April 10, 2009
Participants thank Bishop Gettelfinger
Pat Burggrabe congratulates Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger following his anniversary celebration at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville on April 4. (Message photo by Mary Ann Hughes) Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Staff writer)
Richard and Roxann Coleman are the RCIA coordinators at St. Joseph Church in Princeton. The parish leaders said they were attending the Mass to support their bishop.
“We want to recognize all he has done in the last 20 years,” Richard said, adding their support for his recent decision to not attend the upcoming Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner.
“It’s sad that his twentieth anniversary is being overshadowed by the Right to Life banquet,” Richard said, adding, “He’s a wonderful person as well as bishop.”
Roxanne added, “We wanted to support the bishop, especially the stand he took.”
Benedictine Sister Beata Mehling is the supervisor of Dove House in Jasper; she brought a handful of the special need residents with her to the Mass.
“We need to support all the things the bishop does for the churches,” she said. “I am impressed that he is not attending the Right to Life thing.”
Phyllis Bussing served as the diocesan director of schools for 19 years under Bishop Gettelfinger’s leadership. She came to the Mass “because I couldn’t miss it. I came to celebrate his 20 wonderful years in the diocese.
“I can never thank him enough for all that he did for Catholic schools.”