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w w w. C D O M . O r g | D e C e M b e r 2 0 1 3

t h e M a g a z i n e O f t h e C a t h O L i C D i O C e s e O f M e M p h i s

Faith in Action

t h e O L O g y 1 0 1

A roadmap for our life in Christ – The beatitudes

f e at u r e s t O r y

Father Kris Pelczar — A Renaissance man of the cloth

Faith West Tennessee / December 2013 / www.CDOM.org2

The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, D.D

PUBLISHER

Suzanne Avilés EdItoR and

dIREctoR of commUnIcatIonS

Angelica Beller advERtISIng/cIRcULatIon managER

December 2013 • Volume 1: Issue 4

Kayla KoenigsknechtgRaPHIc dESIgnER

InnerWorkingsPRInt managEmEnt

Derek MelotPRoofREadIng

Carlson Productions | Tom Gennara Suzanne Avilés (cover) | Philip Shippert

contRIBUtIng PHotogRaPHERS

FAITH West Tennessee (USPS No. 096070) is published monthly 10 times per

year except for February and August by the non-profit organization, FAITH Catholic. FAITH West Tennessee is the diocesan publication of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, serving more than

65,000 Catholics in West Tennessee. Periodical Postage paid at Memphis TN

38101 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITH West Tennessee, P.O. Box 341669, Memphis, TN 38184-1669. Serviced by Catholic News Service Member of the Catholic Press Association10 - The West Tennessee Catholic – March 15, 2012

For circulation problems or address changes, call 901.373.1209 News/Ads: 901.373.1213

Fax: 901.373.1269

[email protected]

www.faItHcatholic.com

your life7 work life

8 parenting journey

8 conflict resolution

9 your marriage matters

10 culture

your faith

12 in the know with father joe

13 morality everyday

14 spiritual fitness

16 theology 101

your stories18 Catholic by grace Christ through the generations

20 cover story Dot Alley – Faith in action

24 feature story Father Kris Pelczar — A Renaissance man of the cloth

26 local news

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C O v e r s t O r y

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contents26

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bishop J. terry steib, svD

MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES

W ho taught us how to pray? Was it our mom, our

dad, our grandmother or grandfather? Whom

have we taught to pray?

In times past, family members living together under one roof often included three generations. The family members took care of the very young and the very old. This arrangement al-lowed for family traditions and, often times, family professions and trades to be passed on to the next generation under the watchful eye and care of the older generation. Catholic faith traditions were passed on in the same manner.

In the Book of Proverbs, we read: “Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it.” (Proverbs 22: 6) Teach-ing children about God tends to be relatively easy because each of us begins life with a desire to know God. Little children relate easily to Baby Jesus in the manger. They are able to grasp with amazing ease the truth of God’s love.

Talking about and explaining family tradi-tions, coupled with examples of faith in ac-

tion, help growing children to develop a deeper relationship with God. As each year passes, and children receive more for-mal training in catechesis, the rhythm of life comes into play, which ties the seasons of the year to the liturgical seasons of the Church. Seasons laden with imagery and traditions help to form memories and reinforce meaning, which encourages children to place Christ in their life.

During the adolescent years, life may bring challenges to the faith of children. Innocence and total acceptance of religion and spirituality may be replaced with questions and skepticism. But this is normal. For teenagers to develop a true understanding of our Catholic faith, they must ask the “how” and “why” ques-

tions. This is the time when mature members of the family can be effective by teaching patiently (not preaching) and by modeling good Catholic faith practices.

Young adults often struggle to find a comfort-able place with God. Yet, many still rely on Mom’s example of faith, Grandma’s rosaries, Dad’s prayers, and Grandpa’s blessings. At this phase of young adult life, they need older adults — that is, grandmothers and grandfa-thers, mothers and fathers — to keep hope that their adult children will find the way of faith. Older adults are called to continue the

This far by faith

Hasta donde hemos llegado con Fe: Familias multigeneracionales

¿Q uién nos enseñó a orar? Era nuestra madre,

nuestro padre, nuestro abuelo o abuela?

¿A quién hemos enseñado a orar?

En el pasado, los miembros de la familia que viven bajo un mismo techo a menudo se incluyen tres generaciones. Los miembros de la familia se hizo cargo de los muy jóvenes y los muy viejos. Esta disposición permite a las tradiciones de la fa-milia, y muchas veces, las profesiones y los oficios de la familia que se pasarán a la siguiente generación bajo la atenta mirada y el cuidado de los mayores. Se aprobaron las tradiciones religio-sas católicas de la misma manera.

En el Libro de los Proverbios, leemos: “Instruye al joven en el camino que deben seguir, incluso cuando es viejo, no se desviará de él” (Proverbios 22: 6). Enseñar a los niños acerca de Dios tiende a ser relativamente fácil, ya que cada uno de nosotros comienza la vida con el deseo de conocer a Dios. Los

niños pequeños se relacionan fácilmente con el Niño Jesús en el pesebre. Ellos son capaces de captar con sorprendente facilidad la verdad del amor de Dios.

Hablar y explicar las tradiciones familiares , junto con ejem-plos de fe en acción , ayudan a los niños en crecimiento para desarrollar una relación más profunda con Dios. A medida que cada año pasa, y los niños reciben una formación más formal en la catequesis , el ritmo de la vida entra en juego que une las es-taciones del año para los tiempos litúrgicos de la Iglesia. Estos estaciones cargados de imaginación y tradiciones ayudan a formar recuerdos y reforzar sentido que anima a los niños a poner a Cristo en su vida.

Durante los años de la adolescencia , la vida puede traer a los desafíos a la fe de los hijos. La inocencia y la total aceptación de la religión y la espiritualidad pueden ser sustituidas por las preguntas y el escepticismo . Para los adolescentes a desarrollar una verdadera comprensión de nuestra fe católica , él o ella debe pedir el “cómo” y “ por qué” . Este es el momento cuando los


from the bishop

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practice of their faith, both as an example of being close to God and as a model of Christian behavior.

Eventually, the little child who believed in Jesus as the baby in the manger will look at his or her own children and marvel at the simplicity of a child’s faith. And, as time marches on, the young adult becomes the mature adult with a living Catholic faith to pass along. Multiple generations of a family helping and supporting, teaching and transmitting the Catholic faith- what a witness to one’s personal encounter with Jesus Christ!

miembros mayores de la familia pueden ser eficaces al enseñar con paciencia (no predicación) y modelando buenas prácticas de nuestra fe católica .

Los jóvenes a menudo tienen dificultades para encontrar un lugar cómodo con Dios. Sin embargo , muchos aún confían en el ejemplo de la mamá de su fe, rosarios de la abuela , las oraciones de papá, y bendiciones del abuelo . En este momento en la vida de los adultos jóvenes , los adultos mayores - es decir, abuelas y abuelos, madres y padres - no deben perder la espe-ranza de que sus hijos van a encontrar la fe así. Están llamados a continuar con la práctica de su fe , tanto como un ejemplo de estar cerca de Dios y como un modelo de conducta cristiana .

Con el tiempo, el pequeño niño que cree en Jesús como el bebé en el pesebre se verá en sus propios hijos y maravillarse con la simplicidad de la fe de un niño. Y a medida que el tiempo avanza, el adulto joven se convierte en un adulto maduro con una fe católica que también pueden pasar con el tiempo a la siguiente generación.

“Beauty of nature & Inspired artwork” by Chris Pelczar will be shown at Christian Brothers University, 650 E. Parkway South, Memphis, Tenn. The show will open with a reception Jan. 10, 2014, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery on the first floor of the Plough Library on campus. The exhibit will be free and open to the public until it closes on Feb 13, 2014. Guests can check the CBU website for gallery times. A show by the National Ornamental Metal Museum in an exhibit of metal work will run simultaneous with Father Kris’s work.

To hear more about the show, listen to Father Kris on WKNO’s “Checking on the Arts” at 9 a.m. on Jan 10.

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7Faith West Tennessee / December 2013 / www.CDOM.org6

yourlife

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One team member’s sloppy work is making us ALL look bad

I work on a lot of projects in a group. One of my colleagues is always late with her part, and often doesn’t do it correctly at all. This reflects badly on all of us, which is

making my blood boil. What can I do?

You could handle this directly with her, the team or your boss.

One might consider Solomon & Co.’s advice for the first option. Proverbs 18:9 states, “One who is slack in his work is a brother to one who destroys.” Your colleague’s shoddy work is beyond aggravating. It’s a cancer for your team and unjust to your employer. Her failures diminish your person-

al and collective reputations and can even jeopardize your professional future. Sirach 33:22 reminds us to “Excel in all that you do.” Your standard of excellence is humanly and spiritually com-mendable. Therefore you’re on solid ground to confidently approach her straightfor-wardly. And soon. Don’t tackle the whole problem with all its ugly history. Target the next or

most recent incident and act. Approach her as a friend. “A pleasant voice multiplies friends and softens enemies, and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.” (Sirach 6:5) Point out the incident and ask if you can help. Find out what’s going on. Rehearse what you might say in a comfortable setting. Your goal is love, and the Lord of love will give you just the right approach and words. Keep in mind that she may simply lack the skill or training her tasks require. Pro-crastination and incompetence are often kissin’ cousins. If she values wisdom, she’ll listen and you’ve gained a friend and perhaps a solution. But it may not be that pretty.

Q Jim Berlucchi is the

executive director of the Spitzer Center, whose mission is to build cultures of evangelization (www.spitzercenter.org).

a

work life

Don’t be shocked if she reacts defensively. Only lovers of wisdom actually appreciate correction. “The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction.” (Wisdom

6:17) If she rejects your input, go to your boss or your team-mates with your concern. “Do nothing without delibera-tion; and when you have acted do not regret it.” (Sirach 32:19) You can’t control the outcome, but, if you follow the Bible’s ancient counsel, you can be at peace regardless – with lower blood pressure to boot.

melaniereyesphotography

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was keeping the commandments. But he chose not to respond to Jesus’ invita-tion. As disciples of Jesus Christ, there are times that we say, “yes,” but there are other times that we walk away. Even Peter, the rock on whom the Church was built, denied that he even knew Jesus.

a knowledgeable decision. It is reasonable to ask your son to become bet-ter informed before making a final decision.

His participation in the activities his peers are completing for the sac-rament of confirmation will serve to increase his understanding of

the sacrament. It may be that he decides to be con-firmed after this process, or he may still be adamant that he doesn’t want to be confirmed.

To be confirmed? Who makes the decision?

My son has decided he doesn’t want to be confirmed. Is there something I can do to convince

him? Should I force him to go through with it?

Your strong desire to see your son confirmed is natural since our Church teaches that confirmation

deepens the grace that we received at the time of baptism. But the use of force isn’t consistent with the sacred nature of confirmation.

assuming the role of disciple. Although your son has reached an age when confirmation is expected, there are other attributes that need to be considered. Our Catechism notes that, “A candidate for confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within

parenting journey

the ecclesial community and in tempo-ral affairs.” (CCC # 1319) How did your son conclude that he didn’t want to be confirmed? Try hard to listen attentively to his reasons; it will be difficult because you have strong feelings about the issue, too. Take time to ponder what he says rather than responding too quickly. You may want to listen and then choose not to respond until after you have prayed for guidance. Thank him for being open with you and tell him that you need time before you respond.

the invitation – come follow. In Matthew 19:21-22, we read about the rich, young man who approached Jesus. The man was seeking eternal life and

dr. cathleen mcgreal is a psychology professor and certified spiritual director.

Y O U R L I F E

T. Gennara

Qa

dr. gelasia marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

“split the check”

We went out to dinner with friends and did not drink – so we didn’t think we should have to pay as much of the share of the bill as the other guests. But someone told the waiter to “just split the check.” How could we have handled this – we ended up paying $30 each for two hamburgers!

It can be difficult to split checks fairly without antagonizing anyone in the process. To avoid any conflict, you could talk openly with your friends about

sharing the bill before going out to dinner. At the restaurant, the best method is to ask the server if he or she can provide your party with separate checks.

Even if the restaurant does not provide this option, asking this question will show everyone that you are only willing to pay for your portion. As the time approaches to receive the bill, let your friends clearly know everyone is responsible for paying for their own meals. If the group’s meals are charged to one friend’s credit card, make sure to pay them for your entire meal, including tip.

S. K

endrick

conflict resolution


What do they do?

O

She SayS: he SayS:

deacon tom fogle and Joanne fogle help prepare couples for marriage.

can feel comfortable. Sometimes, it isn’t the amount of “stuff” we are collecting (or hoarding), it is really a matter how we are handling the feelings of our spouse. When we ignore our spouse’s feelings, it doesn’t matter what the issue is because our relationship will be in need of repair. A solution that is 50/50 doesn’t work, because that’s like keeping score. But, when each partner gives 110/110, each spouse is giving over and above what is needed. Scripture reminds us that, “Above all, let your love for one another be in-tense because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (1 Peter 4:8-9)

Tim and Mary may discover that when they find time to discuss their feelings first, a

solution may come about very quickly. When a couple learns to compromise, to find a balance, they will be communicating on a different level.

your marriage matters

“ Our house is full of his junk!”

mary says: Tim is a hoarder – our house is beginning to look like one of those TV shows, and I can’t get my car in the garage. I don’t know if I can live like this – how can I get him to get rid of his stuff?

“I’m a collector, not a hoarder.”

tim says: I am a collector, not a hoarder. I know where all the elements of my collection are. For example, I have an amazing group of vintage surfboards in the garage; they just need a little sealing and waxing to be really

valuable. Mary needs to lighten up.

ur experience is that a collector has an organized mess and a hoarder has a serious mess in need of serious help. A collector has a plan for his purchas-es whereas a hoarder just buys without an overall plan. A collector devotes time and effort toward one

or two “collectibles” and is disciplined in his approach, while a hoarder devotes time and effort in “collecting” as much as he feels is necessary and exhibits very little discipline.

Typically, a collector is comfortable in her own skin (with themselves) while a hoarder is not and tries to fill a void with “stuff.” Regardless, a collector or a hoarder, Tim’s be-havior is becoming an irritant to Mary and, consequently, it is having an impact on their relationship. It is now a problem that Tim and Mary need to address. If Tim’s collectibles are taking over the house, and an attached garage counts as part of the house, we can under-stand Mary being upset. Almost every married couple we know experiences this issue in some degree; be it multiple pairs of shoes filling the closet or multiple tools

filling up the garage. It has very little to do with the size of the house and a

lot to do with the perceived clutter. It is not unusual

for one spouse to reach a limit with a spouse’s “collectibles” during marriage, which forces the couple to re-adjust, re-orient and rethink their purchases or trades.

Why? Because there are

at least two people

who live in the house and finding a

balance for the two of you is necessary so that both

T. Gennara

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tim’s behavior

is becoming an irritant to mary and

consequently it is having an impact on their

relationship. It is now a problem that Tim and Mary need to

address.


Y O U R L I F E

michelle difranco is a designer and the busy mom of two children.

T. G

enna

ra

Photography by Philip Shippert

never used to like seafood. Particularly shellfish. Extra-particularly, raw shellfish. Which never presented a problem on dates because, no matter what briny, subaquat-ic, alien thing my date wanted to ingest,

I had the luxury of simply ordering something else.

But when one of my seafood-loving dates became my fiancé, and that particular fiancé became my husband, a problem arose. Now that we live together, we no longer could enjoy different selections at dinner like dur-ing those happy days of court-ship, restaurants and separately ordered dishes. Alas, now we cooked for ourselves. One dish. To be shared. So, either I unhappily choked down crustaceans, or he unhap-pily lived without. What was I to do? I knew this issue would fester over time and risk metastasizing into a source of frustration be-tween us. But, there to give me guidance were some of the great-est words of wisdom my mother ever shared with me. She once said, with indelible truth, “Love is a decision, not a feeling.” And how undeniable that is. Most married couples will admit that

the “feelings” of love can evapo-rate after a while, and the “act” of love must take its place. In my case, the “warm fuzzy” feelings were to be replaced by “slimy, scaly” action. So, on our first wedding an-niversary, I broke the long sea-food-less marathon of meals that I had been preparing for a full year and fashioned a gour-met “surf’n’turf” of beef tender-loin and, yes, sea scallops. He devoured them. It’s amazing how love works. After an hour in the kitchen with a curled upper lip, I was start-ing to bemoan the sacrifice I was making so that he could have a great meal. But, in the end, the pleasure on his face, the hum-ming as he ate and the gratitude in his eyes were more of a dessert than any restaurant could have prepared had we dined out that night. He was happy. My mother’s definition of what Christian love really is never fades. I see it in how my husband decides to love me when the “feel-ing” isn’t there. And one thing is certain — when he decides to love me in unselfish ways, I al-ways notice the warm fuzzy feel-ings quickly return. As for those shellfish? Let’s just say I’ve come to appreciate them more than I thought I ever would. How much so? Enough to consider this reci-pe worth sharing.

Beef tenderloin and sea scallops

• 1¼ cups balsamic vinegar

• 1 clove minced garlic• 3 tablespoons butter

(divided)• 2 beef tenderloin filets

• 8 large sea scallops• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste• chopped parsley

for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar and minced garlic to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and occasion-ally stir until reduced to half (18-20 minutes). Add a tablespoon of butter, give it a stir and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare both the tenderloin filets and sea scallops by sprinkling with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of the butter. Add filets and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (for medium) or to desired doneness. Place tenderloin filets on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter on high heat. Cook scallops for 2-3 minutes on each side until caramelized. Plate each filet and drizzle reduction sauce over top. Place four scallops over each of the steaks and gar-nish with chopped parsley. Serve with asparagus or green beans.

Selfish or shellfish?I

culture

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yourfaithin the know with Father Joe

If you’d like to submit a question for father Joe to consider in a future column, please send it to: [email protected]. Father Joe is unable to personally answer questions.

T. Gennara

I think it must be a tough thing to hear so many people talking

about evangelization without telling us exactly what it is. For a lot of people, the idea of evan-gelization conjures up images of people yelling from street corners, condemning others or trying to get people to think just like we do. If that is our im-age of evangelization, then no wonder it has no appeal to us!

I’m going to write this ar-ticle assuming that you “have the basics”: You care about your relationship with God and you live that out through a faithful sacramental life and participation in your parish life. If that is the case, then we’re going to look at evan-gelization as a process that involves a few key ideas. I’m going to put them in an order that makes sense to me, but, to be clear, I don’t mean for you to read this as if you only do one step at a time. All these ideas and steps roll together and work as a whole. With that in mind, there are four elements to evangelization that we are all called to: we must know Jesus, we must learn our

faith, we must know ourselves and we must be holy.

First, we’ll look at the idea that we must know Jesus. Again, I’m assuming an active faith life on your part with personal prayer and prayer in your Church. What you and I need to be conscious of is the “why?” It’s not just important that we do the right thing, but that we know why we are doing it. Ponder the answer to the question, “What differ-ence has my faith made in my life?” Think about what you would be like without your faith. Consider what your life would be like. When you do this, you will, in the words of Scripture, “Always be prepared to give an answer to every-one who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentle-ness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) And, as Pope Paul VI said, “Man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” (Evangelii Nuntiandi)

When we do this, we are looking at the human heart and seeing how our faith heals

Am I really supposed to be an evangelist?

Q I hear talk that we are supposed to evangelize, but I’m not sure I want to do that. What does it mean?

aand strengthens it. As we know, however, the human life is not all heart. It’s also about our minds, so you’ll want to feed your love for your faith with knowledge about it. Get to know why we believe what we believe. In these days, there is a lot of ignorance about our faith, such as claims that we are anti-science or anti-intellectual. There are few things more inaccurate than that, and the answer to the misconception is people like you and me being well-informed. Learning about our faith is not hard; there are tons of options out there for us. You can listen to podcasts, read good articles – all sorts of things. By learning about our faith, you are giving yourself the gift of knowing and know-ing something beautiful and amazing. By learning about our faith, we are entering a spiritual and philosophical base that is 2,000 years old and informed by every culture we’ve encoun-tered in that time.

Your heart and mind are all a part of the what, now let’s look at the how – how do you express what your heart and mind loves? The simple answer to this is that you must evangelize as you are, not as you are not. Take some time and think about your gifts and talents, your personality

traits and characteristics. All of these things form the core of who you are and makes you the unique person God called to be an evangelist. If you’re shy, you don’t have to pretend you’re not. If you’re outgo-ing, you don’t have to pretend you are shy. The person you are is a gift that God gave the world and an answer to the prayers of many – even people you’ve never met. When you understand who you are, your evangelization will be authen-tic, life-giving and effective.

Interwoven into all of these must be a firm commitment on your part to be holy. Holy is a word that means “set apart,” and that really is the key to evangelization. When you and I stand out from the crowd by things we say “yes” to and the things we say “no” to, then we have begun to walk the path of holiness. There are many people who love their faith and there are many people who are well informed about their faith, but there doesn’t seem to be many


people who are simply holy. You must answer that call.

Sometimes, this will mean you are going to have to refrain from other people’s cruelty to others or immoral behavior. It’s going to mean showing kindness to those others are treating cruelly. It’s going to mean speaking the truth about what you’ve done and what you haven’t. It is going to mean taking respon-sibility for your actions and needs and being respectful to your parents and siblings. Some days, its going to mean holding true to “unpopular” teachings of the Church when all around you are caving in. If and when you do these things, I promise you will stand apart.

All of these are elements of being holy. If you commit to being holy, you’ll find that you are evangelizing simply by means of the fact that you ex-ist! Beyond that, you’ll be ready to gently and lovingly explain why you love your Catholic faith and what you know about it. You’ll have credibility from your peers because you will so clearly be set apart without being self-righteous.

I pray that God shows you how beautiful you are. I pray that, through thinking of your faith and learning about it, you become more aware of how blessed it is to stand out, stand up and follow the chal-lenge from the Book of Micah: “You know, oh man, what is required: act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Enjoy another day in God’s presence!

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T

Janet E. Smith holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sa-cred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

here are at least three different concepts of religious liberty at play in American culture. None of them are the same as the Catholic understanding of religious liberty.

The first might be properly called “religious tolerance.” This view equates religious belief and practice with any other human idiosyn-crasy, such as being a Yankees fan or dyeing one’s hair green. Most of us see no particular value in such commitments or actions, but are happy to tolerate such if they don’t harm others. Although most Americans are reli-gious, the attitude that religion is simply to be tolerated is an attitude that is surprisingly and distressingly widespread. Most Americans seem to forget that the original settlers of this country left all the comfort and familiarity of their homeland and traveled over a dangerous ocean in rickety ships to relocate on an undeveloped conti-nent full of frightening elements. All so they could practice their faith in an unimpeded way; we might call this “the original settlers’” view. Not all of these settlers were prepared to extend religious liberty to others, but the Catholics of Maryland were, and they passed the first Toleration Act in the United States. The view of many Founding Fa-thers of this country, those who identified religious liberty as our first right, agreed with Plato that reli-gion is vital to a democracy. Democracy cannot succeed without virtuous individuals who have good values, and religion is highly effective in promoting virtue and good values. Democracy without

proper values is quickly taken over by those who violate fundamental rights. A democratic state then risks turning into a totalitarian state. The Catholic Church has a fourth un-derstanding of the importance of religious liberty. Pope John Paul II spoke of religious liberty as the most fundamental liberty. It is most fundamental because we are on the face of this earth to be in relationship with God; anything that curtails our ability to be in that relationship is something that truly violates our human nature. Catholics are committed to helping non-Catholics and we often employ non-Catholics. The HHS mandate permits employers who employ only Catholics and who serve only Catholics to have the freedom of conscience to refuse to comply with policies that violate the Catholic faith, but does not extend that to those who serve or employ non-Catholics. Yes, we should tolerate people with green

hair and, yes, religion is useful for producing virtuous individuals. But, above all else, religion and a life in accord with the dictates of one’s

conscience are at the heart of being. Religious liberty is the liberty most worth fighting for; we don’t yet have to fight with weapons of destruction or try to find a more compat-ible place to live, but we do need to call on our leaders to uphold religious liberty and to make wise policy decisions. The stakes are very high.

morality everyday

Why is religious liberty important?

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Be with Me Lord as I...

14 Faith West Tennessee / December 2013 / www.CDOM.org

We are in the Advent season, and I have a proposal to make. The Year of Faith ended with the feast of Christ the King; ended, but, in another sense, has just be-

gun. I would like you to use this Advent season to begin to practice what a life of faith would look like. There is a book that has had a deep effect on my life and I want to introduce you to it, if you have not already read it, as a way to look at this Advent.

“Faith is not a thing of the mind; it is not an intellectual certainty, but a felt conviction of the heart. It is a sustained decision to take God with utter seriousness as the God of my life. It is to live out each hour in a practical, concrete affirma-tion that God is Father and he is ‘in heaven.’ It is a decision to shift the center of our lives from ourselves to him, to forgo self-interest and to make his interests, his will our sole con-cern.” “The Essence of Prayer” by Sister Ruth Burrows, OCD.

For faith to be an active part of our daily life, it needs to grow. If it doesn’t, it will wilt, then fade, then die. A key to growing in faith is to practice daily having God in the center of our thoughts, our conversa-tions, our work, our emotional reactions, the development of our relationships, our trials and crosses, our failures and our triumphs, our joys and pain of everyday life. In short, to grow in faith is to place ourselves in the presence of God, when we

rise in the morning, as we go about our responsi-bilities, as we live the daily circum-stances and as we lay down at night.

How do we do that? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace to remember, as you move to each new thing each day, to ask God to prompt you to consciously say: “Be with me, “Lord, as I meet this client.” “Be with me, Lord, as I bathe and care for my children.” “Be with me as I cook and clean.” “Be with me as I move from meeting to meeting.” And so on. You get the idea. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to form a habit to stop for even five seconds be-fore you start something new.

Give this time, whatever each segment is, to God. “Lead me, Lord, teach me, speak to my heart. Give me wisdom

or patience or courage or strength or hope or love. ...” As you persevere in build-ing this habit, your soul will become more attuned to what I call the whispers of the Holy Spirit. He will lead anyone who puts him dead center in the most mundane and the most important events of the

day. As you do, you will experience

being less alone. But it takes practice and, after a while, you will find the

rewards – more peace,

more wisdom, more courage,

more trust. Your faith becomes real. God is with you. You are not alone.

Advent is the most wonder-ful time to begin to practice putting your faith in action in your daily life. Advent is a time of silence, of quiet, of waiting ... What comes out of that is the greatest gift God could ever give us – his own Son, in the flesh, for us.

Use this Advent season to invite the Lord into every part of your life. God’s presence and assurance and peace will come, even in some of the most troublesome areas of your personal or family life. Put all your trust in him.

God’s greatest gifts often come in silence and quiet

Sister ann Shields is a renowned author and a member of the Servants of God’s Love. Questions can be addressed to Sister Ann Shields, Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

T. G

enna

ra

spiritual fitness

Spiritual fitness exercise

• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to form a habit to stop for even five seconds before you start something new.• “Lead me, Lord, teach me, speak to my heart. Give me.”• It takes practice. After a while you will find the rewards – more of what you asked for.

Y O U R F A I T H

for more complete teaching:A free booklet, “Captured by Mercy,” is available by calling 1.800.282.4789.

A CD, “Captured by Mercy,” is available for $10. Order by writing

Renewal Ministries, Att: Laura, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI

48103. (Check payable to Renewal Ministries)

“FAITH: More Precious Than Gold” by Sister Ann Shields is a free

booklet. Order by calling 1.800.282.4789

waiting. He will not fail you. May this be a most blessed Advent and, as a result, may you know the beauty and the power of God’s silent presence in your soul. May you walk then in newness of life – in him and with him and for him; that is living faith. May it be yours this Christmas!

1515

People often refer to “Four Pillars” in the Catechism. The Third Pillar

refers to the commandments which reveal a new dignity in Christ who calls us to lead a new life that is “worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”

This new life is the life of communion with God, or beatitude. Because this is the end for which humanity was created,

this pillar of the Catechism explores both beatitude and the ways of reaching it.

The beatitudes, part I“The beatitudes are at the heart of

Jesus’ preaching. They express the voca-tion of the faithful associated with the glory of his passion and resurrection; they shed light on the actions and atti-tudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ’s disciples.”

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In the Garden of Eden, we know our first parents succumbed to the sugges-tion of the serpent that there was some-how a lack in their relationship with God and that there was something they could do about it. Rather than being of the same mind, love and heart of God, our first parents chose to take matters into their own hands in order to “fill themselves” with what they lacked.

In order to restore the proper rela-tionship with God, Jesus, who is Love,

Y O U R F A I T H

theology 101

A roadmap for our life in Christ – The beatitudes


Story by Doug Culp

Catechism Quiz

Q: Which of the following is not a source of the

morality of a human act?a. The conscience of the actorb. The object chosenc. The end or intentiond. The circumstances of the action

a: (a) the conscience of the actor. The object,

intention and circumstances make up the sources, or constitutive el-ements, of the morality of human acts. - CCC 1750

Cardinal Franz König Franz König (1905 – 2004) served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to cardinal in 1958. He was the last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John XXIII and he was the second-oldest and longest-serving cardinal worldwide at the time of his death.

On combating the decline of Christian churches:“The primary concern of the Christian churches, of every church, but particularly of the Catholic Church, in whose name I speak, cannot first and foremost be its public image. Its primary concern must always be to pass on the Gospel message with its partly adaptable and partly unalterable standpoint. And so I am faced with the question: How do I fulfill my task of conveying my message in the world as it is today? It is not an easy task and requires — much more than it used to — hon-est co-operation between bishops, priests and laity. Here, too, it was the Second Vatican Council which repeatedly pointed to the necessity of such co-operation. As Lumen Gentium 33 says, ‘Now, the laity are called in a special way to make the Church present and fruitful in those places and circumstances where only through them can it become the salt of the earth.’

“This means that it is not enough to discuss the word of God and comment on it. We must above all carry it out and bear witness to it by the way we live. The churches, the faithful in the churches, must be credible interpreters, witnesses of God’s love for mankind. That is the secret of a Mother Teresa or a Father Maxi-milian Kolbe, who changed the world around them. And so Christianity and its churches do not have to invent anything new. They must simply go on proclaiming the same Gospel, not so much with words but through bearing loving witness to the way they live.” - from “The pull of God in a godless age,” The Tablet, 9/18/1999

demonstrated to us through the witness of his life the proper attitude we must adopt. In short, we must be like Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God some-thing to be grasped. Rather he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, com-ing in human likeness; and found hu-man in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8)

To re-enter communion with God then, we, too, must turn from a disor-dered ego and its self-reliance to the attitude of Christ. One rich in the spirit of the disordered self will forever be blinded to the one true thing it really lacks: love. Instead, he or she will con-stantly grasp for that which is beyond his or her reach, will seek to remake the world in his image and will demand that everyone else conforms to her way of viewing the world. The challenge for us today continues to be to empty ourselves of pride, of a false sense of own divinity.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Words can manipulate. Words can be double-edged or have multiple mean-ings. Words also can be a source of great pride. Our society values and praises those who are never at a loss for words. We are moved by talented writers and inspired by our great orators.

In contrast, all genuine tears and cries are the recognition of limits; that we are no longer in control. Tears come when words fail us. Tears are pure because they come from the depths of a person's being to express a need and desire that cannot be expressed in words. The tears that originate from a deeply felt hurt, loss, affliction or need leave no doubt in the hearer as to the existence of the pain or need. In this way, true tears hide nothing; they have no hidden agenda.

Crying also affirms our dependence on something or someone other than ourselves — a message that many of us would rather not hear. Like a baby, we must trust that God will hear our cries and will understand their meaning. We must trust that God will penetrate through the tears to the underlying need, i.e. reconciliation or removal from all that seeks to separate us from God, whether we are aware of this or not.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The word meek connotes patience, mildness, gentleness, kindness and disin-clination towards anger and resentment. Meekness is both a natural outgrowth of poverty of spirit and an essential ingredi-ent for poverty of spirit. Only one who has emptied himself or herself of the false ego can exercise patience and kindness because these require a person to not put his or her own self with its demands as primary.

Meekness, simply put, is a fruit of the Spirit and, therefore, only blossoms to the extent that we participate in the life of the Spirit. To be meek then is to be like Christ, which is only possible when the mind of Christ wells up within us.

- quotes from the Catechism (1691-1729) unless otherwise noted.

17

yourstories

Christ through the generations

I ’m in that middle time of life. My children are

welcoming babies into their lives, and my mother

is preparing to retire. In June, I stood beside my

daughter as she gave birth to my third grandson.

My granddaughter was born last January.

We buried my father in 2003, after he underwent a significant decline in health. Mom turned 70, my sister turned 50, and my daughter turned 30 last summer.

Even our home is a metaphor for multi-generational living. My husband and I have a teenager still living at home. There’s a crib in the guest room for grandbabies. Our guest bathroom was designed to accommodate my father, who was disabled in his final years of life.

A look at the underlying family dynamics reveals an even wider generation gap. My mother’s parents didn’t go to movies; they didn’t eat at restaurants; they didn’t believe in sleeveless tops for girls or co-ed swimming pools. On the other hand, my grown children have gone through phases when they believed living together should be the standard operating procedure for those who fall in love, and that being a baby mama (unmarried mother) is an acceptable societal trend.

The generation gap sometimes feels more like a gen-erational chasm.

Sometimes, it feels like I have stepped out of the boat that is my comfort zone — my era — my generation, with its own rules and social mores — and I into the choppy, treacherous waters of our culture.

Somewhere inside me, I know that truth still matters. There is right and there is wrong.

Somewhere inside me, I know that there is strength for every day. The days of joy (births) and the days of sad-ness (deaths).

Somewhere inside of me, I know that there is more to this life than sand passing through an hourglass. Life no longer stretches out before me so comfortably that I can ignore its ups and downs. I can see the beginning – and

the ending. And the ending is not so far away.The older I get, the more I realize that life is not about

hurry, hustle and grab the gusto. It is about knowing where the center is – who my ballast is. It is the lesson St. Peter discovered while learning to walk on water. Eyes on Christ. Eyes always on Christ.

When a daughter ends up pregnant outside of mar-riage – for the third time. Eyes on Christ.

When a father dies suddenly and the accessible bath-room will never be needed. Eyes on Christ.

When the youngest one is going through those teen years and you feel like you used up all of your endurance on the last one to leave the nest. Eyes on Christ.

When the ones who were babies – it seems like yester-day – are now entering their 30s. When your mother is aging and your heart is heavy because life is moving far too fast. Eyes on Christ.

The longer I am Catholic, the more I realize how much we need Mother Church – how much we need the Eucharist. I used to think it was all about how fast one could go from 0 to 60. Now, I realize, it is all about how fast one can go from 60 to 0. Zero – where we get quiet before God. All it takes is a little drive down the street to the Adoration Chapel. My ballast. Jesus Christ. He’s still the center of our faith. The timeless ballast for every ves-sel upon life’s waters.

Catholicbygrace.blogspot.com

Denise Bossert can be reached at 4575 Hopewell Rd., Wentzville, Mo. 63386 or 636.352.8705

Catholic by grace


What binds us together as God’s family?

T here are several words in the English language that

have many distinct meanings. One of the most inter-

esting words baring multiple definitions is “family.” After

examining the dictionary, I found a number of definitions

diverse in meaning:

“A group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head; a people or group of peoples regarded as deriv-ing from a common stock; a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation; a group of things related by common characteristics as closely related series of elements or chemical compounds; a group of related plants or animals form-ing a category ranking above a genus and below an order; a set of curves or surfaces whose equations differ only in parameters; and a unit of a crime syndicate operating within a geographical area.”

However, when most of us think of family, we think of the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rear-ing their children; less often we think of the various social units differing from, but regarded as equivalent to, the nuclear family.

In the Scripture, Jesus had an interesting view of family that becomes increasingly relevant to modern-day life, where the concept of the traditional family has certainly been expanded. We generally celebrate the feast of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year as a model for all Christian families in which we make Christ the center of our family life. However, and most interestingly, when Mary and Joseph lose Jesus at age 12 and find him in the

Temple conversing with intellectuals, it marked the beginning of a formulation of a new definition of family from Jesus. As Jesus told his mother, it was now time to go about his heavenly Father’s business.

Later in the Scriptures, we find the story of an adult Jesus: Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they

were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, want-ing to see you.” He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

While that statement seems very harsh relative to Jesus’ im-mediate family, I am convinced that Jesus was setting up a new paradigm for what constitutes family. Jesus asserted the idea that a family is not a group of people related by common ancestry or living in the same household, but, rather, a group of individuals who love one another as Jesus commanded. As it was said:

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Dr. JOhn sMarreLLi Jr.PReSIDeNT, CHRISTIAN BROTHeRS UNIveRSITY

Feeding the Flockthree years. 380,000 meals. More than 1,500 volunteers.

God has been good to us at St. Louis Catholic Parish!

For the third year in a row, we held our annual Feed My Flock event on Oct. 26. Parishioners, from all ages and walks of life, came together for an all-day event to prepare meals for the hungry.

Three years ago, two parishioners, Tony and Becki McGehee, brought the idea of the event to our Social Ministry group. They had heard about it from a friend who told them about the ministry, which started in Iowa. It seemed like quite an undertaking, but, after faithful support

from pastor, Monsignor John McArthur, we decided that St. Louis parishioners were up to the task.

Were they ever! We completed our first year by preparing 80,000 meals. We have completed 150,000 meals in each of the last two years.

This year, all 150,000 meals were bagged, boxed and labeled by young and old, families, cheerleaders, friends, singles, widows, priests and deacons. They were then sent to Sierra Leone, Africa, Catholic Charities, Memphis, and the MidSouth Food Bank. The meals, healthy and with a long shelf-life, will provide nutrition for eye-care patients in Sierra Leone, and emergency food bank items for both Catholic Charities and the FoodBank.

But, maybe just as important, these meals

have provided food for the soul … I guess you could say we’ve been feeding our own flock. Through this annual event, God has taught us at St. Louis Parish that we are all called to be his hands in the world. That when we stand next to someone 40 years our senior, or someone we are meeting for the first time, that we are all part of a large and spiritual family. Our Catholic family.

St. Louis Church is already planning our fourth Feed My Flock event for next year. If anyone in the diocese is interested in having your own event at your parish, please contact us. We’d be happy to explain how it works. www.feedmyflock.net.

by tera t. siMMOns, MeMBeR ST. LOUIS PARISH, SOCIAL MINISTRY

19


D e C e M b e r C O v e r s t O r y

N o stranger to hard work, Dot Alley masterfully manages a

household of four generations united under one roof. As naturally as she breathes, she tends to her family and passes along lessons learned from her mother to the younger family members. Her childhood was full of family and friends who celebrated first Communions, picnics and the joy of each other’s company. The emphasis on family and commitment binds the generations together, but also plays into Dot’s influence in her parish. As a daily communicant at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Dyersburg, Tenn., she openly speaks to others of God’s grace. She says, “I was very happy to grow up closely associated with the Church and being Catholic.” everyone around Dot gives God credit for the joy that she radiates.

A person of Faith in Action

s t O r y a n D p h O t O g r a p h y

b y s u z a n n e a v i L é s 21

“My parents were always a good example. They were always loyal to the Church,” says Dot. “After he retired, my father helped out the church and school by doing odd jobs. He built a rose garden for the parish (St. Thérèse, the Little Flower).”

Dot and her husband Kenneth have been married for nearly 60 years. During that time, they have reared two sons and served faithfully at various parishes in the diocese. Born in Memphis, she attended St. Thérèse and the Little Flower School. After marrying Kenneth, she describes her family life as “busy,” especially when she “was 30-something.” The entire fam-ily was active at Our Lady of Sorrows in Memphis and Dot spent most of her time on educating and catechizing children — taking them to school and to Mass, where they were altar servers. She served as a eucharistic minister and was active in various groups, including the Ladies of Charity and the Cenacle Retreat. In 1972, changes in Kenneth’s career sent the fam-ily in a new direction — Dyersburg, Tenn.

As part of the move, the family joined the local parish, Holy Angels Catho-lic Church. As they settled into a new routine, their circle of friends grew. Dot says of her circle of friends, “The women

of Holy Angels. I call them my angels.” And she has been an angel, in turn, by taking on local and national leadership roles, including parish committees and the Council of Catholic Women. Through her parish leadership, other women have had the opportunity to share in a sense of community and mission.

But, as time changes families, Dot’s role as mother naturally decreased as her chil-dren left home and her role as an adult daughter increased. She found herself spending more “windshield time” driving her parents on trips when they could not drive themselves due to distance or time of day. She enjoyed the time with her parents, but gained an unplanned bonus. The numerous events such as Cursillo meetings and weekend retreats at the Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas helped Dot to grow stronger in her faith.

After Dot’s father died in 1982, her moth-er, Evelyn Walden, lived independently in Memphis for a time. By 2002, Mrs. Walden found it necessary for safety and health reasons to move closer to her daughter and found a home in Dyersburg. That arrange-ment lasted until 2005, when Mrs. Walden’s health took a sharp dive and she moved into the house with Dot and Ken.

The prayers,

a sense of

humor and recalling

God loves you, knowing

he is with you and has

sent you his spirit,

that’s how you make it

through a day ... As

one of my friends said,

‘As Catholics, we have

the morning offering

and the evening exam

of conscience’ and I

like that.”


Family members regularly attend Mass together. (Left to right) Ken, Jonathan, Mike, Abbey, Ben, Dot, Ian and Sarah.

“My mother is 96 years old. When she was younger, she was active in the Ladies of Charity. She wouldn’t miss a First Friday with the Cenacle Retreat. She served as a eucharistic minister and lector. Since she has been in Dyersburg, she has slowed down. She is an interest-ing and unique lady,” Dot says.

Through the years, the family has cel-ebrated much and held each other close in hard times. One challenge faced by the family occurred in 1988 when Jonathan, Dot’s grandson, was born with complications. By age 1, he was scheduled for heart surgery, which was supposed to improve his health. But instead of surgery solving problems, Jonathan went into shock and suffered severe brain damage. Since then, he has relied on others for daily living support and uses a wheelchair to get around. Dot explains, “He has never been able to walk and is partially blind. But he is very strong. He developed upper body strength through physical therapy. He is smart and has a very good memory and recall.”

When Jonathan was smaller, Dot and Kenneth managed with little trouble to care for him. But now, at the age of 25, his care puts a physical strain on both of them. To meet his needs, Jonathan’s father, Mike, moved in to take over the heavy lifting.

Even though his life is not easy, Jonathan spreads joy wherever he is. Dot says he frequently sings and quickly picks up on the music that he hears. More than once, people have remarked to Dot, “I can’t have a bad day when I see Jonathan.” Dot says, “By his very pres-ence. Jonathan brings honor and glory to God.”

Dot’s inf luence is evident with her other grandchildren, as well. On Sun-days, Dot, her sons, daughter-in-law and their teenage children attend Mass together at Holy Angels. Father Robert Stellini has grown accustomed to look-ing to his right and seeing members of the Alley family filling the front pew. Looking toward the choir loft, he often sees Dot’s grandchildren playing before the Mass. He relies on the family to give a lively witness to Catholic faith. The dedication of the family is some-thing he attributes to family ties and example. According to Father Stellini, “Dot is the most faithful member of the

congregation to the adoration.” And her faith plays out on a daily schedule.

“When I can get up in time, I like to start my day with quiet prayer. Right now I like ‘Give Us This Day’ for daily meditation. I also used ‘The Word Among Us.” Having completed more than one Bible study, following the Liturgy of the Hours and meditating on the daily Mass readings have helped her to develop a full sense of God’s presence in daily life. “The prayers, a sense of hu-mor and recalling God loves you, know-ing he is with you and has sent you his spirit, that’s how you make it through a day. As one of my friends said, ‘As Catholics, we have the morning offering and the evening exam of conscience’ and I like that.”

Dot shares kindness and wisdom easily. She suggests, “Every day we should try to build up somebody” as a means of sharing God’s love. She also advises, “God loves a cheerful giver. Whatever you give up, whether it’s time, talent or treasure, don’t begrudge it.”

She says that her life is made up of the best of both worlds, “I have the spiritual and the secular. I have my family. Every Sunday we all gather at church. After that we have family time.”

Through her example, Dot shows how God’s love flows eternally through the hearts and hands of one generation to the next. She is an inspiration.

Dot’s influence reaches to her grandchildren, who actively participate in parish life. Abbey and her brother Ian play guitar for Sunday Mass.

God loves a

cheerful giver.

Whatever you give up,

whether it’s time,

talent or treasure,

don’t begrudge it.”

23

Father Kris PelczarA Renaissance man of the cloth

E veryone wears multiple

hats which include both roles

and vocations. Some are natural

combinations, such as employee

and parent. Some combinations

are less common, such as priest

and artist. It is in this rare spot

that we find Father Chris, or

“Father Kris,” whichever spelling

of his name you choose. Neither

becoming an artist nor a priest

were obvious choices for Father

Kris Pelczar, who currently serves

as associate pastor for Incarnation

Catholic Church in Collierville. Of the

two, the idea of becoming an artist

came first, though.

Born in Poland in 1982, young Krzysztof “Kris” began his education in the public school - Postawowa Szkola in Zalesie, Poland. Before middle school, he remem-bers sketching farm animals and their surroundings, which he saw every day on his family’s farm. He quit drawing for a couple of years, but began doodling again during breaks at middle school. One of his teachers saw something exceptional in his sketches. She suggested that he enter an upcoming art contest and, to his surprise, he won first place. “I said to (my teacher), that was just only luck. But when I entered the second competition and I got second place, everything was just beginning. She taught biology, but she told me, ‘You can

feature story


do it.’ She continued to encourage me.”His success spawned a desire to achieve

and Kris wanted to concentrate on art during high school. As with magnet schools in the United States, Polish schools run specialized programs that teach in-depth skills, in addition to common core courses. Competition can be stiff for high school placement and entrance exams can be challenging. To follow his passion for art, Kris needed to merit a slot in the fine arts high school Liceum Plastyczne im. Tadeusza Brzo-zowskiego, located in Krosno Poland. “It was a huge decision, whether to go to the art school or a marketing school,” he says. While both of his parents encouraged him to do well and apply his abilities, his father encouraged Kris toward fine arts and his mother leaned toward more prac-tical studies. Either way, Kris had a strat-egy worked out. The fine arts high school entrance exam was scheduled two weeks before other high school exams. Kris figured that if he did not make the cut for the fine arts school, he would still have time to get into a sec-ond choice. So he took the test and was delighted when he was accepted to study fine arts. He would soon learn that getting in was the easy step.

As a way of getting to know her new students, one teacher started the first day of class by taking a poll. She called students with pre-vious art training to the center of the large art studio. While awkwardly standing apart from their classmates, the isolated group re-ceived a warning. “You’re going to have the hardest time,” the teacher predicted. She fulfilled her prophecy by demanding more work of a higher caliber from Kris and his singled-out counterparts. For Kris, art classes took up to five hours per day, on top of his core classes. “It was very painful,” he says, “but it was worth it – working hard.”

The confidence and hard-earned mastery he gained enabled Father Kris to share the life of Christ through a myriad of media, including painting, drawing, carving and clay. Yet, art was only part of his journey. The other part – a vocation to the priesthood – emerged later.

His route to a priestly vocation came

after art school, although the thought was rooted early in life. “There is a tradition in Poland where priests make a visit to parish families at Christmas time. I was maybe 7 years old and the priest said to me, “Kris, maybe you will become an altar server.” Father Kris now laughs at this reply, “‘I’m not dumb enough to be an altar server.’ Later I became one -- God makes jokes.” Father Kris says that, as he continued through high school, he stopped focusing on Church activities and was less involved in his parish. However, as he began to think about college, he said, “When I passed the exam for the university, I thought that I was missing something.” He describes the search for what was missing as an act of discovery, which led to discernment of a vocation to the priesthood. He embraced the call, although he was surprised. And he was not alone in his reaction.

“My parents were so surprised,” he said. Eventually, his parents accepted his call to the priesthood and supported him through seminary. As he was completing seminary studies at Wyzsze Metropoli-talne Seminarium Duchowne in Sandomi-erz, Poland, another surprise popped up.

“A priest came from the United States and talked about the lack of priest vocations. For me, it was a hard decision (to immigrate for studies at SS. Cyril and Methodius Semi-nary, Orchard Lake, Mich.) because I didn’t speak English. And it was very hard for my parents when I told them I was going to try something different … but they accepted it. And, for two years, I studied English.”

He chuckles when he recalls how chal-lenging the English proficiency class was. “In my first class, the teacher showed us pictures and you know that it is a ‘horse’ or

a ‘car,’ but you can’t name it. But step-by-step and day-by-day, you learn,” he said. He also believes that having the end in mind helps to inspire and guide us when we want to learn.

“Imagine yourself. You’re going to make the decision to speak another language. You can see yourself doing it. But we sometimes have the problem of procrasti-nating or we get lazy. And sometimes we are afraid to change something. But instead of watching television for three hours a day, (study that amount of time) and you multiply by seven and that gives you 21 hours in a week of study. After 10 years you could be very fluent. But it all takes courage and energy and passion,” he said.

He lives by a philosophy of setting goals and moving forward. Father Kris suggests that as people discover their pas-sion and their vocation that “if you want to do something and have passion, you will be able to do it.”

“Some people have said to me that it will be hard to be a priest and an artist. I say, ‘Yes, but it is possible.’ It is a decision. Each opportunity makes us stronger. I got here without knowing English, but it was an opportunity to learn so I could com-municate with other people.”

Whether he is explaining the life of Christ from the pulpit, talking with students about their dreams or creating art which inspires, Father Kris is a man of many talents. His dual roles of priest and artist give him outlets to share God’s love with others in memorable and lasting ways.

P.S. Father Kris can be spotted on the highway in his flame-etched motorcycle helmet on his Harley Davidson...just an-other facet of his unique approach to his ministry and life.

“Some people have said to me that it will

be hard to be a priest and an artist. I say,

‘Yes, but it is possible.’ It is a decision.

Each opportunity makes us stronger.

I got here without knowing English,

but it was an opportunity to learn so

I could communicate with other people.”

25

yourcommunityOLPH School celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

To celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Beta Club at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, led by Ms. Rhiannon Harrison, created a floating rosary that was suspended over the school. The students in first through eighth grades met in the gym and surrounded the rosary, made of helium filled balloons. With great reverence, they prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary, led by the seventh- and eighth-grade Beta Club members. The students then processed through the school with the giant rosary. They

lined the front drive of the school and prayed the school prayer while the rosary was released into the air. Mr. George Sampuda, OLPH facility manager, and David Kiehna helped the students attach the beautiful rosary to the roof of the school. The students and teachers cheered as they watched the rosary rise and take form over the school. Mrs. Cathy Treadwell exclaimed, “This is a WOW moment!” OLPH As-sistant Principal Lynn Lifsey

said, “Mary, our patroness, is so happy! It will be an event that we will all cherish and remember.” There was a lot of time and effort put into this project and the school was very pleased with how this project turned out.

by CarOLine MeLanCOn anD saMueL Mangin

22nD annuaL speCiaL athLetes fun Day

The 22nd annual St. Ann Special Athletes Fun Day was held on Oct. 5 at Christian Brothers High School. More than 120 special athletes participated in various track and field events and almost 400 volunteers helped make the day a success. Pictured is one of the racers accompanied by her “angels” for the day in the torch run, which was part of the opening ceremonies.

father DebLasiO naMeD tO CCwtn bOarD

Catholic Charities of West Ten-nessee (CCWTN) announced that Rev. ernie DeBlasio, pastor of the Catholic Church of the Resur-rection in the Hickory Hill area of Southeast Memphis, has joined its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Father DeBlasio was raised in Chicago and moved to

Memphis in 1982. He earned a master’s degree in theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD. Fa-ther DeBlasio serves as a member of both the Presbyteral Council and Board of Consulters for the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. He has served as pastor of the Church of the Resurrection since 2000.

Commenting on the addition of Father DeBlasio to the board, Michael D. Allen, president and CeO of Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, said, “We welcome Father DeBlasio to our board and are grateful for his acceptance of our invitation. Father ernie brings a fresh perspective to our group, along with a broad-based understanding of the needs of our diocese. His ministry experience in the Hickory Hill community, where CCWTN has been expanding its presence, will be very helpful to our future initiatives.”

Photo by Dianne Dolan


Diocesan Youth enjoy “Grace at the Trace” Almost 200 teens from throughout the Memphis Diocese

enjoyed spending the day together at the annual “Grace at the Trace” at Natchez Trace State Park on Sep 28. During the event, formerly called “Fall Youth Gathering,” the teens spent the day in community-building and trust-building ac-tivities, shared lunch, competed in the traditional tug of war

and in a new scavenger hunt, prayed the rosary and cel-ebrated Mass. The teens were asked to bring baby items to give to Birthright of Memphis in support of the Respect Life Month, which is celebrated every October in the Catholic Church. Pictured are teens from different parishes renewing friendships and making new friends.

Notre Dame ACE leaders visit Memphis; Bishop Steib receives award

The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic education (ACe) made a stop in Memphis on Oct. 7 as part of its national tour. ACe is celebrating 20 years of success in training elementary and high school teachers to work with under-served children in Catholic schools across the coun-try. The program sends out teachers each year to numer-ous dioceses in the United States and several foreign countries. The program helps teachers to develop skills needed to create school environments that promote a strong Catholic identity and academic excellence. The five Memphis-based ACe teachers currently serve at Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Mi-chael and Memphis Catholic High School.

During a rally held at Mem-

phis High School, Father Lou DelFra, CSC, director of spiri-tual life for ACe, presented Bishop J. Terry Steib with Notre Dame’s Sorin Award for Service. Recipients of the award are recognized for their commitment to Catholic education and their efforts to create environments where under-served stu-dents can find a chance to succeed.

The three-year ACe teacher preparation program combines study and class-room experience leading to a master’s degree. During the school year, teachers work in the classroom; during the summer, the teachers return to the role of student while they attend classes at Notre Dame. Competition for ac-ceptance into the program is rigorous and only one in four applicants are accepted.

Photo by Dianne Dolan

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ST. BeNeDICT MeRIT SCHOLARS

Six St. Benedict students were recently recognized by the College Board as National Merit Scholars. Commended students are Theresa Stoddard, Kate Walsh, Sarah Timmins, Rachel Hofer, Andrew Lee and National Merit Semifinalist Jodie Crocker (back). These six students are among the aca-demically elite high school students in the nation. SBA eagles are soaring to great heights!

Sr. Connie celebrates 50 Years Sister Connie Tarallo, SCN, recently celebrated her 50th

Jubilee by renewing her vows with the Sisters of Charity. A Mass and reception held in her honor took place at St. Ann Church, Bartlett, where she was a teacher for 42 years. She retired in May 2013. She is shown here with Father Russ Harbaugh, pastor of St Ann in Bartlett, Tenn.

bLessings Of st. franCis St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School students enjoyed some

extra activities in celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct 4. The feast commemorates the life of St. Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and the environment. He is remembered for his generosity to the poor and for his love of animals and nature.

The students began the day by attending Mass, which includ-ed a pet blessing, at St. Francis Church. Many students brought their pets to be blessed in honor of St. Francis’ love for animals. The day continued with service projects for the poor.

• Jr. kindergarten, kindergarten and sixth-graders made 82 “I CARe” bags for the homeless served at the St. vincent de Paul Food Mission. The bags contained socks, chapstick, toothpaste/toothbrushes and a Bible verse.

• First- and seventh-graders worked together to make 53 “goodie bags” for new moth-ers who go to Birthright for help. These bags contained a thoughtful card and small items for their babies.

• Second- and eighth-graders made birdhouses to show their love for creation.

• Third-graders made 63 placemats for the Ave Maria Nursing Home.

•Fourth-graders made 850 Halloween treat bags for the Memphis Jubilee Schools.

• Fifth-graders made 800 sandwiches for the St. vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen.

• Middle school students made more than 2,000 sandwiches for St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen and hundreds of tray favors for the veterans at the vA Hospital.

• Finally, our students always present our final total of tabs collected on St. Francis Feast Day. This year, our total was 399,721 tabs for the Ronald McDonald House

St. Francis students really show a true heart for service to our community!

Our Lady of the Rosary feast day at St. Anne Highland

Students from St Anne Highland in Memphis participated in a rosary service on Oct. 6 in observance of Our Lady of the Rosary. Bishop Steib led the event. Mrs. Janet Donato, superintendent of Catholic schools in Memphis, attended the service, along with students, parents, staff and teachers. Also in attendance were members of the equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who provided students with rosaries made by artisans in Israel. The intentions of the rosary focus on peace in the Middle east and throughout the world.

Photo by Sharon Masterson


frOnt rOw Left tO right: Jane Curtis, Paulanne Townsend, Helen Patterson, Nanetta Walls, Jody Patterson, Carol Distretti, Anne McGee, Trudy Adams, Lynn Williams, Carmen Haskell, Marnie Basco. MiDDLe rOw: Gina Cunningham, Patricia Jones, Gianna Soefker, Julieanna Walker, Sally Wade, Paula Townsend, Lori Burnett, Tina Brooks, Florence Huggins, Bertha Gilmore, Fr. Rick Mickey. baCk rOw: Deacon Jeff Drzycimski, Nellie Diaz, Kathy O'Connell, Karen Bobbitt, Teresa Beck, Diane Capkovic, Flo Piano, Tracy Murphy, Missy Feyerherm, Jeni McBride, vickie Stirek

Cursillo in the Memphis Catholic Diocese Cursillo was founded in 1944 as a short course

in Catholic Christianity. The program was originally designed to prepare pilgrims to encounter Christ and to understand the history of a pilgrimage. eventually, the concept of “pilgrimage” was enlarged to encompass the everyday Christian journey. Other Christian denominations recognized the genius of the weekend and adapted the original Cursillo model.

During a weekend, participants will share in camaraderie based in faith and will explore what Christ means in their lives. The weekend is an opportunity to experience the love

of God within a supportive and prayerful community. For more information on Cursillo in the diocese and information on future events, go to www.memphiscursillo.com/.

Men’s Cursillo #119 was held Sept. 5-8 for the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. The next Cursillo for men will be held Feb. 6-9 and is open to all men in the Memphis and Jackson deaneries.

Women’s Cursillo #98 of the Memphis Diocese in Tennessee was held Sept. 26-29. The next Cursillo for women will be held Feb. 27-March 2 and is open to all women in the Memphis and Jackson deaneries.

frOnt rOw Left tO right: Deacon Bill Davis, Josef A. Young, Justin Ross, Dave Jojola, Steve Hendricks, John Stukenborg, Lee Miller, John Stratman, Gabe Bouck, Father Rick Mickey. MiDDLe rOw: William Abraham, Tim Creech, Robert Beck, Joe Fracchia, Chris Huelsing, Tim Jerrolds, Dan Sahm, Laz Owens, Ken Underwood. baCk rOw: Bobby John, John Durfee, Scott Sneed, David Carney, Rob Hendry, Bill Drennan, Pierce Crockett, Bryan Watson, Paul Schifani

parishiOners partiCipate in the annuaL Life Chain

Parishioners from various Catholic parishes stood along Poplar Avenue in Shelby County, Tenn., on Oct. 6 to highlight respect for life. The annual Life Chain is part of 40 Days for Life, a national movement which seeks to further the dignity of human life. St. Benedict Students for Life made up one of the larg-est local groups participating in the Life Chain.

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D e c e m b e rP r i e s t b i r t h D ay s Rev. Patrick G.Hirtz ............

Rev. Benjamin Bradshaw ...

Rev. Gerardo Ojeda Torres ..

Rev. Keith Stewart .............

Rev. Pham Hein .................

Rev. Greg Salata ................

Rev. W.E. Knickerbocker, Jr.

12/01

12/02

12/12

12/23

12/25

12/26

12/28

St. Agnes Students Inducted Into National Honor Society

St. Agnes Academy recently announced the 2013 members of the National Honor Society. Seniors are selected for inclusion in the Aquinas Chapter of the National Honor Society based upon their academic merit and their demonstrated leadership, character and commitment to service. To be eligible students, must have earned a 3.67 or higher cumulative G.P.A. over six semesters. Pictured below are the members of the St. Agnes Academy Honor Society.

by ginger JOrDan

u.s. COnstitutiOn week at st. ann in bartLett

St. Ann Catholic School in Bartlett was treated to a U.S. Constitution Week parade throughout the school halls with tricorn hats, American flags and bells. The third through, sixth grades of Mrs. Jane Gillespie Sparks’ classes prepared for the parade by memorizing the Preamble of the Constitution and learning about the reason for the writing of our Constitution. Bell-ringing is a tradition for celebrating Constitution Day when on Sept. 17, 1787, the day the Constitution was completed. As the students pa-raded, they rang the bells and sang the “Star Spangled Banner.” During the event, a proclamation to celebrate the Constitution was read and was signed by St. Ann Principal Roxanna Croxdale. The students also recited the “Preamble of the Constitution.” Mrs. Gillespie helped to organize the event. She is a member of the Chickasaw Bluff Daughters of the American Revolution, which maintains a list of ways for schoolchildren to learn about our American history, including Constitution Week activities.

The front includes Marisa Mata, with the Proclamation, Cheyenne Sanders, and Megan Sowards. The back includes Matthew O’Kane, Piper Grokuasky, Philip Speering, Natalia Gomez, and Sam Spence with Uncle Sam, who was also carried in the parade.

Row 1: Claire Shea, Briana Wilson, Lauren Dunavant, Jana Zdancewicz, Andrea Natera, Jeni Davidson, Katie McCaffery, Marielle esquivel, Jessica Peyton, Katelyn Wilson; Row 2: Becky Githinji, Lauren Hetherington, Maria Blanchard, Madeline Lopez, Maggie edwards, Taylor Anton, Kelly Cole, Catherine ernest, Anna Ricci, Sissy Frank; Row 3: Grace McCarthy, Kylene Pontier, Abby Hanson, Maya McCullough, Lizzie Harris, Lexie Hill, Morgan Dyer, Aiesha Ledda, Deirdre Pirozzi; Row 4: Camille Pryor, Kelly Glynn, Donna elias, Chloe Russell, Kaley Angus, Annalise valle, virginia Cottam, Katie Crutcher; Row 5: Jessi Sneed, Meghan Hutton, Haley Cremerius, Rachael Leonard, elizabeth Zak, Maggie Bradley, Mary Kate Dockery, Alexandra Howard


TO ADveRTiSe in

FAITHWesT

Tennessee

email:fwt.editor@ cc.cdom.org

iMMaCuLate COnCeptiOn sChOOL renOvatiOns COMpLeteD

Last summer, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School completed a $1.1 million renovation, including improvements and technological upgrades to its high school, middle school and elementary school buildings. The work was funded through donations to the IC Cathedral and School $6.5 mil-lion Faith in Our Future campaign.

Changes include new energy-efficient windows and mod-ern heating and air conditioning units in the high school, a new roof and paint for the middle school building and a remodeled classroom of the future in the elementary school. The classroom is the prototype for future classroom improve-ments at the school.

The Faith in Our Future campaign includes plans for a new Cathedral Center on Central Avenue that will house state-of-the-art pre-K and first-grade classrooms, an all-campus media center, a theater and meeting rooms for parish, school and community use.

st. sebastian veterans program now open at CCwtn

Catholic Charities of West Tennessee officially launched the St. Sebastian veteran Services Program on Oct 18 at a press conference held at Sacred Heart Church, Memphis. Numerous supporters from the Memphis Diocese and community were on hand to celebrate the event. Guests included: Most Reverend J. Terry Steib, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis; Father Larry Snyder, president and CeO of Catholic Charities USA; Mayor AC Wharton of Memphis; Mayor Mark Luttrell of Shelby County, Tenn,; and C. Diane Knight, MD, medical director and CeO of the Memphis veteran Administration Medical Center.

Shelby County veterans who are homeless and their families will be able to turn to CCWTN’s St. Sebastian program for help in finding and qualifying for services. For veterans and family members served in the program, there may be help with short-term housing and earned benefits, employment counseling and guidance on referrals to other appropriate services and agencies. A $900,000 grant awarded by the Department of veterans Affairs will go a long way in establishing and initially funding the program.

“The ultimate goal of the program,” according to Mike Allen, CeO of CCWTN, “is permanent and stable housing for the veterans and their families.”

Photo submitted by June LaPorta

ICCS third-graders study in a newly renovated “classroom of the future” that will serve as the model for future classroom improvements.

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The Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee5825 Shelby Oaks DriveMemphis, TN 38134-7316

www.CDOM.org

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