Lent 2013 Carlisle, Iowa

Our Desire for a Scapegoat By Fr. James Kirby

St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church

Throughout history certain societies and religions have taken the idea of the scapegoat to some extreme conclusions. In ancient Greece, a cripple, beggar or criminal was cast out of the community, either in response to a natural disaster (such as a plague, famine or an

invasion). Sacrificing to the gods was a common theme of ancient religions that sometimes included sacrificing children and virgins by throwing them into an active volcano to appease angry gods.

But worse yet, is the subtle, perhaps unconscious attitudes that groups and even entire societies can have toward a person or even a whole race of people. The best example in recent history was the Nazi’s who began a conscious campaign of the scapegoating of Jews during World War II. So much did they embrace the idea that the world would be better off without the scapegoated Jews, that they systematically went about trying to eliminate their presence by killing them all. As horrible and extreme as this example is, we in the USA should not let ourselves off the hook as

French philosopher, Rene Girard, is famous for his work in cultural anthropology and theology. One of Girard’s best-known contributions to culture and theology was thought and exploration into what is known as “the Scapegoat Mechanism” and its role in culture and throughout history. Essentially, the scapegoat mechanism is the tendency of groups, families, countries and cultures to consciously or unconsciously identify one person or a group of people as the cause for the woes, problems and suffering of a particular group. The identified scapegoat is the person(s) who the rest of the group tends to blame for the problems and pain of the larger group. Whenever any tragedy strikes, the scapegoat is included in the blame for whatever suffering the rest of the group or family is experiencing. Logic, evidence and truth have very little to do with assigning blame to the scapegoat. It is more about emotion and a distorted feeling collectively felt by the larger group. Not only is the scapegoat blamed for many of the problems a group endures, but eventually the larger group begins to imagine that things would be so much better if the scapegoat were expelled from the group. “If only he/she/they were not here, things would be so much better.” Sometimes the scapegoat is merely a symbolic avenue of blame for a family or team. Even so, the psychological effects of being viewed in this manner can cause painful and sometimes deep-seated developmental issues, especially among children. At worst, the larger group often harasses, mistreats and possibly ejects the emerging scapegoat from the group. Taken to the extreme the scapegoat(s) can even be bullied, abused and killed.

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we have been guilty of perhaps a more subtle form of scapegoating. We have our own history of scapegoating minorities as a culture and country. Minorities, religions and especially Native Americans and African Americans have suffered from scapegoating in our country for centuries. Racism is generally a result of too many of the majority race that fear and then blame all of society’s woes on a race of people. “If it weren’t for the (fill in the blank) our country would be much better off.”

Once the idea of the scapegoat mechanism is understood and seen for what it is, the tendency can then be corrected. We can then see its presence in our groups and culture, at work or within our families. There is always one person who is a little different, whom the larger group begins to see as the source of many of the problems the group faces. Once we see this, we realize how illogical, wrong and even sinful it is to believe a person’s mere presence in a group is the source and reason for the suffering of the larger group. The problem, however, is as soon as the perceived scapegoat is ejected, a new scapegoat later emerges. Certainly, religion is not immune from the scapegoat mechanism when it has been accepted and is unchecked. Christianity at times has been guilty of taking the idea to far-reaching extremes, resulting in the arrest and execution of those suspected of witchcraft. Let us not forget certain areas of our own history, i.e., the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, where non-Christians and suspected heretics were interrogated and often killed. Judaism during the time of Jesus understood this human tendency of scapegoating, but substituted actual goats that were designated to be outcast in the desert as part of the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement (hence the name scapegoat). It is a healthier view, in which the sins of the year are placed on the goat to be cast out of the group in order that society can start anew and without sin.

Scapegoat, continued

Perhaps the greatest example and symbol of the scapegoat mechanism at work can be found on the cross in Jesus. Jesus suffered the consequences of the human inclination to make a scapegoat out of someone who was different, threatening, challenging and divisive. Because of Jesus’ teaching and interpretation of the Law and of God’s will, he was seen as a threat by many, especially by the religious leaders of the time. Despite the miraculous things he was able to accomplish and despite his message of peace and the coming of God’s Kingdom, he was seen as a threat. Eventually, he was seen as the symbol of all that was wrong with the culture within Israel at the time. The idea was that “if this man, Jesus, who calls himself the Son of God were eliminated, our society would be better.” And as Caiaphas perfectly put it, “It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” It is no accident that in John’s Gospel, Jesus is dying on the cross at the same time that the sacrificial lambs were being slaughtered.

Jesus on the cross represents the scapegoat on which all of our sins are placed. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took this sinful tendency of humanity unto himself and used it for our salvation. The cross is an ongoing reminder of this sin, perhaps this original sin of our viewing others with such contempt and maliciousness that we would be inclined to treat them so harshly and cruelly. It is a challenge for us as well as the different groups we belong to (family, friends, parish, Church and country), to constantly evaluate and correct our ongoing attitudes, motivations and views of other people in order to see people through the eyes of Christ and not through our human tendencies of fear, selfishness and through the lens of the scapegoat mechanism.

- Fr. Jim Kirby

Jesus on the cross represents

the scapegoat on which all of

our sins are placed.

The St. Elizabeth Knights of Columbus council held a Valentine’s dinner for couples in February to encourage men in the parish to learn about the Knights. The evening included a pork chop dinner , a quiz for married couples to uncover how well they knew each other and lots of good conversation. Grand Knight, John Greubel and his wife, Ann (pictured at right), planned, cooked the dinner and hosted the event. Young people from the parish helped by serving and cleaning up afterwards.

Knights Hold Valentine’s Dinner

Knights Receive Star Council Award Our St. Elizabeth K of C council 8114 received the prestigious Star Council award recently. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in membership and service program activities. Congratulations to our Knights!

Kinters Make A Home By Amy Bishop

thought she was crazy to be leaving behind her family,

friends and her country. Manuela thought of a new life

in the United States as an adventure. She knew

English, but didn’t use it much. There’s something

about starting over in a new country, with a new

marriage that seems to have cemented their relationship

in a way that most of us will never experience. The

Kinter’s relied on each other completely. They settled in

Des Moines, but wanted to return to the Carlisle area.

He decided that he would return to construction as a

great way to support his family. Jeff continues to

operate his construction company now, building and

remodeling homes.

While Manuela left behind family and friends in

Germany, she quickly adjusted to life in America. Her

family visits them often and the Kinters have made

several trips back to Germany to visit. Manuela also

belongs to an informal group of German speaking

immigrants that gets together monthly to talk and

socialize. It helps her feel connected to her roots, but

she’s quick to point out that she’s made her home and

family here. They are a tight-family. You can see it in

the way they interact – teasing and laughing easily. It’s

apparent that the girls have heard the “how they met”

story before and love to hear it again, making sure that

mom and dad get the details just right.

The best testament to the strength of their commitment

to one another is their home. They built it together ten

years ago – spending nights and weekends after they

had both worked all day. It’s a beautiful, comfortable

house, sitting on the top of a hill. The home has lots of

custom features that only a true craftsman would

include, such as an inlaid border in the hard-word floors

throughout the house, and the extra-wide baseboards

that Jeff meticulously installed.

When you first meet Jeff and Manuela Kinter, you are struck by the comfortable way this couple interacts with one another. I met with them and their daughters Virginia 14, Charlene, 13 and German foreign exchange student, Eva Wunch recently at their home northeast of Indianola. Jeff was a local boy, growing up in Hartford and the south side of Des Moines, graduating from Carlisle high school in 1986. He is one of three sons of Mike and Sandy Kinter, who also belong to St. Elizabeth Seton parish. Jeff learned the construction trade with his father in the family business, Kinter Construction. And right after high school, he joined the Army. Their story begins in 1996 in Germany, where Jeff was stationed in Bad Kreuznach, a community of around 40,000 people, as a member of the activated National Guard. He was working as a MP and went to a local club with some buddies and there he found Manuela, a young Germany woman, who worked on the Army base as a barber. He saw that the coat check cost one Deutsche Mark per coat and he had two coats. Rather than pay the extra money, she offered to let him put his coats in her booth and they struck up a conversation. The next night, Jeff was back at the club with his friends, seeking out Manuela. He, the shy boy from Iowa and she, the outgoing German girl, soon became good friends, often returning to the club on Friday and Saturday nights. And the rest, as they say, is history. Except that when you fall in love with a girl from halfway across the world, it can be a bit more complicated. Their relationship blossomed, and soon they were in love, but he wasn’t allowed to get married while deployed, so he came back after his deployment was over and she came to visit him in Iowa later that year. He got busy fixing up a rental house that he owned. He was no longer on active duty, so he got his visa and went back to Germany as a civilian to see her and soon they were married. Her family liked Jeff, but

The Kinter family from left to right: Exchange student, Eva Wunch, Charlene, Virginia, Jeff and Manuela.

The best testament to their commitment to one another is their

home.

Jeff built the house, but the family all pitched in to

help. Manuela did all the clear-coating of the

woodwork. They hung drywall together and the

girls helped dad with the plumbing and electrical.

The girls were younger then, but they remember

details, such as being up on the roof while dad was

shingling and the day that one of the girls rolled the

truck into the neighbor’s house while mom and dad

were wrapping up from a day of work inside. The

house is a tangible symbol of who they are – a

family that works together, plays together and

relies on their faith in God when times are tough.

When asked about their Catholic faith, they both mention its importance to them now. Neither was overly religious, but when the girls were born, they decided to raise them in the faith that they had both grown up with. They are both active in our parish, with Manuela teaching religious education for the past six years. And they both serve on the future planning committee. Jeff was one of the main forces behind updating the portable classrooms that house the religious education classrooms. He said it was a real team effort, with lots of folks from the parish pitching in to help. He helped move them in, fixed drywall and installed insulation, all as a volunteer. And then, he was hired by the parish to repair the exteriors as well. Virginia and Charlene also participate in the parish. They have been altar servers since they were old enough to receive the training. And they are often called upon to help babysit when we have church functions too. Recently, they have helped as waiters at the Knights of Columbus dinner. The Kinters are optimistic about the future of our parish, which is one of the reasons they have become more active in the planning for our future growth. They are excited to see us explore our options for future expansion. Jeff and Manuela celebrated their 16

th wedding

anniversary in January. They joke about how they

are an “odd mixture.” His laid-back, easy-going

style and her fiery personality somehow

complement each other and itt works beautifully.

They have made a great life, built a family and a

home together here in Iowa and at St. Elizabeth.

At the Easter Vigil this year, two new members will join St. Elizabeth Seton parish. Dick Harmon, who teaches the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), instructed Jim Dillon and TJ Cox this year. The RCIA program is a faith journey and learning process introducing adults to our Catholic Christian faith, resulting in reception of the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist or if one has already been baptized in another Christian faith, reception of the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist. Please welcome TJ and Jim as new members of the St. Elizabeth family!

RCIA Prepares Two to

Join the Church

Who does it? Ever wonder who takes care of things around the parish? Somehow important tasks just seem to get done. At St. Elizabeth, we have dozens of folks who volunteer their time and talents to help the parish operate and thrive. One such person is Julie Schlicher. Julie is the one who takes charge of decorating the parish for the different liturgical seasons, often employing a number of volunteers to get the job done. Thank you, Julie, for your dedication to making our church beautiful!

Pictured Above: Julie Schlicher decorating for Christmas. Below: Doug Downing and Molly Schneider hang Christmas lights.

It’s Trivia Madness Again

The latest installment of Trivia Madness took place in January with a movie trivia competition. This time, eight teams participated in the event, with team Smarticle ending the night with a three-peat win. While the teams were busy demonstrating their extensive knowledge of obscure movie trivia, the kids were making their own fun with office chair races and other games. Add food and prizes to the mix, and it was a great night of fun all around. The proceeds from the night were put to good use to retire the remaining balance on our 2012 Annual Diocesan Appeal. Watch for another fun activity on Sunday, April 14th with a family game afternoon!

The Future Planning Committee of St. Elizabeth continues to make progress to consider options for our church facilities to meet the current and future needs of our parish. To that end, the committee has requested proposals from interested architectural firms with demonstrated experience in design of projects with flexibility to support the growing and evolving needs of a parish like ours. The firms who respond will meet with the committee to discuss their recommendations in early April. From there, the committee will consider the proposals and narrow the field to those that best fit our needs. Watch for future communications on the progress of the group. The parish will be updated and allowed to have input before a plan is finalized.

THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT...

In December, the Stewardship Committee sponsored a family movie night, featuring the classic Christmas movie, The Bells of St. Mary’s. The fun night started with a soup supper and ended with the movie and lots of popcorn, snacks and door prizes. The event was attended by over fifty people of all ages. Watch for more fun family-focused events sponsored by the Stewardship Committee.

The Sunday evening Bible study group is currently studying the book of James. This 10-week course is taught by Ginny Striegel and focuses on the short, but powerful book, uncovering the pearls of wisdom found on its pages. If you are interested in joining a future Bible study session, see Ginny. Pictured below in front: Amy Bishop, Jean Flaws, Ginny Striegel, Eva Dobson, Jenny Sinclair, Martha Hinds. Back row: Kevin Sinclair, Kathy Tjelmeland, Michelle Dillon, Kay Sheehey, Sandy McCullough, Keith Gass, Margaret Gass, Sharon Ferguson, Moe Kauzlarich, Dean Flaws, Bill Ohnemus and Ray Striegel.

BIBLE STUDY FOCUSES ON BOOK OF JAMES

The Bells of St. Mary’s

The Life of Maggie Darr By Amy Bishop

those days, many companies would allow women to work only through the sixth month of pregnancy, so when their first baby came along, Maggie quit working to stay home and raise her family. Bob worked

several jobs, but spent the majority of his working years as a truck driver for Super Value stores, where we worked for thirty years. They had six children – four girls and two boys.

In 1957 the family moved to the house where she currently lives in Carlisle. Bob was not Catholic, but attended Mass with Maggie. And they decided to raise their children in the Church. Years later, in 2004, Bob did decided he wanted to become Catholic and joined the Church at that time. She and Bob

were among those in the community who were part of the newly forming St. Elizabeth parish in the seventies. She taught religious education classes in her home, as did some of the other Catholic parents. She fondly remembers the Masses held at the Lion’s Club before the current church was built. Maggie and Bob were busy, raising their family, participating in 4-H, scouting and other children’s activities. They also liked dancing and bowling and led an active life in the community. Maggie returned to

No doubt about it, Maggie Darr is a character. If you’ve been around St. Elizabeth long, you’ve probably met her. She’s full of life and at eighty-plus years, she’s still going strong. Maggie was born as the seventh of nine children to Phil and Hattie James, just outside of Hopeville, in southern Iowa in November 1931. Her parents took her the ten miles over dirt roads to Grand River before Christmas to be baptized at the Catholic church there. Times were hard, but her family didn’t really know it. She says, “We didn’t know any different,” when asked about her memories of the Great Depression. She went to school in a two-room schoolhouse in Hopeville, just a few blocks from home. Maggie has a wealth of stories from her years growing up poor in rural Iowa. The most tragic of which was of the death of her father a week before Pearl Harbor when she was just ten years old. At that time, there were still seven children at home and her mother, older brothers and sisters ran the farm to support the family, raising corn, oats and livestock. Maggie was a self-described daredevil, who spent a lot of her youth playing sports. She was a talented athlete and often played with the boys at recess. She tells of an incident when she was twelve, in which she received a skull fracture when a baseball bat slipped out of a boy’s hands as he swung at the ball, hitting her squarely in the head. She says with a laugh, that there were no long-term effects from the injury, but she did have to stay in bed for six weeks of recovery. Her high school years were happy ones, with roller skating and square dancing and she graduated from Murray High School. After high school, Maggie didn’t go to college and instead looked for a job. She found one detasseling corn, and then worked on the night shift as a telephone operator for a couple of years. She and her sister found better jobs at Banker’s Life in Des Moines, where she worked for several years before meeting and marrying husband, Bob Darr. Bob grew up in Des Moines and was one of thirteen children. She and Bob settled into a little house in east Des Moines. Back in

Times were hard,

but her family

didn’t know it.

“We didn’t know

any different,”

said Maggie.

Robert and Maggie Darr

Maggie,continued

the workforce when the children were older. The family lived in town for a while, then moved to a farm in the country, where they lived for several years, eventually returning to the same house in town. After the kids left home and Bob retired, he and Maggie traveled America, including a trip to Alaska and vacationed in Europe too. They also watched sports, gardened and spent time with their fourteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Though times have not always been easy, Maggie has an upbeat, optimistic outlook about life. She credits her faith and upbringing with how she approaches hardship. About ten years ago, Bob’s health began to deteriorate as he began to experience the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. He now resides at a care facility in Indianola and Maggie visits him several times a week. Only one of her siblings is still living. She keeps busy with genealogy, visiting friends and family and other activities. Maggie’s health hasn’t been the best in recent years, as she had a hip replacement several years ago that resulted in a scary incident that she almost didn’t survive. And just this past summer, she fell and broke a hip. “The golden years are not always golden,” she says with a laugh.

Maggie remains the same upbeat, lively survivor she’s always been. She is still a very independent woman, who enjoys life and all the blessings that God has given her. She says that her faith has carried her through a lot of ups and downs through the years, but she carries on with a steadfast, loving spirit that we can all hope to have, no matter what our age.

WE WELCOME OUR NEW POPE — FRANCIS I

We at St. Elizabeth watched and rejoiced along with the rest of the world as the conclave of cardinals elected a new Pope to serve as God’s vicar on earth as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis I, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina was elected on Wednesday, March 13th. That evening, Fr. Kirby took the opportunity to talk with a group of religious education students and adults about the new Pope and help them understand the significance in the events that had transpired.

Please pray for our new papa, Pope Francis I.

Knights Get Active Perhaps you’ve noticed that our Knights of Columbus are working to be even more involved and visible in our parish. From pancake breakfasts, to fish fries and serving at Mass, they are serving our parish in more ways than ever. The blue shirts are everywhere!

The St. Elizabeth Ladies Guild supports our parish in countless ways. The group also supports the larger community through charitable donations. Recently, the group voted to use proceeds from various fundraising activities to make contributions to these organizations:

LADIES GUILD CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

Simpson College Students for Life Hearts with Haiti Carlisle After Prom Youth Emergency Shelter and Services Carlisle Dollars for Scholars Amanda the Panda Carlisle Academic Enrichment Fund

Ruth Harbor Inner Visions Health Care for informed

Choices Medical Clinic Pro Life Across America Central Iowa Shelter and Services Mary’s Meals

Christmas at St. Elizabeth

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb;

stooping and looking in, he saw the linen

cloths by themselves; and he went home

wondering at what had happened.

Luke 24:12

Jesus is Alive!

Jesus, I believe in you.

Jesus, I hope in you.

Jesus, I love you.

Easter Prayer

When Jesus’ disciples went to his burial place, they found an empty tomb. Through the message the angel gave to them at the tomb, and through Jesus’ appearances to various disciples, God revealed that Christ was risen. Two Scripture stories played an especially significant role in the faith of the early Christians: the account of Thomas demanding proof that it was Jesus who had appeared to them and the story of Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle through an encounter with the risen Jesus. The new Testament makes it clear that new life in Christ is based on the belief that Jesus rose form the dead. It is the risen Jesus who is Lord, and when Christians are baptized, they enter into the experience of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Resurrection of Jesus was a resurrection into divine life. This is different from a renewal of human life as had been experienced by Lazarus when Jesus brought him back from the dead. The fact that a number of Jesus’ closest disciples had difficulty recognizing him demonstrates that Jesus’ Resurrection was more than just a return to life; it was an entry into the full glory of divine life. Source: Ignatius Press

If you have suggestions for future issues of the St. Elizabeth quarterly

newsletter, please contact Amy Bishop. Call 515-989-2062 or

email bishopk@mac.com.