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The Newsletter of the Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Fall 2013
The Pontifical Mission Societies: The Society for the Propagation of the Faith * The Missionary Childhood Association *
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle * The Pontifical Missionary Union
SUPPORT & PROMOTE WORLD MISSION SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20!
By Dr. Mike Gable, Director
“Faith is God’s precious gift, which opens our mind to know & love Him. He wants to enter into relationship with us and allow us to participate in his own life in order to make our life more meaningful, better and more beautiful. God loves us!” These are the words of Pope Francis for his 2013 World Mission Sunday message.
The Holy Father adds, “Everyone should be able to experience the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation! It is a gift that one cannot keep to oneself, but it is to be shared. If we want to keep it only to ourselves, we will become isolated, sterile and sick Christians. The proclamation of the Gospel is part of being disciples of Christ and it is a constant commitment that animates the whole life of the Church. Missionary outreach is a clear sign of the maturity of an ecclesial community. …The strength of our faith, at a personal and community level, can be measured by the ability to communicate it to others, to spread and live it in charity, to witness to it before those we meet and those who share the path of life with us.”
Pope Francis points out, “The concern for all the Churches, that the Bishop of Rome shares with his brother Bishops, finds an important expression in the activity of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which are meant to animate and deepen the missionary conscience of every baptized Christian, and of every
community, by reminding them of the need for a more profound missionary formation of the whole People of God and by encouraging the Christian commu-nity to contribute to the spread of the Gospel in the world.
The Pontifical Mission Societies need your support for the annual World Mission collection at your parish on October 20. Your donation supports 1,150 mission dioceses in their efforts to help spread God’s love in very concrete ways, such as Sr. Clara and her fellow Salesian Sisters in India who reach out to some of the 12 million children caught in prostitution, begging and human trafficking which the Holy Father calls, “a despicable activity, a disgrace for our societies.”
YOU ARE INVITED
TO CELEBRATE!!
On World Mission Sunday, October 20, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Mission Office, the people at St Maximillian Kolbe Parish and local Asian Catholic Communities are hosting a Mass to celebrate the gifts and the spirit of Catholic mission work in the Universal Church.
Join us as we honor the religious gifts of our local Asian communi-ties at St. Maximillian Kolbe Parish in Liberty Township. Please see the flyer on page 7 for details.
The Catholic bishops of Asia and the Pacific have stated about their faith communities, “We bring a strong sense of family with a loving respect for the elderly and a profound and fervent religious faith. We contribute a spirituality which is eastern [and] rooted in Asian Pacific cultures. We also seek to live in harmony with each other and with the whole of creation.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY! Celebrant for our Mass,
Bishop Dominic M. Luong
Currently, we are aware of 15 lay missionaries from our archdiocese serving in the U.S. or abroad and the Mission Office enjoys supporting them in a variety of ways. If there is someone in your parish serving as a lay missionary for at least a year, please let the Mission Office know so that we might support them as well. The office also provides advice and contacts for Catholics at least 18 years or older who are seeking short or long term service. Could your parish host a Mission Service Information Night? The Mission Office would love to come and provide advice and contacts for individuals at least 18 years or older as well as Catholic families who are seeking short or long term
service. Contact us at 513-421-3131 X 2630 or [email protected]. Pg 2
Setting Off for Adventure
Greg Wagner recently retired from his job in Cincinnati and was looking for a way to be of service as a Catholic man of faith. Greg has been accepted by the Christian Appalachian Project, (CAP). “I had helped to rehab homes years ago, and thought, ‘why not return to what I enjoyed?’” He’ll be living the simple life in the mountains of Kentucky in a supportive community of other volunteers.
Sr. Rene Langenecker, OSF, of the Oldenburg Sisters is currently serving in Montana.
Sr. Margaret Mouch, SND has journeyed to Uganda—a country where her sisters have a great history. However, she is not with her sisters, but is serving in Kisubi Uganda.
Welcome back! Katie Berno, of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish has returned from service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Detroit, Michigan.
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch recently is returned from Peru where she served with the Marianists. She worked in a pastoral center in the mountains.
Jarrod Kinkley, of St. Marys, OH, spent a year in Pittsburgh through the Change of Heart Franciscan Volunteer Program assigned to the Father Ryan Arts Center of Focus and Renewal.
Chris Komoroski, of St. Cecilia Parish has finished an assignment with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).
Sr. Maria Rickleman, MM has returned to the motherhouse in NY due to ill health. Please keep her in prayer.
Elaine Sanker, also from IHM Parish has recently arrived from Bolivia where she worked with the Salesian Missionaries in an orphanage in Santa Cruz.
Sr. Mary Janet Stamm, SND has spent many years in Uganda with her sisters, building a secondary school for girls. High school education for girls is rare in many parts of Uganda.
Brianna Williamson, of Bellarmine Parish has returned from service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Camden, New Jersey.
Eternal Rest be Granted Unto Him!
Fr. Gilbert Wood, OFM, 61 years as a priest, went home to God in March 2013. Originally from St. Bernard, Springfield, Fr. Wood worked with people challenged by poverty and systemic injustice for 54 years in Brazil. We didn’t hear from him often in the mission office, but his letters were always pretty amazing when we did. You see, he lived much of his later years where there was no phone, no TV. Letters were sent by boat. His shortwave radio was the only means of immediate communication. His Provincial minister, Fr. Francisco Paixao had this is say, “He was certainly a good friar and priest who always worked in service to the Kingdom on God and at the side of the poor.”
We Support and Promote our Lay Missionaries
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch
Pg 3
A couple of years ago, I found my-self in a little town in Guatemala, called Mixco. I went for a visit with my parish, St. Ignatius, in Cincinnati. We twin with San Jose Parish in Mixco. After that
trip, I knew that someday, somehow I would be back, and for more than just a trip. I was called to be a missionary, a role I never thought of myself filling.
I am here as a lay missionary through the Sisters of Charity; dedicating a year of my life to this mission. When I began my journey I had no idea the things that I would see, feel, learn and experience. It's almost like the old advertising slogan "You gotta go to know".
My work here is mostly with children who are very materially poor but who are very eager to learn. Right now, development is all about systemic change. Even the international Society of St. Vincent De Paul is trying to figure out how to address world poverty. In my opinion, it begins with education. Here, at this little school in Mixco, I teach English to 147 children Monday through Friday; and over 100 adults on the weekends—after they have worked all week themselves.
The school does not have permanent classrooms because they don't yet own the property, and cannot build proper classrooms for the children.
The school is run by a very dedicated staff of three. They happen to be a family, son, mother, and grandmother, who know the way out of poverty is educa-tion. They work tirelessly to bring education to this community, and have even started extra-curricular activities for the children, which, before now, had
never been done. The adults I teach are working on getting their 6th to 9th grade equivalency, as well as learning English. They too are beginning to understand that the way out of poverty for their family is education.
I have come to love the children as well as the adults of Mixco, and it will be a bittersweet good-bye come the end of October. It has been a great experience, and I intend on continuing this work after I return. I have learned so much more than I could ever give to these wonderful people.
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Linda Trenn is a member of St. Ignatius Parish. She will return to the U.S. in October and plans to help raise funds for the school in Mixco. The school’s board hopes to purchase property as opposed to renting as they do now. In this way, they can provide a better learning environment and a safer place for their students. If you’d like to help, contact us
An Unsuspecting Missionary Linda Trenn
Some of my students and I.
My students in their “classroom”
Some of my adult students.
The classroom is filled beyond capacity.
“The joy, optimism and freshness of their faith touched us all,” said
Jane Pierron about the June visit of twinning partners from Puerto
Escondido, Oaxaca State, Mexico. Mrs. Pierron, parish staff member
of St. Denis in Versailles, has been on four successful visits with
fellow parishioners and members of St. Julie Billiart, Hamilton to the
diocese of Puerto Escondido. To deepen their spiritual friendships
and bonds of solidarity, Mrs. Pierron and local friends organized a
visit for their Mexican friends to our archdiocese this past June.
Mrs. Pierron noted, “Our
Mexican friends were very
gracious and are very commit-
ted to this relationship. Bishop
Pedro Vasquez sent them off
with a Mass and met with them
on their return to discuss the
trip. They are grateful for our
support of their seminarians
and the on-line religious
education courses that the
University of Dayton has offered
them. During their visit they
were excited to be able to connect with people here in Ohio from
Oaxaca – and even found people who knew people they knew.”
“Despite the language barrier,” added Mrs. Pierron, “we were able to
have conversations with them that helped us understand their needs,
thanks to Marge Niekamp, Sr. Regina Albers and Lizeth Rojas who
acted as translators. We learned that poverty, unemployment and
under employment remain obstacles to growth in the physical person
as well as the spiritual person – which is true for many people across
the world. We learned that the world is getting smaller.”
Mrs. Niekamp pointed out that her fellow parishioners “were very
accommodating to their Mexican friends, wanting to make food,
sending supplies and reaching out to them as they walked the streets
of Versailles. The local people were proud to show the many services
that are available to the community through the YMCA, nursing
homes and so on.”
Yet Mrs. Pierron commented that some in their local community are
reluctant to join these parish twinning efforts as it is often counter-
cultural to reach out to those who are considered “different”,
“outsiders” or “illegals.” But she is grateful that some of her fellow
parishioners now want to learn Spanish, Skype, and visit their
Mexican friends again in the near future.
In a closing comment, Mrs. Pierron offered this key insight. “On a past
trip, when we returned to the Dayton airport from Puerto Escondido,
one of the mothers asked her daughter what kind of mission work she
had done while there? The daughter responded, ‘Mom it wasn’t that
kind of a trip. It was about getting to know people from another
culture and learning about their culture.’ I want to add, it is about
sharing who we are and what we have to offer one another in faith.”
Growing Together in Faith Mexican Twinning Partners Make First Visit
Pg 4
Parish twinning partners from Puerto
Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico visiting their
friends from St. Denis, Versailles and St.
Julie Billiart, Hamilton in June of 2013.
Dorothy Mae Stang, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur was murdered for her faith in Anapu, in the state of Pará, in the Amazon Basin of Brazil in February 2005. She was outspoken in her efforts on behalf of the poor and the environ-ment. “I don't want to flee, nor do I want to abandon the battle of those who live without any protection in the forest.”
The Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Award is granted by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Offices of Mission, Social Action, Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Evangelization and Catechesis. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Award:
Molly Bardine has been on the faculty of Chaminade Julienne High School for 18 years. She is the co-chair of the MIT, Mission Integration Team, and the creator of the annual Stang Symposium.
Patrice Harty, a 42 year member of the Bishop Fenwick High School community, visits sites in Guatemala annually to better understand and advocate for the situation of the marginalized and those who live in poverty.
Colleen Kammer, of Incarnation parish works with the Marianist Environmental Center on environmen-tal education. She is also involved in tree planting efforts with the Five Rivers Metro Parks.
Sue Sack, of the Northwest Dayton Pastoral Region, is the motivation behind God’s Garden, a cooperative effort of St. Paul Parish’s members to help the food pantry provide nutritious fresh produce to their clients.
Staff at Su Casa Hispanic Center shows non-judgmental and generous love to all who come through their door. Much like Sr. Dorothy, the staff at the center helps those who come to them discover ways to live in dignity.
Nell & Steve Wulff, of St. Monica - St. George Parish are passionate about work on behalf of the environment. They have educated their parishioners with many programs to help them realize their impact on the environment.
For more details, see: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/ministries-offices/mission-office/dorothy-stang-award/
2013 Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Awards
Sue Sack
Nell and Steve Wulff
Our focus has been to lead the students into a deeper relationship with God, by allowing them to experience a side of God they may have not seen before – seeing God in the face of those less fortunate, finding God outside of material possessions or technology, and realizing that relationships are a source of holiness. The majority of students leave with a renewed faith life, ready to change small daily habits to enable them to encounter God daily.
While we educate students on the themes of social justice every evening during the trip, often they lack the drive to work for social change upon their return to the U.S. However, this is not true for every student. One former student traveler now makes an annual trip to the school to continue a relationship with the boys. A recently-married couple, who were affected by their experiences at St. John Bosco, will dedicate a year of their lives to the home for boys as lay missionaries.
We pray that the trip will inspire new passions for social change, as well as develop existing passions. For exam-ple, one student who is the president of the pro-life group on campus, was able to see pro-life issues beyond abortion at work in the Jamaican culture. She is on the path to gaining a better understanding of how poverty, government, economy, familial laws and culture, can become pro-life issues as well.
We have found it takes much longer than two weeks to build this mentality in our students. Sometimes, it takes traveling to Jamaica 2-3 times, processing the trip once home, and the natural maturing of faith that occurs throughout the young adult years of life for students to embrace the idea that their faith calls them to work for social change, not just service. However, this trip is certainly a seed planted in their minds and hearts. Throughout the year, we water that seed with prayer, catechesis and fellowship with one another and with the boys at St. John Bosco.
A Seed Planted By Jenna Connor, Wright State Campus Ministry
Pg 5
For over 15 years, Catholic Campus Ministry at Wright State University has been inviting students to immerse themselves in the life of St. John Bosco Boys’ Home in Mandeville, Jamaica. Preparation for the two-week trip begins ten months in advance for the 20 students and campus ministers who lead the boys of St. John Bosco, ages 5-18, in bible, music and sports camps and also help to repair the aging school grounds.
The “life-changing” moments experienced by the students take place in the one-on-one encounters, when the boys are given attention and time to share their stories. Looking into the eyes of a nine year old boy as he explains how his father beat him before killing his mother, or that a family member is addicted to drugs, makes poverty a reality that is affecting a new friend. Poverty ceases to be a faceless issue.
It is here, on the dusty red play-field, after school, that Wright State students are confronted with poverty in our world. As 120 boys frolic over the few acres of rocky field, students accustomed to rural or suburban privileges begin to see that the same cuddly nine year old boy with whom they spoke five minutes before, can turn into an angry, combative menace, ready to stone another boy for a minor infraction. These reactions are necessary to stay alive and safe in an unstable society for a poor orphan boy. Distress and discomfort can be seen on the students’ faces when they begin to understand the complex cultural and societal dynamics at work.
St. John Bosco is a place of respite for its students. Mercy Sisters Susan Frazer and Miriam (Mimi) Krusling, of Cincinnati provide primary school education as well as training in catering and meat processing, two trades popular in the tourism-based economy. Without the school, these boys would have few opportunities and could end up on the streets.
Our immersion trip to Jamaica always brings up more questions than answers. As a campus ministry, we have begun to ask, “What is the purpose of this trip?” In discussion with our student travelers, they all agree they have received more from the trip than they could have ever given. While we provide a service to the school, and the sisters express gratitude for our work, it is we who leave changed. The principle of solidarity leads us to ask how we are changed as men and women of faith as well as what we will do now that we are changed. The vision and hard work of the school leads us to consider how we use our resources: to change the system or work to help the boys succeed in the broken system. This the first time these Wright State students have had to grapple with these issues.
Aaron Schwieterman with students in
music class.
Jodi Grillot with students
on the playground.
The 2013 travelers.
It Is Possible to Live Together in Mutual Respect By Rita Reichert
I first learned about the opportunity to teach English in Egypt in 2003 through my Maryknoll connections. I had served as a lay missioner with Maryknoll from 1984 to 1995, working in South Korea, developing programs for children with disabilities, and as a co-coordinator for the lay mission orientation program. My desire to work in cross-cultural mission had been sealed by my experiences teaching with the Franciscans on the Zuni Reservation in New Mexico after I graduated from college in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. It was in New Mexico that I discovered the connections between the gospels I heard at mass, and my work with children and families, especially those struggling with poverty. Those connections were strengthened when I returned to Dayton and worked for the local Head Start program while completing my Master’s degree.
After completing my commitment with Maryknoll, I moved to Cincinnati to do post graduate work at the University of Cincinnati and to work as a special education teacher in a local public school district. My parish community (St. Monica-St George) along with my continuing connections with Maryknoll kept alive my commitment to social justice and interest in global issues.
After the events of 9/11, I was sadly aware of how little I knew of the Arab world and Islam. The opportunity to teach English in Egypt started out as a great learning adventure, and has grown to involve close relationships and commitments. I
now feel as though I have a home in Egypt as well as in Cincinnati. Since 2004, I have had the privilege of spending a large part of my summers teaching English at St. Leo the Great Coptic Catholic Seminary in the Ma’adi neighborhood of Cairo.
Prior to going to Egypt, I was, like many people, unaware of the large Christian minority there. Roughly 10% of Egypt’s population is Christian. All Christians in Egypt are referred to as Copts, with the majority of Copts being members of the Coptic Orthodox Church. A smaller number are members of the Coptic Catholic Church, and while they celebrate the mass and
sacraments according to the
Coptic Rite (similar to the Eastern Rite churches), the Coptic Catholic Church is in union with Rome. There are some Protestant churches represented in Egypt , with a small but growing membership. Egypt’s revolution in 2011 increased the world’s awareness of the struggles of the Coptic people.
My connections are with the Coptic Catholic Seminary, located in a suburb of Cairo. The seminarians there study English during the first four years of their training. This allows them to communicate in travels/missionary work throughout Africa, and to further their education in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. The summer course is an intensive immersion type experience, as their teachers (usually 4-5 American teachers) not only teach, but also join with the seminarians for mass, prayer, meals, study hall and recreation/sports (I watch and take pictures!). While the teaching is important, I have found that the faith sharing, the friendships and the deepening understanding of each other’s cultures and lives that occur as we spend time together, to be the most life giving aspect of my time in Egypt. I have been blessed to be able to visit a number of my students in their homes in the smaller towns and villages of Upper Egypt (South of Cairo, upriver on the Nile), where most of the seminarians live. A few have been able to visit me in the U.S.
The issues faced by the Coptic Catholics of Egypt can be very different from those I struggle with as a progressive Catholic in the U.S. Still, these relationships have deepened my faith and strengthened my appreciation of the sacred truths and values that we hold in common. As I have learned more about their experiences as a minority in Egypt, I have been challenged to learn more about the faith and experiences of the Muslim minority here in the states. Participating in Muslim-
Christian dialogues and growing in friendships with Muslim Americans have both challenged and enriched my life, strengthening my conviction that it is possible to live together in mutual respect and care for all of our brothers and sisters.
If you would like to know more about my experiences in Egypt, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. To discover many options for missionary work, visit catholicvolunteernetwork.org. For advice and direction, contact the Mission Office at: [email protected]. Pg 6
Rita and her new Muslim friends.
A Coptic Catholic priest.
Rita and her seminary students.
Pg 7
Come Experience Something New!Come Experience Something New!Come Experience Something New!
Celebrate our Universal Catholic Heritage and
experience the spirituality and expression of the
Asian Catholic Churches
World Mission Sunday 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
3:30 p.m. Eucharistic Liturgy
Celebrant: Bishop Dominic M. Luong
Auxiliary Bishop of Orange County, CA
Hosted by:
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish
5720 Hamilton-Mason Rd
Liberty Township OH 45011
Food and Cultural Entertainment Immediately following the Liturgy
Sponsored by: The Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Mission Office and Cincinnati Asian Communities
For more information contact:
Mission Office Dr. Mike Gable, Director
513-421-3131 X 2630 [email protected]
www.catholiccincinnnati.org
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati Mission Office invites
YOU to a celebration of World Mission Sunday ...
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 6977
Cincinnati OH
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Mission Office
100 E. 8th Street
Cincinnati OH 45202
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Holy Buckets, Batman! The Archdiocesan Mission Office is partnering with the Department of Educational Services this upcoming school year to (re)-introduce you to the Missionary Childhood Association (formerly the Holy Childhood Association) and to INVITE your school/PRS’s participation in their Advent program: Holy Buckets.
This is an Archdiocesan wide effort. The results will be combined and sent to the Holy Father through the MCA which is his Pontifical mission society. The MCA is a way to introduce your students to the Universality of our church. We applaud and celebrate the individual relationships each school/PSR has with projects they support. However, the MCA will help students to understand that we belong to a world-wide church and that they are called to solidarity with students around the world. The Holy Buckets program includes fund raising, but also the students are asked for “Prayers of Goodness” and “Advent Actions” all of which are put into the bucket to be shared with the Holy Father.
The packet for every participating classroom would include: a letter of explanation, the leaders guide, a bucket and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of donations, prayers and good deeds.
The program runs from November 25, 2013 through the beginning of Christmas Break with envelopes due by January 2, 2014. The results would be sent as our Archdiocese’s “Gift of the Magi” to the Holy Father on January 6, 2014. Please contact Teresa Phillips at [email protected] or 513-421-3131 X 2632 if you are interested in participating.
