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VOL. 24, NO. 2 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF VICTORIA IN TEXAS June 2010 In This Issue . Priestly Appointments Announced, p. 2 Year for Priests: Fathers Petering & Rother, p. 3 El Campo man to be ordained deacon, p. 6 Pastoral Institute Year for Priests Summer Classes, p. 7 In commemoration of the Year for Priests, the chancery staff held a meal of appreciation for the priests in the diocese Grand re-opening of Thursday, May 13, 2010. Prior to the meal, the attending priests and chancery staff prayed the Midday Prayer taken from Presidio Museum, p. 8 the Liturgy of the Hours. During the meal, a Powerpoint display of photos of the priests ran on a screen, and at the end of the celebration, priests received green stoles, for use in Ordinary Time, with their name and date of ordination embroidered Summer youth trip upon them. They each also received from the staff a letter of thanksgiving for their love and service. policies, p. 9 El Campo CDA and As Year for Priests nears close, pope says priests must be shepherds Bloomington Parish By Catholic News Service priests should follow Jesus, who he called sponsibility, the pope said. “The spiritual anniversaries, p. 10 VATICAN CITY (CNS) —As the Year the “supreme shepherd of souls,” in their authority conferred in Holy Orders should for Priests draws to a close, Pope Benedict mission to “take care of the people of God, be matched by the priest’s interior fidelity Evangelization & Safety XVI said a priest’s foremost role is to be be teachers of the faith, animating and sus- to his pastoral mission and his personal with Internet, p. 13 a shepherd to his flock, and he asked the taining the community of Christians.” readiness to follow obediently the lead of faithful to support their priests in their task The pope quoted St. Augustine in Christ,” he said. Pope entrusts priests to of bringing people closer to God. pointing out that “it is a labor of love to In living for the benefit of his flock, Mary, p. 15 At his regular weekly audience in St. graze the flocks of the Lord,” and that the priest-shepherd must dedicate himself Peter’s Square May 26, the pope said love should act as the “supreme guide in totally, “often going against the current, conduct for the ministers of God.” and remembering that he who is big must By following this guide, the pope said, act like the smallest, and he who governs Some in church give ‘helping hand’ a priest should show “unconditional love, must act like the servant.” be full of joy and open to all; be attentive The pope said that leading others does to secularism, pope says to those around him, gentle to children, to not mean domination but is rather illus- By John Thavis the recent legislative approval of a same- the weak and to the simple; and show the trated in the humble act of Jesus Christ’s Catholic News Service sex marriage bill. infinite mercy of God with encouraging washing of the feet of the apostles and in FATIMA, Portugal (CNS) — In a Some commentators have criticized words of hope.” the wood of the cross. strongly worded talk to Portuguese bishops, the bishops of Portugal for failing to take Because of the world wars and the rise The pope asked the faithful to “support Pope Benedict XVI denounced what he a harder and more public line against those of dictatorial leaders in Europe in the last your priests in their ministry of leading called a “silence of the faith” in the face of developments. century, the pope said, many people today men and women to God, bearing witness widespread attacks on religious values. The pope said bishops must redouble still have a deep mistrust of authority of to the truth of the Gospel and its message Particularly in politics and in the mass their efforts at a time when Catholicism is all types. The church, he said, is called to for hope.” Pope Benedict also asked for media, some Christians have quietly no longer seen as the common patrimony offer an authority based on service, “not prayers “for my own ministry of gover- consented as new barriers to the faith are of Portuguese society. But he said that in in its own right but in the name of Jesus, nance in the church.” constructed, he said May 13. convincing others, witness is more impor- who in the name of the Father received all The pope called the special year for “Authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ are tant than words. authority in heaven and on earth.” See As Year for Priests nears close, p. 11 needed, above all in those human situations “Simply proclaiming the message does Each priest in turn receives that re- where the silence of the faith is most widely not penetrate to the depths of people’s and deeply felt: among politicians, intellec- hearts, it does not touch their freedom, it tuals, communications professionals who does not change their lives. What attracts Newly designed Catholic Lighthouse Web page profess and who promote a monocultural is, above all, the encounter with believing By Cynthia Brewer dates, directory updates, and contents. ideal, with disdain for the religious and persons who, through their faith, draw oth- Can’t find your copy of The Catholic Next is the “Extra, Extra: Read All contemplative dimension of life,” he said. ers to the grace of Christ by bearing witness Lighthouse that just came in the mail? Did About It” section with the most recent local, “In such circles are found some believ- to him,” he said. your clutter-free spouse toss it before you national and world Catholic News since our ers who are ashamed of their beliefs and The pope asked the bishops to give spe- had a chance to file it in your stack? last printing. Click on “Today’s Catholic who even give a helping hand to this type cial attention to lay movements that have No worries. Just go to the Diocese of News” to go directly to the Catholic News of secularism,” he said. arisen in recent decades — an important Victoria Web site and pull up the most re- Service daily news, as well as the top stories He said the changes in contemporary development that occurred in “a moment cent Lighthouse issue, or even an archived for the past month. Click on Local Dioc- society require a “new missionary vigor” of weariness in the church,” he said. issue from a year ago. esan News to see “Extra” news that was by mature lay Christians, and bishops The bishop’s role is to welcome these We’ve cleaned up our Web page to unable to fit within the 20 pages of the print themselves should show that they will not new expressions of vitality in the church, make it more user friendly. One may go to issue of The Catholic Lighthouse. be “gagged” when it comes to announcing while helping the movements to “find the http://www.victoriadiocese.org and click Below the “EXTRA” news, is the copy the church’s moral teachings. right way, making some corrections with on Lighthouse Newspaper in the blue col- of the most recently published issue of The The pope made his remarks at his final understanding” and showing “a certain umn on the left, or go directly to the paper Catholic Lighthouse. If you can’t remem- major event in Fatima, where earlier in the openness and a willingness to learn,” he by typing http://www.victoriadiocese. ber the date of your favorite parish festival, day he celebrated Mass for half a million said. org/lighthouse/lighthouse.htm, and then just go to “Events” on page 19 to see the list people, then met with Catholic pastoral In the northern city of Porto May 14, in please save this address in your favorites. of current happenings, such as picnics and workers. the final big event of the trip, the pope told Once on our Web page, you’ll see it’s retreats. Or to share a story with a friend, The pope did not mention specific po- 200,000 people at a Mass that their duty been reorganized with important Light- send the link via e-mail. litical issues in his address, but Portuguese as followers of Christ was to announce his house business information links on the top The following section includes The church leaders have been distressed at the Gospel in every sector of society. of the page: staff contacts, subscriptions, liberalization of abortion laws in 2007 and See Some in church give, p. 16 advertising rates, publication and deadline See Newly designed, p. 5 Diocese of Victoria Web site: www.victoriadiocese.org The Catholic Lighthouse Page 2 — June 2010 DIOCESE Bishop Fellhauer’s Schedule National CDA Chaplain’s Message June Being Open to Changes in Worship 6 10:00 a.m., Confirmation Mass, St. John Bosco Church, Vanderbilt This article appeared in Spring 2010 “Share” magazine, a quarterly published by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. 8 10:30 a.m., Opening and blessing of renovations at Presidio La Bahia, It is reprinted with permission. It is written by Bishop David Goliad Fellhauer, who is the National Chaplain of the Catholic Daughters 13-19 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Spring Assembly, St. since Mrs. Libby Ramirez is the CDA National Regent. Her post Petersburg, Florida ends July 2010. 20 8:30 a.m., Confirmation Mass, St. Mary’s Church, Praha Dear Catholic Daughters: 22 3:00 p.m., Diocesan Finance Board meeting, Chancery Our diocese like many others is currently scheduling workshops to prepare for the new English translation of the Roman Missal, 4:30 p.m., Diocesan Building Board meeting, Chancery which we will all be experiencing probably sometime next year.