SEEK2015: college students can change the world

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1 The Mirr r Vol. XLX, No. 20 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI January 23, 2015 One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus SEEK2015: college students can change the world 150 attend from the Diocese By Andy Telli Nashville, TN The founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) implored nearly 10,000 young adults to put Christ first in their lives so they can help change the world. You were willed into existence because you were meant to be amazing. The invitation Christ is extending is to choose him first and become the man or woman you were meant to be, Curtis Martin said during his keynote address Jan. 4 at the SEEK 2015 conference. If you allow Christ to be the principle and foundation of your life, you will be a world changer, he said. Sponsored by FOCUS and held Jan. 1-5 at the Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville, the conference drew young people from college and university campuses across the country, including over 150 from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Martin told attendees, The great truth of the Christian Gospel is not that we love God, but that God loves us.... We need to respond with a full, all-in effort. If you become who you are meant to be, you will set the world on fire, he added. Go set the world on fire. Attendees felt inspired to do just that. It moves my heart to tears to see people encountering Christ, said Gage Shirley, one of more than 75 students from the University of Kansas in attendance. The SEEK conference was the second for Shirley. The first, in 2013, came as he was going through a conversion in his faith and was helped along in that journey by older students he met through the FOCUS missionaries at the university. His goal this year was to mentor younger students attending their first conference, just as he was mentored, and to discern the path his life should take after he graduates in the spring. Shirley said he is considering working as a missionary with several organizations, including FOCUS. Heather Nelson, another Kansas University student at the conference, has already made that decision: she will become a FOCUS missionary after spring graduation, working on a college campus to help students develop a relationship with Christ. By listening to the conference speakers, Nelson said she learned a lot that she plans to take to the Bible study group she leads at her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. FOCUS has more than 400 missionaries serving on 100 campuses nationwide in a campaign to invite college students to build a relationship with Christ and the Catholic faith. The FOCUS model begins first with establishing genuine friendships and helping students, through smallgroup Bible study and one-on-one mentorship, to develop the tools needed to maintain their faith while in school. Students also are sent to share their faith with others. FOCUS missionaries are on the campuses of Missouri State University, Springfield; and Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau. SEEK and FOCUS help students know the love of Christ and develop a true relationship with him, Nelson said. That s what s lacking. People may know about Jesus, Nelson said, but they don t know him as their best friend. What FOCUS is doing is on the cutting edge of the new evangelization, said Abp. Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS, who was the main celebrant and homilist at Mass Jan. 4. The model they use, is the method Jesus himself used, Abp. Naumann said. Abp. Naumann was impressed with what he saw at the conference. I see a tremendous desire for the Lord, a great yearning, he said. It s impressive to see this many young adults on fire with the faith. It is especially impressive, he said, when one considers the sobering statistics about how many young people fall away from their faith while in college. What s beautiful here, he said, is you see a lot of young adults who ve found their faith in college. CNS The next issue of The Mirror will be Feb. 6, If you would like to receive the diocesan newspaper via in digital format, please contact Angie Toben at (417) , or her: atoben@dioscg.org. SEEK2015 (Left) Bp. James V. Johnston (standing, center), Fr. Patrick Nwokoye (left) and Fr. Tom McGann, CMF, (right), posed for a photo with students from Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, and Missouri State University, Drury University, and Ozarks Technical Community College, all of Springfield, at the SEEK2015 Fellowship of Catholic University Students Conference held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN. Over 9,500 Catholic college and university students from across the nation attended the Jan. 1-5 event, including around 150 from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. (Submitted photo)

2 2 The Mirror January 23, 2015 COLUMNS Je suis Charlie and freedom of speech Islamic extremists touched a particularly sensitive nerve in the West this month with the murders of cartoonists from the satirical French weekly, Charlie Hebdo. The killings provoked a rally in Paris that French officials called the largest ever. President Francois Hollande was joined by the heads of European states, and by both the Israeli prime minister and the president of the Palestinian Authority. The slogan Je suis Charlie ( I am Charlie ) appeared spontaneously on Twitter, handmade signs, mobile phones and Web sites. It says just enough that we can all subscribe to the sentiment, but not all of us for the same reasons. Some the regular subscribers to Charlie Hebdo perhaps want to proclaim their support for the magazine s editorial policy. This is probably a minority viewpoint. Charlie Hebdo is a written version of our own South Park except far more fearless in its profanity. It makes a point of ridiculing Muslims, Jews, and Catholics in ways that often cross the line from funny to cruel and sacrilegious. GUEST COLUMN John Garvey Its cover for Pope Francis trip to World Youth Day in Rio showed the pope as a flabby drag queen. The year before the pope s trip, it showed the Prophet Muhammad as a porn star. Even in a country with the French sense of humor, these cartoons would be generally seen as tasteless. Two other kinds of thinkers might say Je suis Charlie to proclaim their support, not for the magazine s content, but for the principle of freedom of speech. The first (call them the enlightened) would invoke Voltaire by way of explanation: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. The bedrock idea is that even if you and I see the world differently, your truth is as good as mine. Fairness requires me to give you as much room to proclaim your truth as I want for my own. But the second group (call them the believers) views freedom of speech as consistent with a belief in objective truth. I believe that racism really is wrong, that Jesus Christ really is the son of God, that the Catholic Church is holy and apostolic. Charlie Hebdo takes a perverse delight in ridiculing some of these beliefs. Unlike the enlightened defenders of freedom, I think the magazine s opinion is not just different but objectively wrong. So why would I defend its freedom to say what is both false and offensive? Contemporary liberalism has forgotten that it was believers who gave us the modern principle of free speech. John Milton s Areopagitica was an argument to Parliament against censorship. Milton argued that believers should not suppress false speech because God doesn t need our help: For who knows not that Truth is strong, next to the Almighty? She needs no policies, nor stratagems, nor licensings to make her victorious. The violent suppression of false speech is a little like Moses striking the rock twice. It demonstrates a lack of faith. John Locke, another 17th-century English Protestant, made a different argument. He maintained that if we are interested in converting our opponents to our point of view, force will be unavailing: True and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind.... And such is the nature of the understanding that it cannot be compelled to the belief of anything by outward force. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council s Declaration on Religious Liberty, which echoes Milton s and Locke s arguments. It adds the distinctively Catholic note that coercion, especially in matters of faith, is inconsistent with the dignity of the human person. To speak frankly, Charlie has not been a very admirable persona. But we honor a bigger principle, not him personally, in saying Je suis Charlie. CNS Garvey is the president of The Catholic University of America in Washington. Cherish, own, and celebrate one s baptism The transfer of the celebration of the Epiphany to a Sunday from Jan. 6 (the solemnity s traditional date), and the elimination of Sundays-after-Epiphany in favor of the ill-named Sundays of Ordinary Time, has made a hash of the Christmas liturgical season, as I suggested in Evangelical Catholicism. Still, the liturgical calendar of Blessed Paul VI does us a service by highlighting the formerly insignificant Feast of the Baptism of the Lord as the terminus of the Christmas season. And that service is to remind us to remember, cherish, celebrate the date of our own baptism. When I first started working on pro-life and religious freedom issues with Evangelical Protestants, some 35 years ago, I was struck by the way these folks introduced themselves at a meeting. Most Americans, in such circumstances, identify themselves by occupation: I m John Smith and I m a lawyer with Smith Jones or I m Jane Doe and I m a pediatrician at Children s Hospital. My new friends didn t do that. Rather, they d say I m John Smith (or Jane Doe) and I was born again on such-andsuch a date which was usually when the person in question was a young adult. Contrarian that I can be on occasion, I would say, when the introductory rites came around to me, I m George Weigel and I was THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE George Weigel born again on April 29, 1951 at which point I was precisely 12 days old. That drew the occasional blank stare, but it often led to interesting conversations about sacramental regeneration. My evangelical friends sense that the day of their being born again was the defining moment of their lives, and my Catholic convictions about what had happened to me on April 29, 1951, came into harmonic focus when, in preparing the first volume of my biography of St. John Paul II, Witness to Hope, I described the pope s return to his parish in Wadowice on his epic first papal pilgrimage to Poland in June Stepping into the church where he had served Mass, received the scapular, and prayed daily during his youth, the 264th Bishop of Rome went straight to the chapel that housed the baptismal font and venerated the place where he had been born again in Why? Because Karol Wojtyla knew that that day was the most important day of his life: the day when he was first empowered, by water and the Spirit, to become a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ and a missionary disciple. As John Paul understood it, the most important day of his life was not the day on which he was ordained a priest, consecrated a bishop, or elected pope. The most important day of his life was the day of his baptism. Everything else flowed from that, like the waters in Ezekiel s vision, flowing from the The Catechism in brief 1280 Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of its character, Baptism cannot be repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624). The Catechism of the Catholic Church compiles the living tradition of the Catholic Church and divides it into four sections: What Catholics believe (the Creed), how the faith is transmitted (worship and sacraments), how Catholics are called to live (moral life), and prayer. restored Temple to renew the face of the earth. In discussing Evangelical Catholicism, the book and the idea, with dozens of audiences in various Catholic venues around the country and the world over the past two years, I ve often conducted a little pop-quiz, asking my audience how many of them know the date of their baptism. I once got close to a 10 percent positive response, but the norm is usually in the two-three percent range. I then tell the story of my evangelical friends, and the story of John Paul II, and suggest that those present should, on returning home, take out the file where they keep the Catholic stuff, look up the date of their baptism on their baptismal certificate, memorize it and then celebrate that day in some special way every year hence. I ve been doing that for a decade and a half now, prodded a few months ahead of time by the liturgical Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Like the Lord, on the day of our baptism, each of us received a commission: in our case, to be the disciples who take Christ s mission into the world, every day. Owning that is how we become the Church in permanent mission to which Pope Francis has called us. TM George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC.

3 January 23, 2015 COLUMNS The Mirror 3 America past, present, future God bless America, land that I love; stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above. Verse from the song God Bless America, by Irving Berlin I recently attended an event that included the singing of the National Anthem. The host invited everyone present to join in singing the athem of the greatest country on earth. As a patriotic American, in my subjective opinion, I agree. But, like many, I am also very worried about America. If one were to ask a sampling of Americans today why their nation is great, I suspect there would be a wide range of answers. Exactly why has America been a great nation? It certainly is not because we have been perfect. Arguably, the most critical point in our history was a horrific Civil War. There were great struggles over civil rights up through the 1960s, and the recent events over race indicate that there is still work to be done. I suspect that many would link America s greatness to one of two things: prosperity or freedom. While these are not insignificant, I suggest that our nation s greatness rests on something more fundamental; namely that we can all agree that there are certain self-evident truths about human beings, human life, and our life in common. A corollary of this foundational belief is that we aren t just making up for ourselves what it is that we believe. In other words, these foundational truths are from God, our Creator. We should never take for granted, or shy away from pointing out, that the greatness of America rests on a Judeo-Christian worldview; which brings us to why there is cause for worry. ON THE WAY Bp. James V. Johnston There are a great many in America today who argue that any religious worldview ought to be excluded from public life and policy. The end result of this radical secularist line of thinking is that everything is just politics a deformed understanding of democracy. When one censors the acknowledgement that God is the source of our foundational truths, the result is a vision of the human person, human life, and life in common, that is defined by those in power. As this error in thought has grown to be accepted in America, we have witnessed our American culture and common life become more fractured and politicized. Truth about human life and marriage Two current examples make this point. On Jan. 22, America marked yet again the notorious 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion on demand in America. No other issue since the Civil War has divided America as has this one, and one can understand why. Like the issue of slavery that was the basis of the American Civil War, in which the Supreme Court declared in the Dred Scott decision that black people were of an inferior order and therefore had no rights, children in the womb were denied fundamental human rights, and in this case, the very right to life. The past 40-plus years have been marked by a struggle over America s soul. In this regard, I urge all our faithful to commit themselves to the just and noble cause of the pro-life movement to end America s holocaust. Through abortion, we have literally eliminated a third of the national population under 42 years of age; nearly 60 million people. Let that figure sink in for a moment and ask yourself: Would a truly great nation allow that to go on? The other current issue relates to the re-definition of marriage by the government. Not only does this undermine the family in society, it goes against basic common sense. It is not an issue of equality as some have cleverly tried to frame it. No different than any other human, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) persons deserve respect and basic human rights. They should never be persecuted. However, introducing a man-made definition of marriage which undermines the family and the rights of children is a serious injustice in itself. For millennia, civilizations have recognized the importance of a married mother and a father (female and male) as far and away the best environment to conceive and raise children; so much so that a special status, marriage, was given to protect this basic cell of society. Now we are facing the terrible prospect that marriage is whatever the government says it is. How did we get here? Again, when a nation discards its agreement that the fundamental truths which we can all agree upon come from a source which is above us, namely God, then all we are left with is the opinions of those who wield the political power. The 19th century German philosopher, Frederich Nietzche, is noted for summing up the dawn of the 20th century by declaring that God is dead. He also noted, quite presciently, that the result of this worldview with God absent from human affairs is that nations would be driven by those with a will to power. The 20th century fulfilled Nietzche s prediction with two God-less visions of man rising to power: communism and the atheistic fascism of the Nazis under Adolph Hitler. These atheistic visions resulted in the 20th century being the most murderous in history. America is struggling over its identity and its future. Will it follow the path that Western Europe has taken, adopting a deliberate amnesia over its Christian roots and identity, and the foundational principles that Public calendar Mon., Jan. 26 Catholic Schools Week Jan Presbyteral Council Meeting, Willow Springs, MO Tue., Jan. 27 All-Schools Catholic Schools 2 p.m. Week Mass, St. Mary Church, Joplin Wed., Jan. 28 All-Schools Catholic Schools 1:30 p.m. Week Mass, Springfield Catholic High School Thu., Jan. 29 Rite of Christian Initiation of 7 p.m. Adults (RCIA), St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau, MO Fri., Jan. 30 All Schools Catholic Schools 10:15 a.m. Week Mass, Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau Sat., Jan. 31 Opening Prayer, Jack Frost 9 a.m. Run, Catholic Campus Ministry, O Reilly Catholic Student Center, Springfield; Catholic Schools Week Appreciation Dinner, St. Mary Parish, Pierce City, MO Sun., Feb. 1 Jesus Caritas gathering, Dallas, TX Mon., Feb. 2- National Catholic Bioethics Wed., Feb. 4 Center Workshop for Bishops, Dallas, TX Sat., Feb. 7 Annual Gathering of Religious Sisters and Brothers, Mercy Cancer Center, Springfield; 5 p.m. Confirmation St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield Sun., Feb. 8 Diocesan Wedding 2:30 p.m. Anniversary Celebration, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Mon., Feb. 9 Clergy Gathering, Springfield Thu., Feb. 12 The Catholic Center staff Mass and meeting, Springfield Fri., Feb. 13 Assemblies of God Theological 1:30 p.m. Seminary Reception honoring Drs. Stan and Ruth Burgess Sat., Feb. 14 Annual Gathering Religious Sisters and Brothers, St. Francis Xavier Parish Sikeston, MO once made it great? If so, we will find ourselves living off the moral and material capital of the past, until it dissipates, and we devolve into a federation of tribes struggling to get an upper-hand. Our unity and greatness as a nation is in peril. The alternative is more promising: reviving and renewing our nation by effectively proposing and defending those truths that are selfevident. It is only by some common agreement on something greater than ourselves, together recognizing our common humanity bestowed upon us by our Creator, that we can truly be a great nation. TM

4 4 The Mirror January 23, 2015 FEATURE/DIOCESAN NEWS New film Black or White aims to start the conversation on race By Mike Nelson It is not an overtly religious film. Other than a brief funeral scene inside of a church early in the film, there is no mention of God, or of a particular faith or religion. And yet, Black or White is, according to its makers and stars, clearly a film that addresses what might be called faith-based values and behaviors the importance of family, the need for compassion and forgiveness, the power of love, and the call to respect and value one another. In Black or White, inspired by true events in the life of writer-director Mike Binder, a biracial child named Eloise (Jillian Estell) is the subject of a court custody battle between her white paternal grandfather, Elliott (Kevin Costner), with whom she has spent her life, and her black maternal grandmother, Rowena (Octavia Spencer). Both grandparents love Eloise deeply and, in fact, get along relatively well with one another. But Elliott, a successful attorney living in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood, believes that Eloise is better off living with him, though he has just suffered the loss of his wife, with whom he has raised Eloise after the girl s mother (Elliott s daughter) died while giving birth. Rowena, a successful businesswoman and matriarch of a large extended family living in South Los Angeles, believes Eloise is better off surrounded by loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. The battle is complicated by the sudden appearance of Eloise s absentee father, Reggie (Andre Holland), trying to overcome a history of drug addiction that fires Elliott s determination to keep Eloise with him. But Elliott s own struggles with alcohol, and his temper, threaten to BLACK OR WHITE Kevin Costner and Jillian Estell star in a scene from the movie Black or White. The movie aims to start the conversation on race, and while not an overtly religious film, its creators and stars say it addresses what might be called faith-based values such as the importance of family, the need for compassion, and the power of love. undermine his efforts. Ultimately, said Spencer at a Jan. 21 news conference in Beverly Hills to promote the film, these people have to figure out what is best for the child, not what s best for themselves. And, said Binder, it is important to note that neither Elliott nor Rowena do anything that is not right for the child, even as they disagree with one another. The process of determining what is best provides a number of what Binder called come to Jesus moments for all of the central adult characters in the film, as they are forced to deal with their own attitudes about race and lifestyle, even as they question one another s motives. Part of the human condition is being able to empathize with someone we don t know, someone whose life experience is different from ours, said Costner, like Spencer ( The Help ) an Academy Award winner ( Dances With Wolves ). And that s where the (CNS photo/relativity) character of grandfather Elliott struggles. Personal investment The world Rowena provides is a world that Elliott doesn t completely understand, said Costner. He s just afraid of it, afraid of South Central. He knows his own world and he thinks his fence and his alarms will keep Eloise safe. Costner, who as co-producer helped arrange financing for Black or White when its prospects for getting made were in doubt, said that his involvement was decided when the first page of the script started to sing, and every page thereafter told him I wished I d have written this. As actors, we have a chance to say things that make an impression on people, in a way that sticks with them forever, he said. And that made me nervous, because I knew I had to get it right. I knew what was at stake. Spencer said that Costner s determination to get it right was both inspiring and evident throughout the entire cast and crew during the making of Black or White. To see the preparedness and team spirit during the making of this film made this a magical experience for me, she said with a smile. Viewers, said Spencer, may well feel conflicting emotions for both Rowena and Elliott, that there is no clear hero or villain in the film. Whether you re with Elliott and against Rowena, or if you re with Rowena and against Elliott, by the end of the movie, if you can t find your way to the middle, there s something wrong, she said. That theme of addressing conflict with an eye to the future, said Binder, could well be a metaphor for what is taking place in the country, especially since Black or White appears at an especially key moment in America s discussion of race relations. In this film, he said, there are two families who have a lot of grudges that they ve got to let go of, for the sake of this little girl. Well, when you look at what is going on in our country today, it seems to me that whatever we do, whatever we believe, we ve got to make sure that we teach our kids how to come together and resolve our disagreements and our issues for the sake of our future generations. His own life experience helping raise his deceased sister-in-law s biracial child with the father s family in two distinctly different neighborhoods motivated the making of Black or White. I wanted to do a piece about where we go forward in race relations in this country, he explained. This film, hopefully, will start those kinds of conversations that we need to have. CNS The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication Publisher: Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. 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. Subscription price, $14 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. XLX No. 20 January 23, 2015 Single copy price, $0.50 Copyright 2015, The Mirror, CNS, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine:

5 January 23, 2015 DIOCESAN NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS The Mirror 5 Diocesan/Southern Missouri Calling all high school students!: Applications are now being taken for a diocesan summertime mission trip July 5-11 to Winnebago, NE. This mission experience will offer teens and chaperones a week of growing in faith, prayer, and serving those in need. Total trip cost is $390/participant; $50 will hold your place. All high school youth in the diocese are invited to participate; adults are also needed to chaperone. For more information, contact Annette Peterson, petersonjoplin@cableone.net, or (417) Chaffee The men of St. Ambrose Parish will host a whole hog sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy breakfast, Sun., Feb. 1, in the parish center. Adults: $7; children (ages six-12): $3; children (under age five): free. Cape Girardeau The Notre Dame Regional High School Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America will host the Jean Hermsdorfer Memorial Mardi Gras 5K and 10K run/ walk, Sat., Feb. 7, at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the race begins at St. Vincent De Paul Center, 1919 Ritter Dr. Cost is $25. Proceeds benefit Notre Dame Athletes for Life supporting Saint Francis Medical Center Dig for Life that provides mammograms to area women in need. For more information, contact Tanya Davis, (573) , or tanyadavis@notredamecape.org. To register Online visit Carthage St. Ann Parish will host an auction, Sat., April 18, in the CMC Auditorium. Tickets: $40 (includes dinner, drinks, $15 auction credit), and may be purchased Online www. stannscarthage.org, at the church or school office, or by calling (417) Gainesville St. William Parish will host Friday fish frys on Feb. 27, March 13, and March 27 at 4:30-6:30 p.m., in the parish hall. Menu includes fish cooked on-site, homemade desserts, and beverage. Cost: $7.50/person; children (ages 12 and under): $3.50. For more information, contact Theresa Kguzik, tkguzik@ yahoo.com. Lebanon The Knights of Columbus and Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) of St. Francis de Sales Parish will host a Valentine s Day Dinner and Dance, Sat., Feb. 14, 5-10 p.m., in the parish center. Cost: $15/person. For more information, contact Bonnie Talbot, (417) Oran Guardian Angel Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will host a breakfast on Sun., Feb. 22, 8 a.m noon, in the school gym. The menu includes whole hog sausage, ham, scrambled or fried eggs, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy. Cost: adults: $7; children (ages six-12): $3; children (ages five and under): free. All proceeds to benefit the mission work of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. For more information, contact Debbie Gaines, (573) Springfield The Secular Franciscan group will meet Sat., Jan. 31, with lunch at noon (optional), and 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 Springfield Catholic High School Project Graduation (May 15, 2015), is a chaperoned, alcohol-free, drug-free, all-night celebration planned by parents of the seniors, and is funded entirely through donations. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation Online with a credit card, please access the SCHS Online payment account at or write a check payable to SCHS Project Graduation and mail to Springfield Catholic High School, 2340 S. Eastgate, Springfield, MO For more information, call (417) Springfield A six-week support program for separated, divorced, and widowed adults, Coping with Life Alone, begins at 6:30 p.m., Thu., Feb. 19, in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. The Beginning Experience program, sponsored by the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, offers strength and growth through a community of friendship, support, and prayer. The program s facilitators have themselves experienced a divorce or death of a spouse. For more information, call Mary Alice, (417) ; or Melanie, (417) Springfield Join in a morning of peaceful prayer and quiet reflection in preparation for Lent, Sat., Feb. 14, Holy Trinity Church, 9:30 a.m.-noon. For more information, contact Barb or Mike at democatsx2@gmail.com, or call (417) Springfield Journey through Lent to Easter by enrolling in a five-week Bible Belt Studies Course. The first 10 participants will be accepted. For more information or to enroll, visit or contact Sr. Frances Wessel, SSND, at fwessel@ssndcp.org, or call (417) Springfield The Messiah Project Chorale will be performing Giacomo Puccini s Messa di Gloria, Sun., March 22, 7:30 p.m., All Saints Anglican Church, under the direction of Sharon Wilkins. Auditions will be held 7-8:30 p.m. on Mon., Feb. 2, Credo Arts Center, 931 S. Kickapoo, in the sanctuary portion of the building complex. Please contact us at messiahpro@sbcglobal.net for the selection used for the auditions. The audition will consist of vocalizing and singing the assigned selection in a quartet. If this time will not work for you, please advise and we will work out an alternate time. Rehersals will be on Sunday afternoons at Credo Arts Center, 2:30-4 p.m., Feb. 8, 15, 22, and March 1, 8, and 15. For more information, contact Lindsey Robison, (417) KHJM Catholic radio for Southeast Missouri From Jackson to the Bootheel, KHJM 89.1 FM brings the Heart of Jesus and Mary radio to the area. Schedule The next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations: Mon., Jan p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Mon., Feb p.m....notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau Sun., Feb p.m....st. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield Mon., Mar. 16 5:30-8:30 p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Wed., June p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Preregistration 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

6 6 The Mirror January 23, 2015 DIOCESAN/NATIONAL NEWS Knights send $2.2 million to assist Christian refugees in Iraq, Syria New Haven, CT The Knights of Columbus announced its Christian Refugee Relief Fund has donated $2.2 million to help displaced Iraqi and Syrian Christians and other religious minorities who continue to face violent persecution and the very real prospect of extinction. This is a concrete response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Iraq and to the urgent appeals from the region as well as Pope Francis request for material assistance for those affected by this persecution, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in a statement. The funds will help provide permanent housing for the increasing number of displaced families in Iraq, according to a news release. Specifically, it said, the Knights donation of $2 million will pay for the construction of new homes on property owned by the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Irbil in the Kurdishcontrolled region of northern Iraq. The Knights Supreme Council, which has its headquarters in New Haven, began the fund in August with $1 million and has since raised an additional $1.7 million in donations from individual Knights, local Knights councils, and others, for a Rector named for Kenrick-Glennon Seminary St. Louis Abp. Robert J. Carlson recently announced that Fr. James Mason, JD, has been named President and Rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary effective July 1, Originally a priest from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, SD, Fr. Mason currently serves as the Dean of Students and Director of Spiritual Formation at Kenrick-Glennon. Fr. Mason will replace Fr. John Horn, SJ, who has served in this capacity since July During Fr. Horn s tenure as President and Rector, the seminary has experienced 11 percent growth in its enrollment, developed outstanding academic faculty, built strong ties with key collaborators, such as the Institute of Priestly Formation and the Gregorian University in Rome, and will complete its multi-million dollar renovation with the blessing of a restored chapel in the Spring of this year. Fr. Mason joined the staff of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in August NEW RECTOR & PRESIDENT Fr. James Mason, JD, the current Dean of Students and Director of Spiritual Formation at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis, will assume the role of President and Rector of the seminary in July. (Photo courtesy the Archdiocese of St. Louis) Since his ordination in 2001, Fr. Mason has served in various roles throughout the Diocese of Sioux Falls: Director of Catholic Charities, Legal Counsel, Medical-Moral Advisor, Vice Chancellor, Director of Vocations, Director of Broom Tree Retreat Center, and Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish and St. Lambert Parish. He is a lawyer and has a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Ministry from the Institute of Priestly Formation where he worked on the Board and has taught a course entitled, The Spirituality of the Diocesan Priesthood. He has directed seminarians, priests, and religious in the 30-day Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius for nine years and has led numerous retreats around the world and country for clergy, consecrated, seminarians, and laity. Prior to entering the seminary, Fr. Mason worked as a prosecutor in Minneapolis. Fr. Paul Hoesing, STL, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Omaha, will replace Fr. Mason as Dean of Seminarians and Director of Human Formation at the seminary. Fr. Hoesing has served as the Director of Vocations since 2008 and was elected President of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors in He also assists as a faculty member for the Institute of Priestly Formation. Kenrick-Glennon Seminary began the academic year with 131 men and currently serves 15 dioceses in the United States, as well as three international dioceses from Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Kenrick-Glennon is home to four seminarians of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau: Nicholas Newton, Joshua Carroll, Charlie Peirano, and Jacob Wright. TM total of $2.7 million. The donations were accompanied by fervent prayers for all those suffering in the land of the holy apostles, Anderson said. Houses will be built for Iraqi Christians who were driven from their homes in Mosul and the surrounding area and who have been living in emergency shelters and random locations far from home. With winter setting in, already grave conditions are expected to only worsen as these families are going without proper shelter, which is so fundamental to living their lives, said Anderson. These new homes are signs of hope that will allow this community to begin to blossom once again. The Knights Christian Refugee Relief Fund also has made a separate donation of $200,000 in general aid to the Melkite Catholic Archdiocese of Aleppo, Syria. Public donations are still being accepted to continue to address the urgent situation, the Knights said. The monies donated will be combined with the funds that remain from the $2.7 million collected earlier and at a later date will be distributed to refugees still in need. The Knights of Columbus Christian Refugee Relief Fund is still accepting donations, which can be made by visiting donate, or by sending checks or money orders to: K of C Christian Refugee Relief, Knights of Columbus Charities, PO Box 1966, New Haven, CT The Knights of Columbus is the world s largest Catholic fraternal organization with more than 1.8 million members worldwide. CNS Novena for Iraq and Syria Over the past year, the situation in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, has been horrific for Christians. Many have been forced out of their homes and many have been martyred for their faith. The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch in Baghdad has asked Catholics around the world to join them in prayer, asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for the Christians of Iraq and Syria. Please pray a nine-day Rosary novena to shed hope and light on our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering exile from the homeland because of their faith. Please also recite the following prayer that the intercession of our Mother may bring peace to the Middle East: Mother of God, Virgin Mary, be for us a safeguard from all illnesses and hardships. Through the great love you have for Christ, ask and beseech him to be merciful to us, to give healing to our ailments, to console the downtrodden, to reunite those who are scattered, and to forgive us. Amen. (CNS photo/paul Haring)

7 January 23, 2015 COLUMN/ADVERTISING The Mirror 7 Each portion of the Church s year feeds us Having concluded the Christmas Season on Jan. 11 with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we find ourselves celebrating a few short weeks of Ordinary Time before beginning the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18). These weeks of Ordinary Time seem to be a lull in the action. Many people are recovering and rebounding from the hoopla of Christmas before quickly shifting gears in order to enter into the most somber season of the Church Year. It s easy to overlook and disregard these weeks of Ordinary Time. They seem to pass us by unnoticed, yet they are important in our LIVING THE LITURGY Fr. David J. Dohogne spiritual growth as well. The Liturgical Year would not be complete without these weeks. Everything seems to be dormant in the natural world during this time of year. The winter months are typically not considered part of the growing season. Yet as Christians, there should never be a dormant time in our spiritual growth. If we ever fall into the state of being spiritually dormant and not growing in our Faith, then we are in big trouble! Growing in Faith is something we never stop doing, regardless of what season it might be or whatever else might be going on in our lives. Many people are very tired this time of year (physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally) due to the hectic pace of the holidays. Our batteries are drained and are in need of recharging. The place for that to happen for us spiritually is found in the Sacred Liturgy. So plug in to Christ during these next few weeks in order to really prepare your soul for a fruitful Lent. Take advantage of and appreciate the blessings God offers us during these weeks of Ordinary Time. While the natural world around us may seem empty, dormant, lifeless, and dreary, our soul should be blossoming and blooming with the fruits of faith and shining brightly with the Light of the Savior whose Birth we have just recently celebrated. The Divine Life of God should be bursting forth in the garden of our soul! Blessings to all of you! TM In addition to his position as diocesan Director of Worship, Fr. Dohogne serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dexter, MO; St. Teresa Church, Glennonville; and St. Ann Church, in Malden. 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. C O N T E M P L A T I V E PO Box 1332 Cape Girardeau, MO (573) MONK Trappist Cistercian A small self-supporting community in the Ozark foothills of Missouri. Assumption Abbey RR 5 Box 1056, Ava, MO (417) assumptionabbey@usa.net 2006 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe FLSTNI Cruiser miles Trans: 5 Speed. Color: Blue Runs and Drives. hard saddle bags. Price: $3000. Send me a personal message at m.bill92@yahoo.com. 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 (417)

8 8 The Mirror January 23, 2015 ADVERTISING