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Western Kentucky Catholic 600 Locust Street Nonprofit Org. Owensboro, Kentucky 42301 U.S. Postage Western Kentucky Paid Owensboro, KY Change Service Requested Permit No. 111 CATHOLIC 42301 Volume 31, Number 8 The Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky October, 2004 St. Mary School System Celebrating 146 Years “Enrichment”; Campaign to Make St. Mary Better By Edie Keeney belief. My children are grown and will not benefit from this PADUCAH,Ky. - St. Mary has been chapel but the children who are here now will and many a tradition in Paducah since 1858 and more children in the years to come.” He continued, “I throughout the years has maintained a thought and prayed so much about the chapel. Everything position of respect within the community. I did was so easy I know that the Holy Spirit directed me In the 146 years of its existence there have as I worked on this. I felt I was embracing the chapel but been changes but one thing that has not in the end it embraced me. I hope that the children of St. changed is its commitment to Christ cen- Mary will be drawn to the chapel for private prayer and tered education. The original part of the that the Liturgy will mean more to them celebrated in a present facility was built in 1965. Since sacred setting.” then changes have occurred and additions Due to the generosity and support of many loyal bene- to the building have been made. In 1990 factors the dream became a reality and the chapel was the new elementary school was built and dedicated August 16, 2004. Members of various com- the high school building was expanded mittees, involved individuals, and benefactors attended to accommodate the new middle school. the dedication. Bishop John J. McRaith celebrated the With the addition of the middle school, dedication Mass assisted by the four priests from the local additional room was needed and the chapel Catholic churches. Bishop McRaith spoke of the impor- was converted into a classroom. Since that tance of the chapel and the altar, “Congratulations on this time all religious services had been held beautiful chapel and altar. Many hands and many different in the Commons and there really wasn’t Diocesan priests celebrated Mass with Bishop McRaith AUgust materials went into building this, to make it a special place a place for the students to go for private 16, from left to right, Fr. Anthony Shonis, Fr. Patrick Reynolds, for the community to gather and for individuals to come prayer or reflection. ln late 2003, the St Bishop McRaith, Fr. Bruce McCarty. Fr. Larry McBride was and be with our Lord. So, in many ways, this chapel and Mary Education Committee authorized the behind Fr. Reynolds. Edie Keeney Photo the altar are great symbols to constantly remind us how we construction of a new chapel to serve the are the church and what our mission is, especially those high school and middle school. may have come from the 1908 St. Mary Academy were also found and who spend much of their day in this community and in this Al McKeown, St. Mary Development restored. The chapel blends new with the old, achieving beauty while school.” Bishop McRaith continued, “This chapel will be Director, remembered that Dr. Ron Kupper retaining a sense of history. a place where the Word of God will be read, taught, and had spoken of his strong desire to have a Kupper commented, “It was very important for me for a chapel to again reverenced by all who come here open to understanding chapel in the school so when the St. Mary be at the school. St. Mary is a Catholic school and that is the reason we Continued on page 4 Memorial Committee was formed; Kup- sent our children here. Christ is the reason for this school and the chapel per was invited to be the chairperson of and the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is a statement to that the committee that also included Fr. Larry McBride, Louis Haas, Dr. Tony Milliano, Back to basics: PopeBy John Thavis,Catholic begins Newsrenewed Service focus on Eucharist and Mrs. Kathy Wilkinson. Putting every- VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After an intense quarter-century of teaching, writing and traveling, thing together for the chapel to become a Pope John Paul II is going back to the basics with a renewed focus on the Eucharist. reality took many months of labor and He has convened a special eucharistic year that begins in October. Last year he wrote an perseverance from the group. A liturgical encyclical extolling the Eucharist as the source and culmination of the church’s life. He has architect was consulted, stained glass win- convened a Synod of Bishops on the same topic for the fall of 2005. dows were designed and made, handmade And more frequently he speaks of the importance of the Eucharist in the life of each Catho- altar cloths were sewn, pews chosen and lic. all the things that were needed to complete The Eucharist has a “transforming power” that provides the courage to live the faith and the Chapel were painstakingly acquired or to spread the Gospel, the pope said in June before leading a eucharistic procession through generously donated. The tabernacle and downtown Rome. Stations of the Cross were purchased from “There’s a very close connection between Continued the Eucharist on page and 4 announcing Christ,” he said. a company in Spain. The Archdiocese of St. Louis provided an altar stone contain- Pope John Paul II elevates the Eucharist while celebrating Mass in Loreto, Italy, ing the relics of Saints Irenaeus, Clement, Sept. 5. The pope journeyed to the eastern coastal town to beatify two Italians and Liberatus. A very old monstrance, a and one Spaniard who lived exemplary lives of holiness. (CNS photo by Alessia ciborium, two chalices, and a sensor that Giuliani, Cat holic Press Photo) (Sept. 7, 2004) 2 The Western Kentucky Catholic, October , 2004 We Celebrate Life, the Missions, and Our Mother Mary in October My Dear Friends, mandment – to love God and to love others as Jesus loves us. October is also the month that we celebrate Mission Sunday. This year it will October is always a special month for th all Catholics and for those who share the be held the weekend of October 24 . There is a special collection on this Sunday that Catholic position on LIFE. The Bishops goes mainly to the Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The Catholic Relief Services is an of the United States have set October aside agency of the Catholic Church in the United States that reaches out to many of those as the month to pay special attention to who suffer from the lack of respect for life around the world. A donation to CRS is a Respect for Life. concrete way for us all to participate in bringing justice to a world that lacks justice in There have been many statements and so many ways and so many places. articles written about LIFE since the CRS works with the poor of the world, to assist them in having the necessities of life Bishops’ Conference passed a resolution such as food, housing, education, etc. I hope that you will be generous to this collec- establishing the Respect Life Program in tion, because it is a very real way for all of us to help build a world where everyone is November 1972. respected as a child of God. I would like to share with you the goals Finally, October is also the month that we celebrate the feast of our most holy of the program: rosary and give special attention to our Blessed Mother. We join our Holy Father Goals of the Respect Life Program: in the goal of changing our own country and world from a culture of death to a culture 1. Proclaim the sanctity and value of human of life. Obviously, the first place to start is with prayer. I would suggest that each one of life as a gift from God and the foundation us give special thought to making the rosary a part of our prayer life during this Respect of human dignity. Life Month. (This is not to suggest that we should not always see the rosary as a special 2. Oppose and ultimately do away with all prayer.) that destroys or endangers human life. The diocese will have two events that will call our attention to Mary and the Rosary. rd 3. Correct those situations that diminish life There will be a special, annual Marian Conference on the weekend of October 3 , itself or limit the appropriate enjoyment of to be held at the Riverpark Center in Owensboro, as well as a Marian Congress to be life. Most Reverend John J. McRaith, held at the Marian Shrine at St. Joseph Parish in Bowling Green, on October 17. 4. Support or encourage the development of D.D. Let us then join together as a diocese in praying to Mary — the Mother of Jesus and whatever sustains, nourishes, or provides which is justly made on behalf of human our Mother — that we will each make every attempt to do all that is possible to see that for proper enjoyment of life. rights—for example, the right to health, to all of God’s children are treated with respect. God loves us all, and we must love one 5. Place emphasis on and create advocacy home, to work, to family, to culture—is false another. It is only when a deep respect for God and one another is an essential part of for whatever meets particular needs of and illusory if the right to life, the most basic our faith life that we have hope that All LIFE Will Be Respected.