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50¢ March 18, 2007 Volume 81, No. 11 www.diocesefwsb.org/TODAY Serving the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend TTODAYODAY’’SS CCATHOLICATHOLIC How is your TV Mass Sister meets pen pal Lent going? Visit to state prison builds courage and hope Find out how it goes for others in Real Lent BY JENNIFER OCHSTEIN Page 9 MISHAWAKA — When a letter from the Indiana State Prison arrived two years ago for Franciscan Sister Agnes Marie Regan, she admitted she was a bit baffled. Spring sports ready “I was thinking, ‘Now, what could this mean,’” for action Sister Agnes Marie said from her home at St. Francis Convent in Mishawaka. Preview of the spring As it turned out, the letter, adorned with smiley faces, came from an inmate named Ken, who is serv- athletic season underway ing a 60-year sentence for burglary. Pages 10-17 He invited her to be his pen pal. She accepted. Known among the inmates at the Michigan City Indiana State Prison as the “TV Mass Sister,” inmates, including Ken, watch her introduce the Sunday morn- Cardinal Rigali goes ing Mass on WNDU Channel 16, Sister Agnes Marie said. Sister Agnes Marie also serves as a pastoral asso- pop culture ciate at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend. Nearly 80 inmates take part in the St. Dismas Lenten reflections posted on Community Within the Walls group, which meets You Tube Internet site together each week for the television Mass and Bible study, she explained. Page 3 “I just do my job,” Sister Agnes Marie said of being TV Mass Sister. “But you just don’t know what it means for someone else.” While experiencing few qualms about writing, in February, Ken invited Sister Agnes Marie to join Environmental University of Notre Dame Knights of Columbus and students who come to the prison to offer an annual stewardship feast for prisoners. Congressman meets with JENNIFER OCHSTEIN And even though she again accepted his invitation, Sister Agnes Marie Regan is pen pals with an inmate named Ken at the Indiana State Prison this time, she said, her courage nearly failed her. New Haven students On the way to the prison, riding with Holy Cross in Michigan City. Over Christmas, Ken sent Balto, the husky and shepherd mix that lives Page 3 with Sister Agnes Marie and the other sisters at St. Francis Convent in Mishawaka, a home- made card. Sending cards is Ken’s ministry in prison. PEN PAL, PAGE 5 Sharathon St. Adalbert Parish responds WOMAN TOUCHES MOSAIC preliminaries OF JESUS ON THE CROSS Redeemer Radio celebrates to immigration raid one year anniversary Adalbert. Of the 36, one was immediately Page 22 BY DON CLEMMER released upon reaching Chicago when it was realized that he was documented. As of SOUTH BEND — Thirty-six candles at St. March 11, 31 were still in detention, and the Adalbert’s March 6 prayer vigil and informa- five that have been released have been com- tion session commemorated 36 members of ing to Mass. the parish’s Hispanic community who had While families from the Hispanic commu- been detained earlier that day at a raid by nity are far less likely to register in a parish, Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Father Cox explains, “They would all identi- Janco Composites, a Mishawaka plant that fy with the parish in one way or another.” makes fiberglass products for a variety of Father Cox recognizes the responsibility industries. of the government to uphold the law, but A parishioner who works at Janco — him- quickly adds, “I think our immigration laws self a documented immigrant — recounted are broken and really need some significant for those gathered for the vigil how the raid fixing.” unfolded, how they had been working when He also takes issue with Immigration and the officers came in with bulletproof vests Customs Enforcement’s tact of sending 70 CNS PHOTO/GREG TARCZYNSKI and weapons drawn, how the workers were officers with weapons drawn into an environ- A woman touches the hand of Jesus on the then separated by race — profiling that is ment where they would not expect hostile fire permissible under current immigration law to be returned. cross in a mosaic of the 11th Station of the — and how 36 of them were detained and “They went in with unnecessary and over- Cross along the Via Dolorosa in the Church taken to the Broadview Detention Center in the-top force that caused fear in citizen and Chicago. non-citizen alike,” Father Cox asserts, noting of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem March “Those 36 detained, to the best of my that he fears such tactics only increase the 6. The church is built on the site tradition- knowledge, were all Catholic,” says Holy Cross Father Chris Cox, pastor of St. RAID, PAGE 4 ally accepted as the burial place of Christ. 2 TODAY’ S CATHOLIC MARCH 18, 2007 TODAY’S CATHOLIC Official newspaper of the Indiana bishops learn about Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend P.O. Box 11169 Fort Wayne, IN 46856 Hoosier saint Mother PUBLISHER: Bishop John M. D’Arcy EDITOR: Tim Johnson ASSISTANT EDITOR: Don Clemmer Theodore Guérin STAFF WRITER: Kay Cozad Editorial Department the canonization of Mother Theodore. She beautiful day at Dwenger with faculty and is writing a biography of this saint, and it students. I am so grateful to our priests for PAGE DESIGNER: Francie Hogan is, for her, a work of faith and love. providing such ample time in our high FREELANCE WRITERS: Ann Carey, I was unable to go to the beatification in schools for the sacrament of penance. Michelle Castleman, Elmer J. Danch, Rome, but I celebrated Mass with Sister I was then off to Saint Joseph’s High Michelle Donaghey, Bonnie Elberson, NEWS Diane, her assistant and Msgr. William School to celebrate Mass for all the Denise Fedorow, Sister Margie Lester in my home. I told her that Mass Catholic teachers of the area after they Lavonis, CSC, Jennifer Ochstein, &NOTES was in reparation for Bishop de la heard an instructive talk on the Eucharist Theresa Thomas, Kristi Ward Hailandiére, who had treated Mother by Professor David Fagerberg of the Notre BISHOP JOHN M. D’ARCY Guérin so badly. This touched Sister Diane, Dame theology department. and it was a privilege to have a short visit Business Department with her and hear more about the life of this St. Patrick’s Day BUSINESS MANAGER: Kathy Denice extraordinary woman, the foundress of the I have never cared much for some of the AD GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: Mark Weber A journey to holiness Sisters of Providence. After the visit, I was celebrations of this day, marked by eating BOOKKEEPING/CIRCULATION: Kathy Voirol Every year, the bishops of the state of able to slip back into the beautiful church and drinking. In my home, it was a holy [email protected] Indiana meet with superiors of the religious and pray for a few minutes at the grave of day and we always went to Mass. It was a congregations who reside in Indiana. This this extraordinary religious whose holiness special blessing that in Boston it was also a Advertising Sales year was different. It was a journey to holi- should draw all of us. civic holiday. In Lent, we were dispensed Tess Steffen (Fort Wayne area) ness. After a full day in Fort Wayne with a I noted that the decree of canonization from fasting. St. Patrick was the patron of (260) 456-2824 Mass at the beloved old St. Patrick Church mentioned also what she had suffered. I the diocese. in the morning, a short stint in our evange- was pleased to pray there for a few min- It was also a day for Irish culture. My Judy Kearns (South Bend area) utes. Among the intentions that I prayed for (574) 234-0687 lization effort of phone calls, and then the dad always had bits of songs, usually patri- is that our Jubilee Year would be a grace ot songs, which he cherished. Web site: www.diocesefwsb.org/TODAY Rite of Election, always a joy, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, I and a blessing for our diocese. After all, this saint worked and lived in the Fort “Who fears to speak of Easter week Published weekly except the last headed south and then west in the late afternoon on the long journey to Terre Wayne area. Who dare its fate deplore Sunday in June, second and fourth Also, I met with Sister Denise The red gold flame of Erin’s name weeks in July, second week in August Haute. Wilkinson, SP, the present superior, and Confronts the world once more.” and last week in December by the We met there this year because the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Sisters of Providence, along with looked at some possible dates for a Mass 1103 S. Calhoun St., P.O. Box 390, Fort Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, My mom, on the other hand, Wayne, IN 46801. Periodicals postage OSB, were in charge of the day. had a great epic poem. She could paid at Fort Wayne, IN, and additional This was to honor our new Set sail in the good ships gallantly recite it completely from memo- mailing office. Hoosier saint, Mother Theodore ry. Here is that poem. It was Guérin, who is rightly considered about the coming of the Spirit to POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: to be one of the founders of the from the sunny land of Spain Ireland. Today’s Catholic, P.O. Box 11169, Fort Wayne, IN 46856-1169 or e-mail: Catholic schools in our diocese.

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