Shelter and Support Doctors After Tests Show Cancer Cells
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Inside Touched by tornadoes Surprise gift connects two communities touched by tornadoes, Criterion page 3. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com August 24, 2012 Vol. LII, No. 45 75¢ Cardinal to plan treatment with MaryPhoto by Ann Garber Shelter and support doctors after tests show cancer cells CHICAGO (CNS)—Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago will work with his doctors to determine a Melanie Carr Submitted photo by course of treatment after test results showed cancerous cells in his kidney and in a nodule removed Above, St. Barnabas School students, then from his liver. fourth-graders, pose for a class photo after The archdiocese planting flowers in “Lisa’s Garden” at made the “The Good House” in downtown Indianapolis. announcement on Aug. 17. The cardinal Left, thanks to dedicated volunteers, this received the results historic home at 527 N. College Ave. in Cardinal Indianapolis has become a temporary Francis E. George after undergoing a procedure on Aug. 15 residence for cancer patients receiving at Loyola University Medical Center. bone marrow transplants and their families, After resting at home over the weekend, who often need a place to stay for up to Cardinal George went on retreat for a week. 30 days. “The Good House” ministry is “We have no further information at this sustained by volunteers, mostly from time,” the archdiocese said. St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis. Prayers were said for the cardinal and all those battling cancer during all weekend Masses. Memories of Cardinal George has headed the Chicago Archdiocese since 1997. He was loved ones lead made a cardinal a year later. He was president of the U.S. Conference of volunteers Catholic Bishops from 2007 to 2010. In late July 2006, he underwent surgery to care for cancer for bladder cancer. Doctors removed Cardinal George’s bladder, prostate gland and patients at sections of his ureters—the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder—after a ‘The Good House’ biopsy showed there was cancer in his bladder and a blockage indicated that the disease was By Mary Ann Garber moving into one of the ureters. After his release from the hospital, he Hope and friendship are the focus at recuperated at home and kept a limited “The Good House” in Indianapolis, a schedule. By late fall of that year, he resumed temporary home for bone marrow transplant a normal schedule. Pathology tests after his patients and their families. surgery showed that the cancer had not spread The historic house at 527 N. College Ave. and his doctors called him a “cancer survivor.” has been lovingly restored and renovated by A native of Chicago, Cardinal George was volunteers to provide free lodging for people ordained a priest in 1963 as a member of the living with cancer and their relatives in need Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He of a place to stay during medical treatments served as bishop of Yakima, Wash., from 1990 at Indiana University Health’s bone marrow to 1996, when he was named archbishop of transplant clinic several miles away. Portland, Ore. About a year later, he was The house was named for the late appointed to the Chicago Archdiocese, Dr. Robert Alan Good, a native of succeeding the late Cardinal Joseph See HOUSE, page 2 L. Bernardin. † Dinner is about engaging presidential candidates, not endorsing them, Cardinal Dolan says NEW YORK (CNS)—The Al Smith Dinner on Oct. 18 at the Waldorf Astoria exception: I am receiving stacks of dinner in New York brings people of faith Hotel in New York. mail protesting the invitation to together for “an evening of friendship, In presidential election years, in a President Obama—and by the way, even civility and patriotism to help those in need,” tradition of some objecting to the invitation to not to endorse either candidate running for bipartisanship, the Gov. Romney,” he said. the U.S. presidency, said Cardinal Timothy foundation’s board “The objections are somewhat M. Dolan of New York. has usually invited heightened this year since the Catholic The purpose of the dinner is to show the the presidential community in the United States has nation and the Catholic Church “at our candidates of the rightly expressed vigorous criticism of the best,” he said in an Aug. 14 post on his blog two major parties to president’s support of the abortion license, titled “The Gospel in the Digital Age.” speak. and his approval of mandates which “An invitation to the Al Smith dinner is Cardinal Dolan radically intruded upon freedom of not an award, or the provision of a platform used his blog to religion,” Cardinal Dolan said. to expound views at odds with the Church,” respond to criticism “We bishops, including yours truly, have the cardinal said. “It is an occasion of of the invitation to been unrelenting in our opposition to these Cardinal conversation; it is personal, not partisan.” Timothy M. Dolan Obama, who issues, and will continue to be,” he said. President Barack Obama and supports legal But he pointed out that those who started Gov. Mitt Romney, his Republican abortion. He said he also has received the Smith dinner 67 years ago were people opponent, have accepted the invitation to be complaints that Romney was invited. who “believed that you can accomplish a lot the keynote speakers at the 67th annual The dinner “has never been without more by inviting folks of different political Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation controversy. … This year is surely no See DOLAN, page 3 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, August 24, 2012 “I totally understand what these HOUSE people are going through, and just want to help in whatever way I continued from page 1 Submitted photo can,” Latimer said. “This is a Minnesota who performed the fantastic way to do it and first successful human bone marrow honor her.” transplant and is considered a Even in the face of health founder of modern immunology. setbacks, he said, “Lisa would say, It was aptly named by ‘When I get through this, I want to St. Barnabas parishioner try to help other people.’ … She and “Good House” volunteer fought very hard.” Becky Armbruster of Indianapolis, who said “it is a good place to be The generosity of children during a difficult time.” Since their fourth-grade year, Hundreds of St. Barnabas Grant’s classmates at St. Barnabas parishioners and students have School have helped build embraced this hospitality ministry birdhouses, create a decorative as volunteers since it was organized stone pathway, plant a colorful in 2010 under the leadership of flower garden in Lisa’s memory, Armbruster, a Roncalli High School purchase a stone bench for the graduate, and Reid Latimer, a yard and clean rooms at parishioner and Indianapolis “The Good House” to make it more firefighter. cheerful for guests. Even more amazing, the From grief to service children decided to participate in a The desire to help others and day of service there instead of honor the memory of their loved going on a class field trip. ones motivated Armbruster and “I think it’s a tremendous thing St. Barnabas parishioners, from left, Lisa, Grant and Reid Latimer of Indianapolis pose for a family photograph after Grant’s Latimer to team up as principal for them to learn to give back,” First Communion a few years ago. Lisa died on Aug. 26, 2010, of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Parishioners formed a volunteers for this unique Latimer said. “Here are 10- and volunteer group and planted a garden in her memory as part of “The Good House” hospitality ministry for bone marrow community ministry after they met 11-year-old kids that are making a transplant patients and their families. at the transplant clinic. positive contribution to other Four years ago, Armbruster’s people. It’s really sweet to see that. husband, Doug, also a Roncalli “We want this house and what graduate, died of complications we’re doing here to be very Submitted photo from graft versus host disease positive,” he said. “It’s a fantastic during his cancer treatments. ministry. … I think our goal is just MaryPhoto by Ann Garber Two years ago, on Aug. 26, to make people’s lives a little easier, Latimer’s wife, Lisa, lost her a little bit less stressful. … It’s an courageous battle against acute incredible sense of joy for me to, in lymphoblastic leukemia—a valiant some way, honor my wife.” fight that required undergoing a bone marrow transplant. Long bedside vigils Lisa’s husband and their son, Armbruster said she “pretty Grant, now a sixth-grade student at much lived at the hospital and slept St. Barnabas School, were joined in a chair next to his bed” during during her cancer journey and later her husband’s illness even though Above, Doug and Becky Armbruster of Indianapolis pose for a in their grief by many parish she lived in Indianapolis. photograph before he became ill due to complications from friends, who expressed their love “My family made it possible for his cancer treatments. He died four years ago. They are and sorrow by organizing a me to be there with him all the Roncalli High School graduates. She volunteers at “The Good volunteer group in her honor to time,” she said. “Everything was House” to help other cancer patients and their families. help other cancer patients and taken care of so I was able to spend their families. all that time with him. Your life gets Right, roses and a colorful birdhouse painted by St. Barnabas “Lisa’s Warriors,” about totally interrupted and stopped School students decorate the front porch of “The Good House” in 100 volunteers from the when you [or a loved one] get a downtown Indianapolis, a hospitality ministry for cancer patients Indianapolis South Deanery parish, [cancer] diagnosis.