exas 2015 msgr. james plagens, 77, dies in midland · diagnosticaron con cáncer, oró por su...

DIOCESE OF SAN ANGELO

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PERMIT NO. 44

Serving the Diocese of San Angelo, TexasVolume XXXV, No. 5 MAY 2015

Confirmation

Fr. Hilary Ihedioha, above, talks withyoung people during a recent confirma-tion Mass at St. Mary’s in Odessa.Photos, page 23.

Speaking of Saints ...

Andrew (André) Fournet (1752-1834) wasdetermined that he was not going to be apriest. His mother, howev-er, was just as deter-mined that he would. Thetwo battled each other foryears over what would beAndrew’s career choice.He even inscribed a dec-laration in one of hisschool books that read:“This book belongs toAndré Hubert Fournet, agood boy, though he is not going to become apriest or a monk.” / Pg 8

Catholic Voices: Fr. Ron Rolheiser, Fr.Robert Barron, others, Pgs. 14-17

INSIDE

John Wilkins, left, of Catholic Charities of Odessa, with wife, Karen, as she dis-plays a piece of locally-created artwork auctioned April 23, 2015, at the annual ban-quet and meeting of Catholic Charities of Odessa. This piece of art, along with oth-ers that were commissioned for the event, helped raise $6,500 of the evening’s$19,527 total raised. Related photo page 3. Photo by Alan P. Torre / aptorre.com.

By Jimmy PattersonEditor / The Angelus

SAN ANGELO —It didn’t take long for someone to putinto perspective just how long the Newman Center atAngelo State University has been changing lives.

“Wow, 50 years,” noted Msgr. Bernard Gully, currentlypastor at Big Spring Holy Trinity, and one of the earlycampus ministers for the center in San Angelo. “That’s1/20th of a millennium.”

And that is a long time.Those involved in the Newman Center through the years

(Please See NEWMAN/4)

Msgr. James Plagens, 77, dies in MidlandBy Jimmy PattersonEditor / The Angelus

MIDLAND — Remembered asa man of compassion, patience andkindness, Reverend MonsignorJames A. Plagens, 77, died Friday,April 17, 2015 following 49 yearsof service to the Diocese of San

Angelo.Hundreds of friends and families

crowded into St. Ann’s Church inMidland to remember a man pas-sionate about the liturgy and with ahealthy love for cooking and eat-ing.

Msgr. Plagens served as many as20 different parishes as either pas-

tor, assistant pastor, priest supervi-sor or parochial administratorbeginning with his first appoint-ment in 1966 at St. Mary’s inOdessa.

Bishop Michael J. Sis calledMsgr. Plagens a “true gentlemanwith a kind spirit.”

(Please See PLAGENS/8)

Newman Center Leaving a legacy for half a century at ASU

The Angelus

SAN ANGELO — Bishop Michael J.Sis will ordain three new priests for theDiocese of San Angelo at a 10:30 a.m.Mass, Saturday, May 30, 2015, at SacredHeart Cathedral in San Angelo.

Deacons Adam Droll, Ryan Rojo,seminarians at Mundelein Seminary inChicago, and Deacon Felix Archibong,seminarian at Assumption Seminary inSan Angelo, will be ordained at theMass.

To read reflections from each of thethree seminarians, see Pgs. 12-13.

Three new prieststo be ordained atcathedral, May 30

Sister KathyKudlac, OSF,Director of theNewmanCenter atAngelo StateUniversity

MAY 2015 The Angelus

DIOCESAN BRIEFS

From The Bishop’s Desk

God gives us all we need, but not always all we wantBy Bishop Michael J. Sis

My friend had a lovely wife. She was thejoy of his life. When she was diagnosedwith cancer, he prayedfor her healing. Hercancer was very aggres-sive, and she died veryquickly. As my friendmourns and grieves herloss, he is troubled bythe fact that, despite hisfervent prayerful peti-tions, his wife still diedof cancer.

This is a dilemma thatsometimes causes people to give up onprayer. They ask God for things in prayer,and then don’t get what they asked for, andthen they are tempted to give up on God.

Prayer of petition is a very importantform of prayer, but we don’t always getwhat we ask for. When we ask God forthings in prayer, we should take on the atti-tude of Jesus when he prayed in the Gardenof Gethsemane on the night before his

death. He said, “Father, if you are willing,take this cup away from me; nevertheless,not my will but your will be done.” (Luke22:42) Jesus was submitting his humanwill to the loving will of God.

Also, when Jesus taught his discipleshow to pray, he gave them the Our Father.This is a vitally important prayer which weshould pray every day. In this prayer wesay, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will bedone.” We don’t say, “My will be done.”

The point of prayer is not to get every-thing you want. It’s not God’s job to doour will. It’s our job to do God’s will.God didn’t create us to have instant gratifi-cation of our every desire. God created usto know him, love him, and serve him inthis life, and to spend eternity in union withhim in Heaven.

God is already on our side. He loves usmore than we love ourselves, and healways has our greater good in mind.However, we have to remember that Godsees the bigger picture, from an eternal per-

(Please See BISHOP/20)

By Bishop Michael J. Sis

Mi amigo tenía una esposa encantadora.Ella era la alegría de su vida. Cuando ladiagnosticaron con cáncer, oró por susanación. Su cáncer era muy agresivo, yella murió muy rápidamente. Mientras miamigo está de luto y lamenta su pérdida,está molesto por el hecho de que, a pesarde sus fervientes peticiones de oración, suesposa aún murió de cáncer.

Este es un dilema que a veces causa quela gente se renuncie a la oración. Piden aDios por cosas en oración, y luego noconsiguen lo que han pedido, y luego seven tentados a renunciar a Dios.

La oración de petición es una formamuy importante de la oración, pero nosiempre obtenemos lo que pedimos.

Cuando le pedimos a Dios por cosas enoración, debemos asumir la actitud deJesús cuando oraba en el Jardín deGetsemaní, la noche antes de su muerte.Él dijo, “Padre, si quieres, aleja de mí estacopa; pero que no se haga mi voluntad,sino la tuya.” (Lucas 22:42) Jesús estabasometiendo su voluntad humana a la vol-untad amorosa de Dios.

Además, cuando Jesús enseñó a sus dis-cípulos a orar, les dio el Padre Nuestro. Estaes una oración muy importante que debe-mos orar todos los días. En esta oracióndecimos: “Venga tu reino, hágase tu volun-tad.” No se dice: “Hágase mi voluntad.”

El punto de la oración no es el de con-seguir todo lo que queremos. No es eldeber de Dios el hacer nuestra voluntad.

(Mira OBISPO/20)

Bishop Sis

Rural Life MassThis year’s Seed and Soil Rural Life Mass will be at

6:00 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2015, at St. BonifaceChurch in Olfen. Bishop Michael J. Sis will be themain celebrant of the Mass and Fr. Ariel Lagunilla ofOlfen will assist. All priests in the diocese are wel-come to concelebrate. Those who attend the Massare invited to bring baskets of grain, fresh produce,cotton, home canned fruit, vegetables, etc., for bless-ing. For more information, contact Deacon CharlieEvans, Director of Rural Life for the Diocese of SanAngelo, at [email protected], or 325-357-4520.

San Angelo to host EngagedEncounter District III convention

SAN ANGELO -- San Angelo Catholic EngagedEncounter will host the 2015 District III Convention,June 12-14, 2015, at the Clarion Hotel in San Angelo.The guest speaker will be Dr. Eileen RaffanielloBarbella, who will present on "The Monastery ofMarriage: Marriage as a Spiritual Discipline" and"Holy Matrimony: Joyful Witness." Bishop Michael Siswill lead Sunday worship to conclude the convention.If you have attended an Engaged Encounter week-end, your attendance at this event is welcome. Formore information or to register, please visit SanAngelo Catholic Engaged Encounter's website. www.sanangelocatholicee.org

‘Lady in Blue’ to be remembered May

24, 350th anniversary of her deathBishop Michael Sis will join people in San Angelo

and around the world to recognize the 350th

Anniversary of the death of Sor Maria de Agreda, the“Lady in Blue,” on Sunday, May 24.

While the Lady in Blue Day has been celebrated inSan Angelo for a number of years on June 20, thedate of May 24 has been selected this year in solidari-ty with a major anniversary celebration taking place onthe same day in her town of Agreda, Spain.

The seventh annual celebration in San Angelo willbegin with the Procession of Flowers at 6:00 p.m. atthe Christ the King Retreat Center, 802 Ford Street,followed by the Mass of Pentecost at 6:30 p.m. cele-brated by Bishop Sis in the retreat center chapel. Theprocession will start by the Concho River on the retreatcenter grounds. As members of the Jumano tribe didin 1629, the procession then will follow the crosses offlowers to the chapel.

Everyone is invited to join in the procession; honoredguests will be any person with Native American her-itage.

Historian Gus Clemens, who has presented and writ-ten on the Lady in Blue for more than 30 years, willgive a short talk about Maria de Agreda prior to theMass.

Refreshments will be served in the retreat center fol-lowing the Mass. Trudo’s Religious Store will be thereto sell the famous book written by Sor Maria, “TheMystical City of God” and the book about her life,“María of Ágreda: Mystical Lady in Blue,” written byMarilyn H. Fedewa.

Family retreat to feature music, talksSAN ANGELO — On Pentecost we celebrate the

day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles andMary. That day they received the power from God topreach His word and to perform miracles without fear.

“Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” - Acts 2:3-4

Sunday, May 24 we celebrate again the Feast ofPentecost. Would you like to receive that infilling ofthe Holy Spirit? Do you want to feel that same enthu-siasm and strength that the Apostles were given. Areyou interested in seeking a deeper and more person-al relationship with Christ? The Paraclete was prom-ised to us by Jesus, to be with us always, helpingand guiding us. And, He is with us now, alive andactive in all our lives. On that weekend, the Heart ofMercy Prayer Group is celebrating with a Fire It UpRetreat! Join us at the San Angelo Sacred HeartCathedral, San Angelo, TX on Friday, May 22nd 6:00p.m.-9:30 p.m., and again on Saturday, May 23rd 8:00a.m.- 6:00 p.m. with the Sunday Vigil Mass to follow.The cost for this event is $15 for teens, $20 for individ-uals and $40 for families.

There will be small groups for Jr. & Sr. High teens,men, women and married couples.

For more information please contact: Jackie Droll,325-227-9281 [email protected] or SandySeidel, 325-656-5550 [email protected] or visit the group’swebsite at http://www.sanangeloheartofmercy.com/.

GRN event to feature Colin RayeSave the Date!Guadalupe Radio Network for West Texas will host

the 2nd annual Fishers of Men Dinner, 7 p.m.,Saturday, October 3, 2015, at the Midland Center.This year’s keynote presenter is Collin Raye, formercountry music recording artist ... San Angelo BishopMichael J. Sis will also be honored at the dinner. Alsoappearing will be the Texas Nuns and the Poor ClareSisters of Perpetual Adoration.

¿Contesta Dios NuestrasOraciones?

World Meeting of

Families coming

to Philadelphia

in September

The World Meeting ofFamilies, held everythree years, is coming toPhiladelphia September22-27, 2015. PopeFrancis will be makinghis first visit to theUnited States followingthe event.

The theme is "Love IsOur Mission: The FamilyFully Alive." For moreinformation, to registerfor the WMOF or inquireabout housing, pleasevisit the World Meetingof Families website,worldmeeting2015.org/

The event will wel-come Catholics fromaround the globe to dis-cuss the importance ofthe family.

The Angelus MAY 2015

CALENDARSBISHOP SIS' SCHEDULE

MAY

8 — SAN ANGELO, St.

Joseph, Confirmation Mass at

6:00 p.m.

9 — OZONA, Our Lady of

Perpetual Help, Confirmation

Mass at 6:00 p.m.

10 — SONORA, St. Ann,

Confirmation Mass at 10:30 a.m.

10 — MERTZON, St. Peter,

Confirmation Mass at 4:00 p.m.

13 — SAN ANGELO, Vocation

Team Meeting at 2:00 p.m.

14 — OLFEN, St. Boniface,

Rural Life Mass at 6:00 p.m.

15 — ABILENE, Holy Family,


16 — ABILENE, St. Vincent

Pallotti, Confirmation Mass at

5:30 p.m.

17 — LORAINE, 100th

Anniversary Mass at 8:30 a.m.

17 — SAN ANGELO, Sacred

Heart Cathedral, Marriage

Jubilee at 3:00 p.m.

19 — SAN ANGELO, Meeting

of Presbyteral Council and

Finance Council at 11:00 a.m.

19 — SAN ANGELO, Meeting

of Presbyteral Council at 2:00

p.m.

21 — MIDLAND, St. Stephen,


22 — STANTON, St. Joseph,


23 — ODESSA, St. Joseph,


24 — ANDREWS, Our Lady of

Lourdes, Confirmation Mass at

10:30 a.m.

24 — SAN ANGELO, Christ

the King Retreat Center, Lady in

Blue 350th Anniversary Mass at

6:00 p.m.

26 — SAN ANGELO, St.

Margaret, 50th Anniversary Mass

at 6:00 p.m.

29 — SAN ANGELO, Angelo

Catholic School, Graduation

Mass at 8:30 a.m.


Heart Cathedral, Priestly

Ordination of Felix Archibong,

Adam Droll, and Ryan Rojo at

10:30 a.m.

31 — BRADY, St. Patrick,



Heart Cathedral, Confirmation

Mass at 6:00 p.m.

JUNE

3 — SAN ANGELO, St. Mary,


5 — FORT STOCKTON, Our

Lady of Guadalupe, Confirmation

Mass at 6:30 p.m.

7 — ABILENE, St. Francis,


7-12 — ST. LOUIS, Mo.,

USCCB General Assembly


Heart Cathedral, Priestly

Ordination at 10:00 a.m.

14 — SAN ANGELO, Mass for

District Meeting of Engaged

Encounter at 10:00 a.m.

20 — MIDLAND, Our Lady of

Guadalupe, Confirmation Mass at

5:00 p.m.

22-24 — LA CEIBA,

Honduras, Interdiocesan

Hermanamiento Meeting


Heart Cathedral, Rite of

Candidacy at 10:00 a.m.

27 — BROWNWOOD, St.

Mary, Confirmation Mass at 5:30

p.m.

28 — COLORADO CITY, St.

Ann, Confirmation Mass at 10:30

a.m.

29 — ABILENE, Sacred Heart,

Mass for 15th Anniversary of

Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at

7:00 p.m.

CHRIST THE KING

RETREAT CENTERMAY

11—Heart of Mercy Prayer Grp

15-16 — First United Methodist

Church-Midland

17 — CKRC Confirm. Retreat


24 — Lady in Blue Mass

29-31 — Priestly Ordination

JUNE

1-5 — Lubbock Priests Annual

Retreat

8 — Heart of Mercy Prayer

Group

12-14 — Deacon Formation


18-21 — Small Town ACTS

Women’s Retreat

21 — Father’s Day


25-28 — Girls Chrysalis Flight


NECROLOGYJUNE

7 — Rev. Ray Corr, O.P. (2005)

8 — Rev. Felix Cubelo (2007)

13 — Rev. David Espitia (2003)

17 — Rev. Barry Mclean (2012)

18 — Rev. John Lucassen

(1993)

20 — Deacon William Smith

(2003)

22 — Rev. Msgr. Alvin Wilde

(1996)

28 — Bishop Stephen A. Leven

(1983)

By Reggie Odima

I was born and lived half of my life inKenya and the other half in Dallas, whichis where my family currently lives. I didpart of my undergraduate studies atAngelo State University and completedmy studies at Mexican American CatholicCollege in San Antonio during my semi-nary years. I go to Assumption seminary,in San Antonio, where I have been for thepast 5 1/2 years.

I entered the seminary when I was 20years old, so a bit young but I have cometo understand that it was the proper timefor me to begin to answer God’s call.Although I have three more years of for-mation remaining, I have come to theunderstanding that no priest is excitedabout his time in the seminary in thesame way that no doctor is excited abouthis time in studies before he receives hiswhite coat, but that education is neces-sary.

Seminary life is difficult because it chal-lenges every aspect of yourself; mind,

body, spirit, and relationships. It tries topurify every single aspect so that wecould one day be good holy priests fullyready to serve God and His people toour greatest capacity. But seminary lifealso has its fruits that I could already see.

Here are a few: I am the first in myfamily to graduate from college, I havebecome proficient in Spanish, I havegrown not just as a man but as a manwho seeks for holiness and I have neverexperienced greater peace in my life,even during the most difficult times (Ohyeah, I also received the wonderfulopportunity to study Spanish abroad). Ifyou know of someone, man or woman,who has a call to the religious life orpriesthood, pray for them, encouragethem, direct them to a spiritual leaderabout their call (pastor, sister, youth minis-ter, or seminarian, to name a few), andPRAY for them and their vocation! I thankyou all for your support and prayers, Icannot wait for the day I will be used asGod’s instrument for you. We are alsopraying for you.

SEMINARIAN OF THE MONTH

Odima eager to begin service as ‘God’s instrument’

Odima

Catholic Charities of Odessa BanquetBishop Michael J. Sis, second from right, with, from left to right, Valerie Longoria, Director of Catholic

Charities of Odessa; Shelby Landgraff, host and emcee of this year’s banquet; Estella Molina, Catholic

Charities Volunteer of the Year; Emily Marruffa, Employee of the Year; Pastor Doug Herget, recipient of

Catholic Charities of Odessa’s Pope Francis Spirit of Charity Award; Mary Beth Kenworth, recipient of the

Sister Mary Thomas McNeela Award, and Sarah Ramirez, Executive Director of CC of Central Texas. (Photo by

Alan P. Torre / aptorre.com).


(From 1)

will more than likely to tell you that it’s notthe number of years as much as it is the quali-ty of the program through those years that hasso impacted students since 1965.

About 75 people gathered to celebrate theNewman Center’s 50th anniversary, April18 at Angelo State’s Houston HarteUniversity Center.

Moderated by Sister Kathy Kudlac, OSF,current director of the Newman Center, theevent featured many of the former directorsof the center, including Sister Rebecca Otters,one of the first directors now living andworking in Kansas.

“Since 2010, I have seen many youngadults come through the doors,” said Sr.Kudlac. “I have truly been blessed to come toknow so many fine young women and men.

Each has made Newman a home away fromhome for those who have come and continueto come.”

San Angelo Bishop Michael J. Sis notedin his remarks: “The first Catholic campusministry in the United States began in 1883at the University of Wisconsin. BlessedCardinal John Henry Newman of OxfordUniversity has been taken as the great heroof Catholic campus ministry, and that is whyhis name has been traditionally given toCatholic campus ministry centers at non-Catholic campuses in this country. Today,Catholic students comprise approximately35 percent of freshman classes on publiccampuses. There are approximately 5.5 mil-lion Catholic college students in the U.S.with approximately 90 percent attendingnon-Catholic institutions.”

Sr. Kudlac spoke at length about the

efforts her students are involved in andhave been involved in, including faith for-mation programs such as Theology on Tapand ARISE. Students have helped in scoresof community and diocesan efforts, includ-ing the Souper Bowl of Caring for the foodbank, Diocesan Conference Day, Vatican IIConference, the Youth Ministry Conference,Region X Youth Conference, and HispanicMinistry Training in San Antonio.

Through the center, students have partici-pated in Lenten retreats, Pro-Life retreats,the 40 Days for Life effort, meet-and-greets, socials, and tea parties.

This year, Sr. Kudlac asked the currentstudents to commemorate the 50th anniver-sary of the Newman Center by completing50 community service opportunities. Thestudents instead completed 60, includinghelping at adult enrichment opportunities,

the pregnancy health center, confirmationretreats, the Rape Crisis Center, a hospicecenter, the Ballinger Food Bank, and fallfestivals, to name a few.

“We are called as Dominicans to spreadthe Good News in places where it is greatand difficult,” said Sr. Malachy Griffin,who directed the center for 26 years.“Being an example of God’s love must gohand in hand with God’s preaching andteaching. The Newman Center always chal-lenged me to live out what I profess and toforgive and be forgiven 70 times 7 times.The work has sometimes been great anddifficult at Newman, but it has also been anhonor and a privilege to minister to — andwith — these young adults. I found God inthe midst of the students, faculty, staff andextended Newman family at Angelo StateUniversity.”

NEWMAN

Principles instilled at Newman have

stayed with former ASU studentsBy Jimmy Patterson

Editor / The Angelus

SAN ANGELO — Finding someone eager to talkabout the positive effects the Newman Center hasmade in his or her life is an easytask. Just ask Paul Martinez, a youngparishioner in Midland who also justhappens to be a soon-to-be father.

Interviewed while waiting for hiswife’s doctor to arrive for her reg-ular appointment, the thought ofbecoming a father has been onethat has been made easier thanks tothe lessons he learned at Newman.

“I have more avenues throughwhich to reach Christ; different perspectives,” hesaid. “Newman allowed me to grow in my faith.”

Martinez recounted a recent story during whichthe priest talked of a young girl processing withothers for Holy Communion. Before she receivedthe Body and Blood, Martinez said, she ran back toher father and told him she was scared to continue.

“To me, that is a teachable moment for a father,”Martinez said. “My wife and I will be the firstteachers for our child. And we will be able to bebetter teachers because of the faith formation passeddown at the Newman Center.”

Fr. Emiliano Zapata, OP, pastor at St. Elizabeth inLubbock, a parish made up largely of students fromnearby Texas Tech, was also a regular during hisyears as a student at Angelo State University.

“I attended a lot of the classes Sr. Malachy had,”Fr. Emiliano said. “What intrigued me was how sheemphasized the need to know your faith. Anotherissue was always to be of service to others. In highschool, I had never really heard that or put it all

together, but being involved at the Newman Centerhelped me be a whole person and peaked my inter-est in the Dominican order.”

Betsy Brininstool says Newman helped her learnthe answers to all the “whys” she asked about,which helped further her commitment to her faith.

“The Newman Center was like a home away fromhome, especially the first times I went there. Ialways looked at it as somewhere safe to go. It’simportant to find a place with people of your ownfaith when you’re in college. It can be a hard time oflife and it’s when a lot of young people walk awayfrom their faith, but the Newman Center really keptme commit to my faith. I’ve chosen the Catholic lifeand I am raising my children Catholic and so it real-ly made a difference in all that for me.”

Chris Wilde, a former educator in Wall, agreedwith Brininstool in that Newman is a wonderfulplace to broaden your knowledge base of your faith.

“When you get into college, you need directionand you need to keep connected to your faith,”Wilde said. “One of the biggest things you can learnfrom Newman is that everyone is included andthere’s a spot and a role that everyone has to playregardless their strengths. Newman includes every-body and it was amazing the different sorts of peo-ple that would show up, from young to old.”

And former student Terri Huseman, of Amarillo,said, “Conversations that challenged me to thinkand digest Church teaching not only strengthenedmy understanding then, but led me to ask questionsof myself daily about how my actions align withwhat I am called to do. Sr. Malachy (former direc-tor of the ASU Newman Center) said on a dailybasis, ‘Honey, if you're not growing, you're dying.’Those simple words have stayed with me and con-tinue to keep me grounded in my faith. It isn't easyand it will never be perfect because I am human.”

Chaplain’s job: to ensure

offenders have freedom

to practice their faith By Jimmy Patterson

Editor / West Texas Angelus

EDEN — As a Dominican religious, Sister Delia Herrera,OP, has a duty to “go where the work is great and difficult,” asthe order’s founder, St. Dominic, charged. While the tendencymight be to spread the gospel of JesusChrist, the reality for Sr. Herrera, chaplain ofthe Eden Federal Detention Center, is to pro-vide unfettered access to practicing one’sfaith, whatever it might be.

Recognized religions that are allowed toobserve inside the prison walls includeChristianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism,Buddhism, even Santeria, an Afro-Caribbeanreligion steeped in Yoruba beliefs and tradi-tions; traditions that include animal sacrifice.

Fifteen-hundred international inmates call the Eden FederalPrison facility home. It is the last place federal prisoners arehoused before they are released and deported back their homecountries. Reaching that many inmates who practice sundryfaiths is not always an easy jobs.

Sr. Herrera is a native San Angeloan, Angelo State graduateand former regular at the Newman Center on campus.

“It can be difficult,” Sr. Herrera said. “But as a RomanCatholic nun, I must make sure a Buddhist has what he needs

(Please See HERRERA /21)

Fr. Emiliano

Zapata, OP

Sister Delia Herrera

Editor’s Note: On March 10, 2015, PopeFrancis wrote the following letter FedericoMayor, President of the InternationalCommission against the Death Penalty. In it,he stated clearly his position on capitolpunishment. The pope’s letter is below in itsentirety.

I have shared some ideas on this subjectin my letter to the InternationalAssociation of Penal Law and the LatinAmerican Association of Penal Law andCriminology of May 30, 2014. I had theopportunity to take a closer look at theseideas in my talk before the five largestassociations in the world dedicated to thestudy of penal law, criminology, victimolo-gy and prison issues on October 23, 2014.I want to take the opportunity on this occa-sion to share with you some reflections bywhich the Church can contribute to thehumanist effort of the Commission.

The Church’s Magisterium, based onSacred Scripture and the thousand-yearexperience of the People of God, defendslife from conception to natural end, andsupports full human dignity inasmuch as itrepresents the image of God (cf. Gen1:26). Human life is sacred since from itsbeginning, from the first instant of concep-tion, it is the fruit of God’s creating action(cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church,2258). And from this moment man, theonly creature that God has loved for itself,is the object of a personal love on the partof God (cf. Gaudium et spes, 24).

States kill when they apply the deathpenalty, when they send their people towar or when they carry out extrajudicialor summary executions. They can also killby omission, when they fail to guaranteeto their people access to the bare essen-tials for life. “Just as the commandment“Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit inorder to safeguard the value of human life,today we also have to say “thou shalt not”to an economy of exclusion and inequali-ty” (Evangelii gaudium, 53).

“Life, especially human life, belongsonly to God…Not even a murderer loseshis personal dignity, and God himselfpledges to guarantee this…” As St.Ambrose wrote, God did not want to pun-ish Cain by a homicide “preferring thecorrection rather than the death of a sin-ner” (cf. Evangelium vitae, 9). On someoccasions it is necessary to repel an ongo-ing assault proportionately to avoid dam-age caused by the aggressor, and the needto neutralize him could lead to his elimi-nation; this is a case of legitimatedefense. (cf. Evangelium vitae, 55).Nevertheless, the presuppositions of legit-

imate personal defense do not apply atthe social level, without the risk of misin-terpretation. When the death penalty isapplied, it is not for a current act ofaggression, but rather for an act commit-ted in the past. It is also applied to per-sons whose ability to cause harm is notcurrent since it has been neutralized andthey are already deprived of their liberty.Today the death penalty is inadmissible,no matter how serious the crime commit-ted. It is an offense against the inviolabil-ity of life and the dignity of the humanperson, one which contradicts God’s planfor man and society and his merciful jus-tice, and impedes the penalty from fulfill-ing any just objective. It does not renderjustice to the victims, but rather fostersvengeance.

For the rule of law the death penaltyrepresents a failure as it obliges the stateto kill in the name of justice. Dostoevskywrote: “to execute a man for murder is topunish him immeasurably more dreadful-ly than is equivalent to his crime. A mur-der by sentence is far more dreadful thana murder committed by a criminal.” [fromThe Idiot, ed.] Justice can never beaccomplished by killing a human being.

The death penalty loses all legitimacybecause of the defective selectivity of thepenal system and the real possibility ofjudicial error. Human justice is imperfectand not recognizing its fallibility canconvert it into a source of injustice. Bythe application of the death penalty theconvict is denied the possibility ofrepenting or making amends for the harmcaused; the possibility of confession, bywhich a man expresses his inner conver-sion; and contrition, the gateway to atone-ment and expiation, in order to reach anencounter with God’s merciful and heal-ing justice.

Furthermore, capital punishment is fre-quently taken up by totalitarian regimesand groups of fanatics in order to exter-minate political dissidents, minorities,and any subject labelled as ‘dangerous’ orwho may be perceived as a threat to itspower or to the achievement of its ends.As in the first centuries, the Church at thepresent also suffers the application of thispenalty to its new martyrs.

The death penalty is contrary to human-itarian sentiment and to divine mercywhich must be the model for human jus-tice. It involves cruel, inhuman anddegrading treatment, as well as theanguish prior to the moment ofexecution. [It also involves] the terriblewait between the sentence being pro-

nounced and the application of the penal-ty, a “torture” that, in the name of dueprocess, usually lasts for many years andin the prelude to death often leads toinfirmity and insanity.

In some quarters there is a debate aboutthe method of killing, as if it were possi-ble to find ways of “getting it right.”Throughout history a variety of mecha-nisms of death have been defended asreducing the suffering and agony of thecondemned. But there is no humane wayof killing another person.

In reality, not only do there exist meansof suppressing crime without definitivelydepriving those who commit them of thepossibility of redeeming themselves (cf.Evangelium vitae, 27), but there has alsodeveloped a greater moral sensibility inrelation to the value of human life. [This]provokes an increasing aversion to thedeath penalty and support in public opin-ion for various provisions that lead to itsabolition or the suspension of its applica-tion (cf. Compendium of Social Doctrineof the Church, 405).

On the other hand, life imprisonment,like those that because of their durationimply for the prisoner the impossibility ofplanning a future of freedom, can be con-sidered as a sort of covert death penalty,as they not only deprive detainees of theirfreedom, but they also attempt to deprivethem of hope. But even though the penalsystem can claim the time of convictedpersons, it can never claim their hope.

As I said in my talk last October 23,“the death penalty implies the negation ofthe love of enemies preached in theGospels. All Christians and men of goodwill are obligated not only to fight for theabolition of the death penalty, legal orillegal and in all its forms, but also for theimprovement of the conditions of incar-ceration out of respect for the human dig-nity of the persons deprived of their liber-ty.” [This is not an exact quote. ed.]

My dear friends, I encourage you tocontinue with your work because theworld needs witnesses to the mercy andtenderness of God. I say goodbye com-mending you to the Lord Jesus, who dur-ing his life on earth did not want harmdone to his persecutors in his defense—“Put your sword back in its sheath (Mt26:52) — was arrested and unjustly con-demned to death, and identifies himselfwith all [emphasis in original, ed.] thoseimprisoned, guilty or not: “I was in prisonand you visited me” (Mt 25:36).

“(May Jesus), who when confrontedwith the woman caught in adultery didnot ask questions about her guilt butrather invited her accusers to examinetheir own consciences before stoning her(cf. Jn 8:1-11), give you the gift of wis-dom, so that your actions taken for theabolition of this cruel punishment be suc-cessful and fruitful.

-- Francis


EASTER SYMBOLS

Francis: Death penalty inadmissible no matter the crime

Easter is not over. We are in themiddle of the Easter Season, whichcontinues for 50 days, until PentecostSunday. Here then, some thoughts onsome of the symbols of the season:

The Paschal candle is a symbol of therisen body of Christ and the fire of theSpirit. It is decorated with a cross, theGreek Alpha and Omega (Christ yester-day and today, the beginning and theend); and the numbers of the currentyear (all time belongs to Him and all theages; to Him be glory and powerthrough every age forever). Four grainsof incense, sealed with red wax nails,are inserted at the ends of the crossbarsand one is inserted where the crossbarsmeet (by His holy and glorious wounds,may Christ our Lord guard us and keepus. Amen). The candle remains lit

throughout the fifty days of Easter andis extinguished on Pentecost. It is thenused for its resurrection symbolism atbaptisms and funerals.

Easter eggs and the Easter bunnies arenot "pagan" symbols, as sometimeswritten. Eggs are likened to the tomb ofChrist; they crack open to bring forthnew life.

Rabbits are associated with the dawn;they were thought to spend the nightkeeping watch for the first light ofmorning. Strange as it sounds,Christians, on Easter Eve, are likened torabbits; they kept vigil throughout thenight in anticipation of the resurrectionof all creature.

-- Sister Adelina GarciaDiocesan Office of

Evangelization and Catechesis


Encountering God in

differing faith traditionsBy Becky Benes

In college, I was visiting with a young man about Christianity andhe said, "Why would I be a part of a religion which worships a Godthat sends 80% of the world's population to Hell?"

This comment jarred my thinking, it woke me upand I began to ask questions about my faith. As Iwas and will forever be one who loves all people, Icould not imagine being involved with such anorganization. I felt a deep connection with peoplefrom all over the world and I had never consideredthat Christianity stood for God condemning peopleof different faiths to Hell.

This dilemma began my exploration and researchof other faith traditions. Along my journey I discov-ered many similarities and common grounds among

all major faith traditions.For example, all major faith traditions and even those of indigenous

tribes share similar core values and teachings:4 The Golden Rule: Treat others the way in which you would like tobe treated.4 Love your neighbor.4 The World is our Family.4 And Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Along my journey of questioning, I was led through the doors ofmany different religions where I also encountered God. This amazedme as I began to see the higher truths and the common grounds oftheir sacred texts. As I explored, parts of me felt disloyal and disobe-dient to my Catholic upbringing until I was introduced to the SecondVatican Council’s proclamation, Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on theRelation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, promulgated byPope Paul VI in 1965.

In this document, I found affirmations that I was actually being trueto my Catholic roots. Nostra Aetate offers five points for Catholicsto consider in regard to non-Christian religions. Here is my overviewfor your convenience, yet I encourage you to read the entire docu-ment. (Don't worry, it is not a book, just a page in layman terms so itwill take maybe 20 minutes of your time, but a lifetime to consider.)

1. As we become more and more a global society, we realize theimportance of promoting unity and love among all people and all nations.In so doing, we must seek our commonalities which pull us together asone in fellowship. In all religions, people grapple with the unsolved rid-dles of the human condition which stir the hearts and souls of all.

2. The Church recognizes that from the beginning of time, peoplehave perceived a hidden power which hovers over the lives ofhumanity; many have come to believe this hidden power to be aSupreme Being. The Church while holding true to and proclaimingChrist as "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), honors withsincere reverence other religion's ways, concepts, and precepts whichenlighten all people. She also calls her people into dialogue and col-laboration with other religions, to "recognize, preserve and promotethe good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural val-ues found among these men."

3. The Church regards Muslims with esteem, understanding thatthey adore the one God, revere Jesus as a prophet, and honor Mary,his virgin Mother. Despite the conflicts of the past, the sacred synodurges all to work for mutual understanding and the greater good forall people.

(Please See BENES/21)

Benes

The Way of the CrossBishop Michel J. Sis carries the cross during The Way of the Cross procession, at St. Margaret’s

Church in San Angelo, on Good Friday, April 3, 2015. (Courtesy photo).

Bishop celebrates first adult Confirmations

By Joshua Carpenter

SAN ANGELO — On the sunny afternoonof Sunday, April 12, at Holy Angels Church inSan Angelo, Bishop Michael J. Sis welcomed26 people into the Church as confirmed adults.

“I am very happy that you have decided torespond to God’s call,” the bishop said in hishomily. “We all know that the usual time forthe Sacrament of Confirmation in this dioceseis during the teenage years … [but] all flowersgive glory to God, regardless of when theydecide to bloom.”

“As your Bishop, I’m now inviting you to bean active part of the Catholic Church. As con-firmed Catholics, whenever people observe theway you live your life, they should see a goodexample of the fact that Jesus is active in your life.”

The candidates renewed their baptismal promises,and after the laying on of hands, each came forwardin turn to be anointed with the Sacred Chrism andsealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jason Reyes, one of the newly confirmed, said thathis experience was a positive one.

“It was good, seeing the bishop, and letting himtake care of it.”

This was Bishop Sis’s second time to perform agroup adult Confirmation ceremony since his ordi-nation as bishop and assignment to the Diocese ofSan Angelo in January of 2014. The first was at San

Miguel Parish in Midland on March 8, 2015. Bishop Sis said that it is most important to “be

prepared spiritually, have a desire for and under-standing of the sacraments.”

The San Angelo Confirmation class had 26, whilein Midland there were approximately 50. Bishop Sissaid that he invites all non-confirmed Catholic adultsto receive the sacrament.

“I want the word to get out that we do confirmadults. It’s never too late, and I encourage any adultsto talk with their local parish in order to beginpreparation.”

Photo: Bishop Sis awaits adult confirmands at Holy

Angels Parish in San Angelo. (Photo by Joshua

Carpenter)


The domestic church and the parish churchBy Fr. Knick and SandieKnickerbockerSt. Theresa Church, Junction

In a previous article, we wrote about thefamily as the Domestic Church. In this arti-cle we consider the Domestic Church as it is

related to theparish churchand the diocese.We must alwaysremember thatthe spiritualityof the DomesticChurch isgrounded in thespirituality ofthe parishchurch, and thespirituality ofthe parish

church is formed by the sacraments and theliturgical year. As the Catechism of theCatholic Church teaches, "The Eucharist is'the source and summit of the Christian life.''The other sacraments, and indeed all eccle-siastical ministries and works of the aposto-late, are bound up with the Eucharist andare oriented toward it. For in the blessedEucharist is contained the whole spiritualgood of the Church, namely Christ himself,our Pasch'" (CCC,#1324).

If the family is to be the DomesticChurch, it is absolutely necessary for thefamily to attend Mass in the parish churchon Sundays and Holy Days. A good habitto develop is for the family to attend at leastone week-day Mass together and to practicea family Holy Hour once a week. If theparish church has a Perpetual AdorationChapel, this is easily managed. If it doesnot, talk with the priest about providingEucharistic Adoration at a time when yourfamily can be present.

When a child is baptized, it is an opportu-nity to talk with your children about themeaning of their own Baptism. Ask yourpriest to baptize your children during aSunday Mass to emphasize that Baptism isthe rite that initiates a person into the sacra-mental life of the Church.

When children are prepared for first com-munion, they are also prepared to maketheir first confession. Parents can teachtheir children by their own regular and fre-quent participation in the Sacrament ofReconciliation that their child's first confes-sion is just the beginning. Teach your childthat we can be honest and open with thepriest who hears our confession, because itis really Jesus who is hearing our confes-sion, and He is pleased that we want to talk

with Him about our sins and desire thepower of the Holy Spirit in our lives toovercome sin. As a parent, your relation-ship with your children as a mother andfather who love, encourage, and forgive willdo much to show how the forgiveness andpower of the confessional extend into yourfamily life.

When your child is being prepared for theSacrament of Confirmation, if you have notdone so before, talk with your child about hisor her vocation in life. We often use theword "vocation" (vocare, calling) to referonly to the priesthood and religious life, butevery baptized Christian has a vocation inChrist. Each person is called and gifted bythe Holy Spirit in Baptism, and the call andgifts are strengthened in Confirmation.Preparing for Confirmation is an excellenttime to talk with your child about the voca-tions of marriage, consecrated single life,priesthood and religious life. Read with yourchild Scripture passages from Jeremiah (1:5)and the Apostle Paul (Gal. 1:15) that speak ofbeing called from the moment of conceptionin our mother's womb. Read with your childpassages from Scripture about spiritual gifts(for example, I Cor. 12-13 and Eph. 4:11-12)and relate those passages to the Catholicunderstanding of vocation.

When the Sacrament of Matrimony iscelebrated in your parish, take your childrento the celebration. Explain to them that asacramental marriage is the foundation ofthe Domestic Church and that your family isthe church in the home. Talk about mar-riage as a life-long commitment of a manand woman, a commitment that insures thestability of the Domestic Church. Talkabout the sanctity of human life, openness

to life, and protection of human life fromnatural conception to natural death.

When the Sacrament of Holy Orders iscelebrated in your diocese, make an effort toattend these ordination masses with yourentire family. When ordination is to the per-manent diaconate, talk with your child aboutthe vocation of the deacon, who can be amarried man. Talk about the role of thedeacon in the liturgy and in pastoral workand the fact that the deacon is ordained toserve both in the Church and in the world.When ordination is to the priesthood, talkabout the discipline of celibacy as a joyfulcalling that is the gift of God to priests andreligious, who commit themselves with sin-gular intent to serve the Church. Whenordination is to the episcopacy, talk aboutthe bishop as the successor of the Apostlesand the relationship of bishops to the Pope.Talk about fidelity to the Pope andMagisterium of the Catholic Church. Thisis an excellent time to instruct your childrennot only about the Sacrament of Ordinationbut also about the meaning of the Eucharistand its central place in the life of theChurch.

When it is possible, let your children bepresent with you when a priest administersthe Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sickto a family member. Take the opportunityto teach your children about the spiritualvalue of suffering and about death and res-urrection with Christ.

As you participate in the sacramental lifeof the parish and diocese as the DomesticChurch, you will participate in the seasonsof the liturgical year. The liturgical yearwill be the context in which you place both

Please See FAMILY/23)

Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wisc., greets a family in a local parish (CNS file photo)

‘We all have thepower to leadpeople to God’

By Joshua Carpenter

SAN ANGELO —Laity and clergy ofthe Diocese of San Angelo gathered atSacred Heart Cathedral in San AngeloApril 17 to eat, drink, and celebrate thefruits of their labor over the last year.

An annual event sponsored by theOffice of Evangelization and Catechesis,the 6th Annual Diocesan Awards Banquetfor Catechesis and Youth Ministry is anight to honor the good and faithfulworks of catechetical leaders and outs-

tanding youth throughout the diocese.Maurice G. Fortin, Ph.D., Executive

Director of Library Services at AngeloState University, spoke on a wide rangeof topics concerning faith and morality inthe modern world. Giving the examplesof the White Rose, a successful non-vio-lent intellectual resistance group of col-lege students in Nazi Germany, whosefounding brother and sister died for theircause; the civil rights movement headedby Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero;Coptic Christians, and others.

Dr. Fortin presented “What it Costs toFoster Moral Conscience,” noting, in par-ticular, the Chinese man carrying twosacks of groceries who stopped an entirecolumn of tanks at Tiananmen Square asa powerful symbol of peaceful resistanceto oppression.

Dr. Fortin asked for a show of hands inthe room of those who were teachers. Heemphasized that it is an awesome respon-sibility to be a teacher.

A teacher often does not know theimpact of what they do,” Dr. Fortin said.

He encouraged the assembled to giveexamples of the faith to others.

“We all … have the power to lead peo-ple to God … In our troubled world, weneed peace.”

Dr. Fortin closed with the St. Francisquote, “Where there is hatred, let me sowlove.”

The two most prestigious awards of theevening, both representing the highestrecognition from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry that a diocesecan confer, included the Timothy Awardfor a junior or senior in high school whohas shown outstanding leadership, wit-

(Please See AWARDS/21)

4Diocesan Awards Banquet


(From 1)

“Msgr. Plagens was bornin my hometown of Bryanbut moved to Wall at anearly age,” Bishop Sis said.“He is well remembered bypeople throughout the state.He had a great love for theliturgy of the Church, and hehelped others to appreciatethe dignity and beauty ofCatholic liturgy. In hisretirement years he contin-ued to serve generously inmany ways. The Diocese ofSan Angelo has been blessedby his long and faithful serv-ice.”

Msgr. Plagens’ knowledgeof church liturgy ran deep.He served as chairperson forthe Diocesan LiturgyCommittee for many years;was a member of the board of directors on the SouthwestLiturgy Conference; a member of the National Federationof the Diocesan Liturgy Commission, and the diocesanSenate of Priests.

Monsignor Plagens was a retired senior priest at St.Ann’s Church in Midland at the time of his death. Causeof death was complications from lung cancer.

“Msgr. Plagens and I traveled to Italy together in 1995,“ recalled Msgr. Larry Droll, pastor at St. Ann’s inMidland. “He had a great sense of church history, and onthis occasion we visited Milan, Bologna, Ravenna, andother places in that area. In Trent, as we sat in the churchin which the great sixteenth century Council of Trent tookplace, I remember he took out of his pocket severaldecrees from that Council and began to read themsolemnly. At Verona, we even got in on the conclusion ofthe opera season.

“Msgr. Plagens was much influenced by the SecondVatican Council, being a seminarian in Rome during thoseyears. He saved a lot of memorabilia from the events ofthose heady days and pictures that he took, using them 50years later in presentations about Vatican II.

“In Sacrosanctum Concilium (the Decree on the SacredLiturgy), we read: Christ sent the apostles ‘to bring intoeffect this saving work that they proclaimed, by means ofthe sacrifice and sacraments that are the pivot of thewhole life of the liturgy.’ Armed with a Masters Degree inLiturgical Studies from The Catholic University ofAmerica, the liturgy became Plagens’ specialization in thepriesthood. He chaired the Diocesan Liturgy Commissionfor years. He trained people for better proclamation ofthe Word of God during the Mass and for presiding atprayer in Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest.He was involved in the design of churches in the Dioceseof San Angelo and took special interests in the gatheringspace. I credit him with much of the inspiration behindthe Commons at St. Ann’s in Midland.”

During his comments at Msgr. Plagens’ funeral, Msgr.Droll noted his friend’s love of fellowship with others.

“He elevated coffee and donuts to a ministry,” Msgr.Droll said.

Msgr. Plagens was born on February 15, 1938, and bap-tized at St. Joseph’s Church in Bryan on March 10, 1938.After graduating from Wall High School, he earned hisAssociates Degree from San Angelo College in 1959. Heattended seminary at St. Mary’s in Lebanon, Kentucky(1959-62), and the North American College and GregorianUniversity, in Rome (1962-1966). Msgr. Plagens was inRome at the time of the Second Vatican Council and laterreturned upon the 50th anniversary of the council in 2013.He was honored with the title of “Monsignor” (Chaplainto His Holiness) in February 2009.

He was ordained a priest in the Diocese of San Angeloon December 18, 1965 by Bishop Francis F. Reh, at St.Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

His first assignment was at St. Mary’s Church inOdessa (assistant pastor, 1966-1970), during which timehe also served Our Lady of Lourdes in Imperial and St.Isidore in Coyanosa. Assignments that followed were atSt. Therese in Carlsbad, Texas, and St. Paschal in SterlingCity (pastor, 1970-1971); Our Lady of Perpetual Help,Ozona, (pastor, 1971-1977); St. Francis of Assisi,Abilene, (pastor, 1977-1981); St. Ambrose in Wall andHoly Family in Mereta, (pastor, 1982-1992); St. Patrick inBrady and St. Francis Xavier in Melvin, (pastor, 1992-1996); Director of Parish Leadership in the diocesanoffice (1996-1999); Sacred Heart and St. Thomas parishesin Big Spring (pastor, 1999-2008), and Immaculate Heartof Mary, Big Spring (parochial administrator, 2000).Msgr. Plagens served St. Ann’s in Midland as SeniorPriest (2008-2011). His official retirement date wasDecember 31, 2011.

Msgr. Plagens spent two years studying at CatholicUniversity in Washington, D.C. (1980-1982), receivinghis Master of Arts in Liturgical Studies. He received twoappointments as Promoter of Justice for the Diocese ofSan Angelo in 1991 and 1994.

His hobbies included playing and watching tennis,family genealogy, cooking (and eating!), and travel.

Msgr. Bernard Gully succeeded Msgr.Plagens as pastor at Holy Trinity Church inBig Spring. Prior to Msgr. Gully’s arrival inBig Spring, the city had three parishes beforeconsolidation brought the three churches,plus a mission in Coahoma, into one.

“For a number of years I served on theliturgy commission with him,” Msgr. Gullyrecalled, “and my great memory is when Iwas in Andrews and going to meetings inSan Angelo with him I would stop over at St.Thomas and pick him up. He would alwayshave a cup of coffee or two waiting for mewhen I got there. We always had a good timespeaking of liturgy because of his love forthe liturgy.”

Fr. Joseph Uecker, C.PP.S., a retired priestin Odessa with the Missionaries of thePrecious Blood, was close to Msgr. Plagensfor many years.

“From the time I met Fr. Plagens back in1977, I was very impressed with his love ofthe liturgy,” Fr. Uecker said. “He and Ishared that love and I think that is what

brought us close together. In his later years when he livedin Midland, we would often meet at the Stripes station onHwy 158 and I-20 and would travel together to SanAngelo for this or that. And the topic of conversation wasoften the liturgy and how we could celebrate it better andhow the people could become more involved in the cele-brations.”

When Msgr. Plagens was diagnosed with Stage 4 lungcancer, Team Plagens was formed. Four loving and caringcouples from St. Ann’s Church came forward to unitewith the Plagens’ family to help provide care, medicalsupport and comfort for James. They are Ed and TerrieMartinez, Tony and Nanette Paredes, Rene and Nancy delVillar, and Torivio and Norma Duran.

In lieu of flowers, please prayerfully consider a dona-tion in Msgr. Plagens’ memory to Catholic ReliefServices, c/o Diocese of San Angelo, Box 1829, SanAngelo, TX, 76902.

Msgr. Plagens is preceded in death by his mother,Victoria Opersteny Plagens, and father, Edward Plagens,Sr., both formerly of Bryan, Texas; brother NormanPlagens, formerly of Rankin, Texas; brother ClarencePlagens, formerly of Rockwall, Texas; Emory Lero,brother-in-law, formerly of Bryan, Texas, and WandaPlagens, sister-in-law, formerly of Hamilton, Texas.

He is survived by seven of nine siblings: brother MiltonPlagens and his wife, Albina, of San Angelo, Texas; sisterAlice Lero, of Bryan, Texas; brother Edward Plagens Jr.,and wife, Bernadette, of St. Lawrence, Texas; brotherFrank Plagens and wife, Cathy, of Richardson, Texas;brother Donald Plagens and wife, Lynn, of Hamilton,Texas; brother Earl, and wife, Sheila, of Colorado City,Texas; brother Robert Plagens, and wife, Cathy, of Bryan,Texas; sister-in-law Georgia Plagens, of Midland; sister-in-law Leigh Plagens, of Rockwall, Texas, and 30 niecesand nephews.

Photo: Msgr. Plagens enjoys a game of checkers at apriest retreat in San Angelo in 2008. (Photo by Alan P.Torre).

PLAGENS


Funeral Mass for Msgr. James Plagens

Photos by Alan P. Torre

At left, members of the

Plagens family and clergy

gather in the foyer of St. Ann’s

Church prior to Msgr. Plagens

funeral, April 20, 2015.

Below left, Bishop Michael J.

Sis, presider of the funeral

Mass, blesses Msgr. Plagens

with incense.

Below left, visiting priests join

Bishop Sis during the conse-

cration.


Andre Fournet: RebelliousFrenchman becomes spiritual leader

Gibson

Mary Lou Gibson

writes about

saints for the

West TexasAngelus.

Gibson’s column

also appears

monthly in the

Catholic Spirit,the newspaper of

the Diocese of

Austin.

Speaking of Saints ...

By Mary Lou Gibson

Andrew (André) Fournet (1752-1834) was determined that he was notgoing to be a priest. His mother, however, was just as determined that hewould. The two battled each other for years over what would be Andrew’scareer choice. He even inscribed a declaration in one of his school booksthat read: “This book belongs to André Hubert Fournet, a good boy, thoughhe is not going to become a priest or a monk.”

Paul Burns writes in “Butler’s Lives of the Saints” that this wasAndrew’s reaction against his pious and overbearing mother. The more shepressed him to consider becoming a priest, the more Andrew declared hewas bored by religion. He refused to pray and instead spent his time inidleness and amusements.

He rebelled in many ways including running away from school andrefusing to study law and philosophy atPoitiers. At one time he even joined theArmy, but his mother bought out hisservice. Burns writes that she tried to findhim a post as a secretary, but his hand-writing was too bad.

His mother was now frantic aboutAndrew and decided to try one morething to help him settle down. She talkedhim into going to stay with his uncle, apriest in a remote rural area of France.For some unknown reason, Andrewagreed. This proved to be a turning pointin Andrew’s life. (www.holyspiritinterac-tive.net/dailysaint/may/0513.asp)Andrew’s uncle was a holy man and farmore tactful than his mother. He recog-nized his nephew’s good qualities andeventually steered him to the study of

theology. A couple of years later in 1776, Andrew was ordained a priestand served first as his uncle’s curate and then in a nearby town.

In 1781 Andrew was transferred to his home parish in Maillé. His motherwas jubilant and she and Andrew reconciled. Richard McBrien writes in“Lives of the Saints” that Andrew became a loving and caring priest andadopted a life of simplicity and was generous to the poor.

This simple life ended with the outbreak of the French Revolution in1788. In July 1790, the Civil Constitution on the Clergy attempted to makethe clergy into civil servants. Burns explains that they were required toswear an oath of loyalty to the State and its laws. Things got even worse in1791 when the new “Liberty – Equality” oath was required. Priests, bish-ops and religious who refused to take the oath were removed from theirposts and hunted and massacred.

Andrew refused to take the oath and continued to minister to his flock insecret. Donald Attwater writes in “Penguin Dictionary of Saints” thatAndrew was arrested on Good Friday 1792 for his activities. He declinedbeing taken to jail in a carriage, saying that because Jesus carried his cross,his followers should also travel on foot. He was able to escape at one pointtaking the place of a dead body on a bier. He continued to try to minister tohis flock but because his life was in danger, his bishop sent him to Spain.He spent five years there before secretly returning to France even thoughthe danger was still great for priests.

He was protected by his flock as he celebrated the Eucharist, heard con-

(Please See SAINT/22)

Bishop visits Catholic Daughters of America

On Thursday, April 16, 2015, Bishop Sis spoke to the Court Santa Angelo

Catholic Daughters (CDA) at the St. Francis Hall. He encouraged the ladies to fol-

low the CDA mission: “Catholic Daughters of the Americas strives to embrace

the principle of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality,

and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all.” Bishop Sis

also encouraged the organization to promote personal growth and spirituality as

well as develop leadership skills for all members.

Saint Andre Fournet

(Photo from catholicsaints.info)

Cardinal Francis George diesafter long fight with cancer

CHICAGO (CNS) -- CardinalFrancis E. George, the retired arch-bishop of Chicago who was the firstnative Chicagoan to head the archdio-cese, died April 17 at his residenceafter nearly 10 years battling cancer.He was 78.

His successor in Chicago,Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, calledCardinal George "a man of peace,tenacity and courage" in a statementhe read at a news conference held out-side Holy Name Cathedral toannounce the death.

Archbishop Cupich singled outCardinal George for overcomingmany obstacles to become a priest,and "not letting his physical limita-tions moderate his zeal for bringingthe promise of Christ's love where itwas needed most."

A childhood bout with polio had leftthe prelate with a weakened leg and apronounced limp throughout his life.

With the cardinal's death, theCollege of Cardinals has 223 mem-bers, of whom 121 are under 80 and

thus eligible to vote for a pope.Cardinal George was a philosophy

professor and regional provincial thenvicar general of his religious order,the Missionary Oblates of MaryImmaculate, before being named abishop in 1990.

He was named bishop of Yakima,Washington, in 1990, then wasappointed archbishop of Portland,Oregon, in April 1996. Less than ayear later, St. John Paul II named himto fill the position in Chicago, whichwas left vacant by the death ofCardinal Joseph Bernardin inNovember 1996.

By retiring in 2014, Cardinal Georgeaccomplished what he often joked washis aspiration, to be the first cardinal-archbishop of Chicago to step downfrom the job, rather than dying inoffice, as his predecessors had.

"They've run out of tricks in thebag, if you like," he recently said ofhis declining health. "Basically, I'm inthe hands of God, as we all are insome fashion."


By Erick Rommel Catholic News Service

There are people we meet who make a mark andleave an impression that never fades. They enter with asimple introduction, but soon you realize their meaningto you is anything but simple. Theybecome one of the most interesting peo-ple you'll ever meet.

One name on my list is Timothy Miller.I first met Tim my junior year of col-

lege when he was a freshman. We attend-ed a small school, but not so small thateveryone knew everyone. Tim was oneof the few exceptions. Everyone knewTim -- at least by reputation.

In our circle of friends, he was the doerof the impossible. He could participate in a stress-reduc-ing water pistol battle during finals week that drenchedevery uncovered dorm surface from ceiling to carpet andsomehow escape from it completely dry.

To others, Tim was a romantic. He gave roses to ran-dom girls, not to flirt -- though he did -- but because hewanted to brighten their day.

Some knew Tim for his talent. He'd walk up tounsuspecting pianos and start playing music. It wasrarely a tune you knew, often one he wrote himself, butalways one you'd never forget.

When I graduated, distance kept us apart, but littleelse. He was my link to friends left behind. He encour-aged me, and when he graduated, I encouraged him. Hewanted a career in music but felt frustration becauseothers didn't immediately see his abilities. The idea ofpaying dues and working his way up were an unexpect-ed and devastating roadblock.

During one homecoming, our group reunited, butsomething was different. Rather than being the centerof attention without trying, Tim's actions felt forced.The best way to describe it would be to say that he waspretending to be the person he naturally was.

Our regular communication slowed as I moved toanother city. It abruptly ended with one awful phonecall from Tim's mom. "He's gone," she said. Tim diedof a drug overdose at age 25.

I remember driving to his memorial service andrepeatedly asking, "Why?" I remember a church filledwith friends and family. We were shocked. I rememberhis parents, searching for answers, wanting to knowwhy no one told them he was using drugs.

The truth is that we didn't know. In hindsight, the evi-dence is clear. Tim's frustration and behavioral changewere signs of a problem we refused to see. Many yearslater after his death, I still ask, "What if?" It's the worstpossible question because it has no answer.

Young addicts say they don't start using drugsbecause of peer pressure or the need to get high. Theyuse drugs to escape stress and anxiety. Tim faced thatpressure daily, more so because he not only expectedgreat things for himself, but because others expectedgreat things, too.

We all think we're invincible, until life shows us thatwe're not. Tim hadn't yet learned that lesson. It came attoo high a price.

By Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

An ethical Rubicon was crossedwhen the first in vitro fertilization(IVF)-conceived baby came into theworld in 1978. With human repro-duction no longer limited to theembrace of a man and a woman,people felt empowered to take theirown sperm and eggs, or those of oth-ers, and create their much desiredchildren bit-by-cellular-bit. As theymixed and matched these cells, theysoon were drawn into other twists and turns of theadvancing technology, including screening the genes oftheir test-tube offspring and eugenically weeding out anyundesired embryonic children by freezing them in liquidnitrogen or simply discarding them as laboratory refuse.

Recent developments have exacerbated this situation byoffering additional options and choices for generatingchildren, recasting human embryos as modular constructsto be assembled through cloning or through the creationof three-parent embryos. While cloning involves swap-ping out the nucleus of a woman’s egg with a replacementnucleus to create an embryo, three-parent embryos aremade by swapping out additional cellular parts known asmitochondria through the recombination of eggs from twodifferent women. Even more baroque approaches to mak-ing three parent embryos rely on destroying one embryo(instead of an egg) and cannibalizing its parts so as tobuild another embryo by nuclear transfer.

We risk trivializing our human procreative faculties anddiminishing our offspring by sanctioning these kinds of“eggs-as-Lego-pieces” or “embryos-as-Lego-pieces”approaches. Ultimately there is a steep price to be paid forthe ever-expanding project of upending our own begin-nings and rupturing the origins of our children.

Part of that price includes the significant health prob-lems that have come to light in children born from IVFand other assisted reproduction techniques. Researchershave found an overall doubling in the risk of birth defectsfor children born by these technologies when comparedwith rates for children conceived in the normal fashion.

For retinoblastoma, a childhood eye cancer, a six-foldelevated risk has been reported. Assisted reproductiontechniques are also associated with heightened risks for anumber of rare and serious genetic disorders, includingBeckwith-Wiedmann syndrome, Angelman's syndrome,and various developmental disorders like atrial septal andventricular septal defects of the heart, cleft lip with orwithout cleft palate, esophageal atresia and anorectal atre-sia.

Considering the various harsh and unnatural stepsinvolved in moving human reproduction from the marital

embrace into the petri dish, it should perhaps come as lit-tle surprise that elevated rates of birth defects have beenobserved, even when certain genetic defects may havebeen previously screened out.

As children born by assisted reproductive techniquesbecome adults, they are starting to be tracked and studiedfor various psychiatric issues as well. A growing numberof young adults are vocalizing their strong personal con-cerns about the way they were brought into the worldthrough techniques like anonymous sperm donations,because they find themselves feeling psychologicallyadrift and deprived of any connection to their biologicalfather.

It should be obvious how any approach that weakens orcasts into question the integral connection between par-ents and their offspring will raise grave ethical concerns.Whether it be three-parent embryos, anonymous spermdonations, or surrogacy, we need to protect children fromthe harmful psychological stressors that arise when theyare subjected to uncertainties about their own origins. Asone fertility specialist bluntly commented, “As a nation,we need to get a conscience about what we are doinghere. Yes, it's nice when an infertile couple is able to builda family, but what about the children? Shouldn't theirneeds be in the mix from the very beginning too? I thinkit is ridiculous that a donor-conceived child would need to‘research’ to find out their genetic origins. Give me abreak. What if you had to do that? Is it fair?”

Beyond these immediate concerns about the wellbeingand health of our progeny, we face further serious con-cerns about our human future in the face of these bur-geoning technologies. As procreation becomes reduced tojust another commercial transaction, and our childrenbecome projects to be assembled piecemeal in the pursuitof parental desires, we invariably set the stage to crossanother significant ethical line.

That bright ethical line involves the creation of humansthat have heritable genetic modifications (changes that arepassed on to future generations). When the first three-par-ent baby is born, which will likely take place in the nextyear or two, we will have stepped right into the middle ofthat hubris-filled brave new world of manipulating thegenetic traits of future children. We will have transitionedto a paradigm where biomedical experimentation onfuture generations is seen as acceptable and justifiable.Now is the time to ponder carefully the implications ofour rushed reproductive choices, and to stand firm againstthe preventable injustices that inexorably flow fromassisted reproductive technologies.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate inneuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work atHarvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA,and serves as the Director of Education at The NationalCatholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

Pondering the implications of the three-parent embryo

Making Sense of Bioethics

Rommel

The high price ofgreat expectations

Pacholczyk

Am I worthy of this gift of priesthood instituted byChrist? I know that I am not, but I am favored to beso privileged to share in it and to serve God andGod’s people as a priest. I am so thankful tothe Trinity for their love, favor, promises ful-filled, peace, joy, and grace to bear my cross-es throughout my years of formation. I amgrateful to our Blessed Mother, Mary MostHoly, for her intercession, especially when itwas so rough, to push on in my formationyears in the seminary to the priesthood.Together with my patron saint Matthew theEvangelist and other saints, I believe that mylate father Basil, who passed on to life eternal, hasbeen accompanying me in this process to become theLord’s anointed as a Catholic priest. I am grateful toFr. Patrick Akpanobong for his brotherly support allthese years. It may interest you to know that Fr.Patrick introduced me to this awesome Diocese ofSan Angelo. I am confident that he is proud to wit-ness me grow in God’s love, mercy, and serviceamongst God’s people. I am humble to be so blessedand favored by God despite my unworthiness.

While reflecting on what to share with the Angelus,I recognized that my formation in the seminary isalmost coming to an end. I pondered on how my pastyears have been a journey of absolute dependence onGod’s grace. There were “tear drops of thank you lita-nies” recognizing where I was in the past, where Ibegan in my formation, how I began, my crosses dur-ing the years, my victories, my joys and sorrowsespecially when my dad passed, the times I stumbledand fell as a human person, the times I became nour-ished in God’s love and kept growing stronger inGod’s grace. I acknowledge when God started withme and where God is leading me. I can say todaywith confidence that “by the grace of God, I am whatI am and God’s grace to me has not been ineffective”(1 Cor. 5:10). I am filled with so much joy it is inde-scribable. All my hope, faith, and trust had alwaysbeen in Christ Jesus through whom I will share in hissacred priesthood.

My seminary formation is coming to an end in aweek. I am thankful to God for knowledge acquired,wisdom endowed, and successes achieved. I am excit-ed to end this phase of formation and open a newpage of formation in ministry till my dying day.

Although I am going to miss the fraternity of brother-hood with my brother seminarians in the seminary, Iam very positive that my new fraternity and brother-

hood with priests in the Diocese of SanAngelo and beyond will be fruitful. Theeagerness in me to serve God through theChurch and God’s people is overwhelming.This willingness to publicly accept a new“identity” for missionary activity in theChurch will be seen at Sacred HeartCathedral on May 30, 2015. On this day,God willing, I will be ordained a CatholicPriest for the Diocese of San Angelo, a dio-

cese I am proud of. This identity is a privilege to be asacramental presence of Christ (another Christ) in theworld.

I commit my priestly duties totally to the Trinityand I solely depend on God’s grace to be fruitful inall I will do. I hope to be dedicated and faithful to myresponsibilities for and with the people of God. I am astrong fan of collaborative ministry in order to build acommunity, a body of Christ. In my opinion, if love isnot the foundation in collaborative ministry, then thegoal of uniting with one another to re-evangelize andcatechize others will lose its true meaning. I will nothide my identity as one who smiles and loves tender-ly. In ministry, I will offer all my talents with a smileand I will bring joy to anyone I encounter. I am readyto “smell like the sheep,” in the words of PopeFrancis, so that my brothers and sisters will experi-ence God’s love and mercy. Also, I will take time toprepare for my ministry of proclamation: to preach,teach, give moral exhortations even in the face of dif-ficult or complex sets of moral choices, and counselothers, so as to communicate God’s word in lovethrough all these channels in ministry. As a sacramen-tal sign of Christ in the world, I hope to celebrate theEucharist and journey with others to participate andexperience the transforming mysteries of Jesus Christby the power of the Holy Spirit.

I hope to live a life of compassion as a priest. I amnot a saint and like other will always stand in need ofGod’s mercies and forgiveness. In the light of thisunworthiness, I will be compassionate, forgiving, andloving to others in ministry. As a shepherd in whatev-er capacity my bishop will entrust to me, I hope to

(Please See ARCHIBONG/21

MAY 2015 The Angelus The Angelus MAY 2015 Page 13

It’s been eight years. A lot has happened since Istarted at Conception Seminary College about anhour and a half north of Kansas City. I have notbeen able to wrap my mind around theidea that I will be a priest in so short atime. Part of it is because I will bereturning to Mundelein Seminary, whichis about forty minutes north of Chicago,next year. Part of it is because I justcan’t believe it has been eight years andit is really time. But things are about tochange forever. Just like it says in theLetter to the Hebrews, “You are a priestforever according to the order ofMelchizedek.” My life will be handed over toChrist in a very particular way on May 30 forever,and from what I gather, life will never be quite likeit was before.

I’m looking forward to the summer. I will betraveling around the diocese and filling in at differ-ent parishes so the priests can get some much need-ed rest. This will be a privileged time to get toknow my diocese a little better and to get to meetmany of you. In the rite for the ordination ofpriests, Bishop Sis will ask me this question: “Doyou resolve to celebrate faithfully and reverently, inaccord with the Church’s tradition, the mysteries ofChrist, especially the sacrifice of the Eucharist andthe sacrament of Reconciliation, for the glory ofGod and the sanctification of the Christian people?”to which I will respond, “I do.” These two thingsare what I am most looking forward to this summer;to celebrate the Eucharist and Confession with youall.

As a new priest, I hope that I can bring the joy ofliving in Christ to a world that doesn’t see the point.I want to show others that living the Christian life isworthwhile and that the Catholic Church isn’t somedead institution, but rather a living relationship. Iwant to help others to discern their own vocation tomarriage, priesthood, consecrated life or dedicatedsingle life just like I have received help in discern-ing God’s will for my life.

I am 26 years old. Canon Law says that I am oldenough to be ordained, but I have a lot of growingto do even after eight years of seminary. Just likefor all of us, I have a lifetime of formation left for

Christ to work in me and bring my heart ever closerto his own. I’m looking forward to living out thatprocess with the good people of the Diocese of San

Angelo. None of us are in this life alone. Iam going to need your prayers and help as Ibegin to learn this new life I am beginning. Ihope I can help you also to know Christmore intimately.

Like in any transition, I am experiencing arange of emotions. I am definitely excited tobe a priest soon. I have been thinking aboutbeing a priest since the second grade. Somedays, I have also thought seriously about notcontinuing on toward the priesthood. Just

like on a wedding day, I am eager to take my bride,the Church, and participate in Jesus’ ministerialpriesthood. I am also nervous because I am takingon a very important responsibility: helping the peo-ple in whatever parish I serve in to get to heaven.What I say and do will have a wider range ofimpact on others after ordination.

Please pray for me and all of my brother deaconswho will be ordained priests this year. We areimperfect men who stumble around and are tryingto follow Christ the best we can. We have heard hiscall to be his priests, and that means we are calledto offer ourselves like he did on the Cross for thesake of others. Please also pray for and encourageother young men in your parishes who you thinkwould make great priests. The encouragement Ihave received from many of you over my life —even before seminary — was helpful in getting meto finally take the plunge into seminary formationand continue on. But don’t stop at encouragingpotential future priests. Encourage young womenwho you think would be devout followers of Christto be religious sisters, and encourage young couplesto give everything they have to each other out ofcare for each other’s salvation. Each of us has avocation, and I praise God that he has shown memine. He didn’t show me my vocation by a revela-tion or in a booming voice. He has guided me thisfar by putting good people in my life to encourageme to follow God’s will, even when it is hard.Reach out to each other and strengthen one anotheralong the journey. May God who has begun thisgood work in you bring it to fulfillment.

I write this on the heels of the news of FrancisCardinal George’s passing after a third bout with can-cer. The onetime Archbishop of Chicago was a kindlyman with an unparalleled intellect and a contagiousenthusiasm for the faith. We at MundeleinSeminary were privileged to hear himspeak once a semester about seminary for-mation, the priesthood, and the Church’slife in general. I recall an address he deliv-ered during one of these meetings my sec-ond year of formation. He himself wasgoing through another round of chemother-apy, and His Eminence was obviouslyreflecting his own life and accomplish-ments.

He spoke of horizons -- different landmarks thatmark major milestones in one’s life. This introspectivesoul was undoubtedly looking toward the end of hisown earthly life, but he was conscious to speak ofanother horizon that reoriented his entire being: thepriesthood. Cardinal George was a man who loved hispriesthood.

On the 50th anniversary of his own priesthood cele-brated just six months ago, Cardinal George recalledthe following:

“That moment of ordination 50 years ago hasdefined my life in quite unexpected ways ... With ourvows of chaste celibacy and ministerial obedience, weplace our lives in God’s hands, hands that guide us inresponding to the people we serve, hands that direct usthrough the bishop who is our pastor. Such a life isgoing to be full of events we never imagined orplanned, but God has. History is what God remembers,and our lives now fit into his divine providence inways we never fully anticipated or can completelyunderstand. And that is the source of our joy: it’s notour project.”

We in the Diocese of San Angelo are also mourningthe loss of our own beloved Msgr. James Plagens. Ifirst met Fr. Jim (as he was affectionately called) dur-ing daily Mass one morning at St. Ann’s Church inMidland. He graciously invited me to have breakfastwith the daily Mass group that gathered afterwards,and we clicked with our shared interest in liturgy. Fr.Jim was a true pastor, but I was truly impressed withthe comments that rolled onto my Facebook postannouncing his passing:

“He was a distinguished gentleman,” commented

one priest. “He was a wonderful priest to grow up with,”

remarked another parishioner from the diocese. “He was an awesome man of God,” recalled a

woman who had only met him on a few occa-sions.

It is obvious that Fr. Jim had a pastor’s heart,and I too pray to have a heart formed after theheart of Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I approach priesthood ordination — a newhorizon — I am overcome with many emotions.There is the excitement that perhaps stems froma “superhero” romanticism involving the priest-hood and the sacramental life: offering Mass,hearing confessions, and anointing the sick. The

sacraments are the surest encounter with the loving,personal God, and I hope to point the faithful in theDiocese of San Angelo toward these august mysteries.The thought of eventually returning to the people ofWest Texas after almost seven years away is anotherconsolation. The uncertainty, however, that accompa-nies priesthood is a bit unnerving and daunting. Howwill I measure up? What ministerial assignments will Ibe called to? Will I make mistakes?

We who are called can only take solace in the wisewords offered by Cardinal George on his own 50thanniversary, and entrust ourselves to divine provi-dence. Christ has certainly willed me to this moment—this horizon—and he will certainly see me through thenext.

I am struck by the deep tradition that is the priest-hood. I am humbled to participate in this work that hasexisted for over 2,000 years. Anyone can be a minister,but the priesthood is truly a calling steeped in theLord’s command to “love one another” (John 13:34-35) in service and sacrifice. While I am not too quickto make any promises, I commit myself to putting thelove of God before all else. I joyfully look forward toserving the beautiful people in West Texas who fos-tered and brought me to the faith.

Cardinal George and Msgr. James Plagens are twoshining examples of priesthood I can imitate in myown way, and we praise God for their ministries. As Ilook to the beginning on my own, I echo the line fromthe ritual of ordination that wraps up the promises wewill make before Bishop Sis and the whole Church:May God who has begun the good work in you bringit to fulfillment.

The Ordination of Deacons Felix Archibong, Adam Droll and Ryan RojoSaturday, May 30, 2015, 10:30 a.m. Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, San Angelo

Deacon Adam DrollDeacon Felix Archibong Deacon Ryan Rojo

Editor’s Note: The Angelus asked the Diocese

of San Angelo’s three soon-to-ordained priests

to write a brief reflection on their time at the

seminary and their thoughts on their years

ahead as a priest. These are their stories.


By Re. Ron Rolheiser, OMI

We all have our faults, weaknesses,places where we short-circuit morally,dark spots, secret and not-so-secret addic-tions. When we’re honest, we know howuniversally true areSt. Paul’s wordswhen he writes: “Thegood thing I want todo, I never do; theevil thing that I donot want to do – thatis what I do.” Noneof us are whole,saints through andthrough. There’salways something we are struggling with:anger, bitterness, vengefulness, selfish-ness, laziness, or lack of self-control(major or minor) with sex, food, drink, orentertainment.

And for most of us, experience hastaught us that the bad habits we have arevery difficult to break. Indeed, manytimes we cannot even find the heart towant to break them, so deep have theybecome engrained in us. We bring thesame things to our confessor year afteryear, just as we break the same NewYear’s resolutions year after year. Andeach year we tell our doctor that this yearwill finally be the year that we loseweight, exercise more, and stick to ahealthier diet. Somehow it never works

because our habits, as Aristotle said,become our second nature – and nature isnot easily changed.

So how do we change? How do wemove beyond deeply engrained badhabits?

John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic,suggests two paths that can be helpful.Both take seriously our human weaknessand the unyielding strength of a bad habitinside us

His first advice is this: It is very hard toroot out a bad habit by trying to attack itdirectly. When we do this we often endup unhealthily focused on the habit itself,discouraged by its intransigence, and indanger of worsening its effect in ourlives. The better strategy is to “cauterize”our bad habits (his words) by focusing onwhat is good in our lives and growing ourvirtues to the point where they “burn out”our bad habits.

That’s more than a pious metaphor; it’sa strategy for health. It works this way:Imagine, for example, that you are strug-gling with pettiness and anger wheneveryou feel slighted. Every sincere resolu-tion in the world has not been able tostop you from giving in to that inclinationand your confessor or spiritual director,instead of having you focus on breakingthat habit, has you focus instead on fur-ther developing one of your moralstrengths; for example, your generosity.The more you grow in generosity, the

more too will your heart grow in size andgoodness until you reach a point in yourlife where there simply won’t be room inyour life for pettiness and childish sulk-ing. Your generosity will eventually cau-terize your pettiness. The same strategycan be helpful for every one of our faultsand addictions.

John’s second counsel is this: Try to setthe instinct that lies behind your badhabit into a higher love. What’s meant bythat?

We begin to set an instinct behind a badhabit into a higher love by asking our-selves the question: Why? Why, ulti-mately, am I drawn this way? Why, ulti-mately, am I feeling this vengefulness,this pettiness, this anger, this lust, thislaziness, or this need to eat or drinkexcessively? In what, ultimately, is thispropensity rooted?

The answer might surprise us.Invariably the deepest root undergirdingthe propensity for a bad habit is love. Theinstinct is almost always rooted in love.Just analyze your daydreams. There weare mostly noble, good, generous, big-hearted, whole – and loving, even whenin our actual lives we are sometimespetty, bitter, selfish, self-indulgent, andnursing various addictions. We have thesebad attitudes and habits not because wearen’t motivated by love but because, atthis particular place, our love is disor-dered, wounded, bitter, undisciplined, or

self-centered. But it’s still love, the bestof all energies, the very fire of the imageand likeness of God within us.

And so we move to uproot a bad habitin our lives by, first of all, recognizingand honoring the energy that lies beneathit and inflames it. Then we need to resetthis energy into a higher framework oflove, a wider, less selfish, more respect-ful, more-ordered perspective. And that’sa very different thing than denigration orrepression of that instinct. When we deni-grate or repress an instinct this onlyincreases its power in us and, most often,allows it to wreak even a worse havoc inour lives. Moreover, when we denigrateor repress an instinct that’s undergirding abad habit we are in fact acting against ourown health and we will then struggle,perhaps only unconsciously but withoutexception, to even find the heart to eradi-cate that bad habit. Energy must be hon-ored, even as we struggle to discipline itand set into a healthier framework.

So how do we finally break our badhabits? We do so by honoring the ener-gies that enflame them and by reorderingthose energies into a higher love.---

Ronald Rolheiser, a Roman Catholicpriest and member of the MissionaryOblates of Mary Immaculate, is presidentof the Oblate School of Theology in SanAntonio, Texas.

By Very Rev. Robert Barron

Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” is themost surprising Hollywood movie of theyear so far. I say this because the directormanages to tells thefamiliar fairy talewithout irony, hyper-feminist sub-plots,Marxist insinuations,deconstructionistcynicism, or archcondescension. In sodoing, he actuallyallows the spiritual,indeed specificallyChristian, characterof the tale to emerge. Irealize that it probably strikes a contem-porary audience as odd that Cinderellamight be a Christian allegory, but keep in

mind that most of the fairy stories andchildren’s tales compiled by the BrothersGrimm and later adapted by Walt Disneyfound their roots in the decidedlyChristian culture of late medieval andearly modern Europe.

In Branagh’s telling, Ella is the daugh-ter of wonderful parents, both of whominstill in her a keen sense of moral virtueand joie de vivre. The girl’s idyllic child-hood was interrupted by the sudden ill-ness of her mother, who, while on herdeath-bed, delivered to Ella the injunctionalways to be “kind and courageous.” Herfather then remarried and brought his newwife and her two daughters to live withhim and Ella. Some years later, Ella’sfather left on a lengthy business trip.Before he set out, she enjoined him tosend back to her the first branch that hisshoulder would brush while on the jour-

ney. A few weeks later, a servant arrivedwith the branch in his hand and the dread-ful news that Ella’s father had becomesick and had died. The now utterly isolat-ed Ella became the victim of her wickedstepmother (played by the always com-pelling Cate Blanchett) and her obnoxiousstepsisters, who visit upon her every typeof cruelty and injustice. They even takeaway her bedroom, forcing her to sleepby the dying embers of the fire to keepwarm. The ashes that stain her face giverise to the cruel nickname her stepsistersassign to her. Significantly, the catbelonging to Ella’s stepfamily is calledLucifer.

So we have a beautiful, vivacious, andmorally upright young lady whose lifebecomes a nightmare through the inter-vention of untimely death and wickedoppression. So thorough was her loss of

dignity that she finds herself covered indust, her beauty obscured. It does notrequire a huge leap of imagination to seethis as an allegory of the fall of thehuman race. God created us as beautiful,indeed in his own image and likeness, butthrough sin and the ministrations of thedevil, we descended into dysfunction, andour beauty was covered over. In the tech-nical language of the theologians, thoughwe had kept the image of God, we hadlost our likeness to him.

To return to Branagh’s traditionaltelling of the tale: while out riding in thecountry, Cinderella encountered a magnif-icent stag that was being pursued by ahunting party. Subsequently, she met theleader of the hunting brigade, a handsomeyoung prince, the son of the King. The

(Please See BARRON/22)

Catholic Voices

Fr. Rolheiser

Kenneth Branagh’s very Christian take on ‘Cinderella’

Fr. Barron

Cauterize your bad habits by focusing on the good in life

The Angelus MAY 2015 Page 15

By Moises SandovalCatholic News Service

Recently, I was drawn to a slim vol-ume on my bookshelf, "Reaching Out:The Three Movements of the SpiritualLife," by the lateFather HenriNouwen. FatherNouwen wrotethat lonelinessand solitude, hos-tility and hospi-tality, and illusionand prayer are onopposite poles,constantly pullingat us.

Spiritualprogress depends on being able findin our inner selves the only true sol-ace for loneliness, to embraceunconditional hospitality and to jetti-son our illusion that we are mastersof our fate and discover the power topray.

Hostility is common in modern life.It is the root cause of why we, in theUnited States, imprison more peoplethan any country in the world -- theoverwhelming majority people ofcolor -- of why we cannot reform thebroken immigration system, of whypeople cannot feel secure without hav-ing firearms and being disposed to usethem against fellow human beings,and of why encounters between police

officers and civilians often end in vio-lence.

One recent incident had special reso-nance for me. Sureshbhai Patel, a 57-year-old grandfather, traveled early inFebruary from his native India to livewith his son and wife in Madison,Alabama. He was there to help carefor his grandchild, a toddler.

Like me, Patel often went for walks.So it was not long before he was outin the street. A neighbor, seeing Patelin front of the son's house, called 911,reporting him as a black man walkingin a suspicious manner, according tonews reports. Two policemen respond-ed. One of officers was Eric Parker.

They approached Patel, who doesnot speak English and could notunderstand what the police officerswanted. He did not resist in any wayor try to run. But, suddenly, as heseemed to make a slight move, asshown in a video of the encounter,Parker picked him up and slammedhim on the pavement.

Today, Patel is in a rehabilitationcenter and is partially paralyzed, fac-ing a long and uncertain recovery. Thegovernor of Alabama apologized and,in an unusual move in cases like thisone, Parker was fired and chargedwith assault, to which he pleaded notguilty.

Calling 911 because you see a per-son of color walking in the street isnot uncommon. My niece, Lynda

Sandoval, for a time a police officer ina Denver suburb, said that sometimeswhile she was on the dispatch desk,someone would call 911 to report ablack man walking in the street. Shehad to explain that this is not a crime.

Last year, when one of my sonsbought a home in a wealthy gatedcommunity in a Houston suburb andinvited me and my wife to visit for awhile, I did not venture far from thefront of my son's house at first, in theevent someone would see my presenceas suspicious and call police.Fortunately, no one did and, as thedays went on, I walked out in theneighborhood.

Later, I heard a tale of the oppositeof hostility mentioned in the book:hospitality. But sadly, it was a tale ofhospitality that came at a high price.

On Feb. 19, Lauren Mohr, 34, ofWallingford, Connecticut, stopped tohelp victims of a hit-and-run crash ona bridge. She called 911 and waswaiting with the victims when sheapparently stepped back, slipped onsnow and ice and fell over a concretewall and off the highway bridge, 40feet to her death. She had recentlyreceived an associate degree, was anAir Force veteran and a medical tech-nician.

It was a tragic loss. But because ofher hospitality in trying to help others,people like Mohr will one day hear:"Come blessed of my Father ..."

Love and mercy for those who need it mostCatholic Voices

By Carolyn Woo

The first time I read the phrase "O happyfault" in the special Easter proclamation, orExsultet, I ponderedabout God's love forhis people -- from thestart of creation,through infidelities,rejections, destruction.God persisted in hislove for us. That loveis more powerful thananything, includingour sinfulness.

He will reach us oneway or the other. Inour deepest sinfulness,he hovers even closer, sending his son inthe flesh to bring us back. If Adam's fall

made necessary God's ultimate sacrifice oflove, well, we can say, "O happy fault."

While we may never be worthy of God'slove, it's also true that we can never beunworthy of it. This is the point of the crosson which Christ suffered for everyone, infact, for the worst of everyone. We need notkeep our distance from God because of ourimperfections and failures. Christ comes forthe lost: the lost coin, lost sheep, lost son,for the adulterous woman.

I wish my father had comprehended this.Born about a hundred years ago in Chinaand educated as a young boy in a Catholicboarding school away from home, hebecame a Catholic. I doubt if the catechesisand the environment could really have fos-tered a deep faith in him.

While my father did not practice thefaith, he made sure all of his children

received the sacraments and were enrolledin Catholic schools. Each Sunday, he woulddrive us to Mass, but he never went insidethe church. The only time I asked why hestayed away, he mentioned that his pastdecisions and life choices would not be inline with the Catholic Church.

He did not try to justify his actions. Heassumed that God would not approve of aperson like him. The last five years of hislife were difficult, and he had regrets. Onmy father's last ambulance ride, heexpressed his remorse to Gaga, a belovedservant who had cared for the family forover 30 years.

For those like my father, who think thatGod has given up on them for their trans-gressions, they can find solace in the livesof the faithful such as Trappist FatherThomas Merton, Dorothy Day or Father

Henri Nouwen. Each came to know andlove God deeply, all the more because oftheir failings. Respectively, one had a childout of wedlock, the other an abortion andthe last had pride.

To remind us that mercy is the Gospelmessage, Pope Francis has proclaimed aHoly Year of Mercy, from Dec. 8, 2015,until Nov. 20, 2016. He calls us to do thisby "welcoming the repentant prodigal son;healing the wounds of sin with courage anddetermination; rolling up our sleeves andnot standing by and watching passively thesuffering of the world."

I cheer for this if it brings one personsuch as my father back to the joy of God'sboundless love.

---Woo is president and CEO of Catholic

Relief Services.

Spiritual progress and external forces

Sandoval

Woo

Las fuerzas externas yel progreso espiritual

By Moises Sandoval

Recientemente, un pequeño libro en mi estanteríareclamó mi atención: “Abriendonos : los tresmovimientos de la vida espiritual” por el fallecidoPadre Henri Nouwen. El Padre Nouwen aseveró quela soledad y la solitud, hostilidad y hospitalidad, y lailusión y la oración están a polos opuestos, jalán-donos constantemente.

Progreso espiritual depende en poder hallar ennuestro interior el único consuelo para la soledad, enabrazar hospitalidad incondicionalmente, y en botarla ilusión de que somos dueños de nuestro destino ydescubrir el poder de la oración.

Hostilidad es común en nuestro tiempo. Está a laraíz del hecho que encarcelamos más gente quecualquier otro país en el mundo, la gran mayoría per-sonas de color, de nuestra incapacidad de reformar elsistema de inmigración, de que el pueblo no sepuede sentir seguro sin armas y con la disposición adispararlas contra seres humanos, y de porqueencuentros entra civiles y policías a menudo culmi-nan en violencia.

Para mí, un reciente caso resonó especialmente.Sureshbhai Patel, un abuelo de 57 años, recienteviajó de India, su país natal, a Madison, Alabama,para ayudar a su hijo y esposa a cuidar su niñopequeño.

Como yo, Patel a menudo salía a caminar y prontose encontró en la calle. Un vecino, viendo a Patelenfrente de la casa del hijo, llamó a 911, reportando

(Mira SANDOVAL/22)


By Father Kenneth DoyleCatholic News Service

Q. I have always wondered why we read the Passionduring Palm Sunday services. Palm Sunday is a day ofrejoicing and jubilation, as we remember Jesus ridinginto Jerusalem amid throngs of cheering people.

But then we read the passion ofChrist, which we also read again onHoly Thursday and, for a thirdtime, on Good Friday. There is nomistaking the fact that historicallythese events unfolded with Jesusarriving triumphantly into the city.We seem to be the only Christiandenomination to turn Palm Sundayinto such a sad and horrible day.(Louisville, Kentucky)

A. First, a correction. The narrative ofthe passion is not read on Holy Thursday; the readings atMass on that day focus on the Last Supper -- on Christ'sinstitution of the Eucharist and his washing the feet of theapostles. The passion of Jesus is read twice in theCatholic liturgy: once on Palm Sunday, when the accountis taken from one of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew,Mark or Luke), and again on Good Friday, when John'sGospel is proclaimed.

On Palm Sunday, the Catholic liturgy is like an overturefor all of Holy Week: At the beginning of the ceremony,palms are blessed and a short Gospel is read describingJesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem riding on a don-key. During the Mass, the Passion is read, often in threeparts.

The liturgy for Palm Sunday is something of a hybrid,like an overture for all of Holy Week: It begins in tri-

umph, but quickly there looms the shadow of the cross.In fact, the joy of Christ's followers on the first PalmSunday was short-lived. The crowd in Jerusalem wasswelled immensely that day by Jews who had gatheredfor the Passover celebration.

Many in that assembly were unaware that the savior ofthe world was in their midst, and those followers whohonored him with palms were doubtless in the minority --as evidenced by his arrest just a few days later and thecries of the crowd for crucifixion.

For many Catholics, Palm Sunday is the only time theyhear the Passion read, since the Good Friday liturgy isoften held during workday hours and the congregation ismuch larger on Palm Sunday.

Q. I have been asked by several people who know thatI am a Catholic whether the church permits people todonate their bodies to a medical center after death.Their intent is to enable others to live longer if anyviable organs can be used or to provide the materialfor research that might prevent disease in the future.Following any procedures, the remains are then cre-mated. (Chadron, Nebraska)

A. The answer to your question is a resounding "yes."In fact, in October 2014, Pope Francis met with theTransplantation Committee for the Council of Europe andcalled the act of organ donation "a testimony of love forour neighbor."

That statement echoed the Catechism of the CatholicChurch, which says in No. 2296 that "organ donationafter death is a noble and meritorious act and is to beencouraged as an expression of generous solidarity."

Likewise, the catechism states in No. 2301 that "autop-sies can be morally permitted for legal inquests or scien-tific research." In 1995, in his encyclical "The Gospel of

Life," Pope John Paul II called organ donation an exam-ple of "everyday heroism."

The remains, after organ donation or medical research,must be treated with reverence and entombed or buried.In my diocese, our diocesan cemetery donates gravesitesand burial services for the interment of the crematedremains of those who donated their bodies to science.

Q. I have a question with regard to the movie"Fifty Shades of Grey." Is it a mortal sin to see thatmovie? Also, does the church still rate movies, as it didin the past? And if so, where are those ratings listed?(Forest Hill, Maryland)

A. I have not seen the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey,"nor do I have any intention (or desire) of seeing it. So Iam limited to telling you what has been said by peoplewhose opinions I value who have watched the film.

The Religious Alliance Against Pornography is an inter-faith group that includes leaders from a wide range ofreligions -- Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Jewishand Muslim. They have said that the theme of the movie"is that bondage, dominance and sadomasochism are nor-mal and pleasurable."

The group went on to observe that "the contrastbetween the message of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and God'sdesign for self-giving and self-sacrificing love, marriageand sexual intimacy could not be greater. The books andthe movie undermine everything that we believe as mem-bers of the faith community."

As to whether seeing the movie constitutes a mortal sin,that depends to some extent on the person's motive forseeing it. If the purpose is a prurient desire for sexualgratification, it very well could be a mortal sin. (For pur-poses of review, a mortal sin requires serious matter, suf-ficient reflection and full consent of the will.)

By Father William J. Byron, SJ Catholic News Service

In the interest of full disclosure, let mesay at the outset that I serve on the advi-sory board for theCenter for ChurchManagement andBusiness Ethics at theVillanova UniversitySchool of Business.This frees me up tocall attention to thefact that theArchdiocese of NewYork recently enteredinto an agreement with the Villanova cen-ter to provide online instruction to per-sons from the archdiocese over the nexttwo years.

Villanova deserves credit for makingthe much-needed training available and

the Archdiocese of New York is setting agreat example for the rest of the churchin America by subsidizing the costs of itslay and clergy participation in this onlinemaster's degree program.

This is part of a recent initiative under-taken in New York by Cardinal TimothyM. Dolan under the banner of "MakingAll Things New," a formal pastoral plan-ning process. In announcing the agree-ment with Villanova, Cardinal Dolan saidhe is responding to a need expressed bypastors and parishioners for help indeveloping stronger business practicesthroughout the archdiocese.

Why Villanova? Because it has anationally recognized degree programavailable online. Why the Archdiocese ofNew York? Because it has the courage todeclare itself to be in need of help.

The program at Villanova started 11years ago as a center "for the study of"

church management. An economics pro-fessor in the business school, CharlesZech, a Catholic layman who receivedhis doctorate at the University of NotreDame, saw in the wake of the misman-agement associated with the clergy sexabuse scandals the need for education andtraining of church personnel -- pastors,diocesan administrators, lay associates aswell as seminarians -- in the skills thatbusiness managers need to run theirorganizations efficiently and effectivelywhile avoiding missteps that were unpro-fessional, even illegal.

Chuck Zech loves the church. He knewthat better management could have pre-vented some of the church problems thatwere in the headlines over a decade ago.

He also saw problems then not visibleto many -- such as financial fraud andembezzlement -- that proper trainingcould prevent. So he started his center

with encouragement from the lateAugustinian Father Edmund J. Dobbin,then-president of Villanova, assistancefrom a handful of religious and lay advis-ers, modest support from the businessschool administration and a generoussupply of patience and hope.

Students learn a lot about budgets andaudits; accountability, transparency andcontrol; the spirituality of administration;human resource issues such as hiring, fir-ing and performance evaluation; insur-ance and risk management; how to run ameeting; how to motivate and rewardgood work; effective communication andmuch, much more.

Those interested in learning about all ofthis can Google the Center for the Studyof Church Management to find out more.

Jesuit Father Byron is university pro-fessor of business and society at St.Joseph's University, Philadelphia.

Too much focus on the Passion?; donating body to scienceOur Faith

Fr. Doyle

Fr. Byron

Where the parish meets the business school


By Father Eugene HemrickCatholic News Service

It is one thing to read history, yet more impressive totouch it. Recently, I had the pleasure of a visit to the

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del RioCarmelo in Carmel, California.

The mission, which was founded inJune 1770, is where Blessed JuniperoSerra worked and died. As I viewedthe cell in which he slept, it broughtback memories of his life.

He was born in Spain and joined theFranciscans. Even though he was abrilliant student and teacher and could

have remained in Spain, he optedinstead to embark for the missions of Mexico.

Early on, he injured his leg, an injury that would

plague him throughout his life. The injury, however, didnot deter him from establishing missions and makinglong journeys on foot to baptize and confirm thousandsof indigenous people.

As I viewed an old saddle used by the early missionar-ies, I wondered what it was like to come from theSpanish culture to a foreign culture and learn its lan-guages, customs and how easy it is to violate a custom.

For example, in one case I read about, many of theindigenous children the missionaries encountered wereundernourished. As was customary in Spain, milk wasgiven to children to bolster and improve their strength.However, the indigenous children couldn't tolerate milk.It was one of many hard lessons the Franciscan mission-aries had to learn.

As I viewed the old kitchen, sitting rooms and crudetools of the times in the museum, I wondered about whatdrives the missionary spirit in our church. Why do men

and women opt for a foreign culture, learn its customsand literally forsake family and the comforts of home?

No doubt a sense of youthful adventure is one of thedriving forces in missionaries. But as I learned, when Ivisited Guatemala, wanderlust fades quickly when youget amebic dysentery or the weather is dismal for weekson end. You need more than a sense of adventure to sur-vive.

Ultimately, the drive behind the missionary spirit is thespirit of Christ who taught that the purpose of life is toserve others, especially those in most need. It is to livethe Golden Rule: to treat others as you want to be treat-ed; to let your heart rule over your mind, allowing it towarm another's heart.

Come September, Blessed Serra will be canonized.Yes, we will extol his virtues, but it will also be a time toextol the missionary spirit upon which our church isfounded.

By Bill DoddsCatholic News Service

In late 2012, when we knew my wife,Monica, had only a short time to livebecause of uterine cancer, people beganasking me if I plannedon writing a book aboutwidowhood and griefafter she passed away.

I told them no,explaining that I didn'tknow enough aboutthose topics. It wasabout a year after herdeath that I realized Ihad been through a crashintroductory course on the subjects. I stillhad a lot to learn, but I did know a thing ortwo.

Then a moment came when I heard tele-vision commentators discussing an upcom-ing recorded interview with actor LiamNeeson. As you may remember, his wifeNatasha Richardson died of a traumaticbrain injury in 2009. In 2014, he was pro-moting his latest movie and when askedabout her, he described how grief stillimpacted his life.

The commentators seemed startled. Myimmediate thought was, "Well, duh." Thatwas quickly followed by the realizationthat his words would have surprised meonly a few short years ago. Of courseNeeson was still deeply affected.

That was when it dawned on me that I

didn't want to write a book about widow-hood and grief for those who are experi-encing it themselves, but I came up with abook that would help friends and familymembers get a glimpse of what those earlydays, months and years of grief can be like.

Fiction seemed the best way of doingthat in a way that was more inviting, andless intimidating, to the reader. The resultwas a novel titled "Mildred Nudge: AWidower's Tale," published on the secondanniversary of Monica's death.

It has been gratifying that some whohave read it tell me they have a deeperappreciation of what a parent or grandpar-ent went through. What a friend or familymember is going through. There's a new-found sympathy and understanding.

At the same time, I now better realizehow little I know about so many othertremendous hardships people go through:the death of a child, marriage that ends indivorce, the loss of a job that results in theloss of a home, drug addiction, chronic ill-ness or pain. The list is long and varied.

I want to stay "blissfully ignorant," but Ialso want to be better at sympathizing andoffering support.

That's one way of looking at a recurringtheme in Pope Francis' messages to all ofus: Look around, become more aware ofothers who are hurting. Find ways to walkwith them and talk with them. Simply, andnot so simply, be with them in times of sor-row.

The missionary spirit that moves the church

Helping others in a time of pain

Family Life

Fr. Hemrick

Dodds

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The Bible

Acts of Apostles tells of people in early Christian history

Meet the PlayersWASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Acts of the

Apostles introduces readers to manypeople of ancient Christian times. Thereare Jesus' apostles and disciples, menand women, catechists, members of theJewish community and others.

Let's meet a few of them:4 Sts. Peter and Paul: These apostlesstand as Acts' central personalities. Peter'srole is more dominant in early chapters,while later chapters highlight Paul as anapostle to the gentiles. Peter and Paul arerecognized for their many healings, and welisten to each one preaching a basic mes-sage of Christ's death and resurrection.4St. Stephen: Known as the first Christianmartyr, Stephen was stoned outsideJerusalem's gates after being falselycharged by people angered at not beingable to get the best of him in debate. Actspresents him as wise and "filled with grace,"one who worked "great wonders and signs,"and whose words were prompted by theSpirit. (6:8-7:3).4 Gamaliel: A Pharisee and member ofthe Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, Gamaliel's wis-dom still is consulted today. After theSanhedrin forbade the apostles to teach inJesus' name, Gamaliel proposed leavingthem alone. He successfully advised that iftheir mission "is of human origin, it willdestroy itself. But if it comes from God, youwill not be able to destroy them" (5:38-39).4 Eutychus: This young man sat on awindowsill in an upstairs room as Pauldelivered a sermon that continued until mid-night. Falling asleep, Eutychus fell from thewindow. "When he was picked up he wasdead." Paul "threw himself upon him" andthen said, "There is life in him. ... They tookthe boy away alive" (20:7-12).4Priscilla and Aquila: This married cou-ple served as ancient-church catechists.After being expelled from Rome because oftheir Jewish backgrounds, they met Paul inCorinth. Like him, they were tentmakers.They travel with Paul to Ephesus in AsiaMinor. The couple are remembered as faithteachers of Apollos, who himself became aprominent, ancient-church teacher (18:1-3;18-28).4The early Christians: The first Christians"had all things in common." Acts says,"They would sell their property and posses-sions and divide them among all accordingto each one's need." The community'sbonds were strong. They were "of one heartand mind" (2:44-45; 4:32-35).

By David GibsonCatholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Jews from manynations, speaking a wide array of lan-guages, were staying in Jerusalem at thetime after Jesus' death, resurrection andascension when a powerful wind sweptin upon a house where his apostles andsome others, including his mother, weremeeting.

Hearing the wind and curious to knowwhat was happening, these people sooncame upon a bewildering scene. Theyfound Jesus' closest followers speakingabout God in languages that all in theirdiverse crowd could understand. Howcould this be?

Some laughed, assuming the apostleswere intoxicated.

These details of the first ChristianPentecost are found in the second chap-ter of the Acts of the Apostles, the bibli-cal book located immediately after St.John's Gospel. Acts introduces readersto people and events in Christianity'searliest history.

In Acts we witness the stoning of St.Stephen, remembered as Christianity'sfirst martyr (7:54-60). We learn theearly Christians shared everything theyhad; none were needy (4:32-35). AndActs memorably leads us into theAthens Areopagus where St. Paul boldlyinforms citizens that, without theirknowing it, their "unknown God" is theGod he proclaims, who "gives to every-one life and breath" (17:23-25).

A 12-part NBC-TV series titled "A.D.The Bible Continues," currently airingSunday evenings, draws upon Acts' fas-cinating chapters. The Bible indeed con-tinues after Christ's ascension. TheGospel spreads. The Christian commu-nity grows amazingly.

Compelling as events in Acts are,however, the book represents more thana collection of historical stories. Anunderlying purpose binds its many partstogether.

Thus, no detail of the first Pentecost isunimportant. Particularly noteworthy isthat when the wind swept in, "tonguesas of fire" appeared and rested on theapostles and those with them; theybegan speaking "different tongues."

St. Peter set the record straight."These people are not drunk," he toldthe crowd. Rather, exalted at God's right

hand, Jesus "received the promise of theHoly Spirit from the Father and pouredit forth." The crowd was witnessing thisoutpouring.

The gift of speech that enabled peoplespeaking many languages to understandthese followers of Jesus foreshadowed amajor development in the earlyChristian community's mission. Jesus'followers will be called to make Christknown in many nations and cultures.

But agreeing to all that this involvedwas no small accomplishment for earlyChristian leaders. After all, proclaimingChrist far and wide meant proclaiminghim to gentiles, who were not Jewish.

The ancient Christians' questionsabout this sound odd today. So it isessential to remember they were JewishChristians and followed the law ofMoses. Would gentile Christians, too,need to follow this law fully?

The process of clarifying that issueunderlies the remarkable telling by Actsof the baptism of the Roman centurionCornelius (10:1-49).

Cornelius was sympathetic toward theJewish faith but was an uncircumcisedgentile. In a vision, however, an angelinstructed Cornelius to invite Peter tohis home.

Peter made a startling announcementin Cornelius' home. He now realized, hesaid, "that God shows no partiality.Rather, in every nation whoever fearshim and acts uprightly is acceptable tohim."

Acts notes that "the circumcisedbelievers" accompanying Peter wereastounded to see that day that God's

Spirit "poured out on the gentiles also."The author of Acts makes his underly-

ing purpose clear from the start byrecalling Jesus saying to the apostles athis ascension, "You will be my witness-es in Jerusalem ... and to the ends of theearth" (1:8).

Introducing himself, our authorreveals that Acts is not his first writing.Earlier he "dealt with all that Jesus didand taught" (1:1). Who is he?

"It is well accepted that St. Lukeauthored the two-volume work of theGospel of Luke and Acts," according toBenedictine Father Dale Launderville, aScripture professor at Benedictine-runSt. John's University in Collegeville,Minnesota.

Hellen Mardaga, who teachesScripture at The Catholic University ofAmerica in Washington, agrees. "WhatLuke has in mind in his double work isto write a salvation history," she said inan interview with Catholic NewsService. Acts treats salvation history"after Jesus' return to the Father." Ittreats "the founding of the early church-es."

Father Launderville commented that"in some ways the narrative line" run-ning through Acts is about how "thechurch spread from Jerusalem toRome," from one end of the earth toanother in the thinking of the times.

Mardaga noted that Acts' first ninechapters focus on "proclaiming God'sword in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria."The "major characters are Peter and the

(Please See ACTS/22)


EDICTAL SUMMONSApril 23, 2015

CASE: HERNANDEZ (ACUNA)–HERNANDEZ

NO.: SO/15/11

The Tribunal Office of the CatholicDiocese of San Angelo is seeking Joseaka “Joe” L. Hernandez.

You are hereby summoned to appearbefore the Tribunal of the CatholicDiocese of San Angelo, at 804 FordStreet, San Angelo, Texas 76905, on orbefore the 31st of May 2015, to answer tothe Petition of Oralia Her, now introducedbefore the Diocesan Tribunal in an actionstyled, “Lourdes Veronica Vera Fuentesand Jose aka “Joe” L. Hernandez, Petitionfor Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage.”Said Petition is identified as Case: HER-NANDEZ (ACUNA) – HERNANDEZ;Protocol No.: SO/15/11, on the TribunalDocket of the Diocese of San Angelo.

You may communicate with the Tribunalin person or in writing. Failure to commu-nicate within the prescribed period of timewill be considered your consent for theTribunal to continue its proceedings in theabove-named case.

Given at the Tribunal of the Diocese ofSan Angelo on the 23rd day of April 2015.

Reverend Tom Barley, MSW, MBA, M. Div.,JCL

Judicial Vicar


CASE: ACUNA – MALDONADONO.: SO/15/12

The Tribunal Office of the CatholicDiocese of San Angelo is seeking EmmaMacias Maldonado.

You are hereby summoned to appearbefore the Tribunal of the CatholicDiocese of San Angelo, at 804 FordStreet, San Angelo, Texas 76905, on orbefore the 31st of May 2015, to answer tothe Petition of Emma Macias Maldonadonow introduced before the DiocesanTribunal in an action styled, “RichardAcuna and Emma Macias Maldonado,Petition for Declaration of Invalidity ofMarriage.” Said Petition is identified asCase: ACUNA – MALDONADO; ProtocolNo.: SO/15/12, on the Tribunal Docket ofthe Diocese of San Angelo.

You may communicate with the Tribunalin person or in writing. Failure to commu-nicate within the prescribed period of timewill be considered your consent for theTribunal to continue its proceedings in theabove-named case.

Given at the Tribunal of the Diocese ofSan Angelo on the 23rd day of April 2015.


Judicial Vicar

(Para 2)

Es nuestro deber el hacer la voluntad de Dios.Dios no nos creó para tener la gratificacióninstantánea de nuestro cada deseo. Dios nos hacreado para conocerlo, amarlo y servirlo en estavida, y pasar la eternidad en unión con él en elCielo.

Dios ya está en nuestro lado. Él nos ama másde lo que nos amamos nosotros mismos, y siem-pre tiene lo mejor para nuestro bien en mente.Sin embargo, tenemos que recordar que Dios veel cuadro más grande, desde una perspectivaeterna, y nosotros sólo podemos percibir unapequeña porción del cuadro. Dios siempre quierelo mejor para nosotros, y él lo sabe mejor quenosotros qué es eso.

Dios nos dará todo lo que necesitamos, perono siempre nos da lo que queremos. Dios sabe loque necesitamos antes de que se lo pidamos.Puede que haya algo que deseamos, pero que nonos ayudaría a llegar al Cielo.

Esto me recuerda el escenario cuando unamadre lleva a su niño a la tienda de comestibles,y pasan por la línea de la registradora, y el niñove todos los dulces y comienza a gritar por unos.La mamá sabe que el dulce no será bueno parasu hijo, y ella no se lo compra. En ese momento,

el niño puede pensar que su mamá es mala y sincorazón, pero la madre entiende desde una per-spectiva más amplia lo que en realidad es mejorpara su hijo.

La oración es una necesidad vital en la vidaCristiana. Incluye, entre otras cosas, la oración

de petición para uno mismo y la oración deintercesión por las necesidades de otros. Esbueno que nosotros le pidamos a Dios por cosas,pero debemos recordar que Dios no es simple-mente un instrumento para ser usado pornosotros.

Algunas personas piensan de Dios como sifuera una máquina de chicles – le pones la pese-ta, giras la manivela, y sale la bolita de chicle.Ellos piensan que someten la oración, giran lamanivela, y allí mismo sale un “Sí” automático asu solicitud. Pero Dios no es una máquina dechicles.

Cuando oramos, debemos pedir que la volun-tad de Dios se haga. Como dice el Catecismo dela Iglesia Católica, debemos buscar lo que seaque le agrada a Dios Padre, centrado en el Dadory no en los dones. (CIC, 2740)

Dios nos creó en su libertad, y él sigue actuan-do en libertad. Él es el Señor del mundo y de lahistoria. En nuestra libertad, elevamos a Diosnuestras oraciones y nuestras necesidades. Portanto, debemos respetar la libertad de Dios en surespuesta a nosotros. Los caminos de la provi-dencia de Dios nos son con frecuencia descono-cidos en esta vida, y los entenderemos plena-mente sólo en la vida eterna. (CIC, 314)

(Mira ORACION/21)

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(From 2)

spective, and we can only perceive a tinypiece of the picture. God always wants whatis best for us, and he knows what that is bet-ter than we do.

God will give us everything we need, buthe won’t always give us what we want. Godknows what we need before we even askhim. There might be something that I desire,but which would not help me get to Heaven.

This reminds me of the scenario when amom takes her toddler child to the grocerystore, and they pass through the checkoutline, and the child sees all the candy andstarts to cry out for some. The mom knowsthe candy will not be good for her child, andshe doesn’t purchase it. In that moment, thechild might think her mom is mean andheartless, but the mother understands from abroader perspective what is actually in thebest interest of her child.

Prayer is a vital necessity in the Christianlife. It includes, among other things, prayerof petition for oneself and prayer of interces-sion for the needs of others. It is good for usto ask God for things, but we must keep inmind that God is not simply an instrument tobe used by us.

Some people think of God like a gumballmachine -- you put in the quarter, turn thecrank, and out comes the gumball. Theythink you can put in the prayer, turn the

crank, and out pops an automatic “Yes” toyour request. But God is not a gumballmachine.

When we pray, we must ask that God’s willbe done. As it says in the Catechism of theCatholic Church, we should seek whateverpleases God the Father, centering on theGiver rather than on the gifts. (CCC, 2740)

God created us in his freedom, and he con-tinues to act in freedom. He is master of the

world and of its history. In our freedom, welift up to God our prayers and our needs. Wemust then respect the freedom of God in hisresponse to us. The ways of God’s provi-dence are often unknown to us in this life,and we will fully understand them only in thenext life. (CCC, 314)

It’s not God’s job to get us through this lifewith no problems, no pain, and no hardship.God never promised us a rose garden. Look,for example, at St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”,in 2 Cor. 12:7-10. We are not sure exactlywhat this was, but scholars say that it wasmost likely some painful physical ailment, orthe struggle of continual persecution, or per-haps some kind of continual temptation.

Whatever it was, Paul begged God threetimes to take it away, but God didn’t do whatPaul asked him to do. God didn’t take awayPaul’s thorn in the flesh. Instead, God used itfor a greater good, so that Paul would com-pletely lean on God’s power and grace. TheLord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient foryou, for my power is made perfect in weak-ness.”

Never give up on prayer, and never give upon God. Express your needs to God, andthen open yourself up to whatever is God’swill.

I highly recommend the use of a popularprayer by the Catholic priest Charles deFoucauld. It is included in a box on thispage.

I am Ready … I AcceptFather,

I abandon myself into your hands;Do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you;I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,And in all your creatures –

I wish no more than this, O Lord.Into your hands I commend my soul;

I offer it to you with allthe love of my heart,For I love you, Lord,

and so need to give myself,To surrender myself into your hands

without reserve,And with boundless confidence,

For you are my Father.

-- Prayer by Charles de Foucauld

Estoy Dispuesto…AceptoPadre mío,

Me abandono a ti;Haz de mí lo que quieras.

Lo que hagas de mí, te lo agradezco;Estoy dispuesto a todo, lo acepto todo.Con tal que tu voluntad se haga en mí,

Y en todas tus criaturas-No deseo nada más, Dios mío.Pongo mi alma en tus manos;

Te la doy, Dios mío, con todo el amor demi corazón,

Porque te amo y porque para mí, amartees darme,

Entregarme en tus manos sin medida,Con infinita confianza, porque tú eres mi

Padre.Oración por Charles de Foucauld

BISHOP

OBISPO


AWARDS

(From 6)

4. The Church recognizes the spiritual ties ofChristians and Judaism. She encourages fos-tering mutual understanding and respect and"in her rejection of every persecution againstany man, the Church, mindful of the patrimo-ny she shares with the Jews and moved not bypolitical reasons but by the Gospel's spirituallove, decries hatred, persecutions, displays ofanti-Semitism, directed against Jews at anytime and by anyone."

5. To love God is to love all and to under-stand that all humanity is created in God'simage and that we are all linked to God.Therefore, there is no foundation for any dis-crimination between God's people as far ashuman dignity is concerned. Therefore the"Church reproves, as foreign to the mind ofChrist, any discrimination against men orharassment of them because of their race,color, condition of life, or religion."

These five powerful concepts presented byPope Paul VI affirm my journey.

I hope this has given you food for thoughtand you are challenged to reach across reli-gious boundaries; you may encounter God inthe other and discover a deeper dimension toyour sacred journey.

Becky J. Benes, MPS, Oneness of Life.com

BENES


CASE: FUENTES -- DELEONNO.: SO/15/16

The Tribunal Office of the Catholic Dioceseof San Angelo is seeking Julio Cesar BogarFlores DeLeon.

You are hereby summoned to appearbefore the Tribunal of the Catholic Diocese ofSan Angelo, at 804 Ford Street, San Angelo,Texas 76905, on or before the 31st of May2015, to answer to the Petition of LourdesVeronica Vera Fuentes, now introducedbefore the Diocesan Tribunal in an actionstyled, “Lourdes Veronica Vera Fuentes andJulio Cesar Bogar Flores DeLeon, Petitionfor Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage.”Said Petition is identified as Case:FUENTES -- DELEON; Protocol No.:SO/15/16, on the Tribunal Docket of theDiocese of San Angelo.

You may communicate with the Tribunal inperson or in writing. Failure to communicatewithin the prescribed period of time will beconsidered your consent for the Tribunal tocontinue its proceedings in the above-namedcase.

Given at the Tribunal of the Diocese of SanAngelo on the 23rd day of April 2015.


Judicial Vicar

(From 7)ness and service to the parish, school and community, and the Companion on theJourney Award for catechetical and youthministry leaders who have shown commit-ment to ongoing education and formationand outstanding leadership at the local anddiocesan levels. Many individual parishesalso recognized their youth for leadership,witness and service.

The Timothy Award went to YdalisFierro from St. Mary Parish in Odessa.The Companion on the Journey for catech-esis went to Sylvia Chappa from HolyFamily Mission in Mereta and for youthministry to Gloria Medina from St.Anthony Parish in Odessa.

The Ministry Review of the Year, set tomusic ‘Where We Belong’ by JoshBlakesley, showcased the many events theOEC held throughout the year.

San Angelo Bishop Michael J. Sisoffered the closing prayer and thanked theassembly for coming to San Angelo for the

evening. Some traveled from as far asAndrews.

The bishop also extended his gratitude tothe young people who have the courage todemonstrate their faith to others. He said,“This is where you belong and we allbelong here together, in the universalCatholic Church.”

To the catechists and youth ministers, theBishop said, “Thank you for the encour-agement that you give to these young peo-ple to live and grow in their faith. In yourevangelization and catechesis, you’re notjust teaching a set of doctrines, you’re notjust preparing people for sacraments,you’re not just building community. Youare also bringing souls to Christ, and con-tributing to their eternal salvation. Therewards of your ministry are not wealth,fame, or warm fuzzy feelings. Your ulti-mate reward will be in the next life, whenthe Lord says, ‘Well done, good and faith-ful servant, inherit the kingdom preparedfor you, enter the joy of your master.’ ”

ARCHIBONG ORACION

HERRERA

Healer Alan Ames returns to West Texas

Healer Alan Ames, will be in Abilene, and San Angelo. Alan’s schedule: 7p.m. Mass Monday,June 15 - Abilene, St Francis of Assisi Church, and 7.p.m Mass Tuesday, June 16 – SanAngelo, Holy Angels Church.

Alan’s services and God’s messages to us are for everyone….not just those wanting to behealed. Alan’s story and God’s message that Alan delivers are so powerful, you won’t want to misshis talk and buy his books and other materials to understand God’s messages on how we must liveour lives in order to gain eternal salvation. Alan has travelled to over 50 nations spreading God’sword. Many healings have occurred and information about healing testimonials, Alan’s books andmaterials, his travel schedule, and more may be found in Alan’s web site: alanames.org. Pleaseinvite your family, friends and neighbors to come and listen to his experiences.

(From 4)

to practice, or a NativeAmerican. Or a Wiccan, orSanterian. I have learned alot about world religions. Ithas made me appreciate myown.”

Sr. Herrera, a native San

Angeloan, graduated fromAngelo State Universitywhere she found her faithstrengthened at theNewman Center. Her expe-riences with the campusministry led directly to hervocation as a religious.

“My mission is to spread

the gospel in whatever wayI can,” she said. “And thatis related to what has beennurtured in me through theSEARCH program and theNewman Center.” Both pro-grams, Sr. Herrera said,provided her with a goodfoundation.

(Para 20)

No es el trabajo de Dios de llevarnos por estavida sin problemas, sin dolor, y sin dificul-tades. Dios nunca nos prometió un jardín derosas. Miren, por ejemplo, la "espina clavadaen el cuerpo”, de San Pablo, en 2 Cor. 12:7-10.No estamos seguros exactamente de qué setrataba, pero los expertos dicen que probable-mente era alguna enfermedad física dolorosa, ola lucha de persecución continua, o tal vezalgún tipo de tentación continúa.

Fuera lo que fuera, Pablo rogó a Dios tresveces que se la quitara, pero Dios no hizo lo

que Pablo le pidió que hiciera. Dios no le quitóesa espina clavada en el cuerpo de Pablo. Másbien, Dios la usó para un bien mejor, para quePablo completamente se apoyara en el poder ygracia de Dios. El Señor le dijo a Pablo: “Tebasta mi gracia, mi mayor fuerza se manifiestaen la debilidad.”

Nunca renuncie la oración, y nunca renunciea Dios. Exprese sus necesidades a Dios, yluego ábrase a lo que sea la voluntad de Dios.

Recomiendo mucho el uso de una oraciónpopular escrito por el sacerdote católicoCharles de Foucauld. Se incluye en un cuadroen esta página.

Bishop Sis with award recipient Rosemary

Pena, of Big Lake’s St. Margaret of

Cortona. (Photo by Joshua Carpenter)

(From 12)

guard God’s flock with tendernessand love. I will represent them as“a voice to the voiceless” and“offer my shoulders to all” exclud-ing no one.

As a man of prayer, I willalways be on my knees beforeGod asking for grace to keep mypromises I will make on my dayof ordination and always seek todraw strength from the Trinity atall times. My nourishment fromthe Divine Eternal Fountain willthen open me up to be a fountain,an instrument, through whom Godwill use to bless God’s people.

Dear people of God, I humblyask for your prayers and encour-agement as I am about to acceptthe ministerial roles of a Shepherd(King), Prophet and Priest in theCatholic Church in a unique way.

May God bless my mother, sib-lings, family, friends, and in factyou all. To my father and all thesouls grant eternal rest. Amen.

Lord Prepare me to be a sanctuary;

pure and holy, tried and true.With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living

sanctuary for You.(by John Thompson and Randy Scruggs)

(From 10)

fessions, and gave the Last Rites. Henearly escaped being caught by theauthorities many times.

When Napoleon came to power in1799 and made peace with thechurch, Andrew was restored to hisparish. His parish church had beendestroyed and he used a barn as achurch. It was during this time thatAndrew met Elizabeth Bichier desAges, one of the good ladies in thearea. He became her spiritual direc-tor. She gathered a group of womenaround her and started a prayergroup.

Burns writes that Andrew discour-aged Elizabeth from becoming aTrappistine nun and instead collabo-rated with her to form a new reli-gious community. He devised a Ruleof life for her and her group and sug-gested that they should dedicate

themselves to good works in the area. For the next six months, Elizabeth

learned more about religious life.She gathered a larger group aroundher to teach the children and to shel-ter the sick, aged and poor. By 1811,the community had 25 members andin 1816 they received diocesanapproval and became the Daughtersof the Holy Cross of St. Andrew.Burns notes that Elizabeth preferredto call her community the Sisters ofSt. Andrew.

Andrew is said to have miracu-lously multiplied food for the mem-bers of the new congregation and thechildren in their care. Finally, illnessand fatigue forced Andrew to resignhis parish ministry at the age of 68.He lived another 14 years in semiretirement at the new Congregationhouse at La Puye. He died on Mary13, 1834. He was proclaimed a saintby Pope Pius XI in 1933.

Page 22 MAY 2015 The Angelus

(From 14)

two almost immediately fell in love.Because she returned home without iden-tifying herself, the prince called for a balland invited all of the young women ofthe realm to come, hoping to lure hismysterious beloved. Though her stepfam-ily tried desperately to prevent her fromattending, Cinderella, through the minis-trations of her fairy godmother, managedto get to the ball, where she, of course,entranced the prince. Once again, shewas compelled to return early, and thelovesick prince sought her desperatelyuntil he found her and married her.

We are tempted, no doubt, to see allof this as the stuff of ordinary romance,

but we should look more deeply. First,the stag is a traditional sign of Christ andthus his presence as the object of the huntis meant to signal his presence at thesymbolic level of the narrative.Moreover, the prince, the son of theKing, who falls in love with a womandespite her lowliness, is an obvious evo-cation of Jesus, the Son of God, who wassent to become the bridegroom of thehuman race, whose spiritual beauty hadbeen covered over by sin. The prophetIsaiah predicted that the “builder of thehuman race” would come one day tomarry his people, and the motif of thesacrum connubium, the sacred marriage,runs right through the New Testament.Indeed, the fathers of the Church took

particular delight in ringing the changeson this theme, emphasizing that thePrince of Peace, the Son of God, in mar-rying the human race, lifted us up out ofour lowliness and bestowed upon us allof his own benefits and dignity. This isprecisely why the early theologians of theChurch specified that the sacrum connu-bium involved an admirable commercium(a wonderful exchange), God taking oursin from us and giving us his grace. Inthe symbolic language of our story, theunmerited love of the prince indeedtransformed Cinderella into a princess.

The surest sign that this transformationhas occurred—and it is one of myfavorite elements in Branagh’s telling—isthat Cinderella, upon escaping from the

cruel oppression of her stepmother,turned to the wicked woman, not to curseher, but to offer a word of forgiveness.There could be no more compelling proofthat she had thoroughly taken on thecharacter of the bridegroom.

When you see this film, I would inviteyou, even as you take in the fantasy andromance of it, to appreciate it too as adeeply Christian story.

Father Robert Barron is the founder ofthe global ministry, Word on Fire, andthe Rector/President of MundeleinSeminary. He is the creator of the awardwinning documentary series,"Catholicism" and "Catholicism:TheNew Evangelization.

BARRON

SANDOVAL(Para 15)

que un hombre negro caminaba en manerasospechosa, según las noticias. Dos ofi-ciales llegaron a investigar, uno de ellosEric Parker.

Patel, quien no habla inglés, no com-prendía lo que ordenaban. No resistió deningún modo, pero al parecer, cambió deun pie al otro según un video del encuen-tro. Parker lo tumbó violentamente alpavimento. Ahora, Patel se encuentra enun centro de rehabilitación, parcialmenteparalizado, enfrentando una recuperaciónlarga e incierta. El gobernador de Alabama

le pidió disculpa, y en contraste a casossimilares, Parker fue despedido y cargadocon asalto, caso a cual él se ha declaradono culpable.

Llamar a 911 por ver a una persona decolor caminando por la calle no es hechodesconocido. Mi sobrina Lynda Sandoval,por un tiempo un oficial policiaco en unsuburbio de Denver, dijo que a vecescuando trabajaba en la mesa de despacho,alguien llamaba a reportar un hombrenegro caminando por la calle. Respondíaque caminar por la calle no es crimen.

El año pasado cuando uno de mis hijoscompró casa en una comunidad de dinero,

cercada y con gaceta de guardia en unsuburbio de Houston, y nos invitó a visi-tar, yo no salí a caminar lejos por si acasoalguien me viera con sospecha y llamara ala policía. Afortunadamente, nadie meconfrontó y cada día me aventuré más ypor fin caminé por casi toda la comu-nidad.

Más tarde, escuché un cuento del con-trario de hostilidad mencionado en ellibro: hospitalidad. Pero lamentablemente,fue un cuento de la hospitalidad que llegóa un alto precio.

El 19 de Febrero, Lauren Mohr, de 34años y residente de Wallingford,

Connecticut, paró su auto en un puentesobre una carretera para asistir a víctimasde un accidente de cual habían fugado loscausantes. Llamó a 911 y esperaba con lasvíctimas cuando aparentemente se resbalóen el hielo, cayó 40 pies del puente ymurió. Reciente había recibido título desocio de una universidad local, era veter-ana de la Fuerza Aérea y también era téc-nica médica.

Su muerte fue una tragedia, pero cierta-mente Mohr se encuentra entre losdichosos que un día oyeran las palabras:“Vengan bendecidos de mi Padre …”

(From 18)

Twelve." But with the conversion in Chapter9 of Saul, henceforth known as Paul, Acts isabout to shift focus to a larger world.

Interestingly, Saul's conversion also high-lights the suffering the first Christiansendured. Before Saul's conversion hebreathed "murderous threats against" Jesus'disciples, Luke writes (9:1).

Saul's transforming encounter with therisen Lord occurred in a flash of light as hetraveled toward Damascus, intent on seizingChristians. The Lord asked, "Saul, why areyou persecuting me?"

Now, as Paul, he will carry the Gospel tofar distant places.

Luke, it appears, was often Paul's travelingcompanion. Even if this cannot be proved, "itis clear that the narrative in Acts presents himthis way," Father Launderville stated.

Luke makes his presence alongside Paulknown numerous times in Acts' so-called "wepassages." Near the book's conclusion, for

example, Luke mentions the decision that"we" should sail to Italy (27:1).

The voyage then undertaken was Paul'sfourth missionary journey. It followed alengthy detention in Caesarea after someAsian Jews objected to his preaching andministry. Paul appealed to Rome, and a cen-turion named Julius had custody of him dur-ing the voyage.

Sailing toward Italy, Luke describes a vio-lent storm and tells how, once "we" reachedsafety on an island after suffering shipwreck,"we" learned it was called Malta (27:6-28:1).

Finally, Luke writes about the ultimatemoment when "we" arrived in Rome (28:14).

In Rome, a first-century center of powerand influence, Paul made it emphaticallyclear that gentiles would not be excludedfrom receiving his proclamation of Christ(28:29).

Gibson was the founding editor of Origins,Catholic News Service's documentary service.He retired in 2007 after holding that post for36 years.

ACTS SAINT


House, Senate

Contact Information

HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES-- U.S. Congressman K. Michael

Conaway (District 11-- San Angelo,

Midland-Odessa, Andrews, Stanton,

Crane, Rankin, Big Lake, Colorado City,

Sterling City, Robert Lee, Bronte, Ballinger,

Winters, Miles, Christoval, Eldorado,

Junction, Menard, Eden, Melvin, Brady,

Coleman, Brownwood, McCamey,

Mertzon, Sweetwater )

Phone: 202-225-3605

Mailing Address: 511 Cannon House

Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Email (via Web):

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/wel-

come.shtml:

Web: http://conaway.house.gov/

-- Rep. Randy Neugebauer (District 19

-- Big Spring, Abilene, Clyde)

Phone: 202-225-4005

Mailing Address: 1424 Longworth

HOB, Washington, DC 20515

Email (via Web):

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/wel-

come.shtml

Web: http://randy.house.gov/

-- Rep. Will Hurd (District 23 — Fort

Stockton, Iraan, Ozona, Sonora)

Mailing Address: 431 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515-4323

Phone 202-225-4511

U.S. SENATE-- U.S. Senator John Cornyn

Phone: 202-224-2934

Mailing Address: 517 Hart Senate

Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510

Web:

http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/

-- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

Cruz, Ted - (R - TX) Class I

Phone: (202) 224-5922

Mailing Address: B40B Dirksen

Senate Office Building, Washington, DC

20510

FAMILY

Above, the 2015 Confirmation class

at St. Mary’s Church in Odessa. At

left, Fr. Hilary Ihedioha, gives the

young people a few words of wisdom

during Confirmation Mass.

Photos by Alan P. Torre

St. Mary’s Confirmation

(From 7)

the life of your Domestic Church and thelife of the parish church and diocese.

It is useful to organize the life of yourDomestic Church as it participates in thelife of the parish and diocese in a "FamilyRule of Life." For example, a "FamilyRule of Life" could look like the follow-ing:

+Fidelity to the Pope and Magisteriumof the Catholic Church.

+Promotion of human life from naturalconception to natural death.

+Mass on Sunday and Holy Days(weekday Mass and Adoration of theBlessed Sacrament when possible).

+The Sacrament of Penance(Reconciliation) monthly or at regular

intervals.+Daily prayer and Bible reading as a

family and individually, including Liturgyof the Hours and the Rosary as appropri-ate.

+Participation in the liturgical seasonsthrough celebrations, use of Christian sym-bols, art, music, food, and decor.

+Age-appropriate educational formationincluding study of the Catechism,Christian literature, PRE/CCD, seminars,preparation for sacraments, parochial orhome schooling.

+Family/couple/individual retreats. + Simplicity of lifestyle and stewardship

of all resources;+Hospitality to persons of all ages,

including priests and religious.+Service to the community (local and

global), especially to persons in greatestspiritual and physical need, includingevangelization of the unchurched.

+Ecumenical concern for the UniversalChurch.

Of course, each family should adapt thisrule of life to its particular circumstancesthrough prayerful discernment and discus-sion as a family.

At this time in the life of the CatholicChurch and our western culture, theCatholic family as the Domestic Churchcan serve the Church and the world in thesame way that monasteries served theChurch in the Middle Ages. The family asthe Domestic Church can become the cen-ter for the evangelization of our culture, aculture that needs to be rebuilt on thefoundation of Christianity.


Easter Glow

Image from Easter Vigil Mass at Holy Redeemer Church in Odessa. Photo by Alan P. Torre / aptorre.com

Projects at Girl Scouts’ parishes help three earn Gold AwardThe Angelus

ODESSA — Area Girl Scouts who have earnedtheir Gold Award were recognized April 25 at the GirlScouts of the Desert Southwest’s annual meeting inOdessa. Three Trinity School students — MiriamShayeb, Sally Anne St. Jacques and Carmen Dragun —will be among those honored. They are members of St.Ann’s Girl Scout Troop 31177 in Midland.

The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scoutcan receive and involves a project that has made a“measurable and sustainable difference in their commu-nities.”

Shayeb and St. Jacques, both seniors, undertook bookprojects for Medical Center Hospital in Odessa. Shayebcreated a reading program for inpatients and conductedtraining sessions with hospital volunteers to includereading with pediatric patients. Shayeb also distributed

books to those attending the MCH Farmer’s Market tofoster an interest in literacy. St. Jacques worked withMCH’s Friendship Home to provide books for familiesand patients who are being treated for a serious injury orillness. Both girls received book donations from St.Ann's Family Fair.

Dragun, who is a sophomore, conducted “adopt-a-family” programs for back-to-school and at Christmas.Parishioners of St. Ann’s Catholic Church helped fami-lies that were clients of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. -- Source: Trinity School. Reprinted with permissionfrom the Midland Reporter-Telegram

Photo (courtesy of Trinity School): Trinity School sen-iors Miriam Shayeb, left, Sally Anne St. Jacques, secondfrom left, and Carmen Dragun, right, were among thoseGirl Scouts who were recognized April 25 for earningtheir Gold Award. With the girls is Diane Flanagan, CEOof the Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest.

exas 2015 msgr. james plagens, 77, dies in midland · diagnosticaron con cáncer, oró por su...

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