Florida Catholic Staff Concelebrating the 50Th HAINES CITY | Festooned with 50 Anniversary Bouquets of 50 Roses Each, St
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WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | June 21-July 11, 2019 | Volume 80, Number 16 ORLANDO DIOCESE PALM BEACH DIOCESE VENICE DIOCESE Happy 50th St. Ann Cemetery of peace Mission Possible Minnesota man: Praying rosary ‘will change your life’ JOE RUFF tied closely together, the Wie- Catholic News Service derkehrs said, by faith and by ap- pearances Mary is said to have ST. PAUL, MINN. | On Face- made in Kibeho from 1981 to 1989. book, he is “The Rosary Guy.” At The Seven Sorrows rosary, home, he is Matt Wiederkehr, 89, which marks the sorrows of Mary of St. Genevieve Parish in Center- including the Holy Family’s flight ville. into Egypt and Mary at the foot of And from the 1960s into the the cross, dates to the Middle Ages. 2000s, this former mechanical en- But it was particularly encouraged gineer was a pioneering national by Mary in her appearances to and international hot air balloon- several young adults in Kibeho. ist who got his start at balloon rac- Many people familiar with those es held during the St. Paul Winter appearances believe one of the vi- Carnival in St. Paul. He conducted sions warned about the Rwandan public relations tours and appear- genocide of 1994. A Dominican sister prays the rosary Sept. 18, 2018, in a campus chapel at The Catholic University of ances for Coca-Cola Co.; set world Stories about Mary’s appear- America in Washington. Matt Wiederkehr, 89, of St. Genevieve Parish in Centerville, Minn., and his family records for distance, duration and ances in Kibeho and their sig- promote praying the rosary regularly because, they say, “this will change your life.” (CHAZ MUTH | CNS) altitude; and led safety classes and nificance — approved as worthy seminars. of belief by the Vatican in 2001 — Donna said. ited this spring with Archbishop is convinced he lived in part to tell Always with a rosary in his were carried to Wiederkehr about The Wiederkehr family believes Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and the world about the Seven Sorrows pocket. 10 years ago by his daughter Don- devotion to the rosary, and Mary’s Minneapolis, who is familiar with rosary. Wiederkehr and his wife, Bob- na, who for the last 13 years has call in particular to the Seven Sor- the Seven Sorrows devotion from “All his organs shut down, ex- bie, and their daughters, Donna helped orphans in Rwanda, when rows rosary, can change people’s its use in the parish in Pittsburgh cept the heart,” Donna said of the and Denise, believe his devotion she isn’t working in advertising lives. where he grew up. sepsis that struck her father. “It to Mary and her son, Jesus, has in New York or traveling to other “It’s not saying the rosary, it’s Telling people about the rosary was the heart that beat for Jesus.” seen him through illnesses that parts of the world. praying the rosary, and this will over the last several years has be- As Donna travels back from her nearly killed him, his four years in “One of Mary’s messages was to change your life,” Donna said. come so paramount a priority for work with orphans in Rwanda, she the Navy in Japan and Korea dur- have people learn about the Sev- Wiederkehr’s willingness to Wiederkehr that he continued to sometimes brings statues of Our ing the Korean War, and his many en Sorrows rosary,” Donna said. publicly express his devotion to proselytize after being hospital- Lady of Kibeho, each about 4 feet adventures. “When I told Dad that, it became Mary stems from the kind of sin- ized in April, and later going into tall. Now, he wants people to know his ‘job.’ We want to tell people gle-minded focus he once applied rehab, for pneumonia in both About four years ago, they gave about a special kind of rosary, about this rosary.” to hot air ballooning, fishing and lungs and other complications. a statue to St. Genevieve. It is in- the “Rosary of the Seven Sorrows In late 2017, Wiederkehr and other interests, Donna said. He’s While he was at St. Joseph’s side the church, to the right of the of Mary,” made with beads for 52 members of his family began a something of a celebrity in the Hospital in St. Paul — and with sanctuary, said Father Esty, pastor. Hail Marys and seven Our Fathers. live Facebook recitation alternat- world of hot air balloons, and was the help of his family by his side “I was delighted to have that as A traditional rosary has 53 Hail ing among the traditional rosary, inducted into the U.S. Ballooning — Wiederkehr told his story to a gift to the parish,” Father Esty Marys and six Our Fathers. Divine Mercy Chaplet and Seven Hall of Fame in 2012 by the Bal- The Catholic Spirit, archdiocesan said, describing the Wiederkehrs In May, the month of Mary, Wie- Sorrows rosary, as close to 5:30 loon Federation of America at the newspaper of St. Paul and Minne- as longtime, faith-filled members derkher and his family had two p.m. and as often each week as National Balloon Museum in In- apolis. of the parish. statues of the Lady of Kibeho from they can. It’s titled “The Rosary dianola, Iowa. His daughters, too, Prayer, they believe, saved Wie- The family encourages every Kibeho, Rwanda, they gave away Guy.” About 300 people generally have set world records in hot air derkehr when he nearly died from parish to have their congregations to two parishes in the Archdiocese key into each live recitation, and ballooning. an illness as a teenager. And when pray the rosary before or after cel- of St. Paul and Minneapolis. the prayerful time ultimately is To share their faith story, Wie- he nearly died of sepsis after an ebrating any Mass, or at least once The rosary and the statue are “liked” and shared by thousands, derkehr, his wife, and Donna vis- infection 12 years ago. The family a week as a community. n WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | June 21-July 11, 2019 FLORIDACatholic ORLANDO DIOCESE St. Ann celebrates 50 years (and more) GLENDA MEEKINS of the Florida Catholic staff Concelebrating the 50th HAINES CITY | Festooned with 50 anniversary bouquets of 50 roses each, St. Ann Par- Mass were ish celebrated 50 years as a church in from left the Diocese of Orlando. Father Nelson Yet, the history of its devoted Restrepo, founders dates back to 1890, when Father Alfonso early Catholic pioneer resident of Polk Cely, Deacon County, Patrick Bannon, contacted Hector Colon, a local mission priest in the hopes of Father Richard establishing a church in the region. Tuttle, Bishop Today, that church has grown from John Noonan, one family’s hopes and dreams to Father Salvatore more than 1,000 parishioners, many Staufula, of whom filled the house of the Lord Deacon with jubilant voices of praise June 15. Richard Bishop John Noonan concelebrated Demers, with Father Alfonso Cely, pastor, and Father Richard various other priests on hand for the Trout, Father occasion. Mariano Father Cely recalled how 1969 saw Catura, and Buzz Aldrin walk upon the moon. Father Fraclius The Scripture verse Aldrin chose to Pettit-Homme. take with him was from John 15, “I am (PHOTOS the vine, you are the branches. Who- BY RANDY ever remains in me, and I in him will HALE | FC) bear much fruit.” The verse reflected how the faithful of St. Ann, from its early mission roots, have borne fruit and flourished as a church. The first church building accommodated only Bishop Thomas Grady renamed it St. 200 people and today there is seating Ann in honor of Our Lady’s mother in for 1,075 faithful. Because of seasonal 1975. populations, more than 6,000 attend Long-time parishioner Judy Riggs throughout the year. and her committee planned multiple “Fifty years ago, when this place in events throughout the year like a fes- which we are today was full of many tival and golf tournament to celebrate orange trees, and great events were the landmark anniversary from a fes- happening in the history of human- tival and golf tournament. Fourteen kind, this church was founded, and banners hang from the parish light the proclamation of the good news poles, representing a different Marian of salvation arrived in the heart of apparition throughout the world. Florida,” Father Cely said. “During Lily Muñiz is a parishioner who the past 50 years, we have baptized relocated from New York with her 7,900 babies; 5,289 have received First daughter, Elise Riccardo, six years Communion; 686 couples have mar- ago, described the parish community ried; 1,899 have been confirmed; there as welcoming. have been 993 funerals; thousands of “I love that there is an American people have received the sacrament of community and a Spanish commu- the sick; and countless Quinceañeras nity that are all one. And I am actually and Masses have been celebrated a part of both because I am Hispanic.” here.” Muñiz, who is involved in numerous Until the Haines City Catholic mis- ministries, believes the parish com- sion was established in 1948, Mass munity also nurtured her daughter’s In honor of the 50th anniversary, was celebrated in homes. Although faith. Riccardo was an altar server and the Cely family donated this tile there was still no physical building to carried that forth when she served picture of St. Ann and Mary, as a call home, parishioners met at the old during Mass in the Army.