Even vocation awareness benefits from technology Even vocation ...

Volume 44, No. 11 www.themessageonline.org

Serving the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana

THE MESSAGE November 15, 2013 50 cents

This issue was mailed November 14, 2013

Even vocation vocation Even awareness benefits from from benefits technology Message photo by Tim Lilley

Jack Berendes, standing in red, greets his brother Adam, on the right of the screen, and Adam Martin, who are seminarians at Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis. Jack and other eighth-grade students at Resurrection Catholic School completed Vocation Awareness Week with this Q&A session via Skype. Standing with Adam in the classroom is religion teacher Joe Keith, who led Vocation Awareness Week activities for the eighth-graders. BY TIM LILLEY The Message editor

Diocese of Evansville seminarians Adam Berendes and Adam Martin recently spent some quality time with more than 40 eighth graders at Resurrection School — even though they were more than 100 miles removed from teacher Joe Keith’s classroom. Berendes and Martin — Evansvillearea natives and first-year students at Simon Brute’ College Seminary in Indianapolis, used the interactive chat software Skype to video-conference with

the students as a wrap-up to Vocation Awareness Week. To at least one classroom observer, it appeared as though one of the most important lessons the students learned from this session is that seminary doesn’t somehow change who Berendes and Martin are. The two seminarians agreed, however, that their time at Brute’ will help them discover who they really are. “Discernment hasn’t ended because we’re now in the seminary,” Martin said. “Our teachers tell us it will continue until the moment we’re ordained,” Berendes chimed in.

Keith had the students think about and submit questions in advance. He reviewed them to eliminate duplicates, giving several students an opportunity to ask questions from the list. One of the exchanges included Berendes’ brother Jack, an eighth-grader at Resurrection. “Come up here and get on camera,” Keith told Jack. “Say hello to your brother and ask him a question.” Jack’s classmates appeared to enjoy the cyberspace reunion as much as the brothers. “We talked about a lot of different vocations this week,” Keith explained. “Among other things, we wanted to help

Thanking the Little Sisters of the Poor, Mass of Thanksgiving is set for Nov. 24 It’s time to say “thank you” to the Little Sisters of the Poor. For 131 years, hundreds of Little Sisters have served the elderly poor in the Evansville area at St. John’s Home for the Aged. At the end of October they closed their doors, and on the first of November the facility became the responsibility of Ide Management Company. Sister Maria Christine Lynch, provincial superior, said, “Their philosophy of ‘Residents First, Staff Always,’ makes us optimistic that they share the vision expressed by

our foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, that ‘making the elderly happy is what counts.’” A Mass of Thanksgiving is schedule for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. Bishop Charles C. Thompson will be the principal celebrant. Many of the Little Sisters will come back for the celebration which will offer them a time to say thank you to the community. The celebration will also be a time of thanksgiving for them and the work they have done in the diocese. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Inside This Issue . . . Update on Strategic Plan PAGE 2 Wisdom Days

Across the Diocese PAGES 11-13 2013 Coloring Contest PAGE 18

Siemers Glass

Faith is guiding light in family business PAGE 24

the students understand that there is a difference between the concept of vocation as a lifestyle and the concept of vocation as a calling to some job or another.” Berendes and Martin fielded questions about a variety of things. Someone asked about their schedules, which include daily Mass and Eucharistic adoration three times each week — along with their studies. Someone else asked about whether they can have visitors (yes). Another asked about their favorite subjects; Martin said his was intermedia algebra, and Berendes said he liked calculus.

Louisville’s Archibishop Kurtz new USCCB President BY THE MESSAGE STAFF U.S. Bishops have elected Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., Archbishop of Louisville, to a three-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He replaces Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The bishops elected Archbishop Kurtz Nov. 12 during the USCCB Fall General Assembly in Baltimore. “Archbishop Kurtz was elected as the new USCCB President, basically winning ‘hands down,’ and readily receiving a standing ovation,” Bishop Charles C. Thompson said Nov. 12 from Baltimore. “He is clearly well-respected by his brother bishops, and certainly by me. “I am honored to have served with him as vicar general (of the Archdiocese of Louisville) and to have been ordained a bishop by him,” Bishop Thompson added. “Given the fact that he will certainly be traveling and rather absorbed with responsibilities as president, I should probably be relieved that I am no longer his vicar general. While I do not envy anyone who follows Cardinal Dolan, I am quite confident that he will serve us very well. Let us keep him in prayer!” Bishop Thompson served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Louisville from 2008 until he was installed as the fifth Bishop of Evansville in 2011. Read a complete report on the meeting, with comments from Bishop Thompson, in the Nov. 22 issue of The Message.

THE MESSAGE

2

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Honoring Catholic school administrators —

The ‘Superheroes’ of our schools BY DARYL HAGAN Superintendent, Catholic Schools

Webster defines a superhero as (1) a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers, and/or (2) an exceptionally skillful or successful person. While our Catholic school administrators are not fictional or superhuman, they do have exceptional skills and are dedicated to the succecss of each and every student enrolled in their school. To honor the men and women who have accepted the challenge of being Catholic school principals, the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) has set Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, as National Appreciation Day for Catholic School Principals. The Diocese of Evansville is blessed to have 28 school principals who work each and every day to provide an environment to our students for the teaching of doctrine and Sacred Scripture; to build community with all stakeholders; and to serve others unselfishly. Principals — in addition to being the spiritual, instructional and managerial leaders in their

schools — also have been known to repair computers, remove a marble out of an ear, wear silly costumes to reward students, set up for meetings and clean up after them, go to those meetings, go to more meetings, counsel everyone, attend after-school events, take care of sick students, be a substitute teacher at the last minute, serve lunches, and so much more! Who are these superheroes of Catholic schools? Theresa Berendes, Resurrection School; Michelle Brandle, Precious Blood School; Marty Craig, Corpus Christi School; Karie Craney, Washington Catholic Middle/High School; Hallie Denstorff, St. Wendel School; Elizabeth Flatt, St. John the Baptist School; Joan Fredrich, Holy Rosary School; Dan Gilbert, St. Joseph School; Kristen Girten, Christ the King School; Jeanne Heltzel, Washington Catholic Elementary School; Kalyn Herrmann, Saints Peter and Paul School; John Hollis, Holy Cross School; Angie

Johnson, St. James School; Janice Jones, Rivet Middle/High School; Andrea Lodato Dickel, St. Philip School; David Memmer, Holy Spirit School; Nancy Mills, St. Theresa School; Matt Moore, St. Bernard School; Cyndi Schneider, Reitz Memorial High School; Sister Karlene, St. Benedict Cathedral School; Sally Sternberg, Holy Family School; Chris Tanner, Mater Dei High School; Tracey Unfried, Westside Catholic School; Judy VanHoosier, Good Shepherd School; Vickie Wannemuehler, St. Matthew School; Marianne Webster, Holy Redeemer School; Melba Wilderman, St. Joseph School; and Lori Wissel, Flaget Elementary School. If you know any of these extraordinary individuals, please let them know how much they are appreciated. They may not wear special capes or drive a Batmobile, but they do perform heroic deeds each day at school — and for that I am thankful!

Catholic Foundation of Southwest Indiana Executive Director

Photo by Superintendent of Schools Daryl Hagan

Catechesis at Leadership Retreat Kathy Gallo, left, director of the Diocese of Evansville Office of Catechesis, sits with Bonnie Meadows, Parish Catechetical Leader of Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, during the recent Catholic Leadership Retreat in French Lick, Ind. Pastors, school principals and parish catechetical leaders attended from across the diocese. Bishop Charles C. Thompson celebrated Mass for the group.

The Catholic Foundation of Southwestern Indiana, a rapidly growing foundation with a portfolio of over $37 million and over 450 permanent endowments, is seeking an Executive Director. Ideal candidate must possess leadership and visionary skills, Catholic faith community relations and awareness-raising skills, fundraising skills, partnership development, staff supervision and financial management. Additional requirements are goal oriented, strong marketing and public relations experience, strong and effective oral and written communication skills. Candidate must be Microsoft Office proficient, organized and detail oriented. Position reports directly to the Board of Directors, requires some evening and weekend work, also travel throughout Diocese. Interested candidates, please e-mail resume to [email protected] by November 25th.

Update on the strategic plan BY TIM LILLEY Message Editor

As Diocese of Evansville directors are meeting with members of parishes being merged in the first phase of the Strategic Plan, listening sessions are set for parishes that will be involved in the second phase of the plan.

is your EXCLUSIVE source for news from across our diocese. Give us a try with this special 6-month subscription offer!

✔ You’ll get the latest news on the STRATEGIC PLAN as soon as it’s available!

The next round of listening sessions will occur from January 2014 through June 2014. Bishop Thompson will attend each session to gather input from Catholics across the diocese as work on the plan continues. Changes that occur as a result of phase two of the Strategic Plan will be announced sometime later in 2014. Since the Sept. 27 announcement that 24 parishes will be merged to form 10 new parishes from 2014 through 2016, directors of diocesan offices have completed work on a transition manual that offers a variety of suggestions for use in working toward the births of the new parishes. Directors are meeting with representatives of those parishes this fall to provide copies of the manual and begin the transition process. Further updates and information on the Strategic Plan will appear in future issues of The Message.

✔ You’ll get news from across OUR 12 COUNTIES that you won’t find anywhere else!

✔ You’ll get news from across OUR CATHOLIC WORLD — coverage of Pope Francis, the canonizations of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII, and news from U.S. bishops and dioceses around America.

LY ths — for ON kly for six mon ee w — is th All of

$12!

Send your name, address and payment of $12 to Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724 or visit www.themessageonline.org and subscribe using a debit or credit card.

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

3

Time, talent and treasure

Bruté Society nominees to be honored for their stewardship BY MARY ANN HUGHES The Message managing editor

A quiet visit years ago to the cathedral in the city of New Orleans has had a rippling effect that has continued to this day in the Diocese of Evansville. Justin Clements was the diocesan director of development back in the late 1980s when he attended a conference in New Orleans. During a free moment, he went to the cathedral there. While he was visiting, he learned that the cathedral recognized people who were good stewards of their time, talent and treasure. “When I came back to Evansville, I said, ‘We have to have something like that here.’ I presented the idea to Bishop (Gerald A.) Gettelfinger. It was right after the diocesan synod, which had a goal of becoming a total stewardship diocese.” Bishop Gettelfinger agreed to the establishment of the program, which was named after Bishop Simon Bruté, the first bishop in this area. “That first year, 25 to 30 parishes participated,” Clements said, with candidates chosen by their parish staff members and fellow parishioners. Over the years, the Bruté Society has been embraced by parishes throughout the diocese, he said, because of its primary focus on parishioners who give of their time and talent. “We found that if people give of their time and talent, if they are generous with their time and talent, then the treasure follows.” Bruté recipients tend to be “salt of the earth people,” he said. Often obituaries will include the information that they are “Bruté” recipients. “Almost every month, I see someone in the obituary section,” he said, noting the medals are usually on display at the funeral home. He said that members often attend the annual Bruté celebration wearing their medals, years after their own induction into the society. Bishop Charles C. Thompson said the Bruté Society has been a wonderful way for the diocese to honor parishioners for being “outstanding models of Christian stewardship.” “These parishioners are known throughout their parishes for their generosity in giving of their time, talent and treasure.” “Such witness of outreach and service is beyond full measure in this life. Suffice-it-to-say that their parishes, communities and families bear the fruit of their labors in the name of Jesus Christ.” This year the Bruté induction will be held during Mass, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. Bishop Thompson will be the main celebrant at the Mass. He will also hand out the medals to the 136 nominees. The 2013 nominees include • Gilbert and Rosie Adler, St. Wendel, St. Wendel;

Wade Funeral Home Alan J. Wade

119 S. Vine Street, Haubstadt, IN

768-5210

• Sarah Alcorn, Sacred Heart, Evansville; • Shirley and Della Anderson, St. Boniface, Evansville; • Wayne and Carrol Anslinger, St. John the Evangelist, Daylight; • Wilfred and Cathy Begle, St. Mary, Huntingburg; • Linda Blome, Sacred Heart, Vincennes; • Mike and Marilyn Broshears, St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville; • + Paul Burch, St. John, Loogootee; • Bob and Ina Cardinal, St. Philip Neri, Bicknell; • Jeffrey and Sandra Cardinal, St. John the Baptist, Vincennes; • Morris and Jane Carie, Sacred Heart, Vincennes; • Joanie Cassell, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus; • Fred and Patricia Crews, St. Joseph, Dale; • George and Kristy Davidson, Holy Spirit, Evansville; • Alejandro and Sandra Diaz, Nativity, (Spanish Community), Evansville; • Jack and Pam Diehl, St. Theresa, Evansville; • Bob and Sharon Dilger, Holy Family, Jasper; • Jose Dubon, St. Mary, Huntingburg; • Ken and Ruth Dupps, Blessed Sacrament, Oakland City; • Michael Eckert, St. Joseph, Jasper; • James and Brenda Edwards, Precious Blood, Jasper; • Ron and Myrtle Englert, St. Agnes, Evansville; • Phyllis Fischer, St. Raphael, Dubois; • Maurice and Margaret Fleming, St. Clement, Boonville; • Larry and Mona Gaesser, St. Martin, Chrisney; • Theodore and Tammy Glaser, Corpus Christi, Evansville; • Charles and JoAnn Goldbach, St. Joseph, Princeton; • Jack and Shirley Hajek, Nativity, Evansville; • Lawrence and Shyla Halter, St. Thomas, Vincennes; • John and Donna Halverson, St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville; • Dan and Rosie Hauser, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Schnellville; • Raymond and Yvonne Hausmann, Corpus Christi, Evansville; • Allan and Jeanette Heidorn, Good Shepherd, Evansville; • Gene and Barb Hopf, St. Mary, Ireland; • Marguerite Hubers, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand; • Jon and Julia Hurst, St. Anthony, St. Anthony; • Teresa Illyes, St. John the Baptist,Vincennes; • Doug and Nancy Jenkins, St. Mary, Sullivan; • Robert and Jackie Kirchoff, St. Joseph, Princeton; • Virgil and Frances Knies, St. Peter Celestine, Celestine; • Marvis Lane, St. Vincent de Paul, Vincennes; • Dick Lange, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand; • Timmie Lingo, Good Shepherd, Evansville;

• Tom and Carolyn Long, St. Peter, Linton; • Bob and Anne Martin, St. Philip, Posey County; • Ryan and Laura McAninch, St. Henry, St. Henry; • Lawrence and Dolores Miller, St. Mary, Ireland; • Mary Morse, St. Joan of Arc, Jasonville; • Donna Potter, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand; • Richard and Sheila Probert, Holy Redeemer, Evansville; • Charles and Carole Reising, Holy Rosary, Evansville; • Gene and Marianne Ritter, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh County; • Earl and Grace Robertson, St. John the Evangelist, Daylight; • Jim and Sylvia Rose, Holy Cross, Fort Branch; • Rosalee Scheller, St Francis Xavier, Poseyville; • Joseph and Lois Schnarr, Our Lady of Hope, Washington; • Kathleen Schneider, St. Joseph, Jasper; • Andrew and Trista Schroeder, St. John Chrysostom, New Boston; • Jacky Schwartz, St. Mary, Evansville; • Mary Seibert, St. Peter Celestine, Celestine; • Russ and Kathy Seibert, Sts. Peter and Paul, Haubstadt; • Gary and Charlene Sermersheim, St. Mary, Ireland; • Joseph Smith, Sts. Peter and Paul, Petersburg; • Gene and Brenda Spindler, Sts. Peter and Paul, Haubstadt; • Mitchell Strange, Our Lady of Hope, Washington; • Tom and Carolyn Thorpe, St. Bernard, Rockport; • Stan and Diane Verkamp, Holy Family, Jasper; • Ron and Judy Vieke, St. Francis Xavier, Vincennes; • David and Sandra Wagner, Holy Rosary, Evansville; • Ann Ward, St. Joseph, Jasper; • Carl and Marge Weber, St. Bernard, Snake Run; • Greg and Julie Weinzapfel, St. Philip, Posey County; • Mark and Linda Welch, Holy Name, Bloomfield; • Arthur and Connie Welp, Precious Blood, Jasper; • Kenneth and Luanna Wessel, Mary, Help of Christians, Mariah Hill; • Jeff and Laurie Wilmes, Holy Redeemer, Evansville; • William Wittgen, Christ the King, Evansville; • John and Mary Wolk, Holy Rosary, Evansville; • Kenneth and Julie Zuber, St. Joseph, Evansville. + Indicates the award is being given posthumously.

Serving families with dignity since 1950

Worth Mentioning

Clip & Save

EARLY BIRD SPECIALS $5.00 off Code #060705

2 Early Bird Entreés Only

Reservations Recommended

650 S. Hebron Located one block from Green River Rd. between Bellemeade & Lincoln

Present Coupon when ordering. Good Sun thru Thurs 4-5:30 p.m. Not good on holidays or with any other offer or discount. Expires 12/13/13

479-6974

Evansville - Burkhardt/Vogel

Henderson, KY - 141 N. Garden Mile Rd.

812-473-3990

270-826-4007

Princeton - West Broadway

Mt. Vernon - 1328 E. 4th

Newburgh - 7800 Fruitwood Ln.

812-386-TIRE

812-838-6551

812-853-6300

Collection for Religious Retirement Fund set for Dec. 7-8 The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will occur Dec. 7-8 in the Diocese of Evansville. Now in its 26th year, the collection is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office in Washington, D.C., and benefits more than 34,000 senior Catholic priests, and men and women religious. Look for more information on the program in a future issue of The Message. Nov. 16 event cancelled Due to low enrollment, the St. Francis Day of Learning on the Stewardship of Creation has been cancelled, according to Sharon Burns, director of Catholic Charities. It was scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 16.

Parishioner survey for Synod on the Family available online Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville has created an online survey for parishioners to use in providing input for the diocesan report that Bishop Charles C. Thompson will provide the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in preparation for the Synod on the Family, which was called for Oct. 2014 by Pope Francis. Members of any parish in the Diocese of Evansville can access the survey at www.TheMessageOnline.org or at www.charitiesevv.org. The survey will be available from Noon CST today (Nov. 15), through 5 p.m. CST on Sunday Nov. 24.

THE MESSAGE

4

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Thanksgiving thoughts and wishes, a little early

JOURNEY OF FAITH BY TIM LILLEY

Contact me any time at [email protected] with your comments, questions or suggestions. My Twitter feed is @Timonbass.

Yes, I know; Thanksgiving is almost two weeks off. But I hope you’ll humor me this week. Thank you — all of you. Thank you for helping us make The Message the very best community newspaper for the Diocese of Evansville. You’ve done that, in the almost-four months I’ve been here, in a number of ways: • You’ve indulged a number of changes intended to focus our content as much as possible on news from within our 12-county Catholic community. • You’ve enabled those changes by stepping up to provide stories and photos when asked. • You’ve provided stories and photos — and good ones — when we haven’t asked. • You’ve embraced the digital editions we’ve posted online — like this one. Someone recently emailed about these, and I want to share part of the email: “Since you have been editor, The Message is a lot more about parishes and our mission with such wonderful pictures and stories about what parishes contribute to a diocese.” I am personally grateful for those kind words, but none of this is about me. Truly and sincerely, it’s about you. You, dear readers, are our parishes; and our parishes are our diocese. Connect the dots . . . you are the diocese.

We will continue to focus on making news from our diocese the priority every week. That being said, we also will continue to find room to publish stories from Catholic News Service and elsewhere — but never at the expense of local, Diocese of Evansville news. It’s with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I now use a bit of this space to ask, humbly, a couple of favors as we soon greet a new liturgical year with the beginning of Advent: 1 — Pray for us. We need your prayers, and we thank you for them. We are happy to return the favor. 2 — Please continue to think of The Message and plan to provide us with photos and information from your events. We want to cover all the news you have, but we need your help to do so. If you ever find yourself thinking, “I wonder whether The Message would publish something about this…” — find out. Contact us; send us a photo with IDs we can use to write a caption, or a story, or both. 3 — Encourage someone you know to subscribe. Many of you have taken the time to tell us how much you enjoy The Message these days. We hope you will share that enjoyment with everyone you know. Let folks know that they can download a digital copy of this issue from the website, and that they can stay in touch with our Catholic community by subscribing.

We continue to work on the details necessary to begin offering a digital subscription; but even when it becomes available, the print edition won’t go away. The goal is to offer you the paper the way you’d prefer (hard copy or digital) — not force you to make a decision that it’s either one or the other. You can subscribe online — so maybe we can ease some of your Christmas-shopping anxiety by suggesting you give gift subscriptions. Our goal is to use The Message to engage all of you; to connect you; to help you feel the Catholic family ties across all of our 12 counties. We also hope to re-engage Catholics across the diocese — to help them see what a vibrant, dynamic and faith-filled community we are. We want them to know that we are a community ready — anxious, really — to welcome them home. All of us on The Message staff thank you for welcoming us into your homes every week, and we wish you a Blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “The Lord bless and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” — Numbers 6: 24-26. Stay faithful, my friends.

See and feel God’s presence in everyone you meet

CONNECTING FAITH AND LIFE BY KATHY GALLO

Kathy Gallo is the director of the Office of Catechesis and can be reached at [email protected]

As I write this, I am aware of the anniversary of the death of a good friend who taught me so much about life. Judy and I were both born in the same year and both born in Massachusetts, but didn’t meet until our paths crossed in Kentucky. She had one sister; I had one sister. We would talk about these connections often. Judy was single and lived with her sister and family. When I would get together with her it was always in the midst of family. We enjoyed outings with friends; movies; ice cream; and music, music, music. Elvis was high on Judy’s playlist. Judy and I never wrote to each other. We never talked on the phone. We attended some of the same functions, prayed together and laughed together on an ongoing basis. Judy had an incredible way of being present to you. She would recognize you in a way no one else could. When seeing me, she would call my name in a way that assured me she was glad to

see me. She had a way of listening to what I said, listening and responding with care, concern, humor and love. Judy was really present. She didn’t care about multiple degrees, your position or achievements. She cared about you as a person. She had the remarkable ability to be truly present in a way I that I continue to marvel. This gift of being fully present to others can sometimes seem rare in this world of many distractions. When we meet a person with this gift we are often disconcerted. For me and many others, Judy had this gift of recognizing God’s presence in each person she met. Judy revealed God to me and continues to do so. She embodied God’s real and active presence. Judy listened as I know God must listen. She laughed as I know God laughs, and was compassionate in the same way. I know that Judy is in the arms of God, fully present to all of that love. By the way, I forgot to mention —

Start planning now for WYD 2016 in Krakow 4200 N. Kentucky Ave. Evansville, IN 47711 Weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Evansville 2013

Published weekly except one week at Christmas time by the Catholic Press of Evansville

Publisher .............Bishop Charles C. Thompson Editor ..................................................Tim Lilley Managing Editor ...................Mary Ann Hughes Production Technician ............Sheila R. Barclay Advertising Coordinator ..............Diane Csukas Subscriptions.................................Steve Halbig Address all communications to: P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724-0169 Telephone (812) 424-5536 Fax (812) 424-0972 Email [email protected] www.themessageonline.org

Subscriptions are $24 per year Single Copy Price: $.50 The Message (USPS 843-800). Periodical Postage Paid at Evansville, IN. Postmaster: Send address changes to Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47711. Copyright 2013 Catholic Press of Evansville

BY THE MESSAGE STAFF Steve Dabrowski, director of the Diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, reminds everyone to begin making arrangements for the diocesan pilgrimage to 2016 World Youth Day in Krakow. “We here in the OYAYA are extremely excited about making the first official diocesan pilgrimage to World Youth Day in more than 20 years,” he said, “and we plan to have a great group.” Dabrowski is getting word out about the pilgrimage now because initial deposits from prospective pilgrims will be due before the end of this year. “Tour operators from around the world Scan this QR code to see more of the

Message online

already are reserving blocks of rooms in Krakow,” he explained, “and many of the facilities will require deposits very early to hold rooms. The travel company we are working with already has space reserved in more than 30 facilities, and will need to make deposits on them in the near future.” Another important reason for the early notice is the opportunity families will have to make the diocesan WYD pilgrimage. “Bishop Thompson has decided that the diocese will allow those 16 and up to travel to WYD,” he explained. “However, anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This will be a fantastic way for a family to walk in the steps of Blessed Pope John Paul II in his native Poland! Without a parent/guardian, the cut-off will be age 18.” For more information, contact Dabrowski at 812-424-5536 or [email protected].

Judy had Down’s syndrome. This just added to the perfection of the revelation of God. Thank you, Judy. Thank you, God. Catechism: “All creatures bear a certain resemblance to God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. The manifold perfections of creatures — their truth, their goodness, their beauty all reflect the infinite perfection of God. Consequently we can name God by taking his creatures’ perfections as our starting point, ‘for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.’” (CCC 42)

Diocesan policy: Report and inform Report child abuse Every allegation of child abuse must be reported to Child Protection Services, an agency of Indiana state government. Toll-free: 800-800-5556 Denuncie Toda acusación de abuso de un niño debe ser reportado a los Servicios de Protección del Niño (Child Protection Service, CPS), una agencia del gobierno del estado de Indiana. Gratis: 800-800-5556 Report and inform In the event of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor (a person under 18) by diocesan personnel, report the allegation to authorities, and inform the Victims Assistance Coordinator for the diocese. Toll-free: 866-200-3004, local: 812-490-9565 Denuncie e informe En caso de una acusación del abuso sexual de un menor de edad (persona menor de 18 años) por personal diocesano, es la pol’tica de la diócesis de Evansville reportar la acusación a las autoridades públicas e informar al Coordinador Diocesano de Asistencia para las V’ctimas. Gratis: 866-200-3004, local: 812-490-9565

To the Catholics of the Diocese of Evansville: This edition is one of six issues of the Message to be mailed to every registered Catholic household this year. Two dollars of each Catholic Church member’s contribution pays for these diocesan-wide subscriptions.

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

5

Remembering with a grateful heart

THE BISHOP’S CORNER BY BISHOP CHARLES C. THOMPSON

November is often referred to as the month of remembrance and thanksgiving. With the lingering hue of fall colors and a chill in the air, this month begins with the celebration of All Saints and All Souls. These special days raise our awareness of those who intercede for us and those we keep in prayer. Both remain close to our hearts, especially in the communion of saints gathered with us at the altar. Closer to the end of the month is the national celebration of Thanksgiving. The annual holiday affords us a grand opportunity to gather with family, friends and even strangers to share a special time of feasting in faith, hope and love (not to mention food, drink and stories). Culturally, the Thanksgiving Holiday marks the beginning of festivities that culminate with the celebrations of Christmas and New Year’s Day. And, so it is with a grateful heart that we take stock of our blessings during the past year. This has been an exciting year in the Catholic Church, especially in light of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis. Ever the teacher and servant of the Church, Pope Benedict XVI has left a lasting impression upon us as to what it means to be a humble servant. His example has provided the perfect segue for Pope Francis, who has captured the imagination of the world, both inside and outside the Church. His tone of courage, mercy, gentleness, humility, simplicity, service, dialogue and preferential option for the poor is inspiring and invigorating. Someone gave me a plaque of three words that reflects what I often mention in any prayer of gratitude. Those three words are Faith, Family, Friends. Evening Prayer of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Sunday, November 24, marks the closing of our special Year of Faith. Many of us have taken advantage of this unique time of grace to grow in prayer, study and reflection of our Catholic faith. Faith is a gift from God. As such, it cannot be earned or purchased. Thus, as with any gift, the only authentic response by those who

Bishop’s schedule Mass and Confirmation, St. John the Baptist, Newburgh, Saturday, Nov. 16, 5 p.m., CST. Mass and Confirmation, St. Matthew, Mt. Vernon; Holy Angels, New Harmony at St. Matthew, Mt. Vernon, Sunday, Nov. 17, 8:30 a.m., CST. Mass, Bruté awards presented, St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville, Sunday, Nov. 17, 1:30 p.m., CST. Meeting, Presbyterate, Catholic Center, Evansville, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m., CST. Meeting , Deans, Catholic Center, Evansville, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 12:30 p.m., CST. Conference, National Catholic Youth, Indianapolis, Thursday, Nov. 21 to Saturday, Nov. 23. Mass and Confirmation, Sacred Heart; St. Agnes; St. Boniface at St. Boniface, Evansville, Sunday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m., CST. Mass, Little Sisters of the Poor 131 Years of Service, St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville, Sunday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m., CST. Evening Prayer, Year of Faith Conclusion, St. Francis Xavier, Vincennes, Sunday, Nov. 24, 7 p.m., EST.

possess faith must be one of gratitude. Each of us is a product of family, whether by birth or adoption. As such, we do not get to pick our relatives (e.g. parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins). As we know, no family is perfect. Some seem even less perfect than others. We are often most influenced and shaped by our families. Despite what may or may not be lacking in the merit of any of its members, Christ’s presence makes for holy families. So we remember to lift up our loved ones, living and deceased, in prayerful gratitude. The Book of Sirach 6:14-16 states: “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy.” We should never take our friends for granted. By the time you read this, I will be returning from Baltimore, where I attended the annual meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. During this time, we will be electing a new president. It is sure to be a very memorable experience for me, which I hope to cherish with gratitude. For starters, this will be my first time to vote for the president. As Timothy Cardinal Dolan completes his term of office as president, I wish to express my appreciation of how he has seemed to be the right person at the right time in this office. I have admired his leadership on many levels. The current vice-president is Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the Archbishop of Louisville. The vice-president is often chosen as the next president. Having served as his vicar general, I obviously have a unique bond with him. It should make for an exciting week. Regardless of the outcome, my gratitude for Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Kurtz remains. As everyone is well aware, it was only weeks ago that we made a rather historic announcement of upcoming parish mergers. In addition to my deepest gratitude for our priests, religious and diocesan lay leaders, I can’t help but express how impressed I have been with the manner in which everyone throughout our dio-

cese has remained united in faith amid such a challenge. Our faith ultimately assures us that any challenge may be transformed by divine grace into opportunity. While we still have much to accomplish in this ongoing process, I wish to thank all who have stood together in this endeavor as one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I especially thank Mr. Tim McGuire, our Diocesan Chief Operating Officer, for steering us through this process. Now in my third year as the fifth bishop for the Diocese of Evansville, I am especially grateful to the Holy Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — for the grace that continues to fill up what is lacking in me. I am truly blessed with wonderful people all around me. Without fully realizing and appreciating every moment along the way, I have been formed and shaped by some very wonderful mentors. I continue to enjoy the wisdom and friendship of my predecessor, Bishop Gettelfinger. I have been blessed with two incredible administrative assistants; previously, Lynda Provence, and now, Renee Werner. I am encouraged by the quality of our seminarians and the rich witness of women religious in our midst. Many thanks to all those who continue to answer the call to ministry and service in the Church! While November provides a special time to give thanks, the spirit of gratitude necessarily marks the authentic Catholic. At the core of our Catholic faith is the Eucharist, the source and summit of who we are and what we are about as disciples of Jesus Christ and children of God. The word Eucharist is derived from a Greek word meaning “to give thanks.” To be Catholic, one must seek to encounter each and every moment, as well as each and every creature, with a grateful heart. To be truly Catholic, embracing a spirit of thanksgiving is not meant to be merely lived for a day or even a month. For us, it is a way of being, a way of life…24/7, 365/year. In communion with all the saint and souls, living and deceased, we proclaim; Thanks be to God!

Recordando con corazones agradecidos Noviembre, a menudo, es conocido como el mes del recuerdo y agradecimiento. Con el tono persistente de los colores del otoño y una frialdad en el aire, este mes comienza con la celebración de Todos los Santos y los Fieles Difuntos. En estos días especiales se elevan en nuestras conciencias el recuerdo de los que interceden por nosotros y a los que mantenemos en nuestras oraciones. Ambos permanecen cerca de nuestros corazones, sobre todo en la comunión de los santos que se reúnen con nosotros en el altar. Hacia el final del mes, celebramos la fiesta nacional de Acción de Gracias. Esta fiesta anual nos brinda una gran oportunidad para reunirnos con la familia, amigos e incluso desconocidos para compartir un momento especial de festejar en la fe, la esperanza y el amor (por no hablar de la comida, la bebida y

Official From the desk of Bishop Charles C. Thompson • Father Ronald Kreilein, appointed associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Vincennes and St. Philip Neri Parish in Bicknell, effective Jan. 8, 2014. • Father David Martin, appointed pastor at St. Mary and St. John the Apostle parishes, both in Evansville, effective Jan. 8, 2014.

las historias). Culturalmente, el Día festivo de Acción de Gracias marca el inicio de las fiestas que culminan con la celebración de la Navidad y el Día de Año Nuevo. Y así es que con un corazón agradecido es que hacemos un balance de nuestras bendiciones durante todo el año pasado. Este ha sido un año muy interesante en la Iglesia Católica, especialmente en vista de la renuncia del Papa Benedicto XVI y de la elección del Papa Francisco. Siempre el maestro y siervo de la Iglesia, el Papa Benedicto XVI ha dejado una impresión duradera en nosotros en cuanto a lo que significa a ser un humilde siervo. Su ejemplo ha proporcionado la transición perfecta para el Papa Francisco, que ha capturado la imaginación del mundo, tanto dentro como fuera de la Iglesia. Su tono de valentía, misericordia, benignidad, humildad, sencillez, servicio, diálogo y la opción preferencial por los pobres es inspirador y estimulante. Alguien me regaló una placa con tres palabras que refleja lo que a menudo menciono en las oraciones de gratitud. Esas tres palabras son fe , familia, amigos. En vísperas de la Solemnidad de Nuestro Rey del Universo, el Domingo 24 de Noviembre, el Señor Jesucristo, marca el cierre de nuestro año especial de La Fe. Muchos de nosotros hemos aprovechado este momento único de la gracia de crecer en la oración, en el estudio y la reflexión de nuestra fe católica. La fe es un don de Dios. Como tal, no puede ser ganado o comprado.

Por lo tanto, como con cualquier regalo, la única respuesta auténtica de aquellos que poseen la fe debe ser una de gratitud. Cada uno de nosotros es un producto de la familia, ya sea por nacimiento o adopción. Como tal, uno no escoge a nuestros familiares (por ejemplo, padres, hermanos, tías, tíos, primos). Como sabemos, ninguna familia es perfecta. Algunos parecen incluso menos perfectas que otras. Estamos a menudo los más influenciados y modelados por nuestras familias. A pesar de lo que puede o no puede faltar en el mérito de cualquiera de sus miembros, la presencia de Cristo hace que para las familias sean santas. Entonces nos acordamos de elevar una oración por nuestros seres queridos, vivos y difuntos, en agradecimiento. El libro del Eclesiástico 6:14-16 declara: “Un amigo fiel es un refugio seguro, y el que lo encuentra, se encuentra un tesoro. Un amigo fiel no tiene precio, ninguna suma puede comparar su valor. Un amigo fiel es un remedio para salvar vidas.” Nunca debemos dar a nuestros amigos por hecho. En el momento en que usted lea esto, estaré regresando de Baltimore, donde asistí a la reunión anual de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos. Durante este tiempo, vamos a elegir a un nuevo presidente. Es seguro que será una experiencia muy memorable para mí, que espero acariciar con gratitud. Para empezar, esta será mi primera vez que tengo la oportunidad de See OBISPO, page 8

THE MESSAGE

6

BULLETIN BOARD Send information to Bulletin Board at least one week in advance. Items to be considered for publication Friday, November 29, must be received in writing no later than noon on Thursday, November 21. Entries may be repeated if time and space permit. All items may be edited. All times are local times. Mail information to Diane Csukas, Bulletin Board, P. O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724-0169; e-mail to [email protected], or [email protected], fax to 812-4240972.

General Interest Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt, 6:30 p.m., Nov. 15, opening ceremony, featuring candlelit gathering and Christkindl Angel, Ferdinand; 7 p.m. opening ceremonies, entertainment, dinner, St. Gertrude Hall, Monastery Immaculate Conception, $28/person, for reservations call 812-367-1874; 3 p.m., Nov. 17, St. Ferdinand Church, concert of Advent and Christmas music featuring the monastery choir and Stillpoint, free and open to the public, donations gratefully accepted; for more information visit www.thedome.org or www.ferdinandindiana.org. Mass of Thanksgiving for Little Sisters of the Poor, 1 p.m., Nov. 24, St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville; celebration of the Little Sisters of the Poor’s 131 years of service to the Diocese of Evansville; main celebrant will be Bishop Charles C. Thompson. Mt. Vernon Community Thanksgiving Celebration, 4 p.m., Nov. 24, St. Matthew, Mount Vernon; celebration includes inter-denominational choir and reception with refreshments hosted by the ladies of the Mt. Vernon Community Churches in school gymnasium, choir practices 6:30-8 p.m., Nov. 20 and 21; celebration hosted by St. Matthew, Mt. Vernon, Trinity UCC, St. John’s Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church; not-for-profit organization Family Matters will be the recipient of contributions collected during the celebration. Celebration to Conclude the Year of Faith, 7 p.m., Nov. 24, St. Francis Xavier, Vincennes; evening prayer with Bishop Charles C. Thompson celebrating. Das Nikolausfest, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Dec. 14, St. Nicholas corner lot, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Dec. 15, lower level of St. Nicholas Church, Santa Claus; food and drink available; music by Indy Polkamotion, 6-8 p.m., Dec. 14; entertainment by Heritage Hills High School choir on Saturday, Heritage Hills High School “Tuba Christmas” Band on Sunday; visit by St. Nicholas after parade, goody bags for kids, kids crafts and cookie decorating, quilt raffle, desserts made by local Hispanic Community; sponsored by St. Nicholas Church, Santa Claus; visit www.catholicnorthspencer.org. Traditional Latin High Mass with Gregorian Chant, every Sun-

day, 2 p.m., Holy Trinity, Evansville; celebrant and homilist Father Donald Dilger; Latin-English missalettes provided.

Actividades en Español Para más información,llame al 812683-5212. Celebraciones Guadalupanas Diocesanas, unase a la comunidad Hispana para celebrar a la Patrona de las Américas! Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe apareció a Juan Diego en el Cerro del Tepeyac, cerca de la ciudad de México en 1531; Huntingburg (Santa María), Sábado, 7 de Diciembre, se inicia la celebración con la procesión saliendo del Parish Activity Center a las 6:40 p.m. EST; la Santa Misa en Español a las 7:00 p.m. seguido por comida compartida en el Activity Center; Washington (Nuestra Sra. De la Esperanza): Domingo 8 de Diciembre, Santa Misa bilingue, 7:30 a.m. EST con el Obispo Thompson, seguido por comida en la cafetería de la escuela; Dale (San José): Domingo, 8 de Diciembre, Mañanitas a las 6:00 a.m. CST; procesión a las 11:45 y Santa Misa bilingue a las 12 del medio día, CST, seguido por comida en el Parish Center; Jasper (San José): Domingo, 8 de Diciembre, a las 4 p.m. EST Santa Misa en Español, seguido por comida en el Parish Center; Evansville (La Natividad) Miércoles, 11 de Diciembre, 10 p.m. hasta media noche vigilia Mañanitas (servicio de oración y comida); Evansville (Espíritu Santo con la colaboración de la Natividad): Jueves, Diciembre 12, a las 6 p.m. CST Liturgia en Español con el Obispo Thompson seguido por comida. Oportunidad de Aprender Danza, Si usted está interesado en aprender y participar en la tradicional danza mexicana para la fiesta de Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe en las parroquias de San José, Jasper, y en Santa María, Huntingburg., usted está invitado a participar en las prácticas de la danza los Domingos después de la Misa de 4 p.m. en San José, Jasper en el Centro Parroquial. Se necesitan músicos. Todos son bienvenidos, ni-ños, jóvenes y adultos. Día de Retiro para la Familia, El Sábado, 14 de Diciembre, el Guadalupe Center patrocinará una clase de formación en la fe en el Guadalupe Center de 3 a 6 p.m. El tema de este día será cómo aprovechar el tiempo de Adviento para prepararse para la venida de Jesús. Se terminará con la celebración de Las Posadas. Por favor traiga comida o bebidas para compartir al final de la celebración. Para inscribir a su familia o para más información por favor llame al número 812-6835212. Las Posadas, La tradición Hispana

Fiesta de Navidad para los Niños, La fiesta de Navidad de los niños se llevará a cabo el Miércoles, 18 de Diciembre, a partir de las 4:30 hasta las 7:30 p.m. en el Guadalupe Center. Santa Claus estará presente y los niños tendrán la oportunidad de tomarse fotos con él. Se servirán snacks y habrá actividades de manualidades. Los regalos son proporcionados por Toys for Tots para las familias que estén inscritas. Si usted quiere inscribir a una familia Hispana que tienen limitados recursos y no pueden comprarles juguetes a sus hijos (y NO están recibiendo juguetes de alguna otra agencia), llame al Guadalupe Center antes del 25 de Noviembre. Llame si usted quiere ayudar con comida, decoraciones o manualidades.

Advent Activity Guadalupe Celebrations, 6:40 p.m. procession beginning at the Guadalupe Center, 7 p.m. Spanish Liturgy followed by refreshments in the activity center, Dec. 7, St. Mary, Huntingburg; 7:30 a.m. bilingual Liturgy with Bishop Charles C. Thompson, followed by a meal in the school cafeteria, December 8, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Washington; 6 a.m. Mañanitas, procession at 11:45 a.m., noon bi-lingual Liturgy followed by a meal in the parish center, December 8, St. Joseph, Dale; 4 p.m. Spanish Liturgy followed by refreshments in the parish center, Dec. 8, St. Joseph, Jasper; 10 p.m.-midnight, Mañanitas Vigil (prayer service with refreshments), Dec. 11, Nativity, Evansville; 6 p.m. Spanish Liturgy with Bishop Thompson followed by a meal, Dec. 12, Holy Spirit, Evansville.

Class Becoming a Non-Smoker Class, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Nov. 21, Community Relations Classroom at Memorial Hospital Southside Office, Jasper; free course; includes information about effects of tobacco and a personalized plan to stop smoking; for information and to pre-register call 812-996-2399.

College Faith Life Sunday Masses, UE Newman Center Sunday Mass at 1 p.m., Neu Chapel, University of Evansville (unless otherwise noted); Nov. 17, Father Alex Zenthoefer; Nov. 24, Mass at St. Benedict Cathedral, Bishop Charles C. Thompson presiding; Dec. 1, no Mass; Dec. 8, Father Christopher Droste; Dec. 15, Father Chris Forler. UE Newman Club’s Dinner and

•

• •

de caminar con José y María buscando hospedaje y hospitalidad será celebrada en nuestra diócesis a partir del 16 de Diciembre. En Huntingburg, Las Posadas se llevan a cabo de casa en casa hasta el día de Navidad. La planificación de Las Posadas en otras parroquias está en proceso aún. Para más información llame al Guadalupe Center.

•

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Discussion Program, Nov. 18, Kathy Gallo, Diocese of Evansville Director of Catechesis; Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Feast; Dec. 2, Benedictine Father Denis Robinson, “Who Was Cardinal Newman”; Dec. 9, Evansville Christian Life Center; for more information call Michael Roesch at 812-477-6446. Evening Mass, every Wednesday, Neu Chapel, University of Evansville; 9 p.m. opportunity for reconciliation and rosary before 9:30 p.m. Mass; Nov. 20, Father Jeff Read; Nov. 27 no Mass; Dec. 4, Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen; Dec. 11, Father Alex Zenthoefer; call Michael Roesch at 812-477-6446 for more information.

Dressing Sale St. Theresa Ready to Bake “Raw” Dressing, Dumplings and Cranberry Relish Sale, Nov. 23, 7:30-10 a.m., St. Theresa cafeteria, Evansville; dressing, $3.75/qt., $7.25/half gallon, $14.25/gallon; dumplings, $5/pound; cranberry relish, $5.25/pint; no pre-sales, first come first served; proceeds to benefit St. Theresa Parish.

Fundraisers Bobe’s Bar-B-Que, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Nov. 17, St. Thomas Social Hall, Vincennes; serving bar-b-q pulled pork, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, applesauce, cookies; tickets $8/adult, $4/children; carry out available; bake sale on site; for tickets call 812-882-3980; sponsored by St. Thomas Altar Society. Relay for Life Annual Christmas Bazaar Vendors Wanted, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 23, North Elementary School, Poseyville; tables available for $10 donation to Relay for Life, limited space; for more information or to reserve a table contact Jeri Ziliak at 812-449-7445 or by e-mail to [email protected]. Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair Shopping Extravaganza, 9 a.m-3 p.m., Nov. 23, 314 W. Broadway, Princeton; various vendors, baked goods, floral arrangements, baby items, scrapbooks and cards, ceramics, hair bows, jewelry, pet products; Chinese auction, soup bar and food available; for booth rental contact Michelle at 812-664-1990 or email [email protected].; sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 1131. Breakfast with Santa Vendors Wanted, 7:30-11 a.m., Nov. 24, St. James Madden Hall, Haubstadt;

event includes local vendors for holiday shopping; vendor tables $20/table, to reserve contact Andie Gunter at 812-867-7407 or [email protected]; sponsored by St. James PTA. St. Agnes Men’s Club Spot Shoot Quilt Chances, chances on “Carpenter In The Woods” queensized quilt, chances $2/each, 3/$5; drawing Nov. 24; contact Rosie at 812-423-1721 to purchase chances. Cathedral Music Ministry Fifth Annual Wreath Sale, 24-inch live holiday wreaths of Frazier Fir locally made by Mayflower Gardens in Fort Branch; $25 each; orders taken through Nov. 25; send name, phone number, e-mail address, wreath quantity and check for total amount payable to St. Benedict Cathedral to St. Benedict Cathedral, 1328 Lincoln. Ave., Evansville, IN 47714; pickup wreaths Nov. 30 after 4:30 p.m. Mass, Dec. 1 after 6, 8:30 or 10:30 a.m. Masses; for more information call Jeremy Korba at 812-589-3886 or by email at [email protected]; proceeds to benefit St. Benedict Cathedral music/concert ministry. St. Nick Bazaar, 8 a.m-7 p.m., Dec. 7 and 8 a.m.-noon, Dec. 8, Precious Blood school, Jasper; cookie walk where homemade cookies can be purchased by the pound; also homemade breads, pies, dumplings, noodles, cakes, jellies, turnip kraut, horseradish, nativity sets, Christmas decorations; silent auction includes Christmas dinnerware, “Swampy Santa,” nativity set, assorted baskets. St. Benedict Cathedral, Evansville, Bingo, every Monday night; doors open 5:30 p.m., early bird starts 6:30 p.m., regular bingo starts 7 p.m.

Spot Shoot St. Agnes Spot Shoots, November 17 and 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., historic Dogtown, 6201 Old Henderson Rd., Evansville; meat or cash prizes; raffle for cash, prizes and gun; food and drink available; sponsored by St. Agnes Men’s Club.

www.themessageonline.org

Traylor Fertilizer Service, Inc. Box 69 • Montgomery, Indiana 47558 812-486-3285 • 888-486-3285 Fax: 812-486-3339

“Serving You Since 1957” www.traylorfertilizer.com

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

7

AROUND THE DIOCESE Gratitude and appreciation Father Joseph Erbacher, pastor of the four Martin County parishes, writes, “Father Leo Kiesel has informed me that at the end of this year he no longer will be available to be scheduled on a regular basis for services in the MCCC [Martin County Catholic Churches]. “Father Leo just celebrated his birthday on October 15 (76 years old) and he feels now is the time not to be so ‘schedule bound.’ He did express to me that in an emergency or on occasion he would be willing to help out. “On behalf of the ‘MCCC’ and me personally, I wish to extend gratitude and appreciation to Father Leo for his years of dedicated service to us.”

Happy Birthday! Father Joseph Ziliak, vicar for Retired Priests, celebrates his birthday Nov. 20. Deacon Stephen Hall Jr. celebrates his birthday Nov. 21. He is retired. Deacon Thomas Holsworth celebrates his birthday Nov. 24.

Student Council Members of the Student Council at St. Joseph School in Vanderburgh County include fifth graders Alec Freeman, Danielle Gries, Zach Schneider, Hannah Smith; sixth graders Connor Brown, Emma Schnur, Ethan Schnur, Clayton Titzer;

POST BUILDINGS Custom Built on Your Lot! Post Building Packages or Building Kits for you to build Trusses Garage Doors Metal Roofs BEST PRICES AROUND!

DC Metal Sales Hwy 50 E Cannelburg 812-486-4299 www.dcmetal.com Visit us Online for a Free Quote

seventh graders Macey Adler, Katie Hahn, Mitchell Karcher, Kaelyn Wessel; eighth graders Claudia Duncan, Haley Elpers, Austin Jones and Hannah Kissel.

PTO grants Benedictine Sister Karlene Sensmeier, principal at St. Benedict Cathedral School in Evansville, announces the grants awarded by the PTO: • Stephanie Groenert and Laurie Schopmeyer, $289 each for a listening center for reading for first grade students; • Renee Chandler and Mary Goedde, $400 to purchase new quality toys for their kindergarten classrooms; • Susan Fischer and Kristi Russler, $480 art instruction for fourth grade with instructor from Audubon Park coming on campus on three separate occasions with sessions culminating in a field trip in the spring; • Donna Woehler, $670 for Native American Days involving all second, third and fourth grade students; • Sarah Burns, $448 for Discover Magazine on the topics of Ancient Greece, pyramids, knights and castles, World War I and World War II; will benefit all fifth through eighth grade students; • Jeanne McGinnis, $250 for art field trip and $245 for framing for student artwork to be displayed in school building. Sister Karlene said, “The PTO is happy to offer these grants to our teachers for the benefit of all our students!”

Youth news Mark Potts, youth minister at the four Martin County, writes, “Thanks to Jamison Hennette, Nolan Lottes and Meghan Mathies for helping out with bingo at the Loogootee Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. The residents appreciated your time and company! “Another thanks goes out to Justin Clark, Cora Hedrick, Jamison Hennette, Brayden Horsting, Zach Lythgoe, Savannah

At state competition Members of the Marching Wildcats at Mater Dei High School in Evansville await their awards during state competition at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. They received seventh place in Class D competion. This is the fourth year the band has competed at the state level. McAtee and Carson Rayhill for helping with bingo at Ketcham Memorial Center in Odon.”

Happy Birthday! Karen Muensterman, parish catechetical leader at Resurrection Parish, Evansville, celebrates her birthday Nov. 20. Janie Kempf, parish catechetical leader at St. Anthony Parish, St. Anthony, celebrates her birthday Nov. 24.

$3,000 grant The Christian Educational Foundation in Vincennes recently received a $3,000 grant from Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana. for the purchase of two interactive whiteboards for the Vincennes Catholic Schools.

Jasper Rotary Club The Jasper Rotary Club is helping the Guadalupe Center to gear up for the need for increased immigration assistance. The club received a $1,000 matching grant from the district to be used for immigration training for the Guadalupe Center staff and for computers and software to be used in the immigration and literacy programs.

We can do it! The religious education program at St. John Parish in Loogootee and St. Martin Parish in Whitfield has begun an outreach program called “We can do it! In an effort to help stock the local food pantry, students and teachers are hoping to collect 1,000 cans of food between now and the second week of December. Guest speakers Jean Walker and John Walker talked with the students, explaining how the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry operates and why there is such a need in Martin County. A trip to the St. Vincent de Paul Store and Food Pantry is planned in November for all students in grades kindergarten through the sixth grade. Above students Haylie Mathies, Jaylen Mullen, Shea Arthur, Jordan Wildman Kayden Sutton and Tristan Tinkle are joined by Jean and John Walker. The Guadalupe Center is BIA (Bureau of Immigration Appeals) recognized to provide immigration services. Benedictine Sister Joan Scheller is accredited to provide services.

Please send information for AROUND THE DIOCESE to Mary Ann Hughes, The Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724. The e-mail address is [email protected].

THE MESSAGE

8

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Keep the door of faith open BY MATT MILLER Director of Liturgy

The ‘door of faith’ (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime (emphasis added) (Porta fidei, 1). As we come to the end of the Year of Faith, it would be helpful to take a moment to look back to where we started, where we are now, and where it is we

should be headed. Much has changed since the year began in October 2012. The Holy Father who called for the Year to “usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith” (Porta fidei, 4) stepped aside, and a new pope now shows us in his own engaging, visible way how to live out our lives with faith, hope and love, proclaiming the Gospel to our family, friends and neighbors. Throughout the diocese efforts were made to build up the gift of faith and, in turn, lead others to it. Our Catholic schools celebrated an entire school year dedicated to the

Year of Faith. Many diocesan offices and parishes conducted special events or offered resources to help celebrate the year. Bishop Thompson, along with many other bishops and dioceses around the country and world, began the year with a celebration of the great diversity of our diocese and the faith that stands as our unity. While much has happened and much has changed throughout this special year, it is this gift of faith that has remained constant — “the door of faith is always open” — both before the year dedicated to its celebration began and now going forward into a future full of hope. It is the

Obispo Continued from page 5

alentado por la calidad de nuestros seminaristas y el rico testimonio de las religiosas en medio de nosotros. Muchas gracias a todos los que siguen respondiendo el llamado al ministerio y al servicio en la Iglesia! While November provides a special time to give thanks, the spirit of gratitude necessarily marks the authentic Catholic. At the core of our Catholic faith is the Eucharist, the source and summit of who we are and what we are about as disciples of Jesus Christ and children of God. The word Eucharist is derived from a Greek word meaning “to give thanks.” To be Catholic, one must seek to encounter each and every moment, as well as each and every creature, with a grateful heart. To be truly Catholic, embracing a spirit of thanksgiving is not meant to be merely lived for a day or even a month. For us, it is a way of being, a way of life . . . 24/7, 365/year. In communion with all the saint and souls, living and deceased, we proclaim; Thanks be to God! Aunque noviembre ofrece un momento especial para dar gracias, el espíritu de gratitud marca necesariamente al católico autentico. En el centro de nuestra fe católica está la Eucaristía, fuente y cumbre de lo que somos y lo que somos como discípulos de Jesucristo e hijos de Dios. La palabra Eucaristía se deriva de una palabra griega que significa “dar gracias.” Para ser católico, uno debe tratar de encontrar en todos y cada uno de los momentos, así como en todas y cada una de las criaturas, un corazón agradecido. Para ser verdaderamente católico, no solo significa acoger un espíritu de acción de gracias para ser vivido solamente por un día o incluso un mes. Para nosotros, es una forma de ser, una forma de vida . . . Las 24 horas del día y los siete días de la semana, los 365 días del año. En comunión con todos los santos y las almas de los, vivos y difuntos, Anunciamos, ¡Gracias a Dios!

votar por el presidente. Mientras que el Cardenal Dolan termina su mandato como presidente, quiero expresar mi agradecimiento por la forma en que ha parecido ser la persona adecuada en el momento adecuado en este cargo. He admirado su liderazgo en muchos niveles. El actual vice-presidente es el arzobispo Joseph Kurtz, el Arzobispo de Louisville. El vicepresidente se elige a menudo como el próximo presidente. Después de haber servido como su vicario general, que obviamente tengo un vínculo especial con él. Esto la hace una semana emocionante. Sin importar el resultado, mi gratitud hacia el Cardenal Dolan y al Arzobispo Kurtz aún permanecen. Como todo el mundo sabe muy bien ahora, hace sólo unas semanas hemos hecho un anuncio histórico sobre las próximas fusiones parroquiales. Además de mi más profundo agradecimiento a nuestros sacerdotes, religiosos y líderes laicos diocesanos, no puedo dejar de expresar lo impresionado que estoy con la forma en que todo el mundo a través de nuestra diócesis se ha mantenido unido en la fe en medio de semejante desafío. Nuestra fe en última instancia, nos asegura que cualquier reto puede ser transformado por la gracia divina en una oportunidad. Aunque todavía tenemos mucho que hacer en este proceso continuo, me gustaría dar las gracias a todos los que han permanecido unidos en este esfuerzo como una, santa, católica y apostólica. Agradezco especialmente al Sr. Tim McGuire, nuestro Director Diocesano de Operaciones, por dirigirnos a través de este proceso. Ahora, en mi tercer año como el quinto obispo de la Diócesis de Evansville, estoy especialmente agradecido a la Santísima Trinidad: Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, por la gracia que continúa llenando lo que me hace falta a mí. Me siento verdaderamente bendecido con gente maravillosa a mi — Translated by Josue Abraham Brown alrededor. Sin darme cuenta plenamente y pudiendo apreciar FORD cada momento a lo largo del MERCURY camino, se me ha formado y LINCOLN conformado por algunos JASPER mentores muy maravillosos. Sigo FORD - LINCOLN - MERCURY 482-1200 disfrutando de la sabiduría y la amistad de mi predecesor, el obispo Gettelfinger. He sido bendecido con dos auxiliares administrativos increíbles; previamente, Lynda Provence, y ahora, Renee Werner. Me siento

RUXER

Evening Prayer to conclude the Year of Faith Sunday, November 24, 7 p.m. EST Basilica of St. Francis Xavier (the Old Cathedral) Bishop Thompson, celebrant

same Christ, the same Gospel message, proclaimed by those who came before us like Servant of God Bishop Simon Bruté that we are called to proclaim today. That is what the New Evangelization is all about. So as the Year of Faith concludes, we will come together to celebrate that rich history of faith in the place where it found its roots in southern Indiana. We will pass through that door, either again or for the first time, to pray for the grace to continue to live out our faith in the days and weeks to come. Please join Bishop Thompson as he celebrates Evening Prayer

GOLDEN FRONTIER Sponsored by Catholic Shrine Pilgrimage

Featured Trip CANONIZATION OF BLESSED POPES JOHN PAUL II AND JOHN XXIII, ROME & ASSISI — Join Golden Frontier in this nine day trip to the Eternal City of Rome and be a part of the canonization of these beloved popes: John Paul II and John XXIII. Trip offers comfortable first class San Pietro Hotel in Rome within walking distance of St. Peter Basilica and Vatican City. Included are all breakfasts and dinners, except 1 dinner, sightseeing of major sights and basilicas of Rome, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul Outside the Wall, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, full day trip to Assisi, Audience with Holy Father, Pope Francis. Optional trip to Pompeii and Naples. Round trip air to Rome from St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City or Indianapolis is included. April 23 to May 1, 2014 Priced from $3,167 All trips depart from Indianapolis/Chicago/St. Louis. Please ask us about Evansville departures. CLIP AND MAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION

2014 Trips ❏ Mexico City & Guadalupe — 8 days in February 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,190 ❏ East. Mediterranean Cruise & Rome — 14 days in March 2014 . . . . from $3,386 ❏ Rome and Assisi — 9 days in March 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,748 ❏ Canonization of John Paul II & John XXII in Rome — 11 days in April 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From $3,167 ❏ Sorrento, Isle of Capri & Amalfi Coast — 9 days in April 2014 . . . . . . . $2,689 ❏ Germany, Austria and Bavaria — 10 days in May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,982 ❏ Russian Waterway — 12 days in July 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from $4,308 ❏ France: Lourdes, Normandy, Paris — 11 days in October 2014 . . . . . . . $3,188 ❏ Florence, Rome and Assisi — 11 days in November 2014 . . . . . . . . . . $3,188 ❏ Nile River Tour & Cruise — 9 days in November 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,198 ❏ Holy Lands — 10 days in November 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,588 ❏ Please send full details about the trip(s) I’ve checked above

Name _____________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City __________________________

Call

(vespers) to conclude the Year of Faith at 7 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier (the Old Cathedral). In the place where Bishop Bruté worked tirelessly to establish the faith in the wilderness, let us come together to pray for the faith to continue that mission in a world that so desperately needs “the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord” (Porta fidei, 15). The Year of Faith ends, but the life of faith goes on. The door remains open. Let us continue that journey together as beloved children of God.

State ___________

Zip ____________

Phone (optional) ( ________ ) _________________________________________

to the rescue! Evansville

Gibson Co.

428-COOL

386-TEMP

DISTRIBUTED BY TRI-STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS INC 1220 E DIAMOND AVE EVANSVILLE INDIANA 800-457-3749 812-425-4337

Call Toll Free 1-888-284-6725 or mail to:

Golden Frontier Tours 4100 N. Illinois St. • Swansea, Illinois 62226 www.goldenfrontier.org Email: [email protected]

EVV

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

9

Ferdinand Benedictine sisters celebrate jubilees Seven Benedictine sisters celebrated special anniversaries of their religious profession on Oct. 27 at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. Sisters Assunta Highbaugh and Dolorosa Hasenour observed the eightieth anniversary of their profession of monastic vows. Sisters Adele Weyer and Mary Esther Steckler marked their seventy-fifth anniversary. Sister Marilyn Market celebrated her seventieth anniversary, and Sisters Mary Karen Hill and Geneva Stumler their sixtieth anniversary These sisters have given a total of 500 years of consecrated life and service to the Church. • Sister Assunta, a native of Alexandria, Ind., entered the monastery in 1931 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1933. She ministered in education for almost 50 years. She taught at St. Benedict and St. Joseph in Evansville and at St. Paul, Tell City. She was principal and teacher in Seymour and in Indianapolis. She served as academic dean and president of St. Benedict College in Ferdinand and taught at College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. In 1966, Sister Assunta went to Norco, Calif., to open a school and establish a mission of the Ferdinand sisters, which eventually became Holy Spirit Monastery in Grand Terrace. She was a founding member of that monastery and served as its prioress for four years. She also taught and was a principal in schools and worked in the Stephen Ministry program and as a family counselor. In 2003, she returned to the Ferdinand monastery where she served in the Mission Advancement Office and in support services. She wrote a book, Led by the Spirit, on the history of Holy Spirit Monastery in California. Currently she serves in the ministry of prayer. • Sister Dolorosa, a native of St. Anthony, entered the monastery in 1931 and made her

SISTER ASSUNTA HIGHBAUGH profession of monastic vows in 1933. Sister Dolorosa began her 60-year teaching ministry at St. Benedict School in Evansville in 1935. She also taught at St. Joseph, Holy Rosary and Holy Redeemer in Evansville, in Haubstadt, and at Marian Heights Academy in Ferdinand. She served as principal and taught at Elberfeld, Starlight, Boonville, Huntingburg and Montgomery. She worked in supportive services at the monastery and translated German documents for the monastery archives. Currently she serves in the ministry of prayer. • Sister Adele, a native of Ferdinand, entered the monastery in 1936 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1938. She taught at schools in Mount Vernon, Huntingburg, Washington, Elberfeld, Rockport, Columbus, Vincennes, Haubstadt, Ferdinand, and at St. Theresa and Holy Spirit, both in Evansville, as well as Benet Learning Center in Fort Wayne, and St. Ann’s Indian Mission in Belcourt, N.D. She taught religious education at Dubois. She worked in the monastery infirmary and archives and did other supportive services. She also helped care for her aged mother. Currently she serves in the ministry of prayer. • Sister Mary Esther, a native

SISTER DOLOROSA HASENOUR

SISTER ADELE WEYER

SISTER MARY ESTHER STECKLER

SISTER MARILYN MARKET

SISTER MARY KAREN HILL

SISTER GENEVA STUMLER

of St. James in Haubstadt, entered the monastery in 1936 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1938. She served 50 years in education. She taught at St. Benedict School and Mater Dei High School, both in Evansville and at Vincennes and Indianapolis. She also served as principal at Mater Dei High School and at Academy Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. In 1968 she went to California, where she served in schools as a teacher, principal, guidance counselor and librarian, and as director of formation, treasurer and prioress at Holy Spirit Monastery. She returned to the Ferdinand monastery in 2012. Currently, she serves in the ministry of prayer. • Sister Marilyn, a native of Evansville, entered the monas-

tery in 1941 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1943. She began her 56-year teaching career in 1946. She taught at St. Benedict and Holy Redeemer, both in Evansville; Indianapolis; Tell City; Dubois; St. Thomas, Vincennes; Dale; St. Henry; Montgomery; St. Philip, Posey County; and North Spencer Alternative School. She served in the missions in Guatemala for two years. She worked at the monastery in supportive services, and currently serves in the ministry of prayer. • Sister Mary Karen, a native of Madison, Ind., entered the monastery in 1951 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1953. Since 1954, Sister Karen has been teaching music in classrooms, giving private music

lessons, serving as music minister and organist in parishes and at the monastery, where she also served as assistant director of liturgy. She taught music at St. Benedict, St. Theresa, St. Joseph, and Holy Rosary, all in Evansville; in Indianapolis; Vincennes; Fort Branch; Academy Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand; and Holy Family and Vincennes University Jasper Center, both in Jasper. She was organist at St. Anthony Parish in St. Anthony. She continues to serve as organist at the monastery and to give private music lessons. • Sister Geneva Stumler, a native of Borden, Ind., entered the monastery in 1951 and made her profession of monastic vows in 1953. She began teaching at Holy Rosary in Evansville in 1954 and taught at St. Theresa and Holy Spirit in Evansville; in Huntingburg; Rockport, where she was also the principal; St. Henry; Dubois; Holy Family in Jasper; and St. Philip in Posey County. She was the director of religious education at St. Joseph in Vanderburgh County and assistant director at parishes in Tell City, Troy, and Cannelton. She was pastoral associate at St. Ferdinand Parish in Ferdinand and Immaculate Conception Parish in Owensboro, Ky. Since 1999 she has been supervisor of the sewing room at the monastery and working in other areas of monastery service. Founded in 1867, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand currently number 157 and serve in areas of education, parish work, health care, retreat and spirituality work, social services, counseling, and mission work in Indiana and Kentucky.

THE MESSAGE

10

A note of gratitude BY LINDA COX Catholic Foundation of Southwestern Indiana

Nearly 10 years ago, I was living in northwest Ohio and thinking about moving closer to my family in Evansville. Having grown up in southern Indiana, it had been more than 25 years since I had lived here. Twice in my life when I have asked God to lead me, both times I landed working for the Church. First, when I worked for a Catholic school in Virginia and second as the executive director for the Catholic Foundation of Southwestern Indiana. So if you ever wonder if God is listening to

your prayers, rest assured that God is — and that there is a plan for each us. For me, God thought I should be near the Church so that I could learn by example, and I am grateful for this opportunity. Through the years, there have been a couple of things that have made it exciting to come to work every day. The most important one is the relationships with the parishioners, pastors and staff that I have met during my tenure. I have spent many hours sitting at kitchen tables learning how families have built churches; hearing how couples married for 50 years met each other; sharing in their grief at the loss of

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

loved ones, and being overjoyed by the good news of a new grandchild or found love, or hearing stories of how someone helped them attend a Catholic school when it would have been financially prohibitive. These are some of life’s moments that continue to inspire people to create a Catholic legacy. Secondly, each year, more than 450 endowments provide for an annual distribution. These distributions are for every parish and, Catholic school, as well as for hundreds of ministries affiliated with the diocese. I get the opportunity to hand deliver these annual distributions to all of these endowment beneficiaries. Many parishes were surprised when I started doing this, perhaps wondering what was I

doing; but now I see on their faces the excitement when I deliver a check that will help with tuition, help pay for the ongoing operations of a parish or provide for a new program through a ministry. It is a little like being the bearer of great news. How fortunate I have been to witness and share in these blessings. The Catholic Foundation has been the vehicle for parishioners to create a Catholic legacy, and it is these donors who should be always thanked and recognized. They have had the hopes for our future as a diocese, and their generosity will provide financial assistance forever. Thank you to the countless individuals and families who have let me be part of their “family” — and for their

LINDA COX vision for our Church for future generations. As I relocate to another area and continue to work for another not-for-profit, I will be forever grateful for each of you who have shared your stories and enriched my life.

Diocese losing a real listener — and true leader BY TIM LILLEY Message editor

Linda Cox has listened a lot over the past almost-10 years. As director of the Catholic Foundation of Southwestern Indiana, she has met hundreds of Catholics from across the Diocese of Evansville — and listened to them explain why they were interested in leaving legacies for their families, par-ishes, cemeteries and schools. “I consider it the biggest blessing of my life to have been

a witness to all of these donors’ stories,” said Cox, who is leaving her position to relocate to Charleston, S.C., in the near future. She will become Director of the Planned Giving Department of the Medical University of South Carolina. “The role that I have served for the Foundation has beenmost gratifying,” Cox added, “and I will take with me the memories and friendships that I have made through the years. I believe the Foundation is in great shape, and I truly am grateful to the donors for the

collective legacy they are providing across the diocese.” “Linda will be missed, no doubt, as she has endeared herself to so many during her years of service as executive director for the The Catholic Foundation of Soutwestern Indiana,” Bishop Charles C. Thompson said. “Her enthusiasm and outgoing personality were wonderful attributes that served her well in this position. While we are sad that she is leaving us,” he added, “I am confident that she will be suc-

cessful in whatever her future plans hold. She has certainly left her mark. Let us remember her in prayer.” “Linda joined the Catholic Foundation as its executive director in June, 2004,” said Foundation Board Chairman Dave Fuhs. “Since then, she has been instrumental in dramatically increasing awareness of the Catholic Foundation’s great work, and in achieving a dramatically higher number and level of endowments across the diocese. She and (Foundation administrator) Irene Moschner

have provided leadership, commitment, enthusiasm and caring work to coordinate a wide range of activities with parishes, schools, other organizations and hundreds of individual donors. “The combined efforts of our staff coupled with many resources across the diocese, have led to more 450 current endowments with a total value of approximately $37 million” Fuhs added. “Linda has played a key leadership role in this accomplishment and will be dearly missed.”

Little Sisters of the Poor Evansville, Indiana

1882-2013 For 131 years you have provided a loving home for our elderly and infirm. You have cared for the residents with love and compassion. We are forever grateful for your service to God and his people. With heartfelt gratitude, Employees, Residents, Families, Friends and Catholic Community

Please join the Little Sisters for a Mass of Thanksgiving

Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 1 p.m. Saint Benedict Cathedral 1328 Lincoln Avenue Evansville, Indiana

Bishop Charles C. Thompson presiding

Little Sisters of the Poor ST. JOHN’S HOME

1236 Lincoln Avenue Evansville, Indiana

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

11

Wisdom Days across the diocese BY THE MESSAGE STAFF Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Diocese of Evansville has organized Wisdom Day events to bring seniors together for a day of learning and networking. This year, Wisdom Day events took place in Jasper, Vincennes and Evansville at no cost to seniors with hospitality and lunch provided. Each Wisdom Day featured speakers — including Bishop Charles C. Thompson — who covered topics of current interest to seniors, including spiritual growth; health and safety; and financial issues. Following are a selection of photos from all three Wisdom Day events held this year in the diocese. The Message (Evansville) photos by Tim Lilley All Vincennes photos by Zoe Cannon All Jasper photos submitted

Bishop Charles C. Thompson speaks at Wisdom Day in Vincennes.

Attendance at the Wisdom Day event in Evansville pushed total attendance for the 2013 programs near 1,000.

Bishop Thompson visits with attendees during Wisdom Day in Jasper.

The Very Rev. Denis Robinson, OSB, of St. Meinrad, speaks on “Thankfulness” at Wisdom Day in Evansville.

Seniors from across the greater Evansville area attended the third of three 2013 Wisdom Day events, which was held at the Catholic Center.

Veteran Herb Welp, left, talks with Teresa Hopf during the Wisdom Day event in Jasper.

12

THE MESSAGE

The Wisdom Day event in Evansville featured a buffet lunch.

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Wisdom Day Program Chair Pat Koch, left, visits with Deacon Earl Ruppel during Wisdom Day in Vincennes. Koch has been a part of Wisdom Day since the events’ inception in 2000.

Bishop Thompson, left, visits with Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke during the Wisdom Day event at the Catholic Center.

The Singing Seniors performed during Wisdom Day in Jasper.

As was the case in Jasper, all three Wisdom Day events gave attendees plenty of time to visit and network.

At the Jasper Wisdom Day event — and in Vincennes and Evansville — lunch and refreshments were provided to all attendees.

The Flaget Catholic School choir performed at Wisdom Day in Vincennes.

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

THE MESSAGE

13

Father John Breidenbach, Deacon Cletus Yochum and Father Dave Fleck listen to a presentation during Wisdom Day in Vincennes.

Attendees at Wisdom Day in Jasper join the Singing Seniors during their performance.

Pat Evans, left, sits with Dominic Faraone, Respect Life Coordinator of Catholic Charities, at Wisdom Day in Jasper. Evans was a presenter during the event.

Deacon Cletus Yochum speaks during Wisdom Day in Vincennes.

Margaret Clauss, left, Mary Kay Brothers, Betty Halter, Louise Branch and Jeanette Scott were part of Wisdom Day in Vincennes.

Mark Goltiao spoke to attendees at Wisdom Day in Evansville about finding balance through yoga.

Award-winning Catholic journalist Linus Mundy spoke at Wisdom Day in Evansville. His topic was “Gratitude in Our Senior Years.”

THE MESSAGE

14

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Getting to know Pope Francis

BOOK NEWS BY SISTER ANNE FLANAGAN, F.S.P.

Read more from Sister Anne Flanagan at her blog (http://romans8v29.blogspot.co m/) and follow her on Twitter (@nunblogger).

On Heaven and Earth (Sobre el cielo y la tierra): Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the Twenty-First Century, Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Abraham Skorka. © 2010 — Editorial Sudamericana S.A. (Buenos Aires); English translation © 2013 — Image (Random House, New York). When the Year of Faith began last year, none of us could have imagined the journey of faith the entire Church would be on, witnessing the historic event of a papal resignation and welcoming a pope from the Americas. We are all still getting acquainted with the former Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis. How are we to interpret phrases that, in English translation, may not correspond with our North American experiences? What are we to make of a pope who carries a cell phone, and uses it rather freely? Who handwrites letters, putting as the return address simply, “F. Casa Santa Marta. Vatican City?” Of a pope with an active e-mail account? How many of his striking words and gestures are simply the continuation, on a vaster scale, of the ministry he carried out as Archbishop of Buenos Aires? The 2010 book, “On Heaven and Earth” (released this year in English translation) can be a big help in getting to know our first Latino (and first Jesuit) pope. This is a co-authored work, a collaboration between the thenCardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of the Argentine capitol, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka, head of a local conservative Jewish synagogue. The two had worked together for years, beginning with some civic events in the Argentine capitol in the late 1990’s. They began a serious interreligious dialogue that developed into a friendship. The cardinal invited the rabbi to a service for peace; the rabbi asked the cardinal to address the congregation on the Jewish high holy days. The two even produced a television series together, with an Evangelical Protestant as the moderator. Their friendship did not end with Bergoglio’s unanticipated “transfer” to Rome; the rabbi was the recipient of one of the Pope’s now famous phone calls. Although it sounds like the beginning

SCHNELLVILLE FOR COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SERVICE FISCHER ELECTRIC INC. SCHNELLVILLE, IN

389-2418

_ Ed L. Lee _ Mortuary

of a very bad joke, “the priest and the rabbi” realized that their conversations, so respectful, open and unreserved (the word is Bergoglio’s), might help other people understand the meaning and necessity of dialogue — especially a dialogue between religious believers whose core beliefs may not be reconcilable. And so they got together on a regular basis to exchange thoughts on a variety of topics, letting the conversation flow as naturally as always, even though it was being recorded and transcribed. They spoke of God and the devil, atheism and religion, prayer, guilt, death; on the hot-button issues of euthanasia, women, abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage; of science (the rabbi is a biophysicist; the cardinal worked in chemistry before entering the seminary); of politics, communism and capitalism, globalization, money, poverty . . . the contributions of each are clearly marked. The two religious leaders do not skirt the areas where their convictions cannot be reconciled, but neither do they demonize the other’s position while making their own clear. Bergoglio’s contributions tend to be more spare than Skorka’s, but key themes — dialogue, encounter, man as the image of God, the reality of the devil, the sanctity of life, the danger of ideology (no matter whose), “going out” to the peripheries, active concern for the poor, a Church “on the move” (“not an NGO”–non-governmental organization) — we have already heard on his lips from the very first days of Francis’ pontificate. That makes “On Heaven and Earth” a kind of handbook for understanding the Pope’s messages and gestures. Also by Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis): “Only Love Can Save Us: Letters, Homilies and Talks of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio” (Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, In.), 2013. Other books about Pope Francis: “Francis: Our Brother, Our Friend: Personal Recollections about the Man Who Became Pope” (Ignatius Press, San Francisco), edited by Alejandro Bermudz, 2013. “The Life and Challenges of Pope Francis” (St Pauls, New York), Saverio Gaeta, 2013.

Owned by Andy & Reba Arvin

www.edleemortuary.com

Beginning this week, Sister Anne Flanagan, F.S.P., will be contributing book reviews to The Message on a regular basis. Like our movie reviewer, Sister Helena Burns, she is a Pauline Sister who is among the most popular Catholic media reviewers in the country. Sister Anne acquired a love of books early in life from parents who convinced her that “books are our friends!” A native of New Orleans and, since 1978, a Daughter of St. Paul, Sister Anne lives above her community’s bookstore in downtown Chicago. You can also find her on Twitter (@nunblogger).

B

“A Family Serving Families”

Bradley’s Colonial Chapel, Inc. Boonville, Indiana • (812) 897-1459 Wm. L. Bradley Funeral Director

Ann M. Bradley-Holland Funeral Director

Apple’s Honey Farm “Making Life Sweeter” for over 50 years

Jerry & Alice Apple, Beekeepers Jasper, Indiana

(812) 482-3024 Rex A. Fray’s

OFFICE CONNECTION 104 Broadway • Vincennes, IN 47591 Phone: 812-866-9905 Fax: 812-866-9915 [email protected] www.officeconnectioninc.com Office Supplies and Furniture Cash Registers ~ Credit Card Processing

Haub’s Steak House Since 1970

(812) 768-6462 “Early Bird Specials Nightly” www.haubhouse.com

101 North Meridian Street Washington, IN

254-3612

Meet our new book reviewer!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ST. VINCENT CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Executive Director for St. Vincent Center for Children and Families is directly responsible for providing leadership with the planning and operations and strategic direction of the Center which uses a systemic change approach to end cycles of poverty for working families and their children through early education and coordinated programs and services for their families. Reports to Board of Trustees and Daughters of Charity Ministries.

“It is the right of every pregnant woman to give birth, and the right of every child to be born” After 28 years in Evansville, Birthright continues to help any girl or woman regardless of age, race, creed, marital or economic status who feels distressed by an unplanned pregnancy. Whether the call is for nothing more than a free, confidential pregnancy test, or for friendship and support lasting through the delivery and beyond, Birthright is there. Birthright gives its services free of charge. A tax-exempt, charitable organization, we exist because of the financial and moral support of its donors and volunteers. Birthright offers free maternity clothes, referrals, and a layette for every beautiful new baby born to our clients. These layette items are donated by our supporters. Birthright is in need of: • Cash donations

• Newborn onesies, gowns and sleepers

• Premature Baby Clothes

PLEASE SEND COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO [email protected]

• Prayers for the Unborn

• Diapers — size 4 and 5

• Maternity clothes (new or gently used)

20 Read Street, Evansville 47710 • (812) 424-2555 • 1-800-550-4900

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

‘Gravity’ offers an intense cinematic experience

SCRIPTOGRAM A passage from Sunday’s Scripture readings is represented below in code. CLUE: In this week’s SCRIPTOGRAM, Q equals B. SUGGESTION: See the Gospel Commentary page in this week’s Message, to find the citations for the chapters and verses of the readings. Solving the biblical reference will provide clues for solving the rest of the puzzle. For Sunday, November 10: LGO DXTT Q J SPCJZ ___ ____ __ _____ QJYPOAJ _______ SPXW ____

GH _ _

GN _ _

VL __

L G OW _ _ _ _

QL __

HPVJ, _ _ _ _, SJPZ ____

MOVIE NEWS

PTT ___

QOC _ _ _ DXTT ____

HGC _ _ _

P _

QJ __

ZJACWGLJZ. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. — T O B J 21:17-18 — _ _ _ _ 21:17-18 What’s the passage? The answer is found on page 21.

CROSSWORD

15

BY SISTER HELENA BURNS, F.S.P.

Read more from Sister Helena Burns at her blog (http://hellburns. blogspot.com/) and follow her on Twitter (@SrHelenaBurns).

CNS photo/Warner Bros.

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are shown in a scene from the movie “Gravity.” “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in space . . .,” a terrifying movie like “Gravity” hits you in the face. “Gravity” is one of those films that’s truly an experience that one undergoes: one of the tensest time periods ever spent in a cinema. This is an extremely uncomfortable film. Space is the new deep water or haunted house or Bates Motel or forest or woodshed, with the dazzling fear of becoming U-N-T-E-T-H-E-RE-D and floating off into the dark forever just one mishap away. “Gravity” is one of those films you have to see for yourself, and I hate to give away even the barest of plots,

but here goes. Dr. Ryan Stone (the always “stellar” Sandra Bullock) is a second-career astronaut floating around fixing something up there with the incredibly seasoned (this is his last mission) Matt Kowalski (a chipper George Clooney). Everything is more or less going well until those Ruskies (who else?) do something stupid to compromise the Americans’ mission. Didn’t they get the memo? Once again, the Russians are simply our favorite frenemies, and, let’s face it: we miss the Cold War. Good times, good times. But back to our plot. No, not back to our plot. That’s all I’m going to tell you. Please try to see this in theaters. I saw it in REAL 3D (excellent use of 3D, which should be used sparsely). It’s true what audiences are saying: “It’s like you’re up there with them.” Or get the full experience with IMAX digital 3D. The spirituality/religion Gospel for Sunday, November 10, 2013 that everyone is talking about? Nice touch. More than a touch. There’s a St. Luke 21:5-19 Christopher icon in the Russian space station and a Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading Buddha in the Chinese space for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, station. Dr. Stone wants a warning of trying times ahead. The words can be found someone to pray for her, in all directions in the puzzle. wants to pray for herself, but “no one ever taught her” how. This seems to be the line ADORNED STONES DAYS many people are coming out THROWN DOWN SIGNS MY NAME of the theater with. (I kind of liked “thank you” the best.) I AM HE TIME WARS Is it all that? Yes and no. TERRIFIED EARTHQUAKES FAMINES Could someone else have taken our big-time female PERSECUTE PRISONS BEFOREHAND protagonist’s place other than BROTHERS FRIENDS HATED Bullock? Maybe. Oscar material? Maybe (certainly for cinBY ALL A HAIR HEAD ematography, VFX and audio.) Some of it really did C H O C H S E N O T S L feel like “we’ve heard this S B T I M E F G J Y N W sob story before,” and the E R E E H M A I A W G K orchestral soundtrack was K O B F B E M D O M I P rather noticeably cloying at times. Would this same story A T Y D O J I D P Y S R have “flown” if it were anyU H A D O R N E D N F I where else but space? Q E L Q R W E B W A R S As exciting and groundH R L I O A S H P M I O breaking as this film is — T S A R Q N A N A E E N several years in the making R H H A T E D R F N N S — and a great movie-going delight, I’m still holding out A T E R R I F I E D D O for Cate Blanchett (“Blue E T U C E S R E P F S N Jasmine”) for Best Actress as By PATRICIA KASTEN © 2013 Tri-C-A Publications of this moment.

SCRIPTURE SEARCH THE END IS COMING

www.bannertruck.com

BANNER

TRUCK AND TRAILER SALES, INC.

See answers on page 21.

10000 State Hwy. 57 • Evansville, IN 47732 (812) 867-2481 • 800-776-6225

MUENSTERMAN’S AUTO SERVICE, INC. 1400 W. Franklin Evansville, IN 424-5000

THE MESSAGE

16

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Missionaries not always welcome; message still gets through BY GEORGE KANE Special to The Message

Missionaries don’t always receive warm welcomes. Sometimes, our neighbors don’t know how to react when we show up in their front yard. In fact, I ran into this situation on my first day of mission work in Evansville. It was Monday; and man, it was hot. The August sun hit the asphalt and cooked up into our sandals as Dan and I walked along a deserted street. We crossed an intersection and saw three people talking by the curb a few houses down. “How about we talk to these guys?” Dan asked. I grinned and shrugged, “Sure.” As a new missionary, my job was to listen and learn from the others, so I was happily off the hook when it came to starting conversations. “How y’all doing today?” Dan asked cheerfully, extending his hand first to the 300-pound bald man standing on the curb, and then to the man and woman

straddling a moped. The big man took Dan’s hand coolly. “I’m Dublin,” he said. He avoided Dan’s eyes and let go quickly. The man on the moped squinted at Dan’s open hand, smirked, and shook his head. “Naw, man, I’m not interested.” A cold ulcer of embarrassment stung my stomach. I was unfamiliar with this kind of outright rejection, which some of the veteran doorknocking missionaries affectionately call “eating doorknobs.” Dan was undeterred, “Hey, do you guys want to hear a story?” The man on the moped revved its engine, and he and his passenger (NOTE TO GEORGE — a moped is inanimate; it can’t take any action on its own) pulled away. “Holla a’chu later, man!” Dublin called, and then turned towards Dan and me. “Man, I don’t want to be rude, but I’m busy.” As he walked away around the corner, I felt defeated. Not only did they not want to hear about the Gospel, they didn’t even want to hear a word

we had to say! All we had done was annoy them. Though I was upset about this then, I found out later that Pope Francis actually may have been thrilled that I had gone out and been annoying that day. When speaking about proclaiming the gospel, the Holy Father has said, “Let us ask the Holy Spirit for this grace of apostolic zeal . . . and if we annoy people, blessed be the Lord!” At that moment, watching Dublin’s broad shoulders disappear around the corner, I was pretty low on apostolic zeal. But Dan wasn’t. “Well, shoot,” he said, “how about we knock at this house right here?” After two attempts at knocking, though, that door remained closed, too. I was starting to feel even sorrier for myself when I heard behind us, “Hey man, the guy who lives there is crazy, be careful.” It was Dublin! His bald head glinted under the sun and poured sweat into his eyes as he stood and talked

with us. It turned out that Dublin used to be Lutheran, but was now Muslim. The conversation started to drift towards argument when Dublin said, “God knows all your sins, even before you do them. It don’t matter what you want, you gonna sin anyway. He’s got it all written in his book.” Dan raised his eyebrows. “But . . . aren’t I free? I’m gonna be tempted, but I still have a choice about what I’m gonna do . . . right?” Dublin took a step back and brought one hand to his head, waving the other at us, “No man, stop; you’re confusing me. I used to be confused about this stuff before . . . that was terrible, being confused . . . I know what I believe now, and I’m sticking to it.” When conversations about God start to get too close to home, people often use this kind of theological debate as a smokescreen of sorts. So Dan changed the subject. “What if we pray for something together?” Dublin

SECRET CODE

GEORGE KANE nodded slowly, and then bowed his head and clasped his hands. He asked us to pray that God would provide for his family’s material needs, and stood there quietly as we did just that. As we ended our prayer, Dublin surprised us by saying, “Thanks for being out here, talking about God . . . people need it.” It was amazing. Dublin saw success where I could only see failure! George Kane is a missionary for an ecumenical community doing street evangelization and community organizing in the Mississippi Valley.

Find the letter that matches the symbol under each line. Write the letter on the line above the symbol to find the message.

Do Not Be Afraid In this week’s Gospel, Luke reminds us many terrible things had happened. People were wondering if these terrible things meant that the end of time was near. Jesus tells them not to be afraid. He says that others will try to tell them when the end of time will come, but He warns them not to follow those who say these things. Only God knows when the end of time will be. It may be hard for us to trust God while these bad things are happening. He promises to give us the strength to get through hard times in our lives. He tells us to believe—no matter what happens. He also promises that if we continue to believe, we will receive life with Him in heaven. One of the challenges of being a disciple of Jesus is learning to trust His promise that he will be with us, even in the most difficult times. Dear God, I know that you are with me every day keeping me safe. Thank you. Amen.

DOT-TO-DOT Using different colors for each word, connect the dots to form words. Some letters will NOT be used. PROMISES HARD TIMES DISCIPLES TRUST GOD END OF TIME KNOWS

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

17

Pilgrimage for Life inspires diocesan young people They were cold, wet, tired and hungry — but none of them complained. It was one of those late-January days where the wind swept up from the Atlantic, pounding the city with a blustery, slushrain mix; and it felt about 10 degrees colder than the thermometer display. I had the video camera rolling as young people from across the Diocese of Evansville stood in these uncomfortable conditions, and what I remember are the smiles. Here they stood, drenched and chilled, and they were smiling, praying, singing. It was a study in contrast. What causes youth to be joyful in extreme circumstances like this? Why, over the last three years, have we packed buses and carried 1,000 young people to Washington, D.C.? Because our youth are intelligent and passionate about the truth, and that is driving them to return again this year to be voices for those who cannot speak for themselves — shouting to the world that

OYAYA BY STEVE DABROWSKI Steve Dabrowski is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

File photo

Youth and young adults from across the Diocese of Evansville will bus to Washington, D.C., in January 2014 to make the fourth annual Pilgrimage for Life. Registration closes Nov. 29.

HARP’S

“Serving the Tri-State for over 30 Years. Our Knowledgeable Staff is Ready to Serve You!”

EXOTIC FISH and

PETS

Premium Quality: Reptiles • Puppies • Birds Kittens • Hamsters Ferrets • Freshwater Fish Small & Exotic Animals

Check us out on Facebook to see our current selection of pets!

USDA Licensed Animal Dealer

Mon-Sat: 10am-9pm Sun: Noon-5:30pm

www.harpspetstore.com

476-7387 1309 N. Green River Rd.

all life has dignity, from conception until natural death. Registration has already begun for the fourth annual diocesan Pilgrimage for Life to Washington, D.C. We will depart on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, following the Mass for Life celebrated by Bishop Charles C. Thompson, and we will return on Thursday morning, January 23, in time for school. Students will only miss two days of classes due to the Martin Luther King national holiday, and the time missed must be counted as excused by all school systems due to the religious significance of the Pilgrimage for Life. All registration information, including registration packets and scholarship details, can be found on the official Pilgrimage for Life website, www.EvansvillePFL.org. The deadline for registration is Nov. 29. Some of the registration process has changed this year, so those interested should visit the website and read the information posted there carefully. Additional questions can be sent via email to [email protected].

Hi-Tech Sheet Metal Inc. Residential, Industrial & Commercial Heating & Cooling Installation Sales & Service

925-3322

TM

Operated by Michael and Patricia Koch

115 W. Jefferson Ave., Chandler

812-768-6208 dewigmeats.com all Us For C Q u al i t y M e a t s S i n c e 1 9 1 6 Your Next r! Fundraise Haubstadt, IN DANIEL ZIEMER

JERRY ZIEMER

OFFICE 477-1515 EAST CHAPEL 800 S. HEBRON AVE. NORTH CHAPEL 6300 FIRST AVE. CENTRAL CHAPEL 626 FIRST AVE. WWW.ZIEMERFUNERALHOME.COM

Access the Message from anywhere at themessageonline.org

SOLD

SOLD

D LD LD SOL SO O S

SOLD

SOLD SOLD

SOLD SOLD

SOLD

LD

SOLD

SO

D LD SOL D SO L O D S L SO

SO

LD OLD SO S D L LDSO

2013

Christmas Coloring Contest

THE MESSAGE Name ________________ ________________ Age ______ Home Address ________________ ________________ Home Phone ________________ School/Parish ________________ Grade ______ To be eligible your name, home address, school or parish, age, grade and phone number must be printed and legible in the spaces provided. Entries must be received at The Message by 10 a.m. December 13. Winners’ names will be published in The Message on December 20.

Coloring contest prizes: Four prizes will be awarded in each of five grade levels: kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 and grade 4.

Annual coloring contest open to children in kindergarten through grade 4 Children in kindergarten through fourth grade are invited to participate in the annual Message Christmas Coloring Contest. Entries may be colored with markers, crayons, pencils or watercolors. You may enter as many times as you wish, but you can win only one prize. To be eligible your name, address, school or parish, age, grade and phone number must be printed and legible in the spaces provided. Entries must be received at The Message by 10 a.m. December 13. Winners’ names will be published in The Message on December 20.

Sponsored by

THE MESSAGE

Grand prize: $20 gift certificate to G.D. Ritzy’s, plus classroom ice cream party for each grand prize winner’s homeroom or religious ed class First prize: $10 gift certificate to G.D. Ritzy’s Second prize: $5 gift certificate to G.D. Ritzy’s

and

Third prize: Coupon for free double dip ice cream cone from G.D. Ritzy’s

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

THE MESSAGE

19

Think of hell as a consequence of sin itself

THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY BY FATHER JIM SAUER

As always, your comments and questions are welcome at rjillson@ evdio.org.

A member of a Church congregation approached the pastor after his 1 ½ hour service one Sunday morning saying, “Reverend, I didn’t know what hell was like until you kept going on and on with your 45 minute sermon!” Now every preacher has his “on” days and “off” days! And we all have our images of hell! Catholics grew up with the image of hell involving eternal punishment in inexhaustible fire. In trying to understand the reality of hell, we naturally use images and symbols from our experiences in this world to describe the worst kind of punishment that could possibly be inflicted upon a person for a life hardened against God. For most of us, being burned alive expresses such horror — just think of the firemen who died fighting the forest fires in Arizona this past summer. We have all seen pictures, or maybe know people, who have been severely burned or scarred by fire. The recovery period comes with excruciating pain. However, if we were living in the world’s Artic or Antarctic regions, fire would not be the worst punishment imaginable. Punishment there could involve hunting on ice; having the

ice break off; and heading out to sea on an ice floe to be frozen bitterly to death. Images of hell depend upon the culture in which we live. Something else to keep in mind is this. In the afterlife, we will be spiritual beings; therefore, nothing physical can ever really harm us. We can only be harmed by fire or ice or any other physical reality if we have a physical body. How, then, can we understand hell? On July 28, 1999, in his weekly audience, Blessed Pope John Paul II reflected on hell as the absolute rejection of God. He said, “hell is the final consequence of sin itself . . . . Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.” He went on to say that people possess human freedom to respond to God. However, people choose to reject God’s love over an entire lifetime, thus separating themselves forever from communion with God. Christian doctrine calls this eternal damnation — or hell. God does not impose this punishment on an individual. God sends no one to hell. The punishment of hell results from the choices made by people who act BARRY W. RAY, D.D.S., P.C.

2038 Lincoln Avenue Evansville, Indiana 47714 Telephone: (812) 473-1128

contrary to God’s will in this life. They cut themselves off from communion with God forever. The Holy Father reminds us that the Bible uses symbols to describe hell. In the Old Testament, God had not yet revealed what happened to the dead. The Old Testament believed that the dead went to Sheol, a land of darkness or a pit from which no one could escape, where it was not even possible to praise God. Thanks to Christ’s Resurrection, the New Testament brings a new life to an understanding of the dead — Christ went to the kingdom of the dead and liberated them. Eternal salvation is God’s gift to humanity, which people must freely accept. Therefore, the Bible tells us that all will be judged “by what they have done” (Rev 20:13); and each “shall stand before the judgment seat of God to give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11, 12). The New Testament uses symbols to describe the destiny for evildoers as a fiery furnace, (Mt 13:42; 25:30, 41); like Gehenna with “unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:43). Or in the parable of the rich man, hell is a place of eternal suffering — with no possibility of return, nor of the alleviation of pain (Lk. 16:19-3 1).

MARY J. MILES, D.M.D.

This is part three of a four-part series on Heaven and Hell. Part four will appear in the Nov. 29 issue of The Message.

JEFF HOFFMAN and ANDY HOFFMAN Owners

(812) 425-0165 1400 Fountain Ave. Evansville, IN 47710

Proud sponsor of the 2013 Christmas Coloring Contest

2014 Air Tours with Collette Vacations Departing from Evansville Please visit our website for details

2013 TOURS

Tropical Costa Rica

Trains of Colorado Rockies

Sat., Jan. 18 - Sun., Jan. 26

Fri., July 11 - Sat., July 19

From the Outback to the Glaciers E-mail or call for available dates

Motorcoach Tours Country Christmas at Opryland Hotel Wed., Dec. 4 - Fri., Dec 6 Lodging at Opryland Hotel Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes General Jackson Luncheon Cruise Lorrie Morgan Dinner Show 2 Nights Lodging

Hawaiian Adventure Thurs., Feb. 27 - Sat., March 8

Beijing City Stay Tues., March 25 - Wed., April 2

Pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes Sun., April 6 - Tues., April 15

Air Tours

with Collette Vacations

Christmas on the Danube Fri., Nov. 29 - Sat., Dec. 7

Classic Christmas Markets Wed., Dec. 11 - Thurs., Dec. 19 Markets in Strasbourg, Wurzburg, Nuremberg, Munich and Innsbruck

California New Year’s Getaway Featuring the Tournament of Roses Parade Sun., Dec. 29, 2013 - Thurs., Jan. 2, 2014

Springtime Tulip River Cruise Fri., April 25 - Sat., May 3

Northern National Parks Fri., May 16 - Fri., May 23

Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains Sat., May 24 - Sun., June 1

Pacific Northwest and California Mon., June 30 - Mon., July 7

Alaska Adventure

One-Day Shows and Getaways

Tues., July 1 - Fri., July 11

Variety! Christmas Spectacular

Discover Scotland

Two Dates! Fri., Nov. 22 or Tues., Dec. 3 Badgett Playhouse • Lunch at Patti’s

“War Horse” KCA — Louisville Saturday, November 23

Mon., July 7 - Thurs., July 17

The Beauty of Britain Thurs., July 10 - Fri., July 18

on awls R y r r. Jer y & leans tou d n a r S wO a Ne

Rockies Rail Highlights Sat., July 12 - Sun., July 20

Ireland’s Coastal Treasures Thurs., July 17 - Fri., July 25

California Coast Sun., Aug. 17 - Mon., Aug. 25

America’s Cowboy Country Tues., Sept. 2 - Tues., Sept. 9

Classic Christmas Markets Fri., Nov. 28 - Sat., Dec. 6

California New Year’s Getaway Feat. the Tournament of Roses Parade Dec. 29, 2014 - Jan. 2, 2015

“Sister Act” Matinee, Fox Theatre — St. Louis Sunday, December 1

Christmas at Fontanel and Opryland Hotel Sunday, December 1 Lunch and tour of Fontanel (Barbara Mandrell’s former home) Entertainment by Deborah Allen “Rockin’ Little Christmas” Quick stop at Opry Mills Christmas decorations at Opryland Hotel

“Winter Wonderettes” Derby Dinner Playhouse Tuesday, December 3 Includes lunch

Garden Glow 2013 Wednesday, December 4 Missouri Botanical Garden Lunch included at Eckert’s and make a Gingerbread House Garden Glow admission included

2014 Motorcoach Tours Savannah Springs Into Spring Mon., Mar. 17 - Fri., Mar. 21

Our Nation’s Capital Wed., April 9 - Tues., April 15

“Wicked” TPAC — Nashville, Tenn. Two 1-Day Tours! Sat., April 12 or Sun., April 13

Colonial Williamsburg Tues., April 22 - Sun., April 27

Christmas at Opryland

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Two 1-Day Tours! Fri., Dec. 6 or Sat., Dec. 7 See the decorations • Shop at Opry Mills

Fox Theatre — St. Louis Sunday, May 4

Hap py g roup in

Hava na, C uba.

Yellowstone and the American West Tues., Sept. 2 - Sat., Sept. 13

St. Louis Shopping and Way of Lights

The Belle Turns 100!

Saturday, December 7 Shop at St. Louis Galleria Shrine Buffet included Drive through Way of Lights

Belle of Louisville Lunch Cruise “Two One-Day Tours!” Wed., Oct. 15 & Thurs., Oct. 16

Lifestyle Tours 700 State Road 269 • New Harmony, Indiana 47631 Phone: 812.682.4477 • Toll-free: 1-800-353-7469 E-Mail: [email protected] • Website: lifestyletoursonline.com

THE MESSAGE

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

21

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE BY FATHER DONALD DILGER

Twice a year, on the first Sunday of Advent, and on the thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time, the liturgy visits the last discourse of Jesus in Mark, or Matthew, or Luke. The final discourse is concerned with Gospel: events preceding the end of Luke 21:5-19 time, the return of Jesus, and final judgment. This year, Cycle C, gives us Luke’s version of the discourse. Luke has to deal with a problem. The teaching and preaching of Paul and the Gospel of Mark prepared Christians for a quick return of Jesus. The longing for Jesus’ quick return is understandable when we consider that Christians in the first century were a persecuted minority looking for relief from their Lord. Luke copes with the problem of Jesus’ nonreturn by dividing his version of Jesus’ final discourse into the end of the temple and the end of time. The first part has to do with the end of the temple. Jesus and his disciples had come to Jerusalem for the Passover, and were spending some time in the city. While sitting in the temple area, Jesus noticed people putting donations into thirteen chests set out to appeal for the cause designated on each chest. The wealthy were donating large sums. A poor widow came by and dropped her donation into a chest. Jesus swore that the widow put in more than all the others, “for they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had.” This is the introduction to the Lucan Jesus’ prediction of the end of the temple. When Luke wrote his gospel in the eighties of the first Christian century, the temple was gone. It had been destroyed by the Roman army in 70 A.D. during the Roman-Jewish War of Independence. Luke needs to assign a cause for the destruction of the temple. It is probable that in Luke’s theology the temple was destroyed because of the greed of the Sadducean high

priests governing the temple. The same motive is behind Jesus’ attack on the temple when he arrived in Jerusalem. During the attack Luke attributes to Jesus these words partly from Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” We do not know that God intended the end of the temple because of the greed of the high priestly clans. From a human point of view the destruction of the temple was a result of Jewish rebellion against Roman occupation and the revenge taken by the Roman army in the capture of Jerusalem after a long siege. The second part of Luke’s version of Jesus’ final discourse is concerned with the end of time (end of the world, end of the age). Immediately Luke deals with the disappointment that Jesus had not returned as expected. The first words of Jesus in Mark’s gospel: “The time is at hand!” Luke depicts the same Jesus (or rather Jesus according to Luke) saying, “Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not follow them!” Luke moves to Mark’s version of the final discourse, citing the catastrophes of earth and sky that were expected to precede the end. He also adds from Mark, “But the end is not yet.” Mark had written, “The gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” Luke omits this sentence because by his time this was considered to have been accomplished, as Paul noted in Rom 1:8; 10:18; Colossians 1:6, 23; 1 Thessalonians 1:8. Studiously copying from Mark, Luke adds the standard forms of doom of this kind of literature, most of it from the Old Testament, some of it from more recent experience of the gospel authors. These standard forms of doom: wars, rebellions, famine, epidemics, earthquakes. The disastrous earthquakes and resulting eruption of Mt. Vesuvius happened only a few years before the gospels were written. In

Golden Jubilarians David and Donna (Cambron) Hirsch will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary on Dec. 28. They were married Nov. 16, 1963, at Good Shepherd Church in Evansville. They are the parents of Dan Hirsch of Columbus, Ind., Debbie Powell of Paducah, Ky., Diane Hormuth of Sammamish, Wash., and Duane Hirsch of Scottsdale, Ariz. They have nine grandchildren. Mr. Hirsch is a farmer. Mrs. Hirsch is retired from St. Mary’s Physicians’ Health Group.

Special Jubilarians Bill and Mae Bridge of Holland celebrated their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary on Nov. 6. They were married Nov. 6, 1948, at Holy Name Church in Birmingham, Mich. They are the parents of eight children. Mr. Bridge enlisted in the United States Maritime Service for two years; he then enlisted in the U.S. Navy for eight years. Mrs. Bridge worked for the Michigan Bell Telephone Co. for 35 years. They have both been involved in volunteer work in nursing homes and in hospitals.

what age of humankind have these events not happened? Persecutions and betrayal among family members are cited – all of which happened in the persecution of Christians at Rome in the sixties. It is clear that neither Paul, nor Mark, nor any other New Testament author knew much about the end. They could never have envisioned the world lasting another two thousand years and beyond. What are we to do with their admonitions? Take to heart the last sentence of today’s gospel, “By your perseverance you will save your lives.” Old Testament Prophets often refer to the Lord’s intervention on earth to protect and save his people, or judge and punish them. They call it the “Day of the Lord,” or “that day.” In the New Testament the same First Reading: awaited day of deliverance Malachi 3:19-20a or judgment became the Day of the Lord Jesus. As already in the Old Testament, so also in the New Testament many a catastrophic event was considered God’s final intervention but was not. Catastrophic events have always happened on this earth or in the sky. Doomsayers will continue to proclaim them as the signs of the end. The prophet Malachi uses standard vocabulary to describe his expectations, “The day is coming like a blazing oven, setting on fire the proud and the evildoers.” But for the good, “the sun of justice with its healing rays.” The author of this letter deals harshly with Christians who stopped working because “the end was at hand.” He Second Reading: presents himself as a 2 Thessalonians model of hard, steady 3:7-12 work, even though the end was expected. To the idlers he writes, “Work quietly and eat your own food.”

THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS Scriptogram For Sunday, November 17: YOU WILL BE H AT E D B Y A L L B E C AU S E O F M Y NAME, BUT NOT A HAIR ON YOUR HEAD WILL BE DESTROYED. — LUKE

21:17-18

Special Jubilarians Ray and Evelyn (Lasher) Orth of Darmstadt will celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary with their family on Nov. 16. They were married Nov. 14, 1953, at St. Benedict Church in Evansville. They are the parents of Ray Orth Jr. who is deceased, Nancy Myers and Ken Orth, both of Evansville, Dan Orth of Darmstadt, Jim Orth and Greg Orth, both of Evansville, Barb Martin of Griffith, Ind., Jeff Orth, Alice Duvall, Chuck Orth and Martha Alle, all of Darmstadt, Ron Orth of Evansville, Mary Sorg of Haubstadt, and Linda Eberlein of Carry, Ill. They have 35 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. They are parishioners at St. James Parish in Haubstadt.

Safe Environment Program — Framework for Youth Protection THE VISION Youth are recognized and valued as gifts from God THE PLAN • Education is provided to protect children • All staff members and volunteers participate in training • Best practices commitment to be signed • Resources are provided • Hiring practices include background checks

EMOTIONAL ABUSE PHYSICAL ABUSE • Striking with a hand, fist or instrument • Throwing • Shaking • Burning • Suffocating • Drowning

FRAMEWORK COMPONENTS • Documents and Policies • Best Practices • Curriculum and Resources • Hiring Practices • Definitions • Forms DIOCESAN POLICY • Report to the Authorities • Inform the Victim Assistance Coordinator YOUTH PROTECTION COORDINATORS • Appointed for every parish/high school • Implement program at local level • Report annually to Diocesan office BEST PRACTICES FOR PASTORAL CONDUCT • Two-deep leadership • No one-on-one contact • Respect of privacy • Proper preparations • Separate accommodations • No secret organizations

• Mental/Emotional harm inflicted by a constant pattern of verbal harassment, threats, and systematic destruction of a child’s self-esteem Physical Indicators • Eating disorders • Elimination problems • Speech disorders

Physical Indicators • Bruises and/or abrasions in suspicious areas • Burns

Behavioral Indicators • Habit disorders • Poor relationships • Behavioral extremes • Sleep problems • Withdrawal • Anxiety

WHAT IS NEGLECT • Chronic failure to meet basic needs – Food, clothing, shelter – Medical care – Education – Supervision RECOGNIZING NEGLECT Physical Indicators – Fatigue – Hunger – Poor school attendance – Lack of adequate grooming and/or clothing – Unattended health needs

WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE? • The physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, exploitation, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under the age of 18 (except in the case of sexual abuse, where age is specified by the child protection law of the State) by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare

4 TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE • Physical • Neglect • Sexual • Emotional

Behavioral Indicators • Premature knowledge of explicit sex acts • Aggressive, overt sexual behavior • Sleep disorders • Self-destructive behaviors • Behavioral extremes

Behavioral Indicators • Habit disorders • Poor relationships • Behavioral extremes • Sleep problems • Withdrawal • Anxiety

SEXUAL ABUSE • Utilization of a child for sexual gratification by an adult or older child in which the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of the adult. Physical Indicators • Sexually transmitted disease • Recurrent urinary tract infections • Difficulty walking and sitting

CHARACTERISTICS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSIVE PARENTS • Belittling/criticizing • Little or no interest in child • Threatening child or child’s possessions • Cutting child off from normal social expression • Teaching deviant patterns of behavior

CHILD ABUSE REPORTING LAWS • Any person who “has reason to believe” must report. • Failure to report may be a Class B misdemeanor, as well as moral and/or civil liability. • Names of reporters are confidential. • Immunity for reporters from civil or criminal liability when reporting in good faith.

COMPLYING WITH DIOCESAN POLICY If you have reason to believe child abuse may have taken may be easily photocopied and displayed throughout the area of your ministry or service. place, YOU MUST REPORT IT. Familiarize yourself with the definitions of abuse and the indicators of abuse. Read carefully the “Best Practices for Adults Who Work With Youth.” The practice of “two-deep leadership” — along with the other practices described — are designed to protect children and young adults as well as those who minister to them. A copy of diocesan policy, “Report and Inform,” is provided in English and Spanish. This policy, along with the telephone number of the Victims Assistance Coordinator,

Please note the section on page 23 entitled “Catholic Diocese of Evansville: Best Practices for Pastoral Conduct,” is designed to be removed from this issue, signed and submitted to your parish Youth Protection Coordinator. Please provide the requested information, including your printed name, your signature, the date of your signature, and the parish or agency you serve. A copy of the “Best Practices for Pastoral Conduct” is provided for you as a reminder of your commitment. It may be dated for your own records.

About Child and Youth Protection

Catholic Diocese of Evansville

BEST PRACTICES FOR PASTORAL CONDUCT

The Diocese of Evansville is committed to providing a safe environment for all minors, which entails being in compliance with all youth protection requirements of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection. On Aug. 23, 2012, the diocese was informed that it is in full compliance with the data collection requirements for the 2011-12 Charter audit period. These findings were forwarded to the Secretariat of Youth and Child Protection for use in its 2012 Audit Report.

DIOCESAN POLICY: REPORT AND INFORM Toll-free: 800-800-5556

Report child abuse

Every allegation of child abuse must be reported to Child Protection Services, an agency of Indiana state government.

Report and inform

Toll-free: 800-800-5556 • Local: 812-490-9565

In the event of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor (a person under 18) by diocesan personnel, report the allegation to authorities, and inform the Victims Assistance Coordinator for the diocese.

Gratis: 800-800-5556

Denuncie

Toda acusación de abuso de un niño debe ser reportado a los Servicios de Protección del Niño (Child Protection Service, CPS), una agencia del gobierno del estado de Indiana.

Gratis: 866-200-3004 • Local: 812-490-9565

Denuncie e informe

En caso de una acusación del abuso sexual de un menor de edad (persona menor de 18 años) por personal diocesano, es la política de la diócesis de Evansville reportar la acusación a las autoridades públicas e informar al Coordinador Diocesano de Asistencia para las Víctimas.

CHILD ABUSE REPORTING LAWS • Any person who “has reason to believe” must report. • Failure to report may be a Class B misdemeanor, as well as moral and/or civil liability. • Names of reporters are confidential. • Immunity for reporters from civil or criminal liability when reporting in good faith. The full text of diocesan policies and procedures is available at parishes and YPC offices, at the Catholic Center, and on the diocesan website, www.evansville-diocese.org

Catholic Diocese of Evansville BEST PRACTICES FOR PASTORAL CONDUCT (For Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff, and Volunteers)

Our children are the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. As one who works with children in any capacity, I promise to follow these best practices as a condition of my providing services to the children and youth of our diocese. I will: • treat everyone with respect, loyalty, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity, and consideration. • report any suspected abuse and neglect to the local Child Protection Services agency or civil authorities; then inform the appropriate supervisor. • report suspected sexual abuse by diocesan personnel to the local Child Protection Services agency or civil authorities; then inform the Victims Assistance Coordinator. • cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or youth. • participate fully in the required training sessions for adults working with children/youth. • refrain from smoking or using tobacco products at any time while serving children and/or youth in parish or diocesan sponsored functions. • refrain from using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at any time while serving children and/or youth in parish or diocesan functions. I understand that failure to report suspected abuse to civil authorities is, according to the law, a Class B misdemeanor. The only exceptions to this requirement involve information learned within the Sacrament of Reconciliation or within an attorney-client relationship. I understand that as one who works with children and/or youth in any capacity, I am subject to a thorough criminal history background check. I understand that any action inconsistent with these best practices may result in termination of my giving services to children and/or youth. I certify with my signature below that I have read the diocesan policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct with minors. Complete form and forward to YPC Coordinator.

_____________________________________________________________________________ Adult’s Printed Name _____________________________________________________________________________ Adult’s Signature Today’s Date Parish/Agency

_______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

(For Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff, and Volunteers) Our children are the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. As one who works with children in any capacity, I promise to follow these best practices as a condition of my providing services to the children and youth of our diocese. I will: • treat everyone with respect, loyalty, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity, and consideration. • report any suspected abuse and neglect to the local Child Protection Services agency or civil authorities; then inform the appropriate supervisor • report suspected sexual abuse by diocesan personnel to the local Child Protection Services agency or civil authorities; then inform the Victims Assistance Coordinator. • cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or youth. • participate fully in the required training sessions for adults working with children/youth. • refrain from smoking or using tobacco products at any time while serving children and/or youth in parish or diocesan sponsored functions. • refrain from using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at any time while serving children and/or youth in parish or diocesan functions. I understand that failure to report suspected abuse to civil authorities is, according to the law, a Class B misdemeanor. The only exceptions to this requirement involve information learned within the Sacrament of Reconciliation or within an attorney-client relationship. I understand that as one who works with children and/or youth in any capacity, I am subject to a thorough criminal history background check. I understand that any action inconsistent with these best practices may result in termination of my giving services to children and/or youth.

For my own records: I have certified with my signature that I have read the diocesan policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct with minors. I signed and returned this form to the Youth Protection Coordinator in my parish/agency of the Diocese of Evansville on

______________________________ Date

BEST PRACTICES FOR ADULTS WHO WORK WITH YOUTH Two-deep Leadership Two approved (“approved” means that the Pastor knows the person and approves him or her AND the person has submitted to a criminal history background check.) Adult leaders or one approved leader and a parent of a participant, both of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required for all parish sponsored youth activities. The parish is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities. No one-on-one contact One-on-one contact between adults and youth is not permitted. In the rare situations that require personal conferences, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths. Note: Professional Mental Health Counselors, who are required to follow the Ethical Code of their professional discipline, State licensing requirements, and State legislation regulating professional conduct, may conduct one-on-one private counseling sessions. The term Professional Mental Health Counselor, as used herein, means a person with a master’s degree in a recognized mental health discipline, who is licensed, or supervised by a licensed professional, and is employed by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville or is officially approved by the Catholic Education Office to provide services on school premises. Respect of privacy Adult leaders must respect the privacy of youth and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations. Separate accommodations When staying overnight, no youth is permitted to sleep in the room of an adult other than his or her own parent or guardian. Proper preparation for high adventure activities. Activities with elements of risk should never be undertaken without proper preparation, equipment, clothing, competent supervision, and safety measures. No secret organizations The Diocese of Evansville does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the youth program are open to observation by pastors, parents, and leaders. Even in cases of closed membership (i.e. TEC, Knights of Columbus Squire Circles, etc.) parents and pastors MUST be admitted at any time to observe the program. Appropriate attire Proper clothing for activities is required. Modest dress is always required. Guidelines for appropriate attire for a given activity should be written and stated before all youth functions. Constructive discipline Discipline used in youth ministry, educational, and catechetical ministry should be constructive and reflect the Church’s values. Corporal punishment is never permitted. Hazing is prohibited Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any activity. Adult leaders must monitor and guide the leadership techniques used by youth leaders and ensure that diocesan policies are followed.

THE MESSAGE

24

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Faith is guiding light in family glass business BY TIM LILLEY Message editor

It’s easy to understand why Siemers Glass recently celebrated its 70th anniversary in Evansville. “Our priority is to treat people the way we want to be treated,” said Mark Weinzapfel, president of the company and manager of Siemers’ four locations. The business is well-known to readers of The Message — Siemers is one of the longest-running advertisers in the paper’s history. Hanging prominently in the work area of the Evansville location, at 1021 Walnut St., is the Siemers sign created in 1952 by Swanson-Nunn Electric Co. It first hung at 1010 Vine St., an address associated with Siemers for decades. Jane Weinzapfel, Mark’s wife, represents the third generation of the founding Siemers family in the business. Her mother, Kate, still works in the office every day — after morning Mass at Sacred Heart parish. “We were founding members of Corpus Christi,” she said, of her late husband, Jack, who passed away five years ago, and herself. Mark, Jane and their son Mac are members of St. Philip parish. “Carl and John Siemers started the company in 1943,” Mark said. “They initially worked out of one stall at Krauss Automotive. In 1945, they built a 50 x 50 building at 1010 Vine and moved into that location, which the company called home until 1982.” “We moved to Walnut Street on our 40th wedding anniversary,” Kate recalled. “We had to move the business ourselves because no movers were willing to handle so much glass. Jack was so proud that we completed the move without breaking a single piece.” Siemers became an Evansville business staple because of its automotive-glass work. To-

day, however, that’s just one element of a business that has expanded to include locations in Jasper, Mount Vernon and Princeton. In its 71st year, Siemers still does automotive glass — and quite a bit of it. But the company also builds thermal-panes in house, and has been since 1996. It also handles a wide variety of residential and commercial glass products, and also does screens and awnings. In recent years, the business has invested in equipment that enables Mark, Mac and the rest of the Siemers staff to do straight-line edging and professional polishing in-house, along with drilling glass when required for special applications. In the early days, a shift in the shop meant auto glass for founders Carl and John Siemers. They would see quite a different dynamic today. “One of the certainties is that you never know what you’re going to do on a given day,” Mark said. “We still do automotive glass, but even that has changed over the years with technology. “Some customers prefer to have us come out to their homes or places of businesses, but windshields have changed to the point where we believe we can do an even better job for them in our shop,” he explained. “We provide free pickup and delivery service for our customers, though, so we make it as convenient as possible.” Siemers services other vehicles “in the field,” too. “We work on large mining vehicles in the area,” Mark explained. Back at the shops, customers are liable to see vehicles like those their parents and grandparents drove. “We’ve had a 1957 Studebaker and a 1969 GTO in the shop recently,” Mark said, “in addition to current vehicles.” When Mac joined his parents on the staff, this family business

Message photo by Tim Lilley

Mac Weinzapfel, left, stands with his mom Jane, grandmother Kate Siemers and dad Mark below the Siemers Glass neon sign that helped make the company’s 1010 Vine St. location a tri-state landmark for decades. Siemers moved into its current location, at 1021 Walnut St., in 1986, where the sign found its new home. Longtime Evansville business Swanson-Nunn Electric made the sign. moved forward into a fourth generation. “We’re all Mater Dei grads,” Jane said. “Our faith definitely plays a role in the business,” Mark added. “I believe people come to us because they know we’re going to do the job right. That’s a big part of how we treat people the way we want to be treated.”

Your Family Pharmacy Oak Hill Pharmacy Prescription Specialists Hwy. 62 and N. Weinbach Ave. LARRY SCHULTHEIS, Prop.

425-4422

PAUL’S PHARMACY Paul Mayer, Owner 2345 W. Franklin St.

425-4364 1225 Washington Square

962-3500

Congratulations on your retirement Father Tim. Thank you for your years of service to God’s ministry and His people. May you have a blessed retirement knowing that your ministry was an inspiration to all.

Father Tim Tenbarge The Cluster Parishes of St. Anthony of Padua and Sacred Heart of Jesus invite you to congratulate Father Tim on his retirement and wish him the best in the future.

Open House Sunday, November 24, 2013 • 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. E.S.T. St. Anthony of Padua Parish Fellowship Hall, 4444 Ohio Street, St. Anthony, Indiana Food & Refreshments provided