Catholic News Around Indiana
Compiled by Brandon A. Evans
Diocese of Evansville
Shelter for homeless, single women: Residents will spend Christmas at Evansville shelter
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
Earlier this fall, 24-year-old Allison was living in a tent along Pigeon Creek in Vanderburgh County. In the early evenings, she and her boyfriend would pitch their tent somewhere in the woods where no one could see them.
“It was hard,” she remembers. “It was hard to stay warm at times. We didn’t have blankets, and we were just trying to stay warm in our clothes.
“He wouldn’t get into a shelter unless I got in one. I was calling shelters every day, and then I had pneumonia, and I was starting to get really cold.
“Then I heard about the women’s shelter, and I was the first one there.”
The shelter that she heard about is for homeless, single women. It opened its doors in mid-November using space in the former convent at St. Anthony Church in Evansville. It’s part of the United Caring Shelters program.
Kimron Resising, executive director, said the need for shelter for homeless, single women became clear to him last winter. At that time, a “White Flag” program provided overnight shelter to anyone when temperatures dropped below 32 degrees for more than three hours.
The shelter was provided at the United Caring Shelter in downtown Evansville. People were welcome to seek shelter from the bitter cold from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. “We had cots and beds on the floor for 68 days. We averaged 33 people a night,” including 19 women.
When the women were asked why they didn’t use the existing shelters for women which include the House of Bread and Peace, the YWCA and Ozanam Family Shelter, the reply was, “I couldn’t get in.” Those shelters were full.
Reising began to do a little research, and he found that there were a total of 26 beds available for homeless, single women in Evansville, not enough to help everyone who needed shelter.
“There was a real shortage,” he discovered.
He was able to obtain a $25,000 matching grant from Welborn Baptist Foundation, and a financial commitment from the Pigeon Township Trustees office. Then he heard that St. Anthony parish was offering free rent to non-profit organizations.
The newly-opened shelter now houses 16 women. “We had six the first week. By the third week, we were full, and we’ve been full ever since.
Photo caption: Donna and Allison are residents of the newly-opened shelter for homeless, single women at St. Anthony church in Evansville. Kimron Reising, executive director of the United Caring Shelter program, said every resident has her own story about being homeless, and every story is unique. (Message photo by Mary Ann Hughes)
(For news from the Diocese of Evansville, log on to the website of The Message at www.themessageonline.org)
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
St. Patrick classmates meet, survive WWII combat
By Mark Weber
For two young lads who were graduated from Fort Wayne’s St. Patrick’s grade school in 1937, there was a lazy summer ahead and then the excitement of being together again in Catholic high school. Neither could know that their subsequent graduation would send them not to college but straight into the army and the opening chapter of World War II where they would have a dramatic reunion in the shadow of the bridge at Nijemgen as part of the infamous Operation Market Basket, dramatized in the movie, “A Bridge Too Far.”
Bob Heiny of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne, and his lifelong friend, Bob Gorman, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Wayne, have shared enough experiences in their 89 years to be twins, beginning with eight years of grade school at St. Patrick, then high school, first at the Holy Cross Brothers School and as second semester sophomores in the brand new Central Catholic High School, graduates in the class of ’41.
World War II separated the close chums, although they still had something in common. They were both in the U. S. Army and kept in touch by mail.
The St. Pat’s buddies survived the war without a scratch and resumed life together as roommates at Xavier University. Bob Heiny returned to the Heiny Grocery firm with his brothers and then the Sealtest Ice Cream company. Bob Gorman retired from General Electric … and their shared experience was to continue. 27 years ago, Gorman persuaded Heiny to join him as a volunteer two days a week at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.
And that’s where the present finds the two who served Mass at St. Patrick, who went through life, thick and thin, war and peace, now serving Christ by serving others.
Photo caption: Bob Heiny, left, and his friend, Bob Gorman shared a lifetime of experiences, including WWII combat, and now volunteer at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.
‘Madre Mary’ feted at St. Joseph Parish
By Jodi Magallanes
LAGRANGE — In honor of the Virgin Mary’s first known appearance in the Western Hemisphere, St. Joseph Parish in LaGrange celebrated the feast Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday, Dec. 12, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades.
Although Blessed Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the Virgin of Guadalupe as the Mother of the Americas, she is particularly precious to Mexican Catholics. Since she appeared as a mixed-blood Indian to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1531 near Mexico City, the devotion of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been integral to the Mexican Catholic tradition.
At St. Joseph, members of the parish’s Spanish-speaking community also remembered her appearance with flowers, dancing, food and music. According to parish administrator, Conventual Franciscan Father Andrew Martinez, the observance is one of the biggest for the parish’s Hispanic community, in addition to the Passion and another Christmas season activity, the Shepherd’s Play.
Bishop Rhoades immediately called worshippers’ attention to the story of Our Lady’s appearance, which includes the well-known Marian question “Am I not here, she who is your mother?” The question, asked of Juan Diego, requires the modern faithful as well to recognize that they are in the presence of the Holy Queen, Bishop Rhoades said.
Mary’s appearance revived evangelization efforts in the New World, which is the reason Our Lady of Guadalupe is referred to as the Star of Evangelization. She also is with people today during their faith journeys.
In an age when secularism, relativism and consumerism are challenges, evangelical values come under attack. The Virgin helps the faithful to defend values, such as respect for life from conception to natural death, the sanctity and indissolubility of Christian matrimony and the stability and dignity of the family. But there is no social peace without respect for those values, and Marian devotion helps the faithful live as faithful disciples of Christ so that they can be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, Bishop concluded.
Prior to the Mass, Trini Muñoz and others faithful to a rosary tradition ended a pilgrimage with an Our Lady of Guadalupe icon by placing it in the church sanctuary. The image, which was brought from Mexico, had visited numerous homes during the preceding 46 days for small group recitations and other prayers.
(For news from the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, log on to the website of Today’s Catholic at www.todayscatholicnews.org)
Diocese of Gary
Nine-day novena likened to Thanksgiving for Filipino Catholics
Story by Steve Euvino
SCHERERVILLE—St. Michael Parish celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent with some special guests – members of the Filipino community who celebrated Simbang Gabi, a Christmas tradition dating back to the 16th century. “It’s our way of celebrating Christmas,” said Dr. Luciano Raymundo, a member of the Philippine Professional Association, the group that sponsored the ethnic observance. The celebration at St. Michael Dec. 10 included church music performed by singers in ethnic dress and children dressed in traditional costumes bringing parols (stars) as Offertory gifts. Filipino families traditionally place these stars, representing the Star of Bethlehem, in their windows.
In keeping with tradition, food and festivities followed the Saturday Vigil Mass. Ethnic food included vegetable egg rolls, pancit, a noodle dish, menudo, and chop suey. Desserts included fried plantain, a banana-like fruit, flan, and puto bungbong, a combination of rice, flour, and coconuts.
This mixture of faith and food “heightens our anticipation of the coming of our Lord and Savior,” said Renan Garcia, PPA president. “It’s a spiritual preparation for Christmas.”
Socially, Garcia added, Simbang Gabi “symbolizes Christian fellowship and sharing in good and hard times.”
Simbang Gabi (literally, evening Mass) is a novena that runs in the Philippines from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24. It culminates with the “Misa de Gallo” (Rooster’s Mass) on Christmas Eve to welcome the birth of the Christ Child. This religious celebration started in the 1500s during the Spanish rule of the Philippines, an agricultural country of rice fields, sugar cane, and coconut. Farmers worked hard all day, starting early in the morning. In a land that became largely Catholic, the only time priests could celebrate Mass for farmers was early in the day, as early as 4 or 5 a.m.
(For news from the Diocese of Gary, log on to the website of the Northwest Indiana Catholic at www.nwicatholic.com)
Diocese of Lafayette
Legion of Mary joins in prayer for founder's cause
By Kevin Cullen
LAFAYETTE — The Legion of Mary’s 90th birthday was marked on Dec. 4 with a cathedral Mass celebrated by Bishop Timothy L. Doherty and a communal prayer for the beatification of Legion founder Frank Duff.
“God our Father, you inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and the place of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in this mystery …,” Bishop Doherty prayed at the close of the Mass in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
Approximately 100 people, most members of the Legion of Mary, joined in.
In conjunction with the anniversary, bishops around the world were asked to pray for the beatification of Duff, 1889-1980, a native of Ireland who joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 1913 to serve the poor and underprivileged of Dublin. Through them, he believed he met, knew, served and honored Christ.
In 1916, Duff published a pamphlet titled “Can We Be Saints?” in which he expressed his conviction that all people were called to be saints and that the Catholic faith provided all the tools needed to accomplish that.
He founded the Legion of Mary on Sept. 7, 1921. It now has more than 3 million members in more than 168 countries. The lay apostolic organization serves the Church, promotes spiritual development and advances the reign of Christ through the Blessed Mother.
Duff wrote several books and composed an estimated 200,000 letters. He went to Mass twice a day and prayed the rosary daily. He lived in close daily contact with men and women who lived in the shelters he founded, and he called upon prostitutes, alcoholics and the destitute to live and die in a state of sanctifying grace.
In 1965, Duff was named a lay observer to the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI. He died in 1980 and is buried in Dublin. The cause for his beatification was introduced in July 1996 by Cardinal Desmond Connell, at that time archbishop of Dublin.
Speaker offers marriage insights from 'I do' to 'We will'
By Kevin Cullen
LAFAYETTE — Roy Petitfils is a happy man. He adores his wife and two young children, even though they sometimes drive him crazy. He likes nothing better than spending time with them.
Successful marriages take work, understanding, communication and forgiveness, the Louisiana-based motivational speaker said in a recent talk at St. Lawrence Church here. The presentation was titled “From ‘I Do’ to ‘We Will’: Sustaining and Celebrating God’s Love Through the Cycles and Seasons of Married Life.”
“Marriage is complex. It is not one complicated set of problems, but a whole set of them … then you bring children into it,” he told his audience of approximately 100. “There’s a host of things that try to pull a couple apart.”
Petitfils, 38, of Lafayette, La., is a former seminarian who has worked in schools as a teacher, campus minister, counselor and administrator. He is now a therapist in a Catholic counseling center where he counsels individuals, couples and families.
He writes a syndicated column for adults who work with youth and he often leads retreats, workshops and parish missions. He has written three books, including What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the First Five Years of Marriage. He spoke at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis on Nov. 18.
Marriage relationships can be difficult because they involve egos, pride, miscommunication, stubbornness, economics, body image and conflicting time demands, Petitfils said in his presentation at St. Lawrence.
“The best thing you can do for your children is you — your time,” he said. “It’s simple, but it’s the hardest thing in the world … some of the biggest regrets that people have is working a job they hated instead of spending time with their family.”
Young couples often begin married life with unrealistic expectations and no training in how to build and sustain an intimate, lifelong relationship. They don’t realize that relationships require work, compromise and patience.
It’s not enough to simply want things to change. Couples must be willing to develop the understanding and resources needed to make change happen. That often involves seeking professional help.
Typically, by the time a couple makes an appointment with a marriage counselor, it is 1½ years too late and the crisis has deepened.
(For news from the Diocese of Lafayette, log on to the website of The Catholic Moment at www.thecatholicmoment.org)