Holy Family School’s Inga Atkinson named Divine Mercy Radio’s

Favorite Catholic School Teacher

Divine Mercy Radio’s contest has named Inga Atkinson of Holy Family Catholic School in Great Bend “Favorite Catholic School Teacher.”

Votes were cast by staff and friends from Catholic schools along the radio station’s listening area, which stretches from Hays to Great Bend and all the surrounding communities.

Leslie Unrein, Assistant Director and Underwriting Representative for Divine Mercy Radio, released some snippets from a few of the comments that were received during the voting process. The names of the voters were not included:

• “Ms. Inga Atkinson! She is fabulous with all her students and sparks interest in education at a young age.”
• “Our granddaughters have [Mrs. Atkinson] for Pre-K and absolutely love her.”
• “Mrs. Inga Atkinson at Holy Family School in Great Bend. Actually, she is one of all time favorites at this location.”
• “(Mrs. Inga Atkinson) She is BEYOND amazing! She has taught all three of my boys, and I have never met anyone like her. She genuinely loves each and every child who comes into her room, and treats them just like her own kids. She is gentle, soft-spoken, and has a heart of gold. Her love of God shines through her heart and into her teaching. I wish every child had the opportunity to be in her classroom—every student deserves to be loved like she loves her kiddos! She, without a doubt, deserves to win this contest. She has taught for many, many years and has affected so many lives in the Great Bend area.”

Atkinson received a Certificate of Excellence and a $50 gift card for “An American Bistro” in Great Bend.

KAIRS names St. Dominic School teacher Judy Strasser

‘Distinguished Teacher of the Year’

St. Dominic School teacher Judy Strasser was named “Distinguished Teacher of the Year” at the annual KAIRS banquet Feb. 11 in Topeka.

KAIRS (Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools) represents more than 35,000 Kansas school children, nearly 2,400 teachers and approximately 22,000 families.

“I have taught at St. Dominic Catholic School for 25 wonderful years,” Strasser said. “The most rewarding thing to me about teaching in a Catholic school is that I can share my faith through Catholic teachings to help my students learn to love one another and to develop a moral and work ethic while receiving an excellent academic education.”

Strasser is married to Mark; the couple have two grown children, Kristin, 35, and David, 31. Apart from teaching the three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic), Strasser said she is privileged to “help prepare my students for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist for these many years.  It is so special to see their bright, shining, holy faces when they receive these sacraments.

“As Catholic school educators, we strive to form our students morally as well as academically.  When years later I speak to, or hear about, former students, what a great joy it is to celebrate them for the caring, successful, productive, and upstanding members of society they have become, exhibiting all the Christian values that our school is so dedicated to instilling in them.  Even though I have had only a small part of their formation, I feel like a proud parent.”

Like the children, who will remember special moments from their elementary years throughout their life, teachers also hold special those times throughout the year when children are not just taught, but celebrated.

“Other fond memories I have are of Catholic Schools Week activities, Advent and Lenten activities, Spaghetti Dinners, Fun Days, Talent Shows, and class field trips, but what I treasure most are the relationships I have developed with my students, their families, and the many staff members that I have worked with over the years,” Strasser said. “We are truly a family.

“To receive the KAIRS award is a great honor and I truly appreciate it.  There are so many hardworking, deserving teachers in our diocese, and I share this award with them.”

Approaching its 50th year, KAIRS works to ensure that children attending religious and independent schools are treated equitably in educational law, policy and programs. KAIRS is committed to excellence in education and to maintaining unity within its membership and productive relationships with public school leadership.

Newman University opens School of Catholic Studies

The Newman University School of Catholic Studies will be the home of the programs below: (Courses are offered both on campus and online.)

Kansas

Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Wichita

Master of Arts in Theology, Wichita

Master in Theological Studies, Wichita

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy for Theological Studies, St. Joseph House of Formation, Wichita

The Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies, Wichita

Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, Dioceses of Dodge City and Salina

Oklahoma

Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Bachelor of Arts in Theology as a 2nd degree for deacons, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Bachelor in Pastoral Ministry, Diocese of Tulsa

Arkansas

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy for Theological Studies, Little Rock House of Studies

For more information about the graduate theology programs in the Newman University School of Catholic Studies, please view the following youtube videos.

https://youtu.be/Bk-DcR7CyTs — Rome and Israel trips;

https://youtu.be/CrkiA6sHaNk — Degree overview;

https://youtu.be/-aRwmgYh9Qg — Affordability and program quality

Special to the Catholic

WICHITA — Newman University recently announced the formation of a new School of Catholic Studies, which houses theology, diaconate and pastoral ministry programs for undergraduate and graduate students. The new school also includes formation programs for seminarians in the dioceses of Wichita and Little Rock.

In addition to bringing existing programs together “under one roof,” the Newman School of Catholic Studies will provide expansion opportunity for a variety of future program areas. Currently, the school is in the planning stages for a two-year Catholic Studies degree, which will focus on the great books of the Catholic tradition.

Father Joseph Gile, S.T.D., associate professor of theology and priest of the Wichita diocese, has been named dean for the new school.

Father Gile said creating the school is a great step in continuing to build a solid relationship between the Catholic community and Newman.

Newman and the Diocese of Wichita formed a partnership in 2017, establishing a two-year formation program for its seminarians called the St. Joseph House of Formation. This past year, the program expanded to three years, and this week the diocese announced a fourth year will be added in fall 2019.

Last fall, Newman established a similar association with the Little Rock House of Studies.

This newest partnership began when St. Gregory’s, located near Oklahoma City, had to close its doors.

“When it closed, they came to us asking for Newman to accredit them,” explained Father Gile. “And they also realized the Wichita diocese was starting a house of studies, so it was a perfect opportunity for the two dioceses and Newman University.”

Newman University President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., is excited about the new school and what it means for the future of Newman and its students.

“Starting the School of Catholic Studies is a natural progression for Newman,” President Carrocci said. “The programs offered in this new school embrace our Catholic identity and rich heritage and we are proud to bring this new academic option to the Wichita community, the region and all other communities we will be serving.”

Bishop Carl A. Kemme added, “Newman University is a great blessing to the Catholic Community of Wichita and beyond.  As the bishop, I enthusiastically support the development of its new School of Catholic Studies, which will help educate students in the richness of our Catholic tradition and to form future priests for the Diocese of Wichita during their college years.  We are grateful for this unique and important partnership.”  

Father Gile believes the new school will be attractive to Catholic students and their families.

“I think there are a lot of parents who would be delighted to have their sons and daughters come to Newman and study alongside the seminarians — to be in class with them, to learn with them,” Father Gile explained. “And with the grounding in Catholic studies and liberal arts here, I think we can immerse students in the richness of the Catholic tradition.”

St. Dominic grad honored for faith, service, academic achievement

Dr. Jeffrey Larkin has been named as the 2019 “Distinguished Graduate” of St. Dominic School in Garden City.

The following is from a presentation by Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Trina Delgado, at the opening Mass for Catholic Schools Week.

“When asked for his definition of ‘Hero’ our distinguished graduate replied:”

“Hero can mean very different things for everyone, but I’ve always thought of a hero as someone who is generous, humble and able to accomplish something extraordinary in relation to what they are given or born with. Mother Theresa is a great example.

“But on a personal note, while I was stationed in South Korea I was missing the camaraderie and fellowship of an active Catholic parish until I made an effort to get involved in the Church on base. As it turned out, the chaplain for the Medical Group was a Catholic priest who was from Vietnam (which made me think of Garden City) and spoke six or seven languages, including Korean.

“Right away I could tell Father Nguyen was fun and engaging for people of all ages on and off base, and he was also very involved with local Korean Catholic parishes. He inspired me to stay very involved and I even got my second and third degrees in Knights of Columbus while there.

“As I got to know him further, I found out that, while being paid well as a military officer, he more than kept his vow of poverty by sending a large majority of his salary home to his family in Vietnam. The amount of people he touched, lives he influenced, and his ongoing accomplishments while remaining very humble absolutely make him a hero in my eyes.”

Delgado told those gathered, “Our graduate of honor attended St. Dominic School from 1990-1995. These were the years prior to St. Dominic having a kindergarten or a 6th grade.  He graduated from GCHS in 2002, and from the University of Kansas in 2006 with a degree in Microbiology. 

“[Dr. Larkin] accepted a Health Professions Scholarship for dental school and in March of that year he was sworn in at Whiteman AFB, in Missouri. He was pinned as Captain in May 2010 at the dental school graduation ceremony with nine other classmates (out of 100 in the class), all going into the Army, Navy or Air Force.

“[Dr. Larkin] started active duty in the U.S. Air Force in July 2010, spending one year at Offutt AFB, Nebraska for his General Dentistry Residency.  He was then placed for one year at Osan Air Base, South Korea, completing his Squadron Officer School there.  This is the captain’s rank level professional military education.

“Our honoree completed two years of training as an irregular warfare medic at Hurlburt Field, (Fort Walton Beach) Florida, and then transferred from active duty to Kansas Air National Guard, August, 2014, and presently holds the position of dentist for the 190th Air Refueling Wing at Forbes Field, Topeka. He was pinned with the rank of Major in July 2016.

“When asked of special memories of St. Dominic School, Dr.Larkin responded:”

“It would be impossible to pick a favorite teacher, but Mrs. Geier, Mrs. Pishny, and Mrs. Deal all had a great impact on my educational trajectory and in life.

“There is no doubt that everyone’s foundation for future success begins in elementary school, and St. Dominic is no exception. I have very fond memories of ‘touch’ football and soccer matches at recess, ‘water day’ on the last day of school (especially the egg toss and water balloons in the huge parachute), the old gym/cafeteria for the Christmas pageant, and winning the spelling bee in 3rd grade. And most importantly, the friends I made at St. Dominic were some of my closest friends all through school.”

“I asked our recipient what part did his Catholic education play in helping him become the success he is today:”

“I received my 1st degree as a Knight of Columbus here at St. Dominic, and that has been a big part of my life through my Catholic parishes in Omaha, South Korea, Florida, Kansas City and now Lawrence at Corpus Christi. Finding something to be a part of from a charitable sense is very important at all stages in life. I don’t know who originally said it, but the quote, ‘To those who have been given much, much is expected’ started at an early age for my brothers and I right here at St. Dominic when we would adopt a family off of the ‘giving tree’ leading up to Christmas every year and buy those presents with our own money from doing chores.

“Catholic schools do a fantastic job of instilling altruism (or selflessness) and a charitable mindset from an early age, and the importance of this cannot be over-stated.”

“Today,” Delgado said, “Dr. Larkin is married to—and I quote—an ‘incredible mother and physician assistant at St. Luke’s in Kansas City’; the father of a two-year-old daughter named Kate (and he states, ‘Well-deserved for my mom after raising four boys!’), and has baby number two on the way, due in July!  He has dental offices in Lawrence and Topeka, and is lucky enough to not only have a fantastic dental partner but is able to practice with his Dad as well.

“It’s funny how distinguished graduates come from distinguished families that take that role of parent hero seriously,” Delgado said. “It is our honor today to recognize a very distinguished graduate.  He is no ordinary hero.”

Feb. 10, 2019

Catholic Charities seeks sponsors for annual Charity Wine Tasting fundraiser

Editor’s Note: With the talk of heroes in this special Catholic Schools Week issue, I find that this article quickly calls to mind some of my personal heroes, the staff at Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas. They help the poorest of the poor, those on the fringes of society. They are truly doing the Lord’s work every day. The following was submitted by Rebecca Ford of Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities’ biggest fundraiser of the year, a Charity Wine Tasting Event and Auction, takes place on Friday, May 3 at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th Street in Great Bend.

Catholic Charities is accepting event sponsorships and donations for both the live and silent auction components of the Annual Wine Tasting Event throughout February.

Sponsorships help us to underwrite the costs of the event (facility rental, catering, tasting beverages, printing and advertising costs, etc.) so that more of the event profit goes to help those in need. If you can’t think of a fitting auction item, a sponsorship may be the perfect way to go! We strive to acknowledge our appreciation for the generosity of you or your business, no matter how small, and topping out with the Champagne sponsorship of $2,000.

   As you know, the needs of those who struggle don’t go away. Just when we get one family back on their feet, another family gets hit with a medical emergency, a pregnancy, or perhaps a job furlough they weren’t prepared to handle. Regardless of the circumstance, we believe that every human being has value, and that they are worthy of compassionate help to get back on their feet.

    The Annual Charity Wine Tasting Event features a wonderful live and silent auction with many items for men, women, and children that are original, creative, beautiful, useful, delicious, collectible or unusual! Like the disciples to whom Jesus said “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch,” we are casting our nets for a catch of auction items over the next month, so that we can raise additional funds for those in need. These can be physical items, sports-related items, original pieces, eccentric pieces, dinners, excursions, vacation packages, gift certificates, and especially wine and beer-related items to go along with the theme of a wine tasting.

To sponsor the wine tasting, or to donate something for the live or silent auction, download this form (go to https://catholiccharitiesswks.org/wine-tasting-event), fill out the appropriate side and send it in, along with any logo and ad materials for your sponsorship level, by the end of February. One side of the form is for sponsorships and the other side is for auction donations.

What if you don’t have a lot of money to donate, bid, or sponsor? Volunteer your time! It takes a team to make this event happen. We are always in need of volunteers (and ever so grateful for the help!), even if you only have a little time to spare.

Commitment forms and donations can be mailed, emailed or hand-delivered to Catholic Charities, 2201 16th St, Great Bend KS 67530, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information, or to volunteer your time, please contact the event coordinator, Rebecca Ford, at 620-792-1393.

Feb. 10, 2019

Open to Life

By Dave Myers

Southwest Kansas Catholic

It may be one of the best kept secrets in the diocese, but if three women from southwest Kansas have their say, it will not be a secret for long.

Janeé Bernal, Diana Ramirez and Allison Ricke recently undertook the first of four intense training sessions to become Fertility Care Practitioners.

There are different methods of Natural Fertility Awareness, each offering a system for noting when the woman is most likely and least likely to become pregnant. Bernal, Ramirez and Ricke are studying the Creighton Model, developed by Dr. Thomas Hilgers, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Omaha.

While their training will be completed in February of 2020, the three are currently available to instruct individuals and couples about the use of the Church-approved method of achieving or avoiding pregnancy. As “student teachers,” they will be under the supervision of a senior educator.

“This system is about much more than becoming pregnant or avoiding pregnancy,” stressed Ramirez. “It helps the overall health of women.”

When Bernal was hired as the coordinator of the Matrimony, Family Life and Natural Family Planning office, Bishop John Brungardt explained that he wanted her focus on Natural Fertility Awareness to be a top priority.

“The fertility care system encompasses all the aspects of the person,” Bernal said, “the spiritual, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional side of every human being. The model has the highest success rate of avoiding or achieving pregnancy, even more so than contraception.” 

The Creighton Model allows woman to chart their reproductive health cycle, even allowing them to monitor if there are any abnormalities. They can note biological markers that indicate when they are more receptive to fertilization. Because it allows the couple to be open to life even when avoiding pregnancy, it retains the dignity of the human person and is fully approved by the Catholic Church.

“Scripture teaches us that the marital act should be pro-creative and unitive,” Bernal explained. “When a person uses a barrier method [of contraception], that allows the act to be neither pro-creative nor unitive.

“I see women using artificial means and masking what’s going on in their body,” Bernal said. “I’m very concerned about women’s health overall.”

Ramirez added, “These methods, such as Creighton, allow the couple to get to know each other and love each other in a more profound way. The two become as one, not just physically.”

After 10 intense days of training at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, the three have already begun speaking with couples about the program, and are eager to let people know about this valuable resource.

“We want to get the word out that the program is available,” Bernal said. “We will travel anywhere in the diocese to work with couples and individuals.”

For most couples, the first time they hear of Natural Fertility Awareness methods is in marriage prep. “I’d like to see younger women in high school and college learn about the methods, so that when they’re married, they already have an idea of a way to monitor their fertility,” Bernal said.

There are instructors of other methods in the diocese, including Heidy Ramirez, who teaches the Billings Ovulation Method, and Jacqueline Brown, who also teaches the Creighton Method.

“We really want to express our gratitude to everyone who supported the Vibrant Ministries Appeal, which allowed us to attend this program,” Bernal said. “We also want to thank the priests of the diocese. They are on the front lines in their work with couples, and we want to encourage them to reach out to us.”

For more information, contact Bernal at (620) 227-1529, or visit dcdiocese.org/marriage-family-life.

Feb. 10, 2019

Diocese celebrates, thanks Religious women and men

By DAVID MYERS

Southwest Kansas Catholic

GREAT BEND — Their consecrated life has sent some from the plains of southwest Kansas to the jungles of Africa, others to South and Central America, and others still to the shores of China.

   For those local Religious men and women such as the Mexican Passionist Sisters and the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, it was the mysterious land of cattle and cowboys (or so they heard) to which they were heading, to serve God and His people of southwest Kansas.

   And on this warm, Feb. 2 winter day, they came together for the Annual World Day for Consecrated Life at St. Patrick Church at Prince of Peace Parish in Great Bend.

The celebration also happened to coincide with the Feast of the Presentation, when the baby Jesus was presented for the first time in the temple—40 days after his birth in accordance with Jewish law.

“The feast of the Presentation is a very special day for me,” Bishop John Brungardt told those gathered. (Much of his homily is included in his column on Page 1.) “I was ordained as your bishop on this feast day eight years ago.  Thank you for the many prayers, words of encouragement, cards, emails, and phone calls you have given me these many years.  You have been a blessing to me.”

He thanked all the Religious women and men gathered for their faith-filled service, and asked those gathered to pray that more will choose to serve God and His people in the Religious life.

“The Light of Christ will show them the way,” he said.

He beseeched those gathered to let the light of Christ shine forth to others, in particular those on the peripheries, such as the poor, immigrants, and others — people who may be sitting next to you in the pew.

The bishop stressed that we should remember to reach out to the lonely—from college students starting out in a new environment, away from home for the first time, to the elderly.

The bishop’s great aunt, Benedictine Sister Rosaria Schaefer, who died in 2012, “shown the light of Christ in the formation of college students, and later to her own elderly Sisters.”

“Thank you,” the bishop told everyone gathered, “for shining forth Christ’s light by your consecrated life.”

Following Mass, the participants joined for a group photo, after which they walked under a deep blue sky to the parish center where youth of the Confirmation class took coats and served drinks. The event was coordinated by the Holy Family Vocations Committee, which the bishop complimented for having produced no less than three seminarians.

Following the meal, representatives shared a few words about their order, including Dominican Sister Roserita Weber, who spoke about a recent trip to El Paso, Texas with four other Dominican Sisters, where they helped dozens of tired immigrants as they processed through immigration checkpoints to ultimately be picked up by family or friends.

(This story will be included in an upcoming issue.)

Others spoke about aiding victims of human trafficking, helping immigrants and others to retain dignity amid seemingly insurmountable struggles.

In doing so, each shared the joy of having offered a joyous yes when they heard the call to serve God and His people.

Honoring the diversity and beauty of consecrated vocations

 WASHINGTON (CNS) – The Catholic Church held its annual celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life on Feb. 2, 2019. 

This celebration is a special time for individual parishes and the greater Church to celebrate the beauty of the consecrated vocation, highlight its various forms, and reflect on the unique Christ-centered witness that consecrated men and women bring to the Church and the surrounding community.

Instituted by St. Pope John Paul II in 1997, the day is celebrated in conjunction with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas Day, which commemorates through the blessing and lighting of candles that Christ is the light of the world. 

In the same way, consecrated persons, by belonging exclusively to Christ, act as the true hands and feet of Jesus, by bringing his love and the light of the Gospel to all those they encounter in their life and work.

Each form of consecrated life is distinct and inspired by the Holy Spirit to serve the Church through a particular charism.

Discerning one’s consecrated life involves a process of identifying the unique way in which Christ is calling one to love. 

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, offered encouraging words for those discerning a vocation to consecrated life: “Oftentimes, those discerning a vocation search for the perfect community.  The Lord, who created every heart, knows of the way He is calling each person to serve Him.  Trust that he will lead you to the vocation that is perfect for you.”

Who are the consecrated women and men in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City?

The Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is currently home to nine different religious orders: two orders of men religious, and seven orders of women religious, each of which is identified by the letters attached to their name. They are also known as “consecrated.”

Women Religious serving in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City

    Dominican Sisters of Peace (OP):

Sister Celeste Albers, Sister Myra Arney, Sister Jane Belanger, Sister Ellen Dater,

Sister Renee Dreiling, Sister Esther Fiegel, Sister Theresa Fox, Sister Jolene Geier, Sister Eloise Hertel, Sister Ann Metzen, Sister Rebecca Otter, Sister Rose Mary Stein, Sister Imelda Schmidt, Sister Francine Schwartzenberger,

Sister Janice Thome, Sister Roserita Weber.

    Mexican Passionist Sisters (CFP):

Sister Gregoria Bueno, Sister Yolanda Maria Figueroa,

Sister Julieta Mondragon Guadarrama

    Congregation of St. Joseph (CSJ):

Sister Janice Grochowsky, Sister Jan Roberts, Sister Catherine Therese Paulie

                Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence (MCDP):

Sister Angela Erevia

    Missionaries of Charity of Mary Immaculate (MCMI):

Sister Rosa Maria Martinez Solis, Sister Maria Elena Martínez-Sifuentes,

Sister Basilia Torres-Uribe

    Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA):

Sister Paulynn Instenes, Sister Jean Michael Treba

In residence at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Great Bend

Sister Corona Bayer, Sister Frances Biernacki, Sister Virginia Brungardt, Sister Kevin Clavin, Sister Mary Lou Desena, Sister Geraldine Eakes, Sister Charlene Eisenbart, Sister Clara Ann Fluech, Sister Jean Goering, Sister Marie Hegeman, Sister Dominic Haug, Sister Edith Marie Hauser, Sister Teresita Huse, Sister Joan Ice, Sister Marie Antoinette Klein, Sister Judith Lindell, Sister Alvina Miller, Sister Mary Conrad Miller, Sister Loretta Podlena, Sister Ancilla Schawe, Sister Anita Schugart, Sister Cecilia Ann Stremel, Sister Charlotte Unrein, Sister Eleanor Unrein, Sister Stella Webber,

Sister Annette Winter, Sister Joan Wolf

Men Religious serving in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City

    Missionaries of St. Paul (MSP):

Father Anselm Eke

    Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS):

Father Prakash Rao Kola, Father Aneesh Parappanattu

In sincere gratitude to all of those who, through their prayer and service, continue to bless the diocese with their presence.

Feb. 10, 2019

SW Kansans march in Topeka in support of life

A bus with 23 youth and sponsors from Liberal, Dodge City, Medicine Lodge and La Crosse, departed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday evening, Jan. 21 to head to Topeka for an overnight stay and full-day of activities for the March for Life on Jan. 22.

But mother nature had another plan for the day. The group woke to drizzle which continued to get heavier as they neared the Topeka Performing Arts Center for the “Ignite” event and special video presentation, “I Lived on Parker Ave” and adoption talk by David Scotton.

Mass celebrated with all of the Kansas Bishops and Archbishop Naumann, followed with Bishop John B. Brungardt delivering an inspiring homily (see below left).

The March to the Capitol was cold and wet, and the rally was moved inside the Capitol building. After lunch, the group made its way back to the Capitol for 2 p.m. tours, which were cancelled due to impending predictions of ice hitting the area.

The group boarded the bus and headed south to try to miss the worst of the weather. The bus driver appreciated the many prayers the group recited for the treacherous drive home.

Despite the weather, everyone had a meaningful March for Life 2019 and came away with a renewed vigor to pass on the pro-life message in their parishes. Plans will be coming together soon for the March for Life Washington and Topeka for 2020.

                             — Gayla Kirmer

‘Thank you, Jesus for touching hearts!’

Bishop Brungardt concelebrated the March for Life Mass Jan. 22, during which he spoke on the theme: Jesus touches hearts: my heart, your heart, our hearts.

He first related the example of his struggle with a brain tumor these last three years. 

Surgery, radiation treatment, and medicine were all lacking and inadequate in healing him.  But only the touch of Jesus healed him, he said. 

“Thanks for your many prayers,” the bishop told those gathered.

Next, Bishop Brungardt spoke of the wound in our world of abortion, the “killing of our siblings in the womb and the hurting of their moms.  The court, the legislature, and the executive branches of government have been inadequate and lacking in doing away with abortion.  We need more prayer, more asking Jesus to touch hearts, more touching of each others’ hearts.  With God’s grace, abortion will be no more.”

Bishop Brungardt closed with three examples of what we can do:

• respect the dignity of the human person in all life: the unborn and their moms, the immigrant, the poor, the lonely, those who do not agree with us.
• grow in chastity. To use God’s give of human sexuality within His plan for each of us.
• receive grace from our sacramental life: confession and Eucharist. With these blessings, we will have the wisdom, fortitude, and charity to continue in the pro-life movement.

“Thank you, Jesus, for touching hearts!”

‘Unique from day one: Pro-life is pro-science’

The theme for the 2019 march was, “Unique from day one: Pro-life is pro-science.”

Does the argument against abortion jive with the findings of the medical profession? The answer is “absolutely.”

The zygote, the first cell formed at the moment of conception, is the earliest developmental stage of the human embryo. It is undeniably human in that it is composed of human DNA and totally different from any other human that has ever existed. The fingerprint that each of us has — distinguishing us from any other human on the planet — is determined by that DNA on day one.

Fetal development in its simplicity and depth is astonishing. Only three weeks after fertilization, a little one’s heart starts beating. At eight weeks of pregnancy the baby has started moving around (even though Mom can’t feel this quite yet). By the 10th week of pregnancy, a baby’s fingers and toes are forming. By 13 weeks, right at the end of the first trimester, the baby has fingerprints.

During the second trimester, organs including kidneys begin to work, and expectant parents might even see their little one sucking his thumb on an ultrasound. At 19 weeks of development, a baby’s senses are developing, and she or he can likely recognize Mom’s voice at this stage.

One hundred years ago our understanding of embryonic development was very different from what it is now. Medical advancements continue to reaffirm the science behind the pro-life cause – that life begins when egg meets sperm and a new, unique, human embryo is created. Moreover, breakthroughs in science and ultrasound technology have provided a window into the womb allowing us to witness firsthand the development of life.
                                

— From RealClearPolitics.com

Pope Francis: ‘God loves you, even if you forget Him’

 Vatican City (CNA/EWTN) - God the Father will always be there for his beloved children, Pope Francis said, with a reminder that the unconditional love of God is not limited by our own sense of guilt or unworthiness.

“God is looking for you, even if you do not seek Him,” Pope Francis said in his general audience Jan. 16. “God loves you, even if you forget Him. God sees beauty in you, even if you think you have squandered all your talents in vain.”

The pope reflected on the first two words of the “Our Father,” focusing on the depth of personal love for each person found within God’s fatherhood.

“It may be that we too happen to walk on paths far from God, as happened to the prodigal son; or  fall into a loneliness that makes us feel abandoned in the world; or, again, do wrong and are paralyzed by a sense of guilt,” Pope Francis explained.

In those moments, one’s prayer should simply start by saying the word, “Father,” with the tenderness of a child who calls out “Papa” or “Abbà,” in the original Aramaic, Francis said.

“You have a father who loves you!” Pope Francis said enthusiastically. Call out to God as “Father,” and God will answer you, he said.

“If you respond to God by saying, ‘But, Father, I have done this ...’ God will answer, ‘I never lost sight of you. I saw everything. But I was always there, close to you, faithful to my love for you,’” Pope Francis said.

To call God “Father,” the pope explained, is to have  “the whole world of Jesus poured into one’s heart.”

Pope Francis described the intimacy of the Aramaic expression “Abbà” used twice in the letters of St. Paul. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul wrote, “As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”

Francis repeated the words that Italian children use, “Papa” and “Babbo,” which are equivalent to saying “Daddy” to exemplify the depth and closeness found in the word “Abba.”

“We continue to say ‘Our Father,’ but with the heart we are invited to say ‘Papa,’ to have a relationship with God like that of a child with his father, who says ‘Papa, Babbo,’” he said.

“These expressions evoke love, evoke warmth, something that projects us into the context of childhood: the image of a child completely enveloped by the embrace of a father who feels infinite tenderness for him,” he said.

Pope Francis continued, “dear brothers and sisters, to pray well, we must get to have a child’s heart … like a child in the arms of his father.”

Language matters in the abortion debate

Washington D.C. (CNA) - The language that people choose to use in reference to unborn children and ideological opponents is at the crux of the abortion debate, a pro-life Democrat argued in a New York Times op-ed this week.

“The struggle in the abortion debate is, in many ways, a struggle over language,” wrote Charles C. Camosy, who serves on the advisory board for pro-life group Democrats for Life and is an associate professor at Fordham University. 

“For example, I am pro-life. I strongly support rights and protections for mothers and children, including prenatal children, and other vulnerable populations. I want to see the laws of this country protect these people as well. In my view, this makes me pro-life. That’s why I use the phrase ‘prenatal child’ where other people would say ‘fetus,’” he said.

However, in the view of pro-choice people and of many mainstream media outlets, “I am not pro-life; I am anti-abortion. This language allows critics to dismiss me and fellow pro-lifers as single-issue obsessives, which we are not.”

Camosy noted that in recent years, those in favor of legal abortion have shifted their language from more neutral words like “autonomy” and “choice” and have used stronger, “stigma-defying” words that refer to abortion as “care” or as a “family value” or something about which one should shout.

Language choice becomes even more harmful when it is used as a tactic to dehumanize the unborn, he said. “The New York Times editorial board, for instance, recently used the phrase ‘clusters of cells that have not yet developed into viable human beings,’ in a discussion of rights being extended to a fetus in the womb, or what I call a prenatal child.

“Language like this ignores the fact that each of us once existed as ‘clusters of cells that have not yet developed into viable human beings.’ It seeks to hide the fact that by the time most surgical abortions take place, a prenatal child has electrical activity in the brain and a beating heart,” Camosy wrote.

Other terms used to dehumanize the unborn include: “tissue,” “part of the mother,” “parasite,” and “potential life,” he noted.

These words are biased because they are not used to refer to the unborn outside of an abortion context, he added. The word “baby” is used for almost everything else - doctor’s visits, baby showers, baby bumps, etc.

“We have shifted our language in ways that hide the dignity of the vulnerable, in this instance and on issues far from the abortion debate as well,” Camosy said, which “deadens one’s capacity to show concern for those who need it most.”

This language shifting, which objectifies humans and seeks to decrease their dignity, is part of what Pope Francis calls the “throwaway culture,” he noted.

Often, when Pope Francis speaks of the throwaway culture, he is referring to unbridled consumerism which dismisses the human dignity of those considered inconvenient, Camosy said, but Francis typically reserves his strongest words on the subject for the topic of abortion.

Research from Rehumanize International, a pro-life group, “has found tragic patterns in which marginalized populations are referred to as sub-humans, defective humans, parasites — and in the process become thought of as objects, things and products.”

This is limited not to unborn children, but to other vulnerable populations like immigrants, racial minorities, the elderly, people with disabilities, and prisoners, among others, he wrote.

Immigrants have also been dismissed or dehumanized using terms such as “illegals,” “swarms” of “undesirables,” “parasites,” or even “rapists” and “animals,” Camosy said.

He urged everyone who has genuine concern for vulnerable people to resist the urge to use dehumanizing language “intended to confirm biases and serve the interests of those who hold power over the weak.”

“If we are to avoid the hopelessly stale culture-war debates of the 1970s, then we must refuse the false choice between supporting vulnerable women and protecting vulnerable prenatal children,” he said.

“It will mean genuinely wrestling with the complexity of doing both. And it will mean engaging the arguments of our perceived opponents in good faith.”