Providence & the scandal of evil315 In the creation of the world and of man, God gave the first and universal witness to his almighty love and his wisdom, the first proclamation of the “plan of his loving goodness,” which finds its goal in the new creation in Christ.

The Catechism in brief

The Mirr rVol. LIII, No. 6 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD—CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI July 7, 2017

One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus

The next issue of The Mirror will be July 21, 2017.Experiencing delayed USPS delivery? Sign up to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format: Contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email: atoben@dioscg.org.

Inside this issueCCSOMO Executive Director nominated for Lumen Christi Awardp. 3

Natural Family Planning: Why & whatpp. 6-7

By Elise Harris Vatican City

In his prayer video for the month of July, Pope Francis has asked Christians to join him in praying for those who have strayed from

the faith, providing hope to them through the witness of our joy and actions.

“Let us never forget that our joy is Jesus Christ—his faithful and inexhaustible love,” the Pope says at the opening of the video, depicting a man in dark-colored clothing sitting on steps outside of a Church.

“When a Christian becomes sad, it means that he has distanced him-self from Jesus,” he says, stressing that “we must not leave him alone!”

Rather, “we should offer him Christian hope—with our words, yes, but more with our testimony, with our freedom, with our joy,” Francis says, as a second man, dressed in white, then walks out of the church and sits next to the man on the steps.

The video then shows several images of happy people, including a group smiling while receiving cat-echesis, youth dancing during World Youth Day, and hands praying the rosary.

At the close of the video, the Pope makes his appeal, saying “let us pray that our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the beauty of the Christian life.”

While Pope Francis is known for reaching out to those of other faiths, his intention this month hits closer to home, focusing on the need to pray not only for Christian unity, but for those who struggle with the faith or who have perhaps left the Church for one reason or another.

His prayer videos first launched during the Jubilee of Mercy and are part of an initiative of the Jesuit-run global prayer network Apostleship of Prayer. They are filmed in collaboration with the Vat-ican Television Center and the Argentinian marketing association La Machi.

The Apostleship of Prayer, which produces the monthly videos on the Pope’s intentions, was founded by Je-suit seminarians in France in 1884 to

encourage Christians to serve God and others through prayer, particularly for the needs of the Church.

Since the late 1800s, the organi-zation has received a monthly, “universal” intention from the Pope. In 1929, an additional missionary intention was added by the Holy Father, aimed at the faithful in particular.

Starting in January, rather than including a missionary inten-tion, Pope Francis has elected to have only one prepared prayer intention—the universal intention featured in the prayer video—and will add a second intention focused on an urgent or immediate need if one arises.

The prayer inten-tions typically highlight issues of importance not only for Pope Francis,

but for the world, such as families, the environment, the poor and homeless, Christians who are persecuted and youth. ©CNA

Pope dedicates July for prayer for those distant from the faith

July prayer video

www.dioscg.org

The Catechism of the Catholic Church compiles the living tradition of the Catholic Church and divides it into four sections: What Catholics believe (the Creed), how the faith is transmit-ted (worship and sacraments), how Catholics are called to live (moral life), and prayer.

2 The Mirror July 7, 2017COLUMN/DIOCESAN NEWS

In the early 1890s, pa-triotism in America was very low. The fires of the Civil War had been extin-

guished and there was a gen-eral cooling of any national sentiment. A Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy was thoroughly convinced that the nation needed a new awakening of national ardor and so he composed the “Pledge of Allegiance” to that end.

Bellamy believed that the best way to instill a love of country was to begin with America’s youth. And so he worked with the National Education Association. To-gether they campaigned to have President Harrison make the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in every

public school the centerpiece of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the New World. That day, October 12, 1892, gave birth to the hallowed ritual of saluting the flag with the Pledge of Al-legiance, thus reinforcing the biblical principles of liberty, equality and charity upon which America is founded.

On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower officially added the two very significant words “under God” to the Pledge of Alle-giance. The previous Febru-ary, he had gone to the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. He sat in the very same pew in which President Lincoln sat when he attended ser-vices. Eisenhower heard a

powerful sermon delivered by the pastor, George MacPher-son Docherty. And, he was inspired to add those two words.

In speaking about the Pledge of Allegiance in his sermon, Docherty said, “There was something miss-ing in this pledge, and that which was missing was the characteristic and definitive factor in the American way of life. Indeed…this could be a pledge of any republic…” And so the pastor added the very phrase that President Lincoln had added to his Get-tysburg address. In delivering that address, Lincoln inserted the phrase “under God” when he said “that the na-tion shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom.” Those two profoundly significant words, now in our Pledge of Allegiance, express the fun-damental conviction of our Founding Fathers that God’s

just providence rules over all people and guarantees their rights.

Today, the unity of our country is sorely tested. Political speech is reaching a new low of dis-respect for others. There are constant protests against authority. Students feel free to walk out on speakers with whom they disagree. There is no tolerance for the views of oth-ers. Comedians with politically-fired quips keep stoking hatred and anger. And, the result is the tragic loss of basic civil-ity and respect.

Furthermore, on very fundamental issues, we are a nation divided.

The Pledge of Allegiance:America’s need of a reawakening

GUEST COLUMNBp. Arthur Serratelli

Many do not hold to the sa-credness of life, the freedom of religion, the Creator’s de-sign for marriage, and charity

toward the needy and the stranger among us. Is it not fair to question whether or not our unity as a nation has been shattered by those who at-tempt to refashion our society on hu-man ideas without any reference to God’s providence? For America to truly become “one nation, under God, indivisible, with justice for all,” we need a reawaken-ing of faith in the public forum. ©CNA

Bishop Serratelli is the bishop of Paterson, New Jersey.

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary

of the Miracle of FatimaBishop Edward M. Rice will celebrate Mass and lead the rosary at the following parishes to commemorate the remaining five months of the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima. At each location, the rosary will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Mass at 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 13, St. Eustachius Parish, Portageville

Saturday, Aug. 19, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Mansfield

Wednesday, Sept. 13, Ste. Marie de Lac Parish, Ironton

Friday, Oct. 13, St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FATIMA—Father Joji Vin-cent, Bp. Edward M. Rice, Fr. J. Friedel, and Fr. Colby Elbert on the steps of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Joplin, after the rosary and liturgy June 12 in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima. (The Mirror)

‘Under God,’ in the Pledge of Allegiance, expresses the fundamental conviction that God’s just providence rules over all people and guarantees their rights.

July 7, 2017 The Mirror 3DIOCESAN NEWS

Public calendarTue., July 11 Camp Re-NEW-All,5 p.m. Roaring River State Park,

Cassville, MOWed., July 12 Catholic Man Night,6:30 p.m. St. John Parish, Leopold, MOThu., July 13 Mass at the Southeast

Correctional Center, Charleston, MO;

6:30 p.m. 100th Fatima Rosary & Mass, St. Eustachius Parish, Portageville, MO

Fri., July 14 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

10 a.m. Mass for volunteers, O’Reilly Catholic Student Center, Springfield ;

6:45 p.m. Keynote address, Eucharistic Adoration, JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Sat., July 15 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

9:15 a.m. Celebrant at Mass, JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Sun., July 16 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

10:15 a.m Closing Mass, JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Fri., July 21 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

6:45-10 p.m. Keynote address, general session, Eucharistic adoration , JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Sat., July 22 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

9:15 a.m. Celebrant at Mass, JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Sun., July 23 STEUBENVILLE YOUTH CONFERENCE

10:15 a.m. Celebrant at Mass, JQH Arena, Missouri State University

Fri., July 28 The Catholic Center staff Mass, luncheon, Bishop Rice’s birthday

Sun., July 30 Masses, Our Lady of the8 & 10:30 a.m. Lake Parish, Branson

July prayer intention: May Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose feast we celebrate July 16, always protect us, guide us, and bring us closer to her son.

COME, AND YOU WILL SEEBp. Edward M. Rice

Models of discipleship

SPANISH IMMERSION—Bishop Ed-ward M. Rice popped in to visit dioce-san seminarians Nicholas Newton and Daniel Belken at Pittsburgh State Uni-versity. The young men are participat-ing in a Spanish immersion program this summer in Kansas. (The Mirror)

The Roman Martyrology an-nounces the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in the following words: “At Rome,

the birthday of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, who suffered under the Emperor Nero. In this city, the former was fastened to a cross, head downwards, buried in the Vatican, and honored by all the world; the latter was beheaded and buried on the road leading to Ostia and received the same honor.”

In Rome, this feast has been compared to a “second Easter.” It was the birth of Christian Rome and marked the triumph of Christ’s vic-tory over paganism.

Peter was first known as Simon. Christ Himself gave him the name Peter, the Rock. Born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, he was a fisherman. Along with his brothers, John and Andrew, Peter was among Jesus’ first disciples.

After the miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee Peter left wife, family, and occupation to take his place as leader of the Twelve. From that moment, he was continually at Jesus’ side. In Matthew Chapter 16, he is given the keys to the kingdom and in John 16 Peter speaks on behalf of the Twelve. He was favored to witness the raising of Jairus’ daugh-ter, to be at the Transfigura-tion, and at the agony in the garden. He was the first to preach about the Risen Jesus in the Acts of the Apostles, at Pentecost and received the first converts into the Church. Peter was the first bishop of Rome and Antioch, authored two letters, and culminated his life with martyrdom, be-ing crucified upside down. And, this same man put his foot into his mouth con-stantly. He was very often like a bull in a china closet, hasty in both action and words. He would have benefitted from the old adage, “Think before you speak.” And of course, Peter denied Our Lord three times. Still, his triple denial was over-come by his triple profession of faith, “Do you love me? … you know I love you … Feed my lambs. …” In the end, for all Peter’s faults, his actions spoke louder than his words.

Similarly, Paul, known as Saul, was not without his faults. A convert, one who participated in the stoning of St. Stephen, Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin and raised in the strict Jewish party of the Pharisees; He was a Roman citizen. Paul was a tent maker by trade and never saw Our Lord during His earthly life. Paul led the persecutions against the Christians until, by the grace of God, he was

converted to the faith after a mystical experience.

Paul is the great missionary. Too many to detail, but his influence can be noted in Cyprus, Asia Minor, Jerusalem, back to Asia Minor, into Europe, Greece to the cities of Phil-lippi, Thessalonia, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. Imprisoned for two years, shipwrecked on the Island of Malta, Paul finally returned to Rome

where he was taken prisoner and beheaded in the year 67. His letters contain some of the most inspiring verses of Scripture. Consider Galatians 2, “I have been crucified with Christ. I live now not I but Christ lives in me;” or 2 Tim-othy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” There are so many others.

What can we learn from these two men? First, when you have encountered Jesus, your life is never the same. Up becomes down and down

becomes up. Once we’ve encountered Christ, we can never go back to our old way of life, which challenges many of us today. Maybe we have “tamed” the Gospel and do not let it call us to a more radical following of Christ. We think, “I will follow Christ when it is convenient for me.” And when it costs us, when we have to “pay a price” for discipleship—no thanks!

Second, neither Paul or Peter earned their faith. It was a free gift of grace from God. God offers that same gift to each of us. He does not with-hold it from any of us. Sometimes people will say, well, if faith is a gift, the Good Lord didn’t give the gift to me, as if to say they are off the hook. No, God offers the gift to all—it is up

to each individual to unwrap that gift, accept that gift, and treasure it.

Third, Peter and Paul had a role to play in the early Church. Each of us, too, has a role to play in the Church today. The Church is “ever ancient, ever new.” It has survived wars, persecutions, and internal scandals. How, why? It has survived because it is divine. Guided by the Holy Spirit, using frail, sinful humans, the Church has and will continue to make mistakes and continue to pro-claim the Good News. In other words, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

May each of us be great mission-aries, in word and deed and in faith.

Lumen Christi Award

I would like to congratulate Maura Taylor, Executive Direc-tor of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri (CCSOMO), for recently being nominated for Catholic Extension’s 2017-2018 Lu-men Christi Award (“Light of Christ”). This annual award is given to indi-viduals who have demonstrated how the power of faith can transform lives and communities in the most under-resourced dioceses in the US.

As many of you know, CCSOMO is our lead agency in working with the poor in southern Missouri. We have an estimated 67,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and we should therefore have 67,000 supporters of the work of Catholic Charities.

Since the 2011 tornado in Jop-lin, Catholic Charities has expanded its services, fulfilling its mission of “reaching out, providing hope, and changing lives.” With offices in Jop-lin, Springfield, Van Buren, Sikeston, and Cape Girardeau, the work of Catholic Charities stretches through-out the diocese. Most recently, Cath-olic Charities has responded to the needs of spring flood victims, offering hope to those who lost everything. From meeting the needs of the devel-opmentally disabled, disaster pre-paredness, homelessness prevention, home repair, housing and financial counseling, income tax assistance, cri-sis maternity services, mental health counseling, pregnancy and parenting support, and services for veterans, every Catholic can be proud of the great work accomplished by CCSOMO on a daily basis; every Catholic should support the work of Catholic Chari-ties! Congratulations to Maura and the entire staff at CCSOMO. ©TM

Maura Taylor

Each of us has a role to play in the Church of today.

4 The Mirror July 7, 2017

The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. EidsonProduction: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, atoben@dioscg.org

Published every other week except the last week in December at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143; Telephone (417) 866-0841; FAX (417) 866-1140; Email atoben@dioscg.org

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish.Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. LIII No. 6 July 7, 2017 Single copy price, $0.50 Subscription: $14 per year.

Digital subscriptions available as an option to USPS delivery with paid subscription. For more information, contact atoben@dioscg.org.Copyright © 2016, The Mirror, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: www.dioscg.org

“Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau” @DioSCG

ADULT FAITH

A colleague and I recently led a Making Disciples Institute, and about half of the participants had been involved with catechumenate ministry for five years or

less. One of the consistent comments we heard was how overwhelming the process seemed to be.

And it’s true. If you look at the whole scope of what the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults expects of the seekers, the catechists, the RCIA team members, and the parish, it’s a lot to take in. Discipleship is an enormous concept.

I am a big fan of breaking big concepts down into small, manageable ideas. When I was learning to ski, one of my instructors took me up to the top of a mountain. He told me to look down at the bottom of the mountain and asked me how I felt. I was terrified. Then he told me to look down at my skis and to look past them about three feet into the snow and down the mountain. He said just think about getting down about three feet. And after that, another three feet. And then another three feet. Easy!

We can think of managing the RCIA process in the same way. What is a small thing the parish can do right now that isn’t overwhelm-ing? What will move, your RCIA team, your seek-ers, and your parish three feet closer to effective discipleship? Here are a few things I thought of:

Discipleship(Choose one or two of these for the first

three feet.)• Add one prayer to your prayer routine. If

you don’t have a prayer routine, say one prayer before you pour your morning coffee.

• Thank a wait person or cashier by name. If they aren’t wearing a name tag, ask their name.

• Forgive someone. If you can’t, then pray for the strength to forgive in the future.

• Read the next Sunday’s Gospel before Sunday.

• Fast from meat this Friday.

RCIA team’s discipleship(Choose one or two of these for the first

three feet.)• As a team (just the team; no seekers),

share reflections on last Sunday’s Gospel.• Reflect together on para-

graphs four and five of the RCIA.• Commit to reading a spiri-

tual book over the next month.• Share a meal together.

During the meal, each team member shares something he or she is deeply grateful for.

• Choose one aspect of the RCIA process the team wants to improve on over the next 30 days.

Seekers’ discipleship(Choose one or two of these for the first

three feet.)• Ask seekers to commit to daily prayer.• Ask seekers to commit to weekly Sunday

Mass.• Ask seekers where they saw God this

week.• Ask seekers to commit to one of the works

of mercy this week.• Ask seekers to forgive someone this week.

Or, if they can’t, to pray for the strength to for-give in the future.

Parish’s discipleship(Choose one or two of these for the first

three feet.)• Provide picture cards of the seekers in the

parish, and ask each parishioner to take one and pray for that seeker.

• Ask the parishioners to sacrifice some-thing this week (even though it’s not Lent).

• Ask the parishioners to donate this week to a cause that will relieve poverty.

• Ask the parishioners to commit to one of the works of mercy this week.

• Ask each parishioner to forgive some-one this week. Or, if they can’t, to pray for the strength to forgive in the future. ©TM

Wagner is a member of TeamRCIA. This article is reprinted with permission.

Nick Wagner and TeamRCIAwill be in our diocese on

Feb. 9-10, 2018An RCIA workshop, “Making Disciples,” will be held Friday evening and Saturday at Holy Trinity Parish in Springfield. It will be simulcast to St. Mary Parish in West Plains and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau.

Registration is $25 and can be made through the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis by Email:

rbarnhart@dioscg.org or calling (417) 866-0841.

The registration form is also available on the diocesan Website www.dioscg.org.

Move the RCIA process just three feetTEAMRCIANick Wagner

Bringing Christ to othersHave you experienced the beautiful liturgy

held on Holy Saturday, where new men, wom-en, and families fully enter the membership of the Catholic Church? The congregation cele-brates with them as they join the family of faith, further expanding the Body of Christ. However, their journey to the Catholic Church and our Lord began long before that celebration. On Holy Saturday, these men and women have reached the culmination of a process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). They have spent months reading, dis-cussing, and learning about all of the riches of the Catholic faith. As a welcoming community of believers, each of us is part of that process: We are the ones who share our faith experiences with others, maybe inviting them to Mass and inquiry sessions. Many of us join them on the journey “officially” by being a sponsor or teach-er in RCIA, and all of us have certainly prayed for them as they become engaged in ongoing activities in our parishes and ministries.

This witness, this “evangelization,” is not a one-way endeavor. We, too, can become ener-gized by their witness and stories of how God touches their hearts and lives. Over the next few months, The Mirror will be publishing a series of articles about the RCIA process. The articles will describe some practical ways each of us can be a part of building up the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church of Southern Missouri. ©TM

DISCIPLESHIP—What will move you and the parish closer to effective discipleship? Be-ing intentional and deliberate about even one small act this next week can be life-giving and life-changing for the entire faith community. (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror)

July 7, 2017 The Mirror 5ANNOUNCEMENTS/ADVERTISING

AnnouncementsParishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events

to be printed in the Announcements. They will be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.

Branson—Our Lady of the Lake Parish seeks vendors for its annual Arts and Crafts Festival, Fri., Oct. 13-Sun., Oct. 15. There will be space for 40 inside booths with space also available outside. Vendor information and exhibitor applications are available Online at www.OLLBranson.com. Applications, including the booth rental fee of $50, must be received by Sept. 1, 2017. For additional information, contact Janet Bostnick at (417) 230-6060, or Joyce Arnold at (417) 334-2928, ext. 103, or OLLBranson@suddenlinkmail.com.

Cape Girardeau—Saint Padre Pio Emerg-ing Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet at Saint Francis Medical Center, Sat., Aug. 12. Prayer in the chapel at 8:30 a.m., followed by fraternity meeting in the St. Agatha Conference Room. Learn how you can live the call of “Gospel to Life, Life to Gospel” in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. For more information, contact Shawn As-mus, OFS, (573) 204-7688, or follow us on Face-book at https://www.facebook.com/padrepiocape/.

Kelso—St. Joseph Parish, Scott City and St. Augustine Parish, Kelso, will join together in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Fatima by going to confession, Mass, Com-munion, and praying the rosary before Mass to honor our Blessed Mother, on the five first Saturdays through October: Next date, Aug. 5. The celebration will be at St. Augustine Parish with the rosary at 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 8 a.m.; confessions before Mass. For more information, contact Harmon Presswood at rangerpresswood@att.net

Lebanon—St. Francis de Sales Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW), will host its 37th annual luncheon with an entrée of meat-balls/sweet BBQ, Wed., July 12, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in the Family Center. Open to the public, tickets can be purchased at the door. Adult: $7; child: $3; carry-outs available. For more informa-tion, call the church office, (417) 532-4811.

Republic—Sixth Annual Bluegrass and Barbeque to benefit Republic Pregnancy Resource Center will be held Fri., Aug. 4, at the Republic Community Center, 711 E. Miller Road. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.; music at 6:30 p.m.; ends at 8:30 p.m. Silent auction, 5:30-8:00 p.m. For more information, contact Mary Jack-son, director@republicprc.org, or call (417) 732-5993.

Springfield—The Secular Franciscan group will meet, Sat., July 29, beginning with lunch at noon (optional), then at 1 p.m. in the day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. Contact for new inquirers is Steve Moncher, stevemoncher@gmail.com, or call (417) 861-2109.

Springfield—Sacred Heart Parish will hold a Garage Sale, Fri., July 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sat., July 29, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. We are looking for good usable items such as small working appliances, clothing, shoes, household items, etc.: NO large appliances. Items may be dropped off at the parish office Mon., July 24-Thu., July 27. All proceeds will benefit the parish. For more information contact the church office at (417) 869-3646.

Springfield—Missouri Right to Life needs volunteers to staff its booth at the Ozark Empire Fair, July 27-Aug. 5. The theme this year is, “Show Me Life” and will feature the baby’s development in the womb (nine days to nine months). Volunteer training and distribution of tickets will be Sat., July 22, 7-9 p.m. at the Library Center. For more information, contact Carl Schimek, (417) 725-9444 or (417) 496-1235.

Springfield—A Rosary Rally will be held at 7-8 p.m.,Thu., July 13, in front of Planned Parenthood, 626 E. Battlefield, marking the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima. For more information, contact Mark Kiser at (417) 986-9507, or thkise66@yahoo.com.

ScheduleThe next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations:

Tue., July 11 4:30-7:30 p.m. . . . . . . . .St. Peter the Apostle, JoplinSun., July 16 2-5 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Holy Trinity, AuroraTue., July 18 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Lawrence, Monett (Spanish)Sat., July 22 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . .St. Vincent de Paul, Cape GirardeauWed., Aug. 2 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sacred Heart, Mountain GroveSat., Aug. 5 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Ann, Carthage, (Spanish)Tue., Aug. 8 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Joseph, Scott CityWed., Aug. 9 8:30-11:30 a.m. . . . . . . .St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, SpringfieldSun., Aug. 13 1-4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Our Lady of the Lake, BransonTue., Aug. 29 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .McAuley Catholic High School, Joplin Pre-registration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org and click on “registration” on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Rosie Francka at The Catholic Center, (417) 866-0841; or Email her at rfrancka@dioscg.org. Participants must be present for the entire training. Training sessions are for adults only. Schedules may be found on the diocesan events calendar at www.dioscg.org, or at www.virtus.org.

In order to better involve the young in preparations for the

2018 Synod of Bishops on Youth, the Vatican has released an

Online questionnaire to better understand the lives, attitudes,

and concerns of 16- to 29-year olds. The questionnaire—avail-

able in English, Spanish—can be found on the synod’s official

site: youth.synod2018.va and is open to any young person,

regardless of faith or religious belief. Here is the Web address

for the survey in English or Spanishhttps://survey-synod2018.glauco.it/limesurvey/index.php/147718

VATICAN Releases ONLINE QUESTIONNAIREfor Youth, ages 16-29

Cursillo promotes Catholics growing in holiness and personal spiritual development. The focus is on individuals becoming effective Christian leaders and taking what they have learned back into their home, work, and community.

Attention all Cursillistas and those interested in attending a Cursillo weekend! There is a woman’s weekend coming up on Nov. 9-12 and a men’s weekend on Nov. 30-Dec. 3 being held at Pinecrest Camp and Conference Center near Fredricktown, MO. If you are interested, the applications, sponsor forms, and more information about Cursillo in Southern Missouri is available at http://dioscg.org/index.php/cursillo2/.

For more information please contact Sharon Essner at smessner735@sbcglobal.net, (573) 334-0373 or Jacque Markusic at jpmarkusic@me.com, (417) 496-8288.

St. George Parish and School in Linn, MO, a parish of 500 families and a school of 170 children, seek a full-time Director of Music. Responsibilities include oversight of the music program, training and scheduling of musicians and cantors, director of the adult and youth choirs, serving as accompanist or choir director for weekend Masses, teaching music in the school, and other duties. Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in music, music education or a comparable field; competent organ and piano skills; experience directing both traditional and contemporary liturgical music; and knowledge of current Catholic worship rituals. Applicants must be able to work effectively with volunteers and have strong pastoral, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and letters of reference by Aug. 1, 2017 to:

St. George Parish, Director of Music Search PO Box 49, Linn, MO 65051

For a complete job description, call (573) 897-2293 or Email lgrellner@saint-george-parish.org.

Director of Music

6 The Mirror July 7, 2017DIOCESAN NEWS

By Theresa Notare

When it comes to sex and birth control, you may have heard that the Catholic Church

says a resounding “NO!” This myth couldn’t be further from the truth. Catholic teaching on love, sex, and “responsible parenthood” is a re-sounding “YES!”—to God’s plan for men and women.

Natural family planning is part of this “Yes” because it respects God’s plan for married love. Let’s take a look.

God’s plan for married loveGod designed married love to

be total, fruitful, faithful, and exclu-sive. It mirrors God’s own Trinitarian love. This means that husband and wife offer themselves to each other as a gift. There is no “taking” here, just “offering” and “receiving.”

There is no exclusion of God’s gifts, like denying God’s will, the nature of marriage, one’s person or fertility. Anything that counters the meaning and integrity of the marital act and God’s call for life is avoided (e.g, artificial contraception, steriliza-tion, pornography, in vitro fertiliza-tion, or surrogacy).

God willed that married love involves the entire person, includ-ing reason, a well-formed conscience in God’s truth, and fertility. It also means that husband and wife under-stand that openness to new human life is not an “add on” but an essen-tial element of married life—indeed God himself entrusted husband and wife with the gift of life.

This is true whether a couple is

which occurs only within a 12-hour to 24-hour period) and that of the man’s fertility (sperm, which can live in a fertile woman’s body for up to five days).

When a woman is fertile, her re-productive hormones will send mes-sages that yield specific and observ-able signs. Recognizing the pattern of those physical signs forms the basis for most NFP methods.

NFP methodologyNFP methods provide guidelines

to help couples pinpoint their “fertile window.”

Most methods teach couples how to track this information. How well a couple follows their method’s guidelines will deter-mine the effectiveness. When a couple discerns that God is call-ing them to conceive, they may use the fertile window for conju-gal relations.

Conversely, when spouses discern that it is time to avoid a pregnancy, they will abstain from sex during this time. Periodic sex-ual abstinence is the NFP means to avoid a pregnancy. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are ever used.

Does NFP work?Any couple can use NFP.

The key is to learn the method well, be aware of your family plan-ning intention (achieving or avoid-ing pregnaWWncy), cooperate with each other and apply the guidelines consistently.

NFP does not depend upon a woman having regular menstrual cycles. That said, sometimes couples may need help when they can’t easily interpret their fertile signs or are in a special reproductive circumstance, such as breastfeeding. In those cases, diocesan NFP teachers can assist.

When looking for an NFP method to learn, you should know

Natural Family Planning: Why & what

MARITAL GIFTS OF NFP—Javi-er and Gretchen Mena of Sterling Heights, MI, who volunteer their time to teach others about natural fam-ily planning in the Archdiocese of Detroit, share a moment with their 19-month-old son, Javier Jr. All NFP methods require a period of absti-nence for couples avoiding pregnancy. (CNS photo/Joe Kohn, The Michigan Catholic)

❤NFP Awareness

Week

July 23-27, 2017

METHODOLOGY—Dr. Anne Nolte, founder of the National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility in New York that special-izes in natural family planning, chats with a patient. NFP is the general title for the scientific and moral methods of family plan-ning that can help married couples either achieve or postpone a pregnancy. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

NFP ResourcesFor more information on

natural family planning, visit the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Website: www.usccb.org/nfp/index.cfm

To learn about the sympto-thermal method, visit the Couple to Couple League’s website: https://ccli.org/

To learn about the Billings Ovulation Method and take Online classes, visit: https://learnnfponline.com/

To learn the Creighton Model and find fertility care centers, visit: http://www.fertilitycare.org/

To read about NFP methods that use hormonal tests (sympto-hormonal) like the Marquette method, see: http://nfp.marquette.edu

To watch a video series on marital love and responsible parenthood, available in Spanish and English, visit: http://www.loveandparenthood.com/

For a summary of Catholic teaching on the moral prohibition of some assisted reproductive technologies see: www.usccb.org/nfp/catholic-teaching/upload/Life-Giving-Love-in-an-Age-of-Technology-2009-2.pdf

fertile or not. When discerning if God is calling them to bring new life into the world, this also means that married couples ought not treat it casually.

What does all this have to do with natural family planning (NFP)? Catholic teaching on the nature of human sexuality, mar-riage, conjugal love, and respon-sible parenthood reflects God’s loving design.

The significance of NFP is that it is the instrument to help husband and wife live that reality. NFP respects God’s plan, doing nothing to obstruct his design. That is why the Church supports NFP use in marriage.

NFP scienceNFP is the general title for the

scientific and moral methods of fam-ily planning that can help married couples either achieve or postpone a pregnancy. NFP methods provide fertility education that is informative and practical.

The facts of human reproduc-tion form the basis of all NFP meth-ods. Specifically, NFP methods at-tempt to identify the fertile window of husband and wife.

The fertile window is the com-bination of information about the woman’s day of fertility (ovulation,

July 7, 2017 The Mirror 7DIOCESAN NEWS

Cape Girardeau

The annual Catholic Scouting Awards ceremony was held in Old St. Vincent Chapel of Ease, Cape Girardeau, on May 2, with Fr. Allan Saunders, pastor, presenting the awards to the youth. The Scouts receiving Catholic Scouting awards included youth who were from St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral Parish and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Gi-

rardeau, Immaculate Conception Parish in Jackson and St. Paul the Apostle Parish in North Little Rock. Father Patrick Nwokoye is the Diocesan Chaplain for Catholic Scouting. ©TM

Annual Scouting Awards

PARVULI DEI—Scouts re-ceiving the Parvuli Dei (Chil-dren of God) Award from Fr. Saunders were Nathaniel Harris and Jonathan Rosen-quist. The Parvuli Dei is de-signed to help the Scout dis-cover the presence of God in his daily life, to develop a good positive self-image, and to aid him in his awareness of the responsibilities that grow out of God’s love for him. (The Mirror)

FAMILY OF GOD—The Fam-ily of God program helps chil-dren discover the presence of God in their lives as mem-bers of their families and the parish. It is designed to help children know how special they are, how they belong, and how they can help their family and God’s family. Katherine Godbey received this award from Fr. Allan Saunders. (The Mirror)

LIGHT OF CHRIST—Cub Scouts receiving the Light of Christ Award from Fr. Saunders were Edward God-bey and Jacob Limbaugh. The Light of Christ award helps the Scout develop a personal relationship with Jesus. With the active as-sistance and participation of parents in this program, the Scout will come to see Je-sus as a real person and his friend. (The Mirror)

AD ALTARE DEI—The purpose of the Ad Altare Dei (to the Altar of God) program is to help Catholic Boy Scouts develop a fully Christian way of life in the faith community. The program is organized in chap-ters based on the seven Sacraments. The seven Sacra-ments are a primary means toward spiritual growth. Scouts that received the award from Fr. Saunders were: (first row) Parker Nugent and Noel Keran; (sec-ond row) Sean Murphy, Hayden Morrill, Drew Barber, Colby Bunger, and Nathan Sadler. Not pictured: Ben-ton Keran. (The Mirror)

Natural Family Planning: Why & what

It’s a common misconception that the Catholic Church requires married couples to have an unlimited number of children.

that there is no “best method.” All NFP methods are based on solid sci-ence. Choosing a method depends upon how much fertility information a couple needs and can live with!

Who’s who?Each NFP system is

organized according to the information that they teach.

There are methods that teach how to inter-pret only the cervical mucus sign. Others teach multiple fertility signs (sympto-thermal). Still others are called sympto-hormonal because they include information from a fertility monitor. And a few do not teach the signs of fertility but instead rely upon mathematical for-mulas of real NFP charts.

In the United States, there are a number of NFP provid-ers. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops Website provides a list of

these providers (www.usccb.org/nfp/awareness-week/nfp-providers.cfm).

Give NFP a chance!NFP provides sound fertility

education. It is environ-mentally safe and has no harmful side effects. NFP education is also economi-cal. Most providers charge fees for instruction and any resources—that’s it!

Most important, NFP respects God’s plan for marriage. It promotes spousal respect, chastity, and mindfulness of God’s will. It may not always be easy, but if a couple per-severes, NFP can help to strengthen their relation-ship with each other and God. ©CNS

Theresa Notare is the assistant director, Natural

Family Planning Program of the Secre-tariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and

Youth at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

On the Web: DioSCG.org

* NFP helps us communicate, beings us closer to God, couples say

* Natural family planning and sacred responsibility

* Children as a gift for humanity

* Man and woman in the Gospel—marriage

NFP AWARENESS WEEKBishop Edward M. Rice will launch NFP Awareness Week with a

Mass on Sun., July 23, at 5 p.m., in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. This year’s theme is, “It’s Time! Say ‘Yes’ to God’s Plan for Married Love.” For more information, contact Nick Lund-Molfese in the dioce-san Office of Family Life, nlund-molfese@dioscg.org, or (417) 866-0841.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND in Kansas City

Do you ever wonder what happened to the fireworks? Want more “sparkle” in your marriage? Attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend in KC on July 28-30 and rediscover the glow you had as new-lyweds! For more information or to apply, please visit: www.wwme4y-ouandme.org or call Tony & Barb Zimmerman, (816) 741-4066, or Email tonybarbz@prodigy.net

8 The Mirror July 7, 2017DIOCESAN NEWS

It’s Time! Say ‘Yes’ to God’s Plan for Married Love

National NFP Awareness Week: JULY 23-29, 2017

Bishop Edward M. Rice will launch the beginning of Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Awareness Week with a Mass on Sun., July 23, at 5 p.m., St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. This year’s theme is, “It’s Time! Say ‘Yes’ to God’s Plan for Married Love.”

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlights the anniversary of the papal en-

cyclical “Humanae Vitae” (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about the gifts of human sexuality, conjugal love, and responsible parenthood; and the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

National NFP Awareness Week provides an opportunity to:—spread the word about Catholic teaching on marriage, the gifts of conjugal love, and

responsible parenthood;—share basic information about the methods of NFP;—explain why these methods support God’s design for life, love, and the couples involved.

NFP TEACHERS needed in the DioceseThe Office of Family Life is actively seeking couples interested in being Natural Family Plan-

ning teachers. We have only two active teaching couples in the entire Church of Southern Mis-souri. We will cover all the costs involved in training and certifying new couples willing to make this loving commitment to families in our diocese. Interested persons should contact Nick Lund-Molfese in the Diocesan Office of Family Life, nlund-molfese@dioscg.org, or (417) 866-0841.

Positions in JoplinDaycare School Teacher wanted for 2017-18 at St. Mary School, Joplin. Appropriate certification required; Catholic preferred. Please send Email resumes to Georgiana McGriff at gmcgriff@jacss.org.

Positions open in KelsoSt. Augustine School in Kelso, Missouri is accepting applications for the following positions for 2017-18 school year: Grades 6-8 Science/Religion Teacher, part-time Cook (3-days per week, approx. 12 hours/week) and part-time Custodial/Maintenance position(3-4 hours per day, M-F). Interested individuals should contact Dr. Gerald Landewee at glandewee@stakelso.eduk12.net.

Positions open in Pierce City St. Mary School in Pierce City is looking for the following positions for the 2017-2018 school year: Elementary Teacher Aide, 5 hours a day, Tue.-Thu. mornings; Qualifications for the teacher: Bachelor’s Degree in Education, knowledgeable of current teaching practices, practicing Catholic (preferred, not required). Active in parish/church, love for children, kind, compassionate person. Ability to work as a team player. Contact Judy Harper, Principal at judy.harper@stmarys-piercecity.org.

Full-time Pastoral Associate/Director of Religious Education, St. Joseph Parish, Springfield The Pastoral Associate will cooperate with the pastor in general ministry within the parish, working with parish leaders and established groups, assisting with liturgy planning, family counseling, and making pastoral visits. The DRE (Director of Religious Education) will lead the faith formation programs in the parish—Small Groups, RCIA, and Parish School of Religion (PSR). Key tasks includemaking schedules, recruiting, training, and supporting leaders/catechists, and meeting with parents for sacramental preporation. Friendliness, knowledge of and loving practice of the Catholic Faith are prerequisites. Good organizational and communication skills are a must; computer and technology skills essential. Related college degree required, Master’s degree and catechetical experience preferred. Send resumes to stjosephspmo@yahoo.com.

Employment opportunities in the dioceseCamp Smokey in Cassville—Critical Staffing Need

Session 5C (July 23-28)Nurse

We need your help!

Applications are available on the diocesan Website: www.dioscg.orgFor more information please contact Katie Newton, knewton@dioscg.org or call (417) 866-0841.

Pondering life as a Sister?The Sisters of the Living Word, the Chicago Archdiocesan Vocation Association (CAVA), and Sacred Heart Southern Mis-sions (SHSM) are jointly hosting:

Hands-ON + Hearts-INA discernment experience for women in Holly Springs, Mississippi

2017 Dates: August 29- Sept. 1 • September 18-22

Accompanied by Vocation Ministers, the Monday through Friday experience provides a hands-on opportunity to assist those in need while discerning life as a sister. Attendees will reside with sisters from various communities. Service projects include:

• tutoring children • assisting at a food pantry • cleaning homes for the elderly • repairing damaged homes • serving meals at a soup kitchen.

The only costs to attend are the travel to and from Mississippi.

Applicants need to book a spot one month prior to the start of a week-long event. To learn more about this opportunity to discern life as a sister, contact: Sr. Sharon Glumb, SLW, sglumb@slw.org; (847) 577-5972 ext. 233 (office); (601) 291-6738 (cell).

July 7, 2017 The Mirror 9DIOCESAN NEWS

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

100th Year Ice Cream SocialSaturday, July 15, 2017

5:30 - 9 p.m.308 S. Spruce St., Conway, MO

Hamburgers, hotdogs,Cake and home-made ice cream

Games and prizesHome-made baked goods, silent auction

Fun for all ages!!!

Job opening at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri

www.ccsomo.org

VISTA in collaboration with CCSOMODisaster Resilience AmeriCorps VISTA—Based in Springfield, MO. Join our team in helping non-English speaking people become ready for the next disaster. Build your professional skills in working with community groups and local emergency management. Bilingual in Spanish required. Go to www.ccsomo.org/employment tab for more information on the AmeriCorps Vista program and how to apply.

For complete job descriptions and to apply, visit www.ccsomo.org/employment.

Annual Glennonville Picnic

Sat., July 29, 2017Southern Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork

Potatoes, Gravy, Cole Slaw, Corn, Green Beans, Homemade Desserts$10 Adults and $5 Children (6-12) • Serving from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; carry-outs from 3-5 p.m.

Miss Heartland Pageant Pedal Tractor Races Contact Alison Davis (573) 217-8812 or begin at 11 a.m. (Ages 0-13) Lindsey Anderson (573) 217-8217 Contact Amanda Bader (573) 776-5545

Horseshoe TournamentContact Stan Bader (573) 328-4914

For more information call (573) 328-4544

St. Lawrence Parish, New Hamburg, MO

Fri., July 14, 5-11:30 p.m. & Sat., July 15, 3-11:30 p.m.• Hamburgers • Fish sandwiches • Curly fries

• Funnel cakes • Ice cream • BeveragesContestsLittle Mr./Mrs. New Hamburg Fri., July 14, 7:30 p.m. (parishoiners & relatives, ages 3-5)Heartland Talent Sat., July 15, 2 p.m. (info: (573) 979-2291)

TournamentsHorseshoe Sat., July 15, 1 p.m.

More funTurtle Races Sat., July 15, 6 p.m. (bring your own turtle)Kid’s Tractor Pull Sat., July 15, 7 p.m.Antique Tractor Display (to show, (573) 545-3265)

SmorgasborgSat., July 15, 4-7 p.m.

MassSat., July 15, 4 p.m.

10 The Mirror July 7, 2017

Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral HomeLocally-owned & operated u Dedicated u Caring u Professional

Offices of the Catholic Cemeteries

Paul & Lynn WunderlichDavid Fenton • Louis Lohmeyer • Charlene Harris-Bengsch

Gene Lohmeyer • Mary Ann Johnston • Joel Champ

500 E. Walnut - Springfield, MO (417) 862-4433www.hhlohmeyer.com

PO Box 1332Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

(573) 335-6443

Columbia Construction Co.

DIOCESAN NEWS

Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc.Brentwood Chapel • University Chapel Crematory • Columbarium

Licensed funeral directors of distinction:Bill M. Abbott W. Bruce Howell Marquis Howell, Jr.Robert Lohmeyer Harley R. WilliamsDon R. Lohmeyer Clint W. MeaseMarquis Howell, Sr. Angela N. CollinsHeather K. Howell Winford R. Laster

Locally owned and operated for over 50 years

1947 E. Seminole, Springfield MO 65804(417) 886-9994 • fax (417) 886-9996, gormanscharpf@mchsi.com

Priests—JuneFr Joseph Do Ba AiFr. John Gagnepain, CMFr. Francis Wendling, OFMFr. Oliver ClavinFr. Peter MorciniecFr. Mitchell WilkFr. Paul McLoughlinFr. Mark BinderFr. Fergus MonaghanFr. Henry Grodecki, CMFr. Normand VaroneFr. Charles Prost, CMFr. William HodgsonFr. Tom KieferFr. Michael CasteelFr. Vincent BertrandFr. Valery BurusuFr. Michael Do Van Quang, CMCFr. Alexander Inke, AJ

Fr. Patrick NwokoyeFr. Scott SunnenbergFr. Derek Swanson, CMFr. Gregory Tran Vi, CMCFr. William HenneckeFr. Joseph WeidenbennerFr. Mark Hoa Le, CMCFr. Joseph KellyFr. Charles (Chaz) Dunn Deacons—JuneDeeacon David VroomanDeacon Alan BandyDeacon Walter BiriDeacon Mathey FletcherDeacon Richard HardenDeacon James DarterDeacon David FarrisDeacon Robbie HuffDeacon Thomas Schumer

Priests—JulyFr. Rahab IsidorFr. Chori Seraiah

Deacons—JulyDeacon Horacio Quiles

CongratulationsCongratulations to priests and deacons celebrating anniversaries in June & July:

July 7, 2017 The Mirror 11ADVERTISING

12 The Mirror July 7, 2017DIOCESAN NEWS

Cape Girardeau

Under the direction of Kathy Hotop-Raines, Director of Religious Education at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau, youth enjoyed a week of fun

and learning at Vacation Bible School (VBS) held June 19-22. The round of smiling faces evidence the experience brought the children closer to Jesus while they learned more about the Church and its liturgy.

Daily themes• Monday—Welcome to Church—We Gather

for Mass• Tuesday—We Listen to God’s Word—The

Liturgy of the Word• Wednesday—We Feast at the Table of Jesus—

The Liturgy of the Eucharist• Thursday—We are Sent to Love and Serve—

The Concluding and Sending Rites

Fun happenings at VBS

Crafts• Monday—Scratch off art fun projects and

ceramic crosses from creative ewe. These were blessed Wednesday night at the 5:15 Mass by Fr. Francisco (“Paco”) Gordillo, associate pastor.

• Tuesday—Keepsake prayer boxes and Bible story Sticker scenes

• Wednesday—Painted Church Birdhouses and Last Supper sticker scenes

• Thursday—Religious Sand Art Symbols

Church toursEach day the children toured a different

part of the church. They learned about vest-ments, or “Father’s Sunday Clothes,” how to prepare for the Mass, Church etiquette, a walk through and explanation of the Mass, and many other fascinating items located in the Church. Youth also played a bible character matching game and a treasure hunt on the playground to review all the wonderful things they learned.

Bible stories and activities• Monday—What does a priest do? Parts of the

Mass—Liturgical Bingo• Tuesday—The Lord’s Prayer, Liturgy

Headbands• Wednesday—The Eucharist and the Last Sup-

per, Chalice, and Host Craft• Thursday—A Servant’s Heart, The Story of the

Good Samaritan, made cards for the nursing homes.

Religious movie time—Featuring the Brother Francis video series by Herald Entertainment• Monday—The Mass—A Life Giving Prayer• Tuesday—Let’s Pray! A Lesson on Prayer• Wednesday—The Bread of Life—Celebrating

the Eucharist• Thursday—Following in His Footsteps—The

Blessings of Living Out Our Faith

St. Vincent de Paul—Vacation Bible School 2017

Catch the SPIRIT of ENERGY in the LITURGY!

2017 VBS—Crosses made during Vacation Bible School were blessed June 21 by Fr. Paco Gordillo, Associate Pastor, at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau. (The Mirror)