May 21, 2010

Worth Mentioning

Father Damian honored at nature preserve

A nearly 77-acre addition to Donaldson’s Woods Nature Preserve at Spring Mill State Park in southern Indi-ana was dedicated in honor of Benedictine Father Damian Schmelz on April 30. The addition increases the size of the nature preserve to 143.9 acres.

Father Damian, a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey and pastor of St. Henry Catholic Church in St. Henry, served on the state’s Natural Resources Commission from 1975 to 2008 before retiring.

He tracked the growth of all the trees in a portion of the woods over the five-decade period, publishing the results in a scientific journal. He also was instrumental in developing a deer management plan for Indiana’s state parks during his tenure.

He is a member of the Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame. He taught biology at St. Meinrad High School and College for nearly 40 years. He also served as academic dean and, later, as provost and vice rector of St. Meinrad College. He has served on the school’s Board of Trustees. He has been pastor of St. Henry Parish since 2001.

Vatican art and objects on display

A display of “Vatican Splendors: A Journey through art and Faith” opened in St. Louis May 15 and continues through Sept. 12.

The exhibit will be displayed only in three cities in the United States. St. Louis is the midwestern location, at the Missouri History Museum, located at Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park, near the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink station.

The Parish Advantage Program allows parishioners to obtain individual exhibit tickets at a discounted price of $2 off each ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at vaticansplendors.com, by calling (877) 2VATICAN or (877) 282-8422, or at the Missouri History Museum box office. Enter or mention discount code: Parish. This special offer will end on June 30, 2010.

Regular prices for tickets are $19.50 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $13 for children (age 6-12). Children five and under are admitted free with adult ticket purchase.

A group discount is available for groups of 15 or more.

Listen to Vatican Radio

About 1,200 radio stations around the world re-broadcast Vatican Radio — which is recently also available on the Internet, with programs live or on demand.

Visit www.radiovaticana.org.

Commemorating victims of the Irish Hunger

Churches in Ireland will ring their bells on Sunday, May 23, as a sign of respect for the victims of the Irish Hunger, of 1845-1851. An American committee is urging people worldwide to participate, with Masses in local churches, Prayers of the Faithful, food brought for poor people, and the ringing of church bells at 2 p.m. on Sunday.