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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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. Jacksonville, FL 32224 Life • Auto • Disability Long Term Care Home • Annuity 26 ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001
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. Chelle Delaney 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. ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 27
Page 1 and 2: The Gift of the Irish • Heavenly
Page 3 and 4: contents page February/March 2001 V
Page 5 and 6: eader’s thoughts Helping Men Retu
Page 7 and 8: Diocese Forgives Nearly $500,000 In
Page 9 and 10: words, redeemed people must act lik
Page 11 and 12: an Irish missionary to our diocese,
Page 13 and 14: Leah Farmer, 5th grade “I feel ve
Page 15 and 16: A Journey In Faith He describes an
Page 17 and 18: hadn’t taken on the responsibilit
Page 19 and 20: Within the first two decades of the
Page 21 and 22: Heavenly Tails Terry Wilmot By Eliz
Page 23 and 24: CCHD Announces Multi-Media Arts Con
Page 25 and 26: THE CHOICE COMPUTER GAME A Review B
Page 27: Central Services Archives Building
Page 31 and 32: AROUND THE DIOCESE Couples Celebrat
Page 33 and 34: 3 Annual Fashion Show and Card Part
Page 35 and 36: JEWELS ON PAPER: Art of the Medieva

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?