Texas Catholic Herald - March 9, 2021

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

A TASTE OF EAST TIMOR

CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS

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Try this easy vegetable medley stew on Friday

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Schools embrace new traditions for Catholic Schools Week

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MARCH 9, 2021

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH

Embracing St. Joseph

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VOL. 57, NO. 18

LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM

BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald

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head of the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated a jubilee Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston on Feb. 10.

The special Mass marked the 150th anniversary of the saint’s naming as the Universal Church’s patron by Pope Pius IX in 1870 and also celebrated the Year of St. Joseph, which began on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 2020, as decreed by Pope Francis.

Though the pandemic put a pause on the usual St. Joseph celebrations, such as the iconic St. Joseph’s Altar and processions held at parishes around the Archdiocese, the faithful can still join in the spiritual celebrations even while at home.

“St. Joseph is very much a man of faith,” Cardinal DiNardo said in his homily. “We look to St. Joseph as a heavenly patron See ST. JOSEPH, page 5

VATICAN

Honoring suffering, building bridges: Pope’s Iraq trip has dual focus

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. LAURENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

A sign at St. Laurence Catholic School honors Olivia, Edison and Collete Nguyen, three students at the Sugar Land school who died in a fire during the February winter storms that wrecked Texas. St. Laurence Catholic Church hosted the funeral services for the family on March 2 and 3.

Parishes, schools resilient in storm’s aftermath

BY JAMES RAMOS AND REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing security concerns, Pope Francis was determined to visit Iraq to pay homage to Christian and other minorities persecuted for their faith and to strengthen the commitment of the overwhelming majority of Iraqi Muslims to creating a future of peace and harmony.

As a pilgrim March 5 to 8, Pope Francis visited churches that were destroyed by militants of the Islamic State group, and as a global religious leader, he held an interreligious meeting near the ancient city of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham.

“Pope Francis is truly a father because he really wants all human beings to be

HOUSTON — In the days after another historic weather storm pushed into Texas – this time with frigid temperatures – on Valentine’s Day, the snow that once surrounded St. Laurence Catholic School’s sign was replaced by bright red, purple and yellow tulips to honor the lives of three of their own students.

The Sugar Land parochial and school community in Sugar Land mourned a tragic loss, as three of their students — Nguyen siblings sixth-grader Olivia, second-grader Edison and kindergartener Colette, died in a devastating house fire along with their grandmother, Loan Le. Suzanne Barto, school principal, said the school was concerned about canceling classes and dealing with the aftermath of the ice storms when they learned Feb. 17 that one of their families had lost “three precious children” and their grandmother.

“Immediately, all our thoughts were for the mother,”

See IRAQ, page 2

See STORM, page 4

THE FIRST WORD † 3

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COLUMNISTS † 13

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PHOTO COURTESY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

The preschool building at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Houston, known as “La Escuelita,” sustained extensive damage in their Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classrooms after an Arctic Blast ravaged the Houston area in February.

ESPAÑOL † 17 - 18 |

MILESTONES † 20

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Pope meets a beleaguered Iraqi Church IRAQ, from page 1 united — not only Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants — but he is broadening his embrace to include the Islamic world,” said Shahrzad Houshmand Zadeh, a Shiite Muslim theologian who has taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Holding an interreligious meeting at the birthplace of Abraham, recognized as the patriarch of monotheistic faith

by Jews, Christians and Muslims, “can shake people’s consciences to remind us of our common origin,” she said. “It’s like going home and finding our brothers and sisters again.”

Jesuit Father Joseph Cassar, the Irbilbased country director for Jesuit Refugee Service, noted that the theme of Pope Francis’ visit is “You are all brothers.”

“That message really needs to be heard loud and clear and taken to heart by everyone, Christians included,” he said.

“Years, decades, of conflict and sectarian division have really wreaked havoc on Iraq,” destroying whole villages, but even more, tearing the social fabric “to shreds.”

The fact that rockets were launched into Irbil Feb. 15 created additional concern, Father Cassar said. It doesn’t happen often,“especially in the Kurdistan region, which is really regarded as a safe haven. This, of course, bursts the bubble a bit, and I think it was an intentional message to the coalition forces and the U.S. forces and the new (Biden) administration to say, ‘Hey, we can get you anywhere.’”

“The whole of Iraq is in a fragile situation and the outlook continues to be uncertain, but one must never lose hope,” he said. COVID-19, political tensions, economic difficulties and “ongoing, lowlevel attacks by ISIS,” including suicide

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CNS PHOTO

A security agent walks near posters of Pope Francis in Baghdad March 3, 2021. When the pope visited Iraq March 5 to 8, it was a risky trip to a war-torn country that has seen recent rockets attacks and is surging with new COVID-19 cases.

bombings in Baghdad in January, increase insecurity.

While the events on Pope Francis’ schedule included meetings with top government leaders and leaders of other faiths, meetings with the country’s Christians were at the heart of the visit.

Michael La Civita, director of communications for the New York-based Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said the trip told Iraqi Christians “that despite their ever declining numbers, someone on the outside cares and that someone happens to be the bishop of Rome,” the pope; about 80% of the Christians in Iraq are Eastern Catholics, belonging to either the Chaldean, Syriac or Armenian Catholic churches.

In the past 30 or 40 years, the Eastern Catholics as well as members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the

Assyrian Church of the East have given witness to the “ecumenism of blood,” their unity in martyrdom, La Civita said.

“These churches are steeped in the blood of their martyrs.”

“I think they are getting tired of being called resilient” after suffering through so many waves of persecution, he said, “but it is remarkable how resilient they are.

But they are not ‘they,’ they’re ‘we,’ our brothers and sisters.”

“It’s easier for people who have not suffered the way the (Iraqi) Christians have to say, ‘We must have reconciliation.

We must live together.’ But we mustn’t forget that this is what the Christians have done there for so long,” she said.

“They’ve always been a minority in the last centuries and yet they are a bridge between different groups, different Islamic groups as well.” †

THE HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS — FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Archbishop, President & Publisher Jonah Dycus Communications Director & Executive Editor Rebecca Torrellas Managing Editor James Ramos Designer & Reporter Catherine Viola Graphic Designer & Advertising Manager

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EVANGELIZATION PRAYER INTENTION: SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION, Let us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God. “The center of confession is not the sins we declare, but the divine love we receive, of which we are always in need. The center of confession is Jesus who waits for us, who listens to us and forgives us. ” — Pope Francis

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THE FIRST WORD PASTORAL APPOINTMENT Effective Feb. 11 Father David Begany, SSJ Administrator to Pastor — Holy Family Church, Baytown

IN BRIEF

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

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

Food assistance distributions continue PHOTO BY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES

Batar Da’an, a squash, bean and corn stew from East Timor, is a meatless recipes highlighted by Catholic Relief Service’s Rice Bowl campaign. The Texas Catholic Herald continues an annual series that highlights meatless recipes from kitchens around the world during Lent.

Batar Da’an

A Squash, Bean and Corn Stew from East Timor

How does CRS help?

Catholic Relief Services help communities around the world find solutions to problems like Batar Da’an, or boiled corn in Tetum, the language of the hunger and malnutrition. Farming families learn southeast Asian country of, brings a delicious Timorese new skills to grow stronger, healthier harvests.

Communities train health care workers so vegetable medley stew to your dining table. children can get regular check-ups and parents Perfect over a bowl of rice, this dish is uses what’s already can learn new nutritious recipes to make sure in your pantry, including that long-forgotten butternut squash their families get a balanced diet. People in that might be hiding in the back. The recipe also calls for 5 vulnerable areas prepare for unpredictable cloves of garlic, so garlic-lovers, this one’s for you! weather that could destroy crops.

As we abstain from eating meat on INGREDIENTS Your Lenten sacrifices helped families Fridays during Lent, journey with us • 1 large onion, diced around the world overcome the challenges around the world and incorporate these • 5 cloves garlic, minced of hunger and poor nutrition.

Turn in your Lenten recipes into your meatless • 3 tbsp fair trade olive oil CRS Rice Bowl today.

Fridays.

Jesus calls us to help those • 3 cups water in need.

Give the money you saved crsricebowl.org/give • 1 butternut squash, cut into small pieces each week by not eating meat— • 1 10-oz. bag frozen corn about $3 per person per • 1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained meal—to your CRS Rice Bowl • Salt and pepper to taste to feed those in need • 2 cups cooked rice around the world.

For more information METHOD (SERVES 4) and other free Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until recipes, including tender. Add water and squash, and increase heat until water is videos, visit www. simmering. Add corn and kidney beans, reduce to medium crsricebowl.org/ heat, and cook stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes until recipe. †

Thank you!

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

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

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

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

At the Guadalupe Center in Houston, distributions are by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For addresses, times and to make an appointment, visit www. catholiccharities.org/food or call 713-874-6521.

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

Contact events@stthom.edu for more information. †

squash is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

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A PATTERN OF HOPE PROGRAM

The virtual event benefiting Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese is available online until April 1.

▪ SEE PAGE 11

25 schools affected by severe winter storms “We will walk this healing journey alongside these grieving parents and continue to call upon our faith to lead us through.”

STORM, from page 1 father and family, she said. “Families and staff were devastated, and all were reaching out to help.”

Barto said the Catholic school planned around the students’ usual routines, starting the day with prayer and intentions. Students and staff, who were also dealing with their own damaged homes and lack of water or power, grieved together.

At school the next Monday, there was much to pray for.

Tragedy is not the end Barto said the students started the healing process with activities to honor their classmates. These included decorating boxes for prayer notes, virtual bulletin boards and origami creations.

The Japanese paper folding art was a favorite pastime of Olivia’s, Barto said.

The parish hosted the funeral services, including a March 2 vigil service and a March 3 funeral Mass.

Father Truong Nguyen, St. Laurence parochial vicar, was the homilist.

“You share that work of life with God: only through you, God was able to bring the miracle of your children,” he said in his homily. Father Nguyen said that the children still need their prayers, and remain with the mourning communities in prayer.

“Don’t stop going to God,” he said.

“Tragedy does not have to be the end.”

In prayer and strength “Counselors and teachers followed the lead of the students, and a ‘safe space’ room was created if anyone needed to step out of the classroom,” Barto said.

“Students were allowed to bring stuffed animals to hug since we are still having to socially distance, and a Rosary for the school and family was led by our priests that evening in the church.”

Barto said they are doing their best as a community to surround this family with love and support while keeping watch

SUZANNE BARTO

PRINCIPAL, ST. LAURENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN SUGAR LAND

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NGUYEN FAMILY

Left to right, Olivia, Edison and Colette Nguyen were students at St. Laurence Catholic School when their house caught fire during the Arctic Blast on Feb. 17. St. Laurence Catholic Church hosted the funeral services for the family on March 2 and 3.

over their staff and students during this very difficult time.

The school was working on a prayer calendar for families to choose a day to pray a Rosary for the Nguyen family throughout the year, and plans will be discussed with the family for a memorial to their new little saints.

“St. Laurence has always been strong, and whenever there has been a need in our community, our school family shines,” she said. “I am amazed at the resiliency and depth of caring that continues to be exhibited by everyone involved. We will walk this healing journey alongside these grieving parents and continue to call upon our faith to lead us through.”

The Catholic Schools Office provided information for families to talk to their children at home and arranged for extra counselors to be on hand from the Catholic high schools.

“My heart goes out to the entire St.

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► WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/WINTERSTORM FIND OUT HOW AND WHERE TO HELP THOSE AFFEFCTED BY THE FEBRUARY WINTER STORM Laurence community and to the Nguyen family,”said Debra Haney, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “I knew the family when I was principal at the school, and I am deeply saddened by this tragic loss.”

Haney said that as a mother who was still grieving the loss of her own mother a few months ago, she “cannot fathom the intense sorrow that the family must be experiencing.”

“My prayer is that they will be comforted by the outreach of the school families and that they will experience peace of mind and heart by the loving care shared with them by others representing Christ to them,” she said. “My thoughts and prayers remain with them.”

Haney said the Archdiocese had about 25 schools adversely impacted by the storm, “some with minor damage and relatively simple repairs to a few with extensive damage that is taking some time to deal with on the campuses.”

‘I have never felt so devastated’ Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Houston’s East End sustained extensive damage from the storm.

“I have never felt so devastated in my career as a principal. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School is my home.

It was heartbreaking to witness the damage,” said school Principal Irazema Ortiz. Water from burst pipes crashed through ceilings.

Staff and faculty found the school damaged on Feb. 19, and with the help of parent volunteers and faculty, the school came together and helped move furniture and remove items that were damaged.

The school moved the 3- and 4-yearold students into the main school building. The only spare classroom for the students was in a Spanish classroom,

which is now the preschool classroom.

The classes were combined, with both teachers co-teaching.

Ortiz said that by Feb. 24, the preschool students were settled into their new preschool classroom in the main school building and started their first day back to school after the winter freeze.

“I am truly grateful and blessed to be part of such an amazing community, always willing to help and lend a hand when needed. It’s so rewarding to have such a supportive pastor in Father Wojciech Adamczyk, SJC, and to be part of this parish and school community.”

Just a few hours after the devastating fire in Sugar Land, Father Anil Thomas, S.V.D., lost his car and all his belongings after his rectory at Holy Name Catholic Church went up in flames.

He still celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass the next day in a frigid cafeteria.

Father Thomas, who is pastor of the church, told the Houston Chronicle: “Today is Ash Wednesday, and we are in ashes.”

The historic winter storms in February shattered electric plants across Texas, prompting energy providers to force blackouts across the state to preserve what fragile electricity had.

At least 75 deaths have been linked to the storms and subsequent power outages due to hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, home fires or cars crashing on icy roads. There were reportedly 50 in the Houston-area alone.

Record snowfall and single-digit temperatures froze the state’s electric systems, pushing over 4.3 million into darkness. The outages stretched to days for millions of Texans. Compromised civic water systems forced millions in Texas to boil water for days.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church experienced extensive damage after a fire sprinkler drain valve broke and sent water over the first floor of the parish’s activity center.

“Water found its way through the gym, hallways, classrooms and into the auditorium,” Father Sean Horrigan, the church’s pastor, said. “It wasn’t deep, but it was wide.”

Activities were displaced from the building for just a week, with crews soon arriving on site to begin the repair process. The school and youth ministry resumed use on March 3.

Father Horrigan said most repairs were cosmetic and that the building had been certified for use again. †

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MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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Cardinal: St. Joseph walks with the Church in every way ST. JOSEPH, from page 1

A Morning Offering through St. Joseph

for guardianship or protection. Many of you who are men, you see yourselves as guardians and protectors of your wives and families, just like Joseph. [He] was always mindful of them first. That’s ... why we should dedicate the church of St. Joseph, which we do. He is the universal protector and guardian.”

A prayer for all That evening, the faithful gathered to pray in a special way for the entire Archdiocese, Cardinal DiNardo said.

“We are in a difficult time in the United States, and the world is with COVID-19,” he said. “Let’s pray that St. Joseph, protector of the Universal Church, will be with us every step of the way.”

St. Joseph joins the Virgin Mary in accompanying the Church, he said.

“Joseph always intercedes for us by looking to guard and protect.”

Though the Blessed Mother often is the first the faithful turn to, Cardinal DiNardo said the Church has put more emphasis on St. Joseph.

“He’s a great trustee. He takes Mary into his home and heart. The same with Jesus. He does a good job. Let’s call Joseph ... he’s a professional father and husband. He knows what it is to do that.

He does it very well,” he said. “ The reason you know he does it very well is, there’s no scandal about him, is there? There’s nothing about him, nothing at all. It’s just that he’s very straightforward. He does his work and he leaves the scene.”

St. Joseph was a first witness Cardinal DiNardo noted a “kind of magic” in St. Joseph.

“Even at the time of the Magi, Joseph’s the one who will see the Magi pagans give gifts to his son, his foster son, Jesus,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “He’s the first to realize that ... what St. Paul later said, “What gives us access to God? Faith.”Who was the first to see faith really operating in action? Joseph. He watched all these figures come through his foster son’s life.”

Plenary indulgences: An explainer Catholics can embrace St. Joseph in prayer and receive a plenary indulgence.

The plenary indulgence is granted under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion and praying for the pope’s intentions) to the faithful who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of Saint Joseph on the occasions and in the manner indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

These include: meditating for at least 30 minutes on the Our Father; participating in a spiritual retreat of at

Receive me, dear and chosen Father, and the offering of every movement of my body and soul, which I desire to present through thee to my blessed Lord.

Purify all! Make all a perfect holocaust!

May every pulsation of my heart be a Spiritual Communion, every look and thought an act of love, every action a sweet sacrifice, every word an arrow of Divine love, every step an advance toward Jesus, every visit to Our Lord as pleasing to God as the errands of Angels, every thought of thee, dear Saint, an act to remind thee that I am thy child.

I recommend to thee the occasions in which I usually fail, particularly... [Mention these]. Accept each little devotion of the day, though replete with imperfection, and offer it to Jesus, Whose mercy will overlook all, since He regards not so much the gift as the love of the giver.

Amen.

PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

For more prayers and resources, visit www.archgh.org/stjoseph

A statue of St. Joseph is seen on a side altar at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston on Feb. 10. The parish, one of the oldest in the Archdiocese, is an appointed pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese, offering faithful a plenary indulgence for a pilgrimage made to the parish near downtown Houston.

least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph; performing a corporal or spiritual work of mercy; praying the Rosary in families and between the husband and wife; entrusting their work daily to the protection of St. Joseph and to all believers who invoke with their prayers the intercession of the worker of Nazareth; praying the Litany of Saint Joseph, or some other prayer to St. Joseph, typical of the other liturgical traditions, for the persecuted Church and for the relief of all persecuted Christians. Others include praying any approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, for example, “To you oh blessed Joseph,” especially on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph; May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker; Dec. 26 on the Feast of the Holy Family; the 19th of every month; and every Wednesday, the day dedicated to the memory of St. Joseph.

The gift of plenary indulgence extends particularly to the elderly, sick and dying, and those who cannot leave their homes.

These people, with the spirit detached from any sin and with the intention of fulfilling, as soon as possible, the three usual conditions, in their own home or wherever the impediment holds them, pray an act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, consolation of the sick and patron of good death, confidently offering God the pains and difficulties of his life. †

A Memorare to St. Joseph Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my great protector, St. Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or implored your aid without obtaining relief.

Confiding therefore in your goodness, I come before you. Do not turn down my petitions, foster father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Bishop Rizzotto

MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

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23 ordained to the permanent diaconate STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES RAMOS HOUSTON — Despite delays and ice storms, 23 men were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on Feb. 20 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo as ordaining bishop.

Accompanied by their wives and families, these men will enter a variety of ministries to serve with their gifts and talents. They come from many parishes and a diverse backgrounds, answering the call to a new vocation in the Church.

The new deacons joined some 478 permanent deacons already serving within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. According to a 2020 report, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has the second largest diaconate body in the U.S. † View more photos online at www.archgh.org/2021diaconate

Guidelines for Lenten Observance Lent continues through Good Friday, April 2, which a day of fast and abstinence. Abstinence from meat is obligatory for all who have reached their 14th year. Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence. According to the U.S. bishops, fasting is obligatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year.

Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may be taken, not to equal one full meal. Through works of fasting, prayer and abstinence, we heed the Prophet Joel’s exhortation to “return to God with our whole heart” (2:12). Lent is a penitential season and practices such as daily Mass, reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, works of charity and justice and acts of selfdenial are highly encouraged. For more resources, visit archgh.org/lent.

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

WEEKDAY MASSES

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

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

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

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

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

Vietnamese and Spanish: 30 minutes prior to weekend Masses.

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

WEEKDAY MASS

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

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

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

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KEEPING HOLY THE SABBATH EVEN AT HOME

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

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/SPIRITUALRESOURCES

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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In the midst of pandemic, The Cardinal’s Circle continues supporting ICCS The Cardinal’s Circle

BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — The Cardinal’s Circle’s mission is to help Inner City Catholic Schools (ICCS) maintain a standard of academic excellence in curriculum and staffand to provide the tuition assistance required by a large portion of ICCS’s student population.

Through an annual contribution of $5,000 or more, members invest in students’ academic lives at the eight ICCS. Founded in 2010 as a commitment to society and students in the Archdiocese’s urban areas, The Cardinal’s Circle celebrates a decade of providing this financial support to more than 16,000 students since its inception.

“I am grateful for the generosity of those who participate in The Cardinal’s Circle each year,” Daniel Cardinal DiNardo said. “Your gifts help to grow the Kingdom of God by supporting our ICCS.” Making a true impact New member Anthony Adornetto said that, when looking at charities to donate to, he felt ICCS seemed the most important thing to give to this year.

“Too many children are unable to pay, and there is not enough money for scholarships,” he said.

Jeffery Courville has been a member of the The Cardinal’s Circle since it was founded. He said he and his wife are passionate about Catholic education because they believe it truly impacts the lives of the children it serves.

“These schools provide not only an excellent education but also spiritual formation which helps the kids be prepared to navigate the challenges of life,”he said.“For the Catholic schools to be effective in impacting their communities and the lives of these students, it is critical to have talented teachers and quality educational resources.

This financial burden can be very difficult for the school community to handle alone.”

Courville said he feels one of our greatest responsibilities is to prepare our children to live out their vocation in life, and their Catholic education is a part of that.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to get an excellent education while enriching their spirituality regardless of their economic background,” he said.

Responding to pandemic-driven needs Courville said the pandemic has been especially challenging for many families navigating through job losses or extra financial burdens due to illness, as well as the emotional stress of being isolated from friends and loved ones.

“Some of the conditions we have experienced during the pandemic have also highlighted an even greater importance for families to have access to technology to keep the students in contact with their teachers and to continue progressing their education and

To learn more about The Cardinal’s Circle, call 713-652-4417 or visit choosecatholicschools.org/cc.

The 8 Inner City Catholic Schools

Assumption Catholic School ∙ Holy Ghost Catholic School ∙ Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School, Galena Park ∙ Our Lady of Guadalupe School ∙ Resurrection Catholic School ∙ St. Augustine Catholic School ∙ St. Christopher Catholic School ∙ St. Mary of the Purification School

PHOTO BY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE

Students attending Holy Ghost Catholic School in Houston benefit from The Cardinal’s Circle. Holy Ghost Catholic School is one of eight Inner City Catholic Schools.

formation,” he said. “I hope the assistance from The Cardinal’s Circle can provide help to keep the schools healthy and families who are already battling through tough times connected to their school communities. This can be very important for not just the students but the families who have built relationships to other school families that offer support in an already difficult time.”

Every penny makes a difference Catholic Schools Superintendent Debra Haney wholeheartedly agreed, saying many of the schools have used the funds to support remote instruction and to provide additional tuition assistance to families in need.

“The Cardinal’s Circle donors should know that every penny that they donate is accounted for and goes directly, dollar for dollar, to make a difference in the lives of our students,” she said. “Our Catholic schools are so extremely grateful for The Cardinal’s Circle as these funds allow them to provide additional programming and resources for their students and teachers,” she said.

Haney said schools have used some money to enhance learning for students through the purchase of Chromebooks, iPads, additional bandwidth, textbooks and workbooks, reading instruction materials and training for the use of the materials for teachers. She that the added ICCS have also been able to use the funds to make facility improvements such as new interactive boards for the teachers to use in instruction as well as sports items and playground equipment for the school campus.

Dr. Angela Johnson, assistant superintendent of Mission and Catholic Identity, said historically, the The Cardinal’s Circle has consistently been a critical source of financial support for the ICCS. “The generosity of The Cardinal’s

Circle has been especially highlighted during the current pandemic in providing much-needed technology for virtual learning, instructional materials that include school books and teaching resources, in addition to operational support, which has been critical with school operations,” she said.

Adapting with new classroom tech John Bates, principal at Assumption Catholic School, said COVID-19 affected the plans the school had set to enhance technology at the school.

“Last school year, we were able to purchase a mobile charging station and 30 Chromebooks for our students,” he said. “The original intent of the purchase was that it was the first step in our plan to go 1:1 in our fifth to eighth grades.

However, the pandemic delayed that plan.”

Bates said the Chromebooks were most helpful in getting our remote students connected to the campus during the fall semester.

“A number of families did not have devices at home; without the Chromebooks, we would not have been able to offer a robust virtual academic experience for those children stuck at home,” he said. “Our hope is to use The Cardinal’s Circle funds to further our technology plan of going 1:1 in the future.”

Bates said The Cardinal’s Circle funds also ensure that the school is able to keep their tuition low without sacrificing their desire to provide students with a competitive academic and spiritual experience.

“The Cardinal’s Circle funds may be used to support families that struggle to meet their tuition obligation due to hardship, or they may be used to help bridge the financial gap to provide excellent programs,” he said.

Miguel Sanchez, principal at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Galena Park, said the school is very blessed with the funds that are received from The See CIRCLE, page 8

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8 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD LOCAL

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IN BRIEF Southwest Liturgical Conference recordings available online through March 19

HOUSTON — Following the 59th annual Southwest Liturgical Conference held in early February, the keynote addresses and workshop recordings are available online for purchase and viewing through March 19.

The 2021 theme for SWLC was “As We Await the Blessed Hope: Liturgy in Challenging Times.”

This year’s keynote speakers included Massimo Faggioli, a theology and religion studies professor at Villanova University; C. Vanessa White, an associate professor of spirituality and ministry at the Catholic Theological Union and an associate director at Xavier University of Louisiana’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies; Diana Macalintal, co-founder and co-director of TeamRCIA; and El Paso’s Bishop Mark J. Seitz.

Workshop leaders also included several Houston-based speakers: Father Burkart, who is also a past president of the SWLC; Julie Blevins and Juan Carlos Moreno, both of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Archdiocese; Father Philip Lloyd, pastor of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Memorial Park; and Father Leon Strieder, associate professor of Liturgy and Sacraments at St. Mary Seminary School of Theology in Houston.

Officials with the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston had the largest delegation in attendance. Full conference registration is $150, while a day pass costs $50. For more information and to register, visit www.swlc.org/virtual-2021. †

Next Café Catholica Lite set for March 25 with Aggieland sister

Register at: houstonvocations.com/events-pg 2021 CC_FEST 706_3_r2.pdf

MARCH 9, 2021

3:01 PM

INNER CITY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TRANSFORM THEIR COMMUNITIES

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

The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host Sister Celestine Menin, who serves in campus ministry at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Her topic will be “Healed, Forgiven, and Restored by the King.” The night will include the talk, Q&A and communal prayer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

C

M

CIRCLE, from page 7

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Cardinal’s Circle because “it is through those funds that we are able to hire, and keep qualified teachers to help form true disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“The funds received also provide families the opportunity for tuition assistance, so that their child(ren) are able to attend a Catholic school and receive spiritual formation on a daily basis,” he said.

To those considering donating to education, Courville said the mission

CM

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

Join The Cardinal’s Circle Today!

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

of The Cardinal’s Circle is at the very core of Catholic education, which has a long tradition of providing high-quality education and spiritual formation to everyone, especially those in communities where educational options are limited.

“Participation in The Cardinal’s Circle is an opportunity for you to continue making this mission possible by serving these students and giving them this educational opportunity,” he said.

To learn more, visit www. choosecatholicschools.org/cc. †

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

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MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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9

Catholic chaplains still bring compassionate, heroic care at healthcare facilities amid pandemic

BY KERRY MCGUIRE Herald Correspondent HOUSTON — As the hardships of COVID-19 social distancing mandates continue to impact the elderly and sick in healthcare facilities, the Catholic Chaplains Corps (CCC) of the Archdiocese remains resolute in its commitment to provide much-needed sacramental and spiritual ministry to those Catholic sisters and brothers in need.

“Through the ministry of our priests, lay chaplains and pastoral visitors, the CCC stands with Catholic laity to nurture and bolster the faith resiliency of those we serve in hospitals and nursing homes during these perilous times,” said Denice Foose, director of the CCC. “Our priests and lay chaplains and lay volunteers have effectively met these challenges through their adaptive creativity, servanthood identity and compassionate outlook. The gifts of the Church have supreme importance during these days of psychological stress, mental fatigue and spiritual anguish.”

Foose said while the CCC’s eight priests and three lay chaplains have been able to continue providing crisis, urgent and ongoing pastoral and sacramental ministry inside hospitals during COVID-19, pastoral visitors were restricted. Instead, these volunteers offered a phone ministry to reach those inside the facilities or recently discharged. They also distributed 8,000 care kits for hospital staff containing snacks, aromatherapy goods, handwritten cards of support and other items to share comfort and encouragement.

As one of 60 ministries supported by the Diocesan Services Fund (DSF), Foose said without this annual support, it would be extremely challenging for the CCC to provide these services, including a new online training program that has significantly increased the number of volunteers ready to serve once the restrictions are lifted. This includes Sacred Heart Church and School in Conroe that saw an increase in the number of members active in this ministry.

“As Catholics, we are not just parochial, but universal, and our hearts are called to minister to the needs of all within our Archdiocese and beyond,” said Father Philip Wilhite, pastor of Sacred Heart.

“DSF is an annual opportunity to love like Jesus with a generous heart, giving so that we can care for more of those in need, including the sick, marriages that are in trouble, encouraging religious vocations and bringing Christ to our brothers and sisters in prison. We must resist any temptation or fear that if we share through DSF, we may not have enough for ourselves — God always provides, so trust and give to DSF.” Several healthcare facilities that use the CCC’s programs and services expressed support of the high level of care their Catholic patients receive from the priests and lay volunteers.

According to Jim Hogg, director of Chaplaincy Services at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, the CCC helped with nearly 3,000 patient/familyinitiated requests for Catholic ministers in 2020. He said their spiritual needs were met in a timely manner due to the heroic way the lay chaplain and priest

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

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

“Over the past year, we also had about 1,500 total deaths in our hospital, many of whom were Roman Catholic and needed the Sacraments,” said Hogg. “I am very happy that our Catholic patients are cared for in such a wonderful way.

This hospital is within the Archdiocese, and I very much appreciate the CCC’s commitment to us and the Catholic needs of our patients.”

Stacy L. Auld, director of Spiritual Care and Education at Houston Methodist Hospital, said the patients could not be supported as consistently and effectively without its partnership with the CCC. “Our lay chaplain helps vet the requests and coordinates the best way to meet the requests so that our priest can focus on supporting patients and families in our ICUs and those at the end of life,” said Auld. “Our department has built good relationships with our pastoral visitors, but knowing they have an additional person supporting them and are attuned to (continued needs) creates a more robust, meaningful and effective program.”

Rev. Brett McCleneghan, manager of Spiritual Care and Education at Houston Methodist Woodlands, said the extensive training provided by the CCC results in the formation of superior pastoral visitors, which offer much-needed spiritual care for Catholic patients.

“The provision of pastoral care to all who are in need in any parish presents numerous challenges; and also, to provide care for parishioners who are hospitalized is an even greater challenge given resources that are already stretched thin,” said Rev. McCleneghan. “The CCC empowers and equips laity to discover and live out their vocations as caregivers, which makes it an essential pastoral ministry.”

Ken Carlson, director of Mission and Spiritual Care at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, said its partnership with the CCC allows the hospital to meet the needs of Catholic patients, their families and staff in many of the sacred moments that occur on a daily basis.

“Our lay chaplain provides a steady bedside presence that brings a sense of peace and calm to many who experience discomfort or fear while in the hospital, which allows the presence of God to be fully experienced,” said Carlson. “The city of Houston and its surrounding communities are blessed to have an organization like the CCC.” †

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAINS CORPS

Compassionate Care staff care bags are well received and appreciated at the hospitals/elder care facilities where the Catholic Chaplains Corps is actively engaged in ministry. The ministry continues to make the bags and distributes them weekly at various institutions.

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

You have an opportunity this Lent.

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

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

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

Donate now at:

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

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10 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

MARCH 9, 2021

Thank you for continuing to

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

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

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

www.archgh.org/parishoffertory

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

11

EDUCATION ‘A Pattern of Hope’ program builds hope for Catholic schools

BY LESLIE BARRERA Special To The Herald HOUSTON — “A Pattern of Hope,” a virtual event benefiting Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese, is still available.

Held live on Feb. 5, the presentation is viewable on-demand on the Catholic Schools Office website ChooseCatholicSchools.org/HOPE until April 1.

The digital program invites viewers to see some of the inspired work being done in Catholic schools despite the limitations of an academic year marked by a global pandemic.

“A Pattern of Hope,” hosted by Father Clint Ressler, archdiocesan school council president, showcased the academic curriculum in Archdiocesan schools, Catholic identity elements, and the arts and extracurricular activities of Catholic schools’ daily life. Featuring interviews with principals, pastors and friends of education, the program takes a close-up view on what makes Catholic school communities unique and why families choose them for their children’s education.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE

“A Pattern of Hope” was hosted by Archdiocesan School Council President Father Clint Ressler, pastor of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Texas City.

Laura Halbardier, principal of St. Mary Catholic School in League City, said, “Every day in our Catholic schools I see math and reading being done. I see

SEEKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

science in our schools, but I also see God.” The virtual event was created to allow viewers to see the exceptional education students receive at Catholic schools.

It also provides an opportunity to join in supporting Archdiocesan schools through making a donation that supports two of the most pressing needs this academic year.

The need for emergency tuition assistance, for families suffering from

job loss or economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and educational technology updates that make learning possible in traditional and virtual classrooms has been keenly felt this school year and continues to be a reality.

By making a gift to “A Pattern of Hope,” viewers are able to show their support of Catholic schools and provide assistance that will help keep a quality Catholic education a reality in the lives of so many students.

According to Superintendent Debra Haney, “A Pattern of Hope” is a new event that “brings our Catholic schools into the virtual fundraising world with solidarity and a message of hope because it allows us to share the amazing things happening in our schools with the entire world.”

The Catholic Schools Office staff provided a rich narrative of their work with the schools in the program, including the addition of S.T.R.E.A.M. Synergy schools. “A Pattern of Hope” was chosen as the inaugural virtual event for Catholic schools as it allowed for a perfect culmination at the end of National Catholic Schools Week. “‘A Pattern of Hope’ also allows us a unique opportunity to fundraise for all of our Catholic schools through one online venue, which is a historic event since it has never been done before by the Archdiocese,” Haney said. “‘A Pattern of Hope’ gives us hope for Catholic education in our Archdiocese.” †

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MARCH 9, 2021

Schools, parishes celebrate HOUSTON — National Catholic Schools Week was celebrated across the country and in GalvestonHouston from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 with the theme: “Catholic Schools: Faith.

Excellence. Service.”

Around the Archdiocese, students, faculty and staff normally observe the week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities and gatherings were modified this year to comply with all COVID-19 regulations and guidelines and make it safe for all to participate.

Schools across the Archdiocese celebrated with virtual and inperson gatherings with clergy and religious, book authors, special dress days, history lessons and more. Students also recognized those working to fight the pandemic, dressings as frontline workers to honor their hard work and dedication.

The Feast of St. Blaise, the saint known for healing the sick, fell on the Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week. As tradition, many students received a special blessing that day.

Sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Secretariat of Catholic Education, Catholic Schools Week, now in its 47th year, is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States.

To learn more about Catholic Schools and how you can support Catholic education, visit www.choosecatholicschools.org. †

TRUE CROSS SCHOOL PHOTO COURTESY OF SHRINE OF THE TRUE CROSS CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Students at True Cross Catholic School in Dickinson dressed as front line workers to celebrate their community during Catholic Schools Week.

ST. THOMAS MORE SCHOOL

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

During Catholic Schools Week, Author Kat Kronenberg spoke to St. Thomas More Catholic School students about the light of Christ in their hearts during a reading of her book, “Dream Big.”

Need Help?

HOLY GHOST SCHOOL

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

Catholic Charities

Food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, counseling, immigration assistance, veterans assistance, disaster recovery, refugees services, senior services and more.

catholiccharities.org/need-help or 713-526-4611

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Home visits, food network, disaster relief, clothing and furniture.

svdphouston.org/get-help or 713-741-8234

San José Clinic

Primary and specialty health care services, counseling and mental health services, dental and vision.

sanjoseclinic.org or 713-228-941

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE

Holy Ghost Catholic School students learn about Black History during Catholic Schools Week.

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

13

YOUTH St. Joseph is our spiritual father Last month I wrote about clinging onto the Holy Family, especially during the current climate that we find ourselves in.

Even during pre-pandemic times, there were things in our country and the world-at-large that were and continue to look bleak. It is not only the breakdown of the family, but there is a problem within our country of fatherless homes.

In 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 23.6% of minors lived in a home where the father was absent. The statistic may not look like much, but when you factor that is approximately 17 million children, it is safe to say that we should be concerned (https://fatherhoodfactor. com/us-fatherless-statistics/).

There is a connection between the breakdown of the family and fatherless homes. God the Father always has a plan, and He undoubtedly has a plan for the family.

Part of that plan includes having the father as the protector, provider and spiritual head of the household. As I

stated last month, we only have to look at the Holy Family, and for this month, specifically St. Joseph, as an example and guide in our faith journey.

Mother Church invites us to have a devotion to by the Pillar of Families: DUNN “Thus in giving Joseph ESTACIO the Blessed Virgin as spouse, God appointed him to be not only her life’s companion, the witness of her maidenhood, the protector of her honour… And Joseph shines among all mankind by the most august dignity, since by divine will, he was the guardian of the Son of God and reputed as His father among men. Hence it came about that the Word of God was humbly subject to Joseph, that He obeyed him, and that He rendered to him all those offices that children are bound to render to their parents. From this

†

two-fold dignity flowed the obligation which nature lays upon the head of families, so that Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties.” (Quamquam Pluries, 3) I wrote this as a winter storm ravaged our state and beloved city. Many of us lost power, had no water, or received much damage to our homes. In addition to the pandemic, this can put a burden and take its toll on a family.

These moments of suffering can become beautiful opportunities for us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are in the season of Lent, and we are humbled through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We are reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.

In moments of trials and tribulations, we have an important choice to make.

We can choose to despair or hope in Jesus Christ. Choose the latter! These are precisely the moments where we can die to ourselves and live by clinging onto our Lord and Savior. Mother Church gifts us St. Joseph as an example of a quiet, faithful, obedient man who, different from the showy, faithless and rebellious culture as a protector and help. St. Joseph is a great intercessor who accompanies us and our families during these times of suffering. Let us run to the Foster Father of Jesus Christ because he is our father as well.

Pope Francis has looked at the signs of our times, and through his wisdom, has seen our need for St. Joseph’s aid.

On Dec. 8, 2020, Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph, which ends on Dec. 8, 2021. He declared the year on the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as the patron of the Universal Church, with an Apostolic Letter entitled Patris Corde.

Traditionally, the Catholic Church has reserved the month of March to honor St. Joseph. Let us ask him to wrap us in

Prayer to St. Joseph O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that having experienced here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart.

Hold Him close in my name and kiss His fine head from me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.

Visit the www.archgh.org/stjoseph for more information on prayers, encyclicals, and how to obtain indulgences during the Year of St. Joseph. his holy cloak. Let us pray that he can protect, guide and intercede for the young people and their families of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. † Dunn Estacio is an associate director with the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.

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14 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

MARCH 9, 2021

COLUMNIST Lessons for Lent and life with St. Joseph This month the Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, which warrants some added attention during this commemorative year of the patron of the Universal Church. We are encouraged and inspired to contemplate more deeply on the life of the man who was called by God to be the foster father of the Messiah and protector of the Holy Family.

This March also marks one year since our local communities began quarantining. The ebb and flood tides of these unprecedented times were made up of a bewildering combination of the pandemic, growing global crises, and political unrest intermixed with some hazardous weather events. These experiences have induced within many of us, including myself, moments of heightened degrees of weariness and distress.

But this year, as our Church looks to the model of St. Joseph, we are reminded to hold onto a genuine trust in our Lord, and that with hope springs forth a spirit of resiliency.

During this Lent especially, the Church reflects on the spiritual

disposition of St. Joseph for inspiration in taking up these 40 days. The holiness of St. Joseph was lived through “ordinary” means but illustrates for us his extraordinary interior life. St. Joseph’s performative faith is by observed in seemingly MIMI subtle yet actually TRAN profound ways.

There is so much to learn from Joseph’s “just” (Mt. 1:19) desire to love and protect Mary and the Holy Child. In accepting Mary and Jesus into his home, he allowed himself to be present and at service for our Lord daily.

“St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the certainty that God never abandons us” (Pope Francis, General Audience, May 1st, 2013). St. Joseph trusted God radically. In moments of trials, he did not know of the ways that God would carry him through the daunting task of being

†

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

Administrative Assistant Special Youth Services

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

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

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

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

the earthly provider and protector of the Holy Family, but his spectacular faith and trust in God fueled his spiritual endurance and propelled him onward.

He trusted completely in God’s providential care and accorded his own life to His will: a true exemplar of the virtues of faith, hope and love.

In the recent and ongoing circumstances of our times, we have been primed to participate in this Lenten season in new ways. This Lent invites us to experience our finite moments of joy and suffering more richly and to offer them to the Lord in a way that connects us to the infinite more deeply.

We are encouraged to fully live a life

for God, a life that stems from the gift of trustworthy hope. “Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present…”

(Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi) even an arduous present which can be accepted if we understand the goal which is great enough to justify the trials of the journey: beatific union with God. May St. Joseph’s model continue to encourage and accompany each of us on our journeys through Lent and life. † Mimi Tran is the Catholic campus minister at Rice University.

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston | 1700 San Jacinto | Houston, TX 77002

Associate Director of Development Summary: The Associate Director will work closely with the Development Director and other staff to support the overall fundraising efforts and events of the Archdiocese. The primary responsibility of this position is the creation and management of a dynamic Annual Appeal (Diocesan Services Fund), and cultivation of long-lasting relationships with major donors, supporters, lay leaders, priests and prospects to ensure the financial stability of the local church. Responsible for timely and accurate reporting, constituent stewardship, and prospect analysis necessary to plan and implement donor engagement in the Archdiocese. Responsible for creation of donor impact articles and overall campaign marketing. Also participates in visioning and goal setting for the Development Department.

Essential duties and responsibilities: • Produces compelling appeal collateral materials and reports • Establishes print and electronic marketing plan for the campaign which include monthly newsletter, social media outreach and year-end giving blasts • Develops cultivation opportunities and tailored solicitation strategies for different segments of the donor base • Establishes strategies to engage major gifts ($5,000 and up), to renew current donors and re-engage donors lapsed for three or more years • Is a resource for parishes/ministries for campaigns, offertory and grant writing • Assists in prospect research/updates prospects in established and new campaigns • Special projects as needed and other duties as assigned by the director Required qualifications: • Undergraduate degree and 3-5 years of development/stewardship experience • Thorough knowledge of stewardship and fundraising principles and techniques, especially in relation to annual appeals and major gifts • Working knowledge of software including Microsoft Office and Adobe products such as InDesign • Strong interpersonal and exceptional communication and organizational skills, ability to prioritize as well as be able to multi-task and arrange ongoing projects • Occasional early morning/ evening/ weekend work required • Ability to lift/carry 25 pounds Additional preferred qualifications: • Familiarity and comfort with the mission of the Catholic Faith • Bilingual English/Spanish

Suitable candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Human Resources at resume@archgh.org with Associate Director - Development in the subject line.

SUNDAY MASS READINGS MARCH 14

First Reading: 2 Chron 36:14-17, 19-23

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 137:1-6

Second Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10

Gospel: Jn 3:14-21

MARCH 21

First Reading: Jer 31:31-34

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 51:3-4, 12-15

Second Reading: Heb 5:7-9

Gospel: Jn 12:20-33

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

15

WORLD

Heroes of love: New pathway open for future saints VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has yet to sign decrees in sainthood causes that follow the new path he approved in 2017, that of giving one’s life in a heroic act of loving service to others.

It is still a bit early as the normal sainthood process is never quick, and cases require careful and thorough investigation, study and verification.

For now, some causes of candidates, which could have followed the new path of“the offering of life”but were introduced before the 2017 decree, continue to be pursued and advanced according to the traditional pathway of heroically living the Christian virtues.

A clear example came Feb. 20 when Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of three Italian nuns who died of the Ebola virus while ministering to patients in Congo in 1995. A total of six sisters, all nurses and members of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor, died over the course of 35 days; the sainthood causes of the remaining three are also being studied.

Sister Linadele Canclini, the postulator general for the congregation, began looking into the possibility of having them declared saints in 2011 and the formal diocesan investigation opened in 2013 in Congo.

In a phone interview from the order’s motherhouse in Bergamo, Italy, she told Catholic News Service that when the new pathway was declared in 2017, she immediately sought advice from another expert on whether they should pursue that avenue instead.

She was advised that they should keep following the path they were on, she said, since they were already so far advanced

CNS PHOTO

Noella Kavira Kitakya, 26, an Ebola survivor who works as a caregiver, puts a shoe on a child whose mother died of Ebola at a UNICEF center in Katwa, Congo, in this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo. Pope Francis opened a new path to sainthood in 2017 for “martyrs of charity,” those who made heroic sacrifices during pandemics and other situations of contagion.

in having a lot of “strong testimony” and material demonstrating the sisters heroically lived the Christian virtues.

It is important to outline what makes the “offering of life” different from the other pathways, particularly when some criticism emerged after the 2017 decree that it would somehow be “easier.”

For centuries, consideration for sainthood required that a candidate heroically lived a life of Christian virtues or had been martyred for the faith. The third, less common way, is called an equivalent or equipollent canonization:

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

when there is evidence of strong devotion among the faithful to a holy man or woman, the pope can waive a lengthy formal canonical investigation and can authorize their veneration as saints.

The fourth way, called the “offering of life,” came after the Congregation for Saints’ Causes conducted an in-depth study meant to help interpret many other possible cases of holiness.

Like the pathway recognizing the heroic practice of virtues, a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession is needed for beatification. And there must be evidence of having lived out the Christian virtues — at least in an ordinary way — before having offered one’s life to others and until one’s death.

This does not necessarily mean the person lived the virtues less heroically, just that there is less burden of proof needed in this regard and more focus is on the nature of their sacrifice, making sure it stems from a serious and consistent Christian life.

Something similar happens with the cause of a recognized martyr where the focus is less on the degree to which the candidate lived the virtues and more on the nature of his or her death, in this case, where the candidate’s blood was shed out of hatred of the faith.

The new pathway puts the focus on the nature of the candidate’s death — that it was a free and willing offer of one’s Christian life and a heroic acceptance, out of love, of a certain and early death.

The required connection between the heroic act of charity and the premature death has meant that a person who follows this model of holiness is often called a “martyr of charity,” a term used by St. Paul

VI when he beatified St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1971 and by St. John Paul II when he canonized the Polish friar in 1982.

Pope Benedict XVI referred to St. Bernardo Tolomei as “an authentic martyr of charity” in 2009 when he canonized the 14th-century Benedictine, who died of the plague after devoting himself to the sick monks in his care. However, Pope Benedict also emphasized three years earlier that a person could not be declared a true martyr without “irrefutable proof” of the victim’s willingness to die for the faith and without “moral certainty” that the persecutor’s action stemmed “directly or indirectly” from a hatred of the faith.

Pope Francis has used the term “martyr of charity” several times, most recently referring to Father Roberto Malgesini, an Italian priest who was stabbed to death in 2020 by a mentally ill homeless man he was helping.

A “martyr of charity” uses the word “martyr” as meaning “a witness” of charity or of love, Sister Canclini said. “It has evangelical value, but it is not a juridical term; it grants nothing” special since the cause must follow all the regular procedures, including a miracle needed for beatification.

Many saints of the past gave that kind of heroic witness, risking their lives in times of contagion; they include St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the famed Jesuit priest who died during a plague in Rome, and St. Damien of Molokai, who assisted those afflicted with Hansen’s disease.

The selfless ministry of those serving during epidemics will never be over, Sister Canclini said.

The sisters working in Kikwit, Congo, found themselves at the epicenter of Ebola in 1995, and the congregation found itself at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bergamo in March 2020.

Sister Canclini said they prayed to the now venerable sisters for their intercession during the pandemic, but they also called on their younger members to help them in the residential facility they operate for the disabled and for the elderly — a facility where, unfortunately, many older residents died.

“The younger sisters willingly went to help, aware of the danger because of the spirit of our congregation whose founder said our sisters will work at the service of the poor even in times of contagious diseases,” she said.

Blessed Luigi Palazzolo, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor, was born and died in Bergamo in the 19th-century and lived at a time when waves of cholera swept through the region, she said.

“We have testimony that the nuns then were infected taking care of (the afflicted); therefore, we are on the same track. The charism is alive. It will never leave us; it cannot die.” †

CIRCULATION

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Call 713-652-4408 or email RVASQUEZ@ARCHGH.ORG for assistance.

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16 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

MARCH 9, 2021

NATION & STATE

Emotional, psychological toll of pandemic just now beginning to be felt WASHINGTON (CNS) — The psychological and emotional trauma of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is only now beginning to be felt and is bound to keep affecting American workers for some time to come.

“The other virus that we’re dealing with is fear,” said Jesuit Father Thomas Florek, part of the Hispanic-Latino formation development team at the University of Detroit Mercy, during a Feb. 24 webinar sponsored by the Catholic Labor Network, “Ministering to Workers in the Time of COVID.” “Right now, it’s a very vicious circle.

I see the deaths as a kind of holocaust for the 21st century,” said Father Florek, who accompanied human rights workers recently in Mexico. “People don’t have to die; decisions have been made, structures have allowed half a million people in this country to die.”

“We’ve had so many Catholic workers coming into the office looking for assistance. Also, for emotional and spiritual support,” said Father Patrick Besel, a chaplain at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “I probably spent more time last year with staff than with patients. There was so much stress.”

During the webinar, roughly two dozen clergy got to hear firsthand from two workers.

After working 13 years as a guest service agent, Katyra Henderson Hill received a phone call from her employer the day her youngest son was graduating from eighth grade that she was being let

go. “They offered a couple of thousand dollars for my severance package,” she said. “I sacrificed so much for my children, seeing them only on weekends.”

Now, “I haven’t paid my bills. My husband and I are separated. I’m unemployed, alone with three teenagers,” Henderson Hill said.“Being in quarantine with no job has tested my faith. Being depressed, dealing with children who are depressed. One of them ran away.”

She added,“I have no financial stability.

I’m dealing with no insurance. I didn’t ask for COVID. I feel the government failed us. We didn’t ask to be laid off from our jobs.”

About the only bright spot, she said, was qualifying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to feed her family. Her old job paid $21 an hour; the only jobs she sees available now pay about $11 an hour.

“This building has been of no help,” said Cyntira Gilchrist of the management at the health care facility in Maryland where she has worked for the past five months.

“It’s discouraging for people who want to come to work. There’s no support from management or anything,” Gilchrist said.

“We’re in there fighting tooth and nail for our patients trying to keep them safe, keep ourselves safe, with the lack of PPE (personal protective equipment). We have to wear our masks for almost a whole month at a time. No one should have to wear a mask for that long.”

She added, “We don’t have the time to be there for everyone like we’re used

IN BRIEF Campaign aims to foster respect for religious freedom, religious sites CHICAGO (CNS) — Catholic Extension has joined the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations to engage youth around the globe in raising awareness of religious freedom and cultivating interreligious respect through a campaign called #forSafeWorship.

The campaign is part of a global call to action to foster solidarity and protect religious sites and worshippers. Catholic Extension is collaborating with the alliance, known as UNAOC, through a special storytelling project “designed to celebrate the universality of religious sites as symbols of our shared humanity, history and traditions,” said a news release from the Chicago-based organization.

Participants are asked to film a short, amateur video — in any format — about a sacred space, big or small, and describe its beauty or particular significance or history in the local community. †

Priest plans to auction coveted baseball cards to aid low-income students ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — A baseball card collection worth thousands of dollars was a split second away from being dropped into a

trash can and disappearing forever in a landfill. Father John Ubel, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul, recalled that moment more than 15 years ago when he was transferred to a different priestly assignment and wanted to purge some of his belongings.

He wasn’t sure what to do with a box containing hundreds of cards in mint condition from the 1970s.

“Every time you move assignments, it’s a great opportunity to divest yourself a bit,” he said. “I literally had them out at the trash, and changed my mind and brought them back in.” Eventually, he began to add more to the collection and now estimates its value at more than $25,000. Soon, he will make good on his urge to get rid of the cards. This time instead of a trash can, they will go to avid collectors and the proceeds given to the Aim Higher Foundation in St. Paul, where he serves on the board of directors.

The nonprofit organization gives scholarships to low-income students at Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Students receive $1,000 every year they are enrolled in a Catholic school through eighth grade. A student can receive as much as $9,000 if he or she qualifies beginning in kindergarten.

Father Ubel, 57, is organizing an online auction for the weekend of March 12 to 14, the fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday. †

CNS PHOTO

Sulpician Father Martin Burnham, seen in this undated photo, is a licensed psychotherapist. He was one of several speakers in the Catholic Labor Network’s Feb. 24, 2021, webinar on “Ministering to Workers in the Time of COVID.” Ordained a priest for the Baltimore Archdiocese, Father Burnham has been a member of the Sulpicians since 2013.

to,” saying the former caseload of 10 to 15 patients has jumped to 30. “Since COVID, people have been scared to come to work. I almost became one of the patients myself,” Gilchrist said. “My skin is wearing thin also. I just look for some kind of help.”

Henderson Hill, a Southern Baptist, said Bible apps have helped, adding that her kids have asked her, “Let’s pray, Mama.”“They ask me to pray. And that’s what’s been keeping me going,” she said, noting she has not been able to go to church since the pandemic started. “The pastor was my grandfather,” she added, “and he passed away.”

“I place everything in the blest hands,” said Gilchrist, who embraces Islam. “I try not to beat myself up when I can’t do anymore. ... I just put my head on the wheel and just pray.”

“We’re experiencing a big amount of insecurity of food. At Catholic Charities, we are reaching 10 million meals that we have served,” said Father Jon Pedigo, director for advocacy and community engagement for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, California. “There are 12,000 folks that we’re supporting with free food through the parishes each week. We have been doing that each week since the lockdown.”

In San Jose alone, 40,000 to 50,000 people are being displaced, Father Pedigo said. “The undocumented lowincome population have had threats to call on ICE to deport them if they don’t pay their rent,” he added, fuming at the discrimination faced by these renters.

“You’re not supposed to evict people during this particular time,” he said, “yet landlords are preying.”

“How do we create a situation where if anyone in any one of these workplaces were called to present a discussion at a seminary, they would be welcome?” asked Sulpician Father Martin Burnham, a Baltimore archdiocesan priest and licensed psychotherapist.

He suggested reaching out to the local bishops “because the bishops talk among themselves,” but “how do we, as people on the ground in the dioceses, talk to bishops on the importance of these issues, and to the priests who are coming along and need to be trained in these issues? ... Life in the seminary is not the alb I’m going to buy or height of my collar.”

Father Burnham said, “There are real, practical things that people are dealing with — life and death issues. The amount of anxiety and depression people are feeling is through the roof. And people are saying this is just the beginning.” †

LOCAL CATHOLIC NEWS.

WHERE YOU WANT IT. WHEN YOU WANT IT.

WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/DIGITALEDITIONS

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

texas catholic herald

17

MUNDO CATÓLICO

Limosna que brota de un corazón generoso y no del bolsillo

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

ser así, es por eso que yo la llamo “ofrenda”. Esa ofrenda que damos debe brotar de un corazón generoso como nuestro Señor Jesucristo lo hizo al ofrecer Su vida por todos nosotros (Cf. Jn 15,13). Es by necesario buscar sinónimos o un lenguaje ADRIAN HERRERA más sencillo para comunicar las verdades fundamentales y así las palabras mismas nos iluminen. Por lo tanto, si aprendemos a dar con un corazón generoso, nos sirve como proceso de renovación interior ya que es un ejercicio que nos ayuda a liberarnos del apego a los bienes terrenales y “enriquecer a otros con nuestra pobreza” (Papa Francisco, Mensaje de Cuaresma 2014). Esta es una de las razones el por qué la Iglesia nos invita a vivir la Cuaresma para que profundicemos y vayamos mucho más allá que un simple método minimalista, en otras palabras, en vez de preocuparme por comer carne roja los viernes, o dejar de fumar, o11:35 no comer chocolates, la 1/11/21 AM Cuaresma es más bien una invitación a

†

educarnos en la justicia y en la caridad, en el cómo socorrer al prójimo en sus necesidades y compartir lo que uno posee con los demás en secreto. Por consiguiente, propongo dos preguntas que deberíamos de tenerlas grabadas en nuestra mente durante este periodo cuaresmal. ¿Cómo aprendo a compartir con un corazón generoso? ¿Cómo evito llamar la atención o aprobación de los demás si no lo hago en secreto?

Recuerde que si nuestro interior es purificado, tenga con seguridad que el exterior también lo estará.

Hay varios pasajes Bíblicos que nos pueden iluminar para esto, pero hay uno que en mí lo personal se me viene a la mente, y es el pasaje de la viuda pobre en el evangelio de Marcos (Cf. Mc 12, 41-44).

Lo interesante es que este pasaje se encuentra casi al final del evangelio de Marcos y al final de la vida terrestre de Jesús.Y Jesús observa el comportamiento de los ricos al dar grandes limosnas en las alcancías del Templo. Pero observó una pobre viuda que echo el poco dinero que tenía para vivir ese día, y Jesús alaba este ejemplo. En pocas palabras, Jesús no tiene nada en contra de aquellas

personas que prosperan, al contrario, reprocha el hecho de los bienes terrenales se vuelvan tu poder, tu dios, tu vida y peor aún que te olvides de tus hermanos que viven en tu comunidad.

Estos ricos daban lo que les sobraba al tesoro del templo como ofrenda de segundo plato mientras se vivía en extrema pobreza, en cambio esta viuda no da a Dios su ofrenda de lo que le sobra, ni de lo que posee, sino que ofrece lo que es, toda su vida, toda su persona, toda su confianza en Dios, porque el Señor era su riqueza, su tesoro.

Por eso yo los invito a que cada domingo cuando vayan a Misa den su ofrenda a la Iglesia, no de lo que te sobra, no del bolsillo, sino que de una manera intencional den lo que es de Dios a Dios (Cf. Mt 22,21), ayuda a tus hermanos en la comunidad, pero hazlo en la caridad para que así sea glorificado nuestro Señor y no tu propia satisfacción. No te olvides de rezar y ayunar, y por último recuerda que la limosna brota de un corazón generoso y no del bolsillo. † Adrian Alberto Herrera es el director asociado para la Oficina de Evangelización y Catequesis.

OFFICE OF VOCATIONS

Cada año, con ocasión de la Cuaresma, la Iglesia nos invita y anima a una sincera revisión de nuestra vida a la luz de las enseñanzas evangélicas. La Liturgia nos vuelve a proponer tres prácticas penitenciales a las que la tradición Bíblica cristiana confiere un gran valor — la oración, el ayuno y la limosna.

En su mensaje anual del 2008, el Papa Benedicto XVI hizo su reflexión basada en la limosna, por lo cual quisiera detenerme y elaborar un poco más sobre este tema, ya que es un tema que para algunas culturas el dar limosna implica dar lo que me sobra en el bolsillo y nada más.

Según las enseñanzas evangélicas y lo que el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica nos recuerda es que los bienes materiales que uno posee no son para apropiarse sino más bien para ser administrados y ser utilizados para el bien del prójimo. ¿Pero cómo hacer esto? Si nuestra cultura se vuelve más consumista, individualista y materialista.

Precisamente la “limosna” que tradicionalmente se le conoce por años da una connotación de dar lo que me sobra, y etimológicamente 2021 DSF office of significa Vocations “dar .pdf 1 por piedad, compasión”, pero no debería

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The Office of Vocations works with the future of the church.

We accompany young people who are just exploring their relationship and identity in Jesus, that they’re sons and daughters of the heavenly father … and we’re trying to help them get to the next step.

FR. RICHARD MCNEILLIE, Vocation Director

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

archgh.org/dsf

18 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD MUNDO CATÓLICO

MARCH 9, 2021

Agencia diocesana de Brownsville lista para ayudar a solicitantes de asilo BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CNS) — Así como el clima más frío en más de 30 años trajo una nueva miseria a los solicitantes de asilo varados en un campo de refugiados en México, el fin de su difícil situación puede que al fin esté en el horizonte.

Un pequeño grupo de 25 personas fue el primero en salir del campamento en Matamoros, México, y entrar a Estados Unidos el 22 de febrero, llegando a la ciudad de Brownsville, Texas, informó la hermana Norma Pimentel, quien es misionera de Jesús y directora ejecutiva de Caridades Católicas del Valle del Río Grande en la Diócesis de Brownsville.

Aunque es probable que cientos más sigan, este pequeño avance ya es un primer paso.

“Es simplemente comenzar con un número manejable”, expresó la hermana Pimentel al periódico diocesano de Brownsville The Valley Catholic. “Debido a COVID-19, hay un número limitado de agentes (estadounidenses) para procesarlos”.

Todos los que ingresen a Estados Unidos primero se someterán a pruebas de detección del coronavirus para asegurarse de que den negativo, señaló.

La hermana Pimentel también dijo que la ola de frío ha causado verdaderas dificultades a los solicitantes de asilo en este campo de refugiados.

En la ciudad de tiendas de campaña en Matamoros, cientos de personas, en su mayoría centroamericanos, han estado esperando hasta un año y medio para que se escuchen sus peticiones de asilo en Estados Unidos, desde que los Protocolos de Protección al Migrante de la administración de Donald Trump — también conocidos como el programa “Quédate en México” — se pusieron en marcha durante el verano de 2019. La mayoría en el campamento son familias con niños menores de 7 años.

FOTO DE CNS

Dos niñas dentro de su tienda de campa–a aparecen en esta foto en un campamento de migrantes en Matamoros, Mexico, el 18 de febrero de 2021.

Para mantenerse calientes desde que llegó el frío severo el 14 de febrero, los solicitantes de asilo se han estado envolviendo en mantas, encendiendo fogatas, o permaneciendo cerca de fuentes de calor como parrillas donadas.

“En este momento, debido a estas bajas temperaturas, desafortunadamente estas familias están sufriendo tremendamente”, expuso la hermana Pimentel el 16 de febrero. “Este frío es tan severo, la temperatura ha bajado tanto que las carpas tienen carámbanos alrededor”.

“Ha sido muy difícil para las familias, especialmente para los niños”, dijo.“Están hirviendo agua para llenar esos grandes recipientes de Coca-Cola; los llenan con agua caliente para luego ponerlos debajo de los pies y, con suerte, de esta manera, puedan mantenerlos calientes... (Es)

mucho más de cualquier cosa que hayan experimentado.

“Les llevamos mantas, calcetines, guantes, y sacos de dormir. No es suficiente cubrirlos y mantenerlos calientes”.

Los funcionarios mexicanos intentaron sacar del frío a las 700 a 800 personas del campamento.

“Lo intentaron”, acotó la hermana Pimentel. “Abrieron un refugio y se habrían llevado (a los refugiados), pero ellos no querían salir de su campamento.

Supongo que tienen miedo de irse y perder sus pertenencias, perder su espacio. Creen que necesitan estar cerca del puente”.

El frío también afectó los esfuerzos de ayuda en el lado estadounidense de la frontera. El Centro de Respiro operado por Caridades Católicas para ayudar a

los solicitantes de asilo, que está situado en el centro de McAllen, Texas, estuvo sin electricidad durante varios días.

“Tenemos 500 inmigrantes en nuestro Centro de Respiro. No tenemos electricidad”, dijo la hermana Pimentel durante el apagón. “Se apagó la primera noche que tuvimos frío. Tenemos que arreglárnoslas con generadores en algunas habitaciones para al menos tener luz”.

Más tarde se restauró la electricidad.

Durante el apagón, la ciudad de McAllen, Texas, proporcionó los generadores y llegó ayuda adicional de otro tipo para el Centro de Respiro, informó.

“Como no podemos cocinar para los refugiados en nuestro Centro de Respiro, viene gente de la comunidad que nos trae comida en grandes cantidades”, dijo. “Diferentes grupos en diferentes momentos. Gracias a Dios por su generosidad y la bondad de tanta gente... ya sea fruta, tacos, pizzas, pollo frito. Es increíble la respuesta de la comunidad”.

La hermana Pimentel también sugirió algunas formas de ayudar.

“Definitivamente es importante orar — orar para que los cambios puedan ocurrir pronto para estas familias, y que el proceso de asilo pueda ser escuchado aquí en Estados Unidos y (ellos) puedan estar con sus seres queridos más temprano que tarde”, dijo.

La hermana Pimentel dijo que la gente “puede comunicarse con cualquier organización que esté tratando de ayudar a estas familias mientras tanto”. Ella también señaló el sitio web de Caridades Católicas del Valle del Río Grande (www. catholiccharitiesrgv.org).

“Puede comunicarse con nosotros e ir a la lista de Amazon y averiguar cómo puede dar cualquiera de esos artículos que definitivamente podemos poner a disposición de las familias”. †

Cuaresma es tiempo para crecer en fe, esperanza, amor y compartir CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — Mientras los cristianos oran, ayunan y dan limosna durante la Cuaresma, también deben considerar sonreír y ofrecer una palabra amable a las personas que se sienten solas o tienen miedo por la pandemia del coronavirus, dijo el papa Francisco.

“El amor se regocija al ver crecer a los demás. Por lo tanto sufre cuando otros están angustiados, solos, enfermos, sin hogar, despreciados o necesitados”,

escribió el papa en su mensaje para la Cuaresma del 2021.

El mensaje, publicado por el Vaticano el 12 de febrero, se enfoca en la Cuaresma como “un tiempo para renovar la fe, la esperanza y el amor” a través de las prácticas tradicionales de la oración, el ayuno y la limosna, y yendo a confesión.

A lo largo del mensaje, el papa Francisco enfatizó cómo las prácticas de la Cuaresma no sólo promueven la conversión individual, sino que también

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

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deberían tener un impacto en los demás.

“Al recibir el perdón en el Sacramento que está en el corazón de nuestro proceso de conversión, nosotros a la vez podemos difundir el perdón a los demás”, dijo.

“Habiendo recibido el perdón nosotros mismos, podemos ofrecerlo a través de nuestra voluntad de entablar un diálogo atento con los demás y de dar consuelo a quienes experimentan pena y dolor”.

El mensaje del papa contenía varias referencias a su encíclica “Fratelli Tutti, sobre la fraternidad y la amistad social”.

Por ejemplo, oró para que durante la Cuaresma los católicos estuvieran “cada vez más preocupados por ‘hablar palabras de consuelo, fuerza, consuelo y aliento, y no palabras que degraden, entristezcan, enojen o muestren desprecio’”, una cita de la encíclica.

“Para dar esperanza a los demás, a veces es suficiente simplemente ser amable, estar ‘dispuesto a dejar todo lo demás a un lado para mostrar interés, dar el regalo de una sonrisa, decir una palabra de aliento, escuchar en medio de la indiferencia general’”, dijo, citando nuevamente el documento.

Las prácticas de la Cuaresma de ayuno, limosna y oración fueron predicadas por

Jesús y siguen ayudando a los creyentes a experimentar y expresar la conversión, escribió el papa.

“El camino de la pobreza y la abnegación” mediante el ayuno, “la preocupación y el cuidado amoroso por los pobres” mediante la limosna y el “diálogo infantil con el Padre”mediante la oración, dijo, “hacen posible que vivamos una vida de fe sincera, esperanza viva y caridad eficaz”.

El papa Francisco enfatizó la importancia del ayuno “como una forma de abnegación” para redescubrir la dependencia total de Dios y abrir el corazón a los pobres.

“El ayuno implica liberarnos de todo lo que nos pesa, como el consumismo o el exceso de información, sea verdadera o falsa, para abrir las puertas de nuestro corazón al que viene a nosotros, pobre en todo, pero lleno de gracia y de verdad: el hijo de Dios nuestro salvador”.

El cardenal Peter Turkson, prefecto del Dicasterio para la Promoción del Desarrollo Humano Integral, al presentar el mensaje en una conferencia de prensa, también insistió en la importancia del “ayuno y todas las formas de abstinencia”. †

MARCH 9, 2021 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH

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WITHIN THE ARTS Paschal candle program brings light to prisoners’ lives, chaplain says ROME (CNS) — Used at the Easter vigil and at Baptisms and funerals, the paschal candle symbolizes Christ who brings light and hope to a world lost in the darkness of sin and death.

However, in an Italian prison 45 miles south of Rome, the candle’s meaning takes on a whole new dimension as inmates grab their paintbrushes and decorate paschal candles in preparation for one of the holiest celebrations in Christianity.

The “Light of Freedom” project, an initiative promoted by the Inspectorate General of Italian Prison Chaplains, aims to have hundreds of paschal candles ready for Easter.

Father Raffaele Grimaldi, inspector general of the association that represents Italy’s prison chaplains, told Catholic News Service (CNS) Feb. 23 that the project not only gives inmates an opportunity to work but also instills in them “the values of freedom and justice by affirming the dignity of the person.”

“Even while being imprisoned after having committed crimes, we cannot close the window of hope” to them, Father Grimaldi said. “We must always give a chance to those who have made a mistake to stand up once again.”

“Just as Pope Francis has said,” outreach to prisoners must be about “using mercy, not judging, not pointing the finger because none of us” is completely without sin or failures, he said.

Located in what was once a fortress built in the 16th century, the prison in Paliano houses more than 70 men and women who have testified as witnesses for the state against associates or accomplices and require special protection.

In 2017, Pope Francis visited the prison and celebrated the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper there, washing the feet of 12 inmates.

In his homily, the pope encouraged the prisoners to “perform a help or a service for your companions here in prison.”

“This is love; this is like washing the feet,” he said. “It means being the servant of the other.”

The inmates have taken the pope’s advice to heart in an innovative way by preparing the ornate candles for some

“It will be a path of light, especially because in prison, where there is darkness, this project wants to announce the light of freedom.”

CNS PHOTO

Paschal candles decorated by detainees are pictured at the prison in Paliano, Italy, in this undated photo.

200 prison chapels across Italy, Father Grimaldi told CNS. “We have a professor who is teaching them an art course as well as how to paint on candles,” he said. “The beautiful thing is that these candles will go to all the chapels in the Italian prisons. So, it is a beautiful sign.”

The project, he added, “was born precisely to give a message” of hope to both the inmates painting the candles as well as to those receiving them -- a message that the light of freedom can only be found “in Christ risen.”

“He gives us true freedom because by rising from the dead, He destroyed sin, He freed men and women from their slavery, He has freed them from evil, He raised them up,” Father Grimaldi said.

Painting sacred images on the paschal candles, he added, also gives inmates “an opportunity to reflect on their own relationship with God.” “For them, it will be a path of light, especially because in prison, where

there is darkness, this project wants to announce the light of freedom. It’s the small things, small signs that help prisoners find themselves so that, through their work, they can reflect” on their lives, he said.

Father Grimaldi said he is hoping to deliver one of the paschal candles to Pope Francis to use in the chapel at his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

“It is my wish to give it to the pope because he has been to Paliano, and he knows the reality of the prison” there, he said.

The chaplain also said he was happy that the project was able to move forward, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused many prisons to reduce activities for inmates in an effort to prevent the spread of infection.

“My idea was to offer a hand to those who are inside and who are often marginalized and abandoned in this time of pandemic,” Father Grimaldi said.

“While they are unable to have many visits, walk around inside or do many activities, we can extend a hand to those in jail, those in Paliano, and help relieve some of the distress caused by the pandemic,” he said. †

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

• Pinocchio (PG-13)

• • • • •

A-III – ADULTS

L – LIMITED ADULT AUDIENCE

• The House That Rob Built (NR)

A-II – ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS

• • • • • • •

Blithe Spirit (PG-13) Dark Waters (PG-13) Herself (R) Judas and the Black Messiah (R) Land (PG-13) Minari (PG-13) Nomadland (R)

Our Friend (R) The Dig (PG-13) The Little Things (R) The Marksman (PG-13) The Mauritanian (R)

• The White Tiger (R) •

O – MORALLY OFFENSIVE

• Promising Young Woman (R)

IN BRIEF Catholic Literary Arts hosting contest of poem responses to art

HOUSTON — Catholic Literary Arts is hosting its second annual Sacred Poetry Contest.

Writers are asked create poems that explicitly reference elements of Catholic spirituality, Sacred Tradition, the Bible or Catholic devotion. These poems seek to reveal the incarnational mystery of God’s love and grace in creation.

All poems must be original, unpublished and written in response to the designated images of sacred art on www.catholicliteraryarts.org. No simultaneous submissions will be accepted. Entry fee is $20 for up to three poems, and is open to poets age 18 or older on the date of submission.

Prizes are $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third. The first prizewinning poem will be published in Catholic Arts Today, an international publication of the Benedict XVI Institute in San Francisco. The three prize-winning poems will be published on the Catholic Literary Arts website, and the three winning poets will be awarded a year’s membership to Catholic Literary Arts.

The contest opened Feb. 1 and closes at midnight, April 30.

For more information and details on how to enter, visit www.catholicliteraryarts.org/poetrycontest-2021. †

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.

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20 TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

MARCH 9, 2021

MILESTONES An icon ecumenism, Rothko Chapel marks 50 years of human fraternity PHOTO BY JAMES RAMOS/HERALD

The “Broken Obelisk” is seen in a reflecting pool at the Rothko Chapel Plaza in Houston. The Rothko Chapel celebrated its 50th anniversary on Feb. 28.

Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza, a longtime member of the Chapel’s community, gave the virtual event’s invocation.

HOUSTON — In his invocation during the Rothko Chapel’s 50th anniversary celebration on Feb. 28, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza recognized the “fortuitous occasion” that the event happened during the first International Day of Human Fraternity.

Well known for its commitment to ecumenism and social justice, the Rothko Chapel, located in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, marked its 50th anniversary with a virtual event that featured a host of religious and civic leaders, including Rev. William A. Lawson, Archbishop Fiorenza’s longtime friend. Rev. Lawson gave the event’s closing benediction.

Love and truth unite “It was the dream of John and Dominque de Menil that this chapel be a special place where love and the search for truth, as unifying principles, would engage both those of religious beliefs and those with none, in a common search for a human fraternity of brothers and sisters of a common Father,” said Archbishop Fiorenza.

Archbishop Fiorenza drew a parallel between the Rothko Chapel’s efforts to unify with Pope Francis’s 2019 establishment of the “High Committee of Human Fraternity” with Sheikh Ahmad El-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar, the first mosque established in Cairo, Egypt.

Archbishop Fiorenza said the pope greeted the grand imam by saying: “my brother, my friend, my companion in the challenges and risk in the struggle for fraternity.”

Archbishop Fiorenza quoted Pope Francis’s words that the pontiff gave during a virtual Feb. 5 event for the first International Day of Human Fraternity.

Fraternity is “not only respecting and listening to others’ with an open heart,’” Pope Francis said, but fraternity “also means remaining firm in one’s own convictions; otherwise, there is no fraternity if one’s own convictions have to be negotiated.”

True fraternity is a way of life Adjacent to the Menil Collection and the University of St. Thomas, the Rothko Chapel was founded in 1971. The chapel, located at 3900 Yupon St. in Houston, features 14 large murals by Mark Rothko.

Both the chapel and plaza were renovated in 2019, reopening in 2020.

“For 50 years, the Rothko Chapel has been a special place where people

of different cultures, traditions and citizenships are respected, and true fraternity is a way of life, without which there is no justice and no peace in the larger community,” Archbishop Fiorenza said. “The Rothko Chapel has invited people of goodwill to spend time in its sacred space for spiritual renewal and a sense of contact with all humanity.”

Again quoting Pope Francis, Archbishop Fiorenza said, “‘unless we build this fraternity, our world without brothers and sisters to one another, is a world without concern for the other as if he or she doesn’t exist.’ Such a lack of true fraternity imperils the world in which we live.”

The Rothko Chapel is an invitation to “serious reflection” on the importance of human fraternity, according to Archbishop Fiorenza.

“A world without true fraternity among all people is a world fraught with dangers to our civilization, way of life and world peace,” he said. “It is a sacred place where human fraternity is a reality and where ‘love and the search for truth’ embrace those of religious faith and all people of goodwill.”

The anniversary event also included a virtual choir performance by International Voices Houston, a multicultural choir, who sang “Dona Nobis Pacem.”

The virtual celebration also included messages from the Dalai Lama and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

A Catholic voice In its efforts for ecumenism and social justice, and dialogue, the Rothko Chapel has long included a Catholic perspective and recognition in its myriad of voices.

In 1986, The Rothko Chapel gave its first biennial Óscar Romero Award, which recognizes human rights advocacy.

The award is named after Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was murdered in 1980 for speaking up against injustices in his home country of El Salvador. St. Romero was beatified in 2015 and canonized in 2018.

In 2016, the Rothko Chapel hosted Archbishop Fiorenza, Rev. Lawson and the late-Rabbi Samuel Karff for a panel discussion on social justice and change.

Archbishop Fiorenza closed his invocation message by saying:“The Rothko Chapel in the heart of Houston invites all people to spend a quiet time reflecting on the importance of every person to making peace and tranquility common for human life in our community.” †

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

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

LENTEN EVENTS

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

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

APRIL 19

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