'Men of God, Rest in Peace'
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DENVER Vol. LXXII No. 32 35 Cents Ntnety-slx years of service to the Gospel A u g u st 14. 1996 Catholic schools o ffe r m ore than a top education BY PETER DROEGE It’s simple: northern Colorado’s Catholic schools must be the best in the country. Dr. Norman F. Bidder, archdi ocesan superintendent for Catholic schools, has established a mission statement establishing as the top priority teaching children to know and live the Gospel o f Jesus Christ through the Catholic faith. ’’The mission statement o f each school should strongly reflect the Catholic faith,” said Dr. Bidder, who was named sup>erintendent inApril. “Students also need the equipment and tools to be able to think — the fundamentals of reading, writing and math — and they must know how to behave,” he added. ‘ Our vision is to bring faith, hope and love to every child in the archdiocese — that’s a challenging agenda,” he stressed. ”We must PARJSHIONERS from St. Leander Church in Pueblo share sorrow after Mass last Sunday with Father Francis Kelly ‘Bud’ make ours the best schools in the Scheets, center, brother o f one o f the slain priests. untgriocRphau, country and, at the same time, make them very affordable. For nine years. Dr. Bidder su ‘Men of God, pervised educational programs at Boys 'Ibvrn Schools in Omaha, Neb. Hme and time again, he witnessed Rest in Peace’ the success of combining strong faith formation and quaUty educa BY PETEB DBOEGE tion. T h e schools that maintained “Father Tom and Father strong religious pritMdples have Louis would be the first to em Continued on page 9 brace the person responsible for their deaths and forgive them,” Bishop Arthur Tafoya told mourners gathered at St. Leander Church last Sunday in Pueblo. The parish community was still reeling in shock and sadness following *Back to School’ section, the brutal slaying Aug. 7 of Father Tho — pages 9-16 mas Scheets, 65, pastor of St. Leander’s since 1990, and Father Louis Stovik, 78, Continued on page 2 FATHER Thomas Scheets FATHER Louis Stovik The answer to *life on Mars,’ and other vexii^ questions BY PETEB DBOEGE men living celibate bves and boldly pro claiming t!:e Gospel to the homeless and A discreet image o f St. Therese of downtrodden of Capitol Hill. Lisieux welcomes visitors to Pour Joes • ’Two of the founding members of Coffee House at Ninth and Lincoln. Viri Mae also host a nationally-syndi 3 ^ 1 Like the Little Flower, the cafe offers cated radio program titled. T h e ParaNet many surprises: Continuum," broadcast locally on • W hile most visitors experience a KHOW2 1190 AM Sundays at 7 p.m. The sense o f warmth and acceptance, few highly-respected program takes a criti will recognize the coffee house as an cal look at everything from UFO official mission outpost of the Cathedral sightings to Marian apparitions. A recent of the Immaculate Conception. two-part series featur^ a telephone in • The somewhat scruffy appear terview with internationally known au ance of the owners belies the reality thor Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit pro that they are the founders of Viri Viae fessor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. (The Men of the Way), an association of Continued on page 16 A R E we alone ...? Coverage of tiie regional National Pastoral Musicians ' ■ ' * - - 'j Convention — Page 3 DENVER CATHOUC REGISTER AUO. 14. 1996 Jesus eventually heeds persistence in prayer b y f a t h e r JOHN KRENZKE A reflection on the Gospel reading fo r the 20th Sundav in Ordinary Drne — Matthew 15:21-28 Jesus has concerned H im self with a ministry to the Chosen People. There are, however, several 1 passages in the (gospels where He ministers to gentiles. Thday’s passage relates one o f these inci dents. Somehow this Canaanite (gentile) woman has recognized Him and cries out her need. The people of that area of the world are not the least bit em barrassed about shouting out. She addresses Him 1 as Son of David and that is clearly a Messianic title — her approach is clearly one of iaith. The son of David who suc ceeded him on the IS tfr />rjirxv /-*< It throne was Solomon and that PARISHIONERS gathered at St. Ijcander Church last man was noted for Sunday to pray and reflect on the tragic slaying deft >: his wisdom One of Concelebrating the Mass were, in the top photo from the iiSfXH’ts of wis left, Father David Ricken, Father Francis Schects, dom in ancient Bishop A rthu r Tafoya, and Bishop Charles Buswell. 1 e s was a retired bishop o f the Diocese o f Pueblo. 1111 knowledge of the secrets of healing. Hence, to call Parish community mourns slain priests Jesus “Son of David" IS to pro From page 1 singers,” he added. fess belief in His former director of the Pueblo Diocesan Development At St. Leander’s, a Hispanic parish in a lower-in ability to heal! Fund, who was retired and living at the rectory. come area of Pueblo’s east side. Father Scheets had a Jesus' r e Police have arrested Douglas J. Comiskey, 20, as reputation for generosity to the homeless and those sponse indicates A reminder that August 15 a suspect in the slaying. Pueblo Police Chief Ruben down on their luck. that He sees Him honors the Assumptioa of Archuleta said Aug. 8 that evidence led investigators A former seminary professor and member of the self as one sent to the Blessed Virgin Mary to Comiskey, who lives near the church, but he declined Crosier order, he moved to F*ueblo in the 1970s and in give help to ttie and is a Holy Day of to give details. 1978, became a priest of the Pueblo Diocese. lost sheep of Is The funeral Mass for the two priests took place Local friends and seminary classmates of Father rael. It seems like Obligation Monday after the Register's press deadline at the Colo Stovik include Father Robert Breunig, a retired priest a refusal. The rado Events Center at the Colorado State Fair. of the Archdiocese of Denver, and Father John Canjar, woman throws Concelebrating the Sunday __________________ recently retired pastor of St. Mark herself bt'fore Him He must either push her aside morning Mass with Bishop Tafoya Church in Westminster. or grant her need. was Most. Rev. Charles A. Buswell, “We all thought the world of him." “H e m ade an effort to “It IS not fair," he says, “to take the children's retired bishop of the Diocese of said Fr. Breunig. “He made an effort ( Israel's bread (God’s gifts, that is, anything God Pueblo; Father David Ricken, chan gather with his semi to gather with his seminary class gives to sustain life) and throw it to the dogs (gen cellor and vocation director for the mates frequently and he treated ev nary classmates fre tiles were "dogs")." It was customary in Jesus' time Diocese of Pueblo; and Crozier Fa eryone he met with love and respect.” to give to the house dogs the leftovers or scraps. ther Francis Kelly ‘Bud’ Scheets, of quently and he treated he added. Jewish wisdom was often expressed in the form the Crosier community at All Saints Father Canjar, who. along with of wit. Jesus takes here an ordinary fact o f daily Parish in New York. everyone he met with Denver priest Father Robert Nevans. life but gives it a deeper meaning. The woman re In comments after the final love and respect.” was a seminary classmate with Fa sponds with wit also. In fact, she goes Him one blessing. Father Scheets addressed ther Stovik, called him. "a man of better! He sfieaks of bread and she speaks of scraps. the gathering at St. Leander Church. deep faith who had no problems with He speaks of dogs and she speaks of puppies. He pointed out that, despite the sad the priesthood." He has what she wants — the power to heal — ness of the occasion, it was also one of great joy in the Father Canjar noted that Father Stovik was in and she will not let Him go until He gives her the hop>e of the Resurrection. terested in serving pieople in any task to which he was ’scraps" she asks for. That is the only instance in “1 wa.s pleased to note and listen to the music and assigned. “He was very successful in pastoral work and the Gospels where someone bests Jesus in speech. liturgy of this occasion.” Father Scheets told the mostly in financial endeavors — he set up the (tension and Never have the Pharisees been able to have the Hispanic congregation. “ It is a credit to my brother, retirement plans for the priests in Pueblo — he was final word in a dialogue with Jesus. It is a woman who was known as a great singer,” he added, to groans very dedicated and very organized." he added. — and gentile at that — who gets not only the last and laughter from the assembly. Among the priests’ survivors are Father Francis word but receives all she asks for. “Well, 1 guess neither of us were known as great K. Scheets and Father Stovik’s brother, Hubert Stovik of Littleton, Colo. Charlene Scott o f the Catholic Herald of the Dio Catholic Biblical School cese of Colorado Springs contributed to this article. announces 1996-97 schedule The Catholic Biblical School, an in-depth adult 200 Josephine Street program of Scripture study, invites you to deepen OFFICIAL your understanding of God’s Word and its applica v,„ ,«'• Denver, CO 80206 ARCHBISHOPS OFFICE tion in your life.