St. Benedict Catholic Church - Psichurch.com
St. Benedict Catholic Church - Psichurch.com
St. Benedict Catholic Church - Psichurch.com
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MASS SCHEDULE<br />
Weekend<br />
Saturday Vigil: 5:30 p.m.<br />
Sunday: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m. (Spanish)<br />
Weekdays<br />
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:10 p.m.<br />
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 8:00 a.m.<br />
Holy Days<br />
Vigil 7:00 p.m.<br />
W-F: 12:10 & 7:00 p.m.<br />
T-Th: 8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.<br />
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT<br />
First Friday<br />
11:00 to Noon<br />
First Saturday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.<br />
PARISH MINISTRIES & ORGANIZATIONS<br />
Altar Server<br />
ACTS<br />
Birthday Girls<br />
Carnival<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong>s Returning Home<br />
Christian Social Service<br />
Communication Coordinator<br />
Gift & Book Shop<br />
Knights of Columbus #1018<br />
Maintenance<br />
Marriage Encounter<br />
Ministry to Homebound<br />
Music Ministry<br />
Natural Family Planning<br />
Organist<br />
Parish Guild<br />
Piecemakers<br />
Prayer Line<br />
Project Gabriel<br />
Project Nicholas<br />
Religious Education<br />
Sacristan<br />
Safe Environment<br />
Supper Club<br />
Ultreya/Cursillo<br />
Van Ministry<br />
Web Master<br />
Youth Ministry<br />
Greg Rodgers<br />
Patty Keller<br />
Darlene Mayes<br />
Jeremy Holter<br />
Clyde & Gail Topping<br />
Mike Penisten<br />
Alex Lee<br />
Renea Birney<br />
Chuck Amato<br />
James White<br />
<strong>St</strong>eve & Anita Semtner<br />
Parish Office<br />
Anne McGuire<br />
Bill & Coleen Chapman<br />
Carolyn Taron<br />
Darlene Mayes<br />
Antonia Lee/Joan Pruner<br />
Jo Anderson<br />
Mary Brooks<br />
Delores McMunn<br />
Mercy Derry<br />
Chuck Barber<br />
Jana Timperley<br />
Eddie Penisten<br />
Tim & Carolyn Taron<br />
Brad Mosman<br />
James Porter<br />
Joshua Dutchover<br />
275-3905<br />
513-3900<br />
275-5399 ext<br />
275-5030<br />
878-6746<br />
275-6496<br />
275-6894<br />
623-5735<br />
273-6056<br />
275-5399 ext 4<br />
273-7280<br />
275-0001<br />
996-6098<br />
275-4743<br />
273-3527<br />
275-5399 ext 1<br />
275-6894<br />
273-6168<br />
395-9700<br />
598-2631<br />
275-5399 ext 2<br />
684-3772<br />
275-0001<br />
275-6496<br />
273-3527<br />
275-5652<br />
214-2289<br />
275-5399 ext 5<br />
August 7, 2011<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Benedict</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Church</strong><br />
632 N. Kickapoo Avenue<br />
Shawnee, OK 74801<br />
Tel: 405-275-0001 Fax: 405-214-9181<br />
Serving Shawnee, Tecumseh & Bethel Area<br />
PARISHOFFICE@stbenedictchurch.net<br />
www.stbenedictchurch.net<br />
STAFF<br />
Rev. Donald J. Wolf<br />
Pastor<br />
pastor@stbenedictchurch.net<br />
David C. Schrupp<br />
Deacon<br />
deacon@stbenedictchurch.net<br />
William T. Thurman<br />
Deacon<br />
deacon@stbenedictchurch.net<br />
Joshua Dutchover<br />
Youth Minister<br />
sbyouthminister@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
Mercy Derry<br />
Director of Religious Education<br />
drest.benedict@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
Kay Pruitt<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
st.benedict.office@sbcglobal.net<br />
Jana Timperley<br />
Receptionist/Secretary<br />
Jeremy Holter, Chair<br />
Elizabeth Simpson, Vice-Chair<br />
Jody Smith, Secretary<br />
Ty Brinker<br />
Kathy Chamblin<br />
Brian Drew<br />
Gaynell Anderson<br />
Tracy McDaniel<br />
PARISH COUNCIL<br />
275-5030<br />
273-3446<br />
275-7423<br />
878-6864<br />
273-6791<br />
273-9109<br />
Marvin Ellis<br />
Tom Keller<br />
April Ogden<br />
Mike Piggott<br />
Jim Porter<br />
Greg Rodgers<br />
Leonard Taron<br />
FINANCE COMMITTEE<br />
878-9390<br />
273-2668<br />
Jim Smith<br />
Leonard Taron<br />
275-4012<br />
250-4800<br />
273-5493<br />
275-2184<br />
214-2289<br />
275-3905<br />
275-1353<br />
275-7423<br />
275-1353<br />
PARISH SERVICES<br />
Sacrament Of Reconciliation<br />
Saturday 4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment.<br />
Sacrament of Baptism<br />
Contact Parish Office to make an appointment for the pre-baptismal<br />
preparation class, preferably before the child is born.<br />
Sacrament of Marriage<br />
Congratulations! Please contact the Pastor as soon as possible (at least 6<br />
months in advance) so we can work with you to prepare for your marriage.<br />
Sacrament of Holy Orders or Religious Life<br />
If you are interested in serving Christ as a priest, a Deacon, a Religious<br />
Sister or Brother, please confer with the Pastor.<br />
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick<br />
Contact the Pastor at 275-0001 when needed.<br />
Inquiry into the <strong>Church</strong> - R. C. I. A.<br />
Contact Pastor at 275-0001.<br />
Funerals<br />
Contact Parish Office at 275-0001. Also see web site at<br />
www.stbenedictchurch.net - Parish Services - Funerals<br />
Calvary Cemetery<br />
Located at 14605 Highway 177, Shawnee. Contact David Koehler<br />
at 250-8333.<br />
New Parishioners<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Benedict</strong> Parish! Parish Census Family Information forms<br />
are available at the Parish Office and at the entrances to the church. We are<br />
glad you are with us.<br />
Nursery<br />
Available free during Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass & on special occasions.
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary<br />
Time<br />
Elijah recognized the voice of God<br />
not in the strong and heavy wind,<br />
not in the earthquake, and not in<br />
the fire, but in a tiny whispering<br />
sound. May we find enough quiet<br />
in our clamorous world to hear His<br />
voice and discern what He is<br />
calling us to do and be.<br />
Monday, August 8th<br />
7:00 p.m. - Community Room<br />
58th ANNUAL<br />
CARNIVAL<br />
GOLDEN HEARTS<br />
August 10, 2011<br />
After 12:10 Mass<br />
Dining at Delta<br />
Saturday, October 1st<br />
Volunteers are needed.<br />
Call Jeremy Holter at<br />
(405)275-5030 or email<br />
holter.jeremy@yahoo.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
ACTS<br />
Registration for the<br />
up<strong>com</strong>ing Men’s<br />
ACTS retreat starts this weekend<br />
after all Masses. Retreat date for<br />
the Men’s Retreat is September 22-<br />
25, 2011. If you have any<br />
questions please contact Tom or<br />
Patty Keller at 405-513-3900.<br />
RED MASS<br />
On September 24, 2011 a Red Mass will be celebrated<br />
at the regularly scheduled 5:00 p.m. Mass at the<br />
Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City. A reception<br />
will follow in the Connor Center. Archbishop Coakley will celebrate the<br />
Mass, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Kansas City will preach the<br />
homily. In the United <strong>St</strong>ates, a Red Mass for judges, attorneys and<br />
government officials is traditionally celebrated to coincide with the<br />
convening of the United <strong>St</strong>ates Supreme Court on the first Monday in<br />
October. (The Red Mass takes its name from the red vestments worn at<br />
the Mass, symbolic of the tongues of fire that descended on the Apostles at<br />
Pentecost.) The Mass will be dedicated to seeking guidance from the Holy<br />
Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the opportunity to reflect on what<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong>s believe is the responsibility of all in the legal profession.<br />
THE RETREAT IN DAILY LIFE<br />
Are you wanting to be more mindful of God’s love and care in your daily<br />
life? To know in your heart His personal love for YOU? The Retreat in<br />
Daily Life is a seven month experience of the Spiritual Exercises of <strong>St</strong>.<br />
Ignatius; it is a blessed way for busy people to grow spiritually. The<br />
retreat extends from October through April and is sponsored by the<br />
Archdiocesan Office of Worship and Spiritual Life. It involves daily<br />
prayer, weekly group meetings, and individual spiritual direction. Register<br />
early: there is an interview and prayer preparation required. Call with<br />
questions or to register; Juliane Parker 405-872-1120; Carolyn Sher 405-<br />
360-0007; Sister Melissa Leetts 405-373-4565.<br />
RCIA - RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS<br />
If you have been <strong>com</strong>ing to Mass, but are not <strong>Catholic</strong>, we invite you to<br />
look deeper into the <strong>Catholic</strong> faith. The Rite of Christian Initiation of<br />
Adults (RCIA) is the process through which adults enter into the <strong>Catholic</strong><br />
faith. It is a wonderful journey which <strong>com</strong>bines the participant’s spiritual<br />
growth with the education in the Faith through weekly reflection on God’s<br />
Word and the teachings of <strong>Catholic</strong> Doctrine and traditions. For more<br />
information contact Deacon David at 275-0001 or email<br />
deacon@stbenedictchurch.net.<br />
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED<br />
Open your heart and home to an exchange student from Germany or France<br />
for the <strong>com</strong>ing 2011/2012 school year. Caring host families or single parents<br />
are needed to provide food, a bed and a loving home for one or two<br />
semesters starting in late August. All of these students <strong>com</strong>e from <strong>Catholic</strong><br />
homes and would like to practice their religion while they are in this country.<br />
EMF students are 15 to 18 years old, have medical insurance, spending<br />
money for their personal expenses and expect to share their host family’s<br />
daily life including household responsibilities. They speak English, are wellscreened<br />
and eager to experience life with an American host family. Their<br />
stay here is sponsored and supervised by EMF (Educational Merit<br />
Foundation), a non-profit, educational exchange program. Interested host<br />
families are encouraged to apply and select a student as soon as possible.<br />
For more information on EMF students, please contact Marie-Claude Dijoud<br />
now at 1-800-467-8363 or visit our website at www.emfusa.org.
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to our<br />
Parish<br />
Holly & Taylor Crawford<br />
Jose & Sarah Escabedo<br />
We are glad you are here!<br />
If you would like to deepen your<br />
experience of prayer<br />
YOU ARE INVITED<br />
to attend<br />
PRAYING WITH SACRED<br />
SCRIPTURE<br />
Thursday afternoons 1 - 3 p.m.<br />
in the Kateri Lounge<br />
September 1 - November 17, 2011<br />
Please call Beverly at 275-5652<br />
if you are interested.<br />
SPANISH PRE MARRIAGE CLASS<br />
The date for the next Spanish Pre-Marriage class will be Saturday, August<br />
20, 2011. The class will be held at the <strong>Catholic</strong> Pastoral Center, 7501 NW<br />
Expressway in Oklahoma City. Registration begins at 8:30 am, the class is<br />
from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. The cost is 40.00 per couple, lunch is included.<br />
For those interested or if you need more information please call (405) 709-<br />
2709 and ask for Lisa. This class may also be used as training to work as a<br />
sponsor couple for your parish.<br />
(DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATIONS IS WEDNESDAY, August 18, 2011)<br />
La próxima clase PRE Matrimonial en español está programada para el 20<br />
de Agosto, 2011. La clase será en el Centro Pastoral, 7501 NW<br />
Expressway, en Oklahoma City. Inscripción empieza a las 8:30 am. y la<br />
clase de 9:00 am. – 4:30 pm. Si están interesados o necesitan más<br />
información, favor de llamar a Lisa Carrasco (405) 709-2709. El costo de<br />
este programa es 40.00 por pareja. El almuerzo esta incluido. Esta clase<br />
también sirve <strong>com</strong>o un entrenamiento para trabajar en tu parroquia <strong>com</strong>o<br />
‘padrinos” de matrimonio.<br />
(ULTIMA DIA PARA REGISTRAR ES MIERCOLES, EL 18 de Agosto, 2011)<br />
FAMILY PROMISE MENTOR<br />
You can make a positive, lasting impact on the life of a family by<br />
be<strong>com</strong>ing a Family Promise of Shawnee mentor. Special skills are not<br />
required, only a willingness to listen and to share your experience and life<br />
skills. Mentoring a family is a tremendously rewarding experience. While<br />
the purpose of being a mentor is to encourage and assist a low-in<strong>com</strong>e<br />
family, your own life will also be enriched. All mentor volunteers must be<br />
over 18 years of age and <strong>com</strong>plete 6 hours of training through Family<br />
Promise of Shawnee. Registration is required by Monday October 17,<br />
2011. The training sessions will be held October 22, 2011 from 9:00 a.m.<br />
to 4:00 p.m. at Northridge <strong>Church</strong> of Christ (1001 E. MacArthur, Shawnee,<br />
OK). Lunch and training materials will be provided during the training<br />
sessions.<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Benedict</strong> <strong>Church</strong><br />
Announces<br />
2011 - 2012<br />
Scholarships<br />
For full-time students attending a<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong> Educational Institution.<br />
Applications available at the<br />
Parish Office.<br />
COMMUNION TO THE<br />
HOMEBOUND<br />
If you or someone you know is ill,<br />
in the hospital, homebound or not<br />
able to get to Mass because of<br />
circumstances beyond their<br />
control, call the Parish Office at<br />
275-0001 so a Homebound<br />
Communion Minister may bring<br />
Holy Communion.<br />
Walking in a New<br />
Light<br />
Through Death<br />
Josephine Sampson<br />
Evelyn Jarantowski<br />
May they rest in peace.<br />
Saturday, August 20th<br />
9:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.<br />
CAKE SALE &<br />
LUNCH SERVED IN<br />
COMMUNITY ROOM<br />
Arts & Crafts, Handcrafted<br />
Jewelry, Premier Jewelry, Home<br />
Interiors, Master Gardeners, and<br />
several garage sale tables will<br />
make this an enjoyable indoor<br />
Flea Market. This is a Parish<br />
Guild Fund Raiser.<br />
Please remember to pray daily for our servicemen and servicewomen serving our country.
Sunday, August 7—The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<br />
8:00 am MASS Pastor’s Mass for the Parishioners<br />
10:00 am MASS Max Jalufka—Mr. Michael Paul<br />
12:00 pm MASS Bette Norton—M/M Chuck Barber<br />
Monday, August 8—<strong>St</strong>. Dominic, priest<br />
12:10 pm MASS Fr. Lourdu Ponnapati Birthday<br />
Tuesday, August 9—<strong>St</strong>. Teresa <strong>Benedict</strong>a of the Cross, virgin<br />
8:00 am MASS Judith Anne Ramirez-Lares—Parish Guild<br />
Wednesday, August 10—<strong>St</strong>. Lawrence, deacon & martyr<br />
12:10 pm MASS Judith Anne Ramirez-Lares—M/M George Bland<br />
Thursday, August 11—<strong>St</strong>. Clare, virgin<br />
8:00 am MASS <strong>St</strong>anley Salwierak—Ms. Audrey Sullivan & Ms.<br />
Carol Cronk<br />
Friday, August 12—<strong>St</strong>. Jane Frances de Chantal, religious<br />
12:10 pm MASS Mary Smith—Family<br />
Saturday, August 13—SS Pontian & Hippolytus<br />
8:00 am MASS Special Intention<br />
5:30 pm MASS Andrea Chin—Mr. Michael Paul<br />
Sunday, August 14— The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time<br />
8:00 am MASS Judith Anne Ramirez-Lares—Timperley Family<br />
10:00 am MASS<br />
12:00 pm MASS<br />
Sunday<br />
Monday<br />
Tuesday<br />
This Week in Our Parish<br />
After Masses<br />
9:00 AM<br />
After Masses<br />
5:00 PM<br />
6:30 PM<br />
12:30 PM<br />
6:30 PM<br />
7:00 PM<br />
10:00 AM<br />
6:30 PM<br />
7:00 PM<br />
Wednesday After Mass<br />
6:45 PM<br />
Mass Intentions<br />
Pastor’s Mass for the Parishioners<br />
Rose Ann Wolf Rother—Fr. Don Wolf<br />
Book & Gift Shop OPEN<br />
Bible <strong>St</strong>udy - Room 106<br />
RE Enrollment<br />
Financial Peace - CR<br />
High School Youth Group<br />
Piecemakers - CR<br />
Scout Meeting - KL<br />
Parish Council Mtg - CR<br />
Crafts - Gabriel House<br />
Men’s ACTS Team Meeting - KL<br />
AA Meeting - Room 109<br />
Golden Hearts - Delta<br />
Religious Education Open House<br />
7:00 PM Religious Ed Parent Meeting - TBC<br />
Thursday 7:00 PM AA Meeting - Room 109<br />
Friday 8:00 AM Finance Meeting<br />
Saturday 4:15 PM<br />
7:30 PM<br />
Confessions<br />
Marriage Encounter<br />
Sunday After Masses Book & Gift Shop OPEN<br />
9:00 AM<br />
5:00 PM<br />
6:30 PM<br />
Bible <strong>St</strong>udy - Room 106<br />
Financial Peace University-CR<br />
High School Youth Group<br />
The Gift and Book Shop is<br />
having a SALE! Through<br />
the month of August all<br />
books, including Bibles, will<br />
be 50% off.<br />
RELIGIOUS<br />
EDUCATION CLASS<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
After all Masses - Kateri Lounge<br />
August 6 and 7<br />
Open House - August 10<br />
Classes Begin - August 17<br />
YOUTH MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS<br />
Mon - Thurs 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.<br />
Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.<br />
Sunday 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.<br />
Joshua can be contacted at 275-5399 ext 5.<br />
BIRTH CHOICE TRAINING<br />
Saturday, September 10, 2011<br />
4701 S. Western, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.<br />
Birth Choice needs volunteers 2-4 hours a week.<br />
Volunteers are needed to answer phones,<br />
administer pregnancy tests, clerical work, work in<br />
clothing room, and nurses for the clinic and<br />
ultrasounds. Volunteers are needed in Bethany,<br />
Edmond, Norman, and the South OKC offices. To<br />
register and obtain more information, please call<br />
Marilyn at (405)745-5966.<br />
Women of Faith/Women of Action<br />
Coference 2011<br />
REGISTER TODAY!!<br />
Place: Epiphany of the Lord/OKC<br />
Date: Sat. August 20, 2011<br />
Time: Doors open at 7:30am/Close 5:30pm<br />
Speakers:<br />
Sister Rosalind Moss<br />
Marcus Grodi<br />
Close Mass: Archbishop Paul S. Coakley<br />
Reconciliation/During lunch break<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong> Vendors/Pastoral Services/<br />
LUNCHBOX/T-SHIRTS<br />
For QUESTIONS OR MAIL IN: Call or e-mail<br />
Chris Thomas: 405-306-5187<br />
thomaschrisl@sbcglobal.net<br />
Or<br />
Barbara Wann: 580-875-2278<br />
wannb@sbcglobal.net<br />
Join us for a Faith-Filled Beautiful Day!
From the Amen Corner<br />
August 7, 2011<br />
The sights and sounds of Guatemala are<br />
forever etched in my memory. While some of<br />
them are familiar to me, I’ve been to this<br />
jewel of Central America a dozen times before<br />
my visit last week, they still have the power to<br />
move my imagination and stir my feelings. In<br />
fact, because it has been five years since I<br />
have been there, I have forgotten how<br />
powerful those feelings are. I rediscovered<br />
them during my eight days there, along with<br />
gathering a whole new assembly of memories,<br />
impressions and images. Let me begin with<br />
some of the sights.<br />
It begins upon arrival. The airport in<br />
Guatemala City is all new. It has the<br />
sweeping, aerodynamic look of the latest in<br />
architectural design and looks, more than<br />
anything else, like a <strong>com</strong>bination of the<br />
newest terminals in Chicago and Bangkok.<br />
Although we arrived after dark the whole<br />
experience was full of inviting, glowing light.<br />
This is a great contrast to the old airport and<br />
the first time I arrived. This was in the midst<br />
of the violence of 1983 and our arrival there<br />
was lugubrious. There were only about thirty<br />
of us on the plane and as it touched down the<br />
whole city was dark and foreboding. Soldiers<br />
guarded every gate, door, corner and floor,<br />
each lighted by what seemed to be a thirtywatt<br />
bulb every hundred feet or so. By the<br />
time we made it through passport control and<br />
customs I felt oppressed and apprehensive.<br />
Not last week. It was as easy and as relaxing<br />
as going through customs in Toronto or<br />
Milano. It’s a change I appreciate.<br />
The next sight that astounds is the busy streets<br />
of a city in constant movement. All of Central<br />
America has suffered from the economic<br />
downturn in the economies of the world; on<br />
our interconnected planet no one is immune<br />
and Guatemala is no exception. Yet with all<br />
this being said, it is a vastly busy place with<br />
obvious prosperity at every turn. It’s hard to<br />
quantify such a thing because every one of the<br />
economic indicators used to measure such<br />
things point to real tensions in the every day<br />
lives of Guatemaltecos throughout the<br />
country, yet <strong>com</strong>pared to thirty years ago there<br />
is a vast upturn in the general appearance of<br />
the place; most everything seems to be better<br />
off. I know I see this with American eyes, but<br />
just looking at the number of fast-food places<br />
on the principle avenues of the city is enough<br />
to convince me there is more money<br />
circulating than every before. Of course there<br />
are difficulties in the countryside, of course<br />
the wealth is distributed unevenly, of course<br />
once you pull a half-block off of those<br />
avenues the bright lights give way to dimness<br />
and darkness, but the overall contrast with<br />
what I saw previously seems to point to real<br />
vitality.<br />
But once out of the big cities the real face of<br />
Guatemala is evident. And that is the face of<br />
the Natives. Mayans make up more than fourfifths<br />
of the population and they are<br />
everywhere, but most especially in the<br />
countryside. You only have to go a few miles<br />
before you begin to see them in large<br />
numbers, often dressed in the special colors<br />
and designs of their villages and regions. The<br />
natives of Santiago, Atitlan for example wear<br />
clothes that identify them to anyone who<br />
knows what to look for as being from that<br />
small village in the Highlands. It is the same<br />
with the many divisions and regions of the<br />
whole country; you can see who is from where<br />
just by looking. This makes for an astounding<br />
richness of color and contrast wherever you<br />
go. It is ironic that in our country where every<br />
person is free to wear just about whatever he<br />
or she wants we all blend into a sea of<br />
sameness while in Guatemala the people who<br />
dress as a part of uniform expectation create a<br />
riot of color and design that is moving to see.<br />
Not only that, but because their clothing is in<br />
such contrast to those from outside, those who<br />
wear it have a kind of dignity about them, an<br />
identity that <strong>com</strong>municates solidity and<br />
purposefulness. No doubt it is one of the great<br />
sights in all of the country and it has helped to<br />
form the identities and preserve the strengths<br />
of those who are part of this element of<br />
Guatemalan society.<br />
And finally, the great sight is the actual vista<br />
of Lake Atitlan where our mission is located.<br />
As you travel out of Guatemala City you<br />
eventually round a hill and off in the distance<br />
see a shimmering body of water surrounded<br />
by tall mountains. That’s Atitlan.<br />
When you <strong>com</strong>e to the lakeshore it is even<br />
more amazing. Atitlan is a volcanic lake, an<br />
old caldera formed hundreds of thousands of<br />
years ago as the collapsing font of an erupted<br />
volcano. Now it is surrounded by a number of<br />
huge volcanic mountains that jut out to circle<br />
it with the perfect symmetry and flat top we<br />
have seen of such things in pictures and<br />
movies. All of it <strong>com</strong>bines to create an<br />
unmistakable vista unlike anything else in the<br />
world. It is breathtaking to imagine that Fr.<br />
Rother got up nearly every morning for<br />
thirteen years to see such a sight. It is<br />
stunning, to say the least.<br />
Coming into Santiago, Atitlan is something<br />
unlike anything else. Arriving by boat from<br />
across the lake you <strong>com</strong>e into a small bay and<br />
then up to the dock. Over the last thirty years<br />
the level of the lake has fallen and risen again.<br />
In 1981 it was at the level most people<br />
remembered as being normal. Beginning in<br />
about 1984 the level began to fall, almost<br />
twenty feet below ‘normal.’ Docks were<br />
extended and houses and streets were built out<br />
to the edge of the lake. Ten years ago the<br />
whole lake looked like it had a bathtub ring<br />
around it; it was the white ring of the rocks<br />
that had been uncovered as the water receded.<br />
Now however, the water level is up to where it<br />
was thirty years ago and the streets and piers<br />
and houses built to ac<strong>com</strong>modate the lower<br />
level are all flooded. What seemed to be a<br />
foreboding of tragedy has now been revealed<br />
to be a part of some unknown cycle. Because<br />
of these variations, <strong>com</strong>ing into Santiago<br />
seems like <strong>com</strong>ing into town just after a flood;<br />
many buildings are four or five feet deep in<br />
water.<br />
The church in Santiago was built in the late<br />
1500s. That’s about forty years before the<br />
Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. It still<br />
stands in the heart of the town of Santiago. On<br />
the morning of the 28 th it was decorated and<br />
readied for the mass to begin at 10:00.<br />
Beginning at about 8:30 people began to<br />
gather, from all over Guatemala. Priests from<br />
the diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango as well<br />
as all of the American priests serving in other<br />
dioceses in Guatemala arrived and vested<br />
along with the priests who had <strong>com</strong>e from<br />
Oklahoma. This year’s celebration was<br />
notable because along with the priests and the<br />
bishop of the diocese there were bishops from<br />
other parts of the country, including the<br />
Archbishop of Guatemala City. That had<br />
never happened before. In addition to him the<br />
Pope’s representative to the country of<br />
Guatemala, Bishop Paul Gallagher, was there<br />
as well; that also had never happened before.<br />
As the celebration began there were not only<br />
about sixty priests and twenty bishops present,<br />
there were also the two most important<br />
<strong>Church</strong>men in the entire country leading the<br />
procession. It seems the importance of Fr.<br />
Rother and the power of his example<br />
continues to grow.<br />
The church itself holds over a thousand<br />
people. Pews had been placed in rows to allow<br />
some people to sit, but as the time for mass<br />
approached people crowded in to fill up all of<br />
the remaining space until there was no room<br />
for anyone else. The rest had to crowd onto<br />
the porch and the adjacent courtyard and listen<br />
over the loudspeakers. I sat in the sanctuary on<br />
a platform that had been built to extend the<br />
area around the altar. From there I could see<br />
out over a sea of Mayan faces of all ages and<br />
extremes, each turned toward the altar, each a<br />
participant in the great drama of remembering<br />
Fr. Rother’s martyrdom. One other very<br />
important element in this scenario is<br />
something we might otherwise overlook:<br />
almost all of the people in the church were<br />
young. We were celebrating the thirtieth<br />
anniversary of Fr. Rother’s death; you would<br />
have to be at least forty years old to have<br />
remembered him much at all. Probably ninety
percent of the people crowded into that church<br />
that day were younger than that. They did not<br />
know him personally; they were connected to<br />
him by memory and by the power of his<br />
example. And yet they came and celebrated;<br />
their lives were connected to his in ways that<br />
go beyond the personal and the sentimental.<br />
Which brings us to the sounds of Guatemala.<br />
As mass began amidst the strum of a dozen<br />
guitars and mandolins and basses and the<br />
voices of a thousand people the procession of<br />
the clerics streamed toward the front where an<br />
area had been arranged at the altar. The<br />
normal invitation to acknowledge our sins was<br />
extended, the prayer for persecuted Christians<br />
was said and we all sat down to the readings,<br />
read in Tzutuhil and Spanish (written Tzutuhil<br />
looks like you put your fingers on the wrong<br />
row of letters on the keyboard and began to<br />
type – and it sounds like it with lots of guttural<br />
stops and impossible sounding pronunciations<br />
– not at all like Spanish). As the bishop of the<br />
region began his sermon we heard the<br />
drumming of helicopter blades that echoed<br />
throughout the church. Because of the<br />
surrounding hills and the hard surfaces of the<br />
tile floor and stucco walls of the church it was<br />
impossible to tell exactly where the sounds<br />
came from or how far away the helicopter<br />
was. It brought to mind for me the years of<br />
military occupation and the presence of the<br />
army in town. I couldn’t but help be a little<br />
anxious as the sounds grew loud and then<br />
faded. The bishops finished his sermon and<br />
we proceeded to the prayers of the faithful.<br />
At that point there was a small disturbance as<br />
some people moved out of the way to allow a<br />
late arrival. I couldn’t tell from where I was<br />
seated what it was all about and I didn’t notice<br />
until <strong>com</strong>munion was going on that there was<br />
an American couple with their family who<br />
were seated in the front pew next to the altar.<br />
It was only as the introductions were being<br />
made at the end of mass that it became clear<br />
what all of this was about. The American<br />
ambassador to Guatemala, <strong>St</strong>ephan<br />
McFarland, had arrived to take part in the<br />
celebration, something that had never<br />
happened before. After his introduction he<br />
stood up to speak. It was the most astounding<br />
of the sounds of the pilgrimage.<br />
He first began by speaking several phrases in<br />
Tzutuhil. He greeted everyone then in Spanish<br />
and English and gave a short talk about the<br />
meaning the day and its importance for<br />
Santiago and for Guatemala. In his talk he<br />
acknowledged the difficulties of the country<br />
and its transition to a more peaceful time<br />
following the violence of the ‘70s through the<br />
‘90s. And he spoke of the challenges of the<br />
present, in which ‘dark forces’ are at work,<br />
forces that seek to undo the gains of civil<br />
society. And then he said two things that were<br />
astounding to me. He quoted a priest who had<br />
preached at a massacre site from the ‘80s who<br />
had said: “Who will have the last word about<br />
this?” He wondered out loud who will indeed<br />
have the last word about the meaning of Fr.<br />
Rother’s life and the violence that gripped the<br />
country for all of those years. It is the<br />
responsibility of the <strong>Church</strong> to <strong>com</strong>e to terms<br />
with what such things mean and to determine<br />
what hope the <strong>Church</strong>’s meaning can bring to<br />
the people in the country. He then thanked<br />
everyone present for the <strong>Church</strong>’s resilience<br />
and <strong>com</strong>mitment to remember, for it is only in<br />
remembering that anyone can hope and that<br />
the sacrifice of all of those who died can bring<br />
about real change. He was a diplomat but on<br />
that day he sounded like a clergyman!<br />
And then he said the most astounding thing of<br />
all. He stood there and asked a question in<br />
Tzutuhil. The people of the place shouted out<br />
an answer. Of course none of us understood<br />
what he meant; then he asked it again in<br />
Spanish and English. “Is <strong>St</strong>anley Rother alive<br />
or dead?” The answer they shouted in Tzutuhil<br />
was, “He lives!” That’s the hope that <strong>com</strong>es<br />
out of this gathering. It is the hope the <strong>Church</strong><br />
celebrates on this thirtieth anniversary.<br />
Ambassador McFarland’s bravura<br />
performance in those three languages was<br />
amazing. He managed to capture and express<br />
for all of us present the its transcendent<br />
meaning of our gathering. His presence was<br />
one more indication of the growing<br />
importance of Fr. Rother’s memory and<br />
example.<br />
Words don’t make a life but words make<br />
meaning and meanings focus a life.<br />
Ambassador McFarland’s words helped to set<br />
all of us on a more steady focus as we were<br />
there to remember Fr. Rother’s example. It<br />
was a breath-taking moment to hear words so<br />
powerfully said and so stunningly formulated.<br />
Ironically, given the star power of the clerics<br />
who participated, the words had such impact<br />
precisely because they were spoken by<br />
someone other than a priest or bishop.<br />
This thirtieth year celebration was indeed<br />
something special. I had been afraid the<br />
witness of Fr. Rother was beginning to fade,<br />
especially after being there last on the twentyfifth<br />
anniversary. It just didn’t have the power<br />
and the poignancy I had <strong>com</strong>e to expect from<br />
past years. I was afraid <strong>St</strong>an’s legacy was<br />
disappearing amidst the changing political<br />
currents and shifting clerical priorities of our<br />
time; his martyrdom would be<strong>com</strong>e something<br />
for the history books rather than a living<br />
example of the living Christ. After Thursday<br />
the 28 th I have begun to think differently.<br />
At the end of the speeches and introductions<br />
and explanations two choirs got up to sing.<br />
One was a children’s choir who sang an old<br />
standby in Spanish. Like kids’ choirs<br />
everywhere they were more cute than on key<br />
but they charmed all of us. Afterwards one of<br />
the regular parish choirs came up and sang<br />
two songs dedicated to the life and death of<br />
“Padre A’plas” (the Tzutuhil name for Fr.<br />
Rother [A’plas means ‘Francisco’ in their<br />
language]). Their first song was about his life<br />
and death; the second was a celebration of his<br />
<strong>com</strong>mitment to his people. They sang the<br />
second in English as a nod to all of us who<br />
were there to celebrate, although it was more<br />
an understated symbol than an understandable<br />
song. All during the singing I found myself<br />
weeping; their poetry had the power to recall<br />
the depth of his sacrifice and the power of his<br />
witness. The sounds of Guatemala, especially<br />
at mass, are moving beyond telling.<br />
Monsignor Peter Wells, a member of the<br />
Vatican Department of <strong>St</strong>ate, who is also an<br />
Oklahoman and who was on the pilgrimage,<br />
said that the greatest sign of the movement<br />
toward canonization for Fr. Rother is this<br />
growing, widespread nature of Fr. Rother’s<br />
memory. It is <strong>com</strong>mon around the world to<br />
recall and remember the sacrifice of those who<br />
give their lives for the faith, but it is normal<br />
for this memory and its meaning to fade over<br />
the years. In Guatemala it has grown, and its<br />
growth is evident on every level, from the<br />
humblest person in the parish to the highest<br />
levels of the <strong>Church</strong> bureaucracy. This is an<br />
important sign to all of us that the cause for<br />
Fr. Rother is reaching a critical point. When<br />
the example of bravery and conviction<br />
continues to grow and continues to inspire<br />
new generations of the faithful it be<strong>com</strong>es an<br />
example the <strong>Church</strong> wants to recognize and<br />
affirm. That is what’s happening in Santiago<br />
with Fr. Rother. It is a sight to behold.<br />
In one of the hotels in which we stayed before<br />
we got to Lake Atitlan the courtyard is<br />
decorated with old statues and paintings from<br />
churches around Central America. I don’t<br />
know how the owners were able to amass such<br />
a collection but it is large and beautiful. But if<br />
religious items such as these are just<br />
decoration, if they are no more than a<br />
reminder of something that used to be or of<br />
those things that once moved people, then<br />
they are mostly useless. Oh, they are beautiful<br />
and beauty is nothing to sneeze at, but as<br />
statues or pictures and nothing more they are<br />
empty and cold. It is the living faith that gives<br />
hope and brings salvation. It is the life of Fr.<br />
Rother that breathes hope into the dying<br />
embers of our hearts, the silent statues of our<br />
faith. When a man can give his life away, pour<br />
out his blood for the love and <strong>com</strong>mitment<br />
he’s made to his people, there is new hope<br />
newly born. That seems to be the hope we all<br />
have after Thursday, July 28 th .<br />
Fr. Don Wolf
STEWARDSHIP TREASURE<br />
July 31, 2011<br />
Envelopes - $7,950.06 Loose - $761.31<br />
(Envelopes mailed 572; returned 156)<br />
<strong>St</strong>. Vincent de Paul - $270.00<br />
ACTS - $25.00<br />
Special Collections to Support Outside Organizations:<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong> Communications - $3.00<br />
Many Thanks for your continued<br />
Generosity!<br />
Thanks to the many parishioners who helped<br />
staple carnival tickets.<br />
Thanks to Gayla Hathcock for coordinating the<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>ing Dinners.<br />
Thanks to the Liturgical Ministers for their<br />
dedicated service.<br />
We Seek No Rewards For Our <strong>St</strong>ewardship;<br />
we do it with the joy of serving god<br />
Readings for the Week<br />
August 7 through August 14, 2011<br />
Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:9a,11-13a Ps 85:9-14 Rom 9:1-5<br />
Mt 14:22-33<br />
Monday: Dt 10:12-22 Ps 147:12-15,19-20 Mt 17:22-27<br />
Tuesday: Dt 31:1-8 (Ps) Dt 32:3-4,7-9,12<br />
Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14<br />
Wednesday: 2 Cor 9:6-10 Ps 112:1-2,5-9 Jn 12:24-26<br />
Thursday: Jos 3:7-10a,11,13-17 Ps 114:1-6<br />
Mt 18:21-19:1<br />
Friday: Jos 24:1-13 Ps 136:1-3,16-18,21-22,24<br />
Mt 19:3-12<br />
Saturday: Jos 24:14-29 Ps 16:1-2,5,7-8,11 Mt 19:13-15<br />
Sunday: Is 56:1,6-7 Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8<br />
Rom 11:13-15,29-32 Mt 15:21-28<br />
VOLUNTEERS<br />
NEEDED<br />
<strong>St</strong>. Vincent de Paul, our<br />
Social Services Office, is in<br />
need of Volunteers! Volunteers work a two-hour shift<br />
each week. Training is provided. Please contact the<br />
Parish Office at 275-0001 if you would like to volunteer<br />
for this ministry.<br />
August 13 - 14, 2011<br />
Deacon<br />
Deacon Bill Thurman<br />
Lead Communion Minister<br />
Sat 5:30 pm Darlene Mayes<br />
Sun 8:00 am Michael McCormick<br />
Sun 10:00 am Wanda Myers<br />
Communion Ministers<br />
Sat 5:30 pm Charles & Pamela Amato,<br />
Cindy Durrett<br />
Sun 8:00 am Leonard Taron, Don Loula,<br />
Jack Rodgers<br />
Sun 10:00 am Russell Frantz, Timothy Taron,<br />
Eddie Penisten<br />
Lectors<br />
Sat 5:30 pm Dorris Arrasmith, Robert Hartley<br />
Sun 8:00 am Pam Leone, Cindy Humphrey<br />
Sun 10:00 am Victoria Milliken, Gaynell Anderson<br />
Servers<br />
Sat 5:30 pm Casey Bowlan, Sierra Wilson<br />
Sun 8:00 am Evan Rodgers, Daniel O’Connell<br />
Sun 10:00 am Adam & Jarrod Chavez<br />
Head Greeter<br />
Sat 5:30 pm Norma Johnson<br />
Sun 8:00 am <strong>St</strong>an Kroeling<br />
Sun 10:00 am Espi Swearingen<br />
Sat 5:30 pm<br />
Sun 8:00 am<br />
Greeters<br />
<strong>St</strong>even & Lori Hampton,<br />
Donald Norris<br />
Marvin & Betty Bennett,<br />
Rita McDowell<br />
Sun 10:00 am John & Diane Canavan,<br />
Tom Swearingen<br />
Offering Counting<br />
Team # 2<br />
MISSION STATEMENT<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Benedict</strong> Parish, a worshipping Roman<br />
<strong>Catholic</strong> Community in Shawnee,<br />
Oklahoma, strives to live the mission of<br />
Jesus Christ through prayer, the<br />
Sacraments, the study of His Word, and<br />
the teaching of His <strong>Church</strong>. We are<br />
<strong>com</strong>mitted to minister to all parishioners<br />
and non-parishioners with love, respect,<br />
support, and by stewardship. Inspired by<br />
God, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we wish<br />
to achieve a true sense of family, and help<br />
all attain eternal life.