Indianapolis-Area Parishes Help Women Cope with Life in Prison
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Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Editorial. 4 From the Archives. 11 The Question Corner . 25 CCriterionriterion Sunday & Daily Readings. 25 Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 www.archindy.org October 29, 1999 Vol. XXXVIII, No. 5 50¢ Ascension 1999 Parish Thursday Stewardship Mass moved United Catholic to Sunday Appeal off to By Margaret Nelson The faithful of the archdiocese won’t be going to Ascension Mass on Thursday a good start anymore—unless they plan to travel. On Monday, Oct. 18, the bishops of the Indianapolis Province voted to trans- By Mary Ann Wyand fer the celebration of the feast to the fol- lowing Sunday. Besides the Archdiocese The early phases of the 1999 Parish Stewardship of Indianapolis, the province includes United Catholic Appeal have surpassed $500,000 in the dioceses of Evansville, Fort Wayne- pledges, and donations are nearing the $1 million mark, South Bend, Gary and Lafayette. according to St. Bartholomew parishioner John Msgr. Joseph Schaedel, vicar general Dorenbusch of Columbus, co-chair of the annual arch- of the archdiocese, explained that the U.S. diocesan effort. bishops received permission from the Dorenbusch and his wife, Louise, are assisting the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Archdiocese of Indianapolis with the $4.5 million Worship and the Discipline of the appeal goal by communicating the needs of home mis- Sacraments in August for each province sions and shared ministries to Catholics throughout the to make the decision. 11 deaneries. “In many countries, including Italy, Michael Halloran, secretary for stewardship and Ascension has been celebrated on development for the archdiocese, said results of early Sunday, rather than our traditional phases of the appeal “show a great commitment from Thursday for a number of years,” said folks.” Msgr. Schaedel. Halloran said the archdiocesan employee and pas- “It’s all part of the pascal mystery— toral leadership phases of the campaign have raised Christ rising from the dead and ascending more than $101,000 so far. to the right hand of the Father,” he said. He said early lead gift responses from some major “It’s all one celebration ... , although tra- donors and results already in from parishes that are con- ditionally it has been separated to 40 days ducting the campaign early bring the preliminary appeal after Easter and that’s how we come up total close to $1 million. with a Thursday.” Dorenbusch said three parishes in southern Indiana— Residents and visitors to five western See UCA, page 16 U.S. provinces—covering California, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington—are More photos familiar with the Sunday celebration of showing UCA funds Ascension. ALLEDTO The bishops on the West Coast sought C at work around the Photo by Susan M. Bierman archdiocese. The United Catholic Appeal helps pay for the education of seminarians. permission from the Vatican and, in SERVE Benedictine Father Denis Robertson, director of continuing education at Saint December 1993, were given the OK to Parish Stewardship Pages 16–17. Meinrad School of Theology, speaks with archdiocesan seminarians (from left) transfer the feast on a five-year experi- and United Catholic Appeal Rob Hankee, Brian Teipen, Larry Borders and John McCaslin. mental basis. They have been celebrat- ing Ascension on Sunday since 1994. Later, other western provinces were refused permission to transfer, with the Vatican committee suggesting that the Indianapolis-area parishes help request be made on a national level. Last November, the U.S. bishops voted to ask for nationwide permission to make women cope with life in prison the decision on transfer of the feast of the Ascension at the provincial level. By Linda Hirsch that Christ is the source of the warmth See ASCENSION, page 2 found within the group. The Church’s call to minister to the During one Tuesday night meeting earlier imprisoned can be difficult to answer, but this year, the inmates talked about how much as the prison population grows so does they miss the things that God has created. the need to care for the physical and spiri- Cindy said she has not touched an animal tual needs of incarcerated people. in 22 years. Lillian said she owns dogs, Holy Cross Parish in Indianapolis has horses and cats, but probably will not see her ministered to the women at the Indiana beloved pets again. Marcia spoke with gen- Women’s Prison for more than 50 years. uine concern about how healing animals Father Larry Voelker, Holy Cross pastor, could be for the women residing in the spe- grew up in the near-eastside parish and cial needs cottages and the infirmary at the said he remembers his mother volunteer- prison. ing at the Indianapolis prison years ago. From this conversation grew a plan for The parish prison ministry currently volunteers to sponsor an ice cream social includes a Tuesday night group, Sunday on the prison grounds this past summer and liturgy and many special projects. Under to bring dogs for the women to play with the Holy Cross umbrella, members of for a few hours. other Indianapolis-area parishes and Father Jack Okon, the Cathedral High churches also are becoming involved in School chaplain in Indianapolis, and this ministry. St. Pius X parishioner Claudia Fagan of Participants in the Tuesday night group Indianapolis, a Cathedral parent volunteer and the inmates have become close who also trains service dogs, spent the Photo by Linda Hirsch friends. The meetings provide a place of summer preparing two Golden Retrievers Marcia pets a Golden Retriever puppy during a trust, sharing, love and fun for everyone to work as institutional pet companions. party for prisoners last August at the Indiana who attends them. Participants believe See PRISON, page 3 Women’s Prison in Indianapolis. Page 2 The Criterion Friday, October 29, 1999 Angeles told the bishops that, since its at this time. “While it may seem confusing for ASCENSION transfer to Sunday in his archdiocese, “It may be confusing to people to have one state to celebrate Ascension on “We really celebrate this mystery of the the bishops voting on when a holy day is Thursday and another state on Sunday,” continued from page 1 Lord more fruitfully. going to be,” said Msgr. Schaedel. He he said, such situations have always been Bishops in many of the provinces on “The Ascension of the Lord is one of explained that it is not unusual. possible. the East Coast objected to the transfer of the central mysteries of our faith,” he Different countries have always The permission to transfer the feast the feast because of the biblical 40-day said, noting that Epiphany, Easter, observed different holy days, he said. affects only the 31 Latin-rite provinces of period between Christ’s resurrection and Pentecost and the Body and Blood of the Feast days in the U.S. are different from the U.S. ascension. And some believe the weekday Lord are all celebrated on Sunday. those in Italy, France and even Canada. “This decision only goes for the celebration promotes Catholic identity. Msgr. Schaedel said that the bishops of People in Detroit can quickly drive to Ascension Thursday feast,” said Msgr. Other bishops argued that it is difficult the Louisville Province—which includes Canada, where it might be a holy day Schaedel. “There has been no change in any for working Catholics to fulfill their all the dioceses of Kentucky and when it is not in the U.S. and vice versa, of the others [holy days] as compared to obligation to attend Mass—and that even Tennessee—decided to transfer celebra- Msgr. Schaedel said. what we’ve been doing the last few years.” diocesan offices are open on Ascension tion of the feast to Sunday. So have the The observance of Ascension has Thursday. Michigan bishops. The decision of the already been transferred to Sunday in (Catholic News Service contributed to this Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Ohio and Illinois provinces is not known Canada and Mexico. story.) † Wichita pastor to speak Archbishop Odongo of Uganda visits archdiocese to talk about on stewardship at the Church in East Africa CCF annual meeting Msgr. Thomas McGread, a Church parishes and changed the concept of expert on stewardship, will be the stewardship from a one-time program to keynote speaker at the Catholic a “way of life,” which emphasized the Community Foundation, Inc., annual spirituality and importance of using our meeting Nov. 10 in Indianapolis. time and talent to further our direct rela- Msgr. McGread, pastor of St. Francis tionship with God and to help extend of Assisi Parish in Wichita, Kan., is rec- God’s kingdom on earth. ognized for his innovative approaches In 1985 at his bishop’s request, to making stewardship a way of life Msgr. McGread extended this steward- rather than a once-a-year fundraiser in ship way of life approach to all parishes parishes. in the Wichita diocese. As a result, the Msgr. McGread was ordained in Ireland diocese is now funded by United at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin in 1953 Catholic Stewardship—each parish con- for the Diocese of Wichita. tributes a tithe of their income each He taught at a Catholic high school for month. Under this program, the diocese three years and then spent 10 years orga- no longer has special collections or nizing three new parishes in Wichita. He assessments. Parents send their children Photo by Sacred Heart Sister Therese Etoru Photo by Sacred Heart Sister became pastor of St. Francis of Assisi to Catholic schools and pay no tuition. Archbishop James Odongo (center) of Tororo in Uganda shares a meal with Providence Sister Parish in 1968.