FLORIDA Catholic YOUR FAITH. YOUR LIFE. YOUR COMMUNITY. OF ORLANDO WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | Dec. 15-21, 2006 A1 Quick Reads A6 Classifieds A15 Crossword A18 Diocese Calendar A22 Diocese News A2-A4, A22-24 Editorial A19 Faith Alive A17 Television A18 Scripture Readings A17 Vatican News A7 Movie Reviews A18 Florida News A12-13 INSIDE: ‘Be awake and vigilant’ A4 FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY DAVID GONZALEZ Dressed in traditional clothes of the time of St. Juan Diego, young parishioners of Centro Guadalupano Mission in Wahneta prepare to participate in a procession celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 10. More than 2,000 people from Polk County and as far away as Apopka gathered at the mission for the procession and Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas Wenski. FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY DAVID GONZALEZ Bishop Thomas Wenski, back right, joins more than 2,000 people from Polk County and Apopka Dec. 10 in a procession and Mass. HONORING OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PEGGY DEKEYSER of the Florida Catholic staff TALLAHASSEE — Challenging Catholics and all people of goodwill to, “see where love is needed and act accordingly,” Florida’s bishops issued a document showing how things ranging from consumer decisions to government policies affect the state’s most vulnerable workers. The pastoral letter titled “Honor- ing the Dignity of Work: A Call for Solidarity with Florida’s Farmwork- ers and Other Vulnerable Workers,” is dated Dec. 12 and was released at a Dec. 11 press conference. It calls for specific action by individual Catholics and families, parishes, Catholic institutions, government agencies and others. “This is an appropriate time to call attention to the human dignity of people from many backgrounds and nations — particularly people from Mexico and Central America, but also Haitians, African-Ameri- Bishops: Consider farmworkers in daily decisions PLEASE SEE BISHOPS, A20 FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY CHARLES HODGES Members of St. Andrew Parish honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 9, with a procession at the Spanish Mass. In the front are, from left to right, Rosa Martin, Patricia Ramicez and Adriana Roman. Also in the procession were Josefina Villeda and Roma Allen. IN-DEPTH Christmas around the world A12-13
Transcript
FLORIDACatholicYOUR FAITH. YOUR LIFE. YOUR COMMUNITY. OF ORLANDO
Dressed in traditional clothes of the time of St. Juan Diego, young parishioners of Centro Guadalupano Mission in Wahneta prepare to participate in a procession celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 10. More than 2,000 people from Polk County and as far away as Apopka gathered at the mission for the procession and Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas Wenski.
FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY DAVID GONZALEZ
Bishop Thomas Wenski, back right, joins more than 2,000 people from Polk County and Apopka Dec. 10 in a procession and Mass.
HONORING OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
PEGGY DEKEYSERof the Florida Catholic staff
TALLAHASSEE — Challenging Catholics and all people of goodwill to, “see where love is needed and act accordingly,” Florida’s bishops issued a document showing how things ranging from consumer decisions to government policies affect the state’s most vulnerable workers.
The pastoral letter titled “Honor-ing the Dignity of Work: A Call for Solidarity with Florida’s Farmwork-ers and Other Vulnerable Workers,” is dated Dec. 12 and was released at a Dec. 11 press conference. It calls for specific action by individual Catholics and families, parishes, Catholic institutions, government agencies and others.
“This is an appropriate time to call attention to the human dignity of people from many backgrounds and nations — particularly people from Mexico and Central America, but also Haitians, African-Ameri-
Bishops: Consider farmworkers in daily decisions
PLEASE SEE BISHOPS, A20
FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY CHARLES HODGES
Members of St. Andrew Parish honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 9, with a procession at the Spanish Mass. In the front are, from left to right, Rosa Martin, Patricia Ramicez and Adriana Roman. Also in the procession were Josefina Villeda and Roma Allen.
IN-DEPTH
Christmas around the world A12-13
A2 YOUR OR�NDO COMMUNITY Florida Catholic Dec. 15-21, 2006
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BETTY ANN WEBERFlorida Catholic correspondent
WINTER PARK — Orlando’s Jones High School Concert Choir — 28 young men and women, formally attired in black and white, posture perfect — stepped down parallel aisles toward the altar of St. Mar-garet Mary Church in Winter Park. Assuming their designated places, they looked out into the cavernous room and into the faces of those waiting to hear familiar strains of Handel’s Messiah, Negro spirituals and carols.
The highlight of the Dec. 1 pro-gram was the appearance of Curtis Rayam, 55 — internationally ac-claimed operatic tenor and Jones graduate — and featured alumni soloists Vanessa Benjamin, Tarard Chester and Florence Williams.
Accompanying professional mu-sicians were also in place: Gale Jones
Murphy, piano and organ; St. Mar-garet Mary choir director Charles Thatcher, harpsichord; Gail Collins, Richard Collins, Michele Gurevich and David Hallman on strings.
Now it was time for Darlean Coleman, 52, Jones High direc-tor of choral music, to mount the podium. Looking reassuringly at each student, she raised her hands, set the beat, and they were on their way: echoing Scripture and making a joyful noise unto the Lord.
“What I admire is the precision in their music,” noted St. Margaret Mary music director Curtis Wal-lace.
“I tell my students to go for the ‘wow,’” said Coleman. “Think su-perior, be superior. And sing supe-rior plus.”
The performance marked the group’s sixth Christmas presenta-tion at the church, and the celebra-tion of the 10th anniversary of this
year’s co-sponsor, The Negro Spiri-tual Scholarship Foundation.
Years before, as Orlando Bishop Thomas J. Grady neared retire-ment, Father Rudolph Cleare, 50, the foundation’s managing direc-tor, had suggested to the bishop that he “consider establishing a well-deserved legacy in his name.” Bishop Grady grew up listening to jazz in his native Chicago. He real-ized the positive effect music could have on young people. The idea of positive effectcombining music and education in a scholarship for African-American students was ir-resistible.
With community input, includ-ing Orlando Opera director Robert Swedberg and Rayam, the foun-dation incorporated in 1996. The Grady-Rayam Prize in Sacred Mu-sic was born.
Three alumni soloists singing that night were prizewinners.
FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTOS BY VALETA ORLANDO
Jones came bearing gifts of joyGeorge Frideric Handel would have been proud
Closing the concert, choristers joined hands, swayed, and sang, “I love you, I need you, I pray for you.” And the audience, on its feet, fol-
lowed suit, all in one voice. Then, thunderous applause.
“How do I feel about these kids?” asked Rayam. “Bubbly. Exuberant!” ■
Operatic star Curtis Rayam renders his gentle version of “Away in A Manager.”
Jones High School Concert Choir performed a Christmas concert at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park Dec. 1. It was the choir’s sixth Christmas concert at the church.
This year is the 10th anniversary of its co-sponsor, The Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation that the late Bishop Thomas J. Grady helped found.
YOUR OR�NDO COMMUNITY A3Dec. 15-21, 2006 www.thefloridacatholic.org
ORLANDO — Sister Kathleen O’Brien left her home in Ireland in 1962 after volunteering to teach at a new school in a faraway place called Florida. She soon discovered plen-ty of students in need of instruc-tion, with no school yet built to house them.
“The place where the school was to be built was overgrown brush, just a jungle really,” said Sister O’Brien, describing the Titusville patch of property on which St. Teresa Catholic School would be built. Sister O’Brien, who still teaches there, recently received the Diocese of Orlando’s “Most Rev. Norbert M. Dorsey Award for Distinguished Service to Catholic Education,” a tribute to her dedi-cation and longevity.
When Sister O’Brien arrived, temporary classrooms were scat-tered throughout St. Teresa Parish. Some students met in an old rec-tory, others met at a neighboring house and some classes met inside
the church. When it came time to write, they would sit on the kneel-ers and use the pews as desks.
Two years later, the school opened and grew very quickly. For 44 years, Sister O’Brien has watched the students, the school and t he communit y grow up around her.
“When I arrived, Cape Kennedy
(Cape Canaveral) had just started blooming. They were just getting the space program off the ground,” Sister O’Brien explained.
In fact, Sister O’Brien moved to the Space Coast the same year NASA established its Launch Op-erations Center, later renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
While the astronauts have been
On the Space Coast, Sister O’Brien helps students focus on heaven
ORLANDO — Sister Kathleen O’Brien of St. Teresa School in Titusville is a Sister of Mercy, a religious order founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1824. McAuley had a special love for the virtue of mercy. In her words, “Mercy is more than charity, for it not only gives benefits, but it receives and pardons again and again — even the ungrateful.” When she inherited a large fortune, McAuley used it to build a house that provided educational, religious and social services for women and children who were poor, homeless and in need. The building, called the House of
Mercy, became the first Mercy convent when the religious order was founded in 1831. In addition to the three vows (poverty, chastity and obedience) all Catholic sisters take, the Sisters of Mercy also take a fourth vow of service to persons who are poor, sick and uneducated. The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas has about 4,500 members, who have committed to living their lives in har-mony with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Around the world there are more than 10,000 Sisters of Mercy.
— Teresa Lantigua Peterson
WHO ARE THE SISTERS OF MERCY? finding their way to space, Sister O’Brien has been showing her students the way to heaven.
“She has a knack for bring-ing out the best in students,” said Dominican Sister Rosemary Hickmann, associate superin-tendent of the Office of Catholic Schools. “She’s a model of devel-oping students’ self-confidence. She has a very strong relationship with Christ and radiates that and spreads that to the young people.”
Those who know her say she en-courages and inspires children to love learning and love the Lord.
“I like to bring happiness to the classroom. I like to spread the joy of learning. I’m always telling the students they can be anything they choose,” Sister O’Brien said.
In more than four decades at St. Teresa, she has taught every grade except third. She currently teach-es middle-school religion.
“I love what I’m doing. I love how the children are so open and ask so many questions,” she said.
As a child, Sister O’Brien always
dreamed of becoming a teacher.“I used to imitate the teachers
in my mind and was picked to help other students with their lessons,” Sister O’Brien said.
She decided to become a nun while attending Catholic high school after a sister invited her to join the convent.
“I entered the convent with a friend and never looked back,” Sister O’Brien said.
“The best part of being a sister is you have quiet time to yourself for prayer. We put that first in our lives. It helps so much. Spending time with the Lord brings you so much peace and you take that with you into the classroom or wherever you go,” she said.
After almost half a centur y teaching school in Titusville, Sis-ter O’Brien says she has lived the life she always dreamed.
“It is such a wonderful dream come true. It has happened so gloriously. I wouldn’t have stayed so long if I wasn’t so happy,” she added. ■
All invited to ‘Journey to Bethlehem’
Bishop Thomas Wenski will lead a “Journey to Bethlehem” pilgrim-age — an 8-mile walk Dec. 16 on the Seminole Wekiva Trail to cel-ebrate faith in a spirit of anticipa-tion and joy. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church, 1020 Montgomery Road, Altamonte Springs.
Christmas video to air on EWTN
Deborah Weir Khan, a mother in Indian Harbour Beach, was wor-ried about the quality of DVDs and CDs available to young children. She couldn’t find anything that was entertaining and reinforced the Catholic faith. Her worries turned into action — she created a minis-try called Brilliance Productions.
“We really believe in the im-portance of sharing our faith with young children in a way they can relate to and understand,” Weir Khan said.
The newest release is “We Cel-ebrate Christmas: The Birth of Je-sus.” The Christmas video will air on EWTN Dec. 23 at 9 a.m. in the United States and Canada.
For more information, call Weir-Khan at 321-773-8599.
Bishop’s Christmas Mass will air on TV
A Christmas Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas Wenski at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park will air Dec. 25, 9-10 a.m., on my65, WRBW. However, the time and channel may vary depending on location, so please check your local television guide.
Also check your television guide for local listings of various Christ-mas services through Notre Dame, EWTN and others.
Migration Week begins with Mass
The Migration Day Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Thomas Wenski Jan. 7, 2007, 3 p.m., at St. Mar y Magdalen Parish in Al-tamonte Springs.
The Mass marks the begin-n i ng of Nat iona l M ig rat ion Week, Jan. 7-14. The theme for
2007 is “Welcoming Christ in the Migrant.”
St. Andrew Parish ushers in 50th
St. Andrew Parish in Orlando will kick off its 50th anniversary year with a celebration Jan. 1, 2007,
at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando.
The celebration will be from noon to 6 p.m. and include dances and music from the diversity of ethnic groups from the parish. Admission and refreshments will be free. There will be activities for the children and a widescreen TV to view nationally televised football games.
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Vol. 68, No. 6
FROM THE BISHOP
Thomas Wenski
Julie Hard, left, and Lolita Coignard participate in the S i m b a n g G a b i celebration they helped to arrange at St. John Vianney in Orlando last year.
FLORIDA CATHOLIC FILE PHOTO
Father Miguel Gonzalez, center, director of the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Orlando, re-ceived the Excellence Award at the ninth annual Don Quixote Awards Gala Dec. 4. The awards and gala are a collaboration of the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Greater Orlando and the Hispanic Cham-ber of Commerce of Metro Orlan-do. Tirso Moreno, general director of the Farmworker Association of Florida in Apopka, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured above with Father Gon-zalez are Moreno’s children, Tirso Moreno Jr. and María Calderón, who accepted on his behalf.
The Don Quixote Awards are presented every year to Hispanic
entrepreneurs and leaders whose efforts have translated into suc-cess, including extraordinary abil-ity in their fields and through their volunteer community service. Five central Florida professionals were honored this year.
“This year’s finalists and win-ners represent Don Quixote’s spirit of courage and determination,” said Ramón Ojeda, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando. “Their accom-plishments and contributions to our vibrant community inspire other Hispanic business owners, professionals and civic leaders to continue giving their best to achieve the American dream,” he added. ■
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISPANIC BUSINESS INITIATIVE FUND OF GREATER ORLANDO INC
Father Gonzalez wins Hispanic business award
The Advent season arrives as our annual wake-up call. Throughout these weeks, the Scriptures tell us to “awake and be vigilant.” We remem-ber God coming among us in time — when the Word became f lesh and was born of the Virgin Mary; we await in hope to receive him at the end of time — when Christ will return in glory to judge us; and we ready our hearts to welcome him in Word and Sacrament, for he still lives in our midst.
While the secular soci-ety is already celebrating its “winter holidays,” the litur-gy of Advent is sober — call-ing us to repentance and conversion. Indeed, the en-tire purpose of Advent is to reawaken our thirst for God. In Sunday’s Gos-pel (Lk 3:10-18), the evangelist tells us that this is precisely what John the Baptist did — resulting in a “feel-
ing of expectancy had grown among the people …” And the people asked him, “What must we do?”
Advent also strives to evoke among us that same expectancy. And in doing so, Advent also calls
us to conversion — so that the Lord when he comes finds us “watchful.” That is, ready to receive him. Be-cause of this “penitential” aspect of our Christmas preparations, we should all make a serious attempt during this particular time of grace to approach the confessional. This is what we must do as we await the Lord’s coming among us.
Without acknowledging that we are not as self-suf-
ficient, as autonomous as we some-times pretend, without recognizing the false turns we have made, the sinful choices that turn us away from the destiny to which he calls
us, God will be not only “missing” from our lives, he will not even be “missed.” How can we welcome the one who comes to save us, if we don’t acknowledge our need to be saved?
Along w ith our pre-holiday shopping and partying, we should all make time to go to confession if only to remind ourselves that Je-sus is, after all, the reason for the season. Most of our parishes have scheduled extra time for confes-sions; many have communal recon-ciliation services (with individual confession and absolution).
By taking advantage of these opportunities for the sacrament of penance, we can, in the words of John the Baptist, “prepare the Way of the Lord.” Christmas means that Jesus still offers us gentle miracles of healing, of reconciliation, of in-terior peace and consolation, if only we approach him with trust-ing faith.
Such trusting faith is perfectly modeled in the sinless Virgin Mary whose “yes” to God’s will allowed the Word to take flesh in her womb. She became the true “dwelling place” of the Lord, a true “temple” in the world and a “door” through which the Lord entered upon the earth. Advent reminds us that Christ wants to come to us — and, through us; he wants to come and live in our world.
Between his first coming as man, when he was born of the Virgin Mary, and his final coming in glory at the end of time, he continues to come among us and knocks at the door of our hearts asking us: Are you willing to give me your flesh, your time, your life? A good confes-sion can bring Christ to birth once again in our lives — a good confes-sion undoes the “noes” of our sins and reaffirms the “yes” of our bap-tism. It allows us to cry out in hope: Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus! ■
‘Be awake and vigilant’
Celebrating Simbang Gabi, or Christmas novena, is a tradition among members of the Filipino Catholic community to commem-orate Advent in preparation for Christmas.
Evening prayer gatherings began Dec. 14 at St. Joseph Parish in Win-ter Haven. Bishop Thomas Wenski will again take part in this year’s Simbang Gabi by celebrating Mass Dec. 21 at Holy Family Parish in Or-lando.
Parish times and locations are as follows for the novena:
Dec. 15, 7 p.m., St. Isaac Jogues, Orlando.
Dec. 15, 7 p.m., St. Thomas Aqui-nas, St. Cloud.
Dec. 16, 8 p.m., Good Shepherd, Orlando.
Dec. 17, 1:30 p.m., St. Joseph, Or-lando.
Dec. 17, 2 p.m., Ascension, Mel-bourne.
Dec. 18, 7 p.m., Holy Redeemer, Kissimmee.
Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., St. Joseph, Lakeland
Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m., St. John Vian-ney, Orlando.
Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., Holy Family, Orlando.
Dec. 22, 7 p.m., Holy Cross, Or-lando.
Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m., Our Lady of Lourdes, Daytona Beach. ■
Filipino Catholics commemorate Advent with regional Simbang Gabi
YOUR OR�NDO COMMUNITY A5Dec. 15-21, 2006 www.thefloridacatholic.org
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CHRISTMAS MASSSchedulesORLANDO
■ St. James Cathedral215 N. Orange Ave.www.stjcc.net
HEIDI PECKHAM, M.A., L.M.H.C.Special to the Florida Catholic
Several years ago I attended a parenting session at my home par-ish. The title was “Dealing With Your Adolescents.” I remember the last few minutes vividly. A mother inquired about purchasing expen-sive designer jeans for her daughter when the family could not afford it. The “expert” went on to explain how important it was for young people to “fit in” and that the mother would build the child’s self-esteem if she stretched the budget to purchase the jeans with the designer’s name across the backside.
I had no credentials other than my Catholic faith tradition and no title other than mom, but I knew that “expert” was off track. The “ex-pert” apparently lacked practical experience in the trenches of daily family life.
At this time of year we can all get confused or off track with our tra-ditions; especially gift-giving. So, I began something new with my chil-dren — alternative giving.
The alternative giving idea went over much better than the “turn-the-TV-off-during-Lent” idea. All of the children liked the notion of giv-ing, especially to someone in need. One year we contributed to BETA Center, a wonderful agency that provides life-giving services that are changing the world one child at a time. Another year the Russell Home for Atypical Children was the recipient, the third year it was a homeless shelter. Nieces and neph-ews wrote heartwarming thank-you notes. We knew they were more pleased with the donation than with another scarf set or sweater.
After that, our children really wanted to experience the contri-bution more fully. So we “adopt-
ed” a family with six children. We shopped and wrapped everything in white tissue and color coordi-nated the ribbons to the child — the 2-year-old’s gifts were tied in red and placed in the red basket, the 4-year-old’s in green and in the green basket, the 8-year-old’s in blue, etc.
At this time, we had an adoles-cent we were dealing with. He was not into shopping or wrapping, but he did offer to help deliver the gifts. To our surprise, he donned a red hat with a tassel and headed out with his brother and Dad.
While unloading the bikes and baskets, a small child came up to him, tugged on his baggy T-shirt and asked, “Hey mister, are you Santa Claus?” When our son told us of this encounter, we could see the joy within him taking shape.
What a gift! Designer jeans could never have given him the gift of reaching beyond self into generos-
FAMILY LIFE COLUMN
‘Recognizing the gift we are’ One of the many confusing, if not traumatic, issues of bringing two families together in marriage can be around the simple act of gift-giving. Blending families is challenging — in-laws, grandchildren, stepparents and other combinations. They all have their traditions of giving Christmas gifts. I discovered it is sometimes easier to start a Christmas tradition than to stop one — especially when the one I wanted to stop was the traditional gift-giving practices of my in-laws. In my family, you bought a gift you thought appropriate. In my husband’s family, it had to be appropriate, AND it had to be within a specific budget AND they opened presents on Christmas Eve. (We all KNEW that the baby was born at midnight during Mass, didn’t we? How could anyone open presents before the baby was born?) One Christmas I received the gift of compromise. My husband, David, and I be-gan allowing our children to open one present on Christmas Eve. It was always the gift with the new pajamas to be worn for the home movies of Christmas morning when the “good” Catholics opened their gifts.
— Heidi Peckham
RECEIVING THE GIFT OF COMPROMISE
ity. When children learn how to give unselfishly, not only do they learn to fit in, they feel needed and worth-while. Isn’t that what self-esteem is all about — recognizing the gift we
are, not worrying about the gifts we are going to get? ■
Peckham is the director of the Family Life Office.
’Tis the season to be jolly — and sometimes gloomyCARLOS BRICENOof the Florida Catholic staff
ST. PETERSBURG — Holidays often mean festivities, faith, family, food — and frowns.
Although the holidays bring joy to some people, for others they bring about a depression.
It makes sense, according to Lori Puterbaugh, a licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist. Several factors during the holiday time period can bring about depression, she said.
One is seasonal affective disor-der, which comes about because of a lack of sunlight during the winter months. Another is that the holidays remind people of those loved ones who have died and are not around to celebrate, she said. And, finally, some people idealize the past.
“They kind of invest their energy into looking backwards and saying, ‘Gee, everything was so wonderful then and it stinks now,’” she said.
Kids can also get depressed, but it manifests itself differently, said De-nise S. Lynn, a guidance counselor at Transfiguration Catholic School in St. Petersburg and licensed men-tal health counselor.
“Children don’t show it as in-tensely as adults do,” she said. “At times, they may show similar signs as adults. They may take a break and go play, and it may look like they have forgotten it, but they re-ally haven’t.
Some warning signs that may in-dicate a child is depressed include loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and changes in schoolwork, Lynn
said. Parents can help by implement-
ing new traditions and not forget-ting those who have died.
“They might say, ‘What would Grandma do,’” she said. “Keep them in memory. Keep them in prayer.”
Faith is important in helping to overcome depression, said Father Michael Lydon, pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in New Port Richey. What is especially helpful is the love of others in the community, he said. He said inviting someone who is de-pressed into your family and home
“and lifting them up gives them a sense of support and of a larger family, of a parish family.”
Puterbaugh said faith helps someone understand the holidays are not only about Norman Rock-well images or moments.
“There’s a point to Advent and a point to Christmas that’s big-ger than what’s going on in our personal lives,” said Puterbaugh, a parishioner at St. Jerome Parish in Largo, who often incorporates faith into her depression work-shops and counseling sessions.
“Faith can help people keep in mind there is a different way to celebrate the holidays.”
If someone has suffered a loss, that person can reach out past himself to someone else in need — while at the same time reaching up, toward God — which means they are feeding the homeless or volunteering at church, she said.
Other practical ways to combat depression, she added, include eating well, getting regular exer-cise and getting enough sunlight.
What can be done by a friend
who wants to help someone who is depressed? Puterbaugh recom-mended that the friend invite the depressed person to a grief support meeting if there has been a loss of loved one. Or, invite the depressed person to go to Mass with you.
But, most importantly, be pa-tient and compassionate and do not keep score if the depressed person keeps rejecting your invi-tations, she said.
“Someone who is g r iev ing means that you may not even be on their radar,” she said ■
Celebrating Marriages
Plan Ahead
ANNIVERSARY MASSCelebrating 25th and 50th
Wedding Anniversaries(or any significant wedding anniversary)
Bishop Thomas Wenski, CelebrantWHEN:
Sunday, February 11, 2007World Marriage Day
2:00 P.M. Followed by cake and punch
WHERE: Blessed Trinity Parish
4545 Anderson RoadOrlando, FL 32812
No preregistration needed contact Family Life Office
The Knights of Columbus are on a mission that began over a century ago: to protect mothers and their children from hardship. Today, the Knights are one of the largest Catholic charitable organizations in the world. Our members donate more than $100 million annually to worthwhile causes. The Knights also give millions of Catholic men, women and children the security of knowing they’re protected by one of the highest rated insurance companies in North America: (AAA Extremely Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and (A++ Superior) by A. M. Best.
For additional information contact:Sergio A. Urrutia FIC, CSFP Chartered Senior Financial Planner Field Agent
YOUR OR�NDO COMMUNITY A23Dec. 15-21, 2006 www.thefloridacatholic.org
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LAURA DODSONFlorida Catholic correspondent
MELBOURNE — Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Melbourne has grown tremendously from the little mission church that was dedicated on the feast of the Immaculate Con-ception, Dec. 8, 1931.
There are 2,600 parishioners to-day. But the parish prides itself on maintaining the warm spirit of hos-pitality and inclusiveness of its mis-sionary roots. Father William Han-ley, pastor since 1996, thinks the parish’s diversity is one of its best features. “Our Lady of Lourdes is a mixture of age groups: one quarter is 65 and above, one quarter is 18 and under, and half are in between. It’s also culturally mixed. The His-panic community is a focal point for gathering, coming to celebrate
socially and spiritually. There is a sense of history and a commitment to continuing the missionary work. We look beyond the parish to see how we can serve,” he said.
Earl and Hilda Fickett have been parishioners for more than 50 years. They relocated from Long Island, N.Y. They found the people of Our Lady of Lourdes were welcoming, outgoing and loving, so they joined and are still active in ministry. The Ficketts, married 62 years, shared
Our Lady of Lourdes: still missionary 75 years later
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church was dedicated on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 1931, by Bishop Patrick Barry. Father John Walsh became the first pastor of this first Catholic church in Melbourne. In 1953, a parish school was founded with a four-classroom building serving 105 students; today it serves pre-K 3 to eighth grade, with an enrollment of 240. In addition, various support buildings have been added, ex-panded and reworked to accommo-date the needs of the community and many ministerial developments.
PARISH HISTORY
The celebration Mass Dec. 10 for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Melbourne shared a threefold purpose: the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the church, the 75th anniversary of the Council of Catholic Women in the parish and the return to the church after massive renovation and repairs subsequent to the 2004 hurricanes. (Mass has been celebrated in the parish hall since June.)
PARISH HAS 3 REASONS TO CELEBRATE
their sentiments together: “Part of our mission is to do what we can to help others. We hope the parish will continue to grow as we have and continue this loving atmosphere — always ready to lend a helping hand to help each other out,” they wrote.
New parishioners Jorge and Wanda Ortiz moved to the parish from Puerto Rico in August. They have family in Melbourne and had visited frequently. Wanda shared
her impression: “It’s a big family. We have felt that the parishioners have all been the friends and family we needed. The warmth of every single person makes you feel at home. Ev-eryone is willing to help and serve others. I feel like all my life I’ve been coming to this church.”
When asked about the parish’s vision and plans, Father Hanley reiterated the strength of hospi-tality and continuing to build on that. “This is a wonderful time! Our school is doing terrifically. The children are our main ministry. Our Ministry of Care will continue to grow because our location is in proximity to 13 nursing homes and the hospital.”
“The Hispanic community will continue to expand because of the key leaders in the parish who help bring neighboring parishes togeth-
er,” Father Hanley continued. “Our donations to the poor and Mass do-nations are already earmarked for the Daily Bread, food service to the poor and homeless, and the South Brevard Sharing Center that started on church property but ultimately moved to larger quarters. We’re looking to see how we can further serve the needs of the area through them.”
Aida Garcia, a parishioner for 23 years, summed it up, “This is a very warm community. The parish wants people to stay.” ■
OCALA — Trinity Catholic High School quarterback John Brantley was named Gatorade National Foot-ball Player of the Year on Dec. 7.
The award, presented in partner-ship with RISE Magazine, recogniz-es not only athletic performance but also academic achievement and exemplary personal charac-ter. A national advisory board of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country selected John, a senior, from more than 1 million high school players
nationwide.John is now a finalist for the Ga-
torade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at a ceremony the afternoon prior to the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards, cre-ated by ESPN, in July.
During an assembly at Trinity Catholic Dec. 7, televised nation-ally, John was presented letters of congratulations from U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and state Sen. Cliff Sterns. ■
TRINITY PLAYER WINS NATIONAL AWARD
FLORIDA CATHOLIC PHOTO BY JIM DELPH
John Brantley receives his Player of the Year award.
FATHER LOPEZ HIGH SCHOOL’S BIG MOVEFather Timothy Daly, president of Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach, speaks at the land blessing ceremony on LPGA Boulevard, the future site of the new Father Lopez High School. Bishop Thomas Wenski, right, conducted the blessing. Two years a g o , B i s h o p We n s k i celebrated Mass on campus for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and announced the diocese was purchasing property on LPGA Boulevard for a new Father Lopez Catholic High School. The 80-acre tract consists of about 40 acres of uplands and 40 acres of wetlands. Groundbreaking will take place in 2007 and the school is projected to be finished in 2008.
