Archbishop Tobin featured in parish Lenten speaker series

By Sean Gallagher

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, 520 Stevens St., in Indianapolis, will host its 14th annual Lenten speaker series titled “Spaghetti and Spirituality,” on March 12-April 2.

Prior to dinner and each week’s presentation, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration following the conclusion of the traditional Latin Mass at noon. Another Mass, celebrated in English, will start at 5:45 p.m.

A light, meatless pasta dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. at Priori Hall. Each presentation will begin at approximately 7:15 p.m. and ordinarily concludes by 8:30 p.m.

This year’s series include Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin, who will speak on March 26 on the topic of “The Joy of the Gospel.” It is the first time in the 14-year history of the series that the archbishop of Indianapolis has been a speaker.

Bruce Konicek, a Holy Rosary parishioner who helps organize “Spaghetti and Spirituality,” is excited about Archbishop Tobin being a speaker.

“This year is incredibly special in that for the first time our own shepherd, Archbishop Tobin, will speak at ‘Spaghetti and Spirituality,’ ” Konicek said. “This is a great blessing and a wonderful opportunity for everyone across the archdiocese to get to hear the archbishop speak on the joy of the Gospel.”

Rita Marker, a practicing attorney and former adjunct professor of political science and ethics at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, will kick off the series on March 12. She will discuss health care decisions that face families in light of the changes made by the Affordable Care Act.

Dr. Will Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., will travel to Holy Rosary on March 19. A licensed sports psychologist and former Olympic athlete, Thierfelder will give a presentation titled “Less than a Minute to Go: The Secret to World-Class Performance in Sport, Business and Everyday Life.”

Catholic author and speaker Mike Aquilina will conclude this year’s “Spaghetti and Spirituality” on April 2 with a presentation titled “Martyrdom and the Eucharist.”

Konicek is impressed by how people from across central and southern Indiana fill Priori Hall at Holy Rosary on the nights of “Spaghetti and Spirituality” in order to learn more about the faith.

“The foremost service [that] ‘Spaghetti and Spirituality’ provides is education,” Konicek said. “Whether the subject is a current topic facing the Church today or a basic tenant of the catechism, this program attracts Catholics wanting to learn more about their faith. I guarantee everyone will learn something new at ‘Spaghetti and Spirituality.’ ”
 

(People interested in attending any of the presentations are asked to call Holy Rosary Parish at 317-636-4478 by no later than 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to each seminar. For more information about “Spaghetti and Spirituality,” log on to www.holyrosaryindy.org. To register for sessions in the series, log on to www.kofcsantorosario.org/ss.htm.) †