July 10 Web.Indd

Sooner Catholic www.soonercatholic.org July 10, 2016 www.archokc.org Go Make Disciples Becoming the heart of Christ: Servant of God Fr. Stanley Rother July 28 marks the 35th anniversary of his murder By María Ruiz Scaperlanda, For the Sooner Catholic It was dusk. An unusual chill tortured for a day or two and then stand in a circle, hold hands and in the evening’s breeze testified to brutally murdered for wanting a pray – for Diego, for his family and the fact that it was January in the better life and more justice for his for peace for the village. remote lakeside village of Santiago pueblo.” Later the group at the rec- Atitlán. Father Stanley Rother, the Soon after the car sped away tory drifted into the living room parish pastor, sat in the rectory’s from the plaza, the stunned group where they sat mostly in silence, living room listening to music, as from the mission walked the area with only occasional comments. was his custom at the end of a and found Diego’s hat in front of Father Stanley turned and said to busy day – or at times, as a much Frankie, “I am so glad you are here needed respite before an evening have never eaten and experienced this with us. You full of visitors and parish activi- someone else’s can go back home and tell people ties. food,” he had said what happened.” Suddenly, Associate Pastor to Father Stanley, Counting Diego Quic, “that Father Pedro Bocel ran into the liv- “why then do they makes 11 members of this coming room, swinging open the door want to hurt me munity who have been kidnapped and yelling a panicked call. and to kill me?” and all are presumed dead,” In a matter of seconds, Father On that fateful Father Stanley wrote in a letter, as Stanley grabbed a jacket and Saturday in Jan- if counting bodies, morgues and dashed out of the rectory’s front uary of 1981, the places of burial were a normal door – just in time to witness topic for anyone. “Only one body three kidnappers who had al- has been positively identified and ready pried 30-year-old Diego buried here; there are possibly Quic from the rectory porch rail- three buried in a common [grave] ing dragging Diego down the long in Chimaltenango. They were steps of the parish church, and picked up in Antigua and the fol- shoving him into the back seat of lowing week I went to all the hos- a car parked at the bottom of the pitals and morgues in the area and stairs. got a list of their characteristics “.¡Ayúdame, ayúdame!” (Help and clothing. … For these 11 who me!), Diego cried loudly. Bewil- are gone, there are eight widows dered by his inclu- and 32 children among the group. sion on a death list, These people Diego, an educated are going to parish catechist need emer- and father of two gency help.” the Church sons, had requested kidnappers Perhaps writ- and his right asylum at the par- and Diego’s ing in a stream shoe at the ish rectory. “I have violent strug- of conscious- bottom of the never stolen, have gle broke ness, trying to steps. Some- never hurt anyone, the banister make sense of one found a on the ele- the senseless- hand grenade vated porch ness, Father Photos Archdiocese of Oklahoma City archives. on the church between the Stanley continued the letter by porch, appar- church entrance and the rectory. listing the parishioners affected ently dropped Father Stanley stepped out and by the violence who needed help: by one of the stopped where the rail had broken. the widows; the children; the kidnappers. “I just stood there wanting to people who left for fear of their Right away, jump down to help, but knowing life and can’t find work in exile; Father Stan- that I would be killed or be taken parishioners who were salaried ley walked to along also. The car sped off with by the radio station, artisan the village’s him yelling for help but no one coops and health promoters. telephone of- was able to do so. Then, I realized Still, “other towns in the diocese fice and called that Father Pedro, Frankie Wil- are being hit harder than us at the police in liams from Wichita and I had just the present,” Father Stanley ac- nearby San witnessed a kidnapping of some- knowledged. “In the past couple Lucas, asking one that we had gotten to know months three priests of the dio- them to keep an eye out for a car and love and were unable to do cese have had to leave because of coming their way. He specifically anything about it,” Father Stanley direct threats, and two others got stressed this was a kidnapping and wrote to his friend Father John scared and left. All but one were that the kidnappers were armed. Steichen, the official contact with foreigners.” The San Lucas police replied they the Church of Oklahoma. Days later, a close friend of Diego would see about it, “but they prob- “They had his mouth covered, Quic came to the rectory to see ably hid instead,” Father Stanley but I can still hear his muffled Father Stanley, distraught, still in wrote in his Jan. 5 letter. screams for help. As I got back in grief over the loss of his friend. When Father Stanley returned the rectory, I got a cramp in my Frankie remembered how “im- from the telephone office, he sug- back from the anger I felt that this pressed” she was by Father friend was being taken off to be gested to the dazed group that they continued on Page 8 2 July 10, 2016 Sooner Catholic Sooner Catholic July 10, 2016 3 Put Out Into the Deep Luke 5:4 Find more Parish youth heed pope’s call for works of mercy news on the The trifecta! website By Sally Linhart, By Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, By Sooner Catholic Staff Youth from Saint Monica parish In June, the group parishioner at Christ the in Edmond are participating in prepared sack lunches King who ministers to As I turned the page of the calendar and bid fare- Yet, God has not aban- Additional coverage of several events as part of a “Merci- for homeless men incarcerated men and Church and archdiocesan well to the month of June, I did so with a sense of doned us. Even if we are ful Summer,” in response to Pope and women in the women in Oklahoma. news and events, only on relief, but also with a good measure of gratitude. unfaithful, God remains Francis’s declaration of a Jubilee community. Fol- Following the presen- www.soonercatholic.org: Why relief? The month of June was hard on many faithful. Through the Year of Mercy. The Year of Mercy lowing their efforts, tation by Reisenberg, fronts. We saw the continuing onslaught of horrifi c prophet Jeremiah God began Dec. 8, 2015, and ends Nov. they watched “The the group completed The Sooner Catholic terror attacks: fi rst in Orlando, then in Istanbul. Our promised his people, “I 20. Letters,” the story of a ropes course to- will be on hiatus starting hearts are crushed with grief for the innocent victims will give you shepherds During the Year of Mercy, Catho- Mother Teresa and gether. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley July 11. The next issue of violence who are being sacrifi ced on the altars of after my own heart” (Jer. her strug- On July 13, the will be Aug. 7. To send gles as she group will spend the hatred and intolerance. 3:15). Just when we need photos, event information established the day visiting the sick at We had further legal setbacks in our defense of in- it most God offers a word of encouragement. God or story ideas, e-mail Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Dwell- renews his covenant daily. nocent human life as the U.S. Supreme Court struck [email protected]. Charity. ing at Saint James the down a Texas abortion law. Finally, we witnessed a During month of June I had the privilege of partic- The youth group Greater. Sister Maria of the Trin- further muddling of com- ipating in a trifecta! One also visited with Sally ity will share her ministry with mon sense and another of the principal responsi- There’s still time to Reisenberg as she shared the students and they will spend short-sighted executive bilities and great joys of a sign up for Our Lady of her experience of visiting time with residents, helping with overreach as the ban was bishop is to confer the sac- Guadalupe Catholic prisoners. Reisenberg is a various projects. Summer Camp! lifted on so-called transgen- rament of Holy Orders. It Camp 5 July 10-15 dered persons serving in is through this sacrament On July 20, Father Price Oswalt Camp 6 July 17-22 from Saint Joseph Old Cathedral the military. The tsunami of that I experience my spiri- Camp 7 July 24-29 will speak on burying the dead as tual fatherhood in a partic- this radical gender ideology Check availability at www. well as the canonization efforts continues to sweep away ularly poignant way. archokc.org/youth-and- for Servant of God Father Stanley centuries of settled wis- Last month, I conferred young-adult-offi ce/summer- lics are invited to open themselves Rother. Following the discussion, dom about what it means all three grades of Holy camp.

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