reaching out to inspire shrine of st. theresethe rose …rose a sense of community 2016-001 june...

SHRINE OF ST. THERESE REACHING OUT TO INSPIRE

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY the rose2016-001 June 2016

Meet our new Religious Education Coordinator

Brian Bissonnette is the

new coordinator of our reli-

gious education program.

Brian, a former seminarian, is

now husband to lovely Ash-

ley and father to seven-month

old Clara. He is very busy in

his new position. Brian coor-

dinates all pre-school through

12th grade religion classes

and also teaches high school

religion to students at St.

Therese Catholic School

His parents moved the

family to Pueblo from Ver-

mont some dozen years ago.

They reside in Pueblo West.

Brian’s wife, Ashley, to-

gether with her family, moved

to Pueblo some years ago from

Ohio. Ashley has been in-

volved with religious educa-

tion and her mother is assis-

tant to Father Carlos Alvarez

at St. Paul the Apostle Church.

Previous religious director,

Sarah Nelson, accepted a posi-

tion at Christ the King Parish

where working hours are more

convenient for her family of

small children. We wish them

all a good summer and an en-

riching winter session.

State Award

Brian and his family

Parishioner, in forefront, is Barbara Berg, winner of the

State Serra Award for the Affirmation Committee. Pueblo

Serrans are pleased and proud of Barb’s efforts at handling

ordination receptions, priest dinners, and Sisters’ apprecia-

tion dinners.

Standing beside her is long-time Serra member, Rita

Welsch of St. Paul’s Pueblo West Parish. Rita is part of the

Affirmation Committee and has sent all of the birthday and

appreciation cards to priests, deacons, and sisters in the

Pueblo Diocese for the past 12 years.

Thank you, ladies, for a job well done ! We applaud you for your faithful service.

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Update on Shrine Staff

Two long-time employees of the Shrine Parish—friends to all—retired this past month.

Joe & Joan Martinelli

Joe Martinelli, facility director—married to lovely Joan—retired

for health and age reasons. He always had a small smile (or smirk)

on his face and a good joke or story to spring on you! We will miss

Joe’s friendly and helpful presence and his years of overseeing our

parish.

Replacing him are new employees Dennis Gonzales and parish-

ioner Hank Cervantes. We welcome these two great fellows!

When Father Liam arrived as our new pastor, so did Janice Alfonso

and Carol Kristan. They each worked half a week as receptionist.

Janice, after 12 years of knowing and enjoying everyone in the parish

has now retired. She and husband Vic, newly retired, plan to catch up

on yard work and make travel plans. Janice was a wonderful welcom-

ing committee stationed at the front desk. She will be greatly missed.

Vic & Janice Alfonso

Carol Kristan is remaining as receptionist and church bulletin editor. She and Theresa Farley,

our bookkeeper, will assume the hours that Janice worked. We thank them all for their loyalty and

work for the parish.

Sister Johnnette Sawyer returned to the Benedictine

Motherhouse in Chicago, along with Sister Joan Hentges of

Christ the King Parish.

Four other Sisters of the Pueblo area also returned to their

mother houses this past year.

Sister with some young Shrine parishioners

3

Recent Events at the Shrine

Our youth choir who add so

much to our Masses

First Communion

Confirmation

4

Clergy Night Dinner

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus

Sisters Appreciation Dinner

Sponsored by the Serra Club

Squires present Bishop Berg with a check

for vocations

Just a reminder —

Please stop in for prayer at our Perpetual Adoration Chapel during

the summer months. It’s a good time for personal prayer before the

Blessed Sacrament—and certainly, prayers for a world filled with

violence and tragedy are very much needed.

Jesus is waiting for you.

5

Shrine High School Graduates

Sarah Lira, one of our teenage parishioners, was awarded a prestigious college

scholarship from the Daniels Fund. Six other Pueblo high school seniors received

these scholarships. Some 2,000 students applied for the scholarships from four differ-

ent states. The recipients may attend any accredited non-profit college or university

in the U.S. They are selected on exceptional character, leadership qualities, and com-

mitment to the community. Sarah was also valedictorian of her East High School

graduating class.

Sarah is the daughter of Suzanne and Don Lira. Sarah and her brothers Dominic

and Daniel are well known in the parish. Parents have served on Parish Council and

various committees. All three children work the summer garage sale. Dominic at-

tends the University of Dallas in Dallas, Texas, a Catholic University. Both boys were

altar servers and all three siblings attended St. Therese Catholic School.

We are proud of Sarah’s persistence and her accomplishments. Congratulations!

Another scholarship winner is Andrew Maal. Andrew is the son of

parishioners Diana and Luis. His brother is Adam. Both boys attended

St. Therese Catholic School and are altar servers and members of the

Squires Council. Andrew is also a Lector at Sunday Masses.

Andrew graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Colorado

Springs. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Dallas in

Dallas, Texas and is eagerly looking forward to his freshman year.

Congratulations, Andrew !!

Emily Farley graduated from St. Therese Catholic School, having attended

there since Kindergarten. Over the years, Emily has been an outstanding stu-

dent with determination and perseverance and attained the highest levels of

academic success. She will continue her education at Denver University, and

has received a substantial scholarship.

During her years at St. Therese School, Emily maintained a 4.0 grade point

average despite the challenging and difficulty of the courses she was enrolled

in. She has an extensive list of volunteer service added to her resume that dates

back to when she was in 2nd grade and attending Sacred Heart Cathedral. She

was also involved in many school initiatives and her list of volunteer service is

quite extensive.

Congratulations, Emily—we wish you continued success !!

6

Vocation Stories

We share some more surprising and happy news for parishioners.

Two young people from our parish are entering religious life.

One young man, Kevin Kasal is already at St. John Vianney Seminary in

Denver. Kevin is the son of Karen Kasal, who often played the organ and

helped with Sunday music here at the Shrine. Not surprising that Kevin is

also a talented musician and has degrees from Greeley.

Another young parishioner, Rachel Rossi, is the daughter of Vincent Rossi

and Julie Meeker/Rossi. Rachel and her twin sister, Gina, started at St. Therese

Catholic School as kindergarteners, then went on to Centennial High School.

Rachel went to the University of Dallas for college.

While studying in Rome for one semester, she made a retreat with the Reli-

gious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan. This group of nuns also teach at the

seminary in Denver. (Strange how people connect!)

Rachel will enter their convent in July, along with 5 other young women.

We thank God and offer prayers for Kevin and Rachel in the months ahead.

Some six young people have entered religious life from the Shrine of St. Therese. We now have two

priests, a religious brother, and 3 sisters. The last sister to enter was Sister Faustina Zugelder, now ad-

ministrator of a nursing home in Kentucky for the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker. Sister Faustina’s

parents are Frank and Joan Zugelder.

Our parish has been truly blessed !

7

News From Our Refugee Family By Sally Stricca

A few weeks ago, an announcement and phone call invited us to the 50th Golden wedding anniversary

of Ninh & Lee Huynh in Houston, Texas. This Vietnamese couple arrived in Pueblo from an Arkansas

Refugee Camp soon after the fall of Vietnam to the Communists. The Shrine Parish sponsored this family

and a delegation went to the Pueblo Airport to welcome them. The family consisted of a mother, father,

six small children, and a cousin, Kuk.

Msgr. George Holland, pastor, worked diligently to help the family. The small baby, Mary Catherine,

was baptized at the Shrine. Her American name was chosen because her mother was grateful to the

Army nurse in Guam, who helped with the delivery.

It was a tremendous change of life. The father, Ninh, luckily spoke English. Margaret Offerman tu-

tored the rest of the family in English. Austin and Mrytle Spitzer helped them find a car. The govern-

ment provided some money for this and some other expenses. Shrine parishioners brought dishes, pots &

pans, furniture and other necessary items the family needed.

Pueblo was in a recession and there were no jobs available. After a year, Ninh left with his family for

Amarillo, Texas, to work in a meat packing house. From there, they went to Louisiana to do hard, cold

shrimp fishing Then on to Houston, Texas, where Ninh pumped gas at a gas station, worked in a restau-

rant with his wife and children and finally found a factory job. Lee & Ninh bought a convenience store

and Lee ran it with help from her older sons.

Two words stick in my mind. “Persistence” and “hard work” describe this couple, along with their

religious faith. This family started with 9 members, but today there are 25 family members. The same

words describe the 7 children. Mary Catherine is an engineer, one son is a chiropractor, one a pharmacist,

a couple have masters’ degrees in Finance & Business, and a couple of daughters started their own busi-

nesses.

Is this not the American Dream? They have achieved so much and we admire them. It was a blessing

for Shrine parishioners to help this family. The bond that helped so much was mutual trust. Our parish

was the face of their Catholic faith.

God will not be outdone in generosity — Always remember that truth.

Reaching out with helping

hands to aid our neighbors

8

Celebrations with Bishop Berg

Corpus Christi Procession

Squires await the Bishop

Start of the procession

Part of the procession following Bishop Berg

Memorial Day Mass

at

Roselawn Cemetery

Interior of Bishop’s Mausoleum

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Shrine of St. Therese Memorial & Building Fund

Andrew Alfonso

Vic & Jan Alfonso

Mother Mary Angelica EWTN

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Joseph Arnold

Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Arnold

Fidel Jr., Robert, Paul Sr. Arriaga

Mrs. Esther A. Herrera

Fidel Sr. & Valeria Arriaga


Albert Banks Family

Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Beeman

Mario Bassi

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Bassi

Janice L. Beeman

Mr & Mrs. Herbert Beeman

Ed & Helen Brady

Linda Brady

Josephine Bucciarelli

Bob & Jean Erickson

Fr. Vicente Paz en la Casa

Shirley Marcen

Patricia Charest

Ms. LaVonne Morton

Margaret & Rose Christy

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Dr. Don Creager

Kay & Carl Bartecchi

Sandy Davies

Mrs. Lydia Montoya

Angie A. & Lewis DeLeon


Mercedes & Pasco DiNero

Mr. & Mrs. Fred DiNero

Ann & Mark Dominguez

Michele Prado-Landreth

Johnny Goddard

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Guara

Benjamin Herrera


Msgr. George Holland


Con Jeffries

Ms. LaVonne Morton

Kenneth & Duane Koski

Jack Selway & Sherry Koski

John Krasovec Jr.

Mr. Rudoph Bankis

Blende Drug, Inc.

Dennis & Yvonne Farrell

Brian Kothe

Jamie Martin

Noah Martin

Michael Ochs

Greg Wheeler

Richard A. Landreth


Walter Larmour

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Arnold

Catherine Rose & Mary Marcen

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Alice “Diddy”, Miguel Martinez

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dietz

Michael D., Irene, Lorenzo Martinez

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dietz

DuBois Moreno

Mr. Nash Moreno

Julia Munoz


Ann McGill

Mr. James McGill

Laura McMillen

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Starnes

Dr. Martin Ottersberg

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Frank & Steve Pershin

Mrs. Patricia Pershin

Theresa Pino


Rose Potestio

Mrs. Mary Creager

Mary Gallegan

Karen & John Gibbons

Mrs. Marylyn Herman

Mrs. Mary Jo Potestio Jersin

Edward & Sue Mastro

Ms. Taylor Miller

Mike, Jennifer, Evie & Michael

Potestio

Norma Potestio

Myrna & Susan Ward

Neil & Lynne Wainwright

Susie Oreskovich Gornick

The Kingdoms

Art & Ann Purkett

Vic & Jan Alfonso

Juan E. Prado


Ethel Rayburn


Philip Rodacy

Martha Rodacy

Margie Lee Rodriguez

Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Mehess

Isabel Sanchez

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Starnes

Dwight Scott

Jim & Sandi Cardinal

Dorothy Carleo

Joyce Carrigan

Tony & Liz Cortese

Mrs. Mary Creager

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Bernard & Sandra Rarick

Sandra Rice

10

Visit the Shrine website at www.shrine-sttherese-pueblo.org

• Weekly bulletins

• Previous copies of The Rose • Other Parish information

THE ROSE

Spiritual Advisor Msgr. Edward Nuñez

Editor Sally Stricca

Staff Angie Duran, pictures & layout

Shrine of St. Therese Memorial & Building Fund

Dwight Scott (cont)

John & Eleanor Saenz

Ed & Alice Skerjanec

Dennis & Joan Vidmar

Myrna & Susan Ward

Robert & Elsie Wodishek

Sandra K. Zerbe

Myrtle Spitzer

Janet Barnett

Mrs. Mary Creager


Mary Frances Kelley

Jackie Koroshetz

Virginia O’ Donnell

Mary Jo Pagano Stewart

Myrtle Spitzer (cont)

John & Regina Panepinto

Shirley Parr

Mrs. Carol Scott

Robert Spitzer

Susan & Myrna Ward

Mary Ann Wilson

Celia Solano

Myrna & Susan Ward

Frances Sneperger

Ms. Shirley Marcen

Theresa, Fred J., Gary S. Ursick

Mrs. Mary Ann Ursick

Frances Arriaga Urueta


Lucille Vining

Ms. Shirley Marcen

James Ward

Miss Susan Ward

William E. Willging

Mrs. Dorothy Skoff

Mrs. Eugenia Thurston

Upcoming Events

Totus Tuus summer youth program - June 19 thru June 24.

Elementary school children—Monday thru Friday—9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Middle School & High School youth—Sunday thru Thursday—7:00 to 9:10 pm

Serra Club Picnic—Planning for August—at City Park

Priests, deacons, seminarians, and altar servers are invited.

reaching out to inspire shrine of st. theresethe rose …rose a sense of community 2016-001 june...

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