1. No category

Find Us
On The Web
www.cdom.org
• Obituaries
• Lectionary
• Calendar
a digital Publication of the Diocese of Memphis
Volume 3 • Number 4 • week OF January 29, 2015
Catholic students join the National March
for Life in Washington, D.C.
By Sharon Masterson, director of communications, St. Benedict at Auburndale
For the 26th year, 80 St.
Benedict at Auburndale students
and chaperones, traveled to
Washington, D.C. to participate
in the Annual March for Life. The
date marked the 42nd Anniversary
of the Supreme Court decision, Roe
v. Wade that legalized abortion in
the United States.
The students and chaperones
traveled approximately 17 hours
by bus arriving in Washington in
sub-freezing weather and snow.
Upon arrival the group checked in
at Catholic University of America
to set-up their sleeping bags for
the night’s lodging, with 1300 other
students from around the country,
on the floor of the gymnasium in
CUA’s Athletic Center. Then they
trekked to the nearby Basilica
of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception to attend
the Annual Pro-life Vigil Mass
concelebrated by many of the
nation’s Cardinals, Archbishops,
Bishops and priests. Two Memphis
Diocese priests, Reverend Patrick
Gallagher and Reverend Patrick
Hirtz, concelebrated at the Vigil
Mass and early the next morning
at the Mass associated with the
Archdiocese of Washington’s Youth
Rally at the Verizon Center (home of
the NBA Wizards). The Archdiocese
holds this rally and Mass for
young pro-lifers from around the
country and each year the youth
get stronger in their commitment to
stopping the culture of death that
abortion has created during their
young lives.
The Memphis group then
made their way to the Mall for the
March for Life pre-march rally and
then, with hundreds of thousands
of others, they marched down
Constitution Avenue to the Supreme
Court Building where pro-lifers,
post-abortion mourners and proabortion sympathizers were making
quick links
CBHS Hall of Fame adds 8 new members
By John Morris, director of communications
The Christian Brothers High School
Hall of Fame has elected 8 new
members, who were inducted in
ceremonies on the CBHS campus
January 25. Candidates are chosen
by the Hall of Fame membership
on the basis of their personal
accomplishments, civic and public
contributions, and support of
or involvement with activities of
interest to the school. The school
opened in 1871. CBHS graduates
must have graduated a minimum
of 20 years prior to selection. The
CBHS Hall of Fame was established
in 1968. Since then, 524 men, living
and deceased, have been inducted
into the group (426 of whom are
CBHS grads) by their peers.
The 2015 inductees are:
-Charles D. Schaffler (CBHS ’59)
is retired professional engineer,
founder and president of Gorham/
Schaffler, Inc.
-Charles N. Larkin, M.D. (CBHS
’64) is a retired pediatrician,
serving with Pediatrics East since
1980.
-John M. Griesbeck (CBHS ’71) is
CPA and managing partner of the
Memphis-based firm, Reynolds,
Bone & Griesbeck.
-Michael E. Robilio (CBHS ’76) is
co-owner of Lucchesi’s Ravioli and
Pasta Company.
-John Mitchell Graves (CBHS
’79) is president and CEO of
HealthChoice, LLC, a physician
hospital organization joint venture
between Methodist LeBonheur
H e a l t h c a re a n d M e t ro C a re
Physicians.
-Michael E. Kelly (CBHS ’84)
is athletic director at Christian
Brothers High School, where he
has taught and coached for the past
25 years.
-Steven G. Fracchia (CBHS
’86) is chief financial officer of
Southeastern Asset Management,
Inc., advisors to the Longleaf
Partners Mutual Funds.
-William Blair Canale (CBHS ’92)
is senior sales representative in
medical sales with CorMatrix,
Inc., a stem cell bio-scaffolding
company.
(continued on page 2)
MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 2.
Students from St. Benedict at Auburndale attended the 2015 March for Life.
Inductees are pictured from left: Michael E. Robilio ’76, John M. Griesbeck ’71, Michael
E. Kelly ’84, Charles N. Larkin, M.D. ’64, Steven G. Fracchia ’86, John Mitchell Graves
’79, Charles D. Schaffler ’59, and William Blair Canale ’92.
2 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Pro-Life march . . .
Week of January 29, 2015
(continued from page 1)
statements and demonstrating. The
pro-life contingent far outnumbered
the pro-abortion demonstrators by
thousands.
They paused to take in the view
of our nation’s judicial center and
to grasp the magnitude of the Roe
v Wade decision that brought the
abortion culture to our country
in such a huge way. Since 1973,
over 58 million unborn babies
have reportedly been aborted, over
3,000 per day, in the United States.
Following the March, that
evening, the Memphis group then
made the 17-hour trip back home,
arriving early next morning.
Sponsor of the trip, Sharon
Masterson of St. Benedict was,
once again, gratified by the
students’ continued perseverance
and thanked them for their sacrifice
in making the long trip and for their
witness as the “pro-life generation”
on behalf of the right to life for
all. She reminded them, “Abortion
destroys the image of God, as
we are all created in His image
from the moment of conception.”
She said, “You have grown up
in a culture of death that was
instituted to solve problems. You
are missing classmates due to
abortion. It’s important, therefore,
that we continue our tradition of
traveling to Washington to witness
for life and stand for those who
can’t stand up for themselves. You
are the ‘Pro-Life Generation’ and
your commitment will help end the
culture of death brought on by this
decision.”
St. Benedict senior Jake
McClure, a leader of St. Benedict
Students for Life, said, “I’ve gone
to the March for Life for four
years and I know we’re making a
difference.” Each year, more and
more high students are here. It’s
our future!” Others in the group
expressed similar thoughts as they
expressed, “Life is special, even the
smallest of human lives and seeing
so many young Americans coming
together to witness for these lives
is both important and awesome.”
Joining the students were
Fr. Patrick Gallagher, Diocesan
Vocations Director and Fr. Patrick
Hirtz, Assoc. Pastor of Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Parish.
The tradition lives on for SBA,
as they are the Pro-Life Generation.
St. Benedict at Auburndale teachers in Washington with SBA Students for Life, Sister
Rita Marie and Sister Marie Monique (first and second from left), worship with fellow
Sister Maria Goretti at Pro-life Vigil.
Father Patrick Gallagher & Father Patrick Hirtz Concelebrated at National Prayer &
Vigil Mass for Life at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
in Washington D.C. The priests traveled with the St. Benedict High School’s Students
for Life.
St. Agnes Academy students rally for life at the 2015 March for Life.
St Agnes students stop by the Lincoln memorial after the March for Life.
The West Tennessee Catholic - 3
Week of January 29, 2015
“Black and White” with Kevin Costner
The movie “Black and White” arrives in theaters on January 30. This
could be an opportunity for people to openly and charitably talk about
racial attitudes. At the center of the story is a little girl, Eloise, whose
mother was white and absent father is black. Eloise has been raised
by her white maternal grandparents and is a third grader in a private
school. She’s a happy well-adjusted little girl who lives in a middle
class white world, although she knows her paternal grandmother and
cousins. When her white grandmother dies in an auto accident, Eloise
becomes the center of a custody battle between the white grandfather
and black grandmother.
The movie explores the messiness of any family, but delves deeply
into dysfunctional behaviors involving addictions to illegal substances
and alcohol. Snap judgments are made in a shallow way on both sides
of the battle for Eloise. Ultimately, love and justice triumph with the
best interest of Eloise upheld by both parties in the law suits.
St. Francis Geography Bee
Submitted by Tina Sosnowski
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School held the annual National Geographic
Geography Bee this month. Each year thousands of schools in the
United States participate using materials prepared by the National
Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to
include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the
subject, and increase public awareness about geography. The contest
included students in 4th – 8th grades. Congratulations to this year’s
SFA winners (pictured): 1st Place- Owen Sobalvarro, 6th Grade; 2nd
Place-Hunter Filsinger, 8th Grade; and 3rd Place-Jack McDonald, 7th
Grade; Ms. Merilyn Orendorff, Geography Club moderator and 7th
grade Geography teacher.
Kevin Costner
and Jillian Estell
play grandfather/
granddaughter in
a movie tackling
the topics of race
and family.
St. Louis Geography Bee
Submitted by Vickie Shaw, assistant principal
March shows youth, growth and energy of pro-life
movement
Congratulations to Jack Scherson for winning the St. Louis Geography
Bee and to Maddie Tonole for placing second. Jack will compete in the
At this year’s March for Life Jan. 22, the things to notice about the written portion of the competition sponsored by National Geographic
crowd in attendance were its youth, its growth and the sense that these to earn a spot in the state finals. We are proud of all of our contestants!
young people are bringing about a cultural renewal. Groups from all
over the United States came in droves and the majority of people in
those groups were young, energetic, bright-eyed and hopeful. At a
coffee and doughnuts breakfast at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill,
offered in the parish hall below and filled with March for Life pilgrims, one
group that stood out was the one from St. Agnes Church in Hillsboro,
Illinois. According to the group’s leaders, not only had the Diocese of
Springfield, Illinois, had to add an extra bus this year to transport its
delegation, the delegation itself was heavily composed of the parish’s
youth. “The kids are aware of the truth of the life issue,” said Angie
Mizera, a group leader. “The lies created by the opposition have been
proven false over and over again, and thanks to the technology and
transparency resulting from it, the truth has been made apparent to this
generation.” Accompanied by banners, balloons and drums, Crusaders
for Life brought in youth and adults from all over the Detroit metro
area. One of the marchers with them, Joe Jaczkowski of SS. Cyril and
Methodius Parish in Sterling Heights, Mich., stated, “I’ve been coming
for the past eight years and it’s been amazing to see how its grown. ...
Mrs. Niedzwiedz, principal and Mrs. Shaw, assistant principal with Maddie Tonole
For every one more adult you see come, you see five more teenagers.”
and Jack Scherson.
4 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
The Diocese of Memphis publishes obituaries provided by the individual parishes.
If you have a question concerning an obit please contact the parish directly.
Obituaries
BOWERS
A funeral home service was
conducted January 21 for Mona
Lee Bowers, 67, at Northridge
Wo o d h a v e n F u n e r a l H o m e,
M i l l i n g to n by Rev. J a m e s J .
Martell. Burial was at Northridge
Woodhaven Cemetery, Millington.
Survivors include daughters, Denise
Billings and Andrea Hall, Bridgett
Bowers; sisters, (Step) Rhonda and
Leesa; brother, (Step) Roy Smith;
seven grandchildren and one greatgrandchild; step-mother, Hattie
Myrle Ashworth.
JONES
A Mass of Christian Burial was
celebrated January 9 for Kathy
Maria Jones, 68, at Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Church by Rev. Msgr.
J. Edwin Creary, concelebrants, Rev.
Gary E. Lamb, Rev. Jolly Sebastian,
assisted by Rev. Mr. John Moskal.
Burial was at West Tennessee
Veterans Cemetery. Survivors
include spouse, Coy A. Jones;
daughter, Charla K. Accardi; son,
Clay A. Jones; brothers, Mike Tobin,
Bill Tobin and John Tobin; and five
grandchildren.
DAVENPORT
A funeral home service was
conducted January 21 for Michael P.
“Mike” Davenport, 72, at Memphis
Funeral Home, Bartlett by Rev. James
J. Martell. Burial was at Memorial
Garden, Bartlett. Survivors include
brother, Richard Davenport; niece,
Amy Stonecipher ; nephew, Richard
“Ricky” Davenport Jr.
LUTTMANN
A Mass of Christian Burial was
celebrated January 28 for Betty
Luttmann, 81, at St. Brigid Church
by Rev. R. Bruce Cinquegrani,
concelebrant Rev. Robert Marshall.
Burial was at Calvary Cemetery.
Survivors include sons, Mark,
Stephen and Billy Luttmann; and
one grandchild.
GUNN
A Mass of Christian Burial was
celebrated January 23 for Mary
Alcione Todd Gunn, 78, at Holy
Rosary Church by Rev. Msgr. Peter
Buchignani, concelebrants, Rev.
Russell Harbaugh, Rev. James
J. Martell, assisted by Rev. Mr.
Richmond Quinton. Burial was at
Memorial Park Cemetery. Survivors
include spouse, Louie Gunn;
daughters, Laura Gunn Cummings
and Debbie Faulkner; son, Bill
Gunn; sister, Ann Todd; and two
grandchildren.
MEYER
A Mass of Christian Burial was
celebrated January 15 for Michael
Henry Meyer, 69, at Church of the
Incarnation by Rev. Ernie DeBlasio.
Burial was at Hilton Head, SC.
Survivors include spouse, Charlotte
Meyer; daughter, Allison Paige
White; son, Alexander Dawson
Meyer; brothers, Tracey Meyer and
Tim Meyer; and two grandchildren.
If you would like to receive inspirational emails
from Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD and other
periodicals such as our Foundations in Faith
newsletter, please sign up at www.cdom.org, go
to the bottom of the page and click Subscribe to
our mailing list. You’ll be asked for your email
and can choose which publications you would
like to receive.
Visit our
web
sponsors.
www.cdom.org
The West Tennessee Catholic - 5
Week of January 29, 2015
Reflections On
Sunday's Readings
By Jeff Hensley, Catholic News Service
February 1, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B. Readings: (1) Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 (2) 1
Corinthians 7:32-35 (Gospel) Mark 1:21-28
Coming back home to my Christian faith was a gradual process. I had
walked away from the strong faith I’d had through my late teen years as my
church attendance dropped to nothing. I’m not so sure I ever rejected faith
so much as I simply let it die from lack of attention.
But it didn’t stay dead for long. It started to come back as a result of
late-night conversations with a friend whose own faith was being rekindled.
Reading Scripture nurtured the spark in my own life. Plus, I got a nudge from
a neighbor down the road in rural Arkansas where we were working in the
local schools as VISTA volunteers. She was a nun who had taken time away
from the convent to care for her aging mother.
Sister Mary Herlinda loaned me a book, “The Cross and the Switchblade,”
by David Wilkerson, and invited my wife and me to take part in a little prayer
meeting she had organized among three or so of our neighbors. It was a
beginning.
When Susan and I returned to Fort Worth, Texas, we continued our
sporadic church attendance at the closest Catholic church, and in time I
began to take inquiry classes.
This was before the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults existed, and these
classes outlining the basics of the Catholic faith took place over a period of
six weeks in the parish library.
As I came to know more about Catholicism, I discovered that the church
spoke to all aspects of humanity -- holiness, personal relationships, family
life, social justice, the economy and issues of war and peace among them.
This new understanding likely played the largest role in my conversion
to the Catholic faith. The Scriptures for this weekend remind me of that
spiritual reawakening.
Speaking about Jesus, the Gospel reading from Mark explains: “The people
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority
and not as the scribes.”
And so I found the church. She, the successor of Jesus, the embodiment
of his teaching authority on earth, taught with authority. She still does, and
I’m still glad I became a Catholic.
Lectionary Readings
Year A of the Sunday Cycle • Feb. 1-7, 2015
Psalter Week IV
Sunday, February 1, 2015
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 95:1-2,6-9
1Corinthians 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28
Monday, February 2
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION
OF THE LORD
Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7-10
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
Tuesday, February 3
Weekday; Saint Blaise, bishop,
martyr; Saint Ansgar, bishop
Hebrews 12:1-4
Psalm 22:26b-28, 30-32
Mark 5:21-43
Thursday, February 5
Saint Agatha, Virgin, Martyr
Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24
Psalm 48:2-4, 9-11
Mark 6:7-13
Friday, February 6
Saint Paul Miki, Martyr, and
Companions, Martyrs
Hebrews 13:1-8
Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9c
Mark 6:14-29
Saturday, February 7
Weekday; BVM on Saturday
Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
Psalm 23:1-6
Mark 6:30-34
Wednesday, February 4
Weekday
Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
Mark 6:1-6
Polls reveal declining support for abortion in U.S.
A Jan. 21 report from the National Right to Life Committee and new
poll results show that abortion is increasingly unpopular in the United
States, but also that the number of abortions performed in the United
States is at its lowest point since 1975. The day after the State of the
Union Address, the right-to-life organization held a news conference on
its second annual “The State of Abortion in the United States” report.
The report showed that the number abortions in the United States,
currently at 1.06 million per year, is at its lowest point since 1975, when
the number was 1.03 million and is also down from the 1.6 million high
seen in 1990. A new Knights of Columbus-Marist poll shows 84 percent
of Americans want significant restrictions on abortion and would limit it
to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. At the National Right to
Life news conference, Carol Tobias, the organization’s president, was
asked about President Barack Obama’s claim in the State of the Union
address that the drop is a result of actions taken by his administration.
Tobias believes that the decline in the abortion rate is rather the result
of pro-life activism in public discourse and popular culture because “yes,
the numbers are going down, but the rates and ratios are also going
down, and that’s due to the pro-life movement keeping this issue alive
in the public debate.”
6 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Calendar FEBRUARY 2015
4-5
7
7
8
10
15-16
22
SAA-SDS to Host Parenting Expert John Rosemond. Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. - “Helping Your Child Succeed
in School;” Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. - “Parenting the
Strong Willed Teen.” Both presentations are open to the public
and will be held in Siena Hall on the SAA-SDS campus at 4830
Walnut Grove Road. To order tickets visit saa-sds.org or call
(901) 435-5818. Tickets are $15 or $25 for both events. Seating
is limited.
Mardi Gras Trivia Night. 6:30 p.m., Resurrection Church. Join
us for a fun trivia night and homemade King Cakes, silent auction and a side show of “plaster the pastor” with the fun pelting
Fr. Ben with various items: pies: $10, silly string: $10, water balloons: $5. Cash bar and proceeds benefit the building and maintenance fund of the parish. Table of six $80. Reserve tickets Mr.
Lee Blair, chairman (901) 292-8405.
South of the Mason Dixon Line TRIVIA NIGHT. 6:30 p.m., St
Benedict High School, 8250 Varnavas Dr. • $15 per player; for
registrations containing cash, please contact Lisa McFarland,
[email protected], Bette Thompson, [email protected], Angie Disalvo, [email protected], or Beth
Jackson, [email protected]. Benefiting St. Benedict Seniors Project Graduation.
Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia Open House. 1-4 p.m.,
Saint Paul Convent, 1488 Maurine Drive, Memphis. All are
welcome. Tours will be given of spaces normally reserved for
the Sisters, in an effort to share with people the beauty of the
consecrated life, as Pope Francis has asked. The contact number
for this event is (901) 277-0838 if you have any questions.
Making Moral Decisions: End of Life Dilemmas. 7-8:30 p.m.,
Trinity Hall, St. Ann Bartlett, 6529 Stage Road. Panelists Joe
Weems, MD; Mary Ann Capocaccia, RN, BPS, MS; Rev. Msgr. Val
Handwerker; and Rev. Russell D. Harbaugh. For information call
Janet Hart 388-9768.
Nativity Mission. 7-8:30 p.m., Nativity Church, 5955 St. Elmo,
Bartlett. Facilitator Fr. Denis Robinson, Rector St. Meinrad Seminary.
Rite of Election. Two services: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Cathedral of
the Immaculate Conception, 1695 Central Avenue
Week of January 29, 2015
Antidote to violence is accepting
difference as richness
Vatican Information Service
“In recent years, despite
various misunderstandings and
difficulties, strides ahead have
been made in interreligious
dialogue, even with followers of
Islam. Listening is essential for
this. It is not only a necessary
condition in a process of mutual
comprehension and peaceful coexistence, but it is also a pedagogic
duty in order to ‘acknowledge
the values of others, appreciate
the concerns underlying their
demands and shed light on shared
beliefs’,” said Pope Francis on
January 24 as he received in
audience the participants in a
meeting organized by the Pontifical
Institute for Arabic and Islamic
Studies (PISAI), commemorating
the fiftieth anniversary of its
foundation.
Francis emphasized the need
for adequate education, “so that,
secure in our own identity, we can
grow in mutual knowledge. We
must take care not to fall prey to
a syncretism that is conciliatory
but ultimately empty and a
harbinger of a totalitarianism
without values. A comfortable
and accommodating approach,
‘which says “yes” to everything in
order to avoid problems’, ends up
being ‘a way of deceiving others
and denying them the good which
we have been given to share
generously with others.’ This
invites us, first of all, to return to
the basics.”
“At the beginning of dialogue
there is encounter,” he continued.
“This generates the first knowledge
of the other. If, indeed, we start
from the presumption of our
common human nature, it is
possible to overcome prejudice
and falsehood, and to begin to
understand the other from a new
perspective.” Francis remarked
that now there is a need, like
never before, for an institution
dedicated expressly to research
and the formation of dialogue with
Muslims, since “the most effective
antidote to any form of violence
is education in the discovery
and acceptance of difference
as richness and fruitfulness.”
This task, affirmed the Pope,
is not easy, but “is born of and
matures from a strong sense of
responsibility.”
He continued, “IslamicChristian dialogue, in a special way,
requires patience and humility
accompanied by detailed study, as
approximation and improvisation
can be counterproductive and
or even the cause of unease
and embarrassment. There is a
need for lasting and continuous
commitment in order to ensure we
do not find ourselves unprepared
in various situations and in
different contexts. For this reason
it demands a specific preparation
that is not limited to sociological
analysis but rather has the
characteristics of a journey shared
by people belonging to religions
that, although in different ways,
refer to the spiritual fatherhood of
Abraham. Culture and education
are not secondary to a true process
of moving towards each other that
respects in every person “his life,
his physical integrity, his dignity
and the rights deriving from
that dignity, his reputation, his
property, his ethnic and cultural
identity, his ideas and his political
choices.”
The Pope expressed his wish
that this “valuable” Institute may
increasingly become “a point of
reference for the formation of
Christians who work in the field
of interreligious dialogue” and
that it may establish a fruitful
collaboration with other Pontifical
universities and research centers,
both Christian and Muslim,
throughout the world. He
concluded by encouraging the
community of the PISAI “never
to betray the primary task of
listening and dialogue, based on
clear identities and the keen,
patient and rigorous search for
truth and beauty, which are placed
in the hearts of every man and
woman and truly visible in every
authentic religious expression.”
The West Tennessee Catholic - 7
Week of January 29, 2015
Rev. Enrique Garcia
Rev. Juan Romo-Romo
Rev. Richard Cortese
Rev. Jolly Sebastian
Rev. John Boll
1/14
1/16
1/27
1/31
2/3
2015 Schedule for Sunday Social for
People with Special Needs
o 5-7 PM Sunday, Feb. 8th
St. Ann- Bartlett, 6529 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN 38134
o 2-4 PM Sunday, March 22nd
St. Peter Church, 190 Adams Avenue, Memphis TN 38103
o 5-7 PM Sunday, April 12th
Church of Nativity, 5955 St. Elmo, Bartlett, TN 38135
o 5-7 PM Sunday, August 2nd
Church of Holy Spirit, 2300 Hickory Crest Drive, TN 38119
For more information contact: Office of Pastoral Life – 901373-1237
Looking for volunteers to serve at Food
Mission
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Memphis serves a meal every
day of the year at our Food Mission at the Ozanam Center at 1306
Monroe Avenue. Volunteer teams serve between 125 - 225 guests
each day. Many guests are homeless, hungry, and in need of a
shared smile and gentle spirit. We are seeking volunteers to help
serve our guests on weekday mornings. The time commitment is
8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. If you are interested, please contact our
Operations Coordinator Robin Roche at robin.roche.svdp@gmail.
com or (901) 274-2137.
Collierville Spring Festival at Incarnation Church. Noon-10 p.m., 360 Bray
Station Road, Collierville. Activities include 5K/ 1 mile fun run, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, craft booths/vendors, carnival games, food music/entertainment, silent and live auctions, spaghetti supper.
Just as Mary gave the world Jesus, women hand on faith,
pope says
Why is it that mostly women are the ones who hand down the faith
generation after generation, Pope Francis asked. “Quite simply
because it was a woman who brought us Jesus. It’s the path Jesus
chose. He wanted to have a mother” and chose to come to the world
through Mary, the pope said Jan. 26 during Mass in the chapel of his
residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The pope’s homily focused
on the day’s reading from St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy (1:1-8)
in which the apostle highlights Timothy’s “sincere faith that first lived in
your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. It’s one thing to hand
down the faith and another thing to teach things about the faith. Faith is
a gift. Faith cannot be studied,” he said. “Yes, you study the contents of
the faith to understand it better, but you never come to faith by studying.
Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, it is a present that goes beyond any
kind of training,” he said, according to Vatican Radio. Handing on the
faith is “the beautiful work of mothers and grandmothers,” or sometimes
it comes from an aunt or a domestic helper, the pope said. “We need to
reflect on whether women today are aware of this obligation to transmit
the faith.”
8 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
The wisdom of parents must guide
children in the digital world
Vatican Information Service
A press conference was held
recently in the Holy See Press
Office in which Archbishop
Claudio Maria Celli, president of
the Pontifical Council for Social
Communications, and Professor
Chiara Giaccardi of the Faculty
of Philosophy and Letters of the
Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart in Milan, Italy, presented the
Holy Father’s Message for the 49th
World Day of Communications,
entitled “Communicating the
family: a privileged place of
encounter with the gift of love.”
Archbishop Celli explained,
“From this text there emerges
a positive overall message,
given that the Pope affirms that
the family continues to be a
great resource and not merely
a problem or an institution in
crisis. As we can see, the Pope
is not interested principally in
the problem between the family
and communication linked to
new technologies. He instead
focuses on the most profoundly
true and human dimension of
communication.”
The message affirms, he
continued, that the family “has
the capacity to communicate itself
and to communicate, by virtue
of the bond that links its various
members”, and he noted that “a
paragraph is dedicated to prayer,
defined as a fundamental form of
communication that finds in the
family its truest environment of
discovery and experience.”
“In this context,” he added,
forgiveness is understood “as a
dynamic of communication, since
when contrition is expressed and
accepted, it becomes possible
to restore and rebuild the
communication which broke
down.” He also remarked that a
long paragraph is devoted to the
most modern media and their
influence on communication in
and among families, both as a
help and a hindrance. He noted
that the text clearly restates what
has already been underlined in
the teachings of St. John Paul
II and Pope Benedict XVI. “But
it is important to rediscover yet
again that the parents are the
first educators of their children,
who are increasingly present in
the digital sphere. The presence
of parents does not have a
primarily technological dimension
– generally children know more
than their parents in this field –
but is important on account of the
wisdom they contribute.”
“It is well-known that one of
the great risks is that children or
teenagers may isolate themselves
in a ‘virtual world’, significantly
reducing their necessary
integration in real everyday life
and in the interrelationships of
friendship. This is not to say that
the relationships of affection or
friendship that develop in the
context of the web are not real.
It must also be remembered that
the young – and the not so young
– are called upon to give witness
to Christ in the digital world too,
in the social networks we all
inhabit.”
First International Day of Prayer and
Awareness against human trafficking
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The feast day of St.
Josephine Bakhita, February
8, has been designated as the
first International Day of Prayer
and Awareness against Human
Trafficking. Last year, the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’
(USCCB) Committee on Migration
designated such date as an annual
day of prayer for survivors and
victims of human trafficking.
Later that year, the Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace
and the International Union of
Superiors General at the Vatican,
that the 2015 event will also be
observed internationally.
St. Josephine Bakhita was
kidnapped as a child and sold into
slavery in Sudan and taken to Italy.
Once Josephine demanded her
freedom, she entered the religious
life with the Canossian sisters and
dedicated her life to sharing her
testament of deliverance from
slavery and comforting the poor
and suffering.
The day is intended to raise
awareness and to encourage
reflection on the violence and
injustice that affect the numerous
victims of trafficking. The
observance is being promoted for
all dioceses, parishes and church
groups.
Pope Francis highlights in
Evangelii Gaudium that human
trafficking affects everyone.
“How I wish that all of us would
hear God’s cry: ‘Where is your
brother?’ (Gen 4:9). Where is your
brother or sister who is enslaved?
Where is the brother and sister
whom you are killing each day
in clandestine warehouses, in
rings of prostitution, in children
used for begging, in exploiting
undocumented labour? Let us
not look the other way. There is
greater complicity than we think.
The issue involves everyone!”
Pope Francis wrote.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled
that the focus will now be
international. Our brothers and
sisters around the world want
to prevent human trafficking as
much as we do. It’s awe-inspiring
to think that Catholics from so
many different countries will
gather together on the same
day to pray for the same cause,”
said Ambassador Johnny Young,
executive director of USCCB
Migration and Refugee Services.
Bishop Martin Holley, auxiliary
bishop of Washington, will hold a
special Mass on Sunday, February
8 at noon, for the victims and
survivors of human trafficking at
the Basilica of the National Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception.
Catholics who do not live near
Washington are encouraged to
host or attend prayer services or
awareness-raising events in their
own communities and parishes.
More information is available
at www.usccb.org/about/antitrafficking-program/day-of-prayer.
cfm
USCCB’s Anti-Trafficking
Program advocates for better
protection for victims of human
trafficking, provides training and
technical assistance to service
providers and educates the public
on the prevalence of human
trafficking. In 2013, USCCB
launched the Amistad Movement
to empower immigrants and
local leaders to prevent human
trafficking in their communities.
The West Tennessee Catholic - 9
Week of January 29, 2015
Pope says respect for religion should limit freedom of expression
By Francis X. Rocca, Catholic News Service
Commenting on recent
killings by Islamist terrorists at
a Paris newspaper, Pope Francis
condemned killing in the name
of God, but said freedom of
expression should be limited
by respect for religion and that
mockery of faith can be expected
to provoke violence.
During a 50-minute news
conference, the pope also said his
encyclical on the environment
likely will be published early this
summer, and that he will canonize
Blessed Junipero Serra, an 18thcentury Franciscan missionary
to North America, in the U.S. this
September.
Asked by a French reporter to
compare freedom of religion and
freedom of expression as human
rights, Pope Francis linked his
answer to the Jan. 7 attacks at
the offices of Charlie Hebdo,
apparently in retaliation for
the newspaper’s publication of
cartoons mocking Islam’s Prophet
Muhammad.
“Let’s go to Paris, let’s speak
clearly,” the pope said. “One
cannot offend, make war, kill in
the name of one’s own religion,
that is, in the name of God.”
The pope said freedom of
expression was a “fundamental
human right” like freedom of
religion, but one that must be
exercised “without giving offense.”
Offering a hypothetical
example that referred to the
Vatican’s planner of papal trips,
who was standing beside him as
he spoke, the pope said: “It’s true,
one cannot react violently, but
if Dr. (Alberto) Gasbarri, a great
friend, says a swear word against
my mother, then he is going to
get a punch. But it’s normal, it’s
normal. One cannot provoke, one
cannot insult other people’s faith,
one cannot make fun of faith.”
The pope said those who “make
fun or toy with other people’s
religions, these people provoke,
and there can happen what would
happen to Dr. Gasbarri if he said
something against my mother.
That is, there is a limit. Every
religion has its dignity.”
Regarding reported terrorist
threats to his own life, the pope
said he was not courageous in
facing pain but had a “healthy
dose of obliviousness” to his own
safety. He acknowledged that his
situation poses dangers to the
crowds of faithful around him,
and said his security detail was
keeping him informed and taking
“prudent” precautions.
Asked about his widely awaited
encyclical on the environment,
Pope Francis said the document
had already been through three
drafts by a team under Cardinal
Peter Turkson, president of the
Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace, and reviewed by
the Vatican Secretariat of State
and the theologian of the papal
household.
“Now I’ll take a week out in
March to look at it. At the end of
March, I think it will be completed.
Then it will go to be translated. I
think that if the translations go
well, in June or July, it could come
out,” the pope said.
Pope Francis said it was
important the encyclical come out
soon enough to influence a global
climate change summit scheduled
to open Nov. 30 in Paris, where he
hoped leaders would show more
courage on the subject than in the
past.
While not explicitly replying
to a question about the influence
of human activity on climate
change, the pope echoed earlier
criticisms of man-made damage
to the environment through such
A woman and her daughter take a selfie with Pope Francis during the pope’s weekly
general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (CNS/Reuters)
practices as deforestation and
overexploitation of agricultural
lands.
The pope opened the news
conference with an unsolicited
statement about his decision to
canonize St. Joseph Vaz, a 17thand 18th-century missionary
to Sri Lanka, without going
through the usual process,
including verification of a second
miracle attributed to the saint’s
intercession. Pope Francis said
St. Joseph was one of a series
of great evangelists whom he
planned to canonize without
such preliminaries, in an effort
to celebrate the practice of
evangelization.
“Now in September, God
willing, I will canonize Junípero
Serra in the United States. He was
the evangelizer of the west in the
United States,” the pope said.
The pope has confirmed he
will visit Philadelphia for the
World Meeting of Families in
September, and has suggested he
might travel to New York City,
Washington, D.C., and Mexico
City on the same trip, but no
itinerary has been released.
His announcement of Blessed
Junípero’s canonization is bound
to raise expectations that he will
also visit the southwestern U.S.
The Franciscan priest established
dozens of missions in what is now
California and Mexico.
10 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
Persecuted for faith, Christians are united in bloodshed, pope says
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Christians are united in
bloodshed as they suffer from
violence and persecution in
various parts of the world, Pope
Francis told Christian leaders.
Today’s martyrs are men and
women, who through their witness
to Jesus, are “persecuted and
killed because they are Christian,”
the pope said Jan. 25 during
an ecumenical prayer service
marking the end of the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity.
Those who persecute them
make no distinction about “which
denomination they belong to. They
are Christians and for that (they
are) persecuted. This, brothers
and sisters, is the ecumenism of
blood.”
With Orthodox, Eastern
Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran,
Methodist and other Christian
representatives present and
reading some of the prayers, Pope
Francis presided over the service
at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside
the Walls.
The service began with Pope
Francis, Orthodox Metropolitan
Gennadios of Italy and Anglican
Archbishop David Moxon, the
archbishop of Canterbury’s
representative in Rome, bowing
in prayer before the tomb of St.
Paul on the feast of his conversion.
Closing the Jan. 18-25 Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity, the
Pope said Jesus showed that
encountering those who are
different “from us can make us
grow.”
Basing his homily on the
Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter
with the Samaritan woman at the
well, the pope said the encounter
is marked by dialogue, patience
and respect, showing people today
that “in order to understand each
other and grow in love and truth
we have to stop, welcome and
listen to each other.”
Unity comes about by
journeying together, the pope
said; nothing comes from standing
still.
In fact, “Christian unity will
never be the fruit of refined
theoretical discussions in which
each one will try to convince
the other of the validity of one’s
opinions,” he said before asking:
“Will the Son of Man come and
find us still having talks?”
Christians must recognize that
“we need each other, to come
together and face each other
under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit who harmonizes diversity
and overcomes conflicts,” he said.
Because of the Holy Spirit, “we
have become one with Christ” and
loving children of God, he said.
“This mystery of love is the
most profound reason of the unity
that binds all Christians and is
much greater than the divisions
that occurred throughout the
course of history,” he said. That
is why the closer each Christian
draws to Christ in humility, the
closer “we will draw to each other,
too.”
Pope Francis
addresses
Christian
leaders. (CNS/
Reuters)
So many people in the world
are tired and thirsting for truth
and meaning, the pope said.
All churches and Christian
communities, being called to
evangelize, can do so more
effectively by not being selfenclosed, exclusive or bent on
“imposing uniformity according
to purely human calculations.”
“The common commitment
to proclaim the Gospel permits
overcoming every form of
proselytism and temptation to
compete. We are all at the service
of the one and same Gospel,” he
said.
Among those attending the
prayer service were men and
women belonging to Catholic,
Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant
religious orders; they had taken
part in a three-day meeting on
their role in ecumenism.
The pope, who met with
them at the Vatican Jan. 24, said
consecrated men and women were
particularly suited for promoting
unity because religious life is
about seeking union with God and
fostering greater unity within the
community.
Religious life also shows that
“unity is not born of our efforts,
but is a gift of the Holy Spirit who
achieves unity in diversity.”
Unity is achieved by “walking
together,” he said, along a path
of “fraternity in love, service and
mutual welcoming.”
The more individuals strive to
live holy lives in conformity to the
Gospel, the closer people will be
in union with God and “the more
deeply and easily will they be able
to grow in mutual brotherly love,”
he said.
MARRIAGE MOMENTS ©
By Susan Vogt, www.SusanVogt.net
(Ground Hog Day) In the spirit of the groundhog,
develop your shadow side today. If you’re shy, make
an overture to someone in need. If you’re not very
affectionate, give your spouse an unexpected kiss
or hug. If you’re a work-a-holic, take some time off
to play together. You get the idea.
Week of January 29, 2015
The West Tennessee Catholic - 11
WTC News Delivered To Your Email
Sign up for The West Tennessee Catholic Email News. A colorful html email will be delivered to your inbox each week with
a summary of the latest stories and information. A link to the
complete online PDF newspaper is also provided.
Go to www.cdom.org and on the bottom of the page click “Subscribe to our mailing list.” You’ll be asked for your email and can
choose which publications you would like to receive.
SAA-SDS to Host Parenting Expert John
Rosemond Feb. 4 & 5
Child psychologist, author, speaker & syndicated columnist John
Rosemond is coming to St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School for a
two night speaking event February 4 and 5.
Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. - Helping Your Child Succeed
in School (Based on his new book published in 2014.)
Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. - Parenting the Strong Willed
Teen
Both presentations are open to the public and will be held in Siena Hall
on the SAA-SDS campus at 4830 Walnut Grove Road. Rosemond, one
of the nation’s leading parenting experts, has written eleven best-selling
parenting books and is syndicated in 225 newspapers nationwide. To
order tickets visit saa-sds.org or call 901-435-5818. Tickets are $15 or
$25 for both events. Seating is limited.
12 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
CLICK HERE TO VIEW COURSE SCHEDULE
Listen to The Catholic Cafe®
Saturdays 3:30 p.m.
on WWGM FM 93.1 in the Jackson area
and on WSIB FM 93.9 in the Selmer area;
and on Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
on WYVY FM 104.9 in Union City and
at 10 a.m. on KWAM AM 990 in Memphis.
WTC News Delivered To Your Email
Sign up for The West Tennessee Catholic Email News. A colorful html email will be delivered to your inbox each week with
a summary of the latest stories and information. A link to the
complete online PDF newspaper is also provided. Go to www.
cdom.org and on the bottom of the page click “Subscribe to our
mailing list.” You’ll be asked for your email and can choose
which publications you would like to receive.
CHECK OUT OUR
UPCOMING RETREATS!
Something for everyone.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE RETREAT INFORMATION.
The West Tennessee Catholic - 13
Week of January 29, 2015
Women’s Morning of Spirituality
Keynote Speaker
Teresa Tomeo,
Best Selling Author & EWTN Talk Show Host
Witness Speaker
Dr. Rocio Diaz
For I know the plans I have for you.
Plans to give you hope and a future.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
8:15 am - 1:30 pm
Catholic Church of the Incarnation
Located at 360 Bray Station Road, Collierville, TN 38017
Doors Open at 7:15 am • Continental Breakfast Served • Music by Bethany & Kevin Paige
Eucharistic Adoration • Reconciliation • Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with Bishop J. Terry Steib
womensmorningofspirituality
Register at womensmorning.com
Contact: Mary Beth Trouy 901.853.1819
Schedule a
personal
tour
today!
Incarnation
Catholic School
goICS.org
901.853.7804
Collierville, Tennessee
PreK-8th Grade
14 - The West Tennessee Catholic
PARENTING POINTERS ©
By Susan Vogt, www.SusanVogt.net
Gimme, get me, I want it, I saw it on TV! We used to
make fun of this jingo with our kids. Although TV is
a frequent companion in many homes, we needn’t
be a slave to it. Sometimes humor can help. Can
you and your child identify one item advertised on
TV or the internet that you really don’t need. Laugh
together about how ridiculous it is that advertisers
present it as a life necessity. Hint: Check out the
Super Bowl this Sunday for ideas.
Having problems communicating with your spouse? What
makes marriage in the Catholic Church unique from a
civil marriage? Why is prayer really a spiritual super-glue
for couples? Come and see . . .
Monday, March 2
St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body &
the Beauty of Marriage
Monday, March 9 Marital Communication & Pitfalls
Monday, March 16 Marital Intimacy & Sexuality
Monday, March 23 Marital Spiritualty & Prayer
• Church of the Resurrection (main sanctuary)
• Rev. Benjamin P. Bradshaw, STL
• 6:30-8:45 p.m. (15 minutes of questions)
• Contact: Mrs. Jacky Becker, DRE (901) 794-8970, [email protected]
• Register for catechist credit and download class notes: www.frben.com.
• Light snacks prior to class time.
• Cost: 1 Hail Mary
Week of January 29, 2015
The West Tennessee Catholic - 15
Week of January 29, 2015
PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN
In order to prevent abuse and the devastating consequences for all involved, the Diocese of Memphis is
providing information for anyone who needs help.
Tennessee Child Abuse Hot Line
1-877-237-0004
Where to get help in the Diocese of Memphis:
Shari Lee, LCSW, DCSW - Victim Assistance Coordinator
(901) 652-4066 or
Dr. Jim Latta, Office of Child and Youth Protection
and Professional Responsibility
(901) 652-4353
Catholic Cemeteries
Memorial Tree Program
The Memorial Tree Program offers families
an opportunity to remember and honor
their loved ones while enhancing the
beauty of Historic Calvary and All Saints
Cemeteries.
NEW Plantings
Plant–A–Tree Option A - For a donation of
$400 a new tree will be planted in memory
of your loved one, and a memorial plaque
will be displayed by the tree for a period of ten years. In addition your loved
one’s name will be engraved on the Remembrance Plaque on display in
Calvary’s Office indefinitely.
Plant-A-Tree Option B - For a donation of $250 Plant a Crepe Myrtle, Red Bud,
Dog Wood and other Ornamental Trees in memory of a loved one. A memorial
plaque will be displayed by the tree for the period of five years. In addition your
loved one’s name will be engraved on the remembrance plaque on display
in Calvary’s Office indefinitely.
EXISTING Planting
Adopt-A-Tree - For a donation of $150 an established tree already planted on
the grounds may be selected in memory of a loved one. A memorial plaque
will be displayed by the tree for a period of three years.
How the Money is Used
Your money is used for the conservation and enhancement of the Catholic
Cemeteries. Not only will your donation offset the purchases of new tree’s and
plants for the grounds, your contribution helps maintain the beautiful, natural
environment of the Catholic Cemeteries.
Your Donation is Tax-Deductible
Your contribution is tax deductible. You will receive a written acknowledgement
of your donation from the Catholic Cemeteries. For further details, you may
wish to contact your tax advisor.
Call (901) 948-1529 for more information. Plant a tree today for a loved one!
16 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
W
e provide the excellence in academics for
which Catholic schools are universally
known, and prepare students for the world ahead
with the distinct perspective that only a co-ed
environment can provide.
Listen to
The Catholic Cafe®
Saturdays, 3:30 p.m.
on WWGM FM 93.1 in the
Jackson area;
and on WSIB FM 93.9, in the
Selmer area;
and on Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
on WYVY FM 104.9 in
Union City and at
10 a.m. on KWAM AM 990
in Memphis.
We prepare students for more than
just college. We prepare them for life.
901.260.2840 sbaeagles.org/admissions
Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Married couples throughout
the Diocese celebrating 5, 10,
25, 40, or 50 years of marriage
in 2015 (and their guests) are
invited to attend.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
10:00 a.m. Mass
St. Louis Catholic Church
203 South White Station Road
Reception to follow at the Clunan Center.
For more information, contact the Office of Pastoral Life at
(901) 373-1237 or register online at www.cdom.org under ‘Events’.
Celebración de Aniversario de Boda
Parejas casadas por todo el
Diócesis celebrando 5, 10, 25,
40, o 50 años de matrimonió
en el 2015 (y sus invitados)
están invitados asistir.
Sábado, 14 de febrero del 2015
Misa a las 10:00 a.m.
En la Iglesia de San Luis
203 South White Station Road
Recepción a seguir en el Clunan Center.
Para información llame a Pastoral Life al (901) 373-1237 o
registrarse en línea www.cdom.org bajo “Events”.
The West Tennessee Catholic - 17
Week of January 29, 2015
Prices starting at $2,699 ~ with Airfare Included in this price
Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/Airfare from anywhere in the continental USA
Several trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy;
France, Portugal, & Spain; Poland; Medjugorje, Lourdes, &
Fatima; Ireland & Scotland; Austria, Germany, & Switzerland;
Greece & Turkey; Camino de Santiago; Viking Cruises;
Budapest, Prague; etc...
We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
www.proximotravel.com
508-340-9370
[email protected]
[email protected]
call us 24/7
855-842-8001
Carmela Manago
Executive Director
18 - The West Tennessee Catholic
Week of January 29, 2015
Operation:
Bare Necessities
Memphis, we’ve got you covered.
Catholic Charities of West Tennessee is
partnering with the Order of Malta to support
St. Mary’s Clothes Closet Ministry. Having long
operated a Soup Kitchen in our community, St.
Mary’s is expanding its outreach to some of our
most vulnerable neighbors and has a growing
need for clothing and personal care basics.
We need:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Men’s Underwear (M, L, XL & XXL)
Heavy Socks
T Shirts (M, L, XL & XXL)
Sweatshirts (Hoodies) (M, L, XL & XXL)
Jackets (M, L, XL & XXL)
Gloves
Shoes (Larger Men’s Sizes 10+)
Personal Hygiene Items (Sample Size
Shampoos, Soaps, Body Lotion, Toothpaste
and Toothbrushes etc.)
BRING YOUR ITEMS TO CHURCH THE WEEKENDS OF
January 25 and February 1
For more information please contact Therese Gustaitis at (901) 722-4794 or [email protected]
St. Mary’s
Catholic Church
Downtown Memphis
Natural Family
Planning
The Billings Ovulation Method
Totally moral, healthy,
and steroid free.
Class Series Begins
Monday, February 2, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.
Catholic Center - Pre-Registration Required
Register online at www.cdom.org or call (901) 373-1285.
Next class series begins Tuesday, March 10, 2015.