US faithful asked to see humanity of child migrants
Washington D.C., Jul 31, 2014 / 11:42 am (CNA/EWTN News) - The child migrant crisis at the U.S-Mexico border shows the need for a Catholic response and for sound government policy to help children who are fleeing violence, several Catholic experts have said.
“As a Church, our first focus is that we are assisting members of our human family in need,” Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, said during a live internet chat July 29. “The Catholic response has to be compassionate, and must recognize the human faces within this issue.”
Bishop Flores, who serves on the U.S. bishops’ conference subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, said his diocese is one of the common entry points into the U.S. for unaccompanied children and young mothers with children.
The number of unaccompanied child migrants to the U.S. has doubled in the past year, many from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Combined with adult migrants, their numbers have helped overwhelm housing facilities on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Child migrants were the focus of a live webchat from the Catholics Confront Global Poverty initiative, a project of Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Jill Marie Gerschutz-Bell, a legislative affairs specialist in Catholic Relief Services’ D.C. Office, said the situation is a “refugee crisis” due to “violence, insecurity and displacement in Central America and Mexico.”
Burmese missionary priest, Father Pius T’caw dies
Father Pius Mahn T’caw, a Burmese missionary priest who served in the Diocese of Dodge City, died May 16, 2012, in his homeland.
Father Pius was born Dec. 1, 1936, in Mondee Village, Myaungmya, Burma (Myanmar). He was ordained to the priesthood by the Most Rev. George Maung Kyaw, bishop of Bassein, for the Diocese of Pathein on March 12, 1967. He came to the United States to serve in the Diocese of Dodge City in 1996. During a period of orientation at St. Joseph’s Parish, Ellinwood, he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his priesthood.
He was assigned parochial vicar at St. Rose of Lima, Great Bend, July 1, 1997. While in Great Bend he had pastoral responsibilities to the patients at Center Kansas Medical Center and in the extended care facilities there.
On Nov. 10, 1998, he was assigned parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Dodge City, with pastoral responsibilities to the patients at Western Plains Medical Complex and the extended care facilities in Dodge City and the region. He assisted at Sacred Heart, Larned, for three months in 2000, during the sabbatical leave of the pastor. Father Pius returned to Myanmar in the fall of 2001.
The funeral Mass for Father Pius was celebrated by Bishop John Hsane Hgyi with 40 concelebrating priests on May 18, 2012, at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Pathein. Burial was in the cemetery at Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Mayanchaung Village, Myanmar.
Catholic artist touches hearts one Facebook pic at a time
By MARY REZAC
Sioux Falls, S.D., Aug 1, 2014 / 04:03 am (CNA/EWTN News) - If you have seen an artistic Facebook cover photo with a saint and a powerful quote, there's a good chance it came from Cassie Pease.
The 22-year-old South Dakota native's designs have been floating around social media and phone backgrounds for over a year now.
While Pease has always been interested in design, she did not realize her saint art would be so popular. The first composition she made was of Saint John Paul II, and she shared it on Facebook for her friends to enjoy.
“I started putting these designs on Facebook just to kind of share with my friends so they could know what I was up to,” Pease said. “About a week later I checked it and it had over 300 shares…and I was just astonished.”
Local family serves NM mission
A personal journal account
By LYZA FRASCO
Special to the Register
June 21, 2014 – Our Family loaded the covered wagon, a.k.a. the van, and headed out west for the hills of New Mexico, destination: Mission Parish San Lorenzo near Grants, New Mexico.
At St. John the Baptist Parish in Spearville, we have been teaming with this New Mexico parish for about 20 years. Our mission was to meet their mission and put on Vacation Bible School.
Eleven hours later, we arrived at a small country church at the base of a mesa, and were met by a parishioner who showed us to our living quarters.
The “Old Convent” as they call it, is generally where the priest will stay overnight prior to Sunday morning Mass and Confession. (Got that? The only access to a priest they have is for about an hour-and-a-half on Sunday mornings! Thankfully we learned that very soon they will be getting a resident priest.)
Monday through Wednesday we hosted a Catholic style Vacation Bible School for whoever would like to come.
Any takers? Yes! Two families. Doesn’t sound like much, but considering that one family was a Navajo family and it included Grandma, Grandpa, their four children–two of their grandchildren–and a cousin, all in all a pretty good turnout for a land so sparse.
Dioceses gear up for Fortnight for Freedom,
June 21-July 4
Dioceses nationwide will highlight religious liberty during the Fortnight for Freedom, June 21-July 4.
Nationwide celebrations range from special Masses and Holy Hours for religious liberty to concerts and multi-media presentations, to a Catholic trivia night and distribution of yard signs and car magnets.
In the Diocese of Dodge City, Father Rene Labrador, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Garden City, formed a committee which planned several nights of rosaries, fasting, and a lunch in a park followed by a rosary.
Bishop to address ‘Religious Liberty and
Conscience’ over ITV network
Most Rev. John B. Brungardt, in his first presentations on ITV (Interactive Television), will discuss the Catholic Church’s teaching on Religious Liberty and the importance of Conscience in faith.
The presentation will be in English from 7-9 p.m. June 20, and in Spanish from 5-7 p.m. June 24.
“Today in America and around the world, we are facing threats to religious freedom and conscience,” the bishop said. “What is our response? Where is the Lord leading us?”
ITV sites are located in Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, Liberal, Pratt, Ness City, Scott City, Sharon, Syracuse, and Ulysses. For locations, go to dcdiocese.org/interactive-television, or call Coleen Stein, 620-227-1538.
‘I knew I would be reunited with my father’
A sad and perilous journey
By DAVID MYERS
Southwest Kansas Register
Pablo sat smiling in his apartment on a Sunday, several hours yet to go before he would leave for work, while his son, Juan, wiped the sleep from his eyes, having just awakened following a late night at work.
Juan is 16 and four months into his new life in the United States. He is pleased with his new life, yet his tear-filled eyes belie a deep sadness for the home he was forced to leave behind in Guatemala. Sixteen is a tender age to leave one’s mother, not to mention eight siblings ranging in age from eight to twenty-two.
Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. Thirty-eight percent of the population is comprised of indigenous groups of Mayan descent, and of these, 73 percent live in poverty, 28 percent in extreme poverty.
Pablo, Juan’s father, saw no other choice to but to come to the land of opportunity to support his family. He hasn’t seen his wife and children in six years, but with his cell phone service, he speaks to them twice a day.
Diocese offered challenge grant
to support seminarian education
Give a dollar, get a dollar. The Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is partnering with Catholic Extension Society to offering a giving opportunity for the people of southwest Kansas.
The United States Catholic Extension office recently proposed a challenge grant of $50,000 to a limited number of mission dioceses, if they can match fund raising efforts dollar for dollar.
In other words, in order to receive the grant, the Diocese of Dodge City would have to also raise $50,000. The grant money would be placed in a new endowment only for seminary education within the Diocese of Dodge City, to be used for current and future seminarians. The diocese completed the spring semester with three seminarians: Tylan Ricketts, Juan Salas, and Jacob Schneider. Education for each seminarian costs the diocese approximately $33,000 per year.
Stewardship is alive and well at St. Joseph’s Church, Ellinwood
Editor’s Note: The following was presented in the July newsletter, “The Spirit of St. Joseph Parish (Ellinwood), and Immaculate Conception Parish (Claflin).” It is reprinted with permission
By CURTIS WOLF
Bishop John B. Brungardt recently emphasized the Four Pillars of Stewardship: hospitality, formation, prayer, service. The following is part of a series presented by St. Joseph’s Parish highlighting parishioners who give their time, talent, and treasure. Although the Mass is led by a priest, there are many parts of the liturgy that require lay ministers.
Following is an interview with Eucharistic Minister, John Clayton:
Curtis Wolf: What do Eucharistic Ministers do at St. Joseph’s?
John Clayton: Eucharistic ministers assist the priest with distributing the Holy Body and Blood. They are also responsible for caring for and cleaning the vessels after Father has purified them.
Some of the Eucharistic Ministers also are responsible for taking Communion to Woodhaven [Care Center], the hospital, and the home bound. A schedule for Eucharistic Ministers is put out each month. Most Eucharistic Ministers are scheduled to serve about one weekend Mass each month.
C: How does one become a Eucharistic Minister?