HOW ARE YOU? - Center for Parish Hospitality

Transcription

BLACK CATHOLICS
A Faith
Engaged
STEWARDSHIP
Nurturing a
Way of Life
St. Augustine
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
Rediscover holiday
traditions
November/December 2012
BURMESE CATHOLICS
A Faith
Unshaken
staugcatholic.org
HOW
WELCOMING
ARE YOU?
This Christmas explore ways to make your parish more inviting
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catholic
St. Augustine
VOLUME XXII
ISSUE 3
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
contents
features
12
AN UNSHAKABLE FAITH
Few know about the growing Burmese Catholic
community in Jacksonville. Learn how Father
Donald Lum and others are helping them adapt to
their new homeland.
14
SCOTT SMITH
DEIRDRE CONNER
12
DEIRDRE CONNER
14
FAITH ENGAGED
In July, nine men and women attended the
National Black Catholic Conference and walked
away touched by the spirit. Learn how they plan to
empower, equip and evangelize others.
TOM TRACY
16
NURTURING FAITHFUL STEWARDS
Stewardship is often defined in terms of giving
your time, talent and treasure. Read how some
Catholics find each activity leads to another – and
ultimately, to a new way of experiencing the world.
SHANNON SCRUBY-HENDERSON
24
SPECIAL
SCOTT SMITH
16
what you’ll get out of this issue:
18
COVER STORY: HOW WELCOMING
ARE YOU?
As we prepare for Advent and Christmas, it is easy
to get caught up in all the busyness it brings. Now is
a good time for your parish to look at its hospitality
skills and reflect on how your parish can become
more inviting.
5
SAINT OF THE MONTH
The Vietnamese Martyrs
10
FAITH MATTERS
Tom Edwards – A Catholic Evangelist
6
BISHOP’S MESSAGE
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
22
CHARACTERS OF FAITH
Insights on St. John the Baptist
24
7
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Key West the New, St. Augustine the Old
26
VOCATIONS UPDATE
Blair Gaines – Called to Serve
PUT A LITTLE CATHOLIC IN YOUR
CHRISTMAS
8
WHY DO CATHOLICS …?
When will the world end?
27
AROUND THE DIOCESE
30
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
LILLA ROSS
Renew or discover some Catholic Christmas
traditions that will provide members of the whole
family an opportunity to focus on the spiritual
meaning of Christmas.
LILLA ROSS
ON THE COVER: The Holy Family by Pompeo Giralamo Batoni (1708-1787/Italian).
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC
3
catholic
St. Augustine
The St. Augustine Catholic is the official magazine of the
Diocese of St. Augustine, which embraces 17 counties
spanning Northeast and North Central Florida from
the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The diocese
covers 11,032 square miles and serves more than
182,000 registered Catholics.
Most Rev. Felipe J. Estévez
PUBLISHER
Kathleen Bagg
EDITOR
Christina Retzer
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Patrick McKinney
ART DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Pat Cook
Deirdre Conner
Joseph Cunningham
Dr. Michael Gannon
Father Terrence Morgan
Margo Pope
Lilla Ross
Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Tom Tracy
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Don Burk
Deirdre Conner
Scott Smith
Statement of Ownership,
Management and Circulation
Publication Title: ST. AUGUSTINE
CATHOLIC Publication No. 024-733
Filing Date: 9/17/2012
Issue Frequency: Bimonthly
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of Publication: 11625 Old St. Augustine Rd.,
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the Publishers: 11625 Old St. Augustine Rd.,
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of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor,
Publisher: Most Rev. Felipe J. Estévez, 11625
Old St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, Duval
County, Florida 32258-2060, Editor/Managing
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32258-2060.
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of the Diocese of St. Augustine, 11625 Old St. Augustine Road,
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©St. Augustine Catholic, Diocese of St. Augustine. No portion of the St.
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53,383
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349
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4
This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the November/December 2012 issue of this
publication.
I certify that the information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that
anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or
information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and
imprisonment) and or civil sanctions (Including multiple damages and civil penalties). Signature
and title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner(s): Kathleen Bagg, Editor/Managing
Editor, 9/13/2012.
ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
saint of the month
LARGEST CATHOLIC STORE IN JACKSONVILLE
Queen of Angels
Catholic Book Store
We have wonderful
gifts for ages 1-99.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE FAITH
The Vietnamese
Martyrs
Feast: Nov. 24
The church has formally canonized 117 Vietnamese
Martyrs, whose deaths ranged from the 17th to the
20th centuries.
WHAT MOST AMERICANS KNOW about
Vietnam has to do with the lengthy war we
fought there.
But for centuries blood was shed in the
Southeast Asian country for another cause –
the defense of Christianity.
Nov. 24 is the feast day of the Vietnamese
martyrs, who over the centuries have
numbered in the thousands. The church has
formally canonized 117, whose deaths ranged
from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Father Thanh Thai Nguyen, pastor of
Christ the King Parish in Jacksonville and
a native of Vietnam, said Catholicism was
brought to the country by Dominican and
Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century.
At the time, Vietnam was ruled by a king,
who did not like the new religion who’s God
also was a king and with greater authority,
Father Thanh said.
“That’s why the persecution took place,” he
said. “Lots of Vietnamese died for the sake of
the faith.”
One of the most famous of the 17th century
martyrs is St. Andrew Dung Lac, who was
born in 1795 in northern Vietnam. His
parents were so poor that they sold their son
to a catechist, who took him to the Catholic
mission to be raised. Eventually he was
ordained. He was arrested several times but
each time his parishioners paid a ransom for
his freedom.
When he was arrested in 1839, no ransom
was demanded. Instead he was taken to a
prison in Hanoi where he was ordered to deny
the faith by stepping on a crucifix. He refused
and he was beheaded.
In the early 20th century, a much-loved
priest Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu
Diep had an active ministry as a pastor
and seminary professor. But by then the
Communists controlled the country and
Catholics were a particular target. In 1946
Father Diep was executed.
Most recently, toward the end of the
Vietnam War in 1975, two Christian Brothers,
Aglibert Nguyen Van Thanh and Phu Vang
were captured by the Viet Cong, bound with
telephone wire and thrown into a pit where
they died.
The death of a martyr is almost always
cruel because the authorities want to make
an example of them to threaten the people,
Father Thanh said.
The long-standing persecution of the
church in Vietnam had some benefits that the
government never intended.
It made Catholics value their faith. Instead
of renouncing the faith, Catholics hid the
practice of it. Instead of flocking to a parish
on Sundays, they practiced devotions such as
daily prayer and the rosary in the privacy of
their homes, Father Thanh said.
It built a network of trust. Priests were
hidden and supported by the community and
Mass was celebrated in secret, often late at
night. Only those the community could trust
were invited to attend, he said.
It also rooted the church in the family, he
said. Because the church was underground –
and the most important teachers of the faith
were parents.
Christ the King Parish will have its annual
celebration of the lives of the martyrs on
Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m.
Visit our website at
www.queenofangelsjax.com
Shop in store or online!
11018 Old St. Augustine Rd. • Suite 125
Jacksonville, FL 32257
288-0062
HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
IN THE YEAR OF FAITH
with Father Ernie Davis
March 6 – 14, 2013
Cost: $2,999
Call 816-444-5406 or
email edavis@sttheresekc.org
a daily homily at
www.fathersullivan.com
The views and opinions of this website do not necessarily
represent the views or teachings of Bishop Felipe J. Estévez
or the Diocese of St. Augustine.
5
bishop’s message
BISHOP FELIPE J. ESTÉVEZ
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten
Son of God; born of the Father before all ages. God from
God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten
not made, consubstantial with the Father, through him
all things were made.”
In this final issue of the year, I felt called to go to what is
most basic for us all: Our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who
as Scripture states: “how worthy is the Lamb who was slain to
receive power and dignity and wisdom and strength and honor.”
(Rev. 5:12)
Jesus’s preaching was about the imminent arrival of the
Kingdom of God thus the need to convert our ways. This
kingdom is most relevant to these times because it is a “kingdom
of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.”
From the very beginning, his disciples found major obstacles
in spreading his message. Today we need to pray often for those
in authority of our cities, state and country. For those that hold
a political office must assure freedom of religion for all citizens
so that we can contribute peacefully to the common good and
lasting prosperity for the people of the United States of America.
On Saturday, Dec. 8, everyone is called to participate in
the Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America: the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The real
reason for honoring Mary is that her womb needed to be a
worthy dwelling place for the eternal Son of God. This great
exception of being untouched by sin was in anticipation of His
glorious Redemption.
The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, while addressing the
western North Carolina Methodist Conference in 1974, deplored
6
the loss of the sense of sin. He said, “It used to be Catholics that
were the only ones who believed in the Immaculate Conception,
now everyone believes that he is immaculately conceived.” When
peoples’ consciences are weak, the killing of the vulnerable is
rationalized by the manipulation of language, removing the
feeling of appropriate shame.
On Dec. 25 we celebrate the greatest birthday of the year for it
is the Nativity of the Lord. The significance of his birth is simply
stated by the praying church: “in the mystery of the word made
flesh, a new light of his glory has shown upon the eyes of our
mind so that we recognize in Him, God made visible.” There
must be a midnight Mass so that we can feel how Christ the Light
shines in the darkness of our lives.
To me, it is astonishing to know that for Jesus’ first 30 years,
he only quietly witnessed to his mother and Joseph and his
neighbors in Nazareth? As the Vatican II Constitution of the Church
in the Modern World, No. 22, stated: “In Christ we become
capable of being fully human, sharing in the full divinity,
divinity made flesh, working with human hands, thinking with
a human mind, acting by human choice, and above all loving
with a human heart. What greater love do we need? What greater
truth?”…
Once Pope Paul VI said that evangelization was simply
proclaiming Jesus to others, for he is the light for all nations.
The Year of Faith is meant to draw us to a deeper discovery
of the significance of who Jesus is for us and the impact of his
message for our times. There is a need for a different language in
explaining our unchanging doctrine. The Year of Faith provides
us with a perfect opportunity to renew our faith, and as the pope
recommends, this time aided by the Catechism of the Catholic
Church and the documents of Vatican II. May the Holy Spirit
come to our aid with a new impetus so we can reach out and
share the truth will all.
Paul said it to young Timothy, “this is good and pleasing to
God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to
knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim, 2: 3-4).
As Christmas approaches and the New Year follows, my
deepest hope is for many to come to our parish communities
and places of ministry and find an open door leading them to
experience the wonders of Jesus’ love for them, the overflowing
measure of grace and gifts and a true spring of salvation for all.
In the last issue, Your Man Tours sponsored an ad that promoted "A
Visit to Cuba." The fact the ad appeared in the St. Augustine Catholic
and promotes tourism to Cuba has offended some Cuban-American
Catholics for which I am deeply sorry. The ad, like most ads in the
magazine, is not sponsored by or associated with the St. Augustine
Catholic magazine or the Diocese of St. Augustine. The diocese
makes no representation or guarantees concerning this tour.
– Kathleen Bagg, editor
from the archives
ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
SPECIAL
Detail from a panoramic map of Key West,
Florida in 1884.
FLORIDA IN THE MID 1800s
Key West the New –
St. Augustine the Old
BY MICHAEL GANNON, PH.D.
AT THE TIME when St. Mary Star of the
Sea at Key West was erected a parish, on
Feb. 28, 1852, the total population of the
island was about 2,000, of whom some 300
were Catholics. Among the Catholic family
names were Mallory, Wall, Baldwin, Gunn,
Alderslade, Bowyer, Gandolfo, Whatton,
Noonan, Driscoll, Connell, Fagan, Cook,
Mead, Clark, English, Logan, Mulherin,
Madden, Savelli, Haley and Grillon.
Names are lacking for black Catholics,
most of them slaves. Black parishioners
occupied a separate section of pews in the
church during Mass and other services. This
was also the practice at Florida’s other two
parishes in St. Augustine and Pensacola, as
well as at the various mission stations.
Key West’s first pastor, Father Joseph N.
Brogard, was also given charge over the
Catholics of Tampa and Tallahassee. This
might seem odd, but Gulf Coast schooners
made it possible to reach those locations
more easily by sea than by overland routes
from St. Augustine or Pensacola.
Brogard was replaced as pastor in 1853
by James H. O’Neill; and he was followed
by Edward Quigley (1854), Edward Murphy
(1855), John Barry (1855), John F. Kirby
(1856) and Clemens C. Prendergast (1856).
No parish in Florida during American times
had ever experienced such a rapid turnover
of pastors. There is nothing in the record to
explain the mercuriality. Was it isolation and
loneliness, sickness or episcopal indecision?
It is impossible to say.
We do know why Father Barry left in
1855. Upon the death of Bishop Gartland
he became administrator of the Diocese of
Savannah, sede vacante, from 1855 to 1857.
In the latter year he was appointed second
bishop of the diocese. Toward the end of that
year, accompanied by Fathers Prendergast
and Edmond Aubril, he made an affectionate
return to Key West, this time to confer
confirmation and to install Aubril as yet
another temporary pastor.
Aubril’s fellow French Father of Mercy
Benedict Madeore carried on at St. Augustine,
460 miles distant, where he was pastor and
Vicar-General of East Florida. That mother
parish, though to all appearances somnolent,
was actively engaged in the study of local
history as far back as early Spanish times. The
renaissance of historical research and writing
played to Madeore’s academic interests and in
1856 he became one of the founding members
of the Florida Historical Society, which is still
alive and vigorous at the date of this writing.
St. Augustine’s long church history, with
its many trials and reverses, also attracted the
attention of visiting clergy, such as the earlier
named Father James H. O’Neill of Savannah,
a frequent visitor in the 1850s. To a Sister
of Mercy in Savannah he wrote about the
“monuments – though in ruins – of our holy
faith” that he had found in St. Augustine.
“The old Franciscan convent…is seen in
the skirts of the old city. ...That once sacred
building is now a military barrack, the choir
a banqueting hall, the once silent dormitories
of the monks a sleeping place for soldiers,
and the belfry whence sounded the call for
matins has given way to [a] flagstaff.”
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, January 12, 2012
9:30 am -‐ 12:30 pm
4100 NW 115th Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32606
352-‐376-‐6545
www.sfchs.org
St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery
I-95 Exit 278 (Old Dixie Highway)
Mass Schedule
7:30 & 9:00 a.m. Monday-Friday
9:00 a.m. Thursdays (Polish)
9:00 a.m. Saturdays (Latin)
5:00 p.m. Sundays
Confession before all Masses
141 Carmelite Drive
Bunnell, FL 32110
(386) 437-2910
www.carmelite-fathers.org
Grounds open to the public
7
why do Catholics ...?
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON OUR BELIEFS
When will the world end?
BY FATHER TERRY MORGAN
Q What does the Catholic Church teach about the end of the
world?
A Belinda, a senior at Jacksonville’s Bishop Kenny High School, never
missed school. Not for the flu. Not for an early start to the Thanksgiving
vacation days. Not for “senior skip day.”
But here it was, a Tuesday in mid-May, and perfect-attendance Belinda
was absent. The office was unable to reach her single mother, no matter how
many different numbers they tried.
The next day, Belinda came in with her note explaining her absence.
Allegedly she and her mom had been out in the back yard all afternoon,
waiting for the Rapture. Come on. So close to graduation. And a
“Rapture day”?
But sure enough, when the school officials contacted the mom
on Wednesday, she explained that the minister at their tiny nondenominational congregation had put all the puzzle pieces of the Bible
together sometime on Monday. The Lord was coming and the world would
end on Tuesday at 1:37 p.m. He had called the whole congregation, and told
them to be certain that they were in their yards praying, so they would be
taken up.
Of course, the minister’s calculations were off, and Belinda was back in
school on Wednesday, and the “Ooops Wrong Rapture Day” experience
came up in 12th grade religion class. After some smug remarks by several
8
“theologically sophisticated” 17-year-olds, one of the students
piped up, “At least she takes this stuff seriously.”
“This stuff,” it turns out, was much more than end-the-world
speculation. It included careful end-of-my-life thinking. And
center-of-my-life thinking. In a word: Christ thinking.
The church takes end-of-the-world thinking seriously not
because she is caught up in curiosity or puzzle-solving, but
because it is one more way of thinking about Christ. The same
Jesus Christ, who said, “I came that they may have life, and have
it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10)
How does the church receive the Lord’s own words, who in
one breath can use fierce and specific images (“the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from
the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken” (Mk
13:24-25) and in the next breath say, “Of the day or the hour, no
one knows, either the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the
Father” (Mk 13:32)?
Very carefully.
Which is not to say literally. Even in the first century, the
church starts to sort through the expectations of believers who
took the Lord’s apocalyptic (= “revealing”) language only at its
face value. Hence, for instance, the well know axiom “with the
Lord one day is like a thousand years” in St. Peter’s second epistle.
(3:8) It is an attempt to come to grips with the “delay” that some
believers were feeling in the Lord’s imminent return – “without
delay” – in glory.
St. Paul’s classic eschatological (=”having to do with the last
things”) passage in I Corinthians describes the end as Christ
destroying every sovereignty and authority and power. (15:28) Is
Paul claiming to have a ringside seat for this spectacular fight at
the end? Or is he not rather saying, “Look, I know Jesus Christ,
and he is not simply a man who knocks a guy off a horse. His
resurrection has turned me inside out, and it is so powerful that it
is doing it to the whole universe.” When this old world comes to
its end – however it comes to its end – Christ’s resurrection will
be the life that sustains his beloved into… whatever follows it.
Pretty heady stuff for a tentmaker. Or for a theologian. Or for a
church, through the ages.
And it doesn’t mean we keep silent. But we don’t get fixated
on the details. We fix our hearts, rather, on Christ crucified and
risen from the dead.
We believe this world had a beginning, but that God the
eternal creator did not. And we believe that this finite world will
end some day, but that God will not allow that final ending to
touch his beloved.
We don’t fret about the details of how or when. As Bishop
Kenneth Untener (1937-2004) of Saginaw, Mich. wrote, we “focus
on the question of who, namely upon a loving God who promises
to walk with us to the end, whatever occurs.
“Our understanding of the ‘end’ flows from a real-life
conviction about the here-and-now meaning in our lives and in
our universe. In short, we believe, with St. Paul, that ‘the same
God who began a good work in you will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.’” (Phil 1:6)
WITH THE JAGUARS AND
THE ST.
T AUGUSTINE
T.
CATHOLIC
BE
ST.
T AUGUSTINE DIOCESE
T.
PARISHIONERS SPECIAL OFFER
TITANS VS. JAGUARS
SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 25TH
1:00 P.M
P.M.
KICKOFF
EverBank Field
The St. Augustine Catholic has teamed up with the Jaguars to provide
a special offer to parishioners in the St. Augustine Diocese for the
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on
Sunday, November 25th at 1:00 p.m.
Parishioners of the Diocese of St. Augustine will receive a discount of
up to 20% off the cost of their tickets compared to the game day price
and parishioners attending will be recognized during the game.
All you have to do to purchase your seats is visit
http://Offers.Jaguars.com/CatholicOffer
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLI
CATHOLIC
A
ATHOLI
C
9
SCOTT SMITH
faith matters
CATHOLIC EVANGELIST TOM EDWARD
Giving Away The Faith
BY LILLA ROSS
Quick! Name an evangelist.
Easy. Billy Graham.
Name a Catholic one.
A Catholic evangelist? Talk about an oxymoron.
Or, you might have said Tom Edwards.
10
EDWARDS, OF ST. AUGUSTINE, is
hardly a headline-grabbing firebrand like
Graham, but for almost 40 years he has
been a lay Catholic evangelist, sharing the
gospel in the diocese and in far-flung places
like Slovakia and Tanzania.
It’s a role that he came to slowly and
continues to grow into.
“My wife and I had a renewal experience
in 1971,” he said. “We were living in Tampa
with two children and I was managing shoe
departments. We started going to a prayer
group at Tampa Catholic High School that
became a catalyst for the rest of our lives.
“My wife was diagnosed with lupus. The
prognosis was dim, but through prayer she
was healed.”
Over time, the regular practice of
prayer, Bible study, adoration, Mass and
the sacraments changed his attitude and
outlook, he said. Evangelization became
a way of life and eventually a fulltime
ministry for Tom and his wife, Pam.
But Edwards said he knows that many
Catholics aren’t comfortable with the idea of
evangelizing.
“To be Catholic is synonymous with
being a missionary,” Edwards said. “If
you are truly a Catholic you are truly a
missionary in heart, spirit and action. If
we’re not, we’re not fully living out our
Catholic faith.”
But that doesn’t mean you have to quit
your job and catch the next flight to Kuala
Lumpur.
Some people are called to the ministry
of evangelization as described in Ephesians
4: 11-12, “And he gave some as apostles,
others as prophets, others as evangelists,
others as pastors and teachers, to equip
the holy ones for the work of ministry, for
building up the body of Christ.”
That’s what Edwards does.
But everyone shares their faith by the way
they live their lives.
“That’s the silent witness but eventually
it must be followed by the spoken witness,”
he said.
And that can be as simple as a casual
conversation.
“It’s all about relationships, starting with
a relationship with Jesus. It’s not enough to
know about Jesus, you have to know Jesus,”
Edwards said. “Once you come to know
SPECIAL
This summer, Tom Edwards witnessed the confirmation of 700 teenagers in Tanzania located on the eastern
coast of Africa.
Jesus and love Jesus then you will have an
intense desire to share Jesus.”
He refers people to I Peter 3:15: “Always
be ready to give an explanation to anyone
who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence.”
In the past 40 years, Edwards said he
has seen new attitudes about scripture and
evangelization emerging.
More Catholics are sharing their faith
as they find their own personal style of
evangelizing, he said.
“God wants to use everybody in their
own uniqueness, their own talents and
gifts,” he said. “We have to be ourselves.
We can’t pretend to be somebody else. We
each have a unique set of gifts that God will
exercise and bless as we use them.”
Edwards leads parish missions, retreats
and conferences. And he travels all over
the world in conjunction with Renewal
Ministries of Ann Arbor, Mich.
This summer Edwards went to
Tanzania with a nine-member team to
lead a 12-day Catholic crusade.
The gathering was in a remote part of the
country.
“We spent two days on planes, 15 hours
on a bus and then we had to walk two
miles through a banana plantation,” he said.
“When we arrived we found 12,000 people
waiting for us.”
On Sunday, the bishop came to confirm
700 teenagers at a five-hour outdoor Mass
under a scorching sun.
“The bishop really questioned the kids.
He had them turning to scriptures. He
asked them what it meant to receive the
Holy Spirit, to name the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. He talked to them about living for
Jesus, reading the Bible daily, not living
with anyone outside of marriage, what
was expected of them morally. It was an
amazing thing to witness.”
Edwards said experiences like that
strengthen his faith and they’ve occurred
many times during his 40 years in ministry.
And that’s one thing people don’t realize
about evangelization.
“Faith is strengthened when it is given
away,” he said. “If you don’t give it away
by sharing the gospel, there is no way to
grow in the faith.”
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11
an unshakable
FAITH
St. Francis Xavier Sister Dina Lee Lee Moe
teaches the children from Burma religious
education and tutors them in English.
12
TUCKED AWAY IN AN ANONYMOUS
CORNER of Jacksonville’s Westside,
a community is flourishing against all
odds. The acre of property off Timuquana
Road and the house on it are unassuming
lifelines for a growing, close-knit group of
Burmese refugees creating a little-known
Father Calonge Lemaine celebrates
but thriving
community.
Facing
MassCatholic
each Sunday
at 5 p.m. for
Haitian
Catholics
at Prince of Peace
unimaginable
circumstances,
theyCatholic
are
Church in Jacksonville.
joined together by an unshaken faith and
the tireless leadership of a priest who
understands their struggles like no other.
Early one recent Saturday, Father
Donald Lum smiled at the group of
recently arrived Burmese refugees in
front of him for a weekly English lesson.
There was little reprieve before the late
summer morning would drape this
non air-conditioned garage in humidity,
but Father Lum was energetic and his
students were earnest. Learning to
pronounce English words, they read
from a blackboard where Father Lum
encouraged them to pause on “first” and
“thank” and pay special attention to the
way the unfamiliar English consonants
feel on their tongues.
There are always new faces. Over the
last five years, state figures show, as many
as 2,000 Burmese refugees have been
resettled to Northeast Florida, most from
camps in Thailand, Malaysia and India.
Most are fleeing hunger, violence and
persecution to rebuild a life in a strange
country on the other side of the globe.
Parishes in Jacksonville are taking
up the cause of the Burmese – many
DEIRDRE CONNER
By Deirdre Conner
Father Donald Lum spends most Saturdays with
Burmese adults helping them learn English and
study for their driver's licenses.
DEIRDRE CONNER
of whom are Catholics converted by
missionaries who visited the country, also
known as Myanmar, many decades ago.
Assumption Parish in the St. Nicholas area
of Jacksonville’s Southside is leading the
way. It is home to the only Burmese priest
in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Father
Donald Lum. He is a priest in residence at
Assumption Parish, a chaplain at Baptist
Medical Center, and a father figure to many
in the increasing community of Burmese.
Just a few years ago, Father Lum was
the only support system that many of the
refugees had.
“He was the driver, he was the teacher,
he was the priest,” said Sarah Male, who
now coordinates the Parishes Organized
to Welcome Refugees (POWR) program
sponsored by the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops and administered
through Catholic Charities’ Refugee
Resettlement program. She is also Burmese.
Sarah, along with three Burmese nuns,
help Father Lum run the growing outreach,
which now includes a Burmese Mass every
Sunday at Assumption. And as Father
Lum has worked to help resettle refugees,
Assumption parishioners have pitched in to
help him, volunteering their time with the
children and donating furniture and other
needs of recently arrived families.
Father Fred Parke, pastor of Assumption,
said the church has welcomed the
burgeoning Burmese community with
open arms. In addition to volunteer work
by members, the church has established a
scholarship for Burmese children to attend
school at Assumption and employs some
of the refugees. He recalled a Christmas
party that parishioners threw for the
Burmese refugees. Onstage, they pulled
back the curtains to reveal a stage filled
with bicycles. Father Parke recalled the
amazement on their faces.
“It’s a constant reminder of the
universality of the church,” he said.
Most of Father Lum’s students already
speak two or more languages: a native
dialect, Burmese, and other Asian
languages depending on the camps or
countries to which they fled. They come
from a few different ethnic groups.
“We try to unify them in faith,” Father
Lum said.
English, however, is new to almost all
Burmese refugees. It is but one of the
major barriers they face when it comes to
living their new lives to the fullest.
The practical realities of life in America
– learning the language, getting a driver’s
license, navigating the school system – are
daunting. But many Burmese refugees must
work to overcome spiritual and emotional
wounds as well. Most of them worry for
family members who still live in camps or
in Burma itself, where persecution remains
a concern despite recent positive steps.
Memories of bloodshed, deprivation and
despair are vivid, Father Lum said.
“I know this from personal experience,”
He shared. “They need healing – healing of
spirit, healing of emotion.”
In Northeast Florida, authorities are
resettling Burmese refugees at a higher
rate than refugees from any other country.
The state resettled more than 420
Burmese refugees in 2011, according to
the Department of Children and Families.
Northeast Florida, and in particular
Jacksonville, is a primary resettlement
site for refugees that arrive through the
conventional Department of State system,
according to the department. Over the last
few years, the vast majority of refugees
relocated in Jacksonville have been
Burmese.
Struggling to obtain an education,
work opportunities and transportation,
their presence remains largely invisible
to the wider community. Yet the refugees
have received donations not only from
Assumption Parish, but also from the
parishes of San José, St. Catherine, Holy
Spirit and the Knights of Columbus.
The goal of the POWR program is
to involve 12 parishes in working with
resettled refugees, Sarah said.
The Westside house owned by Father
Lum has become a community center
where a regular group of children and
families gather multiple times per week
to eat and study together. Children
receive religious education and academic
tutoring, while adults learn English and
study for their driver’s licenses – many
with an elementary education at best in
their native language.
Every Saturday, the center becomes a
hive of activity for children and adults
alike. Classes are under way even before
breakfast, with various stations spread
throughout the property. A volunteer
from Assumption teaches hymns to the
children.
They also work to maintain a cultural
heritage, learning to read and write
in Burmese, and recently putting on a
performance in front of a few hundred
people at Assumption Catholic Church.
Father Parke said the Burmese choir is
“phenomenal.”
Studies and chores take up the bulk
of the Saturdays, but there will be time
for fun and fellowship, too. After their
studies, the children race around the
yard playing a game of soccer, inevitably
joined by Ignatius (call him Iggy), the
gentle German shepherd who lives on the
property and dreams of one day scoring
a goal of his own, bringing delight to the
children’s faces.
For Father Lum, the weekly scene is
one of pure joy.
“This is not a human plan,” Father Lum
said. “It is the providence of God.”
If you or your parish would like to volunteer
or donate to help the refugees, contact POWR
Coordinator, Sarah Male at (904) 354-4846,
ext. 268 or email: smale@ccbjax.org.
13
faith
engaged
Nine members from
the diocese traveled to
Indianapolis in July for the
National Black Catholic
Congress. From left, Father
James Boddie, Jr., pastor
of St. Catherine Parish and
chair of the Priest Personnel
Board; Sister of Christian
Community Joan Gabbin,
Gwen Robinson, Walter
Green, Antionette Feliciano,
Ernestine and Ernie Favors.
evangelization in the
Black Catholic community
SCOTT SMITH
by Tom Tracy
ANTIONETTE FELICIANO can recall years ago how different
it felt when she first saw a gathering exclusively for AfricanAmerican Catholics. There were so many other people with similar
backgrounds worshiping at Mass together, and, she thought, most
curious of all perhaps was seeing a Black Catholic priest.
“I have been Catholic all my life but not involved with Black
Catholic ministry because it is not that well known. I saw an item
for a Black Catholic gathering in my church bulletin one Sunday
and I began attending their events to learn more about it,” said
Feliciano.
A self-described cradle-Catholic from New Jersey, and a member
and part of the choir at San José Parish in Jacksonville, Feliciano
14
eventually attended weekend retreats for Black Catholics that led
her to volunteering with the ministry.
“It is like a child leaving the nest seeing other children who not
only look the same but worship the same and it is still home,” she
said of the experience of being together as a group. “It was a sense of
inclusion and all these people looked and worshiped like me.”
Feliciano was among a nine-person delegation from the Diocese
of St. Augustine who traveled to Indianapolis, Ind., in July for the
National Black Catholic Congress assembly.
They went representing Northeast Florida as a local commission,
providing input and bringing home findings and goals of a new
pastoral plan of action for Black Catholic Ministry.
Energized by that national gathering, the
leadership hopes to spread their enthusiasm
for Black Catholic Ministry and for Catholic
evangelization as they seek to invite more
youth and new leaders from more parishes
throughout the diocese.
In general, just one or two parishes in
Jacksonville (St. Pius V and Crucifixion
parishes) are mostly associated with Black
Catholics but there are many more scattered
throughout the diocese.
“We have a small population and with hard
work and evangelization we should be able
to recruit more people,” said Ernie Favors, a
member of Crucifixion Parish and chair of the
Black Catholic Commission for the Diocese
of St. Augustine. He is also a coordinator
for the annual Interfaith Prayer Service in
Commemoration for Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. That event is held in January each year.
Favors came away from the national
gathering in Indianapolis impressed at how
Black Catholic clergy boldly addressed
contemporary social concerns in general
and the moral issues surrounding youth
and families in particular, including a
commitment to uphold Catholic teaching
on the traditional definition of marriage and
family life.
“We need to stand our ground and work
with our youth closely so that, overwhelmed
by society, they don’t take a step in the
wrong direction,” Favors said.
The diocesan commission for Black
Catholics hopes to invite each pastor in the
diocese to find at least one new person to
join their ministry and leadership formation
team among Black Catholics. “Then we will
take a look at how that person can in turn
help out in terms of evangelization.”
Not just limited to the scope of Black
Catholic Ministry, the commission created
a local plan and committee called, “Revive,
Recruit and Retain.”
“We are promoting it to attract fallen away
members and to invite neighboring nonCatholics to join us for activities. We are
trying to grow our parishes at the same time
too,” Favors said.
At the national level, the U.S. Bishops’
subcommittee on African American
Affairs is working to affirm the gifts and
contributions of African American Catholics
and to provide more opportunities for them
to engage in the life of the church – to help
shape its evangelizing mission.
This year, the leadership focused on the
broad issue of the “New Evangelization” with
a major emphasis on identifying new and
maintaining current leadership, promoting
leadership development, and reaching out
to younger Catholics.
They presented the national pastoral
plan of action, valid through 2017, as well
as presenting a first annual Servant of Christ
Award to Father James R. Boddie, Jr. of
St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Orange
Park. The award is in recognition of
creative, self-sacrificing servant-leadership
at the local and national level from the
African American community and at the
recommendation of the local bishop.
The convention challenged the
leadership to seek deeper Christian
commitment among parishioners and
Black Catholics at home, according to
Father Boddie.
“We are looking for young families, and
youth, to ask them to use their tremendous
insights and gifts to share in our parishes
and to bring that forward,” he said. “From
the congress we had young people speak
from different dioceses and they were very
dynamic.
“The goal will be evangelization to the
Black Catholic community and calling them
to a leadership role in their Catholic faith.”
WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
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15
Nurturing
Faithful
Stewards
By Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Each of you should use whatever gift you
have received to serve others, as faithful
stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Peter 4:10
16
Christian stewardship
is often defined
in terms of three
kinds of giving: time,
talent and treasure.
As Catholics who
practice stewardship
observe, each activity
has a tendency to
lead to another – and
ultimately, to a new
way of experiencing
the world.
Sacrificial Giving in Action
Investing time in their parish led Brian
and Suzie Byrne to an epiphany that
changed their lives. “We thought we were
doing what Christians do,” says Brian.
“We were giving and we were involved in
ministries at our parish (Queen of Peace in
Gainesville). But for most of our marriage,
it was about giving whatever was left over.
We were introduced to a different point
of view at a Bible study called Road to
Abundant Life at our church.”
The experience was “transformational,”
he says. “It taught us that everything
belongs to God and we are stewards of
God’s love. After that, we completely
turned the wheel on stewardship.”
For the parents of eight children,
ranging in age from 9 months to 17, tithing
necessitated deep lifestyle changes. “We
cut up our credit cards,” notes Brian. “We
talked about being a slave to debt; how
when you’re in debt, you’re focused on
that. We realized we had to slowly change
the way we live so we could live on what’s
actually in our income.”
The exercise has been a “struggle, but
never a fight,” say the couple. “We’ve
simplified our lives by not prioritizing
wants,” explains Suzie. “The understanding
touches everything, down to basic
essentials. Now we couldn’t fathom not
doing it.”
Their decision is validated, explains
the Byrnes, by the fact that their life after
stewardship is happier. “People used to say
Training for Stewardship
The initiated admit that it can
be difficult to grasp the benefits of
stewardship in the abstract. “It’s like
running,” explains diocesan stewardship
and development director Stanton
Cadow, who is an Ironman triathlete. “If
you never push yourself, you will never
discover what you can get out of it. Until
you experience the benefits, it can sound
like stewardship is all about pain and
sacrifice – whereas in reality, you get a
sense of accomplishment when you are
truly immersed. It brings awareness that
all things are possible through God and
an incredible sense of gratitude for God’s
gifts. It teaches trust, and trusting in God
means a sense of security. It’s hard to
really experience the life God gave you if
you never push it to its limits.”
The Joy Factor
“I believe in stewardship,” says Bob
Shircliff, a retired businessman whose
enthusiasm for philanthropy is well
known – and infectious. “I learned
stewardship from my father, who wanted
to make his community a better place
and taught me to always have other goals
than just being financially successful.
All of the efforts I’ve made to give back
have enriched my life, so of course you
want that for others. My wife Carol feels
the same. I like to say that I’ve never met
an unhappy giver. When people open
their hearts to something they believe
in, it pleases them. This is the essence of
stewardship.”
Bob, a member of St. Matthew Parish
in Jacksonville, observes that stewardship
of treasure tends to go hand in hand with
other kinds of giving back. “People who
Brian and Suzie Byrnes and their eight children
are active members at Queen of Peace Parish in
Gainesville. They have embraced stewardship and
consequently put God at the center of their lives.
SCOTT SMITH
things about how are you going to pay for
college, weddings, etcetera,” says Brian. “It
was like little spears in my heart. It made
me doubt. The biggest, most dramatic,
most incredible difference God has made
in my life is when I realized that I need to
trust.” Suzie speaks to the same kind of
peace. “The benefit for me is turning it all
over to God. I’m not worried. You realize
that what we have right now is what we
need. Our children are benefiting from
the peace we have. We are more involved
than ever in ministries and activities at our
church, in giving back in many ways. We
have God at the center of our lives.”
voluntarily support the things that are
important to them are grateful that God
has given them the ability to do something
to make the world a better place. It opens
your world. Being a Catholic giver brings
you into contact with a lot of nice people
– and they’re never unhappy people. It
reassures you that there are many good
people out there.”
Where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also (Matthew 6:21)
Dave Kulik, a parishioner at Our Lady
Star of the Sea in Ponte Vedra Beach,
echoes Shircliff. “It is so much more
rewarding to participate in causes that my
wife Mary Pat and I support financially,”
says the retired CEO, who describes his
post-retirement job as “husband/father/
grandfather/volunteer.”
Like the Byrnes, the Kuliks were
converts to sacrificial giving. “I now know
the difference between supporting your
religion and charities with regular checks
and making a gift that is truly meaningful
and a significant percentage of your total
assets,” he says. The most significant has
been the St. Vincent Foundation, but we
also stepped up our support of our parish
and other Catholic causes. By giving to
the diocese, we can support the wonderful
problem of increased seminarians and
help our bishop achieve his vision for the
diocese.”
Bob Shircliff sees stewardship of time,
talent and treasure as a force that has
helped shape the church and expanded
its impact. “What a wonderful history we
have as Catholics!” he says. “But we’ve
done a very poor job of educating people
on what good work the church does.
Twenty percent of people in this country
were educated in Catholic schools.
Consider the magnitude of Catholic
Charities and the many ministries of the
church. We educate children, feed the
poor, help the sick and reach out to the
disadvantaged. Who wouldn’t want to be
involved?”
Stewardship makes the work of the
church in our diocese possible, confirms
Stanton Cadow. “The diocese gives an
average of $1 million dollars a year to
Catholic Charities that benefits tens of
thousands of people, many of them not
Catholic. We provide support for 31
seminarians – our future. We help five
Catholic schools that wouldn’t make it
without help. Parishioners who practice
stewardship are automatically participating
in all of this vital work.”
Knowing you’re making a difference
is one of the blessings of stewardship,
according to the Byrnes. “One of the
things we realized is that God is expecting
a lot from us,” notes Brian. “And one of the
gifts He’s given us is our own individual
lives. Stewardship motivates us to try to
make them count.”
17
HOW
WELCOMING
BY LILLA ROSS
18
ARE YOU?
C O V E R
I
t’s the holidays – the season of shopping, baking,
parties and – housecleaning.
Before you put up the tree you have to clean
the cobwebs out of the corner and chase the dust
bunnies that scamper out as you move the furniture
around. Then there’s the guest room to put in order,
the kitchen to clean. Oh, and don’t forget the bathroom.
Company’s coming!
It’s also the season of Advent, the time to prepare for the
coming of the Christ Child, so some spiritual housecleaning
is in order, too. Spending time in prayer and reflection about
the meaning of God taking human form, born in humble
circumstances to a couple far from home, seeking someone
who would welcome them even though they were strangers.
The holidays are the season of hospitality, of welcoming old
friends and strangers. Making everyone feel at home.
And for Catholics, “home” includes the parish.
It’s not enough to set up the nativity, decorate the altar with
poinsettias and rehearse favorite carols. Advent is a prime
opportunity for a parish to look at its hospitality skills, how
well it welcomes people.
And that’s never been Catholics’ strong suit, according to
Richard McCorry, founder of the Center for Parish Hospitality
in Rochester, N.Y.
“We’ve never been good at it,” he said. “It’s true across the
country.”
His theory about why that’s true is twofold: “Some of it is
a hangover from before Vatican II when you went to church
and didn’t talk to anyone. It was about you and the Blessed
Sacrament. The people around you were unnecessary.
“And second, we’ve always had a lot of numbers in our
churches. Recruiting members has never been necessary for
our survival. Now it is more and more necessary.
“We’re losing tons of people to nondenominational
churches, especially mega churches. They do welcoming
very well. It’s not by accident. They have clearly defined
programs about how to make newcomers feel welcome and
incorporating them into their communities.”
McCorry said he has visited hundreds of parishes in his
travels around the country helping churches become more
hospitable.
“My most common experience is feeling invisible,” he said.
Too often, a visitor to a parish can attend Mass and not
speak to another person, sometimes, not even make eye
contact.
“If I walk into a church and I’m greeted by a greeter, that’s
nice,” McCorry said. “If I’m greeted by the person next to me
in the pew, that’s a ‘wow!’ experience.”
THE BENEFITS
Creating a culture of hospitality in a parish takes time,
McCorry said. It involves getting parishioners to understand
that welcoming is everyone’s responsibility.
S T O R Y
Hospitality isn’t just about being polite. It is the first step in
evangelization, which is the responsibility of every Catholic. It
begins with “Hi,” but it doesn’t end there.
Chatting with a visitor might end up changing their lives.
Unless you reach out to them, you don’t know what is going
on in their life and what brought them to church.
They might be an inactive Catholic trying to reconnect,
someone going through a crisis or a young couple trying to
establish a good foundation for their family life.
Hospitality also is a form of stewardship, of using your
talents. The Diocese of Brooklyn evaluated the success of six
parishes’ efforts to improve their hospitality.
“The collections increased significantly in those parishes
that were more welcoming. In one parish the increase was
70 percent over a year,” McCorry said. “It sort of makes
sense. The dollars will follow when new people are being
incorporated.”
And parishioners gain a new sense of ownership of the
parish and become more active.
“As long as there was a sustained effort, it yielded some
results,” McCorry said. “Those who didn’t apply it, showed no
changes.”
THE PROCESS
How a parish develops its culture of hospitality will vary
from church to church. McCorry explains it in detail in his
book, Company’s Coming: A Spiritual Process for Creating More
Welcoming Parishes.
Typically it begins when the pastor brings together a team
with a commitment to spend a year or more developing a
culture of hospitality in the parish.
“The team begins to pray and try to discern God’s will for
the parish in terms of hospitality,” he said. They might study
and meditate on the scripture related to hospitality.
For instance, “For I was hungry and you gave me food.
I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you
welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.”
(I Peter 4:9)
Or, they might study some of the documents from the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops that mention hospitality.
Then the team does an assessment of reality. How
welcoming is this parish?”
McCorry recommends doing this in three steps:
• Have a visitor from outside the parish come to all the
weekend Masses and give them feedback about how
they felt. Did they feel welcome or unwelcome?
• Have active parishioners answer a questionnaire about
hospitality in the parish.
• Interview a small group of active parishioners for more
detailed answers from the survey.
With this information in hand, the team returns to
prayerful consideration of what the parish can do. The team
19
comes up with a plan that is shared with the
parish.
“There is not a one-size-fits-all program
for hospitality,” McCorry said. Some of the
elements of the plan might include:
• How to motivate parishioners to be more
welcoming.
• How to create access points to attract new
members such as support groups, musical
events and sports programs.
• How to follow up with visitors to help
them connect with the parish. Peer-topeer connections are the most effective.
Implementing the plan requires
opportunities for reflection for the parish to
consider what kind of first impression it makes
on visitors, McCorry said. Just scooting down
a pew, so someone doesn’t have to crawl over
you can speak volumes.
Another issue some parishes might have to
address is cliques. They make it very difficult
for newcomers to find their place in the parish.
McCorry recommends that the pastor
implement the Three-Minute Rule. The first
few minutes after Mass are when people
seek out their friends. Make it a rule that
parishioners spend the first three minutes
talking with someone they don’t know.
The timing of the follow-up also is critical,
he said. “It needs to be in close proximity to the
first contact. Once you’ve identified a visitor,
you need to follow up with them in a day or
two – longer than that is not effective.
“A number of parishes have a coupon in
the bulletin for people to fill out with contact
information. During a visit to one church, I put
the coupon in the basket and by 2 p.m. that
afternoon, I received a call from the pastor,”
McCorry said. “That blew me away.
“I did exactly the same thing at another
church and two weeks went by and I got
a letter from that church. And what did it
contain? Envelopes! That is so counter to
hospitality. I threw it away.”
McCorry said. “But the best welcoming
committee is the entire parish.”
RESOURCES
United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB) documents:
Our Hearts Were Burning Within
Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult
Formation
Stewardship: A Disciple’s
Response
Welcoming the Stranger Among
Us: Unity in Diversity
Go and Make Disciples: A National
Plan and Strategy for Catholic
Evangelization in the United States
SEIZE THE MOMENT
Christmas is an ideal time for parishes to
practice hospitality. People, who haven’t been
active in church for a long time, often feel the
tug of nativity pageants, Christmas carols and
midnight Mass. And who doesn’t love a cookie
exchange.
Hospitality can’t be left to a committee of
greeters. It is a spiritual practice with a long
tradition in scripture. And it is essential for the
future of the church.
“Creating a culture of hospitality in a parish
will require a change in belief and practice,”
Company’s Coming: A Spiritual
Process for Creating More
Welcoming Parishes by Richard
McCorry
Website
www.catholicghospitality.com
Video
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21
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
A Sense of Urgency
When we think about Jesus’ family, we think of Mary and
Joseph, but we sometimes forget about his other relatives –
his mother’s cousin, Elizabeth, her husband, Zechariah and
their son, John.
They apparently were close. When Mary discovered she was pregnant,
she confided in Elizabeth, who had news of her own to share. She was
pregnant, too, even though she was past her childbearing years.
And both families had heard the news from the Angel Gabriel.
Zechariah was carrying out his duties as a priest when Gabriel told him
that his elderly wife was carrying a child, a son, to be named John, who
would have a special mission. The old man was struck deaf and dumb at
the prospect.
Poor, Elizabeth, she was facing such a momentous event, but she
couldn’t talk it over with her husband. No doubt she was especially
22
happy to see Mary. Did they have any inkling that their sons
would live such public lives, touching so many people, and die
horrible deaths?
Luke says that when he was still in the womb John
recognized that Jesus was special. Elizabeth cries out: “For at
the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the
infant in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:44)
John was six months older than Jesus. Like Jesus, John
escaped, King Herod’s murderous order to wipe out male
infants who might grow up to challenge his rule.
John and Jesus were cousins but were they friends? Did they
play the first century version of cowboys and Indians, or when
they were older did they spend time together in the desert
praying and fasting.
The next we hear of John, he is a wild, fiery figure preaching
in the desert. It is possible John had become one of the Jewish
monks known as Essenes.
Scripture says he lived an austere life, subsisting on little but
prayer and the sense of urgency that the Messiah was coming
– soon.
People from all around came to hear John preach. He spared
no one. He called out the most prominent people of their day,
King Herod and his family, accusing them of adultery and
incest, especially the promiscuous Herodias.
No doubt he drew gawkers, who came for the show, to see
what the crazy man would say next. Others thought he might
be the Prophet Elijah returned to Earth to announce the arrival
of the Messiah – or perhaps the Messiah himself.
No, John said, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert,’
Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:23)
Some were humbled by his words and showed their
conversion by being washed, baptized by John, in the River
Jordan.
One day John looked up to see Jesus in the crowd, coming
forward to be baptized. John refused; Jesus insisted.
Had John known all along, or did he, in that moment,
recognize Jesus, his cousin, perhaps his childhood playmate, as
the Messiah?
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
Test Your Biblical Knowledge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who told Mary she was pregnant?
Who did Mary confide she was pregnant?
Which gospel says Jesus was born Dec. 25?
Which two gospels don’t mention Jesus’ birth at all?
If Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, why were they in Bethlehem for
the birth?
6. When the wise men arrived in the Holy Land, whom did they see first?
7. Where did Joseph take Mary and baby Jesus for safety?
8. Who was struck speechless when he found out he was going to have
a son?
9. In what gospel do we find some of the verses of the Hail Mary?
10. What is the first thing angels say to people?
1. Angel Gabriel 2. Elizabeth 3. None 4. Mark and John 5. For the census 6. King Herod 7. Egypt
8. Zechariah 9. Luke 1:42-43 10. Be not afraid
SPECIAL
characters of faith
SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
to
When we need faith during hard times
– pray the words of Dag Hammarskjold
(Secretary General of the United
Nations, 1961) in his book Markings:
“Grant Lord that I may recognize that it
is you who are painfully separating the
layers of my being able to fill them with
yourself.”
world,” (John 1:29) John told his followers,
instructing them that it is Jesus they are to
follow, not him.
From that day on John’s mission shifted
focus. Now it was all about Jesus. “He must
increase; I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
But the damage was done. John was a
marked man. He had humiliated King Herod
once too often. The king had him arrested.
And then it seems that John’s faith in Jesus
might have waivered. He sent his disciples
to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to
come, or should we expect someone else?”
(Matthew 11:3)
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to
John what you hear and see: The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have
leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, and the good news is proclaimed
to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not
stumble on account of me.” (Matthew 11:4)
At a party to celebrate King Herod’s
birthday, the seductively beautiful Salome
danced for the king. In a drunken
moment of lust and largesse, Herod said,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I
will grant it to you … even to half my
kingdom.” (Mark 6:22-23).
Salome’s mother, Herodias, saw her
chance for revenge, and tells her to ask
for the head of John the Baptist. Herod
delivered.
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “among those
born of women there has not risen anyone
greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11)
RESOURCES
Questions & Answers on John:
www.catholic.com
BISHOP FELIPE J. ESTÉVEZ invites you to experience our rich
and diverse Catholic community at the 2013 Eucharistic Congress.
Speakers include:
Cardinal
Donald Wuerl
Ralph Martin
Randy Raus
Dana
Father Glenn
Sudano, CFR
For details on the Eucharistic Congress, visit www.dosafl.com/congress
@dosaCatholics
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9:10 AM
Catholic
Put a little
in your Christmas
By Lilla Ross
Christmas is a holiday of traditions that
seem to get more and more commercial
every year. But they don’t have to be. Here
are a few Catholic Christmas traditions.
They provide a wonderful opportunity
for family time, making decorations and
gathering for a devotional focusing on the
spiritual meaning of Christmas.
Advent Wreath
An Advent wreath is a circle of evergreens
with three purple candles, representing
penance, a rose candle, representing joy, and
a white candle, symbolizing Christ.
On the First Sunday of Advent, the first
purple candle is lit, accompanied by a prayer
and scripture reading. The second Sunday
two purple candles are lit; the third Sunday,
two purple and the rose; and all candles are
lit on the fourth Sunday. On Christmas the
white candle is lit.
The wreath can be lit at meal times or
during a family devotional.
Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree is decorated each day of
Advent with a symbol representing the plan
of salvation that culminates in Jesus, starting
with the creation.
The name of the tree comes from Isaiah
11:1, “Then a shoot will spring from the
stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots
will bear fruit.” Jesus was a descendant of
King David, whose father was Jesse.
Think of it as Jesus’ family tree. The
symbols can include things like the Star of
David, the Burning Bush, a lamb, a dove, an
ark or rainbow. Visit www.CatholicCulture.
org and enter Jesse Tree in the search bar
for instructions on how to make ornaments,
cookies, tree ornaments, prayer services and
scriptures that can be read each day when
an ornament is put on the tree.
Rosary
During Advent, the Joyful Mysteries of the
rosary have special meaning because they
can be used to meditate on the mystery of
the Incarnation. The Joyful Mysteries are:
The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
The Nativity (Matthew 2:1-16)
The Presentation (Luke 2:22-40)
Finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)
“To meditate upon the joyful mysteries
is to enter into the ultimate causes and
24
the deepest meaning of Christian joy. It
is to focus on the realism of the mystery
of the Incarnation and on the obscure
foreshadowing of the mystery of the
saving Passion. Mary leads us to discover
the secret of Christian joy, reminding us
that Christianity is, first and foremost,
evangelization, ‘good news’, which has as
its heart and its whole content the person of
Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the one
Savior of the world.” - Pope John Paul II
Magnificat
A perfect devotion during Advent is
reciting the Magnificat, the Song of Mary
found in the gospel of Luke. It is Mary’s
response to the news that she was carrying
the Savior.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has
looked with favor on His lowly servant. From
this day all generations shall call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me, and
holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who
fear Him in every generation. He has shown
the strength of His arm, He has scattered the
proud in their conceit. He has cast down the
mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the
lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty. He has
come to the help of His servant Israel for He has
remembered His promise of mercy, the promise
He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his
children forever. Amen
Novena
The Christmas Novena is prayed 15 times
every day from the Feast of St. Andrew the
Apostle (Nov. 30) until Christmas. It also
is called the Christmas Anticipation Prayer,
sort of a spiritual Christmas list, because it
asks the Father to grant the desires of our
heart.
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born of the most
pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in
piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God,
to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through
the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His
Blessed Mother. Amen.
Scriptural Advent Calendar
Never heard of this one? We just thought
of it ourselves. 'Like Us' on Facebook –
Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine (official)
– and every day in Advent you will receive
a scripture reading, sort of a digital Advent
calendar.
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DON BURK
vocations update
bishop, who suggested that he continue to discern his vocation
while teaching. In a matter of weeks he found himself moving to
Michigan, where he became dean of students and a teacher at a
Catholic high school.
In 2008, after much prayer and reflection and having decided
that he would probably never fulfill his vocation to the priesthood,
he discovered that St. Luke Parish in Middleburg was in need of a
director of religious education.
“I met with Father [Ed] Rooney and immediately liked him and
the parish,” Gaynes said.
“I felt good about it. As soon as I came here, it was like being
at home. I really felt a strong sense of belonging in the parish
community and in the diocese.
“Father Rooney and the parishioners of St. Luke’s became
instruments of love in the hand of God, calling me again to
consider the priesthood,” he said. This time it was clear he was
being called to serve as a diocesan priest.
Even though he had completed the necessary education and
several years in seminary, under canon law because he was
seeking ordination in a new diocese after a break of several years,
he needed to spend more time in seminary, and was sent to St.
Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla. by
Bishop Victor Galeone.
While at seminary he also got some “real world” experience as
a chaplain intern with the Palm County Sheriff’s Office, helping
officers deal with the stresses of the job and family. Riding a weekly
12-hour shift with the officers was an enormous blessing and a
great experience, he said.
He also worked with Alzheimer’s patients, where he
BLAIR GAYNES’ JOURNEY TO THE PRIESTHOOD
experienced “the ministry of presence, to be the presence of
Christ.
“They can’t always communicate with you but they
understand your presence,” he said. “You can be with them in a
loving and caring way.”
BY LILLA ROSS
Since being ordained a transitional deacon and leaving the
seminary last spring, he has been working in campus ministry
Blair Gaynes is getting an early birthday present this year – he’s with the Catholic Ospreys at the University of North Florida and
being ordained to the priesthood. It’s the culmination of about the Catholic Dolphins at Jacksonville University.
25 years of discernment that he says started even before he
“I’ve been able to research various approaches to campus
became a Catholic. “It’s a long story of the power of God,”
ministry, and blessed to bring this knowledge and my
previous experience with youth to discussions about how
Gaynes said.
we can better meet the needs of college students and young
adults in the diocese.
It began with a conversion experience when he was 24. Almost
“I got to Florida by the hand of God,” he said. “It’s been an
immediately he felt called to ministry, he said. “I petitioned God nonstop to
amazing few years. When I was a DRE at St. Luke’s, I never had
explain to me what I should do, and he did; in a very powerful way.
a bad day at work. It’s four years later and I still haven’t had a bad
“At the time, I thought of denominations as family surnames. I was an
day. It’s the right place for me to be.”
orphan looking for a spiritual family and I asked God to help me know who
On Dec. 22 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, Bishop
my spiritual family is.” He felt called to the Catholic Church and went through
Felipe Estévez will ordain him. A week later he celebrates his
the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
50th birthday.
Gaynes went on to spend three years working with and in formation for
“It’s going to be a great month!” Gaynes said. “I will finally be
the Jesuits as well as studies and formation to become a diocesan priest, but
a priest for the people of God, my incredibly supportive family
he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be a diocesan priest or to enter a
will be here to share the joy, and then it’s Christmas! Awesome,
religious order, so he delayed his ordination.
just totally awesome!”
As he left formation he sought advice and spiritual counsel from his
Called to Serve
26
CELEBRATED OCT. 11, 2012 TO NOV. 24, 2013
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Year of Faith Opens Worldwide National Blue
Bishop greets people after the Vespers service at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine where he
officially launched a Year of Faith for the diocese.
SPECIAL
Bishop Felipe J. Estévez ushered in the
year of faith Oct. 11 with Solemn Vespers
at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.
The beginning of the Year of Faith
coincided with the 50th anniversary of
the Second Vatican Council. During the
year, Pope Benedict XVI is calling on all
Catholics to renew their commitment
to the church and to deepen their
understanding of their faith.
In his homily, Father Terry Morgan,
parochial vicar of the Cathedral Basilica,
recalled the joy with which Pope John
XXIII convened the council, which
brought a renewal of liturgy and mission at
Father Terry Morgon
a time when the world and the church was
undergoing a crisis of faith.
And the crisis of faith continues.
“We have been losing faith in
government, in the integrity of the
business world, in the institutions that
were the ‘glue’ that keeps our society
together like the family, the community,
even church. We have been losing faith …
in God himself.”
And that is why the pope declared the
Year of Faith.
In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei (Door
of Faith), Benedict wrote:
“In a word, a world that has lost faith
cries out to have that faith restored. And
THE Word, Jesus Christ, the Risen One, is
God’s faithful witness, is witness of God’s
own great unshakeable faithfulness.”
The prayer for the Year of Faith is the
Nicene Creed, which every Catholic
knows but which the pope wants every
Catholic to re-examine and embrace anew,
Father Morgan said.
Throughout the year, Catholics in the
diocese will have many opportunities
to study the catechism and the Vatican
II documents and to participate in
liturgies and devotions, including plenary
indulgences.
More information is available on the
homepage of the diocesan website at www.
dosafl.com/yearoffaith.
Congratulations to Holy Family Catholic
School for being identified by the U.S.
Department of Education as a 2012 National
Blue Ribbon School. Holy Family is one of two
schools in Florida to receive the Blue Ribbon
designation this year.
“As the sixth school in our diocese to achieve
this honor, I thank Rosemary Nowotny and
her teachers for their dedication to provide such
an exemplary learning experience for their
students,” said Pat Bronsard, superintendent of
Catholic Schools.
Of particular note is Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan’s comment about the recipients
of the Blue Ribbon award this year. He said,
“Our nation has no greater responsibility
than helping all children realize their full
potential.” “Schools honored with the National
Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed
to accelerating student achievement and
preparing students for success in college and
careers. Their work reflects the conviction that
every child has promise and that education is
the surest pathway to a strong, secure future,”
said Duncan.
Principal Nowotny and Assistant Principal
Jeanine Dineen will travel to Washington D.C.
Nov. 12 to accept the award. The school will
celebrate their achievement throughout the
year including the Fall Festival on Nov. 16 and
a morning assembly with honored guests on
Nov. 19 at 7:50 a.m.
Father Tim Cusick and Principal Rosemary
Nowotny celebrate their Blue Ribbon status!
SPECIAL
DON BURK
Ribbon School
27
around the diocese
Mark Your Calendars!
OCTOBER 11
Our Lady of La Leche Feast Day
On Saturday, Nov. 17, married couples who
are celebrating their 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th,
45th, 50th or greater are invited to renew
their wedding vows at the Anniversary Mass
celebrated by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez at St.
Matthew Catholic Church in Jacksonville. This
nuptial ceremony is dedicated to celebrating
the beauty and dignity of married life and
the fulfillment of wedding vows. The Mass
begins at 1 p.m. followed by a reception. To
register by Nov. 13, visit the Diocesan Center
for Family Life website at www.dcfl.org or call
(904) 308-7474.
SCOTT SMITH
Married Couples Renew their Vows
The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche Chapel and
the statue of the nursing mother inside in St.
Augustine. The Spanish built the first Marian
Shrine in the land in the late 1500s, a devotion
that continues today.
In 2011, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez began his
quest for Vatican approval of an official feast
day in honor of Our Lady of La Leche for the
Diocese of St. Augustine. On Oct. 11, the same
day as the opening of the Year of Faith, Bishop
Estévez celebrated the first official feast day
Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.
Afterward, Bishop Estévez reflected on his
efforts that began “immediately” after he arrived
in St. Augustine.
“I saw it as significant to have this recognition
because many in our parishes are not aware of
her significance,” Bishop Estévez said.
The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche located
on the grounds of Mission of Nombre de
Dios has welcomed many husbands and
wives seeking “the gift of a child” and they are
“witnesses to her powerful intercession,” he
said. She also intercedes for and comforts those
afflicted with breast cancer, he added.
The next step is to help our laity become
better acquainted with Our Lady of La Leche,
whose devotion in St. Augustine began in
1574 by Native Americans. The Shrine of Our
Lady of La Leche is the oldest Marian shrine in
today’s United States.
“As we move to the shrine to express our love
for her, I also would hope that throughout our
parishes we will have images of Our Lady of
La Leche (as with other statues),” said Bishop
Estévez.
SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH
Interfaith Prayer Service Commemorates
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The annual Interfaith Prayer Service in
commemoration of the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. is planned for Sunday, Jan. 13 at St.
Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville. The
Edward Waters College Concert Choir will
perform at 2:30 p.m. with the prayer service
beginning at 3 p.m. This year’s prayer service
will feature young people from the community
with speakers from Baptist, Catholic, Jewish,
Islamic and Methodist faiths. A reception
will follow the program and the public is
encouraged to attend. To learn more, email
Ernie Favors at favorse@aol.com.
.
28
CAMILLE "SISSY" CRABTREE HORN
DANIEL M. SILVA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Celebrating Milestones
Since 1866, the
Sisters of St. Joseph
have been serving
the needs of the dear
neighbor in Florida.
Bishop Augustin Verot,
the first bishop of St.
Augustine, invited the
sisters from Le Puy,
France to minister
to the needs of the
Celebrating 320 years of combined service are Sisters Mary Elise Kennedy,
from left, front row, Elizabeth Marie Stoup, Bishop John Snyder, Sisters Mary
newly freed slaves and
Victor Azar and Carol Wells. From left, back row, are Sisters Bernard Joseph
their children in the
Palmer and Charlotte Tremoulet. Not pictured is Sister Agnes Rita Huber.
post-Civil War South.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine,
Today they continue to serve the diverse needs
on Oct. 13, celebrated a special Mass at the
of the community by living and working in
Cathedral Basilica for the Jubilee sisters who collaboration with others to bring union and
have reached milestones in their consecrated reconciliation to the world. To learn more
lives. Bishop John J. Snyder celebrated a Mass about the Sisters of St. Joseph celebrating
in honor of the six sisters who celebrated
jubilees, visit the diocesan website at www.
Jubilees of 60 and 50 years.
dosafl.com and click on the “News” tab.
around the diocese
MOST HOLY REDEEMER PARISH
Celebrating 50th Anniversary
living on Jacksonville’s Westside. In 1963,
Father McHugh and about 70 volunteers
began a building fund to raise money for
a new parish. Their goal was to raise at
least $50,000. Father Francis M. Mouch,
the newly appointed administrator, broke
ground for the church on Palm Sunday,
March 22, 1964.
In 1973 the religious education building
(which is now the parish hall) and the
rectory were completed. Between 2000
and 2001 Most Holy Redeemer built a
new church under the loving leadership of
Father Tom Willis and parishioners.
The former historical church now
serves as the religious education building
and is also known as Angels Hall, due
to the angel statues in the
entryway.
The 50th anniversary
celebration brought many
parishioners, old and
new, from all over Florida.
Father Lozier said that even
parishioners from many
years ago who had moved
Father Tim Lozier, pastor, addresses the parishioners and guests
gathered for Most Holy Redeemer’s 50th anniversary. Behind him,
out of town returned to
from left, Fathers Luke McLoughlin, Ed Booth, Bishop Emeritus John
celebrate the founding of
Snyder, Deacon Jack Baker and Bishop Felipe Estévez.
their former parish.
THE APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA MINISTRY
Making Christmas Baskets for Seafarers
The Apostleship of the Sea Ministry is
asking people in the community to donate
items for Christmas baskets for seafarers who
come to the two Jacksonville ports during the
holidays.
Items in most need for the baskets
are basics, such as: men’s toiletry items,
tooth paste, tooth brushes, soap, T-shirts,
socks, underwear, new shoes or sneakers. Or
you may send money to the Apostleship of
the Sea Ministry, c/o Catholic Charities, 134
East Church Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
Checks should be made out to Apostleship of
the Sea.
Please bring all items to Catholic Charities
at the address above and marked: Apostleship
of the Sea by Dec. 14. If you have a large
Bishop Felipe J. Estévez has made
the following priest appointments:
Msgr. Vincent Haut – appointed as first
Vicar for International Priests, effective
Oct. 1, 2012. He will continue his current
assignment as Pastor of Blessed Trinity
Parish, Jacksonville.
Father Jeffrey Johnston – appointed
as interim Administrator, St. Ambrose
Parish, Elkton, effective Oct. 15, 2012.
Father Timothy Lindenfelser – from
Pastor, St. Ambrose Parish, Elkton to St.
Anastasia Parish, St. Augustine. He will
retain the Office of Judicial Vicar, but
relinquishes the position of Director of
Catholic Cemeteries, effective Oct. 15,
2012.
Father Matthew Maniangattu – from
ministry in the Diocese of Orlando to
Parochial Vicar, Holy Family Parish,
Jacksonville, effective Sept. 8, 2012.
SCOTT SMITH
DON BURK
On Sept. 15, Most Holy Redeemer Parish
celebrated its 50th anniversary. Bishop
Felipe J. Estévez celebrated the milestone
Mass, which was followed by a potluck
reception and warm fellowship. Joining
the celebration was Bishop Emeritus John
J. Snyder and former pastors Fathers Luke
McLoughlin and Ed Booth.
“Our greatest gift is being an especially
warm and welcoming parish,” said
Father Tim Lozier, who has been the
pastor since 2008. “That and all the great
Filipino food and traditions!”
The parish has a long and inspiring
history. It was originally founded in
1962 by Father Thaddeus P. McHugh as
a mission church for the Catholic flock
Priest Appointments
Father D. Terrence Morgan – from Pastor,
number of items and need to arrange to have
them picked up, please call Catholic Charities
at (904) 354-4846, ext. 269.
Your kindness will make such a difference
to these men who are far away from home
during the holidays.
St. Anastasia Parish, St. Augustine to
Parochial Vicar, Cathedral Basilica of St.
Augustine, effective Oct. 15, 2012.
Father Steven Zehler – from Parochial
Vicar, Holy Family Parish, Jacksonville
to Administrator, Resurrection Parish,
Jacksonville, effective Sept. 8, 2012.
29
calendar
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Nov. 3
Catholic Charities 9th Annual Festival
d’ Vine Fundraiser – Saturday, 6:30-9:30
p.m., Treaty Oak Park, Jacksonville. Cost:
$75. Don’t miss this annual wine-tasting
event! Enjoy outstanding wines and
superb food samples from popular area
restaurants. For details, call (904) 354-4846,
ext. 227 or visit www.ccbjax.org.
MANDARIN CHAPEL
11801 San Jose Blvd.
904-288-0025
fax 904-288-5694
www.DignityMemorial.com
Join the Filipino Catholic community for
Simbang Gabi – A nine-day personal
and spiritual journey for Advent.
Services begin at 7 p.m. each evening:
Dec. 15 Holy Spirit, Jacksonville
Dec. 16 Mary, Queen of Heaven,
Jacksonville
Dec. 17 St. John the Baptist,
Atlantic Beach
Dec. 18 St. Joseph Historic Church,
Jacksonville
Dec. 19 Assumption, Jacksonville
Dec. 20 Blessed Trinity, Jacksonville
Dec. 21 Holy Family, Jacksonville
Dec. 22 St. Patrick, Jacksonville
Dec. 23 Most Holy Redeemer,
Jacksonville
Nov. 10
Women’s Help Center Walk for Life
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. at Prince of Peace
Parish, Jacksonville. Two-mile walk to raise
funds for Women’s Help Center. Call (904)
398-5143 or email achrsitus@whcjax.com
Nov. 11
Justice Café
Sunday, noon at St. Catherine Parish,
Orange Park. Open to young adults 18-25
and includes program, lunch and Mass.
Call Rudie Gillette at (904) 316-8630.
Nov. 17-18
Vocation Discernment Retreat
Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
St. Vincent’s Spirituality Center,
Jacksonville. Several religious communities
will be represented. Call Sister Virginia
Ann Brooks at (904) 308-4461 or email
sistervirginiaann.brok@doc.org.
Nov. 24
Hispanic Charismatic Renewal 30th
Anniversary Celebration – Saturday,
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., St. Catherine Parish,
Orange Park. Speakers: Fathers Dario
Betancourt of N.Y. and Rodolfo Godinez.
Cost: $15. Call (904) 772-0870.
Nov. 27-29
Discernment of Spirits: A series of talks
by Oblate Father Timothy Gallagher –
Monday-Thursday, 7-9 p.m. each night,
St. Augustine Parish, Gainesville. Call
Kathy Schuster at (352) 372-3533 or email
schusterkath@gmail.com.
Nov. 30-Dec. 2
Eucharistic Retreat for Young Adults –
“Open Wide the Door of Faith” for Year of
Faith. Friday-Sunday, Marywood Retreat
Center, St. Johns. Ages 21-39.
Cost: $115/includes meals,
accommodations. To register, email:
youngadultretreat@yahoo.com
For more information, call
Alba Orozco at (904) 353-3243 or
email: amorozco@ccbjax.org.
30
Dec. 1
Annual Scout Retreat
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Camp
Echockotee, Orange Park. For all scouts
and their families. Call (904) 262-3200, ext.
112 or email yministry@dosafl.com.
Dec. 1-2
DOSA Christmas Family Campout
At Camp St. John, St. Johns. Cost: $50.
Help raise funds for DOSA Camps. Call
Rebecca Aleman at (904) 230-7447 or email
raleman@ccbjax.org.
Dec. 1
Simple Chants for Advent & Christmas
Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m., SSJ Villa-Flora
Brown Hall Renewal Center, St. Augustine.
Leader: Mary Jane Ballou. Cost: $15. Call
(904) 824-1752 or visit www.ssjfl.org.
Dec. 2
Year of Faith Mass Celebrated by the
Bishops of Florida – Sunday, 5 p.m. at
the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.
For details, call (904) 824-2806.
Dec. 7-9
Advent Retreat – God’s Thirst for Us
Leader: Cenacle Sister Annette Mattle,
Marywood Retreat Center, St. Johns.
Call (904) 287-2525 or visit
www.marywoodcenter.org
Dec. 9
Justice Café
Sunday, 11 a.m., St. Luke Parish,
Middleburg. Open to young adults 18-25
and includes program, lunch and Mass.
Call Kyle Stuard at (904) 707-9935.
Dec. 14-16
DOSA Mini-Camp
Friday-Sunday, Camp St. John.
For an application, call Rebecca
Aleman at (904) 230-7447 or visit
www.dosacamps.com
Dec. 15
2nd Annual Christmas in Old St.
Augustine – Saturday, 6-9 p.m.,
Mission Nombre de Dios, St. Augustine.
Cost: Free. Call (877) 352-4478 or email
info@floridalivinghistory.org.
FOR MORE DIOCESAN, PARISH
AND ORGANIZATIONAL EVENTS,
visit www.dosafl.com/events
VICKI JOINER BOWERS, PA
ELDER LAW ATTORNEYS
Protect Your Present
Orchestrate Your Future
Planning now may avoid unintended results in the future.
Vicki Bowers is certified in Elder Law
by the Florida Bar Board of Legal
Specialization and Education, and by
the National Elder Law Foundation.
She is also accredited by Veterans
Administration. At Vicki Joiner Bowers,
PA, our staff understands the confusion
many clients feel when faced with
deteriorating health of themselves or
their loved one and shrinking finances.
Fear of losing one’s home and lifestyle is
understandable. We are able to help our
clients maintain control over their present
while preparing for their future. Our
commitment to you is: Understanding,
Compassion, Patience & Professionalism.
• Elder Law
• Wills & Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Advance Directives
• Pet Trusts
• Probate
• Guardianship
• Long Term Care Planning
• Medicaid Planning
• VA Planning
• Nursing Home Placement
& Discharge Issues
Attending to the legal issues of the elderly and disabled is both our
mission and our passion. Please let us know how we may be of service to
you.
Vicki J. Bowers, Esq.
4540 Southside Blvd, Suite 603 • Jacksonville, FL 32216
904.998.0724
www.BowersElderLaw.com
vbowers@BowersElderLaw.com
QUINTESSENTIAL
THE ULTIMATE IN RETIREMENT LIVING
Live the ultimate retirement lifestyle in the perfect
location. Whether you want to relax or keep busy,
we offer choices that will exceed your expectation.
Vicar’s Landing and Glenmoor both offer gracious
apartment and cottage living, superior services and
amenities, all with the added security and peace of
mind that comes with having a full continuum of
health care on-site, should it ever be needed.
Call to schedule a personal tour of one of these
superior retirement communities.
VICAR’S LANDING
GLENMOOR
WWW.VICARSLANDING.COM | 904.285.6000
WWW.GLENMOOR .COM | 904.940.4800
catholic
St. Augustine
The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine
11625 Old St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL 32258-2060
www.dosafl.com
www.staugcatholic.org
Mail Call!
Contact us if you
don’t want to receive this
magazine. Call (904) 262-0697.
Even if you have called us
before, we need to hear from
you again to improve our
mailing system!
St. Compassion
Critical care nurse Patsy Roxas made sure one patient got
to say goodbye to his three dogs. His pets were not allowed
inside the hospital so Patsy arranged a special outdoor reunion between the
man and his best friends. After the emotional gathering, his end-of-life
care lasted longer than expected. Giving her patient more time with
his dogs gave his family a little more time with him. Patsy may not be an
actual saint, but to one family and a few dogs, she came pretty close.
Above. Beyond. Because.
F o r m o r e o n h o w S t . V i n c e n t ’s H e a l t h C a r e g o e s a b o v e a n d b e y o n d , v i s i t j a x h e a l t h . c o m

HOW ARE YOU? - Center for Parish Hospitality

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