The Newsletter of the Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Fall 2012

The Pontifical Mission Societies: The Society for the Propagation of the Faith * The Missionary Childhood Association *

The Society of St. Peter the Apostle * The Pontifical Missionary Union

TOP TEN REASONS to Attend the BEST MISSION CONFERENCE in the area:

by Dr. Mike Gable, Mission Office Director

#1 You will be filled with God’s Spirit of JOY; meeting others who are ALIVE in the mission of Jesus.

#2 You will CELEBRATE with other cultures, the mission and global solidarity efforts of local parishes, schools and mission orders, especially Maryknoll’s 100th anniversary. (SING & DANCE TOO)

#3 You will HEAR “Re-imagining the Future of Mission” from our dynamic keynote speaker, Maryknoll Sisters’ President, Sr. Janice McLaughlin on Friday Oct. 19.

#4 You will be INSPIRED by the clarity of Fr. Roger Schroeder, SVD, on “What is the Mission of the Church Today?” on Saturday, Oct. 20.

#5 You will ENGAGE in workshops with top missionaries from around the world on: Youth & Mission, Justice & Mission, Reconciliation or one of 4 other topics.

#6 You will SHARE your experience and LEARN about: Youth Mis-sion Trips, Parish Twinning, Teaching mission, Refugees and Immi-gration law reform and other topics in our peer group discussions.

#7 You will help GUIDE the future efforts of the Mission Office and others locally as we seek “To do better, together.”

#8 You will PRAY with a diverse group of Catholics; with a special prayer service for Blessed Kateri Tekawitha who will be canonized Oct. 21.

#9 You will be THANKED by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and Maryknoll Father Ray Finch for the generous donations of time and treasure that you have made to the mission of our Church.

#10 You will WORSHIP with a diverse community of believers in a special closing Mass, 4:30 Saturday, Oct. 20.

Don’t delay! Sign up now for our “Mission Connect 2012” on October 19th and the 20th at Good Shepherd Church, 8815 E. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati. To register and for more details go to: www.catholiccincinnati.org/mission and click on “Mission Connect.” Or email: mision@catholiccincinnati.org; call: Teresa Phillips at the Mission Office at (513) 421-3131, x. 2632.

Did you know the World Mission Sunday collection in your parish directly supports The Pontifical Mission Societies? These 4 Vatican societies (named above) keep the following programs going day in and day out: 9,000 clinics, caring for

the sick and dying; 10,000 orphanages,

providing a place of safety and shelter;

1,200 schools, educating children in some of the poorest parts of the world;

80,000 seminarians preparing for the priesthood;

9,000 religious Sisters and Brothers in formation programs.

All of these operate in 1,150 mission dioceses, mostly in Africa and Asia, where those who live in poverty receive an education and health care, while experiencing the loving heart of the Lord through the service of priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and lay faithful.

Your prayers and generosity directly benefit these works! May the Lord bless you!

Celebrate World Mission Sunday

October 21

Sr. Janice McLaughlin, MM

Fr. Roger Schroeder, SVD

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Why… MCA?

You know the Holy Childhood Association—the mission organization created by Bishop Forbin-Janson in 1839 that enables children to learn about mission and help children in other parts of the world. BUT, did you know that around the world, this Pontifical Mission Society is known as the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA)? Indeed, it is. So, after consultation with diocesan staff nationwide, the name has been officially changed in the U.S. This change emphasizes the missionary nature of the work and brings the U.S. into alignment with MCA worldwide. While there will be a period of transition, the new name will be a part of all new materials moving forward. So, that’s WhyMCA!

Setting Off for Adventure Carrie Altick, Will Marsh and Jason Rader will all be heading to Michigan with the Lelanne Program through the University of Dayton. These recent graduates will teach (sans salary) in underserved Catholic schools in Michigan while earning credit towards a Masters degree in Education.

Katie Berno, of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish has dedicated the next two years in service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She will be located in Detroit, Michigan.

Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch is currently in Peru with the Marianists. She is working in a pastoral center in the mountains.

Edna Hess, CPPS, home to serve in leadership for her community, has returned to mission in Chile where she served 10 years ago. She joins her sisters at their mission in Santiago.

Elaine Sanker has recently arrived in Bolivia and will be working with the Salesian Missionaries in an orphanage in Santa Cruz.

Brianna Williamson, also of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish has dedicated the next two years in service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She will be located in Camden, New Jersey.

Coming Home

Jesuit Father Kevin Flaherty has been re-assigned to Chicago as Director of First Studies. He returns to the U.S. from Peru where he has spent the last 25 years. Precious Blood Father Edward Jutte has spent his mission life in Peru, Chile and Mexico since 1965. (That’s 47 years in mission!) He recently retuned to the Precious Blood retirement center in Carthagena, OH. Maryknoll Sister Ann Klaus left the U.S. in 1951 for mission work in Africa. (That’s 61 years in mission!) Sr. Ann recently retired to Maryknoll, New York. I wonder if these long term missionaries knew that so much of their lives would be lived in ministry in mission! What wonderful examples of lives lived for Jesus. We pray that your retirements/new assignments are as fulfilling as your lives in mission.

Final Journey Sister-Doctor Jean Mouch, a Medical Mission Sister, from Cincinnati went home to the Lord in January of this year. Sr. Jean spent many years in Ghana and Ethiopia and was serving in Camden, NJ when her life was cut short at the age of 66. She is greatly missed in Camden and by all who knew and loved her. May she rest in Peace.

Carrie Altick

Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch

Fr. Flaherty, SJ

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Often in Mission we may think that we are the initiators of projects or that it was “my idea” to begin one. But for sure, most of the time this is not the case. In 1984, one of my Nepali friends, Krishna Thapa, who at that time, was also a professor at Tribhuban University here in Kathmandu, asked me if I could help provide some support for one of the University students. He said the student’s name was Govinda and he was “starving”. He came from a very poor rural family in the hills of Nepal and was unable to feed himself in Kathman-du. Krishna assured me that he was a very good student. So, I gave Krishna money for Govinda and asked him to tell Govinda that I would come to the university to meet him in a few days.

A few days later, I did meet Go-vinda as I was walking down the road at the University. Actually, Govinda recognized me way before I saw him.

I heard my name called, “Father Joe”, but was unable to locate the source immediately. After a few more shouts I located the source. It was Govinda… on his hands and knees crawling down the driveway of the University to greet me. You see, Govinda had had polio at a young age and now has no use of his legs. At that time, he did not have a wheel chair so he crawled everywhere! He told me of his life in the village where he had to crawl over 2 hours on steep and often muddy paths to make his way to school. Govinda graduated with honors from the University and I made sure he had sufficient food to make it thru. After obtaining his degree, he returned to his village and over the years has received many awards as the best teacher in his District.

I kept in contact with Govinda. In 2002, he came to me with an idea to begin a sewing program in his village. He would continue to teach in the school, but would find other disabled people to assist him with a program he had in mind. He proposed to have physically disabled people from the nearby villages come to his village for a 10 month sewing program. They would be taught how to cut and sew patterns and about different

materials. They would also learn how to read, do math and keep accounts; while at the same time feel the sup-port of others with similar problems, as many feel isolated in their village settings. The participants would be given a sewing machine to use while in training and, if they successfully completed the program, they would return to their village with the machine. Well, needless to say, we have close to 100% graduation each year and each par-ticipant returns to the village with the capacity to be self supporting and self sufficient.

I am grateful each day for people like Govinda, a good Hindu person, who, with all humility, teaches me what it means to live life to the fullest while at the same time al-ways looking for ways to serve others. So, the next time someone asks you for assis-tance do not hesitate for it could turn into a wonderful life time relation-ship.

A Wonderful Lifetime Relationship Joseph L. Thaler, M.M.

Govinda and Fr. Joe at the Graduation, note the sewing machines in the background that the

graduates will take home with them.

At the graduation ceremony a Tika blessing is given to all of the graduating students.

Govinda with some of his students..

Note: The Mission Office is planning a trip to visit

Fr. Thaler in 2014. Call Dr. Mike Gable for information:

513-421-3131 X 2630

The Catholic Faith Is Strong in Vietnam! Dr. Mike Gable

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From June 11-25, 15 Anglo and Vietnamese Catholics from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati traveled to South and North Vietnam, visiting potential parish twinning partners. The trip was organized in part by Fr. Chau Pham, SVD, of Our Lady of Lavang Parish in Cincinnati, Ms. Anh Vu of Cincinnati, Mrs. Lan Vu of Sacred Heart Parish in Fairfield and Dr. Mike Gable of the Mission Office.

Below are snapshots that demonstrate the powerful faith and efforts of the welcoming people of Vietnam as well as the beauty, challenges, and diversity of the nation.

Having lunch with our Catholic Vietnamese

hosts. Jill Collet, left in grey, noted, "As a re-sult of my trip, I'm much more aware of how

difficult it must be for my Chinese and other foreign students to adjust to life at the Uni-

versity of Cincinnati. It certainly is tough

when they do not have others from their home cultures to share their struggles and to

help them adapt."

Thom and Giao Bui, left, from St.

Maximillan Kolbe Parish in Liberty Township, visit a volunteer at a

parish clinic in South Vietnam that provides low cost acupuncture

service for a wide variety of medi-

cal problems. Both Thom and Giao were frequently impressed

not only by the work of their fellow Catholics but they added, "It was

most impressive to see how many people come to Mass every day,

even the youth and little kids."

Travelers from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

visiting with Bishop Vincent Vu Huy Chuong of Da Lat. Anh Vu, speaks with students in Hanoi,

North Vietnam in a youth advancement program entitled "Koto." Anh, from

Cincinnati, is a former Maryknoll lay missioner who worked with Koto when

she served in Hanoi several years ago.

Fr. Chau Pham, SVD, (right) visiting with

his relatives in Da Lat, Vietnam. Fr. Pham is the chaplain of the Vietnamese Catholic

Community at Our Lady of Lavang Parish in Cincinnati. We are grateful to him for

helping us organize and lead our trip.

Mary Montour of St. Maximillian parish in a

dance with Vietnamese youth near Da Lat. The dancers are making an effort to

remember and honor the customary dances handed down for many

generations.

For nearly a decade, St. John Parish has developed an excel-lent parish partnership with Santa Cruz and Our Lady of Guada-lupe, two parishes in El Salvador. They have prayed for each other, sponsored students, and visited each other to share their stories of faith and strengthen their efforts of evangelization. This past August, the two Salvadoran pastors, Padres Jorge Grande and Joaquin Melendez came with some of their parishioners for an-other visit to deepen their solidar-ity and renew their covenants.

St. John Parish in Harrison Renews Twinning Relationship

“What does it mean for me to be a missionary in this place at this time?” “How can my parish be more missionary?” These were key questions Fr. Ron Lewinski answered at the Pontifical Mission Societies’ national meeting last year in Seattle, WA. With some cross cultural mission experience himself and now a pastor at St. Mary’s in Mundelein, IL, Fr. Lewinski noted that missionary ministries still include crossing geographical borders with our faith in Jesus.

However since Vatican II, we are also called to be missionaries and to evangelize our political, economic, and social leaders with Gospel values of justice and peace. To be missionary here and now in the U.S. also means offering the real meaning of life and spiritual depth with the Good News of Jesus. With the “Year of Faith” and the “New Evangelization” arriving this October, the following are some excellent tips and insights.

To whom should we go? To our families, to our young adults, to those caught in empty materialism, to those who are homeless or immigrants, to the forgotten and hopeless in our neighbor-hood. And sometimes, these local efforts can lead us beyond our local communities.

How to “grow” missionaries & a mission centered parish...

#1 Promote “New Evangelization” efforts in your parish. The missionary spirit comes alive by fanning into flame the gift of faith. As Pope Benedict states, we should “re-propose the Gospel” so that the parish becomes a school for missionaries of service and justice, locally and globally. Parishes are to be greenhouses that “grow” disciples of Jesus.

#2 Let parishioners encounter missionaries as it is the best incentive to grow new missionaries, especially when they come to our parishes for the Mission Co-op Plan appeal. Invite those who have been on mission/immersion trips to share their stories. Promote and explain the World Mission Sunday collection (October 21 this year). Could you have a “Mission Chairperson” for your parish/school to develop these efforts?

#3 Offer incremental steps to mission ministries. Invite parishioners to take food to a local food pantry. Then, have them speak with a recipient at the pantry. Next, suggest they work one night at a soup kitchen. Maybe as a family, visit and SKYPE with missionaries in Appalachia or your parish twinning partners. Offer opportunities to discuss, “Why am I doing this?” Put the websites for service/justice organizations in your bulletin.

#4 Introduce youth to mission. The Missionary Childhood Association provides many missionary examples, materials, and ideas to inspire our children, in school and at home. Go to www.onefamilyinmission.org/hca

#5 Praise and encourage young, older and retired parishion-ers to study Catholic Social Teaching, to take immersion/mission trips, and to join short or long term mission organizations to develop global solidarity. Develop a parish twinning relationship. Offer websites and connections to our diocesan mission office. www.catholiccincinnati.org/mission (If we don’t offer these op-portunities, parishioners will find them at the mega church and fail to return to your parish. See a good example below at St. John’s in Harrison)

#6 Provide a bold witness as a parish. Some U.S. churches have pulled together to set up baby clinics to reach out to local Hispanic immigrants as a better way to integrate newcomers into their parish. Does your church have multicultural devotional art and music? Do you celebrate diversity in your parish? Bold witness leads to strong and vibrant liturgy and inspires parishion-ers to be missionaries….as well as attracting new parishioners.

#7 Use RCIA as “mission apprenticeships” to teach both the catechumens and sponsors how to become missionaries themselves by participating in parish service and evangelization efforts.

#8 Give homilies that train parishioners to go beyond humanitarianism and to share their faith in Jesus. We need to teach Catholics how to effectively communicate Christ to others. And remember, the call to mission comes from the Eucharist… ”Go out to the whole world with Christ! Mass has ended.”

Tips for “Rekindling the Mission Spirit in Parishes” With the “New Evangelization”

Salvadoran twinning part-ners work with St. John's twinning team to write a

new covenant agreement.

Parish twinning partners from El Salvador and St. John

process together to begin a joint adoration service.

Deacon Don Meyer, left, and Pastor Fr. Jeff Kemper receive a plaque of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas) from their Salvadoran twinning partners as a symbol of their joint love and devotion to Mary.

Partners share dessert and conversation.

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