September - St. Augustine Catholic

catholic
September 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
St. Augustine
T E E N
I S
T
E
S U
FATHER JOE p. 8
is the Bible our faith’s
only source?
Spiritual Fitness p. 9
what do video games
and Mass have in
common?
Parenting Journey p. 29
using awkward moments
to talk to your teens
THE
church
of Today
Social Justice
teens
transformed
by serving
others p.14
Catholic Rapper
Righteous B’s
call to glory p.16
Faith and Sports
lessons
learned from
star athlete p.24
Meet some amazing, outstanding and quietly faithful teens

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Shaping
the Future
This is the story of a
diocesan school already
making good use of income
they receive annually from
their established Catholic
Foundation endowment
account.
Bishop Kenny High
School has applied the
income from its foundation
account towards the
construction of its Fine
Arts Building. This facility,
dedicated in 1992, houses
Bishop Kenny’s art; instrumental
and vocal music;
and television production
programs thereby ensuring
the best fine arts education
possible for its 1,550
students.
The income is also used
to help fund the school’s
financial aid program that
grants tuition assistance
to 200 of its ninth through
twelfth grade students,
creating an education
legacy where there once
was none.
Thoughtful planning
today can shape the future
of generations to follow.
■ Please send a Charitable Gift Annuity illustration.
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Please return to:
Audrey Caudill
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Jacksonville, FL 32258
(904) 262-3200, ext. 132 or
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Email: acaudill@dosafl.com

catholic
St. Augustine
September 2007 Volume XVII Issue 2
contents
T E E N
Amelia Eudy
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 square miles and
serves more than 164,000 registered Catholics.
features
12
Opening My Eyes to Opportunities
of Faith We proudly share with you the
winning essay of the second annual Msgr. Joseph
James Writing Scholarship. Colleen Farris writes
about how being a part of her parish community
has helped enrich her faith. – Colleen Farris
16
14
Righteous B’s Call to Glory
Righteous B, aka Bob Lesnefsky,
spent many years as a youth minister in
inner city New York where he cut his teeth in
ministry and music. Today he uses his awardwinning
hip hop music as a tool to share the
gospel with youth. – Tom Tracy
Scott Smith
24
Sports and Faith Shawn Schmieder, a
star athlete in football and basketball had
everything to live for his senior year at Bishop John
Snyder High School – that is until he broke his
foot during football practice. Discover how Shawn
worked through his disappointments by sharing his
faith with others.
I S
Transformed by God’s Love Social
justice is not for everyone. It involves a
challenging response to Christ’s message in our
lives. This summer youth in the diocese got involved
and now understand how simple acts truly change
and transform the world. – Amelia Eudy
18
Cover Story: Youth:
The Church of Today
The St. Augustine Catholic asked
teens from around the diocese
to tell us about their lives as
members of parish communities.
Inside, we introduce you to
some amazing, outstanding and
quietly faithful teen members of
our church. – Amelia Eudy
T
E
S U
Scott Smith
Special
Special
what you’ll get
out of this issue
4 editor’s notes
Help Spread the Faith – Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
5 saint of the month
St. Therese of Lisieux – Jan Rynearson
6 bishop’s message
Teens: A pure heart is a happy heart
– Bishop Victor Galeone
7 from the archives
The Reasons Why – Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
8 in the know with Father Joe
Dear Father Joe: Where did we get all the angel
stories? – Father Joseph Krupp
9 spiritual fitness What do video
games and the Mass have in common?
– Father Bill Ashbaugh
10 catholic world news & top 10
news events this month
11 work life Figuring out our career paths
– Tim Ryan
22 youth ministry profile St. Luke,
Middleburg and St. Patrick, Gainesville
– Shannon Scruby-Henderson
26 around the diocese
29 parenting journey Turning an
embarrassing moment into a time to talk
– Dr. Cathleen McGreal
30 calendar of events
9
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

catholic
St. Augustine
The Magazine of the Diocese of Saint Augustine
Most Rev. Victor Galeone
Publisher
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
Editor
Susie Nguyen
Editorial Assistant/Subscriptions
Patrick McKinney
Art Director/Graphic Designer
Father Bill Ashbaugh
Amelia Eudy
Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Father Joseph Krupp
Dr. Cathleen McGreal
Tim Ryan
Jan Rynearson
Elizabeth Solsburg
Tom Tracy
Contributing Writers
Amelia Eudy
Tom Gennara
Susie Nguyen
Contributing Photographers
Ann-Marie Clark
Advertising Sales Coordinator
InnerWorkings
Print Management
St. Augustine Catholic Website
www.staugcatholic.org
Diocese of Saint Augustine Website
www.dosafl.com
The St. Augustine Catholic is a membership publication of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville,
FL 32258-2060. Published monthly except January and August.
Subscription rates are $15 per year. Individual issues are $2.50.
Send all subscription information and address changes to: Office
of Communications, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL
32258-2060; (904) 262-3200, ext. 108; fax (904) 262-2398 or
email snguyen@dosafl.com. ©St. Augustine Catholic, Diocese of Saint
Augustine. ©FAITH Publishing Service. No portion of the St. Augustine
Catholic Septemberbe published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
reproduced or distributed in whole or in part, without prior written
authority of the Diocese of Saint Augustine and/or Faith Publishing
Service TM . For reprint information or other questions regarding use of
copyright material, contact the St. Augustine Catholic editorial offices at
the Diocese of Saint Augustine.
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Give the gift of the
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Order a $15 annual subscription today
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editor’s notes
Help Spread the Faith
Seventeen years ago, we began the
St. Augustine Catholic magazine. I
hope you have enjoyed each issue.
The St. Augustine Catholic is sent
to every Catholic home in our diocese
– approximately 55,000 households. It has
been critical to your parish and our diocesan
evangelization efforts to reach the many
Catholics who have become disconnected
from the life of the church. It has also helped
educate, inform and inspire the many
Catholics who are active in the church. The
St. Augustine Catholic magazine is a great
resource for adults who want to enrich and
learn more about their faith.
If we did not send the St. Augustine
Catholic, 62% of Catholic homes in our
diocese would receive no other
religious publication. That is why
your support of the annual Help
Spread the Faith Communications
Appeal is so important. If you have
given to this important appeal
in the past, I thank you. You
helped your parish and
our diocese send the
magazine to every
Catholic home. You
helped continue our
interactive websites,
and the U.S. bishops’
evangelization efforts.
Because of those who
generously supported the
Help Spread the Faith
Communications Appeal, our
diocese was able to pioneer
the St. Augustine Catholic, an
outreach that really works. Other
dioceses have seen our magazine’s
effectiveness and are adopting the St.
Augustine Catholic model.
The St. Augustine Catholic’s recent
readership survey shows that our
magazine is working:
• 96% of households that receive the
magazine have someone who has
read it.
by Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
• 93% of readers say, “The St. Augustine
Catholic improves my understanding of
the mission and teachings of the church.”
• 94% of readers say, “The St. Augustine
Catholic makes me feel more connected to
my Catholic faith.”
• 82% of readers say, “The St. Augustine
Catholic helps me explain my faith to
others.”
The growth of our diocesan magazine
has been amazing, but we can’t continue
to provide our outreach to every Catholic
home without your help. Now more than
ever, we rely on your help to continue the St.
Augustine Catholic’s important mission here in
our diocese. Just this year, the United States
Postal Service increased the rate for mailing
publications by 13%. I encourage you to
consider participating in the Help Spread
the Faith Communications Appeal,
Sept. 8-9, 2007.
When we started sending the magazine
to every Catholic household in Feb.
2006, it was a leap of faith. We
needed to find more effective
ways to spread the message
of Christ in our information
age. I believe the St. Augustine
Catholic was a risk that
paid off. We hear how the
magazine changes lives. It
moves people to remember
they belong to the Body of
Christ. It puts them in contact
with resources to improve their
lives. It reminds them they
belong to a parish. I think it is
an excellent example of what we
can accomplish when we work
together. Thank you for your
commitment to the Help Spread
the Faith Communications
Appeal. We rely on God’s grace
as we answer Christ’s call to
spread the faith.
– Kathleen Bagg-Morgan,
editor
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

saint
saint of the month
The Little Flower
Why roses are this saint’s
favorite flower
by Jan Rynearson
Is God
Calling You?
Sisters of
St. Joseph
St. Augustine Florida
904.829.3735 www.ssjfl.org
Saint Therese of Lisieux
Birthplace: Alencon, France
Feast Day: October 1
Patroness of Missionaries
Claim to Fame: The much-loved
youngest daughter of a religious French
family, Marie Francoise Therese Martin
was born in 1873. Even as a child,
precocious Therese was aware of her
spiritual vocation. At age 14, she asked
her widowed father to let her enter the
cloistered order of Carmelites. Although
her father agreed, the Carmelite superiors
and the bishop insisted she wait. So on a
pilgrimage to the Vatican in 1887, Therese
pleaded directly to Pope Leo XIII, begging
him to allow her to enter the convent at
age 15. Although impressed with her
fervor, the pope advised patience, saying,
“You shall enter if it be God’s will.” Nearly
a year and many prayers later, she joined
the order. She was named Sister Therese
of the Infant Jesus; later “and of the Holy
Face” was added.
What made her a saint?
Sister Therese spent her days in
penitence, meditation and work. In her
autobiography, The Story of a Soul,
she described herself as “the little
flower of Jesus” in God’s garden of
souls. As she reached her twenties,
Therese desperately wanted to join
the Carmelites in French Indo-China.
Tragically, incurable tuberculosis
dashed any chance for her to serve as a
missionary. Instead, she counseled two
missionaries, writing them often to offer
spiritual encouragement.
How she died: As she lay dying in
agonizing and constant pain at the age
of 24, Therese could see the roses she
loved blooming outside.
Best quote: Confident of God’s
love, she promised, “After my death, I
will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend
my heaven doing good upon earth.”
Through the years, some of Therese’s
petitioners have said that they smell
or see roses when their petitions are
answered.
Prayer: O Therese of the Child
Jesus, please pick for me a rose from
the heavenly gardens and send it to me
as a message of love. O Little Flower of
Jesus, ask God to grant the favors I now
place with confidence in your hands. St.
Therese, help me to always believe as
you did in God’s great love for me, so
that I might imitate your Little Way each
day. Amen.
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To advertise, call Ann-Marie Carter at (904) 262-3200,
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St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

from the bishop
by Bishop Victor Galeone
Teens: A pure heart is a happy heart!
It hardly seems that a year has passed since my last
message to our youth. I’d like to begin this year’s message
by recounting an incident that took place in July while I was
visiting my relatives in Italy.
One evening, several of my cousins were reminiscing. Rosaria
recounted an event that had occurred 50 years ago, when she
and her husband Pietro were engaged. Pietro had asked Rosaria’s
parents if he could take her on a date that night to the town’s new
movie house. (Mind you, she was 20 years old, and Pietro was
23.) The parents agreed, provided that one of them went along
as chaperon. So that night, Pietro and Rosaria sat in a darkened
theater, with my Aunt Antonia – who weighed well over 200 pounds
– sitting between them!
Rosaria concluded her
story by saying, “Victor,
until our wedding night, we
were never alone – not
even for an instant.”
How the times have
changed! Some months
ago, a college freshman
that I had confirmed
dropped me a line. She
was asking for advice
on how she and her
boyfriend might maintain
their chastity while dating.
In my response to Tami
(not her real name),
these were some of my
suggestions:
1. Surrender your hearts to Jesus. No one, not even your best
friend, should come before him.
2. Invite Jesus to be the unseen guest on your dates, by
beginning each date with a prayer.
3. Don’t draw an imaginary line in the sand: “Everything on this
side is OK. Anything on that side is wrong. Now how close
can we get to the line without crossing it?” – As they say in
Lake Woebegone: “If you didn’t want to go to Minneapolis,
why did you get on the train?”
4. How do you know if you’re getting too close to the line
– maybe even crossed it? Simply ask yourself: “If Bo and I
were married, how would I react if one day I found Bo with
someone else, doing what we’re doing right now? Would I
tolerate it? If not, why not? – Because she’s not his wife?
Well, I’m not his wife yet, either.”
5. Tami, you have to be
the one to help Bo from
becoming too affectionate.
If you feel that he’s crossing
the line, you must remind
him, “Bo, I think it’s time to
say goodnight.”
6. An Italian adage (dealing
with resisting or giving in to
temptation) says: “A drop
of vinegar, followed by an
ocean of honey (= a clear
conscience). Or a drop
of honey, followed by an ocean of vinegar (= a remorseful
conscience).”
7. Get to confession regularly. This sacrament offers great peace.
8. An old Hindu proverb: “There is no joy like that of an unfulfilled
desire.” For a concrete example of this and its opposite, read the
account of Ammon and Tamar in 2 Samuel 13:1-22. Anne
Boleyn was also keenly aware of this truth, as she rejected King
Henry VIII’s advances: “I will never be your mistress. I will only
be your queen.”
From a journal I keep, I would like to cite the entry for July 19,
1992. That summer I had accompanied our parish youth group to
the Youth Conference in Steubenville, Ohio:
The highlight of the Youth Conference was the moving testimony
of Mark and Kelly – two high school seniors from New Orleans.
Both have surrendered their hearts to Jesus and promised to keep
themselves pure until their wedding night. As Kelly (who is not
Catholic) witnessed, “But it’s not easy – especially when a friend
asks you in the locker room before gym class, ‘Kelly, has Mark taken
you to bed yet?’ – ‘Not yet.’ – ‘Well what’s he waiting for? – ‘Our
wedding night.’ – ‘Kelly get with it! This ain’t the Middle Ages!’”
Mark and Kelly begin all their dates with a prayer, asking Jesus
to keep them pure. Yet we adults are afraid to challenge our youth!
We’re giving them condoms instead of Christ!
In closing, I would like to quote what another young lady had to say
about this subject:
“The person I spend the rest of my life with must be someone who
has proven his ability to be committed. After all, my marriage will be
a lifelong commitment! His abstinence from sex is one way to ‘prove’
his ability to be true to me. I would be oh-so honored to find out that
the man I marry has respected me enough – without even knowing
me! – to have kept himself only for me until our wedding night.”
Teens, keep your eyes on Jesus! And remember his promise:
“Happy are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8)
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

archives
from the archives
The Reasons Why
by Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
For Seniors aged 40 to 80
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Occasionally, the City of St. Augustine,
our nation’s oldest, does not understand
itself. The most recent example that has
come to my attention is an Associated
Press article, published in the Florida
Times-Union, dated May 14 of this year.
In it a St. Augustine city official, citing the
motivations of founding Father Pedro
Menéndez de Avilés and his expedition of
1565, was quoted as saying that Spain
established St. Augustine for military
reasons:
“They didn’t come here to settle Florida,”
the official said. “They didn’t come here
to mine its riches. They didn’t come here
to colonize. They came here to set up a
military base….”
The last serious historian to assert such
a view was Carl Ortwin Sauer, in 1975,
when he wrote that St. Augustine was “a
garrison rather than a colony.” Sauer’s
comment was seized on by advocates of
Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620)
as “proof” that St. Augustine was not the
first permanent European colony in North
America north of Mexico.
But, just one year after Sauer’s
comments were published, Florida historian
Eugene Lyon, in his definitive work, The
Enterprise of Florida blew his argument
out of the water. Lyon demonstrated that
Menéndez’s principal reasons for coming
to Florida in 1565 were not military but
commercial and religious.
Menéndez plainly was an entrepreneur.
His great desire, Lyon tells us, was to be
Florida’s first great land developer, miner,
industrialist and agribusinessman.
Florida was not conceived in the
beginning as a battlefield. It was regarded
as a commercial enterprise, and one
whose costs would be borne principally by
Menéndez himself.
Just as important, Menéndez’s motives
Pedro Menéndez de Aviles. His
expedition sighted the coast of Florida
near present-day St. Augustine on
August 28, 1565.
included conversion of Florida’s native
population to Christianity. That evangelical
impulse was nowhere more apparent than
in his words at court, addressed to King
Philip II in March 1565, when he asked for
an asiento (license) to colonize Florida.
“Florida is peopled by a race sunk in the
thickest shades of infidelity. Such grief seizes
me when I behold this multitude of wretched
Indians that I would choose the settling of
Florida before any other command or dignity
that Your Majesty might bestow upon me.”
The great U.S. historian Francis Parkman
(1823-1893), himself no friend to things
or persons Spanish, commented on that
statement of Menéndez’s: “Those who take
this for hypocrisy do not know the Spaniard
of the sixteenth century.”
Militarism was not Menéndez’s primary
errand. Nor, in its first 135 years of
existence, did his city of St. Augustine
prove to be much of a military bastion.
It afforded no protection to the treasure
fleets; its succession of wooden forts rotted
away; and any passing English pirate could
easily sack the city, as Francis Drake did in
1586 and Robert Searles in 1668.
Tellingly, nine days before his death in
1574, Menéndez wrote to a nephew:
“There is nothing in this world that I desire
more than to see myself in Florida, to end
my days saving souls.”
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St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

fr. joe
in the know with Fr. Joe
Dear Father Joe
Where did we get all the angel stories?
This question offers us a chance to
see how the Catholic Church puts
together much of her theology. For
this article, I’m relying heavily on
the Catholic Encyclopedia. It’s a great resource,
and you can look at it on the Internet at the
site www.newadvent.org. I suggest the sections
on Satan, St. Michael, St. Thomas Aquinas,
sacred tradition, the church Fathers and
college football. Well, maybe not that last one...
Anyway, let’s get right to it.
Most Catholic theology can be traced to
the Scripture and the commentaries of our
great thinkers about those passages. I know
I’ve typed a lot about this before, but to quote
Father Isidore Mikulski (the king of the Q&A
column), the Bible is the child, not the parent.
For Catholics, the Bible does not necessarily
address every theological question, and we
don’t believe God intended it to be used that
way. Instead, God gave us the wisdom of our
church leaders, who use sacred tradition and
the great minds and hearts God gave them to
guide us into truth.
It’s actually an easy idea to see when you
think about it; you know how everyone is
talking about the new “gospels” that keep
popping up? Most of those have been around
since the third and fourth century. So, the
logical question is “Who picked the four that
we use and discarded the other bunch?” Our
church leaders did, acting under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit and the teachings that were
given to them by the earliest followers of
Jesus. That’s true of a lot of our theology and
a very important point for us Catholics.
So, when we ask what happened to the
angels and how we know it, we start with the
Bible, and then look at what God revealed to
us when holy men and women pondered what
the Bible said.
Let’s look to the Bible first. Here are some
passages that will help us:
By the envy of the Devil, death came into the
world – Wisdom 2:24
College meals
are generally unpopular
with those who
have to eat them
– and sometimes
with good reason.
“What kind of pie do you
call this?” asked one student
indignantly.
“What’s it taste like?”
asked the cook.”
“Glue!”
“Then it’s apple pie – the plum
pie tastes like soap.”
How have you fallen from the heavens, O
morning star, son of the dawn! How are you
cut down to the ground, you who mowed down
the nations! You said in your heart: “I will scale
the heavens; above the stars of God I will set
up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount
of Assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will
ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will be
like the Most High!” Yet down to the nether
world you go to the recesses of the pit! – Isaiah
14: 12-15
The angels too, who did not keep to their own
domain but deserted their proper dwelling, he has
kept in eternal chains, in gloom, for the judgment
of the great day. – Jude 1:6
Then war broke out in heaven; Michael
and his angels battled against the dragon. The
dragon and its angels fought back, but they did
not prevail and there was no longer any place for
them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient
serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who
deceived the whole world, was thrown down to
earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.
– Revelation 12:7-9
These are, obviously, just some of the
passages that the church uses to teach us
what happened, but I think they give us a
good foundation.
The next step is to look at who commented
on these passages. First, we can look at some
individual saints. St. Thomas Aquinas was a
big one here; under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, St. Thomas used his massive intellect
(I wish I knew that burden) and broke down
how it all happened. Using the stories that
the Bible gave us as a foundation, he built
our current theological house of teachings on
angels, demons, free will and others.
St. Anselm also asked a lot of the tough
questions in his pondering on these matters
and gave us some really powerful ideas about
the sin of pride from it.
Church councils and documents give us a
lot of wisdom on these matters. If you take a
look at your catechism, you’ll find footnotes
that direct you to documents dealing with
these issues.
So, in the end, this question demonstrates
how deeply interconnected our faith is and
how God calls us to use (in the words of Pope
John Paul II) our “faith and reason” to grow
in wisdom of God.
Enjoy another day in God’s presence!
– Father Joseph Krupp
Send your questions to:
“In the Know with Father Joe”
c/o FAITH Magazine
300 W. Ottawa
Lansing, MI 48933
Or:
JoeInBlack@priest.com
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

spiritual fitness
Overcoming boredom
at Mass is simple.
Participate! Jesus has
personally invited you to participate
and has put the control in your
hands. Learn to use the controls.
That means:
1
Pray and respond to the
prayers. Say the words so
that you and others can hear them.
Mean what you pray. Let them
come from your heart.
2
Sing as you can. Practice
understanding the words
you sing. Songs carry with them
emotions. Ask to have and accept
the emotions that the song carries.
What video games
and the Mass have in common
3
by Father Bill Ashbaugh
Listen to God’ s Word. Know it
is God Himself who is speaking
to you. He speaks to us through fellow
human beings, but God’s Word gives
us life.
One final word. Unlike the video
games, we only get one life. We must
participate well if we want to survive and
live forever. Jesus told us “I am the Bread
of Life. Whoever eats this bread will live
forever.” What we do in Mass is no boring
thing! Where else can we go and actually
receive God into our body and soul?
Where else can we go and be spiritually
connected to all of God’s people in the
world, in purgatory and in heaven? Where
else can we go, and what else can we
participate in that will enable us to live
forever with God? No video game can do
that, but the Mass can.
So, next time you want to get involved
in a video game and are waiting to get
your hands on the controller, know that
you never have to wait when you come
to Mass. You are already player one!
his article could also be titled
“How video games can help
us overcome boredom and
understand the Mass.” TBelieve it or not, there is something video games can
teach us about the Mass. Not so long ago, I was visiting
a family and their 3-year-old son Joey wanted me to play
Donkey Kong with him. I had been watching the game,
and it looked interesting for awhile, but it soon got old
and boring! It was very boring to see a couple of digital
apes jump around. It seemed when one of them died,
they were not really dead. They had more than one life,
and they could also charge themselves up and live longer.
The game seemed to go on forever. I was bored and was
hoping that the game would end. But then everything
changed. Little Joey asked me to play the game with him.
The next thing I knew, the controls were in my hand,
and it seemed for a minute that the silly looking ape on
the screen was actually me! Little Joey was shooting at
me. I had to run for my life! I was no longer bored!
It was not long before the little 3-yearold
killed me – or rather, killed my
ape. (No wonder they call it Donkey
Kong. I really felt like a donkey to get
beaten by a 3-year-old.) But I realized
something.
When we participate, we will not be bored.
Often times I hear young people say,
“Mass is boring.” This is just how I felt
watching the video game. I was on the
outside as a spectator. I was bored. The
game itself was not boring, though. I soon
found out that my whole perspective and
experience changed the moment I began to
participate in the game.
The same is true of the Mass. When
we say, “Mass is boring,” what we are
really saying is “I am a spectator and not a
participant.”
Email questions and comments to:
frbillashbaugh@mac.com
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

world news
the top-10 Catholic News
events this month
1
Pope Benedict proclaims June 2008 - June 2009 to
be the year of St. Paul. The year is in celebration of the
2,000th anniversary of the saint’s birth.
2
President Bush vetoed the Stem Cell Research
Enhancement Act of 2007. Bush said, “Our conscience
calls us to pursue the possibilities of science in a manner that
respects human dignity and upholds our moral values.”
4
3
More than
120,000
people have
already registered
for next
year’s World
Youth Day. The
event will be
held July 15-18,
2008 in Sydney,
Australia.
Benedict XVI re-established the requirements
for electing a pope. A two-thirds majority of cardinalelectoral
votes will always be required for the election of a pope.
5
The Vatican Library is to be closed for a threeyear
restoration project. Experts have determined
that the restoration of the 16th-century building can no longer
be delayed. The library is home to the most ancient known
manuscript of the Bible, the Codex Vaticanus.
6
U.S. Bishops support Senate Resolution 224 to
advance the peace process. A two-state solution
and an end to violence is the way forward for Israelis and
Palestinians, say U.S. bishops.
7
The Chinese government is ready for “constructive
dialogue” with the Vatican. This statement came
after the publication of Benedict XVI’s letter to Catholics in
that country. In his letter, the pope expressed his love for
and closeness to Chinese Catholics and his support in the
tribulations they frequently face.
8
U.S. bishops will give $628,000 to 51 programs
benefiting the church in Africa. The gifts will support
pastoral activities including formation of seminarians and
clergy, Catholic education, youth ministry, catechesis and social
communications.
9
Pope Benedict urges G-8 Summit leaders to give
aid to the neediest countries. The pope issued an
appeal to the leaders participating in the G-8 summit to keep
their promises to fight against poverty, particularly through
education and especially in Africa.
10
The Vatican has awarded the highest medal
for work in health care. Bishop Thomas Williams
received the Good Samaritan medal for his care and love for
the sick.
Is the Latin Mass back?
Catholics
over the age
of 50 may
remember
when Mass was in Latin,
the priest’s back facing
the congregation. Of the
many changes brought
about by the Second
Vatican Council, the
most visible were those
Pope Benedict XVI
to liturgy. For many
people, Vatican II meant that “the Mass changed.”
The older form of the Mass, commonly called the Tridentine Mass,
uses the Roman Missal of Pope St. Pius V, the latest edition of which
was promulgated in 1962 by Blessed John XXIII.
After Vatican II, a new Roman Missal was promulgated by Pope
Paul VI. It allowed for liturgical celebration in the vernacular and the
position of the priest to change so that he faced his congregation.
Extraordinary Form (1962) Ordinary Form (2007)
Includes 1% of Old Testament
in its lectionary readings
Includes 17% of New
Testament in its lectionary
readings
Begins with prayers at the foot
of the altar prayed privately by
priest and server
One eucharistic prayer: the
Roman canon
Faithful usually receive
Communion in the form of the
host alone
Last Gospel and prayers to
St. Michael the Archangel
included in the closing rites
Preserves prayers and rites of
1570 with some changes
Only clerics or “altar boys”
perform liturgical ministry
Includes 14% of Old.
Includes 71% of New
Testament.
Begins with a greeting and
communal penitential rite
Nine eucharistic prayers, the
first of which is the Roman
canon
Allows for a wider distribution
of Communion under both
species
Closing rites include Prayer
after Communion, blessing
and dismissal
Simplifies prayers and rites
in the light of contemporary
research and understanding
Restores lay liturgical
ministries and encourages
careful differentiation of roles
10 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

Regardless of the liturgical reforms, the
substance of the Mass never changed. It
was and remains a celebration in which the
mystery of salvation is accomplished. (CCC 1332)
On July 7, Pope Benedict published the
Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum, which
allows and promotes a wider usage of the
liturgical books that were in use in 1962,
prior to the start of Vatican II. Through this,
he hopes to effect an “interior reconciliation in
the heart of the church” with those who have
demonstrated an attachment to preconciliar
liturgical forms.
The current form of the Mass, from the
Roman Missal of Pope Paul VI, remains the
ordinary form. The older, Tridentine Mass, is
an extraordinary form.
According to the pope’s letter, the
extraordinary form may now be celebrated in
private by any priest of the Latin rite, without
the requirement of first obtaining permission
from his bishop. Members of the faithful may
attend these private celebrations. In parishes
where there is a group of the faithful attached
to the previous liturgical tradition, they may
request a celebration of the Tridentine Mass
directly from their pastor. In order for such
a celebration to take place, a priest must be
suitably qualified and not be prohibited by
any impediments to the celebration of the
Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum.
This means he must have a full understanding
of Latin, as well as of the rite involved.
Additionally, priests may not exclude
celebrating Mass according to the ordinary
form. A parish may have only one Tridentine
Mass per Sunday, and it may not be celebrated
during the Easter Triduum. This Apostolic
Letter will take effect Sept. 14, 2007, the feast
of the Triumph of the Holy Cross.
In September, Bishop Victor
Galeone intends to carefully study this
motu proprio and to consult with the
Presbyteral Council and other diocesan
committees in determining the most
effective way to implement its provisions
within the Diocese of Saint Augustine.
The motu proprio itself does not become
effective until Sept. 14 of this year.
See the accompanying sidebar
for some differences between the
extraordinary form and the ordinary form
of the Mass.
– ZENIT and the USCCB contributed to this story
Brandon
graduated
from college
four years
ago, and is
struggling
with his
career
direction.
work life
work life
I have no idea what
I’m supposed to be doing
How do I figure it out?
Brandon says: When I graduated from high school I had no
idea what to do, so I went into a liberal arts program in college.
I switched majors a couple of times and finished with a math
degree. I was employed as a statistician right after graduation,
but didn’t really enjoy it, so I found a job in the actuarial department of an
insurance company. I’m still not happy, but I have no idea what I should be
doing. I’ve asked God many times what I’m supposed to do, but I’m not
hearing any answers. I don’t feel I’m where I belong. Instead, I just feel lost.
The expert says:
Mother Teresa taught high school
for many years, and at one point
was the principal of the school.
She didn’t hear her call to begin
ministry in Calcutta until she was
36, and didn’t receive permission
to make the change until she was
38. One might say that her years
as a teacher were necessary
in preparation for her ultimate
calling. Stephen Covey, in The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People,
refers to the principle of potential,
which means that we “can grow,
develop and release more
potential, develop more and
more talents” (p. 34). In
other words, while some
people may be made
aware of their true
talents and abilities
earlier in life, for
many people
it may not
become clear
for years.
Thus, it is
necessary for
us to embrace
where we
stand at any
given point in
life, because
Tim Ryan
even though we may feel restless,
we need to trust God’s plan
and believe that we are being
groomed, that our potential is
being generated.
Prayer is the key to
uncovering our capability
and allowing it to grow:
• Pray unceasingly. God
will give you what you need
because of your persistence
(Lk 11:5-8), and it may take
time to align our lives with
God’s call.
• Pray for wisdom to
distinguish between God’s
call and the motives of this
world.
• Pray for patience to allow
God to work in your life.
• Pray for the grace and
joy to appreciate where you
are at the moment, and how
you are growing.
Brandon can find peace in
the realization that he isn’t lost,
he just may not be able to see
in through the fog. Therefore,
he needs to trust God’s light
to guide him, and rest in that
understanding.
Email questions and comments to:
tryan@faithmag.com
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 11

Opening
My Eyes
to Opportunities of Faith
B y C o l l e e n F a r r i s
12 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007
scott smith

Try to picture a place
where you are
comfortable finding
your way around with a
map. Now take the map
away. Would you still be
comfortable? How about
if you were there with a
friend? Church was my comfortable place, but
I came to a fork in the road after confirmation.
Then my friend and youth minister came
along to help me open my eyes to the best
path to my future. I opened my eyes and could
not be any happier with what I found.
Baptism starts us on the journey of faith,
and in confirmation we claim our faith so
that we may begin the greater travels of our
journeys. I failed to see this connection the
year following my confirmation. Instead of
becoming more involved within the church
community I backed away. For most of my
sophomore year I felt incomplete because I
chose not to participate in youth ministry. If
not for my youth minister noticing my talents
and potential, I don’t think I would be the
same person I am today. She invited me to be
a part of the YouthLeader Camp, and now it is
difficult for me to miss any function youth are
called to be a part of.
Ever since I attended the Youthleader
Camp, I have been able to relate the lessons
I learned there to school, family and life
altogether. (YouthLeader is a program held
on the diocesan level designed to empower
young people, aged 15 and older, for
Christian leadership in the church and wider
community.) This experience taught me not
only how to be a good leader, but how to
follow others, most importantly Jesus. I believe
that I have participated in more church-related
activities within the past two years than I ever
imagined I would. These activities range from
helping at the St. Francis Soup Kitchen and
the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless to
heading up to Atlanta for the National Catholic
Youth Conference (NCYC). Each event had its
own message; each one was a building block
of faith that I picked up along my journey. I
have sung with thousands of other youth and
prepared 1,000 sandwiches. I have laughed,
cried, danced, and prayed along my journey of
faith, and I have met more people than I could
count.
Back at our parish, the youth group
presented the Stations of the Cross, and I
was one of the speakers. I felt it is always
good when youth are able to not only act out
significant parts of our faith, but also share it
At a Time When
Being Together
is Most Important.
Our beautiful cemetery and funeral home are in one
location, giving you more time to be with your family.
Jacksonville Memory Gardens
Cemetery and Funeral Home
Owned since 1958 by local Catholic family • 111 Blanding Blvd. • Orange Park, FL
with the wider community. Another instance
where different generations interact within my
parish environment is at our Fish Fry during
Lent. It could easily be all adults dealing with
the food but in letting a variety of people
interact we are building a stronger foundation
for the future of the church.
Speaking about the future of the church, I
am not only one who is guided through our
church teachings but one who tries to guide
others. At the end of the summer break I had
the joy of helping out at our parish’s Vacation
Bishop Victor Galeone awards Colleen
Farris a $1,000 college scholarship for
her winning essay.
Bible School program. This was a chance for
youth, like myself, to help spread the lessons
of faith to the children of our community. I
am always overjoyed to see these children
grow through a week of prayer and fun, but
also saddened when they have to leave. This
activity has been on of the greatest learning
opportunities I have ever been apart of
because it reminds me of how I should be
thirsting for more about my faith and how the
younger children will rise to fill my spot as I
rise to fill those before me.
Another activity I participate in is what
we call our Youth Ministry Core Team. In
this group we, my youth minister and other
students that attended YouthLeader Camp,
Susie Nguyen
organize events for the youth of the parish
to take part in. This opportunity has opened
my eyes to the ups and downs of organizing
events. I am able to use my leadership and
artistic skills at our meetings while getting
to know more about my faith. We try to
plan events all the youth can enjoy, and
these events range from socials with other
parishes to community service opportunities.
Everything that I put into this group is
reciprocated when I see the joy in the faces of
the other youth of the parish.
When I am away from the parish I still
try to apply the techniques I learned from
YouthLeader and other church activities. At
school, I am able to work well in a group;
I can be a good leader or allow someone
else to lead us through the project. I have
also become more comfortable speaking in
front of large groups of people. Through my
experiences of faith I have claimed my gifts
and put them to work in my church, school
and family environments.
My personal faith journey started after
confirmation; of course this was after a year
of stumbling. Confirmation presented a fork
in the road, but before I could turn down
the wrong path a helpful hand opened up a
world of possibilities. I do not know where I
would be if it were not for my youth minister
showing me the wide range of opportunities
faith opens up. My faith journey is far from
over, there may be more rough spots along the
way, but now I know enough to search for the
path that will strengthen my relationship with
God – not pull me away.
Colleen Farris is a 2007 graduate of Frank H.
Peterson Academies of Technology and an active
parishioner at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in
Jacksonville. She will be attending the University
of Central Florida in Orlando this fall and plans to
major in computer animation.
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 13

God’s Love
Transformed by
B y A m e l i a E u d y
Local Youth Make a Difference
in the Lives of the Poor
Sweating through their work clothes, cleaning toilets,
sleeping on the floor in a parish hall and swatting
away bugs is not the way most teenagers would
choose to spend a week during their summer vacation.
But that’s exactly what about 50 teens did for a week
in early June – and some even paid money to do it.
Amelia Eudy
Julia Moody, 15, and Brian O’Shea,
15, rake leaves in the yard of an
83-year-old disabled gentleman
from St. John Parish.
As participants in two social justice
programs – SPLUNGE and Urban Plunge
– youth and young adults were given an
opportunity to form relationships with men,
women and children who are easily forgotten
or neglected. All came away with a better
knowledge of the needs in their community
and many agreed that the experience helped
them understand that simple acts can truly
change and transform the world.
In Putnam County, one of the poorest
counties in Florida, 15-year-old Hayley
Bowker struggled to extend a paint roller
dripping with pink paint. She is not an expert
painter, nor is pink her favorite color, but
Carolyn “Sue” Clark wanted a rose-colored
house. Clark relies on the help of a motorized
wheelchair to get around her small, tile-floor
home. It’s the only place she gets to see these
days because she is homebound and lives dayto-day
on a low, fixed income.
“I never liked the color the government
painted my house and we never had the
money to do anything with it ourselves,” Sue
said. “Ever since I lost my husband it seems
like everything has been dark. Pink was my
husband’s favorite color.”
Although the temperature reached 90
degrees as crews painted, being able to help
someone living below the poverty level
touched the hearts of the young volunteers.
“They feel like they’re making a difference in
people’s lives and that’s very empowering,”
said Jan Balota, youth director for St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton Parish in Palm Coast. Youth from
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Parish
in Interlachen participated together in Urban
Plunge, a program designed to serve the
people Christ wants us to serve. The youth
worked closely with volunteers from the St.
Vincent de Paul Society of Interlachen who
helped identify the clients and their needs.
“We try to take care of their (the poor
and disabled) spiritual needs, but they have
physical needs, too,” said Father Bob Napier,
who is especially familiar with the needs of
the community surrounding his parish, St.
John in Interlachen. Father Bob moved out
of the rectory to give the female volunteers
a “home base” for the week. He enjoyed
hosting the teens at his parish and stressed the
importance of giving them opportunities to
14 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

Amelia Eudy
become disciples in the world. He has worked
with young people for 50 years and still
admires their idealism and zeal to help others.
“They have a vision that goes beyond us poor,
inhibited adults,” he says.
Back on the north side of Jacksonville,
16-year-old Chris Batshone and supervisor,
Dan Lahey of San Jose Parish, pulled out
a refrigerator belonging to Morris Manor
resident, Mary Bell, and found years worth
of caked food and dirt underneath. “There’s
a whole other perspective to situations in
our own community that they haven’t seen
or been sensitized to,” five-year SPLUNGE
veteran, Dan, said of the new volunteers.
“There’s a full spectrum of reaction – surprise,
fear, understanding, joy and fulfillment.
I think they learn a lot about themselves.
They’re doing the things they thought they
couldn’t do.”
SPLUNGE – an acronym for Special
People Living a Uniquely Nourishing
Growthful Experience – is a retreat for youth
and young adults between the ages of 15 and
21. It provides an opportunity for them to
live the inner city lifestyle
for a week and learn how
they can make a difference
in the lives of the poor.
Understanding the plight
of the elderly in the inner
city, some neglected, was
“eye-opening” for 16-yearold
Margaret Kates of San
Jose Parish. She took a
break from dusting to talk to Mary Bell. “I’m
so used to my own area of town and not the
inner city. There’s so much love everywhere.
So many people are working together to
make it better,” Margaret said. Mary, who
has lived at Morris Manor for 12 years, has
six children of her own, who “seem like
they don’t have the time” to help her clean
up. “It’s a blessing to me,” she said about
the SPLUNGers coming to help. “My house
hasn’t been cleaned in so long.”
Mitchell Fratesi, 15, of Sacred
Heart, Green Cove Springs,
cleans the dust off the blinds in
another apartment.
SPLUNGE is in its sixth year and guided
by coordinator, Linda Knight. “We try
to have a diversity (of clients served) …
minority groups that fall through the cracks;
anyone who is marginalized,” she said.
Lindsay Matsko, 15, from Sacred Heart
Parish in Green Cove Springs, cleaned the
kitchen floor of an elderly gentleman who,
she said, “Seemed like he was forgotten and
not visited – ever.” She participates in many
things within her church community, but
said she wants to return to SPLUNGE when
she is 18 to work as a youth leader.
For 18-year-old Kyle Stuard of St.
Luke Parish in Middleburg, the week of
immersing himself in the social issues of
his community helped him revitalize his
faith life. “It has definitely gotten me out of
a ‘slump.’ [SPLUNGE] has boosted it (my
Brad Knox, 15, washes an
apartment floor.
SPLUNGE participant, Jena
Hayes from St. Catherine
Parish, Orange Park, hands a
care basket to Morris Manor
resident, Gloria Baker.
faith) back up. I’m ready to go out and do
everything again.” He wants other teens to
realize what’s going on in the world and to
Amelia Eudy
take action. “It’s time for them to get out
there. This is their world too. It’s time to
do something about it and not expect to be
handed everything on a silver platter.”
Locally, the Diocese of Saint Augustine has
many programs and initiatives to promote
social justice. SPLUNGE participants had
a chance to hear about those during their
retreat in June. Many were interested in
ministering to the homeless after having
experienced a week without money, little
food and no showers. Others were interested
in learning more about working with the
disabled at “Camp I Am Special.” Father
Edward Rooney introduced teens to the
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
(CCHD), and husband and wife team, Nancy
and David O’Byrne, spoke to the teens about
their work with the diocesan Justice and
Peace Commission, prison ministry and
efforts underway to abolish the death penalty.
Sixteen-year-old Emily Pollackov of Christ
the King Parish was especially interested
in learning more about the plight of the
homeless after she and 21 other youth had
an opportunity to work with them during
the week. “It taught me that something needs
to be done to help the homeless before they
get to that point, as well as after,” she said.
“They didn’t choose it (to be homeless). We
need to find out what we can do to fix it.”
By the end of the week, the teens were
physically exhausted, ready to take warm
showers and eat their fill; but they had been
fed – spiritually. “These people don’t have a
lot, but their faith is very strong. That rubs
off on us as well,” Philip Timlin, 23, said
as he helped rake leaves at the home of a
disabled 83-year-old man who was worried
about the threat of wildfires. “It’s rough, but
it’s good that we’re helping communities
around us and not going around the world.
It’s just 30 miles up the road. They are our
neighbors,” he said.
Amelia Eudy
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 15

ob Lesnefsky grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, before attending Franciscan University in Steubenville,
Ohio, where he studied theology. He graduated, married his wife, Kate, and moved to New York City to
start a Catholic youth and young adult ministry at a low-income, inner city parish.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into there and they didn’t have a program; we started some
outreach and failed at everything we did by using a lot of traditional, suburban youth group models,”
said the now Catholic rapper known as Righteous B.
Bob finally moved to what he calls a “relational model” of youth ministry, and at the same time casually
began to record rap music with the kids on the block and used a beat machine. “It was mostly just fun and got
kids involved, and they responded to that,” he said.
In 2001, Bob recorded the first of several Christian rap CDs, including his most recent project, Sweatshop
Sessions, which he recorded in Jacksonville, Fla. Now based in Steubenville, Bob travels around the country
performing at weekend Christian and Catholic youth rallies and promoting his own nonprofit youth outreach
organization, Dirty Vagabond Ministries. He recently sat down with the St. Augustine Catholic for an
interview to talk about his work, Catholic youth ministry and his music.
Q. How did you get into your vocation?
A. God really gave my wife, Kate, and I a passion for inner-city kids. Hip hop for them is a way of life, and as we
started traveling more we see it is relevant to all kinds of kids.
Q. Your third and newest recording, Sweatshop Sessions, has made some waves.
What do you like most about it?
A. It is my third album, but the first one that I actually like. I still feel like I am learning hip hop and it’s the
first time I have felt comfortable enough with myself to really write how I like and not put out
a certain type of hip hop. The goal was to be honest, vulnerable and raw, and I feel like
we achieved that. In hip hop today, there is a sense of talking about this and that
which gives it a bad name, but there is a strong undercurrent who are
rapping for authenticity. For Christians that is a great thing
— to be a bit vulnerable and not as polished when you are
speaking about the gospel and your heart.
B y T o m T r a c y
A Catholic
Rapper’s
Call to Glory
16 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

Q. What place does Christian rap hold within the
overall world of Christian music?
A. It is one of the most relevant types of music out there. You still have
some cheesy, lame Christian music, but I think this is one of the stronger
genres, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the community always gets
behind it. Kids respond well to it, but most of the Christian community
is still “weirded” out about rap. It is a shame, but overall it has a great
following and whenever there is a concert the kids respond so well to it.
Q. Do you take any negativity or criticism for using the
Rap genre for Christian music?
A. All the time. For the most part, when people see it and how we do it
and the way kids respond to it and how we share Christ with kids, it is
a winning combination. But there is an assumption from adults that this
justifies all hip hop as valid, and sometimes there is negativity that there
can’t be such a thing as Christian or Catholic rap. Some say the beats
are intrinsically evil, and sometimes you laugh and move on. Pope John
Paul II, who was one of my heroes, said if the church holds back culture
the gospel falls silent. I would say to a parent about rap that if Christ isn’t
breathed into that culture, then some other ideology will be. Either we
use it as a tool or someone else will.
Q. What’s the one most mistaken impression about
rap and urban culture?
A. When we don’t understand something we write it off. An older person
could look at urban culture as senseless, stupid and talent less. It would
be easy to do that with cultures we don’t understand. People don’t see
hip hop art as art; they see it as nonsense. But it arose from people who
haven’t had a voice, and there is some real disconnect and a sense of
culture shock about this. There is fear of it, but at the same time the
biggest supporters and consumers of hip hop are white suburban kids.
Q. How do you feel about most people seeing rap
music as coarse or obscene?
A. That is a stereotype. Some think the word rap implies cussing, or that
in order to make rap music you have to talk about sex, greed and gangs.
The reality is you look at hip hop purists and where it came from. It is
a great art form and the key ingredient is being authentic. I think that is
the heart of good rap. Some of the stuff people are offended by is a kind
of “voice of the people.” Sometimes it feels good to say out loud, “this is
what my life looks like.” It is not always about the music; sometimes it is
about the rhythm and the message of a song.
Q. What can we learn from urban culture and hip hop?
A. When I did youth ministry for a time in wealthy, suburban
Houston, I found urban and suburban kids no different, but most
of us have learned to hide our messiness of life really well. Urban
culture has never learned how to hide behind things or there aren’t
the resources to do it. I find that vulnerable and honest. Look at how
uncomfortably honest Jesus was. A lot of us don’t recognize our needs
but urban kids know they need a savior.
Q. What is your typical show like?
A. It is a lot of energy, interactive, a little too loud for some; a lot of
dancing; jumping up and down, laughing and we goof around a lot.
Sometimes it is just a big concert with a little sharing towards the end.
We normally end with a song or two on the guitar and the spoken word
where we share our hearts and the testimony of our lives.
Q. Regarding Dirty Vagabond Ministries, you write
that all your ministry here happens in conversation,
relationship and recreation as opposed to formal
youth group gatherings. How is that actually
happening?
A. We have projects in Steubenville and one in the proposal
stage for Queens, N.Y. The idea behind it is that it would be an
organization working for the Catholic Church but outside the walls
in terms of working with kids who might not be in parish ministry
but who would respond to relationships. We have a storefront in
Steubenville and the idea is to have missionary youth workers not
doing events but just building relationships with kids, mentoring
and being disciples to them.
Q. Why is urban outreach so essential but often
ignored or overlooked in parish youth ministry?
A. A lot of suburban churches are struggling to pay mortgages,
whereas in the inner city they are struggling to get by. Even in
churches able to pay a modest salary, might find urban youth
ministry a little too messy, a lot of headaches. To do that kind of
ministry you have to be in it for the long haul, and maybe with
little return. There can be a sense in the church that parishes are
autonomous and without the connection to the wounded part of
the community. We have definitely experienced people coming
alive to that need, but it is easy to be a little removed sometimes.
Q. How do we “call youth to Sainthood” as you
describe on your website?
A. By bringing them to a place where they can fall in love with
Jesus. Catholicism is there solely to support a relationship with a
living God. Through the sacraments and commandments there is
a person, Christ, and so if we approach evangelization in any other
way then no one gets really fired up. To say I am totally in love
with Jesus and to stay close to him and not offend is what I find
is the way to call kids to sainthood. We want to bring them to the
realization that God is in love with them and is calling them to a
relationship. Without that there is no context.
Q. You have said that efforts to win over inner city
communities for Christ will take more than a spring
break service trip?
A. I talked to the former president of another Christian youth
organization and they said their experience is that it takes 10 to 15
years before a community will begin to trust you. (Young people)
are always doing a spring break trip to paint a house or go to an
Indian reservation or Mexico for a week, and it’s cool. But the idea
of actually committing to a neighborhood where there are a lot of
people in and out of their lives, the key ingredient is commitment
and investment.
Q. Your most memorable spiritual experience?
A. The greatest thing for me is watching some of the kids we worked
with in New York. They looked hopeless. Now, eight years later, some are
full time youth ministers!
To sample some of Righteous B’s music, visit his website at
www.righteousb.com or to find out more about Dirty Vagabond
Ministries, visit www.dirtyvagabond.com.
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 17

c o v e r s t o r y
A
YOUTH
The Church of Today
B y A m e l i a E u d y
18 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007
All photos by scott smith

Across the Diocese of Saint Augustine, middle and high school youth are
living the Gospel and building the Kingdom of God. Their accomplishments
are admirable and their passion is contagious. Meet these outstanding young
people who just might be serving Mass for you on Sunday.
Avante Upshaw and Susan Houle – A
dynamic, dedicated duo
“Outstanding,” “Inspiring,” and “Special,”
are just a few of the words used to describe
two high school students at St. Patrick Parish
in Jacksonville who have grown in faith
together and became lifelong friends in the
process. Avanti Upshaw, a senior at Bishop
John Snyder High School, and Susan Houle,
a senior at Bishop Kenny High School, have been friends since they
were students at St. Patrick Parish School. In eighth grade, these two
confirmation classmates made a pact to continue the work of the
Lord in their parish and their community. Although they now attend
different high schools, the two friends have managed to stay close by
working as and training altar servers and co-teaching a fourth grade
religious education class.
Individually, Avanti, who wants to be a pharmacist, has received
awards for his years as an altar server, is an extraordinary minister of
holy Communion and involved in the parish
youth group, participates in basketball and
track at school, and attends various leadership
programs.
“I had to give back (to St. Patrick Parish)
because they gave me so much. They allowed
me to become the person I am today,” he says.
Houle
Susan was also baptized and reared at St.
Patrick Parish. As the youngest of six children,
she had an example to stay involved in parish life. She is a leader in her
school ROTC unit and wants to become an Air Force pilot. She says
her faith life and school responsibilities are not hard to juggle because
she goes to a Catholic high school.
“All my friends understand what I believe; most believe the same
thing. It’s not hard to keep it all together,” she says. However, her
schedule as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, altar
server, member of the softball team and ROTC, ZIP (a group that
keeps students from drinking and smoking), and Christians in Action
campus ministry is intimidating.
Their pastor, Carmelite Father Jose Kulathinal says, “They are the
most dedicated, committed and sincere to their ministry and to the
community.”
Lisa Daley – Speaking out for what she believes in
Through her love of public speaking and
dedication to church life and youth activities,
Flagler Palm Coast High School senior Lisa
Daley is making a difference in the diocese.
“She’s a natural-born leader,” says her mother,
Eileen. A member of St. Elizabeth Ann
Seaton Parish for 17 years, Lisa is well known
among the parishioners and her peers. “The
parishioners have seen me grow up. When I
Upshaw
Daley
go to church it feels like home,” Lisa says. Participating in the Urban
Plunge retreat in June, Lisa said one of her greatest accomplishments is
being able to make people laugh and smile after a hard day. She attends
Mass regularly and is “always” on retreats. She receives encouragement
from her Youth Ministry coordinator, Jan Balota, C.P.S, who “calls me to
make sure I am on everything. Even if I think I am too busy, I can’t say
no to her.”
Lisa has been a lector for three years and in the past has served as
a classroom aid for religious education and an altar server. For three
years, Lisa has also led the drama segment for St. Elizabeth’s Vacation
Bible School. She is a member of the Thespian Society at school and
works part-time as a cashier at Albertson’s. She would like to become
an elementary school teacher.
Karla Rodriguez – Keeping culture alive
A strong family tradition introduced 16-year-old Karla Rodriguez of
St. Francis Xavier Parish in Live Oak to the faith, but self-discipline has
kept that faith alive. “I have always been active, even as a child. I would
go to church with my mom and see her involved,” Karla remembers.
“(Church) has always been a part of my life.”
Originally from El Salvador, Karla moved to Florida six years ago
and learned English quickly. However, she still attends the Spanish
Mass on Sunday and serves as a lector. Keeping ties with her culture
is very important to Karla. “(In Live Oak)
there are a lot of Hispanics,” she observes.
“We need to get them involved, too. I’m
proud to know that I’m involved with my
culture and I can help them and the church
that they go to.”
Karla is a junior at Suwannee High School
Rodriguez
and wants to continue on to college and
become a doctor. “She is a joyful young lady
with much initiative who is greatly admired both by her peers and
adults in the community,” Claretian Sister Tere Gallarreta says.
Karla is also active in drama club, the parish youth group, and
she volunteers at Grace Manor Community Center and Restaurant
in Live Oak.
Tommy Gschwind – A young man in charge
Santa Maria del Mar Parish in Flagler Beach is lucky to have Tommy
Gschwind at the reigns of several church ministries – and he’s only
18. In addition to coordinating, overseeing and serving at the 5 p.m.
Sunday Youth Mass, Tommy gets up for the 7 a.m. Sunday Mass
to ready the golf carts used to shuttle passengers up and down the
church’s steep driveway.
Tommy also took charge of the youth group after the departure of
Richard Pagano, who is now a seminarian in formation for the diocese.
The new youth group spent the summer
raising funds for a trip to Steubenville South in
Atlanta, Ga. “We are starting to grow and get
good, active members,” he observes.
He has just become a First Degree Knights
of Columbus and worked full-time during the
summer as a recreation leader for kids in Palm
Coast. Having recently graduated from Flagler-
Palm Coast High school, he is discerning a
Gschwind
career with the fire department or the United States Coast Guard.
The choice is tough; he doesn’t want to have to say goodbye. “It’s the
goodness that comes from all of this. God does a lot for you and you
see that being here every week,” Tommy says.
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 19

“Whatever the future holds for him, we have been blessed to have
him here at Santa Maria del Mar,” his pastor, Father John Tetlow, says.
Krissy Lombardo -- A woman on a mission
While she could have spent her summer days shopping for the many
items to take to Florida State University with her this fall, instead 18-
year-old Krissy Lombardo spent four days volunteering to rebuild homes
damaged by hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. It was her third trip as
part of the relief effort, “Project Hope and Compassion.” “It makes you
feel so good about the people you are touching,” she says. “Things are
still so devastated [in Mississippi].” And that’s not all. Krissy is an honors
student and Beta Club member very active in
St. Anastasia Parish’s youth ministry. Group
activities include working at the St. Francis
House soup kitchen and visiting the retired
nuns. She also volunteers to help with the
middle school youth group and sings with the
choir at the monthly Youth Mass.
With all her works of goodwill, Krissy admits
life “gets a little crazy sometimes.” She credits
her youth director, Melody Ott, as one of her spiritual role models saying,
“I’ve watched her and followed her lead. God’s such a huge part of her
life.” She encourages other kids to get involved in the Mass because “you
can make that connection with the church so much stronger.”
Her brother, Michael, 20, who has Downs Syndrome, volunteers as
an usher at the 8:30 a.m. Mass. “I’ve loved watching him grow, too, in
this church, and I can feel myself grow … in this great community.”
Maria Sicuranza – Filling souls with music
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine parishioner, Maria Sicuranza
loves children. So much so, that the 18-year-old is on her way to
the University of North Florida to study music education in hopes
of teaching elementary school. She volunteers in the church nursery
during the 9 a.m. Mass and afterward attends
11 a.m. Mass. This talented young Catholic
plays the flute, piccolo and some piano, but
her main instrument of focus at UNF will be
voice.
Maria has a passion for Christian music and
her favorite bands include Jars of Clay and
Sicuranza
Lombardo
Casting Crowns. She traveled to World Youth
Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005 with the
Diocese of Rockville Centre when she lived in New York, and spent
one week on a mission trip to Jamaica in March. There, she befriended
a young mute girl in an infirmary and visited an orphanage.
“When I’m older I know I want to work with kids like that,” Maria
says. “Even though they have such a hard life, they have so much love.
It’s amazing.” In addition to the music ministry, Maria was treasurer of
the Key Club and a member of the Drama Club at St. Joseph Academy,
and she worked part-time at the Shrine Shop on the grounds of
Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine.
“I do realize how much I have and how blessed I am and how lucky
I am to be here,” she says.
Jeremy Camacho – A humble servant
To find out what makes 19-year-old Jeremy Camacho so special, you
have to ask anyone who knows him. He won’t tell you. “A lot of us get
emotional where Jeremy’s involved,” says Blessed Trinity’s Director of
Religious Education, Aixa Feliciano. She also coordinates the parish’s
Vacation Bible School where Jeremy volunteers.
“He’s outstanding,” Aixa says. “He has no other reason to be here
except that he wants to serve.” As an integral part of the parish
community, Jeremy is not only a member of
the youth group, but he is a cross-bearer at the
Spanish Mass, has been involved in the spring
carnival, parish garage sale and multi-cultural
dance sponsored by the Spanish ministry. He
was active in DEFIANCE, a program similar
to the drug education program, D.A.R.E., at
Sandalwood High School, and he was trained
to be a peer mediator.
He has received academic excellence awards in several subjects,
including science, history and technology. Jeremy, who admits that he
only started to become involved in the church during high school, also
found time to balance a job in the process.
“I just find a way to have everything set up where I can do
everything,” he says. “I always find a way to do church. It’s just a very
good feeling to stay involved.”
Additionally, Jeremy was one of five youth in the diocese to receive
the St. Timothy Award this year. This award is presented by the
National Federation of Catholic Youth to those who demonstrate
the gospel by setting a positive example for others. Faith “should be
something that comes out of you; something that helps others grow
and do the right thing,” Jeremy says. “I just do what I do.”
By this month, he will have decided whether or not to attend The
Citadel in Charleston, S.C. for college. He wants to study computer
science and join the Air Force.
Blake Warfield – Serving God and country
Growing up in a military family is never easy, but it is a reality for
15-year-old Blake Warfield, whose family has attended Holy Spirit
Parish for three years. Fortunately, the stability of the Catholic Church
has remained a constant for him. His father, a Navy commander, was
deployed to Iraq in 2006 and missed Blake’s eighth grade graduation.
“It was a time of my life that was really hard. He told me that he would
be there,” Blake says. “It was something my whole family had to deal
with.” That mature attitude carries over into Blake’s church life as well.
Last year, he came up with the name of Holy
Spirit’s new youth group, TLC.COM (Teens
Loving Christ. Catholics on the Move). Since
then, he has been instrumental in recruiting
more than 20 youth to the group. He is a
teen lector and trains others for the ministry,
participates in retreats, assists with Vacation
Warfield
Camacho
Bible School and volunteers to DJ and emcee
for church functions.
“I feel that Blake has taken the challenge to come out of the ‘comfort
box’ and looking back over the year I see many wonderful growths in
his spiritual and social life,” comments Debbie Hoover, youth director
at Holy Spirit. “I look forward to him attending leadership programs
sponsored by the diocese …and those on the national level.”
Blake credits his grandmother, Charlotte Blackwell, as one of his
spiritual role models. “She does everything – says the rosary, goes to
Mass early. I’ve looked up to her my whole life. She’s helped me a
20 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

whole lot …I get my drive from my mom
(Kimberly). She’s outgoing and taught me to
speak my mind.”
He encourages other kids to stay involved
in the faith. “(God) is always there with you.
You’re going to go through hard times, but
go to church and pray. God will send you
the answers.”
Blake is a sophomore at Stanton College
Prepatory School. He would like to become
a lawyer as well as pursue the permanent
diaconate one day.
Clay Ludwig – A fisher of men
Ask Christ the King parishioner 15-year-old
Clay Ludwig his favorite hobby and he will
excitedly tell you that it’s fishing. His biggest
catch? A 50-pound wahoo (he thinks). But this
Bishop Kenny High School freshman is filling
his nets with much more than just fish. He
loves running and football, he’s an altar server
at 7 a.m. Sunday Mass, a member of the parish
Men’s Club, was voted president of the student
council at Christ the King during his eighth
grade year, was recipient of the Optimist
Award recognizing his leadership and service,
and was awarded the
Covecrest Summer
Camp Scholarship and
attended the camp in
June.
“[Clay] is
spiritual, intelligent,
Ludwig
conscientious, kind
and compassionate
and a fun-loving young man,” comments
Stephanie Chinault, principal of Christ the King.
“I like being a leader,” Clay says. “I like making
decisions. (Being student council president)
helped me make good decisions.” Clay chose St.
Joseph as his confirmation saint name because
“I believe he should have more recognition in
our Catholic faith. He’s a good role model for all
men and all fathers. He stepped up to the plate
for Jesus.”
This young role model regularly receives
awards for academic excellence and attendance
and would like to be a business management
major in college with the hopes of owning his
own business related to fishing. “But it’s not
up to me what I want to be. It’s up to God,”
he says matter-of-factly. “A lot of people at
school and church say, ‘You’ll be a priest when
you grow up,’” Clay admits. “I really reflected
on that (at Camp Covecrest) and maybe. But
it’s not up to me. He’ll make sure that I know
…my vocation.”
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St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 21

ministries
youth ministries profile
Two Parishes With One Common Goal –
Empowering Youth
by Shannon Scruby Henderson
St. Luke Youth Group on a Mission
What can a teenager do to change the world?
Sixteen-year-old Rachel Quiñones had a
chance to find out. In early June, she joined 16
members of her youth group at St. Luke Parish
in Middleburg on a weeklong work mission
in Bayou la Batre, Ala. With its infrastructure
and shrimp industry in tatters, the Gulf-Coast
village made famous by the movie Forrest Gump
remains a casualty of hurricane Katrina. Enter
Youth Works and Mission Build, two groups
that help mobilize teen workers here and at
other sites around the country.
“We spent half our week working on damaged
homes and half helping with kids and seniors,”
Rachel reports. Her friend April Galvez says the
trip was a learning experience. “Witnessing the
devastation and helping the people affected me
deeply,” she says. “I also had the chance to bond
with others in my youth group. We talked about
what was going on that day and about our lives
back home. It was great.”
Special
The youth of St. Luke Parish, Middleburg,
learned about the Catholic history of “La Florida”
while visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche
and Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine.
Special
About 15 youth from St. Luke Parish in
Middleburg traveled to Bayou La Batre, Ala.,
as part of a mission trip to provide relief for
residents of the area after Hurricane Katrina.
For Rachel, the trip was empowering. “I felt like we were
really doing something important,” she says. “I learned a lot
about poverty, especially the desperation people can feel when
they don’t see a way out – and how education and a hand up
can help.”
She also met “amazing” people: “We worked at the house of
an older lady named Mrs. Marshall. I was feeling bad that we
were making so much noise repairing her roof. Just then, she came
out and told us that we were the biggest blessing of her life. Mrs.
Marshall worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was a Freedom
Rider. I felt like I had helped somebody really special.”
Year-round chances to participate
To meet the needs of 65 teens in separate junior and senior high
school groups, St. Luke offers a full calendar of events that range
from just-for-fun to serious. This fall, they will send a group to the
National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio. “It’s about
creating opportunities,” says Regina Quiñones, who has served as the
22 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

youth director at St. Luke for four years and has been active in
teen leadership for more than 20 years.
She finds support from a variety of quarters: “I’ve met a lot of
other youth ministers through the Diocesan Youth Certification
program. I have a core group of adults who help and parents
who step up whenever we ask. The parish as a whole is very
supportive. Even people who don’t have teenagers are happy to
help.”
Magnifying the Impact of a Small Program: St. Patrick
Parish, Gainesville
Seniors and young families abound, but teens are in short
supply at St. Patrick Parish in Gainesville, where the parish youth
group currently has just ten members. Low numbers barely faze
Nikki Arrington, a graduate of the program, and for the last six
years, its leader.
“There are awesome kids all over the place, and we find ways to
get them together,” she says. The opportunities for networking are
extensive. Within the Gainesville Deanery, they join other parish
youth groups in “chill-out” and “service” activities. This summer,
these ran the gamut from movie nights in outlying Hawthorne
and Williston to a bus trip to Steubenville South, held annually
disabilities. They also hammer nails, paint and clean yards with
Rebuild Gainesville. We stay overnight at St. Augustine Church
and Catholic Student Center. The kids cook their own meals, take
bucket showers and learn about conserving resources. They also
participate in faith-enriching activities, including prayer services
and skits for our morning and evening sessions.”
During the school year, the tight-knit group stays involved,
attending weekly Wednesday and Sunday meetings and a variety
of special events, including Night of Joy in Orlando (an annual
Disney extravaganza that features Christian rock bands as well as
opportunities to “ride” the park), ski trips, and more.
Mary and Nikki helped bring the St. Mary’s Press YES (Youth
Engaging Scripture) program to St. Patrick by attending a training
session at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Jacksonville. “It’s a
peer-led Bible sharing experience based on the ancient monastic
process called Lectio Divina,” says Nikki. “On Wednesdays, we
take turns going through the next Sunday’s scripture readings
several times, helping each other find something new every time
we read it. At Mass on Sunday, the kids have already heard the
readings multiple times and can understand the homily better.”
Email questions and comments to: sac@dosafl.com
Several teens from St. Patrick Parish participated in Rebuild
Gainesville. Teens help repair and renovate homes of low-income
families. From left, Calvin Lescault and David Spitznagel cut out an
opening for a new sink.
As part of the Real World Service Camp at St. Augustine
Church in Gainesville, teens from St. Patrick’s participated in
a reward challenge. The team that removed their shoes first,
while holding a bucket full of water, won a free soda!
Special
in Alexandria, La. “The deanery took
more than 75 kids, the fourth year we
went together – and it’s an unforgettable
experience,” says Nikki.
“I still remember my first adoration
at Steubenville,” notes teen participant
Mary Scott. “I felt like I was just letting
everything go - the fears of the world - and
connecting with God.” Her friend, Lyn
Kramer, agrees, “It’s very overwhelming to
have so many teenagers there for the same
reason, to praise and worship,” she says.
Opportunities to connect happen
within Gainesville, too. “Each summer,
area youth leaders put together a weeklong
service camp called The Real World,”
says Nikki. Our kids join others to help
at nursing homes and at Tachachale, a
facility for people with mental and physical
Special
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 23

B y A m e l i a E u d y
His senior year was supposed
to be the best one of his high
school career – a key player
on the football team playing
defensive end, tight end and offensive
tackle, and a dedicated member of the
basketball team. But when 18-year-old
Bishop John Snyder High School graduate
Shawn Schmieder broke his foot during
practice early in the football season (in
2006) it abruptly ended his senior football
season and prevented him from playing
basketball at all.
The snap he heard at practice turned out
to be a Jones fracture, an injury notorious
for bringing down many pro athletes. “It
had to be the perfect amount of pressure
on an exact spot,” Shawn says, shortly after
graduating in May. Shawn’s sports injury,
however disappointing, taught him more
about faith and sacrifice and a few lessons
about life.
Shawn, an honor student, who
graduated with a weighted 4.4 GPA and
was named class salutatorian, doesn’t
consider himself a smart person. But
this accomplishment earned him the
honor of speaking at his commencement
celebration on May 17, and he chose to
share his life-as-a-student-athlete story.
“We all make plans for our lives,” Shawn
said in his graduation speech, “sometimes
24 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

they pan out and sometimes they don’t.” But
he realized how lucky he is.
Following his injury, Shawn was treated
at a clinic where other patients had a wide
array of injuries, some of them permanent.
“I saw many people who were crippled
for life, including a man holding his own
prosthetic leg,” Shawn said to his fellow
classmates. “At that moment I realized how
good God was to me.”
It was because of his faith in God that
Shawn realized he would make it through
what seemed like his “ruined senior year.” He
would make the best of what he had been
given, not focus on what had been taken away.
“I relied on God a lot. He was the base of all
my success. I knew I couldn’t do anything
without him.”
me that,” Shawn says. Balance, he notes,
is vital for every student athlete as they
juggle daily practices and games, school,
homework, family, friends, church, jobs and
other interests.
Because he had many other examples of
good faith during his four years at Bishop
Snyder and because of his own challenges,
Shawn wanted his graduating class to know
St. Joseph Academy
Steve Binninger signed a letter of
agreement to play tennis for Gulf Coast
Community College in Panama City, Fla.
Jennifer Cuevas signed an
agreement to play softball for Gulf Coast
Community College in Panama City, Fla.
Caleigh Hodgkins signed an athletic
letter of intent to play women’s soccer
for Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.
Courtney Miles signed a letter of
agreement to play volleyball for St.
John’s River Community College. She will
how important faith should be in their
lives. For him, challenges in sports had
become lessons for life. “Don’t forget what
you learned here (at Bishop Snyder) and
never lose your faith in God,” Shawn urged
his classmates. “Whatever life brings to you
make the best of it; and if life kicks you in
the dirt …you just get right back up,” he
said, using some old coaching advice.
The St. Augustine Catholic magazine congratulates the athletes of the Class of
2007, especially the following sports stars that have received athletic scholarships:
SaLydia James received a track
athletic grant-in-aid to the University of
North Florida.
Alexander Mathis received a football
scholarship to Culver-Stockton College in
Canton, Mo.
Emily Meyer received a softball
athletic scholarship to Pasco-Hernando
Community College.
Emily Saltmarsh received a
tennis athletic scholarship to Florida
Community College, Jacksonville.
Caitlin Smith received a volleyball
athletic scholarship to St. Thomas
University in Miami.
Shawn Schmieder
Shawn has turned his attention to the future
and wants to use the gifts he has been given.
“I’m going to continue to stick with God,” he
says honestly. “I’m going to college; it’s a big
university. It’s great to have something to hold
on to – someone always looking after you.”
Shawn headed to the University of Florida
in June on a Bright Future Scholarship with
plans to try out for the football team and
possibly pursue a career in the medical
field. Sports taught him to be tough and
stand up to adversity. “In this world you
have no time to feel sorry for yourself,”
Shawn says. You have to keep going.” His
family: father, George; mother, Mary; sisters,
Katie, 16; Mary Grace, 11; and Christa,
10, who belong to Sacred Heart Parish
in Jacksonville, have always been a great
influence on him.
“[My dad] lives his life with balance. He
says that’s the key to everything. He taught
also receive an academic scholarship
including books, tuition, living stipend
and fees for 36 credit hours.
Bishop John Snyder High School
Kristina Beck signed an agreement for
a full gymnastics scholarship from Penn
State University in Pennsylvania. Kristina is
the first Division 1 signee in school history.
Bishop Kenny High School
Lauren Anastase received a
volleyball athletic scholarship from
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University,
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Megan Bacher received a track
athletic scholarship from Samford
University in Birmingham, Ala.
Michael Basford received a football
athletic scholarship from the United
States Naval Academy.
Michael Stukel received a football
athletic scholarship to Georgia Southern
University, United States Naval
Academy, United States Air Force
Academy and Wofford College.
Daniel Vargas Villa of St. Joseph
Academy, signed a letter of intent from
Wallace Community College in Dothan,
Ala. to play baseball. He will receive a
full scholarship for two years, including
out-of-state tuition and fees.
Kyle Teeter received a track athletic
scholarship to Samford University and
the University of Florida.
Chelsea Wilhoite received a
volleyball athletic scholarship to the
University of West Florida.
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 25

special
around
around the diocese
Lay Leaders Complete Certification called to serve Bishop ordains
three priests
Special
Front row (l-r): Guy Gallina, Jeannie Gallina, Rigoberto Millo, Jaime
Mejia, Anthony Colichio, Ben Heise, Marshall Henrique, Danielle
Stenli and Anita Kick. Second row: Bishop Victor Galeone, Margaret
McCully, Sister Lucille Clynes, Mary Jo Antone, Evelyn Hinkle and
William White. Back row: Robert Devereux, Douglas Conlon, Edward
Fawcette, John Bailey, Francis Henderson and Gerald Turkowski.
The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine was the scene
for the closing ceremony of the Ministry Formation Program’s
Class of 2007. In all 17 lay leaders representing 16 parishes
completed the three-year certification program. The first to be
certified by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
the Ministry Formation Program of the Diocese of Saint
Augustine, provides a comprehensive program of academic,
spiritual and pastoral formation for ecclesial leaders serving in
parish and diocesan ministries.
Knights of Peter Claver Junior Daughter Court Established
Father Callistus Onwere, parochial vicar at St. Pius V Parish, installs the new
Junior Daughter Court of the Knights of Peter Claver.
26 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007
On Saturday, June 23, Deacons David Ruchinski,
Robert Trujillo and Steven Zehler were ordained to
the priesthood by Bishop Victor Galeone. Seating was
limited at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine as
friends, family and clergy joined the celebration.
In July, Fathers Robert Trujillo and Steven Zehler began their
assignments at St. Catherine Parish in Orange Park and Christ
the King Parish in Jacksonville,
respectively. Father David
Ruchinski provided coverage in
a couple parishes this summer
for vacationing pastors before
heading back to Rome to
complete his seminary studies.
Father Ruchinski will receive
his parish assignment when he
returns next year.
The three newest priests join
93 diocesan priests, 29 extern
priests (diocesan priests from
another diocese who are living
or working in this diocese), 23
religious order priests and 45
permanent deacons that serve
about 165,000 Catholics in the
diocese. The diocese encompasses
17 counties of Northeast and
North Central Florida.
Priests of the diocese prayerfully
lay hands on the newly ordained
priests kneeling, from left, David
Ruchinski, Robert Trujillo and
Steven Zehler.
The Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver
established the first Junior Daughter Court
in Jacksonville in May. Nine young ladies
became charter members in a spirit-filled
ceremony conducted by local and national members of
the Fraternal Order. St. Pius V Parish hosted the event.
The Junior Daughter Court is open to Catholic
girls, ages 7-18. Lady Michelle Jones was appointed
Junior Daughter Counselor. Supreme Lady Geralyn
Shelvin of Lafayette, La., remarked, “I am so
proud of these young ladies and truly humbled
by the outpouring of support for Claverism in the
Jacksonville area.”
The Knights of Peter Claver, and Ladies
Auxiliary, is the largest African-American lay
Catholic organization. The order is named after
St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest from Spain who
ministered to African slaves in South America in
the 1600s. The saint is said to have converted more
than 300,000 slaves to Catholicism.
Scott Smith

Susie Nguyen
coming to America Catholic Charities
assists Burmese Refugees
Arriving to Jacksonville, July 3, from the Burmese State of
Karen, are, from left: Father Myint Po (age 47), son Nay
Htoo (age 10), Mother Ler Ku (age 37), son in his mother’s
arms, Eh Gay (age 4) and daughter Ta Moo (age 12).
Two Local Councils Honored
around the diocese
In June, the Jacksonville Regional Office of Catholic Charities began assisting about 90
Burmese refugees that fled their homeland due to persecution from a repressive military
dictatorship. They are seeking safety in Jacksonville and an opportunity for a renewed
quality of life. The Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities needs your help in
providing the basic needs for these families.
Imagine finding yourself thousands of miles from home where you must learn new customs,
a different culture and a new language. These families are often bombarded with these challenges
while still grieving for friends and family left behind.
Catholic Charities needs donations of furniture and other basic household items and people
willing to transport these items to
families. Volunteers are also needed
to serve as ambassadors to the
refugees by helping to orient them
to their new life in Jacksonville.
Since 2000, the Refugee
Resettlement Program has
provided essential services to
assist refugee individuals and
families with basic needs and
community integration so they
can achieve economic selfsufficiency
early after arrival. If
you have the ability to help or
need more information, call the
Refugee Resettlement Office at
(904) 354-4846, ext. 287.
Free Healthcare for
Migrant Farm Workers
In May, the Farm Worker
Ministry of the Diocese of Saint
Augustine sponsored a Health
Fair for migrant workers living
in the Live Oak area. About
150 men, women and children
attended the fair with local
healthcare providers providing
free services, such as health care
information, testing, physicals
and mini-self-care workshops for
those who work in Florida’s fields,
groves and nurseries. Many farm
workers typically have no health
insurance or access to Medicaid,
KidCare, or other public programs
requiring legal immigration status.
Knights of Columbus members from throughout Florida gathered in Orlando
over the Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the
organization’s birth. Father Michael J. McGivney, a parish priest from Connecticut,
founded the Knights in 1882 to help struggling widows and orphans. Today the
organization has grown into the largest lay Catholic society in the world, with more
than one million members.
At the convention, the
Orange Park Council
#7399, serving St.
Catherine Parish, was
selected as the Council
of the Year for division
three (membership of
151 or more). St. Thomas
Moore Council #7121
of St. Augustine was also
selected as the Council
of the Year, with 76-150
members. Pictured in the center is Grand Knight Robert Wesselman and his wife
Jan of St. Augustine. Presenting the award is James Schoenfeld, general program
administrator of the Florida State Council.
special
Special
Particular health concerns for the
farm worker community include:
diabetes, hypertension, obesity,
pesticide exposure, eye/vision
care, muscle and back pains
due to heavy repetitive work
and women’s health issues. This
event was one of five Health Fairs
conducted throughout Florida
and was sponsored in part by the
Florida Catholic Conference and a
grant from Alleghany Franciscan
Ministries.
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 27

Special
around
around the diocese
big success 39th annual CYO Golf Tournament
Winners of the 1st place low net are, from left, Msgr. Daniel Logan,
Therese Quinn, Jerry Williams and John Wombaugh
local catholic schools
Making Dreams Come True
Three Catholic schools in Jacksonville have established
Kids Helping Kids Clubs as part of the Dreams Come True
organization. Students at Assumption, Christ the King and
Holy Family have raised funds throughout the year to help
sponsor dreams for children who are battling serious illnesses. It’s all
about teaching children the importance of doing for others.
According to officials with Dreams Come True, the Kids Helping
Kids Clubs are a wonderful opportunity for students to learn to
work together toward a common goal, compromise, and enjoy the
feeling of success. In the process they get to meet the child and host
a Celebration of Life party. “Many of the groups stay in touch with
their dream child and if the child relapses – these children flood
the child with get well cards, emails, etc. Some very remarkable
and lasting friendships have been forged,” said Suzanne Crittenden,
executive director of Dreams Come True.
The 39th annual Diocese of Saint Augustine
Youth Ministry Golf Tournament, in memory of
John F. Lanahan, was a huge success. From the
preliminary planning stages, organizers said they
knew this tournament would see major improvements. The
tournament was held April 9 at Timuquana Country Club
in Jacksonville.
Chaired by John F. Lanahan, Jr. and Phillip Parsons, the
golf tournament committee set two goals: Raise more than
$40,000 and sell out the tournament. Both goals were
achieved. “We had the largest field with 136 golfers and
a record number of more than 50 donors this year,” said
Anne McGaugh, former director of Youth and Young Adult
Ministry for the diocese. She said more than 13 parish youth
ministry programs volunteered their time and worked the
tournament. Proceeds of the golf tournament will fund
youth ministry services and events in the diocese.
Bishop Snyder High School Breaks
Ground for New Classrooms
Special
Special
Students at Holy Family Catholic School helped make a dream come
true for five-year-old Tyler White, who suffers from a heart condition.
Students raised funds so Tyler can visit Disney World.
In early May, the year-long “Building to Serve” capital
campaign was launched with the ceremonial groundbreaking
for new classrooms at Bishop John Snyder High School in
Jacksonville. Construction for the classrooms began this summer
with the building expected to be operational for the 2008-09
school year.
From left, are: Pat Bronsard, Drs. George and Mary Schmieder
(co-chairs of the campaign), Bishop Victor Galeone, John
McLaughlin, Patricia Tierney, LaRue Ellis, Howard Davis, Bishop
John Snyder and Deacon David Yazdiya, the school’s principal.
28 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

Laura Evans
in the news…
diocesan highlights
Erin McGeever was
named the new director
of Christian Formation
for the Diocese of Saint
Augustine in July. She
succeeds Daughter of
Wisdom Lucille Clynes,
who resigned in July to
work full time as vocations
director and treasurer for
her congregation in New
York. Erin comes to the diocese from Taylor Mill, Ky.,
where she served as Director of Religious Education
and the RCIA for St. Pius X Parish of the Diocese of
Covington. She also taught theology as an adjunct
instructor at Thomas More College. Erin has a master’s
in theological studies with an emphasis in scripture and
church history from the University of Dayton, Ohio.
. . . . .
Daughter of Charity DeSales Wisniewski,
vice president of Mission Integration for St. Vincent’s
HealthCare, was one of
five community leaders
honored at the 2007
Humanitarian Awards
dinner, May 24, at the
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville
Riverfront Hotel. Sponsored
by OneJax, Sister DeSales
received a silver medallion
for her work in
delivering medical care
to thousands of poor
and medically underserved residents of Northeast
Florida.
. . . . .
This year’s Cardinal Award was given to Anthony
Ornella, a 2007 graduate of Bishop John Snyder
High School in Jacksonville. Each year a teacher led
committee picks a student
who embodies the mission
of BJSH: competence,
conscience and compassion.
Anthony was president of
his senior class, a member
of the varsity baseball
team and active in several
organizations. Bishop
Snyder presented Anthony
with his award.
Staff
special
parenting journey
A time to talk
What if you find out your teenager is having sex?
Clarify the
means of feedback
so that
you and the
other parents
communicate.
1
2
3
by Dr. Cathleen McGreal
The wooden privacy fence surrounding my
friend’s backyard sometimes corrals a dog’s
happy explorations. It also creates a quiet retreat
area for reading. Since my friend lives between a high
school and a university, it is a great gathering spot for celebrations
associated with school events. Imagine my friend’s surprise one
evening to discover that an adolescent couple had decided the
fence also provided just the right amount of privacy for sex. In this
case, the teens were strangers. But what if parents walked in on
their own teen having sex?
Have the teens talk to you – now!
Have the couple get dressed – and then it’s time to talk. Don’t
wait. Ask them about the decisions that led to this point. How did
this fit into their relationship at this time? What discussions did they
have about pregnancy? About sexually transmitted diseases? Try
not to dominate the conversation, so that you can learn about their
views. If they mention love, then acknowledge that love is powerful
but its physical expression carries responsibilities. Sex has different
meanings to different individuals as well. Some teens view sex more
as recreation than as an expression of intimacy or romance. Share
your values – that sex needs to be saved for marriage and that
marriage is a spiritual as well as physical relationship.
Self-mastery: a process occuring throughout life.
Our church acknowledges that adolescents are apprentices
in learning to deal with healthy sexual expression. “Chastity
includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training
in human freedom. … Self-mastery is a long and exacting
work. One can never consider it acquired once and for
all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life. The
effort required can be more intense in certain periods,
such as when the personality is being formed during
childhood and adolescence.” (CCC #2339, 2342) One sexuallyactive
relationship doesn’t commit a teen to sex in future
relationships.
Let the other parents know.
The teens can help decide how to inform the other
parents. Clarify the means of feedback so that you and
the other parents communicate. Adults often picture teen
sex as something that occurs in the back seat of a car, but
contemporary adolescents often have sex in their own homes or
the home of a friend after school. Make sure that rules are clearly
established for the future. Research shows that first intercourse
peaks with periods of less supervision: summer vacation
(especially June) and Christmas vacation.
Remember that sexual passion is God’s idea! But sexuality
is spiritual as well as physical; “… not … merely biological, but
concerns the innermost being of the human person … .” (CCC #2361)
Email questions and comments to: mcgreal@msu.edu
St. Augustine Catholic September 2007 29

A Refreshing Stop
books, gifts, religious items, more!
Bell Tower
Gift Shop
(Inside the Cathedral Basilica)
35 Treasury Street
Downtown St. Augustine
Open Daily
Weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday Noon-4:30 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Phone for mail orders
(904) 829-0620
UWAGA
Diecezja Świętego Augustyna
traktuje poważnie wszystkie zarzuty
dotyczące wykroczeń seksualnych
oraz rozpatruje zarzuty w sposόb
niezwłoczny, poufny i gruntowny.
Pou pote plent pou abi sa yo:
rele “Diocesan Victim” Assistan Kòdinatè a nan
(904) 262-3200 eKstansyon 129
ou byen Depatman Timoun ak Fanmi nan
1-800-962-2873.
Pou Denonse Abi Sexyel
Diocèz Saint Augustine lan trete
tout plent kont inkondwit sexyel
seriezman e li agi non yon fason
konfidensyel e rapid pou li
rezoud move rapò sa yo.
Pou pote plent pou abi sa yo:
rele “Diocesan Victim” Assistan Kòdinatè a nan
(904) 262-3200 eKstansyon 129
ou byen Depatman Timoun ak Fanmi nan
1-800-962-2873.
calendar
September 2007
Sept. 7-8
Rock the Universe/Night of Joy –
For youth, youth leaders and youth groups.
Friday and Saturday at Universal Studios in
Orlando. For details visit
www.rocktheuniverse.com
Sept. 8
Our Lady de la Ciudad Mass
(Patroness of Cuba) - Saturday, 7:30
p.m., San Jose Parish, Jacksonville. Mass
celebrated in Spanish by Father Rodolfo
Godinez.
Sept. 11
In Remembrance of Me – A prayer
service for families who have suffered the
loss of a child. Tuesday, 7-9 p.m., Our Lady
Star of the Sea Parish, Ponte Vedra Beach.
Questions? Call Kelly at (904) 376-7191.
Sept. 13
Rebuilding When Your Relationship
Ends - Classes held every Thursday
from Sept. 13 to Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. at the
Catholic Center in Jacksonville. For details,
call the Family Life Office at (904) 308-7474
or visit www.dcfl.org
Sept. 14-16
Spanish Youth Retreat - Camp will
be conducted entirely in Spanish for youth
ages 14-18. Friday-Sunday, Camp St. John,
Jacksonville. Registration is open. Call Alba
Orozco at (904) 353-3243.
Sept. 15
Catholic Women Leadership
Program – Saturday, 9 a.m. at St. Paul
Parish, Jacksonville Beach. Cost: FREE. Call
Angela Becker at (904) 343-0534.
Sept. 15
Roots of Christian Mysticism in
Scripture - Leaders: Cenacle Sisters
Elizabeth Hillmann and Rose Hoover,
Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Marywood Retreat
Center, Jacksonville. Cost: $35. To register,
call (904) 287-2525 or visit
www.marywoodcenter.org.
Sept. 17
Ministry Formation Program
Information Night – Monday, 7 p.m.,
Our Lady of Good Counsel Mission, Mill
Creek. Open to anyone in the diocese
interested in the certification program. For
details, call Deacon Maurice Culver at
(904) 262-3200, ext. 171 or email:
mculver@dosafl.com.
Sept. 22
Pre Cana – A marriage preparation
program for couples that want to marry in
the Catholic Church. Saturday,
9:20 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton Parish, Palm Coast. Cost: $69/ couple.
Call (904) 308-7474 or register online:
www.dcfl.org
Sept. 27
Third Annual Society of St. Vincent
de Paul Mass – Thursday, 7 p.m. at
Sacred Heart Parish, Jacksonville. Reception
following Mass. For details, call (904)
388-7008.
October Date Savers
Oct. 9
Faith in Action Night – Guest speaker:
Dennis O’Neil, a former death row warden.
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., St. Augustine Church
and Catholic Student Center (Dorothy
Day Room), Gainesville. For details, email
Ramona at caponera@english.ufl.edu.
Oct. 26
Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley
Memorial Mass – The Diocese of Saint
Augustine will
commemorate the
40th anniversary
of the death of
Archbishop Hurley
(1940-1967), the
sixth bishop of St.
Augustine, Friday,
7 p.m., Cathedral-
Basilica of St.
Augustine. More
details will be available in the October issue.
30 St. Augustine Catholic September 2007

Be an informed Catholic
catholic
St. Augustine
April 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
Father Joe p. 8
what is the role of
conscience?
theology 101 p. 10
what was Jesus like
after the resurrection?
parenting JoUrney p. 13
letting our children
grow up
catholic
St. Augustine
June 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
catholic
St. Augustine
father Joe p. 8
the difference between
venial and mortal sin
May 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
Marriage Matters p. 13
caring for aging parents
spiritual fitNess p. 14
ridding our hearts
of revenge
Father Joe p. 8
who wrote the Bible?
parenting Journey p. 13
catholic
getting kids to want to
go to Mass
St. Augustine
work liFe p. 9
the job or me –
do I need a career?
July/August 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
Father Joe p. 8
what’s up with the
Gospel of Judas?
theology 101 p. 10
what’s the difference
between Jesus and
Christ?
parenting Journey p. 13
a snapshot of
grandparenthood
Bishop’s Message
resurrection: fact
or fiction? p.6
Bridge to Uganda
a story of faith,
determination
and sacrifice p.16
CreMation & BUrial
bishops provide
guidelines for
Catholics p.24
HOPE
REbORn
Men wounded by drugs discover the love of God
AnSwerinG
Bishop’s Message
Bishop’s Message
ways to increase
religious vocations p.6
priests of North florida
one collar,
many cultures p.16
MaYo sisters
serving migrant
farm workers p.24
GOD’S CALL
Bishop Victor Galeone Ordains Three Men to Priesthood
do Catholics
worship Mary? p.6
Faith in action
living as disciples
inside and out p.16
archival treasures
diocese has
oldest records in
United States p.24
Just
SpIrITual
Wait
Miss America 2003 affirms local youth with message on chastity
From the Bishop
the Trinity:
an attack on
reason? p.6
saFe environments
protecting God’s
children p.16
BaBy Boomer
CatholiCs
sharing
memorable
nun stories p.24
FITNESS
It takes tIme and traInIng to lIve a healthy faIth lIfe
Support the St. Augustine Catholic Magazine
September 8-9, 2007
Bishop Victor Galeone believes that the St. Augustine Catholic magazine has been an important part of our
evangelization plan. The magazine is sent to your home and every Catholic home each month by your
parish and the diocese. Many of our fellow Catholics are no longer active participants in the life of the
church, and Bishop Galeone believes that the St. Augustine Catholic has been the best way to reach out to
them. By supporting the Help Spread the Faith Communications Appeal, you will help us continue to
answer Christ’s call to reach out with the Gospel message.
Your gift to Help Spread the Faith Communications Appeal will support:
• The St. Augustine Catholic magazine: a monthly magazine sent to you and every Catholic home
in the diocese – 55,000 homes.
• Diocesan website: www.dosafl.com, an interactive online resource with daily changing content.
• The St. Augustine Catholic online version of the magazine.
• U.S. bishops’ national evangelization efforts: impacting the media and our society.
For more information about the communications collection or the magazine, contact the Office of
Communications at (904) 262-3200, ext. 110 or email Kathleen Bagg-Morgan at kbaggmorgan@dosafl.com.
Please give generously in your parish the weekend of Sept. 8-9, 2007.

catholic
St. Augustine
The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine
11625 Old St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL 32258-2060
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