| dec. 21, 2012-jan. 10, 2013 ... · 21/12/2012 · student’s artwork recognized nationally...

Student’s artwork recognized nationally

Robert Duckworth thought he was going to the orthodontist Oct. 23. But instead his parents brought him to Bishop John Noonan’s office to be congratulated for winning a national art contest sponsored by the Pontifical Missionary Society’s Holy Childhood Association. Robert’s depiction of the Nativity scene garnered him a first-place honor received by only 23 Catholic grade school students around the U.S.

Click on the ORLANDO DIOCESE above for more on this story.

palm beach dioceseorlando diocese Venice diocese

Lake Okeechobee parish dedicated

to the faith

Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice cel-ebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12. The feast commemorates the story of when the Virgin Mary appeared to Indian peasant St. Juan Diego in December 1531 near present-day Mexico City.

Click on the VENICE DIOCESE above for more on this story.

WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 | Volume 74, Number 4

St. James Cathedral School student Robert Duckworth shows his artwork of a Nativity scene to Bishop John Noonan while his parents, Patricia and Brian Duckworth, look on. (MICHAEL HARKER | FC)

A statue represents Mary in prayer at the new Sacred Heart Church. (STEVE ANTON | FC)

After eight years of remodeling and enlarging, and after a recession, setbacks and challenges, Sacred Heart’s new, more modern and enlarged church building was unveiled.

“This church was a small church and it kept growing and growing,” said Tom Peer, a parish-ioner since 1975. “I walked in and was shocked to see how much bigger it is now.”

“I want to congratulate all of you on this new church here in Okeechobee. This church of Sa-cred Heart is such a wonderful faith-filled group of loving, loving people. I congratulate you,” Bish-op Gerald M. Barbarito said.

Click on the PALM BEACH DIOCESE for more on this story.

Sandy Hook

Community honors Our Lady

of Guadalupe

A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe is crowned during a Mass celebrated at Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs Dec. 9. (BOB REDDY | FC)

The Feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated Dec 28. Along with remem-bering the millions of innocent lives lost through abortion, the children of the tragedy of Sandy Hook could also be remembered.

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FloridaCatholicYour Faith. Your LiFe. Your CommunitY. oF orlando

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proclaim to you good news of great joythat will be for all the people.For today in the city of Davida savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.’— Luke 2:10-11

‘I‘I

Most Reverend John NoonanBishop of Orlando

Most Reverend Norbert DorseyBishop Emeritus of Orlando


During this Christmas season and always, may our voices join

the choir of angels proclaiming the good news of great joy,

the Gift of the Savior, Christ and Lord, forever and ever.

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 20132 Your orlando communitY

LINDA CALDWELLof the Florida Catholic staff

EDGEWATER | For more than two decades, Sacred Heart Cath-olic School has incorporated a Nativity scene in its float designs amidst the Santa Clauses, rein-deer and snowmen of local holi-day parades.

Leigh Svajko, principal of the New Smyrna school, said in some cases the school’s f loat was the only display not completely secu-lar in design. This year, Sacred Heart’s “Kingdom Cruise Line” ship with Disney character pas-sengers included Port Orange’s “Ca r toon Ch r ist mas” t heme as well as New Smyrna Beach’s “Tropical Christmas” idea. It also included religious nuances, in-cluding the Nativity scene on the back of the ship, and a candy-cane anchor made in the shape of a cross.

“While the communities deter-mine the themes of their Christ-mas parades, we try to bring a message about the true meaning of Christmas to our floats,” Svajko said. “Generally, we are the only Catholic school in a parade and we always bring that focus, a pres-ence to remind people of the rea-son for the season.”

The school has participated in

MIChAEL hArkErSpecial to the Florida Catholic

ORLANDO | Robert Duck-worth thought he was going to the orthodontist Oct. 23. But instead his parents brought him to Bishop John Noonan’s office for a surprise visit. Bishop Noonan personally congratulated him for winning a national art contest sponsored by the Pontifical Missionary Society’s Holy Childhood Association,

Robert’s depiction of the Nativi-ty scene garnered him a first-place honor received by only 23 Catho-lic grade school students around the U.S. Robert and several of his classmates were asked to design Christmas scenes in their art class. Robert drew a simple scene of the baby Jesus, silently sleeping in a manger in a stable. A star shines brightly outside the stable’s win-dow.

“It’s wonderful recognition for St. James Cathedral School and the diocese,” Bishop Noonan said. “The artwork is beautiful. He rec-ognized Christmas with the Christ Child, the manger — that’s what Christmas is all about.”

Rober t received a plaque, and his artwork will appear as a Christmas e-greeting on the Holy Childhood Association website.

Student recognized nationally for artwork

The artwork will also appear as an Advent bulletin cover for St. James Cathedral.

Robert was also congratulated Oct. 23 by the cathedral’s rector, Father John McCormick, the for-mer diocesan director of the Pon-tifical Missionary Society, who suggested the school enter Rob-ert’s artwork into the contest.

“We’re very lucky to have stu-

dents like Robert who do a beau-tiful job with their art,” said Gerri Gendall, principal. “This really shows our Catholic identity and the true meaning of Christmas.”

Robert said he hopes his art-work and Catholic faith will be an inspiration to others. “If it inspires someone, they could inspire some-one else, and that would contin-ue.” n

Sacred Heart parades true meaning of Christmas

their designs is exciting, the sense of community that comes from building the floats is most reward-ing. The project attracts parents of current students and graduates annually.

“Our floats build a lot of school and community spirit,” Neitzey said. “We have become a main-stay in many community parades. People look for us and will call out, ‘Here comes the Sacred Heart

f loat.’ People see how we come together every year to create our float. They see that there is a sense of community at Sacred Heart. That says a lot about who we are as a Catholic school.” n

the parade for 24 years and wins awards in nearly every parade. This year, it claimed the Grand Champion award in New Smyrna Beach, Best School Float in Port Orange, the Mayor’s Award in Edgewater and Best Overall in Daytona Beach Shore.

Kindergarten teacher Sharon Neitzey, who has spearheaded the annual project for the past 12 years, said while winning awards and garnering recognitions for

‘While the communities determine the themes of their Christmas parades, we try to bring a message about the true meaning of Christmas to our floats. Generally, we are the only Catholic school in a parade and we always bring that focus, a presence to remind people of the reason for the season.’

— Leigh Svajko

For the past 25 years, the parade floats of Sacred Heart Catholic School in New Smyrna Beach have carried a message about the true meaning of Christmas by incorporating a Nativity scene into the design. The school’s floats have won awards nearly every year. (LINDA CALDWELL | FC)

St. James Cathedral School student Robert Duckworth shows his artwork of a Nativity scene to Bishop John Noonan while his parents, Patricia and Brian Duckworth, look on. (MICHAEL HARKER | FC)

Artwork created by Robert Duckworth, a sixth-grader at St. James Cathedral School in Orlando, depicts a Nativity scene, and garnered a first-place honor by the Pontifical Missionary Society’s Holy Childhood Association.

Your orlando communitY 3Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic


ALTAMONTE SPRINGS | The pope is tweeting now but what about the rest of us?

To help representatives of Dio-cese of Orlando parishes and schools better understand how to use new media for the new evan-gelization, the Diocese of Orlando Office of Communications and Of-fice of Faith Formation organized a one-day “Digital Church Con-ference.” More than 120 parish and school leaders gathered Dec. 3 at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Altamonte Springs to learn more about “New Media for the New Evangelization.” The event served to teach and inspire participants on how to express the Church’s timeless message in fresh and cre-ative ways, and how to meet the communication needs of today’s Catholics.

“Never before has the Church had such powerful tools to get her message out,” said Brandon Vogt, speaking on the new media revolution of social media and

website presence. “Never before have the ways that we communi-cate change so rapidly and so pro-foundly as they do today.”

Vogt, a Catholic author, speaker and new media expert; Matthew Warner, CEO of Flocknote and founder of Tweet Catholic; and Josh Simmons, founder and CEO of eCatholic, shared their knowl-edge and expertise on such top-ics as how to create a strong Web presence, how to turn that pres-ence into a social network, and the seven deadly sins of new me-dia and how to fix them. The event culminated with a live 30-minute media makeover.

“It is critical for us to reach our parents where they are now, and the younger generation uses so-cial media as a source of their in-formation,” said Religious Teach-ers Filippini Sister Dorothy Sayers, principal of Holy Family School in Orlando. “This conference has not only given us ideas, but also the steps in how to use social media in reaching out to our current and prospective parents. We now have a resource to go to.”

Conference inspires the use of new media for evangelization

Marcel DeMaio, assistant prin-cipal at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, said one message he took away from the conference was how the Internet can be used as a gateway to give inspiration.

“As the speakers have said, the secret to success in social net-working is to be inspiring. Yet, that is what God calls us all to be. We

need to say to teenagers that this is your landscape, your world where you can be inspiring and be fishers of men. You can use social media to spread the good news. Teens are ready for that message. They yearn for that. They want to be relevant to society and their culture.”

During the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI calls for a new evan-

gelization — a deepening of faith, a renewed belief in the Gospel message and a strong desire to proclaim God’s message. He said new evangelization is a “re-pro-posal to the world of the perennial truth of Christ’s Gospel,” and is an invitation to rediscover and renew relationships with Christ and his Church. n

LAurA DoDsoNFlorida Catholic Correspondent

MELBOURNE | Religious, aca-demic and business leaders gath-ered under a tent in Melbourne Dec. 7 for a groundbreaking ceremony for Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Student Residence at Florida Insti-tute of Technology (FIT) — a Cath-olic home on a secular university campus.

“This will be where the chapel will be. The dorm will be behind us,” said Salvatorian Father Douglas Bailey, chaplain of Catholic Campus Ministry at the university for the past 29 years. “I never once doubted the idea. We believe God is the most important truth there is. God said, ‘Jump!’ and white-knuckled we jumped. God was there.”

The new housing located on Bab-cock Street will be home to 140 stu-dents beginning with the fall 2013 semester. The chapel is in the plans to follow.

Although Father Bailey was the driving force, the collaboration re-quired Diocese of Orlando Bishop John Noonan, FIT President Antho-ny J. Catanese and Matthew Zerru-sen, president of the Newman Stu-dent Housing Fund, which aims to build facilities where students can

Construction begins on new Catholic housing at FIT

live their faith on secular college campuses all across the U.S.

“This Advent season we remem-ber Christ’s coming,” Bishop Noon-an said. “We must be renewed in our faith and we must renew God in the lives of our young people.”

The new housing will allow

those with similar values to form a community where students can strengthen and support one an-other.

“This residence hall is where you develop community. It is faith-based and will help our students develop their sense of values,” Cat-

anese said.The Zerrusen family first be-

came aware of Catholic housing on a secular university campus at the University of Illinois, Cham-paign campus, where Bill Zerrusen serves on the board of trustees. Now through Newman Student Housing

Fund, the Zerrusens are making it financially possible for this idea to become a reality on other secular campuses.

“Fifty percent of students on col-lege campuses lose their faith by the time they graduate,” Zerrusen said. “This is unacceptable. Blessed John Henry Newman believed that those who choose a secular university should have a place to call home. It starts with prayer — the power of prayer that we’ll be able to engage. This will transform lives and souls for years to come. This place will be a shining beacon, radiating Christ and impact all those who enter.”

Caitlin Wood, an 18-year-old freshman chemical engineering student from Tewksbury, Mass., attended the groundbreaking and said, “I would like to live in the dorm, in a good community next to the chapel. My parents are in full support and proud of me.”

“Our Catholic faith should be very important for our students,” concluded Bishop Noonan. “This residence hall will give them the ability to grow spiritually and aca-demically. We educate the whole person — mind, body and spirit. It’s the foundation of our faith. It’s so important. I’m looking forward to the completion of this project.” n

Bishop John Noonan blesses the construction site of Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Residence Hall at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne on Dec. 7. Joining him in the foreground is student Caitlin Wood, and in the back, from left, are FIT President Anthony J. Catanese; Salvatorian Father Douglas Bailey, FIT chaplain; Matthew Zerrusen, president of Newman Student Housing Fund; Hunter Garrett, graduate student; and Bill Zerrusen, executive chairman of Newman Student Housing Fund. (PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)

Filippini Sister Dorothy Sayers, principal of Holy Family School in Orlando, right, takes notes on her electronic tablet during the “New Media for the New Evangelization” Digital Church Conference Dec. 3 at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Altamonte Springs. The one-day event taught attendees how to best share the Gospel via websites and social media networks. (LINDA CALDWELL |FC)

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 20134 Your orlando communitY

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Vol. 74, no. 4

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stable and earth scent the airstraw scatters the meager spread for resthum of insectsshifting travelersresound the darkness within a common spacethe childis born to usa son is givenon the precipice of reignthe heavens become his first breathhis kingdom heralded from sacred promiseanoints our soulthe night skymarks his lightfor all the peoplestillnesstrumpets his fanfareour heart beats hosannahis cry of hungerfor our returnto forgiveto grant peacewill not be his lasthe will be proclaimed from age to age for throughwithin his enduring love he will bring uslife everlasting now we hover around the babethe trifle of swaddling unfolds to span infinityin communion with the choir of angels we pray welcome EmmanuelGod is with us

cbrinati

‘R‘Glory to God in the highest’

ejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your re-quests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all under-standing will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ — Phil 4:4-7

Bishop John

Noonan

HoLY dAYS oF oBLiGAtion

Holy days of obligation are feast days on which Catholics are obligated to par-ticipate in the celebration of Mass. On Dec. 25 — the solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord — the Catholic Church and all Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. On Jan. 1, the Catholic Church observes the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, during which Catholics celebrate the role that the Blessed Virgin played in the plan of salvation.

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School students Julia, center, and Lauren hand a pile of coats to kindergarten teacher Monica Cowart. Students at the school teamed up with the St. Charles Parish Council of Catholic Women to collect coats for Brothers Keeper, and presented more than 170 coats to the organization at Mass Nov. 28. (LINDA CALDWELL | FC)

Advent wreAth COAt drIve

Father Charles Viviano, pastor of Resurrection Parish in Lakeland, stands in the center of the parish’s giant Advent wreath, which is visible to passersbys of the church. (COURTESY PHOTO)

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:What do you want for

Christmas this year? This is the question of the sea-son, one in which we take delight in responding and anxiously await our re-quests to be fulfilled. Some of us make lists; lists of things for others and lists of things we hope for our-selves. During last Sun-day’s Gospel, we heard St. John the Baptist propose a different lens to phrase the question, “For what do you LONG this Christmas?”

In any household preparing for the birth of a child, there is an extra flurry of activities. During this Ad-vent season, we also participate in special gatherings, extra shopping and household decorat-ing. We may find ourselves rushing from shop to shop seeking presents at warp speed so that we are able to rush home for meal prepa-rations or other gatherings. In the desire of getting ev-erything done, we may be neglect-ing a relationship with the One for whom we long — the savior of the world, Jesus.

How do we stay focused on Christ during this holy season? The answer is found within the ques-tion, holy season. Are you keeping the season holy? Have you added

an extra dimension to your prayer life, or participate in the celebration of Mass on different days? Acknowl-edging our hurts and sinfulness and offering peace and accepting for-giveness will bring the light of Christ to one an-other.

Spreading God’s love with gifts of charity for those in need also marks the season holy. As we are mindful of our daily ac-

tivities, placing Christ as the reason for all seasons brings forth the pos-sibility for the breath of the Spirit to lead us from our waiting with joy-ful hope to the birth of Christ Our Lord on Dec. 25. As St. Paul says to the Philippians, “Have no anxiety

at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your

requests known to God.”So it is as we “go, then, to

Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known

to us.” We behold the child born for all the people. We find the gift of the most holy, the gift of God in the child, Jesus, wrapped in swad-dling clothes lying in a manger. The greatest mystery, the wondrous gift of life is given to us. We encounter the greatest in the smallest, the weakest, the insignificant.

Christmas is a celebration of yes-terday, today, and forever. Christ is born within our hearts again and again each time we partake in the sacraments and live within his light. My Sisters and Brothers, during this Christmas season and always, may our voices join the choir of angels proclaiming the good news of great joy, the gift of the Savior, Christ and Lord, forever and ever. “Glory to God in the high-est, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” n

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PALM BAY | On Jan. 1, 2013, Catholics throughout the world will celebrate the 46th World Peace Day, centered on the theme selected by Pope Benedict XVI, “Blessed Are the Peacemakers.” In a statement released by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Vatican said the message would embrace the “fullness and diversity of the concept of peace,” encouraging “ev-eryone to take responsibility with regard to peacebuilding.” The mes-sage will also look at the 50th anni-versary of Blessed John XXIII’s en-cyclical, “Pacem in Terris” (“Peace on Earth”).

In their small corner of the world, students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Palm Bay believe promot-

ing peace is a year-round endeavor. At the beginning of the school year, students took part in the interna-tional Pinwheels for Peace project. They wrote their thoughts on war and peace and living in tolerance on one side of the pinwheel and on the other side, conveyed their feel-ings through drawings.

After gathering in the shape of an oversized peace sign on the front lawn of the school, the entire student body “planted” their hand-made pinwheels during a ceremony that also included prayer, songs and music.

“Gandhi once said that to be the change you want to see in the world, and in order to bring peace around the world, you yourself must be peaceful,” said eighth-grade stu-dent Michael. “I plan on helping others and all around being kinder

to people.”“Peace is a wonderful thing and

the whole world can share peace by being kind to everyone and helping each other,” sixth-grader Rachel added.

To further realize the message of peace, the students also made a commitment to end bullying and recited the school’s anti-bullying pledge. “Bullying is not a prob-lem in our school,” said Jessica, an eighth-grader, “but I feel like we can all help in ways to be nice to every-one and work together to help each other.”

Claudia Stokes, principal, said the school takes a proactive stance on preventing bullying, includ-ing cyberbullying through social media. Stokes said that so often, because students are not interact-ing face to face, they feel protected behind technology. What they don’t realize is that their names are at-tached to their posts.

“Social media offers us another opportunity to teach our students how to use technology appropriate-ly, and how to be a responsible digi-tal citizen, not just a responsible cit-izen living in this world,” she said.

Stokes said the school also strives to teach the students how to stand up for something that they know is wrong by holding bystanders and witnesses to bullying accountable for their actions as well.

“As Catholics, it is important that we stand up for injustice,” she said. “We ask those who witness bully-

ing how they could have stood up for that person. We realize it can be scary, but they need to find a way to come forward and tell an adult. We want our students to know that they

can make a difference in the world. This is one way that they can make peace in their corner of the world — by being active and standing up against wrongdoing.” n

Local students take part in peacebuilding event

St. Joseph School second-graders Malana and Thomas look over the anti-bullying pledge during International Peace Day. The students made a commitment to bring peace to their corner of the world by being kind to one another. (COURTESY PHOTO)

DATE: 11/12/09

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Simbang Gabi Advent novena Mass: Sunday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m., Holy Redeemer Parish, 1603 N. Thacker Ave., Kissimmee. Bishop John Noonan will celebrate this Advent novena Mass in the Filipino tradition. Worshippers from various parishes will bring a parol, or Filipino lantern, a traditional Christmas symbol. Mass will be in English with music in Tagalog.

Interfaith prayer service for peace: Thursday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m., St. Margaret Mary Parish, 526 N. Park Ave., Winter Park. Bishop Noonan and representatives from various religious faith traditions and communities will lead the service. Theme: “God of Life: Lead Us to Justice and Peace.” Reception follows. R.S.V.P. by Jan. 11, 2013, to Alejandro Luciano, 407-

246-4819, [email protected].

Prayer service for Christian unity: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, 10:30-11:30 a.m., St. Luke Episcopal Cathedral, 130 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando. Bishop John Noonan and representatives from various Christian denominations will lead the service. Theme: “What Does God Require of Us?” (Mi 6:6-8). Join Christians everywhere in praying as Jesus prayed “so that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). A reception will follow. Parking available on the corner of Orange Avenue and Robinson Street (adjacent to State Street). Limited metered spots along Jefferson Street. R.S.V.P. by Jan. 18, 2013, to Alejandro Luciano, 407-246-4819, [email protected].

DIOCESAN EVENTS WITH BISHOP JOHN NOONAN

The Florida Catholic welcomes calendar items of coming events for your parish, school, diocesan entity or Association of the Faithful. To submit a calendar item for consideration, please visit www.orlandodiocese.org/comm-resources/event-submission. Unfortunately not all submissions can be printed due to space limitations. If you have any questions, call 407-246-4924.

SUBMISSIONSDIOCESAN EVENTS North American Forum

on the Catechumenate: Wednesday, Jan. 23, 9 a.m.-Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, 12:30 p.m., Blessed Trinity Parish, 4545 E. Anderson Road, Orlando. This four-day experience presents the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and teaches the skills necessary for local implementation. Cost: $395, includes tuition, and three lunches and three dinners. Register by Dec. 26. Call 202-884-9758 or email [email protected]; or contact Valeta Orlando, 407-246-4911, [email protected].

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Live Nativity: Saturday, Dec. 22, 9 a.m., St. Jude Parish, 443 Marion Oaks Drive, Ocala. Take a “Journey Through the Infancy Narratives of Jesus” with Father Miguel Gonzalez. 352-347-0154.

Haitian Catholic Ministry fundraising gala: Friday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m., Metrowest Golf Club, 2100 S. Hiawassee Road, Orlando. Celebrate the Christmas season and help raise funds to build the future church dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, which is the home to more than 100 Haitian parishioners. R.S.V.P. to Eva Desrosiers, 407-340-6078.

Ukrainian Christmas Liturgy: Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, 5 p.m., Mary Protectress Ukranian

Catholic Church, 245 Lake McCoy Drive, Apopka. Following the Liturgy, a traditional Christmas Eve dinner of 12 meatless meals known as “Sviat Vechir” will be served. 407-886-4803.

“Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life”: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, 7 p.m. St. Stephen Parish, 575 Tuskawilla Road, Winter Springs. Presented by San Pedro Spiritual Center. Father Richard Rohr will discuss the tasks of the two halves of life to show participants that those who have fallen, failed, or “gone down” are the only ones who understand “up.” 407-671-6322.

“The Naked Now: Contemplation as Non-Dual Thinking”: Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, 7 p.m., St. Stephen Parish, 575 Tuskawilla Road, Winter Springs. Presented by San Pedro Spiritual Center. Guest speaker: Father Richard Rohr. 407-671-6322.

MASSES/PRAYER SESSIONS

Simbang Gabi Advent novena Masses, through Dec. 23. All are invited to celebrate Advent with the Filipino community by participating in Simbang Gabi, a nine-day novena Mass to the Blessed Mother.

• Dec. 21, 7 p.m., Blessed Sacrament Parish, Clermont; 7 p.m., Holy Cross Parish, Orlando; 7 p.m., St. Joseph Parish, Lakeland; 7 p.m., St. Timothy

Parish, Lady Lake.• Dec. 22, 2 p.m., Blessed

Trinity Parish, Ocala; 7 p.m., St. Ann Parish, Debary; 7 p.m., Holy Family Parish, Orlando.

Pinoy tradition (early dawn) Simbang Gabi Mass will be celebrated daily Dec. 21 and 23, 5 a.m., Holy Family Parish, Orlando.

CONCERTSThe Lettermen in concert:

Thursday, Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m., St. Margaret Mary Parish, 526 N. Park Ave., Winter Park. Benefits homeless charities. Tickets: $50, reserved seating; $30, general seating. Sponsorship programs available. Contact the parish, 407-647-3392.

RETREATS/DAYS OF REFLECTION

San Pedro Spiritual Development Center: 2400 Dike Road, Winter Park. The center offers a variety of programs and retreats designed to foster a relationship with God or to increase knowledge of faith. For information or to register: 407-671-6322, www.sanpedrocenter.org.

• Senior day: “Women and Prophets,” Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Presented by Franciscan Father David Kaczmarek. Cost: donation suggested.

• Young adult retreat: Friday, Jan.11-Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013. Contact Father Jorge Torres, director of vocations, 407-246-4876.

Young adult retreat: Friday, Jan. 11-Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, 2400 Dike Road, Winter Park. Presented by the Diocese of Orlando Office of Faith Formation. Theme: “The Voice Over the Waters.” Retreat is an opportunity for those 18-39 years old to contemplate what it means to follow Christ into the waters of baptism and learn more. Cost: $100. To register or for more information, contact Amanda Livermore, 407-246-4863, [email protected].

CorrectionOn Page 9 of the Florida Catho-

lic Dec. 7 edition, Yolanda Curtis was misidentified in a published photo. Curtis is a secular Fran-ciscan from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Winter Park, and was photographed during a prayerful moment at the lectio divina semi-nar Nov. 17 at Sts. Peter and Paul.

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LINDA CALDWELL of the Florida Catholic staff

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS | Five months into her pregnancy, Heidi Broom is a living testament to the beauty and sanctity of life. She and her husband, Michael, parishio-ners of St. James Cathedral in Or-lando, were among about 50 Cath-olics from the Diocese of Orlando who gathered at St. Mary Magda-len Parish in Altamonte Springs to pray for innocent, unborn chil-dren and their parents during the “Helpers of God’s Precious Infants” Mass and rosary procession Dec. 1.

“Obv iously we understand the dignity of life and wanted to do something about it,” Michael Broom said. “What better way than to pray the rosary.” Their firstborn, a boy, is due April 12, 2013.

Deborah Shearer, director of

the diocesan Office of Advocacy and Justice, said the Helper’s Mass and rosary procession is a national ministry where participants main-tain a loving, prayerful presence at abortion clinics. The vigils begin with the celebration of Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and are followed by a rosary pro-cession to a nearby abortion site. Participants of this Helper’s Mass processed to All Women’s Health Center in Altamonte Springs, which was about a mile from the parish.

“We pray for the protection of the innocent unborn, healing for the mothers and fathers, and for the conversion of staff and doc-tors,” Shearer said. “These proces-sions are always a prayerful and peaceful presence that attempts to touch the hearts and minds of all those involved and to be a wit-

ness for life and healing to those who are in most need of both. This is an important witness today be-cause more than 50 million chil-dren have been eliminated from our communities without much thought.”

During the celebration of Mass, Bishop John Noonan reminded the congregation of Joseph’s trust in God when he took Mary as his wife even though she was pregnant. He also noted that Mary saw her unborn child “as the source and wonder of all because she saw the wonder in all of God’s creation.”

“May we help our brothers and sisters, may we teach them, and may we, above all, be examples to see, experience and appreciate the gift of God to us,” Bishop Noonan said. “We pray the Church offers hope, healing, help and forgive-ness to those who have suffered.” n

Catholics serve as silent witnesses for life

LINDA CALDWELL of the Florida Catholic staff

ORLANDO | Fifty years ago, Sister of St. Joseph Elizabeth Ma-rie Stoup came to Orlando to teach a small group of children with mental, physical and emotional challenges. In an era when such children did not attend school or were institutionalized, Sister Stoup recognized the students’ potential, believing that they could learn in an academic setting, centered in the love of God, and become productive members of society.

For the next four decades, Sis-ter Stoup helped shape the lives of more than 1,500 students as prin-cipal of Morning Star School, and continued to serve there after her retirement. On Nov. 30, during a

Mass of thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop John Noonan, family, friends, graduates and students of Morning Star School gathered to honor the school’s founder on her 60th jubilee as a religious.

“Today is a happy day at Morn-ing Star School,” Bishop Noonan told the children. “Today we are celebrating the people who are treasures to us, our moms, dads, sis-ters, brothers, teachers and friends. There is one special teacher who we are recognizing today — Sister Elizabeth Stoup. She came here to help start and build Morning Star School.”

After graduating from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Sis-ter Stoup taught at a Morning Star School in Lantana and served as principal of another Morning Star

School in Jacksonville before start-ing the Orlando school.

As the years passed and the chil-dren grew up, Sister Stoup began to realize their parents’ concerns for their aging children as well as her students’ desire for indepen-dence. With a core group of friends, Sister Stoup asked then-Bishop Thomas Grady and the Diocese of Orlando to consider a new ministry for adults with mental challenges. In 2004 Bishop Grady Villas in St. Cloud was opened. Today, Sister Stoup continues to minister to adults with mental challenges at the Rainbow Workshop in Jacksonville.

“I am touched by the ongoing support and love, especially from the children, that I have received throughout the years,” Sister Stoup said. “I have been truly blessed.” n

Morning Star honors its founder

Sister Elizabeth Marie Stoup hugs a student after receiving a gift from Morning Star School to commemorate her 50 years of service to the children there. (COURTESY)

Catholic Charities staff join families from the Family Stability Initiative and Shepherd’s House for a group photo. (PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH CLAYTON | FC)

Eleven families from Catholic Chari-ties of Central Florida’s Family Stability Initiative and Shepherd’s House transi-tional housing program made Christ-mas memories Dec. 1. With help from St. Mary Magdalen’s JustFaith group, children made Christmas ornaments, played games, and opened presents from Santa Claus. Participants were also offered family Christmas portraits, thanks to Jacque Brund, a local profes-sional photorapher, who donated his services. Annette Kelly, a member of JustFaith, said she loved the opportunity to volunteer. “Our experiences with the families and staff at Shepherd’s House demonstrated the importance of ‘home’ to families whose homes have been lost. The atmosphere of compassion was evi-dent in the way mothers and children felt comfortable there,” she said.

MAKING CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Sisters Destinee, left, and De’Anya find a surprise under the Christmas tree from Santa.

Catholics pray for unborn children and their parents outside an abortion clinic in Altamonte Springs Dec. 1 as part of a Helper’s Mass and rosary procession. Bishop John Noonan celebrated Mass at St. Mary Magdalen Parish before the peaceful rosary procession to the nearby abortion clinic site. (LINDA CALDWELL | FC)

Your orlando communitY Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 20138

At left, actors from an Aztec dance company perform a dance honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Lake Eola Amphitheater in Orlando in front of a large crowd, pictured above. About 1,800 Catholics gathered outside St. James Cathedral in Orlando Dec. 9 and processed to Lake Eola to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patroness of the Americas. The Dec. 12 feast commemorates the appearance of the Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego, a poor Mexican peasant, in the year 1531. (PHOTOS BY JACQUE BRUND | FC)

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Former Anglican priest ordained a Catholic priestLINDA CALDWELLof the Florida Catholic staff

ORLANDO | Former Anglican priest William “Doc” Holiday was ordained a Catholic priest by Bishop John Noonan Dec. 15 at the Church of the Incarnation in Orlando. Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson, head of the Or-dinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, concelebrated the Mass.

Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI established the ordinariate in response to repeated requests from former Anglican groups and clergy to become Catholic as a group, while retaining aspects of Angli-can heritage and liturgy. In Sep-tember, Father Holiday was among the clergy and parishioners of the Church of the Incarnation who were confirmed Catholic or, if previously Catholic, were received back into the Catholic Church as part of the ordi-nariate.

During his homily, Bishop Noon-an spoke personally to Father Holi-day, offering advice and insight into being a shepherd of Christ’s people.

“As shepherd, united with your bishop and your brother priests, may you strive to bring the faithful together into one family, so by word and example you can lead them to God the Father, to Christ and the Holy Spirit,” Bishop Noonan said. “Keep always before you the exam-ple of Christ, the Good Shepherd

“This morning we are also re-minded of Mary and her response to the angel, ‘Let it be done unto me ac-cording to thy word,’” he continued. “This simple response changed the world, changed the history of sal-vation. Doc, may Mary, the Mother of God, inspire you, help you to know, to love, to serve her son, Jesus Christ.”

What is the process for an Anglican priest to become a Catholic priest?

Anglican clergy seeking to be ordained as Catholic priests must first complete an extensive process that includes background checks, an endorsement by the local ordi-nary, approval by the head of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and by the Vatican; completion of an approved ordinariate formation program; and an examination. Celibacy is the norm for the clergy. Special permission has been given for former Anglican priests who are married to be ordained Catholic priests for the ordinariate.

Q & AFather Holiday is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former law enforcement officer. He also recent-ly assisted with the administration of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office chaplaincy program. He said his or-dination into the Catholic priest-hood was a true culmination of his faith journey. He was baptized Cath-olic as a child, but his faith journey took him on several different paths, eventually leading him to studies at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and ordination as an An-glican priest in 2005. Father Holiday served at St. Alban’s Anglican Cathe-dral from 2005 to 2007 before being named senior curate at Incarnation.

Father Holiday has been mar-ried to his wife, Tammy, for 25 years and they have three adult children. Special permission has been given to former Anglican priests who are married to be ordained Catholic priests.

In ref lecting on his journey, Father Holiday credits four men “through whom God has shown his grace” in guiding him in his jour-ney: Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Noonan, Msgr. Steenson, and Louis Campese, a former Anglican bishop who now serves the Catholic Church as a layperson.

“Words could never express my respect and devotion to these men, but I pray my priestly ministry will,” Father Holiday said.

As of Dec. 16, the ordinariate, with more than 1,500 people in 35 communities across the United States and Canada, will have 27 priests. Two additional ordinariates are located in the United Kingdom and Australia Msgr. Steenson noted that the ordinations this year “mark a significant moment in the history of Catholic unity.” n

Bishop John Noonan ordains Father William “Doc” Holiday Dec. 15 at the Church of the Incarnation in Orlando. He will serve as the parish priest for Incarnation.

Bishop John Noonan welcomes newly ordained Father William “Doc” Holiday to the Catholic priesthood following his ordination Dec. 15 at the Church of the Incarnation in Orlando.

Father William “Doc” Holiday prays with his wife and parents before being ordained a Catholic priest. (PHOTOS BY LINDA CALDWELL | FC)

FloridaCatholicYour Faith. Your LiFe. Your CommunitY. oF palm beach


ay Christmas fill us

Celebrando nuestra fe en Dios que en el seno de la Virgen María se hizo uno de nosotros, pidamos que esta Navidad nos llene de una esperanza renovada.

Les deseo gracia y paz a cada uno de ustedes y a sus familias en este tiempo alegre y en el Año Nuevo.

— Obispo Gerald M. Barbarito

Se pou nwèl la ranpli nou avèk yon esperans ki renouvle pendan nap selebre lafwa nan Bondye ki tounen Youn pami nou ki fèt nan vant Vièj Mari.

Lagras ak lapè pou nou tout ak fanmiy nou pendan sezon Kè kontan sa-a ak Nouvèl Ane-a.

— Monseynè Gerald M. Barbarito

with renewed hope as we celebrate our faith in God who became one of us, born of the Virgin Mary.

Grace and peace to all of you and your families during this joyous season and in the New Year.

— Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013Your Palm beach communitY2

STAFF REPORT

PALM BEACH | The large crowd at the annual black-tie fundraiser to benefit Catholic schools and educa-tion was an accolade to what Cath-olic schools here are doing to help students achieve goals and prepare for the future. The large turnout at the Lumen Christi gala is also an acknowledgment of the dedication of faithful supporters.

The event was held Dec. 1 at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. Themed “Sharing the Light of Faith,” the evening event attracted nearly 250 people, who were greet-ed and thanked for their support by host Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, Gary Gelo, school superintendent, and Edward and Tina Mahoney, co-chairpersons for the event.

Guests enjoyed a night of fellow-ship, dinner and entertainment in the famous surroundings of the ho-tel. Presentations were also a high-

light of the event and focused on a beloved Catholic leader, the late Sen. Philip D. Lewis, remembered as a fine example and faithful sup-porter of the Church and Catholic schools.

Lewis, a former Florida senate president and philanthropist who died Sept. 4 at 82 after an extended illness, was honored posthumously with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton award. He was known for shar-ing the light of faith and helping children, the leaders of tomorrow entrusted to share the faith and pass it on in the future. The award is named after the saint who estab-lished the first Catholic school in the nation and is the patron saint of Catholic schools.

Lewis was devoted to respect life, the elderly, vocations to the priesthood, the Church and was also a lifelong supporter and advo-cate of Catholic education. People who knew him described him as

“big-hearted and generous” and a man who “lived faith and brought the message of Christ to a hurting world.”

“He has been dedicated and de-voted to the Church and the peo-ple of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Palm Beach County and the state of Florida over the years,” said An-nette Russell, executive secretary for Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, in a 2012 Florida Catholic story. “I highly respect him.”

Among many leadership roles and school organization involve-ments, he served as past chairman of the State Board of Community Colleges. He was a faithful support-er of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and involved with The Catholic Univer-sity of America.

For more than three decades, Lewis was active in Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA), a nonprofit

Fundraiser recognizes supporters of Catholic schools

Mary Lewis accepts the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton award from Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito on behalf of her late grandfather, Sen. Philip D. Lewis. The award was presented at the Lumen Christi benefit Dec. 1. (COURTESY PHOTO)

member association that works to strengthen and promote Catholic philanthropy. The organization is a network of major philanthropists

who identify approaches to giving that have lasting and great impact. He served as its chairman from 2002 to 2005. n

Children’s responses reveal how they are role models at Advent and ChristmasLINDA REEVESof the Florida Catholic staff

DELRAY BEACH | When the Florida Catholic visited St. Vin-cent Ferrer School during Advent and spoke to students there about Christmas, the youths revealed how their hearts are full of the love of Christ and not worldly goods.

The children were inspir-ing. Ranging in age from 6 to 11, the students represent the true meaning of Christmas and what the season is all about — the com-ing of Christ and his presence among all.

The children were asked to select one deserving person to whom they would like to give a gift. They were told that person could be a family member, a fa-mous person, a friend or anyone in the entire world that they know or may not know. Then, they were asked what gift they would give to that person.

The answers varied, but all were surprising and touching.

“I would give a gift to Jack French,” said Hunter Heeg, 6, who responded without hesita-

tion. When asked what made Jack a good friend, Hunter said, “He is fun.”

And as far as the gift, Hunter said he already sent Jack one. “My mom helped me,” Hunter said. “It is a picture of friends hugging each other. The picture has me, him and my brother in it. Jack is my best friend.”

Lily Sage, 7, is in second grade. She also selected a friend as the recipient of her gift. “I would give a gift to Kendall,” she said about Kendall Gillis.

Lily knew immediately the ap-propriate gift to give, but it is not something found in a store. Her gift comes straight from the heart. “I would pray to God for Kendall,”

she shared.In July 2011, Kendall, then 6, was

at the beach when she suffered a catastrophic stroke and was flown to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospi-tal in Hollywood. Doctors did not expect the St. Vincent Ferrer stu-dent to live.

Today, Kendall participates in therapy and inspires all around her. The doctors call her the mir-acle child, and her parents have launched a mission to educate people about strokes in children. More than 18,000 youngsters un-der the age of 15 suffer a stroke each year.

“I met her in Pre-K. She is my good friend. I would pray the Our Father for her,” said faithful Lily,

who keeps her friend in daily prayers.

Grace Vera, 8, has a very spe-cial friend in mind when it comes to gift giving. “I choose God,” she said. “I love God.”

When asked about what she would give to the “Prince of Peace” and “Christ of the world,” she smiled. “I would give him a lot of prayers,” she said. “I would say the Act of Contrition.”

James Padisz, 11, is in fifth grade. He has more than one per-son in mind when it comes to pres-ents. “I would give gifts to a family that we support.”

James explained that his family supports a poor family in another part of the world. It is the Padisz

family mission, which started nearly four years ago. He said ev-ery night he offers special prayers for the family. “They live in a poor country,” James said. “I think it is Central America. We send cards to them and they write back. There are two children.

“I would give the father a fruit tree so he could prosper. I would give a water filter to them so they can have clean drinking water,” James said. “I would give them an animal to love, and I would give each kid something they could play with.”

Little children with such big hearts full of the love of Christ. What an inspiration to all during Advent and at Christmas. n

Spirit of chriStmaS

Young minds, mature hearts

‘I would pray to God for Kendall.’‘I choose God.’

‘I would give gifts to a family that we support.’

‘Jack is my best friend.’

Hunter Heeg, 6, talks about his best friend, Jack French.

Lily Sage, 7, shares her thoughts and prayers for her sick friend.

Grace Vera, 8, talks about her love for God. (PHOTOS BY LINDA REEVES)

James Padisz, 11, is thinking about a poor family overseas.

Your Palm beach communitY 3Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic

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LINDA REEVES AND STEVE ANTONof the Florida Catholic

OKEECHOBEE | Helen Walker spoke about how special Sacred Heart is to her and shared fond memories of the parish during dedication and blessing ceremo-nies of church expansions and renovations last month.

“My daddy, momma, broth-er and sister-in-law are buried here,” said Walker a member of t he Okeechobee parish since 1958. “The church means every-thing to me. Without my faith, I could have never gone through what I have gone through. I am proud of this church.”

After eight years of remodeling and enlarging, and after a reces-sion, setbacks and challenges, Sacred Heart’s new, more mod-ern and enlarged church build-ing was unveiled Nov. 3 during dedication ceremonies.

“T h is chu rch was a sma l l church and it kept growing and growing,” said Tom Peer, a pa-rishioner since 1975. “To have it renovated is great. I walked in and was shocked to see how much bigger it is now.”

Histor y records show t hat Father Gabriel Ruppert, pastor of St. Anastasia in Fort Pierce, f irst began celebrating Masses in the western communit y of Okeechobee in 1919. He came out four times a year until a little mis-sion church, known as the Prairie Chapel, was built in 1921.

T he t iny chapel seated 50 people and served the area for 40 years. In 1961, a larger chapel was built to replace the tiny worship space on the present parish site at Southwest Sixth Street. Three years later Sacred Heart became

a parish under the direction of its pastor, Father James Henry.

For the next two decades, pas-tors changed. A rectory, office and hall were built. Then, Father Hugh Duffy was assigned as the fourth pastor, and the parish was incorporated into the new Dio-cese of Palm Beach.

With enthusiasm, dedication and fait h, Fat her Duff y grew minist r ies, organizat ion and programs. The faith community became more diverse with immi-grants from countries of Spanish-speaking residents. The parish added Masses and services in dif-ferent languages to better serve English-, Spanish- and French-speaking people.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the parish experienced tremendous growth. The popula-tion jumped from 147 families to 650 and continues to grow along with parish facilities. Eight years ago a project began to enlarge and modernize the chapel.

“It is a joy to be here today on such a happy occasion,” Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito said as he began dedication and blessing ceremonies last month. “Before we even begin, I want to con-gratulate all of you on this new church here in Okeechobee. This church of Sacred Heart is such a wonderful faith-filled group of loving, loving people. I congrat-ulate you. I congratulate Father Duffy on this wonderful accom-plishment. The beaut y of this

church only matches the beauty of you. We give thanks to God for each and every one of you, and we ask for God’s blessings as we dedicate this church and all the many symbols that will be used in it.”

Michael Barrera was on hand for the dedication that was fol-lowed by a big reception outside, attended by many families. “The church is like a home to me,” he said, “I am definitely happy to be part of this church.”

Parish near Florida’s iconic lake continues to thrive

In a published message, Father Duffy thanked his parishioners for support.

“We have worked together on this parish church for eight years and in spite of bitter recession that slowed us down a bit, we have managed with God’s help to keep going and to build a church, debt free,” he said. “It has been a rocky and slippery road for much of the way, but God has always

A statue represents Mary in prayer at the new Sacred Heart Church.

Sacred Heart Parish shines on dedication day Nov. 3. The church is simply designed with mission-style architecture. (PHOTOS BY STEVE ANTON | FC)

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9995 North Military Trail Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

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Publisher Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito

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561-775-9529

Diocesan eDitor Linda Reeves

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FloridaCatholic

Vol. 74, No. 4

diocese of Palm Beach

Dec. 22 — 4 p.m., Mass, Sim-bang Gabi, Filipino community, St. John Fisher Parish, West Palm Beach.

Dec. 24 — 4 p.m., Mass, Christ-mas vigil, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Rivera Beach; 8 p.m., Mass, Christmas vigil, Hispanic community, Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, Palm Beach

Gardens; Midnight Mass, Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola.

Dec. 24-Jan. 1 — Pastoral Center closed in observance of Christmas and the New Year.

Jan. 7-11 — Retreat for U.S. bishops of Regions V and XIV, St. Petersburg.

BishoP BaRBaRiTo’s schedUle

Bishop Gerald

Barbarito

liViNG The TRUTh iN

loVe

For the past number of years, the situation of the economy has been before us in a bleak manner. Not only has it dominated the media, the recent election and just about everything which we read, it has affected each one of us and our families in a personal way. All have had to cut back and to agonize as to how to make ends meet. Many have been affected in a dire way through loss of jobs, savings and revenue.

The entire situation has placed a great deal of stress upon many with a resulting loss of hope and purpose which is more acutely felt during the Christmas sea-son. The dire economy is a reality that must be dealt with and cannot be under-estimated in any way.

The message of Christ-mas is one that does not settle the economic crisis, but helps us to deal with it in a manner that goes beyond it. The message of Christmas is one of hope and one that directly deals with the economy — not the economy of finances, but the economy of salvation. When all is said and done, it is the econ-omy of salvation which is the only one that really matters.

The word “economy” comes from a Greek word, oikonomia, which literally means “manage-ment of a household.” It is easy to understand that concept in regard to the economy of a nation since its governance includes its man-agement, especially in relation to finances. The economy of salvation refers to God’s management of his household, which is his creation. It deals with God’s revelation and communication throughout history in regard to his relationship with us, especially in response to the rejec-tion of him through sin.

The early Fathers of the Church distinguished the economy of sal-vation from theology. Theology deals with God’s internal life in the Trinity without reference to cre-ation. The economy of salvation deals with God’s relationship to us in his creation. The Fathers saw theology as internal to God and the economy of salvation as external

to him. Obviously, the economy of salvation reached its pinnacle in the revelation of Jesus Christ when he became man and was born among us. Thus, Christmas becomes the focal point of the economy of salva-tion.

As we celebrate Christmas and focus on the economy of salvation, it is so important to realize that there is no difference in the way God is in himself and the way he deals with his creation. We are not something external to God to be treated as his objects or his possessions, if as

though we were his finan-cials. God deals with us as living persons whom he has internalized to himself as part of his very life.

God has made us his life by giving us a share in it. By accepting God’s invitation to share in his life, we find who we are as well as the purpose of our lives. In the fullness of time when God sent Christ into the world, born like us as a baby of the Virgin Mary, God gave us that which was closest

to himself — his own Son. In order to bring us back to himself, after sin had entered the world through our rejection of God, his Son gave his life on the cross.

In his Son, God entered into our deepest sufferings and promised us the gift of eternal life through his Son’s Resurrection from the dead. While we must enjoy and steward the material goods of this world which God has given to us as a manifestation of his love, it is not they which are ultimate but only our relationship with God.

The economy of salvation is simply baffling. Who can imagine parents giving their child to some-one who has offended them in a serious manner in order to heal the relationship with the offender. It is especially baffling to imagine this if the parents know the offender is going to harm the child.

And yet this is precisely what God did for us. He gave us his Son who gave his life on the cross in order that we might have life. The economy of salvation differs from any other economy because the

economy of salvation is the life of God himself. As we celebrate this Christmas amidst the economic crisis in which we are now involved, we look to the love of God made manifest in the infant Jesus born for us.

As we know from his revelation, God is love (cf., 1 Jn 4:16). As God deals with us in his infinite merci-ful love revealed in Jesus Christ, we realize that God’s love does not reason, does not measure, does not create barriers, does not calculate, does not remember offenses and does not impose conditions. Jesus always acted out of love. From the home of the Trinity, he brought us a great love, infinite and divine. He brought us a love that reaches even to the point of folly and throws all of our human measurements into question.

We might truly say that the economy of salvation is an econ-omy which fails miserably by hu-man standards, but which more than succeeds by divine standards. In this context of the economy of love, it is understandable why Je-sus would praise the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep and goes after one lost (cf., Lk 15:4). It makes sense why he would praise the landowner who paid the same generous wage to all his workers regardless of what hours they worked (cf., Mt 20:1-16).

Love knows no bounds and God deals with us with no bounds. As Blessed Teresa of Kolkata said, “It is easy to understand God’s beauty, his omnipotence. But it is difficult to understand God’s humility. He used humility, smallness, helpless-ness, poverty to prove to the world that he loved the world.” At Christ-mas we celebrate God’s economy because it is the economy that saves. It is this that gives us hope that will never fail.

In October of 2008, at the begin-ning of the financial crisis we con-tinue to experience, a Synod of Bish-ops was held in Rome on the theme of the Word of God. At the begin-ning of the Synod, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, addressed the economic crisis with some sponta-neous words. The pope made refer-ence to the words of Christ in which he reminds us to build our lives on a firm foundation which is the word of God. The Lord tells us that storms will come into our lives but that if our house is built upon solid rock which is the word of God, it will stand. If it is not built upon this rock but on sandy ground, it will collapse (cf., Mt 7:24-27).

The pope then went on to say, “We now see in the collapse of the great banks: money disappears, turns to nothing, and all things, which seem like a reality on which we can count, are realities of the second order. One who builds his life on these realities, on objects, success, and everything that is vis-ible, builds on sand. Only the Word of God is the foundation of every re-ality. ... So we must change our con-cept of realism. ... The realist is the one who builds his life on this foun-dation that remains permanently.”

This Christmas, during the Year of Faith, as we look to the God who created the world and all that is in it, we find him as a helpless baby born in a manger of a poor family who could not find proper lodging. From that manger, God revealed the depth of his love for each of us and reminded us of what really matters in life. It is only faith which sees this economy that saves and gives meaning even in the worst of economic times. May our celebra-tion of Christ’s birth fill us with a joy that can come from no other place.

A Blessed Christmas to all! n

The economy of salvation

Legatus, an international orga-nization for Catholic laypeople that serves to study, live and spread the faith in both professional and per-sonal lives, wishes to expand its Palm Beach Chapter and is inviting interested Catholic business profes-sionals to one of three information sessions in January.

The new Palm Beach Chapter was originally chartered as the Boca Raton Chapter and, with Bishop Gerald Barbarito’s enthu-siastic endorsement, it is currently expanding its sphere to include the entire diocesan footprint, ac-cording to Warren Dazzio, Legatus south region director.

Monthly Legatus meetings offer confession and rosary followed by Mass, celebrated by Father Louis Guerin, chaplain of the Palm Beach Chapter. A reception and dinner program, with speaker, follows.

Three information nights will be held in the diocese in January 2013: Jan. 14 at St. Vincent de Paul Semi-

nary, Boynton Beach; Jan. 15 at St. Jude Parish, Tequesta; and Jan. 16 at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, Palm Beach Gardens. Each ses-sion is held from 7-8:30 p.m., and includes a question-and-answer session and reception. For informa-tion, contact [email protected] or 412-951-0306, or see ad on Page 14.

Legatus helps business leaders focus on spiritual needs; new chapter expands










app:PageLabel=14


On Oct. 5, the Apostolic Peniten-tiary issued a decree approving a plenary indulgence in conjunction with the Year of Faith, a special time declared by Pope Benedict to grow and spread faith.

One of the options given to ob-tain the plenary indulgence is to visit a designated pilgrimage site during the Year of Faith, which be-gan in October and runs until No-vember 2013. Several places in the Diocese of Palm Beach have been declared official pilgrimage sites. “I am pleased to designate one church in each deanery as a pilgrimage site during the Year of Faith,” said Bish-op Gerald M. Barbarito in an Oct. 23 letter to pastors. “These parishes were chosen because they were the oldest established parishes in each region and thus represent the be-ginnings of the faith in each area.”

In 2013, faithful may want to take some prayerful time and visit one of the official sites in various dean-eries throughout the diocese. They include the following:

• St. Anastasia Parish, 407 S. 33rd St., Fort Pierce.

• St. Joseph Parish, 1200 E. 10th St., Stuart.

• St. Ann Parish, 310 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach.

• St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, 840

George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach.• The Cathedral of St. Ignatius

Loyola, the principal church of the Diocese of Palm Beach, 9999 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens.

• St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Chapel, 10701 S. Military Trail, Boynton Beach. The seminary is open to the public on Wednes-days and features a 12:15 p.m. Mass, which is attended by seminarians, faculty, staff and people of the com-munity. The public Masses are not celebrated during holidays.

What is a plenary indulgence? Through the sacrament of reconcil-iation, Catholics obtain forgiveness of sins, but forgiveness of sin is sep-arate from punishment for sin. The penitent are forgiven for confessing and during absolution but are not let off the hook entirely for sin. Sins can have two consequences, eternal punishment (hell) or temporal pun-ishment (purgatory), and every sin, even venial, entails purification of the soul either here on earth or after death. Purification frees one from what is called the temporal punish-ment of sin.

An indulgence can remove either part or all of the temporal punish-ment due to sin, but the sin must first be forgiven through the sacra-ment of reconciliation. There are

two kinds of indulgences, partial or plenary. A plenary indulgence is a total remission of the temporal pun-ishment due to sins already forgiven by a priest during the sacrament of reconciliation. n

Diocese designates local sites to visit to receive plenary indulgence

West Palm Beach school receives national award

The St. Juliana School commu-nity is the winner of the “St. Fran-cis Care for Creation Award.” The award is presented to deserving schools by the National Council of Catholic Women, with the support of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. The coalition consists of 12 national Catholic organizations, in-cluding the U.S. Conference of Cath-olic Bishops, and helps to more fully implement the U.S. bishops’ state-ment on global climate change. To receive the award, Catholic schools must demonstrate faith in action and dedication to the environment and all of God’s creation, including the poor and vulnerable. St. Juliana entered the contest April 2011. A na-tional council representative visited the school Nov. 9 and made a pre-sentation of the award, named after the beloved saint known for his love of all God’s creatures.

Stuart school raises funds

Thanks to the generosity of lo-cal businesses, families and indi-viduals, St. Joseph Catholic School

SCHOOL briefs

Members of the St. Juliana School community gather as part of celebrations after receiving the national St. Francis Care for Creation Award. A happy Father Alfredo Hernandez, pastor, is shown in the center and Gary Gelo, superintendent of schools is far left. (CourteSy PHoto)

raised nearly $12,500 as part of the school’s Adopt-A-Classroom Program. As part of the program, Adopt-A-Classroom sponsors provide financial assistance that benefits teachers with addition-al funds to help them purchase learning tools and resources for classrooms to help enhance learn-ing environments. During the

fundraiser, a total of 12 business, families and individuals contrib-uted $500 as Adopt-A-Classroom Program sponsors, earning the title “Honors Sponsors.” A total of 17 “Scholars Sponsors” contrib-uted $250 and 14 “Achievement Sponsors” donated $125 to the program.

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Submissions for the Around Your Community page must include the day, date, time, contact information and any additional information pertinent to the event. Submissions must be received a minimum of three weeks prior to publication date and can be sent via email to [email protected]. For additional information, call 561-775-9528.

PALM BEACH DIOCESE COMMUNITY PAGE SUBMISSION DEADLINES Weekly Televised Mass: The tele-

vised Catholic Mass airs each Sun-day at 9:30 a.m. on Ion Television Networks (check your local listing), featuring priests of the five-county diocese and Bishop Gerald M. Bar-barito. To support the Catholic Mass, please contact the Diocese of Palm Beach Office of Communications at 561-775-9529.

TV MASSDIOCESAN EVENTS Annual Roe v. Wade rosary

service: Jan. 22, 2013, 11 a.m., near the 1916 County Court House, 300 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. Dedicated to ending abortion. 561-775-9565.

“Catholic Women of Faith, Women of Action” conference and spiritual day: Jan. 26, 2013, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, 9999 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens. Keynote speaker: Annie Karto, Catholic singer-songwriter and inspirational speaker. Hosted by the Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. Talks, music, Mass and fellowship. All women invited. 561-622-2565.

Natural family planning courses: Feb. 1, March 1, April 5, 2013, 7:15 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross, 10970 State Road A1A, North Palm Beach. Sponsored by the diocese and the Couple to Couple League. Cost: $135. Financial assistance available. Register at www.ccli.org.

Catholic Charities:• Rosary gathering: First

Saturdays, 9 a.m., near the Presidential Women’s Center in West Palm Beach, 100 Northpoint Parkway, West Palm Beach. Led by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach Respect Life Office.

561-775-9565.• Caritas Dei Bishop’s Gala: Feb

10, 2013, 6:30 p.m., The Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach. Black-tie gala to benefit Catholic Charities’ programs. Event chairpersons: Marietta and Dale McNulty. 561-775-9560.

Diocesan Spiritual Conference for Men: Feb. 23, 2013, 8:30 a.m., Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, 9999 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens. Sponsored by Catholic Men for Jesus Christ. Music, talks, prayer. Mass with Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, main celebrant. For teen boys 14-19 and men of all ages. 305-610-2992.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Men’s Scripture study and discussion: Tuesdays 7-9 p.m., Holy Name of Jesus, Holy Family Room, 345 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Led by Deacon Jack Hamilton. 561-722-6793.

St. Patrick Parish concert season 2013: 13591 Prosperity Farms Road, Palm Beach Gardens. All are welcome. 561-626-8626.

• Jan. 20, 3 p.m., Valerie Saalbach, soprano.

• Feb. 17, 3 p.m., Pulse Chamber Music presents “Bridges:

Bridging the Gap from Baroque to Gershwin.”

• March 17, 3 p.m., the Bel Canto Singers, “Music of the Passiontide.”

• April 21, 3 p.m., Pipes PLUS with Alan Bowman, organ, plus Yoko Sata Kothari, piano.

Polynesian luau dinner and show: Jan. 25, 2013, 6 p.m., Emmanuel Parish, 15700 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach. Island dancers will perform culture dances, including fire dance. Luau buffet. Participants are invited to wear Hawaiian outfits and bring own drinks. Tickets: $43, available at parish office. Hosted by Ladies Guild. 561-496-2213.

St. Bernadette Parish concert season 2013: 350 N.W. California Blvd., St. Lucie West. All are welcome. 772-336-9956. Tickets: $20 for adults; $10 for students grade seven and up; free for children grade six and younger accompanied by an adult. Group

tickets of 10 or more: $12 per person.

• Feb. 1, 7 p.m., Francisco Attesti, Italian concert pianist.

• Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Boston String Quartet.

• Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Treasure Coast Youth Symphony.

• Feb. 18, 7 p.m., Vienna Boys’ Choir.

John Carroll High School gala: Feb. 2, 2013, Pelican Yacht Club, Fort Pierce. “Innovation in Education.” Gourmet food stations, cocktails, silent and live auctions and dancing. All are encouraged to donate auction items. Tickets: $100 per person. 772-464-5200.

Prayer gathering: Fridays, 9:45 a.m., and Tuesdays, 3 p.m., 8177 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Pray with others for the end of abortion. 561-347-1636.

Prayer gathering: Fridays, 5 p.m., on the sidewalks near A Woman’s World Medical Center that offers abortion services, 503 S. 12th St., Fort Pierce. Treasure Coast rosary group leads rosary recitation for the end of abortion. 772-465-8298.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Permanent diaconate

applications: Men interested in applying for the next diocesan permanent deacon formation program are encouraged to speak to pastors for permission and support. Visit the diocesan website at www.diocesepb.org and click on vocations and permanent diaconate for program application and information. 561-775-9540. Applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2013.

Birthline/Lifeline: Catholic Charities ministry serving women and promoting life, located at 100 W. 20th St., Riviera Beach; 3452 Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach; and 155 S.E. Third Avenue, Delray Beach. For volunteer information and training, or information on contributing to the nonprofit, call 561-278-0880.

Parish nurse meeting: Open to all registered nurses interested in health ministry. For dates, time and locations, call Catholic Charities, Interfaith Health and Wellness, 561-842-2406, ext. 31; or email [email protected].

Office of Safe Environment: The Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach is committed to the safety and protection of all God’s precious children in its care. Victims of abuse are encouraged to contact the diocesan victim assistance coordinator Theresa Fretterd at 561-801-0999 to begin necessary emotional, psychological and spiritual healing. For more information on diocesan policies and procedures for reporting abuse, as well as to view the “Charter for the Protection of Children,” please go to www.diocesepb.

org/safe-environments.Prayer vigil: Wednesdays,

3-5 p.m.; and Fridays, 8-10 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1322 N.W. Federal Highway, Stuart. Prayer warriors and sidewalk counselors needed. 772-221-1865.

RETREATS/DAYS OF PRAYER

Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center: Retreats and programs available for clergy, religious, men, women, married couples, singles and people in recovery programs. Season theme: “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” Reservations required. Location: 1300 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach. 561-626-1300 or www.ourladyofflorida.org:

• Special Advent day of reflection: Dec. 22, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., presented by the retreat team. Includes Mass. Cost: $30. Reservations required.

• New Year’s Eve program: Dec. 31, beginning with registration 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner. Presented by retreat team. Cost: $80 for overnight; $60 for commuter. Reservations required.

• Day of reflection: Jan. 9, 2013, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. “The Mission of Jesus: Our Call to Become His Disciples.” Presenter: Passionist Father Damian Towey. Cost: $30, reservations required.

• Day of reflection: Feb. 6, 2013, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. “Reflections on Mother Teresa.” Presenter: Deacon Bob Rodriguez. Cost: $30, reservations required.

• Scripture retreat: Feb. 8-10, 2013. “The Word Made Flesh: The Spirituality of John’s Gospel.” Led by Passionist Father Don Senior. Cost: $225, registration required.

Cenacle, spiritual direction and programs: 1400 S. Dixie Highway, Lantana. 561-249-1621.

• Centering prayer: Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Free-will offering appreciated.

MASSES/PRAYER SESSIONS

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church: Sundays, 10 a.m. third hour followed by 10:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 1002 Bahama Ave., Fort Pierce. 772-595-1021.

Prayer meeting: Tuesdays, 7 p.m., St. Jude Parish, 21689 Toledo Road, Boca Raton. 561-392-8172. All are welcome.

Live Mass broadcast: Sundays, 9 a.m., St. Rita Parish, 13645 Paddock Drive, Wellington. Visit www.saintrita.com, scroll down left side of main page and click onto live Mass broadcast. 561-793-8544.

Each session will begin at 7 p.m. with a Cocktail reception, followed by a brief Legatus presentation and a Q & A period accompanied by coffee, tea and dessert. We will conclude by 8:30 p.m.

Join Legatus!“I hope that The Lord will bless and grow Legatus in the Palm Beach Diocese, and that our collective efforts will bear fruit for him through living our Catholic faith in our business, community and personal lives. I have always believed that the vocation of business leadership has a special place in God’s plans for our community and I hope that, with Father Guerin’s support and blessings, our newly expanded chapter will be able to play a significant role in our Lord’s plans for our diocese.”

The Legatus mission is “to study, live and spread the faith in our business, professional and personal lives” and it resonates extremely well with top-Catholic business lead-ers and their spouses who want to better integrate their busy lives and foster their spiritual growth.

Legatus, an international organization for Catholic lay women and men, was formed to help senior-level busi-ness executives with their Christian walk. Established by Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and Ave Maria University in Florida, Legatus has more than 4,400 members consisting of CEOs, business owners, managing partners/directors and their spouses.

The new Palm Beach Chapter was originally chartered as the Boca Raton Chapter with Bishop Barbarito’s enthusiastic endorsement. It is currently expanding its sphere to include the entire diocesan footprint. We invite you to learn more by attending one of three information nights:

ThE sEssIons ArE ComPLImEnTAry hoWEvEr rEsErvATIons ArE rEQuEsTED.

To RSVP or to receive more information please contact: Jack Rook, Special Legate, [email protected] or 412-951-0306.

Mon., Jan. 14 at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary

Tues., Jan. 15 at St. Jude, Tequesta

Wed., Jan. 16 at Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola

28227-1221

www.Legatus.org


www.ccli.org

www.ourladyofflorida.org


www.diocesepb.org

www.legatus.org


Linda Reevesof the Florida Catholic staff

BOCA RATON | The full moon brightly glowed and the decorated evergreens glimmered and spar-kled, but it was the witness of faith that shined brightly during the an-nual blessing of the crèche in the heart of downtown Boca Raton.

Blessing ceremonies took place Nov. 27 in Sanborn Square located on Federal Highway near Mizner Park, known worldwide for up-scale shopping, dining and enter-tainment. Msgr. Michael McGraw, pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, led the blessing event. Pastors from all faiths and churches in the area were encouraged to attend and partici-pate.

“It is great that people are com-ing from all churches united in faith,” said Msgr. McGraw as he greeted the crowd.

Parishioners from St. Joan of Arc and faithful from neighboring parishes were on hand. Members of the Knights of Columbus, Chris-tians from local churches, pastors, priests and religious joined in the evening. Shoppers and tourists in the area stopped by to see what the celebration was about, and some even stayed for a Scripture read-ing from the Gospel of St. Luke, the prayers and songs.

“The Knights of Columbus and St. Joan really made this event hap-pen,” said the Rev. Andrew Sher-man, rector of St. Gregory Episco-pal Church in Boca Raton. “We love our Christian faith being displayed. (The event) is an important oppor-tunity to share our faith.”

St. Joan of Arc volunteers built the large manger with lighting and helped purchase the sheep, camel and other sculpted figures that are part of the Nativity, which is dis-

played through the Advent season. “The first blessing was in 2004,”

said event organizer Rose Marie Ar-nold of St. Joan of Arc. “We have the opportunity to publicly welcome the crèche in Sanborn Park. We want Christians out in large num-bers in this public location to raise our voices in song and praise.”

Children of the St. Joan of Arc Hispanic community came out in great numbers for the evening. They took part in a live Nativity scene and dressed in costumes. Some sported halos and played the part of angles and others played biblical charac-ters.

“I feel proud to be able to play the part of Mary, the Mother of Christ,” said Carolina Cortes, 13, dressed in a long dress and headpiece and carrying a Baby Jesus in an over-sized blanket. “This is the first time I have been in the Nativity,” added the eighth-grader who attends St. Joan of Arc School.

Rafael Hernandez, 13, also in eighth grade at St. Joan of Arc School, played the role of Joseph and stood by Mary’s side during the evening. “It feels good to be Joseph,” he said. “I volunteered to do it. It helps me improve my stewardship and my faith.”

One highlight of the evening was a performance by a small group of Hispanic singers. The women sang lively Christmas songs while people in the audience clapped and sang.

“I feel wonderful because this event unites all Christians in wor-ship to the Lord,” said Anabella Siblesz of St. Joan of Arc, who sang along and swayed with the upbeat music. The Nativity scene is located in a well-traveled and popular des-tination near decorated trees and other decorations. The city allows individuals, groups, religious in-stitutions and others to freely erect

Crèche unites Christians in prayer, song and fellowship

decorations and images in Sanborn Square Park, which serves as a First Amendment, free speech area. Over the years, more and more cit-ies have banned the display of the Nativity on public property.

The shopping, eating and enter-tainment areas surrounding the public square are heavily popu-lated and busy during this time of year when people are out purchas-ing gifts and entertaining family, friends and guests in town for the holiday season. The modest dis-play in the middle of all the glitz and glamour reminds all of the true meaning of the season: the birthday of Jesus Christ. n

Children from St. Joan of Arc Parish in Boca Raton dress in costumes and play roles of Bible characters during a blessing of a public Nativity Nov. 27 in downtown Boca Raton. The Nativity, built by a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc, is erected in the public square in downtown Boca Raton and will be there until after Christmas. The blessing event, first organized in 2004, is intended to unite Christians of area churches as a witness of faith, Christ’s love and fellowship. (PHOTOS BY LINDA REEVES | FC)

Dressed as angels complete with halos, children from St. Joan of Arc Parish take part in a Nativity scene blessing ceremony with prayer and song in downtown Boca Raton Nov. 27.

been there to bear us up, to help us surmount obstacle after ob-stacle, and eventually to lead us to this glorious day.

“Building a church is a mar-velous endeavor, but it is no im-maculate conception,” Father Duffy added.

“It takes hard work, generous sacrifice,and a good deal of per-sistence to deal with the unex-pected upsets and problems to be solved. The Lord never prom-ised us a rose garden where we

could lie back and rest on our laurels. He promised us a l i fe of sacrificial love with benefits that would last well beyond the joys and sorrows of this life. He promised us life eternal.

“I cannot f ind the words to adequately thank the good pa-rishioners of Sacred Heart who have helped and supported the parish over the last eight years with prayers and generous con-tributions toward the building of our new parish church,” Fa-ther Duffy concluded. “May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your lives.” n

PARISH: ‘Building a church is a marvelous endeavor, but it is no immaculate conception,’ says pastorFROm 3Children

representing diverse

cultures process to the

front of the church during

dedication ceremonies

Nov. 3 at Sacred Heart.

(STEVE ANTON | FC)


Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga visits the area to join in celebration of a priestLINDA REEVESof the Florida Catholic staff

BOYNTON BEACH | The first cardinal of Honduras visited the area in November to join in the joy-ous weekend celebrations of a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach and his ministry work.

Honduran Cardinal Óscar An-drés Rodríguez Maradiaga, a Sale-sian of Don Bosco and archbishop of Tegucigalpa, visited St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach dur-ing the last week of November. Dur-ing his stay, he celebrated Mass at the parish Nov. 30 to kick off week-end celebrations marking the an-niversary of Father Alex Vargas, a native of Honduras.

Father Vargas, parochial vicar of St. Thomas More Parish, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach 10 years ago at St. Vin-cent Ferrer Parish in Delray Beach.

“What a joy it is to be back,” said

Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga as he welcomed the faithful during the grand evening Mass with moving music and song. “I was here some years ago. We feel like this parish is family.”

Anniversary celebration includes Honduran cardinal

The cardinal is well known for being an advocate of human rights and the poor. He currently serves as president and representative of Caritas Internationalis, a global confederation of 165 Catholic orga-nizations working in humanitarian emergencies and international de-velopment. He was the president of the Conference of Latin American Bishops from 1995 to 1999, and is the founder of Catholic University of Honduras.

Bishop Maurus Muldoon, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Juticalpa, Honduras, was also present for the evening Mass. Bishop Muldoon ordained Father Vargas in 2002. As part of celebrations, he presided at a solemn Mass Dec. 2 at St. Thomas More. An anniversary reception celebration followed in the parish center.

Father Julian Harris, pastor, and parochial vicar Father Peter Truong also took part in the Nov. 30 Mass celebration, sitting beside Father Vargas. At one point, Cardinal Ro-dríguez Maradiaga thanked all the parish priests for answering the call to the priesthood, and then, he rec-

ognized and thanked Father Harris for his many years of mission work to the poor in rural areas of Hondu-ras.

Father Harris began medical mission work to the area more than 15 years ago, encouraging volun-teers and medical professionals to serve and care for the poor of Hon-duras. Today, the mission contin-ues to bring medical supplies and health care to hundreds of needy families. A chapel and a multipur-pose community center have been built in Las Moras as part of the mission initiatives. Support is given to an elementary school there and children of the area to help them learn and receive tools to empower them to escape poverty and achieve a better life. Father Harris and Fa-ther Vargas also encourage adults, parishioners, parish teens, doctors, nurses and people with all skills and good will to join in mission trips to the area to spread the love of Christ and to serve the poor.

“We thank you for all you do for Honduras,” said Cardinal Rodrí-guez Maradiaga. “I thank you for all you do to help.” n

Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras processes into Mass Nov. 30 at St. Thomas More Church. The cardinal visited the parish to help Father Alex Vargas celebrate the 10th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Father Vargas, a native of Honduras, is a parochial vicar at the parish. (LINDA REEVES | FC)

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FloridaCatholicYour Faith. Your LiFe. Your CommunitY. oF Venice


I wish to extend to all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!

With the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ, Christmas is indeed a time of joy. In Christ is found the meaning and hope for which all so deeply yearn. I pray that Christ’s message of love fills your heart this season.

May the Grace of Our Lord be with you and your family.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

+ Bishop Frank J. Dewane

Christ is Born

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 20132 Your Venice communitY

BoB Reddyof the Florida Catholic staff

FORT MYERS | The significance of the Feast of Our Lady of Guada-lupe to Catholics in the Hispanic community is difficult to quantify. Witnessing how the day is celebrat-ed through reverence, tradition and festivals would only provide a small sample of what the day means to in-dividuals in the community.

“This is every holiday wrapped into one,” said Jorge Gonzalez, a pa-rishioner at Jesus the Worker Mis-sion in Fort Myers. The parish held 24 hours of non-stop celebration which included the rosary, Eucha-ristic adoration, two Masses, music, dancing and processions all honor-ing Our Lady.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe is the acceptance of the Hispanic people into the Catholic Church,” Gonza-lez explained. “We were welcomed

by the Blessed Virgin Mary with open arms. What an honor and im-portant moment for all Hispanics.”

Parishes throughout the Dio-cese of Venice celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12. The feast commemorates the story of when the Virgin Mary appeared to Indian peasant St. Juan Diego in December 1531 near present-day Mexico City.

The faithful knelt as a render-ing of Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried throughout the Church by Father Patrick O’Connor during of the Vigil at Jesus the Worker. Many held their own statues of Our Lady or had artwork depicting the scene of St. Juan Diego before the Virgin Mary. Each was blessed afterward.

For the parishioners at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples, the celebration included an overnight vigil, early morning celebrations and concluded with a two-mile

procession, in which nearly 1,000 people walked along U.S. 41 in South Naples to the Parish where Mass was then celebrated. Some in the procession carried a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The pro-cession also included Aztec danc-ers, traditional music and many people going barefoot in honor of St. Juan Diego.

At the opening of the Mass, the dancers processed in, genuflecting and profoundly bowing as a group before the altar and the tempo-rary shrine to Our Lady which was adorned in roses. Over the course of the two days of activities, more than 5,000 faithful participated in the re-lated events.

At each of the celebrations many of the participants wore traditional clothing from Mexico. Also partici-pating were dancers in Aztec dress

Hispanic Community honors Our Lady of Guadalupe

Father Patrick O’Connor, Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, carries an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at a Mass celebrated at Jesus the Worker Mission in Fort Myers.

Statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego are displayed at Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto during feast day celebrations.

Aztec dancers enter St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples Dec. 12 in celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (PHOTOS BY BOB REDDY | FC)

More than 1,000 people process nearly two miles along U.S. 41 in Naples with a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Peter the Apostle Parish.

A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe is crowned during a Mass celebrated at Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs Dec. 9.

PLEASE SEE GUADALUPE, 5

Your Venice communitY 3Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic


LEHIGH ACRES | The fast-approaching arrival of Christ-mas does not end t he oppor-tunities to continue creating a deeper relationship with Christ which began during Advent; in fact this Year of Fa it h was established to a c c o m p l i s h just those op-portunities.

E r ic S a m-m o n s , D i o -cese of Venice D i r e c t o r o f Evangelization, offered a three-part Advent series at St. Raphael Parish in Lehigh Acres on three consecutive Tuesdays. “I wanted to help Catholics, in this Year of Faith, and particularly during Advent, to have a ‘renewed con-version’ to the Lord.”

The series was titled “Renewed Conversion to the Lord: Deepen-ing our relationship with Christ in the Year of Faith.” The tit le was based upon a quote by Pope Benedict X VI in “Porta Fidei” (“Door of Faith”), a document he wrote to announce the Year of Faith: “The ‘Year of Faith’... is to be a summons to an authen-tic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world” (“Porta Fidei,” No. 6). The Year of Faith began Oct. 11, 2012, and will run until Nov. 24, 2013.

The model for the talks was the three-stage process of con-version found in the lives of the apostles. The first stage or talk was about the experience of the apostles as they f irst encoun-tered Christ (Matthew/Nathan-

Deepening a relationship with Christ in Year of Faith

iel/etc). The second part focused on how the apost les followed Jesus and learned more about him during three years of public ministry. The final stage was a sharing of their Faith with oth-ers after the Resurrection.

“Ever y C at hol ic ne e d s to have a renewed encounter with the Lord which changes their life and makes them more con-for med to Chr ist,” Sammons said. “This encounter will lead to a deeper understanding of the Faith, a more serious disciple-ship, and a more abundant shar-ing of the Faith with others.”

The beginning of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversar y of the opening of the Second Vatican Council as well as the 20th anniversary of the release of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Coun-cil and one of its primary fruits, the Catechism, are efforts by the Church to help Catholics deepen their knowledge of the Faith and their living of it. The opening of

“The Sermon on the Mount” by Carl Bloch, 1890, will appear on Year of Faith prayer cards in the Diocese of Venice. (ARTWORK COuRTeSY OF WWW.CAThOliCPRAYeRCARDS.ORg)

Prayer Walk for Life set for Jan. 15

Show your support for the sanc-tity of human life and participate in the Prayer Walk for Life in Port Charlotte Jan. 15, 2013.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane will celebrate the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Port Charlotte. Following Mass, participants who are able will walk a half-mile to pray the rosary outside the local abortion facility while others join in Eucharistic Adoration in the church.

For details, v isit w w w.dio-ceseof ven ice.org/respect l i fe, or contac t Jea n ne Berdeau x at 941-441-1101 or Berdeaux@

dioceseofvenice.org.

Society welcomes new executive director

The Board of Directors of St. Vincent de Paul Society, Naples District Council, has announced the appointment of James Mac-Donald as executive director ef-fective Dec. 3.

MacDonald comes to the posi-tion with a commitment to serve the needy. He previously worked at St. John Neumann High School in Naples and volunteered at San Marco Parish on Marco Island.

The St. Vincent de Paul Soci-ety is one of the largest lay sup-

port organizations in the Catho-lic Church. The Naples District Council assists the needy of Collier County through prog rams t hat of fer food and f ina ncia l sup-port as well as counseling ser-vices. There is also a Meals-on-Wheels program for the needy.

The program i s s u p p o r t e d through dona-t ions a nd t he parishes in the area, as well as through two thrift stores.

For more information, please call 239-775-1667.

James MacDonald


SA R A SO TA | Ca rd i n a l Mooney Catholic High School has reached its goal of raising more than $1 million as part of a challenge from The Patterson Foundation in establishing the Sister M. Lucia Haas Scholar-ship Endowment.

The Patterson Foundation established the endowment to honor the faith and friendship of Dorothy Patterson and Sister Lucia, School Sisters of Notre Dame, President of Cardinal Mooney. Their friendship was an inspiration when the Foun-dation was seeking to inspire others through innovative, col-laborative and efficient philan-thropy.

C a r d i n a l M o o n e y H i g h School was also selected be-cause of its long history within the Diocese of Venice, educat-ing young men a nd women from Sarasota and Manatee counties to become the future leaders of the communit y. A majority of the students who attend Cardinal Mooney come f r om E pi p h a n y C a t he d r a l Catholic School in Venice, St. Joseph Catholic School in Bra-denton, and St. Martha and In-carnation Catholic Schools in Sarasota.

C a r d i n a l M o o n e y H i g h School maintains a high level of academic standards and 99 percent of the students go on to higher education upon gradu-ation.

A campaign kickoff for the init ial $1 million match was held at the high school in April 2011. An additional $100,000 match was offered by The Pat-terson Foundation, and Cardi-nal Mooney has until the end of the year to reach that goal.

Sister Lucia said she is proud of the generous support giv-en to Cardinal Mooney High School and t he scholarship fund throughout the fundrais-ing process. “This is a great day,” she said on Dec. 6, the day she received a $25,000 check from the faithful of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish on Long-boat Key from the Pastor, Msgr. Gerard Finegan.

“People t r u l y responded to the challenge for Cardinal Mooney High School to con-t inue to make an impact in the community,” Sister Lucia said. “Gifts of al l sizes went into reaching this goal which w ill continue to ensure that all children who want to go to Cardinal Mooney in the future will be able to attend no matter

their financial need.”Debra Jacobs, president and

CEO of The Patterson Founda-tion, said upon learning about the $1 million threshold being reached:

“We are ver y excited t hat Sister M. Lucia Haas reports Ca rd i na l Moone y Cat hol ic High School has exceeded the $1 million matching challenge and is work ing t irelessly to meet The Patterson Founda-tion’s match for the additional $100,000 bonus by Dec. 31. We hope that everyone interested in assisting youth in their ed-ucational aspirations at Car-dinal Mooney Catholic High School will respond before the end of the year.”

The endow ment was f irst established in early 2010 with a generous $1 million gift from the Foundation, a gift which was then followed with a chal-lenge.

The challenge called for the school to encourage the com-mu nit y to ra ise $1 m i l l ion, which The Patterson Founda-tion would then match dollar for dollar. The total completion of the match is contingent on receiving the money in hand, which will take approximately one more year, Sister Lucia said.

Overall, when the challenge is formally completed, the total scholarship endow ment w ill be approximately $3.2 million if all matching funds are col-lected.

C a r d i n a l M o o n e y H i g h School was established in 1959 and is dedicated to providing a value-based, high-qualit y, affordable private school edu-cation. The mission statement of C a rd i n a l Mo one y H i g h School is: “A quality education centered in Gospel va lues.” Mooney students are at t he forefront of active service in the community from Venice to Sarasota to Bradenton.

The Patterson Foundation, based in Sarasota, exists to in-spire others through innova-tive, collaborative and efficient philanthropy. The Foundation approaches its work through c om mu n ic at ion s , f i n a nc e, learning and technology, with an emphasis on col laborat-ing from others to leverage re-sources. n

For more information about Cardinal Mooney High School and the Sister M. Lucia Haas Scholarship Endowment, call 941-371-4917 or visit http://w w w . c m h s - s a r a s o t a . o r g / SupportCMHS.aspx.

Cardinal Mooney reaches $1 million goal

News briefs

this special year also was linked to the work of evangelization, coinciding with the Synod on the New Evangelizat ion, dur-ing which many bishops met in Rome to discuss the Church’s ef-forts to follow Christ’s mandate to spread the Faith throughout the world. n

KNOWING THE CATHOLIC FAITH BETTER

In the Diocese of Venice, there is a special focus on knowing the Catholic Faith better, especially through the use of the Catechism. A strong knowledge of the Faith will lead to deeper living and more fruitful sharing. Activities for the Year of Faith will be focused on three areas:

• Know Your Faith: Deepen one’s knowledge of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church.

• Live Your Faith: Engage in a fuller participation in the life of the Church, including the reception of the sacra-ments, prayer and works of service.

• Share Your Faith: Share with oth-ers the great gift Catholics have been given in their Faith.

In the coming months, Catholics are urged to seek activities at the Diocesan or parish level to help them know, live and share their Faith with a continued emphasis on creating a deeper relationship with Christ. For details about Year of Faith activities throughout the Diocese of Venice, visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/yearoffaith. Eric Sammons, Diocese of Venice Direc-tor of Evangelization, can be reached at 941-484-9543 or at [email protected].


www.dioceseofvenice.org/yearoffaith

www.cmhs-sarasota.org/supportCMHS.aspx

www.dioceseofvenice.org/respectlife.org


Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 20134 Your Venice communitY




diocese of Venice

Vol. 74, No. 4

1000 Pinebrook Road Venice, FL 34285

941-484-9543 Fax 941-484-1121

Publisher Bishop Frank J. Dewane

Director of commuNicatioNs

Billy Atwell [email protected]

941-484-9543

DiocesaN eDitor Bob Reddy

[email protected] 941-484-9543











FloridaCatholic STAFF REPORT

VENICE | A number of events each year in the Diocese of Venice are intended to raise awareness and money for critical Catholic Charities programs.

The annual charity events come at a time when the need and the demand for services from Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice Inc. are at an all-time high.

“These events are an impor-tant component of supporting the many programs that help more and more people each year,” said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, Chief Execu-tive Officer of Catholic Charities. “Without the generous support of those who attend these events we would not be able to help as many people as we do.”

Bishop Frank J. Dewane will be the host at each event. The events will include an array of festivities, from elegant dining and danc-ing, to Mardi Gras and a western-themed event. Each will have music along with live and silent auctions.

Catholic Charities is a not-for-profit social service agency that provides assisstance in the 10-county Diocese and focuses on addressing those in need with the goal of helping individuals and families become self-sufficient. The program assists more than 40,000 individuals and families through 38 programs with a small, but committed staff and dedicated volunteers.

Charity Navigator, the leading evaluator of charities, annually rates Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice Inc. as one of the best by awarding it the top 4-star rat-ing. Achieving this top rating is accomplished through a combi-nation of dedicated leadership, staff and volunteers, and the effi-cient use of every dollar donated. For every dollar donated, 94 cents goes directly to the programs and services.

The following is a listing of the Catholic Charities events in the coming months of 2013:

• Sarasota Catholic Charities Ball, Jan. 26, Ritz-Carlton, Sara-sota. Proceeds from the black-tie gala will benefit Catholic Charities programs and services in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Includes

Events offer evenings of elegance for charity

Youth who have been helped as part of the Catholic Charities Refugee Relief Services program in Collier County sing during a performance June 20, World Refugee Day, at the Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology in Naples. The day included presentations, stories from refugees, food and fun. (CouRTeSY phoTo)

silent and live auctions, raff le, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact 941-355-4680, ext. 311, or [email protected].

• Bethesda House Mardi Gras, Feb. 12, Sarasota Yacht Club, Sara-sota. Bethesda House in Sarasota is a program to help people with

HIV/AIDS. Contact 941-355-4680, ext. 311; or [email protected].

• Casino Night, Feb. 12, 6 p.m., Mercedes Benz of Naples. Benefits Guadalupe Social Ser-vices of Catholic Charities. Call 239-455-2655 or email michelle@ catholiccharitiescc.org.

• Our Mother’s House wine

tasting and dinner auction, Feb. 28, Plantation Golf and Country Club, Venice. Our Mother’s House in Venice is a transitional residen-tial program for homeless mothers and infants, assisting the women with education, job pursuits, child care and parenting skills. Contact 941-485-6264 or [email protected].

• 14th annual Venetian Ball, March 2, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Fort Myers. Proceeds from the black-tie gala will benefit Catholic Charities pro-grams and services in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties. The evening will be themed “Festival di Vene-zia,” and feature a “Night of Stars at the Venice Film Festival.” In-cludes live auction, raffle, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Spon-sorships are available. For more information, please call 239-461-0234, ext. 205; or email [email protected].

• Boots and Bandannas Din-ner Dance, March 9, Kingsway Country Club, Lake Suzy. Benefits the many programs of Catholic Charities of DeSoto County. Con-tact 863-494-1068 or [email protected].

• Emerald Ball, March 16, Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, Na-ples. Proceeds from the black-tie gala will benefit Catholic Chari-ties programs and services in Col-lier County. Includes live auction, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact 239-455-2655, or [email protected]. n

To learn about the programs and services Catholic Charities provides throughout the Diocese of Venice, please visit www.catholiccharities dov.org.

Construction is now complete at Casa San Juan Bosco in Arcadia, a farmworker housing initiative by Catholic Charities. A blessing/dedication ceremony is being planned for late January 2013. The initiative includes 53 single-family housing units and each home is built to meet or exceed local and state hurricane resistant and energy-efficient standards. (BoB ReDDY | FC)

‘Without the generous support of those who attend these events we would not be able to help as many people as we do.’

Peter Routsis-Arroyo











Mooney Hall of Fame induction dinner held

Cardinal Mooney High School held its first formal athletic Hall of Fame induction dinner Dec. 1 at t he Sara Bay Country Club. The 36 mem-ber s of t he school’s existing Wall of Honor were formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In addition, six new members were inducted including: Cody Cole (football, ’07), Brittany Janson (track, ’05), Tommy McCabe (foot-ball, ’07), the 1972 State Champion football team, Hunter Ovens (foot-ball, ’07) and Msgr. Gerard M. Fin-egan (lifetime service award). The keynote speaker for the evening was 2012 U.S. Olympic athlete Lacy Janson, class of 2001 and Mooney Hall of Fame member. She was an All-American pole-vaulter while at Mooney. She was eliminated in the qualifying stages in the pole vault competition at the Summer Olym-pics in London.

Yes I will help Catholic Charities!I am pleased to enclose my tax-deductible gift payable

to Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal.

o$50 o$100 o$200 o$500 $_________Other

Name_______________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________

City____________________ State_____________ Zip_______

Phone#______________ E-mail_____________@___________

Please give to the Catholic Charities

Did You Know? 94 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to

services for people in needin your community.in your community.

Mail to: Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal 5824 Bee Ridge Road, PMB #409 Sarasota, FL 34233-5065

Shelter for Mothers and ChildrenAssistance for Needy FamiliesSupport for Vulnerable ElderlyHelp for Relocated Refugees

These are some of the programs your gift makes possible.

or Donate Online: www.catholiccharitiesdov.orgP r o v i d i n g H e l p . C r e a t i n g H o p e . S e r v i n g A l l .

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2012 U.S. Olympic athlete Lacy Janson was the keynote speaker for the Mooney Hall of Fame ceremony Dec. 1. (COURTESY PHOTO)

(with the image of Our Lady em-broidered in the costume), mariachi bands and young children dressed as Our Lady and St. Juan Diego

The scenes at St. Peter the Apos-tle and Jesus the Worker were re-peated at parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice.

One of the largest celebrations in the Diocese of Venice occurred in Hardee County where St. Mi-chael Parish in Wauchula and the associated Holy Child Mission and St. Aflonso Mission combine for a daylong celebration in Zolfo Springs. The Festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe attracts more than 2,500 people each year. The Mass opened with a procession and concluded with a crowning of a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

At Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto, the morning vigil included a maria-chi band, with their unique form of music, that performed a variety of traditional and contemporary Mar-ian songs before a morning Mass began at 6 a.m.

Included in many of the cel-ebrations was a traditional drink of spiced hot chocolate and traditional Latin American pastries.

The story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe dates to 1531. The Blessed Virgin Mary ap-peared to St. Juan Diego, a peasant farmer in Tepeyac, Mexico. Our Lady appeared with dark, Indian-like skin and spoke to him in his own Aztec language. Mary sent him to the local bishop to ask that

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a church be built on Tepeyac Hill, in what is now modern-day Mexico City, so she could be close to her people.

The bishop wanted proof of the vision, so St. Juan Diego returned with out-of-season roses in his til-ma, or cape, which bore the image of a life-size, dark-skinned imprint of the Virgin Mary. Today, the ba-silica on Tepeyac Hill is the sec-ond-most-visited Catholic shrine in the world — behind only the Vatican.

At the time, Indians endured a brutal life under the control of the Spanish. Modern-day Mexicans embrace Our Lady of Guadalupe because Mary appeared to a simple peasant. Our Lady of Guadalupe is esteemed as the champion of the poor and downtrodden. Many of

her devotees pray to her to ask for help during difficult times and to give thanks. In Mexico, the feast day is a national holiday.

Since that event in 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been em-braced throughout Latin America, and the Vatican declared her as a Patroness of the Americas. Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego in 2002.

Father O’Connor told the faithful of Jesus the Worker that the celebra-tion of Our Lady of Guadalupe rep-resents a unifying moment for the parish and Hispanic community. He added that the story of Our Lady is especially appropriate in helping people deal with the difficult eco-nomic times of today. “She is look-ing down on us and will guide us through.” n

GUADALUPE: Patroness honored across the Diocese of Venice

Following the morning vigil celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto, Father Marcel Garcia, Pastor, blesses the statues, images and other items depicting Our Lady and St. Juan Diego. (BOB REDDY | FC)

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The deadline for submissions to the Around Your Community page is no later than the Friday two weeks prior to the publication date. Submissions may be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 941-484-1121.

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DIOCESAN EVENTS11th annual Christmas

appeal. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice is proud to sponsor the 11th annual Christmas appeal, which provides help and creates hope for individuals and families seeking assistance. The appeal takes place during December 2012 and January 2013 and needs support to serve the most vulnerable persons in the community. This year’s goal is to raise $478,000 to provide funding for the many Catholic Charities programs and services available throughout Southwest Florida. Please consider a gift to the appeal by sending a donation to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice Inc., 5824 Bee Ridge Road, PMB #409, Sarasota, FL 34233-5065. For more information, call 941-488-5581.

Mass celebrating Haitian independence, Jan. 1, 2013, 1 p.m., Epiphany Cathedral, Venice. Bishop Frank J. Dewane will celebrate Mass and the homily will be delivered by Bishop Pierre-Antoine Paulo, Oblates, of Port-de-Paix, Haiti. All are welcome to the Mass and reception afterward in the parish hall.

Night at the movies, Jan. 4, 2013, 5:30 p.m., Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, Venice. Families are invited for a movie night featuring Disney’s “Up.” Movie will be followed by a discussion about faith related to the movie and the Year of Faith. Includes sandwich, refreshments, popcorn, candy and small snack. To cover food costs, a donation of $7 for adults and $5 for children is suggested. For reservations, 941-486-0233, [email protected]. For information, www.olph-retreat.org.

Scripture conference on St. Paul, Jan. 12, 2013, Our Lady of

Perpetual Help Retreat Center, Venice. Sponsored by the Rice School. Keynote speaker: Mary Healy, S.T.D., editor of “Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture.” Admission: $35, includes continental breakfast and lunch. For reservations and information, contact the Rice School, 941-766-7334, [email protected].

Natural family planning classes, Jan. 12, Feb. 9, and March 9, 2013, 9:30 a.m.-noon, St. Raphael Parish, Lehigh Acres. Three-class series helps couples strengthen their relationship with each other and God. Scholarships available. For more information or to register, visit ccli.org or call instructors Jeff and Lisa Stalnaker, 239-303-9257.

Diocesan Marriage Tribunal information evenings, for those who have experienced a civil divorce/dissolution and wish to consider re-establishing their freedom for a new marriage in the Catholic Church. Presented by the Marriage Tribunal in association with the Office of Evangelization. Members of the Tribunal will make a presentation and be available for questions. No reservation required, all are welcome. For information, call Mariana Bartolillo, 941-484-9543.

• Jan. 15, 7 p.m., St. Agnes Parish, Naples.

• Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish, Bradenton.

2013 Catholic Charities Ball, Jan. 26, 2013, Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Bishop Frank J. Dewane will be the host. Proceeds from the black-tie gala will benefit Catholic Charities programs and services in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Includes silent and live auctions, raffle, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Jeanette Wozniak, 941-

355-4680, ext. 311; [email protected]. Or visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.

2nd annual Apologetics Conference, Feb. 5, 2013, Blessed Pope John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers. Theme: “Mary, Model of Faith.” Sponsored by the Diocese of Venice Office of Evangelization. Contact Eric Sammons, 941-484-9543.

4th annual Priests’ Concert, Feb. 8, 2013, 7 p.m., Resurrection Parish, Fort Myers. Among the priests performing are: Father George Ratzmann, Father Stan Dombrowski, Father Michael Cannon and more. Light hors d’oeuvres, gourmet chocolates and complimentary drinks. Proceeds benefit the Rice School scholarship fund. Tickets: $35; limited number available. Contact Jennifer McConville, 941-766-7334, ext. 17; [email protected].

2013 Diocese of Venice Women’s Conference, Feb. 16, 2013, Bishop Verot High School, Fort Myers. Speakers include: Teresa Tomeo, author, syndicated Catholic talk show host and motivational speaker; Sister Mary Gabriel, Sisters of Life; and Dr. Jennifer Morse. Celebrate the Year of Faith with other women. Call Angela Exner, 941-484-9543.

2013 Diocese of Venice Men’s Conference, March 2, 2013,Bishop Verot High School, Fort Myers. Speakers include: Scott Hahn, author, theologian and Catholic apologist; Dr. Peter Kleponis; and Gus Lloyd. Celebrate the Year of Faith with other men. Call Eric Sammons, 941-484-9543.

14th annual Venetian Ball, March 2, 2013, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Fort Myers. Bishop Frank J. Dewane will be the host. Theme: Festival di Venezia. Features a “Night of Stars at the Venice Film Festival.” Includes live auction, raffle, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Tickets: $175 per person; sponsorships available. Call 239-461-0234, ext. 205; email [email protected].

2013 Emerald Ball, March 16, 2013, Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, Naples. Bishop Frank J. Dewane will be the host. Proceeds from the black-tie gala will benefit Catholic Charities programs and services in Collier County. Includes live auction, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact, Michelle Doaz, 239-455-2655, [email protected].

NET retreats. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Outreach will offer three NET (National Evangelization Teams) retreats this academic year. NET teams are comprised of young adults who travel the country invigorating the Catholic identity of teens. Contact George Smith, [email protected].

• Feb. 23-24, 2013, overnight retreat, Campo San Jose, Lake Placid. For second-year confirmation candidates; will satisfy retreat requirement.

• April 5-7, 2103, junior high (sixth-eighth grade) retreat, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, Venice.

• April 26-28, 2013, high school age retreat, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, Venice.

Marriage preparation programs in Spanish.

• St. James Parish, Lake Placid,

regularly scheduled weekend retreats. Contact Carmen Velez, 863-774-6762.

• St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Naples, preparation program on six consecutive Tuesday nights. Call 239-774-3337.

• St. Jude Parish, Sarasota, offers a Saturday program. Contact Francis, 941-955-3934.

“Quo Vadis” discernment group, South, last Wednesdays, 7-8:15 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Parish, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples; Central, last Thursdays, St. Francis Xavier Parish, 2157 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; and North, last Fridays, Epiphany Cathedral Parish, Santa Maria Chapel, 310 Sarasota St., Venice. Father Cory Mayer, Director of Vocations, hosts a special group meeting for men who may be discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Food and refreshments provided. For additional information, call Father Mayer, 941-484-9543.

Theology on Tap, North, first Thursdays, 7 p.m., Sarasota Brewing Company, Superior Avenue, Sarasota; and South, last Thursdays, Fred’s Food, Fun and Spirits, 2700 Immokalee Road, Naples. Committed to provide interesting speakers in a relaxed young adult atmosphere. Admission is free and attendees are welcome to purchase food and drinks. For further information and to R.S.V.P., please contact George Smith, [email protected].

Religious Freedom updates. Anyone interested in updates regarding the latest issues in Religious Freedom, and the Diocese of Venice in general, can email [email protected] and put “Subscribe” in the subject line. Please include name and parish information in the body of the email.

Television Mass for the homebound in the northern portions of the diocese, 10 a.m. on ION Television Network and on SNN (Sarasota News Network); in the southern portions of the diocese, 10 a.m., on WFTX-TV (FOX-4). Check your local listings for channel information. Leaflet missals are available upon request by calling 941-484-9543 and asking about the TV Mass or by writing: TV Mass, Diocese of Venice, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285. For more information, contact Gail Ardy, 941-486-4714, [email protected].

Catholic Community Foundation. Life and estate planning are difficult, especially if you are trying to do it on your own. Make it easy on yourself. Call Joseph Citro, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation, 941-441-1124, and get free and valuable help.

Safe Environment training. As part of the Safe Environment Program, the Diocese of Venice requires that all employees and those volunteers who work with

children and/or vulnerable adults be fingerprinted and trained in Safe Environment. For class times and locations, contact your local parish or Diocesan school or visit the Diocesan website at www.dioceseofvenice.org. Report all abuses against minors to the Florida Department of Children and Families at 1-800-962-2873. To report abuse by Diocesan personnel or volunteers, call the Diocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator Barbara DiCocco at 941-416-6114.

ANNOUNCEMENTSNew Year’s Eve Gala, 7 p.m.-1

a.m., St. Andrew Parish hall, Cape Coral. Presented by the Respect Life Outreach, to benefit pro-life efforts. Formal gala includes cocktails, appetizers, lobster and filet mignon, dessert and coffee or tea. Cost: $75 for adults; $35 for children under 12 (children’s menu available). Live music, DJ, raffles and live video from Times Square, N.Y. Call Alicia, 239-560-6772, or the parish office, 239-574-4545.

Magnificat breakfast, Jan. 19, 2013, 9:30 a.m., Holiday Inn Airport at Gulf Coast Town Center, Fort Myers. All women invited. Speaker: Father Stephen Asante Bakor from Ghana, who assists at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Myers. Advanced registration required by mail. Seating is limited; no walk-ins. Send a $20 check, payable to Magnificat Fort Myers, to Joanne Taranntino, 3315 Bermuda Isle Circle, Unit 128, Naples, FL 34109; or Shirley Ruehl, 11451 Pembrook Run, Estero, FL 33928. Call 239-949-7015. Requests must be postmarked by Jan. 11, 2013.

‘Second Time Around’ sale, Jan. 19, 2013, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Peter the Apostle Parish hall, Naples. Sponsored by the Council of Catholic Women. Sally Puzio, 239-642-9426; Liz Laing, 239-417-9597, [email protected].

2013 Walk for the Poor, Jan. 26, 9 a.m., Sacred Heart Parish, Punta Gorda. Proceeds help the St. Vincent de Paul Society conferences to provide food, clothing, home furnishings, household goods and financial assistance to the poor. To register as a walker and/or to make a donation, visit www.svdpcharlottefldc.org. Call 941-448-5950.

Sunshine State steak cook-off, Jan. 26, 2013, Ave Maria. Grill paradze, 10:30 a.m.; cooking, 3 p.m.; dinner of 16 oz. steak, baked potato, salad and roll, 5 p.m. Cost: $15. Call 239-280-2536.

Rosary makers annual luncheon, Jan. 30, 2013, 11:30 a.m., Vineyards Country Club, Naples. Sponsored by St. William rosary makers. Special guest: Bishop Frank J. Dewane. Tickets: $30. Call Marianne LaRusso, 239-352-1509.


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Father Cory Mayer

The future of the sacraments the faithful rely upon requires select young men who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood in semi-naries.

Without the support of these men through the annual Collection for Seminarian Education and Voca-tions Jan. 12-13, 2013, it would be difficult to ensure there are enough priests in the future. “Your support of the collection is crucial, as it will allow for the education of our semi-narians, increased vocation recruit-ment and help us ensure priests for the future of the Diocese of Venice,” said Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

The Diocese of Venice continues to be blessed with vocations to the priesthood. Four new priests and three transitional deacons have been ordained just in this past year alone. Moreover, there are strong and active seminarians presently studying for the Diocese. This is cause for great joy.

It is important to note that the collection coincides with the on-going “Year of Faith” (October 2012-November 2013) and the an-nual National Vocation Awareness Week (Jan.13-19). The National Vo-cation Awareness Week earmarks a time for parishes and individuals to consider their role in promoting the role of priests, deacons and religious brothers and sisters to Catholics de-ciding on their future.

This is especially important in the “Year of Faith” and as the Church continues to focus on the New Evangelization. Vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and con-secrated life are essential in the Church’s mission of spreading the joy and love of Jesus Christ. Our

COMMENTARY

Diocese’s seminarians ensure church’s future Prayer for Vocations O God, Father of all Mercies,Provider of a bountiful Harvest, send Your Graces upon thoseYou have called to gather the fruits

of Your labor;preserve and strengthen them in

their lifelong service of you.

Open the hearts of Your childrenthat they may discern Your Holy Will;inspire in them a love and desire to

surrender themselvesto serving others in the name of

Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Teach all Your faithful to follow their respective paths in life

guided by Your Divine Word and Truth.

Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary,

all the Angels, and Saints, humbly hear our prayers

and grant Your Church’s needs, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Courtesy of the USCCB

FYI

world and culture need the Good News of Christ more than ever.

A recent national study found that more than 600,000 youth and young adults — among never-mar-ried Catholics ages 14 to 35 — have seriously considered a religious vo-cation in the Church. The challenge is to pray for them and encourage them to take the next step as they discern God’s call.

With those startling numbers in mind, the Diocese has been ac-tive in offering opportunities for young men and women to consider

a vocation to the priesthood or reli-gious life. One of the most direct ef-forts has been with a discernment group for men called “Quo Vadis,” which means “Where are you go-ing?” Monthly meetings take place in the north, central, and southern deaneries of the Diocese and are for

young men to have a forum in which they come together to pray and talk with others who are trying to dis-cern what God is calling them to do in their lives.

There has also been a direct effort to spread the idea of vocations dis-cernment in the parishes, Catholic

Support the annual collection for Seminarian Education and Vocations Jan. 12-13, 2013. To show your ongoing support of the seminarians, you can also send a check to the Diocese of Venice, Office of Voca-tions, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285. For more information about the seminarians, vocations or the special collection, contact Father Cory Mayer at 941-484-9543 or at [email protected].

COLLECTION

15th annual Sarasota Prayer Walk for Life

Commemorating the 40th anniver-sary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, there will be a Sarasota Prayer Walk Jan. 22, 2013, in front of the Planned Parent-hood Regional Headquarters on Cen-tral Avenue between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bishop Frank J. Dewane will cel-ebrate the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Martha Parish in Sarasota.

A free shuttle bus will take partici-pants to the regional headquarters of Planned Parenthood, one of the largest abortion providers in the country and the largest facility in Florida, to pray for an end to abortion.

Refreshments provided in the church hall. Visit w w w.dioceseofvenice. org/respectlife, or contact Jeanne Berdeaux at 941-441-1101 or Berdeaux@dioceseof venice.org.

News briefs

Bishop Frank J. Dewane presents the chalice and paten to Deacon Steve Clemente during his Ordination to the Priesthood Oct. 20 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. (PHOTOS BY BOB REDDY | FC)

About 25 members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem gather Dec. 13 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice after an annual Mass to reaffirm their commitment to their work of assisting the Holy Land so that Christians can stay and live out their faith. Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Advent Mass, which was concelebrated by Father Fausto Stampiglia, Pallotines, Pastor of St. Martha Parish, and Father Vincent Sheehy, retired Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice. (BOB REDDY | FC)

Mass for MeMbers of equestrian orDer

Schools, youth groups, and certain universities and colleges in the Dio-cese.

A Facebook page has been created (w w w.facebook.com/ venicevocations) so that families and parishioners can follow along with, and get to know, the achieve-ments and progress of their semi-narians. Many have responded to these efforts and the Diocese is de-termined to continue to create new and more exciting programs where a person who may believe that God is calling them, can find help and prayerful support in their discern-ment.

All of these efforts must be sup-ported by funds, in particular the ed-ucation of the men now studying in seminary. It is critical that our semi-narians focus on their studies as they continue their discernment. There is a cost to educate these men, but the benefits will last a lifetime as they will be performing the sacraments for years to come. Furthermore, the support of these men through the Annual Collection for Seminarian Education and Vocations on Jan. 12-13 will aid in overcoming any poten-tial shortfall of priests in the future of the Diocese of Venice. n

Father Mayer is Diocese of Venice Di-rector of Vocations and Seminarian Formation.

The Diocese of Venice class of seminarians have lunch with Bishop Frank J. Dewane and retreat leader Father David Toups, center, Rector of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice July 31.



www.dioceseofvenice.org/respectlife

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013Your Venice communitY8


FORT MYERS | The strik-ing images that are depicted in the stained-glass windows cur-rently being installed at Jesus the Worker Mission are the work of a dedicated local family who has a studio using a specialized tech-nique to bring the images of the Bible to life.

DomCat Studios Inc. in Cape Coral was hired to create stained-glass windows using the antique German tradition. The studio specializes in creating and re-pairing religious stained glass for churches throughout the United States. The windows are being in-stalled during the course of sever-al months; the most recent panels were installed Dec. 7.

Dominic Engels works with his father, Charly Engels, who owns the company and is the primary artist. Dominic Engels said the development of the windows and the Bible scenes depicted relate to Jesus the Worker.

“We took the design ideas from t he Church and Diocese and worked to create something that everyone would be proud of,” he said.

As the planning for the win-dow s bega n, Fat her Pat r ick O’Connor, Administrator of Jesus the Worker, said it was decided early on to take advantage of the base shape of the window, which face tall, half arches. When facing the windows, New Testament im-ages, which depict key points in the life and death of Jesus, adorn the left side of the church. The facing image depicts a pivotal scene from the Old Testament. The exceptions are the two sets of windows which depict the Nativ-ity and the Resurrection.

Father O’Connor added that as the images were drawn and the ideas took shape, key elements also reflected the Hispanic com-munity and Florida.

An example includes the panel depicting the scene of Noah’s Ark, in which an alligator is represen-tative of Florida, while a rooster has significant cultural signifi-cance within the Hispanic com-munity.

“That was a unique and chal-lenging request,” Dominic Engels said. “The overall design has been very traditional, in a European style, but those two items really are just a few of the elements (that) make this set of windows unique to Jesus the Worker.”

Charly Engels was trained in Munich and Cologne, Germany, before taking his skills and family to the United States. He said as a Catholic, it gives him great pride to be able to create Bible images for the use in churches.

Stained glass brings Bible scenes to life

“I take extra care w it h my drawings and with what goes into my work as these images re-flect what the Bible says,” he said. “Stained glass is permanent. They will last my lifetime and many more lifetimes. You have to take certain care and reverence when working in this art form.”

The work involved in creating each set of windows is exacting, with a firing and painting process which makes each image stand out when it is installed. When a panel image is agreed upon, the drawing is used to set where the interlacing lead will be placed. This process is delicate as there needs to be enough lead to keep the integrity of the glass, but not too much to distort the image.

Stained-glass windows are cre-ated by cutting pieces of colored glass to match a drawn template and setting them into place in a mesh of lead cames. Large stained-glass windows are made up of multiple stained-glass pan-els or “light” openings. Details such as facial features are then painted on the surface of the glass.

Stained glass is extremely du-rable and many windows have been in place for centuries. Each piece is indiv idually created. Once completed, the pieces are then put together like a puzzle. In the case of Jesus the Worker, three large sections (two rect-angles and a half arch) make up one complete panel, or half of the facing arch.

The process Charly Engels uses creates a lifelike dimension to the images that are created. This process involves several steps, including etching, tracing, mat-ting and adding colors. Each of these processes takes time and an exacting hand. The glass is re-peatedly fired in a kiln until the desired appearance is reached. In the case of the Jesus the Worker windows, each panel of windows takes about two weeks to com-plete.

T he w i ndows at Jesus t he Worker are being installed on the interior of the existing hurricane-resistant windows, and are all are expected to be in place by Easter.

Above, are examples of the stained glass installed at Jesus the Worker Mission in Fort Myers by DomCat Studios Inc. from Cape Coral. At left, Charly Engels, right, is assisted by his son, Dominic Engels, in installing the panels at the parish. (BOB REDDY | FC)

With more than half of the windows installed, the response among the parishioners has been overwhelmingly positive, said Father O’Connor, who admitted each time he enters the church he notices something different de-pending upon the lighting on the outside or inside of the building.

“When the new Jesus the Work-er church was built and blessed (by Bishop Frank J. Dewane in 2011) we knew these windows would be installed later to make this building complete,” he said. “The images are stunningly beau-tiful and you get a special reaction to them when you closely exam-ine each image. ... We are very fortunate to have these windows from such a skilled artist.” n

‘Stained glass is permanent. They will last my lifetime and many more lifetimes. You have to take certain care and reverence when working in this art form.’

— Charly Engels

Vatican news 9Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic

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VATICAN CITY | Pope Benedict XVI launched his very own Twitter account, sending a short inaugural message to his more than 1 mil-lion followers. “Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart,” it said.

His tweet — 139 characters — went viral as the number of follow-ers of @Pontifex and its seven other extensions grew by more than 5,000 new people an hour, a Vatican of-ficial said. Tens of thousands of fol-lowers retweeted the messages in the short minutes after they were posted.

After the pope gave his cateche-sis and blessing to those gathered for the general audience in the Vati-can’s Paul VI hall, an announce-ment came over the speakers say-ing the pope was about to make his first tweet. Officials placed a small wooden desk in front of the pope, and staff from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications placed a small tablet computer on top.

The pope put on his glasses as Thaddeus Jones, a U.S. official at the council, showed him the screen that already had the message prepared and loaded. The pope, with a tap, sent the greeting, which in English was just one character shy of the site’s 140-character limit.

Archbishop Claudio Celli, the council president, then showed the

pope his @Pontifex accounts, which had amassed 1 million followers in the 10 days before the first tweet. The pope had difficulty in navigat-ing the site after pressing a screen button with a determined push, which the archbishop then rem-edied with a more practiced tap.

About 45 minutes later, after the pope left the audience hall, the first pair of tweets in a Q-and-A format was sent by Vatican officials. While the pope sees and approves each tweet, all tweets after his inaugural message are sent by Vatican staff.

The pope personally answered three questions from three different continents that were culled from tens of thousands of queries and comments tagged with the #ask-Pontifex hashtag.

The first question was “How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?”

The pope’s answer was posted two minutes later: “By speaking with Jesus in prayer, listening to what he tells you in the Gospel and looking for him in those in need.”

About three hours later, the next pair was sent: “How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?” “We can be certain that a be-liever is never alone. God is the solid rock upon which we build our lives and his love is always faithful.”

The last pair of Q-and-A tweets followed another three hours later. “Any suggestions on how to be more prayerful when we are so busy with the demands of work, families and the world?” was the question. And

the pope’s response was: “Offer everything you do to the Lord, ask his help in all the circumstances of daily life and remember that he is always beside you.”

Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the social communications coun-cil, said they wanted to stagger the tweets so people waking up in later time zones would have something appearing near the top of their newsfeed.

The monsignor said he sifted through thousands of questions tweeted after the Vatican an-nounced plans for the pope’s new account.

Though many were crude or hateful, “there were some wonder-ful, touching questions, very honest and very genuine,” he told Catholic News Service Dec. 12.

Some examples, he said, asked the pope “how to balance spiritual life and being busy, how to find the time to pray.”

The monsignor said the pope can’t be expected to answer every legitimate question submitted, but that is where other Catholics can

step in. The idea of launching the first

papal tweets in a Q-and-A format also was meant to encourage other people to reach out and engage the world online, he said.

“We’re hoping other Catholics might engage with some of the questions” being asked, he said.

Among those surrounding the pope during his Twitter debut were two students from Pennsylvania’s Villanova University, Mika Rabb and Andrew Jadick, who have been interning at the communications council, helping the office on the Twitter project.

Claire Diaz-Ortiz, manager of so-cial innovation for Twitter, also was by the pope’s side; she had worked closely with the Vatican in setting up the accounts. She was live tweet-ing during the pope’s audience and alerted the Twitterverse when the pope’s accounts crossed the 1 mil-lion follower threshold just “min-utes before the pope sends his first tweet.”

Also f lanking the pope was a young Mexican journalist, chosen

to help mark the day’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The papal tweets will be posted with some regularity, but won’t be too frequent given the time con-straints of the pope and the fact that each tweet needs his approval, Msgr. Tighe had said.

Even though he won’t be physi-cally sending the tweets, the mes-sages “are pearls of wisdom coming from the heart of the pope’s teaching and coming from his own mind and ideas,” he said Dec. 5.

The pope’s Twitter accounts are in eight languages, including Ara-bic. @Pontifex is the English feed, while the other language accounts use an extension of the main han-dle. For example, the Spanish feed is @Pontifex_es.

The handle “Pontifex” was cho-sen because it means “pope and bridge builder,” said Greg Burke, media adviser for the Vatican Sec-retariat of State. The name suggests “reaching out” and bringing unity not just of Catholics “but all men and women of good will,” he said Dec. 5. n

Pope tweets to more than 1 million followers

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 201310 Quick reads

NATION

Groups ask FTC to protect children’s online privacy rights

WASHINGTON | The U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops is one of more than 50 organizations asking the Federal Trade Commission for more stringent safeguards to pro-tect children’s online privacy rights.

Although the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, known as COPPA, was passed by Congress in 1998, more advanced online tracking techniques have been developed that threaten those pro-tections. Under that law the FTC is charged with establishing the rules for online privacy.

It issued its first rules in 2000, and is now considering updating them. “Today’s young people are

growing up in a complex media environment, connected to a vast array of mobile devices, online games, personal computers, social networks, and real-time interac-tive marketing services,” said the organizations in a Dec. 13 letter to FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz and the commissioners.

As a result, the letter added, “data collection and marketing practices have become increasingly sophis-ticated and much less transparent, undermining the ability of parents to make meaningful decisions for protecting their children’s privacy and safety.”

Rule changes, the letter said, “are not only essential, but also urgent, addressing a variety of techniques that are swiftly becoming com-monplace, including: ‘cookies’ and other ‘persistent identifiers’ for fol-lowing a child online, mobile and geo-location tracking, facial rec-ognition software, and behavioral advertising.”

WORLD

Oil companies help fund Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square

VATICAN CITY | Oil giants such as Total and Shell and other companies operating in southern Italy’s petroleum-rich Basilicata region footed the expenses for this year’s Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square. The regional government offered to donate to the Vatican a 1,615-square-foot artistic represen-tation of Christ’s birth, resulting in “very significant savings” for the Holy See, Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca, secretary-general of the Vatican governor’s office, said during a news conference Dec. 13. Basilicata officials launched a fundraising ap-peal to the surrounding business community, which ended up cov-ering “95 percent to 100 percent” of the project’s expenses, said Vito De Filippo, president of the Basili-cata region. The total cost was about $117,580 and included expenses such as the lighting system, trans-port costs, insurance coverage and “food and lodging” for the artist, Francesco Artese. The Vatican was to spend about $28,460 in person-nel and labor costs in assembling the scene, which will place Jesus, Mary and Joseph in an artistic re-creation of the picturesque rocky setting of the ancient cave city of Matera, where “sassi” — stone hous-es carved into caves — are located. The scene was to be unveiled Dec. 24.

Marianite center targets crippling malnutrition in Burkina Faso

YALGO, Burkina Faso | Dur-ing a famine, babies starve because their malnourished mothers can-not produce breast milk. It’s even worse with twins. Nata Ouedraogo, who has three sets of twins, knows the perils of malnutrition all too well. She is receiving nutritional help from the recently constructed Blessed John Paul II Center, a medi-cal facility run by Marianites of Holy Cross, a religious order head-quartered in New Orleans. Oue-draogo gets practical advice about food and how to make nutritious

porridge for her children. Mothers receive corn flour, fish, spinach, milk and pasta flour. They learn dif-ferent recipes for couscous. Orang-es and eggs have vital nutrients, the sisters explained. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 27 percent of Burkinabe chil-dren younger than 5 are malnour-ished. That’s the 10th-worst rate in the world. The center is just getting started, thanks to support from Caritas Spain, which constructed the buildings, and the local parish, Holy Family of Nazareth. Catholic Relief Services kicked in another $5,000 from private sources.

Pope: In age of social networks, young need real education,

VATICAN CITY | With young people increasingly absorbed in online social networks and anxious for ways to make a living amid the global economic crisis, parents and governments have an ever greater obligation to educate the young in proper values, Pope Benedict XVI said. “Examining the many chal-lenges of our day, education oc-cupies a prominent place,” Pope Benedict told new ambassadors to the Holy See from Guinea, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Zambia. Wel-coming the new ambassadors to the Vatican Dec. 13, the pope said the countries’ people and cultures are filled with human values that are important to the future of their societies, but which risk being to-tally ignored in an age marked by global communications and the new culture they are forming. True education, to which each child in the world has a right, is not simply a matter of transferring information and technical knowledge; educa-tion worthy of the name helps form a human person capable of think-ing, judging right from wrong and acting on it, the pope said.

Philippines passes reproductive health bill over Church objections

MANILA, Philippines | The Philippine House of Representa-tives passed legislation that will promote artificial contraception as a family planning method, despite

fierce opposition by Catholic bish-ops and religious groups. House members voted 113-104 to approve the Reproductive Health Bill, which had languished in Congress for 14 years. The Senate was scheduled to vote on the measure Dec. 17. Mem-bers of the Catholic Bishops’ Con-ference of the Philippines attended the House session that ended past 2 a.m. Dec. 13. Some 5,000 priests, nuns, seminarians and laypeople rallied outside Congress earlier in the day to urge legislators to vote against the bill. Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila called the bill’s passage “unfortunate and tragic” but not a defeat and said “truth shall prevail, especially the truth about human life, marriage and family.” Bishop Jose Oliveros of Malolos pledged to carry the Church’s fight against the measure “in the executive, the Supreme Court, and at the level of individual conscience.”

Bishop wants Israel to heed vandalism against Christian sites

JERUSALEM | The Israeli gov-ernment must be more attentive to incidents of vandalism against Christian institutions, said Aux-iliary Bishop William H. Shomali, chancellor of the Jerusalem Latin Patriarchate. In the fifth such in-cident this year, vandals targeted Christian institutions, slashing the tire of a car and writing anti-Chris-tian graffiti on it and on the walls at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Cross in central Jerusalem. The vandals also sprayed anti-Chris-tian graffiti on the gates of the en-trance of the Armenian cemetery. Speaking to Catholic News Service following a Dec. 13 meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee in Jerusalem, Bishop Shomali said the acts do not physically threaten the Christian community but are meant to harm them morally and psychologically. “These acts are a fact of being a mi-nority, (but) the government has to be more attentive and try to find (the vandals’) footprints,” he said. He said the attacks also were det-rimental to the government, which is meant to protect the rights of all the residents of Israel. Prime Minis-ter Benjamin Netanyahu called the acts “revolting.”

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MEXICO CITY | An outspoken Mexican priest won the country’s top human rights prize for his work protecting undocumented Central American migrants tran-siting Mexico.

Father Alejandro Solalinde ac-cepted the award from President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose party he has accused of previously per-secuting him and failing to pro-tect the migrants he serves.

Fat her Solalinde brought a blunt assessment of the current state of the country to the Dec. 10 ceremony at the president’s resi-dence but also struck a concilia-tory chord.

“Mexico is sick, it has to be said. And the traditional ways, the traditional structures that we have had no longer work,” Father Solalinde told the president.

“We have had a style of govern-ing that must stay in the past. ... We need leaders, including bish-ops, and also servants at any lev-el, that are with the grass roots, that are close to the people and that they listen to them.”

Fat her Sola l i nde received his award as Mexico comes to a crossroads. Pena took office amid protests just 10 days earlier, but

public opinion polls show a sense of optimism among Mexicans — something expressed every six years with transitions of power — that the new president can keep his promises to calm violence in the country, combat poverty and corruption and pull Mexico out of an economic malaise.

But Pena’s party, which ruled for most of the last century and retook power after 12 years in opposit ion, has a checkered reputation for human rights and sour relations with the Catholic Church.

Pena, who called Father So-lalinde “a good Samaritan,” said the priest’s call for a more just Mexico and leaders closer to the people “are aligned with this gov-ernment’s project for the coun-try.”

That Father Solalinde would win such an award — a medal and recognit ion — surprised few. He surged into the public spotlight over the past five years for his defiance of corrupt local officials in Oaxaca state — who he says belonged to Pena’s own party — and unwillingness to be cowed by organized crime, which threatened his Brothers of the Road shelter for migrants. He left the shelter and Mexico during the spring due to threats against him.

The National Human Rights Commission, which sponsored the prize, reported more than 11,300 migrant kidnappings — often at the hands of organized criminal groups and abetted by crooked police and public offi-cials — over a six-month period in 2010.

Father Solalinde said in No-vember that the Pena adminis-tration has reached out to those — including Cat holic priests and religious — protecting un-documented migrants, but he ex-pressed reservations at the time.

Political observers say publicly awarding the prize to Father So-lalinde sets a new tone for the in-coming presidential administra-tion, which already has signed a comprehensive cooperation pact with the country’s three main parties to achieve structural re-forms in areas such as education, the economy and the energy sec-tor.

“It’s a gesture of political com-munication,” said Aldo Munoz Armenta, political science pro-fessor at the Autonomous Uni-versity of Mexico State. “The mes-sage is trying to convince those who are incredulous, in political terms, that the situation toward those seeking social justice has changed.” n

Mexican priest wins top human rights prize for migrant work

Father Alejandro Solalinde is congratulated by Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto after being awarded the National Human Rights Award at the presidential palace in Mexico City on International Human Rights Day Dec. 10. Father Solalinde, director of the Brothers of the Road shelter in Ixtepec, Mexico, won the country’s top human rights prize for his work protecting undocumented Central American migrants transiting Mexico. (EDGARD GARRIDO, REUTERS | CNS)


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Margo C. PoPeof the St. Augustine Catholic

ST. AUGUSTINE | The leaders of Florida’s seven Roman Catho-lic dioceses paid tribute Dec. 2, in the state’s oldest cathedral, to the worldwide Year of Faith pro-claimed by Pope Benedict XVI.

In the historic Cathedral Ba-silica of St. Augustine, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami ac-knowledged they were in Amer-ica’s “oldest parish,” founded in 1565, and “the first cathedral in the Sunshine State,” designated in 1870.

The Year of Faith honors the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th an-niversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In Florida, it co-incides with the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon’s arrival and the beginning of the Catholic faith in this nation.

“The history of this state — and indeed the history of various peo-ples who have in these five centu-ries lived here — cannot be fully understood without reference to Jesus Christ and his Gospel,” Arch-bishop Wenski said. “The Great Cross rising 208 feet into the skies at Mission Nombre de Dios and the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche re-

Bishops celebrate Year of Faith in Florida’s oldest parish and cathedral

mind us of the role that religion has played and continues to play in our nation and our state.”

A rchbishop Wensk i asked Catholics to rediscover the joy of their faith and enthusiastically share it with others “without fear or embarrassment.” In this era of “increasingly dominant secular-ism, we must profess the faith in its fullness with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.”

Quoting St. Augustine, patron saint of the cathedral and the dio-cese, Archbishop Wenski said, “Be-lievers strengthen themselves by believing. And since the renewal of the Church is achieved through the witness offered by believers, this Year of Faith is a renewed call to conversion of all the baptized so that the truth and the beauty of faith can shine forth more credibly in us.”

St. Augustine’s Bishop Felipe J. Estévez said of the pilgrimage,

“This is where our faith began so it is like coming to the beginning of the story.”

Father Tom Willis, cathedral

The bishops of Florida gather for Mass Dec. 2 at America’s first parish, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. From left are Bishop John Noonan of Orlando; Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach; Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg; Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami; Bishop Felipe Estevez of St. Augustine; Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice; and Bishop Gregory L. Parkes of Pensacola-Tallahassee. (DON BuRK | ST AuGuSTINE CAThOLIC)

rector, said, it was a “blessing” to host Florida’s bishops as they made this pilgrimage to America’s first parish for the Year of Faith.

“I caught myself reflecting on why this particular church was honored with the title of ‘minor basilica’ over three decades ago,” Father Willis said. “Because of our historical and spiritual sig-nificance, people from all walks of life come here to be renewed

in their faith. What a wonderful blessing that is to our community and city.”

Joining Archbishop Wenski and Bishop Estévez in the pilgrimage were Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, Bishop John Noonan of Orlando and Bish-op Gregory L. Parkes of Pensacola-Tallahassee. n

‘This is where our faith began so it is like coming to the beginning of the story.’

Bishop Felipe J. Estévez

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NatioNal & iNterNatioNal News 13Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic

Catholic News Service

NEWTOWN, Conn. | Msgr. Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown, was at Sandy Hook Elementary School al-most immediately after the horrific shooting Dec. 14.

When the enormity of the trag-edy began to unfold, other priests, chaplains and Catholic Charities personnel “were on the ground,” Brian Wallace, diocesan director of communications, told Catholic News Service.

In the days since, St. Rose of Lima has taken center stage as peo-ple gathered for a prayer vigil the night of the shootings and flocked to Sunday Masses seeking solace. They looked to Msgr. Weiss and his staff and other Catholic leaders for pastoral outreach in the aftermath of the violence, which left 20 chil-dren and seven adults dead.

Eighteen children died at the school and two others died after they had been rushed to the hos-pital. All of the children were first-graders. The adults included the principal and five teachers, as well as the gunman.

Police officials identified the shooter as Adam Lanza, 20, and said he killed himself as first re-sponders arrived on the scene.

“There are no words,” Msgr. Weiss told a TV reporter Dec. 15 in an interview for NBC’s “Today” show after spending hours helping law enforcement officials inform parents that their child had died in the shooting. At least eight of the children belonged to the parish and will be buried from St. Rose.

Msgr. Weis said many of the family members thanked him for his presence. “There was a lot of hugging, a lot of crying, a lot of praying, a lot of just being silent,” he said, adding that at the previous evening’s vigil, community mem-bers “came together to care and to support. ... People really care here and hopefully we can just keep the community together and they can console each other.”

The priest, along with Lutheran, Episcopal, Jewish, Congregational-ist, Methodist, Baha’i and Muslim

leaders, participated in an evening interfaith service Dec. 16 at a New-town auditorium.

President Barack Obama ad-dressed the gathering after meet-ing separately with each family who lost someone in the shooting. He expressed his condolences and the nation’s support as they face their grief and bury their dead.

“I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation. I am very mind-ful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts,” Obama said at the service.

“I can only hope it helps for you to know that you’re not alone in your grief; that our world too has been torn apart; that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you, we’ve pulled our children tight,” he continued.

“And you must know that what-ever measure of comfort we can provide, we will provide; whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear it. New-town — you are not alone.”

Obama pledged in the coming weeks to “use whatever power” his office holds “to engage my fellow citizens — from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators — in an ef-fort aimed at preventing more trag-edies like this.

“Because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine,” he added.

Before closing his remarks, Obama named each child by name, and added: “God has called them all home. For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on, and make our country worthy of their memory.”

In a Dec. 16 statement, Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, administrator of the Bridgeport Diocese, said: “On this Gaudete Sunday we realize how quickly our joy can be turned to sorrow and how our faith can be

challenged. “On behalf of the clergy, religious

and all the faithful of the Diocese of Bridgeport I extend my prayers and condolences to the families of the victims. ... Our concern and support go out to the whole com-munity of Newtown as you try to assist and support one another, especially those who were directly impacted.”

Msgr. Doyle pledged whatever diocesan resources are needed “to assist those affected by this trag-edy,” including counselors from Catholic Charities. “As we continue our journey toward the Christmas feast, may our hope for the peace and comfort of the divine Savior, be a true source of assurance of his loving presence in our lives,” he added.

At all of the Sunday Masses at St. Rose, a letter was read from Balti-more Archbishop William E. Lori, Bridgeport’s bishop from 2001 un-til he was named to Baltimore in March.

“Along with you, and along with the rest of our nation and, indeed, the rest of the world, I was shocked and horrified to learn of what had taken place in Newtown so sud-denly and terribly on Friday morn-ing. I was in Rome for meetings, and it was early evening there when I heard,” the archbishop wrote.

“Since that moment, my heart has been heavy, and I can’t stop thinking about everyone in New-town, especially the victims, the children, and their families,” he continued. “So I just wanted to say very sincerely and simply that I am

At least eight of the child victims belonged to St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown

‘No words’ can describe shock, sadness after shooting, says priest

VATICAN CITY | After 20 children and six adults were shot dead in Connecticut, Pope Benedict XVI offered his condolences and prayers, urging all to dedicate them-selves to acts of peace in the face of such “senseless violence.”

After reciting the Angelus Dec. 17, the pope, speaking in English, said he was “deeply saddened” by the Dec. 14 shoot-ing at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. In addition to the students and staff killed, the gunman took his own life.

“I assure the families of the victims, especially those who lost a child, of my closeness in prayer,” he said. “May the God of consolation touch their hearts and ease their pain.”

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican sec-retary of state, sent a message Dec. 14 to the Diocese of Bridgeport, which includes Newtown, saying the pope had asked the cardinal “to convey his heartfelt grief” and his prayers to the victims, their families and “all affected by the shocking event.”

“In the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, he asks God our father to console all those who mourn and to sustain the entire community with the spiritual strength which triumphs over violence

by the power of forgiveness, hope and reconciling love,” the cardinal wrote.

A front-page article Dec. 15 in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, said the people of the United States must look at ways to “stem the violence that strikes them from within, heinous violence that is increased by easy access to increasingly lethal weapons and this time struck children in an elementary school.”

“The Newtown massacre is destined to reopen the debate about the free circulation of guns,” it said. While many individuals and groups called for more stringent gun-control measures in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, “the National Rifle Association, on the other hand, entrenched itself behind an embar-rassing silence,” the Vatican newspaper article said.

“In a pure coincidence, the massacre of the Connecticut children occurred on the eve of the anniversary of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to have weap-ons. It was ratified Dec. 15, 1791, and was made to measure for the United States as it was 221 years ago,” the article said.

PoPe eXPresses GrieF oVer sHootiNG

close to all of you in my thoughts and prayers right now.”

He added: “Our lives will never be the same. But neither will we have to face a single day without the strength and peace that only Christ can give to us. In that strength and in that peace, I am very much unit-ed with you today.”

In a statement released late eve-ning Dec. 14, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bish-ops, said the shooting “wrenches the hearts of all people” and the “tragedy of innocent people dying through violence shatters the peace of all.”

“We pledge especial ly our prayerful support to the Diocese of Bridgeport and the community of Newtown as they cope with this al-most unbearable sorrow ... as they deal with the injuries they have sustained and with the deaths of their beautiful children,” he said.

“Once again we speak against the culture of violence infecting our country even as we prepare to wel-come the Prince of Peace at Christ-mas,” the cardinal added. “All of us are called to work for peace in our homes, our streets and our world, now more than ever.”

The Bridgeport Diocese’s web-site included several other messag-es of condolences, including one sent on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vati-can secretary of state.

He conveyed the pope’s “heart-felt grief and the assurance of his closeness in prayer to the victims and their families, and to all affect-ed by the shocking event.” n

A woman and a child pray near candles set outside St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 15. A planned live Nativity was staged at the church as the community and nation sought answers and comfort after a gunman killed 27 people, including 20 children, in a school shooting tragedy the day before. (JOSHUS LOTT, REUTERS | CNS)

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HBTS Jan 2012.indd 2 1/17/2012 2:06:12 PM

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Musicians play after the unveiling of the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Christmas Eve 2011. Watch this year’s midnight Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica on the EWTN network, starting at 10 p.m. To see the Mass streamed live, go to EWTN.com at 4 p.m. EST (10 p.m. Rome time) on Dec. 24. (PAUL HARING | CNS)

CHRISTmaS EvE aT ST. PETER’S


www.hopetobuy.org


www.facebook.com/seniorhomecompanionsofflorida

www.dioceseofvenice.org/iv/secure/subscribe

www.hbts.org

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www.vitas.com/florida

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www.cornerstonehospice.org

www.seriousillness.org/cornerstone

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OpiniOn & SUnDAY WORD 15Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 2013 Florida Catholic

Imagine answering a phone call from legendary three-time World Wrestling champion Dia-mond Dallas Page. Or talking to All Star pitcher Tom Candiotti, or the origi-nal Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. Incredibly, for only $19.95 a real live celeb-rity will call you!

But wa it , t here’s more! It is not science fiction to order a video press release from Jo-seph Gannascoli, one of Tony Soprano’s top kill-ers. Or from Counselor Deanna Troi, played by Marina Sirtis, from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” These ce-lebrity calls and more are available on a website. Yet to date, none offers to visit you per-

sonally.A long time ago, Elizabeth re-

ceived an unexpected visit from a soon-to-be important person.

Elizabeth was visited by Mary. She had re-cently conceived. Mary was to bear the long-awaited Messiah.

W hen E l i z a b e t h heard Mar y’s greet-ing, she cried out in a loud voice, “How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43). With Eliza-beth, we honor Mary. She is blessed among women.

“Behold a v irg in bearing him, who comes

to save us from our sin; The prophets cry: prepare his

way! Make straight his paths to Christmas Day.”

Like Elizabeth, you are vis-ited by a Very Important Person. Not a Hollywood B-list celebrity. Not even by Mary, the Mother of God. You are visited by the Lord himself.

How does this happen, that the Lord should come to you? Who are you to rate such an im-portant visitor?

But wait, there’s more! It’s not just a visit. The Lord moves in and dwells among us. He comes into the world to offer himself in sacrifice for the salvation of the world (Heb 10:10).

You know the phrase, “A nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” The dirt streets hidden behind the gift shops at the cruise ship dock; the home-less wandering just out of sight

of the casinos; the smells of die-sel and charcoal and decay that soak the slums besieging the megacities of Africa. Much of the world is nice to visit but not a place where you would want to live.

Into this world which we keep at a safe distance, the Lord came to dwell (Jn 1:14). Our God the Most High become the “Most Low” for us. He came to die for this world. Who are we that the Lord should die for us? How do we welcome him?

“Behold our Hope and Life and Light, the promise of the holy night;

We lift our prayer and bend our knee to his great love and majesty.”

To take to prayer: Read the Gospel of Luke, Chapters 1 and 2, with the Lord. n

Scripture readingsFriday, Dec. 21Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45

Saturday, Dec. 221 Sm 1:24-28; (Ps) 1 Sm 2:1, 4-7, 8abcd; Lk 1:46-56

Sunday, Dec. 23Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45

Monday, Dec. 24

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Eve)Vigil MassIs 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25

Tuesday, Dec. 25

Mass during the nightIs 9:1-6; Ps 96: 1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14

Mass at DawnIs 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20Mass During the DayIs 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

Wednesday, Dec. 26

St. Stephen, first martyrActs 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Ps 31:3-4, 6-8, 17-21; Mt 10:17-22

Thursday, Dec. 27

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist1 Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Jn 20:2-8

Friday, Dec. 28

Holy Innocents, Martyrs1 Jn 1:5-2:2; Ps 124:2-5, 7b-8; Mt 2:13-18

Saturday, Dec. 29

1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96:1-3, 5b-6; Lk 2:22-35

Sunday, Dec. 30

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and JosephSir 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28; Ps 128:1-5 or Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10; Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24; Lk 2:41-52

Monday, Dec. 31

1 Jn 2:18-21; Ps 96:1-2, 11-13; Jn 1:1-18

Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of GodNm 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

Wednesday, Jan. 2Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 1:19-28

Thursday, Jan. 31 Jn 2:29-3:6; Ps 98:1-3, 6; Jn 1:29-34

Friday, Jan. 4St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98:1, 7-9; Jn 1:35-42

Saturday, Jan. 5St. John Neumann, bishop1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100:1-5; Jn 1:43-51

Sunday, Jan. 6Epiphany of the LordIs 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12

Monday, Jan. 71 Jn 3:22-4:6; Ps 2:7-8, 10-12a; Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

Tuesday, Jan. 81 Jn 4:7-10; Ps 72:1-4, 7-8; Mk 6:34-44

Wednesday, Jan. 91 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; Mk 6:45-52

Thursday, Jan. 101 Jn 4:19-5:4; Ps 72:1-2, 14, 15bc, 17; Lk 4:14-22

Friday, Jan. 111 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Lk 5:12-16

Saturday, Jan. 121 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149:1-6a, 9b; Jn 3:22-30

Sunday, Jan. 13Baptism of the LordIs 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1-4, 24-25, 27-30; Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Please note that our next issue date will be Jan. 11, 2013. Sunday Word for Jan. 6 will be available online at thefloridacatholic.org. Click on Opinion/Commentary on the home page.

OpiNiON

Father Tad Pacholczyk

SuNday WOrd

Father David

Scotchie

On TV these days, we’re seeing more and more programs about “body art” and tattoo design. Despite the apparent wide-spread acceptance of the practice, there are several problems with tattooing that go beyond the sanitary issues, disease transmission and unclean inking needles that can be found in second-rate tattoo parlors.

Tattoos, as some who have gotten them have recognized, have negative associations. An article in the Dal-las Morning News a few years ago chronicled the story of a young man named Jesus Men-doza, who was “going to great lengths to remove the six tattoos that hint at his erstwhile gang involvement. ... He feels branded. ‘It’s the stereotyping,’ he said. ‘The question is: What

do you think when you see a young His-panic male with tattoos? You’re going to think gangs. And I think that, too, now.’”

Similar branding concerns were raised in a recent column by David Whitley about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose arms and back are full of tattoos. “NFL quarterback is the ultimate position of influence and respon-sibility,” he wrote. “He is the CEO of a high-profile organization, and you don’t want your CEO to look like he just got paroled.”

That branding communicates a mes-sage that can make life more difficult for those who have tattoos. It should come as no surprise that employers often as-sociate tattooed workers with “reduced productivity” and may show a preference for untattooed employees in hiring or pro-motions.

Taboos and tattoos

Please see TATTOOS, 16

The Lord not only calls but visits, moves in

The prayer of the barren Hannah had been heard. She conceived a son. After Hannah weaned her infant, she took him to the temple where she had first offered her prayer for a son.

Hannah said to Eli the old priest, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord” (1 Sm 1:27-28).

That’s when she did it. She gave her only child to Eli. Han-nah left Samuel there (1 Sm 1:28). The mother went home without her son.

What kind of mother is she? What mother would abandon her only son to the care of an old priest? What mother would leave her future in a basket on the tem-

ple step?What kind of mother is she?

She is a mother who put the Lord first. Her family was not the end all and be all. Hannah left Sam-uel there.

This feast of the Holy Family defies a certain notion of fam-ily. Politicians from time to time talk about “family values.” They make it sound like “family val-ues” is a book in the Bible. It is not. The Bible has “Gospel val-ues.” And the first Gospel value is to put God first.

The Lord gave us the Ten Commandments. The First Commandment is, “You shall not have other gods besides me” (Ex 20:3). In other words, “Put God first.”

True, the Fourth Command-ment is important. “Honor your

father and your mother” (Ex 20:12). We are to take care of fam-ily.

But the First Commandment is first. Put God first. Faith for-mation classes before soccer practice, church before cheer-leading. You buy videogames for your children. You spend gener-ously on your grandchildren. Is not their faith their most impor-tant possession? Should you not spend at least as much money on their faith?

Your home may have a room dedicated to toys. What about a corner dedicated to FAITH — Family Altar In The Home. There you can put the Advent wreath, a rosary and a crucifix. Show that God has an important place in your home.

Turn off the TV 15 minutes be-

fore bedtime. Kneel together at the bedside. Thank God for the blessings of the day. Say you are sorry for the ways you failed to love. Ask the Lord for the desires of your heart.

At this point I would like to say, “Put God first and every-thing will be OK.” For Hannah, it was. After Samuel, she went on to have three more sons and two daughters.

But there is no guarantee what will happen. Sometimes you have to choose between family and God. Sometimes you have to trust the Lord with your most precious children. Sometimes you have to leave Samuel there.

Hannah left Samuel there. There’s more to the story. Samuel

God, family: Which should we place first?

Please see SCOTCHIE, 16

www.thefloridacatholic.org/iv/dec_7-20_2012_opinion__commentary

Florida Catholic Dec. 21, 2012-Jan. 10, 201316 CRoSSWoRD

See puzzle solution on Page 10crossword1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 01 11 21 31

41 51 61

71 81 91

02 12 22

32 42 52 62

72 82 92 03 13 23

33 43 53 63

73 83 93

04 14 24

34 44 54

64 74 84 94 05

15 25 35 45 55

65 75 85 95

06 16 26

36 46 56

moc.scilohtacrofsemagdrow.www

ACROSS1 Husband of Mary, in Seville5 Sully10 Dressed14 Mountain range15 Shout of exultation16 Mother of Apollo17 Unpleasantly moist18 Nimble19 Pledge20 ___ loss for words21 Soft cheese22 One of the sons of Simon of Cyrene (Mk 15:21)23 Governing bodies25 Goad27 Inst. of higher learning in Nashville28 Father of Abram30 Valued mineral33 Stations of the ___35 Tie the knot on the sly36 Alkali37 Pious platitudes38 Skill39 Adriatic wind40 Roman crowd?41 On-line mag42 19th century Australian cardinal and advocate for justice43 Wedding vow44 Prayer time45 English cathedral town46 Grange47 Roman Catholic Native American leader51 Time of preparation for a feast54 Small glass container55 ___ Father56 “Take ___ leave…”57 Farewell, from Juan59 City in India60 Gentleman’s grades61 Very small62 “Just ___”63 Formerly, formerly64 “Ite, ___ est”

The Florida Catholic crossword puzzle is sponsored by:

Catholic Holy Family Society

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65 Root of the taro

DOWN1 One of the 122 Deliver a speech3 Texas diocese where the Alamo is found4 Maryland river5 Apportion6 It may be ordinary or extraordinary7 Writer Wiesel8 ___ Saints’ Day9 Fish eggs10 Medieval Catholic book: The ___ of Unknowing11 Foliage unit12 Aleutian island13 Cries from Homer Simpson21 A/C letters22 Architect Mies van der ___24 Aide (abbr.)25 Nuns’ vows26 Engrossed29 Antelope30 “___ in the highest…” 31 Jaguarundi32 Intend33 202, in ancient Rome34 Sudden assault38 Emperor of Russia39 Metal fastener41 Israel’s airline42 Jesus shared this with his apostles the night before he died46 Commandment that tells us to worship only God48 Good course for your GPA49 Gruesome50 Muse of lyric poetry51 Bad habit52 Road to the Colosseum53 Departs54 Competes57 Bank mach.58 Opus ___59 Summer drink

Even for the vast majority of tat-too recipients who have no con-nection with gangs or an indolent lifestyle, a psychological issue is raised by the way they seem to serve as marks of vanity. Placing tattoos in positions where they can hardly be missed — on the neck, the fore-arms, or even the face — can play into a disordered desire to be flam-boyant, disruptive and self-seeking with our bodily image. One young woman, tattooed with the image of a fairy having “stylized butterfly wings, in a spray of pussy willow” expressed her sentiments this way: “I am a shameless exhibitionist and truly love having unique marks on my body.”

These questions about van-ity lead to similar concerns about modesty. Modesty in its essential meaning involves the decision to not draw undue attention to our-selves. Tattoos and body piercings most definitely draw attention, and often may be desired for precisely these immodest reasons. We ought to dress modestly, in part, to prevent others from being attracted to us out of a mere “focus on body parts.”

One aspect of dressing modestly

From 15

TATTOOS

grew up in the temple. He became a priest and prophet. Samuel was the one sent by the Lord to anoint a shepherd boy and make him king. King David established the king-dom of Israel. His reign gave hope

to the people of God. They looked forward to a future Son of David to establish the reign of God. God’s plan to save his people was put in motion.

All this happened because Han-nah left Samuel there.

To take to prayer: What must you

leave with the Lord? n

Father Scotchie, pastor of St. Maxi-milian Kolbe Parish in Orlando, holds a Doctorate of Ministry in preaching from the Aquinas Institute in St. Louis. He can be reached at [email protected].

From 15SCOTCHIE

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Bishop Jason Gordon, Bishop of the Dioceses of Bridgetown, Barbados, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines “How do we Evangelize in a digital culture-civilization?”

National leaders will share invaluable technology resources for 21st Century innovation in your parish and school catechetical ministries through topics of:• Digital Discipleship Boot camp–Let’s Start with Ten Tools

• Social Networking for creating, collaborating and communicating communities

• Freeing the Inner Leader: How Interconnectivity Changes the World

• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) into the Parish Setting• and more...

IC 2013 co-locates with the Florida Educational Technol-ogy Conference (FETC) in order to benefit from over 200 learning sessions featuring current and emerging technologies, as well as best practices developed through research and experience. The FETC Expo showcases over 300 vendors offering new ideas as well as contacts for resources.Two CEUs from the University of Dayton are included in the registration.

January 28-31, 2013The Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at Sea World

Room Reservations • Special Conference Rate$111 per night rate is good until 1/5/2013 • 800-327-0363

28211-1221

is to make sure everything needing to be covered is, in fact, adequately covered. Placing tattoos in unusual positions on the body may tempt us to dress immodestly so as to assure that the tattoo is visible and exposed for general viewing, in the same way that elective breast augmentation may tempt some women to lower their necklines.

Tattoos, chosen as a permanent change to one’s own body, may also suggest issues with psychological self-acceptance. One young woman wanting to get a tattoo expressed her desire to look “edgier,” after concluding that she was just too “squeaky-clean” looking.

The simple beauty of the human body constitutes a real good and that basic goodness ought to be rea-sonably safeguarded. Permanent, radical changes to the human body can indeed signal an unwillingness to accept its fundamental goodness, and in certain cases of very radical tattooing and body piercing, one can even discern a subtle form of self-rejection and self-mutilation.

There is a spiritual dimension involved as well. Russell Grigaitis, who now regrets getting several tat-toos in his 20s, argues in a National Catholic Register interview, “God created the body. A tattoo is like putting graffiti on a work of art.” He

compares it with trying to improve a painting by Michelangelo.

Some argue that there can be good spiritual reasons for getting tattoos. For example, people have gotten crosses or an image of Jesus tattooed as a sign of permanent commitment to Christ, or a ring or a spouse’s name tattooed as a sign of their marital commitment. Yet isn’t a personal commitment to Christ or to one’s spouse more effectively manifested through the realities of inner virtue and a life of outward generosity than by a tattoo? It’s un-surprising that many who got tattoos in their younger days have grown to regret it later. Pop musician Robbie Williams remarked, “I wish it was like an Etch-a-Sketch where I can wipe them all out: it would be nice to have a pure, clean body again.” The American Academy of Derma-tology reported in 2007 that “tattoo regret” is now quite common in the United States. Tattoo removal is a costly and difficult procedure, and can leave translucent areas on the skin that never go away. The most effective remedy, of course, is to not seek tattoos in the first place. n

Father Pacholczyk, Ph.D. serves as the director of education at the Na-tional Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia (www.ncbcenter.org).

www.ncbcenter.org



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