Volume 5, Issue 12

Answering the call Priest ordination set for June 14

Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville

Christ Is Present

June 2014

SPECIAL REPORT: Caring for Our Elders

The Valley Catholic BROWNSVILLE — From a very young age, Jose Garza was enthralled by the priests who served at the altar of Divino Pastor Parish, his home church in Matamoros, Mexico. “I liked how the priests celebrated Mass and I wanted to do the same,” Garza said. “I used to tell my family that I wanted to be a priest and they thought I was joking because I was so, so young.” The call to the priesthood only intensif ie d with the passage of time. After graduating from high school in Matamoros, Garza became a seminarian Garza for the Diocese of Brownsville in August 2001. Bishop Daniel E. Flores will ordain Garza to the priesthood at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 14 at Holy Family Church in Brownsville. Garza, 31, considered joining a religious community in San Luis Potosí, Mexico but ultimately decided to serve the faithful of the Rio Grande Valley, even though it meant having to learn a new language. “I like the uniqueness of the Valley, the blending of the two cultures,” he said. “Even though we are in the United States, many families have kept their family traditions from Mexico alive.” Garza earned a bachelor’s degree from Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio and completed his theological studies at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. As a priest, he hopes to minister to the youth, teaching them the faith and bringing them closer to God and his Church. “As Bishop Flores says, if we can form good families, we can form good vocations,” said Garza, a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Garza said his great-grand-

The Valley Catholic

Cecilia Batungbacal of Donna has been active in parish ministry for 20 years.

Life’s transitions Stages of aging, what comes next?

By NYDIA TAPIA - GONZALES The Valley Catholic

The Valley Catholic

The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which will be celebrated on June 19, is considered one of the most beautiful solemnities on the Church’s calendar. Each year Bishop Daniel E. Flores leads a procession starting from the Immaculate Conception Cathedral through the streets of downtown Brownsville in route to St. Thomas Church and Sacred Heart Church. Visit www.cdob.org for times.

» Please see Ordination p.15

DONNA — Cecilia Batungbacal, who has lived in the Rio Grande Valley for 20 years, will have to say goodbye to Donna, her home, her friends, her volunteer work, her students and everything she has come to cherish. She will have to give up her car, which means her freedom to come and go, and has even been asked to give up her king-size bed. It is something she is not ready to do just yet, even when her priest son reminds her that Pope Francis recommends giving possessions away. Batungbacal, 70, and her husband, Efren, 77, who is in poor health, are moving in June into a senior care facility in Houston to be closer to their youngest son, Eugene. A Redemptorist priest serving at a Houston parish, he is assuming responsibility for his parents’ care. Batungbacal and her husband are among a growing number of elderly who are confronting the reality that they can no longer live in their homes without some type of assistance. Their adult children are having to step in and help their parents make decisions they are not ready to make. The population 65 and over has increased from 35.5 million in » Please see Aging p.13

PENTECOST

NEWS IN PHOTOS

THOSE WHO SERVE

EN ESPAÑOL Artículos sobre la celebración de Pentecostes, el cuidado de adultos mayores y la visita ad limina de los obispos mexicanos.

“VERBUM MITTITUR SPIRANS AMOREM”

(“The WORD is sent breathing love.”)

Pentecost, the Birthday of the Catholic Church Page 3

A glimpse of what is happening in the Church Page 8

Dominican Sister Tulia Giraldo from St. Joseph Church Page 9

Paginas 11-13

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DIOCESE

U.S. bishops to meet U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will meet June 11-13, in New Orleans, for their annual Spring General Assembly. The opening Mass of the June general session will be celebrated by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, USCCB president, at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis. The second day of the general session will include presentations and discussion on two special topics: “Marriage and the Economy” and “the New Evangelization and Poverty.” Other agenda items include: • A presentation on the upcoming Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. • A presentation on the World Meeting of Families by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., of Philadelphia and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. • A presentation from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) regarding the relief efforts in the Philippines in the wake of last November’s Typhoon Haiyan. • Debate and vote on the request for renewal of the recognitio granted to the National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons. • Consultation on the cause for canonization of Father Paul Wattson, Servant of God. • Update and vote on proposal by working group on Faithful Citizenship. • A presentation on the Annual Progress Report of the bishops’ efforts to protect children and young people from sexual abuse, presented by Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D., chair of the National Review Board. • Debate and vote on the renewal of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty for an additional three year term.. • An update from Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Connecticut, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism,

The Valley Catholic -

I

June 2014

A letter to the Secretary of State

wrote a letter to the United States Secretary of State, the Honorable John Kerry, who traveled to Mexico City on May 21 to meet with Mexican government officials. My purpose was to give the Secretary of State an idea of what conditions are like for many, especially the immigrant poor in South Texas, as a result of the violence afflicting Northern Mexico. The content rather speaks for itself, and concerns matters I have spoken about before, though perhaps never quite so succinctly. +df Dear Mr. Secretary: I am the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, and I write to you out of great concern for deteriorating conditions along the Texas-Mexican border. My duties as principal shepherd of the Church in the Rio Grande Valley involve travel, almost on a daily basis, up and down the southernmost border of the United States with Mexico, visiting the many churches and parish communities that grace this predominately Catholic area. We are a proud and culturally rich people, formed by a heritage of deep familial ties binding both sides of the border. In my travels across the four counties of the diocese, I constantly hear first-hand accounts of men, women and children affected by the climate of violence currently afflicting northern Mexico. Stories of families who are here in my diocese because they have no surviving relatives in the towns right across the River from us are common. I hear from women with children who are here while their husbands continue to work in Mexico; their husbands want them to be safe from kidnappings and random shootings. I hear from kidnapping survivors, often missing fingers as a sign of their ordeal. I hear from aged grandmothers who ask for my prayers for grandsons in northern Mexico who have not been heard from in months. They are kidnapped and presumed dead, but grandmothers are the last to lose hope. The poor from northern Mexico come now by whatever means they can, more

MOST REVEREND DANIEL E. FLORES BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE

for the sake of security than for economic reasons. The families with sufficient income procure the appropriate business visas and establish their businesses on the American side of the River. If the poor have no legal way to escape the violence, how can we fault them for risking life and limb to come to the United States? If the employers in Mexico are leaving for security reasons, what does that portend for the future of the Mexican economy in the North? And do we not want a strong Mexican economy in order to alleviate the economic pressures that have traditionally caused Mexican families to seek employment in the United States? The violence is not confined to the Mexican side of the border. People here do not speak of it much, except maybe to their priest or bishop, but the fact is that the criminal elements that operate in Tamaulipas and elsewhere are not without resources and reach in my diocese, and in other border areas. I worry most about the young, who are easy prey to the offer of money and quick success if they join a gang, which itself is linked to larger and more powerful organizations. The tradition of trust and hospitality which has been a part of border life for generations, is now corroded severely. People begin silently to wonder who is involved in the violence and who is not; everyday folks often do not know who can be trusted and who cannot. There is a breakdown of trust in law enforcement in the Rio Grande Valley for the same reason. Four things move back and forth across the River with ease: people, drugs, guns and ill-gotten money. And of these four, the money moves with the

greatest ease to the American side, and it has extraordinarily corrosive effects. Newspaper accounts of public servants indicted for bribery are all too frequent in South Texas. I and other American bishops along the Texas border meet regularly with our counterparts in northern Mexico. We speak together about what our people are suffering. The dimensions of the human tragedy taking place right now in Mexico, and indeed in the Latin American nations to the south of Mexico, are beyond heart-rending. The criminal elements operating in Mexico routinely kidnap innocent Central Americans trying to find their way to the United States. They are shot, raped, or ransomed. They are forced to carry drugs or face the execution of a kidnapped family member. Human trafficking, so forcefully denounced by Pope Francis, is commonplace as a result of the conditions I am describing. The tragedy is hemispheric. I need not tell you that the current debates about immigration reform hardly take note of the hemispheric pressures caused by the cartel violence and the human destruction it carries in its wake, not to mention the economic devastation it engenders. I urge you to take to heart the need to reevaluate how our government, in cooperation with the government of Mexico, is addressing this unfolding disaster, and to take particular note of what is happening on both sides of the Rio Grande River. And I join with Congressman Filemon Vela in urging a reconsideration of our deportation policy so as to take into account the reality that the cartels are coopting the very people fleeing their influence, often forcing them to cooperate with their plans, or face death for themselves or their families. I further encourage you to discuss these matters with officials in the Mexican government during your upcoming trip to Mexico City. Respectfully, +Daniel E. Flores, STD Bishop of Brownsville

Courtesy photo

on the work of the Subcommittee. • An update from Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, on the Subcommittee’s efforts.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated a Night Vigil on May 2 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen. Shalom World, a new 24/7 Catholic family channel, broadcast the vigil live to the millions of viewers worldwide. The night vigils hosted monthly focus on Eucharistic Adoration. You can view Shalom World on Roku, Google TV, Amazon Fire HD TV or online at www.ShalomWorld. org

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Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor

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Assistant Editor

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Bishop Flores’ Schedule June 2014 June 1 11 a.m. Raymondville Confirmations at Our Lady of Guadalupe June 1 4 p.m. Weslaco Confirmations at St. Pius X June 7 10 a.m. Mission Confirmations at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary June 8 9:30 a.m. Brownsville Confirmations at Christ the King June 14 10 a.m. Brownsville Priesthood Ordination at Holy Family June 15 2 p.m. Mission Confirmations at Our Lady of Guadalupe June 16 7 p.m. El Ranchito Confirmations at St. Ignatius

June 17 7 p.m. Brownsville Confirmations at Good Shepherd June 19 7 p.m. Weslaco Confirmations at St. Joan of Arc June 21 11 a.m. Escobares Confirmations at Sacred Heart June 21 3:30 p.m. Weslaco Address & Mass St. Joan of Arc 2014 Catechetical Conference June 22 12:15 p.m. Roma Confirmations at Our Lady of Refuge June 26 7 p.m. Rio Grande City. Confirmations at St. Paul the Apostle

June 2014

DIOCESE

- The Valley Catholic

Stewardship & Development Office

Veni Creator Spiritus

Para servirles

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Q &A on the Holy Spirit

The Valley Catholic

Catholic News Service /EWTN

The Stewardship and Development Office serves as a resource for parishes, schools and ministries in the diocese in planning and implementing stewardship and development programs. This includes providing training and sharing how God has given each of us special gifts to cultivate and share with the Church. Among the priorities of the Office of Stewardship and Development is to be transparent in everything they do. Director Rosie Rodriguez said, “If you walked in here and gave us a dollar, we can basically tell you where your dollar went to. We can account for it as it came in and account for it as it left.” Rodriguez said the Stewardship and Development Office works to help all parishes in need. The office coordinates an annual appeal along with the bishop’s benefit dinner, the Children’s Appeal and the Oblate Trial Ride. Funds raised from the annual appeal are targeted for four areas of the diocese which need assistance – support of parish ministries aimed at building up family life and youth formation; emergency aid for Catholic Charities; spiritual formation; and continuing education for seminarians and clergy. The Stewardship and Development Office also coordinates a Children’s Appeal. To help children understand what it means to be good stewards in the church, they created a character called Steward. Steward and staff members visit parishes throughout the diocese to educate children on good stewardship habits. The Oblate Trial Ride, scheduled each spring, provides cyclists from across the Rio Grande Valley an opportunity to ride along the route which the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate traveled on horseback more than 100 years ago to evangelize the communities along the Rio Grande River. All proceeds are used to fund local projects supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. “The Stewardship and Development office is held to that high love that all the Catholics have for the Church,” Rodriguez said. “Our parishes come first and our clergy comes first.”

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit is also called the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Love. From whom does the Holy Spirit proceed? The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit does not proceed from the Father and the Son by spiritual generation. Only the Son proceeds from the Father by generation. This is one of the mysterious truths that we know only from revelation. Is the Holy Spirit equal to the Father and the Son? The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son, because He is God. Because of the oneness of nature in the Blessed Trinity, the Father is entirely in the Son and in the Holy Spirit; the Son is entirely in the Father and in the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is entirely in the Father and in the Son. No one of the three divine Persons is outside the other, for none precedes the other in eternity, nor surpasses the other in power, nor exceeds the other in any way. This indwelling of one divine Person in the others is called circumincession. What does the Holy Spirit do for the salvation of mankind? The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as the source of its life and sanctifies souls through the gift of grace. Although the sanctification of mankind, like all other outward works of God, is performed by all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, it is attributed to the Holy Spirit, the third Person. The sanctification of mankind is attributed to the Holy Spirit because He is the love of the Father and the Son and because the sanctification of man by grace shows forth God’s boundless love.

Office: Stewardship and Development Office Director: Rosie Rodriguez E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (956) 784-5062

“... You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5)

The Valley Catholic

An image of the Holy Spirit in stained glass at St. Patrick Mission Church in Lasara. Pentecost Sunday, celebrated June 8 this year, commemorates the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles 50 days after Christ’s resurrection.

Pentecost is June 8 By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic The Church concludes the Easter season on June 8 with the celebration of the Pentecost. The celebration takes us back to the first time the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary, the apostles and other believers. Pentecost Sunday also calls us to reflection: What did the coming of the Holy Spirit mean, both then and now? How do we live out the Pentecost in our lives today? Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and give them the fortitude they needed to proclaim the Good News “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The first reading on Pentecost Sunday recalls the coming of the Holy Spirit. “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:1-4) “There were more than 100 people there all together and most of them did not understand what was happening,” said Msgr. Patrick Doherty, a retired priest of the Diocese of Brownsville. “Some even approached Peter, asking him, ‘what’s going on? They are acting like drunken people.’ “Peter said to them, ‘they are not drunk, it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that has been promised,

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz

A scene from Pentecost is depicted in artwork at Our Lady of Divine Providence Church in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season.

that we have been waiting for.’” The Holy Spirit is the lifeblood, the soul of the Church, Msgr. Doherty said. “Even the apostles, they were sitting around, hiding in a locked room,” he said. “They were afraid to hurt people’s feelings, they were afraid to say anything. The Holy Spirit transformed them into bold witnesses and gave them the courage to go out and spread the Gospel.” More than 2,000 years later, how do we keep the Holy Spirit thriving within us and in our families? “We have to understand that living in the Holy Spirit is not an emotional experience, but a way of life,” Msgr. Doherty said. “Some people have that emotional experience. For example, they are ‘slain in the Spirit’ and that is fine. I do believe that happens to people, but if it is only an emotional experience, it is not the Holy Spirit. It has to be permanent.” Msgr. Doherty said consistency and speaking the language of the Church are the keys to living a

Spirit-filled life. “Lay people have to make sure they get to church on Sundays, every Sunday, punto,” he said. “They need to have a parish church and take ownership of that parish. They have decide on what Mass they are going to go to every Sunday and then go to the same church at the same time every Sunday. Otherwise, we are just visiting. Lots of people jump from one Catholic church to the other. They don’t put down any roots anywhere.” Msgr. Doherty said parents need to teach their children “the language of the Church,” just as they teach their children English or Spanish. Catholic families are called to preach the Gospel through their words and their actions by attending Mass every Sunday, partaking of the sacraments and more. Msgr. Doherty, who hears confessions and celebrates Masses at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine, recently met a 25-year» Please see Pentecost p.15

Freedom to serve U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops The Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Serve will take place from June 21 to July 4, a time when our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. The theme of this year’s Fortnight will focus on the freedom to serve the poor and vulnerable in accord with human dignity and the Church’s teaching. For more information, visit http://www.usccb.org/issuesand-action/religious-liberty/ fortnight-for-freedom/

FAITH

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»Family Life Lydia Pesina

Director, Family Life Office

Retreat and renew

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think it would be an understatement to say that we hear ourselves or others say that we are “so busy” at least ten times daily. We do live in a time where “time” seems rushed; full; too fast; or too short. Perhaps it is helpful for us to remind one another to take some time to “retreat”. In the Gospel of Mark 1:35, we hear that “Rising very early before dawn, he (Jesus) left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” We too would be wise to follow Jesus’ example to take some time to “retreat from” one place and “retreat to” another. There are many types of retreats and their goal or purpose may be distinct, but they all have the capacity to “take us away” from the typical to a space where perhaps we can be more open to the Holy Spirit guiding our hearts to change and/or transformation. One of our main goals in life is to be transformed into the person God has uniquely created us to be. In our Family Life Office, one of our responsibilities is to coordinate 22 Marriage Preparation Retreats a year to assist the parish pastors in preparing engaged couples for marriage. These engaged couples “make” this retreat primarily because they are required to as part of their Marriage Preparation Process. Our hope and prayer is that they be open to the Holy Spirit during these retreats to receive whatever message or messages God has for them personally and/ or as a couple. These couples live full and busy lives with work, family, and other responsibilities and it is often a sacrifice to set aside a full weekend and yet these retreats have the potential to be

The Valley Catholic not only life giving but sometimes life changing if they are open to the Holy Spirit. Many apostolic movements such as ACTS, Movimiento Familiar Cristiano, Couples for Christ, Apostolado de la cruz, Cursillo, Encuentro Matrimonial, and others provide retreats with distinct goals, but all offering possibilities for personal and spiritual renewal. Recently, I made a personal Lenten Retreat at the Basilica Hotel. The Basilica Hotel has rental accommodations for the many pilgrims who visit Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. It was built in the late 1940s but was totally renovated in 2010. The rooms are lovely and the setting is great for a personal retreat. I checked out some audio books from the Diocesan Ministry Resource Center and also had some writing and reading materials. It was a wonderful day spent in quiet time, reading, writing, and listening to the audio books. It was also the perfect setting to just walk to the Basilica to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, go to confession and attend noon Mass. Sometimes we don’t have the opportunity to take a whole day or whole weekend off for a retreat, so even short 15 to20 minutes outdoors or in a church can allow us to shift gears and “retreat” to some quiet space for reflection and renewal. I have the blessing of having my office for Family Ministry at the Upper Valley Catholic Pastoral Center on the grounds of the Basilica, so often I take my afternoon break walking to the Basilica. The grounds are green and lush and there are pilgrims visiting every single day, rain or shine, cold or hot weather and seeing young families with their children is very inspiring, and it is a wonderful place to pray. There are websites such as Loyola Press that have 3-minute retreats. For persons that perhaps have only a few minutes to devote to reflection and renewal, this is a good resource. Psalm 46:10 tells us “Be still and know that I am God”. Perhaps we can assist one another learn how to “Be Still” and be reminded that “God is God” who loves us unconditionally and is present within us always and in all ways.

Shalom World televises daily Masses from RGV The Valley Catholic A new 24/7 Catholic Channel started broadcasting from the Rio Grande Valley on April 27. Shalom Media USA, based in Edinburg, broadcasts live daily Mass from the area on their new channel, Shalom World. Masses are recorded at the following churches: Mondays at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Weslaco (English), 8 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Edinburg (English), 7 a.m. Fridays, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, Pharr (English), 8 a.m.

Saturdays, Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, San Juan, 9:30 a.m. (Bilingual) The Mass will be broadcasted at 10 a.m. CST on the day of the recording, with an encore at 10 p.m. CST. You can view Shalom World on Roku, Google TV, Amazon Fire HD TV or online at www. ShalomWorld.org

June 2014

»Women speak for themselves en la Frontera

Learning to listen, speak with grace

“

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one” Col. 4:6. We live in an age when modern communication technologies facilitate the sharing of our ideas. However, I have witnessed instances, as I am sure we all have, when some would prefer to ration freedom of speech for those whose beliefs are not in line with popular culture. They would prefer, for example, we not talk about protecting the unborn, about countering a growing culture of death. What is even more disconcerting are the words we hear sometimes from both sides of opposing views, words not designed to facilitate a civil discourse, but rather words laced with invectives. Pope Francis wrote in his message this year for World Communications Day that while we are becoming more connected in the world, “divisions, which are sometimes quite deep, continue to exist within our human family.” “We need,” the Holy Father wrote, “to recover a certain sense of deliberateness and calm. This calls for time and the ability to be silent and to listen. We need also to be patient if we want to understand those who are different from us.” He said, “If we are genuinely attentive in listening to others, we will learn to look at the world with different eyes and come to appreciate the richness of human experience as manifested in different cultures and traditions.” I have friends and family of different faiths and beliefs. There are a number of issues in which we find ourselves on opposite sides. Sometimes we avoid the subjects that may fuel an unhealthy debate and remain silent. My hope is that we will explore ways to listen and speak with grace when responding to one another.

Brenda Nettles Riojas

Editor, The Valley Catholic

“Good communication helps us to grow closer, to know one another better, and ultimately, to grow in unity,” Pope Francis said in his World Communications Day message. “The walls which divide us,” he said, “can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another. We need to resolve our differences through forms of dialogue which help us grow in understanding and mutual respect.” In an address to students and teachers from Japan who visited the Vatican in August, 2013, the Holy Father said, “Dialogue is what creates peace. It is impossible for peace to exist without dialogue.” “All the wars, all the strife, all the unsolved problems over which we clash are due to a lack of dialogue,” he said. While we must continue, without apology, to speak up for our beliefs, we need to consider the words we use and make sure they are not fueled by reaction. The tongue holds power. While we may speak the same language, sometimes our understanding of the words differ. Sometimes words divide us. Bishop Flores in his homily at a Mass for the McAllen Pregnancy Center in 2013 said, “A Christian falls into error if we start dividing the world into friends and enemies.” “In this fight (to protect the unborn) we don’t have enemies, we just have those who the Lord wants to touch.” Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, speaking

at a communications conference in Rome this past April, said, “How we say something is just as important as what we say.” As I consider my own work in the diocese as a communicator, I can attest to Cardinal Dolan’s comments that Church communicators are trying to bring a message to a world that “doesn’t always seem interested in what we have to say, misunderstands it or is downright hostile to it.” “We must respond in charity and love,” he said. Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), said, “We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. “Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives.” We live in a country where we should be able to share our differences of opinion without fear of crucifixion. Given the diversity in our communities we will not always agree with one another. Even in our own homes, differences will emerge. But we must talk to one another, build relationships through dialogue. As we do, we must not apologize for being Catholic and for our beliefs. We must practice our faith and take care of the words we use in response. “Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” James 1:19.

What the Church says about Ouija boards By FATHER JOAQUIN ZERMEÑO The Valley Catholic Q: Are Ouija Boards Acceptable for Recreational Use? The First Commandment states, “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.” This commandment covers any recourse people might have to any supernatural entity other than God. In the case of Ouija boards, the concept we are dealing with is divination. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 reads, “Let there not be found among you anyone who causes their son or daughter to pass through the fire, or practices divination, or is a soothsayer, augur, or sorcerer, or who casts spells, consults ghosts and spirits, or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) #2116 states, “All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm read-

Courtesy photo

The First Commandment, “I am the Lord thy God: Thou shalt not have strange gods before me,” forbids the use of Ouija boards.

ing, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.” Scriptures directly informs us of how divination is an abomination to the LORD and this alone should be enough for most people to avoid using instruments of divination. The Catechism lists many other known forms of divination and the absence of Ouija boards may lead some to claim that these boards are harmless due to their

absence from the list. That and many people claiming that they do not believe “in” the Ouija board and do not feel that there is any harm in the use of the device may lead to use. A lack of belief “in” something does not make that thing any less real or harmless to non-believers. Our immortal souls are at risk. We have to ask if we really want to go against God’s expressed wishes and instructions. Are we willing to risk being wrong when the cost is our soul? — Father Joaquin Zermeño is pastor of St. Isidore Parish in San Isidro and Immaculate Conception Parish in McCook.

June 2014

»Sunday Readings The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church JUNE 1

(Seventh Sunday of Easter)

Reading I ACTS 1:12-14 Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 4, 7-8 Reading II 1 PT 4:13-16 Gospel JN 17:1-11A JUNE 1 (The Ascension of the Lord)

Reading I ACTS 1:1-11 Responsorial Psalm PS 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Reading II EPH 1:17-23 Gospel

MT 28:16-20 JUNE 8

(Pentecost Sunday Vigil Mass)

Reading I GN 11:1-9 or EX 19:3-8A, 16-20B or EZ 37:1-14 or JL 3:1-5 Responsorial Psalm PS 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-28, 29, 30 Reading II Gospel

ROM 8:22-27

JN 7:37-39 JUNE 8

(Pentecost Sunday Mass)

Reading I ACTS 2:1-11 Responsorial Psalm PS 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 Reading II 1 COR 12:3B-7, 12-13 Gospel

JN 20:19-23 JUNE 15

(Solemnity of the Most Host Trinity)

Reading I EX 34:4B-6, 8-9 Responsorial Psalm DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Reading II 2 COR 13:11-13 Gospel

JN 3:16-18 JUNE 22

(Solemnity of the Most Host Holy Body and Blood of Christ)

Reading I DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 Reading II 1 COR 10:16-17 Gospel

JN 6:51-58 JUNE 29

(Solemnity of Saitnts Peter and Paul, Apostles Vigil Mass)

Reading I DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 Reading II 1 COR 10:16-17 Gospel

JN 6:51-58 JUNE 29

(Solemnity of Saitnts Peter and Paul, Apostles Mass during the day)

Reading I ACTS 12:1-11 Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Reading II 2 TM 4:6-8, 17-18 Gospel

FAITH

- The Valley Catholic

MT 16:13-19

The word of the Lord abides for ever. This word is the Gospel which was preached to you” (1 Pet 1:25; cf. Is 40:8). With this assertion from the First Letter of Saint Peter, which takes up the words of the Prophet Isaiah, we find ourselves before the mystery of God, who has made himself known through the gift of his word. This word, which abides for ever, entered into time. God spoke his eternal Word humanly; his Word “became flesh” (Jn 1:14). This is the good news. This is the proclamation which has come down the centuries to us today.

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»Making Sense of Bioethics

A

Editing our own genes?

number of serious diseases are known to occur because of defects or mutations in our DNA. Curing such diseases could in principle be carried out by rewriting the DNA to fix the mutated base pairs. Yet until recently scientists have remained largely stymied in their attempts to directly modify genes in a living animal. Findings described in the March 30, 2014 issue of Nature Biotechnology, however, reveal that a novel gene-editing technique, known as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), can be used successfully in mice to reverse disease symptoms for a liver defect known as type I tyrosinemia. In humans, this potentially fatal ailment affects about one in 100,000 people. CRISPR, which enables researchers to snip out the mutated piece of DNA and replace it with the correct sequence, holds the potential for treating other genetic disorders as well. As the MIT Technology Review explains, the recently-developed CRISPR technique is proving to be remarkably versatile in the hands of biomedical researchers: “This technology could allow researchers to perform microsurgery on genes, precisely and easily changing a DNA sequence at exact locations on a chromosome. ...CRISPR could make gene therapies more broadly applicable, providing remedies for simple genetic disorders like sickle-cell anemia and eventually even leading to cures for more complex diseases involving multiple genes.

Tadeusz Pacholczyk

Priest of the Diocese of Fall River

Most conventional gene therapies crudely place new genetic material at a random location in the cell and can only add a gene. In contrast, CRISPR and the other new tools also give scientists a precise way to delete and edit specific bits of DNA—even by changing a single base pair. This means they can rewrite the human genome at will.” Correcting mutations in the DNA to remedy a serious medical defect would certainly be desirable and permissible. In 2008, in a document called Dignitas Personae, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) agreed that trying to restore “the normal genetic configuration of the patient or to counter damage caused by genetic anomalies” would be morally acceptable as long as the person being treated will not “be exposed to risks to his health or physical integrity which are excessive...” Our ability to rewrite the human genome at will through precise DNA editing techniques, however, does raise substantial concerns about misusing the technology. In fact, researchers are already discussing the possibility of going beyond therapies and treatments, and instead, using

CRISPR and other gene-alteration technologies to enhance human characteristics. For example, one possible direction would be to engineer changes in the genes of human muscles so that they could be worked harder and longer, thereby enhancing the performance of athletes and soldiers. This kind of human re-engineering would cross an important line: instead of helping human beings who are struggling against serious diseases, scientists would now begin manipulating human beings for ulterior motives. As Dignitas Personae puts it, “such manipulation would promote a eugenic mentality and would lead to indirect social stigma with regard to people who lack certain qualities, while privileging [others].” The document also notes how attempting to create a new type of human being could unmask a dark and troubling ideology “in which man tries to take the place of his Creator,” resulting in an “unjust domination of man over man.” Yet the line separating a therapy from an enhancement is not always an obvious one. Some researchers have claimed that the most common versions of genes that many people carry are not necessarily the ideal versions from the standpoint of health. Thus researchers might be able subtly to improve matters, for example, by rewriting normal genes so that people could better fight off infectious diseases. Would such a step be enhancement or therapy? Even as scientists move for» Please see Bioethics, p.15

The joy of the Gospel is the New Evangelization

D

uring his pontificate Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI renewed the Church’s call to the New Evangelization and established the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. He proposed that the 2012 Synod of Bishops general assembly focus its energies on the “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” His goal was to aid the Church in “re-proposing” the faith to modern society especially to those regions “still awaiting a first evangelization” and where the roots of Christianity are deep but have experienced “a serious crisis” of faith due to secularization. (Homily on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Vatican 2010). He also noted that the Church is being challenged by “an abandonment of the faith, a phenomenon progressively more manifest in societies and cultures which for centuries seemed to be permeated by the Gospel.” Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of Gospel) incorporated some of the same themes on the New Evangelization mentioned by his three previous predecessors: Popes Paul VI, Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II. The apostolic exhortation references many of the final propositions presented by the October 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. Evangelii Gaudium serves as the Holy Father’s response to the many opportunities the Church has in reaching out those who have left the Church and welcoming

Deacon Luis Zuniga Director, Office for Pastoral Planning & San Juan Diego Ministry Institute.

them back. As a call for ongoing growth and renewed conversion, it also addresses ways the Church can focus its efforts to reach Catholics who are not involved in the life of the Church. In Evangelii Gaudium, the Holy Father invites all Catholics to make it their mission to share our faith with all those we meet at home and at work and to make the new evangelization more approachable, personable and practical. He writes, “Today, as the Church seeks to experience a profound missionary renewal, there is a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we meet, whether they be our neighbors or complete strangers. This is the informal preaching which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home. Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.” (EG, 127). In the United States, the bishops outlined their plan for the New

Evangelization as a priority of their proposed national framework. “The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize... and an invitation for each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.” There are two documents published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that I highly recommend as a must read for anyone involved in the work of the New Evangelization at both the parish and diocesan level. The first document, “Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States,” is a bilingual resource which provides an overview for the mission of evangelization which maintains three primary goals for evangelization and offers strategies to help accomplish the objectives. Evangelization has been explained as “one beggar showing another beggar where to find the bread.” As described in Go and Make Disciples, “Evangelization has both an inward and outward direction. Inwardly it calls for our continued receiving of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our ongoing conversion both individually and as Church. It nurtures us, makes us grow, and renews us in holiness as God’s people. “Outwardly evangelization addresses those who have not heard » Please see Joy p.15

»Feast Day - June 22

Spotlight on St. Thomas More Catholic News Agency On June 22, the Catholic Church honors the life and martyrdom of St. Thomas More, the lawyer, author and statesman who lost his life opposing King Henry VIII’s plan to subordinate the Church to the English monarchy. Thomas More was born in 1478, son of the lawyer and Judge John More and his wife Agnes. He received a well-rounded college education at Oxford, becoming a “renaissance man.” His father, however, determined that Thomas should become a lawyer. Despite his legal and political orientation, More was confused in regard to his vocation as a young man. He seriously considered joining either the Carthusian monastic order or the Franciscans, and followed a number of ascetic and spiritual practices throughout his life – such as fasting, corporal mortification, and a regular rule of prayer – as means of growing in holiness. In 1504, however, More was elected to Parliament. He gave up his monastic ambitions, though not his disciplined spiritual life, and married Jane Colt of Essex. They were happily married for several years and had four children together, though Jane tragically died in childbirth in 1511. Shortly after her death, More married a widow named Alice Middleton. Two years earlier, in 1509, King Henry VIII had acceded to the throne. More became a part of the king’s inner circle, eventually overseeing the English court system as Lord Chancellor. More’s eventual martyrdom would come as a consequence of Henry VIII’s own tragic downfall. The king wanted an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, a marriage that Pope Clement VII declared to be valid and indissoluble. By 1532, More had resigned as Lord Chancellor, refusing to support the king’s efforts to defy the Pope and control the Church. In 1534, Henry VIII declared that every subject of the British crown would have to swear an oath affirming the validity of his new marriage to Anne Boleyn. Refusal of these demands would be regarded as treason against the state. When More refused to sign the oath he was taken from his wife and children, and imprisoned in the Tower of London. In June of 1535, he was finally indicted and formally tried for the crime of treason in Westminster Hall.

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DIOCESE

The Valley Catholic -

June 2014

Our Catholic School Graduates

Class of 2014

Oratory Athenaeum motto: “Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus Ad Lucem”

Oratory Valedictorian Victoria Eugenia María Prado

Oratory Salutatorian Ana Sofia Rodríguez

Courtesy

The Valley Catholic congratulates the graduating seniors of the two Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Brownsville with senior classes. The Oratory Athenaeum for University Preparation of Pharr will graduate 51 students at its commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 6 at the Student Union Auditorium at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg. St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville graduated 130 students in its Class of 2014. Commencement exercises were held on May 21 at Jacob Brown Auditorium in Brownsville.

St. Joseph Academy Valedictorian David Rubio

St. Joseph Academy motto: “Ad Astra, Per Astra”

St. Joseph Academy Salutatorian Anamaria Gutierrez

Courtesy

June 2014

DIOCESE

- The Valley Catholic

»Hope in Action: A Spotlight on Youth

7

Food for the needy

Faith shines through service

Special to The Valley Catholic

Ariana Silva has been a part of Our Lady of Sorrows School and parish for seven years. She has excelled both academically and spiritually, helping younger students prepare for service at Mass, serving on several parish and school committees and activities, writing extensively for her Journalism class, and honing her musical and acting skills while serving the wider parish community. Campus Minister Hugo De La Rosa said, “She is friendly, outgoing, hardworking, and her love for her faith shines through in the care and attention she gives to her family, her classmates and her work.” Name: Ariana Silva School/Grade: 8th grader at Our Lady of Sorrows School in McAllen Activities: Worship Committee coordinator, Altar Server since 4th grade, member of the Junior Catholic Daughters of America, member of both the school and parish choir, participant in the Private Schools Interscholastic Association competition at both the regional and state level for many years, Blogger/journalist for the school sponsored Roar blog, volunteers extensively with both the parish and the school in special events and for weekend Masses Talents/Gifts: singing/music, theater/acting, tutoring others, writing, role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons) Favorite Movie: Les Miserables

Courtesy photo

Ariana Silva, a student at Our Lady of Sorrows School, finds joy in volunteering at her parish and school serving in various ministries.

Courtesy photo

The youth of San Martin de Porres Church in Weslaco demonstrated their participation in the Church’s teaching on the corporal works of mercy during the Lenten season. Students from the RCIA, CCE and youth group participated in gathering bags of food for those in need. The bag included items such as canned meats, vegetables and fruits. The students had an opportunity to put into action the words of the Lord as he spoke them to St. Faustina.

Most Listened to Song on My iPod?: Varies, but I tends to listen to alternative music through iTunes. TV Show I Never Miss: Psyche, Once Upon A Time Book I’d Read Again (and Again): Harry Potter series & Tuesdays with Morrie Future Plans: Ariana is looking forward to performing with the theater group at Sharyland High School while maintaining a 4.0 grade average. She would like to become a fiction/fantasy author as well. Meaningful Quote: The road to success is not straight. There is a curb called Failure, a loop called Confusion; speed bumps called Friends; red lights called Enemies; caution lights called Family. You will have flats called jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination; an engine called Perseverance; insurance called

Faith, and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success!! – Unknown Who has made a difference in her life: She credits Mrs. Luisa De Leon (our current school principal) with helping her become who she is now, because Mrs. De Leon was instrumental in bringing her to Our Lady of Sorrows. She looks to Mrs. Leticia Gomez (our former music teacher) for instilling a love of music and singing in her. And she credits Mr. Hugo De La Rosa (Campus Minister) with helping spark her interest in science fiction and fantasy. — If you would like to nominate a student to be featured in “Hope in Action: A Spotlight on Youth,” please email Angel Barrera, director of Youth Ministry, at abarrera@ cdob.org.

Students turned in more than 150 bags. Each student had an opportunity to decorate the bag with a spiritual message of their choosing. Several parishioners and their families came out to help deliver the groceries. Along with the grocery items, the students wrote a letter to the family letting them know that God loves them and that they loved them also. From left : Mr. and Mrs. De Leon, Bertha Gonzalez, Clarissa Olivo, Janet Figeroa and Noemi Cruz.

Academy altar consecrated

Terry De Leon/The Valley Catholic

Catholic Charities partners with USDA to provide nutritious meals Contemplative prayer On April 28, the newly renovated chapel at Juan Diego Academy in Mission was consecrated by Bishop Daniel E. Flores, in the presence of the students, faculty and parents.

Volunteers needed to help feed children during summer break

Prayer ministry forming at Sacred Heart Church

By EVANA ZAMORA The Valley Catholic Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is attentive to Pope Francis’ call to serve, “may we never get used to the poverty and decay around us. A Christian must act,” the pope said via Twitter on April 3. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is providing free, healthy meals and snacks to children, ages 3-18, in low-income areas via the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The program provides meals during the summer months when children don’t have access to school breakfast and/or lunch. In the summer of 2013, there were 74 feeding sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley, which served a total of 82,571 meals. The program offers breakfast, lunch, snack and supper. A site can serve up to two of the mentioned meals. Parents won’t have to worry about

Special to The Valley Catholic

The Valley Catholic

Last summer, more than 80,000 meals were distrubuted throughout the Rio Grande Valley via the Summer Food Service Program.

providing their children with three nutritious meals a day. A church, community center, public agency or any other nonprofit organization can host a site. To qualify for free meals, a site must be located in an area where 50 percent or more children already receive free or reduced priced meals during the school year. The office has a database in which they can access this information to help families locate a site in their area. Laura Ortiz, Food Program

Coordinator of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley said, “This year we hope to increase sites and meals served. You can help by serving as a volunteer or simply getting the word out to those in need.” Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and the USDA kicked off the program with an event on May 28 in San Juan. For more information about Summer Food Service Program, contact the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley at (956) 702-4088.

McALLEN – A contemplative prayer group has been meeting weekly at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen. The focus of the group is silent prayer, which is also referred to as “centering prayer.” Jim Deuser, one of the prayer group members, said centering prayer has been defined as “an inward gaze into the depths of the soul and the very reason to go beyond the soul to God.” According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2713), “Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty. Contemplative prayer is a covenant relationship established by God within our hearts. Contemplative prayer is a communion in which the Holy Trinity conforms man, the image of God, to his likeness.” “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. ‘I look at him and he looks at me’: this is what a

certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before the tabernacle” (CCC 2715); or as Psalm 46:11 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Deuser said this type of prayer brings us closer, not only to God, but to our brothers and sisters united in him. “A great peace comes over me when I pray in this fashion and I feel closer to him than ever before,” said one member of the group. A certain occasional experience of God, filling us with peace, is quite common among most people, Deuser said. However, the ability to experience this regularly takes a bit of practice and instruction, both of which are provided each week on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. The prayer group meets in the Convent Building adjacent to the church on the corner of 15th Street and Chicago Street. Members are considering the addition of an earlier meeting time to accommodate new members before they go to work. For more information about joining this group, contact Sister Anita Jennissen of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minn. at (956) 686-0474 or Jim Deuser at (956) 682-2871 or [email protected].

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The Valley Catholic -

June 2014

With Pope Francis Photo by Fotografia Felici

Deacon Jesus Garza, a seminarian for the Diocese of Brownsville, met Pope Francis while on pilgrimage in Rome. He was one of 16 seminarians from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio to serve at the Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Steward visits parishes

Courtesy photos

Basilica commissions 10-foot statue of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle By FATHER AMADOR GARZA The Valley Catholic

Courtesy photo

Steward the Caterpillar visited parishes in the Diocese of Brownsville in May. One of his stops included a presentation to approximately 250 kids from San Martin de Porres Parish in Alton on May 3. The gathering was held at the Alton Boys and Girls Club. After watching the video of the 2013 Children’s Annual Appeal, Steward invited the boys and girls to be good stewards by adopting the 7 Faith Habits for the Year of Faith. To schedule a similar presentation contact the Development Office at 784-4092.

SAN JUAN – In the next few months, pilgrims will see noticeable changes on the property of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. In December of 2012, the Basilica acquired a three-acre plot of land adjacent to the property. It lies directly behind the Renewal Center and retired priests’ home. This set off a whole number of projects that are about to become readily visible. Since the construction and dedication of the new Shrine in 1980, the maintenance shop and air conditioning chillers have been located along the Expressway 83 Frontage Road. With the bishop’s and Board of Directors blessing it was decided to build a more modern and efficient maintenance shop/storage facility on the newly acquired property. Architectural

and engineering plans have been drawn up and construction should begin shortly. The new facility should provide much needed storage for several departments at the Basilica. Once the maintenance crew moves into their new quarters in the late summer/early fall, we will demolish the site along the frontage road with the exception of the chillers which need to remain close to the Basilica. The pictures that accompany this story are of the wooden model for the new 10-foot tall bronze statue of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. The work of art was commissioned last year in Italy. Edmund Rabanser, the artist who sculpted the statues of the life-size Way of the Cross on the Basilica’s grounds, is also the master carver of the 10foot statue. He made three different models out of linden wood in the past year.

The first model was 70 centimeters and revisions were made to it last October. He then made a 16-inch model for the foundry to cast two preliminary bronze models with different patinas. Three months ago, he finished the 10-foot tall carving, and in May, the model was transported to Vicenza where it was cast in bronze at Fonderia Guastini. The new statue will be the centerpiece of a Welcome Plaza with reconfigured entrance and exit lanes onto the Basilica’s property. New parking will be added in and around the reconfigured northeast quadrant of the property. There will also be boulevard style access and exits onto North Virgen de San Juan Blvd. All of these projects should be in place by early 2015. If you would like to make a donation to the Basilica’s Renovation Campaign, please contact me or the Administrator, Pablo H. Villescas at (956) 787-0033.

June 2014

DIOCESE

- The Valley Catholic

Those Who Serve:

Sister Tulia Giraldo, OP

Living a life of peace

Dominican Sister ministers to the poor, marginalized By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic

BROWNSVILLE — “I remember the first time I went to the hospital with Sister Tulia to visit the sick,” said Father Oscar Siordia, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Brownsville. “We stayed there a lot longer than we planned because everyone wanted to greet Sister Tulia and kiss her hand – the doctors, the nurses, the patients – everyone. “They admire and respect her as a woman of God who lovingly cares for and prays for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.” Dominican Sister Tulia Giraldo has served St. Joseph Church and West Brownsville for almost 30 years, comforting the sick who are homebound, in hospitals and nursing homes. She also delivers the Body of Christ to those who request it. A sister of social service, Sister Giraldo also ministers to the poor and marginalized. She even makes

house calls. “I have been all over West Brownsville on foot,” said Sister Giraldo, who arrived in Brownsville in September 1985. “I have been rained on, had the sun beat down on me and have been chased by cats and dogs. “I still go out from time to time, but not so much anymore because I’m older and I get tired. I have been walking on these streets for so long, I can’t go anywhere without running into someone that I know.” Sister Giraldo was born on April 4, 1925 in Medellín, Colombia. She was raised in a religious family “with many beautiful traditions,” which included the praying of the Angelus every morning and the Rosary every evening with her brothers, sisters and cousins at her grandparents’ house. She was 20-years-old when she joined the Dominican Sisters, becoming a part of one of the oldest and largest religious communities in the world. The Dominican Order was founded by Spanish priest Santo Domingo de Guzman in France and approved by Pope Honorius III in 1216. The Dominican Sisters

»Birthday & Anniversary Wishes

Eric Sánchez/The

Valley Catholic

A native of Colombia, Dominican Sister Tulia Giraldo has been serving in Brownsville since 1985.

began ministering in the United States in the 1500s, arriving with Spanish colonists, according to information from the Dominican Sisters USA website. There are about 30,000 Dominican Sisters serving in 116 countries around the world, living according to the Dominican charisms of prayer, study, community and service. Sister Giraldo observed the Dominican Sisters in prayer and action at the schools she attended as a child and was inspired to join

them. “There was one sister in particular who was pious, respectful and dignified and I thought, ‘I would love to be like her,’” she said. Sister Giraldo served in her native Colombia, Puerto Rico and Massachusetts before arriving in Brownsville. She currently lives in community with two other sisters in Brownsville. Concerned about the dwindling number of vocations, Sister Giraldo does her part to promote religious life. Although it is not

required, she continues to wear a habit as an outward sign of her faith and vocation. “I feel very comfortable in my habit,” she said. “I will never take it off, not even when I die. I think there is a lot of respect for religious. So when people see us in the habit, it changes their whole demeanor. They are happy, they think of God.” Sister Giraldo also speaks to young women in the community about religious life but the idea is quickly dismissed in most cases. “There are too many attractions and distractions,” she said. “The world is too loud for them to hear the call from God. “It goes in one ear and out the other, but we will continue to pray and give the example. We will continue to be a living testimony of religious life.” Sister Giraldo credits living a life of “peace in my soul” and serving the Lord for her long life. “When I said that, ‘yes,’ it was forever,” she said. “I have never regretted it and have enjoyed myself thoroughly. “People have said to me, ‘I wouldn’t do your work for a million dollars, but the money doesn’t matter to me. It is about the families we help, the people we have consoled, the souls we have saved.”

The list of birthdays and ordination anniversaries is provided so that parishioners may remember the priests, deacons and religious in their prayers and send them a note or a card.

» Anniversaries

3 Rev. Jose Villalon 4 Rev. Joaquin Zermeño 4 Rev. Manuel Alfredo Razo 5 Rev. Leo Francis Daniels, CO 5 Msgr. Patrick Doherty - retired 6 Rev. Armando Escobedo - retired 7 Rev. Eusebio Martinez 7 Rev. Felix Casarez 7 Rev. Will Penderghest, SS.CC 8 Rev. Edouard Atangana 8 Rev. Jean Olivier M. Sambu 16 Rev. Lawrence J. Klein 16 Rev. Richard L. Lifrak, SS.CC 21 Rev. Eduardo Villa 26 Rev. Patrick R. Wells – retired 28 Rev. Msgr. Pedro Briseno 29 Rev. Fernando Gonzalez 29 Rev. Joseph Ateba 30 Rev. Rigobert Poulang Mot 6 Deacon Guillermo Castañeda Jr. 18 Deacon Gilberto Perez 27 Deacon Jesus Reyes

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

Offering PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s

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2 Deacon Jose Luis Mendoza 3 Deacon Armandin Villarreal 6 Deacon Nicolas E. Trujillo 10 Deacon Augusto Chapa Jr. 10 Deacon Rodolfo C. Salinas 15 Deacon Enrique Saldaña 17 Deacon Gilberto Guardiola Jr. 18 Deacon Francisco D. Pon 19 Deacon Peter Requeñez 23 Deacon Rene Villalon 30 Deacon Felipe F. Treviño 1 Sister Norma Pimentel, MJ 1 Sister Maureen Crosby, SSD 21 Sister Maria Santana, MEF 26 Sister Luz Cardenas, OP 27 Sister Julia B. Onukjaro, DMMM 31 Sister Ninfa Garza, MJ

» Anniversaries

5 Rev. Daniel H. Oyama 5 Rev. Julian Becerril 9 Rev. Horacio Chavarria 16 Rev. Franciscus Yuantoro, MSF 16 Rev. Hector J. Cruz, SM 16 Rev.Michael Montoya, MJ 17 Rev. Isaac Erondu 21 Rev. Mario Aviles, CO 23 Rev. Gabriel Ezeh 27 Rev. Emmanuel Kowfie 3 Deacon Juan Barbosa

PhD in Leadership Studies MBA in Healthcare Management MBA in Management MS in Organizational Leadership BAS in Computer Information Systems and Security

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Classes offered every other weekend to accommodate working adults

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LEARN MORE www.ollusa.edu/Valley

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Deacon Ruben Lopez Deacon Antonio M. Arteaga Deacon Arturo Rodriguez Deacon Ismael Garcia

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CALL 956-277-0146 OR EMAIL [email protected]

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11 23 27 28

2 Rev. Genaro Henriquez 4 Rev. Gabriel Ezeh 8 Rev. Juan Pablo Picazo Davalos 12 Rev. Jose Cruz 17 Rev. Luis Roberto Tinajero 18 Rev. Ernesto Magallon 18 Rev. Jesus Paredes 19 Rev. Joaquin Zermeño 20 Rev. Amador Garza 21 Rev. Francisco Castillo 22 Rev. Terrence Gorski, OFM 27 Rev. Jose R. Torres, III, OMI 29 Rev. Richard Philion, OMI

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10 Sister Colleen Materese, SSD 25 Sister Fatima Santiago, ICM 25 Sister Carolyn Kosub, ICM 28 Sister Gloria Morales, MJ

» Birthdays

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2 Rev. Daniel H. Oyama 2 Rev. Michael Gnanaraj 3 Rev. Issac Erondu 7 Rev. Thomas Sepulveda, CSB 8 Rev. Armando Escobedo – retired 13 Rev. Felix Casarez 18 Rev. Paul Wilhelm, OMI 27 Rev. Fernando Gonzalez 28 Rev. Msgr. Pedro Briseno 29 Rev. Lee Dacosta - retired

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9

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w w w. o l l u s a . e d u Catholic higher education and service, sponsored by the Sisters of Divine Providence, since 1895

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IN THE NEWS

Graduates choose service work over lucrative careers

Time to grow

Catholic News Service WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like many students graduating from college this spring, Ivy Seraphin, always assumed she would go straight to graduate school. Seraphin, who was to graduate May 18 from Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, switched gears sometime during her senior year when she decided to do volunteer work after graduating. “I didn’t really want to spend a year off just to make money. I like the idea of giving myself time to grow and figure out things and help people that need help,” said the Baltimore native, who plans to spend the next year, or even two years, tutoring students with Lasallian Volunteers in Racine, Wisconsin. Seraphin, whose major is psychology and minor is women and gender studies, said she did not have a hard time telling her family and friends her plans after graduation because her path is not all that unusual. Her brother volunteered with City Year — an

Catholic News Service

Graduates cheer during the commencement ceremony at The Catholic University of America in Washington on May 17. Many college graduates are opting for service work after completing their studies.

AmeriCorps program that works with high school students — and many of the students at Manhattan College, a Lasallian school, have volunteered with Lasallian Volunteers. Students she knows who did this work last year all seemed to have the same reaction about the experience: “it was a challenge, but worth it.” Seraphin looks forward to tutoring, saying she is “honored to be able to help students do better.” At the May 9 graduation cere-

mony at Loyola University Chicago, graduating senior Chidinma Uchendu, who sang the national anthem, was going to interviews the next day for an elementary school teaching position with Teach for America, a program where college graduates commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools. Uchendu, who was born in Nigeria, said she has “seen what happens when people are denied an education,” and has “always had a passion for providing peo-

The Valley Catholic -

ple with equal opportunities.” “When I came to this country, I realized that some things aren’t as different as you would think,” she said. “No matter how wealthy a country is, there are still people who suffer and who lack certain basic amenities. And I believe education is a basic amenity that everyone should have access to.” The service work these graduates do will not only help those they are volunteering to help but can impact their future involvement in civic and church work, according to a study conducted last fall by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The study was commissioned by Catholic Volunteer Network and based on online surveys filled out by more than 5,000 former Catholic Volunteer Network volunteers. Jesuit Father Tom Gaunt, CARA’s executive director, told CNS the study highlights “the profound effect one year of service has on young adults,” which he said “truly transformed” them. He also said the responses reveal how that volunteer program played — and continues to play — an important role in forming a “cadre of leadership” for the church.

Bishops ask pope to beatify Archbishop Romero Catholic News Service SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Pope Francis assured the bishops of El Salvador that the sainthood cause of slain Archbishop Oscar Romero was proceeding well, and the bishops asked him to come to El Salvador to preside personally over the archbishop’s hoped-for beatification. Archbishop Jose Escobar Alas told reporters May 18 that he and three other Salvadoran bishops met the pope at the Vatican May 9 to discuss the cause of Archbishop Romero, who was shot and killed March 24, 1980, as he celebrated

Mass in a hospital in San Salvador. “We ask the Lord for the speedy beatification of Archbishop Romero and that the pope come here” to celebrate the ceremony, Archbishop Escobar said. The pope told the Salvadoran bishops that he was pleased the process was moving ahead, but he gave no indication of when it would be completed, the archbishop told reporters. Archbishop Romero’s sainthood cause was opened at the Vatican in 1993, but was delayed for years as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith studied his writings, amid wider debate over

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whether he had been killed for his faith or for political reasons. Archb i s h o p Romero was Archbishop Romero quoted telling the reporters of El Salvador, “You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, that I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the peo-

ple, will never perish.” Romero was killed several days later, one day after calling Christian Salvadorans to obey the law of God, even if it’s contradictory to government orders. In 2013, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family and official promoter of Archbishop Romero’s sainthood cause, said the process had been “unblocked,” but gave no further details. Before the archbishop can be beatified, Pope Francis must either sign a decree recognizing him as a martyr or recognizing a miracle received through his intercession.

June 2014

Pope: The Lord gives strength By CAROL GLATZ Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — God is always by our side, never giving us more than we can handle, Pope Francis said. The countless women and men who stand tall through enormous difficulties, pain and especially persecution, are armed with the divine gift of fortitude that gives them the strength and hope to go on, he said. “It will do us good to think about these people: If they can do it, why can’t I? Let’s ask the Lord for the gift of fortitude,” he said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square May 14. In his main audience talk, the pope continued a series on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. Looking at the gift of fortitude, Pope Francis said, “sometimes we can be tempted to let ourselves be taken over by laziness or worse, discouragement, especially when facing the strain and trials of life.” God, like a sower of seeds, is always spreading his word in the world, the pope said, showing the way toward peace and salvation. However, the Gospel message doesn’t always bear fruit, he said. But when it does, it’s because the Holy Spirit has prepared “the soil” and cleared the way “in our hearts, freeing us from the lethargy, the uncertainty and the many fears” that prevent his word from taking root. It is easy for life’s many difficulties and hardships to block the way — like the everyday struggles of supporting one’s family and trying to raise children, but also the more severe tragedies of persecution and martyrdom. However, the pope said, “there is no lack of Christians in many parts of the world who continue to celebrate and give witness to their faith, with deep conviction and serenity, and they hold strong even when they know that it may carry with it a high price.” Everyone knows someone who is a “hidden saint,” he said, a person who brings honor to all Catholics, who “honors our church because they are strong, strong in carrying on in life, in their families, their work, their faith.” “They do it because the Spirit is helping them,” he said. “They have the gift of fortitude to carry out their responsibilities as individuals, as fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, citizens. We have many, many” of these “every-day saints, saints hidden among us.” People should always remember what St. Paul the Apostle said: “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me,” the pope said. It shows that “the Lord gives strength, always. He’s never missing. The Lord doesn’t try us beyond what we can bear. He is always with us.” “Pray to the Holy Spirit so that the gift of fortitude may lift up our hearts and bring new strength and enthusiasm to our life and our journey following Jesus,” the pope urged people at his audience.

June 2014

NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 11

- The Valley Catholic REPORTAJE ESPECIAL: El Envejecimiento y cuidado de adultos mayores

¿Y ahora, que sigue?

Las etapas del envejecimiento

Por NYDIA TAPIA - GONZALES The Valley Catholic

DONNA — Cecilia Batungbacal, quien ha vivido en el Valle del Río Grande por 20 años, tendrá que decir adiós a Donna, a su casa, sus amigos, su trabajo voluntario, sus estudiantes y todo lo que ha llegado a apreciar. Tendrá que renunciar a su coche, lo cual significa su libertad de ir y venir, e incluso se le ha pedido renunciar a su cama tamaño king. Es algo que no está dispuesta a hacer por el momento, aún cuando su hijo sacerdote le recuerda que el Papa Francisco recomienda regalar bienes. Batungbacal, de 70, y su esposo, Efrén, de 77 años, que se encuentra en mal estado de salud, entrarán en un centro de cuidado para ancianos de Houston a finales de junio para estar más cerca de su hijo menor, Eugene. Es un sacerdote redentorista que sirve en una parroquia de Houston, y está asumiendo la responsabilidad del cuidado de sus padres. Batungbacal y su esposo están entre un número creciente de personas de edad avanzada que están enfrentando la realidad

The Valley Catholic

Cecilia Batungbacal de Donna ha estado activa en el ministro parroquial por 20 años.

de que ya no pueden vivir en sus hogares sin algún tipo de asistencia. Sus hijos adultos tienen que intervenir y ayudar a sus padres a tomar decisiones que no están dispuestos a hacer.

La población de 65 y más aumentó de 35,5 millones en 2002 a 43,1 millones en 2012 (un incremento del 21 por ciento) y se calcula que alcanzará los 79,7 millones en 2040, según

Congratulations to Guadalupe and Elvira Escobar who celebrated their Golden Anniversary with a Mass on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at Sacred Heart Church in Elsa. They are grateful to have had Father Ruben Delgado, Father Manuel Salazar and Deacon Jerry Rosa preside. Mr. and Mrs. Escobar celebrated with their son, Frank Escobar and his fiancée, Rachel Macias; daughter, Mary June Castañeda and her husband, Richard Castañeda. They have three grandchildren: Ariana June; Richard Bryan and his wife, Terry; and Robbie Jay and his wife, Amy. The Escobars are also proud great-grandparents to Haylie Jade, Ryan Skyler and Eli Avery. Mr. and Mrs. Escobar have been active in the community since 1965. They have been in ministry with Cursillistas, baptism preparation, Movimiento Familiar Cristiano, as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, delivering communion to the sick, as sponsor couples for marriage, bereavement ministry, 24 hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and home visitations. They have also taken pilgrimages to Mexico, Jerusalem and the Vatican. Guadalupe Escobar worked for 38 years as an insurance salesman. Elvira Escobar worked 17 years as a manager for an adult day care center at Amigos Del Valle, the first senior citizen program in Elsa.

la Administración sobre el Envejecimiento (AOA). Un perfil de AOA en estadounidenses mayores muestra, “algún tipo de discapacidad (por ejemplo, dificultad para la audición, la visión, la cognición, la deambulación, el autocuidado o vida independiente) se informó en un 36 por ciento de las personas de 65 años o más en 2012. Los porcentajes para las discapacidades individuales variaron de casi una cuarta parte (23 por ciento) que tiene una discapacidad ambulatoria a siete por ciento que tiene una dificultad visual. Algunas de estas discapacidades pueden ser relativamente menores, pero otras hacen que las personas necesitan ayuda para satisfacer necesidades personales importantes.” Batungbacal sabe que esa medida es lo que se debe hacer. Ellos no tienen familia en Donna y sus hijos, excepto por su hijo menor, están en las Filipinas. Cuando habla de su marido, con quien se casó en 1965, su voz se suaviza y las lágrimas ruedan por sus mejillas. “Él fue mi amor de la infancia; mi primer, último y único amor,” » Por favor lea Lo que sigue, p.15

Preguntas y respuestas sobre el Espíritu Santo ACI Prensa/EWTN Noticias ¿Quién es el Espíritu Santo? El Espíritu Santo es Dios, y la tercer Persona de la Sagrada Trinidad. (a) El Espíritu Santo también es llamado el Espíritu de Dios, el Paráclito, el Consolador, el Espíritu de la Verdad, el Espíritu de Dios, y el Espíritu de Amor. ¿De quién proviene el Espíritu Santo? El Espíritu Santo proviene del Padre y del Hijo. (a) El Espíritu Santo no proviene del Padre y del Hijo por generación espiritual. Solamente el Hijo proviene del Padre por generación. Ésta es una de las verdades misteriosas que conocemos sólo por revelación. ¿El Espíritu Santo es igual al Padre y al Hijo? El Espíritu Santo es igual que el Padre y el Hijo, porque Él es Dios. (a) Debido a la naturaleza de unidad de la Sagrada Trinidad, el Padre está totalmente en el Hijo y en el Espíritu Santo; el Hijo está totalmente en el Padre y en el Espíritu Santo; y el Espíritu Santo está totalmente en el Padre y en el Hijo. Ninguna de estas tres personas divinas esta fuera de la » Por favor lea El Espíritu Santo, p.12

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NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL

The Valley Catholic -

June 2014

» La Alegría de Vivir

La educación es la verdadera base del liderazgo

E

s en estas fechas que los auditorios se llenan de familias felices y orgullosas que aplauden las ceremonias de graduación de sus hijos, sin importar se están terminando su educación básica o si es una ceremonia de estudiantes graduados terminando sus maestrías y doctorados, el sentimiento de satisfacción es el mismo. Estos jóvenes han completado sus estudios, se sienten satisfechos pues su tenacidad y esfuerzo se ve reflejado en ese título, al igual que su capacidad para enfocarse y dedicarse a lograr una meta. Estas son exactamente las mismas cualidades que caracterizan a los líderes, aquellos que son capaces de guiar a los demás con los que se relacionan para lograr un objetivo. No hace mucho que en este país no se necesitaba más que un diploma de secundaria o bachillerato para garantizar un trabajo con buen sueldo, beneficios de la unión de trabajadores, segúro médico, etc., que permitiera a los jóvenes empezar una carrera, comprar una casa y poder proveer para su familia. Sin embargo las cosas han cambiado, la crisis económica

El Espíritu Santo, continua de la pág. 11

otra, ya que ninguna precede a otra en eternidad, ni sobrepasa a otra en poder, ni excede a otra en cualquier forma. Este morar interno de una Persona divina en las otras es llamado

mundial, la caída de la bolsa, las guerras en las que está envuelto el país, han llenado a los jóvenes graduados de incertidumbre, se preguntan si deben seguir estudiando para conseguir un diploma en una universidad y tal vez enfocarse en una maestría o doctorado, que les permita tener un espectro más amplio de oportunidad al momento de buscar un trabajo; o si deben enfocarse en una carrera corta de dos años para tener un diploma de asociado, o alguna carrera de especialidad técnica, que les permita formar parte de la fuerza laboral de este país en un corto plazo y así poder comenzar a contribuir con los gastos de su casa, tal vez comenzar su propia familia. Cualquiera que sea la decisión que tomen, no se deben dejar llevar por las noticias negativas de desempleo, falta de seguridad social, inestabilidad económica, y desanimarse. Lo

peor para cualquier jóven es dejarse invadir por la apatía. Si analizamos la historia reciente de los Estados Unidos nos damos cuenta que después de la gran depresión, de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, de la crisis del petróleo de los ochentas, etc., han sido las generaciones de jóvenes quienes se han encargado de enfrentar las crisis, pues cada generación anterior ha sabido adaptarse y sortear las dificultades que sean para lograr el éxito. Esta nación ha salido adelante gracias a la energía, ingenuidad y optimismo de los jóvenes como los que se gradúan ahora. Y para todos aquellos que por una u otra razón dejaron sus estudios incompletos, les digo que nunca es tarde para volver a la escuela, incluso hay quienes se han graduado de la universidad de la vida y han aplicado sus talentos en negocios propios que logran prosperar a niveles inimaginable. Así que no desanimes, sigue firme en tu propósito de alcanzar tus metas, concéntrate en ser un líder para tu familia, para tu comunidad y tu país. ¡Felicidades a todos los graduados, nuestros futuros líderes!

circumincesión. ¿Qué hace el Espíritu Santo por la salvación de la humanidad? El Espíritu Santo habita en la Iglesia como la fuente de su vida y santifica las almas a través del don de la gracia. (a) Aunque la santificación de la humanidad, como todas las

obras exteriores de dios, es llevada a cabo por las tres Personas de la Sagrada Trinidad, es atribuida al Espíritu Santo, la tercer persona. La santificación de la humanidad es atribuida al Espíritu Santo porque Él es el amor del Padre y el Hijo y porque la santificación del hombre por la gracia manifiesta el amor ilimitado de Dios.

Msgr. Juan Nicolau Pastor, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro en McAllen

Catholic News Service

El papa recibió los obispos mexicanos el 19 de mayo en el Vaticano.

El papa envia saludos a la Virgen de Guadalupe ACI Prensa/EWTN Noticias VATICANO — El Papa Francisco recibió el 19 de mayo a los obispos de la Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano (CEM) en visita ad limina y les pidió llevar su “saludo de hijo” a la Virgen de Guadalupe, así como cuidar de la formación de los sacerdotes, alentar la vocación de los laicos e intensificar la pastoral familiar para que promueva la vida “frente a la cultura deshumanizadora de la muerte”. Durante el encuentro realizado en la Sala Clementina, el Papa Francisco recordó las raíces cristianas de México, sin los cuales no puede entenderse su historia. En ese sentido, destacó la devoción a la Virgen de Guadalupe, quien “pidió a San Juan Diego que le construyera ‘una Casita’ en la que pudiera acoger maternalmente tanto a los

que ‘están cerca’ como a los que ‘están lejos’”. “Las múltiples violencias que afligen a la sociedad mexicana, particularmente a los jóvenes, constituyen un renovado llamamiento a promover este espíritu de concordia a través de la cultura del encuentro, del diálogo y de la paz”, expresó el Pontífice, que recordó que si bien a los pastores no les compete “aportar soluciones técnicas o adoptar medidas políticas”, no pueden dejar de “anunciar a todos la Buena Noticia”. El Santo Padre también animó a “intensificar la pastoral de la familia. “En la hora presente, en la que las mediaciones de la fe son cada vez más escasas, la pastoral de la iniciación cristiana adquiere un relieve especial para facilitar la experiencia de Dios.”

June 2014

NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 13

- The Valley Catholic

»Vida Familiar

Y

Veni Creator Spiritus

Retiro y renovación

o pienso que sería una subestimación decir que nos escuchamos o escuchamos a otros decir que estamos “tan ocupados” por lo menos diez veces diarias. Vivimos en un tiempo donde el “tiempo” parece acelerado; lleno; muy rápido; o muy corto. Quizá es útil que nos recordemos de tomar el tiempo para “retirarnos. En el evangelio de Marcos 1:35, escuchamos que “De madrugada, cuando todavía estaba muy oscuro, Jesús se levantó y se fue a un lugar solitario. Allí se puso a orar.” También seria sabio que siguiéramos el ejemplo de Jesús de tomar un tiempo para “retirarnos de” un lugar y “retirarnos hacia” otro. Hay muchos tipos de retiros y su meta o propósito puede ser distinto, pero todos tienen la capacidad de “llevarnos” del espacio típico a un espacio en el que quizá podamos estar más abiertos al Espíritu Santo guiando nuestros corazones al cambio y/o transformación. Una de nuestras metas en la vida es ser transformados en la persona única que Dios nos ha creado para ser. En nuestra oficina de Family Life, una de nuestras responsabilidades es coordinar 22 Retiros de Preparación Matrimonial anualmente para ayudar a los pastores parroquiales a preparar a las parejas comprometidas al matrimonio. Estas parejas “harán” este retiro primordialmente porque se les requiere como parte de su Proceso de Preparación Matrimonial. Nuestra esperanza y oración es que ellos estén abiertos al Espíritu Santo durante estos retiros para recibir el mensaje o mensajes que Dios tiene para ellos personalmente y/o como pareja. Estas parejas tienen vidas llenas y ocupadas con el trabajo, familia y otras responsabilidades, y a menudo es un sacrificio hacerlas de lado por todo un fin de semana y aún así estos retiros tienen el potencial de no solamente dar vida pero también cambiar la vida si ellos están abiertos al Espíritu Santo. Muchos movimientos apostólicos como el ACTS, Movimiento Familiar Cristiano, Couples for Christ, Apostolado de la Cruz, Cursillo, Encuentro Matrimonial, y otros, proveen retiros con distintas metas, pero todos ofrecen posibilidades para la renovación personal y espiritual.

Lydia Pesina

Directora, Oficina de Vida Familiar

Recientemente, hice un retiro personal de Cuaresma en el Hotel de la Basílica. El hotel de la Basílica tiene alojamientos de alquiler para los muchos peregrinos que visitan a Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle. Fue construido a finales de 1940 pero fue totalmente renovado en el 2010. Los cuartos son adorables y el ambiente es genial para un retiro personal. Alquilé algunos audio libros del Centro de Recursos de Ministros Diocesanos, y también tenia algunos materiales de lectura y escritura. Fue un día maravilloso pasado en silencio, lectura, escritura y escuchando los audio libros. También fue un ambiente ideal para caminar a la Basílica y orar frente al Sagrado Sacramento, ir a confesión y asistir a Misa. Algunas veces no tenemos la oportunidad de tomar un día entero o un fin de semana completo para un retiro, así que incluso unos 15 a 20 minutos afuera o en la Iglesia nos permite cambiar la marcha y “retirarnos” a un lugar callado para reflexión y renovación. Tengo la bendición de tener mi oficina de Family Ministry en el Centro Pastoral Católico Upper Valley, en el terreno de la Basílica, así que a menudo tomo mi descanso vespertino caminando en la Basílica. Los terrenos son verdes y exuberantes y hay peregrinos visitándolos cada día, llueva o no, con el clima frio o caluroso, y ver a las jóvenes familias con sus hijos es muy inspirador, y es un lugar maravilloso para orar. Hay sitios de internet como la Editorial Loyola que tiene retiros de 3-minutos. Para las personas que quizá solamente tengan unos minutos para consagrar a la reflexión y renovación, este es un buen recurso. Salmo 46:11 nos dice, “Ríndanse y reconozcan que yo soy Dios”. Quizá nos podamos ayudar mutuamente a aprender como “Rendirnos” y ser recordados de que “Dios es Dios” quien nos ama incondicionalmente y está presente siempre y de todas las formas.

Protegiendo al pueblo de Dios, reporte malas conductas

Como el pueblo de Dios, cada uno de nosotros está llamado a celebrar, promover, y, si es necesario, defender la vida y la dignidad de todas personas. Tenemos que tratar a cada persona con respecto, y hacer lo posible para asegurar que nunca se dañe a los demás. Una sospecha de mala conducta con los menores de edad, cometida por el personal laico de la iglesia, deberá reportarse al párroco de la iglesia, al director de la escuela, o al encargado de la institución católica en cuestión. Una sospecha de mala conducta con los menores de edad cometida por un sacerdote, diácono, o religioso deberá reportarse directamente al Señor Obispo o al Vicario General al (P.O. Box 2279, Brownsville, TX 78522-2279; 956-542-2501). Una forma para un Aviso Confi-

dencial de Inquietud (Confidential Notice of Concern) puede obtenerse a través del párroco local, del director de la escuela, del encargado de la institución, de la Diócesis, o puede bajarse de la página oficial de Internet de la Diócesis de Brownsville (www. cdob.org). Por favor recuerde que hay una ley estatal que cualquier persona que sospeche el abuso o la negligencia hacia un menor de edad debe reportarlo a las autoridades oficiales locales o al Departamento de Servicios Familiares y Protectores de Texas (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services) al 1-800-252-5400. Nuestra fe nos asegura que el mal no nos vencerá, pero que venceremos al mal con el bien (cf. Rm 12:21).

Pentecostés, cumpleaños de la Iglesia católica By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic La Iglesia concluye su temporada de Pascua en Junio 8 con la celebración de Pentecostés. La celebración nos lleva a la primera vez que el Espíritu Santo descendió en María, los apóstoles y otros creyentes. El Domingo de Pentecostés también nos invita a reflexionar: ¿Qué significó la venida del Espíritu Santo, tanto antes como ahora? ¿Cómo vivimos el Pentecostés en nuestras vidas actualmente? “Debemos de entender que vivir en el Espíritu Santo no es una experiencia emocional, sino una forma de vida,” dijo Msgr. Patrick Doherty, un sacerdote retirado de la Diócesis de Brownsville. “Algunas personas tienen esa experiencia emocional. Por ejemplo, ellos “caen en el Espíritu’ y eso está bien. Yo creo que eso le pasa a las personas, pero si solamente es una experiencia emocional, no es el Espíritu Santo. Tiene que ser permanente.” Msgr. Doherty dijo que la constancia y hablar el lenguaje de la Iglesia son las llaves para vivir una vida llena de Espíritu. “Los laicos deben de asegurarse que ellos vayan a la Iglesia los domingos, cada domingo, punto,” dijo él. “Ellos necesitan tener una iglesia parroquial y apropiarse de esa parroquia. Deben decidir a qué Misa van a ir cada domingo y entonces ir a esa misma iglesia al

Aging,

continued from pg. 1

2002 to 43.1 million in 2012 (a 21 percent increase) and is projected to increase to 79.7 million in 2040, according to the Administration on Aging (AOA). An AOA profile on older Americans shows, “Some type of disability (i.e., difficulty in hearing, vision, cognition, ambulation, selfcare, or independent living) was reported by 36 percent of people age 65 and over in 2012. The percentages for individual disabilities ranged from almost one quarter (23 percent) having an ambulatory disability to seven percent having a vision difficulty. Some of these disabilities may be relatively minor but others cause people to require assistance to meet important personal needs.” Batungbacal knows the move is the right thing to do. They have no family in Donna and all their children, except for their youngest son, are in the Philippines. When she talks about her husband, whom she married in 1965, her voice softens and tears roll down her cheeks. “He was my childhood sweetheart; my first, last, and only love,” Batungbacal said reflecting on the possibility of celebrating their 50th anniversary next year. The couple raised four children and lost two babies. When her husband was 50-years-old, he suffered a severe

The Valley Catholic

Un imagen en la Iglesia del Espíritu Santo en McAllen.

mismo tiempo cada domingo. De otra forma, solamente visitamos. Muchas personas van de una Iglesia Católica a otra. Ellos no echan raíz en ningún lado.” Msgr. Doherty dijo que los padres necesitan enseñar a sus niños “el lenguaje de la Iglesia,” así como le enseñan a sus hijos inglés o español. Las familias Católicas son llamadas a predicar el Evangelio a través de sus palabras y sus acciones al asistir a Misa cada domingo, tomando los sacramentos y más. Msgr. Doherty, quien escucha las confesiones y celebra la Misa en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle- Santuario Nacional, recientemente conoció a un hombre de 25 años que hablaba inglés y español elocuentemente, pero no sabía las oraciones “Padre Nuestro,” “Ave María,” o “Gloria,” “Él nunca aprendió el lenguaje de la Iglesia porque nunca se le

hablo en él,” Msgr. Doherty dijo. “Yo le di literatura para que pudiera aprender sus oraciones como los niños chiquitos. Es muy triste.” Reflexionando sobre su propia experiencia, Msgr. Doherty dijo que fueron sus padres y su ambiente familiar los que fomentaron su vocación al sacerdocio. “No obtuve mi vocación de la Iglesia,” dijo Msgr. Doherty, un nativo de Irlanda. “Solamente íbamos a Misa los domingos y era todo porque vivíamos dos millas alejados de nuestra Iglesia y no teníamos transporte; pero se hablaba en nuestro hogar, ese lenguaje de la Iglesia. Rezábamos el rosario cada noche. Sabía el “Padre Nuestro” y el “Ave María” a los tres años. “El poder del Espíritu Santo se experimenta en la manera que vivimos.”

stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side. Lately, he has been dealing with depression. He misses his children and the Philippines, his homeland, but his health does not allow him to travel. He asks his wife to let him die because he does not want to burden her anymore. At times, he refuses to take his medication, get out of bed and even bathe. “My husband can be stern and uses a strong tone,” Batungbacal said. “I back off because I don’t want him to get angry, but I worry about the providers and our friends who lend a hand when we are in need of help.” During a recent visit to their Donna home, her son’s religious superior pointed out that their friends of the same age likely have their own health issues and that their younger friends are still working and probably caring for their own families. “My son’s superior said, ‘give us a chance to help you,’” Batungbacal recalled. “I was hoping I would always be in control of everything, that I would have a say on where I wanted to live. There was a time when I was advised to send Efren back to the Philippines and be content with just sending money for his care. But I made a vow to be with him in sickness and in health, and I was not going to leave him.” Batungbacal said the move to Houston will be a positive change for her husband because he will be close to their son, but for her it seems like a grounding, even though the facility is, “beautiful.”

She believes she will feel confined in a facility with a gate and a guard. Batungbacal is currently an active member of the Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life, a Catholic charismatic lay community that originated in the Philippines, and is also responsible for starting a chastity rally, which is now in its second year. She hopes the Filipino community in Houston will help her adapt to her new life in a new city. What surprised Batungbacal the most during this process was when she was asked to disclose her finances. “It is part of our independence,” she said. “I know there comes a time, but I’m not ready for that just yet,” said Batungbacal, adding that she would find a way to keep her car and venture out into the web of Houston’s bustling highways. “Just give me a few days, and I know I will figure it out.” Though it is a difficult situation, Batungbacal is putting the move in God’s hands. “I am a Divine Mercy devote; I trust in the Lord, and things will be good,” she concluded with a gentle smile. — The Valley Catholic is initiating an extended series on aging and how it affects the lives of so many seniors in our community. Stories will be published throughout the year. If you would like to share your story or have a particular issue you would like us to research please send your email to [email protected] or call our offices at (956) 784-5055.

14

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The Valley Catholic -

June 2014

Promoting a culture of life

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, D.D. of Kansas City, Kan., a member of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and the Committee on Marriage and Family Life for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) served as the keynote speaker at the McAllen Pregnancy Center Gala on April 25 at Valencia Events Center in McAllen. More than 3,000 babies have been saved and more than 6,000 women have received free services at the McAllen Pregnancy Center since it opened in May 2008. The fifth anniversary gala, themed, “Starry, Starry Night” opened with a Mass at St. Margaret Mary Church in Pharr followed by the gala. Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated the Mass. During the dinner, Yolanda Chapa was awarded the 2014 Mrs. Adelina Guerra Award for her her work in the pro-life ministry and as founder of the McAllen Pregnancy Center. Liz Gonzalez received the Dr. Lauro Guerra Award on behalf of her brother Father James Erving, an Oblate priest who served as director of the Respect Life Apostolate for the Diocese up until his death on March 18.

Cesar Riojas/The Valley Catholic Photos

June 2014

DIOCESE 15

- The Valley Catholic

»Media Resource Center

» Calendar of Events

Recommended by SISTER MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD Coordinator of the Media Resource Center - Diocese of Brownsville

»Worth Watching

The Mission

The Secret Garden

»From the Bookshelf Book of Saints Part 7

June Reading God’s Word Today

1 Ascension 8 Pentecost 3-5 Summer Study Days (Office of Catechesis) 6-7 New Life Retreat (Family Life Office)

Format:DVD & VHS – Eng. and Sp. Year of production: 1986 Publisher: Jove; Mti edition Length:125 minutes

Format:VHS Year of production: August 13, 1993

The facts:A powerful epic about a man of the sword and a man of the cloth who tries to shield a South American Indian tribe from brutal subjugation by 18th-cenury colonial empires. The mission triumphs on two levels: intellectually as a clash between faith and greed, and emotionally as an action-filled clash of wills and cultures.

The facts: The timeless tale of a special place where magic, hope and love grow. It’s a special place where special things happen. Friendships blossom. Illness fade away. Sorrows flee. And a troubled orphan named Mary, her spoiled bedridden cousin Colin and a kindly country boy called Dickon discovers that a world of caring can make a world of difference.

Lo que sigue,

continua de la pág. 11

dijo Batungbacal reflexionando sobre la posibilidad de celebrar su 50 aniversario el próximo año. La pareja crió a cuatro hijos y perdió dos bebés. Cuando su esposo tenía 50 años de edad, sufrió un grave ataque de apoplejía que lo dejó paralizado del lado izquierdo. Recientemente, ha estado lidiando con la depresión. Echa de menos a sus hijos y las Filipinas, su tierra natal, pero su

Director: Agneiszka Holland Length:102 minutes

salud no le permite viajar. Le pide a su esposa dejarlo morir porque ya no quiere ser una carga para ella. A veces, se niega a tomar su medicación, levantarse de la cama e incluso bañarse. “Mi marido puede ser severo y utilizar un tono fuerte”, dijo Batungbacal. “Retrocedo porque no quiero que se enfade, pero me preocupo por los proveedores y nuestros amigos que nos echan una mano cuando tenemos necesidad de ayuda.” Durante una reciente visita a la casa de Donna, el superior religioso

Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar June 1

11 a.m.

Mass ay Sacred Heart

Mercedes

June 2

6 p.m.

Confirmations at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Pharr

June 4

10:15 a.m. End of School Year Mass Juan Diego Academy Mission

June 5

7 p.m.

Confirmations at St. Joseph

Edinburg

June 7

10 a.m.

1st Confirmations at San Martin de Porres

Weslaco

June 8

11 a.m.

Mass at Sacred Heart

Mercedes

June 8

6 p.m.

2nd Confirmations at San Martin de Porres

Weslaco

June 11 – 13 All day USCCB

New Orleans

June 15

11 a.m.

Mass at Sacred Heart

Mercedes

June 19

7 p.m.

Mass at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus

Edcouch

June 21

5:30 p.m. Mass at Holy Family

Grulla

June 22

11 a.m.

Mass at Sacred Heart

Mercedes

June 29

11 a.m.

Mass at Sacred Heart

Mercedes

On going: 8 a.m. Mass Monday - Saturday at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo

2nd: Vocations to the Permanent Diaconate the deacons (permanent and transitional) of the diocese and their families

3 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo

3rd : Vocation to Married Life: for the welfare and sanctification of all the families in the diocese and for building up the Kingdom in our domestic churches

7 p.m. Holy Hour Weekly every Thursday at 727 Bowie St., Alamo 1st: Vocations to the Consecrated Life (active and contemplative) and for the Sisters and Brothers in our diocese and the success of their mission

4th: Vocations to the priesthood and the priests of the diocese for the success of their ministry 5th: Vocations to the Pro-Life Intentions

Format: paperback Age- Grade: 4 Preschool and up

Length: 22 pages Publisher: Catholic Book Publishing Corp June 1, 1987 The facts: St. Blaise, St. Valentine,

St. Margaret of Cortona, St. George, St. Zita, St. Peregrine, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, St. Bridget, St Jane Frances de Chantal, St. John Chrysotom, Sts. Cosmas and Damian, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Martin de Porres, St. Gertrude and St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Format: Paperback

Length: 191 pages Author: George Martin Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor 1998 The facts: READING GOD’S WORD

TODAY: A Practical and Faith-filled Approach to Scripture. Encountering God Through Scripture. What can I do to understand Scripture more clearly? How can I hear what God is saying to me through Scripture? How should I apply the message of the Bible to my life? How can I go deeper in prayer through Scripture.

de su hijo señaló que amigos de la misma edad probablemente tienen sus propios problemas de salud y que sus amigos más jóvenes todavía están trabajando y, probablemente cuidando de sus propias familias. “El superior de mi hijo dijo, “Danos la oportunidad de ayudarte’,” recordó Batungbacal. “Tenía la esperanza de que siempre estaría en control de todo, de que podría expresar mi opinión acerca de dónde quería vivir. Hubo un tiempo en que me aconsejaron mandar Efrén de vuelta a las Filipinas y contentarnos con sólo enviar dinero para su cuidado. Pero hice un voto de estar con él en la enfermedad y en la salud y no lo iba a abandonar.” Batungbacal dijo que la decisión de Houston será un cambio positivo para su marido porque estará cerca de su hijo, pero para ella parece como estar castigada, a pesar de que el centro es, “hermoso.” Ella cree que se sentirá confinada en instalaciones con una puerta y un

guardia. Batungbacal es actualmente miembro activo de Parejas para Cristo Fundación de la Familia y la Vida, una comunidad laical católica carismática que se originó en las Filipinas, y también es responsable de iniciar una marcha castidad, que ahora está en su segundo año. Espera que la comunidad filipina en Houston le ayudará a adaptarse a su nueva vida en una nueva ciudad. “Sé que llega el momento, pero todavía no estoy preparada para eso,” dijo Batungbacal, agregando que ella encontraría la manera de mantener su coche y aventurarse en la red de bulliciosas autopistas de Houston. “Sólo dame un par de días, y sé que voy a averiguarlo.” Aunque se trata de una situación difícil, Batungbacal puso el movimiento en las manos de Dios. “Soy devota de la Divina Misericordia; Confío en el Señor, y sé que las cosas irán bien,” concluyó con una dulce sonrisa.

Pentecost,

it was his parents and his home environment that fostered his vocation to the priesthood. “I didn’t get my own vocation from the Church,” said Msgr Doherty, a native of Ireland. “We just went to Mass on Sunday and that was it because we were two miles away from our church and had no transportation; but it was talked about at home, that language of the Church. We prayed the rosary every night. I knew the “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary” when I was three-years-old. “The power of Holy Spirit is experienced by the way we live.”

continued from pg. 3

old man who spoke both English and Spanish fluently, but he did not know the “Our Father,” “Hail Mary,” or “Glory Be,” prayers. “He never learned the language of the Church because it was never spoken to him,” Msgr. Doherty said. “I gave him literature so he could learn his prayers like the little children. It is very sad.” Looking back at his own experience, Msgr. Doherty said

Bioethics,

continued from pg. 5

ward with the project of rewriting our own genes to cure grave diseases, some will be tempted to go further and use techniques like CRISPR to engineer designer human embryos during in vitro fertilization; genetically modified monkeys have already been produced using this method in China. A prior CDF document called Donum Vitae unequivocally describes the grave problems with subjugating embryonic human beings for research purposes: “To use human

embryos or fetuses as the object or instrument of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings having a right to the same respect that is due to the child already born and to every human person.” The remarkable tools becoming available not only for genetic therapies but also for human enhancement projects and embryonic manipulation raise daunting ethical concerns about the subjugation of man to his own technology, and call for thoughtful measures and vigilance to ensure the proper use of these techniques now and in the future.

15 Trinty Sunday 16-20- Youth Leader (Youth Ministry) 21-27- CYRP (Youth Ministry) 22 Corpus Christi Sunday

July 4 Independence Day Diocesan Offices Closed 8-12 Youth Serve (Youth Ministry) Please submit your schedule to be published in The Valley Catholic by the first Friday of each month by email at [email protected] or fax: (956) 784-5082.

Ordination,

continued from pg. 1

mother, Brigida Martinez, played a role in his vocation to the priesthood. “She is the one who talked to me about the saints and about the Rosary,” he said. “She also talked to me about the (religious) persecution she faced in Mexico when she was growing up.” Garza is the son of Maria Elena Hernandez and the late Jose Garza. He has two older sisters, Ana Rosa and Maribel.

Joy,

continued from pg. 5

the Gospel or who, having heard it, have stopped practicing their faith, and those who seek the fullness of faith. It calls us to work for full communion among all who confess Jesus but do not yet realize the unity for which Christ prayed.” The second document, Disciples Called to Witness, is available as a free download from the USCCB website. The resource is meant to help diocesan and parish leaders seeking to develop faith formation programs for the New Evangelization. In this document the U.S. bishops address the need for a “re-evangelization” and serves as an action plan or a “call to action” to reform the culture in our time. “The task before the Church is to form Catholics who are willing to communicate and witness the faith to those who are no longer actively practicing.” (Disciples Called to Witness, page 2). As Pope Francis reminds us when he quotes 1 Peter 3:5, “As Christians, we are called to give reason for the hope we have, to be ‘joyous heralds’ of the hope and mercy offered to us by the Gospel.”

16

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Our Catholic Family

The Valley Catholic -

Decades of service Volunteers ‘help keep everything running smoothly’ By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic LAS RUSIAS — “God gives everyone a gift that can be used to build up his Church. What is yours?” It was a question Father Ignacio Luna posed to his flock many years ago when he was the pastor of Sacred Heart Mission Church in Las Rusias. Nena Canales, 82, discerned the question very carefully. “I wanted to serve the Church in my final years, but the only gifts I had, or so I thought, were related to taking care of my family,” she said. Through prayer, Canales discovered several ways she could serve God and his Church. For more than 20 years, she has been leading prayer groups, praying novenas for the dead, visiting the sick and the

lonely in the community and much more. She is also the pastor’s go-to person for fundraising projects and organizing large community events such as posadas and Via Crucis. “Whether it is raffle tickets or a chalupa, I know she is going to get the tickets sold and the event is going to be a success,” said Miguel Angel Ortega, pastor of St. Ignatius Parish in El Ranchito and its two missions, Sacred Heart Church in Las Rusias and Our Lady of Lourdes in La Paloma. Father Ortega said he is inspired by Canales and Aurora Urbina, another volunteer from Sacred Heart Church, who have served in numerous ministries for decades. “When you’re the pastor of three churches, you need dedicated volunteers like them by your side,” he said. “They help keep everything running smoothly.” Aurora Urbina, 84, was a young widow with six children when one day at Mass, she noticed that the chalice used in the celebration was old and tarnished.

Eric Sánchez/The Valley Catholic

“I had very little money, but I felt compelled to buy a new chalice or at least ask the priest if I could clean that one,” she said. “I feel as if God picked me to take care of that altar.” Since then, Urbina has washed and pressed the altar linens, changed the colors in the church according to the liturgical season or the memorial of the day and attended to many other details pertaining to the care of the altar and the church. A month after she lost her husband, Urbina’s mother also died, leaving behind three small children. Raising nine children on her own and grieving the loss of her husband and her mother, it was a difficult time in Urbina’s life. Serving the Church, “was a blessing and it was my solace,” she said. “I consider myself one of God’s workers,” said Urbina, who also visits the sick among other ministries. “It is a satisfaction that I wish other people could understand.”

Nena Canales, left, and Aurora Urbina, have donated their time, talent and treasure to Sacred Heart Mission Church in Las Rusias for many years.

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