Catholic Social Service invites public to 50th anniversary celebration

On Saturday, Dec. 6 at 11 a.m., CSS begins a year of celebration with a 50th Anniversary Mass and lunch at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

For half a century, Catholic Social Service in the Diocese of Dodge City has served people in need in southwest Kansas regardless of religious, ethnic, cultural or racial background or age. It all began when Father Walter Weiss investigated the need for a Catholic Social Service agency in the Dodge City Diocese as part of his Masters program at Catholic University of America.
After finishing his social work degree, Father Weiss returned to the Diocese, and with Bishop Forst’s blessing, he began to invite a group of people to be a Board of Directors for a possible agency. On March 15, 1965, Catholic Social Service formally opened its doors at 1012 Washington in Great Bend Kansas.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014 at 11 a.m., Catholic Social Service begins a year of reflection, celebration and thanksgiving with a 50th Anniversary Mass and lunch at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3231 N. 14th Street in Dodge City. Bishop John B Brungardt will be the principal celebrant.
“Everyone is invited,” said Rebecca Ford. “This is an opportunity for everyone in the Catholic Social Service family to come back together. Regardless of whether you have adopted a child or received other services through our agency, or you donate, volunteer and support our mission in other ways, we invite you to join us in celebrating and giving thanks for the accomplishments of the past 50 years.” Guests may attend the Mass and lunch, or just the lunch. RSVP at www.catholicsocialservice.org by Nov. 26, 2014. Guests may also RSVP by calling 620-792-1393, or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“Over the past fo years, thousands of lives have been positively impacted here in southwest Kansas as a result of the agency and its staff, board members, volunteers and donors,” said Debbie Snapp, Executive Director of Catholic Social Service.
“Because of the work and foresight of those who helped to initiate this agency and its activities half a century ago, children have grown up in loving adoptive “forever” homes, the hungry have been fed, the homeless have found shelter, individuals and families caught in the grip of addictions have been healed, and those facing a lifetime of poverty have achieved goals and self-sufficiency.”
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, Catholic Social Service will be holding festivities throughout the year in Dodge City, Garden City and Great Bend. More information about these events can be found at www.catholicsocialservice.org.

Catechists honored, thanked, at banquet

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SHARON -- Catechists from Kiowa, Medicine Lodge and Sharon were honored at a banquet March 6 at the St. Boniface Parish Center.
Among the guests were the Most Rev. John B. Brungardt, Bishop of Dodge City, and speaker, David Myers, editor of the Southwest Kansas Register. The theme of the banquet was, “Jesus is our Rose of Sharon.”
Pastoral Minister Terry Deokaran, along with a contingent of volunteers organized the event, which included a steak dinner with all the fixings provided by the Rankin family of Sharon.
Bishop Brungardt gave the invocation, and Father Cosmas Nwosuh, MSP, thanked all the catechists gathered, including their spouses, for all the work they do.   
Youth from the 2011 Sharon Confirmation class acted as the wait staff. The cake was prepared by Cindy Summers of Kiowa; the catechists’ gifts were provided by Richard and Monica Hendricks of Sharon; and the door prizes were provided by RCL Benziger.

Dave Myers' presentation:

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things … except … (pulling items out of box) for my vintage View Master and out of print reels, my comic book collection, my Star Trek communicator, my Lost in Space talking robot, and of course, my Davey and Goliath action figures. They were Lutheran, by the way.

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Bishop Brungardt shares message with thousands at Mexico City basilica

Editor’s Note: The following is Part I of a two-part series. The second part, to be printed Nov. 23, will include interviews with local participants, as well as several photos printed in full color.

The Most Rev. John B. Brungardt was the main celebrant at an Oct. 24  Mass held at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which houses the original tilma holding the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Thirty local Kansans accompanied Bishop Brungardt on the pilgrimage to Mexico City, and more than a few expressed that they felt a surge of pride when the bishop announced to as many as 50,000 people, “I am Bishop John Brungardt of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, in the state of Kansas, in the country to the North.”
Here is the bishop’s homily, in its entirety:


Greetings to all!  I am Bishop John Brungardt of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, in the state of Kansas, in the country to the North.  We are 30 pilgrims who have journeyed to the site of the most blessed miracle, our Virgin’s loving meetings with Saint Juan Diego.  She filled him with hope in her Son Jesus.  Our Mother Mary taught Saint Juan a deepening faith in the saving gift of Jesus our Lord.
We celebrate today the feast of Saint Raphael Guízar y Valencia, bishop of Veracruz, Mexico (1878-1938).  He was canonized October 15, 2006 in St. Peter’s square by Pope Benedict XVI.  St. Raphael Guízar taught and lived the virtues as a good shepherd to the people in Mexico, especially to the least of our brothers and sisters.
Saint Paul teaches the theological virtues to the Ephesians in our first reading today: “… bearing with one another through love, … as you were also called to one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism …”  We remember the second reading last Sunday, also from Saint Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians: “… unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ …”
The three theological virtues, virtues about God, are the foundation of living our Catholic Church.  Faith is that deep belief in God and His ways.  Hope is trust in God and His plan for our lives.  Love is unconditional, sacrificial, and a giving of ourselves to God and neighbor.  
Our Blessed Mother teaches us well about these virtues of faith, hope, and love:
Faith:  At Nazareth, the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus, the mother of God.  Full of wonder, Our Lady responded with a profound faith: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Hope:  In the difficult journey to Bethlehem with Joseph and unborn baby Jesus, in great poverty and hardship, the Holy Family had great hope that God was with them.  The Heavenly Father would not abandon them. And: “She gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
Love:  At the foot of the Cross, Mary’s love for her Son was overflowing, with intense grief at the death of Jesus.  And Jesus cared for her with love beyond measure, telling the Apostle John: “Here is your mother” (John 19:27).  Jesus brought salvation to Mary, and to us.
What do we do?  How do we live the virtues of faith, hope, and love?  Why are we here at this holy place?  We ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us, that we may deepen our relationship with her Son Jesus.  We pray that we grow in a profound faith, a lively hope, and a sacrificial love for God and for all.  
Let us grow in faith by reading the Bible as a family every day.  Let us grow in hope by receiving the sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Confession/Reconciliation and the Most Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Let us grow in a sacrificial love with our spouse, children, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and all, especially the least of our brothers and sisters.  
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the holy role model we wish to imitate.
Thank you, Morenita.  Thank you, Saint Raphael Guízar y Valencia. Thank you, Jesus. Jesus and Mary love us more than we can ask or imagine!

People of the Diocese of Dodge City

Nigerian couple builds family, hopes on the

plains of southwest Kansas

By DAVID MYERS
Southwest Kansas Register

They appeared almost like a bride and groom, dressed to the hilt in their native Nigerian garb, every inch of fabric like white lace except for his black kufi, a pillbox-like hat.
Surrounding Iberosi “Cally” Okoro and his wife, Clara in their Dodge City home were their five children, ranging in ages from 2 to 12.
“We wanted to give you a taste of our culture,” said Clara. “That’s why we dressed in our native clothing.”
At cathedral celebrations, such as the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Clara is one of the readers during the Prayers of the Faithful, speaking in her native Igbo. She works at a nursing home. 

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El Salvador youth saved from violence by music

Editor’s Note: El Salvador is one of several Central American countries whose residents have sought refuge in southwest Kansas. This story, and others like it, tell the deeper story of a people whom we now call our neighbors.

San Salvador, El Salvador, CNA --  Nearly 1,000 children and teens who live in violent, crime-ridden areas of El Salvador have turned to the Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra as an alternative to a life of drugs and conflict.
The orchestra is run by Spanish Salesian Father Jose Maria Moratalla Escudero, known as Father Pepe, who is president of the Salvadoran Education and Work Foundation.
Formed three years ago, the orchestra made its debut in San Salvador last year. The young musicians range in age from 8 to 20 and are from various public schools located in neighborhoods plagued by gang violence. Twenty-five year old Bryan Cea, himself from a troubled neighborhood, directs the orchestra.
El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. According to El Salvador president Sanchez Ceren, the murder rate in the country has increased from six per day in 2013 to 10 per day in 2014.

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Bishop urges individuals to get

to the ‘root’ of the problem at Lent

By DAVID MYERS
Southwest Kansas Register
“Who likes to garden?” asked Bishop John B. Brungardt during his Ash Wednesday homily at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Dodge City, during which he donned gardening gloves and held pruning shears.  
“Sometimes gardening is like our spiritual life.”  Next to the bishop stood a large house plant.
“Sometimes when we sin, we go to confession, and we thank the Lord that we can clip away at our sins,” he said, snipping a small twig from the plant. “Maybe it’s the sin of gossip. We clip away: Father please forgive me. Maybe it’s the sin of disobedience -- talking back at home or at school. Clip away those sins. Sometimes it’s the sin of materialism. … Clip away. …”

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Boston, Mass., Oct 31, 2014 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The last person hanged for witchcraft in Boston could be considered a Catholic martyr.

In the 1650s, Ann Glover and her family, along with some 50,000 other native Irish people, were enslaved by Englishman Oliver Cromwell during the occupation of Ireland and shipped to the island of Barbados, where they were sold as indentured servants.

What is known of her history is sporadic at best, though she was definitely Irish and definitely Catholic. According to an article in the Boston Globe, even Ann's real name remains a mystery, as indentured servants were often forced to take the names of their masters.

While in Barbados, Ann's husband was reportedly killed for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith. By 1680, Ann and her daughter had moved to Boston where Ann worked as a “goodwife” (a housekeeper and nanny) for the John Goodwin family.

Father Robert O'Grady, director of the Boston Catholic Directory for the Archdiocese of Boston, said that after working for the Goodwins for a few years, Ann Glover became sick, and the illness spread to four of the five Goodwin children.

“She was, unsurprisingly, not well-educated, and in working with the family, apparently she got sick at some point and the kids for whom she was primarily responsible caught whatever it was,” Fr. O'Grady told CNA.

A doctor allegedly concluded that “nothing but a hellish Witchcraft could be the origin of these maladies,” and one of the daughters confirmed the claim, saying she fell ill after an argument with Ann.  

The infamous Reverend Cotton Mather, a Harvard graduate and one of the main perpetrators of witch trial hysteria at the time, insisted Ann Glover was a witch and brought her to what would be the last witch trial in Boston in 1688.

In the courtroom, Ann refused to speak English and instead answered questions in her native Irish Gaelic. In order to prove she was not a witch, Mather asked Ann to recite the Our Father, which she did, in a mix of Irish Gaelic and Latin because of her lack of education.

“Cotton Mather would have recognized some of it, because of course that would have been part of your studies in those days, you studied classical languages when you were preparing to be a minister, especially Latin and Greek,” Father O'Grady said.

“But because it was kind of mixed in with Irish Gaelic, it was then considered proof that she was possessed because she was mangling the Latin.”

Allegedly, Boston merchant Robert Calef, who knew Ann when she was alive, said she “was a despised, crazy, poor old woman, an Irish Catholic who was tried for afflicting the Goodwin children. Her behavior at her trial was like that of one distracted. They did her cruel. The proof against her was wholly deficient. The jury brought her guilty. She was hung. She died a Catholic."

Mather convicted Ann of being an “idolatrous Roman Catholick” and a witch, and she hung on Boston Common on November 16, 1688. Today, just a 15 minute walk away, the parish of Our Lady of Victories holds a plaque commemorating her martyrdom, which reads:

“Not far from here on 16 November 1688, Goodwife Ann Glover an elderly Irish widow, was hanged as a witch because she had refused to renounce her Catholic faith. Having been deported from her native Ireland to the Barbados with her husband, who died there because of his own loyalty to the Catholic faith, she came to Boston where she was living for at least six years before she was unjustly condemned to death. This memorial is erected to commemorate “Goody” Glover as the first Catholic martyr in Massachusetts.”

The plaque was placed at the Church on the tercentennial anniversary of her death in 1988 by the Order of Alhambra, a Catholic fraternity whose mission includes commemorating Catholic historical persons, places and events. The Boston City Council also declared November 16 as “Goody Glover Day”, in order to condemn the injustice brought against her.  

Ann Glover has not yet been officially declared a martyr by a pope, nor has her cause for canonization been opened to date, partly because her story has faded into obscurity over time, Fr. O’Grady said.

“Part of the dilemma here (too) is that when she was hanged, Catholics were a tiny, minuscule, minority in Boston, so picking up her ‘cause’ was not easy or ‘on top of the list,’” he said.

Ann Glover's trial also set the tone for the infamous Salem Witch Trials in 1692, during which 19 men and women were hanged for witchcraft, and in which Reverend Cotton Mather and his anti-Catholic prejudices played a major role.

Rite of Election

and Call to Continuing Conversion

More than 170 men, women and children on the road to becoming Catholic were officially welcomed along the journey March 13 by Bishop John B. Brungardt at the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The annual Rite of Election is a “call to continuing conversion” for all those candidates and catechumens who will be received into the Church at the Easter vigil.  
Candidates are baptized members of another Christian denomination -- or baptized Catholics -- who are seeking confirmation and first Eucharist.
During the Mass, with their sponsors at their sides, the candidates would process to the baptismal font and dip their fingers in the holy water and make the sign of the cross.
Catechumens are individuals who have not been baptized and who are seeking baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist. With their Godparent at their side, the catechumen from each parish was called by name, and then came forward and signed their name in the Book of the Elect.

By THE MOST REV. JOHN B. BRUNGARDT
Bishop of Dodge City
Editor’s Note: The following is taken from Bishop John B. Brungardt’s homily given at the Rite of Election, March 13 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He began by calling children forward, before whom sat a gift-wrapped box on a table.
Who has a birthday this month?  How about a wedding anniversary?  In December we had Christmas.  In May we will have many graduations. What is a custom we have about all these celebrations?
Gift-giving!  
We give gifts to our family member or friend to show how special this day is, to show how we love them.  A gift is freely given from the heart.  We chose it especially for the person.  The treasure fits them and their personality and their needs.  They feel joy and love from receiving your gift.
What other treasures do we have besides material goods, besides “things”?

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What now? Grief over Brittany's suicide prompts Christian response

By MARY REZAC