Elected for the upcoming year are:

• Joe Ramirez, Christ the King, Des Moines, state deputy
• Dan Werner, St. Francis of Assisi, West Des Moines, state secretary
• Jon Aldrich, Ss. John and Paul, altoona, state warden
• Francis Schlueter, Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, Ankeny, state treasurer
• Jason Follett, Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, Ankeny, 3rd degree executive committee

Local Knights of Columbus honored during the convention are:  

• Knight of the Year -- Steve Cashman, St. Francis, West Des Moines
• Grand Knight of the Year -- Donald Hauser, St. Augustin, Des Moines
• Chaplain of the Year for DM Diocese -- Father Chris Reising, Our Lady of the Americas, Des Moines
• Church Service Award -- Our Lady of the Americas, Des Moines
• Council Service Award -- Our Lady of the Americas, Des Moines
• Insurance Agent of the Year -- Steve Tatz, Basilica of St. John

• Seasonal Banner: Click on the words of the current liturgical season (currently the Easter Season)  to visit the St. Louis Center for Liturgy's excellent site focused on preparing individuals and families for the upcoming Sunday liturgy. Updated weekly.
• Seasonal Image: Click on the image just below the banner to visit the USCCB's daily Mass reading page. The link always takes you to the current day's readings. The image is updated seasonally.
• The Year of Grace: Updated annually, this handy reference lists key Sunday, holy day, and solemnity information, as well as special diocesan events. 

While you're there, browse our other pages, and send a note if you have ideas for our website. 

The series of lectures is made possible by a lagacy left by David Bear, a prominent Des Moines engineer and businessman for more than 50 years. Bear was passionate about serving the community. A member and leader at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, he was a pioneer in breaking down barriers among people of all faiths. In addition to his many other professional and community affiliations, he served as president of the Des Moines Area Religious Council in 1992 and was president of the DMARC foundation in 1989 and 1990. He died in the spring of 2010 and in his honor, the Bear family established the David Bear Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series.

The lecture is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Visit the DMARC website dmreligious.org/lectures or call 515-277-6969 for more information.

This series of lectures is made possible by a legacy left by David Bear, a prominent Des Moines engineer and businessman for more than 50 years. Bear was passionate about serving the community.  A member and leader at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, he was a pioneer in breaking down barriers among people of all faiths.  In addition to his many other professional and community affiliations, he served as President of the Des Moines Area Religious Council in 1992 and was President of the DMARC Foundation in 1989 and 1990.  He continued to serve as a board member of the Foundation until his death in the spring of 2010.  In his honor, the Bear family has established the David Bear Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series.   The lecture is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Please visit the DMARC website: www.dmreligious.org/lectures or call (515) 277-6969 for more information.

As western Christians observe the sacred mysteries of faith, named differently as Holy Week, the Great Three Days, the Triduum, Easter; as Eastern Christians prepare to celebrate the same feasts next weekend; as people of the Jewish faith observe Passover, this voice from the Muslim American community is a powerful witness to the need to pull together. 

The author, Altaf Husain, quotes King:  

“We have inherited a large house, a great world house in which we have to live together — black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu — a family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.”

Joseph Wright

Saint John Vianney Seminary: College Sophomore

Jesus has been teaching me at seminary how to have a relationship with Him and to love Him.  This relationship is developed through daily mass, adoration, scripture reading, spiritual reading, and other devotions.  Upon entering seminary I knew many of my shortcomings as a person, but now entering seminary Christ has brought to light more of them.  But, that is a wonderful thing.  Jesus cannot heal us of our imperfections unless we allow him to live in us and to cooperate with His grace.  For me at least that is what has gone on this year, healing and growth.  All of this is designed to help us to become the holy men that Jesus wants us to be. 

In this process of formation seminarians do not journey alone.  There is a brotherhood of men going through the same experiences that you are.  There is a community of support and fraternity there that is unlike any other I have experienced.  Your fellow seminarians challenge you to grow.  The priests in charge of formation provide the example and directions in which you should go down upon.  The academics challenge you, but they are extremely rewarding.  The outreach programs we participate in also give us a chance to serve others around us.  All of these things are put together to help us grow in the four pillars of priestly formation, which are spiritual, human, intellectual, and pastoral.

• Daily 12:10 p.m. Mass on Monday-Wednesday and Friday
• Holy Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Mass (no 12:10 p.m. daily Mass), Bishop presiding 
• Good Friday 5:30 p.m. Mass in addition to daily 12:10 p.m. (Bishop presiding at lunchtime Mass)
• Easter vigil, 8 p.m. (no 4 p.m. Mass nor reconciliation) Bishop presiding
• Easter Sunday Mass times are 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (Bishop presiding at 10:30 a.m.)

The reconciliation schedule at the cathedral is as follows:

• Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. - noon
• Monday-Wednesday, 5-6 p.m.
• Friday, 11-11:30 a.m.

Stations of the Cross schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, 5 p.m.
• Friday, "Downtown Way of the Cross" sponsored by The Bridge, 1-2:30 p.m.

"Pray for your Church and political leaders that together we can find a solution that respects our respective roles in society," they said.

See their letter here.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, of Washington, D.C., will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2012 conference to be held Sept. 22-23 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Cardinal Wuerl will be joined by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, of San Antonio, Texas.

"We a distinctly Catholic conference, we are blessed to have two World synod participants in Iowa just before they and bishops from across the world undertake the pope's call for ensuring Catholics better know and live the bible," said Christ Our Life Regional Confernce spokesperson Lore McManus Solo. "Cardinal Wuerl and Archbishop Garcia-Siller will both bring elements of the New Evangelization into their Christ Our Ife Conference talks."

Look for more information in the upcoming issue of The Catholic Mirror. To learn more about the conference or to purchase tickets online, go to www.ChristOurLIfeIowa.com or call 866-952-9990.

Vocations Vibe Newsletter 

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

THE MYTH

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Kallal

Chrism Mass is when Bishop Richard Pates blesses the oil and consecrates the chrism used in sacraments throughout the diocese in the coming year.

Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier, who has directed many choirs for diocesan events, will once again lead the choir for Chrism Mass. A bilingual Spanish/English music setting will be used for the Mass.

Come join us for this special celebration.

Bishop Richard Pates, in his role as chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, has issued a number of statements over the last few days regarding the Farm Bill, Iran and the federal budget. You can read about these by going to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' website here.

      Donald Kaul’s op-ed on “The Fight for Reproductive Rights” applauds the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that would enshrine as a new right an employee’s entitlement to contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization under health insurance plans provided by the employer with no exemption for religious institutions whose religious beliefs this would offend. The mandate resorts to the charade that the insurer must provide this coverage for free even though these costs would in reality be borne by the employer through higher premiums. In addition, many church schools, hospitals, and charities self-insure and in those instances there cannot even be the slightest pretense that the cost is extracted from someone other than the employer.

      The op-ed piece tries to second guess the wisdom of the Catholic Church’s teaching by arguing that provision by its institutions of devices that prevent conception will result in fewer abortions. Concern for that end does not justify freedom from concern about the means. Further, the argument that fewer abortions would result from such means is persuasively debunked by the information set forth in op-ed columnist Ross Douthat’s piece, “The ‘Safe, Legal, Rare’ Illusion,” which appeared in the New York Times Sunday Review of February 18, 2012.     

      Mr. Kaul’s column extols the freedom “from” religion. In doing so, he would have the Free Exercise of Religion Clause of the First Amendment thrown under the bus in favor of a “right” to coercively-provided services that is fabricated by administrative fiat.   These services are readily available and accessible, and employees of religious institutions would not be denied access by giving deference to the teachings of the employer’s religion. In characterizing the Catholic Church’s teachings on the subject as “self-serving” or “loopy,” Mr. Kaul assaults basic religious principles of the Catholic Church on the sanctity of human life. Though federal legislation may be enacted countering the new mandate, the mandate, if implemented, should not survive challenge under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was enacted in 1993.   

To the Editor,

Donald Kaul's editorial, "The Fight Over Reproductive Rights"  of February 26, 2012 is so full of false statements it's hard to know where to begin.  Not to mention the intolerance and anger that he seems to harbor toward the Catholic Church.  But let's start with this.  Mr. Kaul uses a few straw man arguments to draw the readers attention away from the real issue.  Religious freedom as guaranteed under the First Amendment!  Since when does the federal government have the power to tell a religion what it can and can't believe and practice?  Isn't this why the Pilgrims came here in the first place?  The government's HHS mandate is wrong no matter what you believe about contraception.  Thomas Jefferson said so eloquently, "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical."  How much worse is it to force someone to pay for actions they abhor?

Matthew Krastel

Mundelein Seminary: Theology I

I am currently in my first year of theological study at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary which is northwest of downtown Chicago.  The transition from college seminary to major seminary has, thus far, been rather smooth, though it has not come without challenges.  The atmosphere at Mundelein is very peaceful, quite contrary to what one may assume for being in the suburbs of Chicago.  For me, such a setting is very beneficial for maintaining a prayerful attitude throughout my formation.

Perhaps an aspect that surprises many people looking at entering the seminary is how 'normal' or common seminarians are compared with the preconception.  Aside from the fact that we are studying to be ordained to the priesthood, God willing, we live typical lives: we play sports, watch television, play video games, etc...  Seminarians do not belong to some "Holier-than-thou" cult that hides away from the rest of the world!  

Not a day goes by that I do not thank God for my calling- it has truly been an undeserved blessing in my life, and by the will of God, I look forward to serving the Diocese of Des Moines as a priest.

Mother Dolores, 73, was an award-winning actress who performed in two Elvis Presley movies. In 1963, she was about to sign a seven-figure contract and was engaged to a Los Angeles businessman when she decided to join the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn, where she is now prioress.

The 37-minute documentary talks about Mother Dolores’ story and about life at the abbey. It is an Oscar nominee for best documentary short category and will premiere April 5 on HBO.

“I adored Hollywood. I didn't leave because it was a place of sin,” she told USA Today.

"I left Hollywood at the urging of a mysterious thing called vocation. It's a call that comes from another place that we call God because we don't have any other way to say it. It's a call of love. Why do you climb a mountain?"

The nun said she allowed cameras to access the abbey to help those who are soul-searching.

“We wanted to invite the world into another order of life that might give some hope,” she said.

The documentary interviews Mother Dolores and other nuns like Sister John Mary, 44, a former Oxford-educated advertising executive who came to the abbey after a period of addiction.

It also covers the last meeting of Mother Dolores and her ex-fiancé Don Robinson, who never married. He continued to visit and help the abbey until his death in December 2011.

The documentary’s director Rebecca Cammisa said she made the film to explore what makes someone with Mother Dolores’ level of success choose the religious life. Cammisa was previously nominated for the Oscar for the feature documentary “Which Way Home,” about Mexican migrant children.

Mother Dolores was a presenter at the 1959 Academy Awards. She remains a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In January, she made a rare speaking appearance at the Central California Marian Eucharistic Conference.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/documentary-about-actress-turned-nun-nominated-for-oscar/

• in the Des Moines metro area on Mediacom Ch. 18 on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
• in the Atlantic area on Mediacom Ch. 18 on Sundays at 6 p.m.
• in the Harlan area on HMU on Sundays at 3 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.

Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium along with other local pro-life organizations will host the annual Prayer for Life Day, Monday, March 5 at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church, 1552 Maple Street in Des Moines. Keynote speaker Walter B. Hoye II, Founder and President of Issues4Life, will present from 9:30 a.m. to Noon and lobbying training will begin at 12:30 p.m. followed by lobbying at the State Capitol at 1 p.m. and the annual Prayer Rally at 3 p.m.            

Keynote speaker Walter Hoye II, founder and president of Issues4Life. As a National Black Pro-Life leader, Walter speaks for those who have no voice, understands that abortion takes the life of a child, an innocent human being, views the woman and child as one and demands men embrace their biblical roles as protector and provider. Reservations for the morning are required by calling Iowans for LIFE at 515-255-4113 or by going online at www.iowansforlife.org. Guests are welcome to make a free will donation for lunch. For more information about the annual Prayer for Life contact Iowans for LIFE 515-255-4113 or email iowansforlife@msn.com or wsolawetz@dmdiocese.org.            

Prayer for Life Day is sponsored by Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium, Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church, Iowans for LIFE, Council of Catholic Women, The Family Leader, Iowa Catholic Conference, Iowa Right to Life Committee, Knights of Columbus and Teen Pact.

Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium promotes the social justice mission of the Catholic Church. Guided by Bishop Richard Pates, the group's mission is to work toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good. Initiatives include Respect Life, Biomedical Ethics, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities' USA Poverty Campaign, Center for Social Ministry, Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse Advocacy, Justice for Newcomers, Iowa Catholic Conference, Disaster Preparedness and Response and Rural Life.

Each month, 373,856 Iowans use food stamps as their main source of food. Try the challenge and donate the money you save on food to the St. Mary Family Center, Catholic Charities' food pantry and free clothing closet. St. Mary's is one of the many pantry sites that helps supplement food needs when food stamps are just not enough.

The purpose of the gathering is for leaders and colleagues who are involved with social justice issues to have an opportunity to share best practices, plan for emerging needs and identify areas for cooperation. It's a time for leaders to learn about the larger picture of Catholic social justice ministry and pressing domestic and global challenges relating to human life and dignity, and justice and peace. The group prays together and advocates for policies that will protect and support people suffering poverty and injustice.

In his homily, Bishop Pates encouraged those in attendance to open themselves with a spirit of prayerfulness and humility so they can be ready to act authentically, boldly and lovingly for justice.

Bishop Pates encouraged the group to protect each gift of human life, from conception until natural death. With that, he said, comes the responsibility to render dignity to each other. We do this by looking at how policies and advocacy affect the poor, he said. He referred to the Second Vatican Council's declaration of the Church's fundamental option for the poor.

 ". . . the right of having a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one's family belongs to everyone. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church held this opinion, teaching that men are obliged to come to the relief of the poor and to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods.  . . . remember the aphorism of the Fathers, 'Feed the man dying of hunger, because if you have not fed him, you have killed him, and really to share and employ their earthly goods, according to the ability of each, especially by supporting individuals or peoples with the aid by which they may be able to help and develop themselves.'" (Gaudium et Spes, no. 69)

In bringing justice to the poor, Bishop Pates said we must balance what we do with how we do it. For instance, the Church teaches healthcare is a human right and it is needed to maintain the dignity of each person. It's a matter of conscience, and the founders of the United States recognized "freedom of conscience" as a companion to the right of Freedom of Religion, he said.

"Thus, the original rules established by the cabinet department of Health and Human Services implementing healthcare legislation are unacceptable," said Bishop Pates. "These rules as applied to Catholic Church institutions violated the First Amendment and the precious right of conscience.  The revised rules as recently proposed by the President need to be studied to determine if they correct the concerns.  We further ask, at this juncture, should the protective surety needed be pursued by legislation or judicial determination?  As we insist that governmental intrusion into the freedom of religion is unacceptable we serve the common good by preserving a right that is a cornerstone of our democracy." 

Bishop Pates shared about his recent visit of solidarity with bishops in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). "From the mountaintop of the Lord, we see that the human family is one," said Bishop Pates. "All are children of God. The shrinking globe necessitates sharing our vision of justice with and on behalf of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. From our perspective as the most wealthy nation, it is imperative to embrace the poor worldwide and accord the justice that is their due."

Bishop Pates encouraged those in attendance, as they return home, to bring with them strong convictions because it is with those that hope and the inevitability of justice will prevail.

The entire homily of Bishop Pates can be viewed at dmdiocese.org/bishop-pates-homilies.cfm.

Ryan Andrew

Saint Paul Seminary: Pre-Theology I

As a first year pre-theology seminarian, I have found my first semester of seminary life to be a great opportunity to grow as a whole human being as well as a great opportunity to continue discerning my call to the priesthood. In my first semester of seminary, I have had great formation. I have learned more about my Catholic faith through the classes I have taken, built great friendships with my brother seminarians through events that build camaraderie such as flag football games, pick-up basketball games, going to Minnesota Wild hockey games etc., and, most importantly, I have grown closer to Jesus Christ through daily individual prayer and communal prayer with my brother seminarians as well as the staff and faculty at St. Paul Seminary.

My first semester at seminary has brought me to a deeper love of Jesus Christ and His Church. I hope to continue to allow Christ's grace to intensify my love for Him as I continue on my journey at seminary.

Bishop Richard Pates was asked to issue a letter to the faithful regarding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule on mandatory health care coverage of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs. He sent a letter to all priests and deacons on Wednesday (Feb. 8) asking that the letter either be read from the pulpit or included in bulletins the weekend of Feb. 11-12.

The government issued the rule on Jan. 20. On Jan. 23, Bishop Pates sent a statement encouraging education, prayer and action to all priests and deacons. He asked that they help educate parishioners on the issue and included resources from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Pates also spoke on the mandate in the diocese's monthly e-newsletter "In the Diocesan Loop" distributed Feb. 3 to parish and school leadership throughout the diocese.

SIX THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE HHS MANDATE

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers the following clarifications regarding the Health and Human Services regulations on mandatory coverage of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

1.  The mandate does not exempt Catholic charities, schools, universities, or hospitals.  These institutions are vital to the mission of the Church, but HHS does not deem them "religious employers" worthy of conscience protection, because they do not "serve primarily persons who share the[ir] religious tenets."  HHS denies these organizations religious freedom precisely because their purpose is to serve the common good of society—a purpose that government should encourage, not punish.

2.  The mandate forces these institutions and others, against their conscience, to pay for things they consider immoral.  Under the mandate, the government forces religious insurers to write policies that violate their beliefs; forces religious employers and schools to sponsor and subsidize coverage that violates their beliefs; and forces religious employees and students to purchase coverage that violates their beliefs.

3.  The mandate forces coverage of sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs and devices as well as contraception.  Though commonly called the "contraceptive mandate," HHS's mandate also forces employers to sponsor and subsidize coverage of sterilization.  And by including all drugs approved by the FDA for use as contraceptives, the HHS mandate includes drugs that can induce abortion, such as "Ella," a close cousin of the abortion pill RU-486.

4.  Catholics of all political persuasions are unified in their opposition to the mandate.  Catholics who have long supported this Administration and its healthcare policies have publicly criticized HHS's decision, including columnists E.J. Dionne, Mark Shields, and Michael Sean Winters; college presidents Father John Jenkins and Arturo Chavez; and Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

5.  Many other religious and secular people and groups have spoken out strongly against the mandate.  Many recognize this as an assault on the broader principle of religious liberty, even if they disagree with the Church on the underlying moral question.  For example, Protestant Christian, Orthodox Christian, and Orthodox Jewish groups--none of which oppose contraception--have issued statements against the HHS's decision.  The Washington Post, USA Today, N.Y. Daily News, Detroit News, and other secular outlets, columnists, and bloggers have editorialized against it.

6.  The federal mandate is much stricter than existing state mandates.  HHS chose the narrowest state-level religious exemption as the model for its own.  That exemption was drafted by the ACLU and exists in only 3 states (New York, California, Oregon).  Even without a religious exemption, religious employers can already avoid the contraceptive mandates in 28 states by self-insuring their prescription drug coverage, dropping that coverage altogether, or opting for regulation under a federal law (ERISA) that pre-empts state law.  The HHS mandate closes off all these avenues of relief.

Additional information on the U.S. Catholic bishops’ stance on religious liberty, conscience protection and the HHS ruling regarding mandatory coverage of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs is available at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm.

Hoye is founder and president of the Issues4life Foundation, the California Civil Rights Foundation and is a core member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition. He is the author of "Leadership from the Inside Out" and is a pro-life speaker and consultant. He holds master's degrees in sociology and business administration. He was won several pro-life awards and has been jailed for peacefully protesting on a sidewalk outside an abortion clinic in California. He is a husband and father of two grown children.

Hoye's organization Issues4life Foundation targets and works directly with African-American leaders nationwide to strengthen their stand against abortion and resolve the issues surrounding the moral responsibiltiy of biotechnology in the African-American community.

The Prayer for Life day activities are cosponsored by Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church, Iowans for LIFE, Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium, Council of Catholic Women, The Family Leader, Iowa Catholic Conference, Iowa Right to Life Committee, Knights of Columbus and Teen Pact.

To register or get more information, contact Iowans for LIFE at 515-255-4113 or iowansforlife@msn.com.

Cardinal Rigali, the youngest of seven, was born and raised in Los Angeles. After ordination, he served a number of years abroad and accompanied Pope John Paul II on several of his visits. In the United States, he  served the Archdioceses of St. Louis and Philadelphia until his retirement in 2011.

For more information on the cardinal's visit and plans for this year's Divine Mercy Sunday activities, go to divinemercydesmoines.com.

Father Bergman attended Dowling Catholic High School, Loras College and Mt. St. Bernard Seminary. He was ordained in 1955 at St. Ambrose Cathedral by Bishop Edward Daly.

Father studied Canon law in Rome. In 1966, he began leading the Tribunal Office of the Diocese of Des Moines, which handles matrimony and annulment issues. He held that assignment until 1978. He also served at: St. Anthony and Visitation (now Our Lady of the Americas) Parishes in Des Monies; St. Mary, Panama; St. Michael, Harlan; St. Joseph, Earling; St. Mary/Holy Cross, Elkhart; St. Patrick, Irish Settlement; Assumption, Churchville; St. Patrick, Bayard-Jamaica; St. Mary, Lacona; St. Augustine, Milo; St. Mary, Rosemount; All Saints, Stuart. Father Bergman was pastor of All Saints Church in Stuart when an arsonist burned the church down. He retired in 1997.

Trevor Chicoine

Loras College: Junior

My name is Trevor Chicoine, and I’m a Seminarian for the Diocese of Des Moines.  I entered seminary in the fall of 2009, fresh out of high school.  I’m currently in my third (junior) year at St. Pius X Seminary at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.  The past three years have been the most challenging and rewarding of my life!  I am majoring in philosophy with a minor in liturgical music.  Seminary formation is an experience like none other!  It is truly a process that forms and shapes the whole person.  So often, it is easy to think of seminary as only ‘classes’ and academic learning, when in fact that is only ¼ of what we’re about at the seminary! 

In addition to academic formation, while in college seminary we also engage heavily in the formation our human person-attempting to model ourselves after Jesus Christ the High Priest and model for all priests.  We attempt to make our own humanity, weak as it is, a bridge and not an obstacle to Christ.  Seminarians also engage in pastoral formation, a sort of practicum experience in ministry.  Forming our spiritual life is an important part of the seminary, with daily Mass, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, spiritual readings, and devotions especially those to the Blessed Mother.  All that being said, there’s also a lot of fun to be had at the seminary!  The friendships I’ve made here are some of the best of my life.  It’s not uncommon to find Seminarians playing cards, watching a movie or TV, or going for ice cream on the weekends or in the evenings.  There are athletic guys, computer guys, music guys, and even a few NASCAR fans at the seminary! There are many good men at the seminary and it is a pleasure to live with them and grow with them.

To better understand the rule and what's at stake, check out this press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, this backgrounder and these questions and answers. In addition, here is a video message from Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, in which he explains the situation.

Updates will be posted on Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium webpage.

God can't steer a car in park

My name is Father John Acrea. I'm a priest of the Diocese of Des Moines and one of the spiritual directors at the St. John Vianney Seminary in Minnesota.  I know that Bishop Richard Pates is inviting young men from high school sophomores to college age to visit us. As a seminary spiritual director and a priest of Des Moines, I would like to invite you personally to come to our open house Feb. 9-11. Get out of “park” with your vocation possibilities.

St. John Vianney Seminary is, first of all, not a building but 135 men who feel God might be calling them to priesthood.  They come to seminary check out that inner voice.  Seminary “works” if they decide to stay and if they decide to leave.

We live in the seminary building on the north side of campus.  We have our own chapel. The seminarians attend classes with all of the other students at St. Thomas University.  We also get to share the new gym and the new student center.
I am proud of the men here.  We have guys from the farm and city.  We have men who have been on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.  We have men who have transferred from Purdue University, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, etc.  They have played football for the university, run track, cross country, baseball, the university choir and orchestra.

If you have thought that God is calling you to the priesthood, come and check out the life in seminary and the kind of men who are here.  God bless you all.

Remember, “God does not call the qualified.  He qualifies those he calls.”
Check us out on the web:

     www.vianney.net  -- Main web page
    http://vianney.net/visitvianney    --Registration Form
    YouTube: http.//Vianney.net/video –This was produced by one of our seminarians.

For more information, you can contact Father John Acrea via email.

 

 

 

This week's radio show guests include: Dowling Catholic High School parent Gabrielle Cahalan of Sacred Heart parish (West Des Moines), St. Malachy School (Creston) Principal John Walsh, St. Theresa School (Des Moines) eighth grader Ethan Kluesner, and Shelby County Catholic School (Harlan) eighth grader Samantha Schmitz.

KWKY, found at 1150 AM, broadcasts from Des Moines. Spirit Catholic Radio Network, at 102.7 FM, broadcasts out of Omaha. The show can also be found online at kwky.com and kvss.com. The show will be rebroadcasted on KWKY 1150 AM Saturday at noon and Sunday at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

As the Mass is celebrated, many from our diocese will be traveling to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life on Monday. Buses coordinated by Iowans for LIFE will be carrying folks to the Capitol for the march, a rally and Mass.

The Mass follows a daylong pro-life workshop called Life is Precious, held at Christ the King Parish, coordinated by area parishes.

For more information on the Mass for Life, the prolife workshop and other initiatives of Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium, click here.

The Mass for Life follows a daylong retreat the same day called Life is Precious, organized by Des Moines area Catholic churches and also held at Christ the King Parish. Abortion survivor Melissa Ohden will be speaking, along with Father Guthrie Dolan on basic Catholic teaching on life issues. Deadline for registering is Jan. 18. Contact Wendy to register for this free retreat. Lunch will be provided. A free-will offering will be accepted.

Andrew Windschitl

Saint Paul Seminary

Theology I

Seminary is like college in many ways.  For example, we live in a dorm-like setting, attend classes, and eat at a cafeteria.  However, unlike college, intellectual development is just one of the many parts of a person that is focused upon.  Our pastoral, spiritual, and human aspects are developed as well.  By doing so we aim to become better men overall, not just intellectuals or pastors.  In other words, a man's willingness to accept the call from God entails a true surrendering of mind, body, and soul such that the man is built up to be a priest in whom the people of God can see the person of Christ.

This has become more and more clear to me this year in seminary.  At the St. Paul Seminary we are assigned to what are called teaching parishes.  They are real parishes with real people.  While we still have classes several days a week, we usually visit these parishes once a week for activities and one weekend a month for Masses.  This opportunity allows us to take what we have learned in the classroom and put it to use in the parishes.  Even better is when we learn something entirely new at the parish that we did not learn in the classroom.  It is heartening to both work with and learn from the faithful as it is a true representation of what priesthood will be like.

To send Bishop Charron a birthday card, you can put it to his attention at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309.

By Deacon Steve Reed
    
    Last Saturday morning, Jan, my wife, asked what I had planned for the day.  I told her I had some maintenance projects at the office.  She said she was going to Valley Junction where she volunteered to go shopping with a child, and they needed more volunteers.  I was not too excited.  I was not interested in a shopping trip.  Jan said, “Well, you do not have to go, if you do not want to. “   

     Well fellows, have you heard your spouse say, “We do not have to exchange anything on Saint Valentine’s Day?” You know better!
    Jan drove to the West Des Moines Community Center in Valley Junction where she volunteered me to accompany a child on a shopping trip.  I was assigned a young Hispanic girl about 6 or 7 years of age.  My assigned child could speak some English, but Spanish was her primary language. Jan was assigned an eight year old boy of Northern European descent.
    We all rode on a West Des Moines school bus to a Walmart.  The little girl had lost her list for gifts for her family.  She initially spoke of her little brother who was attending a day care.  She knew that she wanted to give him a particular toy for a gift.  But she had to think long and hard about what she wanted to give her father who working that Saturday and her mother.  She announced that she now remembered: a sweater for her mom and a pair of pants and a shirt for her dad.  Wow, she had no sizes or measurements!  We were allowed $60 credit to buy all the gifts for her family and of course, we needed to buy a toy for the little girl, as well.  

      We were allowed 45 minutes to do the actually shopping in the Jordan Creek Walmart.  I had never been in a super Walmart.  Talk about a challenge!  We were able to find a red sweater for mom and we purchased a black Wrangler shirt for her dad, plus a gift for her preschool brother and and one for the little girl.  Jan was doing her assignment with the little boy she was helping.
    We returned to the bus on time and we traveled back to the West Des Moines Community Center where we wrapped the gifts. Later, I had pizza with the little girl with whom I shopped. She spoke of her family.  I had never met her parents, but I could garner that they were working hard to make a new life for her and her little brother.  When the girl’s mother showed up, I introduced myself and later moved to the table where Jan and the little boy she was helping sat.
    The boy's mother worked four jobs while his father was attempting to be certified  a dirt bike mechanic. At age 8, the boy mowed lawns for money.  He said his mom’s car was a piece of junk and they had to use a piece of rope to pull a car door shut.
    Just before Jan and I were to accompany the boy and his sister to meet his uncle to pick them up, the little girl I'd helped came over to give me a big hug.  I may never see her again, but it was a great experience.
    This was a call to Jan and me to help the working poor in their struggles.  Not that I was totally oblivious as my own mom had to work one full-time and two part-time jobs to keep the wolves at bay while raising the four Reed children.
    I am confident that each and every one of us is called by God daily to do our part. We can do much more if we do not talk ourselves out of stretching ourselves.  Please think about such throughout this liturgical year and beyond.

Deacon Reed serves St. Mary of Nazareth Parish in Des Moines.

• the Cristo Rey project,
• young adult outreach efforts,
• the cooperation between the Catholic church in Churchville and a Methodist congegation,
• the renovations at Christ the King Church in Des Moines,
• the launch of a capital campaign at St. Mary Church in Shenandoah and more.

Although we may not always realize it, we are all beneficiaries of the tremendous contributions these religious have made to the Church in the United States. Certainly in our own diocese, we were blessed by the presence of women religious in our schools and hospitals long before the Diocese of Des Moines was officially established. "As I reflect on the dedication of our senior religious, I recall how they shaped my own faith in my home archdiocese and for all the ways our diocese has been blessed by their service," wrote Bishop Pates.

"Today, many religious communities struggle to care for their elderly members. Increasing health care costs and decreased income make it increasingly difficult to provide the care they so richly deserve. Our contributions to this collection allow us to join hands with those religious communities in support of their senior members. In doing so, we also are supportive of their continued ministries in our midst.

Please join me in financial support for the Retirement Fund for Religious and in praying for God’s continued blessing on our nation’s religious communities," he said.
 

The feast is a significant cultural and religious event for Hispanic people as they honor Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of the Americas.

On the morning of Dec. 9, 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared to a Mexican Indian named Juan Diego who was on his way to Mass and catechesis in the Catholic faith. She asked Diego to go to the local bishop and give him her message to build a temple, identifying herself as Our Lady, the Mother of God. When the bishop did not believe Diego’s story she asked Diego to take a sign to show him. The sign consisted of roses of all colors, which Diego carried on his cloak, or ‘tilma.’ The bishop then believed upon seeing the cloak and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image remains clear today and is displayed in a church in Mexico City.

The opportunities for commemoration of the feast day in the diocese are numerous, including many in the Des Moines area.

Our Lady of the Americas Parish, 1271 E. 9th St. in Des Moines, will honor Our Lady of Guadalupe with 12:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, Dec. 11, and a tamale sale following Mass. A novena will take place at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, as will 6 p.m. Mass, and a re-enactment of the apparitions at 8:30 p.m. At 10 p.m. Sunday a procession will depart Our Lady of the Americas for St. Ambrose Cathedral Parish, 607 High St., and culminate with midnight Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard Pates at the cathedral. The Mass will be followed by las mañanitas (morning singing). Our Lady of the Americas will also celebrate Mass for the feast on Monday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Other Des Moines-area parishes have festivities planned as well.

              Sacred Heart Parish, 1627 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines, will celebrate Mass at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12. The Mass will include a re-enactment of the apparitions and a procession bringing roses to Our Lady. A reception follows with hot chocolate, sweet bread and music from Los Niño de Tepayac.

The Basilica of St. John, 1915 University Ave. in Des Moines, will have los cavallitos (traditional dances), from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11, followed by the Rosary at 7 p.m. and a procession around the church at 8 p.m., concluding with Mass at 9 p.m.

Christ the King Parish, 5711 SW Ninth St. in Des Moines, will celebrate Mass at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12.

On the west end of the diocese, Corpus Christi Parish in Council Bluffs continues a novena begun Saturday, Dec. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 11. Las mañanitas will begin at 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, followed by hot chocolate and sweet bread. Mass will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, followed by food and dancing. A mariachi band will accompany the dancing at Mass and the reception following. 

Elsewhere in the Des Moines diocese, St. Patrick Parish in Lenox will celebrate Mass at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12.

St. Bernard Parish in Osceola will celebrate midnight Mass on Sunday, Dec. 11.

In Perry, St. Patrick Parish will celebrate Mass on Monday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. followed by a potluck dinner in the St. Patrick School gymnasium. A procession will be held from the church to the dinner, where there will be music and reading of the story of Juan Diego. Free-will donations will be accepted.

      After two years of intensive research, community discussion and study, it has been determined that the proposed Cristo Rey Des Moines project be put on indefinite hold with the Cristo Rey Network until additional philanthropic financing can be identified.
     Cristo Rey is a college preparatory high school in the Catholic tradition exclusively for low income students of all faiths whose needs are not being fully met in a traditional public school. Cristo Rey Network schools employ an innovative Corporate Work Study Program that provides students with real world work experiences.
     With the support of a congressional grant, the Diocese of Des Moines began a feasibility study in September 2009. The study was conducted to determine if there was a need, interest from students and parents, and support from the business community based on the guidelines from the Cristo Rey Network (CRN) to establish a Cristo Rey school in Des Moines.
     In the fall of 2010, the CRN approved the Des Moines feasibility study, certifying that there was sufficient need, interest among parents and students, and support from businesses to make Cristo Rey a success. Pending appropriate and sufficient funding, Cristo Rey Des Moines could be established.
     Even though the feasibility study was approved, there was not sufficient philanthropic support. The Cristo Rey Network requires $2 million upfront funds for the first year of operation. Based on guidelines from the CRN, the local Cristo Rey Advisory Board determined it would need a total of $10 million in start-up funds for the first five years of operation. In addition, a basic endowment of $10 million is needed to sustain the school. The endowment is necessary to create an ongoing, stable model that does not rely too heavily on annual fundraising.
     Thus, the total amount needed to be raised is $20 million for viable operation. In the Des Moines community, between $4 million and $5 million dollars for this purpose was identified.
     “Having a solid financial foundation for a Cristo Rey Des Moines project is essential to ensure its long term viability,” said Bishop Richard Pates. “I am convinced that our community would benefit from a Cristo Rey school and plan to continue to advocate for needed educational institutions for children in our community who have the capacity but presently lack opportunity.”
     Bishop Pates further noted: “The feasibility study identified approximately 8,000 students in the greater Des Moines area who qualify for the reduced and free lunch program. This is the target audience of a Cristo Rey School. According to our study, 360 of the 8,000 students benefit from a program that is transformative.”
     The opportunity for capable but underprivileged youth has been valuable in other Cristo Rey Schools. The possibility of having a local Cristo Rey school is on indefinite hold should one or more donors choose to support this unique model of school which, over time, could benefit thousands of deserving young people.
 

     More than 300 nativity scenes from around the world will be on display this Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1-5 p.m. at 6th and Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines. The exhibition of nativities is the centerpiece of events hosted by Catholic Charities intended to inspire others to join in efforts to help lift people out of poverty with dignity.

    Working together to reduce poverty with an emphasis on respect and dignity is what the work of Catholic Charities is all about, says Nancy Galeazzi, executive director. “At Catholic Charities, we address poverty not only in terms of income, but also barriers like a lack of emotional and spiritual resources or education. We work to help people reach their full potential,” she said.

     Admission to the event is a gift of a personal care item or cash donation to help people served through Catholic Charities Poverty Reduction Programs: St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, St. Mary Family Center, Hispanic Community Outreach and Refugee Resettlement.

     No Room at the Inn is part of Catholic Charities Week 2011 held Nov. 28-Dec.4. “Together, we can help lift people out of poverty with dignity” is the theme of the week-long poverty awareness campaign organized by Catholic Charities, which serves the 23 counties of southwest Iowa. Catholic Charities Week and No Room at the Inn festivities include:

• Bare Essentials Campaign- Schools, businesses, churches and individuals can collect personal care items to help people living below the poverty line.
• No Room at the Inn Fundraising Reception – Friday, Dec. 2 from 5-8 p.m.
• Poverty Simulation – Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to  Noon
• Musical Open House and Nativity Exhibition – Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1-5 p.m.

    For a full schedule of weekend events and information about Catholic Charities Poverty Reduction Programs go to www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org or call 515-237-5078.

     Founded in 1924, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines is dedicated to offering help and hope to those in need throughout central and southwest Iowa.  Catholic Charities, a United Way agency, provides pregnancy counseling and adoption services, individual and family counseling, Hispanic community outreach and refugee resettlement services. Other Catholic Charities programs include St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Mary Family Center. For information about Catholic Charities of Des Moines, its programs and services, please visit www.catholiccharitiesdm.org.

Father Jim Polich was born on Christmas Eve of 1944. His home parish was St. Joseph in Des Moines. He was ordained a priest in 1971 by Bishop Maurice Dingman in Harlan, Iowa.

He had attended Dowling Catholic High School and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. He held a master’s in divinity from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. and a doctorate in theology from Fordham University in New York.

Father Polich was a teacher. He taught at Glenwood State School on the west end of our diocese. For 9 years from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, he served on the faculty of Dowling Catholic High School and the St. Joseph Education Center as resource person in theology, religious education and continuing education for adults. In 1986, he helped develop the Creighton Certificate Program, a distance education effort with Creighton University. The diocese is a partner in that program, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. He returned became the board chair of the St. Joseph Education Center in 2008 and has been serving in that capacity since then. Fr. Polich’s role in education went outside the diocese as well. He served the theology department at Fordham University in New York for two and a half years and for five years was on the faculty of Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo.

Father Polich was a pastor. Immediately after ordination, he served Visitation parish briefly. He went on to serve St. Mary Church in Hamburg, a parish in the far southwest corner of our diocese, for three years in the mid-1970s. He also served St. Mary in Avoca and St. Patrick in Walnut for six years in the 1990s. Since 2000, he has served at St. Augustin Parish in Des Moines.

Father Polich had an interest in ecumenical efforts and for years, assisted with the coordination of the annual Catholic/Lutheran reconciliation event that occurred every autumn for about 30 years. This gathering, among Catholics and Lutherans, fostered interfaith dialogue and was a direct result of the pope’s visit to Iowa in 1979.

Father Jim Polich was born on Christmas Eve of 1944. His home parish was St. Joseph in Des Moines. He was ordained a priest in 1971 by Bishop Maurice Dingman in Harlan, Iowa.

He had attended Dowling Catholic High School and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. He held a master’s in divinity from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. and a doctorate in theology from Fordham University in New York.

Father Polich was a teacher. He taught at Glenwood State School on the west end of our diocese. For 9 years from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, he served on the faculty of Dowling Catholic High School and the St. Joseph Education Center as resource person in theology, religious education and continuing education for adults. In 1986, he helped develop the Creighton Certificate Program, a distance education effort with Creighton University. The diocese is a partner in that program, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. He returned became the board chair of the St. Joseph Education Center in 2008 and has been serving in that capacity since then. Fr. Polich’s role in education went outside the diocese as well. He served the theology department at Fordham University in New York for two and a half years and for five years was on the faculty of Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo.

Father Polich was a pastor. Immediately after ordination, he served Visitation parish briefly. He went on to serve St. Mary Church in Hamburg, a parish in the far southwest corner of our diocese, for three years in the mid-1970s. He also served St. Mary in Avoca and St. Patrick in Walnut for six years in the 1990s. Since 2000, he has served at St. Augustin Parish in Des Moines.

Father Polich had an interest in ecumenical efforts and for years, assisted with the coordination of the annual Catholic/Lutheran reconciliation event that occurred every autumn for about 30 years. This gathering, among Catholics and Lutherans, fostered interfaith dialogue and was a direct result of the pope’s visit to Iowa in 1979.

Celebration this Sunday, Nov. 6

   Bishop Richard Pates has established a relationship with the Diocese of Zacatecaluca in El Salvador. Our diocese now has two Salvadoran priests serving here and a man in the seminary program with the intention of serving our diocese after his ordination to priesthood.

    In addition, we have three parishes that have relationships with parishes in El Salvador. The local parishes are: Assumption in Granger, St. Boniface in Waukee and St. Catherine of Siena in Des Moines.

   During the Centennial Celebration Mass, half of the gifts collected will go to the seminary in the Diocese of Zacatecaluca. The other half will be divided into thirds and sent to the three communities supported by our three parishes.

   Come to the diocesan Centennial Celebration this Sunday at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines and, through your gift during the collection, support Catholics in El Salvador.

working through the events of everyday life.

The summer began with the Catholic Ministry of the Sick and Suffering Practicum, a

newly created program of 9 weeks by the Seminary of St. Paul. In fact, the program

was designed to allow each participant to deepen the theological foundation of the 

spirituality  of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and then put it into practice through a silent

retreat of ten days. This silent retreat was a powerful experience of the encounter

and union with the love of God that showed those participating the weaknesses and

areas in one's life requiring special attention on the spiritual, moral or ethical. Being

able to dialog daily during the retreat with the Spiritual Director was a great grace.

Overall, the retreat was a wonderful experience of silence and contemplation.

 
The next step was an inside look at the practical stage of preparation for the priesthood; to do the work of ministering to the sick in hospitals, to discover Jesus in the person who is suffering and needing consolation, compassion and mercy. Indeed, ministering to the sick and sharing in their suffering with them through their ailments, their loneliness, and their hope that so often is dissipated in medical diagnostics, led me to find in intercessory prayer the most compassionate and merciful way of pleading for not only physical health but the spiritual health of souls to which I was ministering. I discovered the face of Our Lord in the sick and suffering. I was able to see beyond the smells, the medical instruments, and the interpretation of science to the humanity of  the fragility, small size, and defenselessness of the sick and suffering. 

 
The hospital experience touched my soul in three ways: the first was "Humility" and I refer specifically to where I disappeared completely so that our Lord Jesus was the one doing the visit, it was God’s work through me. A clear example of this were the moments when the silence was the most effective way of communicating the action of God and the expectation of His Divine Will. The second aspect was "Charity," defining the act of unconditional love, to go beyond the defects or sin and to use the example of the Prodigal Son who was left to regain the joy of God in the life of the sick before stopping to judge their errors. This example may be a tangible source of the peaceful coexistence and friendships I fostered with patients of different beliefs or who simply expressed disbelief. The third way this experience touched my soul was "hope" that in spite of the circumstances in which science has a verdict on a disease, God our Lord may come and go beyond the ordinary, to manifest his love in an extraordinary and prodigious way that ultimately is what every soul awaits.

As a candidate for Holy Orders of the Diaconate and the Priesthood I feel that this experience should be an indisputable requirement for those seeking to consecrate their lives to the service of building the kingdom of God.

Finally, the summer ended with ten days at World Youth Day in Madrid Spain, a meeting filled with culture, youth, and a deep desire to live with the Holy Father. At WYD, the living spirit of Jesus in our midst was evident in  the positivity and enthusiasm of countless young people that came from various corners of the world to meet with the Vicar of Christ and discover the universal Church. This is the Pope's Youth! Again and again we were reminded that we are sheep led by Pastor of Christ, Benedict XVI.

But I especially want to highlight these words spoken by His Holiness during the keynote address at the World Youth Day:

Dear friends, be prudent and wise, build your lives on the firm foundation that is Christ. This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make you shake your heart and peace will reign. Then you will be blessed, blessed, and your joy contagious to others. You ask for the secret of your life and find the rock that holds the whole building and it sits on your whole life is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother and Lord, the Son of God made man, which gives consistency throughout the universe. He died for us and rose again so that we might have life, and now, from the throne of the Father is still alive and close to all men, continually watching love for each one of us.

Benedict XVI - Plaza de Cibeles Madrid 19/08/11

To conclude, this hot summer was not only one of high temperatures but also one in which  the action of the Holy Spirit that prevailed in my life at different times and ways.

What Joy! What joy! And what responsibility I feel to serve, love, and give everything to Jesus Christ our Lord and God!

young man mentally, spiritually, and physically, but most

people look at me as if I am crazy when I say that seminary 

will challenge you physically. Yes, seminary is a place where

men enter more deeply into their relationship with Jesus

Christ, and rigorously study both philosophy and theology,

but most people are surprised that seminary is also a place

where they want you to be physically fit for eternal life.

This was made abundantly clear to me the past two weekends while I visited St. Paul Seminary, in St. Paul Minnesota and St. Gregory Seminary in Seward, Nebraska. While visiting St. Gregory Seminary I found out that most of the men were away at Conception Seminary, where two of our seminarians currently attend, to compete on the pitch at Conception’s Annual Seminary Soccer tournament. Sadly I didn’t see this year’s contest, but I know for previous experience that this tournament is always a hotly contested contest.  

A different type of football was being played the week before at St. Paul Seminary. The University of St. Thomas hosted the 11^th annual Rector’s Bowl between St. John Vianney College Seminary and St. Paul Theological Seminary. To be honest I was torn as whom to root for at that the game because the Diocese of Des Moines was represented on both teams, but after a back and forth game the men of St. Paul Seminary pulled ahead for victory, breaking a three year losing streak.

Seminary is indeed a place that will challenge you mentally, spiritually, and physically. If you want to see for yourself what seminary life is life don’t hesitate to contact the Office of Vocations, and check out our news stream for upcoming seminary visits.

   Local Catholic Charities Executive Director Nancy Galeazzi and Director of Poverty Reduction Sol Varisco were there. 

   On Thursday, Oct. 13, CCUSA held a roundtable discussion at the National Press Club, moderated by The National Journal’s Major Garrett, about the principles needed to reform the safety net in an economically sustainable way that better addresses the needs of individuals. 

    On Friday, Oct. 14^th, 160 leaders from Catholic Charities agencies across the country traveled to the White House for a policy briefing to exchange ideas on human services, housing, immigration and the economy.

    White House Director Jon Carson of the Office of Public Engagement said, “Catholic Charities USA is an incredible network of social service organizations that support our neighbors in need. We’re looking forward to having CCUSA leaders from around the country here at the White House for a day of discussion and collaboration as we work towards our shared goals.”

    This meeting comes on the heels of the release of Census bureau data showing historic numbers of Americans living in poverty, CCUSA’s hosting of the first Annual National Poverty Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, and the re-introduction of The National Opportunity and Community Renewal Act, (NOCRA) S. 1565, legislation developed by CCUSA to identify long-term solutions to the nation’s poverty crisis.

    Nancy Galeazzi, executive director of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines, said, “It is truly an honor to be part of these conversations. Locally, we work with people living in poverty every day and to be able to bring their stories of hardship and struggle into conversations is essential for the development of meaningful solutions.”

   Last year alone, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa helped more than 25,000 people in central and southwest Iowa. Programs include: Counseling Services, St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, St. Mary Family Center, Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter and Sexual Abuse Program, A New Beginning Adoption & Pregnancy Counseling, Hispanic Community Outreach and Refugee Resettlement. Catholic Charities is a United Way agency.

O God,

you have done all things wisely;

in your goodness you have made us in your image

and given us care over other living things.

Reach out with your right hand

and gran that these animals may serve our needs

and that your  bounty in the reosurces of this life

may move us to seek more confidently

the goal of eternal life.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen

The show features co-hosts Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates and theologian Dr. Thomas Neal, director of the St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines. The show begins with Bishop Pates and Dr. Neal sharing their thoughts on current events, then interviewing a newsmaker or person of interest on the topic of the day. In the last 15 minutes, Bishop Pates takes questions. Call 515-223-1150 about 10:45 a.m. on Fridays, or e-mail questions to communications@dmdiocese.org.

Holy God,

You have filled diocesan hearts with the fire of your love for 100 years.

We know you are present with us now

We trust you will be with us always.

Holy Spirit,

Continue to awaken us so that we may witness to the presence of Jesus,

In this moment and in the years to come.

Lord,

Renew us constantly so that our homes, parishes, communities and world

Are transformed into your kingdom on earth

Where peace and justice reign

Forever and ever

Amen.

Join us as a diocesan community on November 6 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines for a daylong faith conference and festive Mass capping a year of celebration for the Diocese of Des Moines' 100th anniversary!

• Tuesday, Aug. 30: Corpus Christi Parish (Council Bluffs) Queen of Apostles Great Hall from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug 30: St. Mary’s Parish (Shenandoah) Parish Hall, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 1: Ss. Peter and Paul (Atlantic) Triple Room in Parish Hall, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 6:  Holy Spirit Parish Hall (Creston) Parish Hall, 6:45 -7:45 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 7:  Catholic Pastoral Center (Des Moines) Main Level Lobby, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 8: St. Michael Parish Office Meeting room (Harlan) Rectory Basement, 7-8 p.m.

Contact centennial@dmdiocese.org with any questions.

By Patti Brown

Her hearing isn’t very good anymore, but when you consider that her ears have heard sounds in three different centuries—since April 4, 1897—she’s got a good excuse.

Despite a walker that she uses to get to the dining room, Dina Manfredini is healthy and strong and, at 114, the oldest member of not just Sacred Heart Parish, or the Diocese of Des Moines, but the oldest person in Iowa.

In fact, Dina is one of 88 supercentenarians—people who are older than 110 in the world -- and right now she is the world’s fourth oldest person and the second oldest person in the United States, according to the Gerontology Research Group’s list of verified living supercentenarians.

Dina was born and raised in Sant’Andrea, a small town in northern Italy, the month the after William McKinley became president of the United States and just a few weeks before Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless communication over the open sea. It was still the Victorian age, in fact Queen Victoria was celebrating 50 years on the throne in England. That spring, Pope Leo XIII promulgated his encyclical Divinum Illud Munus, and in September, Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, who became Pope Paul VI, would be born in a nearby village.

She came to America as a bride in 1920 and settled with her husband, Riccardo, in a tiny mining camp on the southwest edge of Des Moines. Riccardo was 15-years older and had come to America first before sending for Dina.

The couple raised four children, Mary, Dante, Rudy and Enes. Today, Enes Logli says she and her siblings walked five miles each way every Saturday to and from the old Sacred Heart Church on 4th Street in Valley Junction for catechism classes. “We lived ‘out in the country’ near 42nd and Park. So we couldn’t always get to Mass on Sunday mornings, but we always got to catechism classes,” said Logli. “My parents lived their faith. They were poor, but we didn’t realize it. We didn’t have electricity back then.”

Dina’s husband worked in the city’s coal mines until hurting his back. Then she went to work to make ends meet. As the nation prepared for World War II, Dina worked at the Des Moines Ordnance Plant in Ankeny where 2 million rounds of ammunition were produced a day. She also worked at Swift cracking eggs that would be turned into powdered eggs for U.S. soldiers. She also cleaned houses until she was 90, lying about her age so people wouldn’t think she was too old to work.

In 1939, Dina and her husband bought a little bungalow on 1st Street in Valley Junction. Riccardo died in 1965 and Dina continued to live there until moving into the Martina Place Assisted Living Residence at the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston about four years ago when she was 110. These days, she spends much of her day sleeping.

“She is one of the most amazing people,” said Father Tom DeCarlo, chaplain for the residents of Bishop Drumm. “Her hearing is bad but she responds to Italian and I am able to speak some Italian to her.”

In addition to her four children, three of whom are still living, Dina has seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
 

The school’s decision to move to a continuous learning calendar was made to boost academic performance, said Principal Martin Flaherty. Studies show students lose some of what they learned during the three-month summer break and teachers spend time going over that material when students return to school.
 

“With this continuous learning calendar, the breaks between education sessions seem to be timed well for both the teachers and students in that they are long enough to be rejuvenating, but not too long to lose educational ground,” Flaherty said. “All of our research points us to the same conclusion: adopting a continuous learning calendar would benefit our kids. It’s the right thing to do.”
 

The change comes after much research and consultation with parents, more than 90 percent of whom support the decision. Principal Flaherty held meetings with parents, and conducted and anonymous survey of parents (offered in Spanish, Arabic and English) to gauge their support.
 

“I can’t believe how smoothly everything has gone,” said diocesan Schools Superintendent Dr. Luvern Gubbels. “Their enrollment has steadily increased this year. Word about the quality of what’s going on here is getting around.”
 

In addition to getting support from parents, there had to be support from teachers to make the move a success. Holy Family’s teachers spent time interviewing educators at Capitol View Elementary School, a Des Moines public school in physical proximity to Holy Family, which has adopted a continuous learning calendar. They returned encouraged and anxious to go to a continuous learning calendar at Holy Family.
 

Research was done to determine the success in other schools like Holy Family. “We looked at a lot of different studies from professional educators,” said Father John Bertogli, canonical administrator of the school. “When inner-city schools with vast cultural diversity moved to continuous learning calendars, they saw the academic structures strengthened. There’s a greater sense of consistency and integrity in the programs.”
 

In connection with this calendar change, Holy Family School Inner-City Youth Foundation is in the midst of building a $200,000 endowment that will fund programming during the school breaks that more closely reflects the learning camps that many other children experience during the traditional summer break. Mary and R.W. Nelson, founders of Kemin Industries, have pledged to match $1 for every $3 given to the foundation.
 

Many children have opportunities to continue their education through summer camps offered by libraries, museums and the like, said Father Bertogli. “Our kids have very limited opportunities,” he said.

Holy Family School is a gem in the city. It has a diverse student population and has support from friends of the school who appreciate the education approach and diversity at the school. The school is close to its 245-student capacity, with an enrollment of 242 and a waiting list for the next school year.
 

Archbishop Sambi remembered as friend of the United States

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital July 27. He was 73. Staff at the nunciature, his residence in Washington, on July 22 asked for prayers of the Catholic community for him.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Archbishop Sambi was a friend of the United States.
“As the personal representative of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Sambi enjoyed the highest respect and deepest affection of the bishops of the United States and of our Catholic people,” Archbishop Dolan said in a July 28 statement.
Archbishop Sambi was appointed U.S. nuncio, or ambassador, in December 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI. Prior to the U.S. appointment, Pope John Paul II had named him nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine in 1998. The appointment made him only the second Vatican ambassador to Israel, after the Vatican and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1994.
Archbishop Sambi was a native of central Italy and was ordained a priest in 1964. He was named an archbishop and nuncio to Burundi in 1985, a position he held for six years until being named nuncio to Indonesia.
During Pope Benedict’s April 2008 visit to the United States, Archbishop Sambi accompanied the pope and hosted him at the nunciature, where the pope held a historic private meeting with five victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Before the pope’s arrival, the archbishop said Pope Benedict was coming to “strengthen the faith, the hope and love of the Catholic Church in the United States,” adding that he hoped the pope’s visit would “bring a new wind of Pentecost … a new springtime” to the U.S. church.
Archbishop Sambi recognized the global role of the United States and the U.S. church and told the bishops in 2006 an anecdote from his time as Vatican representative to Indonesia. He recalled a Christmas he spent in a remote village in Indonesia where in street shops, he said, “I found Coca-Cola and Marlboros.”
“I think the United States and the church of the United States has something more to bring to the world than Marlboros and Coca-Cola,” he told the bishops.
Shortly after being named U.S. nuncio, Archbishop Sambi told Catholic News Service, the official news service of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, of the reach of the church in the United States.
“I travel a lot throughout the world. It is difficult to find a part of the world where the charity of U.S. Catholics did not reach the poor or sick people,” he said.
Archbishop Sambi received many honors, including an honorary doctorate in public and ecclesial service, May 8, from Regis University in Denver. In 2009, he received the Living Stones Solidarity Award, which honors those who have made “a sustained and extraordinary effort to love, support and stand in solidarity with the Christians in the Holy Land.” It is bestowed by the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation.
Last September he was the principal celebrant of a Mass marking the 13th anniversary of the death of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, which coincided with the U.S. Postal Service’s issuance of a stamp bearing her likeness.
“This stamp looks almost like a holy card. I pray it may serve in some small way as a reminder of Mother Teresa,” Archbishop Sambi said. “May Jesus stamp upon our hearts the same spirit as Mother’s to love God, the church and the poorest of the poor more than ourselves.”
At a 10th anniversary observance in 2009 of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed by Catholics and Lutherans, Archbishop Sambi told a Washington audience that today’s disciples of Jesus, like the first disciples, should be recognized by how they love each other and, guided by Jesus, they should walk together in a spirit of unity, mutual respect and brotherhood.
“Each act of unity is a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus,” said the archbishop.
At the 2007 convention of the National Catholic Educational Association, he called teachers “the greatest artists of the world … because you sculpt the best of what you are, not in a piece of marble but in human beings who are the glory of God.”
“Each of us has forgotten a lot of what we were told in school,” he added, “but a lot of what’s inside is from the example of teachers.”
Archbishop Sambi had not yet been appointed to the U.S. until when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, but a year after the storm, he took what locals call a “misery tour” of New Orleans. It was only then, he said, he realized the extent of the damage. “You cannot measure the extent of it until you come on the spot,” he said.
#####
 

Hackett wrote: "Please accept my deepest appreciation to the people in the Diocese of Des Moines for your generous contribution and heartfelt concern for the people of Japan. Your support allows Catholic Relief Services to bring help and hope to those devastated by natural disasters. Bishop Isao Kikuchi, the president of Caritas Japan, was overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around the globe. Bishop Kikuchi extends his most heartfelt gratitude 'to all the good people who showed their willingness to support Japan during the time of this disaster with prayers, messages and donations. A tremendous number of emails we received in our office in Tokyo reminded us that we are not living in solitude, but solidarity.' "

More to follow from the USCCB tomorrow--stay tuned here--and in the near future from your diocesan Bishop and Worship Commission.

Just when you think you have a plan...

In the event of a local, regional, or national disaster, the Catholic Charities Emergency/Disaster Response Program mobilizes the agency's services and resources and works in partnership with parishes to respond at the local level. The agency's efforts are also coordinated with those of other service providers in the government, not-for-profit, and healthcare sectors. This program may additionally provide assistance with, and information for, long term relief, such as support services and financial assistance.

• Saturday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines
• Saturday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. at All Saints Church in Stuart
• Sunday, June 5 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Des Moines.

Last weekend, Father Bob Aubrey celebrated his 40th anniversary of ordination. He will celebrate that plus his upcoming retirement on June 5 at White Oak Vineyards in Elkhart.

Father Michael Berner, of St. Anne Parish in Logan and St. Patrick Parish in Missouri Valley, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his priesthood earlier this month.

• who went to Rome for the beatification of Pope John Paul II
• which priests were reassigned to which parishes
• the name of our newest parish
• first-person accounts from our newest priests: one who will serve in the diocesan priesthood and one who chose to be ordained for a religious community
• the just-announced fifth season for the On a Journey Together Program.

Yesterday, May 18, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released the John Jay College of Criminal Justice study on the causes and context of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The major conclusions of this study can be summarized rather succinctly:

• There is no single “cause” of sexual abuse by priests.
• Most cases of abuse occurred in the period of 1965-1985, and most current reports are of abuse that took place more than 25 years ago. The chief trend that emerged was the rise of abuse incidents in the 1960s and 1970s and the sharp decline in the mid-1980s.
• The best way to protect children from abuse is to create safe environments where appropriate boundaries between adults and children are maintained.
• Sexual abuse of minors is a human problem that all of society must always guard against.
• The Diocese of Des Moines has established a safe environment program required by The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This program provides for background evaluations for employees and volunteers who have regular contact with children as well as safe environment training through the Virtus program. Nearly 11,000 individuals in the Diocese of Des Moines have been trained since the program was established. Another significant component of the program is the screening of candidates for the seminary as well as the education program provided in this regard during their seminary formation.

Procedures are in place through which the diocese responds promptly to any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. A Victim Assistance Advocate and an Allegation Review Committee are appointed to support the process. The diocese has reported allegations of sexual abuse of a minor to public authorities and cooperated with any investigation by law enforcement officials.

All of these procedures are annually audited by a firm retained by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Once every three years the audit is conducted onsite here in the diocese.

“We have been pleased that each annual audit has found the Diocese of Des Moines in compliance with the requirements of the charter,” said Bishop Richard Pates. “I am most grateful to our priests, deacons, staff and volunteers for their commitment to our diocesan program and for all they do to provide a safe environment for all of God’s children.”

The full John Jay College of Criminal Justice study entitled The Causes and Concerns of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States can be accessed here.

Following ordination to the priesthood, Friar Dominic will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving on May 21 at 10 a.m. at St. Theresa Parish in Des Moines. After his ordination, Dominic will pursue graduate studies with the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in Rome, Italy.

Aquinas Institute of Theology is a St. Louis-based Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry sponsored by the Dominican Order. Impelled by the Catholic faith and the Dominican mission, Aquinas Institute of Theology educates men and women to preach, to teach, to minister and to lead.

Bishop Richard Pates named the diocese's newest parish in the Council Bluffs area Corpus Christi, which means Body of Christ. Effective July 1, the parishes of Queen of Apostles, Holy Family and Our Lady of Carter Lake will merge to create the new Corpus Christi Parish with three worship sites.   Each site will continue to be identified by its present name.

“The name Corpus Christi was chosen because it means Body of Christ,” said Bishop Pates. “The name speaks to who we are as formed by the Eucharist, what we do, how we live out our identity as the Body of Christ, and what we desire to continue to grow into. The name itself is unifying and at the same time dynamic.”

The name Corpus Christi was suggested by a number of people from the 3 parishes. Deacon Bob McClellan, one of those who recommended the name, said it In “will lend itself to ongoing catechesis as we expound to current parish members and educate future members about who we are as a community of believers in Christ. The name Corpus Christi will continue to proclaim to the wider community our great love of Christ, his sacrifice and his call for us to become his hands, feet and mouth here on earth.”

Father Dan Kirby, pastor of the three parishes that will merge, invited people in March to send him their suggestions for a name of the new parish.

Queen of Apostles, Holy Family and Our Lady of Carter Lake have been working closely since June, 2002. Each parish maintained its autonomy while collaborating on joint ministries and activities with success. Recently, the tri-parish Visioning Council approached Bishop Pates for direction. Discussion began last June, and Bishop Pates affirmed moving in the direction of forming one new parish with three worship sites.

With the three faith communities coming together to form one parish, the pastor will have one Finance Council and one Pastoral Council and a consolidation of administrative duties for him and his staff.
Effective July 1, the diocese will have 81 parishes in 23 counties in central and southwest Iowa.
 

Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end.

In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.

Here's a suggested Prayer of the Faithful for this weekend, which was composed based on the above statement and the statement issued by the Muslim Public Affairs Council:

For an end to war and violence of all kinds, that nations and peoples who are fighting might lay down their weapons and take up the path to peace, keeping sacred the gift of all human life. Let us pray to the Lord: 

Statement of support for House File 657 from the Catholic bishops of Iowa

We are writing to express our support for House File 657, which would prohibit late-term abortions in Iowa. For us, this is a question of the common good. Human life is precious and should be protected in our laws. Protecting the lives of these children about to be born should not be considered primarily a partisan issue or even a religious issue. It is in the best interest of the State of Iowa to welcome these new citizens into our midst.

The people we serve understand the importance of this issue and support this legislation. On their behalf we ask that every effort be made to bring this bill to a vote in the Senate.

Signed,

To receive notifications of blog updates specifically for Catholic Charities related information click here. Enter your email address (the "sign up for e-mail notification" field is on the left) and click submit.

After you have subscribed through the Catholic Charities website, all blog notifications from us will come into your inbox as: CatholicCharities@dmdiocese.org.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at 515-237-5078 or tradke@dmdiocese.org.

And as always - thank you so much for your support!

Last week the Diocese celebrated the Chrism Mass. One woman was attending, along with a friend who had brought her 10- or 11-year old son. The woman was from Council Bluffs and had never been to the Cathedral before. She was going to be helping with the liturgy and I had a few notes to run through with her in the few minutes before the liturgy. Upon coming to the Cathedral, the three went to the chapel, which has the altar, ambo, and presider's chair that were used for the 1979 visit of John Paul II to Irish Settlement and Living History Farms. 

I walked through that chapel scores of times that morning and afternoon in preparation for the Mass. These three, seeing the papal visit furninshings for the first time, knelt on the floor and made their way on their knees to the altar that Pope John Paul II had used. I left them in privacy for this moment, and when I returned the woman asked if that was the altar the pope had used. I said that it was, and that the chair is one that the pope sat in, and that the ambo was also used. She was moved nearly to tears, and I had a shudder of goosebumps as I realized the many people John Paul II affected and how we in the heartland of the United States were blessed to be able to welcome the pope to Iowa for a few hours 31-years ago. Each weekday you can come to the 12:10 pm Mass at the Cathedral. Most days, except during Lent when the crowds are larger, Mass is celebrated in the chapel, using those furnishings. 

On May 1, 2011, the Second Sunday in Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, Servant of God Pope John Paul II will be beatified. The Vatican will publish more information here, including for you liturgio-philes, a worship aid.  Attending the beatification? Let us know! We'd love to hear about your experience!

Sixth grade Vocation Awareness Day in the east end of the diocese will be this Thursday, April 14, and April 20, both at St. Mary of Nazareth Church and parish hall in Des Moines.

The celebration is ongoing. If you haven't seen Tom Quiner's new musical "The Pope of the People" consider going. This weekend is the last scheduled performance, to be at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines. Tickets are available at www.MidwesTix.com or www.thepopeofthepeople.com. for more information, you can call Quiner directly at 515-276-9266.

The Saint John's Bible fine-art Heritage Edition exhibit will continue through this Sunday at the Museum of Religious Arts near Logan. For more information, call 712-644-3888 or go to www.mrarts.org.

And lastly for the month of April, the Des Moines Choral Society performance of "Ein Deutsches Requiem" by Johannes Brahms under the direction of Dr. James Rodde will be April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Ambrose Cathedral. Tickets can be obtained through www.dmchoral.org.

The following statement regarding labor-management relations was released yesterday, Monday, by
Bishop Richard Pates, of the Diocese of Des Moines.

The statement was to be presented at a gathering sponsored by the Iowa Federation of
Labor at the State Capitol on April 4 on behalf of Bishop Pates by Father David Polich,
Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Perry, Iowa.

Statement

In the midst of turmoil related to labor unions and the current economy, it is appropriate
to reiterate long standing church teaching dating back to 1891 and Pope Leo XIII.

The Church in its teaching on labor has steadfastly upheld that workers deserve just
wages and benefits, decent working conditions and the ability to organize and engage in
collective bargaining.

Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee recently stated: “Hard times do not nullify the
moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers.” At the same time,
the Archbishop stated that unions need to “make sacrifices when required” in adjusting to “new
economic realities.”

In his most recent encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI states, “The
repeated calls . . . for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must
therefore be honored today even more than in the past.” (#25) In Laborem Exercens, Pope John
Paul II called labor associations “an indispensable element of social life, especially in modern
industrialized societies,” but also reminded unions “to secure the just rights of workers within
the framework of the common good of the whole of society.” (#20)

The present moment offers an opportunity for unions and management to work
strenuously for the common good in order that all in society might participate justly and
equitably in the rich gifts of a beneficent creator

Catholic Charities Executive Director Nancy Galeazzi and myself (Trish Radke, staff member) returned today from a training that explored just that.

Held in New Ulm, Minnesota, the training was hosted by Catholic Charities USA as part of its Mission Integration work and gathered leadership from Catholic Charities agencies in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota.

Among many topics discussed was the underlying theme that, though Catholic Charities agencies around the country are unique in structure and programming, we are all guided by Catholic social teaching that leads us to serve the poor and vulnerable in our local communities with faith-filled compassion. Someone at the conference said it best...how could you do this work without faith?

The dignity and respect of the human person is truly at the core of what we do.

Interested in learning more about the key principles of Catholic social teaching that guide the work we do? Check out the CCUSA website here for a quick overview.

Catholic Charities in the Des Moines Diocese is involved in the opportunities offered through Catholic Charities USA and utilizes the resources and relationships to evolve the work that we do locally. From policy development, advocacy at a national level, leadership training and resource sharing, Catholic Charities USA links almost 1700 agencies around the US that carry out the social mission of the Catholic Church.

As a volunteer or supporter of Catholic Charities, YOU are part of this network too-- a network that provides help and hope for more than 9 million people of all faiths each year.

Bishop Emeritus William H. Bullock, seventh bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines, died today, Sunday, April 3, just before noon at age 83 in Wisconsin after recently having been diagnosed with lung cancer.

He was a priest nearly 60 years, a bishop for more than 30 years.

“Please join me in praying for Bishop Bullock, his family and the people of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Diocese of Des Moines as well as the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin where he most recently served as Bishop and where he made his home during his retirement years,” said Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates.

Bishop Bullock came from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and was the first of three consecutive bishops from the Twin Cities to serve the Diocese of Des Moines. He served central and southwest Iowa from 1987 to 1993 before being appointed bishop of the Diocese of Madison, Wisc., where he served 10 years until his retirement in 2003.

Bishop Pates knew Bishop Bullock well.

“Both Bishop Bullock and I were from the Twin Cities and were blessed with a long-standing friendship,” said Bishop Pates. “The Bishop was a dedicated churchman, capable of making difficult decisions all the while enjoying a tremendous sense of humor.”

Bishop Pates noted that Bishop Bullock will be remembered for several accomplishments.

• “He founded the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines.
• The Bishop was a national leader in establishing a policy addressing sexual abuse in 1988.
• He oversaw the creation of two outreach efforts of Catholic Charities: St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and St. Mary Family Center.
• He also re-started a regularly delivered diocesan newspaper, which had been discontinued due to budgetary reasons.
• He coordinated the purchase and establishment of the Catholic Pastoral Center at 601 Grand Ave. in Des Moines.”

“I just think he was very forward looking and was interested in serving people,” said his former chancellor, Larry Breheny. “He was very conscious of the poor and what needed to be done for them.”

“He was strong in liturgy,” said his former vicar general, Msgr. Larry Beeson. “He will be well remembered for his Confirmations.”

Father Tim Fitzgerald, who was master of ceremony for Bishop Bullock’s installation, concurred. “When it came to liturgy, he took it seriously and worked hard at it himself and wanted it to be the best possible.”

Msgr. Frank Bognanno, who served as a chancellor for Bishop Bullock, said he would be remembered for his pastoral letters on the sacrament of reconciliation and end-of-life issues.

Bishop Bullock returned to the Des Moines diocese twice recently. He was here for the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Iowa and for the celebration of Msgr. Beeson’s 50th anniversary as a priest.

“As the Diocese of Des Moines celebrates its centennial, certainly, Bishop William Bullock is a figure to be applauded,” said Bishop Pates. “We are beneficiaries of the Bishop’s rich legacy which will have continuing impact for decades to come.”

For more information on Bishop Bullock, go to the Des Moines diocese’s webpage on him at http://www.dmdiocese.org/bishop-bullock.cfm or the Madison diocese’s webpage on him at http://www.madisondiocese.org/DioceseofMadison/OfficeoftheBishop/BishopsEmeritusPast/ BishopWilliamBullockBishopEmeritus.aspx.
 

The Spanish immersion program at St. Anthony School is accepting registrations for its 2011 kindergarten class.  The program is open to all students from all parishes.  Research shows that foreign language immersion is the best method of teaching a new language and it is most effective when it is introduced during early childhood.  In addition, research shows that students enrolled in immersion programs have increased cognitive skills, higher achievement in other academic areas and higher standardized test scores.

“I would definitely recommend the Spanish Immersion experience to other families,” said parent Carla Baril, whose twin daughters are enrolled in the program.  “It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids when they go on to high school and in life.  It provides them with so many possibilities and expands their minds so they are open to new experiences and cultures.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Spanish Immersion program, contact Principal Dr. Joe Cordaro at 515-243-1874 or visit www.stanthonydsm.org.  

• St. Patrick, Bayard
• St. Ceilia, Panora
• St. patrick, Perry
• St. Mary, Guthrie Center,
• Holy Spirit, Creston
• St. Edward, Afton
• St. Patrick, Missouri Valley

Father Dietzen served as an editor for his own diocesan newspaper in Peoria, Ill. from 1957-1973. He began writing his question-and-answer column in 1968 to help people understand the changes ocurring in the Church. Here is a link to the Catholic News Service's obituary on Father Dietzen.

Cards can be sent to Bishop Bullock at: Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Road, PO Box 44983, Madison, WI 53744-4983. His e-mail address is wbullock@straphael.org.

Bishop Bullock served our diocese from 1987-1993. Bishop Pates said: "I know that Bishop Bullock deeply appreciates keeping him in your prayers and thoughts at this time."

In case you missed it "in the loop"--

The diocese will do bulk discounted purchases for one or two preferred editions of the Roman Missal. Parishes or individuals will then reimburse the diocese. Priests, deacons, lay leaders of prayer, and liturgy directors are encouraged to submit their thoughts on the various editions available. The February 9, 2011 post on the Worship Blog provides links to the currently available information.  The Worship Office will wait until complete information is available for each edition before doing a bulk pre-order. Parishes and priests should submit the number of Missals they would like by June 1.

"The website is part of the U.S. bishops' National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, multi-year project aimed at communicating the meaning and value of marriage and married life for the Church and society," said The Catholic Key, diocesan newspaper of Kansas City.

Just how worldly and soft are Catholics anyway?

I think if we look at today's Gospel reading, which is the story of Mary's "Yes" to God's invitation to be the mother of the Christ child, we'll see that the Church invites us to set aside penance, and, like Mary, to rejoice.

That a solemnity like the Annunciation of the Lord should take precedence over a Lenten Friday of penance doesn't have to mean the Church has gone worldly in a negative way. In fact, it seems to me that is what the feast celebrates: that God's eternal Word came to the world--to redeem it and us.  Our scriptures from Palm Sunday remind us what Christ's incarnation means for the world.
 

Incidentally, a few years ago, March 25 was Good Friday and the Annunciation was transferred to a day in the Easter season. The Church prescribes times of penance when appropriate, and times of celebration when appropriate. And, just a reminder that no one is saying you must give up your Lenten fast!

Read the Whispers post from yesterday for a little more info and, as usual, some colorful commentary on the feast day.

Let me explain.

Thanks to the generosity of so many people in our community, Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement Program has an amazing stock of donated comforters, blankets and sheets that will be used in apartments for refugee families that have been forced to leave their home country because of war and violence. Read more about Refugee Resettlement here.

Part of an apartment set-up process through the Refugee Resettlement Program is providing basic necessities, like blankets, sheets and other bedding. So, after all of these items are generously donated, volunteers are needed to help take loads of the items to the laundromat to be washed.

That's where you laundry-lovers come in!

Volunteers can offer to pick up a load or two to launder, and then return it clean and ready to provide a safe, warm and dignified place for people coming from unspeakable circumstances.

Here is what they had to say:

“How parents react and cope in the situation directly effects how children react,” says Sharon Bandstra, L.I.S.W., therapist with Catholic Charities.  Bandstra says that being aware of your own fears and how you project them onto those around you is essential in helping children deal with their fears.

• First, consider how you are managing yourself. Children pick up on cues from parents, so if you can stay calm, it is easier for your children to stay calm.
• Preparation is key. Have a plan of action for disasters that would directly affect your family and talk to your children about it. Make sure your plan is detailed and includes scenarios like, if there is a fire in the house meet in the neighbor’s front yard by the large oak tree.
• Separate facts from fears. Children tend to worry about worse case scenarios and facts can help ease some of those unrealistic fears. They may not need all of the details, but it is essential to help them sort out the facts.
• Keep to your schedule. If the disaster/crisis has directly affected your family you may need to create a new schedule or pattern. Predictably helps ease anxiety in children and adults, so sticking to a routine is essential.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Merciful God, you never depart from us even in the worst of times; be with us in both our joy and in our sadness. Grant your aid and encouragement to those who suffer in the face of this great calamity. We, too, continue to offer you our prayers and sacrifices for their sake. Bring us with all possible haste to the day when all can live in safety. May all those who have lost their lives in the devastation find peaceful repose in your presence. Mother Mary, pray for us.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

This weekend, most parishes of the diocese will be taking up a second collection for the people who suffer from this tragedy. The money collected will be forwarded through Catholic Charities to Catholic Relief Services. CRS will then make sure it is given to assist the people of Japan.

Thanks to Rocco at Whispers for sharing this prayer.

The Saint John's Bible Heritage Edition fine-art exhibit was brought to the Diocese of Des Moines by the diocese's Centennial Steering Committee in celebration of the diocese's 100th anniversary this year.

He had served many parishes, including St. Mary of Nazareth from which he retired after serving the parish for 19 years.

• March 28     St Joseph, Des Moines                                 7 p.m.
• March 31     Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, Ankeny           7 p.m.
• March 31     St. Francis of Assisi, West Des Moines         7 p.m.
• March 31     Ss. John & Paul, Altoona                              7 p.m.
• March 27     All Saints, Des Moines                                 2 p.m.
• April 11         St Pius X, Urbandale                                    7 p.m.
• April 3         St. Mary/Holy Cross, Elkhart                        2 p.m.
• April 11       St Theresa, Des Moines                               7 p.m.
• April 12       Sacred Heart, West Des Moines                   6:30 p.m.
• April 16       St Anthony, Des Moines                              10 a.m.

Altoona

Ss. John and Paul Parish, 1401 1st Ave. S., Altoona – March 11 – April 15
Served from 4:30-7:30 p.m., all you can eat. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Menu includes fried fish, baked fish, potato, cole slaw, macaroni & cheese or cheese pizza for kids. Cost $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under.
Homemade desserts provided by Youth Ministry for a free will offering; proceeds go to fundraising efforts for youth mission trips and NCYC.

Ankeny

Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, Ankeny – March 18, April 1, April 15
The Msgr. J. Hanson Council is sponsoring Fish Fry Dinners that will be served at 510 E. First St., Ankeny in the Multi-purpose Room from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Menu includes baked fish filets, fried fish filets, baked potato, corn, rolls and coleslaw, and ice cream. The kids’ menu includes fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, French fries and ice cream. Drinks will be lemonade and coffee. Cost is a free will donation (recommended donation $8 per person). Proceeds will benefit Council 5038 renovation project at Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside.

Atlantic

SS Peter & Paul Parish, Atlantic – March 11-April 15
Knights of Columbus Baked Fish Dinner – All you can eat – Dinner also includes potato, vegetable, roll, and beverage all for $8.00. Proceeds go towards scholarship fund. Desserts will also be sold by the youth and proceeds go towards NCYC trip.

St Marys, Avoca – March 11 and 25
Cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children and free for children under 4.

Chariton

Sacred Heart, Chariton – March 11-April 15
Sacred Heart Council 4151 of the Knights of Columbus in Chariton will have their Friday Night Fish Fry dinners starting on March 11. The meals will be served in the Parish Center from 5-6:45 p.m., with Stations of the Cross following at 7 p.m. It is all you can eat, 3 styles of fish, baked potatoes, potato wedges, vegetables, cole slaw, grilled cheese, and home made pies and desserts. Cost is $8 for those over 12 years of age, $4 for those 12 and under, with a maximum of $20 for a family.

Glenwood
Holy Rosary, Glenwood – March 11 – April 15
The Knights of Columbus have Fish Fry's from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $8 for adults and $3for kids.
 

Granger
Assumption Parish, Granger, Iowa – March 11 – April 15
The menu includes baked fish, fried fish , cole slaw, pizza, French fries baked potato, dessert, choice of drinks. Cost is a free will offering .

Indianola

St. Thomas Aquinas, Indianola – March 11 – April 15
Indianola Knights of Columbus Lenten fish dinners will be served at St. Thomas Aquinas Pastoral Center located west of Indianola at the intersection of Highway 92 and R63 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Menu includes hand breaded deep fried fish, baked fish, baked & French fried potatoes, cole slaw, and a roll. A dessert bar, run by the local Catholic youth group, will also be available. Cost is $8 for adults (anyone over 12 years old), $3 for children ages 5-12, and free for children under 5. All carry outs are $8.

Missouri Valley

St. Patrick, Missouri Valley - March 11 – April 15
Our fish fry dinners are held at the Houdek Center (our parish hall), located at the corner of 7th and Huron St. We serve from 5-7:30 p.m. and have "all you care to eat" hand breaded pollock, potato, vegetable, dessert and beverages, as well as macaroni and cheese as an alternative for non fish-eaters. Cost is $9 for adults, $4 for children 4-10. Children 3 and under are free.
 

Neola
St. Patrick’s Parish, Neola – March 18 – April 15
Fish fry dinners will be served from 5-7 p.m. in the parish hall. “All the fish you can eat”. Cost is $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-10 and free for children under age 5.

Norwalk

St. John the Apostle, Norwalk – March 18 – April 15
The Knights of Columbus FISH FRY is held from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. The menu includes Cod Fish, Coleslaw, Fries, Macaroni & Cheese, Relish, Bread, Beverage & Ice Cream.

Perry

St. Patrick Parish, Perry - March 11- April 15 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Fish Fry dinners will be held at St. Patrick's Catholic School, 5th and Lucinda. Menu includes baked or fried fish, potato, cole slaw, beverage and dessert. Sponsored by Knights of Columbus.

Red Oak

St. Mary Parish, Red Oak – March 11 – April 15
The 8th Annual Lenten Fish Fry-day's at St. Mary's, Red Oak will be held from 5-7 p.m. Our menu will be fried fish, baked fish, macaroni & cheese, French fries, baked potatoes, and homemade cole slaw. The youths will be selling brownies and ice cream for a small additional charge as their fundraiser for the National Catholic Youth Conference. On April 1 we will hold a Silent and Live Auction during the Fish Fry. Everyone is welcome to come to the Lenten Fish Fry-day's!

Shenandoah

St. Mary, Shenandoah – March 11 – April 15
The Knights of Columbus will be serving fish fry dinners from 5-7 p.m. in the parish hall. Cost is $8 per person.

Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Conception, St. Marys, IA – March 18, 25, April 1, 8
Knights of Columbus Council 10150 will be having Fish Fry dinners beginning at 5 p.m. in the parish hall. Everyone is welcome. Cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children.

DES MOINES AREA

All Saints Parish , Des Moines – March 11 – April 15
All Saints KC Fish Fry dinners to be served at 650 NE 52nd Ave. in Des Moines from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $7 for adults and free for children ages 12 and under. Menu includes baked or fried cod, mac 'n cheese or coleslaw, baked potato or fries, bread, drinks and dessert.

St Mary of Nazareth Parish, 4600 Meredith Dr, Des Moines – March 11-April 15
Knights of Columbus Council 11643 - Lenten Fish Fry will be served in Msgr. Gerald Ryan Hall. Carryout is available. Menu includes: Baked fish, fried fish, French fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls and butter. Cost is $ for adults, $7 for seniors (over 60), $5 for children (12 and under), $15 for couples.

Basilica of St. John, Des Moines - March 11 - April 15
Fish Fry dinners will be in the parish hall from 4-7 p.m. Menu: fried catfish or seasoned baked Pollock, two side dishes, bread, dessert & drink. Cost is $8 for adults and $3 for children ages 4-10. No charge for children under 3 years. Join us for Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m.

St. Joseph, Des Moines March 11, 18, 25, April 8, 15
Fish fry dinners will be served from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for children under 6. Cost for a family is $30 and $6 for seniors.
The menu includes baked & batter Pollock, hush puppies, cheesie potato cass, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, milk, juice, coffee, dessert.

Christ the King Parish, Des Moines – March 11 – April 15
Members of the Knights of Columbus of Christ the King will host Lenten Fish dinner in the parish hall from 5-7 p.m. The menu includes baked and fried fish, baked potatoes, vegetable, salad or cole slaw, rolls dessert and beverages and pizza for the kids. Cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children 4-12. Family maximum is $25.00. Proceeds benefit Christ the King parish programs.
Mass is at 5:30 followed by Stations of the Cross each Friday during lent. Christ the King is located at SW9th and Park in Des Moines.

St. Augustin Parish, Des Moines – March 11 – April 15
There will be a Fish Fry each Friday of Lent probably following the evening Mass, about 6:30 P.M., in the Parish Hall.. The Fish Fry dinners will be sponsored by St. Augustin Knights of Columbus Council #10558. Cost is $7 for Adults - $7.00 and $4 for children under 12.

St. Anthony Parish, Des Moines – March 11 – April 15
Fr. Victor Romanelli Knights of Columbus is sponsoring the annual Lenten Fish Fry dinner served from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Parish Hall, 15 Indianola Ave. Cost is $7.50 for adults and $5 for children. All are welcome.

Heaven and Earth: A Celtic Mass

Saturday, 2 April 2011 at 7:30 pm (First Christian Church, Des Moines)

How are the Mass texts actually experienced by individuals, families, and nations, in times of joy or strife? Des Moines composer Ben Allaway has set the texts of the Mass side-by-side with musical and narrative human experieneces. A 200-voice Celtic Mass Choir will be conducted by the composer, Ben Allaway, anchored by the Omaha Symphonic Chorus and the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble, with the choirs of First Christian Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, and Opus24 of Decatur, IL.

Tickets: Adult $15 in advance, $17 at the door, Student $10 at www.dmvae.org or www.midwesTix.com, or call Frist Christian Church at 515.255.2181.

Haydn's Nelson Mass

Sat., 9 April 2011 at 8 pm; Sun., 10 April 2011 at 3 pm (Cathedral of St. Ambrose, Des Moines)

Composed in 1798 for liturgical use, the Nelson Mass was commissioned by F.J. Haydn's employer to celebrate the name day of Princess Esterhazy, the wife of Prince Nicholas II, who was Haydn's employer. Drake University's Nelson Mass performance will involve approximately 240 singers as well as 60 instrumentalists, and will be conducted by Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier, director of Choral Studies at Drake University, and conductor of diocesan liturgies for over 25 years.

Tickets will be available beginning March 21 at the Drake Fine Arts Box Office, 515.271.3841. $5 for students and $10 for non-students. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Brahms' A German Requiem

Sat., 30 April 2011 at 7:30 pm (Cathedral of St. Ambrose, Des Moines)

Using the traditional Requiem Mass form as inspiration, the musical master Johannes Brahms crafted  Ein Deutsches Requiem as both a tribute to those who died and a consolation to the living who mourn their loss.  Brahms' Requiem is comprised of Scriptural and poetic texts focusing on life and death. The Des Moines Choral Society returns to the Cathedral for the second time this Centennial year, under the direction of Dr. James Rodde, Director of Choral Activities at Iowa State University.

Tickets: $20 for preferred seating, $15 for regular seating and $7 for student/child seating. Tickets can be obtained through www.dmchoral.org.

The precepts of the Church remind us of the following obligations during Lent and Easter time. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays of Lent, Catholics are to abstain from meat. Everyone 14 years or older must refrain from eating any meat or foods containing meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 59 should eat only one full meal and two other meals consisting of substantially less food. There should be no food taken between meals. Anyone whose health is threatened by fasting is exempted.

All Catholics are to make their Easter duty. The Easter duty consists of participating in the sacrament of reconciliation (if one has seriously sinned) and to receive the Holy Eucharist. The Easter duty may be done between the First Sunday of Lent (March 13) and Trinity Sunday (June 19).

What a wonderful message to all those who give hope through their work with Catholic Charities!

As a college student, we called it over the hump day. As a high school teacher, we called it review day. At Catholic Charities, we call it activity day for the day care, or half-price day at the thrift store or soup day in the kitchen. In many ways, it is just another day, the most ordinary day of the week, the weekend prior has already passed and the Sunday to come seems far off. Wednesday is sort of stuck in the mud. No wonder our church takes this day, the most ordinary day, and buries it in ashes. It is a day when we are reminded of our humanity, that we are "dust and to dust we shall return." It is a day we are covered with ash where we can't see even the possibility of the light of Easter Sunday.

This Ash Wednesday is a symbol of the day that many of our clients, residents, students, and guests experience as their everyday. The ash and weight of poverty, homelessness and depression surround them so that not even the possibility of a new life can be seen. In response to these ashes of despair, we at Catholic Charities are called to provide help in lifting others out of the ash and to provide hope for the possibility of new life.

On this Ash Wednesday let us, staff, volunteers, board members, in all capacities recall that this often referred to as the day that we "GIVE up" candy or soda, let us instead "TAKE up" our skills in order to dust off the hopelessness, our hands to wipe off the sadness, and our hearts to shed light through despair. This is the gift of being part of our Catholic Charities network of service: We get to lead people from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday!

Let us pray that the next 40 days can be days of hope and help leading us to a new experience of life and hope.

-Written by Fr. Ragan Schriver, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Eastern Tennessee

Holy God,

Fill our hearts iwth the fire of your love.

Awaken us, Holy spirit,

to witness to the presence of Jesus in

every moemnt of our lives.

Renew us, Lord,

so that our homes, parishes,

communities and world are transformed into your kingdom on earth, where

peace and justice reign.

Amen

the Saint John's Bible display is at the Polk County Heritage Gallery, 111 Court Avenue, in DM through March 31, open weekdays from 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

• 45% cut to Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA)
• 10.4% cut to the Office of Refugee Resettlement
• 67% cut to International Disaster Assistance (IDA)

This would greatly impact Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program which, in the last six months, has helped resettle 126 refugees who have been forced to leave their home country due to war and persecution.

The Senate will likely vote on its own FY2011 spending bill the first week of March. 

In 1998, St. John's University and Abbey in Minnesota commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson, calligrapher for Queen Elizabeth II, to produce a handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible. The Hertage edition is a full-size, fine-art reproduction of the original Saint John's Bible.

In addition to the Heritage Edition exhibit, the diocese has had 15 prints framed and available as a touring exhibit. Three of the prints are at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand AVe., in Des Moines. For more information, go to www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org.

"I give thanks to God for the thousands of people throughout the diocese who are participating in 'On a Journey Together,'" said Bishop Richard Pates. "Through this process, we are evangelizing ourselves and, as a result, are better able to evangelize our world. Together, we are growing into the People of God we have been called to be, and we are indeed, '...making Jesus Christ known and loved in our time by choosing to live the Gospel at every moment...'"

Watch your parish bulletin for more local information on the small, faith-sharing groups involved in "On a Journey Together."

The new texts of the Roman Missal for the seasons of Advent and Christmas are posted for the convenience of priests who will be preparing the prayers and for anyone curious about the forthcoming new edition. 

Recall that the texts for the Order of Mass are posted as well.  The Order of Mass includes those texts which are are mostly fixed from week to week. This would include the Greeting and Sign of the Cross, the Penitential Act, the Glory to God, Creed, Eucharistic Prayers, and the Communion and Concluding Rites. There are two formats: a standard format and an annotated format, which includes scriptural references. 

Or, if you wish, there are versions with only the people's parts and the priests' parts which highlight with the differences in translation.

Click here for info on each event and links to registration, or contact Kyle Lechtenberg in the diocesan Office for Worship at 515.237.5046. 

•     Creation, Genesis 1:1-2:4a
•     Garden of Eden Genesis 2:8-25
•     Adam and Eve Genesis 3
•     Suffering Servant Isaiah 53
•     Jacob’s Ladder Genesis 28:10-17
•     Vision of the New Temple Ezekiel 40-48
•     Psalms Book IV: Frontispiece
•     Now the Word of the Lord Jeremiah 1:4-10
•     Rejoice! Zechariah 9:9-17, 10:1-5
•     Thistle and Butterfly Genesis 3-4
•     Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1-17
•     The Lord Bless You Numbers 6:24-26

Below is the current information on available editions of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.  The Missal may be preordered from publishers at this time or shortly, with delivery set by the USCCB for October 1, 2011.

USCCB Publishing

Altar: $169  Chapel: $115

Resources from the USCCB on preparing and implementing the new edition

Catholic Book Publishing Corporation

Deluxe: $159  Altar: $129  Chapel: $89

Liturgical Press

Ritual: $169.95  Chapel: $119.95

Liturgy Training Publications
Deluxe: $500  Church: $175  Chapel: $95

Magnificat
Information will be posted when available.

Midwest Theological Forum

Study Text (excerpts only): $15 Regal: $500  Classic: $350

World Library Publications

Deluxe (9" x 12"): $395  Value (9" x 12"): $195
 

Fr. Turner, along with Fr. Michael Joncas of the University of St. Thomas, will be in the diocese to present to priests, parish leaders, and parishioners during our Easter Octave Formation Days, from April 27-30, 2011, at various locations in the diocese.

Just as the article portrays, this is a person who has vision and truly wants to use that vision to help others.

At the blessing of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter this past November, Tom said, "As we celebrate the new shelter, let us not forget that there are people right here in Des Moines that won't have a place to stay tonight and that don't have a roof over their head. We have to keep fighting poverty." 

The world could use a few more people like Tom!

The partnership the Diocese of Des Moines shares with the University of Dayton provides a wonderful opportunity for people to participate in adult faith formation from the comfort of their own home. The courses are generally five weeks in duration and do require five hours of work weekly on average. The cost is $40 per course plus books (usually $20 or less). For more information visit the UD website at http://vlc.udayton.edu. You may also contact Dr. Cheryl Fournier at 515-237-5006. 

"In this fourth season, we look to deepen our sense of the Spirit, who inspires us to 'live the Gospel at every moment,'" said Bishop Richard Pates. "We witness to this through our love of God, of family, of neighbor; through our understanding of and work for justice in which we are committed to protecting the life and dignity of every individual, and the exercise of good and faithful citizenship."

 Watch your parish bulletin for more information on opportunities in your parish to be a part of "On a Journey Together."

"In the actions of our life together, we become an evangelizing community; one that is alive in faith and committed to sharing that faith in ways large and small in the midst of our every day living," said Bishop Richard Pates. 

Watch your parish bulletin for more information regarding the small, faith-sharing groups involved in "On a Journey Together." 

Consider coming to the Catechetical Summit. You will encounter three national speakers who represent some of the most influential and important voices in evangelization and catechesis today.

• Bishop Richard J. Malone, who is the former chair of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, is our keynote and he will speak on the current condition of lifelong faith formation in America today.
• Jackie Witter, Ed.D. is the associate vice president for academics at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn. and the director of Illuminare: Ministry to Ministers through St. Paul’s Monastery. She will speak on building up the domestic church.
• Michael Theisen is the director of membership services for the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and he will speak on adolescent catechesis.

The day will begin with Mass and end with a panel discussion featuring all three speakers. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 2 for the Catechetical Summit at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines.

This is Catholic Schools Week! Most of the Catholic schools in the diocese celebrated with open houses yesterday. This week, they're planning multiple activities including  charity drives to help those in need, parent/grandparent luncheons, reading programs, theme days, talent shows, entertainment, and more.

The Diocese of Des Moines Catholic schools are known for providing quality education in a faith-based environment. Students learn about God and how to live out their faith by serving others all while receiving top academic training in a safe, nurturing environment.

“Sending our two boys to Catholic school is giving them a Christian education that is actually lived out throughout the school day,” said parent Anne Posegate.

"What I value most about my Catholic education is that we can really learn how to be good people. The lessons will carry out through all my life,” said St. Augustin sixth grader Madi Andersen.

The high school graduation rate for 2009-2010 graduates was 100 percent and an average of 97 percent of the 2010 graduates attended post-secondary education. ITBS, ITED and ACT test scores are consistently higher in all areas than the state and nation.

To learn more about the Diocese of Des Moines Catholic schools, check out the diocesan website. The schools serve more than 6,400 students through its 17 schools.

Holy Trinity (Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sacred Heart (West Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
St. Anthony (Des Moines): Sunday, January 30, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
St. Augustin (Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
St. Francis of Assisi (West Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm
St. Joseph (Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
St. Pius X (Urbandale): Sunday, Jan. 30, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
St. Theresa (Des Moines): Sunday, Jan. 30, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Assumption School (Granger): Sunday, Jan. 30, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
St. Malachy (Creston): Sunday, Jan. 30, 10:00 am
Shelby County Catholic School (Harlan): Sunday, Jan. 30, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
St. Albert Schools (Council Bluffs): Sunday, Jan. 30, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
 

The day will begin at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 Grand Ave. in Des Moines and end with lobbying and a rally at the State Capitol.

Highlights of the day include:

Catholic Charities’ Social Justice Consortium promotes the social justice mission of the Catholic Church. Guided by Bishop Richard Pates, the group’s mission is to work toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good. Initiatives include Respect Life, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities’ USA Poverty Campaign, JustFaith ministries, Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse Advocacy, Justice for Newcomers and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response.

For more information about the Respect Life initiative, contact Wendy Solawetz at 515-237-5082.

With Creighton University in Omaha, the Diocese of Des Moines co-sponsors certificate programs in Ministry, Liturgy, Spirituality and Theology. The partnership provides systematic formation for ministry and leadership.

First established in 1986 with the St. Joseph Educational Center, the certificate programs are a valuable resource for ministry and ministers in the diocese. The certificate programs offer a cycle of theology and ministry courses, with a 3-credit course offered in the diocese each semester.
Instructors for the courses are faculty of Creighton’s theology department and other credentialed professionals.

The Spring, 2011 course will be Reading the New Testament, Exploring the Catholic approach to Scripture, the formation and context of the Christian Scriptures, and the challenge to follow Christ, the Word made flesh. The instructor will be Father James Laurenzo. For more information, please consult the attached flier and brochure or contact Father Timothy Fitzgerald at formation@dmdiocese.org .
 

“The Spanish class that I took was a very fun and easy way for me to refresh on how to have a conversation in Spanish. The classes are divided into beginner and advanced classes which gives it a very comfortable atmosphere. It is a fun, affordable, and easy way to learn conversational Spanish,” said Cody Turner, of the St. Thomas More Center.

In 2010 the level of participation allowed us the opportunity to divide the class into two groups: a beginner’s class and an intermediate class with instructors at each level. Let’s do the same in 2011.

The class focuses on both speaking and reading in Spanish.
This series will meet for 8 consecutive Mondays from February 7th thru April 4th from 6:00-7:30PM, at the Catholic Pastoral Center (601 Grand Avenue) . Cost for the 8-week series is $40. There are two books used for the Spanish conversation classes which cost: 

•   $14.00 grammar book
•   $6 Spanish/English dictionary (if needed)

We must have a minimum of 11 students for one instructor and 22 students for two instructors (a beginners and an intermediate class). The series are open to all interested persons
To enroll for this class or for more information, contact Sherri at the Diocesan Department of Evangelization and Catechesis (515-237-5058 or ssimmer@dmdiocese.org)

Payment is made to the “Diocese of Des Moines” and brought or mailed to Sherri at the diocese:
Attention: Sherri Simmer

Diocese of Des Moines

601 Grand Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50309

Dubuque, Iowa – Sister Therese Beck, BVM (Philip Ann) 80, died Jan. 19, 2011, at Caritas Center, Dubuque, Iowa. Visitation is from 9–11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, at Marian Hall Chapel, followed by a prayer service at 11 a.m. Funeral liturgy is at 1:30 p.m. Burial is in the Mount Carmel cemetery, Dubuque.

In the diocese of Des Moines, Sister Therese was principal at St. Malachy Elementary School in Creston from 1991–93. Also in Iowa, she was principal and/or teacher in Fort Dodge, Emmetsburg, Creston and Gilbertville. She was a teacher in Chicago and Round Lake, Ill.; Lead, S.D.; and Casper, Wyo. She also served as a member of the BVM Center office staff and as a volunteer, both in Dubuque.

She was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Dec. 25, 1930, to Henry P. and Ruby Mae (Lewis) Beck. She entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM congregation on Feb. 2, 1949, from Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Dodge, Iowa. She professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1951, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1956.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Harold, Lewis, Francis, Leo, Neil and Robert; and sisters: Phyllis Fitzpatrick, Marjorie Sharp, Cleo Garner and Rosemary Powers. She is survived by a brother, John Beck, Roseville, Calif.; sister-in-law, Patricia Beck-Pierce, Tucson, Ariz.; nieces and nephews; and the Sisters of Charity, BVM with whom she shared life for 61 years.

Memorials may be given to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Support Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52003, or online at www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_obits.cfm.

The Respect Life initiative is part of Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium and assists parishes in understanding and implementing the concept of the Consistent Life Ethic, whereby the respect and dignity of all persons is embraced from the moment of conception to natural death.

Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium is committed to working toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good. Read more about the consortium and other initiatives here.

Additional Partners Sought

   Last year, three Des Moines Catholic parishes joined forces and, as the “Catholic Circle of Faith,” helped sponsor a Greater Des Habitat for Humanity home. The home was completed in July; and Holy Trinity, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Pius X plan to collaborate on another Habitat build in the summer of 2011.

   “We had a great time getting to know one another while we worked with Habitat on Kuanyin and Ayen’s home,” says volunteer Jim Cade, a member of St. Pius X parish in Urbandale. “We’d love to talk to other Catholic groups about joining us in 2011.”

   For more information or to schedule a meeting with Habitat staff and a Catholic Circle of Faith volunteer, contact Brendalyn Shird at Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, 515-471-8686 x 112 or bshird@gdmhabitat.org; Doug Moore (volunteer/St. Francis of Assisi) at m00b0yz@gmail.com, Jim Cade at (volunteer/St. Pius X) jgcade51@msn.com, or Matt Nolan (volunteer/Holy Trinity) at Matt@creditwiseiowa.com.

Click here to see the worship aid (scroll to "News and Information") or read about it in The Des Moines Register.

Photo credit: Jim Bowen, used with permission, copyright 2009.

Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium is co-hosting a screening of this eye-opening documentary this Sun., Jan. 16 at 3 pm at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1548 8th St. in Des Moines.

"Papers" is the story of undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status. The movie is an opportunity to learn more about the need for comprehensive immigration reform and a change in public policy.

The screening is free and open to the public. Catholic Charities encourages anyone wanting to know more about immigration issues to attend the viewing.

It will be a Sunday afternoon well-spent.

Mary was known for so many things especially her genuine respect and empathy for the clients she welcomed daily, the words of wisdom that she could offer on almost any topic and her one-of-a-kind sense of humor.

Mary will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Please remember Mary, her family, friends, co-workers and everyone whose lives she touched in your prayers. 

Arrangements are as follows:

Friday, January 7th

Visitation will be from 5:00 – 8:00 pm, Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 105 Fourth Street S.W. in Altoona

Saturday, January 8th

Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 am at St. Ambrose Cathedral, a luncheon will follow at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

Bishop Richard Pates issued the following statement:  "I was shocked and greatly saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Mary Stookey while I am on retreat in Oceanside, California at Prince of Peace Benedictine Abbey. I extend heartfelt condolences to Mary’s family and to all of our associates at the Pastoral Center who cherished their friendships and working relationship with Mary. She brought a very upbeat spirit to work and was always ready to assist and bring encouragement when needed. She will be sorely missed by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Des Moines.In particular, I extend sympathy to Mary’s husband, Tom, to her children, Paul, Sherri and Nichole and to the remainder of her family. Be assured that we stand close to you at this time of loss. I will offer Mass for Mary while on retreat at Prince of Peace Abbey and will continue to remember all in my prayers at this time of grieving. May Mary Stookey enjoy the fullness of Life with the Risen Savior forever."
 

Do you know about a priest who entered the U.S. Army and served as a chaplain for 22 years? Father Patrick Walsh, born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Des Moines diocese, served St. Anthony Parish in Des Moines and Sacred Heart Parish in Mondamin before serving in the U.S. Military. He held a Bronze Star Medal, Valor, and the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious. In 1957, he was awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal.
 

Jan. 16 - Community viewing of “Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth,” Grace United Methodist Church at 3:00 p.m.

Jan. 21 -  Mass for Life, St. Pius Church at 6 p.m. 

Feb. 8 - Prayer for Life, 9:30-12:30 p.m. at the Catholic Pastoral Center followed by lobbying and Prayer Rally at State Capital from 12:30–3:30 p.m.

April 7 - Fourth annual Art of Healing fundraiser for the Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter and Sexual Abuse Program in Council Bluffs

June 23 - Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs, Principal Park

Aug. 29 - Bishop's Catholic Charities Golf Classic, Echo Valley Country Club

Dec. 2-4 - No Room at the Inn, fundraiser and awareness event for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Dear Editor,

I would like to express my thankfulness to all the people who donated to this years diocesan Seminarian Appeal. Your generosity is truly humbling. Without your help I would not be able to continue in formation. I know that all of you work extremely hard, and that times are tight. I just want you all to know that I am working hard to be the best I can be every day. Although there are many ups and downs through seminary formation, it is nice to know that people really take an interest and support me in this process. Thank you again, and know that you all will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Yours in Christ,
Ross Parker
Parker is studying theology at St. Meinrad Seminary, Ind.
 

-- Wednesday, April 27, "Understanding the New Text" open to the public, 7-8:30 p.m. at Queen of the Apostles Parish iin Council Bluffs

-- Thursday, April 28, Pastoral study day for all priests and pastoral staff or liturgical leadership, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Atlantic

-- Thursday, April 28, "Understanding the New Texts" open to the public, 6:30 p.m. at St. Michael Parish in Harlan

-- Thursday, April 28, "Understanding the New Texts" open to the public, 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish in West Des Moines

-- Friday, April 29, Workshop for priests, two run simultaneously 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Holy Spirit Parish in Creston and St. Boniface Parish in Waukee

-- Friday, April 29,  Workshop for deacon community and Commission for Worship, 6-8:30 p.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Atlantic

-- Saturday, April 30, Diocesan Music Ministry workshop, open to the public, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at All Saints Parish in Stuart.

• -- April 1, Sacred Heart Parish, West Des Moines
• -- April 2, St. Pius X Parish, Urbandale
• -- April 3, All Saints Parish, Des Moines
• -- April 9, St. Augustin Parish, Des Moines
• -- April 10, Christ the King Parish, Des Moines
• -- April 17, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, West Des Moines.

Go to Quiner's website at www.thepopeofthepeople.com to find out how you can be a part of the production during the centennial year.

St. Teresa of Avila
 

Fabian Moncada Benavides, a seminarian for the Diocese of Des Moines, wishes to share the following note of thanks:

Dear Benefactors,

I want to express my gratitude for your great generosity! I cannot do more than implore God’s mercies and blessings for all of you. But at the same time I have the immense responsibility to focus on the formation process to be a successful holy priest! Once again thank you!

I try to be a model Christian for my community. They need to see a priest dedicated to the parish. Many young people have a hard time handling commitment because they haven’t seen it modeled at home. I invite them to think about living in a new way, the way Christ asks us to. I want them to understand sacri?ce and spirituality, and to have a relationship with Jesus who is passionate about us.

For those who are asking themselves what God wants them to do with their lives: Be not afraid! Our Lord Jesus Christ is waiting for you in different ways, may be as a father in a faithful family, or in the religious life or priesthood life.  I choose to be a priest. Who can imagine what the love for Christ means in its totality? It is a gift to love everybody, it is a gift to offer your life with charity and compassion and to serve unconditionally and entirely for Jesus and in Jesus through his Blessed Mother, Mary Most Holy! Don’t be afraid, Jesus is waiting for you!

How about a gift that is impossible to wrap-- a Gift of Hope.

By making a gift to Catholic Charities in a loved one’s name this Christmas, you will provide essential services for our friends and neighbors who are struggling. Food, shelter, clothing, financial assistance, counseling and support to return to self-sufficiency are gifts that we can all feel good about giving and receiving.
 

Here are just a few of the many ways your gift will keep on giving long after it is opened:

• $25 provides a family of four with a five-day emergency food box
• $38 provides one night of shelter at our emergency homeless shelter for families
• $72 provides a one-month bus pass for a refugee mother and her child during the cold winter months
• $100 provides emergency rental assistance for a family struggling to buy medicine or pay rent
• $500 provides rental assistance for a refugee family from a war-torn country coming to the US to start a new life

To give a Gift of Hope this Christmas:
1 .Click here for a remittance stub to mail in with your donation or click here to donate online today.
2. ANNOUNCE YOUR GIFT by using a Gift of Hope tribute card to tell of your gift. Tuck a card in your own special card or wrap one up in a box.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Catholic Charities!

Two generous Christmas gifts lay the groundwork for new parish

As the Diocese of Des Moines Catholic community celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, Bishop Richard Pates announced on Friday, Dec. 17, the creation of a new parish called St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Ankeny and extremely generous gifts that will help lay the foundation for the new parish.

One of the original parishioners of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Church (OLIH) in Ankeny, Fern Ringgenberg, has gifted 35 acres of land, along Wiegel Drive to the new parish in her and her late sister, Mary’s, name for the building of the new church on the west side of Ankeny.

In addition, Don and Charlene Lamberti, also longtime parishioners of OLIH, have gifted $2 million for a future grade school (K-8) to be at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish. The Lambertis especially applaud the Ringgenberg gift, which enables them to initiate the process for having a Catholic school in Ankeny, a longtime desire of many in Ankeny.

Long-range planning for the new parish includes the grade school and senior citizen housing facility.

“I am pleased to announce this tremendous and generous Christmas gift to the Catholic community in Ankeny and the Diocese of Des Moines,” said Bishop Pates. “In our centennial year, we celebrate the legacy of those who have come before us as well as our existing faith communities. With these gifts, we can truly look toward meeting the needs of Ankeny and Polk City families long into the future.”

Bishop Pates appointed Father Lawrence Hoffmann, who serves as current pastor of St. Theresa Parish in Des Moines, to be the founding pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, effective Jan. 1.

The new pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish will look for temporary office space and work with founding parishioners planning for the first information gathering of his new parish sometime in the early months of the new year.

New parish
The city of Ankeny has seen steady growth over the years. In 2000, the city’s population was 27,117. Within five years, the population jumped by 9,000 people to 36,161, according to the 2010 Ankeny Comprehensive Plan. The city expects its population will be about 93,000 by the year 2035, which translates into an annual growth rate of 3%.

Expansion of the city can be seen through the growth of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Parish in Ankeny. In the 1950s, Catholics living in the area traveled to St. Michael’s Church in nearby Carney. They worshipped in a home provided by Carney Mining Co. in 1920 for its employees. Ten acres of land was purchased in Ankeny and Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church was born in 1960, beginning with 325 families. The parish now serves about 2,500 families.

New school
Growth in the Ankeny School District’s student population parallels the growth of the city, according to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. It is the 10th largest district in the state in student enrollment and the second fastest-growing district in the state. Between now and the 2013/2014 school year, the student enrollment is expected to grow by an average of 340 students annually.

Currently, there are 24 students from Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Parish who commute to Catholic schools in Des Moines.

Founding pastor
Father Hoffmann, originally of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Panama, located in Shelby County, will be the founding pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Maurice Dingman in 1971. He has served the parishes of: St. Joseph in Des Moines, St. Anne in Logan, Holy Family in Mondamin, Queen of Apostles in Council Bluffs, St. Anthony in Des Moines and St. Theresa in Des Moines.

Most recent parishes
The last parish created in the Diocese of Des Moines was St. Peter Vietnamese Catholic Community, founded in 2008 in Des Moines.

Prior to that, the last new parish that included construction was created to serve expanding in communities west of Des Moines. St. Francis of Assisi Parish, in West Des Moines, began with slightly fewer than 300 families when it was established in 1991 under the leadership of Monsignor Stephen Orr. Three years later, the family count surpassed 620 and today, it serves 2,750 families.

Construction began in 1993 on 15 acres of land and continued in three phases. The parish now has a complex consisting of a worship center that seats 1,000, a parish center, offices and a school that serves 750 students.

Recent growth in metro-area parishes
Other Des Moines metro-area parishes have added to their facilities to accommodate growth in recent years.

In Waukee, St. Boniface Parish completed construction in 2007 on a new complex that includes a worship center that seats 1,000 and has 25 classrooms. The parish, which serves 1,068 families, turned its former worship center into the parish hall.

In Altoona, Saints John and Paul Parish continues to see growth as well. Last year alone, it saw a jump of 63 new families registered. The parish dedicated new facilities in 2001. The worship center seats 800, up from 300 in the former worship center which is now used as a parish hall.
 

Our friends out at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in West Des Moines are displaying the butter nativity sculpture tonight during their Live Nativity from 5:45pm-8pm.

As part of a Confirmation project, the 8th students will be sharing information and taking donations for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

Special thanks to those who helped to move and store the sculpture and to artist Sarah Pratt for retouching the beautiful work of art.

Thanks to the St. Francis Knights of Columbus for their hard work bringing the Live Nativity to our No Room at the Inn event every year and for the beautiful job they do with it!

We currently have an urgent need for winter-wear in the Refugee Resettlement Program. Help us create a warm Iowa welcome to families coming from war-torn countries (many of which have never seen snow!)

How can you help?

Donate new or gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots and snow pants. All sizes needed! 

• Hold a donation drive at work or at your church.
• Hosting a holiday party? Ask your guests to bring new or gently used winter-wear items.
• Kids looking for service projects? Organize a “Warm Welcome” coat drive for Refugee families.
• Out shopping and find a great sale on winter coats? Pick one up for a refugee who is experiencing an Iowa winter for the first time.

Donations can be dropped off

Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-4:30pm at:

Catholic Charities

601 Grand Ave.

Des Moines, IA 50309

Thank you for helping to create a WARM IOWA WELCOME for refugee families!

Call Katie at 515-237-5090 or email at kryan@dmdiocese.org if you can help!

   Dec. 9       7 p.m., Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, Ankeny

   Dec. 11   10 a.m., Basilica of St. John, Des Moines

   Dec. 13    7 p.m., St. Theresa, Des Moines

   Dec. 13    7 p.m., St. Pius X, Urbandale

   Dec. 13    7 p.m., Ss. John & Paul, Altoona

   Dec. 15    6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity, Des Moines

   Dec. 18    10 a.m. St. Anthony, Des Moines

Bishop Pates's radio show can be found at KWKY 1150 AM out of Des Moines and Spirit Catholic Radio 102.7 FM out of Omaha.

As one of Bishop Pates’s centennial initiatives, he has strongly encouraged young adult Catholics to consider attending World Youth Day: “Having been a part of World Youth Day three times, I am convinced of the power of this pilgrimage and encourage all young adults of the Diocese of Des Moines to prayerfully consider joining us in 2011.”

Entertainment Books sell for $25 each and make great gifts, especially during a time when nearly every family is looking to save money. Purchases of Entertainment Books may be made by contacting April Young at ayoung@dmdiocese.org or 515-237-5028.

This year, the nativity exhibition will feature a hand-sculpted butter nativity by artist Sarah Pratt. Sarah is the current artist behind the butter art featured at the Iowa State Fair and is creating a butter sculpture of the holy family.

Sarah has been hard at work over the holiday weekend to create the 5 foot sculpture that is housed in a large 8 foot by 6 foot cooler donated by our friends at Borgen Systems in Des Moines.

 Follow the creation of the butter sculpture on our Facebook page. We are posting photos of the project.

So many people have helped to make the butter sculpture part of this year's event including past Board member and current Marketing Committee member Joe Hrdlicka. Kent Lehs over at

Midwest Dairy Association and AMPI (Associated Milk Producers) have also made the sculpture possible. It has been an amazing process to watch happen! Thanks to everyone who has made this possible!

Many people have asked (or are at least thinking), "why a butter nativity?"

Well, has it peeked your interest?

Do you want to come and see it just a little bit?

Have you told your friends about it yet?

It is our hope that the butter nativity will be viewed as not only an amazing work of art, but also as a way bring attention to the plight of the homeless, especially homelessness among families.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Last year, 14,068 Iowans were in homeless families. This is a big issue and it deserves big issue attention.

It is our hope that this fun-spirited Iowa tradition will bring some new attention to homelessness in our communities and help us to remember the true reason for the season.

The Catholic Pastoral Center will be closed today and tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday. This includes all diocesan offices and Catholic Charities. This Thanksgiving, the Diocese of Des Moines is thankful for all of you who offer your time and talent to help in a variety of ways. You might be helping build a culture of vocations in your parishes, assisting with the diocesan centennial celebratory events, representing Catholic Charities or lending a hand in some other valuable way. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Thank you and have a blessed Thanksgiving!
 

At St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter, staff have been gearing up to increase the number of families staying at the shelter. Thanks for the recent remodel and expansion, the shelter can accomodate up to 10 families.  The public is invited to tour the new facility during No Room at the Inn coming up Dec. 5.

SHELTER EXPANSION: Family shelter doubles in size but demand continues to grow

http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-shelter-st-josephs-112310,0,6934265.story

A metro shelter for families is celebrating a new expansion but says the demand for help is continuing to grow. The St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter in Des Moines is the only shelter in Polk County that keeps homeless families together.

 

 

At St. Mary Family Center, volunteers have given out 450 hams and turkeys since last Thursday. Manager, Susie Paloma said that they distributed 120 food boxes last Thursday (a record for one day), 107 food boxes on Friday and another 90 on Monday. Many of the food boxes distributed were to new families, indicating a disturbing trend in the number of families seeking assistance.

 

Need For Food Hits Record Level For DSM Food Pantries

http://www.kcci.com/news/25901764/detail.html

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines Area Religious Council pantries are serving on average 400-500 new families per month who have never before requested emergency food from the DMARC network. Tuesday, November 23, 2010.

 

 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! 

• -- St. Theresa, Des Moines, plans to celebrate the “past 100 years of ministry and renew for the future its mission of evangelizing.” The parish will integrate prayer and service by encouraging parishioners to make a pledge to pray, read scripture or perform acts of charity. The pledge is to do it 100 times as a group, as an individual, as a couple or with a friend. People can say 100 prayers, give 100 diapers, dedicate 100 hurs to a service project, etc.  
• -- St. Mary, Shenandoah, plans to have Jeff Menke playing “Trumpet Voluntary” and the choir singing jsut prior to the reading of the Centennial Proclamation by Dana Wenstrand. At the close of the liturgy, 70 red balloons will be given out to the children to release outside after the people pray our Centennial prayer.
• -- Sacred Heart, Chariton, posted video of Bishop Pates announcing the centennial year on its blog.
• -- St. Patrick, Imogene, planned to have trumpet players in the choir loft for the Mass and proclamation of the centennial year. It also plans to have cookies with "100 Years" on them at an evening dinner. 

What did your parish do to celebrate the kickoff?

We encourage you to register today!

Don't worry, we won't be hanging the decorations quite yet (Advent is still two weeks away), but we are encouraging people to use the momentum and magic of the holiday season to think about issues like poverty, huger and homelessness.

Next week is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and Catholic Charities’ Social Justice Consortium is looking forward to attend a community event called, "Opening Doors, Celebrating Stories of Homelessness to Hope" on Nov. 16. Real people, who have experienced real homelessness will share their stories-- stories of success.

As part of Catholic Charities work with the homeless population, staff are taking part in the event hosted by the Polk County Housing Continuum, a collaboration of organizations serving the poor and homeless in the county. 

Megan Thibodeau, Program Coordinator for Catholic Charities Poverty Reduction Programs, is part of the group organizing the event. She, along with many other providers that sit on the Polk County Housing Continuum, are very dedicated to addressing the issue of homelessness and work with homeless families daily.

St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and St. Mary Family Center are two of Catholic Charities Poverty Reduction Programs that serve homeless or people and families at risk of becoming homeless.  Both programs have seen a steady increase in needs over the last few years.

Below is a copy of the press release with more information. Join us in reflecting on hunger and homelessness. If you can’t attend this, consider attending the "No Room at the Inn" homelessness awareness event coming up Sat. & Sun. Dec. 4-5.

What may be surprising is the level of anxiety surrounding families when the soldiers come home.

• Spouses should take the time to reconnect with each other which in turn will strengthen the entire family unit.
• Be practical and remember that everything is not going to be exactly as it was prior to the family member’s deployment.
• Try not to rush things upon the family members return. Give everyone time to ease into the new dynamics and adapt to the changes.
• Don’t be afraid to seek professional support during the transition. If you are having trouble finding a provider, contact an organization like Catholic Charities which offers professional counseling for families using a sliding scale fee based on income for those without insurance as well as most major types of insurance.

You can watch the whole dedication liturgy here in three parts:

one

two

three

Inspiring words and liturgy for an awe-inspiring space!

 Currently, Catholic Relief Services is focusing on the upcoming national referendum in the Sudan. 

Bishop Pates encourages the 82 parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines to also observe the Holy Father’s vigil on Nov. 27, which honors the children who are coming into existence. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has prepared resources in both English and Spanish for parishes. The resources can be found at www.usccb.org/prolife/papalvigil.

“As we begin to celebrate the wait for the birth of Jesus through the annual Advent season, let us remember all children who are developing, growing and preparing for birth in the womb of their mothers,” said Bishop Richard Pates. “As Catholics worldwide join their prayer in unison, may it become the strength and protection for some of the most vulnerable among us.”
 

Catholic Relief Services has released a video explaining the situation in this African country and how Catholics can and should play a role in preserving life in Sudan.

The following is by Kenan Bresnan, of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines:

Catholic Relief Services is currently quite concerned about the upcoming national referendum in the Sudan. I would invite you to take just a few minutes and view this short but informative video on http://peaceinsudan.crs.org/

Having experienced only 11 years of peace since achieving independence in 1956, Sudan faces enormous challenges as well as opportunities. More than 40 years of intermittent fighting led to the longest-running war in Africa, displaced several million people, and largely devastated the infrastructure across southern and central Sudan. Oil revenues support a booming economy in the capital of Khartoum, but other areas of the country continue to lack even basic social services. Meanwhile, the unresolved conflict in Darfur threatens the current, fragile peace maintained between the north and south. The humanitarian needs in the Darfur region continue to increase and an estimated 2.7 million people remain internally displaced.

Sudan is at a critical juncture. The country is set to hold a referendum on unity or secession for the south in early 2011. Sudan's response to this important event could usher in a new era of peace and prosperity-or more violence.

The current population estimate is 41,087,825 (July 2010). The geographical size of Sudan is 967,500 sq mi; slightly more than one-quarter the size of the United States. CRS offers programs in Agriculture, Civil Society and Governance, Education, Disaster Response, Health, HIV and AIDS, Microfinance, Peacebuilding, Water and Sanitation and Food Security
 

Last night, Tom stood in that same space for the blessing and ribbon cutting of the newly renovated shelter that he helped build, not only through his million dollar gift, but also through his compassion and his sincere desire to share the many gifts God has blessed him with. 

"As we celebrate the new shelter, let us not forget that there are people right here in Des Moines that won't have a place to stay tonight and that don't have a roof over their head," Tom said during the ceremony. "We have to keep fighting poverty." 

Board and committee members, staff, volunteers, construction crews, architects and shelter supporters also attended the celebration of the completion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter last night. Bishop Richard Pates blessed the renovated home that has been remodeled to include 5 additional bedrooms, an upgraded kitchen, expanded dining room, handicap accessibility and a play room. All of which will contribute to, "Giving them [shelter guests] the best shot at returning to self-sufficiency," Nancy Galeazzi, Executive Director at Catholic Charities stated at last nights ceremony. 

I encourage you to stop by for your own tour on Sunday, Dec. 5 between 1-5 p.m. The shelter (1535 11th Street in Des Moines) will be open to the public for tours in conjunction with No Room at the Inn, our annual awareness event for St. Joseph Shelter. 

As Tom reminded us last night-- there is still so much work to be done and so many people who need help. Your continued support and prayers for all families trying to make ends meet, is so appreciated!

And what an effort it has been! The remodeled home looks amazing and will increase the quality of services Catholic Charities is able to provide to homeless families.

Bishop Pates will be in attendance and will do a special blessing of the renovated shelter, which is the only emergency family shelter in Polk County that keeps the entire family unit together, including mom, dad and children of all ages. Funded by an I-JOBS grant, a major gift from the Thomas J. Moreland Charitable Fund, as well as contributions from the community, the new shelter includes additional bedrooms, an upgraded kitchen, expanded dining room, handicap accessibility and a play room. 

Click here for more information about the expansion project!

The ribbon cutting celebration is from 4-6 p.m. today and will include tours, a ribbon cutting and a blessing ceremony. A larger, public Open House will be held on Sunday, December 5 from 1-5 p.m. in conjunction with No Room at the Inn, St. Joseph Shelter's annual fundraiser and awareness event. Learn more about No Room at the Inn, including plans for a very special addition to the exhibition of nativity displays!   

We hope you will join us for one of these celebrations of the renovated shelter and continue to keep those in need of shelter like St. Joseph in your thoughts and prayers.

The site offers access to a variety of catechetical tools, as well as provides an information network to the people and a hub for faith formation events in the eastern region of the Des Moines diocese. In addition to a blog by St. Joseph Educational Center Director Dr. Tom Neal, the site consists of:

• CRUX Calendar, events and news on adult faith formation opportunities
• CAT Chat, forum for sharing ideas about our Catholic faith
• Catholic News, links to Catholic news sources
• Catholic Literature, book reviews and reading suggestions
• Foundations for Spirituality, resources for learning about prayer and discernment
• Worship, a treasury on Catholic liturgy and the Sacraments
• Parishes, links to parish websites and the faith formation staff at those parishes

“We invite Catholics in our diocese to explore our website and take advantage of the many resources and tools provided," said Dr. Neal. "We would also love feedback on ways we can improve the site to better meet the faith formation needs of adult Catholics.”

St. Joseph Educational Center was established in 1973 by Bishop Maurice Dingman. Its offices are located at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.
 

1. A Vision of Unity: Roman Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue (7 October 2010)

2. On Death and Eternal Life: Roman Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue (26 October 2010)

3. On Baptism and Eucharist: Roman Catholic-Reformed Dialogue (27 October 2010)

We're approaching the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation--in 2017.  Though Christians have a long way to go, these three statements are signs of hope, now and for the future. 

Prior to the walk, students at all of the Des Moines metro area Catholic schools participated in service projects to raise funds for the House of Mercy, one of Iowa’s largest providers of transitional housing and clinical services for parenting women with addiction.
 

All dollars raised during the week will be pooled together and presented to House of Mercy. Following the check presentation, the students will participate in a variety to teambuilding activities. The walk around the lake will begin at 1 p.m.
 

April 2, 2011 -- Save the Date

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 2 to participate in our first Diocesan Catechetical Summit to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines. You will encounter three national speakers who represent some of the most influential and important voices in evangelization and catechesis today.

• Bishop Richard J. Malone who chairs the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis is our keynote and he will speak on the current condition of catechesis in America today.
• Jackie Witter, Ed.D. is the associate vice president for Academics at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota and the director of Illuminare: Ministry to Ministers through St. Paul’s Monastery. She will speak on building up the domestic church.
• Michael Theisen is the director of Membership Services for the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and he will speak on adolescent catechesis.
• There will be a panel discussion with all three speakers at the end of the day. We will begin the day with Mass.

More information will be available within the month on this Centennial event.
 

The Schools office thanks all who worked so hard to not only maintain but to increase our enrollment. This is indeed a great fete in light of the financial burdens many of our families, schools and parishes are facing.
 

"They did a fantastic job and the displays are creating some good buzz from people stopping and reading the information," said Rachel Mabrey, Public Relations & Volunteer Coordinator for the Phoenix House.

The discussion will also touch on Cardinal Arinze’s appearance this weekend as keynote speaker at the Christ Our Life Conference at Wells Fargo Arena.

A highlight of the trip was a day at Capitol Hill, where over 1,000 representatives from local Catholic Charities agencies visited with members of Congress to present The National Opportunity and Community Renewal Act, a bill drafted by Catholic Charities and introduced into both the House and Senate during our time in Washington. 

The goal of the visits was to introduce the legislation as well as request co-sponsor from each Representative and Senator. The legislation is focused poverty reduction using three objectives: developing and empowering local markets, creating new holistic approaches and incentivizing results driven outcomes with more modern use of technologies, so that the federal government can invest in programs that truly bring people into self-sufficiency.

Catholic Charities staff was able to meet with staff from the offices of Bruce Braley (First District, Iowa), Dave Loebsack (Second District, Iowa), Leonard Boswell (Third District, Iowa) and Steve King (Fifth District, Iowa) as well as the staff from the office of Senator Tom Harkin.  Senator Charles Grassley was available to meet with the delegation personally. 

In planning a major event, looking at the numbers involved may lead us to recognize the quality and value of what’s offered. That’s in addition to, or maybe despite of, all the promotion, testimonials and outreach through ads, billboards, public service announcements, media interviews and pulpit announcements.

Sometimes, the “a-ha” moment occurs only after missing a wonderful opportunity such the upcoming Christ Our Life Catholic Conference. Have you ever belatedly thought, “If only I had known it would be so satisfying and so fun?” Don’t miss out on this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to benefit spiritually as an individual Catholic and as a church community.

Two years after two women in the Diocese of Des Moines felt God’s calling, and with nearly 16 months of planning by a 22-member, all-volunteer steering committee, the Christ Our Life Catholic conference will take place in downtown Des Moines at Well Fargo Arena at the Iowa Events Center complex, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16 and 17.

Participating will be more than 100 choir singers, dozens of volunteers handling logistics and other onsite needs and at least 15 priests and three bishops to administer the sacraments: of the Holy Eucharist and reconciliation. Some 33 donors have provided funding and/or in-kind support of products and services, valued in the thousands of hours.

Five renowned and inspirational speakers from around the world, in the same place at the same time for the first time ever, are worth far more than the admission price, which typically would cover only one featured conference speaker. Most importantly, each has a riveting life journey, certain to engage and encourage us, even humor and humble us. There are an estimated 35 exhibitors and vendors as well, offering books, religious items and services.

With great faith in October 2008, Ellen Miller of St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Indianola and Marilyn Lane of Sacred Heart parish in West Des Moines began the journey to this conference. Within two months, Msgr. Joe McDonnell agreed to serve as spiritual director and Bishop Richard Pates gave his blessing to undertake this conference.

And now with the conference upon us next week, the most important number is the Power of One – God – and his invitation to you. Experience the joy of Christ Our Life. Sign up now for tickets: www.christourlifeiowa.org or 1-888-326-8033. For every ticket purchased, you will receive one free to bring a family member or friend.

Roc O’Connor is the rector of the Jesuit Community in Omaha and the associate pastor at St. John’s Church on the Creighton Campus. He is one of the original “St. Louis Jesuits.” He entered the Society of Jesus in 1967 as had many assignments over the years. Please mark your calendar and join us for this blessed spiritual event.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the priesthood, check out the diocesan Vocations website.

                                        Kitchen                                                               Dinning room

You can help purchase the dinning room furniture!

 40 Premium Stack Chairs = $70 each    
Durable, easily cleaned chairs that can be stacked were an essential item for the new dinning room.  
Click HERE to donate now (you will be directed to a secure donation page. Select "Catholic Charities" as the designation and "St. Joseph Expansion Project" for the sub-designation.) 

2 WORK TABLES, 72" LONG = $500 each

Advance Tabco Model No. SAG-246

Work Table, 24" wide top, without splash, 72" long, with adjustable

Click HERE to donate now (you will be directed to a secure donation page. Select "Catholic Charities" as the designation and "St. Joseph Expansion Project" for the sub-designation.)

For more information about the shelter expansion click here.

Also at the youth rally this year: adoration, workshops, great music, good food, Mass with Bishop Pates and more. Join the folks at the St. Thomas More Center in Panora on Nov. 6 for junior high school students and Nov. 7 for high school students. Get your information at the St. Thomas More Center's website or through your parish youth minister.

WOWT out of Omaha covered the event.

Catholic Charities' Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter and Sexual Abuse Program, along with other community partners, hosted the event in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

After the two mayors signed a proclamation designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Phoenix House hosted the 21st Annual Candle Light Vigil at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs.

"The program featured stories of five women who were killed in 2009 in Council Bluffs and surrounding areas by their intimate partners. Each of their stories were read by volunteers and then we ended with a story of a survivor," said event coordinator and Phoenix House Volunteer/PR Coordinator, Rachel Mabrey.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and Council Bluff Mayor Tom Hanafan read the proclamations, each in their respective city.

21st Annual Candle Light Vigil in honor of victims of Domestic Violence

The show airs tomorrow at 10 a.m. on KWKY 1150 AM out of Des Moines and on Spirit Catholic Radio 102.7 FM covering the western half of the Diocese of Des Moines. The show will be replayed on Saturday at noon on KWKY and will be available on the diocesan website a few days later under the tab for Bishop Pates.

The local training will be Level 1, held at All Saints Church in Des Moines. Sessions will meet one weekend a month beginning in mid-October and run through June. They will cover the 90 hours of training for Level I Certification from the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Yesterday, 300 students from Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines visited 6 local charities in support of services that help a variety of vulnerable populations. The students organized a 3-hour walk to local agencies as part of their fall service project. Along with monetary donations for each organization, the students took along backpacks full of items for the agencies including laundry supplies, personal care items, diapers and infant items.

Above: Dowling President Jerry Deegan presents Katie Ryan, Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Volunteer/Donations Coordinator, with a check for $1100.

 

 

Students heading down 11th street after stopping at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

“A basic test of policy is whether it supports or threatens human life and human dignity. From this, citizens and public officials alike must seriously consider matters related to the common good,” the flier reads. “A Catholic ethic of life does not treat all issues as morally equivalent or reduce Catholic teaching to one or two issues.”

The Catholic Church does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties. However, it contributes to the political process by encouraging Catholics to learn about the church’s teachings on protecting the vulnerable and the poor. “Then Catholics are urged to vote and become more involved in the political process,” said Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference.

In addition, the Iowa Catholic Conference supports a marriage amendment to Iowa’s constitution. The flier states, “The way to do this is by convening a constitutional convention. Every 10 years, including this year, Iowa voters have the opportunity to call for a constitutional convention. A ‘yes’ vote on this measure will allow Catholics and others to work for a marriage amendment to the Iowa constitution. This amendment would affirm the traditional understanding that marriage is a union of one man and one woman.”

The flier is available on the Conference’s website. The conference has a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter at “iacatholicconf.”

The Iowa Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Iowa. Its Board of Directors includes the Catholic bishops of Iowa and lay people, priests, a deacon and religious sisters. The diocesan bishops of Iowa are Dubuque Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB; Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City; Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport, and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines.
 

Tomorrow, Bishop Pates will be interviewing Sandy Hatfield Clubb for his radio show at 10 a.m., airing on KWKY 1150 AM out of Des Moines and Spirit Catholic Radio 102.7 FM out of Omaha. Sandy is the athletic director for Drake University and has experienced the RCIA process.

Then tomorrow night, Bishop will take a break from work to watch Dowling  Catholic High School take on Southeast Polk at the 7:15 p.m. football game.

The next workshop for the new Missal will be held in Red Oak on October 27.  All are invited!

Watch your parish bulletins in the future for information on the new Missal, or find out yourself at www.revisedromanmissal.org or at www.usccb.org/romanmissal. 

Parishioners are being offered the opportunity to send preprinted postcards to our two senators and their representative asking them to take a stand against poverty in America, and in essence, to join with us in our efforts to cut poverty in half. 

The number of our citizens that are living below the poverty line is at the highest it has been since the great depression. We are asking our fellow supporters to speak out on this injustice and to help our legislators work toward reducing this number. If you want to receive a set of the postcards and they are not available in your church call 515-237-5089

or email Kenan Bresnan.

Bishop Pates himself is out recruiting and encouraging young men to consider the priesthood. During the month of October, he will be crisscrossing the diocese, attending Andrew Dinners with young men, sharing his vocational call and answering questions. Andrew Dinners are scheduled in Logan, Creston, Des Moines, Red Oak, Council Bluffs and Stuart.

A Quo Vadis is meeting will be Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Queen of Apostles Rectory in Council Bluffs. All high school-age men interested in food, prayer and discussion about vocations are invited. For more information, contact Father David.
 

And what can you do? Everyone can pray for young men to discern a calling to the priesthood. One such man is seminarian Ross Parker. Ross is from St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Indianola. He played high school and college football and spent this past summer at the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. He attends St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. If you’re interested in a vocation to the priesthood, contact Father David or check out the diocesan vocations website VocationsOnline.com.

Quo Vadis: Where are you going?

You can help us make the remodeled house a true home for these families by making a contribution toward items needed for the shelter. Financial donations enable us to provide necessary items and ensure that they meet all codes and regulations. There are several ways you can help:

• Donate online at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org
• Purchase items from the Target Gift Registry by going to www.target.com (First Name: St. Joseph Shelter, Last Name: Catholic Charities)
• Host a “Housewarming Party” in your parish, friends, sports team or other group. Encourage the purchase of items from the gift registry, personal care items or bus tokens
• Follow the expansion efforts by subscribing to our blog at www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org
• For more information contact Trish at 515-237-5078.

Contact me at klechtenberg@dmdiocese.org--I am happy to respond to questions about the new Missal!

Also on Sunday there will be a 5 p.m. Mass at St. Catherine with a student supper following. At 7 p.m., Dr. Aaron Urbanczyk, an author, lecturer and educator, will speak on the question: Why do we go to college anyway?

            Those who have been designated by the community to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a unique opportunity to reflect upon the role that each person plays, by virtue of baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. 

            In particular, this year’s theme reminds us that fathers and others have the primary responsibility for teaching their children the Catholic faith, even from their earliest years.  Although others, such as priests and catechists, may contribute to this education, God has commissioned parents, precisely because they are fathers and mothers, to be principally accountable for the faith of the children whom they have begotten in love. 

            The sacrament of matrimony celebrates the importance of the “domestic church” in the lifelong formation in faith of all members of the family.

            Each Christian family, exemplified in the Holy Family, is to be a microcosm of the larger Church. As Joseph and Mary were the first to proclaim to Jesus the living faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so Christian fathers and mothers are the first to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their children. They not only present their child for baptism, but they also promise, within the rite of baptism, to raise their child in accordance with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. Thus, as the Church is to evangelize all nations, so Christian parents, in fostering the domestic church within their own families, are to evangelize their children.

            Let us celebrate this year’s Catechetical Sunday with special prayers for both catechists and the “domestic church.”

Photographer Jacob Sharp has been helping to photograph the amazing transformation. Check out his photos below!

 Interior wall tear out - new dinning area                       Prepped for painting

   New deck outside of St. Joseph Shelter

I had the pleasure this past Sunday of speaking to the congregations of St. Joseph’s in Villisca and St. Clare’s in Clarinda. 

I am always amazed at how attentive and interested parishes are in the work that we do. That I do. 

It is obvious from watching their reactions as they listen that they see the value in our services and especially as I explain that the work we do, we are doing in their name.  When they contributed to Catholic Charities through service or collections of items or money,  they are providing us with the resources to provide essential services.

This experience has served as a good reminder to me that people in every part of our Diocese truly want to know about and to share in the work of Catholic Charities.

Ken Bresnan is Parish Outreach Liaison for Catholic Charities. To schedule Ken to speak to your parish, school, group or business please email Ken Bresnan or call him at 515-237-5089.

Two Catholic bishops will take part in a Denver marathon in October. One is running to raise funds to pay off the $2.07 million debt on his diocese’s cathedral, while the other is joining local Catholics to increase prayers for and awareness of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
 

Bishop of Springfield, Ill. Thomas J. Paprocki, a longtime marathon runner, has announced he is training for the Oct. 17 event. In a statement from the Diocese of Springfield, the 58-year-old prelate said he enjoys running and has participated in 16 marathons.

“This year I have decided to dedicate my marathon effort to help pay off the debt of the recent restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield,” said the bishop, who took over the diocese in June.

“Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois can take rightful pride in our beautiful mother church, especially the many people who have already contributed generously to help pay the restoration costs,” he commented.

However, he explained that “unexpected expenses” had caused the debt and he would like to “retire this debt completely.”

He invited tax-deductible pledge donations and asked for prayer intentions for him to include while he is running and praying.

“As sacred Scripture says, ‘Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us’ (Hebrews 12:1). Your support will be greatly appreciated by me and all Catholics who gather and pray at our magnificent Cathedral,” Bishop Paprocki wrote.

The “Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon” website says that the time limit for the full marathon is six hours, a pace of 13:45 minutes per mile.

Auxiliary Bishop of Denver James Conley will also take part in the event.

Natalia Fletcher, executive assistant in the office of priestly vocations, responded to a CNA inquiry about the bishop’s participation. She reported that Bishop Conley and Bishop Paprocki attended graduate school together in Rome. Conley later told CNA in an e-mail that the two had run together in Rome, but not in a marathon.

The Denver auxiliary bishop will join archdiocesan vocations director Fr. Jim Crisman and two St. John Vianney seminarians as part of a relay team to increase support for and awareness of vocations. He will run 8.9 miles of the course and is following a training regimen of 15 miles per week.

In the past he has run in the Colfax 1/2 Marathon, the Chicago Marathon, the Rome Marathon, the Monte Carlo Marathon, the Pikes Peak Ascent and the Rome-Ostca 1/2 Marathon.

According to Fletcher, the archdiocese asks other runners and teams of runners to sign up for the event. Rather than seeking financial donations, the archdiocese asks that runners seek pledges of prayers for vocations to holy orders and to the consecrated life within the Archdiocese of Denver.

“There is a great need in the Church and world today for men and women who are willing to lay down their lives in service to others,” Fr. Crisman commented in a press release. “Please pray for an increase in vocations to Holy Orders and Consecrated Life, and pray for those already living these heroic vocations.”

He encouraged participants to form their teams as soon as possible so they have time to train and to pray.

The Office of Priestly Vocations has set up a section for the marathon in the “Run” section of its website http://www.priest4christ.com/

Dear Reader of the diocesan website and blog:

   I am pleased that a press release as well as a Labor Day statement is posted on the diocesan communication network. It addresses perhaps the paramount concern in the current recession: JOBS. I encourage you to read the release and statement and collectively do all we can to put people to work and pay tribute to their inherent dignity.

Bishop Richard Pates

                 Three rural Catholic churches in the Diocese of Des Moines, which have shared a priest in recent years, will pair with three neighboring, larger parishes. There are several benefits, including greater stability for the three parishes, and opportunities to gain access to more pastoral, catechetical and liturgical care and resources while retaining their individual identities as independent parishes. The changes are expected to be phased in by the end of September.
               The decision to pair, or yoke, each of three parishes with three nearby parishes comes after a summer of local discussions and visits by Bishop Richard Pates and the Bishop’s consultation with the Diocesan Presbyteral Council, members of the diocesan staff and the three neighboring pastors. After examining the pastoral needs of all 82 parishes in the diocese and the needs and opportunities available for these three parishes in Madison and Warren Counties, Bishop Pates offered the three parishes three options and asked them to consider which they would prefer. The options were to pair with nearby parishes, to locate a priest from another country to serve the three parishes, or close the parishes.
              The parishes that will be yoking with nearby parishes are as follows:

• St. Patrick Church near Irish Settlement (77 families) will be paired with St. Joseph Church in Winterset (273 families).
• Assumption Church in Churchville (79 families), will be paired with St. John the Apostle Church in Norwalk (525 families).
• Immaculate Conception Church in St. Marys (170 families) will be paired with St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Indianola (510 families).

             “I have had an opportunity to talk with lay leadership of the three parishes – St. Patrick, Assumption and Immaculate Conception – and have been impressed with their desire to preserve the rich history of their parishes without sacrificing opportunities for future pastoral and catechetical care of for themselves, their children and grandchildren,” said Bishop Pates. “As the Diocese of Des Moines celebrates its upcoming 100th anniversary, we mark the faith foundation our families have laid for us while looking toward the future to best meet the needs of our people. I thank the parishioners for giving serious thought to this matter and all who have been involved in the consultation. I’m sure the parishioners will be welcomed with open arms by the respective pastors and parishes to which they will be growing closer.”
 

Catholic Charities wants to hear from YOU!

Are you finding that the posts about the St. Joseph Expansion are keeping you informed? Have you been moved to get involved, and if so has this blog or our website provided you with information needed to do so? Has your understanding of the issue of homelessness and poverty grown over the last month due to this blog?

Share your experience with us so we can continue to provide you with valuable updates on the Shelter expansion and many other efforts to serve all people in need with compassion and competence while advocating for justice.  

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

            At the invitation of Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care at the Vatican, will be spending today and tomorrow  visiting with health care administrators, doctors, nurses, patients, and students in the Diocese of Des Moines.

            The archbishop, who is traveling to an event in Omaha later this week, accepted Bishop Pates’ invitation to come early and visit Des Moines’ medical facilities to learn firsthand about American medical practice and medical education. He will visit Mercy College of Health Sciences, Mercy Medical Center Central Campus and Mercy Medical Center West Lakes.            

           The archbishop will visit with families of those in the hospital, patients in the hospital, along with hospital and college faculty and staff. Discussions will be on advanced care, end-of-life practices, hospital cooperation with rural communities, the state of medical education and more.

            Archbishop Zimowski will be the guest on “In the Heartland With Bishop Pates” radio show airing on Friday at 10 a.m. on KWKY 1150 AM in Des Moines (rebroadcasted Saturday at noon) and the Spirit Catholic Radio network in Nebraska (102.7 FM in Omaha/Council Bluffs). The radio show will be pre-recorded during the archbishop’s visit.            

         “We are honored that Archbishop Zimowski accepted our invitation to stop in the heartland to see first-class medical care and visit with those dedicated doctors, nurses, administrators and faculty who are training future health care providers in the context of Catholic teaching,” said Bishop Pates.  

           Archbishop Zimowski, 61, is from Poland, was ordained a priest in 1973 and began serving at the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in 1983. He served as chaplain to the Holy Father beginning in 1988 and has been the postulator of the beatification and canonization processes of three people. He has been a teacher, authored 120 publications, 40 pastoral letters and books and was involved in the preparation of the Polish edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He was ordained a bishop by then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and has served as bishop of the Diocese of Radom, Poland. He has held numerous leadership roles in the Polish Episcopal Conference. In addition to Polish, Archbishop Zimowski speaks Italian, German, English, French and Russian.

Please join us in thanking all the service providers in this community that work together daily to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

“We welcome Wendy to the consortium and this significant initiative which is at the heart of what we believe and do as a Church, “said Bishop Richard Pates. “The consortium has been working together for several years now to promote a consistent ethic of life from conception to natural death.”

The Respect Life initiative assists parishes in understanding and implementing the concept of the Consistent Life Ethic, whereby the respect and dignity of all persons is embraced from the moment of conception to natural death. A consistent life ethic means being pro-life across the board: opposing abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Solawetz is replacing Maggie DeWitte who served as the Respect Life contact since the consortium’s inception in 2008.

Catholic Charities’ Social Justice Consortium promotes the social justice mission of the Catholic Church through a coordinated effort to work toward a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good.

In addition to Respect Life, other Social Justice Consortium initiatives include: Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities’ USA Poverty Campaign, Center for Social Ministry, Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse Advocacy, Justice for Newcomers and Disaster Preparedness and Response.

The current remodel and expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter is happening before our eyes and in the spirit of this renewal of the King Irving neighborhood. 

Here, Shelter Manager, Celeste Egger shares her experience and fondness of the neighborhood.

        Before Remodel                                            After Remodel

The keynote speaker this year will be Tina Roudusakis, grassroots advocacy manager for Catholic Relief Services since 2002. She is responsible for engaging CRS's U.S. Constituents in advocacy efforts to promote CRS policy priorities. Previously, she worked as a consultant to various grassroots organizations advocating policy changes on issues like immigration.

Registration for the institute is available online now. Go to www.iowasocialaction.org/ for details.

Last week St. Joseph Shelter and many other Catholic Charities' programs began receiving calls for assistance due to the recent flooding. Some people were in need of general referrals to other resources and some were looking into shelter options. One family was taken in, but learned later in the day that their landlord was able to find them another apartment-- a huge thank you to that landlord! 

Fortunately, there are landlords working with flooded tenants as well as local agencies working to create resources for flood victims.

Des Moines Catholic Charities is among those agencies advocating for flood victims and connecting them to essential information for recovery. If you know of someone who could benefit from the following information, please pass this on!

What to do if...

Your home was completely flooded, your basement had four feet of water, your dealing with sewer back up...

• Fill out ALL forms
• Do it online if possible (if not, call during the night to reduce time waiting)
• Do it quickly! If you don’t apply now, you won’t be able to get assistance later!
• Assistance varies, but can help with grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

We hope to have more information in the weeks to come. Please check back at our website for updates. www.CatholicCharitiesDM.org

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

Below is an excerpt of Ken's Sunday's visit at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd:

• We help them find financial assistance that they quality for
• We work with them on finding a place to live
• We work with them to find child care
• We assist them in finding transportation 
• We work with helping the kids to get in or stay in school. 
• We connect them to outside resources.
• We work with Primary Outreach who comes into the shelter to assist with finding the resources for medical and dental needs.
• We act as ombudsman and advocates to help families navigate systems successfully

So many different churches and groups have volunteered and donated to St. Joseph Shelter over the years-- very visibly making the mission one that the entire community is committed to. We are so grateful for all of these efforts!  

If you are interested in having Ken speak at your parish, to a church group, or even at a business you can contact him at 515-237-5089 or kbresnan@dmdiocese.org.

Twenty-eight kindergarteners will begin school learning eveyrthing in Spanish. By the time they complete the San Antonio de Padua program, they will be completely fluent in Spanish and be able to read and write in English.

The instructor is Marisol Guerra, who recently moved to De smOines from honduras with her two children. She has 16 years of teaching experience with most of that time teaching at an English immersion school in Honduras.

The diocese is planning its 100th anniversary, and in doing so looked to the needs of future generations. The idea of a Spanish immersion program arose, and a committee led by Sara Eide brought the idea to fruition.

Below is a reflection of the events that led one mother, Ericca, to St. Joseph Shelter. 

"In the past year a lot of things have been happening. We had a home, we were struggling because I did not have a job but we always made ends meet. Over time, things began to change and things really got harder and then we lost our home.

We decided to move in with some friends and stayed there for one day and decided it was not the place for us. During this time I began going to school at DMACC while [my boyfriend] kept the baby. We went to a motel but soon realized that we could not afford it so we went back to our friends and paid them rent. That same day they kicked us out... which has led us here."

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet Ericca, an extremely bright young woman, and her adorable five-month old, Martel Jr. While at St. Joseph, Errica and Martel Junior's father, worked with Sherry, the Shelter Advocate, to find an affordable place to live. Ericca, who had to quit school due to the circumstances, was able to re-enroll in DMACC.

While things will continue to be a struggle for the family of three, Ericca left the shelter with a place to call home, the opportunity to continue her education and hope for a better future. 

That is what St. Joseph Shelter is all about.

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

1. November 27, 2011, the First Sunday in Advent, will be the date of first use of the Third Edition.  After that time, no other edition of the Roman Missal may be used.  Likewise, the Third Edition may not be used prior to that date.
2. Regarding the text itself, some changes have been made to the text which was originally approved by the US Bishops in 2008, specifically the absolution at the end of the Penitential Act (maintains current translation in use), the Nicene Creed (reiterates the phrase "I believe" at various points), and slight modifications to the texts of the Eucharistic Prayers and Doxology.  The memorial acclamation A, "Christ has died..." was not approved and does not appear in the final text.
3. The next step is to continue our diocese's education of priests, deacons, liturgical ministers, and all in charge of faith formation, as well as to begin to prepare our assemblies in general.  The USCCB has provided a series of bulletin articles. Over the next several weeks, more information will be added to that site.
4. Additional Resources: See the diocese's general plan for formation of the Missal, on the Office for Worship's main page.  Check out www.becomeonebodyonespiritinchrist.org for an excellent, international effort at multimedia formation.  Also, LTP's series by Paul Turner is informative and accessible to most parishioners.  Make sure that when you order, it has been updated with the final text, released on 20 August 2010.
5. Composers and publishers have previews of new and revised Mass settings available for perusal.  Note that these are not to be used in liturgical celebrations until November 27, 2011. Visit these publishers for sample settings:
   Oregon Catholic Press
   GIA
   World Library Publications
   
   The Commission for Worship has had a discussion centering on what might be the best way to approach singing the new texts, and consensus of the group recommends that parishes look for new settings rather than to update the current ones.  Music is a phenomenal mnemonic device, and these new texts may be similar enough to the current ones that modifying old music may prove to be more difficult.  That being said, many of the revised settings are done quite successfully, and might be useful for your parish community.  The Office for Worship will convene a committee of music ministers to select several recommended diocesan settings, to assist in the preparation of people to sing these texts.
    
6. When ordering other resources, such as pamphlets, brochures, etc, please make sure to ask if they include the final text with the final adaptations released on 20 August 2010.
7. Mark your calendar now for Wednesday, 27 April to Saturday, 30 April 2011, for a series of formation opportunities by Fr. Michael Joncas and Fr. Paul Turner.  As part of these days, Frs. Joncas and Turner will lead priests, deacons, parish staff members, and others who might be helping the parish to launch the text in a pastoral study day--Thursday, 28 April 2011, in Atlantic.
8. As always, ask for help with the new Missal or any project related to worship in our parishes!  The Office for Worship is always ready to help.

Here, Sherry shares a bit about her day-to-day work at the shelter.

When I arrive each day, I come with a plan, or at least an idea of what I want to accomplish that day.  Due to the nature of this work, that plan is subject to change at a moments notice, depending on the needs of those that I serve.  It may be a school issue, a transportation problem, no child care, an unexpected appointment, a need for housing resources, an address, a phone number, advice on where to start on a case plan, or just needing to talk to someone. 

No two days are the same, but to feel the stress lessen for a family day by day as they begin to trust and find hope, is always worth a change of plan.

As you can imagine, providing an advocate to the families we serve is an essential piece to shelter care. Of course, all of the shelter staff, supporters and everyone reading this can be an advocate.  By using knowledge of how programs like St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter actually work, we can all call attention to ineffective policies and systems that create barriers, and work to improve them.

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

A Clarinda physician has published an award-winning book on the Lord’s Passion, focusing on the physical and mental suffering Jesus experienced in the hours leading up to his death.
 

Dr. Gerard Stanley Sr., a St. Clare parishioner and family practitioner, said his book “He Was Crucified: Reflections on the Passion of Christ,” explains “what it really means to be crucified, to go through the agony in the garden and what happens in the garden.”
 

Published in early 2009, the book was years in the making. After seeing a paper on the physical aspects of the crucifixion, written by a Mayo Clinic physician, Dr. Stanley began giving presentations on the topic to religious education classes at his parish in Colorado. His audience expanded to include parents and then people in other parishes. In subsequent years, Dr. Stanley has given his presentation in campus ministry, for medical students at Creighton University and at venues of across the country.

His wife and told him he needed to put his presentation on paper.
 

More research was needed, he said, and he completed the book in about two and a half years.
It was another three or so years for his publisher, Concordia Publishing House, to secure contracts for art work, complete theological review and to incorporate scripture.
 

“It turned out to be a gorgeous book,” said Dr. Stanley. “It’s far exceeded the expectations of Concordia Publishing,” Dr. Stanley said.
 

The book was nominated for the Evangelical Christian Publisher’s Association’s Book of the Year, and was in the top five for the ECPA category of Inspiration and Gift.
 

Dr. Stanley is happy that his work has had an effect on people, whether through the book or his talks.
“Priests have told me they’d never thought of it like that, what it actually means,” he said. “And people in general are very insightful, very reflective.”
 

It gives him a good feeling to be able to educate and bring more meaning about Jesus’ experience to people, particularly during the Lenten season.
 

“It’s a humbling experience to be part of God’s plan,” he said.
 

It is hard to imagine how a five bedroom shelter can go to a ten room shelter and still keep its identity as the warm, cozy and homey shelter that most of us know. But architect's from BSB Design have done it! The two story house fits beautifully into the neighborhood and has kept its charm and warmth.

Check out the floor plan.

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

That conversation got me thinking about how valuable that pillow drive was to the families that stay at the shelter. Having your very own, fluffy, new pillow to sleep on may seem like a small thing, but the comfort it can bring is so important. By providing new items to our guests at the shelter, we are showing that we care, that their well-being is important and that they deserve, at the very least, a pillow to lay their head on, food to eat and roof over their head.

If your group is looking for a service project, consider hosting a shower for St. Joseph Shelter. St. Joseph is registered at www.Target.com (first name: St. Joseph Shelter, last name: Catholic Charities).

Thank you to everyone who has purchased items from the registry already! Towel sets, alarm clocks, shower curtains, coffee makers, and many other items have already been donated!

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

The upgraded kitchen will also have energy efficient appliances including  two dishwashers, ranges, microwaves and refrigerators making food storage, preparation and clean up a much more convenient experience for guests, staff and volunteers.  

As in most homes, the kitchen is a busy place and the new layout will better accommodate the extensive usage it gets. When you consider the potential traffic of 10 families eating three meals a day and two snacks, the importance of a well laid out and efficient kitchen is essential.

Off of the kitchen will be an expanded dinning room... check back for dramatic updates on this! Walls will be coming down soon to open up this space. New tables, chairs, booster seats and highchairs are being purchased for a total transformation. Stay tuned...

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

"Burst Out Laughing" 

Truly, this is the name of the new carpet that covers the floor in the soft yellow room that is soon to house laughing children.

Tom Moreland, major donor for the St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter expansion, was the number one advocate for a playroom addition for the shelter. Tom, who began helping families staying at St. Joseph by providing evening meals, had first hand experience of the many children that stay at the shelter. 

Last year alone, 58% of the guests who stayed at the shelter were children age 13 or younger. 

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

The commercial grade washer and dryer that Dixie refers to is on the top of the Shelter Expansion wish list. As the number of guests doing laundry increases, laundry facilities that can handle that type of use are going to be essential. 

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

Well, almost a year ago now, an Ad Hoc Committee at Catholic Charities was formed to start visioning what the expanded shelter would include. The talented and committed group of people include:

Tom Moreland, CEO of St. Jude Enterprises and major donor for the project

Doug Sharp, Architect & Chairman of the Board at BSB Design

 Marty Walsh,  Chairperson for Catholic Charities Board of Directors

Gerry Neugent, President and Chief Operating Officer of Knapp Properties

Nancy Anstoetter, Vice-Chairperson for Catholic Charities Board of Directors

Paul Rupprecht, Secretary for Catholic Charities Board of Directors

Dan Buscher, Catholic Charities Board Member

Jerry Spaeth, Catholic Charities Board Member

Norm Bormann, Diocese of Des Moines Building Manager

Nancy Galeazzi, Executive Director of Catholic Charities

Patrick Nestvedt, Associate Director of Catholic Charities

What has come from this amazing group of people was more than anyone could have imagined. The shelter is going from five bedrooms to ten, including a handicapped accessible room with a full handicapped accessible bathroom. The kitchen is being expanded and will include energy efficient appliances and the dining room is also being expanded to accommodate all of the guests who come together every evening to eat dinner (prepared by volunteers).

A playroom addition has also been added, a much needed space considering the fact that 58% of the people who stay at the shelter are 13 or younger.

A small parking area and play area has also been included in the plan and the existing garage (that has been used for years to store donated furniture for families to use when moving into new homes) will stay in place so we can continue to offer those items to families.  

The Ad Hoc Committee have worked extremely hard and taken a realistic look at what it truly takes to provide for multiple families living in crisis situations. If you know or see any of the amazing people who are working on this project, please thank them for their dedication to creating quality shelter care and services to families in need.

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.

     Born in Des Moines, he is one of two children of Patrick and Virgene McManus, of St. Theresa parish in Des Moines. After graduating in 2001 from Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, he attended Loras College in Dubuque, and earned a B.A. in philosophy, English and Catholic studies. 
   Brother Dominic entered the Order of Preachers in August of 2006, taking religious vows at St. Dominic Priory in Denver, Colo. 
   Since 2006, Brother Dominic has pursued theological studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. Aquinas Institute of Theology is a St. Louis-based Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry sponsored by the Dominican Order. Impelled by the Catholic faith and the Dominican mission, Aquinas Institute of Theology educates men and women to preach, to teach, to minister and to lead.

 

The 2009 Annual Report on Homelessness in Iowa came out several weeks ago. The report shows a very dismal picture of homelessness among families-- more than 60% were homeless for the first time in 2009. The report also showed that the top cause of all homelessness was economics, reaffirming what the staff at St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter already know through the daily phone calls they receive from families seeking shelter. In June alone 75 families were turned away because the rooms at the shelter were already full!

The expansion of St. Joseph Emergnecy Family Shelter is coming at a time when the need has become more obvious than ever. Doubling the number of rooms and making upgrades to enhance services to families staying at the shelter are a huge part of helping this vulnerable population but we encourage you to learn more about the causes of homelessness, including poverty, domestic violence and other social justice issues.

One place to start is to check out Catholic Charities' Social Justice Consortium.

During the month of August, Catholic Charities’ staff and committee members are "Blogging the Build". Follow our blog for updates on the expansion of St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter.