INSIDE Catholic Schools Week in the Diocese pp. 4-5 The Mirr r Vol. LIII, No. 22 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI February 16, 2018 One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus MCC Messenger p. 6-9 Catholic Schools Week 2018 The Catechism in brief Profession of Faith He Ascended into Heaven and is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father 666 Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father s glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of One day being with him forever. Southern Missouri Twenty years ago, Pope St. John Paul II said to an audience of Catholic educators in New Orleans, Yours is a great gift to the Church, a great gift to your nation. Countless people in our country have been blessed by the many gifts of Catholic schools, including the local communities in southern Missouri in which there is a Catholic School. Sponsored annually by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), national Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is marked as a celebration of Catholic education in the US. Catholic Schools Week 2018 was celebrated Jan. 28-Feb. 2 in each of the 23 diocesan elementary and secondary schools and three high schools. TM 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. SCHOOL MASS Notre Dame Regional High School seniors Vincent Landewee and Tammy Le brought up the offertory during the annual school Mass held Feb. 2 with Bp. Edward Rice during Catholic Schools Week. TEACHERS RULE Sometimes those the best at hamming it up during Catholic Schools Week are the teachers, as proved the faculty at Immaculate Conception School, Jackson. AWARDS Margie Black and Mary Ann Turk received recognition from Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) on Jan. 29. Celebrating the school s faculty, staff, and volunteers is an important part of Catholic Schools Week in all diocesan Catholic Schools. Bishop Edward M. Rice presented Black with Outstanding Educator of the Year award while Turk was awarded the Distinguished Benefactor distinction. The next issue of The Mirror will be March 2, 2018. Experiencing delayed USPS delivery? Sign up to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format: Contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email: atoben@dioscg.org. HE CAN LIMBO If there was any doubt, Bp. Edward M. Rice can limbo, and limbo he did at Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau, on Fri., Feb. 2, during festivities surrounding Catholic Schools Week 2018. Catch the video taken by Betsy Anders at www. dioscg.org. CINNAMON ROLLS & CHILI Parents and grandparents joined students for lunch in Guardian Angel School, Oran, which included home-made cinnamon rolls and chili on Jan. 31 during Catholic Schools Week 2018.
2 The Mirror February 16, 2018 COLUMN COMMUNITY IN MISSION Msgr. Charles E. Pope The standard by which the Lord judges In the past several posts, we have been considering the judgment that awaits us. Not only must we be ready in the ways we have described, but should allow our looming judgment to shape our attitude today. The key teaching from the Lord here is this: the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Lk 6:38). This statement comes at the end of a long discourse in which the Lord summons us to be generous, forgiving, merciful, patient, and reluctant to condemn others severely. Consider this a kind of mathematics of the Kingdom of God. Realize that if you are merciful, you will be judged with mercy, but if you are harsh and critical, you will be judged by a harsh and critical standard. If you refuse to forgive, you will not be forgiven. It does not mean that we earn salvation, but it does mean that we have a lot of influence over the standard by which we will be judged. Let s look at four areas in which we can have influence and consider a few biblical passages. Show mercy to others Jesus says, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Mt 5:7). James says something similar and develops it a bit when he says, Always speak and act as those were going to be judged under the law of freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. So mercy triumphs over judgment (Jm 2:12-13). Thus we are taught that by observing mercy and patience in our relations with one another, we will influence the manner in which we are judged. Sometimes in life, particularly if we are leaders or parents, we will need to punish and/or assign consequences to those who transgress moral laws or legal limits. Passages like these do not mean that we should never accompany correction with punitive measures. Such a way of living would be unwise and could confirm people in bad behavior. Even when punitive measures are needed, though, it makes sense to be lenient when possible and to attempt lesser measures before firmer ones are employed. It is also clear from these biblical texts that it is highly foolish to go through life with severity toward others, with a lack of compassion or a harsh and unyielding attitude. We are all going to need a lot of grace and mercy at our judgment. Therefore, how misguided, how foolish it would be for us to be This is the seventh in a series of articles on The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. harsh and unmerciful toward others! For indeed, these texts tell us that the merciful will be blessed and the unmerciful will be shown no mercy. Can you or I really expect that we will make it on the day of judgment without boatloads of mercy? Are we strict with others? In a related text, the Lord Jesus says, The measure that you measure to others, will be measured back to you (Mk 4:24). If we hope for and need a merciful judgment, if we want a merciful measure or standard to be used, then we must do the same for others. The Lord makes it clear that He will use the measure or standard that we have used for others when He judges us. Have we been strict? If so, then He will be strict with us. Have we been merciful? If so, then He will be merciful to us. Be very careful before demanding that sinners and others who transgress receive the strongest penalties. In John chapter 8, the Pharisees Neither you nor I will make it on the day of judgment without boatloads of mercy. wanted to exact the most severe penalty (stoning) on a woman caught in adultery. Jesus reasons with them, telling them that before they demand that He throw the book at her, they might want to recall that there are a few things about them that are also written in the book. One by one they drift away, seemingly after considering the foolishness of their demands. They finally realize that the measure by which they want to measure her will in turn be measured back to them. Are we generous to the poor? Luke relates the following text more specifically to our generosity: Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure that you measure to others will be measured back to you (Lk 6:38). This leads us to a second area in which the Scriptures teach us that we can influence the day of our judgment. After rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees for their severity and extreme legalism, Jesus says to them (who were obsessing about cleaning the outside of the dish), You fools, did not the one who made the outside of the cup make the inside also? But if you give what is inside the cup as alms to the poor, everything will be made clean for you (Lk 11:40-41). In the light of the theology of grace, this is a daring text. It almost implies that we can somehow purchase forgiveness. But of course it is the Lord Himself who says it, and He does not say that we can somehow purchase forgiveness. He does teach though that generosity to the poor will in fact influence the day of our judgment. Later in Luke s Gospel, Jesus develops the thought, saying, I tell you, use your worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings (Lk 16:9). It is a complicated text, but Jesus seems to be saying that our generosity to the poor will gain advantages for us at the day of our judgment. Indeed, blessing the poor gives us powerful intercessors, for the Lord hears the cries of the poor. Scripture elsewhere warns, If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be heard (Prv 21:13). Once again, to the merciful, mercy will be shown. The generous will experience that their cries are heard, for they heard the cries of the poor. The Lord more than implies that those who have been generous to the poor will have powerful advocates praying and interceding for them on the day of judgment. Indeed, a number of the Fathers of the Church remind us that in this life the poor need us, but in the life to come we will need them. Do we forgive others? Just after giving us the Our Father, the Lord Jesus says, For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Mt 6:14-15). Later in Matthew s Gospel, Jesus tells the terrifying parable of a man who had huge debt that was forgiven him by his master. When the man then refused to forgive his brother a much smaller debt, the master grew angry and threw him into debtors prison. Jesus concludes the parable by saying, This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you, unless you forgive your brother from your heart (Mt 18:35). So yes, while it is true that God will judge us by our deeds (cf Rom 2:6), the manner in which He judges us, whether with strictness or leniency, does seem to be a matter over which we have some influence. We are all going to need a lot of grace and mercy. Do we want mercy? Then we must show mercy. Do we want a gentle standard? Then we must measure out gentleness. Do we want forgiveness? Then we must offer forgiveness. Recruit some intercessors for the day of judgment by giving to the poor. They will be the most powerful intercessors for us as we leave this life and go to our judgment. There are good lessons here to heed. TM A priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, Msgr. Pope is pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church.
COLUMN February 16, 2018 The Mirror 3 COME, AND YOU WILL SEE Bp. Edward M. Rice Lent: journey to heart of Christ Ash Wednesday My brother texted me the morning of Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 5 a.m., saying Happy Vash Wednesday. I responded, Don t you have anything better to do this early in the morning? This year, Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine s Day, which is a great opportunity for us to reflect on the different definitions of love. In the secular world, Valentine s Day is all about chocolate and flowers and red hearts, expressing the belief that the heart is the symbol of human love. For us, on Ash Wednesday, we sing Lenten Songs and mark ourselves with ashes as a sign of repentance. Our Feast of Love is the Eucharist, the heavenly banquet where Jesus Himself completely satisfies our deepest hunger, our deepest longing, and our deepest desires. As people of faith, the Cross is the fullest expression of divine love. The love of Christ on the Cross is an expression of total, unconditional love, a love whereby the highest expression is the laying down of one s life for another. In the journey of faith, it is the challenge of the Christian, the Catholic, to take our human love and raise it to a higher level, divine love. In a sense, our 40-day observance of Lent is a 40-day observance of divine love, a journey of love into the very heart of Christ and His passion where we commit to take up the Cross and follow in His footsteps. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his message for Lent certainly encourages us in works of prayer, fasting, and charity. And, he also highlights two other encounters with the love of Jesus; Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation. In Adoration we present ourselves to the source of divine love, the very heart of Jesus given to us at every Mass. It is this Divine Love that calls out to us in Adoration. In Reconciliation, we are greeted by Divine Love expressed in Mercy, through the forgiveness of our sins. In both of these avenues of grace we encounter the love of Christ for us. This is what Lent is all about. Seek out the opportunities for Adoration and Reconciliation this Lent, whether it be in your parish or in a communal or even regional celebration. This Lent, take advantage of the greatest Sacrament of Love, the Eucharist, and be reconciled in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Better yet, invite someone to join you who is away from 29TH ANNUAL VALENTINE S DAY LUNCHEON Each year, the Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) of Holy Family Parish, Shell Knob, invites all the women from the surrounding area to an ecumenical luncheon in order to socialize and get to know one another. Special guests this year included Fr. David Baunach, associate pastor; Bp. Edward M. Rice; and Fr. Hank Grodecki, CM, pastor. Begun some 29 years ago through the local Alliance of Churches, the event gathered 164 women from various faith traditions and churches Feb. 13 (dialed back from its original 200 reservations due to fire code regulations). Coming from Berryville and Holiday Island in Arkansas, and many towns in southwest Missouri, including Aurora, Billings, Eagle Rock, Mt. Vernon, Pulaskifield, Golden, and Cassville, participants enjoyed prizes, great food, entertainment, and collected $642 for the Alliance of Churches food pantry. More photos can be seen at www.dioscg.org. the Church. Make time to reverently subject yourself (and a friend or family member) to the Divine Love that pours out onto us in Adoration. Let this Lent be a 40-day celebration of love that extends into a blessed Easter. Vietnamese Lunar New Year I was invited on Feb. 11 to celebrate the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. This is the Year of the Dog. In As people of faith, the Cross is the fullest expression of divine love. investigating the dog, I discovered that its attributes are loyalty, honor, and kindness. Scripture provides us a lesson on loyalty. It reminds us that we cannot split our loyalty to Christ, we cannot serve two masters (Mt 6:24). Either our hearts are set on Him or set on the things of this world. It is true that we certainly need many of the the things of this world, but our hearts should never be possessed or defined by them. We work hard for the clothes we wear or the food we need, but we are called to trust that in the business of life it is part of God s plan to give to us what He knows we need, not what we think we need. With trust in the Divine Providence of God, there should be no worry about life. As Our Lord states in the Gospel of Matthew, Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan? (6:27). Just as God cares for the birds of the sky and the grass of the field, we should trust that God will provide for the things we need. That trust is what makes us different from those who do not believe. With such trust there is no anxiety or worry. With our hearts set on God, we turn to Him in all things with prayer and confidence, with peace in our hearts. As St. Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always. Happy Vietnamese Lunar New Year! May this coming year unfold with loyalty, honor, and kindness for all of you. May this be a year of trust. May your heart be set on God alone. May you seek first the kingdom of God, and with hearts filled with His peace, Rejoice in the Lord always. Be assured of my prayers. TM Public calendar Tue., Feb. 20 Public Policy Committee Meeting, Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC), Jefferson City Wed., Feb. 21 Mass, Truman State 5 p.m. University, Kirksville, MO Thu., Feb. 22 Mass at Truman State 5 p.m. University, Kirksville Sat., Feb. 24 Diocesan Youth Ministry Leaders Conference, The Landing, Van Buren Sun., Feb. 25 Diocesan Youth Ministry Leaders Conference, The Landing, Van Buren 3 p.m. Rite of Election, St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau Thu., March 1- Consecration & Dedication Sat., March 3 of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Knoxville, TN Tue., March 6 Communal Reconciliation 5:30 p.m. Service Sacred Heart Church, Springfield Thu., March 8 Regional Meeting for 2018 7 p.m. Diocesan Development Fund, St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Joplin Fri., March 9 Mass, Immaculate Conception 8:30 a.m. Catholic School, Springfield; Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting, Mountain View, MO Lenten abstinence regulations The law of abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of Lent. The law forbids the use of meat on these days. All persons age 14 and above are bound by the law of abstinence. For questions and answers about Lent and Lenten Practices from the USCCB may be found here: http://www. usccb.org/prayerand-worship/ liturgical-year/ lent/questionsand-answersabout-lent.cfm.
4 The Mirror February 16, 2018 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2018 DIOCESAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS The Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau is proud of its 23 Elementary/Secondary Schools and three High Schools. (NCEA) Catholic Schools Week 2018 around the Diocese VOCATIONS Bishop Edward Rice gave a talk on his vocation to the priesthood and his role as Bishop on Jan. 29 to the preschool and kindergarten classes at St. Mary Catholic School in Joplin during Catholic Schools Week 2018. He was also the principal celebrant at the all-school Mass held in St. Mary Church for Joplin Area Catholic School students. LITURGY OF THE WORD Notre Dame High School students participated in the liturgy Feb. 2 with Bp. Edward Rice during Catholic Schools Week 2018. Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2018 Daily themes Celebrating your parish Celebrating your community Celebrating your students Celebrating the nationl Celebrating vocations Celebrating faculty, staff, and volunteers Celebrating families OFFERTORY Bishop Edward Rice received the offertory Feb. 2 during the Mass celebrating Catholic Schools Week at Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau. We educate our students for future success, true, but more important, we form our students in the faith, said Bp. Rice in his CSW homily. In Jesus Christ we have hope, a hope that overcomes any despair. SELFIE What s a celebration without a selfie or two? Students joined their teacher for a fun photo during Catholic Schools Week 2018 in Immaculate Conception School, Jackson. (NCEA) BOWLING Third graders, Westyn Keller and Porter Gadberry, of Guardian Angel School, Oran enjoyed their time at the bowling alley during Catholic School Week 2018.
February 16, 2018 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2018 The Mirror 5 CRAZY HAIR AND KOOKY CLOTHES Dressing up and crazy hair days are staples of the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week in diocesan schools. Here students from Immaculate Conception School in Jackson get in the spirit. PATRIOTISM One of the themes of Catholic Schools Week is Celebrating the Nation. Students in St. Teresa School, Glennonville, made crafts communicating the value of Catholic education to government leaders and the US. CLASS VISITS Bishop Edward Rice visited each class during his Catholic School Week visit to St. Mary Catholic School in Joplin on Jan. 29. Here he is with Mrs. Emily Lone s 5th grade class. 25 YEAR AWARD Bishop Edward M. Rice presented Mrs. Ellen Seyer an award for 25 years of service in Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau Feb. 2. Catholic Schools Week 2018 was held Jan. 28-Feb. 3 throughout the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. SPIRIT DAY Two St. Teresa Catholic School Mustangs in Glennonville got in the spirit of Spirit Day during Catholic Schools Week 2018. FLYING MONKEY A flying monkey posed for a photo in Immaculate Conception School, Jackson, during The Wizard of Oz themed dress up day on Jan. 29. WIZARD OF OZ Immaculate Conception School, Jackson, had The Wizard of Oz as its theme on Monday of Catholic Schools Week. Both students and teachers got in the spirit. GAMES & FELLOWSHIP Special times for games, food, Mass, gratitude, and service projects were all part of the celebration of Catholic Schools Week throughout the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, including St. Mary Catholic School in Pierce City, Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2018.
6 The Mirror February 16, 2018 ANNOUNCEMENTS Belleville, IL The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, will present a threeweek series entitled, In Search of St. Paul. Shrine Spiritual Programs Coordinator Mark Etling, PhD will lead the discussion on Saturdays, Feb. 24, March 3, and March 10, from 10 a.m.-noon in the Edwin J. Guild Center. Fee: $30 for the series or $10/ session. Pre-registration is required. Information and registration at www.snows.org/ programs, or call, (618) 394-6270. Conway Sacred Heart Parish and the Knights of Columbus from Conway and Marshfield will host a Fish Fry and Dessert Auction, Sat., March 3, after the 4 p.m. liturgy, in the parish hall, 308 S. Spruce St. Proceeds benefit the Altar and Rosary Society. For information, contact Russ Rouse, (417) 761-2878 or Jay Jensen, (417) 650-0068. Joplin St. Mary Parish Knights of Columbus will host a Lenten dinner, Fri., Feb. 23, 5-7 p.m., in the parish center. Adults: $8; children: $6; children under age five: free; family: $25. The menu includes baked tilapia, seasoned rice, vegetable stew, mac and cheese, green beans, salad, dinner rolls, assorted desserts, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. New Hamburg St. Lawrence Parish will host a Spring Dinner/Country Store, Sun., March 4, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in the parish center. Menu includes fried chicken, dressing, chicken and dumplings, buttered potatoes, white beans, slaw, corn, drink, and dessert. Adults: $10; children (ages six-12): $5; children (ages five and under): free; carry-outs available. Springfield The St. Bernadette Guild at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is sponsoring a Ladies Day of Inspiration on Fri., March 23. Open to all women in the area, the day begins with Mass at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude with Stations of the Cross at 2:45 p.m. The theme is God s People-Together in Faith and speakers include associate pastor Fr. Colby Elbert, Catherine Schmittling, and Mary Rowley. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided at no charge. For reservations, please call Mary Ann Hale at (417) 887-7089 or Debbie Davis at (417) 889-5357. Springfield All college-age students are invited to this year s Hosea retreat at Catholic Campus Ministry, Sat., Feb. 24-Sun., Feb. 25, O Reilly Student Center, 847 S. Holland Ave. The theme of Restless was inspired by St. Augustine s You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. The cost is $25. Sign-ups can be done on the ministry s Website https://ccm847. org/ or at the O Reilly Student Center. For more information, contact Nick Uxa at Uxa2019@live.missouristate.edu. 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. Springfield Catholic Schoolhouse, serving homeschoolers of Greater Springfield, is currently registering students for the 2018-2019 academic year. More than an academic co-op, Catholic Schoolhouse is a structured program that meets weekly for homeschoolers and includes chorus, classroom instruction, science experiments, art projects, and opportunities for socializing. Informational meetings are scheduled throughout the spring. For more information, contact Krysta Bauer at (417) 766-4396 or springfieldmo@catholicschoolhouse.com. Springfield St. Joseph Parish, 1115 N. Campbell, will host a St. Joseph s Table on Sat., March 17, from 11 a.m. -7 p.m., in the parish hall. Enjoy traditional pasta Milanese, salad, bread, and drink for a free-will offering. Italian cookies, cannoli, cakes, and other pastries will also be available for sale. All proceeds support the St. Joseph food pantry which serves the poorest area in Springfield. Come honor the patron of our parish and the universal Church, the man God chose to be the head of the Holy Family and protector of Jesus and Mary. Springfield Beginning Experience of Springfield is offering a six-week class, Coping With Life Alone, beginning Thu., Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Cost: $20; scholarships are available (no one is excluded because of inability to pay). Meeting for six consecutive Thursdays, the classes are designed to help individuals work through the trauma of losing a spouse through death, divorce, or separation. COPING is Christian-based and open to all faiths. For information, call Diane, (870) 688-8829; Donna, (417) 581-1317; or Mary Alice, (417) 838-4651. St.Joseph Men s Club 2018 Fish Frys March 2 & 16 Serving from 5-7 p.m. Adults: $8, Children (11 & under): $4 St. Joseph Parish Hall, 320 NW Washington Ave., Billings, MO 65610 Bring your family & friends and enjoy an evening of great food, lots of fun and fellowship! Entertainment provided. Sponsored by St Joseph Men s Club. Proceeds go to their charities. For more information call (417) 744-2490 Springfield Sacred Heart Parish will host a BBQ dinner, Sun., March 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., in the parish center. The menu will be pulled pork, shredded chicken, corn on the cob, BBQ beans, coleslaw (one meat and two sides), and a brownie. Cost: adults: $6; children (ages five-12): $3; children (ages five and under): free. For more information, contact Sue Frey, (417) 619-5308. Springfield The Regional Council of Catholic Women (RCCW) will show the movie, Hidden Figures (based on a true story), Sun., Feb. 25, 2 p.m. The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) of Immaculate Conception, will host the event in Community Room A. There is no charge for the movie; snacks available. All are welcome! Springfield The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) invites all women of the area to enjoy a special night as we walk the Stations of the Cross with Mother Mary, Mon., Feb. 26, 7 p.m., in the church. The group Angel Voices will lead music. The main speaker is Bishop-emeritus John Leibrecht. Springfield During the Lenten season you are invited to attend a morning of peaceful prayer and quiet reflection, Sat., March 3, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. 8:30 a.m.: registration and refreshments; 9: a.m., prayer. For more information, contact Barb or Mike at democatsx2@gmail.com, or call (417) 881-1381, or Margarita Gagliardi at marg626@yahoo.com, or (417) 883-5951. Subiaco, AR Be part of a four-day Lenten Centering Prayer Retreat at Subiaco (Benedictine) Abbey beginning Monday evening, March 12 to Friday morning, March 16. Contemplative Centering Prayer method allows a person to open one s whole being to God, the Ultimate Mystery, this Lent beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. If you are not familiar with Centering Prayer, there will be instruction. Cost: $325 for a single room; $225 per person for a shared room; materials are $50 per person. For more information, contact Fr. Rick Jones at stvcapepadre@gmail.com or (573) 335-7667. To register for the retreat, contact Subiaco Retreat Center at (479) 934-1047. Webb City Sacred Heart Parish will host A Lenten Inspiration, presented by John S. Carpenter, author of Be Not Afraid to Follow the Footprints from Heaven, Wed., Feb. 28: Mass at 6 p.m., social and meal at 6:30 p.m.; presentation, Amazing Marian Apparitions, from 7-8:30 p.m. The event continues on Sun., March 4: social at 3:30 p.m.; presentation Blessed Mary s Message and Predictions, 4-5:15 p.m.; a light meal from 5:15-5:45 p.m.; final presentation, He is Alive! Science finds Jesus, from 5:45-7 p.m. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. For more information visit, www.sacredheartwebbcity.org, or call the church office at (417) 673-2044. Schedule Safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations: Tue., Feb. 20 6-9 p.m...st. Denis School, Benton Mon., Feb. 26 6-9 p.m...sacred Heart, Verona (Spanish) Sat., Mar. 10 9 a.m.-12-noon...holy Trinity, Springfield Mon., Mar. 12 4:30-7:30 p.m...st. Lawrence, Monett Mon., Mar. 12 6:30-9:30 p.m...st. John, Leopold Tue., Mar. 20 6-9 p.m...sacred Heart, Willow Springs Mon., April 9 6-9 p.m...our Lady of the Cove, Kimberling City Wed., April 11 4:30-7:30 p.m...st. Peter the Apostle, Joplin Sat., April 14 9 a.m.-12-noon...st. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girardeau Sat., April 14 9 a.m.-12-noon...st. Joseph the Worker, Ozark Sun., April 15 3-6 p.m...holy Trinity, Aurora Pre-registration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org and click on registration on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Rosie Francka at The Catholic Center, (417) 866-0841; or Email her at rfrancka@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 www.dioscg.org, or at www.virtus.org. The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. Eidson Production: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, atoben@dioscg.org Published every other week except the last week in December at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143; Telephone (417) 866-0841; FAX (417) 866-1140; Email atoben@dioscg.org POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. LIII No. 22 February 16, 2018 Single copy price, $0.50 Subscription: $14 per year. Digital subscriptions available as an option to USPS delivery with paid subscription. For more information, contact atoben@dioscg.org. Copyright 2018, The Mirror, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: www.dioscg.org Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau @DioSCG
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February 16, 2018 MASS & EUCHARIST The Mirror 11 At Mass, we participate in Calvary By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City Pope Francis recently said that when we attend Mass, it is as if we are approaching Jesus on the Cross at Calvary, and that at every Eucharist we not only experience Christ s redemption, but we participate in it. When we go to Mass, it is as if we go to Calvary, the same, Pope Francis said. This is the Mass: to enter into this Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. When we enter the church for Mass, we should think to ourselves: I enter Calvary, where Jesus gives his life for me, the Pope continued, saying he is sure we would respond to this in silence, in weeping, and also with joy, because we have been saved from death and sin. At the general audience, Pope Francis continued his In the Eucharist, Jesus pours upon us all his mercy and love to renew our existence. catechesis on the Mass and the Eucharist by reflecting on what he said is the essential element of every Mass that it is a memorial of the Paschal Mystery of Christ. Imagine that you are actually at Calvary, he continued. In that moment, you would look up and know that the man upon the cross is Jesus. Would you allow yourself to make chit-chat or take pictures? No, because Jesus (is there)! Quoting from Lumen Gentium, the Second MASS TAKES US TO CLAVARY Pope Francis venerates the cross on Good Friday 2015. Vatican Council s dogmatic constitution of the Church, Francis said, As often as the sacrifice of the cross in which Christ our Passover was sacrificed, is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried on. This means, he explained, that Christ s Passion and death are taking place every time we celebrate Mass, and our participation in the Eucharist, brings us into the Paschal Mystery of Christ. And if we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, in faith, he noted, then we too can truly love God and neighbor, we can love how He loved us, giving life. In the Eucharist, the Lord Jesus, pours upon us all his mercy and love, as he did on the cross, so as to (Photo by L Osservatore Romano) renew our heart, our existence, and our way of communicating with Him and with our brothers. Christ s Passion and death is the ultimate victory over death, Pope Francis emphasized, because he transformed his death into the supreme act of love. CNA Next up Think being good is enough? It s not. Go to Mass. Attention: Adult Catholic Men You are invited to the Southeast Missouri Mon., March 19, 6:30-9 p.m. St. Ambrose, Chaffee, MO An evening of Adoration, Confession, & a Manly Meal with discussion to follow. To help plan for food please RSVP to SEMOCatholicManNight@gmail.com SEMO Catholic Man Night on Facebook or (573) 837-2556
12 The Mirror February 16, 2018 DIOCESAN NEWS Come walk with Jesus and your brothers and sisters GOOD FRIDAY WAY OF THE CROSS Join with others of our community as we walk with jesus on Fri., March 30 at noon at the Foot Bridge on Commercial Street Springfield, MO (Parking available near the footbridge) Marriage is a vocation to holiness. From their first days as husband and wife through their golden years, married couples have the awesome task of witnessing to God s faithful love to each other, their children, and society. No couple does this perfectly, and everyone needs help when love feels strained and the going gets tough. All marriages can grow in knowledge, faith, joy, and love. Whether you are just starting out in marriage or have fifty years under your belt, the advice, real life stories, and Church teaching here can help strengthen and bless your marriage. Come help carry the cross with those in our community who suffer from poverty, intolerance, and injustice. Different service agencies who minister with the most vulnerable in our city will lead the reflections on Jesus experience of his last hours. Rescheduled Event Sponsored by St. Ann s Youth Group, Carthage & MSSU RCIA Institute - April 20-21 Buy or Sell! ALL Pastors, RCIA Directors, and RCIA Catechists are invited to attend! If we are honest, I think a lot of us think of the RCIA as a really cool way to make Catholics. We aren t really thinking of making missionary disciples. What does that even mean? How would we even start? We re inviting you (urging you, really) to join a group of adventur-ers and explorers like yourself to help figure out how the RCIA can make a real difference in our parishes. Over the course of a Friday evening and all-day Saturday, we are going to pull apart the RCIA and examine it from the inside out. We re going to figure out exactly how it is going to help us explore the New World Pope Francis imagines. Discover exactly how the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults forms missionary disciples Learn how to apply the core RCIA principles across all parish ministries Acquire the skills to build an evangelizing parish Understand how RCIA rites and catechesis work together to make disciples Gain the confidence you and your team need to transform your parish through the RCIA Presented by: Nick Wagner and Diana Macalintal, husband and wife, are the cofounders of TeamRCIA.com, a free online resource for catechumenate ministry, including a book series for RCIA teams published by Liturgical Press. With over 60 years of combined parish and diocesan ministry experience combined, Nick and Diana provide transformative RCIA team training.
February 16, 2018 DIOCESAN NEWS The Mirror 13 Students donate pennies to aid California school PAYING IT FORWARD Itself once the beneficiary of the kindness of others, St. Mary Catholic School, Joplin, seeks to pay kindness forward through random acts of charity. Two Pre-Kindergarten classes (morning and afternoon sessions) at the school recently raised $2,100 during Catholic Schools Week for St. Rose Catholic School in Santa Rosa, CA, which has been affected by recent wildfires. St. Mary Catholic School and its parish were destroyed in 2011 by a historic EF-5 tornado. The school and parish were rebuilt and dedicated in 2014. (Photo by Margie Black for The Mirror) Cursillo promotes Catholics growing in holiness and personal spiritual development. The focus is on individuals becoming effective Christian leaders and taking what they have learned back into their home, work, and community. Cursillo weekends! There is a woman s weekend coming up on Feb. 22-25 and a men s weekend on March 22-25 being held at Pinecrest Camp and Conference Center near Fredricktown, MO. If you are interested, the applications, sponsor forms, and more information about Cursillo in Southern Missouri is available at http://dioscg.org/index.php/ cursillo2/. For more information please contact Sharon Essner at smessner735@sbcglobal.net, (573) 334-0373, or Jacque Markusic at jpmarkusic@me.com, (417) 496-8288. Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) Spring Assembly All are welcome! April 20 21, 2018 Registration Name: Phone: DioSCG @DioSCG Feb 15 Bishop Rice had a gorgeous day to bless and rededicate Catholic radio KQOH 91.9 FM for the Springfield Area. Tune in and listen! Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, pray for us! Be still and know that I am God All women of the diocese are cordially invited to join us for Mass at 5 p.m. on Fri., April 20 at St. Vincent de Paul, Cape Girardeau Also, Be our guest at the DCCW Banquet at the Drury Hotel Cape Girardeau at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to Judy Carley by March 10 at (417) 337-1263 or nine4nana@ hotmail.com Address: City: State: Zip: Region: Parish: Please select an option below and include a check for the amount indicated: (Read carefully) Complete Assembly, $45 if mailed by April 10 (this includes going to the luncheon & Friday all day, including the evening banquet, and Saturday) Complete Assembly, $50 if mailed AFTER April 10 (this includes going to the luncheon & Friday all day, including the evening banquet, and Saturday) Attending Friday-morning/afternoon only, $25 (includes luncheon but NOT the banquet) I am ONLY attending the Mass and Banquet on Friday evening, $25 I am ONLY attending Saturday morning, $20 I am a First-Time Attendee to the Spring Assembly Please make checks payable to DCCW and mail check and completed registration form to: Nancy Slezak, 3660 S. Cox Ave. #1107, Springfield, MO 65807 Deadline for making Hotel Reservations is: March 18. Please call: Drury Hotels, 3351 Percy Dr., Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701, (573) 334-7151 $109.99 room, plus tax includes breakfast (1-4 people per room-king and queen beds available). Mention DCCW for this price. Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds. However, registration can be transferred to another person.
14 The Mirror February 16, 2018 DIOCESAN NEWS
February 16, 2018 DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING The Mirror 15 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. Available for retreats and periods of discernment. Assumption Abbey RR 5 Box 1056, Ava, MO 65608 (417) 683-5110 www.assumptionabbey.org assumptionabbey@gmail.com PCCW retreat in Lebanon focuses on the Annunciation & Visitation Lebanon, MO The First Annual Spiritual Retreat of area Parish Councils of Catholic Women (PCCW) was held Jan. 27 in the Family Center Gym at St. Francis de Sales Parish hosted by its PCCW. The focus and topic was the Annunciation and Visitation, presented by Mary Rowley, Spiritual Commission for the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW). Rowley is a member of Sacred Heart Parish, Bolivar. Fifty-nine women attended the retreat from all corners of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, including 10 women from Sacred Heart Parish, Conway, MO. It was a delight to have them here, said Judy Scheppmann, PCCW president of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lebanon, the retreat s host parish. They do not have their own PCCW and they were the largest group from another church to attend the retreat. Pleased with the turnout and feedback, We had a wonderful sharing of questions and discussions, Scheppmann said. Parish Spiritual Commissioner, Sr. Rose Marie O Barski, CSFN, led the retreat s reflections on themes surrounding the Magnificat, which included St. Joseph s role with the Holy Family. Due to the generosity of our parish PCCW, Scheppmann said, everyone was treated to goodie bags with gifts, giveaways, lunch, and desserts. TM PCCW RETREAT Ten women from Sacred Heart Parish, Conway, MO, attended the regional PCCW Spiritual Retreat held Jan. 27 in St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lebanon. Not having their own PCCW, they were the largest group from another church to attend the retreat. Judy Scheppmann (far right), is the PCCW president from St. Francis De Sales Church, Lebanon, MO. NCCW SPIRITUAL COMMIS- SION Mary Rowley of Sacred Heart Parish, Bolivar, and Spiritual Commission chair for the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) was the guest presenter at the regional PCCW Spiritual Retreat held Jan. 27 at St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lebanon. Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home Locally-owned & operated u Dedicated u Caring u Professional Offices of the Catholic Cemeteries Paul & Lynn Wunderlich David Fenton Louis Lohmeyer Charlene Harris-Bengsch Gene Lohmeyer Mary Ann Johnston Joel Champ 500 E. Walnut - Springfield, MO (417) 862-4433 www.hhlohmeyer.com 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 65804 (417) 886-9994 fax (417) 886-9996, gormanscharpf@mchsi.com
16 The Mirror February 16, 2018 ADULT FORUM MAKING SENSE OUT OF BIOETHICS Fr. Tad Pacholczyk The bitter pill of false liberation The Church s ageless but countercultural teaching on contraception respects and uplifts women. It esteems their fruitfulness in marriage not as a defect, but as a real gift. A major study published on Dec. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that hormonal contraception increases the risk of breast cancer for women. The research used all of Denmark as its sample, following nearly 1.8 million Danish women of childbearing age for over a decade. The study, as described by the New York Times, upends widely held assumptions about modern contraceptives for younger generations of women, especially the view that newer hormonal contraceptives are much safer than those taken by their mothers or grandmothers. It also establishes that the risk to women increases with longer periods of use. Major media outlets have done their best to minimize the implications of the study and soften the blow for the millions who, for decades, have faithfully embraced a contraceptive mentality. This mentality has promoted contraception, especially the Pill, as a path for women to move toward equality with men by enabling them to reap the benefits of the sexual revolution. But Mary Rice Hasson, JD, director of the Catholic Women s Forum at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC notes that the reality for women is very different, and our lived experience has shown that this is a false promise. Countless women, she emphasizes, have ended up being vulnerable to, and harmed by, the sexual revolution and its promotion of contraception as the solution. They have been given a bitter pill in the form of the Pill. In a remarkably prescient passage dating back to July, 1968, Pope Paul VI already foresaw this in his encyclical Humanae Vitae, the momentous and beautiful document explaining not only the moral problems with contraception, but also its devastating effects on men, families and women in particular. Contraception, he writes, opens a wide and easy road toward conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality. Not much experience is needed in order to know human weakness, and to understand that men especially the young, who are so vulnerable on this point have need of encouragement to be faithful to the moral law, so that they must not be offered some easy means of eluding its observance. It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-conceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and, no longer caring for her physical and psychological equilibrium, may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument Information is on the Camp page of the Diocesan Website www.dioscg.org of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion. Paul VI offers a profound, but unpopular, observation that contraception is harmful to women, and is, in fact, anti-woman. The widespread adoption of the contraceptive mentality has led inexorably to a new perspective on women, namely, that they should be more like men, and therefore they should, like men, become impregnable, through the ongoing practice of contraception. Very young women, sometimes just entering puberty, are now placed onto regimens of hormonal contraception that can continue for years or even decades. From this perspective, their ability to conceive life becomes tantamount to a malady needing to be remedied, a defect that renders them unequal to men. Strikingly, though, ever greater numbers of women are discovering an authentic and liberating form of feminism as they come to the awareness that, in the words of Hasson, we don t have a design flaw. Being a woman is good and it s a wonderful thing. Wonderful, too, is that confident feminism and liberating sense of self-control that enables a woman to choose abstinence before marriage, rather than contraception, and, once married, to choose periodic abstinence in agreement with her husband if their circumstances indicate they ought to avoid a pregnancy. Whenever a woman disrupts her natural fertility, her body rebels in one fashion or another, including the heightened and welldocumented risk of heart attack and breast cancer. Hormonal contraceptives, meanwhile, throw a wrench into the works on a number of different levels. Beyond setting up a woman to be used by men, the Pill (and hormone-releasing IUD s) cause significant alterations in her delicately-balanced physiology. These include restricting her ability to ovulate, altering her cycles and secretions, and modifying her uterine lining in effect, forcing her body into a pseudo-pregnant state to exclude the possibility of a real pregnancy. Whenever a woman takes these kinds of steps to disrupt her natural fertility, it should come as little surprise that her body rebels in one fashion or another, including possible weight gain, headaches, depression, and the heightened and well-documented risk of thrombotic stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and as confirmed by the recent study breast cancer. A woman s body doesn t stand in need of being fixed by these powerful drugs that wreak havoc on her biology. The Church s ageless but countercultural teaching on contraception respects and uplifts women. It supports them in an authentic feminism that affirms their uniquely important maternal role in family and society, and esteems their fruitfulness in marriage not as a defect, but as a real gift. TM Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia; see www.ncbcenter.org.