Sin-Filled Confessionals Harbor the Burdened’s Deepest Secrets

img {display:none;}
li.gallery-description {display:none;}
.gallery-overview.native .gallery-thumbnail a > img {display:none;}
div.gallery-navigation div {display:none;}
div.gallery-description {margin: 20px 0};
]]>

For Billie Mandle, Catholic confessionals are not just dimly lit boxes where people go to confess their sins. They’re archives that collect and preserve deeply personal moments left behind by parishioners.

When you’re inside “you’re surrounded by the traces of past confessions,” Mandle says.

To try and capture these residues and explore what it means to ask for forgiveness, Mandle started shooting American confessionals for a project she calls Reconciliation.

“The priests and parish secretaries have been welcoming and extremely patient,” she says.

Traditionally, Catholic confession is a solemn exchange between an individual and priest. A camera is not part of the often guilt-ridden equation. But Mandle, who was raised Catholic and shares the faith with 1.2 billion other people on the planet, wants to challenge that history and thinks confessionals “are very photographic spaces.”

Sometimes all she captures is a piece of light and a slice of the screen that hides the priest so it’s up to the viewer to picture the exchange. Other times the signs of confessions-past are more obvious, like the worn benches where people sat or knelt.

For Mandle, it feels as if the walls of the structure literally “absorb the voices of each person who confesses.”

As you might imagine, it’s not easy to make photos inside these cramped and poorly lit spaces so she’s had to be patient.

“My exposures are long, sometimes up to 20 minutes when the confessionals are especially dark,” she says.

Today, the use of confessional boxes is not as common as in the past. Many have been replaced by less oppressive reconciliation rooms, which allow face-to-face conversation with a priest.

The move away from hearing confessions in dark seclusion began in 1962 following the Second Vatican Council, when the Catholic authorities addressed the Church’s changing relationship with the modern world. By demoting Latin-spoken masses, instructing priests to face congregations and removing altar screens, the Catholic hierarchy dragged Church practices into the 20th century.

In the majority of the world the Catholic church is thriving, particularly in Africa and Latin America, but in Europe and North America the church battles with individualism, neo-liberalism and indeed its own sins. Horrific sex-abuse scandals and archdiocesan-level cover-ups have alienated many of the faithful. Conservative stances on contraception, same-sex relationships and abortion are often too dogmatic even for those who grew up in the Catholic faith.

Mandle’s ominous photos seem to reflect these changing times. Once considered central to Catholics’ practice of faith, the confessional’s relevance and use is on the wane; they are vestiges of the church’s older approach.

Still, in the churches Mandle has visited (which are mostly in the northeast section of the United States), the choice between the new reconciliation rooms and old-school confessionals remains on offer.

“Many churches have both the traditional confessional and a reconciliation room,” she says. “I have heard from priests that parishioners are requesting it again.”

Whatever the future holds for the Catholic church and for its followers, awareness of sin and the nature of forgiveness is something Mandle says she can only speculate on. Her photographs are an exploration, not the answer.

“I sometimes wonder if absolution through confession is almost easier than trying to forgive yourself. It can be reassuring to give that responsibility to a higher power,” she says. “Trying to forgive yourself feels very difficult.”

All images: Billie Mandle

St. Anselm Catholic Church celebrates its 50th anniversary

For the first-time visitor to St. Anselm Church in Sudbury, the great awakening typically happens just prior to the reading of the Gospel passage. As the choir sings “Alleluia,” the parishioners suddenly clap on cue, raise their arms,and make twisting motions with their hands. This demonstration is often accompanied by drums that make you feel as if Aerosmith is ready to hit the stage. Newcomers are inclined to quickly check the pews for explanatory church bulletins. “This is a Catholic Church isn’t it?” they might wonder. Assuredly it is.

On Sunday, May 19th, St. Anselm Church will celebrate its 50th anniversary year. In a town first settled in 1638, 50 years doesn’t seem dramatic, until one considers the fascinating and somewhat unlikely history of this modest church on Landham Road.

In 1955, Our Lady of Fatima Church was built in Sudbury, to serve a community of about 800 Catholics. In the next few years, as the Post-World War II population swelled, so did the Catholic population of Sudbury and neighboring Framingham. To serve the burgeoning population, St. Anselm was established on 13 acres sold to the Archdiocese of Boston by Carl and Ethel Nelson, who had farmed the land for years. The irony of the location for the new church was likely not lost on the Nelsons or some of the seniors who joined the church, for just three decades before the farmland nearby in the Landham area had been the scene of Ku Klux Klan riots against Catholics in the summer of 1925. With the tumult of that year a distant memory, the first Catholic Mass was celebrated at St. Anselm in February of 1963, with Archbishop Richard Cardinal Cushing formally dedicating the church later in the year.

Many parishioners from the church’s early days are still very active at St. Anselm’s. Joe and Gail Trainor moved to Framingham in 1966. When they sought to register at a Framingham church, they were instead sent across the town line to St. Anselm’s. “What we found was a refreshing breath of fresh air,” recalls Gail. “What struck us was the warmth of the welcome we received. It’s a sense of family that has existed ever since.”

Through the 1960s and 70s the church flourished. From 1983-2000, St. Anselm’s was led by Father James Bertelli, the church’s longest serving administrator and pastor. Bob Santone, whose family joined St. Anselm’s in 1965, recalls a tour of the church that Father Bertelli provided. The tour inspired Santone to write and publish a book on the artwork found throughout St. Anselm’s. The church’s architecture will not be confused with the great baroque or Romanesque styles of classic Catholic churches, but some of the artwork it features is striking. Well-crafted stained glass windows include stirring depictions of the Holy Spirit and the saints and an impressive mosaic, visible from Landham Road on the front façade of the church, features Plato, Aristotle and the great Catholic philosophers, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Anselm.

In 2002, St. Anselm’s opened its doors to the Deaf Community Center, which had been forced to relocate from south Framingham. The use of sign language was introduced and embraced by St. Anselm parishioners. The aforementioned Alleluia chorus, which can still startle newcomers, is sign language for “Alleluia” and it remains a part of most of the Masses celebrated at St. Anselm’s, in honor of the deaf community.

The deaf community was relocated in 2004, when the closing of St. Anselm’s was ordered by the Archdiocese. That its parishioners hailed from multiple communities had factored against St. Anselm when the Archdiocese considered closing churches. It was a heart rendering period for the communicants of the church. With no ill-will for the parishes to which they were now directed, St. Anselm parishioners began a vigil on September 12, 2004, just three days before the church was scheduled to close. The vigil, a spontaneous effort, became a 24-hour a day, seven-day a week marathon. As difficult as the intended closure was, the vigil became a profound experience to its participants and supporters.

“Before our church was subject to closing, many of us saw each other only once a week at Mass,” reflects Bob Santone. “When we went into vigil, we spent many hours at the church together – talking, sharing meals together, sleeping overnight in the church, playing cards, knitting, and praying.”

In the early days of the vigil, on a late, sunny, cloudless afternoon, parishioners witnessed “a most magnificent rainbow that appeared over the church,” recalls Gail Trainor. “We continue to believe it was a sign from God.” Twenty-one months later, after remarkable efforts from countless church members, volunteer visiting priests and its former parish council, the continuous vigil was lifted when St. Anselm’s was designated a “Rectorate”, a church without the traditional borders of a parish, on June 3, 2006.

“There is an Irish saying,” Santone offers. “It is an ill wind that doesn’t blow somebody some good.” The near closure of the church had been an ill-wind, but it had brought the church community even closer together.

It’s a closeness that remains today, even with the infusion of many new church members who arrived since the vigil years. Mark and Heather Pendergast joined St. Anselm’s with their young children in 2011. “The St. Anselm community, filled with warmth and spirit, made us feel at home since the first day we joined,” says Heather. “Father Tom has truly been an inspiration to our family and faith.”

A veteran of six parish assignments, Father Tom Kopp was pastor of St. James the Great in Boston and Director of the Propagation of the Faith for the Archdiocese when St. Anselm became an opportunity. “I wanted to come to St. Anselm,” Father Tom reflects. He tells his friends in the priesthood, “I’ve died and gone to heaven. This community has been wonderful to me. They inspire me.”

“Father Tom is a perfect fit for us. He understands how special our community is and has the charisma and ability to show all those who come to St. A’s exactly what is going on here,” reports Joe Lentino, who joined St. Anselm in 1999 with his wife Lisa and now serves as chairman of the parish council. “I’m not surprised at the growth of St. Anselm in the last few years. People are finding exactly what we found 14 years ago and the founding families found 50 years ago, a welcoming community that truly cares about one another. “

On Sunday, May 19, the St. Anselm community will celebrate its 50th year with a brunch at the church after its 9:30 a.m. Mass. All those who wish to share in this celebration are welcome. For more information, contact the St. Anselm’s rectory at (978) 443-8981.

Don’t vote for INC candidates, Lucena Catholic bishop tells faithful

By Delfin T. Mallari Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon

Bishop Emilio Marquez. FILE PHOTO

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines – In an unprecedented move, Lucena Bishop Emilio Marquez used the pulpit to enjoin Catholics here not to vote for candidates seeking endorsement from or being backed by the Iglesia ni Cristo.

“Don’t sell your votes. Vote according to the dictate of your conscience. And lastly, huwag ninyong iboto ang mga kandidatong humingi ng endorsement sa Iglesia ni Cristo (don’t vote for candidates asking for endorsement from Iglesia ni Cristo),” said Marquez during the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass he officiated at the Saint Ferdinand Cathedral here.

The prelate made this statement as the Mass was about to end and before he gave his final blessing to parishioners who attended the Mass.

The bishop, interviewed later by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said the appeal not to vote for INC’s endorsed candidates has been the position adopted by the late Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar, the first administrator of the Diocese of Lucena.

“And that’s also my position… huwag iboto ang mga endorsed candidates ng INC,” Marquez told the Inquirer over the phone after the Mass.

The Inquirer tried to get the reaction of the local INC ministers but was told by a sect member that such an issue was being addressed by the sect’s leaders based in Manila.

However, another local INC member, Joey Lipa, said he respected Marquez’s appeal to the Catholic faithful.

“But the question is – will they (Catholic faithful) obey him (Bishop Marquez)?” Lipa said.

He defended the block-voting practice of the INC as obedience to the “pasya” (decision) to their religion’s doctrine.

Quezon has a voting population of around 1.1 million. Around 35,000 to 45,000 belong to the INC, according to estimates by different political parties.

Lipa claimed that the Lucena INC voters are around 5,000 to 7,000. Lucena has a voting population of around 100,000.

The INC, through its Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo, recently issued a circular advising its members not to get involved in any partisan activity or ask any favor from any candidates to avoid confusion in the flock’s electoral moves. The circular, however, reiterated that the “unity vote” would be strictly observed.

Before the start of the Catholic mass at the Saint Ferdinand Cathedral here on Sunday, Bishop Marquez acknowledged the presence of Liberal Party local candidates led by Rep. Irvin Alcala, a candidate for governor against re-electionist Gov. David Suarez (NUP).

Irvin was seated near the altar and accompanied by his cousin, reelectionist Lucena Mayor Rhoderick Alcala and his whole councilor slate.

Marquez even teased Irvin and two candidates for councilor for not having seen them for quite a long time.

According to local INC members here, Irvin, Rhoderick and four candidates for councilor in Alcala’s slate were actually among the local candidates endorsed by the local INC.

During his homily, Marquez repeatedly emphasized that he was not endorsing any candidates.

Marquez said he was not inclined to follow other Catholic bishops who issued their “sample ballots” in their respective dioceses.

“Just vote according to the dictate of your conscience,” he said.

Marquez reminded the faithful and candidates that selling and buying vote would be against the teaching of the church.

“Respect your vote as you respect yourself,” the bishop said.

He also maintained that candidates who asked voters not to cast their vote in exchange for cash would be a form of vote buying.

After the mass, the candidates made themselves busy taking advantage of the last campaigning day by shaking hands of exiting church-goers.

Catholic Church leaders have become actively involved in this year’s election, which was never seen in past political exercises.

Several bishops across the country have been issuing politically loaded statements and church circulars in its campaign against candidates who voted for the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health Law.

Early on the campaign period, Marquez initiated the posting of “Team Buhay” and “Team Patay” tarpaulins on the wall of the cathedral and 36 other churches in central parts of the province under the supervision of the Diocese of Lucena.

But he explained that the tarpaulin message was not meant to be a form of campaigning against any candidate but was just enlightening the faithful that the RH law, being an “insult” to God and to the Catholic doctrine, must be repealed.

Follow Us

Recent Stories:

• Don’t vote for INC candidates, Lucena Catholic bishop tells faithful
• Senate Forum in Baguio
• Senate Forum in Cebu Part 1
• Senate Forum in Cebu Part 2
• 5 killed, reporter kidnapped in Philippines
• NY Times bureau chief expelled from Pakistan
• Rival political groups in Bilar town, Bohol clash; 1 wounded
• Chinese air their cases by petitioning White House
• North Korea slams US aircraft carrier’s arrival in South Korea
• Armed men kidnap Quezon female broadcaster

Tags:

Regions

St. Mark Church celebrates 100th anniversary

Sunday April 28, 2013

PITTSFIELD — A lot can happen in 100 years, and a lot of people were thinking about that on Saturday afternoon during the centennial celebration of the founding of St. Mark Church on West Street.

During the celebratory Mass, Diocese of Springfield Bishop Timothy McDonnell commented on the duration of the church.

“Over 100 years, how many Masses have been celebrated here,” he wondered. “How many prayers have been offered? How many baptisms? How many confirmations? How many weddings, and how many sad funerals?”

Following Mass, as several hundred parishioners gathered on the lawn as part of the centennial celebration, McDonnell reflected on 100 years of history at St. Mark.

“When you think about what can happen in 100 years, you start to understand the journey this congregation has undergone,” he said. “Often, we don’t realize what our ancestors went through to give us what we have today. This truly is a community — a community of faith.”

As if to cement a start of the next 100 years, 20 people received confirmation in the Catholic faith during the centennial Mass.

St. Mark Church was founded in 1913 as an outgrowth of Pittsfield’s mother church, St. Joseph on North Street. It’s first home was a wooden chapel on the corner of West and Onota streets, but the congregation outgrew that space in 1929. St. Mark’s current church building at 400 West St. was completed in 1932. The chapel was turned into a parish hall in

1938, but the structure burned down in 1961. St. Mark’s current parish center and school on Columbus Avenue Extension were built in 1965.

It’s first priest, Rev. Michael Leonard, served the church until his death in 1955 at age 94.

The current priest, Rev. John Salatino, grew up around the corner from the church, a member since his birth in 1965. He noted that he wound up at St. Mark in 2003 because he speaks Spanish — which helps because as part of his duties he holds Mass at nearby churches with largely Spanish-speaking congregations.

Salatino said that taken as a whole, his congregation is “very generous, very warm, and they do a good job of putting the gospel into practice. Many of them have been here their whole lives, and have parents or grandparents who started this parish.”

Pittsfield Mayor Daniel L. Bianchi has been a member of St. Mark for nearly 30 years.

“It’s such a joy to be a member of this parish,” he said. “It is such a source of comfort and joy for many people.”

Terry Holland is another longtime parishioner celebrating the church’s longevity.

“It’s always been a part of our family,” he said. “This church is a perfect place for imperfect people, and that will keep me coming back for a long time.”

Kathy Clatterbaugh is part of the Centennial Committee, and while she was cleaning off the refreshment table, she noted that she is not Catholic, but that her husband has a member of the church for about a year.

“This is a very welcoming church,” she said. “I feel like I’m part of the family here.”

To reach Scott Stafford:
sstafford@berkshireeagle.com,
or (413) 496-6241.
On Twitter: @BE_SStafford

Copyright laws cause problem for Catholic church plans to modernize

NEW PORT RICHEY – 

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in New Port Richey did away with its paper missalettes and in their place, two giant projector screens on either side of the alter.

“It’s a little more modern,” says parishioner Jimmy Barry.  “You don’t have all that paper turning and all the noise.”

Father Mike Lydon came up with the idea after seeing similar projectors in other churches.  With changes to the Catholic mass, he says he saw it as a way to help people follow along.

“We presented it to everyone and within about four months, we raised about $44,000,” Father Lydon says.

The screens quickly went up, but when it came time to find scriptures to project, the church found out they were off limits because they are copyrighted.

“I was really surprised. I had to even get a bible out to look myself to find that,” Father Lydon says.

It’s not the first time he’s dealt with copyrights.  Father Lydon says the church pays licensing fees for all the music it now projects, but when he asked the powers above for the same with the scriptures, he got a surprising answer.

“They just said no,” Father Lydon tells us.  “Because the readings are not supposed to be read.  They’re supposed to be proclaimed.”

In a letter to the church, the United States Conference of Bishops says projecting the scriptures would be a distraction.

Parishioners call that reasoning frustrating.

“It should be copyrighted by Jesus,” says Anthony DeFina.  “I think that’s a free copyright for everybody.”

Still, Father Lydon won’t admit defeat.  With or without scriptures, he says the projectors are bringing new energy to mass.

“They look up at the screen,” he says.  “Their heads are up and their voices sound so much fuller in the church.”

Copyright laws cause problem for Catholic church plans to modernize

NEW PORT RICHEY – 

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in New Port Richey did away with its paper missalettes and in their place, two giant projector screens on either side of the alter.

“It’s a little more modern,” says parishioner Jimmy Barry.  “You don’t have all that paper turning and all the noise.”

Father Mike Lydon came up with the idea after seeing similar projectors in other churches.  With changes to the Catholic mass, he says he saw it as a way to help people follow along.

“We presented it to everyone and within about four months, we raised about $44,000,” Father Lydon says.

The screens quickly went up, but when it came time to find scriptures to project, the church found out they were off limits because they are copyrighted.

“I was really surprised. I had to even get a bible out to look myself to find that,” Father Lydon says.

It’s not the first time he’s dealt with copyrights.  Father Lydon says the church pays licensing fees for all the music it now projects, but when he asked the powers above for the same with the scriptures, he got a surprising answer.

“They just said no,” Father Lydon tells us.  “Because the readings are not supposed to be read.  They’re supposed to be proclaimed.”

In a letter to the church, the United States Conference of Bishops says projecting the scriptures would be a distraction.

Parishioners call that reasoning frustrating.

“It should be copyrighted by Jesus,” says Anthony DeFina.  “I think that’s a free copyright for everybody.”

Still, Father Lydon won’t admit defeat.  With or without scriptures, he says the projectors are bringing new energy to mass.

“They look up at the screen,” he says.  “Their heads are up and their voices sound so much fuller in the church.”

Looking Within For Portuguese Catholic Mass

Last year Good Shepherd Parish in Oak Bluffs was faced with a problem. Father Messias Albuquerque was leaving, and due to a priest shortage in Brazil finding a replacement who could say mass in Portuguese would be difficult.

Recruiting someone to say the Saturday mass was a familiar issue. Over the years a series of clergymen have filled this role. Father Michael Nagle, pastor of Good Shepherd, decided it was time for a more permanent fix. Recently he and Karl Buder, a deacon, traveled to the city of São Francisco in Espirito Santo, Brazil to study Portuguese and get a sense of how Brazilian Catholics practice their faith.

“By necessity, small-town Brazilian parishes are more of a church of the people,” Father Nagle said. “They have a great enthusiasm.”

Anyone who has attended the Saturday night Portuguese mass can be forgiven for being a little, well, surprised. First of all there is a band. Worshipers sing and clap to the music and are brought to the front to be serenaded.

The story of how a Portuguese mass came to be established at Good Shepherd Parish is one of a resourceful flock yearning to celebrate their faith, a deacon who developed an impressive command of a foreign language and a series of journeyman priests willing to ride the ferry and happily play the guitar.

Elias and Dalva Modesto, parishioners of Good Shepherd, met in school 31 years ago in Governador Valadares, a city in Minas Gerais. The couple moved to the Vineyard in the mid-1980s. They remember when understanding mass meant borrowing a car and driving up to Boston.

“We used to go to Fall River to do bible study,” Mrs. Modesto added.

Father Nagle said Rose Anthony, a Vineyard teacher who passed away in 2007, first brought to his attention that the language gap of the Brazilian parishioners wasn’t being adequately addressed. What could Father Nagle do? He couldn’t speak Portuguese very well. What he needed was a deacon.

Enter Karl Buder, who runs the Thorncroft Inn with his wife, Lynn. Mr. Bruder had picked up some Portuguese from Brazilians he employed in the mid-1990s. For five years he went off-Island each week to study Catholic dogma. He said it was more intense than graduate school. In 2007 Mr. Buder was ordained as a deacon.

At first, just getting to the stage of conversational competency was difficult. Mr. Bruder looked to his fellow parishioners for help.

“In the initial stages people would look at me with horror,” he said. “I knew I was making headway when people started to correct me.”

These days Mr. Buder writes his own homilies, the sermons that come after the New Testament reading in a Catholic service, and performs them in Portuguese. Father Nagle performs the rest of the Portuguese mass.

The Brazilians of Good Shepherd have two prayer groups that meet Monday and Wednesdays — Semeadores do Reino, coordinated by Wesley de Oliveira, and Nossa Senhora Aparecida, led by Regina Amarins. Mr. Buder works with one of the groups, instructing them in Catholic doctrine.

The Saturday night liturgy and weekly prayer groups draw from the charismatic movement in Latin American Christianity. In an effort to appeal to young people and respond to a decline in the faithful, many churches in Latin America have adopted the stage presence of pop music performers. The most famous example is Father Marcelo Rossi, a Brazilian priest who sings and, like Jay-Z or Madonna, can fill entire stadiums.

In the case of Good Shepherd, the grassroots efforts of the everyday faithful of São Francisco made an impression on the Oak Bluff parish’s leaders. Both Father Nagle and Mr. Buder said they took note of the pronounced role the Brazilian laity played in the services they attended while in São Francisco.

Mr. Buder said his real language proficiency test came between connecting flights at an airport in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. He and Father Nagle suffered a luggage nightmare coming into the country. It took two weeks to get their bags back, one of which wound up in the capital of Brasília, Mr. Buder said. On their return, they had to negotiate with airline employees who spoke no English at all. Mr. Buder did the talking and they were able to check their bags ahead to Rio de Janeiro.

“You just earned your keep, Jack,” Father Nagle said to Mr. Bruder.

In 2007 when the U.S. economy was booming, nearly 200 Brazilians belonged to Good Shepherd. When the economy tanked many parishioners chose to return to Brazil. More than 10 were deported. These days Saturday mass usually draws about 60 people.

Valerio Destefani attends Portuguese mass on Saturday nights and serves as a lector in English-language mass on Sunday mornings. In June of 2009, Mr. Destefani persuaded the parish to celebrate the traditional Brazilian feast of Corpus Christi. More than 25 people worked until 2 a.m. to create colorful designs from flowers, sand, coffee grounds and chalk in the parish parking lot. Father Messias was there to lead the procession.

The Brazilians of Good Shepherd pride themselves on helping people in need. They have fundraisers where they serve feijoada, a traditional Brazilian stew, and parishioners say the hearty meals are a big draw among people of all faiths.

The prayer group Grupo de Reflexão de Nossa Senhora Aparecida is made up of 10 Brazilian families. Meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Parish Center Chapel in Oak Bluffs, this group also looks for ways to lend a hand. On the third Wednesday in April, Regina Amarins, who coordinates prayer meetings, asked those present if anybody owned an iPad.

“Let’s see a show of hands,” she said. “Anyone? Nope. Well, it would be nice to have one, right?”

Mrs. Amarins and other Good Shepherd parishioners then set to work collecting funds to raffle an iPad. The money will benefit a former parishioner, recently deported and now fighting cancer.

Bishop Confirms 147 to Catholic Faith Wednesday in St. Charles

Bishop David John Malloy confirmed 147 parishioners from St. John Neumann Church in St. Charles, St. Peter Church in Geneva, St. James Church in Belvidere and St. Peter Paul Church in Virgil during a ceremony Wednesday night at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 2900 E. Main St.

Malloy presented the Sacrament of Confirmation, including the renewal of bpatismal promises, imposition of hands and anointing the sacred Chrism during the ceremony, which lasted a little less than two hours. Other celebrants included The Rev. Richard Rosinski of St. John Neumann, the Rev. Perfecto Vasquez of SS. Peter Paul, Deacon Paul Iwanski and Deacon Michael Monteleone.

“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Malloy said as he anointed confirmands, who answered, in turn, “Amen.”

Come Holy Spirit, 37 confirmed

By Denise Federow

BRISTOL — They studied and prepared for two years — doing special projects, logging service hours — and all their work culminated in the blessing of the sacrament of Confirmation Saturday, April 13, at St. Mary of the Annunciation Church in Bristol.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades confirmed 37 candidates in all — 35 young people and two adults. As they practiced the night before, parents and students alike looked at this sacrament as a “rite of passage on their spiritual journey.”

Mike and Sara Jackowiak’s son Ryan was one of the candidates. When asked what it meant to them as parents, Mike replied, “It means he’s getting older and taking on the responsibility of full membership in the Church. He now has a better maturity and better idea of what’s expected of him and about what it means to be Catholic.”

The family members have been parishioners at St. Mary’s for approximately six years. Ryan is their second child to be confirmed. Mike was raised Catholic and Sara joined the Church. Sara said having two children go through the Confirmation program reinforced the things she learned in RCIA.

“As a family it’s made us all stronger Catholics,” Sara said.

A couple of the girls being confirmed, Mackenzie Kauffman and Raven Knepp, felt the sacrament would bring them closer to God.

“It’s an important thing to do to be a part of the Church and be more with God,” Mackenzie declared.

Raven said being confirmed meant, “I get to follow my faith more and know that now I’m really a part of the Catholic faith and follow in the Lord’s footsteps to be closer to God.”

One candidate, Johnny Riblet, was excited about being confirmed and about meeting the bishop. His sponsor, Dan Oakley, has known Johnny all his life and said, “This is a big milestone for him — being blessed by the Holy Spirit. Things are more challenging for him so this is a big step for him to be able to participate with his class.”

Johnny’s father, Jay Riblet, explained Johnny has cerebral palsy with global brain injury and he really enjoys going to religious education classes. Riblet said Johnny’s been involved in his faith since he was a small child. When he made his first Communion he said, “You probably won’t find someone who enjoys Sunday school as much as Johnny. Being able to participate with his class is a big deal.”

Teaching the students was Tony Finch, who taught seventh grade and is also a sponsor, and Deb Lytell, who has been a religious education teacher for 29 years, the last five in eighth grade preparing the students for Confirmation. Eleven students were recognized with a Holy Spirit pendant for completing every assignment and project on time and attending everything asked of them.

Lytell said, “They are all a great group of kids. We had a few others that were real close to turning everything in.” She said she felt the kids did understand the importance of the sacrament they were about to receive.

Their pastor Father Bob Van Kempen agreed. “Receiving the sacrament at this age really helps the young people to grow in their faith and be strengthened as Catholics as they do everything they need to do to prepare.”

Father Van Kempen said the students are asked to do service projects, keep prayer journals and lots of studies to get them ready.

“It’s nice that the bishop comes and administers the sacrament. It exposes them to the wonder and awe of the Catholic Church being in his presence; they don’t get that chance that often,” he said.

Bishop Rhoades arrives

As the choir and congregation finished singing the opening hymn, Bishop Rhoades said, “Come Holy Ghost, that is our prayer this morning as we are here to support these young people. What a beautiful day in their lives as they receive the Holy Spirit and an increase in faith.”

He told the congregation he always enjoys coming to St. Mary’s, “But especially today — to be here with these young people and administer the sacrament of the Holy Spirit and I pray they always live by the Holy Spirit.”

As their pastor and their teacher presented the group of candidates, Bishop Rhoades asked questions about the three sacraments of initiation, seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit. When one student rattled off the answer of the seven gifts, Bishop Rhoades told a story of how impressed he was in the past at another parish when a student did the same — until he turned around and saw banners hanging listing the seven gifts.

“Some people think Confirmation is the end, but it’s the exact opposite — it’s the beginning! It’s important to continue to study and learn your faith,” he said.

He advised that aside from having a Bible, every Catholic home should have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He said the catechism has four parts that explain the creed, how Catholics celebrate the faith, and how they live by faith and prayer life.

 “It’s not enough to know and celebrate our faith. We also have to live it. The Holy Spirit helps us to do that,” Bishop Rhoades said.

He told the candidates if someone asks them a question about Catholicism they can’t answer, they should go home and look it up in the catechism. And he said one of the important gifts of the Spirit is fortitude, which gives courage.

“We need courageous Catholics today, standing up for the sanctity of life and of marriage,” he said.

And he told them that in today’s society that’s not easy. “But the great thing is now you’re going to have the help of the Holy Spirit to fight peer pressure.”

Bishop Rhoades told them God didn’t give the Ten Commandments to make lives difficult. He wanted His people to have joy and the bishop said following Christ and being Catholic should bring inner joy.

“As you receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit I pray that you truly strive to live by the Spirit everyday as well as the extra grace received in the Eucharist. When you stay active in the faith, share and defend the faith, you will know the wonderful fruits of the Spirit,” Bishop Rhoades said.

After Mass, everyone was invited to share in a celebratory brunch in Annunciation Hall and have photos taken with Bishop Rhoades.

Diocese issues warning about misleading ministries

HOUSTON (FOX 26) -

Father Kevin Collins pastors at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Houston’s East End district, home to some of our city’s oldest Hispanic neighborhoods.

“Here’s one from 1935,” Collins said as he opened a registry book, so old it’s spine had been reinforced with tape.

The church registry books record dates and information for faithful parishioners.

“Here’s our brand new baptism registries,” he said. The latest entries were recorded in February because the church didn’t hold baptisms during Lent.

Each registry tracks the lives, the sacraments, of everyone baptized at Immaculate Conception, even if they relocate to another parish.

“Then that church where you are confirmed sends a record to me and I enter it here,” Collins said. “And then when you’re married, that church sends me a record, and I record you’re married all in the same register.”

And that’s how church leaders discovered what they described in a recent newsletter as: non-catholic “ministries,” groups offering “misas” which is Spanish for mass, drawing Hispanic people from their Catholic Religion.

It’s happened several times over the years, including just last March. According to the newsletter, the group is called “Catholic Church in America.”

They have their own priests and a bishop, who travel from another state to offer baptisms and first communions.

Collins says instead of tithes, they ask for payments for their services.

“Over 100 dollars to have their child baptized,” he said.

The group is not affiliated with the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese.

“It’s a church,” Collins said. “It’s a church. They follow a lot of things that the Roman Catholic Church does, but they’ve broken away and they don’t come under the jurisdiction of the pope.”

The paid baptism, for example, comes with a certificate, one that many Hispanic Catholics have held tight to in anticipation of their child’s next sacrament.

“They’ll come in for first communion, and they’ll bring and say ‘here’s my baptism certificate,’ Collins said. “And we’ll look at it and say it’s not legitimate.”

The church doesn’t turn people away, but similar to the process of recording each parishioners sacraments in the registries, there is a process in attaining each milestone.

And it may be years until parents discover their child hasn’t been baptized through their church.

“We will find out in six years when they show up for first communion.”