@bishopguillory

Ready, Set, Voices on ‘Local’ @etc_online

Time to Grow Evangelize! Abuse World Youth facebook.com/dioceseofbeaumont

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easttexascatholic.com

VOL. 55 NO. 5 • AUGUST 24, 2018 • DIOCESE OF BEAUMONT • 24 PAGES, 1 SECTION

Relics from St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII are now a permanent part of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Beaumont. See more on Pages 10 and 11.
2 E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Evangelization – A program or a person?
In his 1975 Apostolic Ex-
hortation, Evangelii Nunti-
andi, Pope Paul VI wrote: “The
Church exists in order to evan-
gelize.”(#13) “For the Church,
evangelizing means bringing
the Good News into all the
strata of humanity, and through
its influence transforming hu-
manity from within and mak-
ing it new.”(#18) “Strata of hu-
manity: for the Church it is a
question not only of preaching
the Gospel in ever wider geo-
graphic areas or to ever greater
numbers of people, but also of
affecting and, as it were upset-
ting, through the power of the
Gospel, mankind’s criteria of
judgment, determining val-
ues, points of interest, lines of
thought, sources of inspiration,
and models of life, which are in
contrast with the Word of God
and the plan of salvation.”(#19)
What do we proclaim when
we proclaim the Good News?
Basically, we are proclaiming
the Mystery of the Incarnation-
-that God is with us; that the
Word of God became flesh; and
that through Jesus, the human
and the divine became united.
This is possible because of the
God we believe in: a God who
creates out of love; a God who
becomes one of us out of love;
and a God who remains with
us out of love. Jesus remains
with us through His Church.
It is the Church, the Body of
Christ, the edifice of God, that
receives the mission to proclaim
and establish the kingdom of
God. The Church is built on
the foundation of the apostles,
and it is sustained by the Spirit
Working Together
For Good In His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
here on earth as a visible struc-
ture. (Lumen Gentium, 6-8)
Evangelization is about a
PERSON; it is not a program
or an organization. While some
organization is necessary in or-
der to implement the mission
of the Church, the program
itself is not the mission.
Our hope is founded in
the fact that God is with us
through His Church. If our
hope is in a church leader or
a program or an organization,
and that leader, program, or
organization fails, then it is
easy to become disillusioned,
and some may even leave the
Church. If, however, our hope
is in the God who is with us
through the Church, the Body
of Christ, then our faith is root-
ed and strong, and the failures
of persons and institutions will
not unravel that faith.
What then is the mission of
the Church and of each one of
us who are baptized disciples?
The mission is opening people
to relationship with Jesus; lead-
ing people to encounter Jesus
and to be transformed by that
encounter.
How does what we say and
do carry out the mission?
St. Francis of Assisi said,
“Preach the Gospel at all times,
and, if necessary, use words.”
Our actions often speak
louder than words. When we
are patient, kind, and forgiving,
when we reach out to others in
loving service, we are preaching
a God who loves us.
When we share the material
goods God has given us with
those who are in need, we are
preaching a God who loves
us. When we stand up for the
human rights of all persons
of good will, no matter what
country they come from, we
are preaching a God who loves
us.
AUGUST 24, 2018 • EASTTEXASCATHOLIC.COM 3
Bishop’s Calendar
Sept. 4 Mass and reception for the Western
When we join with the Vicariate, St. Louis, Winnie
Christian community to cel- Sept. 6 Mass and reception for the Central
ebrate the Lord’s Day on Sun- Vicariate, Our Mother of Mercy,
day and give praise, we are Beaumont
preaching a God who loves
Sept. 7 Mass and reception for the Eastern
us. We do this because we be-
lieve in the God who is with Vicariate, St. Mary, Orange
us and who loves us and be- Sept. 10 Mass and reception for the Southern
cause we want to invite others Vicariate, St. James, Port Arthur
to know and encounter such Sept. 11 Invocation for the City of Beaumont 9/11
a loving God and to be trans-
Ceremony
formed by that love.
That is the mission of the Sept. 11 Mass and reception for the Northern
Church; that is evangelization. Vicariate, St. Joseph, Livingston
Here is a concrete example. Sept. 15 100th Anniversary Celebration Mass
There was a Christian man and Reception, Our Lady of Sorrows,
walking along the seashore. He China
found a shell and opened it,
and he discovered a magnifi- Sept. 16 St. Peter Claver Mass, St. James, Port
cent pearl. As he was admir- Arthur
ing it, a poor woman walked Sept. 20-23 V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino
toward him. He showed her Ministry
the magnificent pearl he had
found, and she told him that
if she had found the pearl she
would use it to feed, clothe,
and shelter her family.
Without hesitation, the man
gave her the pearl, since he al-
ready had been blessed with
adequate material wealth. The
woman was so grateful, and
she went and sold the pearl and
used the money to feed, clothe,
and shelter her family. But
somehow, she felt something
was still missing, so she went
back to the seashore several
times looking for the man who
had given her the pearl.
Finally, she found him and
told him what she had done
with the pearl. She explained
that there was still a hunger
inside of her, and she was now
searching for whatever it was
that motivated him to give her
the pearl. The man, through
his love of the Lord, preached
the Good News by his kindness
and generosity and opened the
heart of that woman to an en- The recent Diocesan Convocation for Catholic Leaders emphasized the
need for evangelization to all peoples. At the convocation Mass Bishop
counter with Jesus. Jesus was Curtis Guillory, SVD, said, “The more we share that wonderful gift of faith,
the motivation! the more our own faith deepens.” ETC staff photo
 4 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Teachers take praise, prayers into new school year

Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, praised Diocese of Beaumont Catholic school teachers and staff during the Convocation Mass Aug. 9 at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica. From
left are staff from St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, Port Arthur: Brenda Chavarria, Lisa Crenshaw, Mary Ann Sigur, Aurora Nortman and principal Renee Tolin.

Dr. Cynthia Jackson, principal at St. Mary Catholic School, Orange, serves as lector. Bishop Guillory greets Chuck Baldwin, a teacher at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School,
Beaumont, after Mass. Bishop Guillory emphasized the value and commitment of teachers.

Ashly Wagner, April Vernon and Theresa Gould from Msgr. Kelly Catholic High School, Alison Kiker, principal at St. Anne Catholic School, Beaumont, addresses teachers and staff
Beaumont, share a moment together before the beginning of the Convocation Mass. during in-service training in the Cathedral Basilica parish hall after Mass.

YOUNG ADULT MOVIE NIGHT
Friday, August 31
6:00 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m.
Catholic Student Center / Lamar University
1010 E Virginia St, Beaumont
Come join the Office of Family Life
Ministry and the Campus Ministry for a
screening of the movie
"ROMERO"
Pope Francis has chosen the date for the
ceremony that will see the Catholic Church officially recognize the
sainthood of Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was
martyred as he was celebrating Mass in San Salvador, El Salvador.
He will be canonized on October 14, 2018.
Come join us in understanding the life and motivation of this hero of El
Salvador, and what social and religious conditions led to his sacrificing his
life for the voiceless of El Salvador.
After the movie, we will engage in small group, and group discussion of
the film.
Food and drinks will be provided, and there is no charge for the event.
To register as an individual or group please contact the Office of Family
Life Ministry at (409) 924-4325 or (409) 924-4390.
If you are a student at Lamar University, please register through the
Catholic Student Center
Diocesan Calendar
Sept. 1 & 2 The Catholic University of American, Washington, D.C., second
collection
Sept. 3 Labor Day, Catholic Pastoral Center closed
Sept. 4 6 p.m., Appreciation Celebration for Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD,
Mass and Reception, St. Louis, Winnie
Sept. 6 6 p.m., Appreciation Celebration for Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD,
Mass and Reception, Our Mother of Mercy, Beaumont
Sept. 7 6:30 p.m., Appreciation Celebration for Bishop Curtis Guillory,
SVD, Mass and Reception, St. Mary, Orange
Sept. 10 6:30 p.m., Appreciation Celebration for Bishop Curtis Guillory,
SVD, Mass and Reception, St. James, Port Arthur
Sept. 11 7 p.m., Appreciation Celebration for Bishop Curtis Guillory,
SVD, Mass and Reception, St. Joseph, Livingston
Sept. 15 & 16 Infirmed Priests second collection
Oct. 6 & 7 Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas second collection
AUGUST 24, 2018 • EASTTEXASCATHOLIC.COM 5
Knights to celebrate
Sept. 16
The Knights of Peter Claver and the Ladies Auxiliary will be
having its 46th Annual St. Peter Claver Mass and Celebration
on Sunday, Sept. 16 at the 11 a.m. Mass at St. James, 3617
Gulfway Drive, Port Arthur.
Bishop Curtis J Guillory, SVD, will be presider. The 17th Su-
preme Knight and CEO, James K. Ellis, and newly Elected Su-
preme Lady of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, Michaela Leblanc, will be
in attendance at the Mass along with several other National and
State Dignitaries from the organization.
The Diocese of Beaumont and Catholic
Charities of Southeast Texas are looking
for qualified individuals to join their
workforce in the following areas listed
below. For detailed information about
a specific position, please refer to the
diocesan website at www.dioceseofbmt.
org under the Careers tab, or contact the
Diocesan Human Resources Department
at (409) 924-4364.
DIOCESE OF BEAUMONT
Full-time Communication Specialist
Full-time Multi-Parish/School Accountant
Part-time Secretary Tribunal
Part-time Accounting Clerk
MSGR KELLY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, BEAUMONT
Full-time Religious/Theology Teacher
Substitute Teachers
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
Temporary Disaster Response (DR) Case Manager
Temporary Data Manager
Full-time Director of Development & Communications
Full-time Counselor
 6 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Are we listening?
For the Journey
By Effie Caldarola
Catholic News Service
I was bustling around the
house when the phone rang.
Morning multitasking con-
sumed me: making the bed,
grinding coffee beans, getting
dressed for a doctor’s appoint-
ment, dashing out to the curb
with the trash before the gar-
bage trucks trundled down the
street.
And, importantly, keep-
ing the radio turned up loud
enough that National Public
Radio could be heard through-
out the house.
It was, after all, an explo-
sive week in national news.
President Trump’s visit with
our NATO allies, the summit
with Russian President Vladi-
mir Putin, the incredible news
conference that followed. Each
day brought jaw-dropping rev-
elations.
Ever the news junkie, I
pushed aside my mystery novel
each evening and immersed
myself in the latest “breaking”
news.
So, I felt a pang of impa-
tience at the early morning
phone call. I needed to hear
what NPR’s “Morning Edi-
tion” had to say!
A relative was calling, some-
one with whom I frequently
chat. Often our comfortable
conversations meander on as
we trade family news and de-
bate the world’s problems.
This morning, I wasn’t rude
or particularly brusque. But I
glanced at my watch -- repeat-
edly.
He hadn’t had time to listen
to the news, so what, he asked,
what was the hubbub about?
I gave a cursory rundown de-
spite the fact that with the
amount of news I’d devoured
I could have written a book. I
made sure to mention I was on
my way to the doctor, indicat-
ing more immediacy than nec-
essary. We said goodbye.
Slowly, I felt the pang of im-
patience turning to a pang of
guilt. Why did I need to hear
one more news story? Was I
keeping well-informed in case
the State Department called
me for advice? What was I
thinking? What was more im-
portant than that phone call?
Did I forget, as the spiritual
writer Vinita Hampton Wright
says, that we should “love as if
loving is the first thing on our
to-do list”?
We often hear that we don’t
listen to each other today. But
in my own life I think the
problem is that often I half-
listen. Sometimes, like this
particular morning, I am half-
heartedly present. I forget that
love should be the first thing.
One of my favorite prayer
books is “Hearts on Fire: Pray-
ing with Jesuits.” This pocket- asking “why” for the 30th time Accept the person I am. Isn’t play a part. But we’re in control
size volume offers prayers, po- in an hour, the teenager with that what that toddler is really here. We can put those phones
ems and insights from Jesuits the gossipy after-school story saying? That teenager? Your down. We can prioritize loving
ranging from St. Ignatius him- or your spouse chatting about spouse? in the present moment.
self to Father Daniel Berrigan. something while you absent- Isn’t that what we’re seeking It’s no coincidence that the
The prayer “Teach Me to mindedly check your phone. when we share? Acceptance. people who are the best lis-
Listen” by Jesuit Father John We’re not entirely present. This is who I am. Hear me. teners are the most prayerful
Veltri begins by praying that Father Veltri goes on: “Help Love me. people we know. It’s a good
I listen to those “nearest me.” me to be aware that no matter Often we blame social media bet that those who listen to the
Sometimes those are the ones what words I hear, the message and those ubiquitous smart- Spirit first thing each day are
we most easily tune out. is, ‘Accept the person I am. Lis- phones for our lack of atten- also listening in each moment.
Maybe it’s the 3-year-old ten to me.’” tion, and they most certainly

East Texas Catholic Publisher: Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD

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Editor: Walker Wooding
East Texas Catholic is published semi-monthly February-May, September and October; monthly in January, June, Communications Director: Letty Lanza
July, August, November and December by the Bishop of Beaumont, 710 Archie, Beaumont TX 77701. Periodical
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Postmaster: Advertising: Karen Gilman
Send address changes to the ETC, P.O. Box 3948, Beaumont TX 77704-3948.
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within these pages. All claims, offer guarantees, statements, etc., made by East Texas Catholic advertisers Telephone (409) 924-4302; Fax: (409) 838-4511
are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Deceptive or misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. e-mail: etc@dioceseofbmt.org
Complaints regarding advertising should be made directly to the advertiser or to the Better Business Bureau. Services: Catholic News Service

To the friends I’ve known
By Father Ron Rolheiser
Recently, reading Common-
weal magazine, I was struck by
this line by Jerry Ryan, a Little
Brother of Jesus: “I have lost
contact with so many people
who meant a lot to me at dif-
ferent stages of my life, people
I loved dearly and really cared
for and who had given me so
much and made me what I
am.”
That’s so true for me and,
I suspect, for most of us.
People enter our lives, friend-
ships develop, and then some
of those friends disappear
from our lives. Sometimes we
move away, sometimes they
move away, sometimes things
change and we drift apart, or
sometimes the affective bonds
that held us together disinte-
grate and they, and we, move
on. To the degree that we’re
sensitive, there’s always some
pain and guilt in this. It’s not
an unhealthy thing to feel the
loneliness of that loss, nor is
it unhealthy to feel that some-
how we’ve failed and been less
than attentive.
Indeed sometimes we have
been less than faithful, but
mostly the blame for that (to
the extent that some applies)
lies inside our inculpable in-
adequacy. Only God is ad-
equate. Only God has a heart
big enough to be attentive to
everyone personally and in-
timately at the same time.
Only God never moves away
or grows tired. And only God
has the strength to forever be
faithful. We cannot not be in-
adequate.
I struggle mightily with that
inadequacy. Being a mission-
ary, given the work I do, and
given the quirks of my person-
ality, I find myself perennially
overwhelmed by my inadequa-
cy in the area of staying close
to family and friends, includ-
ing very dear friends. The task
isn’t easy.
First, I come from a very
large family which through
AUGUST 24, 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 7
the generations has expanded
into a virtual tribe. It could
be a fulltime job just staying
in touch with family. Next,
I’ve been ministering for more
than forty years and during
that time have lived inside vari-
ous Oblate houses with almost
two hundred different people.
Community is family and,
again, it would be a fulltime
task just staying in meaning-
ful touch with them all. Then,
during my years of doing grad-
uate work, I had the privileged
opportunity to develop long-
lasting friendships with a num-
ber of classmates from different
parts of the world. Finally, dur-
ing all those years of ministry,
I’ve met hundreds of students
in classrooms and thousands of
people doing workshops and
retreats. Most of those encoun-
ters were temporary and casual,
but through the years a good
number of meaningful friend-
ships developed there as well.
And, while all this was hap-
pening, I’ve lived and worked
in four different countries and
made friends in each of those
places.
Then today there’s the fur- peace with my inadequacy and Scripture tells us that, as the Oblate School of Theology
ther struggle to stay in touch guilt – if not always with some believers, we form together a in San Antonio, TX. He can be
with all the contacts that one of my neglected friends. body that, as much as any liv- contacted through his website
necessarily has to deal with on What helps is to remind ing body, is a true living organ- www.ronrolheiser.com.
social media. myself constantly of what a ism, with all parts affecting all Now on Facebook www.face-
How does one keep mean- great grace it is to have so large other parts. Inside that body book.com/ronrolheiser
ingful contact with everyone? a family and to have such a we’re present to each other,
How does one not betray large number of friends. There not fully consciously of course,
friends by simple neglect? are few things for which to be but deeply, truly, actually. And
Even as I’m deeply thank- more grateful. Next, I do try to to the extent that we’re living
ful to have so rich a treasury stay in meaningful touch with our lives faithfully and sharing
of family and friends, not in- them to the extent that time, honest friendship and fellow-
frequently I’m overwhelmed energy, and distance allow. ship with those who are im-
with the task of staying in Most importantly, though, mediately around us, we’re not
meaningful contact with them given my inadequacy, I try to only healthy enzymes helping
and at those times I feel some meet my family and friends bring health to the body, we’re
guilt about forever being out at a place where time, energy, also present to each other, af-
of touch with so many people and distance are eclipsed by an fectively, in a way that touches
I was once close to. Sometimes immediate, intimate presence. us at the deepest level of our
friends whom I have been out There’s one place where we’re souls There is a place where we RADIO MARIA
of touch with remind me, and not inadequate, where we can are not neglecting each other. “A Christian Voice in
not always delicately, of my ne- be at more places than one at And so, to all my friends: Your Home”
glect of our friendship. But as the same time and where we we’re still together! 1250-AM KDEI Port Arthur, TX,
the years go by and the prob- can love countless people indi- Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, or on the Internet
lem grows larger rather than vidually and intimately, name- theologian, teacher, and award- www.radiomaria.us
smaller, I am making more ly, inside the Body of Christ. winning author, is President of Call toll free 1-888-408-0201
 8 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018
Flowers for Mary: finding beauty in the backyard
By Christina Capecchi
Twenty Something
Janet Easter is experiencing
Braxton Hicks contractions as
she arranges a bouquet in her
backyard, and she is unfazed.
“I’m having contractions, which
is hilarious,” she says, stripping
the leaves off a hydrangea in
one swift stroke.
It’s 80 degrees on a Friday af-
ternoon in a Pittsburgh suburb,
and Janet is glowing, her 36-week
belly draped in a chambray shirt,
her honey-colored hair braided
across her head like Heidi.
“I don’t really know how this
is going to look yet,” she says,
tilting her head. “I’m going to
make it up as I go.”
Making it up as she goes is
a crucial skill for a perfection-
ist who will soon be tending to
three kids under 3. It’s a far cry
from her days as style editor of
Verily magazine, when Janet co-
ordinated slick New York City
photo shoots and relished in her
autonomy.
Gardening has helped the
31-year-old stay-at-home mom
embrace the journey. “I believe
all growth comes through some
pain and sacrifice, and plant-
ing a garden teaches you this in
a very physical, tactile, human
way.”
Janet’s personal growth is evi-
denced by her ability to laugh at
the inevitable missteps of a nov-
ice gardener. “I tried my hand
at sweet peas this year,” she says,
pointing to a single bloom. “It
was not successful. That’s OK.
The dahlias are as big as my
head!”
The 1-year-old toddles
around wearing only a diaper
as Janet arranges her bouquet
at a workbench by the back
door. She tucks mint in around
a dahlia and inserts lime-green
amaranth on opposite ends.
Next up is a cream-colored
cosmos with an arched stem.
“I actually love flowers that are
kind of kooky and droopy,” she
says. “I’m going to put it on the
side to hang out.”
The finished product looks sity of Dayton’s International such as marigold, Mary’s gold. to you by the flowers,” in the
like the handiwork of a skilled Marian Research Institute web- “Of course there is this con- words of St. Paul of the Cross.
florist, a soft blend of greens site, her heart racing. nection!” Janet says now. “As For as far as she has come –
and creams at varied heights. Medieval Christendom knew Catholics, we hold a sacramen- as a gardener, a mother, a be-
Janet sets the bouquet on an an- flowers by their Marian mean- tal view of the world.” liever – Janet feels she is at the
tique mantel, pausing to lament ing, standing for her spiritual- She has since memorized the beginning. That thought makes
the descending ants and then ity, divine graces, mysteries of Marian meaning of each flower her smile as she swings on her
grabbing some water to offset the rosary and life with the holy in her yard, and she’s quick to porch, framed by the backlit
her contractions. family. Baby’s breath represent- look up additional flowers that leaves of a climbing rose bush.
She settles into the swing on ed Our Lady’s veil; a dandelion, enter her home. “What’s exciting to me is that
her front porch, rocking and Mary’s bitter sorrows; peonies, She has written about this learning about faith is endless,”
reflecting. Her longtime love Pentecost. passion on her new website, she says. “I think I’m on the
of flowers recently took on a But these symbols were large- EverEaster.com, and launched brink of something big – a life-
new enthusiasm when she dis- ly forgotten once the printing a popular Instagram hashtag time of delight and discovery.”
covered the Marian theology press brought the proper classi- #everflowerfriday to encour- Christina Capecchi is a free-
behind flowers, staying up late fication of plants to the masses – age other Catholic women to lance writer from Inver Grove
one night to devour the Univer- save for a few remaining names, “listen to the sermon preached Heights, Minn.
Little Flower Parish Festival set
for Sept. 30
St. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus is hosting its Parish Fes-
tival Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the parish grounds
– 6412 Garnet Ave. in Port Arthur.
Its famous barbeque chicken dinners will be sold for $8. Each
dinner includes ½ barbeque chicken, rice dressing, beans and
bread. Tickets can be purchased at the parish office or at the
door. For more information, contact 409-736-1536.
A variety of festival activities are planned and will include
wheel of cakes, country store crafts sale, a religious booth and
more.
For more information, or to buy tickets, contact the parish
office at 409-736-1536.

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Aug. 22. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Eucharist is a taste of heaven on earth, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
– By receiving the Eucharist
at Mass, Christians are given
Christ’s same spirit and a taste
of eternal life, Pope Francis
said.
“Every time that we par-
ticipate in the Holy Mass, we
hasten heaven on earth in a
certain sense because from the
eucharistic food -- the body
and blood of Christ -- we
learn what eternal life is,” the
pope said Aug. 19 during his
Angelus address.
After praying the Angelus
prayer with pilgrims in St. Pe-
ter’s Square, the pope led them
in praying for the victims of
massive flooding caused by
monsoon rains in the Indian
state of Kerala.
According to the BBC, more
than 350 people have died while
thousands more are still trapped
and awaiting rescue.
“I am close to the church in
Kerala, which is in the front
lines to bring aid to the popu-
lation. We are all close to the
church in Kerala and let us
pray together for those who
have lost their lives and for
those people who are tried by
AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM
this great calamity,” the pope
said.
In his main address, Pope
Francis reflected on the Sun-
day Gospel reading in which
Jesus tells the crowd that
“whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal
life.”
The Eucharist, the pope
said, is where Christians find
“that which spiritually feeds us
and quenches our thirst today
and for eternity.”
“Happiness and eternity of
life depend on our capacity for
making the evangelical love we
9
received in the Eucharist fruit-
ful,” he said.
Resistance to allowing one-
self to be nourished by Jesus’
body and blood, he said, is
seen “when we struggle to
model our existence to that of
Jesus, to act according to his
standards and not according
to the standards of the world.”
“This is so important: to go
RADIO MARIA
to Mass and receive Commu-
“A Christian Voice in
nion because to receive Com- Your Home”
munion is to receive the liv-
1250-AM KDEI Port Arthur, TX,
ing Christ who transforms us or on the Internet
from within and prepares us www.radiomaria.us
for heaven,” Pope Francis said. Call toll free 1-888-408-0201
10 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Relics received at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica

A little more history was
added to historic St. Anthony
Cathedral Basilica with the
addition of two first class rel-
ics – of St. John XXIII and St.
John Paul II – that were re-
ceived by Bishop Curtis Guil-
lory, SVD, at Mass Aug. 19 in
Beaumont.
“All of that is part of our
faith,” Bishop Guillory said
about the relics. “They assist us
to one day see the Lord face to
face.”
St. Anthony Cathedral Basil-
ica will be the only place in the
United States to permanently
enshrine relics from these two
saints who were canonized by
Pope Francis in 2014 and it will
be the only place available for
public veneration.
Although most people are
familiar with St. John Paul II,
who served as pope from 1978
to 2005, many may not know
that St. John XXIII called the
Second Vatican Council. It is
more popularly known as Vati-
can II and brought about many
changes in the Church. St. John
XXIII was pope from 1958 to
1963.
The relic from St. John XXIII
comes directly from Cardinal
Angelo Comastri, Vicar Gen-
eral of Vatican City and Arch-
priest of the Papal Basilica of St.
Peter in the Vatican. St. John
Paul II’s relic comes from Car-
dinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Arch-
bishop of Krakow, Poland, who
was St. John Paul II’s personal
secretary for decades at the Vati-
can.

Joe Tortorice and Shelley Tortorice proceed toward the altar to present the relics of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II to Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, during the Pontifical Mass on Aug.
19 at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont.

The faithful witness the presentation of the relics during the Mass. Bishop Guillory receives the relics before preparing to venerate them.
 AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 11
Faithful venerate relics of Sts. John XXIII, John Paul II

Joe Tortorice prayerfully places the relic of St. John XXIII. Msgr. Jerry McGrath reads a proclamation about how the Cathedral Basilica obtained the
relics.

Deanna Hinterberger takes a moment to reflect during public veneration. Imelda Sandoval was one of many faithful who took part in the veneration.

Bishop Guillory incenses the relics during the Mass.

12 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Convocation of Catholic Leaders prepares delegates

to evangelize
“We must let people know how good God is and how good they are,” said Bishop
Brendan Cahill in his keynote address at the Diocesan Convocation of Catholic
Leaders on Aug. 18 in Beaumont.
Bishop Cahill, of the Diocese of Victoria, said it’s the mission of Catholics to
evangelize to the people on the fringes of society, including the homeless, new im-
migrants, the incarcerated and others.
More than 400 leaders from parishes and organizations across the diocese at-
tended the Aug. 17-18 convocation that was based on Pope Francis’ The Joy of the
Gospel. The convocation was designed to give information to parish leaders and to
challenge them to design an evangelization plan.
“The most important thing is for parishes to develop plans for evangelization and
to implement those plans,” said Bryan Reising, director of the Office of Evangeliza-
tion and Catechesis for the Diocese of Beaumont.
The Friday keynote by Dr. Hosffman Ospino presented information on the his-
tory of Catholicism in the U.S. Dr. Ospino also talked about the variety of people,
cultures, generations, needs, and gifts of the Diocese of Beaumont. Ospino is a
professor of theology at Boston College.
Inspired by the National Convocation for Catholic Leaders held in July 2017,
Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, said he was determined to have a local gathering for
the Diocese of Beaumont. Breakout sessions covered a number of topics including
Our Outreach to the Poor, Person to Person Evangelization, Stories of Harvey and
Communication Between the Generations. A track in Spanish was held on Satur-
day.
In his homily at the Mass to close the convocation, Bishop Guillory reminded all
there that all baptized Catholics are called to evangelize, that they are all called to
bring Christ to all they encounter. Melissa Johnson-Murray, winner of one of the social media contests at the convocation, and
Grace Nichols from St. Anne, Beaumont, during a parish breakout session.

Parishioners from St. Therese, Orange, discuss ways to increase evangelization efforts in their parish and community. Dr. Hosffman Ospino, professor of Theology at Boston College, talks about
the demographics of the Diocese of Beaumont during the Spanish track.
 AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 13
Catholic leaders preparing to spread the Good News

Most Rev. Brendan Cahill, Bishop of Victoria, with ministers from the diocesan Apostleship of At the convocation, attendees prayed before every breakout session.
the Sea Tran Vui, Father Sinclair Oubre and Doreen Badeaux.

Father Maurice Henry Sands, executive director of Black and Indian Missions, discusses evangeliza- Sister Jessy Padinjareveettil, S.D., and Sister Tess Chakiath, S.D., present the offerings during
tion in the Black and Native American communities during his breakout session. the closing Mass at the Convocation of Catholic Leaders.
14 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018
Archbishops call for ‘penance, purification’ to rebuild, renew church
By Catholic News Service
LOS ANGELES (CNS) --
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez
said penance and purification
is needed to rebuild the U.S.
Catholic Church and respond
to the abuse crisis.
He stressed the importance
of strong procedures and proto-
cols for addressing abuse claims,
helping the victims and creating
safe environments for all chil-
dren and young people.
“Programs, protocols, and
best practices are essential. But
they are not enough,” he said in
an Aug. 17 letter to the people
of the archdiocese.
“We need to hold people ac-
countable and we need to atone
for these sins as a church,” he
said.
He called it “a sad and con-
fusing time for all of us” with
the abuse allegations against
Archbishop Theodore E. Mc-
Carrick, followed by the Penn-
sylvania grand jury report on
a months-long investigation
into abuse claims spanning 70
years in six Catholic dioceses
in that state.
Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez concelebrates Mass during the 2017
Catholic convocation in Orlando, Fla. Archbishop Gomez, vice president of
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said penance and purification is
needed to rebuild the U.S. Catholic Church and respond to the abuse crisis.
(CNS photo/Bob Roller)
“I am praying for you and
your families and for our young
people; and for our bishops,
priests, deacons, seminarians
and religious,” he said. “I am
praying most intensely for the
victim-survivors of these crimes,
and am trying to offer what
small penance I can for every-
one who has suffered abuse by
pastors of the church.”
Archbishop Gomez also ad-
dressed what he sees as “the
deeper crisis today in the
church,” a spiritual and moral
crisis.
“I believe we need to respond
to this crisis with a new call to
penance and purification and a
new dedication to leading holy
lives,” he said.
“Renewal of the church is first
of all a duty for bishops and
priests,” Archbishop Gomez
said. “We need humble penance
for what has been done by our
brothers. We need to live with
simplicity and integrity and be
models of conversion and holi-
ness.
“Now more than ever, I pray
that every bishop and every
priest will rediscover his love for
Jesus Christ and burn with new
desire to bring holiness and sal-
vation to our people.”
He said priests, like all
Christians, “are all called to
holiness and to grow in our
relationship with Jesus and to
glorify God by our lives. But
the priest above all is conse-
crated to serve ‘in the person
of Christ.’ That is why the evil
at the heart of these scandals is
so terrible.”
“A sacred trust has been bro-
ken by men whom Jesus en-
trusted to be his representatives
on earth,” he continued. “These
priests have betrayed Christ and
done violence to his children.
The cruelty they have done casts
a shadow on the priesthood and
the vast majority of priests who
are good and faithful servants of
the Gospel.”
Archbishop Gomez said he
understands the anger and frus-
tration that people have against
the church “and her leaders
right now.” He said he feels “a
deep sadness” and is “horrified
that such crimes could be com-
mitted against innocent chil-
dren of God.
He noted that as vice presi-
dent of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, he is on the
Executive Committee, which
has issued two statements so
far. Among other initiatives, the
committee has outlined a plan
to have “substantial involve-
ment of the laity” from law
enforcement, psychology and
other disciplines in investigat-
ing abuse and responding to it.
Another component is “address-
ing the culture of clericalism
that contributed to these abuses
and failures in leadership,” he
explained.
He also emphasized the Arch-
diocese of Los Angeles has an
effective system in place for re-
porting and investigating sus-
pected abuse by priests and for
removing offenders from min-
istry, conducting background
checks and creating safe envi-
ronments. He encouraged any-
one who is a victim or knows a
victim to contact the archdio-
cese.
“What has happened is the
responsibility of bishops and
priests. That is clear,” Archbish-
op Gomez said. “But the way
forward will mean laypeople
and clergy working together. …
We need to begin again right
now, starting with those of us
who are bishops and priests.
“All of us in the church need
to commit ourselves again
to the basic practices of our
Christian life: personal prayer,
the Eucharist and confession,
the works of mercy, growing
in the virtues,” he said and he
urged Catholics to not “lose
hope in the church.”
“In this moment, our Lord is
counting on us. So please do not
give in to discouragement,” the
archbishop said. “Put your hope
in God’s promise: Where sin
increases, his grace will increase
even more.”
In a letter to Catholics of
his archdiocese, San Francisco
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cord-
ileone also emphasized that the
archdiocese has strong policies
and protocols for addressing
abuse and creating but that he
would review them with archdi-
ocesan officials.
But beyond that, he, like
Archbishop Gomez, said that
“what is called for at this time
is penance in reparation for sins
against faith and morals.”
“This is how we keep the righ-
teous indignation that so many
of us feel at this time from be-
coming an anger that divides
the body of Christ,” he said.
He said the reports of episco-
pal negligence and malfeasance
in the face of clerical sexual
abuse, coupled with some re-
ports of bishops themselves
guilty of sexual predation, have
“reopened old wounds” for
Catholics and the larger society.
He also decried the “spirit
of raw ambition on the part of
some, who will stop at noth-
ing to advance their careers and
climb the ecclesial corporate
ladder over investing them-
selves in serving the people of
God. Such behavior on the part
of church leaders is despicable,
reprehensible, and absolutely
unbecoming of a man of God.”
Archbishop Cordileone said
he will designate a day “when
together we will make an act of
reparation, and how that will be
conducted.”
In the meantime, he asked
all Catholics in the archdiocese,
including the priests, “to engage
in prayer, penance and adora-
tion as an act of reparation for
sins against chastity and the rev-
erence due to the Blessed Sac-
rament, in accordance to Our
Lady’s wishes.”
The archbishop invited all to
join him in:
• Praying the rosary daily. (He
urged families to pray the rosary
together at least once a week.)
• Practicing Friday penance
by abstaining from eating meat
and one other additional act
of fasting (e.g., another form
of food or drink, or skipping a
meal).
• Spending one hour of ado-
ration before the Blessed Sacra-
ment at least once a week.
“While I pledge to attend to
policies and their observance,
we all must be engaged at this
time on the spiritual level,”
Archbishop Cordileone said.
“Without prayer, penance and
adoration in reparation for
the horrendous sins rampant
in our church for very many
years now, any efforts of the
temporal order will be mean-
ingless.”
He also asked Catholics “to
stay close to your parish priest.”
“Our priests make great
sacrifices to serve their people
with generosity and compas-
sion. They are there for you,
attentive to providing you
pastoral care,” he said. “I am
grateful to them for their la-
bors in the Lord’s vineyard,
and pray that the divine as-
sistance may be with them as
they minister to you during
this time of crisis”

Loud response from Church leaders to grand jury report
By Letty Lanza and reports
from Catholic News Service
“The heart-wrenching pain of these
victims, which cries out to heaven, was
long ignored, kept quiet or silenced.
But their outcry was more powerful
than all the measures meant to silence
it, or sought even to resolve it by deci-
sions that increased its gravity by fall-
ing into complicity. The Lord heard
that cry and once again showed us on
which side He stands,” Pope Francis
said in a letter “to the people of God.”
The pope’s letter came less than a
week after the release of a Pennsylva-
nia grand jury report on decades of al-
leged clerical sexual abuse and alleged
cover-ups by Church leadership in six
dioceses in that state.
But, even before the pope’s letter,
Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, ad-
dressed the issue at a gathering of
clergy and lay leadership on Saturday,
Aug. 18, and again at a Pontifical Mass
at the cathedral basilica on Sunday,
Aug. 19.
The comments came during his
homilies and his words at both were
strong – calling the abuses “grievous
sins” and “crimes.”
Those comments came after the
diocese published a short statement
from Bishop Guillory on Aug. 16 say-
ing that he concurred with words and
sentiments of Cardinal Daniel Di-
Nardo who told U.S. Catholics that
the Church was “faced with a spiritual
crisis that requires not only spiritual
conversion, but practical changes.…”
Cardinal DiNardo’s words came in
a statement issued that morning from
AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM 15
his position as president of the United – both clergy and lay – to pray and ure of some of our bishops to act.”
States Conference of Catholic Bishops. fast so they would be able to hear the He added, “But please remember
The cardinal’s full statement, which “hushed pain of abuse survivors.” just like we have many good priests, we
appears on the Diocese of Beaumont The Pennsylvania report spoke of also have many good bishops who have
website www.dioceseofbmt.org, calls credible allegations against 301 priests been vigilant. Our Beaumont Diocese
for those practical changes to be pur- in cases involving more than 1,000 is committed to the safety of children
sued according to three criteria: “prop- children. and young people and the integrity of
er independence, sufficient authority In his letter, the pope acknowledged the Church’s ministry.”
and substantial leadership by laity.” the Church’s failure. “Some of our Catholics may be
“We have zero tolerance in the “With shame and repentance, we ac- thinking about leaving the Church. I
Diocese of Beaumont,” Bishop Guil- knowledge as an ecclesial community understand it is easy to become dis-
lory said. “And we investigate all al- that we were not where we should have couraged. But I ask all, especially our
legations, even those that are made been, that we did not act in a timely priests, to place full trust in the Holy
anonymously. We contact both police manner, realizing the magnitude and Spirit, who abides with us in every step
and Child Protective Services. And the gravity of the damage done to so of faith,” Bishop Guillory said.
more than 15 years ago, I established many lives,” the pope wrote. Pope Francis’ letter appears on pages
a Diocesan Review Board to assist me In his statement Cardinal DiNardo 18-19. Cardinal DiNardo’s letter can be
in carrying out my responsibilities of said that whatever the details may be of found on the diocesan website along with
assessing allegations of sexual abuse. the abuses in Pennsylvania or anywhere more information on what the Beau-
On that board we have lay men and else, we already know that one “cause is mont Diocese does to create a safe envi-
women who are not employees of the the failure of episcopal leadership.” ronment for children and young people.
diocese and are competent in fields like Bishop Guillory told the ETC he That information can be found under
psychiatry, law enforcement and social was also “deeply grieved about the fail- the tab “Safe Environment.”
service. We have an effective system in
place for reporting and investigating
suspected abuse and for removing any
offender from ministry.”
“But please remember, we have
thousands of good priests in the U.S.
We have had thousands more good
priests during the seven decades that
are covered in the Pennsylvania report.
So, in relation to those good priests the
numbers named in the Pennsylvania
report are small. But the thought of
even one incident would have been
too much,” he said.
“My heart breaks when I think
about the victims and their families. I
continue to pray for them daily.”
Pope Francis asked all Catholics

Diocesan Review Board

The Diocesan Review Board reviews and assesses allegations of sexual
abuse of minors by clerics and other church personnel. The majority of
the members are lay persons who are not in the employment of the Dio-
cese of Beaumont. Members are appointed for a term of five years. The
majority of the members are to be competent in fields such as, but not
limited to, law, law enforcement, psychiatry, psychology, counseling, or
social work. The Board also makes recommendations to the Bishop con-
cerning return to ministry, employment or volunteer service once a deter-
mination is made about the allegation. Current members are listed on the
diocesan website, www.dioceseofbmt.org. Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, addresses the congregation during his homily at the Aug. 19 Mass
at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica. ETC photo / Walker Wooding
16 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018
El grito de las víctimas es más fuerte que esfuerzos para
silenciarlo
CIUDAD DEL VATICA-
NO (CNS) -- Hay que tomar
todo tipo de medida para evitar
futuros casos de abuso sexual
del clero y para “evitar que es-
tas situaciones no solo no se re-
pitan, sino que no encuentren
espacios para ser encubiertas y
perpetuarse”, dijo el papa Fran-
cisco en una carta dirigida al
“pueblo de Dios”.
El papa dice que reconoce
“una vez más el sufrimiento viv-
ido por muchos menores a cau-
sa de abusos sexuales, de poder
y de conciencia cometidos por
un notable número de clérigos
y personas consagradas”, en una
carta publicada el 20 de agosto.
La carta circuló menos de
una semana después de la pub-
licación un informe de un gran
jurado en Pensilvania detal-
lando décadas de abuso sexual y
encubrimientos sexuales en seis
diócesis. El informe habla de
acusaciones creíbles contra 301
sacerdotes en casos que involu-
cran a más de 1,000 niños.
“El dolor de estas víctimas es
un gemido que clama al cielo,
que llega al alma y que durante
mucho tiempo fue ignorado,
callado o silenciado,” dijo el
papa en la carta. “Pero su grito
fue más fuerte que todas las me-
didas que lo intentaron silenci-
ar”.
“El dolor de las víctimas y
sus familias es también nuestro
dolor”, dijo, y “por eso urge
reafirmar una vez más nuestro
compromiso para garantizar la
protección de los menores y de
los adultos en situación de vul-
nerabilidad”.
En su carta, el papa Francisco
dijo que todos los católicos de-
ben participar en el esfuerzo de
acompañar a las víctimas, for-
talecer las medidas de protec-
ción y poner un fin a la cultura
en la cual se ocultan los abusos.
La carta pide oración y ayuno
a todos los católicos, pero no
cambia las políticas actuales ni
ofrece nuevas normas específi-
cas.
Cambio, dijo, requiere “la
participación activa de todos
los integrantes del Pueblo de
Dios”.
“El clericalismo, favorecido
sea por los propios sacerdotes
como por los laicos, genera
una escisión en el cuerpo ecle-
sial que beneficia y ayuda a per-
petuar muchos de los males que
hoy denunciamos”, dijo el papa
Francisco. “Decir no al abuso,
es decir enérgicamente no a cu-
alquier forma de clericalismo”.
En la carta, el papa Francisco
reconoció el fracaso de la igle-
sia.
“Con vergüenza y arrepen-
timiento, como comunidad
eclesial, asumimos que no supi-
mos estar donde teníamos que
estar, que no actuamos a tiempo
reconociendo la magnitud y la
gravedad del daño que se estaba
causando en tantas vidas,” dijo.
“Hemos descuidado y abando-
nado a los pequeños”, dijo.
“Mirando hacia el pasado
nunca será suficiente lo que se
haga para pedir perdón y buscar
reparar el daño causado”, dijo.
“Mirando hacia el futuro nunca
será poco todo lo que se haga
para generar una cultura capaz
de evitar que estas situaciones
no solo no se repitan, sino que
no encuentren espacios para ser
encubiertas y perpetuarse”.
Reconociendo las políticas de
protección que se han adopta-
do en varias partes del mundo,
así como las promesas de “tol-
erancia cero” para los clérigos
abusadores, el papa Francisco
también reconoció que “hemos
demorado en aplicar estas accio-
(CNS photo/Paul Haring)
nes y sanciones tan necesarias,
pero confío en que ayudarán a
garantizar una mayor cultura
del cuidado en el presente y en
el futuro”.
Como miembros de la iglesia,
dijo, “pidamos perdón por los
pecados propios y ajenos.” El
papa Francisco también pidió a
católicos oración y ayuno para
que escuchar “el dolor silen-
ciado” de los sobrevivientes de
abuso.
Pidió “ayuno que nos dé
hambre y sed de justicia e im-
pulse a caminar en la verdad
apoyando todas las mediaciones
judiciales que sean necesarias.
Un ayuno que nos sacuda y nos
lleve a comprometernos desde
la verdad y la caridad con todos
los hombres de buena voluntad
y con la sociedad en general
para luchar contra cualquier
tipo de abuso sexual, de poder
y de conciencia”.
 AUGUST 24, 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 17

Listening carefully to those who may be at risk

The awareness of being ‘called by
name’ (Isaiah 43:1) can be a unique
and holy moment in a person’s re-
lationship with God. This intimate
knowledge can be a confirming and
identity-grounding experience. A
hymn by David Hass, “You Are
Mine,” is one that often deeply
touches a person’s heart. Whether
sung by a choir at a worship ser-
vice, listening to it in the privacy of
one’s own place of prayer or read-
ing the words, a profound sense of
being created uniquely by God can
be felt. The words echo in the inner
sanctuary of our hearts, “I have called
you by name, you are mine” and we
may-even just for a moment-have a
felt sense of being held closely by the
tenderness of God.
The song can be a healing one for
those who have experienced great
emotional, verbal, sexual, physical
and psychological abuse as a child.
As efforts have reached a heightened
level to decrease the abuse that chil-
dren experience, there is still wide-
spread verbal abuse that also wounds
the identity and hearts of little chil-
dren.
On CNN.com (8-18-2016) a
heartbreaking situation was high-
lighted within the news regarding
being “called by name.” A neighbor
who was brave enough to call the
police about a family in the neigh-
borhood turned out to be the sav-
ing factor in a little girl’s life. As the
police entered the particular family’s
home, it was clearly evident that the
adults were not properly caring for
a 4-year-old precious little girl. As
law enforcement investigated this
troubled home, they began a conver-
sation with the child in the presence
of a social worker. The social worker
asked “What is your name?” The
battered child, bruised from head to
toe — and most likely carrying the
many invisible wounds of other ne-
glect answered, “My name is Idiot.”
How unbelievably painful — even
soul numbing to hear a 4-year-old
child utter these words. It makes us
wonder about what impact this abuse
has had on this child’s spirit. Just
our hearing this story hurts our own
hearts and souls, doesn’t it?
Let us pray for her, although the
news sources never revealed her true
name, we know that she is a child of
God. And maybe when we review
the words to this song, we can pray
for all those children who are abused
and hope their hearts and identity are
transformed over the darkness that
makes them believe they are whatev-
er name an abusive adult calls them.
May they, and also we, know in-
stead that during our darkest mo-
ments we are God’s creation.
Brought to you through the National
Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc.
and its VIRTUS® programs with the
goal to help prevent, address, and miti-
gate wrongdoing in the community of
faith and to help adults become protec-
tors of children and to help communi-
ties become safe havens for children.

The initial 3-hour Virtus “Protecting God’s Children” (PGC) training session educates SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
and trains adults (age 18 and older) about the dangers and warning signs of abuse,
ways to prevent abuse, how to report suspicions of abuse, and more. See the diocesan Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD, and the Catholic Diocese
website (www.dioceseofbmt.org / Safe Environment / Awareness Sessions) for more of Beaumont are committed to assisting in the
information about “Who Must Attend” and “When”, as well as the full list of training healing process of those persons who are survivors
sessions. of sexual abuse by clergy or other church personnel.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of
such abuse, please contact our Victim Assistance
PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN SESSIONS Coordinator, Mrs. Becky Richard, MS, LPC, at (409)
SESSIONS IN ENGLISH 924-4433.

Please pre-register for the session at least 5 days in advance of the scheduled date at the phone number Report all abuse of minors to Child Protective Services,
provided. Sessions last about 3 hours. 1-800-252-5400, or to local law enforcement.
_______________________________________________
Date Time Place Contact
Aug. 29 6 p.m. St. Jude, Culotta Hall 409-866-9595, ext. 2
Sept. 5 6 p.m. Catholic Pastoral Center, 409-924-4309
SOBREVIVIENTES DEL ABUSO SEXUAL
Assembly Hall El Obispo Curtis J. Guillory, SVD, y la Diócesis Católica
Sept. 8 9 a.m. Our Lady of Victory, Sour Lake 409-924-4309 de Beaumont, están comprometidos a asistir con
Sept. 11 9 a.m. Catholic Pastoral Center, 409-924-4309 el proceso de sanación de aquellas personas que
Assembly Hall han sobrevivido al abuso sexual por el clero o por
otro personal de la iglesia. Si usted o alguien que
Sept. 17 6 p.m. St. Francis, Orange 409-882-4453
usted conoce ha sido víctima de abuso sexual, por
Sept. 24 6 p.m. Immaculate Conception-St. Peter 409-720-8816 favor comuníquese con nuestra Coordinadora de
Rose Room, Groves Asistencia a las Victimas, Becky Richard, MS, LPC, al
Sept. 24 6 p.m. Infant Jesus, Religious Education Building, 409-755-1734, ext. 114 (409) 924-4433, o Jesús Abrego al (409) 924-4331.
Lumberton
Sept. 27 6 p.m. St. Mark, Silsbee 409-781-7356 Reporte cualquier abuso de menores al Servicio de
Protección de Niños, 1-800-252-5400 o a la policía
Oct. 3 9 a.m. Catholic Pastoral Center, 409-924-4309
local.
Assembly Hall
18 E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once
more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of
clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family mem-
bers and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike. Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm
done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but
also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent
that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.

1. If one member suffers…

In recent days, a report was made public which detailed the experiences of at least a thousand survivors, victims of sexual abuse, the abuse of
power and of conscience at the hands of priests over a period of approximately seventy years. Even though it can be said that most of these cases belong
to the past, nonetheless as time goes on we have come to know the pain of many of the victims. We have realized that these wounds never disappear and
that they require us forcefully to condemn these atrocities and join forces in uprooting this culture of death; these wounds never go away. The heart-
wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced. But their outcry was more powerful than all the
measures meant to silence it, or sought even to resolve it by decisions that increased its gravity by falling into complicity. The Lord heard that cry and
once again showed us on which side he stands. Mary’s song is not mistaken and continues quietly to echo throughout history. For the Lord remembers
the promise he made to our fathers: “he has scattered the proud in their conceit; he has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Lk 1:51-53). We feel shame when we realize that our style of life has
denied, and continues to deny, the words we recite.
With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a
timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives. We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.
I make my own the words of the then Cardinal Ratzinger when, during the Way of the Cross composed for Good Friday 2005, he identified with the
cry of pain of so many victims and exclaimed: “How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong
entirely to [Christ]! How much pride, how much self-complacency! Christ’s betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his body and blood,
is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison –
Lord, save us! (cf. Mt 8:25)” (Ninth Station).

2. … all suffer together with it

The extent and the gravity of all that has happened requires coming to grips with this reality in a comprehensive and communal way. While it is
important and necessary on every journey of conversion to acknowledge the truth of what has happened, in itself this is not enough. Today we are chal-
lenged as the People of God to take on the pain of our brothers and sisters wounded in their flesh and in their spirit. If, in the past, the response was one
of omission, today we want solidarity, in the deepest and most challenging sense, to become our way of forging present and future history. And this in
an environment where conflicts, tensions and above all the victims of every type of abuse can encounter an outstretched hand to protect them and rescue
them from their pain (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 228). Such solidarity demands that we in turn condemn whatever endangers the integrity of any person. A
solidarity that summons us to fight all forms of corruption, especially spiritual corruption. The latter is “a comfortable and self-satisfied form of blind-
ness. Everything then appears acceptable: deception, slander, egotism and other subtle forms of self-centeredness, for ‘even Satan disguises himself as
an angel of light’ (2 Cor 11:14)” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 165). Saint Paul’s exhortation to suffer with those who suffer is the best antidote against all our
attempts to repeat the words of Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9).
 AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM 19
I am conscious of the effort and work being carried out in various parts of the world to come up with the necessary means to ensure the safety and
protection of the integrity of children and of vulnerable adults, as well as implementing zero tolerance and ways of making all those who perpetrate or cover up
these crimes accountable. We have delayed in applying these actions and sanctions that are so necessary, yet I am confident that they will help to guarantee a
greater culture of care in the present and future.
Together with those efforts, every one of the baptized should feel involved in the ecclesial and social change that we so greatly need. This change calls
for a personal and communal conversion that makes us see things as the Lord does. For as Saint John Paul II liked to say: “If we have truly started out anew
from the contemplation of Christ, we must learn to see him especially in the faces of those with whom he wished to be identified” (Novo Millennio Ineunte,
49). To see things as the Lord does, to be where the Lord wants us to be, to experience a conversion of heart in his presence. To do so, prayer and penance
will help. I invite the entire holy faithful People of God to a penitential exercise of prayer and fasting, following the Lord’s command.[1] This can awaken our
conscience and arouse our solidarity and commitment to a culture of care that says “never again” to every form of abuse.
It is impossible to think of a conversion of our activity as a Church that does not include the active participation of all the members of God’s People.
Indeed, whenever we have tried to replace, or silence, or ignore, or reduce the People of God to small elites, we end up creating communities, projects,
theological approaches, spiritualities and structures without roots, without memory, without faces, without bodies and ultimately, without lives.[2] This is
clearly seen in a peculiar way of understanding the Church’s authority, one common in many communities where sexual abuse and the abuse of power and
conscience have occurred. Such is the case with clericalism, an approach that “not only nullifies the character of Christians, but also tends to diminish and
undervalue the baptismal grace that the Holy Spirit has placed in the heart of our people”.[3] Clericalism, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay
persons, leads to an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today. To say “no” to abuse
is to say an emphatic “no” to all forms of clericalism.
It is always helpful to remember that “in salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a
people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal
relationships present in the human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 6). Consequently, the only
way that we have to respond to this evil that has darkened so many lives is to experience it as a task regarding all of us as the People of God. This awareness
of being part of a people and a shared history will enable us to acknowledge our past sins and mistakes with a penitential openness that can allow us to be
renewed from within. Without the active participation of all the Church’s members, everything being done to uproot the culture of abuse in our communities
will not be successful in generating the necessary dynamics for sound and realistic change. The penitential dimension of fasting and prayer will help us as
God’s People to come before the Lord and our wounded brothers and sisters as sinners imploring forgiveness and the grace of shame and conversion. In this
way, we will come up with actions that can generate resources attuned to the Gospel. For “whenever we make the effort to return to the source and to recover
the original freshness of the Gospel, new avenues arise, new paths of creativity open up, with different forms of expression, more eloquent signs and words
with new meaning for today’s world” (Evangelii Gaudium, 11).
It is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons,
clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable. Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of
others. An awareness of sin helps us to acknowledge the errors, the crimes and the wounds caused in the past and allows us, in the present, to be more open and
committed along a journey of renewed conversion.
Likewise, penance and prayer will help us to open our eyes and our hearts to other people’s sufferings and to overcome the thirst for power and
possessions that are so often the root of those evils. May fasting and prayer open our ears to the hushed pain felt by children, young people and the disabled. A
fasting that can make us hunger and thirst for justice and impel us to walk in the truth, supporting all the judicial measures that may be necessary. A fasting that
shakes us up and leads us to be committed in truth and charity with all men and women of good will, and with society in general, to combatting all forms of the
abuse of power, sexual abuse and the abuse of conscience.
In this way, we can show clearly our calling to be “a sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race” (Lumen
Gentium, 1).
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it”, said Saint Paul. By an attitude of prayer and penance, we will become attuned as individuals and
as a community to this exhortation, so that we may grow in the gift of compassion, in justice, prevention and reparation. Mary chose to stand at the foot of
her Son’s cross. She did so unhesitatingly, standing firmly by Jesus’ side. In this way, she reveals the way she lived her entire life. When we experience the
desolation caused by these ecclesial wounds, we will do well, with Mary, “to insist more upon prayer”, seeking to grow all the more in love and fidelity to the
Church (SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, Spiritual Exercises, 319). She, the first of the disciples, teaches all of us as disciples how we are to halt before the
sufferings of the innocent, without excuses or cowardice. To look to Mary is to discover the model of a true follower of Christ.
May the Holy Spirit grant us the grace of conversion and the interior anointing needed to express before these crimes of abuse our compunction and
our resolve courageously to combat them.

Vatican City, 20 August 2018

FRANCIS

______________________________________
[1] “But this kind [of demon] does not come out except by prayer and fasting” (Mt 17:21).
[2] Cf. Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile (31 May 2018).
[3] Letter to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
(19 March 2016). Para leer esta carta en español,
por favor visite Vatican.va.
20 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018
Sportsman’s Mass set
for Sept. 22 at St. Pius X
Hunters and fishers will have the op-
portunity to have their gear blessed at
the Sportsman’s Mass and Blessing cel-
ebrated by Father Gus Wall, SVD, at 10
a.m. Sept. 22 at St. Pius X Church in
Beaumont.
In this come in camouflage or as-you-
are atmosphere, boats, rods and reels,
hunting weapons and other equipment
will be blessed in the parking lot after
Mass. Weapons are not allowed in the
church. A reception will follow the bless-
ing.
Deacon Anthony Goudeau, of St.
Catholic Clerical Student Fund
BURSE IN HONOR OF REV. MARTIN NELSON
Beaumont District:
St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica -
Beaumont
In honor of Anthony McFarland
by St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica
Ladies
St. Anne Church - Beaumont
In memory of Terrence M.
McGovern
by Amelia Scales
In memory of Marcia Warrick,
In memory of Wanda Fiorenza
by Gwendolyn Bonsall
St. Anne’s Shepherd’s Staff - Eastgate
St. Jude Thaddeus Church -
Beaumont
In memory of James Capo, Jr.,
In memory of Charlene Busceme
by Paula & John Lovoi
Infant Jesus Altar Society - Lumberton
In memory of Lettie Brown,
In memory of Joyce Helmer
by Glen & Betty Cook
In memory of Joyce Helmer
by Infant Jesus Altar Society
In memory of James Edward
Mullaly
by Orelia & James Robbins
Subtotal: $200
Pius, said the name of the Mass was
changed this year from the Hunter’s
Mass because it is to welcome anyone to
the Mass – those who hunt as well as for
those who fish.
Offering this kind of Mass was Deacon
Goudeau’s idea after he hit and killed a
deer with his truck two years ago on his
way home from work. He looked in the
Book of Blessings for a blessing about
killing that deer. He couldn’t find any-
thing. He later approached Father Wall
about celebrating the Hunter’s Mass last
year.
Mid-County District:
St. Charles Parish - Nederland
In memory of Mike Pike
by Janet Pike
In honor of Dan & Shirley
Harrington - Happy Anniversary,
In honor of & Get Well to Rev.
Msgr. Kenneth R. Greig,
In memory of Harvey Trahan
by Roberta Gard
In honor of & Get Well to Frances
Minaldi
by Clara Metcalf
In memory of Kristen Balismo
by Eva Aguirre
In memory of P.J. Martin,
In memory of Harvey Trahan
by Knights of Columbus Council
#5145
In memory of Helen Scully Gilmore
by St. Charles Nursing Home Ladies
St. Elizabeth Parish - Port Neches
In memory of Vera Mullen
by Jimmy & Etta Pellerin
In memory of Tyler Ellis Wright
by St. Elizabeth Catholic Community
In memory of Tyler Ellis Wright,
In honor of Rev. T.R. Blanco,
O.S.A.
In honor of Rev. Fr. Shiju Augustine
KC #951 frying fish to raise funds
for Some Other Place
The Knights of Columbus Council #951 will sell fried fish dinners on Sept. 7 from
4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to raise funds for Some Other Place’s Back to School Program.
The program provides new school supplies and clothing for children. Some Other
Place meets the emergency needs of residents in the Beaumont community. All prof-
its from the fundraiser will go to Some Other Place.
Dinners will be $9 and include fried catfish, french fries, hush puppies and cole
slaw. Dine-in or take out will be available at the KC Hall, 9505 College Street in
Beaumont. For information, contact 409-866-9390.
Infant Jesus KCs to sell chicken dinners
The Infant Jesus Knights of Columbus Council #7058 will sell chicken dinners for
$9 a plate Aug. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until sold out.
Dinners are take-out only and can be picked up in the back of Infant Jesus Church
in Dollinger Hall located at 243 S. LHS Drive in Lumberton. Dinners include side
dishes of beans, potatoes and bread. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the organiza-
tion’s various charities. For information, contact Pat Campo at 409-673-0919.
Churakal, CMI St. Francis of Assisi Parish - Orange
by Renella Primeaux In loving memory of John (Jack)
Immaculate Conception-St. Peter Oldani
Church - Groves by Ray & Dolores Simar
In memory of Maudie Neeb St. Mary Altar Society - Orange
by Charlotte & Tom South In honor of & Get Well to Barbara
In memory of Cecile Cooper Davis,
by Immaculate Conception Altar In honor of & Get Well to
Society Dominque Hogan,
In memory of Wanda Mae Simon In loving memory of Ben Taylor
by Joyce Sonnier by St. Mary Altar Society
In honor of David & Mary Prioux - Subtotal: $220
Happy 50th Anniversary
by Valery & Marceline Fey
TOTAL FOR JULY 2018 $ 420.00
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $ 6,155.00
TOTAL $ 6,575.00
The Catholic Clerical Student Fund is sponsored by the Beaumont
Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. You can remember a loved one,
living or deceased, with an enrollment to the Catholic Clerical Student
Fund for $5 or a memorial for $10 or more. Individual names are listed for
donations of $10 and more. Enrollments can be for any occasion such as
births, illness, special favor, graduations, anniversary, wedding, etc., or just
to remember someone. All funds raised are put into an endowment fund for
the education of men for the priesthood for the Beaumont Diocese.
c/o Renella Primeaux, Representative
P.O Box 3948, Beaumont, Texas, 77704-3948
 AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 21

Faithful Steward – Connie Deal

Connie Deal is one of the newest members of the Bishop’s

Faith Appeal volunteer family. “I like meeting new people
and love that the ministries that are supported by the BFA
helps all faiths in the community,” Deal said. This support
of the ministries and meeting new people are two of the
reasons she decided to give her time and talent to help
the appeal through her parish, St. James in Port Arthur, as
parish BFA chair and at the Pastoral Center as a statement
stuffer volunteer.
22 E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

Faith, fellowship activities fill Local World Youth Day

Seminarian Aaron Griffith leads the pilgrimage walk that began Local World Youth Day on Aug. 4. The celebration included faith-based and fellowship activities.

Msgr. Jerry McGrath, pastor of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, takes part in the pilgrimage. Youth ministry members from St. Mark the Evangelist, Silsbee, took part in Local World
Youth Day. Back row from left are Emmanuel Ruiz and Andrew Knighten. Front row from left
are Carlos Lemus, Kathy Watson (Youth Minister and Religious Education Director), Veronica
Rodriguez and Addie Steltz.

Director of religious education Cathi Sulak of St. Francis of Assisi, Orange, signs the Local Soloists Kayla Malveaux and Halle Stuberfield lead the Youth Choir from Our Mother of
World Youth Day banner as her daughter Natalie looks on. Mercy, Beaumont. They were one of several performances during the day’s activities.
 AUGUST 24 , 2018 • E AST T EXASCATHOLIC.COM 23
LWYD: Young people take part in reflection, praise

Keith Elgar and Kevin Elgar, parishioners at St. Anne, Beaumont, portray the roles of a Other activities included the Dragon Dancers from St. Joseph, Beaumont.
Roman soldier and Jesus, respectively, in the Live Stations of the Cross. It served as one of
several opportunities for youth and young adults to reflect upon their faith.

Aaron Griffith helps Father Paul Ofoha, MSP, pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Beaumont, pre- “This is a great day of prayer and talks to nourish our minds and hearts.” -- Bishop Guillory
pare for Adoration, which was one of the opportunities for worship during the event.

Grupo Guadalupano from Cristo Rey, Beaumont, performs near the Event Centre during the procession to the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Beaumont during Local World Youth Day.
24 E ASTT EXASCATHOLIC.COM • AUGUST 24, 2018

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