jan. 19, 2023

HOUSTON — The Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host the next Café Catholica Lite at Christ the Redeemer, located at 11507 Huffmeister Rd. in Houston, on Jan. 19, 2023 from 7 to 8:45 p.m.

The speaker is Father Rodrigo Ulloa, vocations director for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, and his talk will be, “Scripture in Art: Mary’s Fiat.” The night will include light snacks, the talk, a Q&A and communal prayer. The talk will be available to view online as well at www.archgh.org/ cafecatholica.

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

For more, contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at yacm@archgh.org or 713-741-8778. †

See related Story pAGe 6 St. Mary’S SeMinary hoStS rector’S Dinner

On Nov. 4, 1954, Samuel Cardinal Stritch of Chicago dedicated the seminary with a host of bishops, clergy, and local dignitaries in attendance. At that time, the plant included all the present buildings, with the exception of the library, gymnasium, and Nold Education Center. As with the seminary in La Porte, the number of vocations increased greatly. With gifts and donations from both clergy and laity, the furnishings were completed in 1958.

during the academic year of 1964-1965, the college seminarians began taking some of their courses at the University of St. Thomas under the direction of the Basilian Fathers. This process soon enabled the seminarians to take all their undergraduate courses at the main campus of the University of St. Thomas. To provide for the academic and physical development of these men, a new library and indoor gymnasiumauditorium were built.

in 1966, Joseph Cardinal Beran of Prague, Czechoslovakia, presided at the formal dedication.

Under the direction of bishops Joseph A. Fiorenza and Thomas Tschoepe, the dioceses of GalvestonHouston and dallas reached an agreement in March of 1986: St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity Seminary in dallas would partner so that St. Mary’s would be the theologate and Holy Trinity would be the college seminary — both serving the dioceses of the surrounding region. The new arrangement began in the fall of 1986.

St. Mary’s dedicated the Bishop Nold Education Building on Nov. 7, 2001, which allowed the seminary to serve as a location for diocesan meetings, workshops, and seminars that provide continuing theological education. Father Brendan J. Cahill (now Bishop Cahill in the diocese of Victoria) was appointed rector to succeed Monsignor Borski, effective June 1, 2001. He served as rector with great enthusiasm and dedication for nine years and began a master plan for the future growth of the seminary.

daniel Cardinal diNardo then appointed Father Trung Nguyen as rector to succeed him, effective June 15, 2010. After more than a decade of service to the seminary, Father Trung was succeeded by Father Eurel Manzano, whom the Cardinal appointed to serve as rector beginning July 1, 2020.

St. Mary’s Seminary is grateful to all its benefactors who have been so generous throughout its history, especially to the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women for their spiritual and financial support of the seminary through the Catholic Clerical Student Fund. † Lisa May, Office of Archives, contributed to this report.

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Registration for Steps for Students underway

HOUSTON — More than 12,000 participants are expected to gather downtown on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for the 17th Annual Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk. The event raises funds and awareness for the network of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

The day starts with Mass at 6:30 a.m. followed by the presentation of the David Guite Spirit Award. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will bless everyone present just before the 5K race begins at 8 a.m.; a post-race party will follow the event. To register, visit www.steps4students.org. †

Catholic Charities’ food distributions continue at three locations

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

In Houston, client choice food distributions are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe Center, located at 326 S. Jensen St. Appointments required, for appointments, call 713-874-6781 on Mondays and Fridays. Only registered clients will be permitted; no walk-up registrations. The next food fair is set for Saturday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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

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

Clients should visit by appointment only on Mondays, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Center also hosts monthly food fairs, with the next one set for Saturday, Dec. 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. For help, call 281-202-6200.

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

to go paperless?

Prayer Vigil for Life

especially during the recent 2022 Astros World Series run, as the father-andson duo are season ticket holders at the ballpark and were able to attend Games 1, 2 and 6 of the World Series.

The weekend of Game 6, Father Bame found himself making the trek between his downtown Houston home and Aggieland, where he graduated in 2005, to watch a football game that Saturday morning. He woke up at dawn before his drive to College Station to celebrate Mass. Even with a day bookended by an Aggie football game and an Astros World Series-clinching Game 6 win, Father Bame said that quiet morning, when he celebrated Mass, “was the best moment” of his day.

Though the World Series is marked by epic made-for-TV moments like Yordan Alvarez’s moonshot hit in Game 6, Father Bame said that it’s the times in between, the “small moments,” are where heroism and sanctity are found.

He saw this come to life after the Game 6 win when the players took to the field with their families and children.

“They’re not just competitive players; they’re also family men,” he said. The day after Alvarez hit the biggest home run of his life, Father Bame saw on social media a video of the slugger sitting on the living room floor with his daughter building a princess castle.

“Which moment is more precious?” asked Father Bame. “God is present in every moment, even the ones that are right under our noses. While we might live and focus on big moments, our holiness is made up from a lifetime collection of small moments and the things that seem small to us, the things that seem ordinary.”

And for Father Bame, that’s what celebrating daily Mass is. it’s an ordinary, daily event for him as a priest, but during

Mass, “The intimacy of God’s presence is right there, and a gift... in terms of eternity,” he said.

And now that the champions have lifted the trophy up, and an entire city roared in appreciation and applause,

“There’s just quiet,” he said. “Yes, we’re in the off-season, but [for us Catholics], our opportunities for sanctity are right before our face at every moment and never-ending.”

Before the pandemic, Father Bame was one of several priests who served as a chaplain for the Astros, celebrating Mass for Catholic Astros and those who worked at the ballpark.

STUDENTS

CATCH ASTROS fEvER

Students at incarnate Word Academy, a little more than a third- to first-base throw away from Minute Maid Park, embraced the Astros postseason fever during their annual “Chalk the Block” effort that surrounds their downtown Houston campus in chalk art that supports their MLB neighbor.

The high school students showed off their artistic abilities, depicting team favorites like shortstop Jeremy Peña and the effervescent Orbit on the sidewalks that lead hundreds of thousands of fans every year up to the Juice Box.

Further away from the ballpark, students at other schools like St. Jerome, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. rose of Lima also turned orange for the Astros. Young students donned their favorite Astros gear, sporting bright hats, shirts and even baseball gloves, in support of the World Series rally.

THEy’RE bACK AND THEy’RE READy

Another group of familiar faces were called up to the big leagues when the

Astros reached the American League division Series (ALdS) against the Seattle Mariners.

Unofficially called the Astros’ prayer squad, dubbed the “rally Nuns” — though a distinction should be made: nuns typically pray and minister within their convent or monastery while sisters leave the convent for ministry and work — the dominican Sisters of Mary immaculate Province have also made it a habit of making it to the postseason.

At the invitation of Jim “Mattress Mack” Mcingvale, other priests and consecrated religious joined the dominican Sisters for the ALdS, the playoffs against the Yankees and, perhaps most importantly, the World Series, just like Father Bame.

Perhaps Cristian Javier was inspired by the rally Nuns’ faith. during his nohitter win against the Phillies in Game 4, the right-handed pitcher did the Sign of the Cross consistently throughout each legendary inning and right at the final out.

“That’s the beautiful thing about sports,” Father Bame said, “is that it can bring people together. And it’s something we sorely needed, especially during a divisive election season.”

He described the sheer joy he saw in the stadium the night of the Game 6 clincher, the delight of the visible witness that the rally Nuns brought to Astros fans of all (or no) faith in the stadium.

The Houston Astros will host the Chicago White Sox on Opening day, March 30. †

Cou Rtesy P hotos

Clockwise from top left: students at st. Rose of lima Catholic school sported their favorite houston Astros gear to celebrate the team’s post-season run to the World Series. Incarnate Word Academy Sophomore Fia Dehais draws Houston Astros #3 Jeremy Peña during the school’s “Chalk the Block” effort around the downtown school’s campus ahead of the World series. dominican sisters of the mary immaculate Province, including sister mary Catherine do, o.P., cheer while attending Game 1 of the World Series. Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart rector and pastor, Father Jeff Bame, at left, attended Game 6 of the World Series with his father Philip bame.

local parishes to hold annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection in December

HOUSTON — On dec. 10 to 11, parishes will hold the annual retirement Fund for religious collection throughout Galveston-Houston.

Last year, the parishioners of the local Archdiocese donated $517,978.78 to the collection. in 2022, the do minican Sisters of Mary immaculate Province received $80,417.75 in financial support made possible by the re tirement Fund for religious.

About the upcoming collection, National religious retirement Office (NrrO) Executive director Sister Stephanie Still, a member of the Sisters of the Presenta tion of San Francisco, said, “The care of our aging reli gious presents an enormous financial responsibility. it is our privilege to care for those who gave a lifetime of tireless service, and i feel we are deeply blessed by all the U.S. Catholic donors who have steadfastly contrib uted to this fund.”

in Galveston-Houston, the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese provides an opportunity to recall how so many congregations courageously laid the foundations for schools, hospitals and social services in the region, said Sister Francesca Kearns, CCVi, vicar for religious for the Archdiocese.

“Many of these pioneers founded and grew these services while depending on the help of small stipends, profound trust in divine providence and the generous support of the Catholic population,” she said. “These congregations now pioneer in the challenge of caring for their elderly members.”

Historically, Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests — known collectively as women and men religious — served for little to no pay. With rising health

A woman pins a floral corsage on Sister Annette Dworsky, O.P., at the oct. 9 Jubilee mass for Religious men and Women at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in houston. the upcoming National Retirement fund for Religious collection, set for dec. 10 to 11, supports several local religious congregations.

care expenses, hundreds of U.S. religious communities face a large gap between the needs of their older mem bers and the funds available to support their care. As a result, many now lack adequate retirement savings. in several congregations, the median age of the reli gious is 70 years and above, Sister Kearns said. “Funds

Retirement Fund for Religious

Please give to those who have given a lifetime.

from the appeal for retired religious help meet some of the health care costs of these religious women and men.”

The 2021 appeal raised nearly $28.5 million, and the NrrO distributed funding to 271 U.S. religious commu nities. donations also underwrite resources that help religious communities improve elder care and plan for long-term retirement needs.

“The proceeds from the Collection for retired re ligious also provide assistance with opportunities for education and planning to the best way to manage the care of a growing population of elderly religious,” Sister Kearns said.

Meanwhile, these religious “are pioneering a new field for all of us … graciously continuing to contribute to their congregations and beyond,” she said. “They re main interested in the pastoral ministry of the Church and pray for its many needs while sharing their wisdom with the next generation. They provide us with the op portunity to be congregations and parishes of spiritual renewal with respectful intergenerational communica tion.”

The NrrO coordinates the annual national appeal for the retirement Fund for religious and distributes financial assistance for retirement needs to eligible reli gious institutes. To help address the deficit in retirement funding among U.S. religious orders, Catholic bishops of the United States initiated the retirement Fund for religious Collection in 1988.

For more information, visit retiredreligious.org, or contact robin Cabral, campaign director, by phone at 508-685-8899 or email at robincabral@retiredreligious. org. †

Elderly religious need your help.

Like those pictured, nearly 25,000 senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have devoted their lives to prayer and ministry—educating the young, tending the sick, aiding the needy, and more. Yet years of serving for little or no pay have left a profound shortage in retirement savings. Your support of the Retirement Fund for Religious helps furnish care, medicine, and other necessities. Please give generously.

Please donate at your local parish December 10–11 or by mail at:

National Religious Retirement Office/GAL 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194

Make check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

© 2022 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC

rights reserved • Photographer: Jim Judkis

P hoto by me GAN dohe Rty/fo R the he RA ld

mary’s

Inaugural Rector’s Dinner highlights Seminary life, growth

HOUSTON — A sold-out crowd of 300 enjoyed dinner with the rector of St. Mary Seminary and Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, raising funds to educate seminarians to become new priests.

A recent capital campaign raised enough to build a new dormitory and other facilities for the seminary, which is located at 9845 Memorial Dr. in Houston. But the Oct. 13 dinner was a new event to the campus highlighting the students and Father Eurel Manzano, Seminary rector, who oversees the formation, preparation and education of priests not only for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, but throughout Texas and the United States.

The honoree for the evening was the late-Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza, 1954 graduate of St. Mary Seminary, who was posthumously awarded the inaugural Kirwin Medal. The Rt. Rev. Msgr. James M. Kirwin Medal is an award named after the first priest of the Diocese of Galveston who served as rector of the Seminary and recognizes those who have contributed greatly to the Church.

A reception began at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. at the seminary. A new mission video was shown and the evening included remarks from Cardinal DiNardo. †

an attitude of gratitude: a crucial dimension of stewardship

recently a friend of mine sent me a column in which Father ronald rolheiser, OMi, reflected on the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Father rolheiser commented that a deep sense of gratitude to God and the people of God fills his heart as he remembers all the steps of his journey.

While there have been many ups and downs in his life of ministry as a priest in the Church, he treasures each one of them. Through these experiences, God has profoundly shaped his life and allowed him to use his gifts of writing and teaching to help others get in touch with God’s presence and activity in their lives. He cites the novelist Morris West who states that when you reach such a milestone, “there should only be three phrases left in your vocabulary: thank you, thank you and thank you!”

The column’s message resonated with me and where i am in my journey of faith as well.

in december of this year, i will celebrate 55 years of priestly service in the Archdiocese, and my assignments have placed me at five parishes, the downtown chancery and St. Mary’s Seminary.

As i look back to September 1960, when i entered the seminary to discern if God might be calling me to become a priest and servant of Jesus Christ, i could not have even faintly imagined what God had in store for me. Growing up in a small rural area of Texas and graduating from a public high school along with only 21 other students (only one of whom was Catholic), i had my hopes set on going to college and earning a degree in engineering principally because i had earned a scholarship to Texas A&M.

Attending a college or university in the state was what was expected of graduates from small schools like mine. However, God intervened in a way i still do not fully understand and nudged me to forego the offer.

A young, energetic pastor was assigned to my home parish, and he suggested i might have special talents which could be put to use in the Church. in responding to his encouragement and God’s call (which became clearer over the years in seminary formation), i have been privileged to witness the incredible

ways God walks with His people and invites them to use their talents to build His Kingdom here on earth.

Now in my fifth year of retirement, i, too, have been filled with humble gratitude. Several verses from Psalm 116 come to mind: “How can i repay the Lord for His goodness to me? The cup of salvation i will raise; i will call on the Lord’s name. My vows to the Lord i will fulfill before all His people.”

At the halfway point of my priestly journey, i was named a pastor of a large suburban parish.

during the first couple of years after the assignment, i struggled with the question: what is the Lord asking me to do for the people i serve? i realized there were many things to be done, but the question persisted about what is the most crucial for the good of the parish community.

Soon i discovered that the most important question was not what i had to do but whom God was calling my parishioners and me to become. After much prayer, study, and listening to those with wisdom gained through living the Christian life, the choice soon became clear: work with the leadership of the parish and identify an organizing principle or mission which includes as much of the parish community as possible.

Many months of quiet reflection, respectful dialogue and communal prayer led us to arrive at the following vision statement: “Baptized into Christ Jesus, we worship as one and reach out to all.”

That became the way we lived our life as members of our parish. Some would describe this as intentional discipleship. Essentially it is biblical stewardship. in looking back on choosing to go in this direction with the people of the parish, i can only say that it has led to incredible joy and gratitude.

For this, i say to God and the people i have been privileged to meet along the way: Thank you, thank you and thank you! †

Monsignor Chester L. Borski is a retired priest with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

P hoto by dAN iel PAW lo W ski/u P i N the A i R films former st.

seminary rectors, father trung Nguyen, far left; monsignor Chester borski, sec ond from right; and bishop brendan J. Cahill, far right; attended the Rector’s dinner with father eurel manzano, the current rector of the seminary.

Mary’s Seminary

MONSIgNOR CHESTER BORSKI

Casa Juan Diego, Catholic Charities assist immigrants, refugees seeking asylum

By Jo Ann ZuñigA Texas Catholic herald

HOUSTON — Casa Juan Diego and Catholic Charities, recuperating from an overflow of Venezuelans seeking asylum from their country’s economic and political spiral this summer, may have to brace themselves for another possible surge this holiday season.

A federal judge Nov. 15 blocked Title 42 - a controversial rule that has allowed U.S. authorities for health reasons to expel more than one million migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border. Before that ruling, the U.S. closed its border on Oct. 12 to Venezuelan migrants fleeing an authoritarian government and seeking asylum.

“People arriving in the United States find us on their own or in many cases, they are sent to us by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” said Louise Zwick, founder and director of Casa Juan Diego, a Houston nonprofit shelter that depends completely on donations.

“All these past months, we were begging for help and all our houses were so packed and overflowing with people everywhere,” Zwick said. “Our young volunteers were working their selves into the ground.”

“We receive requests from California, Arizona and other places from groups helping new arrivals,” she added. “Our largest numbers continued to come until about a month ago. Our beds still fill up each day, but we do not need as many additional cots now.”

That may change since the November court order leaves the Biden administration without one of the key tools it had deployed to address the

thousands of migrants arriving at the border on a daily basis and could restore access to asylum for arriving migrants.

For months over the summer, buses and planes from the U.S.-Mexico border carried tens of thousands of men, women and children from Central and South America to New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and even Martha’s Vineyard. They were organized by Republican governors of Texas, Arizona and Florida and the Democratic mayor of El Paso, paid for mostly by taxpayers.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in news reports, said the arrivals would give liberal, sanctuary cities “a taste” of what his state has had to deal with for years. Many of those were Venezuelans fleeing

poverty, violence, and authoritarian rule and hoping to apply for asylum. In the latest transfer after he won the November election, Abbott sent another busload, including a child who was dehydrated and feverish, to Philadelphia where she was immediately hospitalized.

The asylum process can take years and, for much of that time, they aren’t allowed to work. Zwick and those assisting immigrants said caring for these new arrivals has been a big challenge, drawing attention to a long-standing bipartisan failure to fix the nation’s broken asylum system.

More than 7 million people have fled from Venezuela to different countries to escape the political, social and economic chaos. It’s the second-largest refugee crisis in the world after Ukraine, according to news reports. About 187,000 Venezuelans who crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. last year have been allowed to stay here while they apply for asylum.

The program is modeled after a similar effort for Ukrainians, who began flying into Mexico after the Russian invasion in February, seeking to join friends or relatives in the U.S. Since that program began, the U.S. government has received more than 160,000 requests to sponsor Ukrainian citizens, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

About 112,000 Ukrainians have been approved, and more than 77,000 have already arrived through the program called “Uniting for Ukraine.” Another 111,000 Ukrainians have arrived outside of the program since late March, according to the department.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese has been awarded FEMA funds to help migrant families who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border travel through a new transfer center and temporary shelter, said

how to help

For those interested in donating to Catholic Charities, the website is catholiccharities.org.

For ways to assist Casa Juan Diego, the website is www.cjd.org. Find a current needs list, which recently included canned chicken or tuna; canned vegetables; apples or other fresh fruit; toiletries; and men’s and women’s clothing.

communications director Betsy Ballard.

The temporary shelter, in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, has helped hundreds of people by providing food, basic services and a hotel room for migrants passing through the Houston area to families who are sponsoring them.

“We provide buses, and they almost never stay in Houston. They are traveling on to their destinations,” Ballard said.

But the FEMA funds of $2.8 million for the transit center will likely be depleted by December, she said.

Meanwhile, Casa Juan Diego continues to help large numbers of people seeking “posada,” Zwick said.

“We give groceries on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays mornings. Our new guests and many volunteers help with the food distribution,” she said. “We continue to assist about 225 very ill or paralyzed individuals and their families with living expenses, food and medical supplies.”

“We have been surprised and overwhelmed by the requests coming in from hospital social workers asking us to help more and more very ill undocumented people coming out of hospitals. We are just a few of us with donations, and we cannot provide for the whole large undocumented population who is ill,” Zwick said.

Zwick said donated canned meats, canned vegetables, apples and other fresh fruit, as well as toiletries and clothes, are also helpful, especially with the colder weather and holidays approaching.

Lazaro Contreras, director of the Archdiocese Office of Hispanic Ministry, hosted a group of about 15 Hispanic church leaders at Casa Juan Diego to possibly volunteer or recruit volunteers.

“The purpose was to create awareness and open the possibility of volunteering in pastoral care and accompaniment of migrants,” Contreras said. “On my personal time, I started volunteering at Casa Juan Diego once a week on Mondays for two or three hours in the evening.”

“I have talked with people from Africa, Nicaragua, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba and mostly Venezuela,” Contreras said. “Each of them has experienced very traumatic events in their journey. It is a blessing to help them.” †

herald file photo

Men store watermelons at Casa Juan diego house of hospitality in houston. the Catholic-run center, alongside Catholic Charities, supports refugees and immigrants.

A ministry of mercy: Catholic Cemeteries honors the departed, prepares faithful for own death

By Kerry Mcguire herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — Treating the bodies of the dead with charity and respect in hope and anticipation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is as old as the Catholic Church itself. The burial of the body is considered a Corporal Work of Mercy that honors the body of its deceased member as a child of God who is a temple of the Holy Spirit (CCC 2300).

A centuries-old tradition in Western Christianity has observed All Souls Day on Nov. 2 as a time to attend Mass, offer prayers and give sacrifices for the souls of loved ones and others around the world who have passed away and are in need of God’s mercy with the hope of joining Him in heaven someday.

According to Stephanie Nolan, director of the Office of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese, annual Masses in Commemoration of the Faithful Departed have traditionally been held at consecrated Catholic Churches and cemeteries on Nov. 2, including three cemeteries owned and operated by the Archdiocese.

Masses were held at Mt. Olivet Cemetery and Mausoleum, located in the greater Houston area. That is the largest active Catholic cemetery in the Archdiocese, with a variety of options

to help families bury their loved ones.

Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, located in Galveston, is the secondlargest cemetery, with a variety of grave spaces available for purchase. Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, located in the heart of Houston, is the third active cemetery with grave space available for purchase.

“We celebrate this special Mass each year to pray for our deceased to be joined in eternal life with Jesus Christ,” said Nolan. “Some churches provide a list of people who died in a year’s timeframe, for example, 2021-2022, and each name may be prayed for out loud by the community. In this way, both the deceased and the living are engaged in prayer together,

which allows God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit to hear our prayers and become moved to pour their blessings onto us.”

Since 1969, the Office of Catholic Cemeteries has managed these three cemeteries, in addition to Old Catholic Cemetery located in Galveston and St. Vincent Cemetery in Houston that are no longer operational or have grave space available for purchase. St. Vincent is the oldest of the five, founded in 1853, with its last burials in the 1920s, followed by Old Catholic Cemetery, which was founded in 1882.

Nolan said the Office of Catholic Cemeteries is devoted to the Corporal Works of Mercy that pertain to dealing with death in the context of faith. The ministry maintains and develops the cemeteries as sacred places dedicated to religious purposes, such as burying the dead, praying for the living and the dead, comforting those who mourn and witnessing to the shared belief in one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin, and the resurrection of the dead.

Nolan recognizes that while honoring the dead in this way is widely accepted and practiced by Catholics worldwide, the topic of death and preparing for one’s

Will

be an Angel of Advent and help children and families in need?

photo by Megan doherty/for the herald

father Julian gerosa, CrS, celebrates Mass at holy Cross Cemetery in houston on all Souls day.

IN MeMoRIA

Dec. 1, 1940 Rev. Paul F. Nemec

Dec. 1, 2014 Rev. Bernard Mahoney

Dec. 1, 1973 Rev. William Duggan, CSB

Dec. 1, 1987 Msgr. Thomas F. O’Sullivan

Dec. 1, 1989 Msgr. Christopher J. Martin

Dec. 1, 2002 Rev. G. Patrick Dougherty

Dec. 1, 2007 Rev. Albert Walsh

Dec. 2, 1997 Rev. Bernard Doyon, OMI Dec. 2, 2000 Rev. Doug Smith

Dec. 2, 2005 Rev. John C. Wick, CSB

Dec. 2, 2015 Rev. E. Arthur Roberts, CSB Dec. 3, 1900 Rev. Peter Berthet

Dec. 3, 1911 Rev. A. Badelon

Dec. 3, 1947 Rev. Douglas A. Moore

Dec. 3, 1962 Rev. George T. Koen

Dec. 3, 1963 Rev. Charles V. Palazzo

Dec. 3, 1987 Rev. John F. McMahon

Dec. 3, 1995 Msgr. Andrew Deslatte Dec. 4, 2008 Rev. John T. Weyer Dec. 4, 2021 Rev. Tim Bucek

Dec. 5, 1981 Rev. Gilbert Kroger, CP Dec. 5, 1998 Rev. Francis X. Chang-Lei, SJ Dec. 6, 1988 Rev. James A. Matzinger

Dec. 6, 2001 Rev. Mark Horacek

Dec. 7, 1880 Rev. Louis Chambodut Dec. 7, 1995 Rev. William Bosworth Dec. 8, 1986 Msgr. James F. Welsch Dec. 9, 1943 Rev. Michael Munar, TOR Dec. 10, 1915 Rev. John M. Haughran Dec. 10, 1969 Rev. John W. Meyer, CSB Dec. 11, 1909 Rev. Joseph Legardeur

Dec. 11, 1914 Rev. George Montreuil Dec. 11, 1940 Msgr. Joseph Pelnar Dec. 12, 1927 Rev. Peter Litwora Dec. 12, 1989 Rev. Benigno Gonzalez-Diez Dec. 12, 2010 Msgr. Francis G. Wearden Dec. 13, 2002 Rev. Philip R. Elmer, SCJ Dec. 13, 2016 Rev. Charles Borski, OMI Dec. 19, 1909 Rev. R. Drohan, CSB Dec. 19, 2009 Rev. John F. Robbins, CSB Dec. 20, 1940 Rev. Theodore Drees Dec. 21, 1992 Msgr. Marcel Notzon Dec. 21, 2021 Most Rev. George A. Sheltz Dec. 22, 2016 Rev. Stephen Mandry Dec. 23, 1871 Rev. Peter Lacour Dec. 23, 2021 Rev. Albert Gaelens, CSB Dec. 24, 2010 Msgr. Ralph C. Salazar Dec. 25, 1918 Rev. J.C. Magnan, OMI Dec. 25, 2016 Rev. George Hosko, CSB Dec. 26, 1998 Msgr. Thomas A. Wendland Dec. 26, 2012 Rev. Eduardo Lopez Dec. 26, 2017 Rev. Mario Baldero, DS Dec. 27, 1942 Rev. Kaspar Kaler Dec. 28, 1953 Rev. John P. Campbell Dec. 28, 1991 Rev. Emil Furlong Dec. 29, 1994 Msgr. Bernard J. Roemer Dec. 30, 1924 Rev. M.J. O’Callahan Dec. 30, 1934 Rev. Thomas C. Healy Dec. 30. 1942 Rev. John Leahy Dec. 30, 1952 Rev. Paul Michalka Dec. 31, 1870 Rev. Andres Farges Dec. 31, 1926 Rev. Francis Pridal

‘Make us of good judgment’: Cardinal DiNardo celebrates annual Red Mass to unite Houston’s judicial communities

By JAMes rAMos Texas Catholic herald

HOUSTON — Ahead of the upcoming legislative year and roughly a month ahead of the Nov. 4 mid-term election day, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the annual Red Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Oct. 11.

The annual Mass, which lifts up the legal community of Galveston-Houston in prayer, might “make us attentive to the Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, whose fire this Red Mass is to symbolize, should grow in our hearts and make us of good judgment,” Cardinal DiNardo said at the Mass.

Wearing their traditional black judicial robes, several judges from a number of local district courts attended the Mass alongside many members of the Houston-area legal community.

Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal DiNardo, alongside a number of other priests.

Cardinal DiNardo recognized the sad absence of the late Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza, who died Sept. 19 at age 91. Archbishop Fiorenza had attended and celebrated the Mass for many years during his tenure. The annual Red Mass also remembers all those in the legal community who have died in the previous year.

“He always loved coming to these celebrations, so we’re remembering him, along with the other deceased members in the legal profession,” Cardinal DiNardo said.

In his homily, Cardinal DiNardo drew from ‘Fratelli Tutti,’ the encyclical written and published by Pope Francis in October 2020.

Reflecting on the pope’s observations from the story of the Good Samaritan, Cardinal DiNardo encouraged the Red

Mass attendees to keep the parable close to heart during the new legislative year.

Quoting Pope Francis, “‘If we want to restore the notion of neighbor, we have to restore when he calls three things: liberty, equality and fraternity,’” Cardinal DiNardo said. “And the three threads that are woven together can help restore the notion of neighbor.”

He continued: “The pope is very mindful that the story of the Good Samaritan is a very powerful vector, even today, in helping us to understand what it is to speak about us, others, and how we are bound together. Nothing does this more beautifully than the conclusion of the First Letter of John we read for the second reading. What an interesting inference the author makes. If God has so loved us, well, wouldn’t the response be that we should love God?”

Speaking directly to those involved in Galveston-Houston’s judicial community at every level, Cardinal DiNardo offered a message of prayer, encouragement and solidarity in light of the ‘Fratelli Tutti’ encyclical: “We work in a realm of the law. We obviously have to know what it is just to deal with fraternity and equality and freedom in such ways that they can make sense in the law, and your work is very important. We pray for you, those who are lawyers, judges, members of Congress, all of you who work in the law. We pray for you every day. It’s a very difficult kind of judgment you have to make.”

He reminded the attendees to always look to God in all things: “The judgment lives in something bigger than ourselves, so we call upon the Lord to help us in all of our discernment. May the Lord do that for us.”

After the Mass, a dinner featured an address by John Allen Jr., the editor of Crux.org, a Catholic news website. A special tribute was also given to honor Archbishop Fiorenza. †

own funeral many times is not.

“The Office of Catholic Cemeteries recognizes that the topic of death and dying can be an uneasy discussion, so we encourage the faithful in the Archdiocese to visit the cemeteries, to stop into our office and talk with us about it. While we are not licensed professionals in counseling, we can listen and help plan their final disposition wishes so families can rest knowing that the hardest part (planning) has been taken care of for them.”

The Office of Catholic Cemeteries offers presentations to inform the general public about the following topics: Pre-planning funerals and burials; preplanning grave spaces; educating those about the Catholic beliefs concerning death, including cremation, Mass without the body present, etc.

“Death is usually the number one fear, with public speaking following at a close second,” said Nolan. “Because many people are frightened of death and dying, many prefer to put off

such important decisions. Cemeteries as a ministry offers compassion and choices, especially in considering final disposition and Mass.”

“Catholic Cemeteries recognizes and appreciates the support from the parishes under the umbrella of Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston,” said Nolan. “There are several parishes, too many to name, which send their faithful to our office to make their end-of-life arrangements. As a ministry of mercy, Catholic Cemeteries would like to offer our gratitude to these parishes.”

“Our cemeteries have many beautiful memorials, but sparse time and staff make it difficult to set aside specific tasks, such as dedicated cleaning,” said Nolan. “I’d love to invite volunteers who are 18 years and older to stop by the cemetery office and ‘adopt’ a memorial. Special care must be used to clean memorials as they are fragile and susceptible to damage if not properly cared for when using chemicals.”

To learn more about the Office of Catholic Cemeteries, call 281-337-1641 or visit www.ccadgh.org. †

photo by J a M e S ra M o S/herald daniel Cardinal dinardo, who celebrated the annual red Mass on oct. 11 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred heart, preaches the homily before giving a special blessing to members of the legal and legislative community of houston, which included several local judges and lawyers from the houston-area.

Accompanying young adults in

discernment and discovery of

life

By Kerry Mcguire herald Correspondent

HOUSTON — As young people mature, grow and go out into the whole world to experience life on their own, they will naturally begin searching for answers to life’s most basic and profound question — knowing and understanding God’s will and purpose for their lives.

The Church plays an instrumental role in accompanying and encouraging these young adults along the way as they set off to discern and discover their vocational call.

Because more workers are desperately needed “in the vineyard” to continue spreading the word of Christ, one of the most essential tasks of the Church has always been to encourage and support young men and women discerning the call to the priesthood and religious life.

Fostering vocations in parishes and Catholic schools formally became the responsibility of the Office of Vocations in the Archdiocese in 1963, when Bishop John Morkovsky appointed Father William Steele as the first full-time vocations director. Before that time, various priests, including those at St. Mary’s Seminary, acted as unofficial vocations directors. This meant most of the vocations’ responsibilities fell upon the clergy, religious, and/or catechetical lay leaders in parishes and Catholic junior high and high schools without an organized, concerted effort.

The Office of Vocations, currently with its ninth director, Father Richard McNeillie, since 2018, continues to carry out the good works that began over six decades ago by his predecessors. He and his staff have a vision for every young person in the Archdiocese to prayerfully discern and joyfully discover their lifelong vocation. The ministry offers discernment groups, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, prayer services and groups, and various retreats to assist young adults with this process.

A young adult involved with the Office of Vocations, Laura Hoffman, said she found the ministry’s spiritual growth and formation opportunities to be encouraging and influential in her decision-making process as she pursued God’s call for her life. This included attending Samuel Group, a program for young adults ages 19 to 30, who meet once a month for six months to study, pray and discover their individual vocations or lifetime call from God.

The Office of Vocations started a group for women in 2019 for young adults in the Archdiocese and later expanded the program to include a group for men in 2021.

Hoffman first attended Samuel Group offered at Texas A&M University at the beginning of her senior year when she felt overwhelmed with the next step in her life. She wanted to be a missionary but knew she could not afford to pay for her student loans on a fundraised salary.

“After various closed doors, I felt lost and unsure, but the Samuel Group program in college and later in Galveston-Houston gave me the tools to discern the next step in my life and every

step since,” said Hoffman. “While I did not become a missionary, I am now a publicschool teacher, and my mission field is filled with people who need to hear the good news of Christ proclaimed to their wandering hearts.”

As a volunteer, Hoffman finds fulfillment in serving others through Samuel Group for the first time while also being reformed in the content. She feels God gives her greater graces to receive the material and live out true discernment in her daily life.

“At the first session of Samuel Group last year, I presented on living a life of virtue and the movement toward greater freedom in Christ,” said Hoffman.

“In preparing for this session, I was convinced by the centrality of growth in virtue and freedom in daily life because if our hearts are not free and directed towards God, we cannot really hear Him, much less obey Him.”

She said after the Office of Vocations asked her to discern applying to the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spiritual Direction. After having attended her first year of school, she believes the Lord is inviting her to walk with others who are learning to discern the voice of the Lord in their lives.

Father McNeillie believes Samuel Group is critical to helping form young people in the faith as much as vocational discernment to the priesthood, religious, married or single life.

“We don’t presume what their vocation is, and we don’t even expect them all to be priests and nuns,” said Father McNeillie. “It’s a program that can help a young person really grow in virtue so that they will be ready to live their vocation when God finally reveals it.”

As one of 64 ministries supported by DSF (Diocesan Services Fund), Father McNeillie said the Office of Vocations is able to continue offering several of its programs and services for young adults like Hoffman. An example is covering the $200 program fee for Samuel Group, which makes it more affordable for

young adults, especially those in college.

“We continue to serve young people who are thinking about their vocation, and if we didn’t have the support of the people of God, through their prayers and financial contributions like the DSF, I

The 2022 Diocesan Services Fund theme draws from 1 Corinthians: “All For the Glory of God.” DSF operates in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each year to help the Church carry out the ministries of teaching and sanctifying. DSF brings the needed financial resources to carry out 60-plus ministries.

don’t think we would have many priests at all,” said Father McNeillie. “You just wouldn’t have Mass every day, maybe not even every week.”

Hoffman agrees that supporting the Office of Vocations and its staff through the DSF is important since they are the formators of the Church. She believes the

See VOCATIONS, page 14

photo by J a M e S ra M o S/herald Father Luis

his Mass of Ordination on June 4. The Office of

in discovering their vocational call.

EDUCATION

Catholic Charities

Catholic schools mark fall celebrations

All around the Archdiocese, Catholic school students marked several occasions with special events. In a short two week span, dozens of schools celebrated Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, as well as Veterans Day. School dressed up and decorated for each ocassion, whether it be the colors of Old Glory or an outfit of their favorite saint or biblical figure. †

society of st. vincent de paul

san José Clinic

veterans

veterans

YOUTH

Most Catholics know that the word Eucharist comes from a Greek word that means “thanksgiving.”The Eucharist truly is the greatest gift we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, can receive here on earth, and gratitude is the proper response to a gift. There are two questions we must ask ourselves first, does the response of my gratitude equal the gift, and second, how can I grow in the virtue of gratitude?

To answer the first question, it’s important to remember that different levels of gratitude are appropriate for different situations. When someone sees you walking up to a building with arms full of bags and holds a door open for you, the proper level of gratitude is to simply say “thank you.” But what is the proper amount of gratitude we should have towards God, who has given us everything? St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that when we approach the virtue of gratitude, we should not have a mindset that views it as an “equality of things” but rather an “equality of wills.”This means the disposition of the giver must

How can we grow in gratitude?

be taken into account before the gift itself.

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by BRIAN HENRITZE

In the case of God, His disposition is that of unfailing love and compassion for us, His children. It is because of this love that He has bestowed upon us the gift of the Eucharist and the gift of salvation. Although nothing we do can equate to the gift that God has given, Aquinas tells us that “gratitude always inclines, as far as possible, to pay back something more… If, however, we are unable to do so, the will to pay back is sufficient for gratitude.” We cannot, in gratitude, give to God more than He has given us. But we can seek to match His disposition. Since He gave His life for us, the virtue of gratitude demands that we give our lives for Him.

Now let’s turn to the second question, how can we grow in the virtue of

gratitude? The first step to growing in virtue is to separate yourself from its opposing vice. In the case of gratitude, its opposite vice is ingratitude. St. Bernard of Clairvaux tells us that “ingratitude is the enemy to the soul, the evacuation of merits… it is a burning wind, drying up the springs of piety, the dew of pity, the streams of grace.”To begin to root out this vice confess times of ingratitude. This might involve both taking the sin to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confessing it to individuals you have directed your ingratitude towards.

Next, meditate on the words of

TEENTALK

Scripture. There are numerous passages that focus on gratitude and thankfulness. Spend time with those passages and ask God to reveal to you the ways in which He desires you to grow in this virtue. And finally, affirm and thank others. Strive to daily thank someone in your life for something they have done and to affirm them in one of the virtues you see them exuding. This daily practice will help you to be more grateful and to see more clearly to the goodness of God. †

Brian Henritze is an associate director of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.

teens in the archdiocesan youth council share their own faith life experiences.

What do you thank God for in your life? Why?

“I thank God for many things in my life. Some of those things are my family, friends, and the experiences I’ve had the opportunity to encounter. I thank Him for these things because, without these things, I wouldn’t be who I am today. These things have allowed me to grow as a person both mentally and spiritually.”

Christine N., Our Lady of Lourdes (Houston)

“Every day, I thank God for the new day He has gifted me. With this new day, I am able to gift other people with the holy word of God. There are many things to be thankful for in our daily lives, but all it takes is an open mind and heart. God has given us so many gifts to be able to gift others. Be thankful for the world around us. It has many wonderful things.”

Arielle W., Sts. Simon & Jude

“I thank God for many things in my life. Family, friends, a house, school, etc… The list goes on. God gave us basically everything we have, and it’s important for us to realize He is always there for us and loves us.”

Matt P., Frassati Catholic High School

“The Eucharist is our Savior, Jesus Christ. I used to take the Sacrament for granted, but after going to AYC, I realized it is important. I realized that I used to see the Eucharist and just say, ‘Yeah, that’s Jesus’ without even thinking. But that’s literally Jesus! That’s our Savior who was crucified for us! I have a whole different perspective on it now. I thank God for opening my eyes and helping me to see Him in everything.”

Michael T., Sts. Simon & Jude

COlUMNIsT s

Advent: What are we waiting for?

The season of Advent is traditionally viewed as a season of waiting. Do you know what we, as Catholic Christians, are waiting for?

As a culture, we seem to be always waiting and in a hurry to get to the next thing on our to-do list. Waiting in traffic, waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for the weekend to arrive, waiting to see an old friend, waiting for a special event, waiting for a problem to be resolved.

Earlier this summer, I found myself in a waiting position as my mother shared with my brother and me a peaceful premonition she had of her impending death. During those final weeks of her life, my brother and I, who both lived a thousand miles away, called her daily.

We centered our time on sharing the things that truly matter in life — gratitude, forgiveness, trust in God’s mercy and recalling how meaningful her life of faith had been to so many people. We maximized the time of waiting to allow God’s presence to gently lead her home.

by MARK CIESIELSKI

As we enter this Advent season, it is easy to allow Christmas preparations — whether commercial or otherwise — to distract us from remembering what we are waiting for and how to prepare ourselves during this waiting.

One of the great gifts of aging is the understanding that it is not all the doing or activity that is truly important as it is being present.

Being present to God in prayer, being attentive to our loved ones, to all of God’s children, and to creation itself. Whether our waiting is focused on celebrating the gift of Jesus at Christmas or the return of Jesus at the end of time, let us ponder the question that Jesus put to His disciples (Luke 8:18): “When the Son of Man comes again will He find faith on the earth?”

Jesus is telling His disciples that

difficult times will come, but the way to remain grounded in faith is through prayer.

It is in prayer that the Holy Spirit strengthens and consoles us and helps us to persevere as faithful disciples. In prayer, the Holy Spirit enlightens us with wisdom and guides us with the courage to confront falsehoods.

In prayer, our hearts can be moved with the compassion of Christ to action where we respect the dignity of all

people as children of God and treat the environment with respect. Simple words for prayer will suffice: “Holy Spirit, transform my heart, mind and actions to love as Jesus loved. Amen.”

We begin to encounter Jesus as we feed the hungry, visit the lonely, elderly, imprisoned, and disabled, and seek to provide a place of security for refugees desperately searching for a place to call home.

Our hearts become transformed even to forgive and reconcile with our enemies. External walls come tumbling down because the walls of division within our own hearts crumble under the experience of Christ’s mercy.

Then we will see clearly that such waiting has brought forth the reign of the Kingdom of God with Christ as the Prince of Peace. †

Mark Ciesielski is the director of the Office of Aging Ministry.

Beyond The Red Suit: Meet St. Nicholas

On Dec. 6, we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children. From this saint, we get the legend of Santa Claus, the jolly old elf who flies around in a magical sleigh. This is a beautiful story of magic and wonder that many of us grew up with and that we now share with our own children and grandchildren.

But what if the story of the actual St. Nicholas were even more beautiful?

St. Nicholas was a bishop of the early Church; born in about 270 AD in the port city of Myrna (modern Turkey) and raised in a Christian family. He was orphaned at a young age when his parents died unexpectedly in an epidemic. Grief-stricken, Nicholas gave his entire inheritance to the poor and went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He returned to Myrna after a profound conversion and was named bishop.

As bishop, Nicholas was soon caught up in a wave of Christian persecution sweeping through the Roman empire. Arrested, exiled and imprisoned for months, he saw many of his fellow believers martyred for their faith in Christ.

Eventually, Christianity was legalized under Emperor Constantine, the same Constantine who called the Council of Nicea in 325 AD to settle an argument among Church leaders. Led by a priest named Arius, some bishops had been teaching that Jesus was not equal to God

suNdAy MAss ReAdINgs

NOVEMBER 27

DECEMBER 4

DECEMBER 11

First Reading: Is 2:1-5

First Reading: Is 11:1-10

First Reading: Is 35:1-6, 10

the Father but was created by the Father. Nicholas and his supporters argued that Jesus was fully human and fully divine — otherwise, how could He forgive sin?

we can stand for Christ and give joyfully to people in need — not because it is Christmas, but because we are Christians.

by AMY AUZENNE

The argument went back and forth for many weeks; at one point, Nicholas became so incensed by Arius’s false teaching that he slapped him! (There is a famous icon depicting this moment.) At the end of the council, Nicholas and his supporters won the day. It is easy to understand how Nicholas, having seen so many martyrs, would be passionate in defending the truth they died for. But he was equally passionate in his commitment to the poor and the marginalized. Bishop Nicholas made sure that the church at Myrna cared for the sick, the widows and the orphans. In a famous story, he saved three impoverished sisters from a life of prostitution when he provided for their dowry, allowing them to be married with dignity into honorable families.

It is a shame that the true St. Nicholas has all but disappeared beneath the red and white suit of Santa Claus. But for those who are willing to look closer, we

find that Nicholas is a saint for our own time.

Like Nicholas, we are confronted by false teachings that seek to rob Jesus of His power and divinity. Like him, we are called to reject the narrative that tells us that the reward for goodness is comfort and wealth. By following his example,

VOCATIONS, from page 11

graces of the ministry are not just for those who receive formation but for the whole church for years to come.

“The formation opportunities provided through the Vocations Office are instrumental in my life as well as the lives of countless others,”said Hoffman. “Discernment is not constrained to a season of life, but it is a lifelong practice of continual conversion. In this turbulent world we live in, the need for discernment in all things is evident, and the Ignatian rules of discernment

Let me be clear: I have no problem with Santa Claus. Children certainly deserve all the wonder and innocence we can offer them in these cynical times. But a magical elf who brings presents is not enough to help our children grow in holiness. For that, we need a holy saint who can inspire them to seek God’s presence. Nicholas of Myrna is such a saint.

St. Nicholas, pray for us! †

Amy Auzenne is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

are applicable in everyday life as well as in the extraordinary decisions made in vocational discernment.”

For more information, visit the Office of Vocation’s website at houstonvocations.com or call 713-6528239. To learn more about DSF, go to archgh.org/dsf.

The DSF supports 64 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. †

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 122:1-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:6-10

Second Reading: Rom 13:11-14 Gospel: Mt 24:37-44

Second Reading: Rom 5:4-9 Gospel: Mt 3:1-12

Second Reading: Jms 5:7-10 Gospel: Mt 11:2-11

†

“one of the great gifts of aging is the understanding that it is not all the doing or activity that is truly important as it is being present.”

“For those who are willing to look closer, we find that Nicholas is a saint for our own time.”

When I started as the director of campus ministry at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville this past August, I did not know what to expect. I had felt a calling to campus ministry but felt the heavy weight of responsibility for such a task. This was not a decision to take lightly.

As an introvert and a father of two college-age boys and a daughter in high school, I was not sure if this would help or hinder my effectiveness in ministering to other students.

During my discernment for the position, I was encouraged by Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice.” I realized that by staying humble and listening to the Holy Spirit, I would be able to do the Lord’s work.

I also reflected on the calling of Moses in Exodus and was reminded that God does not call the equipped, but He equips those He calls. This gave me the courage I needed to accept the position.

Now, as I come toward the end of my second month on the job, I feel blessed to be involved in campus ministry. I have seen students’ relationships with Christ deepen and grow.

During our recent Bearkat Awaking retreat, the love of Jesus was reflected in each participant. For some students, this was the first time they truly felt Jesus’s

Growing in love

presence. It was amazing to feel and share in their experience.

While working with students at different points in their faith journey, in each case, I was inspired by their earnest search for God. There is a great thirst in students to grow closer to God. Community has been an important part of my experience so far, serving as an expression of God’s love for me and as a source from which I draw love and light.

by SIMON POWELL

In his book The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis describes hell as a dreary, sprawling, abandoned town in which no one can stand being around each other. Growing a community of faith has the opposite effect. As people enthusiastic about their faith start drawing together, others are attracted to join rather than remain apart. Seeing this work before my eyes has been a transformative experience for me.

However, what has surprised me the most during my first two months of ministry is how my own personal relationship with Jesus has grown and strengthened. As I continue learning to see God in all my students, I feel the presence of God more clearly in my own life.

As I do my best to help others draw

closer to God, I am simultaneously being pulled closer to Him. The best way to describe this feeling can be found in Luke 6:38: “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

I have experienced the reality of this truth. As I grow more in love with my students, I am growing more in love with Christ. They are helping me at least as much as I am helping them.

In “The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales,” written by his friend, Jean Pierre Camus, Bishop of Belley, St. Francis de Sales is

MoVIe RAtINgs By The Catholic Review

A

• Heart of a Missionary (NR)

t

• Lifemark (PG-13)

• Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (NR)

• Slaves and Kings (NR)

• Till (PG-13)

quoted as saying, “You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving.”

I now understand exactly what he meant. I am continuing to grow in love by loving more. While I still have a lot to learn, I feel confident I am doing what I was called to do. My reward has been of immeasurable wealth, a sense of peace and solid confidence in the transformative effect of God’s love. †

M – MAture viewerS

• Black Adam (PG-13)

• Ticket to Paradise (PG-13)

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (PG-13)

l – liMited MAture Audience

• All Quiet on the Western Front (R)

• Barbarian (R)

• The Banshees of Inisherin (R)

u – unSuitAble for All

• Bros (R)

• Halloween Ends (R)

• Hellraiser (R)

For more Catholic movie and television reviews, visit www.catholicreview. org/movie-reviews.

Diocesan Services Fund MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry creates communities on campus where faith flourishes and Disciples of Christ are formed.

To support the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry, and over 60 ministries like it, make a gift to the DSF at www.archgh.org/dsf

Jesus was concerned with young people, with all of you, with your expectations and your hopes, and it shows how much he wants to meet you personally.

– Pope Benedict XVI

Simon Powell is the director of cam pus ministry at the Sam Houston State Catholic Student Center in Huntsville.

Love the Lord by loving the poor, pope says at Mass

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Wars, famine and calamities of every kind can tempt Christians to a paralyzing fear that the world is about to end; what they must do instead is act, even in a small way, to make the world a better place, Pope Francis said.

Loved by God, “let us love His most discarded children. The Lord is there,” the pope said on Nov. 13, celebrating Mass for the World Day of the Poor.

In Italian villages and other places, too, there is a tradition at Christmas to set an extra place at the table “for the Lord who will surely knock on the door in the person of someone who is poor and in need,” the pope said.

“And your heart, does it always have a free place for those people?” he asked those at Mass. “My heart, does it have a vacancy for those people? Or are we so busy with friends, social events and obligations that we never have room for

for 1,300 people to share a festive meal in the Vatican audience hall. Pope Francis joined them for lunch.

And, thanks to a donation from a supermarket chain, the Vatican sent 5,000 boxes of pasta, rice, flour, sugar, salt, coffee, milk and oil to Rome parishes for distribution.

In addition, with the help of volunteer doctors, nurses and technicians, the Vatican set up a free medical clinic in St. Peter’s Square for the week, offering physical exams and blood tests to anyone in need. And, with the price of electricity more than doubling in Italy over the past year, the Vatican also was helping poor families with their utility bills, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican organizer of the world day.

In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis focused on the day’s Gospel reading, which recounted people asking Jesus about the end of the world, and

temptation of interpreting dramatic events in a superstitious or catastrophic way as if we are now close to the end of the world and it is useless to commit ourselves to doing good,” the pope said.

In the face of trials, he said, the Christian asks him or herself what the Lord is trying to say through this moment of crisis and “what good, concretely, can

“Don’t run away,” the pope said. “Ask the question: What is the Lord saying to me and what can I do that is good?”

The World Day of the Poor, he said, reminds Catholics that they must “breakthrough that inner deafness which prevents us from hearing the stifled cry of pain of the frailest.”

“Let us take to heart the clear and unmistakable summons in the Gospel not to be led astray,” he said. “Let us not listen to prophets of doom. Let us not be enchanted by the sirens of populism, which exploit people’s real needs by facile and hasty solutions.”

“Let us not follow the false ‘messiahs’ who, in the name of profit, proclaim recipes useful only for increasing the wealth of a few while condemning the poor to the margins of society,” the pope said. “Instead, let us bear witness.”

“Let us light candles of hope in the midst

IN BRIEF

of darkness,” he said. “Amid dramatic situations, let us seize opportunities to bear witness to the Gospel of joy and to build a more fraternal world.”

In the Gospel, Jesus assures believers that even in the midst of trials and persecution, “not a hair on your head will be destroyed.”

That means each Christian should know, “God is my father and is at my side. He knows me and loves me, watches over me, and does not sleep,” the pope said.

In response, Christians must show the same love and care for “our brothers and sisters in need,” those whom “this throwaway culture wants to discard,” including the poor, the old and the unborn, he said.

“Let us commit ourselves courageously to justice, the rule of law and peace, and stand at the side of the weakest,” Pope Francis said. “Let us not step back to protect ourselves from history but strive to give this moment of history a different face.”

“Let us not be content, like the people in the Gospel, to admire the beautiful stones of the temple while failing to recognize God’s true temple, our fellow men and women, especially the poor, in whose face, in whose history, in whose wounds, we encounter Jesus,” he said. †

Italian missionary sister beatified in Kenya after serving nearly a century ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) — Antoine Cardinal Kambanda of Rwanda beatified an Italian Cottolengo nun who served in Kenya about 100 years ago. Beatification is one of the final steps toward sainthood. Sister Maria Carola Cecchin served in Kenya from 1905 to 1925. The miracle needed for her beatification involved the cure of a stillborn infant, who now is a healthy 9-year-old boy.

“She knew this place well and spent her youth for the Gospel among us here. ... She is a model of missionary of charity,” Cardinal Kambanda told these gathered in Meru, Kenya, Nov. 5. “When Blessed Sister Maria Carola Cecchin experienced the great love of Christ, she spared no effort to proclaim the Gospel of God to the nations, to the people who had not yet known Christ.”

The fifth of 10 children, Fiorina Cecchin was born April 3, 1877, in Cittadella, Italy. At age 19, she joined the Cottolengo Sisters, and in 1905 she left for Kenya. Cardinal Kambanda said Blessed Maria Carola represented “so many missionaries in that time who accepted to endure all sorts of sacrifices and risks to bring the salvation of God to the missions. They left their country without knowing whether they would ever go back. They made long journeys on the sea, on land and on foot.” †

CNS PHOTO

Pope Francis joins some 1,300 guests for lunch in the Vatican audience hall on the World Day of the Poor Nov. 13.

STATE & NATION

Annual National Prayer Vigil for Life will take place in Washington Jan. 19 to 20

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The National Prayer Vigil for Life held each January will continue even with the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade because there is “still a great need for prayer and advocacy”’ to end abortion and protect the unborn and their mothers, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said Nov. 11.

The vigil is hosted in Washington by the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-life Activities, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry.

Scheduled for Jan. 19 to 20 at the national shrine, the vigil has always coincided with the eve of the March for Life, which marks the date of the 1973 decision of the court’s Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The 2023 March for Life is Jan. 20.

“The National Prayer Vigil is a time to praise God for the great gift of the recent Supreme Court Dobbs decision, overturning the tragic Roe v. Wade decision made almost a half-century ago,” said Kat Talalas, assistant director of prolife communications at the USCCB.

“State and federal legislators are now free to embrace policies that protect preborn children and their mothers,” she said in a statement. “Yet, there is still a great need for prayer and advocacy from the faithful, as there will be intensified efforts to codify Roe in legislation and

policies at the state and federal levels.”

She added that “many prayers and sacrifices are needed to transform our culture so that all may cherish the gift of human life and offer life-giving support to vulnerable women, children and families.”

The opening Mass for the vigil will take place at 5 p.m. (EST) on Jan. 19 with Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, as the principal celebrant and homilist.

The Mass will be immediately followed by a Holy Hour for life. This will start off a series of nationwide holy hours throughout the night from dioceses across the country, which will be broadcast on the USCCB’s website, usccb.org.

The nationwide vigil concludes at 8 a.m. (EST) Jan. 20 with a closing Mass to be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph L. Coffey of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

A live television broadcast of the vigil will be provided by the Eternal Word Television Network and will be available via livestream on the national shrine’s website, nationalshrine.org/mass.

The USCCB pro-life secretariat also is encouraging Catholics across the country to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Jan. 14 to Jan. 20 to pray for an end to abortion and “a greater respect for all human life.” †

BALTIMORE — Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso has made a ministry out of what some see as a crisis. From his diocese near the border with Mexico, he has aimed to highlight the work he sees as a path toward the Gospel: serving the poor, the stranger, who cross over into the U.S. regardless of how they entered.

So it seemed natural to his brother bishops to elect him last year, as the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, a three-year term that he’s about to start.

He has served the last year as chairman-elect; his term as chairman begins when the bishops’ meeting ends. “It is something that has become such an important way that I have experienced to live the Gospel and I believe others can find that same opportunity in applying the teaching of Jesus and live it, see the face of Christ in the poor and those who have literally nothing,” Bishop Seitz told Catholic News Service Nov. 15 at the annual fall gathering of bishops in Baltimore of his work in immigration matters.

It’s an opportunity, he said, to “live our faith.” †

PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE

In a continuing effort to provide pastoral care to victims of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo would like to remind the faithful of the Archdiocese of the availability of the Victims Assistance Coordinator. Anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by clergy or Church personnel is encouraged to call Diane Vines at 713-654-5799. Please keep in daily prayers the healing of victims of abuse and all who suffer in any way.

CNS PHOTO

A pro-life button is seen on a woman’s coat during a prayer service near the entrance to a Planned Par enthood center in Smithtown, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2021, the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the U.S. The gathering also marked the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.

El Paso bishop, incoming USCCB migration chair, says he wants to share joy of serving the poor

MUNDO CATÓLICO

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Desde un altar colocado en una plataforma justo sobre las aguas del Rio Bravo, el cual divide EE. UU. y México, el obispo Mark J. Seitz de El Paso, Texas, celebró una misa el 5 de noviembre para recordar a los migrantes que murieron, llevados por la corriente, tratando de cruzar el rio o a lo largo de la frontera en 2022.

En particular, recordó a una niña de 5 años llamada Margareth Sofía, quien murió unos días antes en el rio.

“Ella venía de un pueblo pobre del sureste de Guatemala”, dijo el obispo en su homilía, recordando las noticias de su muerte. “La niña de 5 años soñaba con trabajar algún día en Kansas, donde tenía parientes. Quería ganar suficiente dinero, junto con su madre, para ayudar a su hermano discapacitado de 9 años”.

Tratando de alcanzar ese sueño, comenzó a cruzar el río, guiada por la mano de su madre el 24 de agosto. En cuestión de momentos, la corriente se la llevó. Autoridades recuperaron su pequeño cuerpo del río.

“Normalmente el Río Grande/Río Bravo, no tiene suficiente agua para ser una amenaza para nadie”, dijo el obispo. “Pero recuerdas las fuertes tormentas que tuvimos a fines de agosto”.

Los medios locales en español en El Paso informaron que Margareth Sofia fue la cuarta menor de edad en morir en el río en un lapso de 24 horas a fines de agosto en el paso popular para los que cruzan la frontera.

La misa del fin de semana, solo unos días después del Día de los Muertos, marcó la 25ª vez que las ciudades fronterizas de El Paso, Las Cruces, Nuevo México y Ciudad Juárez, México, se han

reunido para orar por los que han muerto tratando de llegar a los Estados Unidos.

Hasta la fecha, este año, dijo Monseñor Seitz, las autoridades fronterizas han informado de 853 muertes de migrantes solo en el lado fronterizo de los Estados Unidos. Es un número que no incluye a los que han muerto en el Tapón del Darién, una espesa jungla que conecta América del Sur y Central por donde viajan muchos migrantes tratando de evitar a las autoridades.

Las estadísticas tampoco muestran quiénes han muerto a manos del crimen organizado en México y Centroamérica, dijo.

“Hoy, al reunirnos, somos conscientes de que hay muchos que no han llegado sanos y salvos a este destino terrenal temporal”, dijo Monseñor Seitz. “Es posible que sus historias nunca se cuenten hasta que los encontremos en el reino de Dios… Cada una de estas muertes marca a un ser querido perdido, pero nunca olvidado, un dolor que nunca terminará, una historia que merece ser contada”.

Monseñor Seitz, quien se convertirá en el presidente del comité de migración de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos a mediados de noviembre, se unió a los obispos José Guadalupe Torres Campos de Ciudad Juárez, México y Peter Baldacchino de Las Cruces. Concelebraron la Misa.

La misa fronteriza intenta llevarse a cabo físicamente en los EE. UU. y México. A veces se ha instalado un altar con la mitad en un país y la mitad en el otro, conectando a través del muro fronterizo, con sacerdotes que a veces ofreciendo Comunión a través de las pequeñas aperturas en el muro a los feligreses en el otro lado. †

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.

favor rece por la

de las

del

y por todos los que sufren de alguna manera.

FOTO DE CNS

El obispo Mark J. Seitz de El Paso, Texas, en el centro, y otros clérigos católicos de Ciudad Juárez, México y El Paso participan en una misa binacional el 5 de noviembre, en memoria de los migrantes que murieron en rumbo a los EE. UU. cerca de la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

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

NOV. 26

CHRISTMAS MARKET, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Columbus Club Hall (4132 27th East, Dickinson). Knights of Columbus carries on the Christian Renewal Center Christmas Market tradition, with market proceeds benefiting the Renewal Center, Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church and True Cross School and other KC charity efforts.

DEC. 3

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., St. Jerome Catholic School (2749 Hollister Rd., Houston). Holiday shopping at the parish activity center with local vendors, breakfast plates at $15, pictures with Santa, hot chocolate bar, raffles and kids crafts. No entry fee, and all items a la carte. lvinasco@ stjeromecs.org; 713-468-7946.

WOMEN’S ADVENT PRAYER BREAKFAST , 9 to 11 a.m., Christian Renewal Center (1515 Hughes Rd., Dickinson). 4th annual Advent Prayer Breakfast offers a morning of faith, fellowship and fun in the season of Advent. Table hosts purchase a table and is responsible for decorating the table and inviting other attendees. Cost: Table of eight - $275; Single ticket - $40. Register: retreatcentercrc.org; 281-337-1312; Kim Brown at kbrown@ retreatcentercrc.org.

DEC. 4

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CELEBRATION, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Procession begins at the Downtown Chancery (1700 San Jacinto St., Houston) and continues to the George R. Brown Convention Center (1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston).

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE MASS, 12 p.m., George R. Brown Convention Center (1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, for the event’s 50th anniversary.

EAST MEETS WEST

Around the Archdiocese

DEC. 9

MASS & LUNCHEON WITH CARDINAL, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Houston Port-Seafarer’s Center (9750 High Level Rd., Houston). The Galveston-Houston Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women host annual event to support the Seafarer’s Ministry. Cost: $35/person. Testimony by Port Chaplain, Father Jan Kubis, at 10:15 a.m., Mass at 11 a.m. celebrated by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, 12 p.m. lunch. www.ghcw.org/seafarers.

DEC. 11

RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS COLLECTION, held Dec. 7 to 8 in parishes around the Archdiocese, proceeds help hundreds of U.S. religious

communities to care for aging members. Some 30,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests benefit, many within the Archdiocese. retiredreligious.org.

DEC. 15

LESSONS AND CAROLS WITH CARDINAL DINARDO, 7:30 p.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Annual Lessons and Carols event also marks the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and the Cor Jesu Choir of the Co-Cathedral. Free, open to the public.

DEC.

16

CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., St. Mary Magdalene, (527 S. Houston Ave., Humble). St. Mary Magdalene Music Ministry presents “A Thrill of Hope” Christmas worship concert with the parish adult choir, children’s choir, Mariachi group, instrumental ensemble and parish pastor, Father Felix Osasona, under the direction of

Perrcival Cacanindin. Tickets: $15 available at the parish office.

FISH FRY, 5 to 7 p.m., St. Paul the Apostle, (18223 Point Lookout, Nassau Bay). Eat in or drive-thru.

DEC. 17

MINI-RETREAT, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mary Queen (606 Cedarwood Dr., Friendswood). Family Life Ministry hosts “The Manger & the Hay,” an advent mini-retreat through the eyes of the Holy Family. $10 per family. Childcare provided. Includes keynote speakers, food, refreshments and Mass. Register: archgh.org/familylife.

DEC. 16-24

SIMBANG GABI, 5:30 a.m. daily, St. John Neumann (2730 Nelwood Dr., Houston). A devotional nine-day series of dawn masses in anticipation of Christmas. A Filipino tradition is called Misa de Aguinaldo. 281-931-0684; sjnhouston.org.

DEC. 23

SIMBANG GABI CULMINATION MASS, 7 p.m., Holy Family (1510 5th St., Missouri City). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrates the culmination Mass of the Filipino Simbang Gabi tradition, a novena of Masses leading up to Christmas. Reception follows. www.simbanggabi-houston. blogspot.com.

LIVING NATIVITY, 3:30 to 9 p.m., Sacred Heart (109 N. Frazier St., Conroe). All are welcome for a live nativity outside Sacred Heart Church on the corner of Frazier Street and FM 2854 with a live animal, prayer, Posada and music. Includes light refreshments and some kids activities. Free. the99SH@gmail.com.

DEC. 25

MIDNIGHT MASS, 12 a.m., Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate Midnight Mass for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.

CHRISTMAS DAY MASS, 12:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica (2011 Church St., Galveston). Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate Mass for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. •••

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

Around the Archdiocese

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SERRANS

The Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province hosted the East Meets West Dinner on Nov. 8 at their St. Catherine Convent in Houston. Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, attended the event, which was sponsored by the Serra Club and the Scanlan Foundation. Pictured at a recent auction dinner, sitting, from left to right, are Sister Maria Goretti, OP, Chrys Hancock, Jan Beall, Sister Marie Theresa, OP, Sister Angela Pham, OP, Susan Massey, and Susan and Ray Stawaisz. Back row, left to right, are Sister Mary Magdalene, OP, Deacon Pat Hancock, John Beall, Ed and Candice Tyrrell, Bishop Dell’Oro, Kirk Pfeffer, Katie Pfeffer, Terri Moore and Brenda Bazan.

JESUIT

OPEN HOUSE

CURA PERSONALIS

At Strake Jesuit, we have been successfully building Men for Others for over 60 years. A key to that success is the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis — the care for the individual.

This core value translates into a personal care and attention for each Jesuit student. It also means that we concern ourselves with the education of the whole person. Students at Jesuit learn much more than math and science — they learn about community service, about their faith, and about their responsibilities to the world around them.

At Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, we do much more than prepare our students for college — we prepare them for life as men of God and Men for Others. Learn all about Strake Jesuit at our annual Open House. Don’t miss your chance to get a tour of the campus, hear from school leaders, learn about life at Jesuit from the student perspective, ask questions about your favorite subjects or extra-curricular activities, and more! To register or to learn more, visit www.strakejesuit.org/openhouse