This Lent Discover God's Love In A Retreat - St. Augustine Catholic

The Gift of the Irish • Heavenly Tails • ICARE/Action Network • 1999-2000 Financial Report 

www.staugcatholic.org 

February/March 2001 • $2.00 

This Lent 

Discover 

God’s Love 

In A Retreat 

Let Go And Let God 

What Makes 

Blended 

Families Work? 

Prayer: 

A Journey 

In Faith 

Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. 

JOHN 7:37B

that support to benefit your parish, a Catholic school 

or other ministry such as Catholic Charities in our 

diocese!) 

There’s more... 

Some things ARE forever! 

A charitable gift annuity gives forever ... 

first by providing fixed payments to you for life 

then by providing income for your church perpetually. 

Here’s how it works... 

• You transfer an asset (usually cash or appreciated 

securities) to The Catholic Foundation. 

• The Catholic Foundation gives you a signed agreement 

guaranteeing specific payments each year to you (and/or a 

person you designate) for life. 

• At the end of the contract, the residual gift goes into The 

Foundation’s general funds where it will support Christ’s 

work throughout our diocese (and YES, you may restrict 

• The transaction is easy to execute. 

• You receive an immediate charitable contribution 

deduction. 

• You also save on future taxes (some of your payment is 

tax free). 

• You have no management fees or responsibilities, and no 

investment worries about “the market.” 

• You can defer the start date of your payments to get even 

higher pay rates and boost your retirement income. 

Here are a few examples of the return rates 

One-life Agreement: Two-life Agreement: 

Age Rate Age Rate 

55 6.1% 65/60 6.3% 

65 7.0% 70/65 6.7% 

70 7.5% 75/70 7.0% 

75 8.2% 80/75 7.5% 

80 9.2% 85/80 8.4% 

82 9.6% 90/85 9.6% 

For a personal illustration (without obligation), please 

contact our Planned Giving Office. You may use the 

coupon below to request information or call: 

904-262-3200, ext. 166, or 1-800-775-4659, ext. 166. 

■ Please send additional information on the Charitable Gift Annuity. 

■ I am already aware of the benefits of a Charitable Gift Annuity and I would 

like an illustration for: 

■ a one-life agreement: beneficiary birthdate: _________ 

■ a two-life agreement: beneficiaries’ birthdates: ________ and ________ 

Please return to: 

Ms. Denis M. Plumb 

The Catholic Foundation 

P.O. Box 24000 

Jacksonville, FL 32241-4000 

Name _____________________________________Phone ______________ 

Address _______________________________________________________ 

City __________________________State ____________Zip ___________ 

THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. AUGUSTINE, INC.

contents page 

February/March 2001 Volume X Issue 4 

The St. Augustine Catholic is the official magazine of the Diocese of Saint 

Augustine, which embraces 17 counties spanning northeast, and north central 

Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The diocese covers 

11,032 miles and serves 132,000 registered Catholics. 

The Brady Bunch 

of the 70s is long 

remembered as the 

perfect blended family. 

Turn to page 14 for tips 

on how you can make 

your blended family 

work today. 

19 Heavenly Tails 

by Elizabeth Dorsey-Culkeen 

A novel form of therapy is being dispensed with the 

wag of a tail at All Saints Catholic Nursing Home 

and Rehabilitation Center. Meet Jake, the retired 

champion Cardigan Welsh Corgi and his owner 

Deacon Joe Johnson. 

20 Fighting Poverty 

by Chelle Delaney 

For the past 30 years, the Catholic Campaign for 

Human Development has helped groups like ICARE – 

Interchurch Coalition for Action, Reconciliation and 

Empowerment. And one young lady by the name of 

Kate Luby is leading the way to help build a stronger 

and just community. 

26 Father Felix Varela 

Courtyard Dedicated by Margo Pope 

Bishop John J. Snyder dedicated a courtyard at 

the Cathedral-Basilica in honor of Cuban-born 

Father Felix Varela. He was also named one of the 

Great Floridians 2000 by the State of Florida. 

Corbis 

On March 17 th Saint Patrick’s Day will 

be celebrated. But do you really know 

the story behind the man? Turn 

to page 10 for a look at this 

historical figure and read what 

youngsters think of him today. 

features 

6 Let Go And Let God by Father Cletus M.S. Watson, TOR 

Are you capable of forgiving and loving the people around you, even if they’ve 

hurt you and let you down? Do you blame God when bad things happen to you? 

This Lent, begin to let go and let God’s powers help you forgive and love again. 

10 Who Was Saint Patrick? by Susan Woods 

We are all familiar with March 17th as a day that is celebrated in honor of Saint 

Patrick. But did you know that Saint Patrick was once a slave taken to Ireland as 

a young boy? Did you know he converted the Irish people to Christianity and 

fought against slavery and warfare? Discover the man behind the title. 

12 Prayer: A Journey In Faith by Natalie R. Cornell 

Psychologists today are finding more and more evidence that supports the 

notion that prayer does help heal those who are suffering. But will it take a 

serious illness before you take advantage of the spiritual benefits of prayer? 

14 Yours, Mine And Ours by Linda Gilbertson 

Remember television’s popular family the Brady Bunch? They were the ultimate 

blended family of the 70s. What has changed for blended families today and 

how can we successfully navigate the bringing together of yours, mine and ours? 

16 Making A Retreat: 

Rediscovering God’s Love by David E. Nowak 

A new year has just begun. You made your resolutions and you vowed to 

spend more time with your family, work less hours, and become healthier. But 

have you considered taking a retreat? Find out how a retreat can help you 

rediscover God’s love in everything you do. 

On The Cover: 

A view of the St. Johns River from Marywood 

Retreat and Spirituality Center in Jacksonville. 

Photo by Terry Wilmot 

Culver Pictures, Inc./SuperStock 

Member of the 

Catholic Press 

Association 

departments 

2 Editor’s Note 

3 Reader’s Thoughts 

4 Bishop’s Message and 

Capital Campaign Update 

8 Cultural Diversity: Celebrating 

the Gift of the Irish 

22 Teen Voices 

24 1999-2000 Bishop’s 

Stewardship Appeal 

Annual Report 

27 Around the Diocese 

30 Calendar of Events 

32 A Hopeful Heart: Spiritual 

Self-Esteem 

A Courtyard at 

the Cathedral- 

Basilica has 

been dedicated 

in honor of 

Father Felix 

Varela. Turn to 

page 26 for 

the story. 

ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 1 

Margo Pope

editor’s notes 

What Makes A Website Catholic? 

Publisher 

Most Reverend John J. Snyder 

Last month, the Communication 

Directors and information specialists for 

the seven dioceses in Florida met to 

discuss the future of the church and its 

use of technology – primarily its use of 

the Internet. 

It is mind-boggling how fast technology 

is advancing and the number of 

people using the Internet today. 

All seven dioceses have a website, but 

we are now exploring how we can provide 

a uniform system for providing official 

Catholic resources to the public. 

One of the many benefits of the 

Internet is the almost unlimited access we 

have to resources. On the flip side 

however, we are also exposed to unlimited 

access to questionable information. 

When it comes to searching the web 

for Catholic resources to help us on our 

journey of faith, reliability and accuracy 

are critically important. I have had a 

number of people email me through our 

diocesan website (www.dosaonline.com) 

asking for additional resources on the 

Catholic faith. And I am always careful to 

direct them to sites that I know have 

official status in the church as well as a 

wealth of information. 

As we discussed in our meeting, anyone 

can create a website and call itself an 

official Catholic website or even imply 

that it is a bastion of orthodoxy by the 

images it uses. The technology that provides 

us with so many benefits prevents 

the church from authorizing each of the 

hundreds of sites, or even keep up with 

the ever-changing landscape of sites that 

are added or changed each day. 

So what are we to do, then, when 

given materials from these sources, or 

directed to sites for information? Cackie 

Upchurch in the spring issue of the Little 

Rock Scripture Study Newsletter (Liturgical 

Press) has these suggestions: 

1. Read the material with a critical 

mind. How does what you are reading 

“gel” with your own experience in the 

church? How 

does it fit into 

what you have 

been taught as 

an adult? 

Kathleen Bagg-Morgan 

2. Is the material factual? Is it an 

opinion? Is it an opinion informed by 

correct factual information? 

3. Ask yourself what the purpose 

seems to be of those who printed the 

material online. Does the material draw 

you into a deeper relationship with 

Christ? Does it add to your faith or 

diminish it? 

4. If you are in doubt about what you 

have read, share it with someone in your 

church whom you respect and admire as 

a disciple of Christ. Do they find the 

information solid, helpful, uplifting? 

5. Talk with your pastor or religious 

education director to see if you are getting 

the whole picture. Learning about our 

shared faith should be an experience of 

growth. We should look for what builds 

up the Body of Christ and discard what is 

divisive or disrespectful. 

The Diocese of Saint Augustine is 

very careful to link to only those sites 

that have official status in the church. 

Here are three sites that are listed on our 

homepage that can provide individuals 

with accurate information on the 

teachings of the church and church 

documents: www.nccbuscc.org (the 

National Conference of Catholic 

Bishops), www.flacathconf.org (the 

Florida Catholic Conference), and 

www.vatican.va (the Vatican homepage). 


Editor 

Editor Kathleen Bagg-Morgan 

Associate Editor Chelle Delaney 

Contributing Writer Natalie R. Cornell 

Editorial Assistant Jennie Myers 

Advertising Manager J. Michael Lenninger, APR 

Production The Saratoga Group 

Printer Allied Printing, Inc. 

Diocesan Editorial 

Board 

Diocesan 

Communication 

Commission 


Sister Lucille Clynes, DW 

Chelle Delaney 

Msgr. James Heslin 

Patrick McKinney 

Father Victor Z. Narivelil, CMI 

Evelyn Tovar 

Art Marshall, chair 

Rev. Ralph Besendorfer, J.C.D. 

Mary Ann Christensen 

Dean Fiandaca 

John Halloran 

Msgr. R. Joseph James 

Patrick McKinney 

Kate Romano-Norton 

The St. Augustine Catholic Magazine 

is published bimonthly (six times a year) by the 

Diocese of St. Augustine 

Office of Communications 

P.O. Box 24000 

Jacksonville, FL 32241-4000 

(904) 262-3200, ext. 110 

Fax: (904) 262-2398 

E-Mail: KTBAGG@aol.com 

Visit the St. Augustine Catholic online 

at www.StAugCatholic.org 

To learn more about the diocese, see our 

homepage at: www.dosaonline.com 

2 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001

eader’s thoughts 

Helping Men Return to Faith 

I’m a 46 year old man who returned to 

the Catholic Church six years ago. 

My answer to the question of “Why 

men aren’t attracted” by parish activities, is 

because those activities are run by 

unreasoned emotionalism. An example in 

the article “Men Seeking Direction” 

(Oct./Nov. issue) is the line “They were 

charismatic Catholics so they prayed in 

tongues.” Tongues? No reasoning man will 

stick around to listen to that kind of 

quackery! 

Another example in the article says, “We 

debate whether the sight of a beautiful 

woman caused the same reaction in Jesus as 

it does in us.” It’s striking to think this is the 

author’s profoundest example of what’s being 

pondered in these meetings to direct men! 

Until the local parish returns to teach 

the faith, the doctrines, the whole truth 

and the things that made the martyrs give 

up their bodies to torture, you won’t find 

many men seeking an “empty direction.” 

Peter M. Vega 

Miami Beach, Fla. 

Father Morgan A Gifted Priest 

Thank you for publishing Father 

Terrence Morgan’s letter on Project Rachel 

in your last issue. 

He is an exceptionally gifted priest and 

his excellent communication skills should 

be utilized more. 

My first meeting with Father Morgan 

occurred a few years ago, when he said 

Mass at St. John’s, Mayport. He would 

arrive early to hear confessions and talk to 

the people. One Saturday before the Vigil 

Mass, he taught us the blessing that God 

taught Moses. 

In my humble opinion, Father Morgan 

has the ability to win back inactive 

Catholics and interest others. 

Don Bottini 

St. Paul Parish, Jacksonville Beach 

We welcome letters. They should be brief and 

include name, address and daytime phone 

number. Send to editorial offices or by E-Mail: 

KTBAGG@aol.com or Fax (904) 262-2398. 

Letters may be edited for length and clarity. 

Dispelling Common Myths 

About ADHD 

Recently, St. Joseph’s Parish Home and 

School Association invited “pop” psychologist 

John Rosemond to speak to a 

group of parents. When he presented on 

the topics of the “Frantic Family” and 

general parenting concerns, he offered 

solid, relevant information. However, 

when he strayed into a definable 

psychiatric condition known as Attention 

Deficit Hyperactivty Disorder, he 

provided very misleading and potentially 

harmful information (especially with 

regard to medicine), which he offered as 

fact. 

Mr. Rosemond’s “facts and opinions” 

are contradicted by some of the most prestigious 

institutions in the world: The 

National Institute of Mental Health, 

Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts 

General Hospital. He had 

indicated that there soon would be a book 

published that would “blow the cover off 

Ritalin,” a significant medication used 

in the treatment of ADHD. The implication, 

of course, was that there would 

soon be some individual’s contention 

forthcoming that would indicate the 

non-effectiveness or danger associated 

with psychostimulants. 

However, what he failed to mention 

was that the National Institute of Mental 

Health (NIMH) had recently conducted 

and published the most comprehensive 

and scientifically rigorous study ever 

involving the use of psychostimulants and 

other treatment modalities for ADHD. 

While there were numerous implications 

of the study, perhaps the most 

compelling finding was that, with regard 

to the treatment of specific ADHD 

symptoms – inattention, overactivity, and 

impulsivity – no other treatment was 

more effective than the use of medication. 

It is the ethical responsibility of a 

psychologist to accurately portray scientific 

information, especially in a public 

forum. 

Michael Sisbarro, Ph.D. 

Certified and Licensed School 

Psychologist, Jacksonville 

Special Gifts 

for 

Confirmation 

First Communion 

THE SHRINE 

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first Marian Shrine 

27 OCEAN AVE. 

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL 32084 

(904) 824-2809 

MARYWOOD 

BOOKSTORE 

1714-5 State Road 13 

Jacksonville, FL 32259 

(904) 287-2525 

FAX 287-9738 

A GREAT SELECTION! 

• Gifts • Books • Icons 

Find the classics, as well as new 

arrivals, in Marywood’s bookstore. 

Besides impressive, fully-stocked 

shelves of Catholic and other 

Christian books, you will find 

rosaries, crucifixes, and 

worthwhile gifts for all occasions. 

Books for families, children, 

singles, retreats, scripture and 

theological study, catechetics, 

and general spiritual growth 

are all available. 

A Service of 

Marywood Center for 

Ministry and Spirituality 

ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 3

ishop’s message 

Diocese Meets Growing Needs 

My dear friends in Christ, 

One of the hallmarks 

of being a 

stewardship diocese 

is accountability 

for the resources 

entrusted to us. 

Part of my service 

to the people of 

the diocese includes 

the challenge to 

make wise and effective 

decisions about the use of the gifts our 

people have so generously given to the church 

in Northeast Florida. 

The financial information displayed in 

this issue of the Saint Augustine Catholic on 

pages 24-25, is provided so you can see how 

your generous gifts are being used by the 

ministries and agencies funded through the 

Bishop’s Stewardship Appeal. You can also see 

that the Appeal funds are only part of the 

financial story. Appeal funds in some 

instances are more than matched by other 

funding sources such as grants, donations 

and fees. Information on the fiscal year which 

ended June 30, 2000 is prepared by the 

diocesan Fiscal Office. A copy of the auditors’ 

report on all funds of the Diocese of Saint 

Augustine is available upon request. 

I am assisted in meeting the challenge of 

managing the finances of the diocese by the 

diocesan Finance Council. Information 

about the structure and membership of the 

council is included with the financial 

information on page 25 of this magazine. 

During the year 2000, the Finance Council 

and diocesan staff helped develop the Jubilee 

debt reduction plan which enabled the 

diocese to remove nearly a half million dollars 

of parish debt due the diocese. You may read 

more about this plan on the following page. 

As I conclude my service with the diocese 

by serving as diocesan administrator, I reflect 

on my gratitude for the opportunity to have 

served over 21 years as bishop of the Diocese 

of Saint Augustine. I am especially grateful for 

the good will and generosity of our clergy and 

laity in Northeast Florida. Through the goodness 

and generosity of all, we have been able to 

meet the ongoing needs of a growing diocese. 

May our God continue to bless you and 

your families in the future and bring you the 

peace and joy of Christ. 

With kindest regards and every good 

wish, I am 

Sincerely yours in Christ, 

Diocesan Administrator 

Former Bishop of Saint Augustine 

An Opportunity of a Lifetime 

Capital Campaign Update 

As of Jan. 22, $18 million has been 

pledged as part of the Opportunity of a 

Lifetime capital campaign. A total of 

$3.4 million has actually been paid. 

One project that is underway and will 

benefit from the campaign is St. Joseph’s 

Academy in St. Augustine. 

Last fall, Bishop John J. Snyder broke 

ground at the academy for an expansion 

and renovation project that is expected 

to cost $4.1 million. 

St. Joseph Academy, a college preparatory 

high school serving the entire 

southern region of the Diocese of Saint 

Augustine, is the oldest Catholic high 

school in the state of Florida. 

The expansion projects in Phase I 

include: a new cafeteria/auditorium with 

an outdoor patio area; renovation of the 

gymnasium with a wood floor, new roof, 

air conditioning and locker room facilities; 

expansion and renovation of a 

media center/library; covered walkways, 

and new offices for Guidance and 

Campus Ministry. Projects in phase I of 

the renovation will be 

completed in time for 

opening of school this fall. 

For more up-to-date figures 

“Brothers and sisters, let us ask God, our allpowerful 

Father, that the work we begin 

today will contribute to the building up of his 

kingdom and join us in faith and love to 

Christ, who is the cornerstone,” said Bishop 

John J. Snyder at a groundbreaking ceremony at 

St. Joseph Academy, Nov. 20. Faculty, students, 

administrators and special guests joined Bishop 

Snyder for the event. 

and information on the campaign, please 

visit the diocesan website at 

www.dosaonline.com and click on the 

Opportunity of a Lifetime campaign logo. 



Diocese Forgives Nearly 

$500,000 In Debt 

In his Apostolic Letter, 

On the Coming of the 

Third Millennium, Pope 

John Paul II outlined his 

plan for the preparation 

and celebration of the 

Great Jubilee 2000. In it he reminded us of 

the Jubilee tradition of the Old Testament 

to emancipate all those in need of being 

free and canceling debts in accord with the 

established norms. 

The pope restated the church’s 

preferential option for the poor and, as a 

sign of Jubilee Justice, asked wealthy 

nations to consider “reducing substantially, 

if not canceling outright, the international 

debt which seriously threatens” struggling 

nations. Additionally, he challenged the 

church to find ways to extend forgiveness, 

exercise charity, and cancel debt in order to 

model the action to which he called the 

leaders of government. 

Bishop John J. Snyder was committed 

to this Jubilee plan of debt forgiveness 

and during the Jubilee Year asked the 

Finance Council and staff of the diocese to 

develop a plan for debt forgiveness. They 

reviewed the outstanding parish obligations 

to the diocese for property and 

liability insurance, Bishop’s Stewardship 

quotas and parish loans extended for 

purposes other than construction. 

A plan was submitted by the Finance 

Council to Bishop Snyder for his approval. 

Last October, eight parishes received notice 

that some or all debt to the diocese would 

be canceled. The total amount of debt that 

was canceled was nearly $500,000. 

These faith communities in our diocese 

were encouraged by this sign of care 

and concern for parishes, which have not 

been able to meet obligations in the past. 

—Irene Puleo 

Fiscal Officer 

Diocese of Saint Augustine 

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In the terrorist bombing of a jet 

aircraft a few years ago, the 

parents of a young boy from the 

Midwest were killed. A memorial 

service was prepared for them but the 

orphaned boy asked for an addition. He 

asked that they all pray for those who were 

responsible for his parents’ deaths, asking 

God to give the terrorists a change of 

heart. 

That’s forgiveness, to pray for a change 

of heart in those who injured you. That’s 

what Jesus is asking his disciples to do. It 

is true conversion. 

Father John Powell, a Jesuit theologian 

and psychologist, tells us, “Our lives are 

shaped by those who love us and by those 

who refuse to love us.” 

We all sin; we’re all hurting; we all need 

forgiveness. And it is through forgiveness 

that we can become healed. 

Sin has been described in contemporary 

moral theology as “a refusal to 

love.” Therefore, we are sinners when we 

refuse to love. 

How do we sin by not loving? Are we 

sinners of commission — doing things we 

shouldn’t do? Or are we sinners of 

omission — not doing things we should 

have done? 

We sin by omission when we could 

have responded in love and did not. When 

we could have been present for another, 

when he or she was needing support, 

comfort or affirmation, we were too busy. 

We probably don’t know anybody who 

is starving or dying of thirst or who is 

homeless, but we all know people who are 

starving for affection, who are thirsting for 

compassion, who need shelter from 

loneliness. We are often too busy to reach 

out as we should; and, we, too, need to be 

forgiven. 

So before learning to forgive others, we 

must first learn to forgive ourselves. What 

do you do? We have to learn to let go. “Let 

go and let God” is an expression we’ve all 

heard at one time or another. 

Martin Luther concluded that all we 

needed was faith in God and we would 

be redeemed from our sinfulness. We 

Catholics believe this as well but realize 

that our faith then motivates us, urges us, 

as St. Paul says, to do good works. In other 

LET GO AND LET 

By Father Cletus M.S. Watson, TOR 

Photo by 


words, redeemed people must act like 

redeemed people. 

So, we not only need to forgive 

ourselves for our failures at loving, we 

should resolve to do more, to develop a 

new attitude, to change our behavior. 

How can we forgive others? On the 

cross, having been tortured, taunted and 

humiliated, Jesus says: “Father, forgive 

them, for they know not what they do.” 

What about us? How like his is our 

forgiveness of others? 

We could be consumed with anger and 

hatred toward someone who has wronged 

us. Understandable? Yes, certainly. But 

Christian? Certainly not! 

When we want those who wrong us to 

“pay” for what they’ve done, we should 

instead leave that person to God. Jesus set 

the example. He forgave those who killed 

him. He calls us to “Let go and let God.” 

One of Jesus’ sayings has to do with 

how often we should forgive. His disciples 

ask him, “Tell us teacher, how often 

should we forgive others: seven times?” 

Now for the Jews, “seven” represented the 

perfect number. 

So, Jesus followers thought they were 

really doing something special or being 

heroic by forgiving seven times. Yet, Jesus 

responds to his followers – then and now 

– in this way: “I say to you, you must 

forgive seventy times seven times!” And 

Jesus didn’t mean 490 times. He meant we 

must forgive an infinite number of times. 

If we wish to be forgiven, we may be called 

to forgive, every day of our lives. 

And we should learn to “forgive” God. 

At first, the idea of forgiving God may 

seem strange, perhaps even somewhat 

blasphemous. 

But the idea isn’t new. There’s a whole 

series of “complaint literature” in the Bible 

where, for example, the psalmists complain 

to God about his silence, his seeming nonaction 

on their behalf in the midst of 

adversity. Over and over again the 

psalmists ask God, “How long, O Lord, 

how long, must we wait?” and “Why, O 

God, why do you let our enemies 

overcome us?” The book of Job is a 

powerful and moving response to the 

question, “Why do good people suffer?” 

The Book of Job tells us, “People are born 

to trouble as surely as the sparks fly 

upward.” Trouble isn’t a gate-crasher. It has 

a passkey to every home in the land. 

Rabbi Harold S. Kushner wrote his 

best-selling book, When Bad Things 

Happen to Good People, at a time when he 

had to redefine his concept of God 

because his young son was afflicted with 

the horribly painful and fatal disease, 

progeria, the aging disease. He writes: 

“The conventional explanation, that 

God sends us a burden because he knows 

that we are strong enough to handle it, has 

We sin by 

omission when 

we could have 

responded in 

love and did not. 

it all wrong. Life, not God, sends us the 

problem. When we try to deal with it we 

find out that we are not strong. We are 

weak; we get tired; we get angry, overwhelmed. 

We begin to wonder how we 

will ever make it through all the years. But 

when we reach the limits of our own 

strength and courage, something unexpected 

happens. We find reinforcement 

coming from a source outside of ourselves. 

And in the knowledge that we are not 

alone, that God is on our side, we manage 

to go on.” 

But who is this God who is on our side? 

Whether we’ve reflected on it or not, all of 

us have some kind of image of God. 

For some God is a “divine judge” who 

rules every aspect of our lives. 

For others, God is the “divine Santa 

Claus” who gives us everything we pray for. 

But, I believe, most of us would like 

God to be a “divine Superman,” that is, 

a God who saves us in the “nick of time,” 

who sees that nothing terrible happens 

to us. 

However, the “image” of God that Jesus 

gave us is God as a loving parent who, just 

like a loving human parent, can’t always 

shelter us from life with its pain and 

suffering, but who is there with us and for 

us and even suffers along with us. 

At the end of his book, with a new 

image of God, Kushner writes, “In the 

final analysis, the question of why bad 

things happen to good people translates 

itself into some very different questions.” 

For example: Are you capable of 

forgiving and accepting a world that is not 

perfect, a world in which there is 

unfairness and cruelty, disease and crime, 

earthquakes and accidents? Can you 

forgive the world’s imperfections and love 

it because it’s capable of containing great 

beauty and goodness, and because it’s the 

only world we have? 

Are you capable of forgiving and loving 

the people around you, even if they’ve hurt 

you and let you down by not being 

perfect? Can you forgive them, and love 

them, anyway, because there aren’t any 

perfect people around? 

And so, are you capable of loving and 

forgiving God, as Job did, despite the bad 

things that may happen to you? 

And if you can do these things, will you 

be able to recognize that the ability to 

forgive and the ability to love are the 

powers God has given us to enable us to 

live fully, bravely, and meaningfully in this 

less than perfect world? Let us pray that 

each of us can. 

Father Cletus M.S. Watson, TOR, is pastor 

of Crucifixion Parish in Jacksonville. He also 

is the author of two booklets: “The Concept 

of God, and the Afro-American” and “Love 

and the Human Person: An ongoing 

Perspective.” 


cultural diversity 

The Gift of The Irish 

By Father Terrence Morgan 

o us F.B.D. (Florida Before Disney) 

locals, who were here in the Sunshine 

State during the boom of the 1950s 

and the early 1960s, the Irish priests and 

sisters were: steadiness, reliability, great fun, 

great severity, and the pillars who built the 

Catholic Church in Florida on solid rock. 

To the Irish missionaries, we Floridians 

were: invigorating, enthusiastic, sponges 

eager to soak up knowledge of the faith, 

and pioneers in our own right. But Florida 

was not just warm sunshine and palm trees 

swaying in the breezes. 

Irish-born priests of the diocese (l-r), top row: Denis O’Regan, 

Joseph Meehan, Thomas Walsh, Michael Larkin, John Lenihan, 

William Kelly, Patrick Madden and Tom Cody. Bottom row: 

Mortimer Danaher, William Mooney, James Heslin, Daniel 

Logan, Dan Cody, T. Leo Danaher, Brian Carey and 

Noel Cox, CCSp. Not pictured: Patrick Carroll, CCSp, 

Patrick Cooke, CCSp, Brian Eburn, Joseph Finlay, Luke 

McLoughlin, John O’Flaherty, Seamus O’Flynn, Edward Rooney, 

and Donal Sullivan. 

Ask Father Bill Ennis, who arrived at 

the rectory of Assumption Parish in Jacksonville 

direct from his flight from Ireland, 

one rainy night in September, 1964. 

Within 15 hours, he was thrust in front 

of 35 sophomore boys (including your 

humble reporter) at Bishop Kenny High 

School. Perching, cool-priest style, on top 

of the front of an unoccupied student desk, 

he asked his new charges, “Have you hord 

(Irish for heard) of the Beatles over here?” 

The students had no chance to reply to 

Father Ennis’ male-bonding overture, as 

their new teacher was flying head over 

heels and being unceremoniously dumped 

on the classroom floor by cruel Florida 

gravity. 

“Can I take that as a Yes?” he asked 

dusting off his trousers and his pride. 

Father Ennis howls with laughter at 

the still-fresh memory. Thus began the 

glamour of my missionary adventure, he 

says. Who could forget a first day like that? 

It was a wonderful parable of lofty dreams 

and the Lord’s down-to-earth challenges. 

His parishioners in Holy Family Parish 

in Orlando say he’s never lost that downto-earth 

quality, and that sentiment is 

echoed by the thousands of people Father 

Ennis has ministered to over the years – in 

Jacksonville, Sanford, and Deland. 

His life these past 36 years has been a 

reflection of the lives of hundreds of Irish 

priests and sisters who left familiar surroundings 

and family for the adventure, 

and the pain, of growing a church by the 

sweat of their brows. 

One such group is the Irish Mercy 

Sisters (aka the RSMs) at Sacred Heart 

Parish, Jacksonville. Msgr. Leo Danaher, 

Terry Wilmot 


an Irish missionary to our diocese, 

recruited four Irish Mercies in 1960 to 

assist in his tiny, new parish. 

The convent grew with the area, and 

with the parish, and while many Navy 

families came and went, the Mercies were 

the one stable element of the parish. 

Two of the original members of the 

community – Sister Mary Ethna Blackwell 

and Sister Mary Paul Noonan – remained 

in service to Sacred Heart from Msgr. 

Danaher’s recruiting days to the day they 

died, last year. 

Just making the trip over here was 

heroic, remembers Sister of St. Joseph 

Thomas Joseph McGoldrick, a native of 

New York-Irish parentage, who accompanied 

Mother Anna Joseph Dignan to 

Ireland in 1953 to recruit for the Sisters of 

St. Joseph. And when they got here, they 

never knew what was waiting for them: 

blazing weather and high humidity (full 

habits and all!), classrooms of 40 to 60 

children, and convents that were hardly life 

at the Hilton. 

That was really the third wave of Irish 

Sisters of St. Joseph. The first wave arrived 

on our shores in the late 1800s, 

supplanting and eventually replacing the 

original French sisters who arrived in 1866. 

The second wave came in the 1930s, 

when Florida was just beginning to look 

like a boom state (and when schools were 

opened in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, 

Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Jacksonville). 

Some sisters from this group are still with 

us. In fact, of the eight Sisters of St. Joseph 

– 80+ years old – all eight are Irish 

missionaries! 

Most of our senior Irish pastors come 

from the Hurley recruitment era. These 

were the days when Archbishop Joseph P. 

Hurley, accompanied by Msgr. John P. 

Burns, regularly visited the great Irish 

seminaries – St. Patrick’s in Carlow, St. 

John’s in Waterford, St. Kiernan’s in 

Kilkenny, St. Peter’s in Wexford, and All 

Hallows in Dublin – urging what was then 

an abundance of prospective priests to 

come to Florida. 

“We got more than golf and sunshine,” 

Msgr. John Lenihan remembers. “We got 

thrown into responsibilities, quickly.” 

Msgr. Lenihan, who was named a 

pastor and director of Catholic Charities 

within three years of ordination, said, “You 

learned by flying by the seat of your pants. 

And you just didn’t worry about how 

things would turn out. You were too busy 

keeping up with your jobs.” 

They gave us more than the celebration 

of Mass and confessions. And their colleagues 

in the convents contributed more 

than lesson plans and tests. 

Whether it was personally laying the 

bricks for a school addition, or making 

themselves a high profile part of virtually 

every hospital in the diocese by their 

frequent visits to the sick; whether it was 

teaching our lads the other football or 

giving our Catholic school students a break 

from Lent on March 17 so the children 

could remember that, when all is said and 

done, life in God is a life of joy, these 

mighty men and women brought so much 

of the Isle of Saints and Scholars to our 

state and our diocese. 

And, in letting some Florida sand settle 

in their shoes, they have become beloved 

members of our Catholic family. 

Father Terrence Morgan, pastor of the Cathedral- 

Basilica, St. Augustine, has roots in Ireland, too. 

Irish-born Sisters of Mercy serving in the diocese, top row: 

Josephine O’Leary, Patricia O’Hea, Mary of Mercy Casey, 

Mary Murphy and Carmel O’Callaghan. Front row: Mary 

Regina Fahy, Eithne Lowther, Anne Campbell and Bridie 

Ryan. Sisters of Mercy not pictured: Ambrose Cruise, Enda 

Egan, Therese Horan, Maria Maxwell and Emmanuel 

Gilsenan. Sisters of St. Joseph not pictured: Eugenia Crowley, 

Hannah Daly, Eileen and Mary Esther Flanagan, Marie 

O’Beirne, Louis Angela O’Donovan, Geraldine O’Flynn, 

Emmanuel O’Keefe, Mary Camillus O’Mahoney, Ethelburga 

O’Shaughnessy and Liguori Pierse. Also not pictured are: Anne 

Conlon, CSJP, Nancy O’Reilly, OP and Martha Costello, OP. 

Terry Wilmot 


WHO WAS 

Saint Patrick? 

By Susan Woods 

It’s impossible to think about Saint 

Patrick without evoking images of 

shamrocks, parades, Irish music and 

dancing. March 17th has become an occasion 

to celebrate the Irish culture and, for 

many, an excuse to party to excess. But the 

man who is celebrated as the quintessential 

Irish icon was not Irish at all. In 

fact he was kidnapped as a youth and 

enslaved by the Irish, people he would 

later embrace. 

He suffered years of privation as a 

shepherd in the Irish hills. Like all holy 

people, Patrick endured his harsh 

circumstance by turning to prayer. He 

wrote in his Confession: “Tending flocks 

was my daily work, and I would pray 

constantly during the daylight hours. The 

love of God and the fear of him 

surrounded me more and more – and faith 

grew and the Spirit was roused.” 

Patrick eventually had a dream in 

which he was told a ship was waiting to 

take him home. He followed the dictates 

of his dream and eventually escaped 

captivity. Not too many years later, it was 

another dream that called him to leave 

home again and return to Ireland. After 

his ordination, that’s what Patrick did. 

Patrick’s devotion to the Irish is 

remarkable for so many reasons. First, is 

the obvious fact that these were the people 

who had enslaved him and deprived him 

of his youth. Second, Ireland at the time 

was a barbaric land untouched by the 

civilizing influence of the Roman Empire. 

Patrick voluntarily returned to a land 

where human sacrifice, slavery and constant 

warfare were prevalent. But he was 

able to impress this warring community 

with his unshakable faith in God and his 

uncanny ability to connect his message to 

their deepest concerns. Patrick not only 

converted the island to Christianity, but 

he improved the lot of the Irish people by 

discouraging slavery and reducing 

warfare. 

Patrick’s mission to the Irish became an 

enduring legacy. His followers became the 

most zealous of all missionaries to the 

world. And today, more than 1500 years 

after his death, the example of Saint 

Patrick continues to inspire and instruct. 

Continuing Saint Patrick’s work is part 

of the mission of St. Patrick’s Catholic 

School in north Jacksonville. “We teach 

the children that we all have a mission in 

life,” says Sister of St. Joseph Carmel 

O’Callaghan, principal of the school. All 

the grades at St. Patrick’s collect toys and 

money to benefit children at Sulzbacher 

Shelter and Wolfson Children’s Hospital 

in Jacksonville. But the seriousness of 

mission is balanced with a joyous 

celebration on St. Patrick’s Day complete 

with a parade, Irish music and dancing 

and a corned beef and cabbage dinner. 

At St. Patrick’s Catholic School in 

Gainesville, children see Saint Patrick as a 

role model. “We teach the children that 

Saint Patrick was a person who felt God’s 

calling and followed it,” says Principal 

Elaine Baumgartner. “God will guide you, 

too, if you just keep your heart open.” 

Susan Woods is a member of San Jose Parish, 

Jacksonville. 

Students from St. Patrick’s School, 

Jacksonville: 

Bobby Maldonado, 8th grade 

“St. Patrick listened to 

God and returned to 

Ireland to convert the 

people who had made 

him a slave. He used 

the shamrock to teach 

about the Trinity.” 

Brockni Lee, 5th grade 

“St. Patrick was a 

slave who prayed 

and became a 

missionary. Our 

school is very 

festive on St. 

Patrick’s Day. I 

like the parade 

and the Irish dancing.” 

Felicia Mosley, 6th grade 

“St. Patrick had 

many powers and 

gifts. The priest 

who baptized him 

was cured of his 

blindness.” 


Leah Farmer, 5th grade 

“I feel very close to 

St. Patrick because 

I was born on 

March 17th. 

St. Patrick was 

brave, caring, 

forgiving, wise and 

religious.” 

Students from St. Patrick’s School, 

Gainesville 

Alex Flinchum, 4th grade 

“St. Patrick is a 

man who believed 

in God and in 

return for his love, 

got a lot of help 

from God when 

he needed it.” 

Oscar Vazquez, 3rd grade 

“St. Patrick means 

to me kindness 

because he was a 

very gentle person. 

He also had 

courage to go 

through a lot of 

bad things so he 

could do all the things he believed.” 

T.J. Arndt, 3rd grade 

“St. Patrick to me 

means faith. He 

taught others faith 

and prayer instead 

of violence. He is 

important because 

he is a saint and 

never used 

violence.” 

Sarah Lewis, 5th grade 

St. Patrick is 

important and 

means a lot to me 

because he helped 

free the Irish from 

slavery. I am 

happy about that 

because I don’t 

like slavery.” 

Culver Pictures Inc./Superstock 


“The more people 

pray and meditate, 

the less fear they 

have…Fearlessness is 

a quality that people 

develop the more 

they pray and 

meditate.” 

By Natalie R. Cornell 

I 

s there a crisis in your life? Do you feel 

overwhelmed by your present 

circumstances? Maybe it’s an opportunity 

for spiritual healing. Maybe it’s a 

call from God. This is something that 

even the field of psychology is recognizing 

and beginning to pay attention to. 

In the area of counseling, Mark Young, 

professor of Counselor Education at the 

University of Central Florida says, “There 

is a great deal of research that shows if you 

include a client’s religious or spiritual 

background in your treatment, it’s going 

to be more effective.” 

Michael McCullough, associate 

professor of Psychology at Southern 

Methodist University, says, “Matters of 

transcendence are just too important to 

what it means to be a human being, so 

some psychologists have now begun to 

take them quite seriously.” As the lead 

investigator of a recent study published in 

Health Psychology, a journal of the 

American Psychological Association, 

McCullough found that there is a definite 

association between church attendance 

and longer life. 

Sometimes people think of spiritual 

healing as occurring only in an instantaneous 

and miraculous sense, but doesn’t 

healing also mean having a more fulfilling 

existence because of God’s action in your 

life? And, isn’t health a by-product of that? 

That’s how Betty Crowell, R.N., 

coordinator of the Parish Nurse program 

at St. Vincent’s Health System, talks about 

healing. “In my personal experience, 

healing is a life-long process – it is a 

journey in faith.” 

In 1989, Crowell coordinated a retreat 

for nurses. She says, she expected God to 

bless her, but instead, two weeks later she 

seriously injured her back and shortly 

after that she was diagnosed with breast 

cancer. “God was trying to get my 

attention,” said Crowell. 

Over the course of two years, “I started 

just being, listening, and seeking Jesus. I 

learned how to be a Mary sitting at the 

feet of Jesus rather than a Martha running 

around getting everything done,” she said. 

Crowell attributes her new attitude as 

playing a significant role in her healing 

process. She, of course, had medical 

treatment, but says she “became totally 

open to God, letting God’s love and 

mercy fill my emptiness.” 

It was through the celebration of Mass 

and the Eucharist, Crowell says, she felt 

the presence of Christ in a “powerful 

way.” Community also played a big part 

in her healing. A member of Sacred Heart 

Parish in Jacksonville, Crowell points out, 

“It’s in community that you share your joy 

and your sorrow. The parish is the place 

where people attain wholeness and 

healing through faith in God.” 

Crowell says she has been free of cancer 

for 11 years and while she still has severe 

limitations due to her back injury, she is 

able to walk and continue working. 

Someone who has seen the effects of 

prayer up close is James Gallagher, M.D., a 

critical care physician at Shands Hospital in 

Gainesville and chairman of the diocesan 

Bioethics Commission. “I have seen 

conditions turn around because of prayer,” 

said Gallagher. However, his patients often 

cannot pray for themselves because they are 

in various stages of trauma. 


A Journey In Faith 

He describes an incident when he 

thought a patient had about 10 minutes 

to live. The priest chaplain at Shands came 

in and began praying with the family 

around the man’s bedside. Gallagher said, 

within a few minutes, the man’s blood 

pressure came up and he rallied. 

The man died three weeks later, but it 

was, Gallagher said, a “pretty powerful 

thing to see everyone around his bedside 

praying and for that to 

happen when there 

wasn’t a medical reason 

for it.” 

Gallagher says there 

have been numerous 

cases where medically, 

people should have 

died, but lived. And in 

most of those cases the 

families were “praying 

hard for their recovery.” 

Gallagher says the 

vast majority of cases 

wind up the way you’d 

expect them to from a 

medical standpoint. He 

points out that there is 

only so much a doctor 

can do. Adding, he 

often prays that families 

will have the strength to 

handle the death of a 

loved one. 

Acceptance is one of 

the fruits of prayer. 

Professor Young talks 

about the serenity 

prayer of Saint Francis 

and says people who 

pray learn to surrender 

and learn that one must 

accept things that can’t 

be changed. 

Another benefit of 

Photodisc, Inc. 

prayer is relieving stress. Having to be in 

control causes emotional stress. And 

Young points out that control means, 

“you must be constantly vigilant.” 

Prayer involves “surrender” and one 

learns to let go. 

Crowell says she reached the point in 

her illness when she could accept whatever 

it was God wanted for her. She says, 

“It was in facing death that I truly 

learned to live. I learned acceptance, 

forgiveness, and my priorities changed 

overnight.” 

But what if someone is afraid to pray? 

Young says, “The more people pray and 

meditate, the less fear they have… 

Fearlessness is a quality that people 

develop the more they pray and 

meditate.” 

People may be afraid they will have to 

change. And Young says, “You will be 

changed by your connection with God.” 

But he reassures us that we don’t have to 

retire to a cave, like Saint Francis, for 

change to occur. “God is in control,” and 

we don’t have to worry. 

Perhaps healing begins with a call by 

God to walk with Him — and with our 

response of faith and courage to whisper 

that first prayer. While miracles may 

prove that God can’t be put in a box, 

perhaps it is through prayer, scripture, 

the Eucharist, and community that many 

healings occur in our lives. Perhaps our 

walk with the Lord and all that entails is 

the greatest healing of all. 


By Linda Gilbertson 

By the year 2010, stepfamilies will be 

the predominant type of family in 

America. Commonly referred to as 

“blended” marriages, such unions, which 

often include children from both sides, 

bring with them unique problems not 

faced by first marriage families. 

“I think the term ‘blended marriage’ is 

a good metaphor because people going 

through it say that it feels like they’ve been 

put through a big blender,” said David 

O’Byrne, a marriage and family counselor 

with Catholic Charities, and a stepparent 

himself. 

“This is a time of great upheaval for 

everyone involved. They’re being tossed 

around a lot.” However, he stops at describing 

remarriages as being actually “blended.” 

Instead, O’Byrne said, the family 

created by remarriage is better thought of 

as two families living in harmony. It’s 

important that each maintain its separate, 

distinct identity. 

Peggy and Chris Hildreth agree. A 

blended family since 1994, they give talks to 

new and prospective stepfamilies about the 

pitfalls and triumphs of step parenting, 

drawing on their own experiences bringing 

their two families together. 

An Intimate Outsider 

Stepparents often attempt to create the 

same kind of family as the first marriage 

family, one in which the new parent is 

accepted as a full member by the children. 

In reality, however, it rarely happens that 

way. 

O’Byrne faced a particularly difficult 

challenge when he married Nancy seven 

years ago in that he, a former priest, 

Corbis 

The family portrayed in the hit television show, 

“The Brady Bunch,” was considered the quintessential 

blended family of the 1970s. 


hadn’t taken on the responsibilities of 

being a parent. He said he came into the 

role of stepfather with the same 

unrealistic expectation a lot of people 

have, that of instantaneous acceptance by 

the children. It didn’t take him long to 

realize it wouldn’t be that easy. 

“In my first two years as a stepparent, I 

was invisible,” said O’Byrne. “They just 

looked right past me.” 

But it wasn’t because of anything he had 

done to alienate his three stepchildren. It’s 

simply that it would take time for them to 

accept him as a full part of the family. 

“Love comes slowly, if at all,” he said of 

the stepchild’s feelings toward the new 

stepparent. “You’ll be an intimate outsider. 

You want to get close but you’ll always be 

on the outside. And that’s OK.” 

Separate But Equal 

The hierarchy of the family unit 

provides the children with a unique sense 

of who they are based on their birth order. 

That positioning should continue with the 

blended family, even if the numbers don’t 

add up. 

In the Hildreth’s case, they each had a 

son who was the oldest member of the 

family and a daughter as the youngest. 

When they married, chronologically 

Peggy’s son was no longer the oldest and 

Chris’s daughter was no longer the baby of 

the household. 

But, in the family’s spirit, each child’s 

station didn’t change when the two families 

came together. That’s an important 

consideration for each family to make, 

since a child’s identity is tied to his or her 

place within the family structure. It’s easier 

to accomplish if the families maintain a 

sense of separateness and individuality. 

“We really feel that we do have two 

separate families,” Chris said. “It’s better if 

you respect the two families as they are.” 

Despite this apparent dichotomy, the 

two families will be able to function as 

one, the experts maintain. But the integration 

of the two 

families into a 

cohesive unit is 

a slow process. 

And, O’Byrne 

cautions, it is 

an outcome that 

may never take place. 

“At the outside, it takes two or more 

years to settle down,” he said. “You have to 

ask yourself, are you ready to wait?” 

The Unbreakable Bond 

Understanding the needs of each of the 

children in a remarriage is a vital part of 

creating a harmonious atmosphere. The 

children need to feel that the relationship to 

their own parent is just as strong as it ever 

was, even with the addition of a new parent. 

“Remember, that parent/child relationship 

predates your relationship,” O’Byrne said. 

Peggy Hildreth said she realized early in 

her marriage to Chris that she could not 

bend the bond he had with his daughter, 

nor, she discovered, did she want to. 

During a family vacation, Chris’s 

youngest daughter kept trying to 

physically wedge herself 

between the couple, taking 

her dad’s hand and forcing 

Peggy to walk behind them. 

At first, Peggy felt as if she 

were being pushed away. Then 

she realized that her stepdaughter 

was just taking her rightful place next to 

her father, the place she had belonged 

since she was born. 

“I’m really an outsider in that relationship, 

big time,” Peggy said. “I finally 

realized I had to let her have him. It was 

just a war and I wasn’t going to win.” 

For Peggy’s son, who, at age nine, had 

been the “man of the family” since his 

parents’ divorce, the addition of Chris into 

the family meant his place was going to be 

supplanted by a new father. It was not a 

role he was prepared to relinquish. 

“He told me, ‘Chris can’t take care of 

you like I do,’” Peggy said. “He didn’t 

think I needed to marry Chris.” 

“All I saw was the back of his head for a 

few months,” Chris said of his stepson’s 

initial reaction to him. Over the years, 

however, their relationship has changed 

and improved. 

Making Discipline Work 

Maintaining discipline in the blended 

family is one of the most troubling aspects 

of step parenting and the one that causes 

the majority of serious problems in new 

marriages. 

Peggy says her discipline style is akin to 

“still waters run deep” – she’s calm but 

firm. Husband Chris admits he is a 

screamer. 

For them, the key to successful discipline 

is to present a united front, 

allowing the natural parent to lead the way, 

with backup provided by the stepparent. 

That’s not to say that the stepparent 

has to delay discipline if the natural parent 

isn’t available, however. The stepparent 

needs to discipline in a way the child 

responds to, if that’s possible. In Chris’s 

case, it’s often not easy for him to remain 

calm in the face of misbehavior by his 

stepchildren. 

“I go out in the backyard and do my 

Yosemite Sam, and then it’s OK,” Chris said. 

As long as the discipline is consistent, as 

long as the children understand the rules 

of the household, they should be able 

to take discipline from either parent. 

The Couple Connection 

For families struggling with the issues 

of remarriage, coping with problems, 

the first few years may make the future 

seem bleak. Communication between the 

husband and wife at all levels can serve to 

keep the marriage strong, despite problems 

with the children or other outside forces. 

“It’s essential to communicate well,” 

O’Byrne advises newly married couples. 

“That will help the marriage bond and 

reduce the stress you’re going through.” 

He added that the couple connection is 

one of the most important to maintain 

and the one that gives stability to the 

family. 

“Remember there’s a reason you got 

married in the first place,” advises Peggy. 

“When the kids are all gone, it’s going to 

be us who are still there.” 

“Our relationship is what’s most 

important,” Chris added. “That’s what we 

spend the bulk of our work on.” 

Linda Gilbertson is a Jacksonville-based 

freelance writer. 


Making A Retreat 

Rediscovering 

God’s Love 

“Being in one place for four days 

straight is...a pure gift.” 

– A Guided Scripture Retreat 

“This program fulfills a longing 

and need in my life.” 

– A Mid-Life Directions Retreat 

“The retreat leader made you fall in 

love with God all over again.” 

– A Guided Scripture Retreat 

“I enjoyed the wisdom 

of other women.” 

– A Women’s Recovery Retreat 

“She led us through an experience... 

She led us to discovery.” 

– A Celtic Spirituality Retreat 

By David E. Nowak 

These comments, from participants 

in recent Marywood retreat 

programs, remind us of the importance 

of quiet places for prayer 

and reflection. We need, from time to 

time, to temporarily withdraw from our 

everyday routine when, as English Poet 

William Wordsworth wrote, “This world 

is too much with us.” 

More and more people are discovering 

how retreats help us take a fresh look at 

life. The experience of making a retreat 

teaches us, simply, the value of taking the 

time to sort things out: to ask how things 

are going; to ask where things are going; 

and to rediscover God’s love in everything 

around us. 

Still, many wonder whether making a 

retreat is for them. Some believe you must 

already be holy, or at least well on the way 

to holiness, before making a retreat. 

Others have difficulty deciding what kind 

of retreat is appropriate for them. And 

some struggle to justify the apparent 

luxury of giving up so much time. 

This article will briefly review the 

historical context of the Catholic retreat 

movement in this country; identify some 

of the most common kinds of retreats 

available at retreat centers; and, perhaps, 

remind us how important it is to grow in 

the joy of God’s love shining in and 

through us. 

The American Catholic Retreat 

Movement 

The history of the American Catholic 

Retreat Movement dates back 150 years. It 

began in the middle 19th century when 

most Catholics believed retreats were 

reserved for those who were ordained or 

vowed religious, whose lives are completely 

dedicated to spiritual growth and 

ministerial service. Even today, church law 

requires members of religious orders to 

observe an annual period of retreat. 

Emerging in the latter half of the 19th 

century, however, is a Catholic evangelical 

reform movement called, “Revivalism.” 

This was a mass movement of missionary 

priests who traveled the United States and 

Canada addressing the needs of struggling 

North American churches. Religious orders 

sent preachers and teachers throughout the 

country to support the new growth of 

Catholic communities. 

This early experience with parish 

renewal led to the development of new 

retreat programs and the first retreat centers 

sponsored by several religious orders. The 

Redemptorists (1852), Passionists (1860), 

Religious of the Cenacle (1893), and others 

provided various parish mission and retreat 

programs. And in 1875 the Dominican 

Sisters founded a center for women’s retreats 

in Pennsylvania focusing on Catholic social 

teaching. 

16 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • JANUARY 2001/FEBRUARY 2001

Within the first two decades of the 20th 

century, although retreat directors were still 

usually priests, lay people began to organize 

and promote their own retreats. 

Lay men and women were beginning to 

recognize the importance of regular spiritual 

retreats for all the faithful and initially 

sought to share the spirituality of religious 

communities. 

Lay retreat leagues were developed and 

looked to religious communities for ways to 

adapt their particular charism and 

spiritual practices to everyday life. 

Finally, in the period of time 

immediately before and following 

the Second Vatican Council, the 

importance of developing a 

spiritual life received a new 

emphasis and breadth in the 

church. 

Vatican II’s Dogmatic 

Constitution on the Church 

proclaimed that all believers are 

called to the “fullness of Christian 

life and the perfection of love.” 

No longer only an obligation of 

clergy and religious, now the 

church called all the faithful to 

grow in holiness and to witness to 

God’s presence in the midst of 

their lives. 

This new and more expansive 

vision of Catholic spiritual life 

raised many important questions 

about the role of retreats. If 

retreats are not just a spiritual 

exercise for those with a special 

call to religious life, retreat 

ministry must now serve a much 

wider audience with a more 

diverse range of experiences and 

expectations. 

In the 21st century, retreat 

centers will need to continue to 

adapt old retreat models and develop new, 

more accessible ones to help us reflect on 

the extraordinary presence of God in the 

ordinary experiences of our life. Their 

mission will be to find and offer many 

different ways of sharing the “good news” of 

God’s promise with everyone. 

Retreat Programs 

In recent years the challenge to develop 

programs to meet the spiritual needs of all 

the faithful has resulted in a much greater 

variety of retreats. There is an increasing 

appreciation among retreat leaders and 

participants that different types of retreats 

are necessary to support many different 

spiritual journeys. 

Retreat centers have found that no 

single kind of retreat can address every 

important topic; provide every spiritual 

exercise; or focus on every life issue which 

may concern retreatants. 

Linda Frano said she needed to get away to prepare for Christmas. She 

signed up for a Silent Retreat at Marywood and took full advantage of 

the beautiful surroundings to become closer to God. 

Even the context may change. At times 

retreatants need to be quiet and alone. At 

other times group discussion is more 

suitable. Even the length may vary from a 

day to more than a week depending on 

personal availability and program 

intensity. All retreats can only be judged, 

finally, by how well they provide a safe 

place to explore the unique revelations of 

the Spirit in our daily lives. 

Although retreat centers are continually 

expanding the kinds of retreats they offer, 

most retreats fall into one of the following 

categories. 

The most common type of retreat is a 

Preached or Conference Retreat. This 

retreat format is especially good for large 

groups centering around a theme like 

prayer, scripture, Jesus, or particular life 

issues. At this type of retreat a presenter or 

retreat leader provides one or more talks 

with periods of individual or group 

reflection. It often lasts for a 

weekend, but it may be shorter 

or conducted in a series of 

shorter meetings over two or 

more weeks. 

Another popular kind of retreat 

is called a Vocational, Lifestyle, 

or Commitment Retreat. 

Most often identified with 

Marriage Encounter and 

Engaged Encounter programs, 

this type of retreat focuses on 

the experiences and needs of 

one or more persons in a vowed 

relationship. While similar in 

structure to thematic retreats, 

these retreats are based more on 

the life situations and skills 

necessary to meet the demands 

of long term commitments. 

Some retreatants prefer meeting 

with smaller groups of five to 10 

persons for a Guided Retreat. 

Guided Retreats typically invite 

participants to gather for a daily 

conference and then spend the 

rest of the day on their own. A 

Terry Wilmot 

spiritual director may be 

available for personal 

consultation, but there are no 

other individual or group 

meetings. 

Another familiar retreat context is 

the Directed Retreat or Individual Directed 

Retreat. This is primarily a more extended 

retreat experience lasting from five to 30 days. 

It focuses on personal or individual spiritual 

needs and experiences with daily meetings for 

spiritual direction. During one or more 

sessions each day the director facilitates 

individual prayer and provides reflection 

material for individual meditation. 

A combination of elements from both 

Continued on page 18 


Continued from page 17 

guided and directed retreats has also been 

integrated into the Group Directed 

Retreat. This kind of program offers both 

daily group conferences and regular 

opportunities for individual spiritual 

direction. This format may also allow 

everyone to benefit from the personal 

insights of an individual through group 

discussion or faith sharing. 

Another more recent development is 

retreats designed to focus on particular age 

or life phase groups. These include Youth 

Retreats, Mid-Life Retreats, and Senior 

Retreats. Each of these retreat programs 

acknowledges the special concerns and 

challenges of a particular time of life. They 

all provide a complete context of 

formational and, sometimes, recreational 

components to affirm and challenge each 

group’s spiritual growth through that 

period of their life. 

The Retreat Experience 

All of these retreat models, old and new, 

remind us of the importance of taking time 

to listen to God’s Word in the midst of our 

lives. Whether we have only a few hours or 

a few days, they offer us experiences of 

prayer and reflection to increase our 

awareness of the Mystery surrounding us. 

God dwells in all that we are and do. 

Retreats simply help us to sharpen our 

vision and open our hearts to the Divine 

Presence already alive in us. 

Making a retreat is a careful way to look 

at the events of our lives from a sacred 

perspective. The fleeting moments of life 

require us to stop and appreciate, by 

looking back and remembering, their 

sacred meaning and ultimate goal. Retreats 

provide us with a structured and 

purposeful pause in our lives to restore our 

feel for God’s joy and to renew our 

confidence in God’s faithful love. 

David Nowak is director of Marywood Retreat 

and Conference Center in Jacksonville. 

Turn to the Calendar of Events on pages 30-31 

for information on upcoming retreats at 

Marywood. To obtain the Marywood 

Newsletter with a schedule of programs and 

retreats, call (904) 287-2525. 

Trust In The Lord 

(but buy insurance) 

Catholic readers are well educated, with comfortable incomes 

and a strong financial base. The St. Augustine Catholic magazine 

provides a great opportunity for insurance agents, financial planners 

and stock brokers to reach this high quality audience. Advertising rates 

are reasonable. For a free quote, call J. Michael Lenninger, advertising 

manager, at (904) 262-3200, ext.188. 

MISSION NEWS 

Thanks… 

“I 

don’t know how we 

would survive without 

your help. This is why we are 

indebted to you. Be assured 

of our daily prayers so that 

God will bless your intentions 

and good works. Please, do not grow tired of 

reaching out to us.” 

Father Felix Kumani, Rector 

Seminary of St. Peter the Apostle, Nigeria 

Today there are more than 28,000 young men in the Missions 

who want to serve their people as priests. With the help of your 

prayers and your gift to the Propagation of the Faith / St. Peter 

Apostle, many more can continue to answer “Yes!” to the 

Lord’s call to follow Him. 

✁ 

The Society for the PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH 

...all of us committed to the worldwide mission of Jesus 

Father Brian Eburn: Attention Dept. C 

P.O. Box 908, Crescent City, FL 32112 

(904) 698-2055 

❏ $100 ❏ $50 ❏ $25 ❏ $10 ❏ $________(other) 

Name __________________________________________________________ 

Address ________________________________________________________ 

City _____________________________State _______Zip ______________ 

Please remember the Society for the Propagation of the Faith 

when writing or changing your Will. 


Heavenly 

Tails 

Terry Wilmot 

By Elizabeth Dorsey-Culkeen 

Deacon Joe Johnson and his dog Jake share some tender loving care 

with All Saints Nursing Home resident Hazel Goodwin. 

Anovel form of therapy is being 

dispensed with the wag of a tail 

at All Saints Catholic Nursing 

Home and Rehabilitation Center in Jacksonville. 

To the residents and staff, visits 

by Deacon Joseph Johnson and his retired 

champion Cardigan Welsh Corgi Jake are, 

in this case, just what the doctor ordered. 

While Deacon Joe conducts communion 

service in the chapel, Jake waits 

patiently for his opportunity to meet and 

greet his friends throughout All Saints. 

Afterwards, Deacon Joe clips on the leash 

and Jake is off to spread his own special 

form of treatment in exchange for pats, 

scratches and love from his admirers. Jake 

and Joe travel the halls stopping along the 

way to say hello to all. 

The benefits of interaction with pets are 

many. Visits with therapy-pets encourage 

reminiscences and social interaction, and 

result in stress relief and incidental physiotherapy. 

Medical studies suggest that blood 

pressure may be lowered and hospital stays 

shortened when patients have access to 

pets. Often, a visit with a pet can be the 

high point in a shut-in’s day, bringing 

happiness and a sense of well being. 

Due to complications from diabetes, 

walking for Deacon Johnson is difficult. 

His son thought that a dog and daily 

walks might be the medicine his father 

needed. He adopted Jake and the 

infamous partnership of the Deacon and 

the dog was born. 

Deacon Johnson, who was ordained in 

1988 in the Diocese of Cleveland, remembers 

a patient in the Lodi (Ohio) 

Hospital who hadn’t spoken in days. 

Shortly after a visit from Jake, the patient 

began to speak again, asking when the dog 

would be coming back. The Deacon is 

still in awe over the occurrence. 

Deacon Joe Johnson and his wife, Joan, 

moved to Jacksonville three years ago. 

Deacon Joe assists at Sacred Heart Parish 

and All Saints Nursing Home, where he 

conducts a communion service three days 

a week. 

The residents of All Saints look 

forward to the visits from Jake so much, 

that if Deacon Joe doesn’t bring him, 

people stop and ask where their little 

friend is. It still amazes the deacon when a 

resident, who is unable to remember 

where the chapel is located, remembers to 

ask when Jake will be coming in again. 

Yvette Bybak, the activities director at 

All Saints, often brings her dog, Topsy, to 

work with her. Between Topsy and Jake, 

the residents are able to spend time with 

the pets regularly. 

The nursing home visits aren’t the only 

job “assigned” to Jake. The first grade at 

Sacred Heart School has a special class 

every year on pet care and responsibility 

“taught” by Jake and his master. Deacon 

Joe teaches the children that feeding, exercising 

and caring for a pet are enormous 

responsibilities. Enormous, even when the 

pet is as agreeable as Jake. 

Jake has been involved with his own 

brand of pet therapy for over six years. In 

addition to the visits at the nursing home 

and the school, Jake often accompanies 

Deacon Joe on communion calls to 

Sacred Heart’s shut-ins. 

At age 13, Jake is slowing down a bit 

but still seems to enjoy his calling. He is a 

gentle soul who asks so very little and 

gives so very much in return. A pat on the 

head or a nice little scratch behind the ear 

and the rewards are bountiful for all God’s 

creatures, great and small. 

Elizabeth Dorsey-Culkeen is a Jacksonvillebased 

freelance writer and member of San 

Juan del Rio Parish in Jacksonville. 


FIGHTING POVERTY 

How the 

Catholic 

Campaign for 

Human 

Development 

Fights Poverty 

By Chelle Delaney 

B 

everly Coffey is a 47-year-old single 

mom who lives on Jacksonville’s Northside 

with her son, Gordon, 12. 

Coffey is a good example of what the 

Catholic Campaign for Human Development 

(CCHD) is all about. She’s one of 

those who, diocesan CCHD Director 

Father Edward Rooney says, “have discovered 

the power to make improvements 

in their lives and their neighborhoods. 

They learn organizational skills and how 

to deal with issues. They learn how to 

open avenues for self-improvement and 

empowerment.” 

That’s Coffey. She has testified passionately 

before local school board 

officials and state leaders in Tallahassee 

about teaching young children to read 

and making their neighborhoods safe for 

play and improving their overall quality 

of life. 

It began four years ago, when her son 

got 11 referrals that he and his mother 

needed to meet in the school principal’s 

office — all during one six-week period. 

Coffey says, “I didn’t know what I was 

going to do.” 

But ICARE brought Direct 

Instruction, a method of teaching 

reading, into the schools and it wasn’t 

long before she saw the results. 

“It helped change Gordon’s whole 

outlook,” Coffey says. “His reading 

skyrocketed, his vocabulary became 

broader and he was able to stay focused. 

He also went from making Cs and Ds to 

As and Bs.” 

What is ICARE? 

Behind the acronym, which stands for 

Interchurch Coalition for Action, 

Reconciliation and Empowerment, there 

are 35 churches representing 12 different 

denominations, and racially diverse 

congregations. All told, there are at least 

1,300 people involved in ICARE which is 

supported by CCHD and others. 

Last November, the executive director 

of national CCHD Father Robert J. 

Vitillo spoke at a CCHD luncheon in the 

diocese and thanked the people of the 

diocese for having contributed $546,714 

since the campaign began. 

Since then some $348,000 in national 

funds has been allocated to projects in the 

Diocese of Saint Augustine. 

Nationally, CCHD has just approved 

a $550,00 grant for a nationwide 

immigrant empowerment project. 

Jeff Chenoweth, director of the national 

consortia projects division of the 

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, 

Inc., says, “There’s been a growing sentiment 

within the church that immigrants 

are not faring as well as we thought. They 

are at a crossroad. The rhetoric is hotter 

and meaner.” 

Almost simultaneously with the grant 

to help immigrants, the CCHD approved 

the allocation of $1 million to fund 

educational and community-based 

organizing efforts related to crime and the 

criminal justice system. This emphasis 

recognizes that people living in poverty are 

more often the victims of crime and, 

when they are the perpetrators of crimes, 

they often receive more severe penalties. 

CCHD has given ICARE $125,000 

in national grants since 1997. And the 

diocesan CCHD office awarded the 

church-based group $5,000 five years ago 

to help launch their efforts. Another 


CCHD Announces Multi-Media 

Arts Contest for Diocesan Youth 

Terry Wilmot 

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Multi- 

Media Arts Contest is open to students in grades 7-12. Contestants can win 

prizes of $500, $250 and $100 and win matching grants for their parish 

programs. Students can work individually or in a group to tell the story of 

what CCHD is doing to help low income people join together to reverse the 

root causes of poverty. The artwork can be in any of three categories: visual 

arts, literature, or audio-visual. 

Teachers are encouraged to help their students explore Catholic social 

teaching and the root causes of economic poverty. 

Entries must be submitted by April 30, 2001. Entries should be mailed to 

CCHD, Providence Center, 134 East Church Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202. 

For further information go to: www.nccbuscc.org/cchd/index.htm 

and visit “Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest.” Or, call (904) 358-7409 or 

(904) 282-0439. 

Kate Luby, an ICARE staffer, and members 

of the church-based group develop strategies so that 

their concerns are heard loud and clear at City Hall 

and the School Board. 

Terry Wilmot 

national grant of $30,000 was awarded 

to Gainesville’s NCFISC (North Central 

Florida Interdenominational Sponsoring 

Committee) for a project that is in its 

start-up phase and similar to ICARE. 

What does the money do for ICARE 

and NCFISC? 

It helps show the “invisible poor” how 

they can make themselves seen and 

heard. 

Kate Luby is a 23-year-old college 

graduate who is working for ICARE. It’s 

work she calls exciting. 

“It’s people from really diverse 

neighborhoods coming together for a 

common purpose. Parents have been 

testifying. To see them tell their story in 

their words and that it really matters, has 

been a real leap for these people. They 

say, ‘This is what happened to my child 

and my child deserves the best that the 

school system can offer.’” 

Thanks to ICARE, 15 inner-city 

schools are now teaching by Direct Instruction, 

a straightforward method in 

which teachers explain directly what 

students need to learn and then teach 

and demonstrate those skills. 

Kate Luby says, “The Direct Instruction 

program was introduced at ICARE’s 

urging. It’s had some really amazing 

success.” 

As Beverly Coffey knows. 

Luby adds, “ICARE’s mission is not 

just helping get things done but also 

striving for the Kingdom of God.” 

And that’s what CCHD has been 

working on for the past 30 years, ever 

since it was founded by the National 

Conference of Catholic Bishops 

(NCCB) in 1969. 

In all its activities, the CCHD has a 

double purpose. 

First, to give the poor the power to lift 

themselves out of poverty. And second, 

to recruit all Catholics in the campaign 

to change unjust conditions. 

In other words, CCHD is working 

to get us to realize that the poor, the 

minorities, the immigrants, the undocumented 

aliens, and we, are all God’s 

children. 

In January, to make us all aware that 

poverty still exists, CCHD released a 

survey showing that, in 1999, some 11.8 

percent of the total U.S. population, or 

32.3 million people, found themselves 

living in poverty – defined as those 

whose annual cash income is less than 

the federal government has defined as 

essential for minimal nutritional 

subsistence and basic living costs. For a 

family of four, the poverty threshold in 

1999 was $17,184. 

Who are the poor? 

Just 11 percent of the total 

population, but: 

• 23 percent of African-American 

families. 

• 20 percent of non-naturalized 

immigrants. 

• And almost 17 percent of all 

children. 

By the way, Beverly Coffey’s son 

Gordon is now a sixth-grader at the 

LaVilla School of the Arts, where he’s not 

only an exemplary student but knows 

how to play six instruments and is in 

several musical groups. Like his mother, 

Gordon is making himself heard. 


teen 

voice 

Cheating is a type of dishonesty that is very common in today’s society. In 

a recent national poll, 40 percent of U.S. teenagers said they would 

cheat if they knew they could get away with it. A 1994 survey of 

students in Who’s Who Among High School Students revealed: 

✺ 70 % had cheated at one time or another, 

✺ 67 % copied another student’s work, 

✺ 40 % cheated on a test or quiz, and 

✺ 25 % used plot summaries to avoid reading an assigned book. 

We asked teens from St. Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish in Macclenny 

and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Palm Coast – 

? 

Stephanie Moreland – Yes it is morally wrong to cheat. It all depends when 

and where you are, but overall, no under any circumstances. 

Bryan Jenkins – It is definitely wrong to cheat. There is no reason 

why a person should cheat. When a person cheats, they are 

stealing in some way from other people. When a person wants 

Kristen 

IT’S ALL 

ABOUT FAITH: 

Is it morally wrong to cheat? 

Under what circumstances if any, is it okay? 

This is what they had to say: 

to achieve a goal, they should put their own work into it and 

not take from other people. I don’t believe that a person could 

cheat in a good way. Although cheating may be easier, it is 

wrong. 

Kristen Burnham – Yes it is wrong to cheat because if you don’t 

learn to do it yourself it will be harder on you in life. 

Jeff McGraw — Cheating on anything is very wrong and I think that 

cheating should be against the law. But the only time you should cheat is if you 

have a gun pointed at your head. But cheating is always wrong. 

Wendy Nguyen – Yes it is wrong to cheat because if you cheat you will 

keep on doing it and you will never learn right from wrong. 

Laura Jenkins – Cheating is breaking the Seventh Commandment, “Thou 

shalt not steal.” By cheating you’re stealing from yourself and others. There 

Laura 

Feb. 4 – Diocesan Youth Rally 

For youth in 9 th -12 th grades 

Sunday, 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. 

St. Patrick’s, Gainesville 

Call (904) 355-1100 

Feb. 9-11 – SEARCH Retreat #72 

For Juniors and Seniors in High School 

and College Freshman 

Cost: $40 

Camp St. John, Switzerland 

Call (904) 355-1100 

Feb. 16-17 – Journey Retreat 

For youth in 9 th -10 th grades 

Friday, 7:30 p.m.-Sunday, 8 p.m. 

Marywood Retreat Center 

Call (904) 287-2525 

is no good enough excuse to cheat. You have to do everything for yourself to 

succeed. 

Julie Feder – The problem with cheating is the illusion behind it. Cheating brings instant 

gratification – a good grade on a test, sexual pleasure, or victory in a game. But it encourages 

long-term disappointment and damage. When you think about things solely on a short-term basis, 

cheating seems to be the way to go. After considering the long-term effects, it is obvious that 

cheating is not worth it. 

22 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 

CALENDAR 

Feb. 17 – Diocesan Youth Rally 

For youth in 6 th , 7 th , and 8 th grades 

Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

St. Matthew Parish, Jacksonville 

Call (904) 355-1100 

March 18 – Scout Recognition Ceremony 

With Bishop John J. Snyder 

Sunday, 3 p.m. 

Cathedral-Basilica, St. Augustine 

Call (904) 355-1100 

April 16 – Annual CYO Golf Tournament 

Fundraiser for Youth Ministry 

San Jose Country Club, Jacksonville 

Call (904) 355-1100 

Stephanie 

Wendy 

Bryan 

April 20-22 – SEARCH Retreat #72 

For Juniors and Seniors in High School 

and College Freshman 

Cost: $40 


Call (904) 355-1100 

Julia 

April 28 – Kingdom Bound Concert 

Featuring Christian Artists: Newsboys, 

Scarecrow and Tinman, Third Day, 

Rebecca St. James and more. 

Saturday All Day with a Vigil Mass. 

Spirit of Suwanne Park, Live Oak 

Call Pete Blay for more information including 

transportation (904) 355-1100 

Jeff

THE CHOICE COMPUTER GAME 

A Review By Matt DeSalvo 

The Choice Game is a new 

computer game that aims to teach 

teens how to make smart and moral 

decisions about real life situations. 

The game takes you on an 

interactive journey where teens can 

explore the consequences of their 

decisions, while “angels” keep tabs. 

Some of the role-playing situations 

you can choose from are: dating, teen 

pregnancy, depression, peer pressure, 

drugs among others. These topics are 

very effective because they are areas 

where teens have many questions. 

The game is fairly easy to play 

once you get started, due to the 

simple to use buttons and sounds. 

Each scene contains three choices to 

choose from, and various scenarios 

that you can choose or ignore and 

listen to what the “Angel” or “Demon” 

Beginning this issue we 

are introducing a new 

column for teens called 

Did You Know???? 

We want to highlight 

the many accomplishments, 

honors, awards 

and special recognitions 

that teens throughout the 

Diocese of Saint Augustine 

have recently received. 

So brag a little to peers 

and send us your good 

news — the following 

teens did! 

Did You Know… 

Torey Rodriguez, a 

senior at Clay High School 

in Green Cove Springs 

For more 

information about 

Youth Ministry and events 

in the diocese, call 

Pete Blay at 

(904) 355-1100. 

have to say. 

Other helpful tools include a 

side bar with links to websites 

that are related to the topic at 

hand. Once you have selected 

your choice to the scenario, you 

will see and hear the answer 

used in the next stage. 

Depending on the choice you 

select, you are awarded points. 

Technological needs to play 

this game are somewhat 

demanding. Some components 

required include Windows 95, a sound 

card with speakers, 32MB of RAM 

minimum, and Internet Explorer 5. The 

game does include a FAQ (Frequently 

Asked Questions) page on their 

website for additional help. 

My verdict on the game: It’s a 

good game that is cool enough to be 

DID YOU KNOW? 

and a parishioner at 

St. Luke Parish in 

Middleburg was named 

First Runner Up for Miss 

Clay High School? 

Torey competed with 

22 girls in five different 

categories: Interview, 

speech, walk, impromptu 

Hey 

Teens… 

question and talent. 

As First Runner-up 

orey received a $500 

college scholarship. 

She also won the Best 

Overall Talent Award. 

Congratulations Torey! 

William Curtis, a 

parishioner of Sacred 

Heart in Green Cove 

Springs just earned the 

honor of Eagle Scout for 

the Boy Scouts of America. 

William is one of five 

young scouts from this 

parish to receive this 

award in recent years. 

Boys have until their 

18th birthday to complete 

the requirements of Eagle 

Scout. William built a sign 

played by teens, and is also a great 

game to play with a group of friends. 

If your youth group 

would like to try the game, a copy 

is available through the 

Diocesan Youth and Young Adult 

Ministry Office, (904) 355-1100. 

for Sacred Heart Parish 

that can be seen at the 

new church on Highway 

17. As part of his project 

he had to come up with a 

plan, obtain donated 

materials, and solicit help 

from fellow scouts who 

can then help implement 

the project. 

Congratulations William! 

Deadline for the next Did You Know column is February 9. 

Brag a little and tell us about your recent awards, special honors, and achievements. 

Write to: Teen Voice, P.O. Box 24000, Jacksonville, FL 32241-4000; 

email KTBagg@aol.com or Fax (904) 262-2398. 


1999-2000 Fiscal Year 

Bishop’s Stewardship Appeal 

Education and Formation 

Campus Ministry 

Diocesan Advisory Board of Education 

Catechetical Ministry 

Christian Formation 

Curriculum Coordinator 

Education / Guidance 

Educational Services 

Marywood 

Ministry Formation 

Morning Star School 

BSA Allocation 

59,507 

280,000 

45,000 

94,976 

49,969 

53,400 

115,180 

218,442 

69,296 

186,125 

Other Income 

820 

– 

– 

3,350 

6,800 

103,000 

11,700 

646,951 

47,685 

547,967 

Total income 

60,327 

280,000 

45,000 

98,326 

56,769 

156,400 

126,880 

865,393 

116,981 

734,092 

Expenses 

60,148 

280,000 

44,861 

94,876 

56,795 

156,414 

126,905 

827,171 

119,845 

714,454 

Subtotal: 

$1,171,895 

$1,368,273 

$2,540,168 

$2,481,470 

Catholic Charities Bureau 

Aging Services 

AIDS Task Force 

Apostleship of the Sea 

Catholic Charities - Central 

Catholic Charities - Gainesville 

Catholic Charities - Jacksonville 

Catholic Charities - St Augustine 

Disabilities Ministry 

Farmworker Services 

Health Task Force 

Justice and Peace 

Justice and Reconciliation 

Legalization 

New Hope Program 

Parish Social Ministry 

Religious Education for the Deaf & Blind 

21,376 

1,109 

44,000 

141,972 

79,990 

289,418 

98,644 

92,954 

34,076 

1,109 

65,929 

96,023 

25,069 

15,000 

37,155 

78,500 

6,588 

1,175 

– 

11,029 

194,177 

1,232,329 

110,983 

115 

49,401 

– 

5,044 

870 

7,824 

47,127 

– 

9,167 

27,964 

2,284 

44,000 

153,001 

274,167 

1,521,747 

209,627 

93,069 

83,477 

1,109 

70,973 

96,893 

32,893 

62,127 

37,155 

87,667 

28,054 

1,056 

44,230 

153,001 

260,826 

1,289,699 

206,508 

92,065 

54,594 

194 

78,353 

100,799 

32,893 

62,124 

35,094 

79,763 

Subtotal: 

$1,122,324 

$1,675,828 

$2,798,152 

$2,519,252 

Outreach Programs 

African/Native American 

Family Life 

Hispanic Ministry 

Liturgical Commission 

Rural Life Ministry 

Vocations Office 

Youth Ministry 

61,933 

120,342 

90,764 

52,000 

1,500 

35,733 

63,891 

1,324 

53,211 

28,262 

– 

– 

31,480 

71,097 

63,257 

173,553 

119,026 

52,000 

1,500 

67,213 

134,988 

63,548 

173,553 

101,040 

48,780 

221 

67,445 

131,555 

Subtotal: 

$426,163 

$185,374 

$611,537 

$586,142 


Central Services 

Archives 

Building Administration 

Commissions for Religious 

Communications 

Ministry Support Services 

Planned Giving 

Priest Retirement/Retreats 

Respect Life 

Stewardship Office 

Tribunal 

Vicar for Religious 

Vicar for Priests 

BSA Allocation 

40,052 

71,523 

3,183 

334,396 

88,172 

40,539 

46,000 

35,254 

158,880 

62,608 

21,400 

36,577 

Other Income 

– 

76,884 

– 

52,171 

– 

– 

– 

42,027 

27,435 

88,489 

416 

– 

Total income 

40,052 

148,407 

3,183 

386,567 

88,172 

40,539 

46,000 

77,281 

186,315 

151,097 

21,816 

36,577 

Expenses 

5,596 

135,158 

1,999 

386,567 

99,273 

40,106 

50,231 

77,282 

187,007 

127,854 

21,816 

24,748 

Subtotal: 

$938,584 

$287,422 

$1,226,006 

$1,157,637 

Diocesan Administration & Other 

Administration / Legal 

$424,288 

$131,231 

$555,519 

$467,291 

Legal & Professional Fees 

Legal Fees 

USCC & FCC Assessments 

48,000 

74,000 

– 

– 

48,000 

74,000 

61,444 

78,253 

Subtotal: 

$122,000 

– 

$122,000 

$139,697 

Grand Total: 

$4,205,254 

$3,648,128 

$7,853,382 

$7,351,488 

Catholic Charities Bureau 

Education & Formation 

Outreach Programs 

Central Services 

Diocesan Administration 

Legal & Professional Fees 

10% 

22% 

27% 

A copy of the author’s report for the fiscal year 

ending June 30, 2000, is available upon request by writing to the: 

Fiscal Office, Catholic Center • P.O. Box 24000 • Jacksonville, FL 32241-4000 

28% 

10% 3% 

Diocesan Finance Council 

Bishop John J. Snyder as administrator 

of the diocese is assisted in meeting the 

challenges of fiscal administration by a 

Finance Council composed of pastors and 

lay people from across the diocese. 

Members of the Finance Council are: 

Dr. Gaston Acosta-Rua 

Ms. Maria Allen 

Father Keith R. Brennan 

Mr. Neil Cronin 

Mr. Robert A. Devereux 

Monsignor Vincent J. Haut 

Mr. Nathaniel Herring, Jr. 

Father William A. Kelly 

Mr. Clyde E. Lower 

Father Robert McDermott 

Mrs. Mary V. Sieredzinski 

The work of the council consists of 

reviewing the financial condition of the 

diocese, the diocesan budgets and the 

financial ability to meet additional present 

and future needs. 


Father Felix Varela, the 19th-century 

Cuban patriot-priest, has a courtyard 

of his own at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. 

Augustine. 

Bishop John J. Snyder honored Varela 

in November, by naming the east courtyard 

of the Cathedral-Basilica in his honor. “It 

is not just an empty symbol,’’ he said. “It 

allows us to bring to life the memory and 

the teachings of Father Varela.’’ 

Vaela spent his early years in St. Augustine 

and then returned here in the mid- 

1800s. He ministered to the parish between 

1849 and the time of his death in 1853. 

Varela wrote and spoke about social 

reform and human dignity. He was 

ordained in Cuba and then elected to the 

Spanish Cortes (parliament). Later, he 

became vicar general of the Archdiocese of 

Snyder said. “Last week (in November), 

the American bishops made a statement 

on immigration. Father Varela reached out 

to immigrants. The bishops called us to be 

advocates of justice and human dignity, 

just as Father Varela did.’’ 

The east courtyard was chosen by the 

parish as the site of the Varela memorial 

because it is the documented location of 

where Varela’s house was located next to the 

VARELA COURTYARD 

DEDICATED AT CATHEDRAL-BASILICA 

By Margo C. Pope 

Cathedral-Basilica. The house’s location 

was unknown until 1996 when Miami 

educator Alberto Martinez-Ramos found 

documents in the Library of Congress 

showing the site. 

The dedication drew more than 400 

people including more than 200 from 

South Florida’s Cuban-American community. 

Many came under the auspices of 

the Padre Felix Varela Foundation of 

Miami. 

Early in 2001, the courtyard will 

include a life-sized bronze statue of Varela. 

It presently bears the blue emblem of the 

Great Floridians 2000 from the Florida 

Department of State and the Florida 

League of Cities. 

Amalia Varela de la Torre, Ph.D., president 

of the Varela Foundation, thanked 

Bishop Snyder for setting aside the 

courtyard in Varela’s honor. She predicted 

it will become “a place of pilgrimage and 

praise. Father Varela affected the 

development of his country and is called 

the founder of the Cuban nationality.” 

She said he called for the creation of a 

commonwealth 50 years before England 

implemented it and advocated freedom of 

slaves in Cuba 40 years before Abraham 

Lincoln freed slaves in the United States. 

He also championed day care and trade 

schools for young women. 

Monsignor Octavio Cisneros of the 

Diocese of Brooklyn, the American vice 

postulator for the cause of canonization, 

said “Varela is a Servant of God, a step in 

canonization.” 

There is no indication if or when 

canonization will be accorded, Cisneros 

said, because it requires a miracle 

attributed to Varela’s intervention. 

Bishop Agustin Roman, auxiliary 

bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami and 

himself a Cuban exile, said he first saw 

Tolomato Cemetery in the 1970s. 

Varela was buried in Tolomato 

Cemetery in 1853. In 1911, the Cuban 

community returned his remains to 

Havana. 

Roman said then — St. Augustine 

Bishop Paul Tanner told him, “‘This 

person must be a very significant man to 

the Cuban society to have so many friends 

remember him 150 years after his death. 

He must be very special.’” 

Margo Pope is a freelance writer in 

St. Augustine and a parishioner of the 

Cathedral-Basilica. 

Margo Pope 

Christopher Liguori, seminarian, and Father James 

Moss, pastor of San Jose Parish in Jacksonville, hold a 

life-size board of the Father Felix Varela statue 

coming this spring from Italy. 

New York. He fled Spain for the United 

States because he was under attack from 

the Spanish government for his stand on 

human rights. 

“He (being Cuban) was an apostle to 

the Irish. There were no boundaries to his 

proclaiming of the Gospel,’’ Bishop 

REASONS I’LL WORK HARDER FOR YOU 

10 

Richar 

hard d J. Miller, CLU 

Ph (904) 992-8131 

Fax (904) 992-8134 

Suite 801 

13500 Sutton Park Dr. S. 


Life • Auto • Disability 

Long Term Care 

Home • Annuity 


AROUND THE DIOCESE 

The Order 

of Augustin 

Verot 

he Catholic 

TFoundation 

has established 

The Order of 

Augustin Verot, 

formerly called 

the Codicile 

Club. The 

name was 

changed to 

better express 

the dignity and 

importance of gifts from those who have 

included the church in their estate plans. 

Augustin Verot served as the first Bishop 

of the Diocese of Saint Augustine from 1870 

to 1876. His name was selected because of his 

commitment to the growth of Catholicism in 

the diocese through education and 

encouragement of vocations. 

There are myriad ways to provide deferred 

gifts to the church. Currently there are 273 

members in the Order of Augustin Verot – 

people who have thoughtfully provided for 

the church with a bequest, an insurance 

policy, charitable gift annuity, charitable 

remainder trust, retirement plan or other 

instrument. 

For more information on the Order of 

Augustin Verot and the Catholic Foundation 

call (904) 262-3200, ext. 166. 

Frantizek Zvardon 

Celebrate Lent With Operation Rice Bowl 

n Ash Wednesday, Feb. 28, Catholic Relief Services will kick off its Lenten program 

O– Operation Rice Bowl – in parishes of the diocese. 

This year the program asks, “Who is Your Neighbor?” and highlights the interconnectedness 

of the human family and the responsibilities U.S. Catholics have for their 

neighbors around the world. 

“By participating in 

Operation Rice Bowl, 

individuals and faith 

communities reaffirm their 

commitment to those in the 

developing world through the 

concrete act of giving and the 

spiritual act of standing in 

solidarity with those in need,” 

said Bishop John Ricard, 

president and chairman of 

the Board of CRS and 

Bishop of Pensacola- 

Tallahassee. 

Parishes have been given 

packets that include a rice 

bowl and a participation 

guide. The Community and 

Parish Guide is designed to 

assist parishes and other faith 

communities to plan activities 

for raising awareness of the 

poor in developing countries. 

For more information contact 

your parish office or CRS at 

(410) 625-2220 or online at 

www.catholicrelief.org. 

Special 

Home Built In Honor of Katherine Kelly 

ore than 300 St. Paul Parishioners in Jacksonville Beach 

Mparticipated in the building of a new home for Lorelei Forrest and 

her two daughters, Beth and Lisa. The home was the third home built 

by members of the parish as part of the Beaches Habitat ministry. 

This particular home was built in honor of the late Katherine Kelly, 

mother of Father 

William Kelly 

who is pastor of 

St. Paul Parish. 

At the 

dedication ceremony 

for the 

Forrest home, 

Beaches Habitat 

President Haywood 

Ball, said 

the contributions 

made 

by St. Paul’s 

parishoners 

help build at 

least four new 

homes each year 

for families 

in need. 

Father Bill Kelly with Lorelei Forrest, to his left, 

and her two daughters, Lisa and Beth, during 

dedication ceremonies at their new home 

at 730 Third Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach. 


Parishes Near Goal For Capital Campaign 

ore than $18 million has been raised so far 

Mfor The Opportunity of a Lifetime capital 

campaign that got underway in September. 

The goal is to raise $30 million for projects 

that include two new diocesan high schools (one in Gainesville 

and one in Jacksonville) and expansion of St. Joseph Academy 

in St. Augustine and Morning Star School in Jacksonville. 

Funds collected will also benefit the Guardian of Dreams 

scholarship program, the seminarian education fund and parish 

religious education programs. 

“As we began the planning process for this effort, we 

organized the campaign into two phases: leadership gifts and 

parish campaigns,” said Jose DeJesus, executive director of the 

campaign. 

The parish campaigns are separated into three blocks. The 

first block of 19 parishes and missions completed their 

campaigns last fall. Several parishes in block one met their goal, 

including: Assumption, Our Lady of the Angels, Sacred Heart 

and St. Pius V Parishes in Jacksonville; Our Lady of Good 

Counsel, Mill Creek; St. Patrick in Gainesville; St. Paul in 

Jacksonville Beach; and St. Philip Neri in Hawthorne. In 

addition, St. Ambrose in Elkton has raised more than 90 

percent of their goal. Resurrection Parish in Jacksonville and 

St. Madeleine in High Springs have raised more than 80 percent 

of their goal. 

DeJesus says block two of the capital campaign is now 

underway with 20 parishes expected to complete their goals 

by Easter. 



DEDICATIONS 

Bishop John J. Snyder blessed and dedicated a new 

House of Prayer in November. Located across the street from 

Mission Nombre de Dios and the Shrine of Our Lady of 

La Leche in St. Augustine, the House of Prayer will serve as a 

spiritual center for 

Catholics in the 

diocese. Msgr. 

Harold Jordan 

directed the construction 

of the 

facility and serves 

as the spiritual 

director of the 

House of Prayer 

and the 

Charismatic 

Renewal Center. 

Bishop John J. Snyder blessed the All Saints Strolling Garden at a dedication ceremony 

Nov. 1. The Knights of Malta and their wives joined Bishop Snyder for the festivities. 

All Saints Catholic Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center 

dedicated a “Strolling Garden” in November. The beautiful garden was 

built to provide residents a place where they can walk, exercise, and visit 

with families and friends in private. It includes an elliptical-shaped five-foot 

sidewalk and 20 smaller garden areas with benches, two gazebos, water 

fountain and nature pond. 

Alice Wilbur, administrator of All Saints, said the garden was built with 

a $50,000 grant from the Riverside Foundation, $15,000 donated by 48 

friends of All Saints and $7,000 from the All Saints Ladies Auxiliary. 

All Saints is a 120-bed, state-of-the-art, skilled nursing facility 

that was originally started by Franciscan Sisters in 1956 on Riverside 

Avenue in Jacksonville. It re-opened in April 1992 next to Sacred Heart 

Parish and school. 

Jim Dolan 


Msgr. Harold Jordan, Father Frank Haryasz, 

Bishop John Snyder and Msgr. Frank Sprecace. 

Special 

At the dedication were (l-r): Pastor of Queen of Peace Parish, 

Father Jeffrey McGowan, Father John Patrick, Catholic School 

Superintendent Patricia Tierney, Principal Sister Nancy Elder, 

Bishop John J. Snyder and Father Timothy Lindenfelser. 

Bishop John J. Snyder dedicated 

Queen of Peace Academy in 

Gainesville on Oct. 29. The 

academy becomes the second 

Catholic grade school in Gainesville. 

The other being St. Patrick 

Interparish School. In 2004, a 

Catholic High School will be 

opened to serve students from both 

schools and surrounding areas. 

Queen of Peace Academy, under the 

direction of Principal Sister Nancy 

Elder, IHM, will serve 200 students 

in grades K-8. Students will begin 

attending classes there this fall. The 

facility cost $1.2 million. 

Jennie Myers 

Bishop John J. Snyder joined Father Jack O’Flaherty Nov. 3 for the dedication of the new church for 

Santa Maria del Mar Parish in Flagler Beach. 

Bishop John J. Snyder dedicated a new 

church for Santa Maria del Mar Parish in 

Flagler Beach November 3. The new 

church, which seats 800 people, was 

designed by Junck and Walker Architects 

and built by White Construction Company. 

The Spanish-style building cost an estimated 

$2.4 million. 

The late Bishop Paul F. Tanner 

established Santa Maria del Mar Parish in 

1970. It serves the growing community in 

the southernmost city of the Diocese of 

Saint Augustine. 



Couples Celebrate 9,320 Years Of Marriage 

ore than 200 couples, representing more than 9,320 years of 

Mmarriage, were honored at the diocese’s Anniversary Celebration 

at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Palm Coast last November. 

Bishop John J. Snyder presided at the Mass where long-term marriages 

were recognized and couples renewed their wedding vows and reaffirmed 

their love and commitment to each other. 

“Be grateful for the gift of a lasting marriage,” Bishop Snyder said in his 

homily. “Always be aware 

of Christ’s presence and 

His working in your marriages. 

You are witnesses to 

marital commitment in 

our society.” He urged the 

couples to “continue to 

walk the journey with each 

other and the Lord.” 

Bishop Snyder extended 

his blessing to all 

the couples who could not 

attend, including Maria 

and Frank Filacchione of 

San Juan del Rio Parish in 

Jacksonville who have 

been married 75 years. 

It was the 19th year 

that Diocesan Center for 

Family Life had sponsored 

the Anniversary Mass. 

Lucille and Ted Corby from Assumption Parish 

in Jacksonville attended the Anniversary Celebration 

last November where Bishop John J. Snyder 

honored their 62 years of marriage. 


Jubilee of Mary Celebration 

Members of the Vietnamese Community carry a statue of Our Lady 

of Lavang as part of the Jubilee of Mary celebration Dec. 9. 

arishioners representing the various cultures of the Diocese 

Pof Saint Augustine gathered at St. Joseph Church in 

Jacksonville Dec. 9 to celebrate the Jubilee of Mary. Bishop 

John J. Snyder presided at the celebration and entrusted the 

protection of the Diocese of Saint Augustine to Mary. 

On Dec. 8 – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – 

Pope John Paul II entrusted humanity and the third 

millennium to the protection of the Virgin Mary. The pope 

pronounced the solemn words before the original image of the 

Virgin of Fatima, which was brought to St. Peter’s Square in 

Rome for the occasion. 


SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS… 

Bishop John J. Snyder was awarded the 

2000 Peacemaker Award at the Mary L. 

Singleton Memorial Day Breakfast Dec. 7. 

The award, established three years ago, 

honors an individual who has made 

significant contributions to promoting peace 

throughout the area. 

Mary Alice Phelan, community relations 

director for St. Vincent’s Health System and 

member of the Mary L. Singleton Memorial 

Day Breakfast Committee, said, “It is an 

honor to give Bishop Snyder this award for 

his tireless efforts in promoting the diversity 

of persons in North Florida and for the many 

ministries he has supported.” 

Father 

Edward F. 

Rooney was 

honored 

for his 

commitment 

to the 

mission of 

the Catholic 

Campaign 

for Human Development and for fostering 

the growth of the CCHD annual parish appeal. 

In November at St. Catherine Parish in 

Orange Park, Bishop John J. Snyder joined 

Father Rooney for the annual CCHD 

luncheon. The annual gathering recognizes 

the work of CCHD, an agency of the National 

Conference of Catholic Bishops that supports 

groups who are struggling to overcome the 

root causes of poverty. 

(See related story on pages 20-21) 


diocese at the Jubilee for Catechists in Rome 

Dec. 9-10. 

There were 8,000 catechetical leaders 

from all over the world (80 from the United 

States) attending the two-day conference. 

“One of the major recurring themes in the 

presentations, as is found in most of the post 

Vatican II documents, was the intimate 

relationship between evangelization and 

catechesis,” said Sister Lucy. “The General 

Directory for Catechesis (1997) refers to 

catechesis as but a moment in the 

evangelizing mission of the church.” 

Mary Alice Phelan presents Bishop John J. Snyder 

with the 2000 Peacemaker Award. Seated is Mia 

L. Jones, chair of the annual Mary L. Singleton 

Memorial Day Breakfast Committee. 

Jon Peters 

Daughter of Wisdom Sister Lucille Clynes 

was among a select group of 30 people who 

celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II in his 

private chapel in December. Sister Lucy, 

director of Christian Formation for the 

Diocese of Saint Augustine, represented the 

Pope John Paul II greets Sister Lucille Clynes, 

DW, after a Mass he celebrated for a select few 

of those who were attending the Jubilee 

for Catechists in Rome. 

Special 


calendar of events 

FEBRUARY 

5 Ministry Formation Program 

Information Night 

Learn more about the diocesan 

3-year certification program. 

Monday, 7:30-9 p.m. 

Our Lady of Consolation, Callahan 

Call (904) 287-2525 





Tuesday, 7:30-9 p.m. 

San Jose Parish, Jacksonville 

Call (904) 287-2525 

9- Mid-Life Directions Workshop 

11 Leaders: Srs. Anne Brennan and 

Janice Brewi, CSJ 

Friday, 7:30 p.m.-Sunday, 11a.m. 


To register call (904) 287-2525 

9- Youth SEARCH #71 Retreat 

11 For all 11th, 12th graders and 

College freshman 

Friday-Sunday 



Are you homebound and unable to physically 

participate at Mass each week due to illness or 

age? Stay connected and join us each week for 

the TV Mass: 

Fernandina Beach - AT&T Cable Ch. 7 

Fridays at 9:30 a.m. 

Gainesville - Cox Cable Ch. 8 

Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. 

Gainesville - WCJB-TV Ch. 20 

Sundays at 11:30 a.m. 

Jacksonville - AT&T Broadband Ch. 7 

Sundays at 5:00 p.m. 

Palm Coast - Moffat Cablevision - Ch. 8 

Sundays at 9:00 a.m. 

St. Augustine - Time/Warner Cable Ch. 3 

Sundays at 8 p.m. 

A free weekly missalette to celebrate the Mass is 

also available. Call us at 1-800-775-4659, ext. 108. 





Thursday, 7 p.m. 

Holy Family Parish, Williston 

Call (904) 287-2525 

15 Ageless Beauty, Ageless 

Wisdom: Hidden Treasures of 

the Psalms 

Leader: Anne Coyle 

Thursday, 7-9 p.m. 


To register call 287-2525 

16- Journey Retreat 

17 For youth in grades 9-10 

Leaders: Linda Knight, Onie 

Rodriguez, Trish Kee 

Friday, 7:30 p.m.-Saturday, 8p.m. 



16- Catholic Revival Conference 

18 Come, Let Me Heal You 

Saturday-Sunday 

San Jose Parish, Jacksonville 

All are welcome! 

Call (904) 355-5144 

Television Mass 

1 7 1 5 th Annual Catholic 

Charities Dinner 

Saturday, 6:30 p.m. 

Sheraton Hotel, Gainesville 

Call (352) 372-0294 

17 Gathering for Parents of Gay 

and Lesbian Children 

Saturday, 1-3 p.m. 

St. Augustine location 

To register and for location call 

Sr. Marlene Payette, SSJ at 

(904) 354-4846, ext. 229 

17 Diocesan Junior High Youth 

Rally 

For all 6th-8th grade youth 

Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 



19- Annual Rural Hispanic Retreat 

22 For those responsible for rural 

pastoral ministry for SE Region. 

Monday-Thursday 


Call Alba Orozco (904) 353-3243 

20 Good Samaritan 

Awards Dinner 

Hosted by Catholic Charities Bureau, 

St. Augustine. 

Tuesday, 7 p.m. 

Casa Monica Hotel, St. Augustine 

Call for tickets (904) 829-6300 





Tuesday, 7:30-9 p.m. 

Resurrection Parish, Jacksonville 

Call (904) 287-2525 

28 Ash Wednesday 

MARCH 

3 Gathering for Parents of Gay 

and Lesbian Children 

Saturday, 1-3 p.m. 

Gainesville location 

To register and for location call 

Sr. Marlene Payette, SSJ at 

(904) 354-4846, ext. 229 


3 Annual Fashion Show and 

Card Party 

Fundraiser for All Saints Nursing 

Home and Rehabilitation Center 

Saturday, 11 a.m. 


Call (904) 772-1220 

4 RCIA: Rite of Election 

Bishop John J. Snyder presiding 



Parishes are assigned seating 

Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 117 



Saturday, 2 p.m. 



Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 117 






Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 117 

17 St. Patrick’s Day 

See related story page 10 

18 Scout Award Sunday 




Call Pete Blay (904) 355-1100 

25 Respect Life Pilgrimage 


Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 


Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 126 

26 Annual Teacher Recognition 

For Catholic Schools 

Monday, 8 a.m. 

Bishop Kenny High School 

Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 116 

30- Sacredness of Self Retreat 

31 By MOMS Ministry 

Friday, 7 p.m.-Saturday, 4 p.m. 

Speaker: Fr. John Tetlow 

Sacredness in Journaling: Sandra 

Coyle, Ph.D. 

Holiday Inn, Orange Park 

To register call Donna Simons 

(904) 745-4881 

30- Annual DCCW Convention 

4/2 “Here I Am, Lord…Send Me” 

Friday-Monday 

Marriot Hotel, Jacksonville 


31 Adjusting to Life’s Transitions 

Workshop 

Sponsored by Hospice and 

Catholic Charities 

Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-Noon 

Hospice of North Central Fla. 

4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville 

To register call Steve Henneka, 

(352) 372-0294 

APRIL 

3 Stewardship Day 

Speakers: Bishop Theodore Schneider 

and Dr. Jean Morris Trumbauer 

Tuesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Baymeadows Holiday Inn, 

Jacksonville 

Call (904) 262-3200, ext. 129 

8 Palm Sunday 

11 Chrism Mass 

Bishop John J. Snyder and the 

priests of the diocese 

Wednesday, 11 a.m. 


Open to all 

15 Easter Sunday 

16 CYO Golf Tournament 

Proceeds go to Youth Ministry 

Monday 

San Jose Country Club, 

Jacksonville 

Call Pete Blay at (904) 355-1100 

25 “Jesus: The Teacher Within” 

Lecture 

Presenter: Laurence Freeman, OSB 

author and spiritual director of 

the World Community of 

Christian Meditation 

Wednesday, 7:30-9:15 p.m. 

Call Gene Bebeau (904) 346-3816 

Director of Faith Formation for a 

progressive, family-oriented parish in 

Southwest Florida with 1500 families. 

Parish staffed by Oblates of St. 

Francis de Sales. Faith Formation program 

is lectionary based, restored 

order of sacraments is celebrated and 

RCIA process is year-round. Desire 

someone with educational and experiential 

background in faith formation. 

Position available summer 2001. 

Applicants should send resumes by 

Feb. 28, 2001 to Search Committee, 

5362 Sunrise Dr., Fort Myers, FL 33919 

Call Us For Quick Service 

Coomes Oil & Supply, Inc. 

Chevron Oils, Diesel Fuel, Gasoline, 

and All Grades of Heating Fuel 

We Deliver! 

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Consulting Engineers, Inc. 

P.O. Box 175 

St. Augustine 

829-2251 

7400 Baymeadows Way, 

Suite 106 


(904) 448-5300 

fax: (904) 448-0401 

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Suite D 

1730 Kingsley Ave. 

Orange Park, FL 32073 

(904) 264-1377 

fax: (904) 278-8469 

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Site Design and Development 

Land Planning • Drainage 

Environmental Permitting 

Southerland Enterprises 

Full Service Video Production 

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Audio & Video Duplication 

Office: 389-3600 

Fax: 389-3744 

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hopeful heart 

Spiritual Self-Esteem 

Robert J. Wicks, Ph.D. 

We are all loyal to at least one negative view of ourselves. It 

is the deep negative belief that cognitive therapists speak 

about or the driving unconscious force from early in life 

that the dynamically-oriented psychotherapists focus on in their 

work. Depression often occurs when we have forgotten to love 

the presence of God in all living things — including, maybe 

especially, in ourselves. 

A spirituality that recognizes 

we are always special 

in the eyes of God and that 

the so-called “specialnessin-the-eyes-of-the-world” 

is 

non-existent, or at best, 

fleeting, helps us to appreciate 

what failure, rejection, 

and crisis can teach us. 

Robert Frost once made the 

comment: “Education is 

the ability to listen to 

almost anything without 

losing your temper or your 

self-confidence.” 

We are very tied to our 

image, and often we don’t 

even know it or for that 

matter appreciate how temporary 

and illusory trying 

to hold onto or put faith in 

our image can be. I 

remember a small event 

that happened several years 

ago which I try to recall 

anytime I feel myself losing 

perspective with respect to 

my own image. 

I had been asked by a colleague to give a workshop at a 

government installation for Veterans’ Administration 

employees. After a longer drive than I had expected, I arrived 

at the base feeling a bit annoyed. But all of my annoyance 

lifted and was replaced by pride when I noticed a large 

marquee by the front gate which bore the following message 

in three-foot letters: WELCOME DR. ROBERT WICKS! I 

“Reflection of the Sun in the Sea” – Nickolas Tarkoff (1871-1930) 

thought to myself: “Oh, how I wish I had a camera so I could 

take a picture of this for my mother.” (Never mind my wife; 

I regressed all the way back into childhood!) then I drove over 

to a large theater which looked as though it could hold 

thousands. As I got out and walked toward the large hall, I 

thought to myself: “I didn’t realize how famous I was; this 

important address to such a 

large group could be my 

finest hour.” Then when I 

got inside, there were only 

twelve people waiting for 

me to speak. I guess God 

was trying to keep me and 

my inflated ego in 

conversation! 

Self-awareness and healthy 

self-love go hand in hand. 

If anything, spiritual selfawareness 

is really a religious 

way of viewing selfconfidence 

because it is 

a self-confidence not built 

on lies we have told 

ourselves, but on an appreciation 

of the footprints of 

God in our own peronality 

and an understanding of 

how we often block these 

footprints from becoming 

clear to ourselves and 

others. When we love what 

God has given us and share 

it with others naturally and 

without expectations for 

gratitude we are truly 

people who have spiritual self-confidence and compassion; 

and isn’t that a great way to live? 

Dr. Robert J. Wicks is on the faculty of Loyola College of 

Maryland and author of the books Simple Changes, Sharing 

Wisdom, and Everyday Simplicity. He can be emailed at 

rwicks@loyola.edu. 

Christi’s Images/Superstock 


JEWELS ON PAPER: Art of the Medieval Book 

JANUARY 25 THROUGH MARCH 25 

See extraordinary handmade manuscripts from the twelfth through 

the fifteenth century used for meditation and prayer. Painstakingly 

written on the finest parchment, these manuscripts were elaborately 

decorated by artists with rare pigments and valuable gold leaf, giving 

them a precious, jewel-like quality. These works give us a glimpse of 

the role that devotional books played in daily Christian life. 

Madonna, Mary, Virgin, Mother: 

The Changing Roles and Images of the Virgin Mary 

from the Late Medieval through the Renaissance 

SCHULTZ GALLERY-PERMANENT COLLECTION 

Explore ornate paintings, intricate sculptures 

and unique prints in our newly-renovated 

gallery that illustrate the shifting perceptions 

of Mary from the Late Medieval period to 

the early Renaissance. 

Inspiring. 

Enduring. 

Transforming. 

Expressions of Faith. 

ADMISSION 

Members, FREE • Adults, $6 

Seniors & Military w/ID, $4 

Students, $3 • Children 5 & under, $1 

ABOVE: Two leaves from a Book of Hours; Circle of Coëtivy Master; French, Paris, ca. 1460; Tempera, gold and ink on vellum; 

Collection of Ron McCarty; Photograph courtesy of Terry Schank. 

RIGHT: detail, Agnolo Gaddi, Italian, ca. 1350-1396; Madonna of Humility with Angels, mid 1390s; Tempera on panel, 

34 1/2 x 20 3/4”; Bequest of Ninah M. H. Cummer. 

829 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32204 

(904) 356-6857

St.Vincent’s. 

Where 

The 

Experts 

Are.SM 

There is a difference in doctors, nurses, clinical staffs and hospitals. So choose 

carefully–as if your life depended on it. Here are just a few reasons why St. 

Vincent’s is...where the experts are. 

In 1999, named one of the country’s top 100 cardiovascular hospitals for 

interventional cardiology. 

One of the first in Northeast Florida to perform a remarkable new minimally 

invasive aortic stent procedure to avoid major abdominal surgery for aneurysms. 

One of the first in the area to offer TMR, an innovative new laser treatment for 

advanced heart disease and severe angina (chest pain). 

First in the state of Florida to perform high dose rate brachytherapy to more 

effectively treat prostate cancer. 

Among Florida’s first to use 3-D imaging for more precise radiation therapy planning. 

The only one in the area performing state-of-the-art IMRT radiation therapy to 

treat hard-to-reach tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. 

But sometimes, the most powerful medicine is the power of compassion and 

understanding. That’s why St. Vincent’s has been bringing the strength of its mission 

and values to the people of the Jacksonville region since 1916. 

ST.VINCENT'S 

St. Vincent’s is...where the experts are. Make sure your health plan includes St. Vincent’s. 

If you have health questions or need a physician, call HealthLink at 1-800-226-LINK 

or 308-LINK. 

St. Vincent’s Medical Center • St. Catherine Labouré Manor • St. Vincent’s Primary Care Centers • Consolidated Laboratories

This Lent Discover God's Love In A Retreat - St. Augustine Catholic

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