July 17, 2009
Around the Diocese
Mass attendance
“During the summer every priest across America comments on the fact that Mass attendance really goes down,” writes Father Lowell Will, pastor at St. Clement Church, Boonville, and St. Rupert Church, Red Brush.
“You know, we would all be terribly upset and worried if God would take a vacation from His love and protection from us. But God continually and unconditionally showers His love and Eucharistic Presence upon us. We need to always avail ourselves to His love or else we become lukewarm and weak in faith.”
Happy birthday!
Father Kenneth Walker, Judicial Vicar in the Diocesan Tribunal, celebrates his birthday July 22. He resides at Sarto Retreat Center in Evansville, and is sacramental minister on weekends at the four parishes in Martin County.
Deacon Gerald Gagne of Precious Blood Church, Jasper, celebrates his birthday July 27.
Father Robert Deig, pastor emeritus of St. John Church, Daylight, celebrates his birthday July 28.
A note of thanks
Newly-ordained Father Ryan Hilderbrand writes, “I would like to thank everyone for sharing my ordination day with me! Many of you helped in so many ways, through labor and prayer, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it very much.
“Our Lord assures us that we will not go without a reward, should we do so much as give someone a glass of cold water because he or she is a Christian. How much more will He re-ward you for everything which you have done for me!”
40 years
Congratulations to Del and Doris Bromm, parishioners at St. Mary Church, Huntingburg, as they celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary.
The couple requests that in lieu of gifts donations be sent to John Paul the Great High School in Jasper.
“In observance of, and thanksgiving for, God’s many blessings, we have established a perpetual endowment at the Huntingburg Foundation, 309 S. Geiger Street, Huntingburg, IN 47542 for the benefit of John Paul the Great High School.”
Happy birthday!
Mickie Paulin, DRE at St. Mary Church, Ireland, celebrates her birthday July 26.
Hosting
“St. Meinrad School of Theology asked me to host a foreign seminarian named Pantaleon Lim from South Korea,” writes Father John Boeglin in the Holy Family parish newsletter.
“He will complete his theological studies in May 2010. He will be ordained in his home Diocese of Busan, South Korea, at Christmas 2010. You will see him more often on weekends this coming year.”
Youth Masses
The St. Marie Goretti Catholic Youth Ministry in Gibson County will host four Youth Masses a year, one at each parish. The first Youth Mass will be held Aug. 16 at Holy Cross Church, Fort Branch.
Parish Council
The newly discerned members of the Parish Pastoral Coun-cil at St. Mary Church, Evansville, include Mary Jo Bennett, Rich Burek, Rich D’Amour, Jeff Duncan, Scott Evernham, Deb-bie Fox, Raechel Go, Stephanie Groenert, Cindy Howard, Jus-tin Jarvis, Walt Kalesia, Pauline Kothe, Bill Muller, Carol Ten-humberg, Otha Warren III and Charleen Williamson.
Kneelers
In a recent parish newsletter, Deacon Ed Wilkerson said the issue of “kneelers” has surfaced again. He is the pastoral life coordinator at Good Shepherd Church, Evansville.
When the church was built in 1990, the decision was made not to install kneelers. “To my knowledge, Good Shepherd and St. Nicholas churches are the only two remaining churches without kneelers in our diocese.”
He is encouraging parishioners to let the parish council know if “this is something we should address now or later? Would kneelers in our church enhance your experience of celebrating Mass? Do you think that the parish can come together on this issue and support it financially as well as repay our loan to the diocese and maintain a level of giving to support the various ministries offered at Good Shepherd?”
Anniversaries in Celestine
Congratulations to couples at St. Peter Celestine Church, Celestine, celebrating July wedding anniversaries: David and Linda Ernst, 42 years; Earl and Delphine Knies, 60 years; Jim and Eileen Schepers, 43 years; Gerald and Freda Fickas, 43 years; Larry and Marilyn Thewes, 45 years; Raymond and Aileen Lueken, 51 years; Edward and Mary Lou Mundy, 47 years; Willie and Judy Stemle, 42 years.
ESL classes
English-as-a-Second Language classes ended on May 12 at the Guadalupe Center. Fourteen students participated in at least 25 classes between August 2008 and May 2009: Paulino García, Felipa Dubón, María Deno, María Ramírez García, Teodo-linda Abarca, José Miguel Cay-zedo, Martha Cayzedo, María Miranda, María Elena López, Alvaro Tobar, Carlos Alegría, Li-ceth Gómez, Lucrecia Castro and Emma Orellana.
Students received coupons good for the purchase of bilingual books for each time they participated in five classes in a row. Throughout the year 55 immigrants from Colombia, Cu-ba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico participated in classes. A grant from the Herald Endowment for Literacy in honor of A.T. and Cecilia Rumbach of the Dubois County Community Founda-tion and other local donations support this English-As-A-Second Language program.
Cans for Tori
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
What started out as a high school project based on this quote by Gandhi became a reality on June 13.
Emily Jolly wanted to make a difference in the life of Tori Oakley. Emily is the daughter of Mark and Michelle Jolly of St. Agnes Parish in Evansville. She coordinated an aluminum can drive to help raise money for Tori and her family.
In April of 2008 Tori was diagnosed with small cell osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Since then she has been battling the disease at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
Emily’s project saw the collection of 1,123 pounds of aluminum cans which brought in $415; she also received $385 in donations, a total of $800 for Tori.
Canoe trip
Twenty-one young adults at St. Nicholas Church, Santa Claus, attended a Cave Country canoe trip in June. Chaperones included Steve and Judy Mer-kel, Harry and Phyllis Bradley, Joseph Kern, Tim Mercker, Ross and Beth Roll, Deacon Jim Woebkenberg and Father John Brosmer, pastor.
Please send information for AROUND THE DIOCESE to Mary Ann Hughes, The Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724. The e-mail address is mhughes@evansville-diocese.org.