1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

catholic
St. Augustine
December 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
A Christmas Tradition
building a spanish
nativity belén p. 16
Migrant Farm Workers
a call for
solidarity p. 24
Home
from
War
Christmas has special meaning this
year for Capt. Kathleen Michel
FATHER JOE p. 8
what’s up with
Ouija boards?
Theology 101 p. 10
why is Jesus the
best teacher?
Spiritual Fitness p. 14
the battle
for peace
Msgr. Joseph James Writing Scholarship for High School Seniors
this year only!
And have your work published in the St. Augustine Catholic magazine
How do you sustain your Catholic identity in today’s culture?
Entries due February 29, 2008
Contact your Campus Minister, DRE, Youth Minister, Pastor or Teacher for entry information
or visit www.staugcatholic.org or email: [email protected].
contents
contents
catholic
St. Augustine
December 2007
Volume XVII Issue 5
The St. Augustine Catholic is the official magazine of the Diocese of Saint Augustine,
which embraces 17 counties spanning northeast and north central Florida from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The diocese covers 11,032 square miles and
serves more than 164,000 registered Catholics.
features
what you’ll get
out of this issue
16
Elizabeth Gessner
Creating a
Nativity Belén
Learn the art of building a
Belén – a popular and longestablished family custom in
Spain. It’s a wonderful custom
that gives families a real focus
for Christmas. – Elizabeth Gessner
4editor’s notes
Celebrating the Holidays
– Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
5saint of the month
Mary on the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception – Jan Rynearson
18
Cover Story:
Home from War
Find out how Navy Capt.
Kathleen Michel’s faith
helped her get through the
hell of war while serving at
the Expeditionary Medical
Facility in Kuwait. And
now that she’s home, how
is she adjusting to life with
her husband and children?
10
6 bishop’s message
“Born the Virgin Mary” – Bishop Victor Galeone
7 from the archives
First Parish Registers – Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
Scott Smith
8 in the know with Father Joe
What does the church think about Ouija
boards? – Father Joseph Krupp
– Amelia Eudy
9 catholic world news – Zenit
10theology 101 Why is Jesus the best
teacher? – Elizabeth Solsburg
12your marriage matters Reconciling
two separate bank accounts – Tom and Jo Ann Fogle
Tom Tracy
24
From the
Fields to
Marketplace In part
two of our two part
series on immigration
and migrant farm
workers, writer Tom
Tracy breaks down
some of the issues and
myths facing migrant
workers today. – Tom Tracy
On the Cover: Navy Capt. Kathleen Michel at Naval Hospital Jacksonville.
Photo by Scott Smith
13parenting journey Is Christmas making
you crazy? Learn how to be a peaceful parent
– Dr. Cathleen McGreal
14spiritual fitness The battle for peace
– Father Bill Ashbaugh
22parish profile San José Parish,
Jacksonville – Shannon Scruby-Henderson
26culture Windows of Peace
– Michelle Sessions DiFranco
28 around the diocese
30 calendar of events
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
catholic
St. Augustine
notes
editor’s notes
The Magazine of the Diocese of Saint Augustine
Most Rev. Victor Galeone
Publisher
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
Editor
Susie Nguyen
Editorial Assistant/Subscriptions
Patrick McKinney
Art Director/Graphic Designer
Father Bill Ashbaugh
Michelle Sessions DiFranco
Amelia Eudy
Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
Tom and Jo Ann Fogle
Elizabeth Gessner
Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Father Joseph Krupp
Dr. Cathleen McGreal
Jan Rynearson
Elizabeth Solsburg
Tom Tracy
Contributing Writers
Tom Gennara
Elizabeth Gessner
Susie Nguyen
Phillip Shippert
Scott Smith
Tom Tracy
Tony Watson
Frantizek Zvardon
Contributing Photographers
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
Advertising Sales Coordinator
InnerWorkings
Print Management
St. Augustine Catholic Website
www.staugcatholic.org
Diocese of Saint Augustine Website
www.dosafl.com
The St. Augustine Catholic is a membership publication of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville,
FL 32258-2060. Published monthly except January and August.
Subscription rates are $15 per year. Individual issues are $2.50.
Send all subscription information and address changes to: Office
of Communications, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL
32258-2060; (904) 262-3200, ext. 108; fax (904) 262-2398
or email [email protected]. ©St. Augustine Catholic, Diocese of
Saint Augustine. ©FAITH Publishing Service. No portion of the St.
Augustine Catholic may be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
reproduced or distributed in whole or in part, without prior written
authority of the Diocese of Saint Augustine and/or Faith Publishing
ServiceTM. For reprint information or other questions regarding use of
copyright material, contact the St. Augustine Catholic editorial offices at
the Diocese of Saint Augustine.
Help Spread the Faith!
Give the gift of the
St. Augustine Catholic Magazine
Order a $15 annual subscription today
1-800-775-4659, ext. 110
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Celebrating the Holidays
by Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
N
ot being with family during the
holidays is tough for anyone. But
for those in the military, spending
the holidays away from home
is often a reality. The uncertainty of unrest in
Iraq will make this holiday season even more
stressful than usual for the families of military
members serving in harms way.
Nurse and Navy Capt. Kathleen Michel is
fortunate. She will be home when her four
children unwrap their presents this Christmas
day. But she didn’t expect to be. Capt. Michel
was called to serve at the Expeditionary Medical
Facility in Kuwait, the only coalition forces
military hospital just south of Iraq. In our cover
story this month, Capt. Michel explains how
her faith helped her tend to the combat wounds
of our soldiers and endure time spent
away from her husband and kids.
And while our armed forces are
doing the business of the country,
military chaplains, like Father Michael
Mikstay are busy at home taking
care of the families of our
military personnel. Father
Mikstay is Command
Chaplain at Naval Air
Station Jacksonville.
He will be here for
Christmas ministering to
the families of St. Edward
Chapel before joining the
Marines as a Catholic chaplain
serving in Iraq early next year.
So how can we help those in
uniform celebrate the holidays?
It’s not too late to:
• Donate a calling card to help
troops keep in touch with their
families at Operation Uplink, www.
operationuplink.org.
• Sign a virtual thank-you card at www.
defendamerica.mil/nmam.html.
• Make a donation to the Military Relief
Societies: Army at www.aerhq.org; Navy
and Marines at www.nmcrs.org; Air
Force at www.afas.org, or the Coast
Guard at www.cgmahq.org.
If you know a family that will be alone
this holiday due to a loved one serving
oversees, reach out to them and share the
spirit of Christmas by exchanging family
customs and traditions – or you can try one
of two featured in this issue.
Turn to page 16 for a complete guide to
building a Spanish-style Nativity scene.
Popular in Spain and throughout Europe,
building a Belén (Spanish for Bethlehem) is
a wonderful custom that provides families
a real focus for Christmas. Elizabeth
Gessner, a Spanish translator living in St.
Augustine has traveled extensively to Spain
to hone her linguistic skills and while
there she discovered the art of making a
Nativity Belén. She says it offers parents
an outstanding teaching moment, and is
simply a lot of fun. And Elizabeth’s Belén
will be on display this Christmas at the
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
In our new Culture column on page
26, Michelle Sessions-DiFranco
shares her recipe for making
cathedral cookies for
Christmas. She calls them
windows of peace and they
provide a message of hope,
love and peace especially for
people separated from loved
ones during the holidays.
On behalf of the staff of
the St. Augustine Catholic, have
a blessed Advent and very
merry Christmas!
Corrections:
The headline for the Catholic
Charities article that appeared
in the November issue was
incorrect. It should have read
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty.
We apologize for the error.
bishop
from the bishop
“Born of the Virgin Mary…”
Why do Catholics say that Mary was always a virgin?
by Bishop Victor Galeone
Actually, it’s not just Catholics who believe Mary was a virgin
throughout her life. So does the Orthodox Church. And the
Protestant reformers Luther and Calvin held the same belief. To
understand why, let’s go to Luke’s gospel (1:26-38) where the
Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she’s going to have a baby. Her reaction
was, “How can that happen since I don’t know man?”
In Scripture, “to know man” is a euphemism for having sexual
relations. Mary’s question is somewhat strange, since we learned in
verse 27 that she’s engaged to be married to Joseph. Didn’t they
plan to consummate the marriage after their wedding?
To learn the answer, suppose that I offer you a beer (or a cigarette)
and you reply, “Sorry, I don’t drink/smoke.” When do you plan to
start? With your present mindset, never. Doesn’t Mary’s question fall
into the same category? Did she ever plan to have marital relations?
The early church fathers concluded that Mary and Joseph had
made a private vow to live as brother and sister after the wedding.
(We know from the historian Josephus that members of the Essene
Community, who lived around the time of Jesus, were celibate.)
When Gabriel explained that she was to conceive through the power
of the Holy Spirit, Mary gave her consent. And she remained a virgin
for the rest of her life.
What about Jesus’ brothers and sisters named in Mark 6:3?
In Hebrew, the word for brother (’AK) can mean blood brother,
half-brother, stepbrother, uncle, nephew or cousin. The context must
indicate the relationship. For example, Genesis 12:5 states that Lot
is “the son of Abraham’s brother,” that is, his nephew. But in the
next chapter, Abraham says to Lot, “Let us not quarrel, for we are
brothers.” Besides, if Jesus had other siblings, why did he entrust
Mary to the care of John while he was dying on the cross? Such an
action would have been unthinkable if Mary had other children to
care for her. So Jesus’ siblings mentioned in Mark were probably his
cousins.
But Matthew 1:25 says that Joseph had no relations with
Mary until she gave birth to her son. Doesn’t the “until”
imply they had relations afterwards?
Not really. We’re dealing with another Hebrew idiom. In English,
what is said before until is usually not true afterwards: “I didn’t drink
until I was 21.” But there are exceptions: “Behave yourselves until
I get back.” Does that mean the kids can tear the house apart once
mother returns? Hebrew, however, stresses only what occurs before
the until clause. What is said there may or may not be true afterwards.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
For example, 2 Samuel 6:23
states: “Michal had no children
until the day she died.” Are we to
assume Michal bore children in
the grave? So too, Matthew 1:25
is the Hebrew way of stressing
that Joseph had no role in Jesus’
conception.
What about Luke 2:7 which says, “She gave birth to her
firstborn son.” If he’s the first, there must have been others
after him.
Firstborn (bekor) in Hebrew was a technical term, conferring
special legal status on the firstborn son. As St. Jerome explained in
the fourth century: “Firstborn doesn’t mean there were any later-born.
It merely excludes any previous-born.” Archeology has confirmed St.
Jerome’s statement. In 1922 a tombstone was unearthed in Egypt of
a Jewish bride who had died in 5 B.C., with the inscription: “Fate has
ended my life in the birth pangs of my firstborn son.”
Why is there no mention of Jesus’ virgin birth outside of the
infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke?
While there are no explicit references, there are some implicit
ones. For example, in citing someone’s human ancestry, St. Paul
usually refers to the father alone, or in some cases, to both father
and mother. The only exception occurs in Galatians 4:4. “Now in
the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under
the Law…” Precisely when Paul reaches the end of Salvation
History (“in the fullness of time”), he mentions only the mother of the
promised Messiah – who is not linked to any human father. When the
Messiah appears in our midst, he has only one Father (“God sent his
Son”), and only one mother (“born of a woman”).
Also, Joseph, Mary’s husband, is never mentioned in Mark’s
gospel. This is especially striking in the passage where Matthew and
Luke have, “Isn’t this the son of the carpenter (Mt)/Joseph (Lk)?”
Instead, Mark has: “Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”
Let us conclude this reflection with the opening lines of
Wordsworth’s sonnet, “The Virgin.”
“Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost
With the least shade of thought to sin allied;
Woman! Above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature’s solitary boast…”
archives
from the archives
First Parish
Registers
Invest your time before
you invest your money.
Frantizek Zvardo
A parish register is a blank book in
which a pastor enters the names of his
parishioners and the dates on which they
receive certain ministries of the church,
e.g., baptism, marriage and burial. The
very first such registers at the infant
parish of St. Augustine, covering the
last four months of 1565 and the first
months of 1566, have long been lost;
our best information is that they were
carried off by soldier mutineers in the
spring of 1566.
The registers from that date until
1586 similarly are lost, but, again, we think
we know what happened to them. In the
summer of 1586 the city of St Augustine
was plundered and burned to the ground
by the English corsair Francis Drake. A
member of Drake’s force wrote that not
so much as “the leaves on the trees” were
spared. When the then pastor Father
Rodrigo García de Trujillo emerged with
his parishioners from the western woods,
where they had taken refuge, he found their
church, Our Lady of Healing, a tangle of
blackened timbers. If the registers had been
left in the church, they would have turned to
ash.
The pastor and his people rebuilt their
wooden church. In 1593, broken in health
after 28 years of service, Father García
retired and was replaced as pastor by
Father Diego Escobar de Sambrana, whose
name is the first to appear in the registers
that survived. On Jan. 24, 1594, we find
in the brittle but still readable initial page of
the matrimonial register, Father Escobar
brought a couple before the altar to be
married. The groom and bride were Gabriel
Hernández, “a soldier of this presidio,” and
Catalina de Valdés. That entry on that page
is the oldest European document of North
American (north of Mexico) origin extant in
our country.
n
by Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
The first page of the St. Augustine
Parish Register of Baptisms dated June
10, 1594.
The first entry in the baptismal register is
also in Father Escobar’s hand, dated June
25, 1594. It records the baptism of an
infant named “María, legitimate daughter
of S. Ximenes de la Queva and María
Meléndez, his wife.
The surviving registers of the First
Spanish Period (1565-1763) offer us a
near-continuous record (there are some
lacunae or holes) of Catholic life in the old
city from 1594 to 1763, for a total of 169
years. In 1763, by virtue of the Treaty of
Paris concluding the French and Indian
War, Florida passed into the hands of Great
Britain. The population of St. Augustine, not
trusting the British to respect their Catholic
faith, elected to depart Florida for Cuba
and other destinations in the Caribbean
basin. Only three Spanish families remained
behind. In February 1764, the church’s
possessions, including the parish registers,
were removed to Havana on board a
schooner named Nuestra Señora de la
Luz (Our Lady of the Light). There the
registers were placed in the basement of
the cathedral church. And there they would
remain, forgotten, for the next 107 years.
Ellen O. Middleton
Branch Manager
Larry W Johnson
Investment Planner
904-730-8900
904-730-3200
800-860-1095
www.middlejohns.com
7785 Baymeadows Way, Suite 306
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Securities offered exclusively through:
take a
pilgrimage
Medjugorje
March 26-April 2, 2008
Divine Mercy Pilgrimage
Come on an unofficial pilgrimage
to Medjugorje with Wayne Weible,
internationally-known author
and speaker. $1,599
Limited speaking engagements available
For more information
Weible Columns, Inc.
6814 Larkin Rd. • Jacksonville, FL 32211
(904) 726-5004
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
fr. joe
in the know with Fr. Joe
Dear Father Joe
What does the church think about
Ouija boards?
Q:
What does the church
think about Ouija
boards, crystals, and
enneagrams?
One December night, my
friend Father Mark went out to
sing Christmas carols. When
he went to the first house and
began singing, an elderly man
came to the door and tears
began to roll down his face.
OK, these are three totally
Father Mark, seeing that the
different things, so first, let’s
define each one and then look man was moved to tears, asked
“Are you remembering happy
at what they purport to do
childhood memories?” “No,” the
from a Catholic perspective.
man sniffed, wiping a tear. “I’m a
First, let’s look at Ouija boards. According
to Princeton’s Wordnet, they are boards with
the alphabet on it; used with a planchette to
his son or daughter in the fire, who practices
spell out supernatural messages.
divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in
Apparently, the name comes from
witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or
combining the French word for “Yes” (Oui)
spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does
and the German word for “Yes” (Ja).
these things is detestable to the Lord. (Deuteronomy
In terms of crystals, I assume you are
asking about the way some people claim to use 18:10–12a)
The Scripture is clear, and many exorcists
crystals for spiritual protection or channeling,
in the Catholic Church speak very strongly
or in any religious way.
against the Ouija board. Whether we intend
The enneagram is a nine-sided shape that
it for “fun” or not is irrelevant; it’s a loaded
is used as a model for different things; the
spiritual gun and we should destroy any of
most common being its use as a personality
these things that are in our home.
assessment tool. This assessment tool focuses
Crystals are a little harder to nail down,
on the imbalance present in each person
– their “hidden self.” Integration is essential in as they are used in so many ways. However,
this model, and each personality type is shown the simple answer is this: I can’t find any
circumstance under which a person can or
the way to integration through the use of
should “use crystals” for a spiritual purpose.
arrows.
OK, we’ve got them now; let’s take it one at a Again, its purpose seems quite clearly against
the Scripture passage that I cited above.
time.
The Ouija board was introduced as a board The easiest way to look at these things is to
remember the story of Babel and the story of
game, and was intended to be used as a way
to contact the spirits of angels, demons, or the Adam and Eve. In both cases, what the people
dead. This is a dangerous practice. People have wanted was right, but they wanted to do it in
approached me about this and expressed their their own way and not in the way God calls us
concern over my “hard-line stance on a board to. The desire to have contact with the divine
is holy and good, but we must do it in the way
game,” but that is precisely one of the big
problems here: disguising a fundamentally evil God invites us to. The problem is when we
spiritual practice into a game for kids is, in my act as if our actions can somehow “force God’s
hand” or as if the Scriptures and the guidance
mind, the definition of evil.
of the church aren’t sufficient.
Take a look at this passage:
There are tons of fights on the Internet
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices about the enneagram. Some people see them
A:
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
as helpful tools, others see them as an evil New
Age practice. It appears that in this case, it’s
best to avoid working with this model. Why?
First, because of its roots. The roots of this
practice appear to come from the Sufis, who
seem to combine Islam and paganism in their
worship.
Second, this model is a problem because of
its focus on self-improvement through purely
human means. In the mind of the church, it is
essential that we base all of our efforts for “self
improvement” on the person of Jesus Christ
and the power of the Holy Spirit. One source
I read indicated that Jesus calls us to “die to
self,” while this model calls us to an almost
obsessive focus on the self.
Remember, brothers and sisters, Jesus has
given us all we need to come to him. As he
said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
Enjoy another day in God’s presence!
Send your questions to:
“In the Know with Father Joe”
c/o FAITH Magazine
300 W. Ottawa
Lansing, MI 48933
Or:
[email protected]
world news
the top-10 Catholic News
events this month
1
Vatican Stamp and Coin Museum Opens
A new museum featuring all the stamps and coins minted
in Vatican City State since 1929 is open to the public. Materials
illustrating the production of stamps and coins are included.
2
Israel tightens policy on re-entry visas
The Israeli government is no longer granting routine
re-entry visas to Arab Christian religious leaders who travel
in and out of occupied Palestinian territories. The new policy
means that clergy will no longer be able to move freely between
their parishes in occupied territories.
3
Six Arkansas nuns excommunicated
Six women religious were excommunicated in Arkansas
for their involvement in the schismatic association Army of
Mary.
4
Prayers for minority Christians
Benedict XVI is praying that Christians who are in minority
situations may have the strength and courage to live their faith
and persevere in bearing
witness to it.
5
Global
cooling
A “cooling off” of love and
solidarity is even more
dangerous than global
warming, claims the
archbishop of Prague.
6
Spirituality over
logistics for World
Youth Day
Youth are challenged to
ensure that organization of
logistics does not interfere
with spiritual preparation
for the 2008 event.
7
Pope encourages
youth to
evangelize in hometowns
The pope said that missionary work is essential to Christian faith
formation.
8
Personal development through sports
Sports are beneficial when pursued in the right spirit with
respect and dignity, Benedict XVI said.
9
Nobel Prize winners join the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Klaus von Klitzing, who won the Nobel Prize in physics, and
Yuan Tseh Lee, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, are now
ordinary members of the academy.
10
U.N. needs to focus on health care
The pope called for the U.N. to renew its commitment
to the preservation of life at every level and in every corner of
the world.
Finding cures and protecting life
A
packet of information about the
church’s stance on stem cells was
delivered to
every Catholic
home in Michigan that’s
registered with a parish.
A letter signed by the
state’s diocesan bishops,
a 12-minute DVD, and
a brochure explaining
the church’s support
for adult stem cell
research were sent out
as part of the Michigan
Catholic Conference’s
The Science of Stem Cells:
Finding Cures and Protecting Life campaign. The
conference aimed to reach 500,000 homes and
nearly 800 parishes.
The Michigan Catholic Conference campaign formed in light of
embryonic stem cell research supporter’s movement to overturn
the state’s ban on research that involves the destruction of human
embryos.
Paul Long, the vice president for public policy at the conference,
said the central message of the statewide education program is
the church’s support for adult stem cell research and opposition
to research which involved destroying human embryos. Long
said that the campaign is intended to counter all of the attention
focused on embryonic stem cell research which has overshadowed
the real hope that adult stem cell research can provide.
According to Long, “ Medical science, along with people
from different faith and political backgrounds, have recognized
that human cloning and the destruction of living embryos for
research purposes may not be the most promising way to move
forward with stem cell research. Yet because of the great deal of
attention given to unproven embryo destructive research, partly
through misinformation and even deceit, necessary funding for
and the promotion of adult stem cell research have been nearly
nonexistent.”
Often people do not know that adult stem cells are already
providing treatment and even cures without harming donors.
The letter that was included in the mailing said, “Catholics have the
right and duty to assist all who are suffering, and medical science,
through adult stem cell research and its proven track record of
success, has opened a door of hope.”
– ZENIT
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
theology
theology 101
by Elizabeth Solsburg
W h o i s C h r i s t ? a year-l ong conv e rsatio n with th e ol o gians
Why is Jesus
the best Why did Jesus
teacher?
some and not
others?
Jesus
taught
by doing
T
his year, the St. Augustine Catholic is exploring
Christology – the study of Jesus Christ. We
asked several eminent seminary professors
some questions about Jesus. Their answers
are enlightening and thought-provoking.
Meet the
professors
Father Acklin
Father Muller
Father Stevens
Father Thomas Acklin is a monk of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa.
He is a graduate of Duqesne University, St. Vincent Seminary, The Catholic
University of Louvain and Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute.
Father Earl Muller is The Bishop Kevin M. Britt Professor of Theology/
Christology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He formerly taught at Marquette
University in Wisconsin.
Father Gladstone Stevens is on the faculty of St. Mary Seminary
in Baltimore.
10
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Q
SAC: What is Jesus’ role
as teacher?
Father Acklin: Jesus teaches
even more by what he does
than what he says. It’s like the
famous quote attributed to
St. Francis: “Preach always
– use words when necessary.”
Jesus’ whole ministry is like
this; he begins with teaching
and miracles. Then, he begins
to teach the hard stuff, about
giving us his flesh and blood to
eat and drink – and there are
very few miracles at that point,
because miracles are signs
pointing toward something,
not an end in themselves.
Jesus teaches with parables to
break through the resistance
to understanding, to prepare
us to enter into the mystery.
theologian
of the month
Catherine
of Siena
(1347-1380)
Catherine
had visions
and mystical
experiences from
a very young
age. By the time
she was 7, she
had dedicated her
virginity to Christ.
As a teen,
she joined the
Dominican Tertiary
order and began
to live a solitary,
consecrated life in
her father’s home.
In 1370, she
experienced a
series of visions
of heaven,
purgatory and hell
– and heard God
telling her to leave
her cloistered
life and enter the
world of diplomacy
and politics. She
did so, beginning
correspondence
with king and pope.
In fact, her urgings
prompted Pope
Gregory XI to return
to Rome in defiance
of France’s king.
Catherine was
responsible for a
spiritual renewal
and had a number
of followers.
Catherine was
deeply devoted
to the Eucharist,
existing on
nothing more than
Communion wafers
and water for long
periods of time.
Heresy!
Jesus as God, but not as man
the heresy of monophysitism
To Monophysitists, Jesus had only one nature, and it was divine. It
resembles Apollinarianism, in which Christ’s divine nature overcame his human one. But
in monophysitism, Jesus was solely and always divine. This heresy mostly affected the
Eastern church, which excommunicated the monophysitists in the sixth century.
Like many of the other heresies, this one is problematic because, without
incarnation, there can be no true atonement for our sins on the cross.
It was condemned by the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680-681; the doctrine of
hypostatic union was reaffirmed – Jesus is one person with two natures inextricably
intertwined. He is fully human and fully divine.
Otherwise, you could take
this body of knowledge away
and think you’ve “got it.” For
Apostles fumbled and ran
away, and learned through
that. Ultimately, we slip and
fall and miss the point,
It’s like the famous quote and that is where the
opportunity for real
attributed to St. Francis:
learning occurs.
For us to really know
Jesus, all of his sayings
have to become living
Jesus’
for us. That happens
whole ministry is like this. through faith. And we
have to recognize that
example, the beatitudes – living everything Jesus taught was
them is a mystery; it’s not just
accompanied by things he did.
about knowing them.
We have teaching in the
Father Muller: Jesus’
Scriptures and in other church
teaching is connected with the
teaching, like the catechism.
Word – Jesus is the revelation
But to live through the
of God. Revelation must touch
questions is where you really
on the human heart and the
learn to know something. The
human intellect. When you talk
“Preach always
– use words when
necessary.”
what does that
symbol mean?
Pelican
The pelican
was believed
to pierce its
own flesh with
its bill, in order
to feed its young
with its own
blood. As such, it
became a symbol
of Jesus and the
atonement. The
pelican is seen in
paintings, stained
glass and murals.
Bible Quiz
I heard the voice of God
Who am I?
getting up and asking Eli what he
wanted. Eli kept telling me to go
back to sleep, but the voice didn’t
stop. Finally, Eli told me that it was
God calling – and my response,
“Here I am Lord,” has become
the title of a song that is sung in
churches regularly. I served the
Lord the rest of my days, and was
honored to select the first two
kings of Israel, Saul and David.
Who am I?
Father Stevens: Everything Jesus
does is a teaching moment. When does
he teach the most? It is when he says
nothing – it is in his passion. In that
moment, we have the sublime teaching of
what it means to be human
and God. So, how do we
propagate this – how
do we teach? We use
a combination of words,
actions and silence. If
Jesus teaches by
silence, we should
too. For example,
don’t judge.
Don’t cast a
stone. Ultimate
teaching is
through silence.
And teaching
is always more
than a matter of
utterances. Look
at Matthew, chapter
25 – we teach by
visiting someone,
by giving them
water and clothing.
This teaching is
the way in which
the truth of God
reaches another
human being.
Elizabeth Solsburg
[email protected]
Answer: Samuel
My mother, Hannah, asked
God to send her a son – and
in exchange, she promised to
raise him as a Nazirite, totally
dedicated to the Lord. I am
that son – and as soon as I was
weaned, Mother brought me to
Eli at Shiloh and that’s where
I lived. When I was about
12 or so, I began hearing
a voice in the night, while
I tried to sleep. I kept
about the communication of God to our
intellect, you’re talking about a studentteacher relationship between us and
God. So Christ, as a revelation of the
Father, comes as one who enlightens our
intellect. That is the root of what is meant
by teacher.
There were also cultural issues in the
Scriptures that led to the use of that
title – in the first-century Jewish culture,
those who gathered disciples and trained
them were called “teacher” or “rabbi.”
Since Jesus did those things, he was
often called by those titles.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
11
marriage
your marriage matters
ro mance
Romance
Try going
on a date in the
“next town over.”
Go to dinner, or
see an attraction
somewhere that
requires some
extra drive time.
Make a little
adventure out of
it and go just far
enough to feel
free from the daily
stressors. Have a
collection of some
of your favorite
romantic music
on hand. Use the
extra travel time
to talk and just
enjoy each other’s
company.
money
That’s
entertainment!
Eating
out is fun and
has become
increasingly
popular. But a
candlelit dinner for
two at your own
table can be very
romantic and save
you money. To
save a little money,
eliminate one
dinner out a week
and eat in instead.
12
K
atherine and David have been
married for eight years. Katherine
just discovered that David has a
bank account in his own
name that she had not known about.
It’s my money
Katherine says: I have been
bothered by David’s secretiveness
throughout our marriage; for
example, he will never tell me who was on the
phone when he finishes a conversation.
But I was devastated when I found a bank
book in his desk while I was cleaning
the office. It’s in David’s name only and
there’s a substantial sum of money in it.
I thought marriage was supposed to be a
partnership. But I feel marginalized and
betrayed. What else is he keeping secret?
I thought
we shared
everything
David says: I don’t understand
why Katherine is so upset – it’s not
like the phone calls I get are any
big deal, but they are mine and not hers. We aren’t
joined at the hip – I’m allowed to have some privacy,
aren’t I? As it happens, the bank account Katherine
found was money I’ve been setting aside to surprise
her with a cruise for our anniversary. But frankly,
given the big scenes she’s made about this, I’m not
sure I even want to go on a trip with her!
When ideas are not
communicated and then
discovered inadvertently by your
spouse, there is a whole lot of explaining to do! Is it
just poor judgment or is it “busted!?”
The first comment made by Katherine was a red
flag to Tom. Was David’s secretiveness a continuation
of an existing pattern while dating and during the
engagement period, or is this a new behavior? Most
often, habits and behaviors are a continuation of
existing patterns set long before a marriage. Sometimes,
our strongest and most endearing qualities and
attributes prior to marriage becomes our major
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
He said
She said
what do they do?
by Tom and Jo Anne Fogle
weaknesses after marriage.
The one question
most couples don’t ask
themselves prior to
marriage is, “What if the
current behaviors and
patterns continue for
the rest of our married life
– can I live with it exactly
as I know it today?”
In marriage, spouses get
to experience the other’s
most intimate details – that
means it is critical to really
understand the person you
are marrying prior to the
wedding day. What you see is
really what you get!
Secrecy is the cornerstone
of mistrust – especially within
the context of marriage. When
the wall begins to form between
spouses you can rest assured
Tom and Jo Anne Fogle
the cornerstone will be mistrust.
That cornerstone has a way of
attracting other building material
that would normally be given little
consideration. But attached to the
mistrust cornerstone, they become
bonded and meaningful to building
the wall. For example, David’s
phone conversations by themselves
would not be significant except
for the cornerstone of mistrust.
The secretiveness of the phone
calls bond with the cornerstone
of mistrust to create a formidable
barrier to communication and
couple growth. Once the wall
begins to be built, people would
be surprised at what is put into
the mix to make it even more
formidable; items such as a letter
addressed only to David and
not to Katherine, David working
unusually late at his job, David
wanting to spend a weekend away
fishing with his buddies, or a bank
book that Katherine didn’t know
about. Regardless how innocent
these extra events/items are on the
surface once they are placed next to
the cornerstone of mistrust, there
is serious work needed by both
parties, David and Katherine, to
chip away and remove the wall.
In reviewing both David and
Katherine’s comments, it struck
us that communication is not one
of their strengths. It appears there
is a lot of “assuming” between
them and very little “fact finding”.
It might have helped if Katherine
would first ask David about the
bank account and let him explain
the situation. Maybe indeed it was
for a surprise anniversary cruise,
in which case Katherine would
be delighted and pleased, yet a
little embarrassed at discovering
his special surprise. Given his
reactions at her being upset (now
not wanting to take her on the
cruise) our belief is that his story
was a not quite accurate and that
Katherine’s thoughts might have
some validity. If it were truly going
to be a surprise and a special event,
discovery may be disappointing,
but it shouldn’t be viewed as a deal
breaker.
parenting
parenting journey
communication
Is Christmas making you crazy?
How to be a more peaceful parent
Good
marriage
You want
to celebrate
Christmas in your
own home this
year. He wants to
go to his mother’s
for the Christmas
he’s always
known. Holidays
can be highstress when your
expectations are
different. Set aside
time to discuss
your “perfect”
Christmas, and
make sure both
of you get a little
of what’s most
important. Maybe
this year at home
and next year at
your mother-inlaw’s!
time
Shop and
spend
together.
Develop
an ability to shop
with your spouse;
be it in a clothing
store or hardware
store. Shopping
doesn’t need to
be expensive
(window shopping
is free) and
spending doesn’t
need to break the
bank. Walking
together and
exchanging ideas
and thoughts tend
to build strong
relationships and
lasting bonds.
by Dr. Cathleen McGreal
A
s we pray for international peace during the
Advent season, parents often have immediate
concerns for preparing a tranquil family Christmas.
I’ve found Advent challenging because it coincides with
deadlines for exams and grades. When my four children were young,
I began spreading Christmas shopping over months, searching for
bargains. Now that they make purchases on their own as Christmas
nears I wonder if I’ve done a “good job.” I start balancing amounts in
Following my head. Is this fair? Should I make one more purchase? Even things
God’s will
out? I have to rein myself in, reminding myself that when the voice
might not feel
cries, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Mt
“peaceful” at
first because it 3:3) that our preparation is not about giving the right gifts to one another
in honor of Jesus’ birth! The straight path is an interior preparation and
runs contrary
to our habits
peace that comes from our relationship with God.
Allow time as parents to experience the gentle
guidance of the Shepherd.
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his
arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that
have young.” ( Isaiah 40:11) Many a stained glass window shows
the comforting sight of Jesus carrying a lamb. But it is reassuring
to know that he is guiding parents as well. How is God relating to
you as a parent this Advent? Are there discoveries that will lead
to stronger relationships or healing in the family? The parenting
journey is one that lasts a lifetime. Has a younger generation
expressed interest in hosting the Christmas dinner? Has there
been a spiraling trend toward more expensive gifts? It may
be that, despite the gentleness of the dialogue, there are
prospects of change that seem disconcerting. Following
God’s will might not feel “peaceful” at first because it runs
contrary to our habits.
“A heart at peace gives life
to the body ... ” (Proverbs 14:30)
There are many physical demands to parenthood, as
Mary and Joseph knew well with their journey to Bethlehem,
Jesus’ birth in the stable and the flight to Egypt. Parents struggle
to get up night after night with newborns, wondering when the
baby is going to sleep through the night. Preschoolers have bad
dreams and there are long nights tending to feverish children.
Parents of adolescents catch catnaps waiting for teens to come
home from dates. Sometimes, “empty” nests are re-feathered
and grandparents help out young families. Being a parent can
be exhausting! This Christmas season, try to find one personal
activity that brings your own heart peace. Make time for prayer
and connect with your church community – it may help bring life
to your body!
Email questions and comments to: [email protected]
Dr. Cathleen McGreal
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
13
spiritual
spiritual fitness
by Father Bill Ashbaugh
Of course, the holidays bring other factors that can trigger “the
blues.” They add stress to people who are already stressed, work
for people who are already overworked and expectations on those
already pushed to the limit. There are increased financial and social
demands. People may feel overwhelmed because they have to
shop, go to parties, host parties themselves, decorate, send cards
– and do it all in a couple weeks. Somewhere in all this, we can
lose Jesus. Now that is depressing!
Also, because holidays are often very special family times, those
who have lost loved ones may feel their absence more acutely.
Holidays become a painful reminder of loss. And then, of course,
we all are faced with the emptiness of over-commercialization
which blurs the true meaning of the season and real source of our
joy – Jesus Christ.
How can a person deal with the blues that can come in this
season? We cannot be little Grinches who try to steal Christmas,
nor Scrooges who “bah! humbug!” it away. Feelings of gloom do
not go away by turning off the season.
One thing I have found helpful is to understand that dejection
is not an enemy, but a sign. It is emotional darkness that points us
to “move on, change your attitude and thinking.” My little nephew
was reaching for a hot plate and someone yelled, “NO! HOT!”
He stopped immediately. The words “No! Hot!” were a sign he
understood. When people suffer
feelings of melancholy, they may
become frozen in a place of pain
or anxiety. The dark feelings
produce more sad thoughts
that, in turn, produce more bad
feelings. “O what a wretch I am,”
says St Paul. “Who will save me
from this? Thanks be to God
for Jesus Christ our Lord.” (cf.
Romans 7:13-25)
Yes, Jesus saves us from all
things! He saves us from this. To
draw out of our distress we make
a choice to draw close to Jesus. We stand in his light. When we do,
the darkness shrinks. How interesting to know that to treat SAD,
the sufferer is treated by being exposed to more light! He or she
feels better by being in the light!
The good news of this season is this, “Today in David’s city a
Savior has been born to you, the Messiah and Lord .” (Lk 2:11)
Today! Just hearing that proclamation can bring us out of a dark
place. The present, the here and now, is the moment at which
eternity touches us. God is eternally now. Now is the acceptable
time. Now is the day of salvation. God makes every day and every
moment new.
If we start to think of sadness as a sign that says, “No! Hot!,”
we can begin to break the pattern of dark thoughts and feelings.
We can turn our thoughts to Jesus, our light. His light shines in
the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. (John 1:2)
So when we focus on dark feelings, we must hear our minds say,
“No! Hot! Do not go there.” Instead, seek Jesus. Say his name.
Think about him as a baby in the manger. How poor. How little.
Feeling down?
how to find joy when you feel joyless –
beating depression during the holidays
T
his has been difficult for me to write,
because, just before I was asked to write
it, I was going through a dark time myself!
God’s timing, though. I’ll reveal some of the
fruit of my own struggle. How can we work
through our dark times – and even find joy – when
we feel joyless?
We all go through times when we are down or low. Some people
suffer from this more than others, especially during the holidays.
Why is this? Holidays are supposed to be fun and joyful! Many
times they are, but they also can open up painful memories and
instill extra anxieties. Sometimes depression is related to a chemical
imbalance caused by a lack of light. The winter blues are real;
doctors have studied the condition, and appropriately named it
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. During the winter months,
daylight wanes and darkness grows, triggering chemical changes in
our bodies that can lead to sadness or anxiety.
14
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
He wants you to be there with him. He is
happy you are there with him.
When the shepherds were in the fields,
it was night. But in the darkness, God
was there! Angels exploded the darkness
and the message given to the shepherds
was believed! The shepherds did not just
sit around after the angels told them that
a Messiah had been born. They were not
frozen in the darkness. The light of God was
breaking through and moving them to act.
They chose to act in faith and considered
the possibility that the Messiah had come
to them. When they acted in faith at that
moment, they found Jesus!
The same will be true for us this holiday
season. Jesus said, “Your father in heaven
knows all that you need. Seek first his
kingship over you, his way of holiness, and
all these things will be given you besides.”
(Matt 6:33) In our holiday madness, we
must not miss the moment! Jesus is there.
For our Spiritual Fitness this Christmas
season, we practice being present to the
“present” of Jesus Christ.
Make a list of all the activities you think
you must do. Cut out what is unnecessary;
prioritize. Include time for quiet and rest, time
for immediate family and especially, time for
Jesus. Remember that “Jesus is the reason
for the season.”
1
Focus on the present. Do not compare
today with the “days of the past.”
When you notice yourself feeling sad, say
to yourself, “No! Hot!” Consider the gift of
the moment and express your faith that
God is with you. A simple sign of the cross
or praying the Our Father may be helpful.
Repetition is the mother of learning, so keep
working on this new mental habit. Good
feelings will eventually follow.
2
Sadness is often associated with
loneliness. When we are down, we do
not want to be with others. Resist this. Be
like the shepherds who went to Bethlehem
What does
depression sound
like? Here is a first
person account
– volunteer some time by visiting hospitals
or nursing homes. Jesus is there. Go
Christmas caroling. Jesus is there. Say “yes”
to party invitations. Do not be a Scrooge.
Jesus is there.
3
Take some time to enjoy the beauty of
the season. Turn on some Christmas
music. Take a walk or drive to enjoy the
lights and decorations. Live in the moment.
Some people hate snow – but really look
at a snowflake sometime and appreciate its
intricate and delicate beauty. God created
it for us. Think about the wondrous gift of
Jesus. God made everything through him
and for him. Jesus is the central point of the
whole universe. He is not only the reason for
the season. He is the reason for everything.
Can we really ever make a big enough deal
out of His birth? “God so loved the world
that He gave us his only Son, that whoever
believes in him may not die, but might have
eternal life .” (Jn 3:16) God bless you and have a merry Christmas!
• Increase in self-critical
thoughts with a voice in the
back of one’s mind providing
a constant barrage of harsh,
negative statements.
• Sleep disturbance or
inability to fall back to sleep
• Feeling fatigued after 12
hours of sleep.
• Decrease in appetite or
food loses its taste.
• Feelings of guilt,
helplessness and/or
What if you’re not
hopelessness.
just feeling “down in the • Thoughts of suicide.
dumps,” or if you’ve been • Increased isolation.
“blue” for a long time?
• Missing deadlines or a
The following are some signs drop in standards.
of clinical depression. If you • Change in personality.
have experienced several
• Increased alcohol/drug
of these symptoms for
use.
more than two weeks, you
should call a mental health
Clinical depression
professional:
is treatable, usually with
• Concentration is often
a combination of cognitive
impaired.
therapy and medication.
• Inability to experience
(Dartmouth College, Dept of Counseling and
pleasure.
Human Development)
I can’t read, and the music
I used to enjoy so much does
nothing for me. I am bored, but
I feel like doing nothing.
There are times, when I’m
It takes the greatest effort to get alone, that I think that life
out of bed in the morning. I am is hopeless and meaningless
tired all day, yet when night
and I can’t go on much longer.
comes, sleep evades me. I stare – Anonymous
at the ceiling, wondering what
has happened to my life, and How do you know if
what will become of me.
you’re depressed?
Nothing is getting done at
work.
I have projects to complete, but
I can’t think. I try to focus on
my work and I get lost.
I keep wondering when the
boss will discover how little I
have accomplished.
Email your questions and comments to:
[email protected]
My wife does not understand. She keeps telling me to “snap out of it.” I’m irritable all the
time, and yell at the kids, then I
feel terrible later.
Nothing is fun any more.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
15
S
St. Augustine takes great pride
in its Spanish heritage, visible in
so many ways – the architecture
of its buildings, the names of
its streets, and in particular the
Cathedral-Basilica located across
from the Plaza de la Constitucion.
As Christmas approaches, there
is another tradition that should
be added to the many Spanish
customs already alive here – the
family custom of building a
Nativity Belén.
For more than five centuries,
Spanish children and adults
alike have greeted the Christmas
season with the building of
a Belén, a word that means
Bethlehem in Spanish. It’s a
Nativity scene that depicts life as
it was in Bethlehem at the time of
our Lord’s birth.
Creating a
Nativity Belén
Elizabeth Gessner
B y E l i z a be t h G e s s n e r
16
Camels cross a bridge in a large Belén on display in
Madrid, Spain last year.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
The Nativity scene tradition originated in
Italy with St. Francis in the 13th century and
soon spread to Spain and could be seen in
many Spanish monasteries or religious houses.
Over the years, the Belén became an art form,
prized by nobility and royalty, who spent great
sums of money on building elaborate scenes
with hundreds of figures. But it also became a
humble family custom that continues today.
We have no historical records of Nativity
scenes in early St. Augustine, but it’s hard to
imagine that they didn’t exist – at least in the
parish churches.
scott smith
Elizabeth Gessner
In Spain, the Belén generally goes up
shortly after the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception (Dec. 8) although some families
wait until the Christmas Novena (Dec. 16)
while others wait until Christmas Eve.
Building the Belén is an exciting project
for the entire family. Nativity figures are
passed down from generation to generation
in Spanish families, so most families already
have a collection of figures. But many people
enjoy shopping for new figures at specialized
stores or the Feria de Navidad, the outdoor
Christmas markets that appear all over Spain
in December.
Adapting this custom to life in the United
States is not difficult. While the beautiful,
artisan-produced Spanish Nativity figures
are hard to come by in this country, many
American families have at least the basic
figures for the Nativity scene, called the
Misterio in Spanish – the Virgin Mary, Joseph
and the baby Jesus. In Spain, the ox and the
donkey and an angel are usually included
in this basic scene. Then you can add
shepherds, villagers and animals to create
your little town of Bethlehem, Spanish-style.
A good way to start is by reading the
Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke
(chapters 1-2). Discuss them with your
kids, showing them on a map where the
events occurred. Do a little research on
the Internet. Then have your children
Nativity scenes in Spain can be quite elaborate. This large Belén in Madrid
depicts daily life in Bethlehem.
draw what they think the first Christmas
looked like. Use their drawings to decide
what kind of scene you are going to build.
A small one in a box? Or a bigger one on
a flat surface? Do you want to put your
manger in a cave or in a stable?
If you don’t have enough figures for the
scene you have in mind, check out the
local craft and toy stores. The figures don’t
have to be expensive Nativity figures and in
fact, they don’t have to be Nativity figures
at all. You can adapt any small plastic figure
for use in your Belén by
some careful snipping and
reshaping. Dress them
up with new paint and
bits of cloth, and your
transformed figures are
now ready for your Belén.
You don’t have to go
out and buy them all
at once either. Part of
the fun is adding new
figures each year. And
don’t forget to get lots
of animals, because kids
love to play with the little
sheep, rabbits, chickens
and other barnyard
critters. You’ll probably
also want to add tiny
furnishings, utensils and
things like food or tools.
These can be bought, but
they’re also fun to make.
Creativity and ingenuity
From her home in St. Augustine, Elizabeth Gessner builds
are the secret ingredients!
a Nativity Belén that will be displayed this month at the
Cathedral-Basilica.
Paint your backdrop,
if making a box diorama, and assemble
the larger parts of your scene, such as
the buildings or the cave. Then add your
figures and a few more finishing touches
– perhaps sticking in some twigs or bits of
moss or vegetation. But don’t put the baby
Jesus in until Christmas Eve!
In the days before Christmas, some
people read a little prayer, prayed a decade
of the rosary, or sang Advent hymns at
their Nativity scene in the evening. You can
also personalize it by doing things such as
giving each child a sheep of their very own
to move a tiny bit closer to the manger
every day during Advent.
In Spain, the Belén is generally left in
place through Epiphany (Jan. 6), which is
also known as the Día de Los Reyes and is
the day Spanish children get their presents.
You can also follow the Spanish custom of
visiting other families to see their scenes
and opening your home to your friends
and neighbors to show off your Belén.
But whatever you decide to do, you will
find that reviving this historic tradition in
your family will not only connect you with
our Spanish past but will help your family
build a rich and wonderful tradition that
will make Christmas even more special
every year.
Elizabeth Gessner is a parishioner of the
Cathedral-Basilica in St. Augustine and
a Spanish translator. It was through her
educational travels to Spain that she learned of
the long-established custom of building a Belén.
You can read more about the custom on her
website at www.SpanishNativity.com.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
17
Home
from
War
Christmas has
special meaning
for one military
family
By Amelia Eudy
18
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Photography by Scott Smith
c o v e r
s t o r y
f there’s no place like home
for the holidays, no one
would know that better than
our U.S. troops who have
been forward deployed or
have served overseas. This
Christmas, another year
when service members
will spend the holiday
in harms way, one local family is
preparing to celebrate a Christmas
that was almost spent apart.
Standing out front of Naval
Hospital Jacksonville, Capt.
Kathleen Michel holds a
picture taken during her
Individual Augmentee (IA)
deployment to Camp Arifjan
in Kuwait where she spent
six months as head nurse.
Nurse and Navy Capt. Kathleen Michel, 44, the
mother of four children: Parker, 10, Griffin, 8, and
6-year-old twins, Ethan and Seth, found her own ways
to cope with the uncertainty of a six-month military
deployment.
“[The military] initially told me it would be for six
months, then it was one year, then eight months, then
back to six,” Kathleen remembers back home at Naval
Hospital Jacksonville. Having missed Easter, her 16th
wedding anniversary, and her twins’ sixth birthday, she
can’t imagine what it would have been like to be gone
for Christmas as well. “I think that would be really
hard,” she says.
Originally from Ohio, Kathleen completed her
college undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees
at Ohio State University. She joined the Navy for
the choice of duty stations near the water and the
opportunity for adventure. Earlier this year, she
received an assignment of “adventure” as she was
called for Individual Augmentee (IA) duty to serve at
the Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait, the only
coalition forces military hospital in the small country,
located just south of Iraq.
Camp Arifjan was Kathleen’s first tour in the Middle
East and the new assignment took some adjustment.
“When we first got there it was cold – in the 50s and
60s. It quickly got hot and was 120 to 130 degrees
when we left,” Kathleen explains. “It was windy and
sandy – like walking into a hairdryer with sand blowing
out of it.”
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
19
As the head nurse for the tent-hospital facility, which included an
emergency room, medical/surgical unit, a mental health ward and
operating rooms, she also provided career support and guidance to 40
military nurses in Kuwait. Because her specialty is in neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU) nursing, Kathleen’s first exposure to a combat support
hospital tested her wits and strengthened her faith.
“I have never seen trauma before and we saw a lot in the first month,”
she recalls. “We had a week of three mass casualty days in a row. I saw a
bunch of stuff I had never seen before, like amputations, burns . . .”
One difficult day, while looking for identification in an individual’s
body armor belonging to a soldier who had died, she came across
photographs and sticks of gum. “I started crying,” Kathleen says, “then
thought, ‘I can’t do this as head nurse …I have to pull myself together.
You can’t think of your emotions until it’s all over.’”
During the long days, Kathleen found time to attend Mass as much
as possible, daily if she could get away from her work schedule of six
12-hour days. During Holy Week, she was able to attend Mass everyday,
something she had never been able to do before.
The chapel experience was different from her chapel back home, St.
Edward at NAS Jacksonville, where she is an extraordinary minister of
holy Communion. While she was accustomed to saying the “Soldier’s
Prayer” at Mass at the Florida chapel, in Kuwait it meant so much more
after actually caring for people who had been in combat.
“We were immersed in it everyday. It was not just an idea – we got
to see the effects [of combat] on a person’s mind, body and soul,”
Kathleen says.
Sunday Mass at the Army base was full, she recalls. Being in a forward
deployed environment “definitely strengthened” her faith life and she
remembers, “I was praying a lot more than I normally do. You really
realize that life is short and you have to make the most out of it.” Being
away, she learned to appreciate her children and husband more and
missed being there for them.
Military Chaplains: Supporting our Troops and their Families
Catholic military chaplains wear many
“uniforms.” They are spiritual leaders,
counselors, companions, commanding
officers and confidants.
“It’s service to God, our church and
our nation,” Navy Cmdr. Michael Mikstay,
chaplain of 15 years, says.
When St. Edward Chapel at Naval Air
Station Jacksonville loses Father Mikstay,
the current Command Chaplain, early
next year, the base will lose its last active
duty priest assigned to the 65-year-old air
base. This is due to a shortage of military
chaplains who are answering the call
to serve the troops at home and those
forward deployed.
Father Mikstay, who spent the first
five-and-a-half years serving in various
“hot-spots” around the world, such as
Somalia and Liberia with the United
States Marine Corps, is preparing to
leave his administrative position on the
home front to rejoin the Marines as a
Catholic chaplain serving in Iraq.
“I am there to be their priest,” says
Father Mikstay, who was ordained for
the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio in
1981. “To travel around to places where
…anybody has a need for a chaplain is
what I look forward to. The real calling
for me is to be operational and be with
the Marine Corps.” Serving overseas, for
him, is “another opportunity to provide the
power of the priesthood in an operational
setting.”
20
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Overseas and during wartime, military
chaplains help the men and women of
the armed forces through many trying
situations. “The type of ministry is much
different,” Father Mikstay explains. “Our
travel, supplies and services [are] done so
we can take care of those people spread
across the theater in which we operate.”
But chaplains are also a valuable
informational tool for the active duty and
families at home.
Father Michael Mikstay
“We are faced with all sorts of issues
when someone walks in our door,” Father
Mikstay says. Financial difficulty is one
of those issues. “Loan sharks charging
astronomical [interest] percentages are
commonplace outside many military
bases. The military are going there
because they are in financial need,” he
says. But the Navy Marine Corps Relief
Society (NMCRS) is an organization that
provides interest free loans to military
personnel. They work closely with the
service member or the family to create a
budget and a plan to repay the loan.
The Fleet and Family Support Center,
a government-funded organization
found on almost all Navy installations,
provides counselors who give advice
about a number of topics such as finance,
marriage, abuse, grief and others.
“Especially beneficial for those who
have a loved one deployed for the global
war on terrorism are the family support
groups which the center organizes and
coordinates,” advises Father Mikstay.
“Very high on the list of priorities for the
Navy and Marine Corps is to take care
of the military families,” Father Mikstay
claims. “In my experience, when I am in
an operational area, say a foxhole or the
desert, and I ask [a service member] his
three biggest concerns, [he] will say ‘Take
care of my family.’ As chaplains assigned
to shore installations, we are called to
support the fleet or the war-fighter, but
we can do that best by taking care of their
families.”
-Amelia Eudy
For information about the Navy Marine
Corps Relief Society call (904) 5423515 and for the Fleet and Family
Support Center call (904) 542-2766.
One of her biggest concerns was knowing if
her young family would be okay without her.
“I wouldn’t want them to spend a lot of time
being sad. I didn’t want them to cry or become
dysfunctional,” she admits. Luckily, Kathleen was
able to communicate regularly with her children
and husband, John, 41, who works for the
State of Florida Veteran’s Affairs Department. A
webcam, set up in her room, enabled her to see
her family as she talked to them every day. They
also mailed packages to each other.
John, who Kathleen calls ‘a saint’, was able to
take time off during the summer months to care
for and travel with the children. She could tell,
however, that it was difficult for her husband to
deal with things like the homework and dinner
schedules alone. Although he is not Catholic,
At a Time When
Being Together
is Most Important.
Our beautiful cemetery and funeral home are in one
location, giving you more time to be with your family.
Jacksonville Memory Gardens
Cemetery and Funeral Home
Owned since 1958 by local Catholic family • 111 Blanding Blvd. • Orange Park, FL
www.JacksonvilleMemoryGardens.com (904)
272-2435
See Christmas
through a child’s eyes…
Capt. Kathleen Michel and her husband,
John, savor reading time with their four
children: Parker, 10, Griffin, 8, Ethan
and Seth, both 6. When she deployed to
Kuwait in the spring, Michel wasn’t sure
if she would be home for Christmas.
he took the children to religious education
classes regularly and helped them with their
nightly prayers, which still include a line to,
“Please keep mommy safe.”
Kathleen returned home in August to resume
her job as associate director for medical services
at the Naval Hospital. She doesn’t anticipate
being called back to the Middle East any time
soon but is watching as others get ready to take
their turn overseas, many of whom will be away
for Christmas.
“We send nurses and other staff on
deployment all the time from here,” Kathleen
admits. “All you can do is stay in contact and
celebrate when you get home.”
This year, after Christmas Mass, the Michel
family will spend the day at their own home,
an important tradition they have established for
their mobile military family.
“I’m sure I’ll go overboard again this year
with the decorations and presents …to
celebrate that I am home and not deployed as
was the initial plan,” she reflects.
This Christmas, send greeting cards that feature
the artwork of elementary school age children in the
United States — young missionaries sharing their
faith through art.
This box of 24 cards showcases the winning
color drawings from the Holy Childhood
Association’s annual Christmas artwork contest.
To view all winning art, visit the HCA
children’s web site: www.hcakids.org.
To purchase HCA Christmas cards for $10 a box,
call your diocesan mission director, or
1-(800) 431-2222. You may also buy these
cards online at: www.givetothemissions.org.
Holy Childhood Association …a Pontifical Mission Society
national office - 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
21
parish
parish profile
San José Parish in Jacksonville
A Vision for the Future
W
hen San José Parish reaches its golden anniversary milestone in
2009, the community plans to celebrate in style. A new parish
center is at the heart of an ambitious $2.5 million capital campaign, Building
Together to Serve Christ, that will also fund improvements to almost every
building in the complex. In addition, money is earmarked for a parking lot
expansion and debt reduction.
“This is a very exciting time,” says parishioner Cheryl Roth. “The capital
campaign is an opportunity for us to make an imprint that will impact the
future. I like to think that decades from now, people will still be talking about
what we accomplished.”
Pastor Jim Moss concurs. “With the new campaign, we are building upon our
past and remembering our ‘foundation’ in faith by a dedicated group of selfless
parishioners,” he says. San José pioneer Ozzie Bonner, 91, is a bridge from that
generation to the present, and he sees parallels in the new initiative. “Msgr.
(Mortimer) Danaher had people skills,” he notes. “He knew how to bring people
together, and so does Father Moss. He’s doing a good job of making sure the
church stays up with the times.”
Tony Watson
Father James Moss, pastor of San José
Parish since 1999.
by Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Tony Watson
The Spanish-style San José Catholic Church
was designed by Junck and Walker Architects and
dedicated by Bishop John J. Snyder on Nov. 4, 1990.
22
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
At San José, a lot has changed in five decades – most noticeably,
its multicultural population. “This parish is a microcosm of our
nation,” says Cheryl Roth. “For example, we have a strong Albanian
presence and Hispanic people from Mexico and nearly every
country you can name in South and Central America.”
Ministering to diverse groups is a joint effort. Deacon Gjet
Bajraktari coordinates outreach to Albanian Catholics. Father Al
Esposito’s Spanish Mass each Sunday is attended by as many as
600. He has recently organized a Portuguese ministry for Brazilians.
With a Hispanic population that now stands at 25 percent, San José
has Hispanic Advisory Council that parallels and complements the
English-speaking parish council.
The community has become a mecca for immigrants seeking
instruction in English. Sister Maria Maxwell directs an all-volunteer
program that runs three evenings a week, 11 months a year. Last
year, it served 400 adults. The program is open to everyone,
Catholic or not. To ensure that language training is free, Sister Maria
writes grants for funding. “We’re Sisters of Mercy and our mission is
to people who are poor, so this was a natural fit,” she says. “I began
S a n
J o s é
P a r i s h
a t
a
G l a n c e
San José Parish, est. 1959
3619 Toledo Road
Jacksonville, FL 32217
[email protected]
Pastor:
Parochial Vicar:
Parishioners:
School:
Principal:
Father James Moss
Father Alberto Esposito
2150 registered families
500 students, Pre-K through 8
Jan Magiera
Diocesan visionary Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley
purchased the parcel on Toledo and St. Augustine Roads
that would become San José Parish back in 1954. In
1959, he appointed Msgr. Mortimer Danaher to establish
the parish.
Msgr. John J. Lenihan succeeded as pastor in 1977,
leading the parish until his retirement in 1999. During his
tenure, San José dedicated a splendid new Spanish-style
church. Father James Moss has been pastor since 1999.
Under his leadership, the parish has embarked on a capital
campaign that will modernize the faith community for a new
generation of Catholics.
Tony Watson
A glimpse back to the beginning
Local history buffs may be interested to learn that when
South Jacksonville’s San José Parish was founded by
Msgr. Mortimer Danaher in 1959, his younger brother Leo
(now deceased) was also going door to door to canvas
parishioners for a new parish – in his case, Sacred Heart on
Blanding Blvd. Both Danaher’s built churches in 1960; each
opened a school right away – and persuaded the Sisters of
Mercy from two different convents in Ireland to help.
The sanctuary area is dominated by a window wall of glass
depicting the Trinity. The three large windows are fabricated
in a combination of colored, painted and faceted glass.
helping migrant workers in the Crescent Beach area, but then I
realized that the need was right here in my own parish.”
Father Moss credits “seven years of reflection and focus
on stewardship of time, talent and treasure” as the force that
encourages parishioners to engage in ministries that enhance parish
life and to help others. “We continue to preach and teach about
calling people to be faithful disciples and good stewards, as they
recognize all as a gift from God,” he says.
Sister Ambrose Cruise, director of religious education, sees
generosity as a hallmark of the parish. “It’s a very alive place, and
people are so enthusiastic,” she says. “In my own program, every
year I’m looking for more teachers. I pray and end up getting
more than I need. Lay people work together for our parish and the
community.”
There is also an emphasis on enjoying each other’s company. The
parish has organized a FUNN (Fellowship Under a New Name)
Committee, to sponsor social events. Recently, more than 60
women met to reestablish an old parish tradition of ladies’ circles.
These and other social ministries are part of Father Moss’ longrange plan. “When I arrived, I invited the people to consider a
vision of parish as people who ‘pray together and play together,’”
he says. “In doing that we build community, so that when we
gather around the Lord’s table we know each other better as we
pray together. Our prayer with and for one another leads us to get
involved with others.”
Email questions and comments to: [email protected]
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
23
Part Two of a Two-Part Series on Immigration and Migrant Farm Workers
From the
Fields to
Marketplace
Tom Tracy
By Tom Tracy
24
A Call for Solidarity
Migrant workers in the fern farms near Crescent City, Fla. perform
back-breaking labor that pays just 25 to 28 cents a bunch.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
a
furniture and clothing. Fortunately, no one was
injured in the fire but the home was destroyed.
The adult farm workers here are so busy
in the fields and raising their children that
realistically they don’t have time to learn
English, but their children, mostly American
born and attending public school, do, often
becoming good students and citizens. A
typical scenario is for the wife to work in the
fields while the husband may take a job in
construction.
Tom Tracy
At a fern farm in Crescent City, Fla., under
the hot sun and a mesh net cover, which traps
the humidity, Aldegunda Albarran wades
through rows of foliage exposing herself to
snakes, insects, pesticides and the elements.
She and the other mostly Mexican workers
here only pick the ferns that are ready for
harvest that will soon be shipped around
the country and to markets as far away as
Japan. They stoop over deeply in order to cut
the ferns near the roots, starting early in the
morning to avoid stifling late-afternoon heat.
Albarran and the workers tell jokes, laugh
and talk about things going on in their lives,
their sore backs and the recent cost of living
increases effecting things like milk, gas and
housing.
Weather permitting; with a good rate of
picking, they may earn $40 to $50 a day.
Some of these farm workers live up the road in
mobile homes and apartments north of Seville,
Fla. Some of them, like Albarran, are legal and
have led stable lives in the community for a
long time, while others are undocumented and
worry about new measures being enforced by
the Department of Homeland Security to target
employers hiring non-resident workers. The
situation has been a serious worry to not only
workers but Florida’s agricultural industry.
“Immigration will come into a town and
take everyone they find, going into homes, so
the people run,” said Albarran’s daughter Myra,
a teenager who said her mother has been
doing this work since 1989 when the pay was
just 18 cents per bunch. Now, the rate is 25
to 28 cents. Maira said she hopes to become a
nurse one day.
Albarran, who is a resident, is clearly
respected by the workers here, and is a
volunteer and point person for the Farm
Worker Ministry of the Diocese of Saint
Augustine. From two satellite offices,
Crescent City and in Green Cove Springs,
staff of the Farm Workers Ministry minister
to local farm workers.
Worried about loss of employment in
agricultural jobs and a reduced demand for the
ferns – a luxury item in a nervous American
economy – more families are coming to
the ministry to make ends meet this year,
according to Olga Lara-Moser, who, with her
husband Al, coordinates the Farm Worker
Ministry for the diocese. “We are getting more
requests for food and for help with utility, rent,
and medical bills,” she said.
Recently a farm worker’s mobile home
burned to the ground. Olga arranged for the
woman and her daughter to pick up some
Aldegunda Albarran with her daughter
Maira. Aldegunda has worked at the
fernery for 18 years earning between
$40 and $50 a day.
Pedro, a legal resident, who has been
working in the fernery for 18 years and
supports a wife and four children, said he
doubts many other people will ever want to do
this kind of work. The Mexicans here work in
tremendous heat, cold winter mornings and
suffer from insecticide induced itchy skin. They
encounter snakes and rats. “Nobody else will
do this work if they deport us to Mexico; and
everybody here is Mexican,” he said.
The U.S. Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants
Campaign, created to educate Catholics and
the general community about undocumented
persons in this country, breaks down some
of the myths that may be driving the antiimmigrant sentiment in the United States:
• Immigrants do pay taxes – federal, state
and local.
• Immigrants come here to work, not for
welfare.
• Immigrants may send some money back
to Mexico, but most of it stays in the
community.
• Immigrants contribute in a positive way
to the economy.
“The people here now are contributing to
the community and they do pay taxes but
often don’t get anything back for that,” said Al,
who points out that the Farm Worker Ministry
assists workers with annual tax preparation
during tax season and connects adults with
English-speaking classes and tutoring programs
run by the ministry. “I would like to improve
communications with the growers so we can
help each other deal with the problems that
come through our doors,” he said.
Father James May, pastor of St. John the
Baptist Parish in Crescent City, said he views
the farm worker and immigrant population
in his midst as good people trying to do
the best they can under the circumstances,
and that he is impressed with how the
community unites to help one another. He
organized a special collection for the family
displaced by the mobile home fire and was
touched by the mother’s reticence to even
mention her tragedy to him.
“We need to open our hearts more and
be bothered by the situation of these people
and about their well-being,” Father May said,
adding that new immigration measures taken
in Florida and around the country are not
helping the situation. “We allow the Mexican
people to come here to work but conditions
are poor and it is difficult for them to carve
out a decent living. We act as if the ‘American
Dream’ is not really for them.”
“But the greatest happiness you can have is
to make other people happy and my job as a
priest is to show how the Gospel is speaking to
us now. If you are going to be a Christian then
let your light shine. When you respond to the
Gospels your own faith is increased,” Father
May reflects.
Dignifying Human Work
• Do our attitudes show respect
for the dignity of work and the
human person? Or do we see
not human persons, but “labor
costs” or “illegals”?
• Do our laws and institutions
protect workers? Or do we see
human persons as a “workforce,”
which exists to produce
economic goods?
• Do we honor the “work of
human hands”? Or do we accept
as normal that many of Florida’s
working poor can only afford to
live in dilapidated rental trailers.
-Florida Catholic Conference
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
25
culture
I
culture
Bake these
cathedral cookies
for Christmas
Windows
of Peace
Philip Shippert
By Michelle Sessions DiFranco
Cathedral Window Cookies
26
More Ideas
Philip Shippert
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
’ll never forget that first day of being
away from home when I went to college.
I remember fighting back tears when
my folks drove off after a day of helping
me move into my campus apartment.
I tried to shake it off and get excited about the
semesters that were ahead at the fine art school
I had worked so hard to get into, but my heart
sank even more when I caught a glimpse of
the Detroit “neighborhood” surrounding the
campus. I cringed at all the vacant homes with
broken windows and trash littering the yards.
My parents weren’t even gone five minutes, and
I was already homesick.
In the coming days, I started to acclimate
to my new surroundings. I met a few fellow
classmates and found contentment with
class projects and decorating my new studio
apartment. But what truly brought me a pure
and complete sense of peace was something far
beyond the distractions of interior decorating,
homework and socializing. It was the peace I
felt when I went to Mass just a few blocks from
campus. There, in the darkest corridors of the
inner city, stood a very large, old cathedral that
wasn’t in the best shape on the outside. But
inside, people who knew, believed, and prayed
the same parts of the Mass exactly as I knew
them, surrounded me. And I was listening
to the same Gospel and receiving the same
Eucharist as my family back home. I truly felt
in communion with them.
I once heard the Catholic apologist, Pat
Madrid, say that the way people see the church
can be likened to the stained glass windows
that adorn the church buildings. From the
outside, they appear dark, mysterious and nonvibrant. But inside the church, the windows
glow, illuminating everything and depicting
messages of hope, love, and – for me, peace.
On that day, I was so glad to be inside that
church. My homesickness was gone.
Do you know of someone who is away at
college or even serving our country overseas?
Give them a message of hope, love and peace,
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
1 package of hard candy, finely
crushed.
Church cookie cutter
(can be purchased online)
• Design your own church or cathedral! Easy
instructions for making your own cookie
cutters can be found online. Using a search
engine, type in “making your own cookie
cutters.”
• Make them in just minutes using store-bought
sugar cookie dough (don’t forget to roll out
dough 1/8”).
and something to remind them of home.
Send them a dozen or more of these
cathedral window cookies. While they are
perfect for Christmas, they are also a great
reminder that wherever you are in the
world, you will always feel at home in the
Catholic Church.
Claim Your Future With Saint Leo University
Available Programs
Master’s Degree:
Educational Leadership
Bachelor of Arts:
• Business Administration
with specializations in:
– Health Services Management
– Management
– Accounting
– Technology Management
• Criminal Justice
• Elementary Education
• Psychology
• Convenient class schedules
• Affordable academic excellence
• Online classes available
• Regional accreditation
Bachelor of Science:
• Computer Information Systems
• Financial aid available
Associate of Arts:
• Business Administration
Philip Shippert
• Personal Attention
Classes Forming - Call Today!
Palatka
386-325-1477
Saint Augustine
904-824-7030
Orange Park
904-272-8700
Mayport
904-249-0911
Directions:
Cream the sugar,
shortening, vanilla, and eggs
in a large bowl for one minute.
Gradually stir in the flour,
baking powder, and salt.
Cover and refrigerate dough
for an hour.
1-888-STLEO4U
What you need for where you’re going
Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Cover cookie
sheets with aluminum foil
or parchment and set aside.
Roll dough to 1/8” (thinner
than a typical recipe) on
a lightly floured and cool
surface. Working quickly, so
dough doesn’t reach room
temperature, cut out as
many cookies as possible.
With cookie shapes still
in position, cut out small
circles or rectangles for the
“stained glass” in the center
of each cookie. Carefully
place cookies on aluminum
foil-covered (or parchment)
cookie sheet. Fill the small
circles and/or rectangles with
crushed candy until it touches
the edges.
Bake for 7-9 minutes,
or until edges of cookies are
slightly brown and candy
is melted. If candy has not
spread within the cutout
design, immediately spread
with a metal knife or spatula.
Cool completely on cookie
sheet and gently remove with
a spatula.
www.saintleo.edu



14 Days
from
$999*


           

          
         
            
         
           
            





St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
27
around
around the diocese
Bishop Baker Installed Fourth Bishop of Birmingham
Mary T. Deering courtesy of CNS
Bishop Robert J. Baker was installed as the fourth bishop of Birmingham at the
Cathedral of St. Paul Oct. 2, a beautiful fall day that was the feast of the Guardian
Angels. The three-hour ceremony began with Bishop Baker knocking at the
Birmingham cathedral door, signaling his willingness to enter and become head of
the diocese. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, read the
mandate from Pope Benedict XVI appointing Bishop Baker. Archbishop Sambi and
Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb of Mobile escorted Bishop Baker to the cathedra, the
chair that symbolizes a bishop’s teaching office and his pastoral authority in the local
church. Archbishop Lipscomb then presented him with the crosier, the pastoral staff
that is the symbol of his office.
“I am happy to be the new bishop of Birmingham,” Bishop Baker told the
congregation. He also thanked his predecessor, retired Bishop David E. Foley, for
his “devoted leadership.” Bishop Foley retired in May 2005, but was diocesan
administrator until Bishop Baker’s installation.
Bishop Baker was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Saint Augustine in 1970 and
has served as bishop of Charleston since 1999.
Sisters of St. Joseph
Celebrating 50 Years in God’s Service
Law and Spirituality Award
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
Following the Jubilee Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica in St. Augustine,
the honorees posed for a picture with Bishop John J. Snyder. From left:
Sisters Mary Loyce Newton, Florence Bryan, Bishop Snyder, Joyce
Marie Newton and Elizabeth Ann McCormick.
28
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Susie Nguyen
F
our Sisters of St. Joseph celebrated their golden jubilees on
Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
Bishop John J. Snyder was the celebrant of Mass and Father
Tim Lindenfelser gave the homily in which he gave thanks
to the sisters for sharing their many gifts and talents with the people of
Florida. The congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph was founded in Le
Puy, France on Oct. 15, 1650. Eight sisters came to the Diocese of Saint
Augustine in Sept. 1866 at the invitation of Bishop Augustin Verot.
“We are most grateful to our Jubilarians. We thank them for their
faithfulness and their commitment in following the chaste, poor and
obedient Jesus,” said Sister Ann Kuhn, general superior of the Sisters of
St. Joseph.
Bishop Victor Galeone celebrates the annual Red Mass on Oct.
18 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Jacksonville.
He is assisted by Deacon Paul Consbruck.
Bishop Victor Galeone celebrated a Red Mass for
members of the judicial, legal and law enforcement communities
on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Immaculate Conception Catholic
Church in Jacksonville. The special Mass is an adaptation of
the church’s age-old expression of dependence on God to the
peculiar needs and institutions of the courts and the law.
Each year at the Red Mass the Catholic Lawyers Guild
honors a member of the community who, through their actions,
exemplify the best in the areas of law and spirituality. This year
that honor went to Msgr. Daniel Logan, pastor of Our Lady Star
of the Sea Parish in Ponte Vedra Beach and a Tribunal Judge
where he adjudicates matters such as annulments and issues
governed by cannon law. Unfortunately Msgr. Logan was ill and
unable to accept his award in person.
around
around the diocese
Upcoming Events…
Knights of Columbus help Unwed Mothers
The Knights of Columbus Council #5758 and Eulalia and Paul Wilcox contributed funds to the
Alpha Women’s Center in Ocala. From left are Eulalia Wilcox, Lori Chamblin, director of Alpha of
Ocala, and Knights W.L. Jones and Paul Vincent.
Special
The Knights of Columbus Palatka Council #5758 applied for and received
a $2,200 grant from the Knights of Columbus Charities of Florida. The funds
were given to the Alpha Women’s Center in Ocala, an organization that assists
unwed mothers. In addition to the grant, the council gave the center in August eight
handmade wooden cradles complete with bedding for mothers and their newborns.
To date, the council has provided 95 cradles. On another note – Council #5758
was recognized and awarded the status of Double Star Council for 2006-2007, one
of 480 councils to achieve the recognition for their growth.
The Cathedral-Basilica of St.
Augustine is hosting the 2008
National Cathedral Ministry
Conference, Jan. 14-17. An
estimated 300 people from around
the United States are expected to
attend the four-day event.
Frantizek Zvardon
T
he Florida bishops have launched a campaign to get Catholics to join the Florida
Catholic Conference (FCC) Advocacy Network. “As Catholics we have a profound
responsibility to pursue justice for our neighbors and protect the sacredness of the
life of every man, woman and child – born or unborn,” said the nine bishops of
Florida in a statement released last month.
Collaborate with Catholics
throughout Florida to help
encourage lawmakers to defend
all human life and promote the
dignity of the most vulnerable
in our society. Speak out
on behalf of the poor, the
disabled, the sick or dying, the
unborn, the elderly, families
and children, farm workers,
immigrants, the imprisoned,
and others in need.
The FCC Advocacy Network informs you of current legislative issues that relate to areas of
church teaching and provides an easily accessible channel of communication to assist you in
sharing your concerns with elected officials. Sign-up by visiting www.flacathconf.org and click
on Join FCC Advocacy. There is no cost to participate. For questions call (850) 205-6817.
The public is invited to celebrate
Mass with the conference
attendees at 6 p.m. on Tuesday,
Jan. 15. Bishop Victor Galeone will
be the main celebrant. For more
information on the event, and
possible volunteer opportunities,
call Christine McMillan at
(904) 824-2806 or email:
[email protected] or
visit www.cathedralministries.org.
The annual Mass for Solidarity
and Unity is Sunday, Jan. 20, at the
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
Guest homilist is Benedictine
Father Cyprian Davis, a professor
of Church History at the St.
Meinrad School of Theology and
the Institute for
Black Catholic
Studies
at Xavier
University
of Louisiana.
Father Davis
lectures widely
on the topic of
Black Catholic
history and was a contributor to
the U.S. Bishops’ 1979 pastoral
letter Brothers and Sisters to Us
and to the Black U.S. Bishops’
pastoral letter What We Have Seen
and Heard in 1984. The Mass
begins at 3 p.m.
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Special
action alert Let Your Voice Be Heard
29
A Refreshing Stop
books,
books, gifts,
gifts, religious
religious items,
items, more!
more!
Bell Tower
Gift Shop
(Inside the Cathedral Basilica)
35 Treasury Street
Downtown St. Augustine
Open Daily
Weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday Noon-4:30 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Phone for mail orders
(904) 829-0620
Back thrown out
with the trash?
www.jaxhealth.com
calendar
calendar
December 2007
Dec. 2
A Celebration of Christmas Customs
– Sunday, 3-5 p.m., Marywood Retreat Center,
Jacksonville. Cost: Free.
Call (904) 287-2525 or visit www.
marywoodcenter.org.
Dec. 7-9
Weekend Advent Retreat: Recovering
Bethlehem’s Peace Leader: Jesuit Father
Matthew Linn. Friday-Sunday, Marywood
Retreat Center, Jacksonville. Cost: $140$230. Call (904) 287-2525 or visit www.
marywoodcenter.org.
Dec. 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec. 10
27th Annual St. Joseph Academy
Golf Classic – Monday, 10 a.m., The
Slammer & Squire at World Golf Village.
Various levels of sponsorships available. Call
Jerry Grause at (904) 477-0399.
Only God
reaches more
Catholics
Dec. 14
20th Annual L’Arche Harbor House
Living Nativity – Presented by the
residents of L’Arche. Friday, 7 p.m.,
Christ the King Parish, Jacksonville. Call
(904) 721-5992 or email: development@
bellsouth.net.
Dec. 19
Carols of the Faithful – A concert of
sing-a-long Christmas carols and inspirational
music. Wednesday, 7 p.m., Holy Family
Parish, Jacksonville. Admission: Free. Call Joe
Colsant, (904) 641-5838 or
email: [email protected].
Dec. 25
Christmas
The St. Augustine Catholic
magazine reaches more than
54,000 Catholic households in
17 counties of North Florida.
To advertise, call Susie Nguyen at (904) 262-3200,
ext. 108 or email: [email protected].
30
St. Augustine Catholic December 2007
Dec. 31-Jan. 1
Overnight Silent Retreat: Christian
Meditation, Journey of Faith
Leaders: Cenacle Sister Elizabeth Hillman
and Linda Kay. Monday-Tuesday, Marywood
Retreat Center, Jacksonville. Cost: $65-$115.
Call (904) 287-2525 or visit
www.marywoodcenter.org.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Spanish Mass Schedule
Saturday, December 8
Epiphany Parish
Lake City 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 10
St. John the Baptist
Crescent City Noon
St. Catherine Parish
Orange Park 6:30 p.m.
San José Parish
Jacksonville 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 11
San Juan Mission
Branford 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 12
Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission
Mayo 6 p.m.
December 15
Sacred Heart Parish
Fleming Island 5:30 p.m.
January Date Savers
Jan. 19 & 20
“Proud 2B Catholic” – Diocesan
Youth Rallies for middle and high school
teens with guest speaker Cooper Ray at
Bishop Snyder High School, Jacksonville.
Jan. 20
Mass for Solidarity and Unity
Sunday, 3 p.m. at the Cathedral-Basilica
of St. Augustine. Guest homilist: Father
Cyprian Davis. Call Gwen Robinson at
(904) 854-0661
Jan. 20
March for Life
Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Mission Nombre de Dios, St. Augustine
A Gift
That Never
Stops Giving
Opportunities
Small
Sacrifices,
for
Giving
Great
Dreams
With
Withaacharitable
charitablegift
giftannuity
annuityyou
youcan
can
give
giveand
andreceive...
receive...make
makeaaperpetual
perpetualgift
gift
to
toaadiocesan
diocesanparish,
parish,Catholic
Catholicschool
schoolor
or
neverstops
stopsgiving...
giving...and
and
ministry
ministrythat
thatnever
receive
receivefixed
fixedpayments
paymentsfor
forlife!
life!
•• The
Thetransaction
transactionisiseasy
easyto
toexecute.
execute.
•• ItItprovides
providesimmediate
immediatetax
taxbenefits.
benefits.
•• AAportion
portionof
ofyour
yourpayment
paymentisistax
taxfree.
free.
•• You
Youreceive
receiveguaranteed
guaranteedpayments
paymentsfor
for
life.
life.
•• Most
Mostimportantly,
importantly,you
youare
aresupporting
supporting
Christ’s
Christ’swork
workin
inthe
thediocese.
diocese.
G
Gift
ift A
Annuity
nnuity O
One
ne-L
-Life
ife R
RAtes
Ates
**Rates
Rateseffective
effectiveOctober
October1,
1,2007
2006
Age
Age
65Ê
65Ê
66Ê
66Ê
67Ê
67Ê
68Ê
68Ê
69Ê
69Ê
70Ê
70Ê
71Ê
71Ê
72Ê
72Ê
73Ê
73Ê
Rate
Rate
È°ä¯
È°ä¯
È°£¯Ê
È°£¯Ê
È°Ó¯Ê
È°Ó¯Ê
ȰίÊ
ȰίÊ
È°{¯Ê
È°{¯Ê
È°x¯
È°x¯
ȰȯÊÊ
ȰȯÊÊ
ȰǯÊÊ
ȰǯÊÊ
È°n¯ÊÊ
È°n¯ÊÊ
Age
Age
74Ê
74Ê
75Ê
75Ê
76Ê
76Ê
77Ê
77Ê
78Ê
78Ê
79Ê
79Ê
80Ê
80Ê
81Ê
81Ê
82Ê
82Ê
Rate
Rate
È°™¯ÊÊ
È°™¯ÊÊ
Ç°£¯ÊÊ
Ç°£¯ÊÊ
Ç°Ó¯ÊÊ
Ç°Ó¯ÊÊ
Ç°{¯ÊÊ
Ç°{¯ÊÊ
ǰȯÊÊ
ǰȯÊÊ
Ç°n¯ÊÊ
Ç°n¯ÊÊ
n°ä¯Ê
n°ä¯Ê
n°Î¯ÊÊÊÊ
n°Î¯ÊÊÊÊ
n°x¯ÊÊÊÊ
n°x¯ÊÊÊÊ
Age
Age
83Ê
83Ê
84Ê
84Ê
85Ê
85Ê
86Ê
86Ê
87Ê
87Ê
88Ê
88Ê
89Ê
89Ê
90Ê
90Ê
■
■ Please
Pleasesend
sendaaCharitable
CharitableGift
GiftAnnuity
Annuityillustration.
illustration.
■
■ AAone-life
one-lifeagreement:
agreement:beneficiary
beneficiarybirthdate:
birthdate: // //
■
■ AAtwo-life
two-lifeagreement:
agreement:beneficiaries’
beneficiaries’birthdates:
birthdates:
// // and
and // //
Rate
Rate
n°n¯ÊÊÊÊ
n°n¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°Ó¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°Ó¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°x¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°x¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°™¯ÊÊÊÊ
™°™¯ÊÊÊÊ
£ä°Ó¯ÊÊÊÊ
£ä°Ó¯ÊÊÊÊ
£ä°È¯ÊÊÊÊ
£ä°È¯ÊÊÊÊ
££°ä¯ÊÊÊÊ
££°ä¯ÊÊÊÊ
££°Î¯ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
££°Î¯ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
This is the story of a
parishioner who recently
made a charitable donation
from her traditional IRA,
and will be able to exclude
Parishes can increase
the amount of the gift
their own Catholic
from gross income for tax
Foundation accounts.
purposes.
Every year since 1996,
After learning about this
the 3,000 parishioners of
limited opportunity from
St. Catherine Parish in
a recent estate planning
Orange Park take up a
seminar held at her parish,
special offertory to benefit
and determining she met
their parish on the feast
the age requirements,
of St. Catherine of Siena.
this 75 year-old parishParishioners know that
ioner qualified by making
their donations will keep
arrangements to transfer
on giving and will never
her cash gift directly from
be used up. That’s because
her IRA to the Catholic
these offertories, which
Foundation, to benefit
total about $2,000 annually,
her parish. She will not
go into an endowment fund
be required to include the
for St. Catherine’s.
amount of her gift from
The earnings on these
the IRA in her income for
special annual gifts are
tax purposes and, through
available each year to
her thoughtful generosity,
benefit the parish. The
she has, once again, helped
original contributions stay
her parish continue the
invested and grow to help
Lord’s work.
St. Catherine’s continue
Thoughtful and
Christ’s work forever.
generous planning can
Today’s small sacrifices
create new opportunities
can fulfill great future
for giving.
dreams.
Please
Pleasereturn
returnto:
to:
Deacon
Ms. Nancy
Jim Geary
Fugit
Catholic
CatholicFoundation
Foundation
11625
11625Old
St. Augustine
St. Augustine
Road
Road
Jacksonville,
Jacksonville,FL
FL32258
32258
904-262-3200,
904-262-3200,ext.
ext.114
166or
or
1-800-775-4659,
1-800-775-4659,ext.
ext.114.
166.
Amount
AmountConsidered
Considered ___________
___________ ($10,000
($10,000initial
initialminimum)
minimum) Email:
Email:[email protected]
[email protected]
Name
Name _________________________
_________________________ Phone
Phone___________
___________
Address
Address _________________________________________
_________________________________________
City
City ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
State
State___________________
___________________ Zip_____________________
Zip_____________________
catholic
St. Augustine
The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine
11625 Old St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL 32258-2060
Online: www.dosafl.com
www.staugcatholic.org
NON PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 135
MIDLAND, MI 48640