At installation, Baltimore archbishop affirms faith’s role in national life

Baltimore, Md., May 16, 2012 / 01:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-

At his May 16 installation in the “Premier See” of the U.S. Church, new Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori urged believers to proclaim their faith to the nation while standing up for the Church’s freedom.

“Let us not shrink from entering the public square to proclaim the person of Christ, to teach the values that flow from reason and faith, to uphold our right to go about our daily work in accord with our teachings and values,” he told the 2,000-strong congregation at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

“By its nature, the profession of faith is a public matter,”  said the archbishop, who also leads the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee.

He indicated that the Catholic faith cannot be confined solely to privately-held beliefs and acts of worship, since it is “meant to be spread far and wide and acted upon, in and through Church institutions and in the witness of individual believers.”

“Let us never imagine that the faith we profess with such personal conviction is merely a private matter,” he said to the congregation.

Instead, he told them, “we must be loyal Americans by being bold and courageous Catholics.”

Known for his religious freedom advocacy during his past appointment as the Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., Archbishop Lori was installed amid ongoing controversy over the federal government’s contraception mandate and other moves seen as hostile to religion by Catholics and other believers.

Over 300 priests and bishops, joined by representatives of 150 parishes and 70 Catholic schools, heard Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano proclaim the decree establishing the new archbishop, a 61-year-old Kentucky native, as the leader of the archdiocese’s 500,000 Catholics.

Archbishop Lori’s installation homily drew inspiration from the public witness of Saint Paul, as well as the missionary journeys of Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. He recalled Bl. John Paul II’s own words, delivered at Baltimore’s cathedral during a 1995 visit to the city.

In words delivered on that occasion, and quoted by Archbishop Lori, the late Pope spoke of America’s “precious legacy of religious freedom,” telling Catholics “to defend that freedom against those who would take religion out of the public domain and establish secularism as America’s official faith.”

The archbishop also paid tribute to those who led the nation’s first Catholic diocese before him –  including Archbishop John Carroll, the United States’ first Catholic bishop; and Cardinal James Gibbons, who led the Church in Baltimore during a period of anti-Catholic suspicion.

Archbishop Carroll, he said, led a “generation of believers and patriots,” whose legacy “has enabled the Church to worship in freedom, to bear witness to Christ publicly, and to do massive and amazing works of pastoral love, education, and charity in ways that are true to the faith that inspired them.”

Archbishop Lori also recalled how Cardinal Gibbons, Baltimore’s archbishop from 1877 to 1921, opposed “those who said it wasn’t possible to be a practicing Catholic and a loyal American.”

He recalled Cardinal Gibbons’ description of the U.S. as a country “where the civil government holds over us the aegis of its protection, without interfering with us in the legitimate exercise of our sublime mission as ministers of the Gospel of Christ.”

As he reaffirmed the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on the human right to religious liberty, Archbishop Lori made it clear that the U.S. bishops “do not seek to defend religious liberty for partisan or political purposes, as some have suggested.”

Rather, the religious freedom committee chairman said, “we do this because we are lovers of a human dignity that was fashioned and imparted not by the government but by the Creator.”

“We defend religious liberty because we are lovers of every human person, seeing in the face of every man and woman also the face of Christ,” he explained. “We uphold religious liberty because we seek to continue serving those in need while contributing to the common good.”

As he reflected on a variety of public and internal challenges, Archbishop Lori urged the faithful to pray for his leadership and the good of the Church.

He asked the congregation to pray “that, as the Year of Faith announced by Pope Benedict XVI, unfolds, I shall not only teach the faith but bear witness to it in a manner that helps to heal the breach between faith and culture.”

“Pray that, in God’s grace, I might foster that unity of faith which makes the Gospel credible,” he urged, “ so that together, we may always warmly invite those who have left the Church … and together may we continue to invite and welcome those sincerely searching for the truth.”

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Religious freedom, Bishop Installation

Bishop William Lori’s Homily Before Installation as Archbishop of Baltimore

BALTIMORE,MD (Catholic Online) -  We have followed the courageous leadership of Bishop William Lori for years. He is a faithful and inspiring shepherd of the Catholic Church. He is also a heroic defender of religious freedom, marriage and the dignity of every human life during an historic time in the United States of America. Finally, he is an answer to much prayer.

We must face the facts, the first freedom, religious freedom, is under a ferocious assault in the United States of America – and the Catholic Church is increasingly threatened – at the very heart of her mission. I was among the many who expressed my deepest gratitude to the Lord when the Bishops of the United States selected Bishop Lori to Chair their Committee for Religious Liberty.

Bishop William Lori is a highly regarded theologian and teacher of the faith. He is known to be a man of deep prayer and personal warmth – which endears him to the faithful under his pastoral care. The people of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the greater Washington D.C. area have been blesses with an outstanding Shepherd of the Church.

The Nation which we love has now been given one more courageous Catholic Bishop in a position of significant leadership at this critical time in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Archbishop Elect Lori is being installed as the 15th successor of John Carroll, to preside as Archbishop of Baltimore at a pivotal time in the history of the American experiment. 

We present the homily given by the Archbishop Elect at Vespers on Tuesday evening in the Basilica of the Assumption. It shows not only the depth of his gifts but the historic significance of this pregant moment in the history of the Catholic Church in America.

The homily was provided by the great Rocco Palmo on Whispers in the Loggia. We ask our readers around the globe to pray for the Archbishop as he assumes this office of such significance. We ask you to pray for the Catholic Church in America. may God Bless America.

*****
Homily of Bishop William Lori

Together with Cardinal O’Brien, moments ago, I stood in reverence before the tombs of the Archbishops of Baltimore, beginning with Archbishop John Carroll, our nation’s first bishop. With architect Benjamin Latrobe, he envisioned this, the nation’s first cathedral, as a place of great beauty that would embody the Catholic Tradition while reflecting the distinctiveness of the American experiment of limited government, designed to recognize and protect religious freedom.

We paused before the resting place of Francis Patrick Kenrick, a man of great scholarship and refinement, remembered for translating the Bible into English and for launching the first of three Plenary Councils of Baltimore.

With Cardinal O’Brien, I stood before the tomb of Martin John Spalding, who belonged to a family with deep Maryland roots but who, like myself, came from Louisville to Baltimore.

We stood also in the shadow of the great James Cardinal Gibbons, arguably the most influential Catholic leader in the United States for forty years and one of the great architects in the ongoing project of true faithful citizenship. There also, we looked upon the tomb of Archbishop Michael Curley,both the tenth Archbishop of Baltimore and First Archbishop of Washington.

In my day, it was said that Archbishop Curley was not enamored of the federal city and even less  enamored of the proposal to separate Washington from Baltimore. Be that as it may, what we should remember about Archbishop Curley is that he loved the poor, African Americans, immigrants, and the elderly – at his death in 1947 he was penniless.

In this very place the contours of the church in the United States began to take shape: the parish system, Catholic schools, the Baltimore Catechism, the founding of The Catholic University of America, laws of fast and abstinence, a spirited defense of the Church against the anti-Catholic bigotry of the day, and more.

It is a rich legacy, stretching from 1634 to the present, which author Thomas W. Spalding captured with three words: The Premier See. It is a legacy of which we are proud but also a legacy which can weigh heavily upon us. I can well imagine myself some sleepless night tiptoeing by the imposing portraits of my predecessors on my way to the kitchen to get a glass of warm milk!

But how should we think about this legacy? Is it like a grand castle in the English country-side
which the landed gentry can no longer afford to maintain? Is it a mere distraction amid the very real problems and challenges which the Church of Baltimore is facing as we look to the future?

Or is it a living legacy, more than a collection of historical facts, which continues to provide us with fresh strength and hope in our …

Eucharist Among the Brambles

Last weekend, we attended the ordination of the young man we have been supporting with our prayers as he moves toward the priesthood. He was ordained a transitional deacon, along with nine others. The liturgy was absolutely beautiful and it was very impressive to see the strong faith and dedication of these fine men.

Ed and I were “matched” with Lenny only a few months ago, but we have been praying for him much longer—ever since we signed up for an archdiocesan “adopt a seminarian” program. We didn’t know who we would be matched with, but we knew that the Lord did, so we began praying immediately. Finally, we had a chance to meet him, and we could tell right away that the Holy Spirit had a plan for this connection.

This program matches families with one of the 100 seminarians in our archdiocese; the families commit to following the seminarian through his discernment process with prayer and friendship—including him in our family events, and getting to know one another. We look forward to attending the milestones as he journeys toward the priesthood, and hope to continue beyond that, through prayer and friendship in his ministry. Priests need our prayers all through their lives.

On Sunday, we attended his first official Mass as a deacon. There were twenty children making their First Communion in that parish, and as such he geared his first homily to the kids, but he did a great job in reaching the adults as well—that’s not always easy to pull off.

Our seminarian has a Masters degree in education and taught math before entering the seminary, and it showed; he invited the kids to come up to sit on the top step so that he could talk with them as he explained the Gospel and how the Scripture related to making their First Communion.

The Gospel was John 15: 1-8, where Jesus says, “I am the true vine and you are the branches . . .” Lenny pointed out to the kids that Jesus says over and over, “Remain in me, and I remain in you.” He emphasized the word remain—stay with me . . . stay close to me.” Bringing out a vine he had dug up that morning to use as a concrete visual, he explained the Gospel in simple terms and involved the kids in a conversation that circled in to what they were doing in receiving communion that day, but the lesson had application for the adults as well. We were impressed; Lenny will make a fine priest one day, following the example of the Lord who taught in simple examples his listeners could relate to.

I prayed for the First Communicants that their day would be as powerful as mine was. If there is one day in my personal life I can point to as the first moment that it all came together for me in my relationship with God, it was that day. It was the day I knew that I knew, and I have never doubted. It is hard to explain how I felt, but at one moment I knew God was with me. Over the years, I have had been “pruned,” but each time it has only brought me closer to him; it has been necessary for growth and for the production of fruit in my life.

Last year at this time, we were in Rome, and it was very special for me to be able to receive communion and to attend Mass at the Vatican on the very anniversary of my First Holy Communion. I remember that day in a special way each year, but that was a real gift to me.

On our wedding day, besides the wonder of exchanging our vows, a most special moment came when Ed and I gave each other communion. The priest placed the host in each of our hands and we gave communion to each other. He then gave Ed the chalice, and he presented it to me; I did the same in exchange. It was a profound moment for us; it proclaimed that our marriage wasn’t just between Ed and me, but that the Lord was with us, and we always could count on Him to remain as a partner with us in our marriage. Whenever Ed and I walk up to receive communion together, it reminds us of the sacrament of our marriage and the gift of the unity with the Lord as we receive Eucharist together.

Andrés Carrión: ‘I Thought I Wouldn’t Return, I Thought This Would Be the Last …

Video of Andrés Carrión’s being beaten with a stretcher by a member of the Cuban Red Cross, after his arrest for shouting “Down with Communism!” and “Freedom!”

A few weeks have already gone by since Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba, and one name comes up again and again to evoke those last days of March. Andrés Carrión, age 40, the citizen who shouted at the Pope’s homily in Santiago de Cuba, “Down with Communism!” He turned the eyes of the world from their contemplation of the Pope’s miter to the face of a man held by his captors and beaten by a supposed member of the Red Cross. Today, still under the effects of passing from anonymity to notoriety, he answers a few questions.

Yoani Sanchez: How did the idea come to you, of taking that action at the Plaza Antonio Maceo? Was it a personal initiative or was there a group?

Andrés Carrión: I do not belong to any opposition party, even today I still do not belong to any. However, these days I have received the solidarity of various activist groups, especially in the east of the country. The idea of this action came to me alone, and I didn’t tell anyone, fearing that the information would filter out and keep me from carrying it out. José Martí said, “There are things that in order to achieve them you have to keep very hidden.” That was how I was able to get there. I had a civic motivation and principles: Cubans should do something so that the world will know about the violations and the great problems confronting us here with the freedom of expression and human rights. I carried all this inside for a long time and it was time to say something.

YS: How did you reach the place despite the police cordon?

AR: I arrived about 11 in the morning. I saw the preparations for the Mass and found a strategic place for my position. There I stood. In my pocket I had some candy and a bottle of water, and with that I held out until 5:40 in the afternoon, when I rushed into action. There were two security cordons. At one point I decided, and crossed the first cordon. Once inside I went running to stand before the altar and shouted several slogans: “Down with Communism! Down with dictatorship! Freedom for the people of Cuba!” and when they caught me and held me I managed to shout “Monsignor don’t be fooled, the people of Cuba are not free!”

YS: Many have applauded your actions on March 26, but others criticize you for using the space of a Catholic Mass to shout a slogan of a political nature. What would you say to the latter?

AR: I sent a letter to the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba to explain why I did it and to apologize to the Pope and the entire Catholic community. But they must understand and everyone should understand that we Cubans do not have spaces in which to express ourselves. Because of that one looks for a place to be heard and I think this was an opportunity that could I not pass up. It was not my intention to tarnish the Mass, so I’ve told several priests with whom I have spoken and they have understood me. I’m Catholic and I did it with no interest in harming the Church or the figure of the Pope.

YS: What were the main accusations leveled against you by the police during the 20 days you were detained? What punishments did they threaten you with?

AR: I was not physically abused. I know the beatings other opponents have received, but I think with so many eyes on me or maybe because the Pope had interceded, they decided not to retaliate physically against me. Yes, they put me for several days in a cell that was very dark and very smelly. There was no clean water there and the light went on only for 10 minutes at six in the morning and again for 10 minutes at six in the evening. After 20 days they released me but they made me sign a paper where I am limited in my freedom. I have to show up every Wednesday at the police station, I cannot leave town without permission, I cannot meet with any opponents, I cannot give interviews, I cannot participate in demonstrations. But I have complied with almost none of this. They are not going to shut me up that way.

YS: A man, wearing the logo of the Red Cross, attacked you and even hit you with a stretcher. What do you think they should do about such aggressive behavior? How do you feel towards him right now?

AR: I feel sorry for him. I have a Christian vocation and I can not feel any other way, because I think it is a product of 53 years of indoctrination and decades of telling people that it is good to use violence against those who express themselves freely. Some friends brought me the address where the man lives and they said “we must take action against him,” but I do not think so. We would fall into the same cycle of violence and revenge. I am against any violence.

YS: Some people claim that you shouted “Down with Communism!” to get a visa as a political refugee for the United States. Is that true? How do you answer that question?

AR: That’s not true. My main goal was, and so I told the State Security, was a call to the conscience of the Cuban people. Let people see that you can fight. Yet another objective was a call to the consciousness of Raul Castro to recognize our rights. Today it was me, but tomorrow it may be hundreds, thousands, or an entire people. I thought my screams would be like an engine that would lead a lot of people who were in the Plaza Antonio Maceo to do the same, but it didn’t happen and I confess that I was disappointed. I did not do it in order to seek political asylum, but now I’m living with a harassment that is unsustainable. My house is surrounded and they follow me wherever I go. For now they do not dare do anything to me because many are watching my situation, but sometimes I fear that in three or four months the worst will happen. I am very concerned for my safety.

YS: Would you do it again?

AR: Yes, of course. I did it for my country, my people, and at that moment I knew that this action could cost me my life. I even said goodbye to my family without their knowledge. I said goodbye to my mother, my sister, my wife … I told her that morning before leaving for the Mass “I love you very much.” I thought I wouldn’t return, I thought this would be the last day of my life.

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Catholicism: Live!

Has the American Catholic Church found its mojo? That seems to be the case lately, as American Catholic officials have seemingly been far more visable than ever before. Last Saturday (April 14, 2012) one of our local Illinois bishops, Daniel R. Jenky of the Diocese of Peoria, gave a particularly forceful homily where he stated President Obama is following the same path as Hitler and Stalin with his HHS mandate. Jenky stated: “Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services, and health care…In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama – with his radical, pro abortion and extreme secularist agenda, now seems intent on following a similar path.”

One word: Wow!  I could see myself writing something like that as a lay Catholic speaking bluntly to my faithful readers on Examiner.com, but an Illinois bishop?  Bishop Jenky has guts. It’s hard to imagine Chicago’s own Cardinal Francis George making such a statement – and if he did, he’d just as soon apologize for it immediately the next day, say he “misspoke” and is “deeply sorry” if he offended anyone.

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In an earlier Examiner.com column titled “Change the American Catholic Church? Yes We Can!” I noted there was no “head” American Catholic official, per say. Yet the recently named Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York fills that role nicely as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, making him a sort of “outspoken, joyous front-man for the American Catholic Church” Not only is he outspoken like Bishop Jenky, he’s also “one of the most tech-savvy bishops in the world”, according to the Washington Post. He is active on his Facebook page, his own personal blog, live radio and TV appearances, and is a huge proponent of new media. What does Cardinal Dolan think would be ideal for spreading the Catholic Church’s message? He recently told Pope Benedict, “We Need More Twitter”

Many American Catholic Bishops are following in his lead. As another such example, I wrote about efforts in recent months to canonize Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was the  great-granddaddy of all “tech-savvy” American Catholics when he was the first Catholic official to use television (then a new medium) to bring Catholic theology into people’s living rooms on a weekly basis via his radio and TV shows.

This week, American Catholics will get a taste of 21st century media technology on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at 1 p.m. There, they will be able to watch the enthronement of a new Catholic Archbishop live via the internet. Bishop William C. Skurla of the Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey, will formally become the fifth Metropolitan of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America and be sworn in as Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh that day. Thanks to internet streaming technology, Chicago Catholics, as well Catholics across America and around the world will be able to watch the event at the Pittsburg Cathedral from their living room.

Of course, this has gotten very little media coverage, and for understandable reasons. You may have never heard of the “Metropolitan of the Byzantine Catholic Church” or the “Archeparchy of Pittsburgh”, because they are rather small in numbers. While Bishop Skurla will be one of the top Catholic officials in the United States and oversee parishes from coast to coast, all Byzantine Catholics in the United States, total, amounts to around 100,000 people.  Worldwide, they have only 6 dioceses, four of which are in the United States (the other two are in the Ukraine, and the Czech Republic) By contrast, the Archdiocese of Chicago alone has at least 2,300,000 Catholic faithful, and that’s only in two Illinois counties – Cook and Lake.

What really matters though, is not the size, but their actions and what it represents.  For example, Catholics in Poland are quite small compared to the hundreds of millions of Catholic faithful found in Latin America, yet it was that tiny nation of Poland and the legendary John Paul II who hailed from there who led the fight to bring down some of the odious 20th century regimes like communism and the red curtain. Likewise, some Byzantine Catholic officials have been at the forefront of the 21st century efforts to defeat the HHS mandate and to use new media to communicate the Catholic message. For example, the recent “Rally for Religious Freedom” that resulted in huge turnout in Chicago, was spearheaded by Byzantine Catholics, as was this year’s sold out Passion Play in Chicago during the Easter season, “Seven Last Words of Christ”

As a result, all eyes are on Bishop Skurla and what direction he will take after taking the reins in Pittsburgh. Since most people will be unable to make the trek to Pennsylvania to see the enthronement in person, most people will be watching via the internet, and that’s probably a first for Catholicism. In 2005, repeats of Pope Benedict XVI’s inaugural mass could be accessed via the internet by going to EWTN.com, although most Catholics watched it live on television. As the decade has progressed, watching things live via the internet has become an increasingly popular option.  Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Cathedral Rector Father Dennis M. Bode and HyperDo Media of Steubenville, Ohio, this enthronement will be able to be viewed online at www.stjohnsbyzantinecathedral.com, and no special software is needed to view the broadcast. Viewers can  simply  go  online  to  the Cathedral  website  to  initiate  the  video  stream. It can be watched over their computer, and may be viewed on iPhone, Droid  or  other  mobile  devices by  installing  the  Ustream, application,  or  by  visiting  the Ustream  website.  (www.ustream.tv ), via a search for “st-john-the-baptist-byzantine-catholic-cathedral”   In another first, the broadcast will be streamed live in HD (High Definition) via Ustream arrangements of which were set up by HyperDo earlier this year. As a test, “We did a live broadcast when the seminarians from Prešov [Slovakia] were here last fall”, noted Christopher Wendt, President of HyperDo Media.

Viewers are expected to watch the event from all over the world, including remote regions of the U.S. and in areas of eastern Europe where the American parishioners originated from, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine. For Roman Catholics who have no particular interest in Bishop Skurla, think of this event as a “warm up” event for other Catholics events in America that will increasingly use the internet to reach out to the faithful. Many masses are streamed live over the internet now, and HD technology allows the experience to be much more intimate and “real” than watching a grainy, pixilated view of events. The idea of the enthronement of a Catholic leader being broadcast on the internet certainly will affect Chicago Catholics soon, as Cardinal George turned 75 and recently submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI on Monday, January 16, 2012, as it custom for Cardinals reaching the retirement age. While he won’t formally retire until a successor is chosen and appointment in “one or two years”, we can expect there will be massive media attention on who will succeed Francis George as Cardinal, as well as who will follow Benedict XVI as Pope. So, as American Catholics, let’s embrace this strange new world of new internet media. Don’t be bitter – Cardinal Dolan is right, “We Need More Twitter!”

Easter Mass at St. Joseph County Jail – WNDU

The diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend took Catholic Mass to a group of people who were not allowed to attend a regular church.

More than fifty inmates at the St. Joseph County Jail listened to a homily given by Bishop Kevin Rhoades Sunday afternoon.

His Easter service was a first for the jail and included prayer and communion, which reportedly moved many to tears.

Bishop Rhoades said it’s crucial to give inmates hope while reminding them they are an important part of the Catholic Church.

“Someone said, ‘well why Bishop are you going to prison on Easter Sunday?’ I have a very simple answer to that. In the parable of the last judgment Jesus said, ‘I was in prison and you visited me,’ that’s our call,” says Rhoades.

Bishop Rhoades hopes to spend more church holidays with inmates not only in St. Joe County but all across the diocese.

What Catholic Santorum is doing better among evangelicals

National Catholic Register 
Mar 17, 2012 – 5:52 PM ET

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Rick Santorum is showing surprising support from evangelicals, despite making no bones about diligently practicing his Catholic faith.

The former Pennsylvania senator is tenaciously maintaining second place in the campaign to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, especially following primary victories in Alabama and Mississippi this week.

Even more surprising, perhaps, is his relatively poor showing among Catholic Republicans, who are demonstrating a distinct preference for front-running Mitt Romney, a Mormon and former governor of Massachusetts.

Does it mean the wish expressed by the only Catholic ever elected president in his pre-election speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in 1960 — that religion should be irrelevant to politics — has come true?

Or does it show that religion has become relevant in a way unimagined 50 years ago?

John F. Kennedy’s advocacy of an “absolute separation of church and state” has certainly not been embraced by the American electorate, noted Greg Smith. He is the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life senior researcher. “I have seen no data to suggest religion is irrelevant,” Smith said. “Religion has been a powerful predictor of voting trends in recent general elections.”

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Posted in: Holy Post 
Tags: Catholics, Evangelicals, Mitt Romney, Mormons, Republicans, Rick Santorum

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Deaf Catholics struggle to keep the faith

Deaf Catholics struggle to keep the faith

Small group gathers at St. Mary Church in North Little Rock each Sunday for interpreted Mass

Published: March 17, 2012

Nancy Quinn interprets the homily, spoken by Deacon Ron Stager, from English to American Sign Language for a group of deaf and hearing-impaired Catholics during Mass at St. Mary Church in North Little Rock March 11.

By Phyllis Hemann
Associate Editor

When Catholics who are deaf make a joyful noise to the Lord, they do it with a flourish of fingers.

Every day they face isolation in a hearing world, even when it comes to expressing their religion.

In Arkansas, deaf Catholics are a minority within a minority, and they are acutely aware of the lack of resources for their small community. Their hope is to be able to worship and live a full faith life just like any other Catholic in the state.

But for a deaf Catholic in Arkansas, they are lucky if they can go to Mass and understand what is happening.

“When the organ’s really loud, you can feel that, but that’s about it,” said Betty Babin of Little Rock who was born deaf and is now also blind.

While hearing Catholics take their cues from what they hear during Mass, Catholics who cannot hear are left in the dark.

“You’d just do a lot of praying. Without an interpreter, you’re just kind of watching to see where you are at and you watch the other people and do what they do. Now, I can’t go without an interpreter. You have to understand what’s going on,” said Betty’s son, Art Babin who was also born deaf.

At the 10:15 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Mary Church in North Little Rock, deaf Catholics have the opportunity to have an interpreted Mass through Nancy Quinn, a Catholic who has been interpreting Mass since the 1970s after a couple asked if she would consider interpreting at Mass.

“I had no idea what that meant. I did not have the credentials. They were kind enough and patient enough with me that I just gave it a try,” she said. “Then I started learning about interpreting as a profession. I went and got credentialed. I think it was the Lord pushing me along.”

It’s a common experience for deaf Catholics to attend Mass without an interpreter, but a frustrating one.

“If anyone needs an interpreter, churches can hire one,” Quinn said.

Deaf interpretation is also available at the 5:30 p.m. Saturday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Benton.

Quinn became involved in the deaf community while studying special education at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The subject fascinated her, and she began learning sign language.

She went to teach at the Arkansas School for the Deaf in Little Rock, where she continued to study American Sign Language. A family asked if she would interpret Mass for them at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock.

She has interpreted at Holy Souls, Christ the King and St. Mary. She’s also willing to talk with anyone who is Catholic and interested in interpreting the Mass.

“I’d like to encourage anyone thinking about it to consider interpreting. We need more people. A long time ago someone trusted me when I had no clue what I was doing. It’s a great responsibility, but very rewarding on so many levels.”

As a bonus, Quinn met her husband Jim, who is deaf, while interpreting the Mass at St. Mary. Jim grew up in an all-hearing family in Kansas City, Mo. He went to church regularly, admittedly, he said, because his parents made him.

“I was clueless. I didn’t know what anything meant. I can lip read fairly well. I watched them when they would pray the ‘Hail Mary’ and after a while I started to understand,” he said. “People would stand up and sit and stand up and sit. I didn’t understand what that was about until they had a special group for people with disabilities.”

In college, he stopped going to church. He came to Arkansas after teaching deaf children in the Philippines through the Peace Corps.

His mother told him about an interpreted Mass after seeing a photo of Nancy in a newspaper article. He went back to church and met Nancy. Three dates later, they were engaged. In 1985, they married.

The Babin family came from Louisiana where there were more Catholics and more resources for deaf Catholics.

“I do enjoy life here. It’s different than Louisiana. I grew up in Louisiana. There was a Catholic Deaf Center in Baton Rogue, so lots of deaf Catholics. But when I moved here there were very few,” Art Babin said.

Betty communicates through sign language, and by feeling her son’s hands as he signs what others are saying.

One day, Art will no longer be able to see either, which will make worshipping at Mass even more difficult. He already cannot drive or read closed captioning on the television.

Some deaf Catholics do leave the Church, they said, for other churches with deaf ministries.

Deaf ministries include Bible studies and fellowship opportunities. Several hearing ministers in North Little Rock and Little Rock churches know ASL. The North Little Rock First Assembly of God Church offers weekly deaf church.

But for this group, their Catholic faith is a deeply held belief. Being Catholic is what they know and something more.

“I think God has given me a feeling that this is my Church. When I go to another church, there is something different inside that doesn’t seem to feed me. I prefer the Catholic Church, to continue there, where I grew up,” Jim Quinn said.

He did join another church’s Bible study. Once a priest was upset over that, but Jim explained that there was nowhere else for him to go.

“I still have Catholic and Mass as my focus, but I want to be fed with a fellowship. The focus of the Bible is so important. I want to learn more through the Bible. It’s not enough for me to just come to Mass. I want more,” he said.

Joann O’Conner has lost her hearing over time and will eventually lose it completely. She’s not culturally deaf, but has been taking sign language.

She moved to Arkansas two years ago and tried to find a church where she could participate.

In Texas, they had closed captioning screens at the Mass. She only recently learned about the interpreted Mass at St. Mary and returned to church.

“I found that people in the deaf community are so supportive of anyone trying to learn the language. That’s one of the reasons that I started coming here. I noticed that every Sunday, I understand more of what she says,” O’Conner said. “There are people out there who would come to church if they understood what was going on. I think that applies not only to our deaf community, but we have a lot of people who are hard of hearing that can’t hear what is going on.”

A true “deaf Mass” is a joyous experience although to hearing Catholics it would be a silent one, much like the experience deaf Catholics have of hearing Mass.

“When you have a deaf church, it’s really different than when you go to a hearing church. When you have what you call a ‘deaf Mass,’ which means a priest who can sign for himself, you don’t have a lot of music. You just don’t need that music because we can’t hear that. In a deaf Mass everybody signs, so it is more ASL. I grew up in a deaf family, so ASL is my first language. When I’m with hearing people, I sign more to English,” Art Babin said.

It’s something deaf Catholics in Arkansas don’t get to experience unless they go out of state.

“Jim and I have been able to go to a few deaf Masses and deaf church. It’s such an inspiring thing, because I think like with Spanish or any other culture or language, I tend to say you’re really with your people, so you feel more one,” Nancy Quinn said. “It is a big difference to be in a deaf church than to come to a hearing church. It’s not a criticism. It just is different.”

The hope of deaf Catholics in the area is to one day have a deaf ministry, or even a regular retreat where a priest who can sign can offer Mass and faith formation for them.

“I know for me, my dream will be that hearing or deaf, they all know sign,” Jim Quinn said. “Especially a priest, whether the priest is hearing or deaf, that he knows sign so he knows the language and the culture. I’m still praying that someone comes here for us.”

For deaf Catholics in Arkansas, they want to be part of their parishes, Betty Babin said, although oftentimes barriers exist for them.

“As a child, I remember Father Walsh coming to church and to our home (in Louisiana), and he could sign. It was just incredible. It opened up so much. I could watch him and know,” she said. “If you have a priest that would even be willing to learn sign, that’s fine. I like to go to church near my home, but there’s no interpreter.”

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Fond memories pervade St. Casimir at final Mass

By Sean Barron

news@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

You would be hard pressed to find an aspect of life at St. Casimir’s Church that Stanley Kosinski Sr. hasn’t had a hand in.

After all, Kosinski was baptized at the church in 1927 and has been a member since.

“I’ve been here all my life, including my first Communion,” he recalled.

Kosinski has been at St. Casimir’s over the years for countless gatherings — many festive, some poignant. His most recent visit was, by many people’s accounts, bittersweet: He was part of a standing-room-only crowd that attended Saturday’s 4 p.m. Mass of Farewell at the church, 149 Jefferson St., on the North Side.

The 106-year-old church, which had for years been an anchor for many Polish residents of the city’s Brier Hill area, merged in November 2010 with St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown.

In his 85 years at the church, Kosinski has served as an altar boy and rector, as well as on committees to celebrate St. Casimir’s 90th and 100th birthdays. Kosinski also helped remodel the dark brick church in 1952, he said.

Despite his deep connection with St. Casimir, Kosinski is ready to attend St. Columba and look to the future, he said after the 90-minute Mass.

He worked for the R.L. Lipton and Star Bottling Cos., and said he appreciates that the Rev. John E. Keehner, pastor, made the transition easier.

Another lifelong member is Kosinski’s 39-year-old daughter, Marly, a Web producer for WKBN-TV 27.

“The church is like a family; we all know each other,” she said, noting she had four nieces baptized there. “If somebody wasn’t here, we’d all know they’re not here.”

St. Casimir’s has many older members who will join St. Columba, which has a lot of younger families, noted Marly, who’s taught religious education for about a year.

She feels a bit sad about the closing, she said, yet is relieved that “we can give our all to St. Columba.”

Delivering the homily Saturday was Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown, who used the story of Jesus’ 40 days of temptation detailed in the Books of Matthew, Mark and Luke as a metaphor for how many parishioners may feel about the merger.

After having been baptized, Jesus spent 40 days in the Judean Desert, where he was tempted by Satan and faced loneliness, trials and tribulations, Bishop Murry explained. Likewise, adjusting to the closing of St. Casimir’s will probably be trying for some people, he said.

“I’m with you today because I share that sorrow, yet the good news is that Jesus Christ can bring hope and peace,” he said.

A shortage of priests, higher costs to maintain buildings and more families moving to the suburbs are the main reasons for the closing and merger, the bishop noted.

The final Mass also offered commemorations for several celebrations that took place in the church. Candles were lighted to honor those who celebrated their first Holy Communion and the Sacraments of Healing, entered religious life, became teachers and students and got married. Also recognized were parishioners who were baptized and confirmed.

Another challenge for St. Casimir’s was that many members moved, so it no longer was a neighborhood parish, noted Father Keehner, pastor since 2006. It is hoped that everyone will feel welcome at St. Columba, he added.

Tentative plans for St. Casimir’s include using the building for a cultural center, he said, adding that the convent and rectory are being rented.

The transition is difficult for many members, but should prove positive in the long run, Father Keehner predicted.

“It’s sad for people and I was sad with them, but I know people at St. Columba will be stronger because the people at St. Casimir’s have joined them,” he said.

Reports from the Culture War Front