Fr. Thomas P. Kiefer Fr. Kiefer, pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation. in Cape Girardeau, is appointed pastor of. Fr.

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1 High school commencement comments from Bp. James V. Johnston, Jr. Dear graduates of the Class of 2014, I join your parents, family, and friends in offering my congratulations on your graduation from high school. You are the blessed beneficiaries of a Catholic high school education, something that I pray will benefit you for the rest of your life. The main goal of a Catholic education is not to make you smart, but to make you wise. There is a big difference. Smart people master material, learn skills and techniques, get results nothing wrong with that in and of itself. See Class of 2014 spread, pp. 6-7 CLASS OF 2014 Wise people love truth, and try to live their lives by it, even when it makes them seem out of step. As the term graduation implies, you are ready to advance to the next grade, the next level. Similarly, the term commencement implies that you are prepared to commence to go forth. In this sense, your graduation is both an end and a new beginning. And so, as you end one part of your life, and begin a new stage, See Commencement / 8 As of May 30, 2014, 62 parishes have reported 4,444 pledges to the Diocesan Development Fund totaling $ 1,225,927, or 51 percent of the $ 2,500,000 goal. Thank you! The Mirror Vol. XLX, No. 3 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI May 30, 2014 Annual pastoral assignments announced Springfield Bp. James V. Johnston, Jr., recently announced the annual pastoral assignments for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Unless otherwise noted, the effective date for the priestly appointments is July 1, PASTORS Fr. Henry (Hank) Grodecki, CM Fr. Grodecki, pastor of St. Canera Parish in Neosho and Nativity of Our Lord Mission, Noel, is appointed pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Fr. Grodecki Monett and Sacred Heart Parish in Verona. Fr. Lewis E. Hejna Fr. Hejna, pastor of Immaculate Coception Parish, Springfield, is appointed pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield. Fr. Hejna Fr. Joseph Mathai Kappilumakkal, CMI Fr. Kappilumakkal, associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff and St. Benedict Parish in Doniphan, is appointed Fr. Mathai pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in El Dorado Springs and St. Peter the Apostle Mission in Stockton. Fr. Thomas P. Kiefer Fr. Kiefer, pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral Parish in Cape Girardeau, is appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Springfield. Fr. Jose Antoney Thundathil, CMI Fr. Thundathil, associate pastor of St. Teresa Parish, Glennonville, St. Ann Parish in Malden, and Sacred Heart Parish, Dexter, is appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Bolivar, and St. Catherine of Thundathil Fr. Siena Mission in Humansville. This appointment is effective Oct. 1, Fr. Charles Prost, CM Fr. Prost is appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Aurora, and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Pulaskifield. Fr. Ruben D. Restrepo, CM Fr. Restrepo, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Aurora and Sacred Heart Parish in Verona, is appointed pastor of St. Canera Parish, Neosho, and Nativity of Our Lord Mission in Noel. Fr. Kiefer Fr. Prost Fr. Restrepo Fr. Paul Anthony Suresh Samala Fr. Suresh Samala, associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Nixa and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield, is appointed pastor of Our Lady of Fr. Suresh the Cove Parish in Kimberling City. Fr. Allan L. Saunders Fr. Saunders, pastor of Our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City, is appointed pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral Parish, Cape Girardeau. ASSOCIATE PASTORS Fr. Saji George Veliyath Fr. Veliyath, a priest of the Congregation of St. John the Baptist Precursor, is appointed associate pastor of St. Teresa Parish in Glennonville, St. Ann Fr. Veliyath Parish in Malden, and Sacred Heart Parish in Dexter. Fr. Simon Mario Enudu, SMP Fr. Enudu, associate pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield, is appointed associate pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Joplin. Fr. Saunders Fr. Enudu See Assignments / 11 The Catechism in brief 747 The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and sanctifies the Church. She is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity s communion with men. The next issue of The Mirror will be June 13, If you would prefer to receive the diocesan newspaper via , please contact Angie Toben at (417) , or via to atoben@dioscg.org. 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.

2 2 The Mirror May 30, 2014 CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN

3 COLUMN May 30, 2014 The Mirror 3 A friend from heaven introduces herself Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life. St. Dominic, dying, to his brothers I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. St. Thérèse of Lisieux St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier was a saint with whom I was unfamiliar. In fact, I have been hard-pressed to find anyone who has ever heard of her. She was a French nun, who lived from 1796 to 1868, and is best known as the foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of ST. PELLETIER The feast day for St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier is April 24. (WikiCommons) the Good Shepherd. I was recently introduced to her when a relic of ON THE WAY Bp. James V. Johnston St. Pelletier, a bone fragment, was found by chance in the former St. Anne Carmelite monastery in Springfield. Now known as the St. Anne Campus for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri (CCSOMO), the former monastery houses not only the Springfield office of CC- SOMO, but also LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home. Intrigued by the relic, Maura Taylor, the Executive Director of CCSOMO, initiated some research to find out more about the saint. What she discovered pleasantly astounded her. It seems that St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier and her congregation of sisters was founded in order to carry on a ministry for girls and women in difficulty many of whom were homeless, abandoned by their families; and others who had turned to the streets in order to survive. The saint and her sisters were doing much the same work that Catholic Charities is currently doing at Life- House on St. Anne Campus: serving homeless women who are pregnant from across our diocese; providing a safe, wholesome, Christian place to prepare for the birth of their children, while they learn life and parenting skills to create a better and more stable life for themselves and their babies. Often, we seek out the saints for their friendship and assistance. What we sometimes don t realize is that they seek to co-mingle with us, too. Thank you, St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, for introducing yourself to us. Be our friend in works of charity. Pray for us, for the many abandoned, exploited, and homeless women and girls in our world, and for our special guests at LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home. TM Public calendar Mon., June 2- Priests Retreat, St. Louis Fri., June 6 Sat., June 7 Anniversaries Mass with 11 a.m. Congregation of Mary, Queen, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Sun., June 8 Pentecost 10:30 a.m. Ordinations at the Congregation of Mother Coredemptrix, Carthage Mon., June 9 Annual meeting with the Congregation of Mary, Queen, Springfield Tue., June 10 Spring Meeting, US Sat., June 14 Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), New Orleans Tue., June 17 Quarterly meeting with the diocesan Sexual Misconduct Review Board, Springfield Thu., June 19 Staff Mass and meeting, The Catholic Center, Springfield Sat., June 21 Transitional Diaconate 10:30 a.m. Ordination, Joseph Kelly, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Sun., June 22 Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 2:30-3:30 p.m. Corpus Christi Procession, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield Bp. Johnston s prayer intentions for June: For those who are exploited and abused. For men and women serving in the Armed Forces and their families who persevere in their absence. I would like to offer a follow-up to my recent article regarding our Catholic burial practices and cremation. The thoughts I would like to share with you are taken from the Order of Christian Funerals, specifically the Appendix regarding cremation which was decreed in I hope this offers everyone some insights and food for thought regarding the Church s practice and tradition regarding the burial of our deceased loved ones as well as our own burial. The body of a deceased Catholic Christian is also the body once washed in baptism, anointed with the oil of salvation, and fed with the Bread of Life. Thus, the Church s reverence for the sacredness of the human body grows out of a reverence and concern both natural and supernatural for the human person. The body of the deceased brings forcefully to mind the Church s conviction that the human body is in Christ a temple of the Holy Spirit and is destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. A further expression is the care traditionally taken to prepare the bodies LIVING THE LITURGY Fr. David J. Dohogne of the deceased for a burial that befits their dignity, in expectation of their final resurrection in the Lord (#412). Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased person be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites (#413). If cremation is chosen, it should take place following the funeral liturgy so that the body is present for these sacred rites of the Church. Even though there may be extenuating situations or circumstances which prevent the body from being present for the funeral rites, The body is the primordial sacrament the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. Whenever possible, appropriate means for recording with dignity the memory of the deceased should be adopted, such as a plaque or stone which records the name of the deceased (#417). The following is taken from Reflections on the Body, Cremation, and Catholic Funeral Rites published in 1997 by the Committee on the Liturgy of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference (USCCB): Christians are unequivocally confronted by this mystery of life and death when faced with the presence of the body of one who has died. That body forcefully brings to mind our belief that our human bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (I Cor 6:19), destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. In addition, the body that lies in death recalls the personal story of faith, the past relationships, and the continued spiritual presence of the deceased person. The long-standing practice of burying the body of the deceased in a grave or tomb in imitation of the burial of Jesus body continues to be encouraged as a sign of Christian faith. St. John Paul II reminds us that our identity and self-consciousness as a human person are expressed in and through our body. Indeed, the body is the primordial sacrament that makes the life and love of God present in the world. As Catholics, we are truly blessed to have a very beautiful and comforting way to honor, remember, and entrust our deceased loved ones to the love and mercy of God. May our Risen Savior welcome and receive them into the Kingdom of Heaven. One day, may we experience the loving embrace of those arms which were outstretched on the Cross so that we might live forever! TM

4 4 The Mirror May 30, 2014 REVIEWS Focus on Bible texts from historical perspective How the Bible Became Holy By Michael L. Satlow Yale University Press, 2014 Was there a time in history when the prestige of what we call Scripture was not what it is today, when Scripture was not considered holy? Author Michael L. Satlow asks in this new book how Jews and Christians developed the notion that authoritative texts, or scripture, had normative authority that should guide religious practice. He argues that Jews and Christians gave to the texts that constitute our Bible only very limited and specific kinds of authority until well into the third century CE and beyond. Satlow is a professor of religious studies and Judaic studies at Brown University in Providence, RI. In this book he writes as a historian, reaching far back into antiquity to uncover the ways our ancient religious forebears viewed Scripture. How did they regard its books in their communities at different points in time? BOOK Reviewed by: David Gibson The biblical books did not quickly gain an ironclad authority among Jews and then Christians in antiquity, he writes. Satlow s aim in How the Bible Became Holy is to illustrate how and why that gradually changed. It is important to say something not only about what this book is, but about what it is not. It is not a study of revelation, if by that one means the content of the word of God and its meaning for our lives. It is not catechetical, not doctrinal and does not appear designed to foster biblical spirituality. Rather, How the Bible Became Holy focuses on texts as such how biblical texts gained status over time in communities where, for example, the written word was not readily available and oral traditions were esteemed. How did biblical texts come to be accepted as guides for life in times when those with questions took them to family members and others in their communities in a rather non-textual world, that is? Today, Satlow notes, the authority of religious texts tends to be taken for granted. That is, religion, as it is commonly understood, comes out of a book. But according to How the Bible Became Holy, a process many centuries long unfolded before the Bible attained any such status. As the chapters of his book proceed down through the centuries of antiquity, Satlow has the opportunity to cast light on some of the remarkable people of biblical times who contributed in one way or another to that long process. A chapter on Ezra the scribe in the fifth century BCE stood out for me. Prior to Ezra, nobody (except, perhaps priests) would have thought to turn to a book or text in order to learn proper religious behaviors, Satlow states. He has the opportunity, as well, to present quite fascinating discussions of numerous other matters. For example, what was the actual role of ancient scribes in the development of texts? How did the Sadducees and Pharisees differ in their assessments of the importance of texts in religious life? What role did the spread of synagogues play in introducing less-elite Judeans to written texts? How did early Christian writers, like St. Paul, use Scripture? I enjoyed Satlow s discussion of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in To understand the development of the normative authority of the Bible, he says, we must turn to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the community that produced them. The scrolls, Satlow comments, show the inner dynamics of how and why at least one Judean group increasingly turned to written texts as a source of authority. Satlow thinks that in attaining its normative, authoritative role as a text, the Bible made a valuable contribution to society as a whole. While his book is primarily a story about the development of textual authority in antiquity, it points also toward the story of how it is that we in the modern West have come to live in a textual world. Today, texts pervade our societies, so much so that it may be difficult to imagine a world in which texts play little or no role. But this, Satlow proposes, is perhaps the Bible s greatest legacy: the radically implausible notion that one can build a community, a religion, a culture and even a country around a text. Also of interest: Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues by N.T. Wright, HarperOne, CNS Horror of war lingers in The Railway Man The Railway Man Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman Weinstein Human cruelty takes its toll in The Railway Man (Weinstein), a searing account of a former prisoner of war who is unable to overcome the emotional trauma of his past. Directed by Jonathan Teplitsky ( Burning Man ), the movie is based on Eric Lomax s 1995 autobiography of the same title. During World War II, Lomax was one of thousands of British-led Allied troops taken prisoner by Japanese forces following the latter s 1942 capture of Singapore. The stunning fall of that stronghold the Gibraltar of the East was, in Winston MOVIE Reviewed by: Joseph McAleer Churchill s words, the worst disaster in British military history. Prisoners of war like Lomax were forced into slave labor to build the notorious Burma Railway, which became known as the Death Railway because of the thousands who perished during its construction. The Railway Man begins three decades after the war. Lomax (Colin Firth) lives an unsettled, absent-minded existence in Scotland. He whiles away the days taking rail journeys around the country. On one such trip, he THE RAILWAY MAN Colin Firth stars in a scene from the movie The Railway Man. (CNS photo/the Wienstein Company) sits opposite Patti (Nicole Kidman), a retired nurse. Sparks fly (shades of 1945 s Brief Encounter ), and they wed. But the long shadow of war looms over their marriage. Lomax has terrifying nightmares, and his behavior is erratic, at times violent. Patti can see he is shell-shocked, crippled by post-traumatic stress disorder. But he refuses to discuss what happened in the internment camp. Desperate to help him, Patti seeks out Lomax s friend and fellow POW Finlay (Stellan Skarsgard) for advice and insight. As Finlay fills in the details, the story unfolds in flashback. The younger Lomax (Jeremy Irvine) and Finlay (Sam Reid) are radio engineers when the surrender forces them into servitude. Determined to survive, and possibly escape, they secretly construct a radio. Broadcasts reveal that the Allies have turned the tide, which gives the prisoners hope. Their joy is shortlived, however; their captors discover the device. To spare his comrades, Lomax steps forward to receive the punishment, overseen by Takeshi Nagase (Tanroh Ishida), a Japanese interpreter. At this point the plot takes a remarkable turn: The elder Lomax discovers that Nagase (now played by Hiroyuki Sanada) is alive, and working as a guide at the internment camp, which has been turned into a museum. Lomax decides to travel to the Far East to confront his tormentor. In the end, The Railway Man offers an unexpected and powerful lesson fully in line with scriptural values. The film contains graphic scenes of violence, including torture, and a suicide. The CNS classification is A-III adults. The MPAA rating is R restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. 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. 3 May 30, 2014 Single copy price, $0.50 Copyright 2014, The Mirror, CNS, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine:

5 ANNOUNCEMENTS May 30, 2014 The Mirror 5 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 Israel in the Time of Jesus, Thu., June 12. Identical sessions will be offered at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. Fee: $5. Pre-registration is required. Information and registration at snows.org/programs, or contact the shrine at (618) , ext. 6270; or (314) , ext Billings St. Joseph Parish will host Summer Fest, Sat., June 2, 6-10 p.m., on the parish grounds. Come and enjoy burgers, brats, twisted taters, live music, and homemade ice cream. Ferdinand, IN The Sisters of St. Benedict will hold a Come and See weekend for high school girls, freshman-seniors, Fri., Feb. 14-Sun., Feb. 16, Learn what it is like to be a nun in today s world. Pray, eat, and recreate with the sisters. For more information, contact Sr. Michelle Sinkhorn at (800) , visit, dome.org/vocations, or vocation@thedome.org. Parent permission is required. Gainesville St. William Parish will hold a rummage and bake sale, Sat., June 7, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, contact the church office at (417) , or Theresa at (870) Kimberling City Our Lady of the Cove Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will hold Christmas in July arts and crafts show, Fri., July 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sat., July 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., in the parish hall. Artists and crafters space available for $25 (includes 8 table and chair). To reserve space, contact Harriette at (417) , or Arleen at (417) Proceeds will fund PCCW charities. Nixa St. Francis of Assisi Knights of Columbus will host a pancake breakfast Sat., June 14, 7-10 a.m., in the parish hall. Suggested donation: $4/person; $20/ family. For more information, contact Frank Barchak at (417) , or Darrell Hinkebein at (417) Springfield Missouri Right to Life is in need of 60 volunteers to man the Right to Life booth at the Ozark Empire Fair, July 24-Aug. 2. Each volunteer will be provided an entry ticket. Parking may be at a local church. Shifts will be 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m.; 2 p.m.-5:30 p.m.; 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. A training session will be held July 21, 7 p.m., in the Springfield Library Center. Donations are also needed to help with the purchase of tickets and resource materials. Donations made to MO Right to Life Education Fund and designated for the fair booth, are tax deductible. For more details and to volunteer, call Carl Schimek at (417) Verona Sacred Heart parish will hold a Summer Fest Picnic, Sat., June Need a Day Camp for your preschool - 4th grade child(ren)? St. Joseph Summer Day Camp is a FUN summerlong camp open to all students entering preschool through 4th grade. The camp is held at St. Joseph Catholic Academy and features games, crafts, music, educational, and religious activities! Regular camp hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with extended hours until 6 p.m. Regular care is $15 a day/per child. Extended Care is an additional $5 per day. For more information or to sign up, log onto 7, 5-9 p.m.; Mass at 4 p.m. Menu includes authentic Mexican fare. There will be games for children including inflatables. Bring your lawn chair and relax and listen or dance to music from 5-9 p.m. by Disciple Six Band and Cowboy Karaoke. For more information, call the church office at (417) West Plains St. Mary Parish will hold a chicken BBQ, Sat., June 7, 11 a.m.- 7 p.m., and Sun., June 8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults: $9 (includes half BBQ chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, bread, dessert, and drink; Children: $5 (Includes quarter BBQ chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, bread, dessert, and drink). A portion of the proceeds will benefit Boys and Girls Club of the Greater West Plains area. Tickets on sale at the parish office and at the door during the BBQ. For more information, call (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: Wed., June p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Fri., June 6 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m....sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff Sat., June 7 10 a.m.-1 p.m....holy Trinity Parish, Springfield Thu., June p.m....st. Peter Parish, Joplin Sat., June 14 9 a.m.-noon...immaculate Conception Parish, Jackson Sun., June p.m....sacred Heart Parish, Springfield (Spanish) Wed., July p.m....st. Peter Parish, Joplin Wed., July 16 6:30-9:30 p.m....the Catholic Center, Springfield Mon., July 21 6:30-9:30 p.m....st. Denis School, Benton Mon., Aug p.m....st. Peter Parish, Joplin Wed., Aug p.m....immaculate Conception Parish, Jackson Tue., Aug p.m....our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City Wed., Sept p.m....st. Ann School, Carthage Mon., Sept p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Tue., Nov p.m....our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City Mon., Nov. 10 6:30-9:30 p.m....st. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau Sun., Nov p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Wed., Jan. 14, p.m....mcauley High School, Joplin Mon., Jan. 26, p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Sun., Feb. 8, p.m....st. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield Mon., Mar. 16, :30-8:30 p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Wed., June 3, 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 May 30, 2014 CLASS OF 2014

7 May 30, 2014 CLASS OF 2014 The Mirror 7

8 8 The Mirror May 30, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS High school commencement comments From Page 1 I wish to offer three things for you as you commence. First: There is a cost to every choice we make. We don t often consider this, but it is very important to understand. Choosing one thing, means saying no to other things. If you choose to go to one college, a cost is not going to other colleges. If you choose one person as your spouse, or say yes to a call to the priesthood or religious life, you are in effect, paying a price by saying no to other relationships; there is a cost. Our choices reveal who we are, because they show what we are willing to invest in; what we believe is worth paying a price for, what we believe is worth our investment of time, attention, and sacrifice. There is a cost in every choice; even Jesus points this out very clearly. He said there is a cost if we wish to be his disciple it will mean taking up one s cross and following Him. Up until recently, there has not been much of a cost to following Jesus, believing in the Gospel. But that has all changed. For example, if you believe in what the Gospel says about the sanctity of human life at all stages, or the true nature of marriage and the family, and are willing to profess that publicly, it will now cost you. As you commence from here, realize every choice has a cost. The key to a good and happy life is a willingness to pay the price for the right choices, to invest in the right things, and in the right relationships with others, including God. Second: A life with God absent is a tragic life. This thought came when I realized a few weeks ago that your class of 2014 is graduating in the Centennial year of the beginning of The Great War, World War I. A 100 years ago today, Europe was enjoying a period of peace and great prosperity. In June of that same year, an event occurred that set not only Europe, but the entire civilized world, spiraling into a horror that even now, in hindsight, defies belief. From 1914 to 1918, 20 million soldiers were killed, and another 21 million were maimed or wounded. The war also led to the influenza epidemic that killed twice as many people, and set in motion the dynamics that shaped the last century and the world as we have it today. I mention this 100- year anniversary because I believe it makes my point; it could be argued that World War I came about primarily because mankind made the choice to live in a world as if God was absent. The Great War emerged out of a Europe that had assimilated the materialist thinking of Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Frederich Nitsche, and Charles Darwin the four patron saints of modern atheism, who claimed that man could be explained in merely materialistic terms, as simply another animal, unrelated to his Creator, without any higher calling or transcendent purpose. Without God, man is left with his own will to power, to use Nitsche s famous phrase, a smart animal out to satisfy his appetites, to borrow from Freud s terminology, and dominate others in the achievement of his goals, the survival of the fittest, to borrow from Darwin. In this world view, life ends up being understood merely in terms of politics and power. We see strong currents of this worldview now in an increasingly secularized and divided America. In 1914, this worldview one with God absent led to the War that was far worse than anything in history; and it began 100 years ago this year. If we try to live this way on a personal level, without God, the same thing happens inside us. When we try to live with God absent, we experience war within our selves, and in our relationships. It s my hope that your Catholic education, if it hasn t done anything else, has opened up to you your realization of your need for God, and your need to be in an intimate relationship with Him and His A life with God absent is a tragic life. Body, His Family, the Church. Jesus said, the man who does not gather with me scatters. Without the presence of Jesus, we will indeed live scattered, divided lives, driven by other, destructive forces. So, that s my second point: a life with God absent, is a tragic, divided life; a life with God present, is a life of meaning, purpose, integrity, and ultimately, a life of hope and joy. My final thought is a simple one one that s not quite as heavy, but still important one that we can easily overlook or take for granted, and it is this: Love is the meaning of life. Not long ago, I was speaking with a couple whose son and wife recently had their first child. They related how these young parents were astounded at how their baby boy had changed their lives. The thing they said that struck me most was this: the new parents never realized they could love another person so much. They could never have imagined that their hearts could be enlarged so greatly. One of the Church s saints, John of the Cross, once said profoundly, in the evening of life, we will all be judged on love. Love is what we were made for; love transforms us. We read in the Bible, God is love, but it is important to also remember that love is not God. St. Augustine said that, all of history is a battle between two loves: love of self even to disregard of God; [and] love of God even to disregard of self. Our loves have to be ordered rightly, or even they can become idols. Graduates, one day I hope you will realize how much your parents love you, and that this in turn helps you to realize that this is merely a glimmer, a small reflection, of how greatly God loves you. I hope that you will realize in your own lives the joy and fulfillment of giving yourself to someone else, to others, and to your Creator in acts of love. Love, self-giving love, is the meaning of life that is what Jesus Christ and our own experience tells us. Class of 2014, we are proud of your achievements. I began my remarks by saying every choice comes with a cost. I hope you realize that choices were made by many others your parents, your teachers, your Church to help you to arrive at your graduation. I am here to assure you that you are each worth the cost, because you are loved. One day, I pray that you will have the opportunity to sacrifice yourself for others in the same way. Ultimately, that s the purpose of a Catholic education. May God bless you on this day of your graduation and in days ahead. TM

9 May 30, 2014 COLUMN/DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 9 70 years: The courage and valor of D-Day The first 15 minutes of the movie, Saving Private Ryan and the jump sequence in the second episode of the series, Band of Brothers are vivid reminders of the extraordinary courage displayed on D-Day, 70 years ago. When I was a boy, Hollywood taught America about June 6, 1944, in the film, The Longest Day: a fine movie, but rather antiseptic in its portrayal of World War II combat. The stark realism of the more recent films brings home, in a gut-wrenching way, the test of moral fiber involved when a man is asked to jump out of a C-47 into a flak-filled night sky, or to run down the ramp of a Higgins boat onto the killing fields of Omaha Beach. Some of the recent pre-anniversary reading has reminded me that the courage displayed on D-Day was preceded by the courage displayed before D-Day: the courage of decisionmakers charged with defeating Nazi barbarism, who did not shirk their duty but shouldered the burden of leadership. The courage of US Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, for example: Marshall insisted for two years that the only way to defeat Hitler and his war machine was to land a large force in France, beat the German army, and wrest control of the continent of Europe from the Nazi regime a point Marshall had to carry against the virtually unanimous opposition of his British counterparts, who, like Winston Churchill, preferred a periphery strategy that would peck away at the Third Reich before a quick, end-game invasion administered the coup de grace to a collapsing German empire. Or the courage of SHAEF commander Dwight D. Eisenhower: Was there ever a decider more alone, THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE George Weigel Such unseriousness in public life is often an expression of moral unseriousness. and with more weight on his four-starred shoulders, than Ike, making the right call on June 4 (to defer the invasion for a day because of weather), and then getting it right again on June 5 (setting the invasion for June 6, after the meteorologists told him there was a brief window of opportunity)? And as if that weren t enough, Ike bore that weight of decision shortly after being urged by the Allied air forces commander, Sir Trafford Leigh- Mallory, to cancel the airborne drops behind the invasion beaches another temptation to inaction that Eisenhower successfully (and wisely) resisted. The valor of the Rangers of Pointe du Hoc and the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne and the sailors who risked grounding their destroyers on the Normandy beaches to provide covering fire for the hard-pressed men on Omaha s Dog Red and Fox Green, like the decisiveness of their leaders, stands in sharp and disconcerting contrast to the fecklessness displayed by too many European and American leaders in recent months, during which foreign-policy-by-hashtag seems to have become the norm. Was Vladimr Putin deterred from his efforts to ingest Ukraine by the US Department of State s Twitter campaign, launched by spokeswoman Jan Psaki holding up a #WeStand- WithUkraine sign that looked as if it had been Catholic radio for Southwest Missouri Our Lady Queen of Heaven Like Catholic Radio for Southwest Missouri on Facebook NAVY S YOUNGEST D-DAY TRAFFIC COP Joseph P. Vaghi, Jr., the US Navy s youngest beachmaster at Omaha Beach in Normandy during the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion, died in 2012 at a Maryland retirement home at age 92. Courage and valor were hallmarks of the D-Day invasion 70 years ago. (CNS photo/courtesy Vaghi family) made in a kindergarten? Were the Islamist terrorists and kidnappers of Boko Haram in Nigeria impressed, or frightened, or persuaded to change their evil ways, by British Prime Minister David Cameron holding up a #BringBackOurGirls sign on a TV chat show? Such unseriousness in public life is often an expression of moral unseriousness. Dean Acheson once wrote with admiration of his mentor, the prominent Washington attorney J. Harry Covington, who never said, I have to do it, but rather I have it to do. I have to do it suggests someone sniveling under duress, who is being compelled to do something they d really rather not do, were the world not so beastly. I have it to do is the mark of a morally serious leader, who does not take counsel from focus groups as to the policy course of choice, but who accepts the burden of leadership as an obligation of honor, as Marshall and Eisenhower did. On this 70th anniversary of the longest day, it would be well to reflect on what Europe, and the rest of the world, would look like in 2014 if Churchill s and FDR s response to Hitler had been #BeatAdolf. TM George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC. Critical staffing needs at Camp Re-NEW-All We need your assistance to make this 40th Anniversary year the best ever! Please consider volunteering your time/talent for the youth of our diocese*: Camp St. Vincent - Fredericktown Session 2F - June (Male Counselors, Maintenance Staff) Session 3F - July 6-11 (Male Counselors, Waterfront Staff) Camp Smokey - Cassville Session 1C - June 29-July 4 (Assistant Cooks, Male Counselor) Session 2C - July 6-11 (Assistant Cooks) Session 4C - July (Nurse) Session 5C - July 27-Aug. 1 (Nurse) There may be other staff positions still open; for more information, contact Rosie Francka in the camp office at rfrancka@dioscg.org or phone (417) *All staff 18 yrs. & over are required to complete VIRTUS Safe Environment Training, complete a diocesan background check, and sign the diocesan code of conduct.

10 10 The Mirror May 30, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS /ADVERTISING New murals, painting of patron grace halls of St. Vincent de Paul School Cape Girardeau On May 14, Fr. David Hulshof, pastor, blessed two murals and a painting in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Cape Girardeau. Ginger Miller, art teacher, St. Vincent de Paul School, was the creator of the two murals: The Last Supper mural, a copy of artist Leonardo Da Vinci s great work; and The Life of Christ, a copy of John Fitzgibbon s original. Fitzgibbon is a Catholic artist in Springfield. Diocesan seminarian, David Baunach, was the artist for the canvas painting of St. Vincent de Paul, patron saint of the parish and school. The blessing took place with students, administrators, teachers, parents, and staff. TM THE LAST SUPPER Artist Ginger Miller and students in St. Vincent de Paul School, Cape Girardeau, enjoyed the unveiling and blessing of one of two murals in the school on May 14. Pictured is the mural The Last Supper. Miller, the art teacher in St. Vincent de Paul School, completed another mural for the school entitled, The Life of Christ. Diocesan seminarian, David Baunach, painted a canvas of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron of the parish and school. (Submitted photo) 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) MURALS BRING SCRIPTURE TO LIFE Pastor Fr. David Hulshof and students in St. Vincent de Paul School, Cape Girardeau, helped to bless the new mural, The Life of Christ, hanging in their school. This and another mural, The Last Supper, bring Scripture to life for the students. Both murals were created by Ginger Miller, the art teacher in St. Vincent de Paul School. (Submitted photo) Columbia Construction Co. PO Box 1332 Cape Girardeau, MO (573) PATRON Diocesan seminarian David Baunach worked on the canvas he created of St. Vincent de Paul. The painting hangs in St. Vincent de Paul School, Cape Girardeau, and was blessed May 14, along with two murals by art teacher Ginger Miller that also hang in the school. (Submitted photo) Liturgical Music Director Laurie, MO St. Patrick Church, serving a parish community at the Lake of the Ozarks, is seeking a director for its entire music program. This position requires an accomplished musician with keyboard and choral skills. Duties include planning and execution of all liturgical functions for weekends, feast days, weddings, funerals, other special occasions, as well as developing and broadening the parish music program. Salary is negotiable and includes an attractive benefits package. Please send resume to St. Patrick Catholic Church, Attention: Pastor. PO Box 1098, Laurie, MO 65038, or call Pastor (573) , or parishsecretary@shrineofstpatrick

11 May 30, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING The Mirror 11 Catholic education: Citizens for this life and the next From Page 12 Religious formation: Apologetics of personalism The times call for a religious formation that also includes apologetics, the defense of the faith. St. John Paul II believed that personalism is the best medicine for awakening the world from its metaphysical slumber (Avery Dulles, Church and Society, 436). Personalism appeals to the universal aspirations of the human heart for communion with the divine. The best way to bring others to Jesus Christ is to live the good news with conviction. The power of good example as a way to edify others and to defend the faith cannot be overstated. In fact, the beauty of a holy life is the surest and most persuasive occasion for influencing others. When the journalist Tim Russert died suddenly in 2008, his colleague Howard Fineman publicly stated that, if he were ever to convert to Catholicism, Tim Russert would be 210-J West Sunshine Springfield, MO Phone: (417) or 800# catholicbookstore@sbcglobal.net Open Tuesday thru Saturday 9:30 to 5:30 Memorial Day-Labor Day 2 Saturdays his role model. God s love radiates out from those who of themselves are unaware of God s working in their daily lives. So it was with Tim Russert. Giving good example doesn t excuse ignorance of one s faith. To be a Catholic in contemporary America is to be an informed and devout Catholic. Faith needs reason; reason needs faith. Blind faith and pure rationalism are to be rejected. Modern apologetics walks with the four Cs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These tenets should form an integral part of Catholic education, whether in formal religion class or in subliminal ways: Creed. What we believe. The tenets of the faith are summarized in the Nicene Creed. Cult. How we celebrate in liturgical worship what we believe. Code. How we live what we believe and celebrate in liturgical worship. Formation of conscience is essential and training of the will. Contemplation. One s personal PARTS l SALES l SERVICE 2979 Boutin Dr., Route W Cape Girardeau, MO (573) l TA s l Water Pumps l Clutches l Front End Parts l Pressure Plates for all makes l PTO Shafts l IH Salvage l Hitch Parts The Catholic school classroom is sacred ground where children can be inspired to the love of learning with Jesus Christ as its context and model. encounter with God in prayer vitalizes creed, cult, and code. With these pillars of Catholicism, students can defend their faith confidently and calmly if it becomes necessary. Conclusion Catholic education should begin Annual pastoral assignments announced From Page 1 Fr. Gregory M. Vi Tran, CMC Fr. Tran is appointed associate pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield, and as chaplain for the Vietnamese community Fr. Vi Tran in St. Agnes Cathedral Parish. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Nixa, where he will also reside. RETIREMENTS Fr. Paul J. McLoughlin Fr. McLoughlin, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, Monett, and Sts. Peter and Paul in Pulaskifield, will retire after 43 years of dedicated priestly ministry. SACRAMENTAL ASSISTANCE Fr. Michael V. McDevitt Fr. McDevitt, Fr. Patrick J. pastor of St. Agnes Wissman Cathedral Parish, Fr. Wissman, Springfield, is appointed Director of Parish, Bolivar, and pastor of Sacred Heart Springfield Catholic St. Catherine of Siena Schools and Rector of Fr. McDevitt Mission in Humansville, will retire on Springfield Catholic High School. Fr. McDevitt will provide sacramental assistance in St. Fr. McLoughlin Fr. Wissman Sept. 30, 2014, after 50 years of dedicated priestly ministry. OTHER ASSIGNMENTS Fr. James Do Long Hai, CMC Fr. Hai, associate pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield will be given a new assignment by his community, The Congregation of the Fr. Do Long Mother Coredemptrix, headquartered Hai, CMC in Carthage, MO. Fr. Basil Doan Toan, CMC Fr. Toan, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in El Dorado Springs and St. Peter the Apostle Mission in Stockton, will be given a new assignment by his community, The Congregation of Fr. Doan Toan, CMC the Mother Coredemptrix, headquartered in Carthage, MO. TM Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc. Brentwood Chapel University Chapel Crematory Columbarium 1947 E. Seminole Springfield MO (417) fax (417) , gormanscharpf@mchsi.com 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 CATHOLIC EDUCATION Students in St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Springfield, enjoyed a popsicle treat during Catholic Schools Week the process of transforming its students into affective, effective, affable, and cultivated disciples of the Lord for life. How will tomorrow s Church reveal its splendor of truth, ever ancient, ever new? The soundness of tomorrow s Church will largely depend on the quality of today s Catholic education at all levels. CNA Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY, holds degrees in philosophy (PhL), musicology (PhD), theology (MA), and liturgical studies (PhD). She has taught at all levels of Catholic education and writes with a particular focus on a theology of beauty and the sacred arts. Her address is jroccasalvo@optonline.net. C O N T E M P L A T I V E MONK (The Mirror) 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

12 12 The Mirror May 30, 2014 ADULT FORUM Catholic education: Citizens for this life and the next In the 1986 film, Hannah s Sisters, Woody Allen, its producer and director, also plays the role of Mickey who bemoans his fragmented life. He has had his fill of breakdown. Negation, no more! Thinking that the Catholic Church will bring meaning to his life, Mickey visits a priest who asks Why do you want to become a Catholic? It s such a beautiful religion, it s such a strong religion, and it s so well structured, replies Mickey in his Brooklyn twang. Holiness is wholeness The Church affirms wholeness, insists on wholeness. It proclaims one God, the whole Christ, the complete community, the Body of Christ. It builds up the whole person, not merely pious feeling but also right reason, not just the free will but the intellect and the affections. Jesus asks of his disciples complete commitment with nothing held back. No half measures. No tepidity. To them is promised full and complete joy, and a full and abundant life. Thus, a unity of beauty, truth, and goodness. Catholic education: a human and divine pedagogy Catholic education is engaged primarily in forming the mind which seeks truth but is engaged in wholeness. Catholic education, as a human and divine pedagogy, forms citizens for this life and the next. It is intimately bound up with forming the full and complete Catholic. What of those students in our schools who follow another faithtradition? Or no faith? In some schools, they outnumber Catholic students. It is a well-known fact that these children are enrolled in Catholic schools to benefit from their structure and discipline as well as from their strong code of morality. What code? In The Book of Virtues, William J. Bennett offers 10 virtues that can be integrated into any core curriculum: self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendship, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, faith. He uses figures from history to exemplify each virtue. When these virtues are integrated into the Catholic curriculum, Jesus Christ is their context and model. The Catholic educator Care of the whole person marks the vocation of the Catholic educator whose ingenuity finds ways to inspire students to higher goals, always the more. Enthusiasm is contagious and THE WAY OF BEAUTY Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, CSJ will be caught by the students if the educator brings that vitality to teaching. The educator reminds students of their God-given talents, gifts that are to be developed to the fullest and not just for themselves. They, and all of us, cooperate with God in building a better world in business, media, the arts, and politics. The student The classroom is sacred ground where children can be inspired to the love of learning. They learn by doing. An action, task, or lesson repeated about 50 times with focused attention is likely to be assimilated, whether the action, task, or lesson is good or bad. With repetition of something good comes freedom from the tyranny of the scattered, undisciplined mind. And, as athletes tell us, self-discipline is a form of freedom, freedom to achieve their goals. Catholic education promotes structure and self-discipline. Both affect attitude, thought, and behavior. They free the individual to choose a disciplined and virtuous life rather than the therapeutic culture that has glorified the self. The me culture is beginning to crumble. Given the state of the job market, it behooves every student to embrace not only self-discipline but humility as well. College graduates in the thousands find themselves having to work in minimum-wage jobs while paying off large loans! The school day Catholic education is studentoriented. A typical class day leans toward about 75 percent student expression and 25 percent teacher expression. After the teacher explains the lesson, frequent questions and repetitions are conducted to ensure that it has been thoroughly learned. So too with varied systems of exercises: compositions, discussions, debates, contests. Today, social media is so dominated by texting on mobile devices that mastering the English language must be intensified with maximum effort. This includes grammar, diagramming sentences, elocution, especially through daily recitation and oral topics, composition (writing correctly and writing creatively), practice in editing one s written work and resubmission of it even more than once, and memorizing poetry. In Latin, these exercises are part of eloquentia perfecta. Education in the arts is important: listening to classical music, drawing, painting, and even sculpting, if children are accustomed to express themselves through oral, written, and creative media, they will more easily succeed in math and science which exact stringent analytical and precise thinking. Schools and its classrooms should be cheerful and orderly places of learning. Copies of attractive classic painting and worthy statuary in offices and hallways are non-verbal ways of affirming the power of beauty to inspire. One month before his tragic death, Pres. John F. Kennedy offered the following remarks at Amherst College: I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business and statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all our citizens. And I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well. Catholic education is intimately bound up with forming the full and complete Catholic. The joy of reading Reading good and great literature is its own reward. We read for enjoyment. Such reading is a not utilitarian activity to be validated by measurable outcomes. Reading frees our minds and spirit to go beyond ourselves and travel to places different from our own. It expands our world and awaken us to other cultures. With good reading comes wisdom. Reading good literature improves our vocabulary as it does our writing. The joy of memorizing poetry We memorize poetry for pleasure. Like mastering a Bach fugue, poetry imparts power like the power of owning real estate, writes Jim Bolt in Got Poetry? (NY Times, April 5, 2009). It makes one rich. First, comes struggling with the notes to get them under the fingers. Gradually, the fingers glide over the keys eager to bring out the beauty of Bach s creative process. One owns the piece just mastered. Children love to recite poetry aloud. Adults as well. Pres. Kennedy and his brothers, Robert and Edward, wove poetry into their speeches, including prosaic stump speeches. Recently, Maria Bartiromo, a prominent TV journalist, columnist, and a Wall Street whiz delivered a commencement address into which she incorporated Rudyard Kipling s poem If, all four stanzas. She felt it was that important for the graduates to hear. Educating the emotions for wonder and contemplation One of the most pressing needs in Catholic education is educating the affections. From infancy, children live in a state of wonder, their mouths almost always agape at external stimuli. Their senses are in play before other faculties. Their developing sense of wonder should prepare them for the contemplation of spiritual realities, most especially, for communion with God in prayer. If this aspect of children s lives is neglected, why the surprise when they misuse or abuse their senses in destructive behavior? The senses are our friends and not our enemies. Several years ago, I taught sixthgraders in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn where most families lived in squalid tenements. Every semester, I took the children on an outing to the country. I wanted them to experience the beauty of nature in verdant fields, trees, and flowers. Once there, child after child would exclaim, Oh, Sister, this is so beautiful! Can t we stay the whole day? In the classroom setting, they responded similarly after they had learned to enjoy beautiful music, painting, or literature. They would pause in deep reflection, as if to linger in those experiences. See Catholic Education / 11