LivingInside the good life Spirit of Service winners know ‘how to live the good life,’ Criterion page 3. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com May 1, 2009 Vol. XLIX, No. 29 75¢ Glendon declines to accept Notre Dame’s prestigious Laetare Medal WASHINGTON (CNS)—Citing concerns about plans to honor President Barack Obama despite his views on “fundamental principles of justice” that are contrary to Catholic teaching, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon has turned down the prestigious Laetare Medal from Mary Ann Glendon the University of Notre Dame. In an April 27 letter to Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, Glendon said she will not participate in May 17 commencement exercises during which the award was to have been presented. The letter, posted on the blog of the magazine First Things, does not mention specific justice principles, but Glendon was Submitted photo critical of Notre Dame’s decision to give Dominican Father Robert Keller, pastor of the St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington, baptizes Hillary Brooks, a senior at Indiana University in Obama an honorary degree. Bloomington, during the parish’s Easter Vigil on April 11. Obama supports legal abortion and his administration recently proposed new regulations that would allow the use of federal Relationships bring youths, young adults into the Church funds for embryonic stem-cell research. Both are in direct conflict with fundamental Church By Sean Gallagher of faith with God or is that not really important? Indiana University in Bloomington and is teaching. Does God even exist? majoring in Germanic studies. She was The Laetare Medal is presented annually to A person’s teenage and young adult Father Rick Nagel, archdiocesan director of baptized during the Easter Vigil celebrated an American Catholic layperson for years can be the most crucial of his or young adult ministry, said teenagers and young at the St. Paul Catholic Center on campus. outstanding service to the Catholic Church her life. adults often explore these questions and come Although she grew up an hour north in and society. During this time, young men and closer to God and the Church through Indianapolis, her journey to the Church A spokeswoman for the Indiana university women confront relationships. took her to Germany and Italy. confirmed on April 27 that Glendon, who Welcome new questions that “It’s all about relationships,” he said. While studying during her junior year served as ambassador from 2007 until earlier Catholics, pages 10-12. have lifelong “They’ll attend a Mass or they’ll see another in Freiberg, Germany, Brooks befriended this year, was the first person to accept and implications. young adult living out their Catholic faith and some Italians students there who were then later decline the award. What should I major in? What career is sense that there’s a greater truth there that they involved in Communion and Liberation, Father Jenkins offered a two-sentence right for me? What is more important to desire.” an Italian-based Catholic lay movement. response on the university’s Web site. me? Earning a lot of money? Earning less A teenager and two young adults made such As their friendship grew, the Italians “We are, of course, disappointed that but finding fulfillment and peace of heart? a discovery over the past year, and chose to be invited Brooks to short prayers before Professor Glendon has made this decision,” Other questions that have eternal baptized in parishes across the archdiocese lunch, to Mass and eventually to a his statement said. “It is our intention to award consequences loom even larger, but are during the Easter Vigil on April 11. Communion and Liberation conference in the Laetare Medal to another deserving sometimes not given as much attention. Rimini, Italy, that drew 7,000 people. recipient, and we will make the announcement What vocation is God calling me to? ‘A journey that will never end’ The genuine and deep way that her as soon as possible.” Am I going to have a mature relationship Hillary Brooks is a senior at See RCIA, page 2 Glendon, professor of law at See GLENDON, page 14 175th anniversary Mass to be celebrated on May 3 Criterion staff report Bruté as the first bishop of Vincennes. He, along with three priests, shepherded At 3 p.m. on May 3, approximately some 25,000 Catholics across more than 30,000 to 40,000 Catholics from across 50,000 square miles. central and southern Indiana will worship “This huge gathering of Catholics from together with approximately 20 bishops and around the archdiocese will be an exciting more than 100 priests during a Mass at demonstration of how the Church in central Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to and southern Indiana has grown in the past celebrate the 175th anniversary of the 175 years,” said Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, establishment of the Diocese of Vincennes, vicar general. “We will give God thanks for which later became the Archdiocese of his marvelous gifts to us all these years.” Indianapolis. Tickets will not be needed for general All Catholics from across central and seating in the stands. Those to be confirmed southern Indiana and those from outside the and others to be honored at the Mass will archdiocese are invited to the Mass. The have reserved seats on the stadium floor. general public may attend as well. The Mass will be broadcast on giant On May 6, 1834, Pope Gregory XVI screens in the stadium to aid those seated far established the Diocese of Vincennes. At away from the altar. the time, it compromised the entire state of All present will be able to receive Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois, Communion, and attendance at the Mass will including Chicago which, at the time, was a fulfill one’s Sunday obligation. A collection tiny village on the shore of Lake Michigan. will be taken up to support the anniversary The pope appointed then-Father Simon See ANNIVERSARY, page 12 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, May 1, 2009 same” commitment to the faith that they had RCIA made. continued from page 1 “The baptism will be the beginning. It’s just the gateway,” Brooks said. “It’s a journey Submitted photo friends and the people at the conference that will never end.” approached their faith impressed Brooks. “When you were on the bus going to the ‘I felt like I was a part of everything’ convention center for the lectures, they asked Relationships also led Laura Allen to be you to remain silent,” she said. “It was an baptized during the Easter Vigil at St. Michael outward sign that we respected the work that Church in Bradford. we were going to do.” An 18-year-old senior at North Harrison They were also quiet during the lectures, High School in southern Indiana, Laura presentations and liturgies—a marked wasn’t raised in any faith tradition. change from the Pentecostal events she But when her older sister married a would go to as a youth. Catholic, she saw the positive effect the faith “If you’ve ever seen 7,000 Italian people had on her. Laura started going to Mass with being silent together, it’s pretty impressive.” her sister and brother-in-law, and eventually After the conference, Brooks began to entered St. Michael Parish’s RCIA with her consider what God might be calling her to sister. through these friendships. The relationships that fostered her faith “It wasn’t just about making friends with expanded as she came to know some of the Father Thomas Kovatch, administrator of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Parish in Bright, poses with these people and practicing my German,” she parish’s leaders and parishioners. Natalie and Travis Scheibler on April 11 in the parish’s church after the celebration of the Easter Vigil. said. “It was something that was relevant to All of this became more important during During the liturgy, Travis was baptized, confirmed and received Communion for the first time. my life.” RCIA when Laura suffered a severe knee When she returned home for her senior injury while playing basketball. She ended up the first in the congregation to receive for years,” Natalie said. “Instead of being year, Brooks entered into St. Paul’s Rite of having her anterior cruciate ligaments Communion. After having been drawn pushy, … I think I tried to be a gentle Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) even reconstructed in one knee. All told, she has close to Christ in the sacrament and seeing [influence], … a loving example. I feel like though she knew few Catholics at IU and had this surgery done twice on both knees. the rest of the parishioners do the same, she the Holy Spirit was calling him and, through was an ocean away from the friends who had “It seems like this time around it’s been was happy with her decision to be baptized. me, Travis could recognize that.” led her to the Church. easier on me mentally to handle it,” Laura “It was nice,” she said. “I really felt like The pair, both 26, married in 2007 and But she found a group of people at said. “I expected it to be different because it I was a part of everything. That’s something are members of St. Teresa Benedicta of St. Paul’s who had a commitment to their was the fourth time. that I had missed out on my whole life.” the Cross Parish in Bright in the faith that was similar to her Italian friends.