Pope entrusts Year of Faith to Mary
LORETO, Italy (CNS) -- During a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Pope Benedict XVI formally entrusted to Mary the world Synod of Bishops and the Year of Faith.
The pope was marking the 50th anniversary of Blessed John XXIII’s visit to the Marian shrine, about 175 miles northeast of Rome, when he entrusted to Mary’s care the Second Vatican Council, which began Oct. 11, 1962.
“Fifty years on, having been called by divine providence to succeed that unforgettable pope to the See of Peter, I, too, have come on pilgrimage to entrust to the Mother of God two important ecclesial initiatives: the Year of Faith,” which was to begin Oct. 11 and the Synod of Bishops, which opened Oct. 7, and concluded Oct. 28.
Book highlights Larned doctor 
who survived Bataan death march
Editor’s Note: Dr. William Brenner and his wife, Carlotta, recently attended the centennial anniversary of Sacred Heart Parish in Larned.
BY KATIE OWSTON
Before Bill Brenner left to serve in World War II, his wife Josephine promised to write to him twice a week. When 63 of those letters were returned unopened, she didn’t know if her husband was dead or alive, but she kept on writing.
She eventually learned that Bill, a physician, had been among those captured by the Japanese shortly after his unit arrived in the Philippines. After surviving the 60-mile Bataan Death March and time in three Japanese death camps, Bill returned home to his wife and son at the end of the war, four years after he had left.
Kansas author encourages others to ‘Just Think’
By Doug Weller
The Salina Register
Plainville — For most of his life, Craig Davidson has been on a journey — physically and spiritually.
He has lived around the world and studied other religions, but in the end, he came home — to Kansas and the Catholic Church.
Both of those journeys eventually took the form of a book, “Just Think: A Personal Journey to God Through Faith and Reason,” newly published by Two Harbors Press.
Now a resident of Plainville with his wife, Elizabeth, Davidson said he hopes his book — a collection of essays — encourages readers to take time to think.
“I encourage people to make the time to think of things spiritual. It’s so easy to go through the day and not do that,” he said.
It’s easy for him, he admitted, now that he’s retired. The quiet solitude of his small farm in Rooks County gives him plenty of opportunity to contemplate and to write.
“Being retired frees up time to think about spiritual things,” he said.
New Wichita bishop warned
Don’t face ‘daunting’ challenges ahead alone
By Christopher M. Riggs
Editor, Catholic Advance, Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (CNS) -- Bishop Carl A. Kemme began his service as the 11th bishop of Wichita May 1 with a warning from a fellow bishop.
“The responsibilities of a bishop can be daunting, especially if you operate on the illusion that you can do it on your own,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City. “If this sounds overwhelming and intimidating, it’s because it is.”
Archbishop Naumann, the principal ordaining bishop for the service held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, said it was auspicious that Bishop Kemme was ordained on the feast of St. Joseph the Worker and recommended he “call upon St. Joseph” for his intercession, when needed.
‘You give your lives to each other’
Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass
(See the photos in the slideshow at the top of the page.)
Dozens of married couples from across the diocese -- including two couples celebrating 71 years of marriage, another celebrating 73 years of marriage (but who were unable to attend), and a groom on his 99th birthday, were honored Oct. 21 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
At a dinner reception following a special Mass in which dozens of couples renewed their marriage vows, Bishop John B. Brungardt presented each couple with a certificate honoring their years of commitment.
Although they were unable to attend, Gilbert and Barbara Knipp of Scott City were honored for 73 years of marriage.
In a 2011 interview, the SKR asked Gilbert the secret to a happy marriage in a time when there are so many divorces. Gilbert responded, “I’d ask them why they got married in the first place. Then I’d say, ‘Stay with it, boy!’”
Sacred Heart Parish, Larned, celebrates centennial
Click here, then scroll down to see two more slideshows with dozens of photos.
By TIM WENZL
Southwest Kansas Register
In the year 2062, when Sacred Heart Parish in Larned celebrates its 150th anniversary, there will be 50- and 60-year- olds who remember that the Bishop rolled out a funny looking bicycle and the choir sang “A Bicycle Built for Two” during the centennial Mass back in 2012.
Those future 50- and 60-year-olds were the kindergarten through 4th grade students who assisted Bishop John B. Brungardt during the homily at Sacred Heart Church Oct. 26 when the parish celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Sister Teresita Huse, OP, celebrates 80 years a Sister
‘It’s been a happy life’
By DAVID MYERS
Southwest Kansas Register
In a Sept. 4, 2011 issue of the Southwest Kansas Register, Sister Teresita Huse, OP, noted, “God’s great goodness to me as a Dominican for 75 years boggles my mind, and God willing, there will be more.”
God was willing.
On April 9, the Great Bend Sister celebrated 80 years to the day that she received her habit at the tender age of 15 at the former Immaculate Conception Convent in Great Bend.
Eighty years later, Sister Teresita belies any indication that she is anywhere near the 95 years she professes to be. On the phone with the Register, she spoke quickly and concisely; she needed to get ready for a retreat, and hadn’t expected a sudden interview.
“I was the only girl,” she said. “I had three brothers. I was the second child.
“The big thing in my life was the commitment of my parents to a Catholic upbringing,” she added. “I was born in Kingman; there was no Catholic school. They wanted us to have a Catholic education, so for nine years, early every morning they would put us in the car and drive 20 miles to Willowdale where Grandma lived. We would attend St. Peter’s School where the Dominicans taught.”
Sister Teresita’s aunt was a Dominican Sister, as was a cousin, so the Sisters were well known to the siblings.
Click on the cover at top, or on the page listings for the complete Dec. 9, 2012 issue of the Southwest Kansas Register.
Lebanese students discover
a smile is a two-way street
By Doreen Abi Raad
Catholic News Service
BEIRUT (CNS) -- Bringing the face of Jesus to the poor is an experience a group of Lebanese 10th graders will long remember about this Lent.
As Mission of Life Sister Lina Maria Dib prepared the students for their first outreach, she led them in prayer and told them: “A lot of the situations you see will be unusual for you. But we are going to share our smile. And when you come back you are going to feel happy inside.”
The students, at the Maronite Catholic-run St. George School in the Zalka section of Beirut, belong to the first Youth of Life group formed by the Lebanese order, Mission of Life. An adept organizer, Sister Lina Maria divided the group into small teams, each of which would visit two families or individuals that day, accompanied by a missionary from the order or one of its experienced volunteers.
One of those visits was to Nayla, who lives in a tiny, dingy concrete dwelling adjacent to the rubble of an abandoned stone building. Catholic News Service changed her first name to protect her privacy.
The Christmas Issue is online
In this special Christmas issue, writers from around the country share articles about faith, hope and love at Christmas time; A group of local Knights receive international honors for a sign celebrating Life; and Bishop Brungardt shares his Christmas message.
You can now view the Register two different ways. Click on the front page above for page-by-page format, or click on the page numbers for printable, pdf formats.