In This Issue...“If you seek to love, God will put people in your path. When he puts people in your path, he will give you a means to love,” Mrs. Carris said. “We do not ﬁx

MESSENGERMESSENGERServing the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky since 1926

October 16, 2020

In This Issue

2 Foresters support seminarians with funds

3 40 years a deacon: The layman’s road to holiness

Installation of Father Jacob Straub: St. Matthew’s new pastor

Coronavirus report

6 ‘We Choose Life’

7 Thomas More University: In-person education experience

12 Obituary: Sister Catherine Marie of the Immaculate Heart, O.P.

Obituary: Sister Mary Kevan Seibert,

SND

Bishop’s Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Did You Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 People and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Shopper’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

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Laura Keener Editor

Since 1999, the leadership of Mary Rose Mission has faithfully fulfilled its mission “To Love as God Loves” by serving those in need through the intercession of Mary. That abandonment to God’s will has led the mission full-circle, with an added new ministry in a familiar place — a Guest House for families needing a home at its original home in west Covington.

Bishop Roger Foys blessed the Guest House, Oct. 10. “The volun-teers and Board Members of Mary Rose Mission take to heart its mission ‘To Love as God Loves’; the new Guest House is its most recent example,” said Bishop Foys. “May God continue to bless them; and may the guests whose lives they touch come to know — through their care — the love of Christ.”

The home originally served as a hospice for people who were in the advanced stages of a terminal illness with no health insurance and no family to properly care for them. Many people lived-out their final days there and many found or returned to their faith due to the care and support they received from the volunteers — priests, women religious, businessmen and homemakers.

“The original Mary Rose Mission house is holy ground — mira-cles occurred there,” said Cindy Carris, vice president, as she talked about the eagerness of the Mary Rose Mission Board to re-acquire the property and open the Mary Rose Mission Guest House.

In 2008, with St. Elizabeth Healthcare expanding its hospice cen-ter, the Mary Rose Mission dissolved its hospice care, selling the house in Covington to another non-profit. Mary Rose Mission then opened its new ministry — a soup kitchen in Florence where every day volunteers continue to serve a hot meal to guests.

Most, if not all, of the guests at the Mary Rose Mission kitchen are food insecure; some are homeless.

“I get choked up every time I think of this,” said Mrs. Carris, “… to see a family living in a car is just devastating. To see a young, homeless family and to know that they just need a little lift and they would be okay, it’s heartbreaking to see over and over again.”

Last year Mrs. Carris learned that the Mary Rose Mission house

was available and she imme-diately knew that the mis-sion was being called back

home, this time as a Guest House for individuals and families need-ing a safe and secure place to live.

“Some families they just can’t get the support they need. They rely on family and friends but eventually that runs out. They aren’t asking for a lot — they are not asking for luxuries — just a roof over their head,” Mrs. Carris said.

The Mary Rose Mission Guest House is not a program. Instead it offers its guests a stable place to live so that they can begin to rebuild their future. There is no timeline and there is no deadline. The only requirement is that guests agree to participate in personal and financial counseling.

“Hopefully our guests will get stable employment and then save up some money and transition to a home or apartment where they can support themselves independently,” said Mrs. Carris. “We have found that people just need a break — just need a lift — so that they can take a breath and begin moving forward.”

Century Construction has completely remodeled the 3-bedroom, two story home. The home includes a full kitchen, two family rooms, two full baths and a fenced yard. The first guest has already been identified — a single mom with a small child — with plans to move in soon.

“When this person called me she was in tears. I told her no, no, no — don’t cry. You have just fallen into the hands of Christ; we have got you, it is okay now,” said Mrs. Carris. “She is so scared and she has this beautiful child and she just wants to make a life for him.”

Mrs. Carris said she has no reservations in reassuring the mom that everything will be okay. “I can say that because it is all God now.”

“If you seek to love, God will put people in your path. When he puts people in your path, he will give you a means to love,” Mrs. Carris said. “We do not fix people, only God fixes people. He just gives us the ability to love and that ability to love opens avenue after avenue … We are just a small instrument here, God is just so good and it is so fun to see him work. It is so incredible to help and love somebody.”

New guest house at Mary Rose Mission will provide stability and hope to struggling families

(above left and above right) Bishop Foys blesses the new Guest House at Mary Rose Mission, assisted by Father Jordan Hainsey, his administrative assistant. (right) Mary Wehrman, board member and Becky Wesdorp, board member, look on as Cindy Carris, center, reads a psalm and Scripture reading at the Oct. 10 blessing.

Keener photos

(For more photos, see page 2)

2 October 16, 2020 Messenger

Oct. 16 COVID-19 briefing, 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 17 Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 Mass, Cathedral Basilica, 10 a.m.


Confirmation, St. Barbara Parish, Elsmere, 7 p.m.


Episcopal Council meeting, 10:30 a.m.

Confirmation, St. Augustine Parish, Augusta and St. Patrick Parish, Maysville, at St. Patrick Church, 7 p.m.


Oct. 22 Individual meeting, 9 a.m.

Diocesan Curia staff directors meeting, 9:30 a.m.

Covington Latin School Board meeting, 4 p.m.


Oct. 24 Mass, Cathedral Basilica, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 Mass, Cathedral Basilica, 10 a.m.

Bishop’s Schedule

Foresters support seminarians The Catholic Order of Foresters of Northern Kentucky presented Bishop Roger Foys with a check, Oct. 13, to support the diocese’s seminarians. The funds are proceeds of its annual Seminarian Scholarship Fund “Split the Pot” raffle. The raffle received a record number of ticket sales this year, with approximately $6,215 raised. The raffle has raised a total over $40,000 since its induction in 2014. The funds go toward the education and support of the Diocese of Covington’s seminarians. Pictured are (left to right) Sharon Geiger, Kentucky Court secretary; Mark Connaughton, High Court trustee of Kentucky; Mark Hehman, agent; Deacon Brian Cox, chief ranger, St. Catherine Court; Bishop Roger Foys; Father Dan Schomaker, vicar general; Tom Kaelin, general agent for Northern Kentucky; Father Ryan Maher, vicar general; and Father Jordan Hainsey, administrative assistant to the bishop.

A virtual tour of Mary Rose Misssion (above left) The outer façade of the Guest House in west Covington, the original Mary Rose Mission house. (above center) The stained-glass window of Mary in the upper floor of the Guest House depicts her as looking out over Covington with love. The window was crafted specifically for the mission. Cindy Carris said the house is “holy ground” because miracles have occurred there as residents have realized their identity in Christ and been led to conversion, even late in life. (above right and below left) Bedrooms in the Guest House will provide a safe haven for those seeking comfort and rest. (below right) The kitchen of the Guest House will give guests a place to cook their own meals.

Keener photos

Thatcher photo

Messenger October 16, 2020 3

Allegra Thatcher Assistant Editor

Deacon Tom Dushney is celebrating his 40th year of the diaconate, and credits it with his greater formation as a man. Whether baptizing his grandchildren or teaching RCIA, he says his service to the Church has been his route to sanctification.

“I had a great desire to serve God, his Church and the people of his Church,” said Deacon Dushney. “I had contemplated the way Mary said yes to God, and I responded to God’s call to do that … to serve God and his Church at a greater level.”

Currently serving at Mother of God Parish, Covington, he was ordained in Camden, New Jersey in 1980 and incardi-nated into the Diocese of Covington 1998 when he moved here for his job. At the time, he was assigned to Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish, Erlanger.

Deacon Dushney said that through a life of service, he’s developed into a much more whole man.

“It helped me to develop a disciplined prayer life through the Liturgy of the Hours, to understand ecclesiol-ogy and teachings of the Church and (have) a deeper rela-tionship with Christ.” Through this personal spiritual growth, he said he learned how to be a better husband and father, as well as bring Christ into his work place. “It reminded me of the call to holiness … that really appealed to me and bore fruit in my life,” he said.

Some of his greatest joys during his ministry have been bringing people in to the faith through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) at Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish, where he was director of Religious Education, and being involved in the administration of

sacraments. He loves to preach and teach, as well as prepare the faithful for the sacraments of baptism and marriage.

“Recently I’ve been able to witness the marriages of my granddaughters and baptize my grandchildren and great-grand-children,” he said. “What a won-derful experience that has been for me, and a blessing in my life. There’s so many wonderful opportunities to serve the peo-ple of God. I’m so thankful to God that he called me to this ministry of the permanent dia-conate.”

“I congratulate Deacon Dushney on his 40 years of ded-icated and fruitful service to the Lord and to the Church as a per-manent deacon,” said Bishop Roger Foys. “Deacon Dushney

embodies what it means to be a true servant of the Church looking after the needs of others and administering to them with compassion and love. He is a true gentleman and example and witness to everyone and anyone engaged in ministry.”

Deacon Dushney said he’s also been a better spiritual leader of his home through his diaconate. He’s come to understand the importance of obedience to the Church, especially to his bishop and to the teachings of the Church. Through his continued learning, he’s been able to share that truth with his family.

“It’s given me a greater sense of belonging, a sense of personal responsibility to my role as a Christian man,” he said. “I think my family has most benefited from my spiri-

tual growth … as I was able to give them a deeper insight into Christ and his Church, and the meaning of God’s love for them.”

Though his ministry has slowed down a bit as he’s advanced in years, Deacon Dushney, now 75, is still joyfully serving wherever he’s given the chance. He’s looking ahead with peace that he’ll be able to do whatever his pas-tor and bishop need from him.

“My prayer has been, that I will still be able to minister to God and his people, that in my old age I will be able to participate in ministry and serve as I have for 40 years,” he said.

He encourages men interested in the permanent dia-conate to prayerfully consider it. “It’s a wonderful opportu-nity to serve as a representative to the people, to be able to bring God’s love to them.”

“I attribute it all to God and his loving mercy to me — I’ve done nothing to deserve these many blessings in life so whatever I have received, the joy and happiness, I attribute it all to God’s grace and mercy.”

40 years a deacon: The diaconate as a layman’s road to holiness

Deacon Tom Dushney

Positive Cases Active positive cases: 7 Recovered positive cases: 30 Total ever positive cases: 37 Currently Self-quarantined Contacts: 5 Close Contacts: 131 Returned to class after quarantine/ self-quarantine: From Oct. 6–Oct.12: 69 students Total ever: 487 students Schools currently with quarantines and self-quarantines: (22 of 39 schools)

Bishop Brossart High School, Alexandria

Blessed Sacrament School, Ft. Mitchell

Covington Catholic High School, Covington

Covington Latin School, Covington

Holy Cross District High School, Covington

Holy Family School, Covington

Holy Trinity School, Bellevue

Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Burlington

Mary, Queen of Heaven School, Erlanger

Notre Dame Academy, Covington

St. Henry District High School, Erlanger

St. Agnes School, Ft. Wright

St. Anthony School, Taylor Mill

St. Cecilia School, Independence

St. Joseph School, Cold Spring

St. Joseph School, Crescent Springs

St. Mary School, Alexandria

St. Patrick School, Maysville

St. Paul School, Florence

St. Pius X School, Edgewood

St. Timothy School, Union

Villa Madonna Academy, Villa Hills

(Schools without students, faculty or staff in quarantine or self-quarantine do not need to report.)

Coronavirus Report (as of Monday, Oct. 12)

Thatcher photos

Pastor installation Bishop Roger Foys installed Father Jacob Straub as pastor of St. Matthew Church, Kenton, during Mass Oct. 11. Father Straub accepted the keys to the parish, as well as other symbols of his priesthood and the sacraments he will administer there. He formally read his appointment letter from Bishop Foys, renewed his priestly promises and led the congregation in the creed. Bishop Foys thanked the people of St. Matthew for their patience after several years of having a pastoral administrator rather than a pastor, and congratu-lated them on standing strong and faithfully as a small parish.


‘The Martian’ and why each life mattersRidley Scott’s “The Martian” is a splendidly told tale

of survival and pluck, reminiscent of the novel “Robinson Crusoe” and the films “Life of Pi” and

“Castaway.” In this case, the hero is Mark Watney, an astronaut on a mission to Mars who is left behind by his crewmates when he is presumed dead after being lost during a devas-tating storm. Through sheer determination and an extraordinary applica-tion of his scientific know-how, Watney manages to survive. For example, real-izing that his food supplies would run out long before a rescue mission could ever

reach him, he endeavors to produce water and, through some creative fertilizing, grow an impressive crop of potatoes. At another critical juncture in the narrative, as his life hangs in the balance, Watney says, “I’ll just have to science the s*** out of this!”

In time, NASA officials, through a careful observation of surveillance photos, realize that Watney is still alive and they attempt to contact him. Some of the most thrilling and emotionally moving scenes in the film have to do with these initial communications across tens of millions of miles. Eventually, the crew who left him behind discover that he is alive and they contrive, with all of their strength and intelligence, to get him back. The film ends (spoiler alert!), with the now somewhat grizzled Watney back on earth, lecturing a class of prospective

astronauts on the indispensability of practical scientific intelligence: “You solve one problem and then another and then another; and if you solve enough of them, you get to come home.” This summary speech communicates what appears to be the central theme of the movie: the beauty and power of the technical knowledge the sci-ences provide.

But I would like to explore another theme that is implicit throughout the film, namely, the inviolable digni-ty of the individual human being. The circumstances are certainly unique and Watney himself is undoubtedly an impressive person, but it remains nevertheless strange that people would move heaven and earth, spend millions of dollars, and in the case of the original crew, risk their lives in order to rescue this one man. If a clever, friendly and exquisitely trained dog had been left behind on Mars, everyone would have felt bad, but no one, I think it’s fair to say, would have endeavored to go back for it. Now why is this the case? Much hinges upon how one answers that question.

The classical Christian tradition, with its roots in the Bible, would argue that there is a qualitative and not merely quantitative difference between human beings and other animals, that a human being is decidedly not simply an extremely clever ape. Unlike anything else in the material creation, we have been made, the Scriptures hold, according to God’s image and likeness, and this imaging has been construed by most of the masters of the theological tradition as a function of our properly spiritual capacities of mind and will.

With “The Martian” in mind, let me focus on the first of these. Like other animals, humans can take in the material world through sense experience, and they can hold those images in memory. But unlike any other ani-

mal, even the most intelligent, humans can engage in properly abstract thinking. In other words, they can think, not only about this or that particular state of affairs, but about fundamental patterns — what the medieval called “forms” — that make things what they are. The sciences — both theoretical and practical — depend upon and flow from precisely this kind of cogita-tion. But truly abstract thinking, which goes beyond any particularity grounded in matter, demonstrates that the principle of such reflection is not reducible to matter, that it has an immaterial or spiritual quality. And this implies that the mind or the soul survives the dissolution of the body, that it links us to the dimension of God. Plato showed this in a simple but compelling manner. When the mind entertains an abstract truth, say that 2 + 3 = 5, it has in a very real way left behind the world of shifting impressions and evanescent memories; it has, to use his still haunting metaphor, slipped free of the cave and entered a realm of light. And this explains why the very science so celebrated by “The Martian” is also the solu-tion to the moral puzzle at the heart of the film. We will go to the ends of the universe to save an endangered per-son, precisely because we realize, inchoately or other-wise, that there is something uniquely precious about him or her. We know in our bones that in regard to a human being something eternal is at stake.

In the context of what Pope Francis has called our “throwaway culture,” where the individual human being is often treated as a means to an end, or worse, as an embarrassment or an annoyance to be disposed of, this is a lesson worth relearning.

Bishop Robert Barron is an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Article originally published at WordOnFire.org.

Bishop Robert Barron

Spirituality and the second half of lifeOne size doesn’t fit everyone. This isn’t just true for

clothing, it’s also true for spirituality. Our challenges in life change as we age. Spirituality hasn’t always been fully sensitive to this. True, we’ve always had tailored

instruction and activities for children, young people, and for people who are rais-ing children, carrying a job, and paying a mortgage, but we’ve never developed a spirituality for what hap-pens when those years are over.

Why is one needed? Jesus seemingly didn’t have one. He didn’t have one set of teachings for the young, another for those in mid-life, and still another for the elderly. He just

taught. The Sermon on the Mount, the parables, and his invitation to take up his cross are intended in the same way for everyone, irrespective of age. But we hear those teachings at very different times in our lives. It’s one thing to hear the Sermon on the Mount when you’re seven years old, another when you’re 27, and quite anoth-er when you’re 87. Jesus’ teachings don’t change, but we do, and they offer very specific challenges at different times of our lives.

Christian spirituality has generally kept this in mind, with one exception. Except for Jesus and an occasional mystic, it has failed to develop an explicit spirituality for our later years, for how we are meant to be generative in our senior years and how we are to die in a life-giving way. But there’s a good reason for this lacuna. Simply put,

it wasn’t needed because up until this last century most people never lived into old age. For example, in Palestine, in Jesus’ time, the average life expectancy was 30 to 35 years. A century ago in the United States, it was still less than 50 years. When most people in the world died before they reached the age of 50, there was no real need for a spirituality of aging.

There is such a spirituality inside the Gospels. Even though he died at 33, Jesus left us a paradigm of how to age and die. But that paradigm, while healthily infusing and undergirding Christian spirituality in general, was never developed more specifically into a spirituality of aging (with the exception of some of the great Christian mystics).

After Jesus, the Desert fathers and mothers folded the question of how to age and die into the overall framework of their spirituality. For them, spirituality was a quest to “see the face of God” and that, as Jesus makes clear, requires one thing — purity of heart. So for them, no matter your age, the challenge was the same, trying to achieve purity of heart. Then in the age of the persecu-tions and the early Christian martyrs, the idea developed that the ideal way to age and die was through martyr-dom.

Later, when Christians were no longer physically mar-tyred, the idea took hold that you could take on a volun-tary type of martyrdom by living the evangelical coun-sels of poverty, chastity and obedience. They believed that living these — like the quest for purity of heart — taught you all you needed to know, no matter your age. Eventually this was expanded to mean that anyone who faithfully responded to the duties in his or her life, irre-spective of age, would learn everything necessary to come to sanctity through that fidelity. As a famous apho-rism put it: Stay inside your cell and it will teach you all

you need to know. Understood properly, there’s a spiritual-ity of aging and dying inside these notions, but until recently there was little need to draw that out more explicitly.

Happily, today the situation is changing and we’re developing, more and more, some explicit spiritualities of aging and dying. Perhaps this reflects an aging popula-tion, but there’s now a burgeoning body of literature — both religious and secular — that’s taking up the question of aging and dying. These authors, too numerous to men-tion, include many names already familiar to us: Henri Nouwen, Richard Rohr, Kathleen Dowling Singh, David Brooks, Cardinal Bernardin, Michael Paul Gallagher, Joan Chittister, Parker Palmer, Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Paul Kalanithi, Erica Jong, Kathie Roiphe and Wilkie and Noreeen Au, among others. Coming from a variety of perspectives, each of these offer insights into what God and nature intend for us in our later years.

In essence, here’s the issue: today, we’re living longer and healthier late into life. It’s common today to retire sometime in our early 60s after having raised our chil-dren, superannuated from our jobs, and paid our mort-gages. So what’s next, given that we probably have 20 or 30 more years of health and energy left? What are these years for? What are we called to now, beyond loving our grandkids?

Abraham and Sarah, in their old age, were invited to set out for a new land and conceive a child long after this was biologically possible for them. That’s our call too. What “Isaac” are we called to give birth to in our later years? We need guidance.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher, and award-winning author.

Father Ron Rolheiser

IN EXILE


Choose to respect lifeOctober is Respect Life month and that’s had me thinking

about a bumper sticker that said, “You Can’t be Both Catholic and Pro-Choice.”

I know what it means when people use those words “pro-choice.” Simply put, people who are pro-choice believe that women have the right to decide when and whether to have children, based on her own moral and reli-gious beliefs.

They advocate legalized abortion.

I wonder if abortion advocates chose that term (pro-choice) for themselves deliberately so that the rest of us would be thought of as “anti-choice.”

While it’s true that I am opposed to abortion, I don’t think of myself as “anti-

choice.” After all, my ability to choose, your ability to choose, what we call our free will, is one of the greatest gifts given to us by God. Indeed, choice is more than something we can do, it’s something we must do. To be Catholic is to choose to believe in one God and to choose to be obedient to His holy will. Being Catholic is about choosing to be in a relationship with Jesus and to accept His teachings and those of the Church. It’s about choosing to love not only our neighbors, but our enemies and to pray for those who perse-cute us.

That’s why I say that to be Catholic is to be pro-choice. It is in what we choose that we are saved.

I am certainly not saying that anything goes. We choose to accept certain things and we choose to reject others. For example, we choose to reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children; we choose to reject the glamour of evil and refuse to be mastered by sin; we choose to reject Satan, the father of sin and prince of darkness.

Of course we are pro-choice. One of the evils that we, as Catholics choose is to reject is

the evil of abortion. Or, put another way, we choose to respect life. In the Star Wars movie “The Last Jedi,” a young freedom

fighter is pulling another soldier from the wreckage of his ship and she tells him, “We’re going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love!”

And what we love, what we hold as sacred, what we respect is life.

The pro-life movement is known for its efforts to save lives by overturning Roe v. Wade but it’s increasingly clear (to me anyway) that the only lasting change will happen when we change not only laws, but also hearts. That begins when we simply choose life and inspire others to do the same. When all of us realize that life isn’t something to be discarded because it is difficult, or inconvenient, or unex-pected, or old or sick. It is so much greater, so much more sacred than we realize.

“Respect life” is more than just a catchphrase. It needs to be a way of living. Choose to respect life, not just in the womb, but everywhere, at every time, in all circumstances. Choosing to do that, moment by moment, we will begin to change the culture, and heart by heart, we will begin to change the world.

Deacon Timothy Britt is assigned to St. Mary Parish, Alexandria, Ky.

In times of turmoil remember — ‘only one thing is necessary’

Dare to share the Truth

Becoming a parent for the first time is an intimidating experience for most people even under normal circum-stances. Imagine what it’s been like in the year 2020.

I had finally mustered up the courage to dive into mar-riage and fatherhood and then, less than three months after announcing our first pregnancy, a “once-in-a-life-time” pan-

demic hit. The ensuing political

and economic instability, the surge in race tensions, and, of course, the most contentious presidential race in living memory were all just cherries on top of this nerve-wracking sce-nario.

I’ve always thought it was a little tiresome and melodramatic when people say things like “What kind of a world have I brought a child into?!” The world has always been in a bad way and we could always use

another good person. And yet, I have definitely caught myself looking down at my tiny beautiful new daughter this year and wondering just what kind of world she will grow up in.

All of this had me pondering and praying — what are we as Christians called to do in the face of all this? What am I personally called to do?

“You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary.” (Luke 10:42)

If you turned your phone or computer on at all during 2020 you were probably immediately berated by a host of political movements, causes and activists — each demanding your attention, focus and support. If you failed to respond, at once you were made to feel complicit in systematic evil, wor-thy of condemnation and exclusion, etc. etc.

But as the verse above reminds us, anxiety and hyper-activity are antithetical to the Gospel.

I’m not saying that Catholics don’t have social and politi-cal responsibilities. We do. They comprise what tradition

calls our “active life.” The simple point I want to make here (and the point that

has brought me peace during these times) is the reminder that the Church has always prioritized what she calls the “interior life” over the active life.

I think remembering this can give us focus and peace during these tumultuous times. There are many crises going on in society and in the Church right now. Sometimes it feels we are losing ground on all sides, making us feel the obliga-tion to run this way and that trying to do something about it all.

But remember that, in the end, there is really only one thing for which we will ultimately be held responsible. Remember that, in Christ’s words, “Only one thing is neces-sary,” and that is our interior life, what Pope Benedict described as our “personal search for the face of the Lord.” It is our personal striving to discover the Truth and to live in accordance as best as we can — first and foremost in our own lives and then we can strive to help those in our imme-diate sphere of influence as well. Only then should we strive to do something bigger.

I’m reminded of an old story my friend’s Ukrainian Catholic pastor would tell:

“Once there was young man who sought to become a priest thinking, ‘Perhaps, I can save the world.’ He thought he would climb to the highest ranks of the Church, fix her systems, and launch worldwide movements to renew entire societies. But after being ordained he realized that he could not save the world unless he could first save his own diocese. So with joy he accepted his first assignment to the Curia and served under his Bishop for 20 years only to realize, in the end, that he did not have the abilities to save his own dio-cese. He grew tired and was happy when the bishop reas-signed him to a small parish. He devoted himself with fervor for another 20 years, thinking ‘I could not save my diocese, but perhaps I can save this little parish.’ But as the years passed, he realized that he could not save his little parish either. In old age, humbled by many years of hard work, he thought to himself ‘I cannot save this little parish, after all, but perhaps I can save myself.’ So he dedicated himself to eradicating his bad habits and the wicked thoughts he held secret in his heart.

“The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.”

I am, from time to time, surprised by unintended humor in the Scripture, and this is one line that always makes me laugh; that the Pharisees (or anyone) think they are clever enough to trap Jesus in his speech I find funny. It is even funnier in the Greek, because it says that the Pharisees took counsel about how they might ensnare

Jesus “en logoi,” “in [his] words.” Jesus, who is “ho logos,” the Word, is not going to be trapped by human beings through His words.

But the real reason the Pharisees will never trap Jesus is not that Jesus is just so much cleverer than the Pharisees; it is because Jesus’ words are always true — indeed are always the Truth. The Pharisees themselves acknowledge this:

“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and

that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status.”

Whether the Pharisees truly believe what they are say-ing or just trying to set Jesus up, these words are worth pondering. The three things the Pharisees say about Jesus in these two sentences can serve as a kind of examination of conscience for us.

“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man.” Are we truthful people? Before you answer, think, how many times you tell “little white lies”? How many times do you “stretch” the truth? Do you “spin” things? The fact that we use these terms at all tells us that we know we are desper-ately trying to find a way to excuse, and sometimes even justify, not telling the truth.

What do we think Jesus thinks about lies, even ones that are “little” and “white”? (How can we even use the word “white” for something that comes from the Prince of Darkness, the Father of Lies? To cover one untruth we use another.) And we know what happens when you stretch or spin something — it loses its form and is distorted.

“Teacher, we know ... that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” It is clear that our culture is moving further and further away from what the Church knows to be the truth. Preachers and teachers, and even lay people in private conversations, have to face up to this — while it is not our place to judge people, we must speak the truth to this culture that is so wrong about so many things. There is not “your” truth and “my” truth, there is objective truth: there is right and wrong; marriage was created by God, and is a lifelong, faithful, exclusive, fruit-ful union of one woman and one man; abortion is not health care for women; our bodies carry meaning, and someone with male genitalia is male, and with female gen-italia is female; there are only two genders — male and female, and it is not hate speech to say that; life continues beyond this world, and how we live here affects where we will spend eternity; etc., etc.

“Teacher ... you are not concerned with anyone’s opin-ion, for you do not regard a person’s status.” How many times have we said one thing to our co-workers, but some-thing else to our boss? (How many times have we priests said one thing to our fellow priests and something else to our bishop?) How many times have we not been honest about how we truly feel so that someone would like us, or not get mad at us? How many times have we put “keeping the peace” above telling the truth?

We live in a culture that does not value objective truth and real truth telling, and we must be careful not to allow ourselves to conform to it. Thomas wrote of Christ: “Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius;/ Nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius; “I believe whatever the Son of God said;/Nothing is truer than this word of Truth.”

We are followers of Jesus, and must be as committed to Truth and truthfulness as He.

Father Stephen Bankemper is pastor, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Ft. Thomas, Ky.

Deacon Timothy Britt

Bradley TorlineFather Stephen Bankemper

(Continued on page 13)


We Choose

Life

Mission Statement The Pro-Life Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, guided by our bishop, promotes the sanctity and legal protection of human life from conception to natural death through prayer, pastoral care, public policy and education.

Pro-Life Office of the Diocese of Covington

The elephant in the voting booth Father Raymond Enzweiler

Contributor Can you think of anyone with whom you

always agree? Someone whose decisions you have never questioned, not even once? From our closest to remotest relationships, disagree-ments occur. Even Jesus wasn’t spared. Recall how Peter corrected Jesus just after proclaim-ing he was the Messiah and Son of God? No one can name a person with whom they’ve always agreed. It could have been a small mat-ter or something very important. Regardless, we need to find ways to move forward with solutions that respect everyone involved.

Such points of disagreement are important when choosing someone to represent us. For example, if you are naming your health care surrogate, someone who could make life and death medical decisions for you, you would want that person to represent you and your beliefs well. You would want to know you can trust the decisions that person will make in your name. Issues like one’s position on sur-gery, ventilators or artificial hydration and nutrition are important. Would you choose someone to be your health care surrogate who believes euthanasia is not only a right but an obligation to society if you did not believe the same thing? Would you trust that person to make life and death decisions for you?

The same is true with elected officials. Certain issues give us a sense of how that person would respond in various other situations. They reveal the person’s values and principles. Since they are given the authority to make decisions for us, we want to vote for someone who will support the same values we hold.

In an ideal situation, if we disagree with a candidate, we would dis-

agree with that candidate on all major issues. But, it is far more likely we will find ourselves disagreeing only on some issues. How are we to pro-ceed in such situations, especially knowing that often the general assumption is that each vote is a “popular mandate” for everything the politician stands for.

Our bishops have given us some help with this dilemma in their doc-ument “Faithful Citizenship.” This document notes that our starting point is a well-formed conscience coupled with the virtue of prudence. The conscience is more than opinions or feelings or what I think is best. It uses our gift of reason to determine if an act is good — morally correct — according to the law God has written deep in our hearts. Through it, we can hear the voice of God guiding us to love, do good, and avoid evil. Prudence adds the ability to determine the best moral action to attain the good in a situation. The conscience determines if a particular act is good. Prudence determines the best action when there are multiple pos-sible ways to attain that good.

Our conscience tells us we cannot support issues that are counter to good such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subject-ing workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining mar-riage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior. They

are counter to the dignity of the person, the value of human life and the God given rights that allow us to choose God and God’s love.

But they are not all equal. Some, like abor-tion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, end a per-son’s life. They end the hope of tomorrow for the person killed. The person can no longer choose to respond to God and God’s gifts of love, grace and mercy. Nor is there any chance for others to help in Christian charity. Because these issues end life and all the future possibili-ties that life brings, they are most critical. And, among them, abortion has a preeminent prior-ity.

The number of lives ended by abortion is staggering. According to the most current data, abortion ends the lives of over 2,000 unborn children every day in the United States. At the current abortion rate in this country, there are over 540,000 abortions in a nine-month period. Since 1973, over 61 million children have been aborted in our country alone. None of those children had the opportunity to live their lives outside the womb, to know and love God as God intended.

It is more than just the number of lives ended. It is ending the life of a child at the very

beginning of human life, when the person is most vulnerable and inno-cent. It has impacted countless women and men as well. And, it occurs within the family, the building block of society. The family should be the center of safety and love and goodness. Abortion turns the family into a place of death. It is a reality so counter to what family means that it is undermining our very understanding of parent, child, family and society and destroying us in the process.

Does this mean the other issues counter to human dignity don’t mat-

ter? Of course not. Indeed, part of the solution to ending abortion requires us to simultaneously respond to all the other social justice issues. In fact, the Catholic Church has never taken a “one issue only” stance.

“Faithful Citizenship,” numbers 34-37, notes there may be times when, for other truly grave moral reasons, prudence dictates the best path toward the human good means supporting a candidate who supports abortion or other evils. It does not mean giving tacet approval to the evil by remaining silent. It is incumbent upon us to make very clear we oppose the evil and work to overcome it. Such a decision is not easy. It requires a well-formed conscience and prudence. It requires balancing the lives of unborn children with no hope of tomorrow against those with the possibility of hope that tomorrow brings.

Our faith mandates we work to spread the Gospel and live Christ’s command to love others as he did. Our votes, like our actions, should reflect that mandate. It requires courage, determination and sacrifice. The stakes are high. Together, we can overcome all social injustice. But we cannot do it by ignoring the elephant in the room — the scourge of abortion.

Father Raymond Enzweiler is pastor, St. Thomas Parish, Ft. Thomas, Ky.

For more information about the Pro-Life Office or to be added to our e-mail newsgroups, visit us online at www.covdio.org/prolife/ or call (859) 392-1500.

“Every child who, rather than

being born, is condemned

unjustly to being aborted,

bears the face of Jesus Christ,

bears the face of the Lord,

who even before he was born,

and then just after birth,

experienced the world’s

rejection. And every elderly

person … even if he is ill or at

the end of his days, bears the

face of Christ. They cannot be

discarded, as the ‘culture of

waste’ suggests!”

The USCCB teaching document on political responsibility “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” is available online at www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship-pdf.

As Catholics approach the polls, we are asked to weigh many important issues. The U.S. bishops

have reaffirmed that “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it

directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because

of the number of lives destroyed.” While they did warn us not to “dismiss or ignore other

serious threats to human life and dignity such as racism, the environmental crisis, poverty and

the death penalty,” they did give priority to upholding and defending our brothers’ and sisters’

most basic right — to live. — Excerpted from Priorities at the Polls by Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann, chair of

the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities (www.respectlife.org)— Pope Francis

“God’s love does not

differentiate between the

newly conceived infant still

in his or her mother’s womb

and the child or young person,

or the adult and the elderly

person. God does not

distinguish between them

because he sees an impression

of his own image and likeness

(Gn 1:26) in each one.”

— Pope Benedict XVI

Allegra Thatcher Assistant Editor

The 2020-2021 school year has certainly presented chal-lenges for communities across the globe when social distanc-ing is required for everyone’s safety and sports games are mostly cancelled because of COVID-19. Yet at Thomas More University, students and faculty are making sure authentic education still occurs, safely.

From an academic standpoint, a little more than 90 per-cent of students are either on campus in person or doing a combination between in person and online courses. President Joe Chillo said that since so much of the Catholic college experience happens in person, the students knew they want-ed to come back for instruction.

“As we were planning for the fall back in April and May when we were in the thick of things, our students and their families overwhelmingly wanted this in-person experience,” said President Chillo. “This fall we opened up with the sec-ond-largest enrollment of the university, we had the third largest freshman class coming in. So I think those things speak to where the families and students were at in terms of coming back to campus.”

He said the experience during March of transitioning 500 classes from entirely in-person to entirely online challenged faculty, staff and students alike to greater innovation and agility that is being carried over into the fall semester.

“I think it gave our faculty and staff a taste and experience of what this was going to look like and it became clear that our faculty would have to continue to engage our students in that type of environment,” he said.

Thomas More is using larger spaces like halls for classes so that students can effectively distance. Smaller classrooms have been turned into Zoom spaces.

“It was really an effective job by our registrar and our aca-demic leadership team in looking at space across campus and how we could effectively transform that space to work in this environment,” said President Chillo.

Michael Thompson, a senior at Thomas More studying fine arts (painting) and creative writing, said his classes are all in-person except for his senior seminar, which is being con-ducted with various professors over Zoom.

“From an art student’s perspective, it’s a lot more sterile because usually we’re very hands-on people,” said Mr. Thompson. “If another student needs help, we’re right there and are able to touch what they’re working on, show them how to do it … often we’re collaborating. Because of COVID-19, that’s very difficult to do because we have to keep six-foot distance in the studio. We can’t share supplies … it’s much more of an individual work area than the collaborative shared experience that I’m used to.”

Nevertheless, Mr. Thompson said he wouldn’t substitute

the experience for anything. “Part of

the reason I chose Thomas More in the first place was that I love the way that the liberal arts are taught here,” he said. “I love how the pro-fessors want to help you learn and how often classes are discussion-based experiences. Probably any-one that chose Thomas More because of the liberal arts Catholic education values that discussion-based experienced and being able to be in person with your professor or your peers because it’s a very different experience to look at someone eye to eye and have a con-versation … it’s a lot easier to understand someone face to face than in a chat room or discussion board.”

Numerically, the university has had 31 students in quaran-tine or isolation as of Oct. 1, and only seven of those quaran-tined on campus. Students who could go home have done so. Reduced capacity in student housing has given adequate space for quarantining and isolation when students display symptoms.

One of the biggest changes this year, President Chillo said, was having to modify events based on social distancing requirements laid out by the CDC, the governor’s office and local health officials. The events themselves get few and far between, and the lesser numbers mean they “don’t really have the same feel as they’ve done in the past.”

Mr. Thompson said it’s been hard on students to not have those social experiences on campus, and he’s not alone with being less likely to attend when things are scheduled — even with safe distancing. Students value being in the classroom and, since the types of activities at events are so limited, stu-dents don’t want to risk getting involved if they think it might not be worth it. Even Mr. Thompson, who used to attend many events, is more skeptical, so he knows people who are more introverted will certainly be less likely to attend.

School spirit has also been challenged by lack of live sports games. While student athletes are practicing lightly right now, there have been no competitions to attend. The school has participated in events like cross country meets, but sports like soccer and basketball have been pushed back.

Yet through it all, President Chillo said students have come together to combat the pandemic extremely well. “I’m watch-ing our students show resiliency, showing understanding and commitment to the policies that have been put in place to make sure we practice effective social distancing, and a good healthy and safe environment,” he said. “Our students are

deeply appreciative and hard working. In some ways, when you don’t have that traditional school spirit through athletics, it’s coming out in other ways and I see the best of that coming out in our students and faculty.”

“I think that these clubs are really trying to make sure school spirit stays high and people stay involved, but I think more than anything, school spirit right now is just collective-ly trying to keep each other safe,” said Mr. Thompson. “That’s what we’re doing as a campus.”

Another change, Mr. Thompson said, is a lack of student presence in the work-study programs which normally involved students working in Admissions or Student Life, for example. He said many students don’t see the value in making minimum wage for those types of jobs if they’re in harm’s way, so the jobs aren’t taking place this year.

“It’s a loss for the university as well as the students because … there’s a close bond between administrators and students and professors here, and I think a lot of that is facil-itated by student workers,” he said.

President Chillo sympathizes with the students, who aren’t experiencing college in the way most have in the past. “They want to have that university experience and right now they’re getting that in a very modified way. … We’re going to have to continue to think through ways to engage our stu-dents and create the sense of community that Thomas More is known for,” he said.

He’s looking ahead to future school years with hope, how-ever, that some of the newly implemented practices will make the university experience even better.

“I think the agility we’re creating here at the university is something we’re going to put into place for the spring and we’re being mindful of the academic calendar and structure out the spring semester,” said President Chillo.

Photo provided by Thomas More University

Students in the Thomas More Sports Medicine program learn safely in-person by social distancing and wearing masks.


Thomas More University’s in-person experience continues legacy of excellence

Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Prayer isn’t about closing oneself in a room with God “to put makeup on your soul — that’s not prayer, that’s fake praying; to pray is to face God and allow yourself to be sent by him to help a brother or sister,” Pope Francis said.

“The proving ground for prayer is concrete love for one’s neighbor,” the pope said Oct. 7 at his weekly general audience.

Pope Francis had begun a series of audience talks about prayer in May but interrupted them for nine weeks to explain the principles of Catholic social teaching and how their appli-cation could heal a world suffering from the COVID-19 pan-demic, inequality, violence, social tension and despair.

At the general audience, which was moved into the Vatican audience hall because of rain, the pope announced he was returning to the catechesis on prayer by looking at Elijah, the prophet long venerated by monks, nuns and hermits as “a model of prayer and unshakable faith amid trials.”

In the life of Elijah, and for everyone else, too, he said, “in prayer, this always happens: moments of prayer that we feel lift us up, even enthuse us, and moments of prayer of suffer-ing, aridity, trials.”

“In the soul of one who prays,” he said, “the sense of one’s own weakness is more precious than moments of exaltation when it seems that life is just a string of victories and success-es.”

Elijah was a contemplative, but at the same time he was concerned about what was happen-ing around him, the pope said, pointing to the story in the First Book of Kings about Elijah con-fronting Ahab about taking advantage of the plot Jezebel hatched to kill Naboth and appropriate his land.

Pope Francis said the world today needs “believers, zealous Christians,” who can stand up to leaders with the courage of Elijah to say, “This must not be done. This is an assassination.”

Elijah “shows how there must not be a dichotomy in the life of one who prays: you stand before the Lord and go out to encounter the broth-ers and sisters to whom he sends you,” the pope said.

“Believers act in the world after first having been quiet and having prayed,” he said. “Otherwise, their action is impulsive; it is lacking discernment; it is breathless-ly running without a goal. Believers who behave like that commit many injustices because they did not go first to the Lord to pray, to discern what must be done.”

The audience began with a reading of the story of the Lord telling a forlorn Elijah he would pass by. “There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earth-

quake; after the earthquake, fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound.” And that was where God was.

“This happened to Elijah, but it seems like it was written for each of us,” the pope said. “Some evenings we might feel alone and useless. That is when prayer comes and knocks on the door of our heart.”

“Even if we made some mistake or we feel threatened and afraid, turning to God in prayer, serenity and peace will return almost miraculous-ly,” the pope said. “This is what Elijah’s example teaches us.”

With the audience taking place on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Francis urged Catholics to pray the rosary.

“In her apparitions, Our Lady often exhorts us to recite the rosary, especially when confronted by threats darkening the world,” the pope told Polish pilgrims. “Today, in this time of pandemic, it is necessary to take the rosary in our hands and pray for ourselves, our loved ones and all men and women.”

True prayer leads to concrete acts of love

CNS photo/Paul Haring

Pope Francis greets a pilgrim during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 7, 2020.


Happy Birthday to Father David Gamm, retired, Nov. 4; Deacon Michael Lyman, St. Henry Parish, Elsmere, Nov. 4; and Father Eric Andriot, pastor, St. Anthony Parish, Taylor Mill, Nov. 13.

Newsworthy

Praying together, safely apart Third-grade students at Blessed Sacrament School, Ft. Mitchell, spend some quiet time in church praying the rosary.

Partners through technology Mrs. Finch’s first grade class at St. Henry School, Elsmere, had a small group project where an in-school learner was partnered with an at-home learner. The students communicated through technology and they had a great time learning together.

Pope Francis signed his latest encyclical “Fratelli Tutti,” on Fraternity and Social Friendship, Oct. 3 at the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi. What exactly is an encyclical and how does it differ from other papal documents?

Encyclicals are papal letters, originally sent by bishops, of a pastoral nature. They have been used in their current form since 1740, and they offer counsel on particular exist-ing doctrine in the Church. Examples include “Humanae vitae,” written in 1968 by Pope Paul VI about the Church’s teaching on birth control, or Pope Francis’ “Laudato si’,” on the care of creation. Papal bulls are official declarations from the Holy Father, adorned with a round lead seal and portraits of Sts. Peter and Paul and the name of the current pope. The Latin word for a round seal or medallion is bulla (literally, “bubble”), so documents with this kind of seal became known as papal bulls. St. John Paul II used one to announce the Jubilee Year of 2000. Apostolic constitutions are the most solemn papal documents, which address significant doctrinal or disci-plinary matters and are published as universal or particu-lar law of the Church. Usually they involve the erection of a new diocese of changing norms governing church schools or universities. Pope Francis has issued several, including one entitled “Veritatis Gaudium,” on ecclesiasti-

cal universities and faculties. Past examples include “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” the Constitution on the Liturgy from Vatican II, and the Constitution on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Apostolic letters are addressed to a specific group of

people in response to a spe-cific need. They usually address social concerns, and are considered counsel rather than legislative doc-uments. As pastoral com-munications, they are usu-ally less doctrinal. St. John Paul II, for example, wrote an apostolic letter to those responsible for communi-cations. Apostolic exhortations, similarly to apostolic let-ters, are exhortations on a particular topic or spiritual matter, but addressed to the whole Church, clergy and faithful. They also are not considered legislative docu-ments and do not contain dogmatic definitions of policies. The form was first used by Pope Pius XII in 1939 and they are usually written after a special synod. Pope Benedict XVI

wrote an apostolic exhortation, “Verbum Domini,” in which he encouraged, the practice of lectio divina (prayer-ful reading of Scripture). Exhortations generally encour-age a particular virtue or mission, and are given on specif-ic occasions.

Papal documents

Did you know?

CNS photo/ IPA/Sipa USA, Reuters Free copies of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano with the front page about Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship,” are distributed by volunteers to the faithful at the end of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 4, 2020.


Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Bringing the Vatican official in charge

of translations with him, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship,” at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, source of the document’s title and inspiration. After celebrating Mass at St. Francis’ tomb Oct. 3, the eve of the saint’s feast day, the pope called up Msgr. Paolo Braida and explained to the small congregation that the monsignor is in charge of “translations and the speeches of the pope” in the Vatican Secretariat of State.

“He watches over everything and that’s why I wanted him to be here today,” the pope said. He also brought with him the Spanish official who oversaw the accuracy of the various translations and the official who translated the text from Spanish into Portuguese. Pope Francis set the text on the altar under the tomb of St. Francis and signed it. The encyclical was scheduled to be released to the public Oct. 4 just after midday.

The pope had been rumored to be writing an encyclical on nonviolence; and, once the COVID-19 pan-demic struck, many expect-ed a document exploring in depth his repeated pleas for the world to recognize the inequalities and injustices laid bare by the pandemic and adopt corrective eco-nomic, political and social policies. “Fratelli Tutti” combines those two elements in the framework set by the document on human fraternity and interreligious dialogue that he and Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, signed in 2019.

Professing faith in God as the creator of all human beings, or even simply recognizing that all people possess an inherent dignity, has concrete consequences for how people should treat one another and make decisions in politics, economics and social life, Pope Francis wrote. “Human beings have the same inviolable dignity in every age of history and no one can consider himself or herself authorized by particular situa-tions to deny this conviction or to act against it,” the pope wrote in his encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.”

In “Fratelli Tutti,” Pope Francis reminds the faithful that “God’s plan for humanity has implications for every aspect of our lives,” said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These aspects range “from how we treat one another in our personal relationships, to how we organize and operate our societies and economies,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a statement Oct. 4.

He called the pope’s teaching “profound and beautiful,” and said that “like ‘Laudato Si’’ before it, ‘Fratelli Tutti’ is an important contribution to the Church’s rich tradition of social doctrine. In analyzing conditions in the world today, the Holy Father provides us with a powerful and urgent vision for the moral renewal of politics and political and economic institutions from the local level to the global level, calling us to build a common future that truly serves the good of the human person,” Archbishop Gomez said. “For the Church, the pope is challenging us to overcome the individualism in

our culture and to serve our neighbors in love,” he said, “see-ing Jesus Christ in every person, and seeking a society of jus-

tice and mercy, compassion and mutual concern.” What might seem to some to be disparate issues, “Pope

Francis really provides us an alternative way of looking at our life, and something new can emerge at this moment,” said a member of a panel discussing the encyclical Oct. 5. Pope Francis wants Catholics to determine “where our real loyalty is, where our commitment is, where we are in relation to the throwaway people,” said Franciscan Sister Nancy Schreck, who is program director of Excel Inc. in Okolona, Mississippi, which has a predominantly poor, rural and minority population. “Pope Francis’ words give me lots of encouragement for my ministry here,” she added.

Pope Francis’ new social encyclical offers a vision for the world of dignity for every person around the world and pro-motes a call to “build a new culture of fraternity and dia-logue,” said the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The document “is not just for believers but for the entire human family,” Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane said in a statement released as the encyclical became public. Explaining that in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” the pope spoke of caring for creation, the new teaching document “speaks of care for each other, the family that dwells together in the common home,” the archbishop said. The archbishop’s views on the encyclical were echoed around the world as reac-tion to it focused on how humanity must value the lives of each human being in order to achieve peace and allow for the development of communities that are often left on the mar-gins of society.

Pope Francis tackled several issues in his new encyclical, but the section devoted to ending capital punishment was par-ticularly cheered by U.S. Catholics who oppose the death

penalty. The pope reiterated how St. John Paul II had described the death penalty as “inadequate from a moral

standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal jus-tice,” but then went further by adding: “There can be no stepping back from this position. Today we state clearly that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible,’” he wrote, quoting from the revised Catechism of the Catholic Church, and adding: “The Church is firmly committed to calling for its abolition worldwide.”

Sister Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille and longtime anti-death penalty activist, said in a tweet Oct. 4 that she was pleased with the pope’s “ringing procla-mation of the inviolable dignity of all human life, even the life of murderers.” She also said she was “heartened by the Church’s unequivocal opposition to governments’ use of the death penalty in all instances.”

Pope Francis’ social encyclical sees the need for human fraternity as more than just an abstract concept, but as a concrete path toward peaceful coexistence in a world

fraught by war, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin. At the Vatican’s presentation of the encyclical, Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the docu-ment shows that “fraternity is not a trend or a fash-ion which develops over time or at a particular time, but rather is the result of concrete acts.” “In fact, if weapons — and with them, wars — destroy human lives, the environment and hope to the point of extin-guishing the future of people and communities,” he said, “dialogue destroys the barriers in the heart and mind, opens up spaces for forgiveness, and promotes reconciliation.”

Joining Cardinal Parolin to present the encycli-cal were: Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, secretary

general of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity; Anna Rowlands, professor of Catholic social thought and practice at the University of Durham, England; and Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio.

The pre-publication controversy over the title of Pope Francis’ new encyclical illustrates how the Catholic Church itself needs to engage in dialogue and listening, just like soci-ety does, said a theologian invited by the Vatican to help pres-ent the document.

Anna Rowlands told Catholic News Service, “We live in a world that is still structured by gender inequality, and the Church has to wrestle with that as much as the world has to wrestle with it.” The Vatican chose Rowlands and four men to present the document at a conference the same day. The phrase “fratelli tutti” is taken from St. Francis of Assisi’s “sixth admonition” to the friars, all of whom were men. In Italian, “fratelli” means “brothers” or “brothers and sisters” since, like with many Romance languages, the masculine form of nouns is traditionally used when referring to males and females collectively. Rowlands said the text itself makes it clear that the pope was speaking to all men and women.

Calling all people of goodwill to care for one another as brothers and sisters, Pope Francis urged people not to despair of making the world a better place, but to start creating the world they want through personal action and political lobby-ing.

“A worldwide tragedy like the COVID-19 pandemic momentarily revived the sense that we are a global communi-ty, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all,” the pope said. “Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together.”

For a related story, see “Did you know?” on page 8.

Pope Francis’ teaching in new encyclical called ‘profound and beautiful’

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Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

ASSISI, Italy — Thousands sang and applauded as Italian teen Carlo Acutis was beatified in a town dear to him and to many Christians around the world: Assisi.

During the Oct. 10 beatifica-tion Mass, Italian Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the papal legate for the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, read Pope Francis’ apostolic letter pro-claiming Acutis’ “blessed,” the step before canonization.

“With our apostolic authori-ty, we grant that the venerable servant of God, Carlo Acutis, layman, who, with the enthusi-asm of youth, cultivated a friendship with our Lord Jesus, placing the Eucharist and the witness of charity at the center of his life, henceforth shall be called blessed,” the pope decreed.

After the reading of the apostolic letter, the newly beati-fied teen’s parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, processed toward the altar car-rying a reliquary containing their son’s heart.

The reliquary was engraved with one of the teen’s well-known quotes: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

Pilgrims flocked both to the Basilica of St. Francis for the beatification Mass as well as to the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major, where the newly beatified teen’s remains were on display for venera-tion.

Men and women, boys and girls passed by the tomb qui-etly, some stopping to pray the “Our Father.” A young tod-dler blew a kiss goodbye to the young blessed as she passed by.

Known as the site where a young St. Francis renounced his father’s inheritance and embraced poverty, the shrine — like the city of Assisi and St. Francis himself — held a special place in Acutis’ heart.

The teen loved St. Francis “very much,” his mother, Antonia Salzano, told Catholic News Service Oct. 9. St. Francis “was a very Eucharistic soul who used to attend Mass twice a day,” and her son sought to imitate that same Eucharistic devotion throughout his brief life.

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi reflected on the link between the two saintly figures, and proclaimed that by “providential design, (St.) Francis and (Blessed) Carlo are now inseparable.”

“Carlo’s life — always united to Jesus — his love for the Eucharist, his devotion to the Holy Virgin, his making

friends with the poor, brought him closer to the spirituali-ty of the Poor One,” St. Francis, Archbishop Sorrentino said at the end of Mass. “Both invite us to live according to the Gospel.”

The liturgy was held inside the Basilica of St. Francis, but measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 meant that most of those attending sat outside on seats set three-feet apart, watching on big screens.

Many young men and women came to Assisi for the beatification. For many of them, the fact that a nor-mal teen could be beatified was a source of hope and inspiration.

“With his life, Carlo made me see that despite the small or even great dif-ficulties — like his illness — that we could live a full and happy life if we keep our eyes looking up toward heaven,” said 19-year-old Rosanna, who was among those attending the beatifi-cation.

In his homily, Cardinal Vallini said that Acutis’ beatification “in the land of Francis of Assisi is good news, a strong proclama-tion that a young man of our time, one like many, was conquered by Christ and became a beacon of light for those who want to know him and follow his example.”

Reflecting on the teen’s life, Cardinal Vallini said that like most young peo-ple his age, Carlo was a “normal, simple, sponta-neous, friendly” teenager who used modern forms of communication to trans-mit the “values and beauty of the Gospel.”

For him, “the internet was not just a means of escape, but a space for dia-logue, knowledge, sharing and mutual respect that was to be used responsibly, without becoming slaves to it and rejecting digital bul-lying,” the cardinal said.

Cardinal Vallini said that Blessed Acutis was a model of virtue for young men and women today, reminding them not to seek “gratification only in

ephemeral successes but in the perennial values that Jesus proposes in the Gospel.”

“He gave witness that faith does not distance us from life but immerses us more deeply in it and showed us the concrete way to live the joy of the Gospel,” the cardinal said. “It is up to us to follow it, attracted by the fascinating experience of Blessed Carlo, so that our lives may also shine with light and hope.”

CNS photo/Paul Haring

The body of Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, is pictured at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi, Italy, Oct. 3, 2020. The Italian teen, who had a great love for the Eucharist, was beatified Oct. 10 in Assisi.


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Sister Catherine Marie of the Immaculate Heart, O.P. Dominican Sister Catherine Marie of the Immaculate Heart (Thelma Brinkman) was born on Sept. 20, 1918 in Covington, to George and Theresa Brinkman. She was the oldest of seven sib-lings and was a member of St. Henry Church, Elsmere. She delayed her entrance to the convent to help her parents and fami-ly, working as an office clerk at Shillito’s in down-town Cincinnati, Ohio.

She loved traveling with friends. On one of her trips she saw Brother Andre Bessette (now St. Andre Bessette). As he walked passed her, he pointed to her and prophesied, “You will become a reli-gious.”

Sister Catherine Marie made her solemn vows with the cloistered Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Adoration at the Monastery of the Holy Name in Cincinnati. She later relocated to the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Buffalo, New York.

Sister died peacefully on Sept. 17,

just three days before her 102nd birthday, in her 58th year in the D o m i n i c a n monastic life. She was always joyful and a true blessing to everyone she met.

She is sur-vived by her two sisters, Mary (late R i c h a r d ) Kramer and Ruth (Tom) Scheper and many nieces

and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Vera (John) Oberschlake and her three brothers, George (late Vera) Brinkman, Paul (late Wanda) Brinkman and Joe Brinkman.

A memorial Mass was held Oct. 7 at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Memorials are suggested to: Dominican Nuns c/o Sts. Peter and Paul Retreat Center, 2734 Seminary Rd. SE, Newark, OH 43056-9339.

Obituary

Sister Catherine Marie of the Immaculate Heart, O.P.

Notre Dame Sister Mary Kevan Seibert was born into the loving family of William and Anna Seibert on Dec. 25, 1935, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mary Ann was the fifth child of seven children and the only girl. She character-ized her childhood as very happy and blessed. The family lived in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky. She attended St. Thomas School, Ft. Thomas and Notre Dame Academy. Shortly after graduating, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame, where she made her profession of vows on August 20, 1956.

Sister Mary Kevan continued her education at Villa Madonna College (Thomas More University) and later became a graduate of Theological Studies at Providence College, Rhode Island. She also studied at Regina Mundi, Rome, Italy.

Sister Mary Kevan felt especially honored to be educated in theology because it gave her the direct opportunity to make Christ known to those she taught and worked with. This inspired Sister Mary Kevan as she ministered as a teacher at several elementary schools in the dio-ceses of Covington and Cincinnati.

She went on to teach religion at Notre Dame

Academy for 15 years. There she was moderator of the student council. Sister also ministered in community leadership as the Director of Formation and Assistant Provincial. She served on the boards of several SND-sponsored ministries and local boards as well. In 1988, Sister became Chancellor of the newly established Diocese of Lexington, a position she held for 11 years. Later she ministered at St. Joseph Catholic Parish, Camp Springs, as parish life collaborator and administrator for eight years.

After over 57 years of religious and educational ministry, Sister retired to Lourdes Hall. There she enjoyed reading, listening to music and corresponding with

family and friends. Her love of family, especially her brothers, was immense. Sister Mary Kevan went home to God peacefully Oct. 3. Sister is pre-ceded in death by her parents and her brothers William Seibert and Edward, Robert and Thomas Ruberg. She is survived by her dear brothers Ronald and Donald Seibert and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Due to the current health-care restrictions on gatherings, a private Catholic Mass took place at St. Joseph Heights chapel, followed by burial in the convent cemetery. A celebration of Sister Mary Kevan’s life will be held for family and friends at a later date. Memorials are sug-gested to the Sisters of Notre Dame, Covington.

Obituary

Sister Mary Kevan Seibert , S.N.D.


“On his deathbed he realized that he could not even do this. He could not save even himself ! And he was able to sim-ply offer himself over to the Lord.”

We have a tendency of going about things backwards, don’t we? In youthful zeal we think we can fix and rework entire systems. We think we could run the entire world bet-ter if only we were in charge. We think we can save the world even though our families are a mess and we don’t

know how to help them, and even though we cannot solve our own problems.

Here is the truth: We cannot save the world. We cannot save our community. We cannot save our family. We cannot even save ourselves — only Christ can. The sooner we real-ize this the better.

Scripture says that all of creation is groaning for the rev-elation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:22) Translation: The only true way to help the world is to become a saint.

If we fill our life with activism but do not become a saint,

we have failed and everything we have will come to nothing. But if we concentrate on holiness first and foremost, above all else, then we will accomplish more than we ever imag-ined in our lifetime because it will not be us doing the accomplishing — but Christ in and through us. As He prom-ised us, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Matt 6:33)

Brad Torline is associate director for the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization, Diocese of Covington, Ky.

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New statue honors Mother Cabrini for devotion to immigrants, children, poor

NEW YORK — A statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron of immigrants, now stands overlooking the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Unveiled during a dedication ceremony in Battery Park City on Columbus Day, Oct. 12, the statue honors Mother Cabrini, as she is best known. She is revered for not only her devotion to immigrants but also to children and the destitute. The sculpture, designed by Jill and Giancarlo Biagi, shows the saint “in motion and taking care of children” and it “does her justice,” Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said in his remarks at the ceremony. “I know for the artists it was a work of passion. We hope that people who visit this memorial will recognize that history should be repeated, that there was a care for the outcast and marginalized which Mother Cabrini understood, and we need that same care today. This is not just history, we want to make history with a new understanding of how we take care of people.” Others at the dedication ceremony included New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and fellow members of the Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission. “This statue of Mother Cabrini recognizes both her contributions as an Italian immigrant woman, as well as those of all Italian American and immigrant women,” John Leo Heyer II, a commission member, said at the ceremony.

Supreme Court confirmation hearings highlight health care, religion

WASHINGTON — The Oct. 12 start of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett had two distinct focuses. Democratic senators homed in on concern that Barrett’s confirmation would lead to a vote to potentially overturn the Affordable Care Act when the legislation comes before the nation’s high court in November. Republican senators emphasized the nominee’s qualifications for the role and stressed that her Catholic faith, which was raised in her 2017 questioning before a Senate com-mittee for her federal judiciary nomination, shouldn’t be an issue in the current proceedings. Indiana senators who intro-duced Barrett, remotely, to the committee near the end of the five hours of discussion about her, highlighted Barrett’s judi-cial talents and also emphasized that her Catholic faith should

not come into question. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, also point-ed out that in his state: “Faith is seen as an asset in public service.” In her remarks, Barrett said she was “honored and humbled” to be nominated to the Supreme Court. She spoke of her husband, their seven children, her siblings and her par-ents. She mentioned the “the devoted teachers at St. Mary’s Dominican,” the girls high school she attended in New Orleans, and she also mentioned that if she were confirmed, she would be the only justice on the bench not from Harvard or Yale but the University of Notre Dame.

Bishop says diocese not deterred by ruling against temporary stay

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said Oct. 10 that a federal judge’s denial of its motion for a tem-porary restraining order against the state’s new COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship “is only the beginning of the case, and we expect ultimately to prevail.” He called the initial ruling issued late Oct. 9 “a sad day for our church community,” but “it will not deter us from our faith. We are seeking what is just.” The Diocese of Brooklyn filed a lawsuit in federal court Oct. 8 against the state of New York, charging that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new executive order reducing church capaci-ty violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exer-cise of religion. It sought a temporary stop on Cuomo’s new orders while the suit proceeds. In the ruling, Judge Eric Komitee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York said that “the government is afforded wide latitude in managing the spread of deadly diseases under the Supreme Court’s precedent. On its face, the executive order applies dif-ferently to religious exercise: It regulates houses of worship explicitly, and applies a capacity limit unique to them,” he said, and entities “deemed essential businesses” seem to be “treated better than religious institutions in the ‘red zone.’”

Supreme Court does not reinstate abortion drug restrictions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is temporarily allowing drugs used to medically induce abortions to be mailed or delivered without requiring the recipient to make a doctor’s visit during the coronavirus pandemic. In an unsigned order Oct. 8, the nation’s high court rejected an emergency appeal from the Trump administration to reinstate a U.S. Food and

Drug Administration rule requiring in-person visits to a hospi-tal or clinic to pick up these pills. The requirements were sus-pended by a federal district court judge this summer due to the pandemic. The high court ordered that the federal judge in Maryland who made the ruling on the drug’s distribution to “promptly consider” within 40 days whether this ruling should be withdrawn or amended. The FDA, in August, had asked the Supreme Court to block the district court’s order while it appealed it. The drug in question, Mifeprex, is the brand name for mifepristone, also called RU-486, which is used to end preg-nancies during the first 10 weeks. FDA regulations have required patients to receive the drug in person after signing a form acknowledging risks associated with it. Catholic Church leaders have been vocal in their opposition to this drug since it was given FDA approval in 2000 and in 2016 when the FDA relaxed rules for its use, saying it could be administered with fewer visits to a doctor.

Hurricane Delta deals fresh blow to hard-hit Louisiana dioceses

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Delta deluged much of Louisiana with rain— as much as 15 inches reported in some areas— with damage tallies and estimates yet to be completed in the days following the storm’s Oct. 9 landfall. In Lake Charles, one of the hardest-hit areas, churches and schools that had been damaged by Hurricane Laura in late August took a fresh beating. More than half of the diocese’s 39 churches had tarps on their roofs after Laura, according to Father Ruben Buller, vicar general, and most of those tarps blew off during Delta, soaking those churches anew. Father Buller told Catholic News Service that he estimated recovery efforts for those churches hit by both Laura and Delta have been set back by three weeks. In the meantime, the diocese’s six Catholic schools were to stay closed the week of Oct. 12 to allow for extensive inspections for damage. In a way, though, “we were very blessed,” said Father Buller, who doubles as “director of recovery” for the diocese, as “many of our parishes that did not receive damage the first time did not sustain damage” from Delta. Bishop Glen J. Provost of Lake Charles and Father Buller did not evacuate, nor did most of the diocese’s priests, Father Buller said. So many people heeded an evacuation order issued in advance of the hurricane, said diocesan spokes-woman Pamela Seal, that traffic on the highway leading to Houston, which ordinarily takes two-and-a-half hours, took 10 hours instead. “The interstate was a parking lot,” Seal said.

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In This Issue...“If you seek to love, God will put people in your path. When he puts people in your path, he will give you a means to love,” Mrs. Carris said. “We do not ﬁx