The Mirror. When a pope meets a US president. The Catechism in brief COMMENTARY. Schedule of Events

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1 COMMENTARY When a pope meets a US president The Mirror Vol. XLIX, No. 25 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI March 21, 2014 Washington Pres. Obama s upcoming meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, March 27, marks the 28th time a sitting US president has met with a pope. The meetings, which will now include 12 presidents and 6 popes, are replete with historical odds and ends: 1. Woodrow Wilson met Benedict XV, the Vatican, Jan. 4, Meeting just after the end of World War I, Wilson had pushed for a lasting peace via his League of Nations proposal, and Pope Benedict had been a powerful advocate for peace throughout the war. 2. Dwight D. Eisenhower met John XXIII, the Vatican, Dec. 6, Following a 40-year hiatus, this meeting would begin in earnest the precedent of every pope (except John Paul I) and every president meeting. While apparently very genial, this meeting also faced the challenge of Eisenhower not knowing Italian and John XXIII not knowing English. 3. John F. Kennedy met Paul See Presidents / 9 JFK WITH POPE PAUL VI Pres. John F. Kennedy is pictured with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in this undated photo. Much has changed about the religious makeup of the American political scene since Kennedy was the country s first Catholic president. (CNS) Schedule of Events 2:30 p.m. Begin gathering at the St. John Paul II Arena at Trinity Hills 3 p.m. Opening prayer and gathering Divine Mercy Chaplet A reflection on God s mercy 3:30 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Adoration Praise and worship music by Lee Roessler Confessions during Adoration 4:30 p.m. Benediction A zucchetto worn by Pope John Paul II, a second-class relic, will be available for viewing. 4:40 p.m. Celebratory concert with Lee Roessler 5 p.m. Blessing of the Saint John Paul II Arena by Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. For more information, contact the Office of Worship at (417) or via to knewton@dioscg.org. If traveling and would like accommodations at Trinity Hills, contact Nick Lund-Molfese at (417) or via to nick@thills.org. The Catechism in brief 1134 The fruit of sacramental life is both personal and ecclesial. For every one of the faithful on the one hand, this fruit is life for God in Christ Jesus; for the Church, on the other (hand), it is an increase in charity and in her mission of witness. The next issue of The Mirror will be April 4, 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 March 21, 2014 COLUMN The last encyclicals of two saintly popes On April 27, Pope Francis will canonize two of his predecessors: Good Pope John XXIII and John Paul the Great. These charismatic and accomplished men of God produced 22 encyclicals on a wide range of topics (eight for Pope John XXIII and 14 for John Paul II). Reflecting on their legacies, what is most striking to us as Little Sisters of the Poor at the service of the elderly are the last encyclicals of these two great men of God for they were composed not of words, but of the lived example of two saints as they journeyed toward the Father s house. The concept of a lived last encyclical originates in the thought of John Paul himself. In a book entitled Why He Is a Saint, Fr. Slawomir Oder, postulator for his cause, shares an insight into how John Paul II perceived his own suffering and approaching death: I have written many encyclicals and many apostolic letters, but I realize that it is only with my suffering that I can best help mankind. Think of the value of pain, suffered and offered with love. For John Paul II, suffering was an opportunity for solidarity. At the dawn of his papacy, he reached out to the sick, saying that the Church was in great need of their help, their prayers, and their sacrifices. As he was released from the hospital after being shot in 1981, he thanked God for saving his life and allowing him to belong to the community of the sick suffering who constitute, in a certain sense, a special segment of the church. John Paul later penned an apostolic letter on the Christian meaning of human suffering, in which he shared this stunning insight: Suffering is present in the world in order to release love, in order to give birth to works of love towards one s neighbor, in order to transform the whole of human civilization into a civilization of love. Isn t this exactly how he ended GUEST COLUMN Sr. Constance Veit, LSP his own life, as millions of people around the world kept vigil with him through the various forms of modern communication, and thousands stood beneath his window in St. Peter s Square? John Paul, who had always had a special bond with the young, delivered his final message Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. Blessed John XXIII Popes prayer intentions to them from his deathbed: I have sought you out. Now you have come to me. I thank you. These are the words of a man who was not afraid to share the burden of his suffering with others in a spirit of love and solidarity. By not hiding his increasing frailty, John Paul II also gave a striking witness of the salvific value of suffering. In 1992, he confided to a friend, The Church needs suffering. What are my sufferings compared with the sufferings of Jesus? Two years later, he said to another friend, Do you think I can t see myself, and the shape I m in, on television? Christ, make me become and remain the servant of Your unique power, the servant of Your sweet power, the servant of Your power that knows no eventide. Make me a servant. Indeed the servant of Your servants. Blessed John Paul II Each month, Pope Francis announces his special prayer intentions particular things that he wishes all Catholics to pray for that month. Pope Francis offers two intentions every month, one general, and one for a particular Catholic missionary activity. April 2014 Universal Ecology and Justice. That governments may foster the protection of creation and the just distribution of natural resources. Mission Hope for the Sick. That the Risen Lord may fill with hope the hearts of those who are being tested by pain and sickness. but he did not shy away from public appearances. When a cardinal urged John Paul not to strain himself during Holy Week of 2005, he replied, Jesus did not descend from the cross, why should I? His final words, Let me go to the Father s house, manifested his absolute confidence in the merciful love of God. That is exactly what God intends with death, he had once written, that at this one sublime hour of our life we allow ourselves to fall into his love without any other security than this love of his. John Paul II s own death was eloquent proof that he walked this walk of faith. Good Pope John Unlike John Paul II, Good Pope John was already an old man when he was elected pope in Consistent with the humble, simple way he had lived prior to ascending to the papacy, Pope John s favorite title was servant of the servants of God. Despite his advanced age, he had the boldness and youthfulness of spirit to breathe fresh air into the Church by initiating the Second Vatican Council. Yet a bedtime prayer attributed to Pope John attests to his childlike trust in God, despite the weight of his office: I ve done the best I could in your service this day, Oh Lord. I m going to bed. It s your Church. Take care of it! John XXIII had this same spirit of simplicity regarding death. In his journal he wrote, When we die we shall change our state, that is all. And with faith in God, it is as easy and natural as going to sleep here and waking up there. In 1961, recognizing his increasing infirmity, Pope John penned a prayer that echoes his earlier words: O Jesus, here I am before you. You are suffering and dying for me, old as I am now and drawing near the end of my service and my life. Hold me closely, and near to your heart, letting mine beat with yours. I love to feel myself bound forever to you with a gold chain, woven of lovely, delicate links. Like John Paul II, Good Pope John died in his papal apartment surrounded by his closest collaborators. We see from their words and example how these beloved popes trusted completely in the love of God, resting in his Heart and allowing themselves to fall into his love. If you are laden down with the burdens of old age or illness, or care for someone who is, confide your needs to the intercession of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II. Surely, they will lead you and those you love to rest confidently in the loving and merciful heart of Christ. TM Sr. Constance Carolyn Veit, LSP, is director of communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the US.

3 March 21, 2014 COLUMN The Mirror 3 Pope Francis compelling first year So too the Church believes that the center and goal of all human history is found in her Lord and Master Gaudium et Spes, ( The Church in the Modern World ) # 10 March 13 marked the one-year anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis. As such, both religious and secular media, and the Catholic faithful, looked back on a remarkable year. Pope Francis has captured the attention of many, and at present is regarded in an overwhelmingly positive light. ON THE WAY Bp. James V. Johnston Perhaps a fitting explanation of this reaction and a theme of the Holy Father s papacy is captured in the title of his recent Apostolic Exortation, The Joy of the Gospel. Pope Francis has brought a fresh perspective and approach to what is most DIOCESAN ENVISIONING TEAM The diocesan Envisioning Team took a break during its February meeting to pose for a photo. Assisting Bp. James V. Johnston, Jr., in setting diocesan priorities for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau are (front, sitting) Sr. Darlene Presley; Louis Griesemer; Mark Kiblinger; (back, standing) Bp. Johnston, Fr. Rick Jones; Deacon Alan Bandy; Annette Peterson, Joplin; Karen Pesek; and Fr. Dave Hulshof. Not pictured is Carmen Perez. The team has been meeting monthly since June 2013 under the facilitation of Catholic Leadership Institute s Barbara Eckert. They are currently processing data obtained from the Regional Listening Sessions held last fall in order to establish a Mutually-Shared Vision for the diocese and set SMART goals for the next 12 to 36 months. (Photo by Leslie Anne Eidson) fundamental to Christianity; namely, that the world is wounded and poor, searching for meaning and salvation, and Christ is the response to humanity s longings. The Church is entrusted with this good news, which is a source of both joy and responsibility. Pope Francis has challenged each member of the Church, both clergy, religious, and faithful to a purification of witness: to reflect on our own response to the person of Jesus Christ and the witness of our own lives. Are we credible in our own witness? A sign of this is joy. Secondly, the Holy Father is challenging the Church at all levels to purify its witness. He has noted that the Church must never fall into the complacency of being self-referential, but must always be going outward, to the margins of the world where the presence of Jesus is needed. This has profound implications for the way we live and act, and where we find our priorities, both as disciples and as Church. In our own diocese, we are looking at things in this light, and will continue to do so in the years to come. The current Envisioning process, of which the variety of regional listening sessions last fall were a part, are related to this goal. The Catholic Church was founded by Christ to extend the saving mission of Jesus to the ends of the earth; to bring Jesus into the lives of those living in darkness and the shadow of death (Lk 1:79). This is a great joy and a great responsibility. Pope Francis is compelling in that he is reminding us of both. TM Public calendar Tue., March 25 Diocesan Safe Environment and Sexual Misconduct Review Board meeting, The Catholic Center, Springfield; Bishop Boland s Memorial Mass, Kansas City Thu., March 27 Diocesan Envisioning Team meeting, The Catholic Center, Springfield Fri., March 28 Prayer for Life at Planned 11 a.m. Parenthood, Springfield Sat., March 29 Confirmation, Immaculate 10 a.m. Conception Parish, Springfield; Mass and visit, St. Joseph Parish, Springfield Sun., March 30 Confirmation, St. Joseph 10:30 a.m. Parish, Springfield; 4:30 p.m. Project Andrew Dinner, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield Mon., March 31 Sixth Episcopal Anniversary, Bp. James V. Johnston, Jr. 8:30 a.m. School Mass, St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Springfield; The Catholic Center staff Mass and luncheon; Diocesan Budget Committee Wed., April 2 Blessing and dedication of new 5:30 p.m. addition, St. Canera Parish, Neosho, MO We are God s sacred vessels, living chalices The Church has a unique and beautiful custom of blessing and dedicating to God items which will be used for sacred purposes, especially within the celebration of the Sacraments and the Sacred Liturgy. If you page through the Book of Blessings, you will find an array of blessings and prayers for almost any object and occasion. We use many earthly items in our worship of God: sacred vessels and vestments, the altar and ambo, the baptismal font and other liturgical fixtures and furnishings, candles and oil, and even other items often overlooked such as church bells and organs. The Church encourages that these items designated for sacred purposes be blessed before they are used in the Church s public worship of God. All items used for the celebration of the Liturgy, especially those which have been blessed, should be treated with great care, and LIVING THE LITURGY Fr. David J. Dohogne reverence, and should not be referred to or seen as mere everyday ordinary objects. These items have been set apart for a special and sacred purpose and should be fashioned from the highest-quality materials. Most items used for Mass are created exclusively and specifically for that purpose. For example, the sacred vessels at Mass must be noble, dignified, clean, and made of precious metal. If made from a non-precious metal, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside. Breakable or porous materials such as glass, pottery/clay, wood, or stone are not to be used to contain the Body and Blood of the Lord (Pastoral Letter on the Sacred Liturgy, Bp. James V. Johnston, #11). In the Book of Blessings, we also discover a variety of blessing prayers for people who find themselves in various circumstances in life (e.g. expectant mothers, engaged couples, children, and the elderly, as well as those who give of themselves in service to the Liturgy as readers, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and musicians). Through our custom and tradition of liturgical blessings, we are reminded of how we are to dedicate every moment of life and everything we do to the glory of God. We also think of a living vessel dedicated to the glory of God, namely our body, which is holy and sacred to the Lord. Throughout our spiritual and sacramental life as Catholics, the body is blessed, anointed, and dedicated to God for His purpose. We see our bodies and souls as living sacred vessels through which we worship and glorify God. As do the vessels made of precious metals, our bodies hold and receive the Lord. When we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, we become His temples. When we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion, we become His living chalices. It is a vessel not made of gold, but made of flesh and spirit which is precious in His sight! Because of this reason, we should respect and treat our bodies, both in life and in death, as something sacred. As we approach the Lord at Mass, what type of living vessel do we offer Him in which to dwell? 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.

4 4 The Mirror March 21, 2014 REVIEW Books offer insight into Church s role in international development Earthly Mission: The Catholic Church and World Development By Robert Calderisi Yale University Press (New Haven, CT, 2013) Faith Meets World: The Gift and Challenge of Catholic Social Teaching By Barry Hudock Liguori Publications (Liguori, MO, 2013) Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World By Jim Ziolkowski with James S. Hirsch Simon & Schuster (NY, 2013) These books explain that the Church long has been a formal presence in international development and that individuals rooted in Catholic tradition, prayer, and Catholic social teaching can change the world. But fair warning: Readers might feel inspired and uncomfortably challenged while reading these books, forward answering the call of Catholic social teaching, and as the books point out, this is not an easy task. Hudock explains this last point best in Faith Meets World. Catholic social teaching, based on the two principles of human dignity and solidarity, encourages Catholics to be with and live among the poor and destitute. One must see the image of God in everyone: the oppressor and oppressed, those born and unborn. These are not new As Catholics, we affirm that all life is sacred, because all life was created by God, in the image and likeness of God. Our faith also challenges us to be particularly concerned for the weak and most vulnerable. To follow Christ is to reach out in compassion to those in need. DONATE TODAY: (417) BOOK Reviewed by: Regina Lordan concepts to the Church, and have been realized and expanded since Pope Leo XIII s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum ( On Capital and Labor ), a response to the Industrial Revolution and a document in support of just conditions for workers. Blessed John XXIII not only addressed human rights in 1963 with Peace on Earth ( Pacem in Terris ), Hudock writes, the pope also directly intervened in successfully ending the Cuban missile crisis. The list of official contributions to Catholic social teaching goes on and on. Without being wordy or dense, Hudock clearly marries the historical background of Catholic social teaching to its practical application into society. To illustrate his points, he addresses modernday affronts to human rights in Vietnam and Syria, and highlights Cesar Chavez and Dorothy Day as true champions of solidarity and human dignity. Living Catholic social teaching Ziolkowski could make an appearance in Hudock s book as an example of living out Catholic social teaching. Walk in Their Shoes tells the story of Ziolkowski s journey from comfortably working in corporate America to sleeping on dirt floors in Malawi. Upon returning from a backpacking trip in India, Thailand, and Nepal, Ziolkowski could not shake the images of poverty that he saw. He could have ignored it all like what Albert Schweitzer in Reverence for Life called falling victim to a sleeping sickness of the soul. But Ziolkowski felt a call to action. So he quit his finance job and created buildon, a nonprofit foundation that links at-risk American highschoolers with service projects to help build community leadership at home and build schools abroad. Ziolkowski s idea to break the cycle of poverty is unique. Students and villagers volunteer their time as dedicated stakeholders in project success. And because of this very investment of time and passion, the projects come to fruition. Walk in Their Shoes is not another Three Cups of Tea, the now-questioned memoir by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Walk in Their Shoes is hard to put down and hard to forget once finished. Ziolkowski writes like a good friend, sharing stories about his family, particularly his father, a strong force of faith in his life, and his young son, whose illness forced Ziolkowski to face true suffering. Unlike When Faith Meets World and Walk in Their Shoes, Earthly Mission covers the church s work in developing countries broadly and extensively. In an effort to be balanced and thorough in his assessment of the Church s involvement in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Calderisi, an economist with 30 years of experience in international development, takes an indepth approach at tackling a broad range of topics. He discusses Church history, social teaching, the Church s action and inaction in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, contraceptives, and population control, as well as the Church s role in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It s a lot to handle, and at times, a lot to digest. Calderisi notes individual Catholics good work in developing countries. He gives credit to the formal and traditional institutions of the Church, including the very presence and global reach of the Church that set up the framework for individual Catholics to do good work. He concludes that the Church s work in education and health has been life-saving for the poor, particularly women. But he also points out the Church s bleak moments: what he sees as its gross negligence and outright compliance in the Rwandan genocide, and its need to maintain its identity and selfpreservation sometimes at the hindrance of those working on the ground. As these three books each address in their own way, it is up to individual Catholics to carry out social teaching. CNS Lordan is a former assistant international editor of Catholic News Service. 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. XLIX No. 25 March 21, 2014 Single copy price, $0.50 Copyright 2014, The Mirror, CNS, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine:

5 ANNOUNCEMENTS March 21, 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. Cape Girardeau St. Vincent de Paul Parish will host Catholic singer, songwriter, and presenter, Vince Ambrosetti, in concert as part of its Parish Mission, Sun., April 6, 7 p.m., in the church. His many appearances include singing during Communion at the funeral of Blessed Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India, and performing for Blessed Pope John Paul II. The parish mission will continue Mon.-Wed., April 7-9. For more information, contact the parish office at (573) Carthage St. Ann Parish will hold an auction, May 3, in the CMC Auditorium, 1900 Grand Ave. Tickets are $25/person in advance; $35 at the door. For more information, call (417) , or visit org. Everton A Beginning Experience Weekend will be Fri., April 11, 6:30 p.m.-sun., April 13, 4 p.m., in Maranatha Retreat Center. This is a recovery retreat for those who are divorced, separated, or widowed. Join us for a quiet, reflective, and spiritual weekend, designed to be a time of closure on the past and renewed hope for the future. Cost: $100, includes lodging and meals (scholarships and transportation available). For more information, call Annie at (417) ; Mary at (417) or (417) ; or Vince at (417) Kelso St. Augustine Parish will host a Spring Dinner, Sun., March 30, 11 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., in St. Augustine School gym. The buffet-style meal will feature chicken and dumplings, baked ham, dressing, and all the trimmings. Adults: $8; children (ages six-11): $4; children (ages five and under): free. For more information, call Lana Arnzen at (573) Monett There will be a Tough Mother 5K run and 1-mile walk, Sat., May 10, 8 a.m., at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Registration: $25; Late registration, Fri., May 8, 5 p.m., St. Lawrence Parish hall. Registration must be received by May 2 to guarantee a T-shirt. Proceeds benefit St. Lawrence Catholic School. For more information, contact St. Lawrence Catholic School at (417) Nixa St. Francis of Assisi Parish Knights of Columbus will host a Lenten Fish Fry every Friday evening during Lent, through April 11, in the O Reilly Community Room. Cost: $7 per person or $25 per family donation is recommended for a meal of fish, pasta, fries, soup, salad, dessert, and other items. For more information or to make a donation, contact Mark Schweiss, (417) Ozark St. Joseph the Worker Parish Knights of Columbus will host All-You-Can-Eat Lenten Fish Frys every Friday night during Lent through April 11, 5-7 p.m., in its new building. Menu includes fish (fried or baked), cornbread, hush puppies, fries, mac and cheese, different specialty items, drink, and dessert. Cost: Adults: $9; children: $4. For more information, contact Charles Iglio at (417) Springfield The next Re-Marriage Preparation Seminar for couples where one or both have been previously married or married outside the Church will be April 12, in the Pallotti Center at The Catholic Center. This session, for couples residing in Regions 1-5, will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact the Office of Family Ministry at (417) Springfield The Springfield Chapter of the Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will sponsor a peaceful execution vigil and ecumenical remembrance of victims of violent crime on Tue., March 25, noon-1 p.m., on Park Central Square. Jeffrey Ferguson is scheduled to be executed March 26. For more information, call Donna Walmsley at (417) , or visit www. madpmo.org. Springfield St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish invite all women of the diocese to a free Day of Inspiration, Fri., April 18, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., in the church. Three speakers will address the theme, The Pope Francis Impact: Is He Changing the Church? Mass is 8:30, followed by registration with coffee and doughnuts, a light luncheon, and Stations of the Cross will end the day. For more information, or to register, contact Kay Maloney at (417) Springfield Grupo Latino Americano is offering a 10-week Spanish course, beginning Tue., March 25, 7-8:30 p.m. Cost: $90 (includes study materials). Three levels of study offered: beginners, intermediate, and advanced. For more information, call (417) Springfield The Way of the Cross will be observed on Good Friday, March 18, on the Park Central Square at noon. Sponsored by area Catholic churches and social service agencies, the Way of the Cross is an opportunity to witness faith and to evangelize. Everyone is welcome. Springfield In conjunction with the feast of the Annunciation, Tue., March 25, 11 a.m.-noon, there will be a gathering of pro-live citizens to participate in the national Knights of Columbus, Day of the Unborn Child, in front of Planned Parenthood. If you have banners or large posters of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we would like to display them during the prayer service. For more information, contact Carl Schimek, (417) Springfield Contemplative Outreach of Springfield will hold a day of prayer themed Falling into the Hands of God, Sat., April 5, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in Immaculate Conception Church. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. There will be opportunities for Centering Prayer and two presentations. To insure sufficient materials and refreshments, George Klesel at george3831@att.net if you plan to attend. Springfield St. Joseph Catholic Academy will host An Evening at His Table dinner and auction, Sat., April 12, in the historic Firehouse #2 on Commercial St. Tickets now available. Cost: $50/person; $60/person after March 31. 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. Full-time Youth Minister Sacred Heart Parish in Poplar Bluff, MO is seeking a full-time Youth Minister for its parishioners in sixth grade through young adulthood. Full benefits are available. Preference will be given to a practicing Catholic. The deadline for applying is March 31. A full job description can be found at For more information or to request an application, please call Fr. David Coon at (573) Schedule The next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations: Mon., March p.m....st. Peter the Apostle Parish, Joplin Sun., March p.m....st. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield Sat., April 5 9 a.m.-noon...(spanish) St. Canera Parish, Neosho Mon., April p.m....our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson Sat., April 12 9 a.m.-noon...st. Mary Parish, West Plains Sun., April p.m....holy Trinity Parish, Springfield Tue., May p.m....our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City Tue., May p.m....st. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau Tue., Aug p.m....our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City Tue., Nov p.m....our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City 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 March 21, 2014 POPE FRANCIS ANNIVERSARY Year one: Pope Francis Lessons in style: Mercy, encounter, mission By Cindy Wooden Vatican City From the moment Pope Francis, dressed simply in a white cassock, stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter s Basilica for the first time and bowed, he signaled his pontificate would bring some style differences to the papacy. Some of the style changes are simply a reflection of his personality, he has explained. Others are meant to be a lesson. But sometimes the two coincide. Answering questions from students in June, he said the Apostolic Palace, where his predecessors lived is not that luxurious, but he decided to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a Vatican guesthouse, for psychiatric reasons. Living alone or in an isolated setting would not do me any good, he said, because he s the kind of person who prefers living in the thick of things, among the people. However, he added that he tries to live as simply as possible, to not have many things and to become a bit poorer like Christ. Unlike his choice of residence, his decision to travel in Rome in a blue Ford Focus instead of one of the Mercedes sedans in the Vatican motor pool was meant to be a message. A few days after his election, Pope Francis told reporters who had covered the conclave, How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor. Living simply is important, he said, not just out of solidarity with the poor, but because it is so easy to get attached to worldly possessions, turning them into idols. The Church, he said in Assisi, in October, must strip away every kind of worldly spirit, which is a temptation for everyone; strip away every action that is not for God, that is not from God; strip away the fear of opening the doors and going out to encounter all, especially the poorest of the poor, the needy, the remote, without waiting. John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, spoke at a recent panel in Georgetown University on the Francis Factor. Carr mentioned that the pope told 19 priests and bishops he named cardinals in January to leave the entourage at home, and not to plan big parties to celebrate. New era I m firmly convinced we are at the dawn of a new era in the Church, POPE GREETS HARLEY-DAVIDSON BIKER Pope Francis greeted a Harley-Davidson biker as he met with pilgrims who have disabilities following Mass in St. Peter s Square at the Vatican in June. Though he prefers walking and cheaper car models, Harley-Davidson gave him a brand new Dyna Super Glide in June that the pope autographed and put up for auction, raising a hefty $326,000 for a Rome soup kitchen and homeless shelter. (CNS photo/paul Haring) just as when Pope John XXIII opened it s windows 50 years ago and made it let in fresh air, said Honduran Card. Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa in an interview with Germany s Cologne-based Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger. Francis wants to lead the Church in the same direction that he himself is moved by the Holy Spirit. This means closer to the people, not enthroned above them, but alive in them, said the cardinal, who leads the Pope s Council of Cardinals. Card. Rodriguez Maradiaga said the pope s priority was that the Church should reach the common people, and show compassion through a different kind of care for the world, especially the needy. Encounters The first year of Pope Francis pontificate also has been one of encounters. A pope, like priests around the world, celebrates Mass every day. Before he became very infirm, Blessed John Paul II would invite visiting bishops and special guests to attend his early morning Mass in the chapel of the papal residence. With a much larger chapel in the Domus Sanctae Marthae and more priests and bishops in residence there, Pope Francis has a large congregation for his morning Masses. Although the Masses are considered private by the Vatican, Pope Francis has been inviting Vatican employees to attend, beginning with the garbage collectors and gardeners. Transcripts of his morning homilies provided by the Vatican newspaper and Vatican Radio. In the first months of his papacy, especially as the weather warmed up, he d go for a walk, dropping in on Vatican workers in the garage or the power plant. And, when he has a request of a Vatican office or wants to make sure something he requested is being done, he simply picks up the phone. Every Vatican office not to mention the Jesuits and other religious orders has a funny story about someone answering the phone and thinking it s a joke when they hear, This is Pope Francis. But his phone calls go well beyond the inner circle of the Vatican and the Church. Pope Francis has called journalists and people either he has read about or who have written to him with stories of suffering and desperation. His telephone calls, in some ways, have taken the place of his Buenos Aires habit of riding public transportation and walking the streets of the poorer neighborhoods to stay in touch with how people really live. While he will pose with pilgrims for photos and selfies, reciprocate when given a big hug, sign autographs for children, and accept cups of mate an herbal tea popular in parts of Latin America he learned in Argentina that there are times when the ministry of an archbishop or pope can be used by the powerful, and he has taken steps to make sure that does not happen. At his morning Mass and at his

7 March 21, 2014 POPE FRANCIS ANNIVERSARY The Mirror 7 large public liturgies, Pope Francis gives Communion only to the altar servers and deacons, then he sits down and prays. In a 2010 book written with Buenos Aires Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Pope Francis said that at large Masses for special occasions Masses attended by government officials and leading business people I do not give Communion myself; I stay back and I let the ministers give it, because I do not want those people to come to me for the photo op. Pastoral Church Pope Francis has taken the world by storm in the year since his election, Abp. Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, KY, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said March 13. The eyes of the world are on the Church. There s a real call (by the pope) to make us more pastoral, to be able to reach out and accompany people, he said. The pope does it the way Jesus said: Don t just tell people to do something but do it yourself. Abp. Kurtz and Card. Timothy M. Dolan of New York appeared on CBS This Morning to talk about the pope as the Catholic Church around the globe marked the first anniversary of his election. The hosts of CBS This Morning asked Card. Dolan and Abp. Kurtz if the Catholic Church had gotten the spiritual leader the cardinals expected in electing then-card. Jorge Bergoglio to be pope. I think we knew what we were getting because we elected him, Card. Dolan said, but the surprise might be how in just one year he has led the Church so successfully, so effectively, so expeditiously, he added. One of the CBS hosts noted that Pope Francis has tried to deflect the media attention being paid to him as some kind of superstar and that he just wants to be seen as a normal person. I think the more simple he wants to be, the more sincere he wants to be, the more natural he wants to be, the more himself he wants to be and all of that is as genuine as can be the more his popularity and esteem goes up, said Card. Dolan Now that shouldn t surprise us, because that s the Gospel. Jesus told us when get rid of pomp and prestige, power and clout, people are going to love you and accept you more and that s happening with him, the cardinal continued, so his very ability to put the attention and the spotlight somewhere else, has only intensified it on him. Abp. Kurtz added: In many ways he puts the attention on the person in front of him, and people love that. Don t we all love to be noticed? Asked if Church doctrine is going to change under Pope Francis, Card. Dolan and Abp. Kurtz both replied that it cannot change, but also urged people to understand there will be a change in pastoral strategy. (Pope Francis)... says over and over again, I m a son of the Church, and his responsibility is to preserve and hand on timeless teachings of the Church, the archbishop said. You can see already the difference he has made in his own pastoral strategy and that s really what we re talking about, not (changing) the timeless teachings of the Church. Card. Dolan added: Doctrine itself can t be (changed)... the substance of what God has revealed to us in the Bible, in natural law, in and through his Church, that s a small nugget of timeless immutable truth. He can t change that. The way it s presented and the discipline of the Church our style, strategy, pastoral methodology, that he can and will change. On fire with love for Christ Boston Card. Sean P. O Malley said Pope Francis is a quintessential Ignatian Jesuit who has melded Jesuit and Franciscan spirituality into his approach to the papacy. Our pope is thoroughly Jesuit and thoroughly Ignatian, right down to the fascination with St. Francis, he said. And he is helping the world rediscover the joy of the Gospel for the greater glory of God, the cardinal said. St. Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits. Its motto is, For the greater glory of God. The Holy Father lives his Jesuit vocation with intense missionary spirit, a love for community that supports the mission, and a disciplined life that does not want to waste anything, especially time. The cardinal said Pope Francis embraces the introspection central to Jesuit spirituality, which is part of St. Ignatius plan to keep Jesuits focused on God, despite their activist lifestyle. The pope s discernment frees him from doing some things in a certain way because it was always thus and he is comfortable enough in his own skin that he is not restrained by practices of pontificates in the past, Card. O Malley said. The cardinal is one of eight members of the pope s advisory Council of Cardinals. A pope for the people Pope Francis unsought celebrity status comes from people s fascination with his style, said Card. O Malley. The pope s desire to be with people strikes a chord in their hearts because it is counter to contemporary individualistic culture where people are alienated. Paraphrasing a recent Rolling Stone magazine profile of the pope, Card. O Malley said Pope Francis has changed the lyrics and not not the melody, saying that the Holy Father could be expected to change pastoral practice, but not doctrine. People love what this man symbolizes. It s speaking to them. It goes beyond celebrity. The Holy Father is trying to get rid of some of the trappings and humanize the papacy, but it is his message, which is so evangelical and so needed, that is evoking a strong response. CNS You ve got mail! What s inside the papal postbox? By Carol Glatz Vatican City When Pope Benedict XVI was elected pope in 2005, the Vatican quickly (just 16 hours after his election) set up six different addresses in various languages for well-wishers to send greetings and prayers. Just two days after the accounts were set up, the Vatican Internet office received over 56,000 s. But as more people found out about the addresses, the servers soon crashed, prompting the Vatican, this time around, to no longer continue the shortly-lived tradition. Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi told journalists today that the 2005 initiative triggered an avalanche of messages that put the system in crisis. Further, the small staff at the Internet office is also unable to respond to the number of s that come in, therefore, an address is not currently in the cards, he said. I don t know if it will happen in the future, but for now there are no plans, he said. So greetings, messages, and notes will have to go via Pontifex. Or if 140 characters aren t enough, there s always the oldfashioned way, via snail mail: Pope Francis Domus Sanctae Marthae Vatican City State and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Mater Ecclesiae monastery Vatican City State Papal fans have to stick with snail mail PAPAL MAIL Pope Francis accepted a letter from a pilgrim in St. Peter s Square. No is available for Pope Francis. (CNS photo/paul Haring) How much mail? Pope Francis gets about 30 large mail sacks a week. The Vatican has set up a special office to sort through and read the overflowing stacks. Msgr. Giuliano Gallorini of the Vatican secretariat of state is in charge of the Papal Correspondence Office and is assisted by a nun and two laywomen. The sacks are brought from the Vatican post office to the Terza Loggia in the apostolic palace. There, the papal mail team sifts through everything, sorting the letters into low-tech cardboard boxes whose tops have been torn off and labeled Portuguese, Spanish, French, and other languages. The correspondence team reads all the Italian mail and tries to send the letters on to the right people who can offer help. For example, requests for economic assistance are sent to the appropriate diocesan Caritas office, the monsignor said. He said they try to do what Pope Francis would want: to listen to people with their hearts and minds, to share in their suffering and to try to find the right words in their replies (they send a reply to everyone). What mail does make it onto the pope s desk? Msgr. Gallorini said, Cases that are more delicate or sensitive. Those items are sent on to the pope s secretaries who make sure the pope can look at them himself and decide how they should be handled. Pope Francis always says that the pastor has to live with his flock, with his sheep, to feel and live their experiences with them, the monsignor said. However, because it would be impossible for the pope to read every letter he gets, the pope asks his correspondence crew to approach their work with the same sense of solidarity and affection he would have. CNS

8 8 The Mirror March 21, 2014 DIOCESAN/INTERNATIONAL NEWS Trinity Hills donates 20,000th egg to poor Rare Vatican manuscripts to be available Online FEEDING THE HUNGRY Trinity Hills farm workers Catherine Lund-Molfese and Clare Lund-Molfese prepare eggs for donation. Trinity Hills, the diocesan center for prayer, service, and Christian formation inspired by the Catholic Worker Movement, has donated 20,000 eggs to feed the hungry in local communities. A few of the beneficiaries include clients of the Center City Well of Life in Springfield; LifeHouse Crisis Pregnancy Center, Springfield; and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Immaculate Conception Parish, Springfield. Would you or your organization like to adopt a laying hen at Trinity Hills? For only $15 a month you can feed the chicken that in turn feeds the poor. Sponsors also get naming rights and a photo of their hen. For more information on the work and ministry of Trinity Hills, contact Nick Lund-Molfese at nick@thills.org or call (417) (Submitted photo) By Francis X. Rocca Vatican City Thousands of rare manuscripts until now accessible only to scholars at the Vatican will go Online over the next four years, thanks to help from the Japanese information technology company NTT DATA Corporation. The Vatican library, founded by Pope Nicholas V in the 15th century, preserves some 82,000 manuscripts dating back to the early centuries of Christianity. Among its treasures are an illustrated edition of the works of the Roman poet Virgil, produced around the year 400, and illustrations of Dante s Divine Comedy by the 15th-century Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli. The library has been scanning its collection for several years with help from various nonprofit groups, and has already digitally archived 6,800 manuscripts, said Msgr. Cesare Pasini, the library s prefect. But so far only some 300 documents are accessible on its Web site (vaticanlibrary.va). NTT DATA Corporation will supply the technicians and equipment necessary to produce high-definition digital records of another 3,000. Online over the next four years. The library will solicit donations to defray the estimated $23 million cost of the project. The library plans to offer a total of 15,000 manuscripts Online, free of charge to all visitors, by Among the documents to be scanned by the Japanese company are some from the library s Asian holdings, which include watercolors of Japanese dancers painted from the 16th through the 18th centuries, and an oath signed by Japanese Christians vowing to defend their missionaries to the death. The library plans eventually to offer Online access to its entire manuscript collection, a total of 41 million pages. Msgr. Pasini declined to estimate how long it would take to complete that project. CNS MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION OF VATICAN LIBRARY An illustration by Sandro Botticelli of the infernal abyss from Dante Alighieri s Divine Comedy is part of the manuscript collection of the Vatican Library. The Vatican recently announced that a Japanese information technology corporation would be making a major contribution to its ongoing digitalization process, with the goal of digitally archiving all 41 million pages in the library s manuscript collection and making them accessible Online. (CNS/courtesy of Vatican Library) Principal openings in diocesan schools There is an opening for a principal in the following elementary schools in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Requirements include active Catholic, Missouri certification, Master s degree in School Administration (or working toward it), administrative experience preferred, and 3-5 years of Catholic school experience: St. Henry Catholic School, Charleston...Contact Fr. Patrick Nwokoye...(573) St. Mary Catholic School, Joplin...Contact Fr. Justin Monaghan... (417) St. Lawrence Catholic School, Monett...Contact Fr. Paul McLoughlin...(417) Sacred Heart Catholic School, Poplar Bluff...Contact Fr. David Coon...(573) Tickets must be presented at the door There is an opening for a principal in Springfield Catholic High School. Requirements include active Catholic, secondary education certification, Master s degree or higher in school administration, administrative experience preferred, 3-5 years of Catholic school experience a plus. If you have any questions, would like an application, or want to send a resume, contact the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office at (417) , or dowensby@dioscg. org, or contact the priests listed above regarding a specific school.

9 March 21, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 9 When a pope meets a US president From Page 1 VI, the Vatican, July 2, While Jacqueline Kennedy met John XXIII in a private audience, JFK missed him by a month, instead visiting the newly-elected Pope Paul. They reportedly discussed civil rights. 4. Lyndon Johnson met Paul VI, New York, Oct. 4, This meeting took place in the historical context of the first visit by a pope to the US. Paul VI would visit and address the United Nations while he was in town. 5. Lyndon Johnson met Paul VI, the Vatican, Dec. 23, This was the first repeat encounter between a particular pope and president. Johnson s record will be matched by Nixon and shattered by the likes of Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush. Pope Paul will go on to meet two more presidents. 6. Richard Nixon met Paul VI, the Vatican, March 2, Richard Nixon met Paul VI, the Vatican, Sept. 29, Gerald Ford met Paul VI, the Vatican, June 3, Ford was the fourth and final US president met by Pope Paul. John Paul II would meet five. 9. Jimmy Carter met John Paul II, the White House, Oct. 6, Along with being the first of 15 meetings between Pope John Paul and a sitting president, this was the first time a pope visited the White House, which would go unrepeated until Jimmy Carter met John Paul II, the Vatican, June 21, Ronald Reagan met John Paul II, the Vatican, June 7, Ronald Reagan met John Paul II, Fairbanks, AK, May 2, Pope John Paul was stopping to refuel on his way to Seoul. Pres. Reagan was on his way back from China. While quick and in passing, this meeting still allowed the two to speak about the pressing issues of the time. It also followed shortly after the US and the Holy See formally opened diplomatic relations. 13. Ronald Reagan met John Paul II, the Vatican, June 6, Ronald Reagan met John Paul II, Miami, Sept. 10, George Bush met John Paul II, the Vatican, May 27, George Bush met John Paul II, the Vatican, Nov. 8, Bill Clinton met John Paul II, Denver, Aug. 12, Pope John Paul was in town for World Youth Day. 18. Bill Clinton met John Paul II, the Vatican, June 2, Bill Clinton met John Paul II, Newark, Oct. 4, Bill Clinton met John Paul II, St. Louis, Jan. 26, Pres. Clinton met with the pope more times on American soil than any other president. Of course, one could argue a traveler like JPII made it easy for him. 21. George W. Bush met John Paul II, Castel Gandolfo, July 23, This is the first and only time a pope received a president at the papal summer residence in Italy. 22. George W. Bush met John Paul II, the Vatican, May 28, George W. Bush met John Paul II, the Vatican, June 4, Pres. Bush presented Pope John Paul with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 24. George W. Bush met Benedict XVI, the Vatican, June 9, It s worth noting that Bush, along with former Presidents Bush and Clinton, also attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April of 2005, which was also attended by then-cardinals Joseph Ratzinger and Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, the future Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Knights of Columbus in service with Pope Francis & Fr. McGivney If you are interested in helping those in need, serving your parish, growing in your faith, or having exclusive access to top-rated insurance protection for your family, the Knights of Columbus is the organization for you. The Knights of Columbus will conduct membership drives throughout Missouri through April, The Knights of Columbus was founded by parish priest Venerable Fr. Michael J. McGivney in 1882 and is the largest Catholic fraternal group in existence with nearly two million members. Included in 40,000 Missouri brother knights is every Missouri bishop. Missouri State Deputy Brad Grill invites Good Catholic men who might become better men and hopefully, great men in service with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as we help our Order and the Church grow. Over the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has made charitable donations of $1.475 billion, plus more than 673 million volunteer hours to charity. The Missouri Knights of Columbus supports Special Olympics, pregnancy resource centers, Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children s Medical Center, Religious Information Bureau, scholarships for seminarians, Catholic education grants, and numerous local charities through Knights of Columbus councils in Missouri. The Knights of Columbus invites you to do your part to make a difference in our parishes, our communities, and our world in the here and now, and for generations to come. Join the Knights of Columbus today and help be the difference in your community and Church. For more information visit or Francis, respectively. 25. George W. Bush met Benedict XVI, the White House, April Bush also greeted Pope Benedict upon his arrival at Andrews Airforce Base. The White House reception included a birthday celebration for the pope. 26. George W. Bush met Benedict XVI, the Vatican, June 13, Until the March 27 meeting between Pope Francis and Pres. Obama, Bush holds the distinction of being the only sitting US president to meet two popes. He has also met with the pope the more times than any sitting president: six. 27. Barack Obama met Benedict XVI, the Vatican, July 10, Obama held a roundtable discussion with religion writers at the White House in anticipation of the meeting. Benedict presented Obama with a gift of the Vatican s recent document on bioethics. USCCB Hat tip to AP for the list of historic dates and places. Principal Opening School Year St. Mary Elementary School, Pre-School to 5th Practicing Catholic preferred Master s Degree/equivalent in Educational Administration To apply contact Michael Teeter, search committee 3102 Sunset Dr., Joplin, MO 64804, or michaelteeter@yahoo.com Deadline: April 7, 2014

10 10 The Mirror March 21, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING St. Mary Elementary School holds Open House Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) is privileged to offer a choice in education to families of this and surrounding communities. We hope you will attend our Open House to meet our teachers and learn about our new school opening in August For more information call St. Mary Elementary (417) St. Mary Elementary School, 931 Byers, Joplin Open House and registration Tue., March 25, 5 to 7 p.m. Science Fair winners at St. Ambrose School Pre-school students MUST be age three (3) on or before July 31, 2014 Pre-kindergarten students MUST be age four (4) on or before July 31, 2014 Kindergarten students MUST be age five (5) on or before July 31, 2014 Copies of immunization record and state-issued birth certificate are required before school starts. Enrollment fee for your child will be $50. Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) St. Mary Elementary School 931 Byers Joplin, MO (417) St. Peter Middle School 802 Byers Joplin, MO (417) McAuley Catholic High School 930 Pearl Joplin, MO (417) SUGAR CUBES, BATTERIES, CRYSTALS, & FERTILIZER Students in St. Ambrose School, Chaffee, were awarded honors during a recent Science Fair: Joanna Glueck, seventh grade (second place); Austin Sullivan, seventh grade (first place); Aaron Glastetter, eighth grade (second place); and Alex Eftink, eighth grade (first place). Students were judged by Crescent Davenport, science teacher at Chaffee Elementary and Katrina Kluesner, principal and science teacher at Guardian Angel School, Oran. (Submitted photo) Columbia Construction Co. PO Box 1332 Cape Girardeau, MO (573) 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 PARTS l SALES l SERVICE 2979 Boutin Dr., Route W Cape Girardeau, MO (573) l TA s l Water Pumps l Clutches l F r o n t E n d P a r t s l Pressure Plates for all makes l PTO Shafts l IH Salvage l Hitch Parts HOLY LAND JUNE 4-16 $3,495 Incl. Air from St.L Fr. Sigmund s 12 th tour Call ; asigmund@sbcglobal.net Brochure: C O N T E M P L A T I V E 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

11 March 21, 2014 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING The Mirror 11 Immaculate Conception students excel at science fair FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS Seventh and eighth grade students in Immaculate Conception School, Jackson, participated for the first time in the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) Regional Science Fair on March 11. (Submitted photo) Jackson, MO Seventh and eighth grade students from Immaculate Conception School in Jackson participated in the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) Regional Science Fair on March 11, This was the first time Immaculate Conception School participated in this event. First place winners: Brooke Blankenship, 8th grade Chemistry Allison Bray, 8th grade Engineering Steven Peters, 7th grade Zoology Second place winners: Kate Appleman, 8th grade Earth and Space Sciences Shelby Bauwens, 8th grade Chemistry Ashley Hanners, 7th grade Microbiology Parker Nugent, 8th grade Physics Megan Wikel, 8th grade Physics Third place winners: Seth Essner, 7th grade Physics Matt Gibbs, 8th grade Physics Benton Keran, 7th grade Physics Annie Montgomery, 8th grade Earth and Space Sciences Claire Morrill, 8th grade Chemistry Luke Sprengel, 8th grade Engineering Other special awards: Parker Nugent Nominated to compete in the Broadcom Masters* Steven Peters Nominated to compete in the Broadcom Masters* Megan Wikel Nominated to compete in the Broadcom Masters* Kate Appleman Award for Geoscience Excellence Allison Bray Best Model Seth Essner Best Model Luke Sprengel Best Model Mrs. Laura Bray 2014 Rookie of the Year (New Teacher to Science Fair Award) *Broadcom Masters is awarded to the top 10 percent of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade participants at an SSP-affiliated science fair. This is an invitation to a national competition. Only three awards were given at SEMO s science fair, and all three went to Immaculate Conception students in Jackson. 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) 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

12 12 The Mirror March 21, 2014 ADULT FAITH The color purple: Royal Lent The color purple has a regal history, rich in symbolism. In our own country, the Purple Heart carries significance beyond the present, for it is awarded to those men and women in the Military who have been wounded or killed in battle. Their courage was grace under fire. Since the first award given in 1932, almost two million service men and women have been honored with the Purple Heart. During Lent, the color purple, rich in symbolism, assumes center stage in the Church s liturgical life. Purple dye becomes royal purple The color purple was first discovered on walls of caves in prehistoric art dating from between 16,000 and 25,000 BC. From around 1,500 BC in the region of Tyre and Sidon (present-day Lebanon), mollusks and in particular the sea snail, were the source of the dye, named Tyrian purple. The color gave off a deep, rich luster whose sheen was resistant to weather events. Because it was rare, valuable, and costly, the color became the symbol of royalty. Thus, royal purple, as it came to be known, was identified with the wardrobe and furnishings of kings and queens. Just how rare, valuable, and costly was purple dye? It was made from a juice found in minute quantities in shellfish. It took thousands of crustaceans to make the dye for a yard or two of purple cloth. About 10 years ago, it was determined that 12,000 mollusks are needed to make 1.4 ounces of dye, just enough to dye a handkerchief. And it takes 40,000 mollusks to make 1 teaspoon of Tyrian purple-dye, the cost of which is approximately $8,000. When Empresses gave birth in their Purple Chamber, the infant- Emperors born there were born to the purple to distinguish them from those rulers who had won or seized power through intrigue or force. In the official portrait of King George VI ( ), the color purple is prominently featured, as it was in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in At the recent Westminster Dog Show, when the final judge, Betty Regina Leininger entered the arena to greet the dogs and their owners, she stole the show for a few moments. She was wearing a luxurious velvet outfit in deep purple. Royalty, thy name is purple. Like owning a Gucci handbag or wearing a Rolex watch today, donning a purple garment was and still remains a status symbol. Royalty, thy name is purple. The royal purple in the Hebrew Scriptures It should not be surprising THE WAY OF BEAUTY Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, CSJ to read that royal purple is found throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Moses is told to make the tabernacle with 10 curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns (Ex 26:1). In Numbers 4:13, a purple cloth was spread over the altar. In Proverbs 3:22, the ideal woman makes bed coverings for herself, and her clothing is fine linen and purple. King Solomon ordered purple fabrics to decorate the Temple of Jerusalem (2 Chr 3:14). Praying the royal psalms The Royal Psalms present the image of Israel s king, the image of the ruler chosen and blessed by God. They anticipate the royal lineage of Jesus from the House of David. Some of these Royal Psalms are: Psalms 2, 20, 21, 45, 72, 144. In his book, Praying the Psalms, the Protestant Old Testament scholar, Walter Bruggermann places before the Christian a two-fold approach in praying the psalms: What does the psalm say in itself? And, what does the individual Christian bring to the psalms out of one s lived experience? How does the Christian respond to what a psalm says in itself? The royal purple in the New Testament The royal purple was worn by prominent figures mentioned in the Gospels. One such person is the rich man Lazarus who used to dress in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day (Lk 16-19). St. Paul praises the devout woman, Lydia, a Gentile and a rich merchant, who engaged in the purple-dye trade and was sold purple-dye, purple cloth, and purple robes. She came from Thyatira, a town well-known for making purple cloth. The Church considers her the patron saint of fine fabrics (Acts 16:14-15). The royal purple mocked All these preliminary anecdotes lead up to the Gospel events of Jesus standing trial. He was being ridiculed by the Roman leaders. Herod has Jesus stripped and dressed his up in a purple cloak with thorns twisted into a crown and placed on his head. The imperial robe was Herod s jibe at Jesus royal claim (Mt 27:29; Mk 15:17; Jn 19:1-2). Jesus, the Lord of All, was ridiculed as another one of Mystery of redemption The great Spanish mystic theologian and poet, St. John of the Cross (d 1591), couches the mystery of the redemption in the language of love, beauty, and life: Now that the time had come when it would be good to ransom the bride St. John serving under the hard yoke of the Cross of that law which Moses had given her, the Father, with tender love, spoke in this way: Now you see, Son, that your bride was made in your image, and so far as she is like you she will suit you well; yet she is different, in her flesh, which your simple being does not have. In perfect love this law holds: that the lover become like the one he loves; for the greater their likeness the greater their delight. Surely your bride s delight would greatly increase were she to see you like her, in her own flesh. My will is yours, the Son replied, and my glory is that you will be mine. I will go and tell the world, spreading the word of your beauty and sweetness and of your sovereignty I will go and seek my Bride And take upon Myself Her weariness and labors In which she suffers so; And that she may have life I will die for her, And, lifting her out of that deep, I will restore her to You. (St. John of the Cross, Romanza #7, The Incarnation, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, revised edition, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez, 66-7.) those kings of the Jews. In Jesus case, the purple was a metaphor for royalty: Here the King of kings would be made to suffer. The royal purple and redemptive love went hand in hand. Lent: a time to wear the royal purple Lent summons the disciples of Jesus to don the color purple and walk with him along the royal road to the Cross. Why call it the royal road when on the natural plane, suffering bears little resemblance to royalty. It must be avoided, or masochism is near. Of itself, the cross wears us down, does violence to the person, as it did for Jesus. But when love accompanies suffering, the burden is lighter. The dark road is transformed into a light whose path leads to resurrection. The suffering Christ is always near to our brothers and sisters who suffer simply because of their faith. On Good Friday, the most solemn day of the liturgical year, a hushed Christian world ponders Christ s death expressed in many texts, one of which proclaims: Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world. Come, let us adore. As the verse is chanted three times, this cross, shrouded in purple, is then uncovered for all to see and venerate. Human logic recoils at this proclamation. Yet, despite setbacks and in the face of despair, it gives us hope, a Christian hope that is possible only in the light of redemptive love. For Jesus suffers with us. The royal purple that Christ wore led to the cross, and the cross, to redemptive healing and resurrection glory. To be a faithful Catholic is to don the purple robe, wear the purple heart, and trek along the royal road to Calvary and to resurrection glory. 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@opton line.net.