May 10, 2015 Think Green 50¢ Recycle Volume 89, No. 18 Go Green todayscatholicnews.org Serving the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Go Digital ’’ Ave Maria Press TTODAYODAYSS CCATHOLICATHOLIC Celebrating 150 years Pages 8-9 Ave Maria Press celebrates In Truth and Charity 150th anniversary Mass Page 2 150 years of spreading the Gospel BY CHRISTOPHER LUSHIS Special collection NOTRE DAME — Since its founding in 1865, May 16-17 collection aids Nepal Ave Maria Press has provided spiritual nour- ishment and education for the Catholic faithful Page 3 through its publication of countless books, magazines and other resources to help readers on their journey to better know, love and serve God. On May 1, exactly 150 years after the first Canonizing Blessed issue of its weekly magazine The Ave Maria was published, leaders and contributors within Junipero Serra the organization joined to commemorate all Call to new evangelization that has been accomplished in the name of Our Lady. Page 4 Following Mass at Moreau Seminary cele- brated by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Ave Maria Press CEO and Publisher Thomas Grady led members of the staff in recounting many of the company’s historically significant moments. Remembering The tribute began by highlighting Holy Cross Father Edward Sorin’s efforts to cre- Armenian victims ate The Ave Maria, which served as one of Students remember first the first American Catholic publications for th a predominately immigrant Church. Despite genocide of 20 century obstacles, it became the country’s most popu- PHOTO BY MATT CASHORE/UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME lar Catholic magazine during its 105-year run. Holy Cross Father Anthony Szakaly, chair of the Ave Maria Press board of directors, reads the Gospel Page 5 at the Ave Maria Press 150th anniversary Mass at Moreau Seminary at the University of Notre Dame MARIA, PAGE 8 on May 1. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades was the celebrant. Intellect and Virtue Migrant crisis over abortion Hope beyond infertility Page 12 But meeting with Holli Strack, Alles’ cous- BY KAY COZAD in, who had struggled with her own infertil- ity issues, soon began a friendship that would ARCOLA — Four faith-filled women in the undergird the hope they clung to in their Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend have search for answers. Strack says, “After talking faced the heartbreaking and oftentimes lonely with my cousin Michelle Alles, we were both struggle with infertility, but have found hope seeking out other Catholic options for treat- in camaraderie and methods of conception ing infertility and getting together with other approved by the Catholic Church. The four women like us.” have met monthly for spiritual and emotional Both invested in the Creighton Model support since 2010 and have found their way FertilityCare System, a natural fertility track- to parenthood. ing system, with the help of Theresa Schortgen, Beth Ann Spisak, St. John the Baptist, FertilityCare Specialist of Northeast Indiana Fort Wayne, parishioner, Nicki Lenhof of St. and Dr. Thomas Hilgers, in Omaha, Nebraska, Joseph, Roanoke, Holli Strack, St. Patrick, JERRY KESSENS the founder of the Creighton System, and local Arcola, member, and Michelle Alles of St. From left, Michelle Alles, Beth Ann Spisak, Holli physicians like Dr. Patrick Holly, a specialist Paul of the Cross in Columbia City, are an Strack and Nicole Lenhof organized a Catholic in Creighton Model and NaPro Technologies, unlikely foursome save they have each expe- retreat for those dealing with infertility issues. a women’s health science that monitors and rienced the sorrow of miscarriage, expensive The four continue to meet for encouragement maintains a woman’s reproductive and gyne- treatments or surgery, and much more, in their and support. cological health. attempts to have a family of their own. And At the same time Alles and Strack were though each woman, along with her husband, says Alles. “It’s a personal and lonely cross.” meeting, Spisak, who had returned to the has experienced her own circumstances sur- As she watched friends and family members Catholic faith of her childhood during her rounding her infertility issues, all four have bearing children, her infertility had her ques- infertility trials, was meeting with Lenhof at been relentless in seeking God’s will in their tioning her life purpose. “It was a profound the invitation of Theresa Schortgen and soon desire to have children. struggle to watch others’ blessings. I struggled “Infertility is one of those silent crosses,” for my role,” she says. HOPE, PAGE 10 2 TODAY’ S C ATHOLIC May 10, 2015 TODAY’S CATHOLIC Official newspaper of the 150th anniversary Mass — Ave Maria Press Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend P.O. Box 11169 Fort Wayne, IN 46856 IN TRUTH PUBLISHER: Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades AND EDITOR: Tim Johnson NEWS EDITOR and STAFF WRITER: Kay Cozad CHARITY Editorial Department BY BISHOP KEVIN C. RHOADES PAGE DESIGNER: Francie Hogan FREELANCE WRITERS: Ann Carey, Michelle The following is the homily given by Bishop Castleman, Karen Clifford, Bonnie Rhoades at the Mass celebrating the 150th Elberson, Denise Fedorow, Diane anniversary of Ave Maria Press on May 1st Freeby, Sister Margie Lavonis, CSC, at Moreau Seminary, Notre Dame: Jodi Magallanes, Joe Kozinski, Vince LaBarbera and Deb Wagner arly in the existence of the community Eof Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau Business Department told his religious that the work of Holy Cross is not the work of human beings but AD GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: Mark Weber the work of God. The anniversary we cel- BOOKKEEPING/CIRCULATION: Bethany ebrate today can be counted among those Belleville [email protected] works: the 150th anniversary of Ave Maria Press. Advertising Sales On this day, May 1st, in the year 1865, Tess Steffen the first edition of the family magazine, The [email protected] Ave Maria, a weekly periodical devoted to (260) 456-2824 the Blessed Virgin Mary, was published. That was before May 1st was designated by the Church as the feast of Saint Joseph Web site: www.todayscatholicnews.org the Worker. But it seems appropriate that today we celebrate the Mass of Saint Joseph PHOTO BY MATT CASHORE/UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Published weekly except second the Worker as we celebrate the holy work Sunday of January; and every other of Ave Maria Press, 150 years of work for Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades gives the homily at the Ave Maria Press 150th anniversary Mass at Moreau week from the fourth Sunday in the Church, the work of evangelization and Seminary at the University of Notre Dame. June through the middle Sunday catechesis, the work of promoting devo- of September; and last Sunday in tion to the Blessed Mother, the work of December by the Diocese of Fort providing good Catholic reading, a work work of the Holy Cross brothers and sis- mission has changed, but not its substance. Wayne-South Bend, 1103 S. Calhoun that continues today. As we celebrate this ters, especially Mother Angela Gillespie at It continues as a Catholic enterprise, a min- St., P.O. Box 390, Fort Wayne, IN 46801. publishing work that is under the title of the Saint Mary’s. This strong, well educated, istry of the Congregation of Holy Cross. It Periodicals postage paid at Fort Wayne, Blessed Virgin Mary, it seems appropriate cultured and faith-filled woman, having just continues in the mission of Holy Cross in IN, and additional mailing office. that we do so on this feast of her spouse, completed her great service of the wounded helping people know, love, and serve God Saint Joseph, the patron of workers. We ask and dying in the Civil War, did so much and in spreading the Gospel of Jesus. It con- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Jesus, the one known as the carpenter’s son, to make the Ave Maria a success. Mother tinues to spread Father Sorin’s deep devo- Today’s Catholic, P.O. Box 11169, Fort as we heard in today’s Gospel, to continue Angela was the actual director of the new tion to the Mother of God. It continues to Wayne, IN 46856-1169 or email: magazine in those early years. She solicited serve the spiritual, catechetical, and pastoral [email protected]. to bless the work of Ave Maria Press. Saint Paul wrote to the Colossians: the essays and articles and discerned what ministries of the Church. MAIN OFFICE: 915 S. Clinton St., Fort Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do should be published in each issue. On this memorial of Saint Joseph the Wayne, IN 46802. Telephone (260) everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, Mother Angela Gillespie also oversaw Worker, when the Church reflects on the 456-2824. Fax: (260) 744-1473. giving thanks to God the Father through the sisters who did the typesetting and lay- value and meaning of human work, it is BUREAU OFFICE: 1328 Dragoon Trail, him. These words are good for all of us out of the magazine. She worked hard to good for us to remember that work honors Mishawaka, IN 46544. Telephone (260) to ponder as we consider our daily work. assist Father Sorin, the editor, in making the the gifts of God our Creator and the tal- 456-2824. Fax (260) 744-1473. Certainly, these words express the attitude Ave Maria the most popular and most read ents we receive from Him. All of you who Father Edward Sorin had in founding the Catholic periodical in the country. Father work for Ave Maria Press and support its News deadline is the Monday morning Ave Maria as well as Notre Dame. Sorin once said that Mother Angela is a work are collaborators with Jesus in His before publication date.