Christmas Blessings
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Volume 4, No. 2 News of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions • www.blackandindianmission.org Fall 2013 Christmas Blessings This image of Mary, Joseph and the Child Jesus is from Saint Francis Church in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. (BCIM photo / Patrick Finn) Visit us at www.blackandindianmission.org Inside this Issue Camp Tekakwitha Bureau of BCIM helps Catholic Indian Missions 2021 H Street NW rebuild camp Washington, DC 20006 4 202-331-8542 www.blackandindianmission.org Sister Dorothy [email protected] receives Established in 1874 by the Bishops of the United States service award 5 Mission To further the interests of the Catholic Indian Missions Splash in the United States. Trip promotes Mission Locations faith, culture 2 Alabama Montana 7 Alaska Nebraska Arizona New Mexico Christmas California New York Colorado North Dakota in the Wyoming Idaho Oklahoma mountains Louisiana Kansas Oregon 13 Maine South Dakota Michigan Washington Mohawk Faith Minnesota Wisconsin Mississippi Wyoming from Kahnawake Board of Directors to the Rockies Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan 14 Archbishop Charles J. Chaput Archbishop William E. Lori No longer New Website launched wish to Executive Director & Editor Mission Office staff in Washington receive our Reverend W. Carroll Paysse worked hard all summer to reinvigorate our website at www.blackandindianmission. mailings? org. Through a new partnership with our We hate to see you Managing Editor grant recipients all over the country, the go, but we will honor website will become the “go-to” place Louis G. Aguirre your wishes if you don’t to see up-to-date news about what’s happening in Catholic Native and African want to receive mail Communication Director American communities. Check it out today! from our office. Please Patrick J. Finn While you’re at it, follow us on Twitter (@ visit www.blackandin- MissionsBIMO); like us on Facebook; and dianmission.org/un- [email protected] tell your friends to sign up for our mailing subscribe or call our of- list at the website, too. fice at (202) 331-8542. www.blackandindianmission.org From the Executive Director ‘To be saints is not a privilege for the few but a vocation for everyone’ Dear Mission Family, If you didn’t travel to Rome for the canonization As I was reflecting of Saint Kateri in 2012, we offer “the next best in preparation for this thing to being there” to experience all the joy article, I ran across and excitement of the historical occasion. With this quote from Pope the collaboration of many friends and Lumen Francis: “To be saints Catechetical Consultants, we have released the is not a privilege for the DVD that places you in Rome at the Vatican! Be few, but a vocation for sure to order your copy today and send several everyone.” Our Holy copies to family and friends for Christmas gifts. Father continues to It is not too late to sign up for the Saint Kateri invite all people to draw Pilgrimage of Praise to New York and Canada, closer to Christ and to September 12-18, 2014. See details on pg. 16. recognize our individual We continue to meet the challenge of ministry dignity as persons created in God’s image. The with our Native American communities, but 3 Great Spirit Grandfather speaks to each of us and it takes all of us together. Benedict XVI, Pope offers us opportunities to reflect on our vocation in Emeritus shares with us, “evangelization is not life where we can serve and be happy or at least the work of a small number of specialists but the as happy as we can be with our particular calling entire people of God under the guidance of their and circumstances in life. Our Native American pastors.” communities teach us to open our hearts to God As a little gift from me, I offer an excerpt of this with the many, many stories that permeate the poem entitled, An Indian Prayer Christmas Day oral traditions of our indigenous brothers and by Larry Kibby. “Great Sprit Grandfather, I send sisters. Please allow yourself the joy of spending these words to you, To Father Sun, Grandmother some time with me and those whose stories and Moon, To all of my relations, To Mother Earth, traditions are shared within this publication. And to the Four Winds The Sacred Seasons of With the closing of the Year of Faith, the arrival Life. Grandfather, Today you gave The breath of of Advent and the Christmas holidays, each of us Life To an Indian Child, In a most Sacred Way. are now invited within this issue of the Sentinel Grandfather, this Indian Child Will come before to participate in a variety of celebrations and A humble Nation of people, And like his relations programs across Indian Country in New Mexico, The Eagle and the Buffalo Will be their strength Alabama, and Alaska. Be sure to jump into a In a most Sacred Way. Grandfather, This Indian new immersion program named SPLASH, where Child will be strong within, His tradition, culture friends and benefactors can actually visit Indian And religion, An intricate heritage, In a most reservations, meet missionaries, converse with Sacred Way…” Native Americans and diocesan personnel to I wish each of our readers a blessed Advent learn about the ongoing evangelization efforts of Season and a Merry Christmas! the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions and our In His Peace and Mission, diocesan ministry offices. Be sure to read the Bread and Freedom, Justice and Faith article by Father Ted Zuern, S.J. Father Zuern teaches us much about our past with Native Americans. Catch up on the latest Father Wayne Paysse happenings with our News Briefs From the Field. Executive Director www.blackandindianmission.org (BCIM photos / Patrick Finn) 4 The new chapel at Camp Tekakwitha in Alabama. At right, Birmingham Bishop Robert Baker blesses the new chapel at Camp Tekakwitha in Alabama, made possible in part by a grant from the BCIM. Camp Tekakwitha Chapel BCIM support helps rebuild Alabama camp for scouts, Native Americans to gather Editor’s note: Camp Tekakwitha was established the help of countless volunteers including Scouts, many years as a diocesan summer camp in Knights of Columbus, and the Cenacolo community. Alabama. Years of use took their toll on the camp Father Ray Keiser, former camp director, due to his property and it fell into disrepair. Birmingham close connection to the camp, has provided helpful Bishop Robert J. Baker and Don Schwarzhoff, assistance in the phases of construction. Without diocesan Director of Youth Ministry, dreamed of the numerous corporate donations, the construction the camp’s re-establishment as a center for scout of the chapel would not have been possible. camping and Catholic Native American gatherings. Father Wayne Paysse, executive director of the The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions provided a Black and Indian Mission Office, traveled from special grant to help build a round chapel in a style Washington, D.C. to be present for the dedication consonant with the local Native American cultures. and to present two awards. The 2012 Saint Here’s a report and photos from Mary Dillard of Katherine Drexel Evangelization Award was given One Voice, the Birmingham diocesan newspaper. The Lord blessed Camp Tekakwitha in to the Consolata Missionary Sisters of the Diocese Springville, Alabama with gorgeous weather for the of Birmingham by the Catholic Negro American dedication of the Saint Kateri Chapel on November Mission Board. The 2013 Saint Katherine Drexel 3. There was standing room only as Birmingham Evangelization Award was given to the Office of Bishop Robert J. Baker presided over the Mass Youth Ministry of the Diocese of Birmingham by the of Dedication with Fathers Kevin Bazzel, John Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. McDonald, Bill Lucas, Andrew Kennedy, Ray Except when an event or activity is in progress, Keiser, and Wayne Paysse. camp gates are locked. To register for events or to Don Schwarzhoff, director of Youth Ministry, has visit the camp, please contact Don Schwarzhoff at spearheaded the rejuvenation of the camp with 205-838-8301 or 205-335-2926. www.blackandindianmission.org Sister Dorothy honored in Alaska Sister Dorothy poses for a photo with former Fairbanks Bishop Donald Kettler and Father Paysse. (Photo above). Bishop Kettler, Father Paysse, Sister Judith Gomila, M.S.C., and Sister Dorothy pose with some of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of 5 Chestnut Hill following the Mass. Receives Msgr. Ketchum Service Award Photos and article by Sister Carole Pollock, S.S.J., Drexel University, Temple University, and Saint courtesy of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Peter University in New Jersey. However, for Sister Hill Dorothy, the desire and dream to be a missionary With great joy and admiration we celebrated with had been planted in her heart many years before. Sister Dorothy Giloley, S.S.J. on Sunday, September She explains, “From the time I was very young—in 29, 2013 in the Motherhouse Chapel. Fairbanks grade school—I knew I wanted to be a missionary.” Bishop Donald J. Kettler, now Bishop of Saint Sister Dorothy began her ministry in Alaska in Cloud, and Reverend Wayne Paysse, the Executive August 2001, as the Director of Religious Education Director of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Anchorage. in Washington, D.C., presided at the 10:00 a.m. Two years later, she was asked to work in the Liturgy. Sister Dorothy was awarded the Monsignor Fairbanks Diocese with the Franciscan Sisters in William Ketchum Service Award from the Bureau. the Yupik Eskimo villages in southwest Alaska. This honor is given in recognition of someone who While there she served as a catechist, developed promotes faith formation, sponsors lay leadership a sacramental preparation program, assisted the training, and evidences a strong personal faith.