Archdiocese Begins Partnership with Cuba
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Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Editorial. 4 Marriage Supplement . 11 Criterion Question Corner . 21 TheCriterion Sunday & Daily Readings. 21 Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 www.archindy.org February 9, 2001 Vol. XXXX, No. 17 50¢ Archdiocesan Youth pledge to ‘be a light for others’ Youth Council chairperson Petula By Mary Ann Wyand participate in a Mass celebrated by Jesuit Fernandez, a Father Joseph Folzenlogen, evangelization member of More than 450 teen-agers from central coordinator for the archdiocese. St. Joseph Parish and southern Indiana pledged to “be a Workshops included “Daily Doses of in Universal, leads light for others” during the Archdiocesan Prayer,” “Listen to Your Heart,” “Carrying 475 teen-agers and Youth Conference on Feb. 3-4 in a Catholic Candle” and “Let Your Light adults in a prayer Indianapolis. Shine for All.” before lunch on “Carry Your Candle—Go Light the For Archdiocesan Youth Council chair- Feb. 3. It is called World” was the conference theme. Youth person Petula Fernandez of St. Joseph the “Superman from all 11 deaneries in the archdiocese Parish in Universal, the conference was a Prayer” because and also from the Lafayette Diocese were culmination of months of planning and the words are sung entertained and challenged by keynote preparation by youth council members, to the music from speaker Mike Patin of New Orleans, a other teen-agers, youth ministry coordina- the “Superman” nationally known youth minister and tors and the staff of the archdiocesan theme song. comedian. Office for Youth and Family Ministries. They also had an opportunity to talk “The keynote by Mike [Patin] was not with Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein only inspirational, it also challenged us to during his annual Youth Forum, and to See YOUTH, page 7 Wyand MaryPhoto by Ann The Church in Cuba 2000 Called to Archdiocese begins partnership with Cuba Serve appeal Editor’s note: This is the start of an At left, a Cuban close to goal occasional series called “Stewards boy holds a Abroad” that will look at the mission- picture of Pope By Greg Otolski ary efforts of the Archdiocese of John Paul II Indianapolis throughout the world. while awaiting As the 2000 Called to Serve: Parish the start of class Stewardship and United Catholic Appeal enters its final phase, 95 percent of the By Mary Ann Wyand outside the diocesan house $4.8 million goal, or nearly $4.6 million, First of two parts in La Merced, has been raised. Sometimes the call to Christian stew- Camagüey. Joseph S. Therber, secretary for stew- ardship has far-reaching implications. ardship and development for the archdio- For a group of St. Barnabas parish- cese, said he’s ioners in Indianapolis, the call to be confident that the stewards abroad and help the people of goal will be Cuba resulted in a pilot program with reached and likely CALLEDTO Catholic Relief surpassed as the Services to establish a SERVE final phase of the partnership between appeal is com- the Archdiocese of pleted over the next eight weeks. Indianapolis and the Therber said even more people are tak- Stewards Archdiocese of ing part in this campaign than the 1999 Abroad Camagüey. Below, during the appeal, which raised a record $4.78 mil- Plans for C.U.B.A. revolution, these lion. As of Feb. 2, 40 percent of the 2000, which stands for human relics 75,000 pledge cards sent to parishioners “Community Under- were disturbed had been returned, compared with 37 per- standing by Action,” date back to July in their tombs in cent a year ago. 1999 at the southside parish. the catacombs “This increase in participation is the After visiting Cuba, St. Barnabas below the Church primary goal of stewardship renewal— parishioner Kathy Cook shared stories of La Merced bringing more Catholics to a deeper about the medical and nutritional needs Wessler Michele Photos by in Camagüey. awareness and sharing of their God-given of the Cuban people, who have lived in a blessings,” Therber said. “We are confi- communist country for 40 years. Father cese and two Catholic Relief Services dent that many more parishioners will be J. Joseph McNally, pastor, encouraged a staff members from Baltimore traveled to generous to their parishes and to the group of interested parishioners to pur- Camagüey and Havana to complete pre- shared ministries and home missions of sue this mission effort. liminary arrangements for the diocesan our archdiocese in the coming weeks.” Pope John Paul II’s pastoral visit to twinning program. See UCA, page 8 Cuba in 1998 helped smooth Church Representing the archdiocese on the relations with the Cuban government Dec. 7-14 trip were Thomas Gaybrick, so that a humanitarian project like archdiocesan secretary for Catholic C.U.B.A. 2000 could become a reality. Charities and Family Ministries; Sister The mission effort officially got Demetria Smith, a Missionary Sister of under way late last year when a five- Our Lady of Africa and mission educator member delegation from the archdio- See CUBA, page 2 Religious of the archdiocese honored for their service By Jennifer Del Vechio and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. “This is a day of renewal and you get to St. Joseph Sister Victoria Therese had see so many friends,” said Sister Victoria. One nun with a jubilant smile, another tears in her eyes when she told the story The day, initiated by Pope John Paul II with tears of joy, said giving their life to of how she was called to be a nun and five years ago, is meant to honor all those the Lord is about gratitude. then how it became a reality. who have taken vows to the consecrated “This is a time of being very grateful Her father was ill and she had been tak- life. for 50 years of good health and working ing care of him when her sister told her she While many said they were thankful with other people and serving other peo- would “care for dad,” and then “I could for their role, Archbishop Buechlein said ple,” said Franciscan Sister Ruth Mary enter,” said Sister Victoria, who teaches at the Church was also grateful to them. Forthofer, who stood holding the certifi- Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. “You are God’s gift to us, our Church cate given to her by Archbishop Daniel Having a day set aside to acknowledge and to you,” he said. M. Buechlein during the World Day for their vows and service to the Church is The archbishop said consecrated reli- Consecrated Life on Feb. 4 at SS. Peter important, the sisters said. See RELIGIOUS, page 8 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, February 9, 2001 CUBA continued from page 1 for the archdiocesan Mission Office; and C.U.B.A. 2000 volunteers Michele Wessler of St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis, Pete Cava of St. Luke Parish in Indianapolis and Nick Runnebohm of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Shelbyville. Thomas Garofalo, the Cuba program director for CRS, and Christopher Arthen, who helps coordinate the international relief agency’s Global Solidarity Partnership, are facilitating the pilot pro- gram and traveled with the delegation to Cuba. Arthen said their visit with Archbishop Adolfo C. Rodríguez Herrera and Caritas Camagüey director Tito Mario Gonzalez resulted in a proposal to develop a sports program and a job-skills training program for youth “within the activities of the Caritas Infancia project as a way to pro- Above, residents play mote the social agenda of the local dominoes at the newly Church.” refurbished Padre Olallo Caritas’ Infancia project is “a diverse Home for the Elderly at program that supports children with the Plaza of San Juan Down syndrome and diabetes, sports de Dios. activities, the development of job skills, and arts, music and theater activities,” Arthen said. “Caritas’ added value lies in institutional integrity. Communities know This statue of the Blessed Mother in the their assistance will be delivered honestly Cathedral of Nuestra Señora del Carmel in if they work with Caritas.” Camagüey, Cuba, was destroyed during the Arthen said Gonzalez “made it clear communist revolution. that when the idea of a partnership was first broached, he did not want a one- with their deep, sincere faith in the midst sided transfer of material resources. He of religious oppression,” she said. “Indi- said he would like for the people of the viduals or families open their homes, Archdiocese of Indianapolis to have an allowing seminarians to gather the chil- understanding of Caritas and its work in dren for religious instructions. These Cuba. He said that, while not develop- same persons receive the people of the ment experts, Caritas staff members have village into their homes for the celebra- learned by serving those most at risk.” At right, restoration tion of the Mass. Gonzalez also discussed “the work at the Cathedral of “This is a people who truly live out the extremely challenging circumstances con- Santa Ana in Camagüey Gospel mandate to share what you have fronted by Caritas,” Arthen said, “particu- is being completed by with those who have need,” Sister larly due to the country’s plummeting volunteer laborers. Demetria said. “This is demonstrated in economic prospects brought on by the After Pope John Paul II’s many ways, such as washing laundry for cessation of Soviet support in the early visit to Cuba in 1998, the elderly, and feeding the elderly and 1990s.” the Church received the homeless every Sunday morning in The Cuban people are very proud, and permission from the the parish dining room in which the Gonzalez told the delegation that the only government to restore priests take their meal.