Volume 5, Issue 6
Bishops elect new leaders
Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville
Emmanuel
Approve liturgical texts, discuss relief aid during general assembly
By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic
CNS/Bridgeman Art Library
Mary and the Christ child are depicted in the painting “Madonna of the Fir Tree” by Marianne Stokes.
In this holy season, as we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God, I pray that the nearness of the Christ child enkindle in you the joy of his Good News! The Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville
» Please see Leaders, p.19
MARIAN FEAST DAYS
“VERBUM MITTITUR SPIRANS AMOREM”
(“The WORD is sent breathing love.”)
New church dream 23 years in the making Parish first in the world named for Oblates founder
Catholic News Service BALTIMORE — The U.S. bishops at their fall general assembly in Baltimore elected new leaders, discussed taking a second collection in their dioceses for typhoon relief in the Philippines, reviewed efforts to defend traditional marriage and religious liberty, and approved development of a statement on the dangers of pornography. T h e y also passed a number of liturgical items, Archbishop Kurtz including the use of a Mexican translation of the Roman Missal, and OK’d a budget for 2014 and a 3 percent increase in the diocesan assessment for 2015. The actions came during the first two days of their Nov. 11-14 meeting. The bishops were to meet beCardinal DiNardo hind closed doors in executive session Nov. 13 and 14. On Nov. 12, the bishops by a wide margin elected Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., to succeed New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The archbishop had been USCCB vice president. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of GalvestonHouston was elected vice president. The bishops Nov. 12 approved the development of a pastoral statement on the dangers pornography
December 2013
THOSE WHO SERVE
YEAR IN REVIEW
BROWNSVILLE — Bishop Daniel E. Flores will bless and dedicate a new sanctuary for St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. The new church, which is located in an area known as Portway Acres, is a dream more than 23 years in the making. St. Eugene de Mazenod Church was established as a parish on May 21, 1996 and the community of faith dates back even further than St. Eugene de Mazenod that. Prior to the establishment of St. Eugene de Mazenod as a parish, the community was known as Our Lady of Peace and was a mission of Christ the King Parish in Brownsville. A metal building was constructed in 1990, where Masses have been celebrated since. “The metal building was always intended to be the parish hall so the community almost immediately started saving money for a church building,” said Father Timothy Paulsen, pastor of St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish and a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. “People have been saving money for a very long time.” The new, 8,854-square-foot, Spanish colonial-style church, will seat about 550. The cost of the new church is $1.69 million, of which one million was raised by the working-class community. Catholic Extension and the Diocese of Brownsville also assisted with funding for the project. The church was designed by architect Eduardo Vela of Hidalgo. St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish is a largely immigrant community » Please see New Church, p.18
EN EN ESPAÑOL ESPAÑOL Artículos sobre la Solemnidad de la Inmaculada Concepción, nuevo santuario en Brownsville, y consejos para ensenarles a los niños sobre la Navidad.
Feast days honor the Blessed Virgin Mary Page 3
Deacon Julio Castilleja Page 8
2013 highlights year of growth, blessings Pages 9-12
Paginas 14-17
DIOCESE
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The Valley Catholic - December 2013
La luz de Adviento
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ti, Señor, levanto mi alma,… pues los que esperan en ti, no quedan defraudados. (Salmo 24, 1, 3) Con estas palabras tomadas del Salmo 24, la Iglesia canta la entrada a la Santa Misa para el primer domingo de Adviento. En cierta manera el texto señala el tema principal para todo el año litúrgico. Y, en modo particular, estas palabras nos dirigen al tema principal de todo Adviento. Se trata de la esperanza viva que Dios desea inculcar dentro de nuestros corazones. Tema para todo el año: Caminamos las sendas de esta vida, y las preguntas decisivas de la vida surgen de esta realidad. ¿Cómo debemos caminar, y a donde vamos? A veces el camino se muestra oscuro, y faltan señas para guiarnos. A veces se pone difícil el camino. Encontramos obstáculos. No faltan obstáculos hoy en día. La crisis económica afecta nuestros mejores deseos para nuestros hijos; la agresividad de los males que afligen nuestras comunidades, como por ejemplo, la violencia y las drogas siguen amenazando por todos lados; la falta de respeto para los derechos humanos afecta cruelmente a los más inocentes. A veces hasta los Cristianos experimentan un desanimo profundo, como que si estuviéramos en peligro de perder la esperanza. La Liturgia de la Santa Iglesia nos ofrece la luz de Adviento para todo el año, y para toda una vida. A ti, Señor, levanto mi alma. Dios no se olvida de su pueblo; El Poderoso y Misericordioso nos invita a levantar nuestras almas hacia Él. Esto quiere decir que debemos caminar las alegrías y las penas de esta vida en comunión con Dios. No tenemos que estribarnos solamente en nuestras propias fuerzas. Dios oye. Pero ¿verdaderamente buscamos el apoyo en Él? Dios mismo inspira al salmista, y a nosotros, con el deseo de levantar el alma. El alma se dispone a recibir el apoyo en el mismo hecho de pedirle a Dios el apoyo.
The light of Advent
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To you, o Lord, I lift up my soul... no one who hopes in you is put to shame.” (Psalm 25: 1, 3) With these words taken from Psalm 25, the Church sings the entrance song for the Holy Eucharist the first Sunday of Advent. In some sense, the text states the main theme for the entire liturgical year. In particular, these words direct us to the main theme of the Advent season. It all has to do with the lively hope that God desires to instill within our hearts. The theme for the whole year: We travel the paths of life, and the key questions of life arise from this reality. How should we walk, and where are we going? Sometimes the path is dark and there are no signs to guide us. Sometimes the path gets difficult and we find obstacles. There is no lack of such obstacles in our days. The economic crisis affects our best hopes for our children; the aggressiveness of the evils that afflict our communities, such as for example, drugs and violence, continue to threaten us on all sides; the lack of respect for human rights cruelly affects the most innocent. Sometimes even Christians experience a profound discouragement, as if we were in danger of losing our hope. The liturgy of the Holy Church offers us the light of Advent for the whole year, and for our entire lifetimes. To you, Lord, I lift my soul. God does not forget his people; the almighty and merciful God invites us to lift our souls to Him. This means that we should walk the joys and the sorrows of life in communion with Him. We must not rely just on our own strength. God hears us. But, do we truly seek for his support? God Himself inspires the psalmist, and us, with the desire to lift up our souls. The soul is made capable of receiving this support in the very act of asking God for it. How, then, should we walk the path of life? We walk in life with our eyes fixed on the God who made
Publisher
Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor
Rose Ybarra
¿Cómo debemos de caminar en esta vida? Con ojos fijos en el que hizo el cielo y la tierra. Dios inspira buenas obras, y dirige el curso del tiempo. Él desea animarnos con un espíritu de fortaleza y generosidad para el camino. Tema para todo Adviento: Precisamente al contemplar como Dios se ha acercado a su pueblo nos damos cuenta de que no caminamos a solas en esta vida. Las lecturas de la Santa Misa durante Adviento levantan nuestras espe-
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heaven and earth. It is the Lord who inspires the good deeds we seek to do, and He directs the course of time. He encourages us with spirit of fortitude and generosity to walk our life’s path. Message for the entire Advent season: Contemplating how God has drawn near to his people, we realize that we do not walk alone in life. The readings of the Mass during Advent lift our hopes in the God who responds to our needs. The prophets announced in advance that God would come soon to save us. Every part of the spiritual atmosphere of Advent serves this purpose: to focus on the answer that God gives to our petitions. Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of God who became man to live among us, is the answer God gives to the prayers we offer to Him as we walk our path of life. All that is needed by every person, every family and every community, for us to make straight our steps towards peace and justice is present in the admirable person of the Son of God. Do we want our children to achieve a better life? Then, they need to get to know Christ personally, so that the light of his Gospel smoothes their hearts with virtues of justice, generosity, and zeal to live honestly, so that they do not conform themselves to the greed, self-importance and envy that dominate the world. Do we want to live in a world where the rights of the unborn, the immigrants, and
» The following Advent reflection was first published December 2011.
700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042 5FMFQIPOFt'BY
Bishop Daniel E. Flores
MOST REVEREND DANIEL E. FLORES BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE
the elderly are respected? Then we must seek the spirit of Christ. He himself tells us: “what you did for one of these least ones, you did it for me” (cf. Mt 25: 31-46). If we respond to the grace that invites us to contemplate Christ, (that is to say, if we lift up our souls) we will obtain a still deeper grace of courage and strength for the path of life. St. Paul says in his letter to the Romans 5: 5 “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” What is expressed by Saint Paul’s teachings is the same truth expressed by the psalmist when he says: no one who hopes in you is put to shame. Hope breathes in an atmosphere of love. We do not lose hope because we know, with the certainty of faith, that God loves us. The hope we have in Christ, who came for the first time through the mystery of his Incarnation, continues to grow with the coming of Christ through the grace of the Gospel and the sacraments; and this hope directs our steps as pilgrims walking to meet the Christ who will come at the end of time. During these days, we have the treasured custom of hanging colorful lights on the trees in our yards, and on the sides of our houses. These are like external signs of welcoming the Child Jesus. At the same time may these lights be living signs of faith, hope, and love, (the brilliant lights of the soul), announcing the Christmas feasts which are drawing near. May you and all your loved ones have a lively love in your hearts in order that you never lose hope in the God who loves us so much. My deep desire is that Advent be for everyone a time of grace to prepare for our Lord Jesus Christ the welcoming that He desires and that He deserves. Amen.
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ranzas en el Dios que responde a nuestras necesidades. Los profetas anunciaron de antemano que Dios mismo pronto llegará para salvarnos. Todo el ambiente espiritual de Adviento tiene este propósito: de enfocarnos en la respuesta que Dios da a nuestras peticiones. Jesucristo Nuestro Señor, el Hijo de Dios que se hizo hombre para habitar entre nosotros, es la respuesta de Dios a nuestras oraciones ofrecidas en camino. Todo lo que necesita cada persona, cada familia, y cada comunidad para enderezar los pasos hacia la paz y la justicia está presente en la persona admirable del Hijo de Dios. ¿Queremos que nuestros hijos alcancen obtener una vida mejor? Pues, que conozcan personalmente a Cristo, para que la luz de su evangelio suavice sus corazones con virtudes de justicia, generosidad de alma, y celo para vivir honestamente, para que no se conformen a la codicia, la soberbia y la envidia que dominan en el mundo. ¿Queremos vivir en
un mundo donde se respetan los derechos del no-nacido, de los inmigrantes, de los ancianos? Pues, busquen el Espíritu de Cristo. Él mismo nos dice: Lo que hiciste al menos preciado en este mundo, lo hiciste a mí (vea, Mt. 25, 31-46). Si respondemos a la gracia que nos invita a contemplar a Cristo, (lo que significa la frase levantar el alma) obtendremos una gracia todavía más profunda de ánimo y fuerza para el camino de la vida. La esperanza no falla, dice San Pablo en su carta a los Romanos (5,5), porque el amor de Dios ha sido derramado en nuestros corazones por el Espíritu Santo que nos ha sido dado. Lo que enseña San Pablo expresa el mismo sentimiento formulado por el salmista cuando dice: pues los que esperan en ti, Señor, no quedan defraudados. La esperanza respire en un ambiente de amor. No perdemos la esperanza porque sabemos con la certeza de la fe que Dios nos ama. Esta esperanza que tenemos en el Cristo que vino por primera vez
Bishop Flores’ Schedule Dec. 6 6 p.m. Weslaco Bishop’s Annual Dinner Dec. 7 10 a.m. Brownsville St. Eugene de Mazenod Mass & Dedication of new church Dec. 7 5 p.m. Los Ebanos Mass at St. Michael Church %FD QN &M'MBDP Mass at San Juan Diego Church Dec. 12 midnight San Juan .JEOJHIU.BTTGPS'FBTUPG0VS-BEZPG(VBEBMVQFBU#BTJMJDB Dec. 12 9:30 a.m. Mission .BTT'FBTUPG0VS-BEZPG(VBEBMVQFBU+VBO%JFHP"DBEFNZ Dec. 12 7 p.m. Brownsville 0VUEPPS.BTTGPS'FBTUPG0VS-BEZPG(VBEBMVQF
en el misterio de su Encarnación, sigue aumentándose con la venida de Cristo en la gracia del Evangelio y los sacramentos; y esta esperanza dirige nuestros pasos como peregrinos saliendo al encuentro del Cristo que ha de venir al final de los tiempos. Preciosa es la costumbre durante estos días de colgar luces de color en los arboles de nuestros solares, y en las paredes de nuestras casas. Son como señas exteriores de la bienvenida que le ofrecemos al niño Dios. Que sean a la vez señas vivas de la fe, esperanza y amor, (luces brillantes del alma), que anuncian las fiestas navideñas que ya se aproximan. Que tengan ustedes y todos sus seres queridos un amor vivo en sus corazones, para que nunca falle su esperanza en el Dios que tanto nos ama. Y que el Adviento sea para todos, un respiro de gracia para prepararle al Señor Jesucristo la bienvenida que Él desea y merece. Amén.
December 2013
Dec. 14 3:15 p.m. San Juan Mass – “Advent day of Reflection Retreat” with Religious Dec. 17 6 p.m. Brownsville %JBDPOBUF0SEJOBUJPOBU)PMZ'BNJMZ$IVSDI %FD QN -PT'SFTOPT Mass for Seminarians at St. Cecilia Church Dec. 24 4 p.m. San Juan Christmas Mass at San Juan Nursing Home Dec. 25 midnight San Juan Midnight Christmas Mass at Basilica Dec. 25 12:30 p.m. Brownsville Christmas Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral
DIOCESE
December 2013- The Valley Catholic SAN JUAN DIEGO MINISTRY INSTITUTE
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Para servirles The Valley Catholic For several decades and in growing numbers, lay men and women have been called to a variety of roles in Church ministries, for example, as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, youth ministers, in ministry with the poor and marginalized and much more. “This is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s movement in the lives of our sisters and brothers,” states Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry, a statement released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2005. “We are very grateful for all who undertake various roles in Church ministry.” These roles in Church ministry presume a significant degree of preparation, formation, and professional competence. Founded in 2002, the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute primes the faithful of the Rio Grande Valley to play an active role in the Church. “The main goal of the Institute is to form faithful and effective ministerial leaders,” said Deacon Luis Zuniga, director of the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute. “We aim to empower the laity in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council; to help the laity understand their role in the Church, so that there is a greater participation of the laity in the Church.” More than 2,200 have participated in lay ecclesial ministry formation programs through the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute, which are rooted in the principles of Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord. The Institute offers a three-year formation program, in addition to specialized courses and workshops. The offices, classrooms and library of the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute are located at the San Juan Pastoral Center. The updated library, which features a collection of more than 5,000 books and other materials, is open to the public. Laura Portilla, a volunteer librarian, catalogued the pieces for the library. Although the Institute is headquartered in San Juan, programs are also offered in Brownsville, Harlingen and Rio Grande City for convenience. Deacon Zuniga said the academic and pastoral formation provided through the institute gives lay men and women the knowledge and confidence to serve the Church and proclaim the Good News more adequately. “When you take the time to know the faith and appreciate it, then you are able to share the faith with others and bring others to the faith,” he said. Office: San Juan Diego Ministry Institute Director: Deacon Luis Zuniga Phone: (956) 784-5059
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The Valley Catholic BROWNSVILLE — Priests on horseback, matachines dancing in the streets, the voices of the faithful, thousands, joined in prayer and song, as processions from several Brownsville Catholic churches converge on Lincoln Street for a Mass commemorating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. On Thursday, Dec. 12, Bishop Daniel E. Flores will celebrate an outdoor Mass at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, located at 1200 E. Lincoln St. in
Brownsville. The celebration is a decadesold tradition in Brownsville, said Marbelia Barrientos, secretary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Brownsville. “I’ve been here 30 years and it’s been going on for way longer than that,” she said. “It’s an event that the people of Brownsville look forward to every year.” The feast day commemorates the apparition of the Virgin Mary to the Indian Juan Diego, at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City in December, 1531, 10 years after the conquest of Mexico by Spain.
»Immaculate Mary
Observance transferred to Dec. 9 this year The Valley Catholic
Catholic News Agency/EWTN In this year of 2013, Dec. 8—normally the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception— falls on the Second Sunday of Advent. In accordance with no. 5 of the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, the observance of the Solemnity is transferred to Monday, Dec. 9. Such a transfer is seen as a pastoral concession to the desire of the faithful to observe a beloved Feast even though it is impeded liturgically by a higher observance. The obligation of the faithful to attend Mass remains attached to the day itself (Dec. 8), however, and so it does not transfer with the liturgical observance, according the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Immaculate Conception, a solemnity usually celebrated on Dec. 8, is the patronal feast of the United States. In 1854, Pope Pius IX’s solemn declaration, Ineffabilis Deus, clarified with finality the longheld belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. In proclaiming the Immaculate Conception of Mary as a dogma of the Church, the pope expressed precisely and clearly that Mary was conceived free from the stain of original sin. This privilege of Mary derives from God’s having chosen her as Mother of the Savior; thus she received the benefits of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception. This great gift to Mary, an ordinary human being just like us, was fitting because she was destined to be Mother of God. The purity and holiness of the Blessed
A mural of Our Blessed Mother at Immaculate Conception Church in McCook. Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States.
Virgin Mary is a model for all Christians. “The fact of the matter is that we are called to that same state as the Virgin was gifted with, namely to be immaculate, or completely free of sin and of course, that is kind of the prerequisite of being with her son in the Kingdom,” said Basilian Father Thomas W. Sepulveda, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Rio Grande City. Father Sepulveda said that there is still some confusion about the Immaculate Conception, even among Catholics. “People believe that is has to do with the Virgin birth and it’s not that at all,” he said. “It’s her state and it was a state that was given to her through the merits of her son.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of the Immaculate
Conception of Mary: 490. To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role”. The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”. In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace. 491. Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1844: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and
by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” (Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854.) 492. The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.” The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love.” 493. The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia) and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature”. By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long. The National Shrine in the U.S. Mary is honored at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as the Patroness of the United States of America. In May 1846, 21 bishops and one archbishop attended the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, along with their theologians. It was at this Council that the American Hierarchy named for the first time, the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception as the Patroness of the United States. Pope Pius IX ratified this action of the American hierarchy in February 1847. With information from The Valley Catholic
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DIOCESE »Family Life
Lydia Pesina Director, Family Life Office
Teaching children about Christmas
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dvent and Christmas are such wonderful opportunities to teach children about Jesus! I personally do not like seeing so many Christmas ornaments and items in stores in late October; my soul is just not ready for Advent much less Christmas; but the reality is that those items are all around us so we may as well use them as opportunities to teach about the miracle of Jesus’ birth. As parents, grandparents, and godparents, we have a special obligation to teach about the important things in life: We read in Deuteronomy 4:9 “However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.” The following are ten suggestions for teaching children about Christmas: 1) Teach about the miracle of Jesus’ birth through children’s books, coloring books, and Christmas songs. Many of the local dollar stores carry books and coloring books and they make great Christmas gifts for all children. Remember to sing Christmas songs at home because some schools have restrictions on songs that have religious words and meanings and many children have not learned Silent Night or Away in a Manger. 2) Say the name Jesus often even to babies and toddlers. Use short phrases that speak about Jesus such as: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Mary was Jesus’ mother. Joseph took care of Mary and baby Jesus. Jesus’s birth is the reason for Christmas. 3) Use manger scenes to teach the nativity story. As Christians we believe that Jesus is the greatest of all of God’s miracles because through His birth God took on human flesh and entered into this world in the flesh of a baby( fully divine and yet fully a human baby) in order to become Emmanuel – God with us. Using unbreakable nativity sets with little ones which they can touch and hold is a good way to tell the Christmas story. 4) Commercialism vs. giving with grace. All of us are surrounded by the commercialism of the season; however, perhaps we can use it as a teachable moment to teach about “giving with grace”. Giving with grace means giving from the heart, with no strings attached, no “making a list and checking it twice” to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. Giving with grace means that whatever the gift is, it is not about how much it costs but rather about giving it from the heart and also receiving whatever is given with grace. » Please see Christmas, p.19
The Valley Catholic - December 2013
Giving happiness Catholic Charities collecting gift cards for families dealing with cancer
Tadeusz Pacholczyk Priest of the Diocese of Fall River
Sex, truth and the illumination of our guilt
The Valley Catholic Katrina Rose Salas of Weslaco, was just six-years-old when she was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “The diagnosis changed our lives overnight,” said Katrina’s mother, Rosa Tamez. “All we could think about was taking care of Katrina. We even left our home and moved into the Ronald McDonald house so we could be right there with her as she received treatment.” After a long course of treatment that included chemotherapy, radiation and ultimately a cord blood stem cell transplant, Katrina is now cancerfree but not completely in the clear. Her immune system has been severely compromised. Like many others with a serious illness, Katrina and her family have to travel a long way for medical appointments. Katrina currently has weekly medical appointments in San Antonio and transportation costs are often too high for the family, especially since Katrina’s mom had to quit her job in order to take care of her daughter and keep up with the all the appointments. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is asking the faithful to donate gift cards to HEB and Walmart in order to assist families dealing with cancer with transportation and other costs. “We hear from people who are battling cancer almost daily,” said Yesenia Guzman, caseworker for Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. “Many of them do have Medicaid but it doesn’t cover transportation costs such
G Courtesy photos
Katrina Salas, 8, was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. The illness has taken an emotional DQGÀQDQFLDOWROORQWKH family. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is asking the faithful to donate gift cards to HEB or Walmart to assist families dealing with cancer.
as gas, the wear and tear on their vehicles or meals.” Not only does she struggle to pay for gas and the maintenance on her car, but also simple household items such as laundry detergent, shampoo and toilet paper, Tamez said. “I pray the people of the Valley will open up their hearts
and help families like mine,” said Tamez, a parishioner at St. Joan of Arc Church in Weslaco. Please mail gift cards to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, Attn: Yesenia Guzman, 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589. For more information, call (956) 702-4088.
»Women speak for themselves en el Valle
Let’s set the world on fire St. Catherine of Siena said, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” It seems women have struggled over the years trying to determine our place in society, fighting for the right to vote, for equal pay, for a place at the table, and at times veering off course from what God wants for us. Twenty-five years ago Blessed Pope John Paul II wanted to remind us of our unique calling, one entrusted by God to every woman. He highlighted the importance of women and talked about the “feminine genius” in his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem: On the Dignity and Vocation of Women. He continued his reflection with a Letter to Women in 1995. He wanted women to reflect on “what it means to speak of the “genius of women”, not only in order to be able to see in this
»Making Sense out of Bioethics
Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor of The Valley Catholic
phrase a specific part of God’s plan which needs to be accepted and appreciated, but also in order to let this genius be more fully expressed in the life of society as a whole, as well as in the life of the Church.” In October, the Pontifical Council for the Laity sponsored a seminar “God entrusts the human being to the woman” to mark the 25th anniversary of Mulieris Dignitatem and to prompt a renewed reflection on what Pope Francis called “a historic document, the first Papal Magisterium entirely dedicated to the subject of woman.”
What is the feminine genius? It is tied to our innate capacity for self-giving love. Blessed John Paul II points to the Blessed Virgin Mary as “the highest expression of the ‘feminine genius’” and “a source of constant inspiration.” “Putting herself at God’s service, she also put herself at the service of others: a service of love.” (Letter to Women) Blessed Pope Johan Paul II also writes in his Letter, “emphasis should be placed on the “genius of women”, not only by considering great and famous women of the past or present, but also those ordinary women who reveal the gift of their womanhood by placing themselves at the service of others in their everyday lives. For in giving themselves to others each day women fulfill their deepest vocation.” We don’t have to look far for examples. I am inspired by so » Please see World on Fire, p.18
uilt has gotten a lot of bad press recently. We live in an age where guilt is practically always something bad, something to get past with the help of a shrink. Particularly when discussing sex, people will declare that religion and morality do nothing more than make people feel guilty. Andrew Aaron, a sex and marriage therapist in New Bedford, Massachusetts seems to subscribe to this view: “Through centuries,” he writes, “religious education has associated sex with what is wrong and sinful rather than what is sacred. Instead of an expression of the divine, sex is suspiciously regarded as weakness of the flesh. The result of this influence is that sexuality, a natural part of being human, is tainted with shame, guilt, and ambivalence.” Every instance of erotic satisfaction, sexual activity or orgasm, however, cannot be automatically branded as sacred or as a divine manifestation. We all recognize how easily the unbridled pursuit of sexual gratification can become an exploitative, self-centered and demeaning enterprise. “Context” matters critically when it comes to getting sex right, and it is too easy in the sexually permissive environment of today’s society to miss the core truth that the unique context for human sexual activity is a very specific one, namely, the beautiful setting of marriage, with its mutual commitment and openness to children. Father Thomas O’Donnell, S.J. in his “Medicine and Christian Morality” distills the matter to its essence in this way: “In the moral order, all deliberately induced venereal pleasure is restricted to marriage and related in some way, either immediately or remotely, to a proper marital act.” From this perspective, the real harms we bring upon ourselves and others when seeking to satisfy the sexual impulse outside of its specific context should, in fact, elicit feelings of guilt on our part. To put it simply, there is such a thing as “good guilt,” which manifests our own inner awareness of how we have acted against what is good for us, and violated the objective moral order. I recall a story of a woman who committed adultery, and over time she struggled with feelings of guilt. What she ended up doing, in this situation, was to rationalize her guilt away with the help of her therapist. He managed to convince her that she was a “genius of friendship.” The woman became “spiritually thinner” in her relationships with men, and ceased to grow humanly and personally. Simply put, she entered into the worst possible state of spiritual affairs. The potential that she had for any deep relationships with » Please see Guilt, p.7
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December 2013 - The Valley Catholic
»Sunday Readings The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church DECEMBER 1 ( First Sunday of Advent ) Reading I IS 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm PS 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Reading II ROM 13:11-14 Gospel MT 24:37-44 DECEMBER 8 (Second Sunday of Advent )
Reading I IS 11:1-10 Responsorial Psalm PS 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 Reading II ROM 15:4-9 Gospel
MT 3:1-12 DECEMBER 15
(Third Sunday of Advent )
Reading I IS 35:1-6A, 10 Responsorial Psalm PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 Reading II Gospel
JAS 5:7-10
MT 11:2-11 DECEMBER 22
(Fourth Sunday of Advent )
Reading I
IS 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Reading II ROM 1:1-7 Gospel
MT 1:18-24
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.
Disciples in Mission: Six Weeks with the Bible
Seminarian to be ordained to transitional diaconate The Valley Catholic BROWNSVILLE — Bishop Daniel E. Flores will ordain Jose Garza to the t r ans it i on a l diaconate at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Holy Family Church, 2308 E. Tyler St. in GARZA Brownsville. Garza, 30, who is at Assumption Seminary, is in his 4th year of theology at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. He earned of bachelor of arts in May 2009 from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. A native of Matamoros, Garza is the son of Maria Elena Hernandez and the late Jose Garza. He has two sisters, Ana Rosa and Maribel.
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A prayer filled with self-pride
W
e all use our bodies to pray because we are a single unity of body and soul, or in Thomistic language, a spiritualized bodies or embodied spirits. We all have the need to worship because God put that desire in our hearts. The truth is that we cannot pray without our bodies simply because “the body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it” (TOB 19:4). Two men went up to the temple to pray, one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. In the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14, both men used their bodies, thoughts and actions to reveal what was in their hearts. The Pharisee said a prayer to himself, a prayer filled with self-pride. He spoke of all the good things he had done and accomplished, but never recognized that God is the author of all good works. He even went as far as thanking God for not being like the rest of humanity and enumerating the sins of others and mentioning the tax collector who was with him in front of the same God, the God who created them both with equal dignity was separating himself from his fellow humans. It must have been very difficult for the Pharisee’s wife and children to live with him because he considered himself different from the rest of humanity and that included his own family. Someone who thinks they are perfect is not only blind to their own faults; they are quite conscious of the faults of
Father Jorge Gomez Chancellor for the Diocese of Brownsville
others and feel it is their duty to constantly point them out. On the other hand, the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes, but beat his breast imploring God and asking for his mercy. The tax collector recognized his sinful condition and asked God for mercy. He is the one who really prayed an honest prayer. He really connected with God in recognizing his own sinfulness and asking forgiveness. In honesty, connecting with God he was justified, he was forgiven. Jesus rejects the Pharisee’s prayer, for this kind of prayer is not a dialogue with the God who is love, his prayer was more of a self affirmation of his own ego and therefore, it is a prayer viciously damaged on the root. Thus, it is a prayer that creates division; it is a self deceiving narcissistic prayer. It is a prayer that does not begin with the fundamental: the recognition of his poverty and the condition of being a creature in front of the Creator. In his prayer the Pharisee was not talking to God but to himself. His prayer was filled with self-pride, not giving God the credit for his virtuous life, and with contempt of others who were not as good as he thought he was. If he had really thanked God for the help and grace he had received that helped him to be the person he
was, if he had said a prayer for the tax-collector who may not have received the same opportunities and blessings in life that the Pharisee had received, then that would have been a good prayer. Prayer must be an honest act of gratitude for who we are and for what we have, even for the good works we can do. God is the author of everything we do. Prayer should bring us closer to the reality of the other person who is sitting beside you in church and thank God for his presence because “next to the Blessed Sacrament Himself, your neighbor is the holiest object present to your senses” (C.S. Lewis). A real prayer must bring us closer to God and to our neighbor and to recognize and to give thanks to God not for making us different from the rest of humanity, but for making us all in his image and likeness. It is in the human bodies of the fellow human beings that we can experience the presence of God in our lives because “the body in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible and in this way the body enters into the definition of sacrament, which is ‘a visible sign of an invisible reality’ namely, of the spiritual, transcendent, and divine reality. In this sign- and through this sign- God gives himself to man in his transcendent truth and in his love” (TOB 87:5). I invite you to feel that presence of God each Sunday in the person that is sitting beside you and give thanks to God for the presence of another being that has the same dignity that you have and for making present with his » Please see Self-Pride, p.19
:FBSPG'BJUIDPOUJOVFTCZ keeping door of our hearts open
A
s we come to a close on the Year of Faith it gives us an opportunity to reflect on “how’s your faith doing?” and what difference has the Year of Faith made in your life? The Year of Faith was an effort of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI “to a renewed conversion to the Lord Jesus and to rediscover our Catholic faith, so that as members of the Church we will be credible and joy filled witnesses of the Risen Lord, capable of leading others who are seeking the door of faith” (Acts 14:27), (Apostolic letter, Porta Fidei). The Holy Father intended the Year of Faith for Catholics to appreciate and to know the Creed, to study the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, to witness the faith and to perform acts of charity in order for our faith to take deep roots. What should give us hope as we conclude this year of faith are the many Catechumens who were received into full initiation into the Church at the Easter Vigil celebrated this past year in every Catholic church in our diocese and all over the world; the many children baptized every Sunday we have baptisms, the many children who receive the grace of God’s pardon and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance for the first time, the many who receive the Eucharist as they approach the table of the Lord for the first time; and the many who receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony by becoming one in Christ. It is up to us as the Mystical
Deacon Luis Zuniga Director, Office for Pastoral Planning & San Juan Diego Ministry Institute.
Body of Christ, the Church, to sustain them in the faith by praying for them to keep the faith until the Lord comes. As you may have heard Bishop Daniel E. Flores consecrated our diocese to Our Lord Jesus Christ through the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Nov. 24, the closing day of the year of faith at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville. The word “consecration” means a total giving of ourselves. Because God does not do anything in us or to us without our consent, our free will. Our Blessed Mother, Mary is our model of faith, of a life that is totally consecrated to God, a total surrender. Her heart is pure and sinless; a heart completely directed toward God, always willing to do God’s will with her life and to follow God’s plan as the New Eve. Our Blessed Mother was always faithful, from the womb to the tomb. By consecrating ourselves to the Lord Jesus we offer ourselves totally to Him and by following our Blessed Mother’s example we imitate her and join ourselves with her immaculate heart. Because her response is itself God’s gift of grace. “She shines forth on
earth until the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God” (Lumen Gentium 68). We follow her example as she did at the Annunciation, when she told the angel, “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) in other words by pledging ourselves to follow God’s will for us as she did. We recall her unfailing faith in her Son even when it was not his hour yet at the Wedding at Cana. “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5) She models once again her trust in her Son Jesus and invites us to do the same. At the foot of the cross our Blessed Mother Mary becomes the Mother of all disciples “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (John 19:26-27); therefore we trust and commend ourselves to her maternal love. May this Year of Faith which concluded Nov. 24 continue to motivate and encourage us on our journey of faith, of prayer and constant reflection as we keep the door of faith open to the will of God. Even though the Year of Faith came to an end, what continues is our commitment to respond daily to the Lord Jesus, who calls us to be his faithful disciples, sent into the world to announce the Gospel “the good news of salvation” and to bear witness to the joy of a life lived in faith. » Please see Year of Faith, p.7
Courtesy photo
An image of St. John of the Cross at the Carmel of Mary and Joseph, a Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Varroville, Australia.
»Feast Day - December 14
Spotlight on St. John of the Cross Catholic News Agency Dec. 14 is the liturgical memorial of St. John of the Cross, a 16th century Carmelite priest best known for reforming his order together with St. Teresa of Avila, and for writing the classic spiritual treatise “The Dark Night of the Soul.” Honored as a Doctor of the Church since 1926, he is sometimes called the “Mystical Doctor,” as a tribute to the depth of his teaching on the soul’s union with God. Born in Spain in 1542, John learned the importance of selfsacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver’s daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love — God. After John joined the Carmelite order, St. Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John’s own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a small cell and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God — and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell. After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. He resumed the work of founding and directing Discalced Carmelite communities. But intrigue within the order eventually cost him his leadership position, and his last years were marked by illness along with further mistreatment. St. John of the Cross died in the early hours of Dec. 14, 1591. He was beatified in 1675, canonized in 1726.
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The Valley Catholic - December 2013
Danza de los Matachines Photos by Brenda Nettles Riojas/ The Valley Catholic
PHARR — They danced in the street, they danced for Christ, they danced to share the Good News. In their costumes – gold, silver, bright reds, greens, yellow and hot pink, Matachines from different parishes in the diocese colored the streets and the drum beats led the dancers as they made their way south to St. Frances Cabrini Church in Las Milpas in Pharr. 7KHSDULVKKRVWHGWKHLUÀUVWHYHU Matachines Festival on Nov. 16 to unite groups from the Valley and to promote the art form.
To see more photos visit www.cdob.org and our Facebook page.
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December 2013 - The Valley Catholic
»Hope in Action: A Spotlight on Youth
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“Save Me” Video
Always ready to volunteer Special to the Valley Catholic SAN BENITO — St. Benedict Church recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary of serving the faithful of San Benito. Countless volunteers contribute to the success of the parish. Araceli Castillo is among those who have volunteered their time and talents to the parish. Castillo said her commitment to God was imparted to her through her grandmother’s example. She said she looks up to her grandmother, Bea Garcia, and admires all that she does for the parish. Castillo is the outgoing president of the St. Benedict Church Youth Group. Through her leadership, the youth of St. Benedict Church not only served the parish but the community at large. The group organized food drives for the local food pantry, and hosted events for the residents of nearby nursing homes on Christmas and Valentine’s Day. They also organized and hosted chalupa games to raise funds for the youth group. Castillo participated as one of two drummers in the play, “The Little Drummer Boy,” at the Midnight Mass on Christmas. After her Confirmation this past April, she is more determined to continue serving God. Name: Araceli Castillo School/Grade: San Benito High School, 11th Grade
Year of Faith continued from pg. 5 May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of the New Evangelization who always intercedes for us be our inspiration.
Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith Mother, help our faith! Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise. Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, where our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who believe are never alone. Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord! Amen. by Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith, First Encyclical of his pontificate)
The Valley Catholic
Araceli Castillo, a junior at San Benito High School, says her grandmother inspires her to have faith and serve others.
Activities at school: Band, drill team, and track What do you do at your parish? Altar Server for eight years; past president of the Youth Group 2012-13; currently shares the title of parliamentarian/ historian of the Youth Group; participant in the Christmas play; participant in the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday; sang and played with choir with her grandmother Talents/Gifts: Dancing, singing, drummer in band, track and volleyball Your favorite movie: The Pursuit of Happyness
Guilt continued from pg. 4 members of the opposite sex was dashed by the way she resolved her guilt: men became objects for her crafty genius, and her relationships were reduced to power plays and manipulation. She gradually became an empty shell of a woman, with little left that was genuine inside of her. She had encountered real guilt in her life, but had failed to engage it in a way that could lead to growth, conversion and fulfillment, and her therapist likewise failed her, because he was not sensitive to the value of true guilt and the deepest human needs reflected in that guilt — the need to forgive and to be forgiven. A few years back, Naomi Wolf wrote about a friend of hers who was a “Cornell-educated, urban, Democratic-voting 40-year-old cardiologist.” This friend had once had an abortion, and afterwards she said something Wolf found very interesting: “You know how in the Greek myths when you kill a relative you are pursued by Furies? For months it was as if baby Furies were pursuing me.” No matter what our education or background, no matter
Your favorite music: Any music is fine. TV show you never miss: There’s two, Dance Moms and America’s Got Talent Book you would read again: The Outsiders Person who has had a great influence in your life: “My grandmother. She has taught me about our Catholic religion. She has great knowledge about the Bible, she has taught me to be a giving person. She has set the example for me for serving our Lord and my church. She has also taught me to, “always have faith.”
what our level of sophistication may be, we have all received the gift of conscience, and the gift of “good guilt” that is ordered to helping us confront ourselves and turn away from wrongdoing. Pushing away our good guilt or hiding it under the rug only makes our situation worse. We are the only creatures in the animal kingdom capable of illuminating our guilt, of asking why we feel guilty. Guilt is like a pain of the soul, and pain often indicates that something is wrong and we should see a doctor. Our guilty feelings about wrongs or evils we have committed should lead us to seek the Divine Physician, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where God’s healing touch is personally experienced. Forgiveness from God and neighbor leads us to healing and wholeness. In this sense, “good guilt” points to possibilities of inner renewal and freedom. By becoming attuned to our guilt, and addressing it honestly, we discover a real cause for hope. — Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.
Courtesy
$OHMDQGUD+LQRMRVDDVHQLRUDW6W-RVHSK$FDGHP\LQ%URZQVYLOOHZDVDZDUGHGÀUVW prize for her video entitled “Save Me” in the Annual Valley Environmental Summit Art & Video Contest on Oct. 24. In the photo, Hinojosa is shown with her mother, Marcela and Texas State Representative Eddie Lucio III, who presented the award. The Valley Environmental Summit actively engages communities in working together to improve their environment and quality of life. For more information on the Valley Environmental Summit, go to www.valleyes.org .
30th Anniversary
Courtesy
The Oratory Schools in Pharr culminated their year-long 30th Anniversary celebration with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 14. The event was sponsored by the City of Pharr. In 1983, with the help of a handful of lay faithful, the religious FRPPXQLW\RIWKH3KDUU2UDWRU\RI3RQWLÀFDO5LJKWHVWDEOLVKHGLWVÀUVWVFKRROWKH Oratory Academy with grades Pre-K and Kindergarten and a student population of 15 and a staff of three. Today, the Pharr Oratory of the St. Philip Neri School System has more than 700 students on three campuses in two countries and 75 employees.
Libreria Católica J. C. Enterprise www.jcenterprise.biz
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The Valley Catholic -December 2013
Those Who Serve:
Deacon Julio Castilleja
'JFMEXPSLZJFMETMBTUJOHMFTTPOT Basilica honors .JHSBOU'BNJMZ of the Year By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic SAN JUAN — “Era muy chiquitillo cuando empeze a piscar,” (I was very young when I started working in the fields), said Deacon Julio Castilleja, who serves at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del ValleNational Shrine. “I didn’t know any other kind of life.” Deacon Castilleja, 83, was born and raised in the El Tule neighborhood on the east side of Edinburg. The neighborhood earned its name because the roofs of the humble homes were fashioned out of cattails or tule plant. Most of the people in the neighborhood worked as migrant workers. Year after year, Deacon Castilleja and his family picked cotton in the Rio Grande Valley and then traveled to Robstown, to Taylor and finally to West Texas to harvest even more cotton. Some years, they trekked all the way to Washington state to pick sugar beets or to Idaho to pick potatoes. All told, they traveled all over the country for work, working from sunrise to sunset harvesting crops. Deacon Castilleja, his siblings, along with other families, traveled
Photos by The Valley Catholic
Above: Deacon Julio and Mrs. Enedina Castilleja are presented with the Migrant Family of the Year Award by the priests of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. Left: Deacon Castilleja proclaims the Gospel at the basilica.
hundreds and hundreds of miles in truck beds, which were covered with tarps to keep out the elements.
“We looked like a wagon train,” Deacon Castilleja said. As they traveled from one job
to the next, they would pull the truck over to the side of the road and set up camp when night fell. The men would build a campfire and the women would cook meals over the open fire, meals that often included beans and tortillas. They slept on the ground in the open air. “Other people might look at migrant work and think, ‘what a hard life,” Deacon Castilleja said. “It is hard work but I think it was a great way to be raised. It was a lifestyle for us. We were used to it. I would not trade those experiences for anything. “I have so many great memories, memories of good times with my family, memories of all of us banding together and working as a team, good friends, good food,” he added. “Sometimes, I can almost taste the taquitos de frijol that we used to eat back then – bien padres. It was our life and we enjoyed it. Deacon Castilleja, his wife of 57 years, Enedina, 77, and their family were honored as the Migrant Family of Year for their decades as migrant workers at the basilica’s Migrant Welcoming Festival in October. As a child, Mrs. Castilleja and her family, who also lived in the El Tule neighborhood, labored as migrant workers in Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Lubbock and many other places. Deacon and Mrs. Castilleja have 10 children, 34 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Castilleja said she wasn’t surprised when her husband received the call to the permanent diaconate. “Growing up, we were neighbors,” she said. “His family was very religious and I liked that. I wanted a good man who liked to go to Mass like I did. We’ve experienced joys and sorrows in our marriage, including losing a daughter, but our faith has kept us strong.” Deacon Castilleja, who moved to San Juan as an adult, was ordained to the permanent diaconate 23 years ago. He has served at the basilica for the last 10 years, ministering to the thousands of pilgrims who visit each week. Manuela Villescas, a volunteer at the basilica and a longtime friend of the deacon and his wife, said that Deacon Castilleja is a natural in his daily pastoral work with the pilgrims. “He’s very friendly,” Villescas said. “He asks the pilgrims where they are from and makes conversation with them. He prays with them and for them. You can see that he enjoys interacting with them. He is also so patient and caring with the people who come here in crisis. “He’ll say he’s going to retire from time to time, but I can’t imagine him actually doing it, even though he is in his 80s. He is very hard-working and dedicated to his ministry. They don’t make too many like him anymore.”
YEAR IN REVIEW
December 2013 - The Valley Catholic
9
2013 A YEAR OF MEMORABLE EVENTS
JANUARY
Mission parish creates largest rosca in Texas Jan 6 Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Mission made the largest rosca de reyes in Texas on Jan. 6 the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord. The bread measured more than 1,500 feet. Newest Catholic Campus Ministry launched Jan 6 A new Catholic Campus Ministry was launched in the diocese at South Texas College-Starr County Campus.
Thousands attend Pro-Life March in McAllen Jan 19 The Respect Life Apostolate organized a march in McAllen on Jan. 19. Thousands of pro-life warriors joined Bishop Daniel E. Flores in the \ procession that began at St. Joseph the Worker Parish and continued into downtown where it passed by the
local abortion clinic and concluded at Sacred Heart Parish. Jan. 22, 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling, which legalized abortion throughout the U.S.
&DWKROLF6FKRROV2IÀFHKRQRUVH[FHOOHQFH
7KH&DWKROLF6FKRROV2I¿FHRIWKH'LRFHVHRI%URZQVYLOOHKRQRUHG 0DU\/DWLJRZKRKDVVHUYHGDVWKHVHFUHWDU\RIWKH&DWKROLF6FKRROV2I¿FH for more than 10 years, with the Diocesan Spirit Award. The award was presented at a dinner on Jan. 25 at Msgr. Ralph Hall at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in McAllen. At the dinner, each of the 13 Catholic schools in the diocese also recognized an individual for their dedication and commitment to Catholic education.
Medical clinic opened at St. Anthony Parishan 6 Dr. Stephen Robinson started a medical clinic in Harlingen. He is currently seeing patients at St. Anthony Catholic Church in the St. Anthony Annex Building. The clinic runs on donations from patients and those willing to contribute. Care given is not based on private or government insurance or on a fee schedule.
Mother-Daughter Program Jan.27 7KH)DPLO\/LIH2I¿FHKRVWHGLWV annual Mother-Daughter Program on Jan. 27 in San Juan. Designed for mothers and their daughters, ages 10-12, the program provides an atmosphere of love and learning in which to discuss the wonder of growing up and becoming a woman. 2013 marked the program’s 17th year.
FEBRUARY Religious honored at special Mass Feb.3 On Feb. 3, Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated a Mass in honor of World Day for Consecrated Life. at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. All religious priests, brothers and sisters serving in the Diocese of Brownsville were invited to attend the Mass. There are more than 200 in religious life serving in our diocese.
Diocese recognizes enduring marriages Feb.9 Couples marking 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60-plus years of marriage in 2013 were recognized at a World Marriage Day Mass celebrated by Bishop Daniel E. Flores on Feb. 9 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine.
Young Adult ambassadors commissioned As part of the Year of Faith LQLWLDWLYHVWKH2I¿FHIRU&DPSXV and Young Adult Ministry (CYAM) in February announced the creation of a group of 16 young adults who Bishop Daniel E. Flores commissioned to serve as his ambassadors throughout the diocese. The group meets with the bishop twice a year to discuss the concerns and issues facing young adults, ages 18-39, in our diocese.
Listening sessions conclude Bishop Daniel E. Flores held several listening sessions, or a town hall-style meetings, in 2013. The last session was held on March 19 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Mission for the Mission Deanery. The series began in the Pharr Deanery in the Autumn of 2012. The purpose of the listening sessions was to provide the faithful with a direct means of communication with the bishop and to encourage greater participation in the life of the Church. The feedback will also be used for planning purposes.
MARCH
Bishop Flores gives thanks for Pope Francis Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving on March 14 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville for the March 13 election of Pope Francis as the 265th successor of St. Peter. “The vocation of us all is to bear testimony to Christ. The pope is called to this, and so are we,” the bishop said during the Mass.
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YEAR IN REVIEW
APRIL Catholic Charities Hosts Gala April 6 Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley hosted their “Providing Help, Creating Hope Gala Night” on April 6 at the Cimarron Country Club in Mission. Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Esperanza Gelman were honored with the Hope Award, which recognized those who serve the most vulnerable members of society.
Raymondville students earn second place in national contest
The Valley Catholic -December 2013
Ralia Cortinas, Rosa Angelica Barrera, Carla Bocanegra, Jose Trevino and Celyna Vasquez, mobile journalists from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Raymondville, were awarded second place in the national Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Multimedia Youth Contest in April. The students wrote a poem titled, “I Am Raymondville,” which explored poverty in their hometown.
Experts leads Vatican II workshop April 6 Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz, the Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College, presented a workshop titled, “What happened at the Second Vatican Council? Keys to Understanding the Council,” on April 6 at the St. Pius X Parish Conference Center in Weslaco.
Oblate Trail Ride April 6 The Ninth Annual Oblate Trail Ride, a bicycle tour with 25 and 62.5 routes, was held on April 6. The route follows the famous Oblate Trail along Military Highway, an area the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate traveled by horse more than 100 years ago to celebrate Mass in the remote communities along the Rio Grande River. Funds raised from this event EHQH¿WWHGWKH&DWKROLF&DPSDLJQIRU Human Development to help break the cycle of poverty in the Valley. University students invited to discover, rediscover their faithApril Catholic Campus Ministry sponVRUHGWKH¿UVW³2FHORW$ZDNHQLQJ´ college retreat in Brownsville on April 12-14.
Sister Telkamp named ÀQDOLVWIRUQDWLRQDODZDUGApril 10 10Sister Zita Telkamp of the Sisters of
Divine Providence, program director for La Posada Providencia in San Benito, was QDPHGD¿QDOLVWIRUWKH/XPHQ&KULVWL Award on April 10. Bishop Daniel E. Flores nominated Sister Telkamp for the award, which is presented annually by Catholic Extension, a national fundraising organization committed to supporting and strengthening poor mission dioceses in the U.S.
Advocacy Day in Austin April 9 Hundreds of Catholics from the Rio Grande Valley joined others from across the state on April 9 for Catholic Advocacy Day, which was hosted by the Texas bishops at the State Capitol in Austin to promote the Church’s values of life, justice, charity, and religious freedom to the 83rd Texas Legislature.
Sacred Heart Church in Brownsville celebrates 100 years of faith A Centennial Celebration was held on April 13 for the historic Sacred Heart Church in Brownsville. Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated the Centennial Mass during which he thanked the Oblates of Mary Immaculate for their service over the years and spoke about the beauty of the church. “It is one of the most beautiIXOWHPSOHVLQWKHGLRFHVH´KHVDLG³7KHZLQGRZVÀRRUSODQWKH beauty of the sanctuary, it is really a living sign of the beauty which God uses…a beauty which is manifested perfectly in Christ Jesus himself.” St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish receives new church home More than three years after a blaze destroyed their sanctuary, St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish in Edcouch has a permanent church home. Bishop Daniel E. Flores blessed and dedicated the new 7,981-square-foot sanctuary on April 13 before a standing room only crowd. The new church seats 430. i
MAY Hike for Life raises funds, awareness for pro-life causes Hike for Life, a pro-life walk that takes place once a year in various locations around Texas to raise money for area crisis pregnancy centers, was held in Brownsville on May 18. The funds raised will be used to start a pregnancy center in the area.
Bishop ordains two to the priesthood May 25 Bishop Daniel E. Flores ordained Juan Manuel Salazar and Arturo Castillo Jimenez to the priesthood on May 25 at St. Anthony Church in Harlingen. A native of Edinburg, Father Salazar, 37, is a 10-year veteran of the Marine Corps and a Second Degree Knight of Columbus. A native of Ciudad Madero in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Father Castillo, 29, is a graduate of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. He said his mother, who attends Mass daily and serves as an Extraordinary Minister RI+RO\&RPPXQLRQDQGOHFWRUJUHDWO\LQÀXHQFHGKLVYRFDWLRQWRWKHSULHVWhood.
Blue Mass celebrated May 25 Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrated a %OXH0DVVIRUDOOODZHQIRUFHPHQW¿UHDQG safety personnel on May 25 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen. The Mass, which was sponsored by the Diocese of Brownsville, was celebrated in thanksgivLQJWR*RGIRUWKHGHGLFDWLRQDQGVDFUL¿FH made by the women and men serving LQWKH¿HOGRISXEOLFVDIHW\DQGIRUWKHLU families and communities. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, St. Joseph Academy students assist with tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley sent a team to assist with relief efforts in Oklahoma following the destruction left by tornados that hit the area on May 20. Sister Leticia Benavides of the Missionaries of Jesus headed the team which left on May 31. Forty-four students and faculty from St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville also went to Moore, Okla., from May 29 to June 6 to help with relief work.
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December 2013 - The Valley Catholic JUNE Summer Food Program provides meals in low-income areas Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided free, healthy meals and snacks to children in low-income areas via the Summer Food Service Program beginning on June 3. There were 70 sites throughout Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo County, which provided more than 126,000 meals to Valley children ages 3-18. Catholic Youth Renovation Project June 23-29 7KH2I¿FHRI