Italian

Heritage

Society

Reaching out to promote, preserve and share inherited Italian values of religion, family, art, history, music, food and camaraderie.

For membership information: Tom Calvano

tcalvano@yahoo.com 317.452.2389

Whole Life • Term • Retirement • Annuities • Long Term Care • IRA

Knights of Columbus INSURANCE

DON R. MURPHY

317-532-7330 don.murphy@kofc.org

SHELBYVILLE ROAD VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Timothy J. Thunell, D.V.M.

10% discount to Holy Rosary parishioners!

784-ARRF (2773)

784-MEOW (6369)

Open M-F 7 am-6 p.m.; Sat 8 am-noon

5120 Shelbyville Road corner of Shelbyville Rd & Emerson Ave 1 mi. south of I-465 Emerson Ave exit

www.shelbyvilleroadvet.com Closed on Feast of the Circumcision, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Ascension Thursday, the Assumption of the BVM,

Feast of All Saints, Feast of the Immaculate Conception and both the Vigil of and the Nativity of Our Lord.

N.F.P.

Creighton Model Services Natural Family Planning

jocampomora@hotmail.com

Michael Farrell (317) 255-0062

a local Catholic company with over 15 years experience

See our video at www.grandviewlending.com

Lending based on family values:

Honesty • Sincerity • Integrity

Purchase, refinance, conventional,

reverse, FHA, VA home loans

Pizza and Beef

Serving the Holy Rosary Neighborhood & Downtown Indy

Top Quality Pizza and Italian Beef!

Delivery or Pickup

We Specialize in Catering

(317) 203-7110

619 Virginia Ave. Parishioners Bev & Bob Jaeger

Please thank our advertisers

by patronizing their businesses

Need a Babysitter? Babysitting services by Sofia Ocampo

Reasonable Rates. References.

786-0520 smocampomorales14@gocathedral.com

Want to advertise

in our bulletin?

Call (317) 636-4478.

Profits help purchase ultrasound machines for crisis pregnancy

centers.

O C AFÉ ROSARI

Enjoy coffees and teas, hot chocolate, milk, juice, Long’s Bakery donuts, fellowship and so much more!

Parish Staff and Leadership:

The Rev. C. Ryan McCarthy, S.T.D. .............................. Pastor

Bernie Greene ........................................ Assistant to the Pastor

Teresa Gorsage ................. Coordinator of Religious Education

Luke Reese ........................................................ Music Director

David Walden ............................. Director of Communications

Gary Willen ........................................ Parish Council president

Carl Miller ....................................... Finance Council president

LA CHIESA DEL SANTO ROSARIO • HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

520 Stevens Street • Indianapolis, IN 46203

phone: (317) 636-4478 • fax: (317) 636-2522

emergency number: (317) 721-6520

e-mail address: info@holyrosaryindy.org

Website: www.holyrosaryindy.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/holyrosaryindy

2

Out of Bounds by Fr. John Bannister Tabb

A little Boy of heavenly birth, But far from home today, Comes down to find His ball, the Earth, That sin has cast away. O comrades, let us one and all Join in to get Him back His ball!

D uring this Holy Season when we celebrate God the Father’s love for us in the gift

of His only Son, may your hearts be filled with Faith, Hope and Love, and your

lives be filled with His Joy. A Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Appunti del Parroco

A Christmas message from our pastor, Father Ryan McCarthy

The Italian Parish of Indianapolis

FamilyHoliness.com Check it out!

Save the Family, Save the World!

T his year, I feel like wishing my friends a

“lucid” Christmas. It’s a beautiful word

which comes from the Latin “lucidus,” illu-

minated, well-lit. It applies well to the Christ-

mas season with its candles and votive lamps,

its colourful light bulbs, its glowing hearths

and shining windows as families and friends

gather late into the night. It also recalls the

glory of the angels in the darkness of a field

near Bethlehem, announcing the birth of Him

who would one day call Himself “the light of

the world” (Jn 8:12). It evokes the star that

guided the Magi who came from so far away

to that encounter that would fill them with joy

(Mt 2:10).

However, “lucid” is also said of a person

who is conscious, alert and perceptive. We

cannot celebrate Christmas lucidly when we

lock ourselves up in a romantic fantasy bub-

ble that blinds itself to the reality that sur-

rounds us. A lucid Christmas does not close

its eyes to the desperate poverty of so many

people in our world. A lucid Christmas does

not forget a neighbour’s depressing loneliness

nor a cousin’s emotional pain. It does not

hide from youth’s concerns about the future

and old age’s regrets about the past.

To celebrate Christmas with lucidity means

reaching out to others, especially the unloved

and the forgotten. It means opening your

heart and wallet to share your small wealth

with those who have even less. It means car-

rying in mind and in prayer the victims of

natural storms — hurricanes and earthquakes

— and human storms — wars and terrorism

— that afflict so many parts of our global vil-

lage. It means refusing to get carried away by

the extravagance of a consumerism that only

sees in this time of year an opportunity to

max out the cash registers.

Yes, I long for a lucid Christmas, enlight-

ened by the Father who said “Let there be

light” (Gen 1:3); by the Son, “the morning star

come to visit us” (Lk 1:78); and by the Spirit

dwelling in us as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3).

May our own lucidity, purified by the grace

that comes from above, allow our world to

shine a bit with this kingdom of justice, peace

and joy (Rom 14:17) that the child of the man-

ger came to inaugurate among us. To each

and every one, I wish a LUCID CHRIST-

MAS!

+Paul-André Durocher

Archbishop of Gatineau President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

15

Canadian prelate wishes all a ‘lucid’ Christmas

Archbishop Paul-André Durocher of Gatineau, president of the Canadian bishops’ conference, has

extended an unusual yet holy and illuminating holiday greeting to his flock:

FamilyCatechism.com Check it out!

You’ll be glad you did for all Eternity!

14

IIINNN MMMEMORYEMORYEMORY OOOFFF::: George Blankenbaker

Frances Bond

Daniel J. Brown

Francis H. Brown

Michael A. Brown

Rosemary Brown

Thomas J. Brown

Charles and Jamie Daniels

George Diehl

Richard, Sarah and Henry Ebershoff

Fiato and Albrecht Families

Francis Gallagher

Milo Kendrick

Jean Kendrick

Melissa Kunkel

Karen Leeth

Kathleen and Lewis Legge

Kiley Lewellyn

Gerald F. Mader

Harold and Geneva McDonald

Nino Morone

Bob Murphy

Msgr. Gerald Murphy

Msgr. Richard Murphy

Roy and Helen Murray

Cathy Nienaber

Charlotte P.

John Michael Peoni

Michael J. Peoni

Putnam Family

Spellman Family

Gerald Rose

Joseph and Edna Sansone

Helen Shutta

Charles T. and Marie Stevens

Philip Sweeney

Vivian H. Sweeney

Ron Taylor

Mary and John Ternan

James and Mary Van Cleave

Willen & Reed Families

Brian Williams

Donna Jo Younger

Ray Younger

Roseann Zielinski

IIINNN HHHONORONORONOR OOOFFF::: Richard and Sue Van Cleave

Ruby Wagner

Kay Waterloo

Denver and Lucille Jones (65th anniversary, married Christmas Eve 1948)

Kenny Kissick

CCCHRISTMASHRISTMASHRISTMAS FFFLOWERSLOWERSLOWERS We thank all who donated to the parish’s Christmas flower fund.

Donations were made in the memory or honor of the following:

MASS INTENTIONS: The standard stipend for Masses in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis is $10. Requests

should indicate whether people are living or deceased, and must be typed or written legibly. We will attempt to

honor requested dates, but we cannot guarantee that any requested date is available. We recommend such re-

quests be made at least three months (preferably longer) in advance. Place requests in the collection basket or

mail them to the office. Make checks payable to Holy Rosary Church.

Liturgical Schedule: Christmas through Epiphany

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

4:30 p.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung) Vigil of Christmas (Solemnity)

Pro populo

8 p.m. — Extraordinary Form (Sung)

Christmas: Mass at Night (1st class)

Ferlin Jensen (anniversary)

10 p.m. — Anglican Use (Sung)

Christmas: Mass at Night (Solemnity) Celebrant’s intention

Midnight — Ordinary Form (Sung) Christmas: Mass at Midnight (Solemnity)

Dr. Matthew Segedy & Family

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

7 a.m. — Extraordinary Form Christmas: Mass at Dawn (1st class)

Intention of Michael Schott

9:30 a.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung)

Christmas: Mass during the Day Special intention

Thursday, December 26, 2013

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form St. Stephen, Protomartyr (2nd class)

Alice Mitchell

Friday, December 27, 2013

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form St. John the Evangelist (2nd class)

Nino Morone (anniversary)

Saturday, December 28, 2013

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form

Holy Innocents (2nd class)

To end abortion

Saturday, December 28, 2013 (continued)

4:30 p.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung)

Holy Family (Feast)

Angelo Venezia

Sunday, December 29, 2013

8 a.m. — Anglican Use (Sung)

Holy Family (Feast) Anna-Christine Scull (25th birthday)

9:30 a.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung)

Holy Family (Feast)

Pro populo

11:30 a.m. — Extraordinary Form (Sung)

Sunday in the Octave of Christmas (2nd class)

Angelo Venezia

Monday, December 30, 2013

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

(2nd class)

Intention of Michael Schott

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas (2nd class)

Antoinette Pangallo

5:45 p.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung) Octave Day of Christmas:

Mary, the Mother of God (Solemnity) Pro populo

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

9:30 a.m. — Extraordinary Form (Sung)

Octave Day of Christmas (1st class)

All priests and religious

continued on Page 4

3

Thursday, January 2, 2014

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form Feria of Christmastide (4th class)

Jim Galt

Friday, January 3, 2014

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart (3rd class)

Holy Souls in Purgatory

No First Friday Adoration this month

Saturday, January 4, 2014

9 a.m. — Extraordinary Form

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (3rd class)

Paul G. Hummel (anniversary)

First Saturday devotion begins about 10 a.m.

4:30 p.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung)

Epiphany of the Lord (Solemnity)

Mag Corsaro

Sunday, January 5, 2014

8 a.m. — Anglican Use (Sung)

Epiphany of the Lord (Solemnity)

Virginia Dwyer Pierce

9:30 a.m. — Ordinary Form (Sung)

Epiphany of the Lord (Solemnity)

Virginia Peoni Kelly

11:30 a.m. — Extraordinary Form (Sung)

Most Holy Name of Jesus (2nd class)

Pro populo

Monday, January 6, 2014

7:50 a.m. — Extraordinary Form

Epiphany of the Lord (1st class)

Holy Souls in Purgatory

5:30 p.m. — Blessing of Epiphany Water

7 p.m. — Extraordinary Form (Sung)

Epiphany of the Lord (1st class) Celebrant’s intention

Liturgical Schedule continued from Page 3

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

ABOUT HOLY ROSARY CHURCH

Confessions:

Sundays — Before every Mass as time al-

lows.

Weekdays — 30 minutes before each Mass.

Public Recitation of the Rosary:

English: Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Spanish: Immediately after the 11:30 a.m. Sun-

day Mass

Weddings:

Weddings can be scheduled only after meet-

ing with the pastor at least six months in ad-

vance of the ceremony.

Baptisms:

Please contact Teresa Gorsage at (317) 531-

0655 or tgorsage@comcast.net to schedule

baptisms and required baptismal instruction.

Joining the Parish:

Parish Registration Forms can be found in

the rotating rack in the vestibule. Completed

forms can be placed in the collection basket

or mailed to the office.

Mass Intentions:

The standard stipend for Masses in the Arch-

diocese of Indianapolis is $10. Requests

should indicate whether people are living or

deceased, and must be typed or written legi-

bly. We will attempt to honor requested

dates, but we cannot guarantee that any re-

quested date is available. We recommend

such requests be made at least three months

(preferably longer) in advance. Place re-

quests in the collection basket or mail them

to the office. Make checks payable to Holy

Rosary Church.

4

All make the sign of the cross. The

prayer leader begins:

Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons

and years, saying: Glory to God in the high-

est!

R. And peace to His people on earth!

The prayer leader may use these or simi-

lar words to introduce the blessing:

Our lives are made of days and nights, of

seasons and years, for we are part of a uni-

verse of suns and moons and planets. We

mark ends and we make beginnings and, in

all, we praise God for the grace and mercy

that fill our days.

Then the Scripture is read, Book of

Genesis 1:14-19:

(The family’s Bible may be used for an alternate reading such as Psalm 90:1-4.)

Listen to the words of the Book of Gene-

sis:

G od said: “Let there be lights in the

dome of the sky, to separate day from

night. Let them mark the fixed times, the

days and the years, and serve as luminaries

in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon

the earth.” And so it happened: God made

the two great lights, the greater one to gov-

ern the day, and the lesser one to govern the

night; and He made the stars. God set them

in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon

the earth, to govern the day and the night,

and to separate the light from the darkness.

God saw how good it was. Evening came,

and morning followed — the fourth day.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

After a time of silence, prayers of thanks-

giving for the past year and of intercession

for the year to come are offered. On Janu-

ary 1, it may be appropriate to conclude

these prayers with the Litany of the

Blessed Virgin Mary since this is the So-

lemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Following the intercessory prayers and

litany, all who are gathered pray the Our

Father together. Then the leader contin-

ues:

Let us now pray for God’s blessing in the

new year.

R emember us, O God; from age to age

be our comforter. You have given us

the wonder of time, blessings in days and

nights, seasons and years. Bless Your chil-

dren at the turning of the year and fill the

months ahead with the bright hope that is

ours in the coming of Christ. You are our

God, living and reigning, forever and ever.

R. Amen.

The leader says:

Let us bless the Lord.

All respond, making the sign of the

cross:

Thanks be to God.

The prayer may conclude with the sing-

ing of an appropriate hymn or Christmas

carol.

Adapted from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

FAMILY OR COMMUNITY PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR On New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the household gathers at the table or at the Christmas tree or

manger scene. Many people make New Year’s Day a day of prayer for peace.

13

12

Balancing prayer with rest of life helps your kids stay Catholic Fr. Leo Patalinghug, renowned cooking priest from Baltimore, Md., and founder of “Grace be-

fore Meals,” offered this tip to parents concerned about adult children falling away from the

Church. It was initially published in his online newsletter Aug. 27, 2008:

H ere’s another little tip to help [your children keep their Faith as adults]: make sure

there is a balance between praying and playing! It would be nice if children and

teenagers were naturally inclined to prayer. Although I do know some children who are, it

is more likely they are more interested in playing outside or video games. The reality is,

we can’t and should not force kids to say “formal prayers” all the time. That would be im-

balanced. Remember, families are families. They aren’t mini-monasteries, or mini-

convents, or mini-seminaries. Therefore, make sure you and your family has a healthy and

balanced “diet” of activities: playing, praying, eating, relaxing, learning, talking, etc.

If your whole life exists around a particular sport or hobby, to the exclusion of other

wholesome and inspiring activities, then you may need to take a break from it. Especially

if it’s slowly creeping out time for prayer, excluding family meals, and just “chilling out”

as a family! The balance of a healthy life requires us to make sure we master our sched-

ules instead of having our schedules master us!

now a constant companion. I also attended

men’s groups and conferences, where

Catholic men could be built up and held

accountable by their peers — basically

“fathering” one another. And I have been

blessed with male role models, including

the priest who challenged me to step up and

take seriously my vocation as a Catholic

husband.

Today, more than ever, men must make an

effort to be involved with their families,

with one another and with their Church.

There are too many negative influences in

our culture for us to stand on the sidelines

and allow marriage, family and the sanctity

of life to be undermined. We must be the

men God calls us to be, striving for true

masculine virtue, seeking to assist and in-

spire others, and serving as good role mod-

els.

The Lord give us the courage and wisdom

to carry out this singular mission, even

when the world tells us that we’re not

needed anymore, that the age of masculinity

and fatherhood has passed. With God’s

grace, we can move beyond the distortions

of the world to embrace true fatherhood

and, in the loving spirit of Pope Francis, be

faithful guardians of those entrusted to our

care.

TOM WEHNER is managing editor of the

National Catholic Register, a service of

EWTN, and a member of the Knights of Co-

lumbus St. Augustine Council 5724 in

Northborough, Mass. He lives in Connecti-

cut with his wife and four children.

Article reprinted from Columbia magazine, Au-gust 2013, with permission from Knights of Colum-bus Supreme Council.

For information on how to join the Knights of Columbus, talk to a Knight in our parish or visit www.kofc.org.

Announcements

As the calendar year closes, Fr. McCarthy

and the entire staff of Holy Rosary Church

thank all of our parishioners and the

many volunteers who serve us throughout

the year. We especially thank Shelly Pre-

ston and those who helped her decorate the

church so beautifully for the Christmas sea-

son, as well as the altar servers, choir mem-

bers, lectors, ushers, rosary leaders and all

who contribute to making the “liturgical

experience” at la Chiesa del Santo Rosario

a true delight.

This is the final bulletin of 2013. The first

bulletin of 2014 will be published Jan. 5.

Items for inclusion in that bulletin must be

received in writing by noon Jan. 2.

The parish office will be closed from

Christmas Eve through Jan. 1.

We have made major changes to the liturgi-

cal schedule for the next week-plus. Please

see Pages 3-4 for details. The normal sched-

ule will resume after Epiphany.

The Octave Day of Christmas, Jan. 1, is a

holy day of obligation.

We have canceled First Friday Adoration

for January. It will resume in February. We

also will suspend our usual Wednesday af-

ternoon Adoration until Jan. 8.

There is a promise of marriage between:

III — Stephen Sloan & Stephanie Bell.

Please pray for our sick and shut-in friends:

Henry Bayt, Natalie Bennett, Pauline Bova,

Archbishop-emeritus Daniel Buechlein, Irene

Bussell, Steve Bussell, Katie Cecil, Lawrence

Christensen, Son Hui Christensen, Mary Nancy

Constantino, Carol Craig, Michael Diehl, Fred

Feld, Vince Gatto, Lucille Jones, William

Kuenzel, Tina Lesnar, Josephine Lombardo,

Fernando Mora, Sidia Mora, Ken Moran, Nancy

O’Brien, Sue Parsons, Julia Ragsdale, Joel

Rivera, Jan Short, Gus Stinnett and Tobias

Weinschrott. (Names submitted for this list will

be published in four consecutive bulletins and

must be resubmitted in order to reappear.)

A parishioner on the East Side of the city is in

need of transportation assistance during the

week. Those interested in possibly helping him

may call Fred at 602-7104.

BY THE NUMBERS

Collections

Regular Collection, December 21-22 $ 8,934.75

Confessions

Week of December 15 95

Attendance

Daily Masses, week of December 15 793

Sunday Masses, December 21-22 616

ORDINARY FORM LECTORS

4:30 Saturday 9:30 Sunday

Dec. 28: Annina Plummer Dec. 28: Joseph Lehner

Jan. 4: Diane Fricker Jan. 5: Mark Matthews

NEW YEAR’S EVE, 5:45 p.m.: Bob Collins

ALTAR MEMORIAL CANDLES

This week, the candles on either side of our

high altar burn for:

+Angelo Venezia

+Michael Peoni

The week of Dec. 29, the candles on either side

of our high altar burn for:

+Angelo Venezia

+Mary & Salvatore Mascari

To have the deceased remembered for a week,

send $5 and his or her name to the parish office.

5

6

A wake, mankind! For your sake God

has become man. Awake, you who

sleep, rise up from the dead, and Christ will

enlighten you. I tell you again: for your

sake, God became man.

You would have suffered eternal death,

had He not been born in time. Never would

you have been freed from sinful flesh, had

He not taken on Himself the likeness of sin-

ful flesh. You would have suffered everlast-

ing unhappiness, had it not been for this

mercy. You would never have returned to

life, had He not shared your death. You

would have been lost if He had not has-

tened to your aid. You would have per-

ished, had He not come.

Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming

of our salvation and redemption. Let us

celebrate the festive day on which He who

is the great and eternal day came from the

great and endless day of eternity into our

own short day of time.

He has become our justice, our sanctifica-

tion, our redemption, so that, as it is writ-

ten: Let him who glories glory in the Lord.

Truth, then, has arisen from the earth:

Christ who said, I am the Truth, was born

of the Virgin. And justice looked down

from heaven: because believing in this new-

born Child, man is justified not by himself

but by God.

Truth has arisen from the earth: because the

Word was made flesh. And justice looked

down from heaven: because every good gift

and every perfect gift is from above.

Truth has arisen from the earth: flesh from

Mary. And justice looked down from

heaven: for man can receive nothing unless

it has been given him from heaven.

Justified by faith, let us be at peace with

God: for justice and peace have embraced

one another. Through our Lord Jesus Christ:

for Truth has arisen from the earth. Through

whom we have access to that grace in which

we stand, and our boast is in our hope of

God’s glory. He does not say: “of our

glory,” but of God’s glory: for justice has

not come out of us but has looked down

from heaven. Therefore he who glories, let

him glory, not in himself, but in the Lord.

For this reason, when our Lord was born

of the Virgin, the message of the angelic

voices was: Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to men of good will. For how

could there be peace on earth unless Truth

has arisen from the earth, that is, unless

Christ were born of our flesh? And He is

our peace who made the two into one: that

we might be men of good will, sweetly

linked by the bond of unity.

Let us then rejoice in this grace, so that

our glorying may bear witness to our good

conscience by which we glory, not in our-

selves, but in the Lord. That is why Scrip-

ture says: He is my glory, the one who lifts

up my head. For what greater grace could

God have made to dawn on us than to make

His only Son become the son of man, so

that a son of man might in his turn become

son of God?

Ask if this were merited; ask for its rea-

son, for its justification, and see whether

you will find any other answer but sheer

grace.

‘You would have perished, had He not come’

Here is an excerpt from a Christmas sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430):

11

By TOM WEHNER

P ay attention, men — Pope Francis is

talking to you. On a number of occa-

sions since his election, the Holy Father has

spoken about the role, meaning and essence

of fatherhood, and we would do well to

heed his words.

In a homily June 26, Pope Francis de-

scribed fatherhood as the innate calling of

all men, something that is not only biologi-

cal, but also spiritual. In his typically direct

manner, the pope said that if a man doesn’t

desire to be a father, “something is wrong,

something is missing.” After all, priests are

called “father” in recognition of their life-

giving role in the sacraments, and all men

are called to be protectors of the young, the

needy and society.

“All of us, to exist, to become complete,

in order to be mature, we need to feel the

joy of fatherhood, even those of us who are

celibate. Fatherhood is giving life to oth-

ers,” Pope Francis said. Priests must ask for

the grace of “spiritual paternity,” he added.

“Never becoming a father, it is like an in-

complete life, a life that stops halfway. And

therefore we have to be fathers. But it is a

grace that the Lord gives.”

These words echoed the sentiments that

Pope Francis expressed during his inaugural

Mass on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph.

“How does Joseph exercise his role as pro-

tector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but

with an unfailing presence and utter fidel-

ity, even when he finds it hard to under-

stand,” he said. “Joseph is a ‘protector’ be-

cause he is able to hear God’s voice and be

guided by his will, and for this reason he is

all the more sensitive to the persons en-

trusted to his safekeeping.”

The Holy Father’s words should strike

deep into the hearts of all men. To be truly

Catholic men and true fathers, we need to

sacrifice our own egos and desires, cultivat-

ing a deeper relationship with Christ and

the heavenly Father for the sake of our

loved ones. Our authority as fathers is for

the service of others.

My own father, a World War II veteran,

was a model of self-sacrifice and fortitude.

During my childhood, seeing him on his

knees praying or discussing the faith with

my grandfather had a life-changing effect

on me. Those images and others helped me

come back to the faith after many wasted

years of irresponsible living.

Although my catechetical formation dur-

ing adolescence and young adulthood was

deficient, the examples of my father and so

many good priests and peer leaders ignited

the embers of my faith and spurred me from

passivity to activity. I took the time to know

the Bible and read as much as I could about

the faith. I dusted off my rosary, which is

Pope Francis speaks to fathers

The Holy Father reflects on the meaning and vocation of fatherhood

[As we reflect on the mysteries of Christmas, we notice St. Joseph, the foster father of the Lord, standing in the background. His role as head of the Holy Family is not one to be taken lightly and is

a true model for all men to follow. We reprint here an article from the “Fathers for Good” column

of the Knights of Columbus’ Columbia magazine, August 2013.]

10

other inmates who joined the Catholic

Church. He also has become Holman’s

prison ministry liaison for Death Row. Part

of his duties include coordinating and keep-

ing track of who attends the biweekly

Catholic Mass (never on a Sunday), and

helping to organize the Kairos weekends.

He achieved a personal coup this past

Aug. 1 when Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of

Mobile, Ala., offered separate Masses at the

prison for the Death Row inmates and the

general prison population. Bill had persis-

tently written to the archbishop’s office for

three years trying to arrange the visit.

Bill also delights in the Communion calls

made most Saturdays by a lay extraordinary

minister of Holy Communion, and the

Holman facility’s Bible study on the second

Friday of every month.

“We are blessed to have such an open

prison ministry,” he said.

His spiritual life includes the remem-

brance of Linda Jean Offord and those she

left behind. He knows there has been a hole

in her loved one’s lives for the past 26

years, especially at times like Christmas.

He also contends that they question whether

justice has been served by his conviction.

“Yes, I pray for the family of Linda Of-

ford,” he said. “I would try to still console

her family if I could. At trial, they had their

doubts and believed my codefendant had

done the crime.”

With the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal

this past spring to hear Bill’s case, his legal

options have diminished to what he calls

“stall tactics.” Yet, he refuses to give up

hope no matter the outcome, even if it ends

with a lethal injection in the darkness of an

Alabama night.

“The Catholic Church and my Faith are

the most important parts of my life. I have a

peace and don’t fear death,” he said. “When

I die, I would like for people to remember

my love for God and the Church, that if the

state kills me, they will kill an innocent

man, and that I spent the last years of my

life serving God.”

David Walden is the director of communi-

cations for Holy Rosary Church.

About this article For quite some time I had been hearing Je-

sus’ call, “I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matt. 25:36). As I prayed on this, it slowly became clear that I wasn’t meant to visit a prison in person but rather was to use my gift of writing to reach out to someone in a desperate situation, a Death Row inmate. Following a diligent search online, I discovered an e-mail address for a deacon in charge of the prison ministry in the Diocese of Mobile, Ala. My tenu-ous bond with that state — I had worked there during the summer of 1985 — was enough to sway me into contacting the deacon. He quickly urged me to write to and pray for Bill Kuenzel.

Early in our correspondence, I asked Bill for what amounted to an “exclusive interview.” He eagerly cooperated, and his answers from that interview form the brunt of this article. Our letter-writing has continued and we have over time developed a cherished friendship.

Much has been written elsewhere in the me-dia about Bill’s case, and I urge all interested readers to visit the website devoted to it, www.alabamainjustice.com. I also encourage others to write to Bill and help to keep his spirits up and his mind focused squarely on Christ; he would like nothing better than to hear from you. His address is:

William E. Kuenzel (Z489) Holman Correctional Facility Holman 3700, Unit G1-2A Atmore, AL 36503-3700

— dgw

7

By David Walden

A bout four hours before the sun peeks

over the horizon on Christmas morn-

ing, Bill Kuenzel will rise from a narrow

cot and begin yet another routine, joyless

day. Even at this brightest of times, his sur-

roundings will succumb to an incessant

darkness.

He will see no Christmas tree.

He will unwrap no presents.

He will eat no sumptuous meal in the

company of loved ones.

And even though he is devoutly Catholic,

he will go to no church to assist at Mass on

this holy day of obligation.

Twenty-five years ago Bill lost his free-

dom. Before next Christmas dawns he may

also lose his life.

***

On Nov. 9, 1987, Linda Jean Offord ex-

perienced something at work that was any-

thing but routine. Nearing the end of her

shift at a convenience store in Sylacauga,

Ala., someone pointed a 16-gauge shotgun

at her. No surveillance video captured the

crime on film, but evidence suggested that

she struggled briefly with the gunman and

was shot at point-blank range.

The shooter fled. Minutes later an arriving

third-shift employee discovered Ms. Offord

lying in a pool of blood barely clinging to

life, her left lung shredded by the shot. The

mother of three children died in an ambu-

lance en route to a hospital. Nothing was

found missing from the store or its cash

register, and police ruled the deadly inci-

dent a botched robbery.

Days later, police arrested a pair of

friends, Harvey Venn and Bill Kuenzel, for

the crime. The only physical evidence de-

finitively linking either to the scene was

Ms. Offord’s splattered blood on Venn’s

pants. Venn also had bruising on his body

that may have been consistent with injuries

the victim had suffered from the apparent

struggle with her killer.

After repeatedly changing his story, Venn

eventually admitted to being Bill’s accom-

plice and agreed to testify against him in

exchange for a greatly reduced sentence.

From the first moment of the investigation,

Bill claimed that he was not only com-

pletely innocent of the crime, but that he

had been nowhere near the convenience

store on that November evening. Prior to

Venn’s confession, Bill had even turned

down two plea bargain offers trying to get

him to testify against his now-former

friend.

Grasping Light in the midst of darkness

Inmate serves God, Church on Alabama’s Death Row

8

On Sept. 23, 1988, after a two-day trial and

90 minutes of deliberation, a jury convicted

Bill of murder and sentenced him to death. He

was 26 years old. His court-appointed attorney

had never tried a murder case prior to this trial.

The attorney subsequently missed a filing dead-

line for an appeal of the conviction. Largely on

this technicality, state and federal courts, clear

up to the U.S. Supreme Court this past summer,

have refused to grant him another trial — even

though his new pro bono attorneys discovered

suppressed evidence in 2010.

Venn was released from prison in 1998. Bill

remains on Death Row at Holman Correctional

Facility in Atmore, Ala. To this day he main-

tains his innocence of Ms. Offord’s murder.

“I would just like for people to know I have

spent 25 years in an eight-by-five cell for a

crime I did not commit,” he said, adding that

he doesn’t understand why the State of Ala-

bama persists in its attempt to execute him. “Is

it right to kill an innocent person while the

guilty one is free? Are people really aware if

two people are charged, one can be the killer

and make a deal, testify, point the finger at

someone else? The killer will go free in a few

years while the other is put to death.”

There are those who say prisons are full of

“innocent” men, inmates who dubiously claim

they were unjustly convicted. Clay Crenshaw,

chief of the Alabama attorney general’s office

capital litigation division, includes Bill among

those false claimants.

“I have no doubt of Kuenzel’s guilt,” he told

Montgomery, Ala., television station WSFA

just last month. As proof, he offered Bill’s own

behavior immediately after the trail, which he

said included new, multiple alibis and stories

that placed him anywhere but the crime scene.

“If he was innocent he would tell a consis-

tent, plausible story of innocence,” Crenshaw

said. “He’s a murderer and he’s a really bad

liar, too.”

For his part, Bill and his legal team offer a

litany of evidence to prove his innocence. The

attorneys have put together a website,

www.alabamainjustice.com, which details their

case.

“Why should anyone believe I am innocent?”

he asked rhetorically. “One, look at the web-

site. Two, anytime I have done wrong I have

faced the music. Three, I would never cause

pain or hurt anyone.

“Yes, I was a drug dealer. Yes, I was a thief.

But the last few years before I was arrested, I

had gotten my life together, had a job and was

out of the (criminal) life for the most part.”

Since going to prison, Bill has continued to

get his life together. The most important step

along that path was his conversion to Catholi-

cism in 2004. He had attended a Kairos week-

end, a multidenominational Christian prison

ministry which seeks to bring inmates to

Christ. The experience touched Bill’s heart.

“I was so amazed at the faithful who came in

from all the churches, and I knew I wanted

some of the peace they had, so I started going

to each service,” he said. “The Catholic priest

was able to answer all my questions, showed

me the foundation of where all the churches

came from, and helped me to understand so

much.

“So I did more and more research and de-

cided I knew where I belonged. Since I have

joined the Church, my faith, my works here

have become my life. Now I am at more peace

than at any other time in my life.

“I am a person who now knows forgiveness. I

am no longer bitter or full of hate.”

The Church’s teaching on capital punishment

certainly played a role in his conversion. He

said he was opposed to the death penalty long

before his own conviction and sentence, and

never could have joined a church that sup-

ported it.

While it’s true that the Church acknowledges

a state’s right to execute prisoners “in cases of

extreme gravity” in order to defend itself

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2266), the

Church also teaches that those cases are rare, if

not practically nonexistent. Bl. John Paul II

said this often, including in a January 1999

homily at St. Louis, Mo.

“Modern society has the means of protecting

itself, without definitively denying criminals

the chance to reform,” said the Polish-born

pontiff who will be canonized in April 2014. “I

renew the appeal I made most recently at

Christmas for a consensus to end the death

penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.”

Since the Kairos experience which led to his

conversion, Bill has served as sponsor for five

N owadays, in America as elsewhere in the world, a model of society ap-pears to be emerging in which the powerful predominate, setting aside

and even eliminating the powerless: I am thinking here of unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurably ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; and the many other people relegated to the margins of society by consumerism and materialism. Nor can I fail to mention the unnecessary re-course to the death penalty when other bloodless means are sufficient to de-fend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons. Today, given the means at the State’s disposal to deal with crime and control those who commit it, without abandoning all hope of their redemption, the cases where it is absolutely necessary to do away with an offender ‘are now very rare, even non-existent practically.

— Bl. John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, January 1999

A ssuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude re-

course to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defend-ing human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively prevent-ing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm — without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself — the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity “are very rare, if not practically non-existent” (Bl. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 56).

— Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2267

9

On Sept. 23, 1988, after a two-day trial and

90 minutes of deliberation, a jury convicted

Bill of murder and sentenced him to death. He

was 26 years old. His court-appointed attorney

had never tried a murder case prior to this trial.

The attorney subsequently missed a filing dead-

line for an appeal of the conviction. Largely on

this technicality, state and federal courts, clear

up to the U.S. Supreme Court this past summer,

have refused to grant him another trial — even

though his new pro bono attorneys discovered

suppressed evidence in 2010.

Venn was released from prison in 1998. Bill

remains on Death Row at Holman Correctional

Facility in Atmore, Ala. To this day he main-

tains his innocence of Ms. Offord’s murder.

“I would just like for people to know I have

spent 25 years in an eight-by-five cell for a

crime I did not commit,” he said, adding that

he doesn’t understand why the State of Ala-

bama persists in its attempt to execute him. “Is

it right to kill an innocent person while the

guilty one is free? Are people really aware if

two people are charged, one can be the killer

and make a deal, testify, point the finger at

someone else? The killer will go free in a few

years while the other is put to death.”

There are those who say prisons are full of

“innocent” men, inmates who dubiously claim

they were unjustly convicted. Clay Crenshaw,

chief of the Alabama attorney general’s office

capital litigation division, includes Bill among

those false claimants.

“I have no doubt of Kuenzel’s guilt,” he told

Montgomery, Ala., television station WSFA

just last month. As proof, he offered Bill’s own

behavior immediately after the trail, which he

said included new, multiple alibis and stories

that placed him anywhere but the crime scene.

“If he was innocent he would tell a consis-

tent, plausible story of innocence,” Crenshaw

said. “He’s a murderer and he’s a really bad

liar, too.”

For his part, Bill and his legal team offer a

litany of evidence to prove his innocence. The

attorneys have put together a website,

www.alabamainjustice.com, which details their

case.

“Why should anyone believe I am innocent?”

he asked rhetorically. “One, look at the web-

site. Two, anytime I have done wrong I have

faced the music. Three, I would never cause

pain or hurt anyone.

“Yes, I was a drug dealer. Yes, I was a thief.

But the last few years before I was arrested, I

had gotten my life together, had a job and was

out of the (criminal) life for the most part.”

Since going to prison, Bill has continued to

get his life together. The most important step

along that path was his conversion to Catholi-

cism in 2004. He had attended a Kairos week-

end, a multidenominational Christian prison

ministry which seeks to bring inmates to

Christ. The experience touched Bill’s heart.

“I was so amazed at the faithful who came in

from all the churches, and I knew I wanted

some of the peace they had, so I started going

to each service,” he said. “The Catholic priest

was able to answer all my questions, showed

me the foundation of where all the churches

came from, and helped me to understand so

much.

“So I did more and more research and de-

cided I knew where I belonged. Since I have

joined the Church, my faith, my works here

have become my life. Now I am at more peace

than at any other time in my life.

“I am a person who now knows forgiveness. I

am no longer bitter or full of hate.”

The Church’s teaching on capital punishment

certainly played a role in his conversion. He

said he was opposed to the death penalty long

before his own conviction and sentence, and

never could have joined a church that sup-

ported it.

While it’s true that the Church acknowledges

a state’s right to execute prisoners “in cases of

extreme gravity” in order to defend itself

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2266), the

Church also teaches that those cases are rare, if

not practically nonexistent. Bl. John Paul II

said this often, including in a January 1999

homily at St. Louis, Mo.

“Modern society has the means of protecting

itself, without definitively denying criminals

the chance to reform,” said the Polish-born

pontiff who will be canonized in April 2014. “I

renew the appeal I made most recently at

Christmas for a consensus to end the death

penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.”

Since the Kairos experience which led to his

conversion, Bill has served as sponsor for five

N owadays, in America as elsewhere in the world, a model of society ap-pears to be emerging in which the powerful predominate, setting aside

and even eliminating the powerless: I am thinking here of unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurably ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; and the many other people relegated to the margins of society by consumerism and materialism. Nor can I fail to mention the unnecessary re-course to the death penalty when other bloodless means are sufficient to de-fend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons. Today, given the means at the State’s disposal to deal with crime and control those who commit it, without abandoning all hope of their redemption, the cases where it is absolutely necessary to do away with an offender ‘are now very rare, even non-existent practically.

— Bl. John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, January 1999

A ssuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude re-

course to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defend-ing human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively prevent-ing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm — without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself — the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity “are very rare, if not practically non-existent” (Bl. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 56).

— Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2267