17 Installed As Deacon Candidates 40 Days For Life Set To Begin

IN THIS ISSUE:
Bishop’s Interview
Bishop Zurek discusses health
care. See Page 2
Volume 69, No. 11
Leading Off
New York (CNS)—The biblical Tower of Babel could serve as
an apt metaphor for the challenges
faced by the United Nations, but
New York Archbishop Timothy
M. Dolan said the organization
would be better served if it used
as an official language “a voice, a
tongue common to all of us” that
recognizes the human person as
the heart of all institutions, laws
and works of society.”
Archbishop Dolan spoke Sept.
14 at a prayer service on the eve
of the opening of the 64th session
of the U.N. General Assembly.
Wilmington, Del. (CNS)—In
a pastoral letter released Sept. 10,
Bishop W. Francis Malooly lays
out his hopes and vision for the
spiritual renewal of priests in the
Diocese of Wilmington during the
church’s Year for Priests.
A priest, Bishop Malooly said,
“experiences Christ’s call to follow him in this unique way, and
in answering that call he is called
to live, to work, to stand -- to be
present -- in the person of Christ.
He doesn’t ‘stand in’ for Christ;
by his presence, he makes Christ
present.”
Vatican City (CNS)—Ordaining five new bishops Sept. 12,
Pope Benedict XVI encouraged
a spirit of service and warned
against careerism in the church.
“We know how life in society
and not infrequently even in the
church suffers because many of
those called to a position of responsibility work for themselves
and not for the community,” the
pope said at a Mass in St. Peter’s
Basilica.
He said the church is not something that belongs to its highest
officials. “The church is not our
church, but (the Lord’s) church,
the church of God,” he said. “We
do not bind men to ourselves; we
do not seek power, prestige or admiration for ourselves. We lead
people to Jesus Christ and thus
toward the living God.”
Vatican City (CNS)—Pope
Benedict XVI plans to visit Malta
next April to commemorate the
1,950th anniversary of St. Paul’s
shipwreck on the Mediterranean
island. The trip will give the pope
a chance to highlight once again
the figure of St. Paul, who according to tradition shipwrecked on
Malta in the year A.D.60 while on
his way to Rome to stand trial.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Radiothon Scheduled
St. Valentine Radiothon set.
See Page 5
PAID
St. Mary’s Dedication
A photo gallery.
See Pages 7 and 9
Permit 309
Amarillo, TX
Serving Catholics in the Texas Panhandle - Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
September 20, 2009
40 Days For Life Set To Begin Monday, Sept. 21
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, left, offers a prayer for the 17 deacon candidates for the Diocese
of Amarillo during an installation Mass Sept. 12 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center,
Amarillo. To Bishop Zurek’s right is Deacon Blaine Westlake, diocesan director of the
diaconate. (WTC Photo)
17 Installed As Deacon Candidates
Amarillo—A journey for 17
men that began as deacon applicants in January 2007 has drawn a
major step closer to ordination.
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek installed the 17 as deacon candidates Sept. 12 during a Mass at
the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center here. The men of the Class of
2011 are scheduled to be ordained
to the diaconate in June 2011.
There are a number of requirements for admission into the deacon formation program, according to Deacon Blaine Westlake,
director of the Diaconate Program
for the Diocese of Amarillo.
“Aspirants must be a male, at
least 31 years old and must be
functionally literate,” said Deacon Westlake. “If married, candidates must have a stable marriage
of at least three years, must be
able to demonstrate significant
ministerial service and be Roman
Catholic with a mature, spiritual
prayer life.”
Other requirements include
the ability to pass a criminal history background check, must be
psychologically sound, in good
health and must have no impediments to ordination.
The formation process takes
4½ years, according to Deacon
Westlake, which requires a sig-
nificant time requirement of 64
hours or more per month.
“Wives attend the formation
classes and must be in full support of her husband,” said Deacon Westlake. “Each formation
year is comprised of no less than
11 weekends, one per month. Formation places a large emphasis on
academics, pastoral, human and
spiritual development. There’s
also prayer and study group meetings, parish and charity ministry.
The commitment to the diaconate
is a major endeavor.”
Because of the changing dynamics of the Diocese of Amarillo, Deacon Westlake said the
formation program is offered in
Spanish and English.
What exactly, is a deacon?
“A deacon is a wonderful gift
of the Holy Spirit to help our
Church spread the good news
about Jesus Christ,” said Deacon
Westlake. “Deacons have their
origins in the New Testament and
in particular the Books of the Acts
of the Apostles and Timothy.
“Deacons are ordained clergy
belonging to one of the three orders of the Sacrament of Holy
Orders, which are deacon, permanent and transitional; priest and
bishop. They receive this sacrament when the bishop imposes
hands on them at their ordination
as they make a promise of obedience to their bishop. As the needs
of the diocese dictate, the bishop
assigns deacons where they are
needed.
Deacon Westlake said deacons
have a threefold ministry of the
Word, the Altar and of Charity.
“In the Ministry of the Word,
deacons engage in evangelism
and the teaching mission of the
Church,” he said. “The ministry
takes place both inside the parish
walls and outside in the world.
In the Ministry of the Altar, the
deacon assists the priest at Mass,
particularly by proclaiming the
Gospel, leading the Intercessions,
preparing the altar and ministering the chalice to the people at
communion.
“Deacons can preside at baptisms, weddings, funerals, morning and evening prayer, benediction and give special blessings on
varied occasions.
“Deacons are most visible in
the parish, exercising what we call
their ‘alb ministry,’ as they assist
the priest at Mass. However, their
primary responsibility is the Ministry of Charity. The deacon cares
for the poor and forgotten. He is
a minister of peace and justice in
See Deacon Candidates, p.4
Amarillo—Final preparations
continue for the annual 40 Days
for Life, set to begin Monday,
Sept. 21 and concluding Saturday, Oct. 30.
A rally for 40 Days for Life is
set for Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6pm,
which will include observations
and a blessing from Bishop Patrick J. Zurek. More details on the
rally and 40 Days for Life can be
found at www.40daysforlife.com/
amarillo.
“We must fast and pray for
the conversion of our families
and our country,” said Stephanie
Frausto, Respect Life Director for
the Diocese of Amarillo.
“We invite everyone to join
us and be a witness outside of the
Texas Panhandle Family Planning Health Center at 15th and
Taylor for one or more hours during these 40 days.”
If a 40-day event wasn’t
enough to keep Frausto occupied,
there’s also the annual annual
Pilgrimage to the Cross during
Respect Life Weekend Saturday,
Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4.
“We’ll start on Oct. 3 at 10am
with the third annual Lock-In
for Life for youth in the parish hall at Immaculate Heart of
Mary Church,” said Frausto.
“Our theme of this year’s lockin comes from St. John Vianney,
‘Live on Him so you may live for
Him.’ We invite the youth of the
Panhandle to join us in Groom.”
Presenters at the lock-in include Jesse Manibusan, who participated in World Youth Day in
Denver, Toronto and Cologne.
For more details on the lock-in,
contact your parish youth office
or diocesan youth director Oscar
Guzman at the Diocesan Pastoral
Center, 383-2243, ext. 118.
The Pilgrimage to the Cross
continues Oct. 4 at the Cross of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, beginning with a procession from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
with the Blessed Sacrament to the
Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
with Covenant Youth Teen leading the rosary. That will be followed by Music on the Lawn at
1pm, featuring music from Andy
Gonzales and Jesse Manibusan.
Mass will be celebrated at 2pm,
by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek.
“Bring your family to Groom
and let the Holy Spirit move you,”
said Frausto. “There is much
to proclaim and much yet to set
forth in truth. All efforts of ReSee “40 Days,” p. 3
2
West Texas Catholic
Bishop’s Interview
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, left, discusses the dedication and
consecration of the new St. Mary’s Church in Amarillo with
Chris Albracht, editor of The West Texas Catholic and program director/morning show host at KGNC-AM, Amarillo on
Sept. 11. KGNC’s NewsDay Amarillo show originated from
St. Mary’s. (WTC Photo courtesy of Mike Deneke)
It’s a topic that’s been discussed
at water coolers, doctor’s offices,
restaurants and after Mass. Chris
Albracht asks Bishop Patrick J.
Zurek about it in the latest Conversation with the Bishop.
WTC: Everybody else has
weighed in on it. And I promised
my mom that I would never swear
in front of a bishop, but I am going to have to break a promise.
Two dirty words: health care.
Bishop Zurek, tell us where the
Catholic Church stands on this
as it gets debated in the Halls of
Congress.
Bishop Zurek: First of all let
me say there is a very basic aspect
from our social gospel, if you
will, that people speak of whether there is a right to health care.
They speak of the civil right. We
would never speak that way, but
we do say that there is a human
right, that everyone has a right to
housing, to food, to warmth, to
work, but also in the culture in
which we live, and because of the
necessity, to education and also to
health care. It is a complex issue,
I will say that. The difficulty I am
having with the debate that seems
to be going on now is that there is
just, in my mind, almost an absolute lack of clarity. How can we
discuss what is in a bill when we
don’t even have the bill in front
of us?
I heard someone ask on one of
the morning news programs,‘Why
can’t the president give us just
a one page bullet sheet. This is
what it will deal with; this is what
it will be. Don’t give us any spin.’
I think it is needed. I know the
difficulty of the expense of medicine here, the expense of health
care, in the sense of insurance to
begin with. Secondly if you have
to be, God forbid, hospitalized, it
is catastrophic and you can’t afford it without insurance. I go
to other cultures, other countries.
What I would pay here as a co-pay
maybe for a bottle of medicine is
sometimes as much as $100.00
co-pay for a three month supply.
I can get it in another country for
$24.00, period. There is something wrong with the equation
there, I think.
WTC: Let me throw this at
you. Let’s talk about first from
the Church’s viewpoint where we
are and then I want to hear your
personal viewpoint. What has
to be in a health care reform bill
that would meet your approval, or
you would encourage the church
of Amarillo to call their congressmen, their elected representatives and say ‘You need to vote
yes on this legislation; it is good
for us.’ But before we talk about
that, let’s talk about the Church’s
viewpoint on all this. Where are
they weighing in with this debate
that is going to be going for quite
some time?”
Bishop Zurek: First of all,
the first very fundamental point:
What is the big rush right now?
We need to do it but we don’t
have to do it overnight. The
first thing I would want and the
Church would want is absolute
clarity. What does the bill contain? What will it do? What will
it not do?
I’ll give you the example on
two ends which is much debated
now. They say that nothing is
said about abortion. They say
that there is nothing about providing funds for abortion or for
end of life counseling. We have
a basic principle that comes from
moral theology even, that if it is
not there, if it’s not stated, then
it must be. or might at least be,
permitted. We need to know absolutely what it does not contain.
The Church can not support it if it
is going to be open-ended or there
is lack of clarity in regard to the
issue of abortion or end of life issues. That’s a sine qua non. We
cannot move beyond that issue.
Another question from the
Church’s perspective I think
would be ‘Do we need to revamp
the entire system?’ We have to
look and see what is good in the
system as it is right now. There
are people who flock here from
other parts of the world for our
health care. So it must be better
than it is elsewhere. Let’s just
see what is working well and try
to improve that. And then where
there is a void or something is not
working well, let’s just take the in-
September 20, 2009
surance coverage, and work with
providing for those areas where
people are just falling through the
cracks. I think that’s a very significant issue. Another issue that
is very strongly debated, and of
much concern especially for our
senior citizens, is the so-called
end of life counseling. That sort
of frightens me too.
It seems to me the government,
when they get involved, they are
more interested in the monetary
aspect. They want to provide
something but not lose money.
Life cannot become an economic
issue. We have to do what we can
do to always protect life and to
conserve life until the Lord takes
it. So that’s a big issue.
Another issue is just the question of the economic aspect of it.
We’ve gone through some other
major programs, let’s take Social Security, let’s take Medicare,
which in my mind have been trust
funds set up for that purpose. All
of sudden Congress goes in and
takes the money from one of
them to do something else. In
other words they start putting it
in the general account. That has
happened with Medicare. Who’s
to say that if we set aside, I can’t
imagine, a trillion dollars practically for health care, we have no
guarantee that it is going to be
used for that either.
I think we need to redefine
and clarify even the programs we
have. If we’ve set aside money
for Social Security and I and other Americans have paid into it, we
have a right to that. That is our
money. I think no one in the government should start taking it out
of that fund and using it for something else. It is not the government’s money. It’s our money.
WTC: It’s like robbing Peter to
pay Paul.
Bishop Zurek: They are and
then there’s no money for anything ultimately.
WTC: There’s another issue
that comes to mind with health
care reform that you kindly reminded me about, Bishop Zurek,
tort reform. Now we are going to
get the lawyers involved.
Bishop Zurek: I’ll have everybody on my case. I’ll have the
physicians, the nurses, the hospitals, etc. The question always
has to come up. If you’re really
going to try to control medicine,
there has to be something done
with tort laws.
I remember, probably twenty,
twenty-five years ago when I was
in Bryan, Texas, one of the physicians I knew well told me his premium for the insurance, just for
the gynecology, for the delivery
of babies, was $100,000 for the
year, just for the year, 20-25 years
ago. How can physicians afford
that? That was one area of practice. There has to be some kind
of right for people to make up for
an injustice or a hurt. But there
has to be reason to all that too. So
I think that has to be dealt with
in a very honest way also if we
are going to have complete health
care reform.
The other issue has to do ultimately with limited resources.
Who gets the care? It’s almost
going to be like a triage; they will
have to look at people. They may
decide on age, they may decide
on talent, they may decide on
the particular health care that’s
needed, the cost of it, rather than
just looking at the person in need
of help. I can remember being in
other countries visiting hospitals
as a priest or as a deacon where
they had national health care and
people literally were in hallways.
Some had been there for days,
waiting just to be examined, just
to see if they could get care. That
has been vividly imprinted in my
mind. I would hate to see this
great nation descend to that kind
of depth, that we concern ourselves only with the few people
by some strange criteria rather
than be concerned with everyone
of our citizens.
Government-Sponsored Health Plan
Just over half of Americans support the idea of a government-sponsored health
plan that would compete with private insurance, while 30 percent oppose it.
Here are their views on some common arguments for and against a public plan.
A public plan would...
BENEFIT DINNER
for
ST. ANN’S NURSING HOME
disagree
agree
be a valuable alternative
to private insurance.
68%
63%
keep insurance costs down.
32%
St. Theresa’s Parish Hall
37%
in Panhandle
55%
help patients get better care.
45%
55%
reduce patients’ freedom
to choose doctors, treatments.
45%
46%
44%
be too much like socialism.
54%
drive private insurers
out of business.
56%
Poll conducted among 2,276 U.S. adults online July 9 and 13, 2009.
Source: The Harris Poll
©2009 CNS
Sunday, September 27
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
September 20, 2009
Letters To The Editor
Local
Welcome Back #1
To The Editor:
Welcome back as editor of The
West Texas Catholic. The mission
of a diocesan newspaper is to inform and educate. That translates
primarily into reporting the news
of the Church and its institutions
and programs at the diocesan,
parish and mission church levels,
and, broadly, at the national and
international levels.
The diocesan newspaper is also
the medium through which the diocesan bishop is enabled to fulfill
his role as shepherd and teacher
of the clergy, religious and laity
entrusted to his pastoral care.
The August 9 issue of the
WTC, your first since your return
as editor, is an indication that you
understand the role of a diocesan
newspaper.
I am particularly grateful to you
for including a report on the status
of the Seminary Burse Fund, begun in 1952 and now again nearing one million dollars after having shared some $300,000 with
the Diocese of Lubbock when it
was established in 1983.
+L. T. Matthiesen
Editor, 1948-1980
To The Editor:
We were delighted to find you
listed as the editor of The West
Texas Catholic. The new format
is clear, attractive and readable
and the Aug. 9 issue’s content is
the best yet. Congratulations and
many blessings.
Welcome Back #2
Catherine and Phillip Wedding
Amarillo
Thank you for your letters and we’ll see if we can raise the bar a little
higher each issue. Letters are always welcome--see the publisher’s
box on page 7 for more details--editor
40 Days...from p. 1
spect Life Ministries are brought
about through your support and
your prayers.
“We continue to seek those
who are called to serve someway somehow in this ministry,
so that together united as one we
can bring hope to those who have
none and those who do not know
Him.
“Christ is calling each of us to
come forth and bring life to the
world. One huge way we can do
this is by being a witness to our
faith, to our trust in Him and to
our love for our neighbor.”
Bishop Zurek’s
Schedule
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
Texas Catholic Conference
(TCC) Meeting, Austin
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23
6pm, Confirmation Mass,
Blessed Sacrament Church,
Amarillo
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
11:45am, Diocesan Finance
Council Meeting, Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, Amarillo
6pm, 40 Days for Life Kickoff Blessing and Comments,
Sanborn Park, 15th and Taylor,
Amarillo
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
9am, Initiation Rites and
Mass, Roach Unit, TDCJ, Childress
TUESDAY, SEPT.29
10am-Noon, Presbyteral
Council Meeting, Diocesan Pastoral Center, Amarillo
SUNDAY, OCT. 4
2pm, Pro Life Pilgrimage
Mass, Cross of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, Groom
West Texas Catholic
3
Pope To Visit Rome’s Jewish Community
Vatican City (CNS)—Pope
Benedict XVI has told the Jewish community of Rome that he
plans to visit its synagogue in the
near future, the Vatican has confirmed.
In a good will telegram to
Chief Rabbi Riccardo di Segni
marking the upcoming Jewish
holidays, the pope said he would
visit “with joy” the Rome synagogue sometime in October, after
the end of the High Holy Days.
The telegram was made public by the Jewish Community of
Rome and confirmed by Father
Ciro Benedettini, vice director of
the Vatican press office. Father
Benedettini said that while no
date had been set, the visit would
likely take place sometime in the
fall.
In the telegram, the pope offered his “heartfelt best wishes”
for the holidays of Rosh Hashana,
Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
“I renew my cordial friendship while I wait to make, with
joy, the visit to your community
and synagogue at the end of your
holidays,” the pope said in the
telegram. Such a visit, he said, “is
animated by a real desire to show
you that I and the whole Catholic
Church are close to you.”
Pope Benedict’s predecessor,
Pope John Paul II, made history
when he became the first pope
to visit the Roman synagogue in
1986.
Pope Benedict has made
Catholic-Jewish relations a priority and has visited synagogues
in New York and Cologne, Germany; he also visited Auschwitz,
the Nazi death camp. During his
trip to the Holy Land in May, he
met with Holocaust survivors at
the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
In his message, the pope said
he hoped the Jewish holidays
would prove to be “an occasion
for a common and blessed gladness” and promised blessings and
“constant encouragement” in the
promotion of justice and peace.
Rabbi di Segni thanked the
pope for “such a significant and
important message” and said that
plans were under way to organize
the papal visit.
Canyon—The Catholic Student Center at West Texas A&M
University will offer Awakening
15 Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct.
18 at its facility here.
Registration for the weekend
is $30 per person. The fee is nonrefundable and must accompany
a form available at the CSC, located at 2610 4th Ave.
Find out more about Awakening 15 by calling Father Daniel
Dreher, CSC executive director/
chaplain, at 655-4345 or go online to www.wtcsc.com
Awakening 15 Set For Oct. 16-18
4
West Texas Catholic
Local/International
Thematic Retreats For Youth Begins
Saturday, Sept. 26 In Stratford
Amarillo—The first of 12 Thematic Diocesan Retreats celebrating the Year for Priests is set for
Saturday, Sept. 26 at St. Joseph’s
Church in Stratford, according to
Oscar Guzman, youth director for
the Diocese of Amarillo.
“In the past two years, the Diocesan Youth Office has taken the
theme from the Vatican and put
together thematic retreats,” said
Guzman. “For the 2009-2010
school year, we’re ready to start
with the ‘year of the priest,’ Jesus Christ Supreme and Eternal
Priest. The retreat for the youth
will focus on our baptismal mission: baptized; priest, prophet and
king but incorporating the year of
the priest throughout the retreat.”
All the retreats are open to 7th
-12th graders except for Saturday,
Oct. 17 at St. Anthony of Padua,
Dalhart, which will be open to
6th-8th grade students only.
The cost is $15.00 per participant, which includes two meals, a
t-shirt and retreat supplies. There
is no charge for adults but it only
includes the meals. Registration
forms can be obtained from parish youth ministers and can also
be downloaded at www.covenant-
teen.com.
In addition to the Sept. 26 retreat in Stratford, other retreat
dates are:
* Saturday, Oct. 10, St. Patrick’s Church, Shamrock;
* Saturday, Oct. 17, St. Anthony of Padua, Dalhart (middle
school only);
* Saturday, Oct. 24, St. Elizabeth Church, Snyder;
* Saturday, Nov. 14, St. Isidore
Church, Abernathy;
* Saturday, Dec. 19, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Turkey;
* Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010, St.
Theresa’s Church, Panhandle;
* Saturday, Jan. 23, Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton;
* Saturday, Feb. 13, St. Mary’s
Church, Umbarger;
* Saturday, Feb. 27, St. Anthony’s Church, Brownfield;
* Saturday, March 13, Our
Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo; and,
* Saturday, April 3, Immaculate Conception Church, Vega.
For more information: visit
www.covenantteen.com or call
the Diocesan Youth Office 806383-2243 ext. 118
Vatican City (CNS)—Pope
Benedict XVI’s second volume
on the life of Jesus is likely to be
completed sometime next spring,
a Vatican spokesman said.
The book is expected to cover
Christ’s childhood, passion, death
and resurrection.
The first volume, the bestselling “Jesus of Nazareth,” was
published in 2007.
The spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, told Catholic News
Service that next spring was a “realistic” target date for completion.
He added that readying the manuscript for publication and translating it into other languages could
add to the timeline, however.
The pope has been working
on the volume over the last two
years, especially during his summer vacations.
When he broke his right wrist
at the start of his vacation in July,
he was said to have been particularly disappointed because it
meant he couldn’t write for several weeks.
The 448-page first volume,
“Jesus of Nazareth,” covered the
life of Christ from the time of his
baptism in the Jordan River to
the transfiguration before his disciples. In it, Pope Benedict said
Christ must be understood as the
Son of God on a divine mission,
not as a mere moralist or social
reformer.
The book said that while Christ
did not bring a blueprint for social
progress, he did bring a new vision
based on love that challenges the
evils of today’s world -- from the
brutality of totalitarian regimes to
the “cruelty of capitalism.”
Second Book On Life Of Jesus Due In Spring
Sister Oswalda Brugger
Passes Away At 95
Amarillo—Franciscan Sister
of Mary Immaculate Mary Oswalda Brugger passed away Sept.
3. She was 95 years old.
Mass was celebrated Sept. 5,
St. Francis Convent. Burial was
in Llano Cemetery.
Sister Mary Oswalda was born
Sept. 10, 1913, in Ittenhausen,
Germany, one of 11 children born
to Bernhard Brugger and Maria
Mesmer. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate
as an aspirant on Oct. 29, 1935,
in Tubach, Switzerland and later
began her novitiate on May 16,
1936, in Wartensee, Switzerland.
On May 17, 1938, she made
her first profession of vows in
Santa Fe, N.M., and her profession of perpetual vows on May
17, 1941, in Montezuma, N.M.
Sister Mary Oswalda spent
most of her religious life as a
housekeeper, cooking and serving future priests in various seminaries: Montezuma and Gallup,
N.M., and Santa Barbara, Calif.
Survivors include two younger
sisters, Anna Huber-Brugger and
Genoveva Krapht-Brugger; and
several nephews and nieces, all of
Germany.
September 20, 2009
Deacon Candidates...from p. 1
the community. Deacon means
‘servant,’ thus he is considered an
icon of Christ, who came not to
be served, but to serve.
For a large majority of deacons, their responsibilities are a
large part of their daily lives, according to Deacon Westlake.
“Most deacons are married,
have secular occupations and
minister outside work hours,”
said Deacon Westlake. “They
give witness to the spirituality of
a married person who works in
the world. Deacons normally do
not receive any financial compensation from the parishes in which
they’re assigned.
“An important part of the diaconal ministry is the wives of the
deacons. They go through formation with their husbands and
many are involved in lay ministry,
either in conjunction with their
husbands or on their own. Both
deacon and wife are a dynamic
gift to their parish.
“Newly ordained deacons usually begin their ministry in the
parish where they live. Because of
their promise of obedience to the
bishop, they may be transferred,
like any clergyman, to meet the
needs of the diocese.”
There have been many changes in the diaconate the last 100
years, but Deacon Westlake said
it has evolved and continues to
evolve.
“The diaconate was in existence for several hundred years,
but in the Latin Rite, it has gradually evolved into a transitional
step toward the priesthood,” he
said. “During the two World Wars,
the concept of the diaconate was
redeveloped and promulgated by
the Second Vatican Council into
the permanent diaconate we now
have, though its’ identity continues to grow and evolve.
Deacon candidates and their
wives installed Sept. 12 are:
* Louis Artho and his wife,
Yvonne, of St. Anthnys of Padua
Church, Dalhart;
* Joe Beauchamp and his wife,
Penny, of Sts. Peter and Paul
Church, Dumas;
* Bob Birkenfeld and his wife,
Theresa, of Holy Family Church,
Nazareth;
* Teodoro Chavez and his
wife, Julia, of St. Ann’s Church,
Bovina;
* Stan Drozell and his wife,
Marva, of St. Thomas the Apostle
Church, Amarillo;
* Andy Gonzales and his wife,
LaLa, of St. Laurence Cathedral,
Amarillo;
* Jackie Gunnels and his wife,
Brenda, of Church of the Holy
Spirit, Tulia;
* Paul Herrera and his wife,
Olivia, of Immaculate Conception Church, Dimmitt;
* Ricky Mendez and his wife,
Jenuive, of San Jose Church, Hereford;
* Pablo Morales and his wife,
Delisa, of St. Laurence Cathedral,
Amarillo;
* Manuel Moreno and his wife,
Lupe, of Immaculate Conception
Church, Perryton;
* Renee Jesus Perez and his
wife, Graciela, of Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo;
* David Rausch and his wife,
Mary, of St. Ann’s Church, Canyon;
* Bacilio Rodriguez and his
wife, Darla, of San Jose Church,
Hereford;
* Miguel Tovar and his wife,
Obdulia, of St. Laurence Cathedral, Amarillo;
* Phil Whitson and his wife,
Sandi, of St. Thomas the Apostle
Church, Amarillo; and,
* Henry Wilhelm and his wife,
Lori, of Holy Family Church,
Nazareth.
Pray the Rosary...daily...and Pray
the Rosary as a family...for peace!
The Diocesan Calendar
Please check the diocesan calendar at:
www.amarillodiocese.org/calendar.html
to avoid scheduling conflicts.
To have your event placed on the Diocesan Calendar
click the link on the calendar page, or e-mail
amarillodiocese@gmail.com
Local/National/World
September 20, 2009
Catholics, Others Give Perspectives
On New Health Insurance Data
Washington
(CNS)—New
statistics on health insurance,
poverty and income released
by the U.S. Census Bureau “affirmed the economic and moral
arguments President Obama made
earlier this month about our nation’s need for good, meaningful
health reform,” according to the
president of the Catholic Health
Association.
“As 46.3 million people went
without any health insurance last
year, median household income
dropped 3.6 percent between
2007 and 2008, creating greater
challenges for hard-working families. This explains clearly why
the president and many in Congress have been highlighting how
middle-class families so urgently
need reform,” said Sister Carol
Keehan, a Daughter of Charity
who is the CHA’s president/CEO.
“As we know too well by now,
losing health insurance -- especially during a recession -- comes
with an enormous financial and
human cost for families, communities and our nation as a whole,”
she added.
According to the census report,
“Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United
States: 2008,” the 46.3 million
without health insurance represented an increase from 45.7 million the year before. Americans
who had health insurance at any
point during the year were counted as having health insurance.
The number of Americans with
health insurance also increased.
Part of that was due to the U.S.
population increasing, according to David Johnson, chief of
the Census Bureau’s Housing
and Household Economic Statistics Division, who led a Sept.
10 briefing on the figures, compiled from information collected
in early spring for the bureau’s
2009 Current Population Survey
Annual Social and Economic
Supplement.
Also, “the number of people
with private insurance fell while
the number with government insurance rose,” he said, including
an estimated 3 million children
who got health insurance through
Medicaid or the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program.
The number of uninsured children declined from 8.1 million,
or 11% in 2007 to 7.3 million, or
(9.9% in 2008, according to the
Census Bureau, the lowest figure
since data on children started being collected in 1987. Children
were the only age group where the
rate of the uninsured went down,
although Johnson said they were
still “less likely to be insured”
than adults.
Father Larry Snyder, president
of Catholic Charities USA, offered an example of the strains
that Catholic Charities faces in
helping the uninsured.
“In Pittsburgh, Catholic Charities’ free health care center is adding about 100 patients per month,”
he said. “According to Diane Redington, the clinic’s administrator,
the kind of people they are seeing
tend to be new people who were
not uninsured before.
“It’s scary for them; they’re
not used to asking for help,” Father Snyder said. “There are also
more than 800 people on a waiting list for the center’s dental program.
”The Census Bureau’s Johnson
said 30% of all children without
health insurance live in households making less than $25,000
a year.
The percentage of Americans
who get health insurance as a job
benefit has declined each year
this decade, from 64.2% in 2000
to 58.5% last year.
The numbers are likely to
get worse before they get better.
The affordability of health care
may become more of an issue as
median U.S. household income
dropped 3.6 percent from 2007
levels, the first drop since 2004,
the biggest since 1991, and what
Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute called the
steepest drop for the first year of
a recession since the Census Bureau started compiling these statistics following World War II.
West Texas Catholic
5
Annual DCCW Convention
Set For Oct.16-17
Amarillo—“The Church Moving Forward with Faith and Joy,”
is the theme of the 72nd annual
Fall Convention of the Amarillo
Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women. This year’s convention
is set for Friday, Oct. 16 and
Saturday, Oct. 17 at St. Thomas
the Apostle Church, 4100 South
Coulter.
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek will
celebrate the opening liturgy on
Oct. 16. Keynote speaker for the
convention is Sandra Gist, director of the Province of San Antonio.
Time is running out to make
nominations for the 2009-2010
Woman of the Year. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, Sept. 30. Nominations can
be sent to Emily Sanchez, 4623
S. Hayden, Amarillo, 79110 or
Romilda Friemel, 3875 Co Rd
HC, Hereford, 79045. Please include a biography and a picture of
the nominee and be sure to check
with the parish president and pastor.
Registration fees and ads for
the convention program are also
due Sept. 30. A more detailed story on the convention will be featured in the Sunday, Oct. 4 issue
of The West Texas Catholic.
Pope Inaugurates New
Vatican Observatory
Rome (CNS)—When Benedict XVI officially inaugurated
the Vatican Observatory’s new
headquarters in Castel Gandolfo,
a Jesuit astronomer let the pope
hold a meteorite from Mars.
“The pope very much wanted to be involved with our new
headquarters,” U.S. Jesuit Father George Coyne told Catholic
News Service Sept. 17.
Pope Benedict spent the evening of Sept. 16 in the company
of papal astronomers who conduct study and research in Castel
Gandolfo, outside of Rome, and
at its other research center in Tucson, Ariz. His hourlong visit began with “a very beautiful prayer
and blessing” for the staff and
official inauguration of their new
headquarters.
Holy Cross Catholic Academy libero Audrey Kos is a picture of intensity Sept. 12 as she prepares to serve game
point in the Lady Mustangs match against Lubbock Christ
the King. While the serve clinched game three, Holy Cross
lost the match in five games. (WTC Photo)
Annual Radiothon Set For Sept. 30-Oct. 2
Amarillo—The annual St. Valentine radiothon will take place
Wednesday, Sept. 30 through
Friday Oct. 2 from 8am-5pm all
three days, according to St. Valentine Radio General Manager
Sister Miriam Grady.
“Hosting our radiothon this
year will be Jerry Usher, the longtime host of Catholic Answers,”
said Sister Miriam. “Jerry will be
in the St. Valentine Radio studios
in downtown Amarillo, where
he’ll interview a number of local
guests during the three-day radiothon.”
How does the money from the
radiothon help St. Valentine Radio?
“The monies raised go toward
the operational costs of St. Valentine Radio for one year,” said Sister Miriam. “The money will also
assist us in our upgrade project.
At this time we are in the midst of
a upgrade to our signal.
“The building to house the
new equipment is finished and
the construction for the five new
radio towers that will handle our
upgrade to 6,000 watts will begin
in the next several weeks.”
Sister Miriam added that St.
Valentine Radio is very appreciative of the support it has received
in the past three years and prays
that those who support Catholic
Radio in the Texas Panhandle will
help with this year’s radiothon.
“We realize these are tough
times for many in our area,” she
said, “We know that these are
trying times. We appreciate all
the generosity and faithfulness in
supporting our ministry these past
three years, despite the hardships.
Thanks for your support. Please
help us this year with a contribution. Every donation received will
be gratefully welcomed.”
Diocesan Assembly Prayer Intentions
For the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as St. Martin de Porres Parish, in Amarillo of the Central Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly.
-Weekend of September 27th For the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as Sacred Heart Parish and St. Mary’s Parish, in Canadian and Wheeler of the East Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly. -Weekend of October 4th For the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as Sts. Peter & Paul Parish and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, in Dumas and Cactus of the North Deanery, continues to pray and prepare for the Diocesan Assembly.
-Weekend of October 11th *The goal of the prayer intentions is to identify our brothers and sisters throughout the Diocese and unite in prayer each week as we ask the Holy Spirit to guide each parish’s growth in understanding of what it means to be a local Church in communion with the Universal Church.
6
West Texas Catholic
Local
September 20, 2009
Commissioning Adds Nine
Stephen Ministers Numbers Grow In Dalhart
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dalhart, commissioned nine new Stephen Ministers to
service on Aug. 29. In the back row, left to right, are Ruben Donegan, Linda Hubbs, Regina Brorman, Steve Brorman and Louis Artho. In the front row, left to right, are Father
Scott Raef, pastor, Terri Hein, a member of the Stephen Minister leadership team, Cecilia
Gomez, Mary Ellen Torres, Barbara Kaul, Yvonne Artho and Deacon Ron Hein, a member
of the Stephen Ministers leadership team. (WTC Photo courtesy of St. Anthony of Padua
Church, Dalhart)
Thank you for reading The West Texas Catholic.
Please support the advertisers. They help make your
diocesan newspaper possible.
Dalhart—The number of Stephen Ministers at St, Anthony of
Padua Church has grown to 25
with the commissioning of nine
new lay caregivers on Aug. 29.
“We are pleased to expand our
caring ministry,” said Father Scott
Raef, pastor at St. Anthony of
Padua. “These additional trained
laypersons will be a big help to
our congregation and community.”
Stephen Ministers offer care
and support for people experiencing life difficulties such as the
death of a loved one, job crisis,
aging, separation or divorce, longterm illness or for those needing
support of a Christian friend, according to Father Raef. Ministers receive 50 hours of intensive
training covering topics such as
effective listening, confidentiality, the stress of hospitalization,
feelings and utilizing community
resources.
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry; those receiving
care can be sure that their identity
and what goes on in the caring
relationship will remain private.
In addition to the training, these
Christian lay caregivers will continue to receive monthly continuing education and supervision
support sessions as they strive to
offer the highest quality Christian
care giving.
“St. Anthony’s Church expects
its Stephen Ministry to continue
to be a source of warmth, care
and blessing for many years to
come,” said Father Raef. “This
enables the entire congregation to
grow as a nurturing community
where people are cherished and
cared for and their needs taken
seriously, all in the name of Jesus
Christ.”
Serving as Stephen Ministers
at St. Anthony of Padua are: Louis
Artho, Yvonne Artho, Lindi Banda, Kay Bezner, Steve Brorman,
Regina Brorman, Corky Coke,
Toni Coke, Ruben Donegan, Clarissa Egerton, Cecilia Gomez,
Jorge Gomez and Sue Gomez.
Also serving as Stephen Ministers at St. Anthony of Padua are
Rosanne Gomez, Karen Graff,
Linda Hubbs, Barbara Kaul, Terri
Kemp, Fobie Montoya, Fidel
Olivarez, Mary Olivarez, David
Spinhirne, Babette Spinhirne,
Mary Ellen Torres and Barbara
Unruh.
Stephen Minister Leadership
members are Father Scott Raef,
Deacon Ron and Terri Hein and
Fidel Olivarez.
For more information about
Stephen Ministry, please contact
Father Scott Raef at at 806-2444128 or Deacon Ron or Terri
Hein at 806-244-2043 or Fidel
Olivarez at 806-249-9505.
Thank you!
We would like to thank you for participating in the Diocesan
survey on August 29th and 30th. We have successfully received
over 8,000 surveys.
We are still processing the information. Please check with your
parish priest for the results. Let us continue to pray for the
Diocesan Assembly.
-Diocesan Assembly Planning Committee
For the most up-to-date information visit:
www.amarillodiocese.org/assembly
September 20, 2009
St. Mary’s Dedication
West Texas Catholic
7
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek pours the sacred chrism on the altar Sept. 11 during the Mass of
Dedication and Consecration at St. Mary’s Church, Amarillo. Pictured to the left is Deacon John Peters and to the right, Deacon Floyd Ashley, both of St. Mary’s Church. (WTC
Photo)
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek annoints one of 12 dedication candles Sept. 11 during the Mass of Dedication and Consecration at St. Mary’s Church, Amarillo. The candle was a part of
the 1980 church that was destroyed by fire on feb. 26, 2007.
(WTC Photo courtesy of Mike Deneke)
Amarillo—A standing-room only congregation was present Sept.
11 to witness the dedication and consecration of the new St. Mary’s
Church at 1200 South Washington.
The new church building replaces its predecessor, which burned
down on Feb. 26, 2007. The Mass culminated a week of events celebrating the new building.
The dedication of St. Mary’s was also the first dedication of a new
church in the diocese for Bishop Patrick J,. Zurek and was also the first
dedication of a new church in the Diocese of Amarillo since St. Ann’s,
Canyon, a few years earlier.
Deacon John Peters of St. Mary’s Church, Amarillo, lights a candle Sept. 11 during the
Mass of Dedication and Consecration for the new sanctuary. (WTC Photo courtesy of
Mike Deneke)
Publisher: Bishop Patrick J. Zurek
Editor-in-chief: Chris Albracht
Spanish Editor: Ramón Saldaña
Official publication of the Diocese of Amarillo.
The West Texas Catholic is published 20 times per year. The mission
of this publication is to assist the Bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo in
educating and informing the Church of Amarillo. Subscription rates
are $15 a year.
The West Texas Catholic welcomes your letters, articles, church
bulletins and captured photos, preferably in a digital JPEG format.
Letters must be signed and include your mailing address and
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The contact information for The West Texas Catholic has changed;
please note the following changes:
Email address: westtexascatholic@gmail.com
Fax: 806-383-8452
Phone: 806-383-2243
Mailing address:
The West Texas Catholic
P.O. Box 5644
Amarillo, TX 79117-5644
Preparing the altar Sept. 11 during the Mass of Dedication and Consecration at St. Mary’s
Church, Amarllo, are, left to right, Josette Cramer, Jeannie Friddell, Teresa Sarzynski,
Cathy Ice, Anna Shumaker, Phyllis Doucette and Margaret Rittenmeyer. (WTC Photo courtesy of Mike Deneke)
The publisher and editor-in-chief reserve the right to reject, omit and
edit any article, letter or advertising submitted for publication. The
West Texas Catholic cannot be held liable, or in any way responsible
for the content of any advertiser printed in this publication.
Deadlines, rates and publication dates are available on our website
www.westtexascatholic.org
8
20 de Septiembre, 2009
Español
Entrevista con el Obispo Zurek Respecto al Cuidado de Salud
West Texas Catholic
El Obispo Patrick J. Zurek, a la izquierda, discute con Chris
Albracht, editor de The West Texas Catholic el cuidado de
salud el 11 de septiembre. En la misma sesión también
grabaron el programa a cerca de la dedicación y consagración del nuevo templo de la Iglesia de Saint Mary en
Amarillo (Foto de WTC por cortesía de Mike Deneke)
WTC: Todo mundo ha opinado al respecto. Aunque yo le
prometí a mi mamá jamás hablar
mal en presencia de un Obispo,
voy a romper mi promesa con estas palabras indelicadas: “cuidado
de salud”. Obispo Zurek, sírvase
decirnos qué opina la Iglesia
Católica sobre esto que discute el
Congreso.
Bishop Zurek: Digo primero
que hay un aspecto muy básico
de nuestro evangelio social, si
tu gustas; la gente discute si hay
un derecho al cuidado de salud.
Hablan del derecho civil. Nosotros jamás lo diríamos así, pero
sí decimos que hay un derecho
humano, es derecho de todos tener
vivienda, comida, calor y trabajo,
pero también en la cultura en que
vivimos, y por ser necesario, también a tener educación y cuidado
de salud. Admito que es un tema
complicado. A mi modo de ver,
la dificultad que encuentro con
las discusiones actuales es que
hay una falta absoluta de claridad.
¿Cómo podemos discutir lo que
contiene un proyecto de ley si ni
siquiera lo tenemos disponible?
En un noticiero que escuché
esta mañana, alguien preguntaba,
‘¿porqué no puede el presidente
simplemente darnos una lista de
una sola página que diga: de esto
se trata; esto será. ¡No escondan la realidad!’ Yo creo que sí
se necesita. Sé la dificultad del
gasto de la medicina aquí, lo caro
del cuidado de salud, empezando
por el seguro. Además, si tienes
que ser hospitalizado, Dios no lo
quiera, es catastrófico y carísimo
sin seguro. Voy a otras culturas,
a otros países; lo que pagaría aquí
por mi porción del costo de una
medicina para tres meses a veces
cuesta hasta $100. En otro país
obtengo lo mismo por $24, y es
todo. Me parece que algo anda
mal en esa ecuación.
WTC: Permítame preguntarle
esto. Hablemos primero de la
perspectiva de la Iglesia sobre la
situación actual, y después quiero
oir su opinión personal. ¿Qué
debe contener un proyecto de ley
que reforme el cuidado de salud
para que lo apruebe usted o para
que anime a los fieles de Amarillo
a que llamen a sus representantes
políticos y les digan: “Ustedes
deben votar a favor de esta ley: es
para nuestro bien”? Pero antes de
que hablemos de eso, hablemos
de la postura de la Iglesia al respecto. ¿Qué opina la Iglesia sobre esta discusión que va durando
tanto tiempo?
Bishop Zurek: Primeramente,
un punto fundamental y primordial: ¿Cuál es la prisa? Necesitamos hacerlo pero no de la noche
a la mañana. Lo primero que yo
quisiera, y lo que la Iglesia quisiera, es claridad absoluta. ¿Qué
contiene el proyecto de ley?
¿Qué hará? ¿Qué no hará? Te
doy como ejemplo lo que ambos
lados discuten en grande. Dicen
que no se menciona el aborto. Dicen que no contiene nada respecto
a la provisión de fondos para el
aborto o para consejos sobre el
final de la vida. Hasta tenemos
un principio básico que proviene
de la teología moral, que si no lo
contiene, si no se menciona, entonces debe ser, o debe al menos,
permitirse. Debemos saber absolutamente lo que no contiene. La
Iglesia no lo puede apoyar si va a
estar incompleto o le falta claridad respecto a las cuestiones del
aborto y el final de la vida. Es
una sine qua non. No podemos
ignorar ni pasar de ese tema.
Otra pregunta según la Iglesia,
creo que sería, “¿Necesitamos
renovar todo el sistema?” Tenemos que encontrar lo que hay de
bueno en el sistema actual. Hay
gente que viene aquí como rebaño de otras partes del mundo por
nuestro cuidado de salud; seña de
que ha de ser mejor que en otros
lugares. Veamos lo que funciona
bien y tratemos de mejorarlo.
Después, donde algo falte o algo
no funcione, tomemos la cobertura del seguro y luchemos por
proveer para las áreas en donde
la gente se pierde en el sistema.
Yo creo que ese es un detalle muy
significativo.
LAS PERSONAS SIN SEGURO MÉDICO son más de la cuarta parte de la población de Texas,
mientras que Massachusetts tiene el menor número de personas sin seguro que es del 6 por ciento.
WASH
MONT
MAINE
ND
MINN
ORE
VT
IDAHO
WIS
SD
WYO
NEV
MICH
PENN
ILL
COLO
KAN
ARIZ
OKLA
NM
KY
TEXAS
27%
MD
VA
SC
ALA
GA
% sin seguro
LA
FLA
HAWAII
NJ
NC
TENN
ARK
6%
DEL
WV
MO
MISS
ALASKA
OHIO
IND
NH
MASS
RI
CONN
IOWA
NEB
UTAH
CALIF
NY
el más alto (19-27)
mediano (14-18)
el más bajo (6-13)
percentages rounded to nearest
whole number
Resultados de entrevistas telefónicas realizadas a 178.545 adultos a nivel nacional de Ene. 2-Jun. 30, 2009, como parte de Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
Fuente: Gallup Poll
©2009 CNS
Otro aspecto que se discute
con gran pasión y que es muy
importante especialmente para
personas mayores es a lo que le
dicen consejos sobre el final de la
vida. Eso también me causa cuidado. Me parece que cuando el
gobierno se inmiscuye, tiene más
interés sobre el aspecto monetario. Ellos quieren proveer algo
pero sin perder dinero. La vida no
debe convertirse en una cuestión
económica. Debemos hacer todo
lo posible para proteger y conservar la vida hasta que el Señor nos
la quite. Eso es un asunto muy
importante.
Hay otro detalle en la cuestión
del aspecto económico. Hemos
tenido otros programas mayores
como el Seguro Social y Medicare, los que creo que han sido
fondos fiduciarios creados para
esos motivos. De pronto el Congreso le saca dinero a uno para
usarlo de otro modo. En efecto
empiezan a ponerlo en la cuenta
general. Eso sucedió con Medicare. ¿Quién asegura que si el
presupuesto es prácticamente un
trillón de dólares para el cuidado
de salud, que haya garantía de
que se va a usar para ese motivo?
Creo que necesitamos re-definir y
clarificar aún los mismos programas actuales. Si hemos separado
dinero para el Seguro Social, y
tanto yo como otros americanos
hemos depositao en esa cuenta,
tenemos derecho a esos fondos.
Es nuestro dinero. No creo que
nadie en el gobierno debiera empezar a sacarle dinero a ese fondo
y a usarlo para algo diferente. No
es dinero del gobierno. Es nuestro dinero.
WTC: Es como robar a Pedro
para pagar a Pablo.
Obispo Zurek: Es lo que
hacen, y al fin no hay dinero para
nada.
WTC: Me viene a la mente
otro detalle que usted me recordó,
Obispo Zurek. Se trata de la re-
forma del agravio legal (tort reform). Ahora vamos a involucrar
a los abogados.
Obispo Zurek: Se me van
a enojar todos, los médicos,
enfermeras(os), hospitales, etc.
El tema siempre surge. Si en
verdad se va a controlar la medicina, hay que hacer algo a cerca
de las leyes sobre el agravio legal. Recuerdo que hace unos
veinte ó veinticinco años, cuando
yo estaba en Bryan, Texas, un
médico a quien yo conocía bien,
me dijo que el costo de su seguro
de ginecología, solamente para
el nacimiento de bebés, era de
$100,000 por año, hace 20 ó 25
años. ¿Cómo pueden los médicos
aportar eso? Eso era para ejercer
en una sola área. La gente debe
tener algún derecho a remediar
injusticias o males. Pero debe
también haber razones para todo
eso. Creo pues que eso se debe
arreglar en forma muy honesta si
se va a reformar por completo el
cuidado de salud.
La otra cuestión es de los recursos limitados. ¿Quién recibe
el cuidado? Será como acontecimiento catastrófico; tendrán
que evaluar a la gente. Quizá decidan por la edad, por el talento,
el tratamiento que requieran o
el costo, en lugar de considerar
simplemente que una persona
necesita auxilio. Aún recuerdo
cuando fui a visitar hospitales
como sacerdote o como diácono
en otros países en donde tienen
cuidado de salud nacional, que
había pacientes en los pasillos.
Algunos ya tenían varios días allí,
esperando simplemente ser examinados para ver si iban a recibir
atención médica. Esa imagen ha
permanecido vívida en mi mente.
Me daría gran tristeza ver a esta
gran nación descender a ese grado
en que nos ocupamos solamente
de la poca gente por algún criterio
extraño en lugar de cuidar la salud
de todos nuestros ciudadanos.
Nueva Clase de Formación de Diáconos
Amarillo—El camino que 17 medio, y requiere 64 horas o más
hombres tomaron hacia el diaco- cada mes.
nado en enero de 2007 ha dado un
“Las esposas van a las clases
gran paso hacia la ordenación. El de formación y deben apoyar a sus
Obispo Patrick J. Zurek instaló a esposos completamente”, dijo el
17 candidatos el 12 de septiembre Diácono Westlake. La formación
durante una misa en el Centro de consta de aspectos académicos,
Retiros Bishop DeFalco de esta pastorales, desarrollo humano y
ciudad. La ordenación de diáco- espiritual, reuniones de oración
nos será en junio de 2011.
y de grupos de estudio, así como
Hay varios requisitos para in- apostolado parroquial y caritagresar al programa de formación, tivo”. El programa de formación
dice el Diácono Blaine Westlake, se ofrece in inglés y en español.
director de dicho programa para
¿Qué es un diácono? “Un don
la Diócesis de Amarillo. “Los as- del Espíritu Santo para ayudar
pirantes deben ser mayores de 31 a la Iglesia a propagar la buena
años y saber leer y escribir”. Si nueva de Jesucristo”, dijo el Diáson casados, su matrimonio debe cono Westlake. “Su origen está
ser estable con un mínimo de en el Antiguo Testamento y en los
tres años, deben demostrar ma- Libros de los Hechos de los Apósdurez espiritual en la oración y su toles y de Timoteo. Los diáconos
apostolado en la Iglesia Católica, se ordenan en uno de los tres gratener récord libre de antecedentes dos del Orden Sacerdotal, que son
con la ley, estabilidad sicológica, diácono, permanente o transitobuena salud y que no haya im- rio; sacerdote y obispo. Reciben
pedimentos para su ordenación. el sacramento cuando el obispo
La formación es de cuatro años y impone manos sobre ellos en su
continuado en la página 9
20 de Septiembre, 2009
Español
West Texas Catholic
9
El Obispo Patrick J. Zurek bendice la fuente de bautismos durante la Misa de Dedicación
y Consagración de la Igesia de Saint Mary en Amarillo. El monaguillo Andrew Villa le sostiene el leccionario. (Foto de WTC)
El Padre Nick Gerber, vicario parroquial de la Iglesia Saint
Mary en Amarillo, esparce el incienso el 11 de septiembre
durante la Misa de Dedicación y Consagración del nuevo
templo. (Foto del WTC)
Candidatos al Diaconado
El Obispo Patrick J. Zurek vierte el crisma sagrado sobe el altar durante la Misa de Dedicación y Consagración de la Igesia de Saint Mary en Amarillo. Lo observan a su derecha
el Diácono Robert Smith y a su izquierda el Diácono John Peters. (Foto del WTC)
La escuela de Saint Mary en Amarillo, maestras y alumnos se preparan a llevar flores
para el altar el 11 de septiembre durante la Misa de Dedicación y Consagración de la
Igesia de Saint Mary en Amarillo. (Foto del WTC)
ordenación al hacer su promesa
de obediencia al obispo”.
El apostolado del diácono es
de Palabra, Altar y Caridad, dijo
el Diácono Westlake. En la Palabra se dedica a evangelizar y a
la misión de enseñanza de la Iglesia en la parroquia y en el mundo.
En el Altar, el diácono ayuda al
sacerdote al proclamar el Evangelio, al dirigir las Intercesiones,
al preparar el altar y al compartir
el cáliz con el pueblo durante la
comunión. El diácono puede oficiar en bautismos, casamientos,
funerales, oración matutina y
vespertina y bendiciones, sin embargo, su primera responsabilidad
es la Caridad, cuidar al pobre y
al desvalido, ser ministro de paz
y de justicia. ‘Diácono’ significa
‘servidor’, un signo de Cristo que
vino a servir, no a ser servido.
La responsabilidad es parte
de su vida. Muchos son casados, trabajan y hacen apostolado
además de su trabajo, manifiestan
la espiritualidad de un casado que
trabaja en el mundo. Los diáconos normalmente no reciben pago
de las parroquias. Sus esposas
son parte de su servicio, van a la
formación con sus esposos y algunas hacen apostolado laico con
sus esposos o por su cuenta. Los
diáconos recién ordenados usualmente empiezan su servicio en la
parroquia en donde viven pero
pueden ser transferidos según las
necesidades de la diócesis.
Los nuevos candidatos al diaconado, sus esposas y sus parroquias son:
* Louis Artho y esposa Yvonne
continuado de la página 8
de Saint Anthony of Padua, Dalhart;
* Joe Beauchamp y esposa
Penny de Saints Peter and Paul,
Dumas;
* Bob Birkenfeld y esposa
Theresa de Holy Family, Nazareth;
* Teodoro Chávez y esposa Julia de Saint Ann, Bovina;
* Stan Drozell y esposa Marva de Saint Thomas the Apostle,
Amarillo;
* Andy Gonzales y esposa
Lala de la Catedral San Lorenzo
en Amarillo;
* Jackie Gunnels y esposa
Brenda de Holy Spirit, Tulia;
* Paul Herrera y esposa Olivia de Immaculate Conception,
Dimmitt;
* Ricky Méndez y esposa
Jenuive de San José, Hereford;
* Pablo Morales y esposa Delisa de la Catedral San Lorenzo,
Amarillo;
* Manuel Moreno y esposa
Lupe de Immaculate Conception,
Perryton;
* René Jesús Pérez y esposa
Graciela de Blessed Sacrament,
Amarillo;
* David Rausch y esposa Mary
de Saint Ann, Canyon;
* Bacilio Rodríguez y esposa
Darla de San José, Hereford;
* Miguel Tovar y esposa Obdulia de la Catedral San Lorenzo,
Amarillo;
* Phil Whitson y esposa Sandi de Saint Thomas the Apostle,
Amarillo; y
* Henry Wilhelm y esposa Lori
de Holy Family, Nazareth.
10 West Texas Catholic
Amarillo—Frances Mary Borrelli,
88, passed away Aug. 18. Graveside
services were conducted Aug. 21,
Llano Cemetery, Monsignor Harold
Waldow, pastor, St. Mary’s Chruch,
presiding. Survivors include two
daughters, Linda Mahony of Amarillo and Susan Giarrusso and husband Andrew of Rome, N.Y.; a son,
William Borrelli and wife Joanne of
Pasadena, Calif.; a brother, Martin
Delanoy of Leeds, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren, Teri, Susan, Madelaine, Serah, Mary, Johanna, Joshua, Jessica,
Meagan and William; and 12 greatgrandchildren.
Amarillo—Rudy Macagver Verde,
21, passed away Aug. 21. Mass was
celebrated Aug. 26, Blessed Sacrament Church, Monsignor Arturo
Meza, pastor, presiding. Burial was
in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Survivors include his parents, Felipe and
Berta Rodriguez; his wife, Maela
Franco; and a son, Rudy Verde Jr.
Amarillo—Bert E. Day, 91,
passed away Aug. 23. Services were
conducted Aug. 28, Memorial Park
Funeral Home Chapel, Monsignor
Harold Waldow, pastor, St. Mary’s
Church, presiding. Burial was in
Memorial Park Cemetery. Survivors
include a daughter, Sandra Warehime
and husband Chic of Amarillo; two
sons, Harry Day and wife Nidel of
Lindon, Utah, and Michael Day and
wife Jeanne of Clayton, N.M.; eight
grandchildren;12 great-grandchidren;
and several nieces and nephews.
Vernon—Gregoria Gonzales Martinez, 94, passed away Aug. 25. Mass
was celebrated Aug. 26, St. Mary’s
Church, Father Jack McKone, presiding. Burial was in Quanah Memorial
Park. Survivors include three daughters, Mary Garza and Elva Jalomo,
both of Quanah, and Gloria Garcia of
Amarillo; five sons, Chano Martinez
of Wichita Falls, Ruben Martinez and
Oscar Martinez, both of Quanah, Arturo Martinez of Oklahoma City and
Antonio Martinez Sr. of Abilene; two
stepdaughters, Lili Garza of Quanah
May They Rest in Peace
and Natevida Gonzales of Uvalde;
a stepson, Gilbert Martinez of Fort
Worth; 98 grandchildren; 164 greatgrandchildren; and 16 great-greatgrandchildren.
Hereford—Daniel Sanchez, 75,
passed away Aug. 25. Mass was celebrated Aug. 29, Iglesia Catolica de
San Jose, Father David Contreras,
pastor, presiding. Burial was in West
Park Cemetery with military honors
by the Hereford High School JROTC
unit. Survivors include his wife,
Baseliza Carrasco; two sons, Rick
Sanchez of Clovis, N.M., and Daniel
Sanchez Jr. of Arlington; three daughters, Otilia Otero of Andrews, Tomasa
Garcia of Rosenberg and Gloria Martinez of Hereford; 17 grandchildren;
35 great-grandchildren; and seven
great-great-grandchildren.
Hereford—Ramon Castillo Jr.,
60, passed away Aug. 27. Graveside
services took place Aug. 28, St. Anthony’s Cemetery, Father John Valdez, pastor, St. Anthony’s Church,
presiding. Survivors include a daughter, Vanessa Castillo of Fort Collins,
Colo.; a son, Michael Castillo; three
brothers, Israel Castillo of Hereford,
Luiz Castillo of New Braunfels and
Roy Castillo of Amarillo; six sisters, Mary Garcia, Judy Montez and
Blanca Castillo, all of Hereford, Janie
Herrera of San Antonio, Carmel Cervantez of Marion and Rosie Alvarez
of Kress; and five grandchildren.
Perryton—Gilberto
“Berto”
Landeros, 53, passed away Aug. 29.
Mass was celebrated Sept. 4, Immaculate Conception Church, Father
Ed Sweeney presiding. Burial was
in Ochiltree Cemetery. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Nancee E.
Landeros of Amarillo; a son, Joseph
Landeros of Amarillo; his father of
Mexico; six sisters, Guadalupe Rodriguez, Josephina Hernandez, Carmen Landeros, Maneula Landeros,
Jesusa Landeros and Antonia Landeros; and three brothers, Lorenzo
Landeros, Guerrero Landeros and
Gerardo Landeros.
Borger—Adela Soto, 81, passed
away Aug. 29. Services were celebrated Sept. 1, St. John the Evangelist Church with Deacon Zeferino
Jimenez as celebrant. Burial was in
Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Survivors include two sons, Adauto
Soto of Borger and Arturo Soto of
Cuauhtemoc; three daughters, Mireya
Soto and Natalia Soto, both of Borger, and MaElena Soto of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico; a brother, Luis Soto of
Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico; a sister, Simona Soto of Cuauhtemoc; 14
grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Dimmitt—Domingo “Tio Mingo”
Pena, 74, passed away Aug. 30. Mass
was celebrated Sept. 2, Immaculate
Conception of Mary Church, Father
Ken Keller, pastor, Holy Family
Church, Nazareth, presiding. Burial
was in Castro Memorial Gardens
Cemetery in Dimmitt. Survivors include three sons, Domingo Pena Jr.
and Jose Luis Pena, both of Lakeland,
Fla., and Ruben Pena of Dimmitt;
four daughters, Maria Elma Pena, Yolanda Hernandez and Dora Cruz, all
of Lakeland, and Lucelia Gonzales
of Aurora; a stepdaughter, Enereida
Gonzales of Lakeland; two brothers,
Luis Pena Sr. of Nazareth and Donicio Pena of Marion, Ind.; 26 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Borger—Irene Ann Russell Beckham, 48, passed away Sept. 2. Mass
was celebrated Sept. 5, Brown Funeral Directors Chapel, Fritch, Monsignor Michael Colwell, pastor, St.
John’s the Evangelist Church, officiating. Survivors include her husband;
a son, Morgan Ennis of Amarillo; a
daughter, Tandy Thompson of Fritch;
two brothers, Billy Russell and James
Spargur, both of Amarillo; two sisters, Karen Russell of Amarillo and
Charleyne Manniss of Topeka, Kan.;
and four grandchildren.
Earth—Lucille Pena Marquez, 83,
passed away Sept. 2. Mass was celebrated Sept. 5, St. Mary Magdalene
Church, Father Patrick Mayer, pre-
September 20, 2009
siding. Burial will be in Earth Memorial Cemetery. Survivors include
four sons, Jimmy of Earth, Felix of
Del Rio, E.C. Jr., of Willcox, Ariz.,
and Danny Marquez of Petersburg;
eight daughters, Mary Galan of Cedar Hills, Rachel Flores of Madera,
Calif., Diane Lopez of Littlefield,
Linda Wesley of Savage, Minn., Dolores Cedillo of Donna, Cindy Quintana of Amherst, Angie Chavarria of
Amarillo and Nave Marquez of Las
Vegas; three sisters, Delfina Martin
of Shardrin, Neb., Dolores Ledezma
of Georgetown and Theresa Perez
of Austin; a brother, Jesse Pena of
Round Rock; 37 grandchildren; and a
host of great-grandchildren.
Amarillo—Andres L. Luera, 72,
passed away Sept. 4. Mass was celebrated Sept. 8, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Father Jose Gomez,
pastor, presiding. Burial was in Llano
Cemetery with military honors provided by DAV Chapter 26. Survivors
include his wife, Emma N. Luera;
three sons, Andres Luera Jr. of Converse, Agustin N. Luera of Tucson,
Ariz., and Manuel Luera of Amarillo;
two daughters, Irma Luera Garcia of
Floresville and Christina Luera of
Amarillo; 11 grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren.
Sunray—Joaquin Andujo, 77,
passed away Sept. 4. Mass was celebrated Sept. 5, Christ the King
Church, Father Juan Carlos Barragan,
pastor, Sts. Peter and Paul Church,
Dumas, presiding. Burial was in
Brown Cemetery. Survivors include
his wife, Aurelia; two daughters,
Maly Lopez of Mexico and Marina
Huerta of Sunray; two sons, Jesus A.
Andujo and Joaquin Andujo Jr., both
of Sunray; two brothers, Gerardo
Andujo and Ramon Andujo, both of
Mexico; two sisters, Consuelo Grajeda of Hereford and Carolina Andujo of Sunray; 11 grandchildren; and
seven great-grandchildren.
Tulia—Julia Birkenfeld, 83,
passed away Sept. 7. Mass was celebrated Sept. 10, Holy Family Church,
Pr
aye
Nazareth, Father Ken Keller, pastor,
presiding. Burial was in Holy Family Cemetery. Survivors include a
son, Richard Birkenfeld of Southlake; and a sister, Mary Birkenfeld of
Rhineland.
Hereford—Juan D. Rodriguez
Jr., 61, passed away Sept. 9. Mass
was celebrated Sept. 12, St. Anthony’s Church, Father John Valdez,
pastor, presiding. Burial was in St.
Anthony’s Cemetery. Survivors include two sons, Johnnie Rodriguez
and Paul Rodriguez, both of Dallas;
two daughters, Christie Rodriguez
of Plano and Kimberly Rodriguez of
Albuquerque, N.M.; a sister, Olga Espinoza of San Antonio; seven brothers, Mario Rodriguez of Hereford,
Alfonso Rodriguez, Joe Rodriguez,
Armondo Rodriguez, Antonio Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez, all of Garland, and Alfred “Freddy” Rodriguez
of Rowlett; seven grandchildren; and
his girlfriend, Mirella Pando.
Hereford—Ruth Loerwald, 77,
passed away Sept. 10. Mass was
celebrated Sept. 14, St. Anthony’s
Church, Father John Valdez, pastor,
presiding. Burial was in Rest Lawn
Cemetery. Survivors include a sister,
Pauline Howard and husband Bill of
Hereford; three sisters-in-law, Marie
Loerwald and Adeline Loerwald, both
of Hereford, and Helena Loerwald of
Westminister, Colo.; and many nieces
and nephews.
Amarillo—Zachary Lane, 17,
passed away Sept. 10. Mass was celebrated Sept. 14, St. Mary’s Church,
Father Ken Keller, pastor, Holy Family Church, Nazareth, presiding.
Burial was in Llano Cemetery. Survivors include his parents, Fred and
Jan Lane; six sisters, Tara, Jessica
and Berkley, all of Chicago, Nicole
of Amarillo, Libby of New York City
and Rebecca of Bushland; a special
nephew, Eli of Bushland; his grandparents, Tom and Luthrine Wright of
Davidson, Okla., and Gwen Potts of
Amarillo; a very large extended family; and many, many friends.
r for t
he
FUNERAL HOME INC.
Gracious Holy Spirit, we come before you as the Church of the Diocese of Amarillo to ask your aid in our preparation for the Diocesan Assembly. We are overjoyed to be able to honor the accomplishments of the past and all those who established and preserved our Faith in the High Plains. The great sacrifices that were made for the Church to flourish in this area are the foundation of our endeavor today to unite all the Catholics of the diocese to live, work, worship, and grow as one. As we release all past hurts and misunderstandings of the years behind, we look forward together to be able to assess our needs and to create a vision for the future of the Church in our beloved diocese. We beg for your inspiration, O Spirit of the Living God, and we ask our Blessed Lady of Guadalupe and St. Laurence to intercede for this purpose to live Communion and Unity with all the races and cultures with which we are so blessed. With gratitude, we ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Our locally owned funeral home is not associated with Schooler-Gordon, owned by Service Corporation International, Houston, Texas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
September 20, 2009
Holy Cross Mustang Roundup
Amarillo—The annual Mustang Roundup to benefit Holy
Cross Catholic Academy is set for
Saturday, Sept. 26 from 6:30pm
to midnight in the parish hall of
St. Thomas the Apostle Church,
4100 South Coulter. Dinner will
be served by the Big Texan and
Young Country will provide music for dancing. Tickets are on
sale for a chance to win a sevenday Eastern Carnival Caribbean
Cruise for two, which includes
airfare. Only 400 tickets will be
sold for the reverse drawing at
$75 a couple. To purchase tickets
or for more details, contact Holy
Cross Catholic Academy at 3559637.
Benefit Dinner For St. Ann’s
Panhandle—Deacon Candidate Andy Gonzalez of Amarillo
will serve as master of ceremonies for the fourth annual benefit
dinner and silent auction for St.
Ann’s Nursing Home scheduled in
St. Theresa’s Parish Hall Sunday,
Sept. 27. Cattle Call of Amarillo
will serve brisket dinners from
11am to 2pm. Musical entertainment throughout will be provided
by the Gonzalez Brothers; the St.
Mary’s Life Teen Music Ministry
group; and the diocesan Acts Up
minstrels. At press time parishes
and individuals sponsoring tables
with a donation of $500.00 included St. Martin de Porres Church,
Amarillo; Retired Bishop L. T.
Matthiesen; Church of the Holy
Spirit, Tulia; the Board of Directors, SANH; and St. Thomas the
Apostle Church, Amarillo. Dinner
tickets, available at the door, are
$20 for individual adults; $30 for
adult couples; $10 for teenagers;
and $5 for children and youngsters six to 12 years of age.
Open House Sept. 27
Panhandle—In
conjunction
with the annual benefit dinner and
Around the Diocese
silent auction for St. Ann’s Nursing Home on Sunday, Sept. 27, the
School Sisters of St. Francis will
offer a come-and-go Open House.
The open house at the newly refurbished Sancta Maria Convent
will run from 12:30 to 3pm. Find
out more about the School Sisters
of St. Francis by calling 806-5373182 or go online for more information, by visiting www.panhandlefranciscans.org.
Engaged Encounter Dates Set
Amarillo—The dates for the
final two Engaged Encounter retreats of 2009 in the Dioceses of
Amarillo and Lubbock have been
announced. The final Amarillo retreat of 2009 will be offered Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct.
4 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat
Center, 2100 North Spring. The
final Lubbock retreat of 2009 at
Mercy Center in Slaton will be
offered Friday, Nov. 13 through
Sunday, Nov. 15. Cost of the retreat is $160 for couples attending
the Amarillo retreat and $150 for
those attending the retreat in Slaton. For additional information,
contact Jerry or Agnes Ballard in
Amarillo at 353-0907.
Annual St. Joseph’s Carnival
Amarillo—The annual carnival to benefit St. Joseph’s School
is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 from
11am to 7pm at the school, located at 4118 South Bonham.
Carnival style food including hot
dogs, frito pies, cotton candy and
popcorn will be served throughout the day. They’ll be games for
the kids, rides as well as a silent
auction. Other activities include
dinner at 5pm and a live auction
at 7pm. For more information,
call the school at 359-1604.
Annual St. Mary’s Carnival
Amarillo—St. Mary’s School
invites everyone to its annual Fall
Carnival Saturday, Oct. 10. The
West Texas Catholic
11
day-long event, on the school
grounds at 1200 South Washington begins with a Fun Run at
8am and continues with fun activities and games for young and
old alike. The Sweet Shop will be
open, as will the Mexican Café.
They’ll also be a Toy Walk and a
Silent Auction. Tickets are being
sold for a chance to win a Visa
Gift Card. Tickets are $25 each
and if 4,000 tickets are sold, the
card could be worth $10,000,
with prizes of lesser amounts also
up for grabs. To purchase tickets
or for information, call the school
at 376-9112.
Annual Karnival Krazy
Hereford—The annual Karvial Krazy to benefit St. Anthony’s
School’s is set for Sunday, Oct.
18 from noon to 5pm at the
school, 120 West Park Ave. Activities begin with a brisket lunch
and homemade desserts at noon,
followed by games at 1:00. A
Kountry Store will be open with
a selection of items focused on
the upcoming holiday season.
For more information or to donate items, contact St. Anthony’s
School principal Ann Lueb at
364-1952.
Dalhart Oktoberfest Oct. 25
Dalhart—The annual Oktoberfest to benefit St. Anthony of
Padua School is scheduled Sunday, Oct. 25 from 11:30am to
3pm at Rita Blanca Coliseum.
German Sausage with all the trimmings will be served to adults for
$8 and children for $4. Find out
Leo Flores looks over his bingo card Sept. 13 during the
annual fiesta to benefit St. Anthony of Padua Church,
Dalhart. Flores, who lives in Alamo, was in Dalhart to take
part in the corn harvest, which is getting underway in the
northern portion of the diocese. (WTC Photo)
more about Oktoberfest by calling Nick or Connie Salas at 806244-3253.
Umbarger German Sausage
Umbarger—The annual Umbarger German Sausage Dinner
to benefit St. Mary’s Church is
set for Sunday, Nov. 8. German
Sausage with all the trimmings
will be served from 11am to 3pm.
Meal prices are $10 for adults, $5
for children six to ten and children under six eat free. Take outs
will be available, serving adult
plates only. A country store will
be open, with homemade items,
sausage and sauerkraut for sale.
St. Francis Fall Fun Raiser
St. Francis—The annual Fall
Fun Raiser to benefit St. Francis
Church is set for Saturday, Nov.
14 at the parish hall east of Amarillo. A steak dinner will be served
from 6-8pm, followed by a dance
from 8pm-midnight, with music
provided by Slo-Motion. Tickets
are $100 each and no one under
the age of 21 will be admitted.
Tickets are also being sold at this
time for a chance to win $5,000 in
a reverse drawing. Learn more by
calling the church at 335-1872.
2500 S. Coulter
353-0700
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12 West Texas Catholic
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Pope: God Is Present In Those Who
Respond To Hatred With Love
Vatican City (CNS)—When
one’s love for others is so great
that he or she can respond to hatred with love and forgiveness,
God is truly present in that person’s heart, Pope Benedict XVI
said.
“Without a certain openness to
love, Christ cannot come inside
us,” he said at his weekly general
audience Sept. 16.
In fact, this is a handy indicator for knowing whether or not
“we are really close to God, if
God exists and lives inside us,”
he said.
“Only divine love can open our
hearts to other people and make
us sensitive to their needs, make
us think of them as brothers and
sisters, and invite us to respond
to hatred with love and to offense
with forgiveness,” the pope said.
The pope focused his catechesis on the life and teachings of
Symeon, a mystic and monk born
in the 10th century. He is known
as the “New Theologian” and is a
saint of the Orthodox church.
Symeon said the life of a Christian is marked by an intimate and
personal communion with God,
said the pope.
Getting to truly know God
doesn’t happen from reading
books, the pope said, “but from
spiritual experience and a spiritual life.”
To know God, the faithful
must first start a journey of “in-
ner purification that begins with a
conversion of heart which comes
from the strength of faith and
love,” he said.
Then the faithful must experience “deep repentance and sincere regret for one’s sins in order
to reach union with Christ, who is
the source of joy and peace,” he
said. With this inner purification
and conversion, “the Holy Spirit
can really become present in us
and guide us,” he added.
For Symeon, union with Christ
is not something extraordinary,
but the fruit of the baptism common to all Christians, the pope
said.
“Inspired by Symeon’s life,
let us pay greater attention to our
spiritual life, seeking the guidance we need to grow in the love
of God,” he said.
The pope flew to the Vatican
by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, to lead the
general audience in the Paul VI
hall before about 8,000 pilgrims
from around the world.
At the end of his catechesis,
the pope greeted Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion, president of the Moscow Patriarchate’s
Department for External Church
Relations.
At the end of the general audience, the pope flew back to the
papal summer residence in Castel
Gandolfo, where he was spending
the final weeks of his vacation.
Mexico Seeks Help Against Growing Drug Violence
Mexico City (CNS)—At a
press conference earlier this year,
Archbishop Hector Gonzalez
Martinez of Durango had planned
to denounce extortion attempts
against priests in his archdiocese.
He instead stunned reporters
-- and the whole country -- by
announcing that cartel kingpin
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman,
Mexico’s most-wanted man, was
residing in a remote corner of Durango state. Even more stunning,
he insisted, “Everyone knows it,
except the authorities.”
His candor generated nationwide headlines and a warning
from presumed associates of
Guzman, who dumped two bodies along with a note that advised,
“No government, no priest can
stand against El Chapo.”
September 20, 2009
Seminary Burse Report
Diocese of Amarillo
Contributions: August 2009
Donations in Honor/Memory of
Mr. Jim Todd
Mrs. Kathleen Colwell
Msgr. Kevin Hand
Msgr. Fred Hyland
Msgr. Monroe Matthiesen
$
$
$
$
$
$
25.00
235.00
1,100.00
370.00
300.00
2,030.00
Open Burses
Amarillo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women No. 2
Arnold Husmann
Arthur Hapanowicz
Catholic Daughters of the Americas Burse No. 2
Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas
Catholic Life Insurance, Umbarger
Catholic Order of Foresters
Clementine Renner
Diocesan Committee of 2000
Francis Neusch
Fred Teichman
Holy Trinity
Joan Frost
Josephine Lange Burse No. 2
Kathleen Colwell
Knights of Columbus
Matilda Baca
Jim Todd
Msgr. Fred Hyland
Msgr. Kevin Hand
Msgr. Pete DiBenedetto
Msgr. Peter Morsch
Msgr. Monroe Matthiesen
Msgr. Richard Vaughn
Owen Seamans
Rev. Gary Sides
Rev. J. Arnold Carlson
Rev. Richard Neyer
Serra Club of Amarillo Burse No. 4
St. Anthony's Church - Hereford
St. John the Evangelist
Undesignated and Miscellaneous
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1,460.33
475.00
100.00
2,300.00
1,724.10
100.00
220.00
2,500.00
2,558.50
300.00
75.00
3,402.00
25.00
233.56
1,170.00
3,532.00
125.16
25.00
1,000.00
1,100.00
1,667.65
4,373.18
300.00
180.00
4,020.00
485.00
100.00
1,810.00
4,510.00
3,675.00
3,128.70
412.83
Total Open Burses
Closed Burses
Total Original Burses
$
$
$
47,088.01
845,575.67
892,663.68
$
$
$
28,449.60
841,731.48
870,181.08
Market Value of Investments as of 06/30/2009
Catholic Life Insurance Seminary Endowment Fund
Mission Management & Trust Co.
West Texas Catholic
2009-2010 Publication
Schedule
The Office of the Victim’s Assistance
Coordinator for the Diocese of Amarillo
Direct concerns, questions, or to report sexual abuse contact:
Issue Date
Oct. 4
Oct. 18
Nov. 1
Nov. 15
Dec. 6
Dec. 20
Jan.17
Deadline
Sept. 24
Oct. 8
Oct. 22
Nov. 5
Nov. 25
Dec. 10
Jan. 7
Belinda Taylor
1615 S. Roberts
Amarillo, TX 79102
806-372-1092
Fax: 806-372-7869