• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

50¢ March 16, 2008 Volume 82, No. 11 www.diocesefwsb.org/TODAY Serving the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend TTODAYODAY’’SS CCATHOLICATHOLIC Holy Week is upon us Taking up the cross Customs, traditions in prayer, fasting and almsgiving Couple finds the Stations of the Cross bring people closer to Christ, each other Pages 9-13 BY DON CLEMMER COLUMBIA CITY — When Michelle Alles stopped by the parish office at St. Paul of the Cross Church Controversial play one day and learned that the parish might be can- celling its 11 a.m. Friday Stations of the Cross, her returns to ND reaction was immediate. Bishop John M. D’Arcy’s “I was like, ‘Jacob and I will do it!’” recalls Alles, who owns and operates a tutoring center in statement Columbia City with her husband, Jacob. “And I went home, and I said, ‘Guess what — we’re leading sta- Page 3 tions now.’” Michelle’s snap decision to volunteer herself and her husband for the Lenten stations was fueled in part by a devotion to the Stations of the Cross that Father Robert Hoevel began a decade ago. She grew up in a rough area of Detroit with not much of a family life, so when she St. Henry founder dies rediscovered her Catholic faith as an adult, the sta- tions really clicked for her. Page 4 “I was going through very troubling times in my life,” she says. “It was something that I really felt I could connect with. I really felt like I was going through that darkness myself.” It helped her feel closer to Jesus and to all the suf- Vices and Virtues fering people of the world. It also gave that suffering Series concludes this week meaning. Jacob, a lover of history, also has a devotion to Page 12 the stations, but for him, they bring him closer to the historical event of the Passion of Jesus. They also bring him closer to the countless faithful pil- grims over the years who have either traveled to DON CLEMMER Jerusalem to walk the Way of the Cross or, if they Good Friday Jacob and Michelle Alles draw on their mutual love of the Stations of the Cross to lead the devotion on Friday mornings at St. Paul of the Cross Church in Columbia City. The couple Diocesan offices and Cathedral STATIONS, PAGE 5 continues the tradition led by the late Deacon Joseph Zickgraf. Bookstore closed March 21 AMAZING APOSTLES ‘A personal meeting with God’ Urging priests to make confession a time for God’s merciful love confide only in themselves are blinded by BY CAROL GLATZ their ego “and their heart hardens in sin,” he said. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With fewer and A person who recognizes himself or her- fewer Catholics going to confession, Pope self “as weak and sinful entrusts himself to Benedict XVI urged priests and seminari- God and receives grace and pardon from ans to make the sacrament of penance a him,” he added. time for sinners to feel God’s merciful love. The pope said this was the message “Sin does not lie at the heart of the sacra- priests had to convey to the faithful: that no PROVIDED BY OUR LADY OF GOOD HOPE mental celebration, but rather God’s mercy, matter what sin one commits, if the sinner Our Lady of Good Hope youth group for which is infinitely greater than each of our humbly recognizes it and approaches a faults,” he said March 7. priest for confession with trust, “one special needs, Amazing Apostles, attended The pope spoke to about 700 priests and always experiences the peacemaking joy of a retreat that included praying the rosary seminarians taking part in a weeklong God’s forgiveness.” course offered every year by the Vatican’s He praised the fact that the course was with crafts, lessons on Mary’s life, discus- Apostolic Penitentiary, which deals with helping confessors be doctrinally well pre- sion, food and fellowship. Members matters of conscience. pared and better able to help penitents feel The head of the penitentiary, U.S. God’s loving mercy. include, from left, Ally Stevens, Dani Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, told the pope He asked whether a lack of emphasis on Wilson, Tori Daugherty, Patty Welch, Lizzie the annual study session was a way to pro- God’s mercy was a contributing factor to “a mote the importance of “the penitential certain disaffection toward this sacrament” Erexson, Anna Welch and Abby Schnelker ministry, above all that of confession of confession. (which) depends greatly on priests, too, and While helping the penitents understand who are pictured in front of the retreat their awareness of being the bearers of a the seriousness of their sins is important, he shrine. Each girl holds a rosary or a favorite precious and irreplaceable ministry.” said insisting only on “the accusation of The pope said that today, unfortunately, sin” risks putting the most important point Mary piece. A retreat for the boys of the there is a growing lack of any sense of sin. group is currently being planned. Those who are too self-confident and LOVE, PAGE 4 2 TODAY’ S CATHOLIC MARCH 16, 2008 TODAY’S CATHOLIC Official newspaper of the Vocations, religious education Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend P.O. Box 11169 Fort Wayne, IN 46856 build strong Catholic identity PUBLISHER: Bishop John M. D’Arcy about 50 of our priests gathered at St. Martin prayer in the presence of the Blessed EDITOR: Tim Johnson de Porres Parish in Syracuse for a Day of Sacrament. ASSISTANT EDITOR: Don Clemmer Recollection. Our speaker was John STAFF WRITER: Kay Cozad Cavadini, chair of the theology department at On the question of immigration Notre Dame. His topic was the spirituality of Every year the bishops and the major the preacher as seen in the homilies of St. Editorial Department NEWS religious superiors who have their head- Augustine. We learned how Augustine quarters in Indiana meet for discussion on PAGE DESIGNER: Francie Hogan &NOTES always had his focus on Christ and that the an area that concerns us both. This year the FREELANCE WRITERS: Lauren Caggiano, word of God is never complete until it is pro- topic was immigration. Glen Tebbe, who is Ann Carey, Michelle Castleman, Elmer BISHOP JOHN M. D’ARCY claimed. It is in the proclaiming that the word the director of the Indiana Catholic J. Danch, Michelle Donaghey, Bonnie of God takes residence in the souls of the lis- Conference, gave us a presentation of the Elberson, Denise Fedorow, Diane teners. It was challenging and enriching and a legislation now before the Indiana Freeby, Sister Margie Lavonis, CSC, Saint Joseph’s High School good preparation for all of us as we under- Assembly. It was a special blessing that take the sacred responsibility of drawing our Jennifer Murray, Jennifer Ochstein A splendid day at Saint Joseph’s High Father Chris Cox, CSC, from St. Adalbert, people closer to the mystery and the person was with us. Father Chris, who is the pastor and Deb Wagner School, South Bend. What you always look for as bishop when you visit a high school is of Christ in Holy Week and Easter, and as of an urban ethnic parish — Polish and always there was appropriate time for the Hispanic — has an extraordinary grasp of Business Department Catholic identity. We began as always, John Gaughan and I, with the holy sacrifice of the sacrament of reconciliation. Speaking of this complex situation, and he brought BUSINESS MANAGER: Kathy Denice Mass and then followed the great Saint Joe Holy Week, I urge as many of our people as much light to our discussion. AD GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: Mark Weber tradition of honoring the senior scholars and possible to attend the chrism Mass which will BOOKKEEPING/CIRCULATION: Kathy Voirol various other awards and then the valedictori- be Monday night in South Bend and Tuesday About St. Patrick [email protected] an and salutatorian, who were Thomas in Fort Wayne. Above all, if your health As is now well known, we cannot cele- Everett and John Aversa. Both are from allows, you should make the complete tridu- brate St. Patrick on his feast day because it Advertising Sales Corpus Christi Parish. um, that is Holy Thursday night, the solemn is in Holy Week, when quite properly and Good Friday event and the Easter Vigil in Tess Steffen (Fort Wayne area) Among the things we learned were that according to liturgical regulations, we must several groups of students go to the chapel your parish church. concentrate on the Passion of the Lord. (260) 456-2824 On Good Friday, there will be the collec- Jeanette Simon (South Bend area) daily to say a decade of the rosary in the However, it is allowed to have this Mass tion for the Holy Land, which is taken up the previous week. So it will be a thorough (574) 234-0687 presence of the Blessed Sacrament. There was a meeting of about 15 young people, throughout the Catholic Church. Even though joy to celebrate the evening Mass on March Web site: www.diocesefwsb.org/TODAY boys and girls, who meet on a regular basis there is only one service in most parishes, 13 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It has to think about the priesthood for the boys or this collection, which by the way is the oldest been some years since I have celebrated Published weekly except the last collection in the universal church, is one of Sunday in June, second and fourth the consecrated life for the young women.

Load more

  20

Copy Link