A publication for teens to spread the Catholic message through good deeds and works
Letter from the Editor Dear Reader: Thank you for your interest in the seventh edition of Teen Kinship, the magazine devoted to the Catholic Church of tomorrow. This issue is presented online for your convenience. Please feel free to print as many copies as you wish. Our Fall 2009 issue of Kinship for Kids dealt with saints, but we have never presented the saints in Teen Kinship until now, that is. In this issue, you will learn who saints are, what feast days are all about, and also who the patron saints of the Glenmary missions are. Thank you for your interest in Teen Kinship. Also, please make sure to check out our website at www.glenmarysisters.org. 3 4 6 In This Issue Who Are Saints / Feast Days Find out what makes a saint and also what a feast day is The Patrons of our Missions Learn about the patron saints of the four Glenmary Sisters missions St. Nicholas Discover St. Nicholas s connection to the Christmas season God bless, 7 St. Patrick Find out why St. Patrick is so tied to Ireland John Calhoun II Director of Youth Programs On the cover: Art piece of the Patron Saints of Cologne at the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. It is a mixed media piece, on wood. Glenmary Sisters Teen Kinship Volume 7 The Glenmary Sisters, founded by Father William Howard Bishop in 1941, are a religious community of women working to establish a Catholic presence in the home mission areas of rural and small town America where it is not yet present in its fullness. Working in cooperation with the Glenmary Priests and Brothers, the two communities remain independent of each other. Teen Kinship is an annual magazine published by the Glenmary Sisters to help teach young adults how to live better lives as Catholics and about the needs of the home missions. Glenmary Sisters President: Sister Sharon Miller Magazine Editor: John Calhoun II Glenmary Sisters Attn: Teen Kinship P.O. Box 22264 Owensboro, KY 42304 Phone: 270-686-8401 www.glenmarysisters.org 2
Who Are Saints? In the most basic form, saints are people who are able to be in direct contact with Pure Awareness (God). There are over 10,000 named saints from history, the Roman Martyology, and Orthodox sources, but there is no definitive head count. Christians had already started honoring other Christians who had died by the year 100 A.D. and asking for their intercessions. While some people think that honoring saints is a somewhat recent development, it has actually been a part of Christianity from the beginning. The practice is based on a long-standing tradition in the Jewish faith. As you will learn in this issue, some of the earliest saints were martyrs, people who gave their lives for their faith, such as St. Stephen. Since saints led holy lives, we believe their prayers are especially effective. Have you ever asked a particular saint to help you with a problem? Why did you ask that particular person for help? Feast Days Feast Days, also known as Holy Days, are celebrated to mark sacred and special events related to Mary, mother of Christ, the Apostles, martyrs, and saints. Two of the more well-known feasts came along in the fourth century, Christmas and Epiphany. Soon after, feasts celebrating the lives of the Apostles and martyrs came along. And then by 1233, there were forty-five feasts and Holy Days. These days, if you look at a calendar, it would appear that every day is a Feast Day, but that is not exactly true. The official Roman calendar of Feast Days by the Universal Church (the entire world) does not have a saint s Feast Day each day, but the Church does chose a saint to be celebrated each day. Certain groups of people such as a certain county or religious order may chose to celebrate the Feast Days of saints not listed on the universal calendar but who have a special importance to them. 3
SMITHLAND The Patron of the Diocese of Owensboro, KY The Patron Saint of the Diocese of Owensboro is St. Stephen the Martyr. St. Stephen, also known as Stephen the Deacon, was the first Christian martyr, which means he died for his Christian beliefs. While St. Stephen preached the Gospel, the Jews got mad because they believed his message was blasphemy, or disrespectful to God. They took him outside the city and stoned him to death in the year 33 A.D., the same year Jesus was crucified. The man who later became St. Paul the Apostle was in the crowd of people who observed St. Stephen s death. St. Stephen s feast day is December 26th and the Cathedral of the Diocese of Owensboro is named St. Stephen Cathedral. MILLEN The Patrons of the Diocese of Savannah, GA The Diocese of Savannah has two Patrons: St. John the Baptist and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus. He was born on June 24th and his parents were Zachary, a priest of the order of Abia, and Elizabeth. St. John the Baptist started his ministry in his late 20s. He preached repentance, converted many people, and helped prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. He Baptized Jesus and told his own disciples to follow Jesus. St. John the Baptist was beheaded for his preaching. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, whose feast day is June 27th, is another description of Mary, mother of Jesus. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a painting thought to be from the thirteenth century. It shows Mary holding Jesus with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in the background. The picture was brought to a church in Rome and many people flocked to see it. For nearly three hundred years, many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. Source: http://www.saints.sqpn.com 4
CARUTHERSVILLE The Patrons of the Diocese of Springfield/Cape Girardeau, MO Like the Diocese of Savannah, the Diocese of Springfield/Cape Girardeau also has two Patrons. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne is also known as The Lady of Mercy and The Woman Who Prays Always. She was born August 29, 1769 in Grenoble, France. From the time she was eight years old, she had a desire to evangelize in the Americas. After receiving a basic education at home from tutors and religious education from her mother, she began her education at the Convent of the Visitation at age 12. She joined the order at age 19. In 1818, she and four Sisters were sent to the Louisiana Territory to preach. She eventually established her first mission at St. Charles, MO and spent much time caring for the well-being of Native Americans. She spent her last ten years in retirement in a small shack in St. Charles, MO and died November 18, 1852. She was Beatified by Pope Pius XII on May 12, 1940 and was Canonized by Pope John Paul II on July 3, 1988. St. Pius X, whose name at birth was Giuseppe Melchior Sarto, was born June 2, 1835. Early in life, he felt a calling to the priesthood and was eventually ordained on September 18, 1858. After many years of serving God, Giuseppe was elected Pope on August 4, 1903 and installed as Pope on August 9, 1903, taking the name Pius X. Pope Pius X helped advance the Catholic Church in many ways. He issued decrees on early Communion changing the age to seven instead of twelve or fourteen as before. He also advocated daily Communion, promoted clear and simple homilies, and reformed the liturgy. He died August 21, 1914 at the Vatican. He was Beatified on June 3, 1951 and Canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 29, 1954. FRENCHBURG The Patron of the Diocese of Lexington, KY The Catholic Diocese of Lexington was established in January 1988, making it a rather new diocese. The diocese consists of fifty counties. Forty-three of the counties were previously party of the Diocese of Covington, KY and the other seven were part of the Archdiocese of Louisville, KY. When the diocese was established, Christ the King Church in Lexington, KY was elevated to the status of Cathedral. The diocese consists of 64 parishes and missions with over 45,000 members, or about 3% of the total population. When one ventures into the mountains, for instance in the area of the Glenmary Sisters Frenchburg mission, the Catholic population drops to about 1%. While the Diocese of Lexington does have a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, there is no officially established Patron. 5
St. Nicholas Many of us think of Christmas when we hear the name St. Nicholas. There is a good reason for this. His generosity and giving of gifts helped set the stage for many of the Christmas traditions we celebrate today. Nicholas was born in the third century in the village if Patara which, at the time, was part of Greece. His parents raised him to be a devout Christian, but they died when he was very young. While still a young man, he began to sell what he owned and give the money to the poor. He also used his inheritance to help those who were sick and in need. In time, he became Bishop Nicholas and became well known for his great generosity and his love of children. Bishop Nicholas was put in prison by the Roman Emperor because of his faith but he was eventually released. After his release, he attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 where he strongly argued for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In fact, the council s statements make up part of the Nicene Creed which is still used in churches today. Bishop Nicholas died December 6, 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church. St. Nicholas feast day is December 6th. In Europe, his feast day is widely celebrated with gifts, candy, and merrymaking; however, the gifts that are given are simple which helps preserve the focus on Christmas Day and the Christ Child. Source: http://www.catholic.org, http://www.stnicholascenter.org Go to www.facebook.com and type Glenmary Sisters in the search box. Check out the latest photos and information on the Sisters. Go to twitter.com/glenmarysisters and follow the Sisters with regular updates. 6
St. Patrick St. Patrick, whose original name was Maewyn, was born near Dumbarton, in Scotland in 387. When he was sixteen, Patrick was taken by Irish attackers and sold as a slave where he tended his master s flocks for six years. During his captivity, he prayed many times each day. After the six years of being a slave, Patrick escaped and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery for twelve years. It was during this time that he realized his calling was to convert pagans to Christianity. St. Patrick died in Ireland March 17, 493 (however, some sources say 460 or 461). These days, many of us know St. Patrick due to St. Patrick s Day, March 17th. Many stories and legends have grown around St. Patrick. Some stories say he raised people from the dead. Others say he gave a mountain top sermon that drove all the snakes out of Ireland. One of the most recognized symbols of St. Patrick's day is the shamrock. This symbol stems from the story of how St. Patrick used the three leaves to explain the Trinity, representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Source: http://www.newadvent.org Ask your youth director to consider a trip to a home mission. The Glenmary Sisters can set up an individualized mission trip plan for your youth group. Call or email today. john@glenmarysisters.org 270-686-8401 ext. 30 7