DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU

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1 Inside this issue Annual pastoral appointments pp. 2-3 State soccer: Lady Bulldogs triumph over Lady Irish p. 5 The Mirr r Vol. LIII, No. 4 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI June 9, 2017 One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus RCIA unwrapped, p. 8 Our Lady of Fatima, part II p On the Web DioSCG.org Catholic Charities continues to serve flood victims Annual St. Mary s Chicken Dinner, West Plains The Mirror Due to unforeseen production issues, this edition of The Mirror went to press late. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience: Thank you! The next issue of The Mirror will be June 23, Experiencing delayed USPS delivery? Sign up to receive the diocesan newspaper via in digital format: Contact Angie Toben at (417) , or atoben@dioscg.org. Remember that the life of following Jesus rarely looks like the life we plan for ourselves: be ready to say yes to the unexpected. By J.B. Kelly Springfield Bishop Edward M. Rice celebrated the Rite of Ordination of Brian J. Straus to the Sacred Order of Deacon on Friday evening, May 19, in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. Hundreds of family, friends, and faithful were in attendance, including many diocesan priests and permanent deacons who participated in the liturgy. The Mirror interviews Rev. Mr. Brian Straus: TM: First, tell us a little bit about your upbringing/family life in a Catholic home. Rev. Mr. Straus: My family has always been Catholic and faithfully attended Mass in our home parish of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Springfield). We always shared family prayer at meals, at night, and praying the rosary. I m grateful for the environment of prayer and devotion I had at home, and in the Parish School of Religion classes I benefitted from while attending public school. However, my faith took on a more personal and vibrant character through The Happening Retreat for high-schoolers that I attended at Immaculate Conception in Springfield. This experience sparked my personal and intellectual relationship with God in my life, and prepared me to grow deeper in my faith in college. TM: When did you first have an inkling you were called to the priesthood? Rev. Mr. Straus: I first thought about the priesthood when I was a freshman in college at the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla. I felt a very strong Brian Straus ordained deacon ELECTION BY THE BISHOP After Brian Straus was presented for ordination as a deacon on May 19 by Fr. J. Friedel, he was accepted by Bp. Edward M. Rice and all present in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield, including Bishop Emeritus John J. Leibrecht (background). (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror) calling. I had been growing deeper in my faith at the campus Newman Center, and I found the thought of seminary and priesthood attractive. But in discernment with my pastor and with my vocation director, Fr. J. Friedel, I realized the time was not right to enter seminary yet: God wanted me to keep discerning. I kept listening for the calling from God through my college years, and after working for a year, I recognized it was time to answer the call and follow God into the seminary. [Editor s Note: Straus graduated in 2010 with a bachelor s degree in Engineering; he entered Pre-Theology at Kenrick- Glennon Seminary, St. Louis, in 2012.] TM: What has most benefited you while in seminary formation and studies? Rev. Mr. Straus: First of all, there s the environment in seminary of committed prayer in the seminary, which helped me incorporate silence and meditation into my life. I didn t know what I was missing until I began to experience this structure in seminary. This has been foundational for truly listening for God s will and living in fruitful relationship with Him day-to-day. I began to realize that every Christian is able to, with a little guidance, achieve this habit of fruitful prayer in their life. Secondly, the rich intellectual formation I experienced while in seminary has given me a beautiful knowledge of and appreciation for Scripture, theology, history, philosophy, and more. It really puts my unique faith experience into perspective within the context See Straus / 6

2 2 The Mirror June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS COME, AND YOU WILL SEE Bp. Edward M. Rice Announcement of annual pastoral appointments At this moment, I find myself fulfilling one of the most important, challenging, and privileged tasks I have been given as bishop of this diocese that of making pastoral appointments for our priests. I am pleased to announce the pastoral appointments which will take effect on Thu., July 6, 2017, unless otherwise noted. We welcome Fr. John Sullivan from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the international priests who will be joining our presbyterate from the Heralds of Good News (HGN) and the Dioceses of Nellore and Gunter, all of which are located in India. Please keep these priests in prayer as they take up their new appointments and responsibilities in the Church of Southern Missouri: Know that I depend on everyone s prayers as well. I thank these men for their fulfillment of past responsibilities. PASTORS/ADMINISTRATORS Charles Berni, HGN, a religious priest of Heralds of Good News, is appointed Administrator of St. John Vianney Parish Fr. Berni in Mountain View, MO, and St. Sylvester Mission in Eminence, MO. John S. Braun, most recently Chaplain at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, MO, is now appointed as Pastor of St. Michael the Fr. Braun Archangel Parish in Fredericktown, MO. David J. Dohogne, most recently Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dexter, MO; St. Teresa Parish in Fr. Dohogne Glennonville, MO; and St. Ann Parish in Maiden, MO, is now appointed Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sikeston, MO, and St. Henry Parish in Charleston, MO. This appointment is effective Tue., Aug. 1, William W. Hennecke, most Fr. Hennecke recently Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Salem, MO; Christ the King Parish in Bunker, MO, and St. Jude Chapel in Montauk, MO, is now appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dexter, MO; St. Teresa Parish in Glennonville, MO; and St. Ann Parish in Maiden, MO. David F. Hulshof, most recently Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau, MO, is now appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Fr. Hulshof the Lake Parish in Branson, MO, and Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish in Forsyth, MO. Rick L. Jones, most recently Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Branson, MO, and Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish in Forsyth, Fr. Jones MO, is now appointed Pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau, MO. Memorial dedicated to unborn on Mother s Day IN MEMORY OF THE UNBORN CHILD Bishop Edward M. Rice joined Fr. Suresh Samala, pastor, to dedicate a monument, In Memory of the Unborn Child, on the grounds of Our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City. Donated by Knights of Columbus Council #7588, the monument was blessed and dedicated on Mother s Day, May 14, (Photo by Mary Lippert/The Mirror) Paul Lourd Raj Pudhota, a priest of the Diocese of Nellore, India, is appointed Administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in Aurora, MO, and SS Peter and Paul Parish in Pulaskifield, MO. John Sullivan, a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago, is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Salem, MO; Christ the Fr. Sullivan King Parish in Bunker, MO; and St. Jude Chapel in Montauk, MO. Joji Vincent, most recently Associate Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin, MO, and St. Ann Parish in Carthage, MO, is Fr. Vincent now appointed Administrator of Our Lady of the Cove Parish in Kimberling City, MO. ASSOCIATE PASTORS Fr. Pudhota Leo Arockiasamy, HGN, a religious priest of the Heralds of Good News, is appointed Associate Pastor Fr. Arochiasamy of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Mansfield, MO, St. Leo the Great Parish in Ava, MO, St. William Mission in Gainesville, MO, Sacred Heart Parish in Mountain Grove, MO, and St. Michael Mission in Cabool, MO. Rayappa Chinnabathini, of the Diocese of Nellore, is appointed Associate Pastor at St. Mary of the Annunciation Fr. Chinnabathini Cathedral in Cape Girardeau, MO, and Old St. Vincent (Chapel of Ease) in Cape Girardeau, MO.

3 DIOCESAN NEWS June 9, 2017 The Mirror 3 Colby J. Elbert, is appointed Associate Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Springfield, MO, and St. Francis of Assisi Fr. Elbert Parish in Nixa, MO, and will provide sacramental ministry at the US Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, MO. Simon Enudu, most recently Associate Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Branson, MO, and Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish Fr. Enudu in Forsyth, MO, is now appointed Associate Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Poplar Bluff, MO, and St. Benedict Parish in Doniphan, MO. Rajarao Gona, of the Diocese of Nellore, is appointed Associate Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dexter, MO; St. Ann Fr. Gona Parish in Malden, MO; and St. Teresa Parish in Glennonville, MO. Bala Swamy Govindu, of the Diocese of Guntur, is appointed Associate Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin, MO, and St. Ann Parish in Carthage, MO. Joseph Kelly, most recently Associate Pastor of St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau, MO, and Old St. Vincent (Chapel of Ease) in Cape Fr. Kelly Girardeau, MO, is now appointed Associate Pastor at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Branson, MO, and Our Lady of the Ozarks in Forsyth, MO. Joseph Stoverink is appointed Associate Pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish in Springfield, MO. Fr. Govindu Fr. Stoverink Charles Dunn, will conclude his appointment providing Sacramental Ministry for Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Fr. Dunn in Mansfield, MO; St. Leo the Great Parish in Ava, MO; St. William Mission in Gainesville, MO; Sacred Heart Parish in Mountain Grove, MO; and St. Michael Mission in Cabool, MO. He will remain Associate Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Springfield, MO. CHAPLAINCY Jerome Amaechi, a priest from the Diocese of Ahiara, Nigeria, is appointed as chaplain at Mercy Hospital Springfield, MO. Patrick Nwokoye, most recently Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sikeston, MO, and St. Henry Parish in Charleston, MO, until Aug. Fr. Nwokoye 1, 2017, is now appointed Chaplain at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, MO, and will continue serving as Chaplain of Catholic Campus Ministry at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau. Fr. Nwokoye concludes his appointment as diocesan Director of Vocations Promotion. DIOCESAN APPOINTMENTS John (J.) F. Friedel concludes his appointment, as diocesan Director of Vocations/ Seminarians. Father J. will remain Pastor Fr. Friedel of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin, MO, and St. Ann Parish in Carthage, MO, as well as the Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. Scott M. Sunnenberg will become Director of Vocations/ Seminarians, in addition to his Fr. Amaechi Fr. Sunnenberg continued responsibilities as Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Ozark, MO. RETIREMENT Michael V. McDevitt will retire after 46 years of priestly ministry and pastoral leadership Fr. McDevitt throughout the diocese, including at The Catholic Center in the areas of vocations and youth ministry. Most recently, Fr. McDevitt served as Rector of Springfield Catholic High School and Director of Springfield Catholic Schools, and as Sacramental Priest at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield, and St. Francis of Assisi, in Nixa. DEPARTURES FROM DIOCESE Augustine Lourduswami, of St. John Vianney Parish in Mountain View, MO, and St. Sylvester Mission in Eminence, Fr. Lourduswami MO, will leave the diocese for a new appointment by his Diocese of Nellore, India. Charles Prost, CM, Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Aurora, MO, and SS Peter and Paul Parish in Pulaskifield, MO, will leave Fr. Prost the diocese for a new appointment from his Congregation of the Mission or the Vincentian Fathers. Paul Anthony Suresh Samala, Pastor of Our Lady of the Cove Parish in Kimberling City, MO, will leave the diocese for a new Fr. Samala appointment by his Diocese of Nellore, India. Maria Thumma, Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel in Fredericktown, MO, will leave the diocese for a new appointment by his Diocese of Nellore, India. Fr. Thumma June prayer Intention: As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart during the month of June, let each of us come to know and be drawn ever deeper into His divine love. Public calendar Sat., June 17 First house blessing, Eden 11 a.m. Village, Springfield; 4 p.m. Mass, St. Patrick Church, Greenfield Sun., June 18 FATHER S DAY 10:30 a.m. Mass and Corpus Christi Procession, St. Joseph Parish, Springfield; 3:30 p.m. 125th Anniversary Mass, Sacred Heart Parish, Thayer Mon., June 19 Capital Endowment 6 p.m. Campaign Mass of Thanksgiving, St. Mary Parish, Joplin Tue., June 20 Capital Endowment 6 p.m. Campaign Mass of Thanksgiving, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Wed., June 21 Convocation of Catholic Leaders team meeting, Willow Springs; 6 p.m. Capital Endowment Campaign Mass of Thanksgiving, Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff Thu., June 22 Mass at SE Correctional 1:30 p.m. Facility, Charleston; 6 p.m. Capital Endowment Campaign Mass of Thanksgiving, St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau Sun., June th Anniversary Mass, 11 a.m. Sacred Heart Parish, Caruthersville Mon., June 26 Mass at Camp Re-NEW 8 p.m. All, Fredericktown Tue., June 27 Pastor & Principal Meeting, Mountain View Wed., June 28 St. Joseph Parish Youth 7 p.m. Group, Springfield Thu., June 29 Staff Mass & Meeting, The Catholic Center, Springfield Gregory Tran, CMC, Associate Pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield, MO, and Chaplain for Cox Medical Center Fr. Tran in Springfield, MO, will leave the diocese for a new appointment from his Congregation of the Mother Coredemptrix in Carthage, MO.

4 4 The Mirror June 9, 2017 ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements Parishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events to be printed in the Announcements. They will be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee. Belleville, IL The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows will present a program on Fear, under the direction of Fr. John Mark Ettensohn, OMI on Sat., June 24, 9-11:30 a.m., at the Guild Center. Fee: $20. Pre-registration required. Information and registration at org/programs, or contact the shrine at (618) , ext. 6270, or (314) , ext Branson Our Lady of the Lake Parish seeks vendors for its annual Arts and Crafts Festival, Fri., Oct. 13-Sun., Oct. 15. This event promises to be a very successful one, as advertising will once again be permitted off-premise within the city of Branson. There will be space for 40 inside booths with space also available outdoors. Vendor information and exhibitor applications are available Online at (see link at the bottom of that page), or by contacting the church office at (417) Applications, including the booth rental fee of $50, must be received by Sept. 1, For additional information, contact Janet Bostnick at (417) , or Joyce Arnold at (417) , ext. 103, or OLLBran son@suddenlinkmail.com. Cape Girardeau Saint Padre Pio Emerging Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet at Saint Francis Medical Center, Sat., July 8. Prayer in the chapel at 8:30 a.m., followed by fraternity meeting in the St. Agatha Conference Room. Learn how you can live in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. For more information, contact Shawn Asmus, OFS, (573) , or follow us on Facebook at padrepiocape/. Clyde The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, MO will host a Come and See weekend for single women ages discerning a religious vocation, Sat., June 24-Wed., June 28. Participants will enter into the rhythm of contemplative life; the time and space for listening to God, and sharing with others who might also be discerning a religious vocation. There is no charge to participate. For more information, contact Sr. Maria Victoria Cutaia, OSB, (660) or vocation@bene dictinesisters.org, or visit dictinesisters.org/subsectioncontent. php?secid=2&subsecid=6. Kelso St. Joseph Parish, Scott City and St. Augustine Parish, Kelso, will join together in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Fatima by going to Confession, Mass, communion, and praying the rosary before Mass to honor our Blessed Mother, on the five first Saturdays, beginning June 3 and ending in October. Join us on the next date, July 1. The celebration will be at St. Augustine Parish with the rosary at 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 8 a.m. Confession before Mass. For more information, contact Harmon Presswood at rangerpresswood@att.net. Leopold All are invited to participate in the Corpus Christi Procession with the Blessed Sacrament, Sun., June 18, 5 p.m., St. John Church. We will process from the church to prepared altars at the Shrine, the lawn of the Gott family, and the cemetery, as we sing Eucharistic hymns and have benediction at the altars. We will conclude with refreshments in the parish St. Anne room. For more information, contact the church office at (573) , ext. 1. Leopold The next SEMO Catholic Ladies Night will be Wed., June 14, at St. John Parish. Come join in an evening of Adoration, confession, and discussion. For more information, contact the parish office, (573) Leopold The next SEMO Catholic Man Night will be held on Wed., July 12, St. John Parish. Come join in an evening of Adoration, confession, and discussion. For more information, contact the parish office, (573) Ozark St. Joseph the Worker Parish will host a three-part presentation and discussion on The New Evangelization: Foibles, Fruits, and Future, exploring theological principles, pertinent texts, and practices, hosted by J.B. Kelly, MTS Sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, June 6, 13, and 20. Confessions: 5:30-5:50 p.m.; Mass: 6 p.m.; presentation and discussion: 7-8:30 p.m. There is no charge. Qualifies for Catechist Certification Credit. The parish will provide beverages; please bring treats to share. Register by calling the parish office, (417) , or sjwdre@sanitjosephozark.org. OZARK St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Ozark will host its monthly Holy Hour for Vocations on Wed., June 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m., featuring special communal prayers as well as time for silent adoration. For more information, please call the parish office at (417) Republic Republic Pregnancy Resource Center will sell fireworks to benefit its ministry beginning Wed., June 28-Tue., July 4. Tent will be set up next to TelComm Credit Union, 161 US Hwy 60 West. For more information, contact Mary Jackson, director@republicprc.org, or call, (417) Springfield The Secular Franciscan group will meet, Sat., June 24, beginning with lunch at noon (optional), then at 1 p.m. in the day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. Contact for new inquirers is Steve Moncher, stevemoncher@gmail.com, or call (417) Springfield The Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will sponsor, The Death Penalty-A Public Program of Victimization on Sat., June 24, 1:30-3 p.m. at the Council of Churches of the Ozarks Headquarters at 627 N. Glenstone Ave in Springfield. This program is free and open to the public. Donations accepted. For information, visit Springfield Come join the fun: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church will host a Area-Wide Catholic Vacation Bible School, Sun., June 25-Thu., June 29, 6-8:30 p.m. Children entering grades kindergarten-six are invited to register. Students in grades seven-12, and adults, may register to serve as volunteers. Nursery and pre-school VBS are available for younger children of volunteers. Register by June 11 to be guaranteed a T-shirt. Registration forms for child participants and volunteers are available at area churches and on the SEAS Website, church.org. Springfield Missouri Right to Life needs volunteers to staff its booth at the Ozark Empire Fair, July 27-Aug. 5. The theme this year is, Show Me Life. We will feature the baby s development in the womb (nine days-nine months). An entry ticket will be provided for each volunteer, and a parking ticket if funds will allow. We hope to provide a T-shirt with the theme logo. Volunteer training and distribution of tickets will be Sat., July 22, 7-9 p.m., at the Library Center. For more information, contact Carl Schimek, (417) , or (417) Springfield A public rosary for the 100th Anniversary of the miracles of Fatima will be Tue., June 13, 7 p.m., at Planned Parenthood, Springfield. For more information, contact Mark Kiser, (417) Schedule The next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations: Sat., June a.m st. Ann School, Carthage (Spanish) Sun., June 18 6:30-9:30 p.m....springfield Catholic High School Mon., June p.m....our Lady of the Lake, Branson Tue., July 11 4:30-7:30 p.m....st. Peter the Apostle, Joplin Sun., July p.m....holy Trinity, Aurora Tue., July p.m....st. Lawrence, Monett (Spanish) Sat., July 22 9 a.m.-12-noon...st. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girardeau Pre-registration is necessary; go to and click on registration on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Ken Pesek at The Catholic Center, (417) ; or him at kenpesek@dioscg.org. Participants must be present for the entire training. Training sessions are for adults only. Schedules may be found on the diocesan events calendar at or at The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. Eidson Production: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, atoben@dioscg.org Published every other week except the last week in December at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO ; Telephone (417) ; FAX (417) ; atoben@dioscg.org POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. LIII No. 4 June 9, 2017 Single copy price, $0.50 Subscription: $14 per year. Digital subscriptions available as an option to USPS delivery with paid subscription. For more information, contact atoben@dioscg.org. Copyright 2016, The Mirror, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: Diocese of Springfield-Cape

5 June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 5 Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to three little shepherds in the small town of Fatima, Portugal. Our Lady entrusted to them a message for the world that is still timely today: pray for world peace and the conversion of sinners. Bishop Edward M. Rice will celebrate Mass and lead the rosary at the following parishes to commemorate the remaining five months of the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima. At each location, the rosary will begin at 6:30 p.m., with Mass at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13, St. Eustachius Parish, Portageville Saturday, Aug. 19, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Mansfield Wednesday, Sept. 13, Ste. Marie de Lac Parish, Ironton Friday, Oct. 13, St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau Thank you for your 2017 DDF donations If you haven t made one yet, please support the Bishop s Annual Appeal at Catholic showdown at ladies state soccer match-up Springfield Lady Irish vs. Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs STATE CHAMPIONS Senior Abby Rollet and senior Courtney Schlosser held the Girls Class 2 State Soccer trophy after cinching the title in a match-up with Springfield Catholic High School Lady Irish with a score of 2-1 on June 1 at Swope Soccer Village, in Kansas City, MO. (Submitted photo) LADY IRISH Springfield Catholic High School Lady Irish with their Second Place Class 2 State Soccer trophy. Go Irish/Go Bulldogs! (Photo by Robert Palmer, Jr.) LADY BULLDOGS Notre Dame Regional High School Lady Bulldogs, Cape Girardeau: Class 2 State Soccer State Champions. (Submitted photo)

6 6 The Mirror June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS Brian Straus ordained deacon From Page 1 of the whole tradition of the Church and the grand truth about God and the world. As Catholics, we know that God made us to search for and know the truth, so that through it, we may know and receive His goodness and love. TM: Who in your family do you see as a role model for living the Catholic life? Rev. Mr. Straus: I was always strengthened by the example of faith I saw in the lives of my grandparents, on both sides of the family. Each of them were all such faithful Catholics who knew how to live their vocation of marriage in a life of holiness, fidelity, and service. But, I think of my Grandpa Walsh, who always lived in pursuit of virtue and truth, and Grandpa Straus, who devotes himself to prayer and is so faithful to the tradition of the Church. TM: Who in your life has helped/inspired you most through your discernment and formation? Rev. Mr. Straus: Without a doubt, some of my brother seminarians have been the greatest help in my formation and discernment. The profound friendship and brotherhood that is fostered in seminary life has been essential for my growth in holiness and perseverance in all the work and formation over the years. The example given by other seminarians and young priests has always been an inspiration and influence for me. A few friends in particular have been great sources of fraternity, accountability, and reflection, and this has prepared me well to be able to rely on friends and brother priests in my future ministry. TM: Who is your favorite saint to turn to for inspiration/guidance/ intercession? Rev. Mr. Straus: Mother Mary is a constant influence and intercessor for me, as well as my patron, St. Joseph. In addition, I have a great love for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, to whom I often turn for intercession. St. Paul is a fantastic inspiration and guide for me as he proclaimed the Gospel and lived in humble service to the Word of God and the Church. On my prayer cards for my diaconate ordination I used an image of St. Thomas the Apostle, because I am always inspired by his confession of faith, My Lord and my God! after the Lord softened his doubtful heart and revealed Himself to Thomas with such love. TM: What piece of advice would you give to a young person discerning their vocation in life? Rev. Mr. Straus: There are many ideas thrown at us about what success looks like. Remember that what ultimately matters in your life isn t how much money you make or even what you ve accomplished in your career, as much as being an authentic and generous person and living a fulfilled life. Only Jesus can give you that fulfillment, as He says in John s Gospel: He came that we might have life and have it to the full. Fill your life with friends and family who truly love you and want to help you grow in holiness. Live in conversation and prayer with God, listening for where He might be calling you. Remember that the life of following Jesus rarely looks like the life we plan for ourselves: be ready to say yes to the unexpected. TM: What s up next for you as a deacon? Rev. Mr. Straus: This summer I am delighted to begin my assignment at St. Canera Parish in Neosho and Nativity of Our Lord Mission Church in Noel, under Vincentian Fr. Derek Swanson, CM. I am excited to return to parish life for a while and exercise my ministry in preaching and service for the people of these parishes! In August, I will return for my last year of seminary formation at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. Throughout the year on the weekends, I ll be assisting and preaching at a parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Pray for me as I prepare for my ordination to the priesthood in 2018! TM MINISTRY OF THE ALTAR Mr. Brian Straus assisted Bp. Edward M. Rice at the altar during his diaconate ordination on May 19 in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. Ordained a deacon in service to the ministry of the Word, of the Altar, and of Charity, Straus will serve this summer in St. Canera Parish, Neosho, and Nativity of Our Lord Mission in Noel. (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror) CONGRATULATIONS Bishop Edward M. Rice offered Brian Straus congratulations on the steps of the church after the liturgy ordaining him a deacon May 19 in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror) Word, Altar, Charity A portion of Bishop Rice s homily: Brian, with the laying on of hands that ancient symbol, setting you aside for divine things you enter the clerical state as a deacon with the mandate to serve others. In the not-so-distant future, God willing, that mandate will take on a greater focus, with ordination to the priesthood. But for now, as a deacon, you are called to serve in the ministry of the Word, of the Altar, and of Charity. You will never lose that call to serve. Even as a priest, you will always be bound by the Word, by the Altar, and by Charity striving to be a servant to all. In all that you do, you will never act alone, you will preside over public prayer, administer baptisms, assist and bless marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, and conduct the funeral rites of the Church. Your life is not your own. You are giving yourself over to service in the Church. By your entrance into the clerical state as a deacon, be that minister of the Word the Church desires; be always bound to the altar of sacrifice; and be on fire with Divine Charity. Now the work begins. TM SACRED ORDER OF DEACON Father Patrick Nwokoye, diocesan Director of Vocations Promotion; Rev. Mr. Brian Straus; The Most Rev. Edward M. Rice; then-rev. Mr. Colby Elbert; then-rev. Mr. Joseph Stoverink; and Fr. J. Friedel, diocesan Director of Vocations/Seminarians, posed for a photo May 19 in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield, after the Rite of Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon for Straus. (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror)

7 June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 7 FRUITS OF ADORATION Bishop Edward M. Rice is devoted to Eucharistic Adoration and often makes a holy hour whenever possible. (The Mirror) By Linda Leicht Springfield Perpetual Adoration in Springfield The small chapel to the north of the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Parish in Springfield is never empty. There, people will be found in constant prayer and meditation, and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the reason why. Since the Perpetual Adoration began this year, the challenge has been to get every hour scheduled so that the Blessed Sacrament is never left alone. A city-wide effort, each parish in and around Springfield is asked to encourage parishioners to participate, and each adorer is asked to commit to a specific hour each week. We re off to a good start, said Fr. Fergus Monaghan, pastor at Holy Trinity. It s impressive seeing people there all hours of the day and night. It s wonderful. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration allows adorers to spend an hour with the Blessed Sacrament, which is on permanent exposition. It is a way to respond to the Lord s invitation, Could you not watch one hour with me? Through Perpetual Adoration, it is proclaimed to the entire community that Jesus is here, truly present among each of us. It s kind of a unique way to be with the Lord for an hour, Fr. Monaghan said. You have time to be quiet and aware of the Lord with you, to step aside from all the business of life. Cindy Pierson, a member of Immeasurable gifts of Eucharistic Adoration Holy Trinity, first remembers considering the possibility of Perpetual Adoration about three years ago while praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. But it was when she lost her son in 2015 that she recognized its value. The only place that I could find peace, where my world wasn t falling apart around me, was in front of the Blessed Sacrament, Pierson recalled. So she took on the challenge, calling the strongest person I knew to help me do this: Joyce Blades, a fellow parishioner and friend. Blades now heads-up the 14-member steering committee, representing parishes around the Springfield area, in establishing Perpetual Adoration at Holy Trinity Parish. It was also Blades who led a group of five strong people that went to newly-installed Bp. Edward Rice to ask his permission for the endeavor. They felt confident of his Eucharistic adoration can transform our Church support because the bishop was part of Perpetual Adoration in his native St. Louis for years. They were correct in their assumption. The bishop was very much for it, Blades said. We are One Church, from East to West, and how are we One Church from East to West? Bp. Edward Rice said, It s through an Eucharistic Adoration offers a powerful chance to encounter Christ s love in silence and humility. Igniter of renewal of Adoration Pope St. John Paul II is often credited as the igniter of the renewal of Eucharistic devotion. In 1993 at the International Eucharistic Congress in Seville, Spain, Pope John Paul II said he hoped for the establishment of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in all parishes and Christian communities throughout the world. In his 2003 encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope St. John Paul II wrote, The worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church. It is the responsibility of pastors to encourage, also by their personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as well as adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic species (No. 25). encounter, encountering Jesus, especially in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We have a beautiful adoration chapel in Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau; we re getting this one going here in Springfield, Bishop Rice said. I would like to get Perpetual Adoration going in Joplin, and so forth, so that people can come to know and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist at any time, on any day, throughout our diocese. Getting things started and keeping the roster filled 24-hours-a-day has been perpetual work. Blades admitted, as there are several spots that remain a challenge to fill. But she has had plenty of help. This group has been magnificent, Blades said of the committee. They have all stepped up to the plate. The goal of the effort is to bring souls to Christ, the formation of souls, by them spending this time with God alone in Adoration, Blades explained. People just aren t aware of how powerful that can be, said Monique James, another committee member. Saint John of the Cross, the Carmelite Mystic, said that the first language of God is silence, and I think that it is that silence that captured me as a teenager praying See Adoration / 13 What is Adoration? Fr. John Mayo St. John Vianney, the saintly pastor of Ars in France, often saw a farmer sit in the back of the parish church, spending long periods of time there before the Eucharist. One day, the saint asked him what he did during his time of Adoration. The farmer responded, I look at Him and He looks at me. This is what Eucharistic Adoration is: a time for us to concentrate exclusively on Jesus present before us and allow Him to look back upon us with love. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a natural development from the celebration of the Eucharist. To receive the Eucharist at Mass is an act of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Adoring the Blessed Sacrament outside of these times makes the times we receive Communion impact us more deeply, and allows us to experience a fuller communion with the Lord and others in our life (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, #66). What are proper ways to spend time at Adoration? Conduct should be appropriate to visiting a church at any other time, except if the Eucharist is exposed in the monstrance. If the Eucharist is exposed, there needs to be at least one person before the Eucharist at all times. If there is no one else there and one needs to leave, there should be a procedure posted as to what to do, as each place has slightly different procedures in this circumstance. Once there in Adoration, one may pray different ways: Prayerfully meditate on the Bible or another spiritual book Pray the rosary or another devotion Pray using a prayer book or a set of prayers Journal in a prayer journal Quietly listen to a recorded talk or spiritual music on headphones Spend quiet time with the Lord There is no one way that is more correct to spend the time in Adoration than another. The main suggestion I have is to be flexible to what the Lord wants to do in the time of Adoration. For example, you may want to read the Bible, but when entering the adoration chapel, Jesus pulls you into silent prayer. Allow Jesus to direct the time. This will help your time in Adoration to be some of the best time you will have all week. TM Fr. Mayo is pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Warrenton. It is reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Review.

8 8 The Mirror June 9, 2017 ADULT FAITH TEAM RCIA Nick Wagner RCIA unwrapped Bringing Christ to others An introduction to RCIA Have you experienced the beautiful liturgy held on Holy Saturday, where new men, women, and families fully enter the membership of the Catholic Church? The congregation celebrates with them as they join the family of faith, further expanding the Body of Christ. However, their journey to the Catholic Church and our Lord began long before that celebration. On Holy Saturday, these men and women have reached the culmination of a process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). They have spent months reading, discussing, and learning about all of the riches of the Catholic faith. As a welcoming community of believers, each of us is part of that process: We are the ones who share our faith experiences with others, maybe inviting them to Mass and inquiry sessions. Many of us join them on the journey officially by being a sponsor or teacher in RCIA, and all of us have certainly prayed for them as they become engaged in ongoing activities in our parishes and ministries. This witness, this evangelization, is not a one-way endeavor. We, too, can become energized by their witness and stories of how God touches their hearts and lives. Over the next few months, The Mirror will be publishing a series of articles about the RCIA process. The articles will describe some practical ways each of us can be a part of building up the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church of Southern Missouri. When I was kid, Christmas morning was amazing. My brothers and I would race down the stairs to see what was waiting for us under the tree. After furiously ripping through the packaging, our faces would light with joy over each toy. And more often than not, after an hour or so of playing with our new treasures, we would leave them aside and begin to build forts and tunnels out of the boxes they had come in. Repeat-play value Thirty-plus-year veteran of the toy industry, Chris Byrne, has a key criterion he and his team use when evaluating toys: repeat play. Of the thousands of toys they review, the ones that get top marks are those that children actually play with over and over again. Often, these are not the hot toys of the season that children clamor for and parents go to lengths and expense to acquire. Toy manufacturers have become skilled at adding dazzling features to toys that mesmerize shoppers. But these features mostly serve to get people to buy the toy. They don t often add to the repeat play value. The appeal of easy-to-use This made me think of many resources I come across that are advertised as the hot new solution to RCIA teaching. Slick videos, shiny textbooks, fourcolor handouts, easy-to-use tools, adaptable to any situation and parish are some of the bells and whistles promised by the publishers. Promises that their resources will be energizing, stimulating, and relevant to your specific seekers and all you have to do is pop in a DVD are obviously appealing to harried RCIA teams. Often, however, these offthe-shelf catechetical programs lack repeat play value for RCIA teams. I ve worked in Catholic publishing for most of my career, and I know that most Catholic publishers are dedicated disciples who see their work as a ministry. But I also know that when it comes to true seekers, who have had little or no experience with living a Christian life, it isn t possible to design, package, and sell a single comprehensive formation program that will be relevant to your specific situation. The only RCIA strategies that work There are only four things I know of that have consistent repeat play value for forming seekers. Regular, contemplative reflection on God s word word in the sense of Logos, the embodied presence of God that lives and breathes in and with us, guiding us every day closer to Truth and Beauty. Immersion in community a community of disciples, flawed but saved, broken but healed, striving every day to love with more abandon and forgive more freely, filled with constant hope. Sacrificial worship worship in which we join our whole being to the dying and rising of Jesus, and in which we offer grateful praise to God. Witness and service direct, generous, courageous outreach to those who most need to hear good news and be lifted up. These essential formation strategies do not light up, beep, fly, or require batteries. What they do require is constant attention and discipline from pastors, catechists, and RCIA team members so that the seekers will see in us examples of discipleship they can emulate. This is the best gift we can give to those who desire to live a life in Christ. TM Wagner is a member of Team- RCIA. This article is reprinted with permission. Nick Wagner and TeamRCIA will be in our diocese on Feb. 9-10, 2018 An RCIA workshop, Making Disciples, will be held Friday evening and Saturday at Holy Trinity Parish in Springfield. It will be simulcast to St. Mary Parish in West Plains and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau. Registration is $25 and can be made through the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis by rbarnhart@dioscg.org or calling (417) The registration form is also available on the diocesan Website

9 June 9, 2017 FATIMA 100 TH The Mirror 9 This is part two of a two-part series. Part one covered the historical context, contents of the apparitions, and Miracle of the Sun, and was published in the May 26, 2017, edition of The Mirror. The Secrets of Fatima While Mary revealed what came to be known as The Great Secret of Fatima during her third apparition to the shepherd children, it was kept from the public for quite some time, according to instructions from Mary. Sr. Lucia revealed the first two secrets in a memoir in 1941, which had been written at the request of the local bishop at the time. Lucia wrote six memoirs during her lifetime the first four were written between 1935 and 1941; the English translation was published under the name Fatima in Lucia s Own Words. The first secret was the vision of hell that Mary had allowed the children to see. As Sr. Lucia wrote in her memoir: Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first SISTER LUCIA OF FATIMA Lucia dos Santos (standing) with her cousin, Jacinta Marto, Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror. The second secret was a statement that World War I would end, and a prediction of another war that would start during the reign of Pius XI, if people continued to offend God and if Russia was not consecrated to her Immaculate Heart. As Sr. Lucia recalled in her memoirs, Our Lady said: You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. Sr. Lucia believed that an aurora borealis, which appeared in the sky on Jan. 25, 1938, was the unknown light to which Mary had referred. The celestial phenomenon could be seen throughout Europe and as far south as Australia, and across the Atlantic to Bermuda and parts of the United States. Shortly thereafter, Germany annexed Austria, and Japan had already invaded China in While the European portion of World War II is generally held by Western scholars to have officially started on Sept. 1, 1939, under the reign of Venerable Pius XII, in many ways it was already begun under the reign of Pius XI, as Mary predicted. Sr. Lucia did not record the third part of the secret in her 1941 memoirs, because she said that Mary had not yet permitted her to reveal it to the world. However, Sr. Lucia fell seriously ill in Fearing her death before the third part of the secret was ever revealed, the local bishop asked that she write it down, which she did out of obedience. Sr. Lucia wrote the secret in January 1944, put it in an envelope and sealed it, asking that it not be opened until 1960, at which time she believed the meaning of the message would be clearer, or until she died, whichever came first. The envelope remained at the bishop s office until 1957, at which time it was delivered to the Vatican, despite Lucia s requests that it remain with the bishop. The secret was not revealed until the year years after Sr. Lucia thought it might be released under the direction of the Holy See. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, then the Vatican Secretary of State, announced that on May 13, 2000, 83 years after the first apparition, the Third Secret would finally be published. He said the secret referred to the 20th century persecution of Christians and the failed assassination attempt on Pope St. John Paul II on May 13, 1981, the 64th anniversary of the first apparition. Everything You Need to Know About Fatima, Part II

10 10 The Mirror June 9, 2017 FATIMA 100 TH STATUE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA at the Valinhos Sanctuary in Fatima, Portugal. (Photo by Daniel Ibanez/CNA) NEWSPAPER CLIPPING Page from Ilustracao Portuguesa, Oct. 29, 1917, showing people looking at the sun during the Fatima apparitions attributed to the Virgin Mary. The text of the third secret was published by the Vatican on June 26, 2000: After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: Penance, Penance, Penance!. And we saw in an immense light that is God: something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it a Bishop dressed in White we had the impression that it was the Holy Father. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God. The Controversial Third Secret A century after the Fatima apparitions, controversies remain. The two biggest involve whether or not the full and authentic text of the third secret has been revealed, and whether or not Russia has been adequately consecrated to Mary. In 1960, the year Sr. Lucia intended the third secret to be published, the Vatican issued a press release stating that it was most probable the Secret would remain, forever, under absolute seal. Widespread speculation ensued about what this meant for the content of the secret, ranging from worldwide nuclear annihilation to deep rifts in the Roman Catholic Church that lead to rival papacies, according to the New York Times. Pope St. John XXIII and Bl. Pope Paul VI both reportedly read the secret, but decided not to release it to the public. During the papacy of St. John Paul II, the questions regarding the third Fatima secret intensified. In an interview with German magazine Stimme des Glaubens, published in October 1981, John Paul II was pressed explicitly about the The remedy against evil is to pray, pray and ask for nothing else: put everything in the hands of the Mother of God. third secret. He said: Because of the seriousness of its contents, in order not to encourage the world-wide power of Communism to carry out certain coups, my predecessors in the chair of Peter have diplomatically preferred to withhold its publication. He added that it would be unhelpful to publish the secret if it led Christians to believe that there were a predicted catastrophe against which they were helpless. Holding up his rosary, the Pope declared: Here is the remedy against this evil. Pray, pray and ask for nothing else. Put everything in the hands of the Mother of God. On May 2, 1981, an Australian named Laurence James Downey, who claimed to be a defrocked French Trappist monk, hijacked an airplane and demanded that Pope St. John Paul II reveal the Third Secret of Fatima. The man was believed to be armed with a bomb, but the incident was resolved without any injuries to passengers onboard. In 1984, then-card. Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that if [the Third Secret] is not published it is to avoid confusing religious prophecy with sensationalism. But the things contained in the Third Secret correspond to what has been announced in Scripture and are confirmed by many other Marian apparitions. Widespread speculation and concern led to the secret s publishing in 2000 by the Vatican. The late release angered many who read the secret and didn t understand what was so controversial about it that delayed publication by decades. Conspirators questioned whether the authentic secret, or the secret in full, had actually been revealed. The Vatican version, which is claimed to be a photocopy of the original handwritten note from Sr. Lucia, took up four pages, while some allege that Sr. Lucia had actually written the third secret on just one page. Some skeptics are also suspicious about the third secret because it does not contain any words directly from Mary, unlike the other secrets. Some also question the content of the secret, because it does not directly speak of the apocalypse, as was expected from interviews of Sr. Lucia. Others are also suspicious of Sr. Lucia s transfer from the Dorothean Sisters, where she initially entered, to a cloistered Carmelite convent, the order she transferred to with permission in The move to the Carmelite order, which has strict rules about communication with the outside world, is seen by some as part of a larger conspiracy effort to censor her visions and the third secret. On the other hand, Sr. Lucia herself confirmed several times that the third secret as published by the Vatican is in full and correct. Specifically, in a Nov. 17, 2001 statement to the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Abp. Tarcisio Bertone, she confirmed that the Fatima secret has been totally revealed by the Vatican, Everything You Need to Know About Fatima, Part II

11 June 9, 2017 FATIMA 100 TH The Mirror 11 and Russia has already been consecrated as Mary requested. Those who affirm that the secret has been fully revealed say that to question the secret s authenticity is to question the original visionary s credibility. The authenticity of the third secret has also been confirmed by the Popes and other Vatican officials. When the secret was published, then-card. Joseph Ratzinger said that The events to which the third part of the secret of Fatima refers now seem part of the past. [ ] Those who expected exciting apocalyptic revelations about the end of the world or the future course of history are bound to be disappointed. In 2016, an article on Catholic blog One Peter Five included an interview with a German priest who claimed to recall a conversation in which Pope Benedict XVI told him that the third secret had not been fully revealed. In a response on May 21, 2016, the Vatican released a statement from Pope Benedict XVI declaring that any claims that the third secret had not been fully revealed were pure inventions, absolutely untrue. The Other Controversy: The Consecration of Russia As Mary promised in the second secret, she came back to ask for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. On June 13, 1929, Mary reappeared to Sr. Lucia, who was with the Sisters of St. Dorothy at the time, asking for the consecration of Russia, promising its conversion through this means the hindering of the propagation of its errors. There were three conditions of the consecration, explained by Mary in the second part of the secret: The Pope must consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with a special mention of Russia, in union with the bishops of the whole world. At an unknown date after this apparition, Sr. Lucia made the request for consecration known to Pius XI. In 1938, the Portuguese bishops asked Pius XI to make the consecration, but no action was taken. Upon the election of Venerable Pius XII in 1939, several clergy repeated the request to the Pope. In December 1940, with World War II well underway in Europe, Sr. Lucia wrote a letter to Pius XII, requesting the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary with a special mention for Russia, and order that all the bishops of the world do the same in union with Your Holiness. More than a year later, on October 31, 1942, Venerable Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, though without the involvement of the bishops of the world. War made communications difficult, and many bishops had been imprisoned or even killed. Sr. Lucia said that though this consecration was imperfect, Jesus revealed to her that it was enough to bring a quicker end to World War II, sparing many lives. 100TH ANNIVERSARY Prayer vigil at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions on May 12, (Photo by Daniel Ibanez/CNA) In July 1952, Venerable Pius XII consecrated the people of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but again, because it was done privately and not in conjunction with the bishops of the world, the consecration was incomplete. At least once during his papacy, Blessed Pope Paul VI renewed the Russia consecration, although it did not fulfill the requirements of being in union with the bishops of the world. Ongoing, dedication political relations with Russia made a consecration that specifically called out the country difficult. It s not that the Church forgot about what the Madonna said about Russia, it s not that Russia was forgotten, absolutely no, said Card. José Saraiva Martins, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. For what regards the consecration of Russia to the heart of Mary, the Church did this, but with an extraordinarily unique diplomatic skill. But she did it. According to Sr. Lucia, the consecration was complete during the pontificate of St. John Paul II, who several times attempted to fulfill the requirements of the Russia consecration. It was finally considered fully complete after the consecration he made on March 25, 1984, as confirmed by Sr. Lucia. St. John Paul II, united with all the pastors of the Church in a particular bond whereby we constitute a body and a college, consecrates the whole world, especially the peoples for which by reason of their situation you have particular love and solicitude, he said in the consecration. Because the Church... if she would have consecrated Russia to the heart of Mary and nothing else, it would have provoked a terrible reaction on the part of Russia, Card. Martins explained. The Pope realized this. It was something, from the standpoint of Russia, completely unacceptable... It certainly would have had extraordinary consequences... But the Church fulfilled what the Madonna asked by consecrating not Russia in particular, but the world; I underline the world, and Russia is part of the world. So was Russia also consecrated to Our Lady s heart or not? Russia was consecrated. If I consecrate the world to Russia, I also consecrate Italy, the United States, to the heart of Mary. They are part of the world consecrated to the heart of Mary. Both St. John Paul II and Sr. Lucia initially seemed uncertain that the consecration has been fulfilled in 1984, but shortly thereafter Sr. Lucia told the papal nuncio to Portugal that the Consecration had been fulfilled. She also confirmed this in a letter to one of her sisters in 1989, and again in a letter to a priest in 1990, as well as in her statement to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in A Warning Against Sensationalism Despite Vatican attempts to quell rumors and hearsay, the Fatima conspiracy theories still persist. But Benedict XVI several times warned against this sensationalism that he says Mary would not have intended as the fruit of her apparitions. PILGRIMS PRAY at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. The centennial of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary to shepherd children was May 13, (Photo by Daniel Ibanez/CNA) Four years before the third secret s release, in a 1996 interview with Portugal s main Catholic radio station, Card. Ratzinger, who had already read the secret, issued this warning: To all curious people, I would say I am certain that the Virgin does not engage in sensationalism; she does not act in order to instigate fear. She does not present apocalyptic visions, but guides people to her Son. And this is what is essential. Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, and visited the apparition site as Pope in During a press conference for the visit, he reminded the faithful that the message of Fatima is not about conspiracy theories regarding the end of the world, but about the faithful s response in ongoing conversion, penance, prayer, and the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. This is our response, we are realists in expecting that evil always attacks, attacks from within and without, yet that the forces of good are also ever present and that, in the end, the Lord is more powerful than evil and Our Lady is for us the visible, motherly guarantee of God s goodness, which is always the last word in history, he said. Everything You Need to Know About Fatima, Part II

12 12 The Mirror June 9, 2017 FATIMA 100 TH Vatican Recognition and Papal Trips to Fatima In 1930, Bp. Dom Jose Aleves Correia da Silva of the Diocese of Leiria (now Leiria-Fatima) declared that, based on the results of the investigative commission, the apparitions at Fatima were worthy of belief. Since then, the Fatima apparitions have received significant recognition on the part of the Vatican, and Pius XI granted a special indulgence to those who visited the newly-built Fatima shrine. Venerable Pius XII encouraged devotion to Our Lady of Fatima so much so that he became known as the Pope of Fatima. He is reported to have said: The time for doubting Fatima has passed, the time for action is now. He was the first Pope to consecrate the world, and then Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Moreover, it was during his papacy, in 1944, that the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was extended to the entire Roman rite, to be celebrated on Aug. 22, the octave day of the Assumption. Blessed Pope Paul VI visited the shrine of Fatima, on May 13, 1967, as did Card. Albino Luciani, Patriarch of Venice who was elected Pope in St. John Paul II visited the Fatima shrine three times in 1982, 1991 and During his 2000 visit, he beatified the two deceased visionaries, Jacinta and Francisco. He also added the feast of Our Lady of Fatima to the General Roman Calendar, to be celebrated May 13. The Polish Pope had a particularly strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. After a close shave with death during an assassination attempt on his life on the 64th anniversary of the first apparitions May 13, 1981 the Pope credited his survival to Our Lady of Fatima s miraculous intervention. As a sign of his gratitude, he placed the bullet from the failed assassination in her crown. As a cardinal, Benedict XVI had a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima which extended to his papacy, when he visited the Fatima shrine from May 11-14, In 2008, he waived the typical five-year waiting period in order to open Sr. Lucia s cause for canonization. The local Church in February 2017 finished collecting documents to examine her heroic virtue. Pope Francis as well has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, and consecrated his papacy to her on May 13, What Happened To The Visionaries After The Apparitions? As foretold in the apparitions, the sibling pair of Francisco and Jacinta would only live a short while after the apparitions were completed. NIECE OF VISIONARY Maria Dos Anjos, niece of Sr. Lucia, prayed the rosary in Fatima, Portugal on April 6, (Photo by Daniel Ibanez/CNA) Convicted by Mary s requests and the vision of hell, both children lived lives of prayer and penance after the apparitions, offering themselves for sinners as Mary had asked. Francisco was known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his strict physical mortifications, while Jacinta was especially known for having a heart for the poor and the suffering. Both children fell victim to the influenza epidemic of 1918 that swept through Europe. In October 1918, Mary again appeared to the sick siblings and promised to take them soon to heaven. On April 3, 1919, Francisco declined hospital treatment for influenza and died the next day, at the age of 11. Jacinta was given hospital treatment in hopes of prolonging her life, but she knew that she would soon join Francisco in heaven. On Feb. 19, 1920, Jacinta asked the hospital chaplain who heard her confession to bring her Holy Communion and administer the last rites, because she was going to die the next night. But the priest said that her condition was not that serious and that he would return the next day. The next day Jacinta was found dead she had died in her sleep at 10 years old. As for Lucia, she outlived her cousins by many years, as Mary had predicted. Shortly after the deaths of her cousins, at 14 years old, she was sent to the Dorothean Sisters of Villar for school, and in 1928 became a sister of St. Dorothy. In 1946, she transferred to the convent of the Carmelite Sisters of Coimbra, Portugal and took the name Sr. Maria Lucia of the Immaculate Heart. She received visions and messages from Mary and Jesus on several more occasions throughout her life, including the visions in 1925 that led to the Five First Saturday devotions, which include saying the rosary, receiving communion and confession, and meditation during the first Saturday of five consecutive months. Besides the four memoirs she wrote between 1935 and 1941, Sr. Lucia had an additional book published in 2001, known as Calls from the Message of Fatima or Appeals of the Fatima Message. She visited the Fatima shrine during Bl. Paul VI s visit in 1967, and during all three of St. John Paul II s visits. Aside from her memoirs and letters to clergy regarding Fatima, she had limited communication with the outside world, per her Carmelite vows. Sr. Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97, at the Carmelite convent of Santa Teresa in Coimbra, where she had lived since The canonization of Francisco and Jacinta Popularity of the Fatima apparitions spread, and the cause for canonization of Francisco and Jacinta was opened in Much of what is known about their life and holiness is known through Lucia s memoirs. People may ask: These children died so young, what do we know about them and their lives of faith? But a lot was related by Sr. Lucia and the witnesses of the apparitions. Francisco had a devotion to the Eucharist, and Jacinta wanted to help those who were suffering, that was her charism or focus after the apparition. Those are details most of us don t really know about, O Neill said. Francisco and Jacinta became the youngest non-martyr children to be beatified, on May 13, 2000, the 83rd anniversary of the first apparition. St. John Paul II presided over the Mass. Pope Francis canonized Francisco and Jacinta during his trip to Fatima on May 13, 2017 during a Mass at the shrine CNA Fatima ON EWTN EWTN has launched a special Website for the centennial celebration of the apparitions at Fatima. The site includes information on the apparitions, videos, and links to EWTN programming. Visit Everything You Need to Know About Fatima, Part II

13 June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADULT FAITH The Mirror 13 Immeasurable gifts of Eucharistic Adoration From Page 7 before the Blessed Sacrament, said Bp. Rice. I ask kids today, What s the first language that God speaks? Is it Hebrew, Latin, Greek??? No, no, the first language that God speaks is silence. Spiritual awakening It is very healing, added Kay Charles, who made to a recent holy hour with the Blessed Sacrament with a personal challenge. I just took it to the Lord, Charles said. I know what I need to do now. I was kind of an odd high school kid, Bp. Rice said. I liked to go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It really grew on me. My vocation as a priest was born out of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. In the silence, the little nudge in my heart that kept pulling me a certain direction I was thinking that my life would go that way, but the Lord was pulling me in this direction. The goal of Perpetual Adoration is for individuals, families, church groups, and parishes to adopt a day and hour for Adoration at Holy Trinity not just once, but perpetually. With two people in each hour slot, most days require 48 adorers signed up and committed to their hour each week. There are substitutes who can step in when an adorer is not able to keep their commitment that week. Like Bp. Rice, each adorer has a story to tell of their own spiritual awakening through Adoration. People call to say it was wonderful, Pierson said. To someone who would come in all those years ago not knowing what the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is or what was going on, they would just see a kid sitting in the pew, Bp. Rice said. But through the eyes of faith, our Lord was there working on my heart in the silence. And it got me where I am today. It s powerful, the bishop said. He spoke of encounter again and the Steubenville Mid-America Youth Conferences each summer in Springfield, as an example. On Saturday night, in this stadium at Missouri State University this summer, like every summer, 4,000-5,000 teenagers will be in silent adoration, Bp. Rice said. The experience is amazing: Don t underestimate the power of Eucharistic Adoration, Bp. Rice laughed. Only God can get that many teenagers quiet in one place. It was hard to do at first [remain silent], then you just give everything to Christ, Blades said. There becomes this close, close relationship with the Lord as you progress with the relationship of your soul. Mary Ann Donze, who makes an hour of Adoration in the middle of the night with her husband, Larry, agreed. There is a peace that you can t put words to, she said. Perpetual adoration is for everyone. Sign-up sheets and information packets are available in the chapel area of Holy Trinity Parish, Springfield, which hopes to have an Online scheduling system soon. In the meantime, for more information on what slots need filled before the Blessed Sacrament, Nicola at nicolarose3@gmail.com, or telephone Joyce Blades at (417) TM Gifts of Holy Spirit are for everyone By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City Pope Francis said that the grace of the Holy Spirit is for everyone something we must keep in mind on the path toward Christian unity through prayer and good works. Share with everyone in the Church Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord without ceasing, walk together with Christians of different Churches and Christian communities in prayer and action for the most needy, Pope Francis said June 3, the eve of Pentecost Sunday. The grace of the Holy Spirit is for the whole Church, not just for some, and none of us is the master and all the others the servants. No. We are all serving this current of grace. Pope Francis addressed around Pentecost: Being present in the mission of discipleship Bringing the Good News of Salvation to every person we encounter is not as difficult as we might think. Being present to the sisters and brothers we encounter on our individual journeys is the easiest way. What does being present mean? It means acknowledging the presence of God in each person we meet. It means that we honor and respect the encounters that we have with each other and it means that we put the needs of others as a primary function in the way we operate. Driving to work; walking to do errands; speaking on the phone; waiting in line at a store or bank; doing business with our co-workers or customers these are all prime opportunities to spread the Good News. Not by preaching or teaching so much, but by being: Being fully alive and appreciative of the gifts that God has given you, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Being a child of God who reaches out instead of pulling in; being joyful instead of angry; being kind in all circumstances instead of putting our own needs first. The work of the Holy Spirit is alive in each of us and celebrated vividly. Let us pray in the beautiful words of the Pentecost Sunday Sequence: 50,000 members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement during an ecumenical prayer vigil Come, O Holy Spirit, come! From Your bright and blissful home, rays of healing light impart. O most blessed Light divine, let Your radiance in us shine, and our inmost being fill. TM This reflection originally appeared in VIRTUS Online, the diocesan Safe Environment training resource. PENTECOST 2017 The feast of Pentecost is beautifully celebrated at the Pantheon with rose petals in Rome, Italy on June 4, (Photo by Marina Testino) inside Rome s Circus Maximus on June 3. BE FULLY PRESENT The mission of the Church is to bring the Good News of Salvation to every person we encounter, in joy and cheerfulness, fruit of the same action of the Holy Spirit. (Photo by Marina Testino) The most precious gift we have all received, he explained, is our Baptism. And now the Spirit leads us on the path of conversion that goes through the whole Christian world Additionally, praising God should be accompanied by serving those in need. To serve the poorest and the sick, this is what the Church and the Pope are expecting from you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but from all of you, everyone, all of you who have entered this current of grace! In the Holy Spirit, people are united, to announce together the love of the Father for all his children! To announce the Good News to all peoples! To show that peace is possible. Jubilee, cheerfulness, joy, fruit of the same action of the Holy Spirit! Today, it is more urgent than ever before, the unity of Christians, united by the Holy Spirit, in prayer and action for the weak. Walk together, work together. Love each other, he said. CNA

14 14 The Mirror June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN/NATIONAL NEWS Glenmary Sisters announce new leadership, set future vision Owensboro, KY Sister Darlene Presley, GHMS, was elected president of Glenmary Home Mission Sisters of America, Inc., more commonly known as Glenmary Sisters, during a gathering of all Glenmary Sisters May 8-18, 2017, in Owensboro, KY. The Glenmary Sisters have been serving the poor in the Appalachian and rural areas of the southern United States of America for 75 years. The Sisters currently maintain Home Missions in Southeastern Missouri as well as Eastern and Western Kentucky. Sr. Presley most recently Masses of Thanksgiving for the Capital Endowment Campaign ministered in Sacred Heart Parish, Caruthersville, MO. Also elected to the leadership council of the Glenmary Sister were: Sr. Aida Badillo, GHMS, as first councilor, and Sr. Kathleen Mulchrone, GHMS, as second councilor. The new council members were installed during the community s Chapter Meeting on May 18, 2017, in the presence of The Most William Medley the Bishop of Owensboro. Sister Darlene Presley, 59, a native of Ohio and raised in Augusta, GA, was previously missioned in Pemiscot County, MO. Her current term as president extends until Sister Aida Badillo, 70, a native of Puerto Rico, is currently missioned in Ohio and Butler Counties in Kentucky. She is involved in many area programs with a focus on providing bilingual assistance for the Hispanic community. Her current term as first councilor extends until Sister Kathleen Mulchrone, 84, a native of County Mayo, Ireland, is currently missioned in Menifee County, KY. Her current term as second councilor extends until Mission discernment Led by Fr. Jaroslaw Skrzypek, JCL, VF, of the Diocese of Springfield- Cape Girardeau, the Sisters, through prayer and reflection time before elections, identified several key issues they wish to address over the next four years. Sister Presley rated seeking out vocations the highest priority. We must continue to seek out women and men to answer God s call to religious life, said Sr. Presley, by sharing the joy we have in serving God and inviting others into this faith-filled experience. The Glenmary Sisters are also considering providing opportunities for Catholic married couples to CARUTHERSVILLE RELIGIOUS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF HER CONGREGATION (seated) The Most William Medley, the Bishop of Owensboro, KY, was photographed with the newly-elected leadership of the Glenmary Home Mission Sisters of America: (second row) Sr. Aida Badillo, GHMS, first councilor; Sr. Darlene Presley, GHMS, president; and Sr. Kathleen Mulchrone, GHMS, second councilor. Sister Presley, GHMS, ministers in Sacred Heart Parish, Caruthersville, MO. (Photo courtesy of the Glenmary Sisters) share their talents and gifts through volunteering in a Glenmary Sisters mission. To learn about vocation opportunities or how you can support the Glenmary Sisters visit us at www. glenmarysisters.org or (270) /(800) TM Bishop Edward Rice will celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving in response to the stewardship and generosity of the Church in Southern Missouri to the first-ever diocesan Capital Endowment Campaign. Liturgies will be held at 6 p.m. in the following parishes with receptions afterward: Monday, June 19, St. Mary Parish, Joplin Tuesday, June 20, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Wednesday, June 21, Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff Thursday, June 22, St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau Dexter s Kona Ice cools students off in Oran Oran, MO The Kona Ice truck of North Bootheel came from Dexter, MO, to Guardian Angel School, Oran, to serve students shaved ice treats. The visit was made possible by a donation to the school s annual dinner auction by the owners, Steve and Casey Williams. The item was purchased by Marty and Cindy Priggel for their granddaughter, Rylie Priggel, a firstgrader at Guardian Angel School. She and classmate, Adisyn Seabaugh, adorned leis and grass skirts one day at school and visited classrooms, and invited students to join fellow first-graders for a kid-sized cup of shaved ice. On the afternoon of Wed., April 26, the truck pulled up to Guardian Angel School while students in preschool through third grade and their teachers enjoyed flavored shaved ice treats. They were also each given a Hawaiian flowered lei to wear. TM Bishop Rice with Capital Endowment Campaign coordinators Gretchen Gambon, Donna Chandler, Bob Horton, and Kim Brayman. Not pictured: Linda Becker and Paul Barsi. SHAVED ICE TREATS Guardian Angel School students in preschool through third grade took a picture in front of the Kona Ice truck from Dexter, MO. The April 26 event was donated to and purchased at the school s annual dinner and auction in February. (Submitted photo)

15 DIOCESAN NEWS June 9, 2017 The Mirror 15 Catholic Ladies Night enriches women in faith By J.B. Kelly Cape Girardeau THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Fr. David Hulshof discussed the Emmaus story found in the Gospel of Luke during a period of Adoration at the SEMO Catholic Ladies Night held April 27 at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror) FAITH IN THE FATHER Centerpieces included flower-seed packets, attached with a special message, as keepsakes for participants of the SEMO Catholic Ladies Night. The message read, Faith is a tiny seed planted deep within the soul. Nourished by a trust in God, the seed begins to grow. Quietly it opens like a fragrant, blooming flower. Roots reach out to find a home enriched by God s great power. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror) Since its inaugural gathering on the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2016, the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) Catholic Ladies Night has enjoyed continual growth in participation at different regional parishes in its bi-monthly evening of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, and discussion. The most recent SEMO Catholic Ladies Night was held on Thu., April 27, at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau. Fr. David Hulshof, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, gave a fervorino during the beginning of the Holy Hour that opened the event, exhorting those present to meditate on the Emmaus story found in the Gospel of Luke. Father Hulshof spoke of how participants can better come to know Jesus through informational, formational, and transformational levels. We live the Emmaus journey throughout our lives, Fr. Hulshof said, always invited to respond to the one who comes to us as the unknown, the stranger, the Christ, who does not force His love upon us, but invites us to living and loving as He did, and ultimately, to be His presence in our world. Several priests from surrounding parishes were present to administer the sacrament of penance and reconciliation during the course of the Holy Hour. Following the period of prayer, attendees gathered for refreshments, fellowship, and further small-group discussion in response to questions based on the Emmaus story. Upcoming SEMO Catholic Ladies Nights will be held at St. John Parish in Leopold on June 14; St. Joseph Parish in Advance on Aug. 2, and Guardian Angel Parish in Oran on Oct. 16. Follow the SEMO Catholic Ladies Night on Facebook for updates and information on upcoming events (search for SEMO Catholic Ladies Night ). Host parishes may be contacted for further information. Catholic Man Night The southeastern region s Catholic Man Night, begun in September 2015, also continues to see growth in interest as it saw 68 men in attendance at its most recent gathering on Wed., May 17, at Old St. Vincent Church in Cape Girardeau. Fr. John Braun offered a reflection on the Mystery of the Church, during that evening s period of Adoration. Afterward, the attendees gathered for dinner and discussion at the Knights of Columbus Council #1111 Hall. The next Catholic Man Night will be held on July 12 at St. John Parish in Leopold. TM PRAYER Women in prayer during Benediction at SEMO Catholic Ladies Night on April 27. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror) FELLOWSHIP The Parish Council of Catholic Women at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau provided refreshments for attendees of the SEMO Catholic Ladies Night on April 27. The night also included small-group discussion, Adoration, and the sacrament of penance. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror)

16 16 The Mirror June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS Public rosary rally for life 100th Anniversary of Fatima Planned Parenthood 626 E. Battlefield, Springfield, MO Thu., July p.m. Pope Francis declared that anyone participating in a public Rosary on the 13th of the month between May 13 and Oct. 13 will receive a plenary indulgence (Regular rules applied). For more information, please contact Mark Kiser, (417) or thkise66@yahoo.com. Full-time Lay Campus Minister sought Catholic Campus Ministry on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University is seeking a full-time Lay Campus Minister. This position will assist with many facets of campus ministry, student outreach/evangelization, and administration. Candidates should have theological, sacramental, and practical competencies appropriate to university campus ministry in the Roman Catholic context. Education: Bachelor s degree required, theology or philosophy preferred. The candidate must be a faithful and practicing Catholic and should possess knowledge of sacred Scripture, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholic ritual, and sacraments. Qualified inquiries are welcome by or USPS to the following: Deacon Tom Schumer, Director Catholic Campus Ministry 512 N. Pacific St., Cape Girardeau, MO deacontom@ccmin.org (573) Catholic Campus Ministry Newman Center On the Campus of Southeast Missouri State University 512 N. Pacific St., Cape Girardeau, MO (573) By Martha Lawler Willow Springs To mark Fr. Sherman Wall s 60 years as priest and 32 years as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Willow Springs and St. Joseph Church in White Church, parishioners held a dinner and celebration at Sacred Heart Church. More than 300 people from the parishes and community attended the festivities on May 28, which included a pot-luck dinner and presentation. Throughout his 60 years as a priest in the order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Wall has had many assignments across North America including parish priest, treasurer of a seminary, 15 years at a retreat house, and religious broadcasting. In September 1985, Fr. Wall became pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Joseph churches to the delight of all the parishioners. He immediately began work to establish MUNCH (Missourians United to Combat Hunger), a food pantry for those in need in the Willow Springs area. From the first small food distribution in the spring of 1986 run by members of the Catholic church, Bike-A-Thon benefits St. Jude Children s Research Hospital Father Sherman Wall, OMI, celebrates 60 years as priest CHILDREN HELPING CHILDREN Preschool-kindergarten and third grade students at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, Springfield, recently raised $3,386 for St. Jude Children s Research Hospital. The children sponsored a bike-a-thon, a uniform buy-out day, and a Mini-Mall, whereby items created by the children were sold during lunch time. (Submitted photo) MUNCH has grown into a large interdenominational effort and serves hundreds of individuals weekly from its building on Main Fr. Wall Street. Ordained a priest 60 years ago, Fr. Wall humbly said that he is still learning his job description. One of his Fr. Sherman Wall, OMI Born in east St. Louis, IL and raised Baptist, at the age of 16, a young Sherman Wall went on a spiritual journey and found the Catholic Church. Father Wall joked, I should never have taken that accounting course in St. Thomas College. Father Wall was ordained May 30, 1957, for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Read more about Fr. Wall in an interview he did with The Mirror on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of the priesthood: TM fondest memories was the day he was ordained. Seven other men were ordained with him, and his family and the priest who baptized him were there. When asked why he became a priest, Fr. Wall said, The good example of another priest and the conviction that being a priest was what I was called to do what my life was to be. Through his ministry, he has worked to consolidate spirit of family in the parishes and community. He also supports many groups including the Knights of Columbus, the Ladies Guild, and the local Ministerial Alliance. I was impressed with the welcoming spirit I found in Willow Springs and the willingness to reach out to people in need through community-wide volunteering at MUNCH and other organizations, Fr. Wall said. The people here are very outgoing, generous, and dedicated to their faith. He is much beloved by his parishioners and members of the Willow Springs and White Church communities because he always goes out of his way to help people, regardless of their needs or circumstances. His smile, wit, compassion, and empathy have lifted many a heart. He is never too tired or too busy to listen, a rare thing in today s world. TM

17 June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 17 Mary s triumph through Jesus Marian Conference held at St. Mary Cathedral By J.B. Kelly Cape Girardeau MO The Marian Association of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau hosted another conference to encourage spiritual growth, particularly through devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, at St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau on April More than 100 people attended the two-day event that featured presentations by Deacon Patrick O Toole (Diocese of Springfield, IL); Mark Kiser (convert, evangelist, and parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Ozark); Fr. Chris Alar (Marians of the Immaculate Conception); John Horvat, II (American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property); and Gregory Thompson (diocesan Marian Association). Held only days prior to the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Mary at Fatima, Portugal, the conference included special emphasis on Our Lady s message of Fatima. This was particularly illuminated by a presentation by Fr. Alar on Divine Mercy & Our Lady of Fatima. Additional presentation topics included the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Marian Consecration, and reading the signs of the times, and remaining obedient to the Deposit of Faith. Opportunities to venerate relics and go to confession were offered throughout the conference. Masses were celebrated by Bp. Edward Rice and diocesan priests on Friday evening, and Fr. Chris Alar on Saturday morning. Another Marian Conference the theme of which will be Mary s Fiat mihi and Fatima will be held Oct , 2017 at Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield. TM LITURGY Bishop Rice celebrated the opening Mass of the Marian Conference that was held April He encouraged growth in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through frequent prayer with the rosary. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror) MARIAN DEVOTION Fr. Chris Alar of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, based in Stockbridge, MA, spoke on the message of Divine Mercy, Marian Consecration, and Our Lady of Fatima, through a series of talks given at the Marian Conference held April at St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau. (Photo by J.B. Kelly/The Mirror) The death penalty: A public program of victimization Springfield Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is sponsoring The Death Penalty A Public Program of Victimization. on Sat., June 24, from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Council of Churches of the Ozarks Headquarters at 627 N. Glenstone Ave., in Springfield, MO. The Voices Project, a collection of stories of people who have been victimized by the death penalty in some way, will be presented by KATE SISKA, the coordinator of the project. Siska, a mitigation specialist who works with one of the nation s most successful death penalty trial attorneys, will be joined by Caryn Saxon and Linda Taylor. Siska s experience working on death penalty trials and her interviews with jurors who served in capital cases in which the death penalty was sought led her to develop this presentation. CARYN SAXON teaches in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program at Missouri State University and was interviewed by the Voices Project because she was a neighbor of Craig Wood, who is accused of the murder of Hailey Owens. LINDA TAYLOR is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother from the Kansas City area who was interviewed by the Voices Project as the sister of a murder victim and as the mother of a son who was executed by the State of Missouri in This presentation is free and open to the public. An optional luncheon and membership meeting of the Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) will precede the program at 12-noon. Make luncheon reservations by June 19 at rjscpa@gmail.com or call (417) Donations requested for the luncheon. For more information about MADP, visit TM Take the pledge to end the death penalty Join the movement to educate, advocate, and pray for an end to the use of the death penalty worldwide. Catholicsmobilizing.org Graduating Mountain Grove seniors receive education scholarships PARISH SCHOLARSHIPS The annual Sacred Heart Senior Scholarships were bestowed to five graduating seniors on May 21, 2017, in Sacred Heart Church, Mountain Grove, MO. Pictured were (front row) Abbi Jeffers, Matthew Baker, and Laci Collins; (back row) Patrick Brown, Deacon Joe Kurtenbach, and Curtis Hale. A reception followed the scholarship presentations. (Photo by Bunny Brown)

18 18 The Mirror June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS Fire chief squires students to school in style Oran, MO On April 27, Oran s fire chief Jimmy Watkins gave five students a ride to Guardian Angel School, fed them donuts, and arrived back at school to safely usher each of them home. This event was the result of a purchase made by Tracy Mitchell at the school s annual dinner and auction for her two nephews and sister. The students were provided the full experience as the sirens were utilized, so of course people pulled over for them along the route. TM We need your help! Staffing needs at Camp St. Vincent in Fredericktown Session 2F (June 25-30) Session 3F (July 9-14) 1 Girl s Counselor 1 Boy s Counselor 1 Assistant Cooks Camp Smokey in Cassville Critical Staffing Need Session 5C (July 23-28) Nurse Applications are available on the diocesan Website: For more information please contact Rosie Francka, rfrancka@dioscg.org or call (417) Employment opportunities in diocesan schools Elementary Principal, Glennonville St. Teresa School in Glennonville is seeking a Elementary Prinicipal for the coming academic year. This position is supervised by the pastor of the parish and the diocesan Superintendent of Schools. Requirements include active Catholic with a passion for Catholic education; Missouri (or other) educator certification; Master s in Education Administration (or in progress), and administrative experience, especially in Catholic schools, preferred. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume/application to: Fr. David Dohogne, St. Teresa Parish, State Hwy JJ, Campbell, MO For more information, please call (573) FIRE TRUCK SERVES AS SCHOOL BUS Hailee Baker, Tracy Mitchell, Langdon Scheeter, Connor Watkins, Aiden Scheeter, and Oran Chief Jimmy Watkins posed in front of the fire engine in which the five students caught a ride to Guardian Angel School. (Submitted photo) Positions in Joplin Daycare & Elementary School Teacher wanted for at St. Mary School, Joplin. Appropriate certification required; Catholic preferred. Please send resumes to Georgiana McGriff at gmcgriff@jacss.org by June 16. Joplin Area Catholic Schools is seeking an ASSISTANT in our development office. Must possess initiative, excellent computer and communication skills, and demonstrate keen attention to detail. Catholic strongly preferred, and knowledge of Joplin area and effective marketing strategies will be a plus. Send resume with three references to Georgiana L. McGriff, JACS Director, at gmcgriff@jacss.org Positions open in Kelso St. Augustine School in Kelso, Missouri is accepting applications for the following positions for school year: Grades 6-8 Science/Religion Teacher, part-time Cook (3-days per week, approx. 12 hours/week) and part-time Custodial/Maintenance position(3-4 hours per day, M-F). Interested individuals should contact Dr. Gerald Landewee at glandewee@stakelso. eduk12.net. Sacred Heart Catholic Church 100Th Year Ice Cream Social Saturday, July 15, :30-9 p.m. 308 S. Spruce St., Conway, MO Hamburgers, hotdogs, cake and home-made ice cream Games and prizes Home-made baked goods silent auction Fun for all ages!!! Positions open in Pierce City St. Mary School in Pierce City is looking for the following positions for the school year: Elementary Teacher Aide, 5 hours a day, Tue.-Thu. mornings; Janitor, 16 hours a week, Tue.-Fri.; Qualifications for the teacher: Bachelor s Degree in Education, knowledgeable of current teaching practices, practicing Catholic (preferred, not required). Active in parish/church, love for children, kind, compassionate person. Ability to work as a team player. Contact Judy Harper, Principal at judy.harper@stmarys-piercecity.org. Positions in Springfield Immaculate Conception School is accepting applications for a Middle School and Second Grade Teacher for the school year. Applicants must be an active Catholic, must be a certified teacher, and must complete the Online application at For more information, please contact Theresa Coleman at (417) , or tcoleman@scspk12.org. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School is seeking applicants for an Upper Elementary and/or a Middle School Teacher for the school year. Preferred candidate must be certified, a practicing Catholic, flexible and team-teaching oriented. Applications must be made Online and are available at under the About tab, scroll down to Employment Opportunities. For more information please contact Dr. Cheryl Hall at (417) , or chall@scspk12.org. St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Springfield, MO is currently seeking a full-time 5th/6th grade teacher and a part-time band director for the school year. For more information, please contact Bonnie Johnson at (417) or send an to bjohnson@ stjosephcatholicacademy.org.

19 June 9, 2017 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING The Mirror 19 Sacrament of the Eucharist held in Mountain Grove Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri Chief Development Officer sought for CCSOMO Job opening in leadership position at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, a growing, faith-based, non-profit social services agency, seeks a dynamic, enthusiastic, passionate self-starter for its Chief Development Officer (CDO), who will be responsible for leading the strategic and tactical efforts of the Development Department. The CDO will be a front-line fundraiser with the ability to build relationships, and cultivate, ask, and close critical major and leadership gifts. The CDO will mentor, inspire, lead, and motivate colleagues and friends, old and new. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED) of Catholic Charities, the Chief Development Officer will work independently as an executive fundraising officer and collaboratively with Catholic Charities ED and leadership staff. The ideal candidate will serve as a strategic partner who designs, plans, initiates and completes fundraising and special event programs to increase private support for Catholic Charities, and its mission to serve the poor in the 39 southern-most counties in Missouri, which includes many of the most impoverished counties in the state. The CDO is a bold and imaginative thinker yet hands-on executive who will establish and lead an exemplary development program. The CDO will couple a genuine passion for the mission of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri with proven experience driving fundraising success to usher the agency into a new era of fundraising. For complete job description and to apply, visit FIRST COMMUNION On May 14, 2017, four candidates celebrated the sacrament of the Eucharist with pastor Fr. Paul Wightman, OMI. Pictured were Collin Bashor, Mollee Bohnenkamp, Brady Jackson, and Bristol McCall with Fr. Wightman. (Photo by Bunny Brown) Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc. Brentwood Chapel University Chapel Crematory Columbarium Licensed funeral directors of distinction: Bill M. Abbott W. Bruce Howell Marquis Howell, Jr. Robert Lohmeyer Harley R. Williams Don R. Lohmeyer Clint W. Mease Marquis Howell, Sr. Angela N. Collins Heather K. Howell Winford R. Laster Locally owned and operated for over 50 years 1947 E. Seminole, Springfield MO (417) fax (417) , gormanscharpf@mchsi.com Columbia Construction Co. PO Box 1332 Cape Girardeau, MO (573) Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home Locally-owned & operated u Dedicated u Caring u Professional Offices of the Catholic Cemeteries Paul & Lynn Wunderlich David Fenton Louis Lohmeyer Charlene Harris-Bengsch Gene Lohmeyer Mary Ann Johnston Joel Champ 500 E. Walnut - Springfield, MO (417)

20 20 The Mirror June 9, 2017 ADVERTISING