St. Paul THE Apostle Parish

June 2016 – Issue #78

Chicago‘s Archbishop Blase Cupich served as a Sunday Assistant for Masses here at St. Paul‘s during the time he was Rector/President of the Josephinum (1989-1996.) This article appeared in the Catholic New World, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Chicago, in April of this year.

‘The Joy of Love’

The following remarks were delivered at a press conference welcoming Pope Francis’ post-synodal exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia.”

This morning Pope Francis released ―Amoris Laetitia‖ (The Joy of Love), following the two recent

synods of bishops on marriage and family life. I welcome this document, having attended the 2015 synod where the issues the pope addresses here were discussed. The title comes from the first sentence: “The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” The message is clear: family life is a gift, and the more we treasure and support it, the truer we are to ourselves as believers.

The Holy Father says some things that might surprise you — he is complimentary of the women‘s movement and tells us we can learn from Eastern Rite married priests. His language is sometimes colorful and highly expressive — he warns us not to ―simply apply moral laws to those living in ‗irregular‘ situations, as if they were stones to throw at people‘s lives.‖

Aside from this, my first impression is that this very readable text reveals a true pastor, someone who has honed a pastoral sensitivity as a priest for more than half a century. His writing style is crisp and fresh, making the text easily accessible. He holds the reader‘s attention through the use of imaginative references that range from the Danish film, ―Babette‘s Feast‖ to a sermon by Martin Luther King that urges us to see a good in every person, even those who hate us. At the same time, he demonstrates his closeness to the real lives of people, that he is someone who knows the smell of the sheep, as he takes up a wide spectrum of the complexity that defines families living in our time. Virtually no challenge is ignored, marriage preparation, proper training of future priests, adoption, family prayer, children‘s rights, sex education, the dignity of women, you name it.

Indeed, it is his candor and honesty that I find so very engaging. For instance, he says that a ―healthy dose of self-criticism‖ is in order for us pastors in the way we treat people and the way we present church teaching. Too often, he says, we speak in a way that is ―far too abstract,‖ presenting an ―almost artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families.‖

Two words are worth emphasizing as important to this text.

The first is discernment and the other is integration.

Archbishop Blase Cupich

(Continued Guest Pastor’s Corner)

Describing marriage as a journey, ―a dynamic path to personal development and fulfillment,‖ Pope Francis speaks of the importance of discernment in ―those situations in which we fall short of what the Lord asks of us.‖ With profound respect for people, the Church has ―to make room for the consciences of the faithful, who very often respond as best they can to the Gospel amid their limitations, and are capable of carrying out their own discernment in complex situations. We have been called, Pope Francis reminds pastors, ―to form consciences, not to replace them.‖ There are no ―easy recipes‖ and it is impossible to ―provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases.‖ Rather, he urges ―a responsible, personal and pastoral discernment of particular cases,‖ by priests, who have the duty to ―accompany (the divorced and remarried) in helping them to understand their situation according to the teaching of the church and the guidelines of the bishop.‖ Regardless, ―it can no longer simply be said,‖ according to Pope Francis, ―that all those in any ‗irregular‘ situation are living in a state of mortal sin and are deprived of sanctifying grace.‖ ―The church‘s pastors, in proposing to the faithful the full ideal of the Gospel and the church‘s teaching, must also help them to treat the weak with compassion, avoiding aggravation or unduly harsh or hasty judgments. The Gospel itself tells us not to judge or condemn (cf. Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37).‖ On the contrary, discernment also has to be about identifying and upholding those many positive elements that are part of a person‘s life even if they are falling short of the ideal. It is in the struggle, in the imperfect, in the in-betweens in life that God calls and graces us. We as pastors must meet people there for ―Jesus ‗expects us to stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune, and instead to enter into the reality of other people‘s lives and to know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated.‘‖ And yet, as pastors accompany people who because of their lives fall short of the ideal, the goal has to be their integration into church life. ―No one can be condemned for ever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel!‖ the pope insists. The goal of accompanying people is to help each person find ―his or her proper way of participating in the ecclesial community and thus to experience being touched by an ‗unmerited,

unconditional and gratuitous‘ mercy.‖ He is not speaking here only of ―the divorced and the remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves.‖

There are no changes in doctrine in this document, and in fact the pope urges the church not to step away from proposing the full ideal of marriage. At the same time he makes clear that doctrines are at the service of the pastoral mission. He also knows that this call for a more compassionate pastoral outreach of one marked by tenderness, accompaniment, discernment and integration, will leave some perplexed.

―I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion,‖ he notes. ―But I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness, a Mother who, while clearly expressing her objective teaching, always does what good she can, even if in the process, her shoes get soiled by the mud of the street.‖

Expanding our notion of learning environments to encompass more than merely physical space allows us to provide students with more opportunities for meaningful learning. Research shows that effective learning environments do not limit themselves to time or space, but comprise a variety of support systems that take into consideration the ways in which we learn best as well as the unique learning needs of each student. Without question twenty-first century classrooms look very different from those of the past. Students do not necessarily sit in rows of desks; teachers are as often working alongside students as well as lecturing in front of them. In many schools, students enjoy the luxury of a laptop for every learner. Learning environments today need to embrace the variety of places, ideas, and people that the modern world demands and reflect a flexibility of space, time, people, and technology.

With the renovations taking place to our St. Paul School this summer, we will be visibly demonstrating an evolution of change in the way we approach the teaching and learning process. We have changed the way we think about the teaching and learning process over the last eight years. How we educate students has dramatically changed from the days of simply memorizing facts to accessing information and its applications. Research proves that instead of memorization, students now need assistance in learning how to find and select relevant information for problems they need to solve. They need to learn how to collaborate with others as they solve these problems and communicate their solutions to their teachers and to the world beyond their classroom.

The Reaching for Tomorrow Campaign will provide the physical learning environment needed to sustain and

promote multiple modes of students learning, support both individual and group work, offer space for presentation and exploration, promote interaction and a sense of community, and foster both formal and informal learning.

With these physical changes will come even more opportunities for us to address the individual needs of our students. Our renovated library space, which will now be known as the ―Learning Commons‖, will house an exciting new program called Learning RX. We will be partnering with Learning RX to provide a site-based brain training and cognitive-focused reading and math intervention for our students. This service will be in addition to the interventions we currently have in place for students with deficits in reading and math. Students will be identified based upon the results of diagnostic testing and progress reports, coupled with teacher recommendations. More information will be provided to parents in the upcoming months and will be available on the school website. In the meantime, consider referring to the Learning RX website (www.learningrx.com/columbus-dublin.)

Please take a close look at the architect‘s rendering of our renovated classrooms featured here. I think you will agree that the changes are exciting for our school and parish community. We are truly moving forward with a renewed spirit of faith and academic excellence!

God bless! Kathleen Norris,PhD

Principal – St. Paul School

Dana F. Forsythe, CFRE

Development Director

We are pleased to share with you an update on the Reaching for Tomorrow Campaign plans and our fundraising progress as they relate to the renovation and expansion of our school building. To date we have raised $4.2 million toward our total goal of $8 million from more than 650 families. As you will recall, this campaign includes two phases. A complete renovation of the school building is currently underway followed next summer by construction to build a second story for a dedicated middle school wing. Both our St. Paul School and PSR Programs are very important ministries in our parish and will greatly benefit from an updated building as well as this additional space. Corna-Kokosing arrived on site on June 1st and has already begun work on the school building. The renovation of the existing school building will be completed this summer and ready by September 6th for our students, faculty and staff to begin the 2016-2017 school year! Phase ONE – Renovation ($2.3 million): The renovation work that is scheduled for this summer will involve updating the classrooms in the green, red, and blue wings of the existing building and will include:

New lighting, ceilings, shelving, cubbies, dry erase boards, new paint throughout, the replacement of the HVAC systems and the updating of all existing restrooms,

Improvement to the Wi-Fi and connectivity in classrooms,

Each classroom will be outfitted with a short throw projector reducing the shadowing and glare on the projection surface and increasing the display size to improve visibility.

A unified school paging, intercom and bell system with clock time synchronization. This will provide educators with comprehensive communications and additional safety measures in the classroom.

A classroom audio system is also planned. Research demonstrates that adding a sound system to the classroom can impact learning and improve test scores by 7-10%. Since 60-75% of all learning is auditory, the need for sound enhancement in the classroom is imperative.

Additionally, we are excited that this renovation work will allow our school to expand its full day kindergarten program from three to four classrooms this fall allowing us to increase enrollment and serve more of our parish families who currently are on a waiting list.

The exterior of the building will also get a facelift with tuck pointing, painting, weather proofing, the screening all rooftop mechanical equipment, and the removal of dated materials. These exterior improvements will be made over the course of this summer and next.

If you have not already done so, we invite you to find and “like” us on Facebook (St. Paul Elementary) where you can follow the progress of the renovations with the pictures that are being posted!

Plan to join us when all St. Paul

parishioners will come together

as a family! There will be lots of

(FREE!) fun for all ages at our

annual St. Paul’s Parish Picnic!

Enjoy food and lemonade, a

variety of really great family

activities including bounce

houses, laser tag, a dunk bucket,

outstanding inspirational music

and wonderful entertainment.

Again this year, St. Paul School’s

Parent Administration Day (PAD)

will be held in conjunction with

the parish picnic! See you there!

PICNIC

Friday, September 2 Save the date!

Sunday, August 28 12:30 – 6:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

For The Youth of Our Parish Ages 3+

Paul Davis, Director of Religious Education 882-5045 psr@stpacc.org

All children within our parish community should receive religious formation each and every year, either from our Parish School of Religion (PSR) or St. Paul School. Registration for PSR is ongoing and is offered for youth who are in Preschool through High School. Registration paperwork and additional class information can be found on the PSR link of the parish website (www.stpaulcatholicchurch.org.) Our religious education classes prepare our students for Reconciliation, Confirmation, Eucharist, and a lifelong experience of our Catholic faith. The vast majority of our students make this progress year after year, and the benefits are a testimony to the faith lives of the families in our parish community. Students who remain in PSR over time benefit from ongoing religious education and are therefore expected to regularly attend class. As in any program, activity, or sport, regular attendance is truly critical for success. A student experiences greater and longer-lasting benefit and has increased confidence with consistent participation. Our Sunday Preschool program is offered during the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses and requires children to be potty-trained and age appropriated for their class level by September 30. PSR classes for Grades 1-6 are offered on Monday evenings (an early session from 4:45 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and a late session from 6:30 p.m. until 7:45 p.m.) Wednesday evening classes are held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. for youth in Grades 5-8. Our Monday classes will begin on September 12, Wednesday classes on September 21, and our Sunday Preschool Program will start on October 3. Won‘t you please prayerfully consider giving of your time to help our youth grow in their Catholic faith? Training is provided and volunteers receive a significant tuition discount! Two adults must be present in each classroom at all times to ensure a safe and effective ministry. Adult volunteers are required to also complete the Protecting God’s Children class, have fingerprints on file and undergo a basic background check. We need volunteers to help in the following classes this coming year:

Monday Early Session (4:45 – 6:30 pm) 1

st Grade – 1 co-teacher

3rd

Grade – 2 co-teachers, 1 aide 4

th Grade – 1 co-teacher

6th Grade – 1 co-teacher

3 Flex aides

Monday Late Session (6:30 – 7:45 pm) 1

st Grade – 2 co-teachers, 3 aides

2nd

Grade – 2 aides 3

rd Grade – 2 co-teachers, 3 aides

5th Grade – 1 co-teacher

6th Grade – 1 co-teacher, 1 aide

Sacraments Class: 1 co-teacher, 1 aide Other – 1 hall monitor, 3 flex aides

Wednesday (7:00 – 8:30 pm) 5

th Grade – 2 co-teachers, 1 aide

7th Grade – 2 co-teachers

8th Grade – 1 co-teacher

2016 – 2017 Tuition

Pre-School: $150 per student Grades 1, 3-6 & Sacrament Prep Class: $190 per student

Grades 2, 7, 8: $210 per student Family Registration Fee: $75 per family

Tuition cap is $475 per family and does not include the family registration fee.

Sharon Gillivan has been a dedicated member of the St. Paul School community since joining our staff in 1972 as a second grade teacher. She excelled in building a comfortable atmosphere for learning as she taught her young students about our Catholic faith. In 1999 she was named Assistant Principal. Whether it was a junior high dance, science fair, or special school program, Ms. Gillivan was always present supporting our teachers, students and St. Paul families. Her truly immeasurable dedication has been most appreciated. She will long be remembered for her strong Catholic faith, reassuring leadership style and contagious laugh! Without question she has touched the lives of many and will be greatly missed!

Being a member of the St. Paul School community for 40+ years has been a blessing and a source of happiness to me. Although I have worked as a teacher and as an administrator, I feel that I have also been a student. Because of the nurturing environment of this vibrant school and parish, I have grown spiritually and intellectually. Friendships have been formed and memories created.

I have had the good fortune to see two generations of students walk through the halls of St. Paul School as well as to see students grow into faith filled adults.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my career at St. Paul School. You have touched my life in a positive and meaningful way. Your support, belief and trust in Catholic education has been an inspiration to me. I leave with a sense of gratitude knowing that I have had the opportunity to teach, live and learn in the light of Christ.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Blessings,

Sharon

A dedicated teacher at St. Paul School since 1973, Peggy Oxley is credited with instilling the love of reading in her second graders – so much so that many of her former students have been inspired to pursue careers in the fields of reading and writing. She has been recognized at the local, state, and national level for her work with literacy. Mrs. Oxley always created a nurturing environment and planted the seeds necessary for growing the faith of her students so as to prepare them for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. Affectionately she will be remembered by the countless students who had the sincere privilege of learning under her wing.

It has been a joy to teach the children of St.

Paul for 43 years, to enjoy their brightness

and see their great promise. I shall miss

them and this wonderful school greatly, but I

carry with me countless wonderful memories,

never to be forgotten. There are memories

not only of the children but also of the many

supportive and helpful parents who help to

make the school the outstanding school that

it is. Some of my happiest remembrances will

be of the staff and faculty members who have

been and will continue to be dear friends. As

a whole, St. Paul parish and school comprise

a most beloved family.

Amongst my happiest memories are those of

the children whose parents I also taught. It

has been exciting to see the families grow and

succeed, and succeed, and the fact that so

many alumni members send their children to

St. Paul School speaks volumes about the

quality of the school.

To all the St. Paul School and parish

members who have been my friends these

many years, I say the warmest thank you for

so enriching my life. May God bless each one of you now & always,

Peggy

Mary Jean Cockerell has been an exceptional and inspirational member of the St. Paul community for more than 20 years. In 1995 she began an onsite cafeteria that from the very beginning served extraordinary home-cooked and nutritious meals. While her menus, cafeteria staff and volunteers expanded over the years, her consistent desire to serve balanced and delicious meals never changed. Her homemade pizza and pasta are absolutely the best ―this side of Italy‖ and her Buckeye Bars are out of this world! Former students, many of whom are now young adults, often returned to school explicitly to enjoy her lunches. Without question she will be deeply missed by her SPS family!

It has been such a pleasure to be here at St. Paul’s working in such a truly wonderful Catholic environment and watching many of the children grow up and mature over the years. My fondest memory is seeing the students get excited to enjoy their favorite meal. That was always special to me to see a smile on their faces! The saddest days for me were the graduation breakfasts knowing the students I had watched grow up into young teens were preparing to leave St. Paul’s for high school.

I will cherish all my St. Paul memories but most of all I will cherish and miss my wonderful staff whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with for so many years. St. Paul has been family to me for so long. So all I ask of you is to please keep me in your prayers, as I will continue to pray for all of you every day!

God bless you and thank you!

Mary Jean Cockerell

Youth Minister Linda Hall joined our parish community in 2009 and was instrumental in providing opportunities for our youth to grow stronger in their faith and focus on their relationship with God during their teen years. In the summers Linda took our youth to camp and led

more than twenty teens and adult volunteers on Gospel Road mission trips to serve those in need. Whether taking our young people to the National Catholic Youth Conference, Columbus Diocesan Youth Rally, organizing an overnight ―lock-in‖, or teaching a Protecting God‘s Children course, Linda did so with great enthusiasm and love for the Lord. We will certainly miss her and wish for her the very best!

St. Paul is a very vibrant, spirit- filled community with many wonderful people. When I came here almost seven years ago, I was very impressed with this parish community that gave and supported so many others. This community has an outpouring of provisions, funding, and sponsorship with prayer that overwhelms my heart.

My work and mission here have been so rewarding. I have met so many great people with big hearts and love for their church community. The young people at St. Paul’s have been very special to me. I have watched many of them grow in their faith and become wonderful young adults.

I have enjoyed watching them discover who they are and grow in God’s love. I will miss seeing the present Youth Ministry participants travel their journey to young adulthood. They will all be in my thoughts and prayers.

I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity to work here for so many years. I want to thank the St. Paul the Apostle Community for the support and kindness shown me.

Peace, Prayers and Blessings,

Linda Hall

In 2005, we welcomed Mary Reichley to our pastoral staff. She assumed the role of Pastoral Associate with the intent of developing and sustaining Small Church Communities (SCCs) for our parish. Over the years, SCCs have become a dynamic part of our parish life. In addition to the spiritual enrichment that has blossomed due to Mary‘s efforts with SCCs, she was instrumental in shepherding our Living Christ Retreats. In March she led our eighth Living Christ Retreat. Over the years several hundred people have experienced this life-giving parish retreat. Mary is a real servant of the Lord who truly lives the Gospel. We are grateful for her service and will dearly miss her!

As I sit at my computer trying to find words to express my gratitude

for my time here at St. Paul’s, I realize that my gratitude is deeper

than words can capture. The following is a feeble attempt!

God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good! I could not

have hoped for more in terms of being a pastoral associate in a parish

with a vision of Church that I believe in; whose pastor is committed to

fostering a pastoral direction where parishioners are encouraged,

challenged, and supported in “Building Church” and “Living Christ”.

I have been in ministry for many years and have witnessed parish life

across dioceses in the US. St. Paul’s is doing this in an extraordinary

way! I am grateful to have been part of it!

Those with whom I ministered with in implementing this vision hold

a very special place in my heart.

I do not say this lightly. I have been humbled by your generous self-

giving and by your personal support. Whether you were part of a

Small Church community, or participated in a Living Christ Retreat, or

spoke at the Stations of the Cross, or were a young mom who came to

Morning for Mothers, or quietly served in so many other ways, you

have touched my life in ways that you will never know.

There are so many in the parish whom I would like to mention by

name but, time and space have their limits. Therefore, I close with a

promise to keep you in my prayer and ask you to do the same for me.

“I am confident of this, that the one who began this good work in you

will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil:1:6)

United in Christ,

Mary Reichley

Jim Keating joined the parish 32+ years ago. In 2008 he accepted the position of Facilities Manager and assumed the responsibility of overseeing the care of our church, school, administration building, rectory and parish grounds. He has been a dedicated volunteer with Gospel Road Mission Trips, the Living Christ Retreat team, the Diocesan Cum Christo movement, Youth Ministry/Parish School of Religion, and our monthly parishwide service project of making sandwiches. Our parish community is indebted for the hard work and loyalty Jim brought to the job daily. He has a heart for serving and will missed as an employee, but he has promised to remain involved in the parish as a dedicated volunteer.

Ever since I decided to retire, the story of the Ascension has been playing through my mind. My thoughts have been concentrating not on the miracle itself, but the aftermath that the apostles had to experience. Imagine how once the Ascension event ended with the men in white disappearing, the clouds clearing, and the sun returning, the apostles remained immobilized looking into the heavens. Possibly they would experience one more sign before they would have to admit that Christ’s physical time on earth had ended. At some point, John accepts the finality of the Lord’s departure, leans over to Peter and whispers, “Now what do we do?” John’s question brings Peter out of his haze which causes him to consider the options. Suddenly, he stands up, calls the others to get up, and proclaims that they need to follow Jesus’ instructions. This imaginative ending helps me contemplate what a life changing event the apostles had to have experienced at the Ascension.

When I wake up on the first day of my retirement, I will face a similar life changing experience. In my case, however, I will turn to my wife, Eloise, and ask, “Now what do we do”? Fortunately we both know the answer. As members of the St. Paul community, we have been given multiple opportunities to follow the example that Jesus provided. My employment provided even more service opportunities.

I will admit that my position was not without its challenges. During the most challenging of times I often asked God why he placed me in my role here at St Paul. My answer was provided when I was given the opportunity to serve the families of Police Officers Smith and Johnson. Being a part of that effort was the “in your face” answer to my selfish question, and reinforced that God knows what he’s doing. I also must admit that oftentimes my reaction to some of those challenges did not reflect the lessons that Jesus taught us. For those times when I failed you, I apologize and ask for your forgiveness. Before I leave my post, I want to tell you how thankful I am to the entire St Paul community for the continuous support, and the many letters of thanks I have been receiving. During the good times and especially during those times of struggle, many of you provided me with the opportunity to serve you the way Jesus invited me. I am sincerely thankful to everyone for that support and your acceptance of my responses, both good and those not so good.

There is one person in particular that I want to explicitly thank. I found great inspiration from a St. Paul student who was given a great challenge in his life. He underwent surgery as well as rehab while maintaining a smile on his face whenever I encountered him.

I don’t think I will ever forget my observations as he gained his strength back. Starting with half days of school to full days with assistance to what now appears to be complete recovery, his tenacity and bashful smile helped me to accept my challenges as minor interruptions in comparison to the task he was charged with. I believe God provided him this challenge to be an expression of acceptance for me and all who encountered him. He was and will always be my hero. To him I say, “Dominic, I will continue to pray for you, and ask that you maintain your drive and acceptance so that I and others can be continuously encouraged by your humbling example. Thank you for plodding on and not giving up as many would do.”

Lastly, please realize that my involvement in the parish is not ending. My role is only changing so you can anticipate seeing me continue my faith journey with my wife here at St Paul. Again, THANK YOU to everyone for supporting me during my tenure here at St Paul. You have given me untold blessings. May God continue to bless our St Paul community and those whom we serve.

Jim Keating

Please take a moment to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the vocations God has gifted to St. Paul through these

wonderful individuals. For those of you who would like to personally wish these six dedicated servants of St. Paul

Parish well in their retirement, cards and letters can be placed in the offertory basket at Mass or sent to

their attention at the Parish Office (313 North State, Westerville, Ohio 43082.)

We wish them all grace-filled retirements!

Summer

Fr. Rod is offering a Summer Bible Study of the Gospel of Matthew on Wednesday evenings in July and August. This will help us prepare for the upcoming year of St. Matthew, as well as provide background for and further reflection on many of this summer‘s daily Gospel readings. No previous Bible Study experience is required, nor is there any cost for participating in this summer scripture study. Please bring your Bible and invite a friend to join you from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. beginning on July 6. The Summer Bible Study will be held upstairs in the St. Peter Room (located to the right of the elevator on the second floor of the church.)