Extension Magazine - Fall 2021
In 1978, St. Pope John Paul II said, " Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ!" His words echo in our ears today as churches across the country have literally reopened their doors after many months of restrictions. The Catholic Church's mission to serve, to heal and to reach people's hears in Christ's name has never shut down, as is revealed in the accomplishments of our 2021 Lumen Christi Award finalists- such as Racheal Jacoby, who recently restored ST. Francis Xavier Mission in Melvin, Texas.
In 1978, St. Pope John Paul II said, " Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ!" His words echo in our ears today as churches across the country have literally reopened their doors after many months of restrictions. The Catholic Church's mission to serve, to heal and to reach people's hears in Christ's name has never shut down, as is revealed in the accomplishments of our 2021 Lumen Christi Award finalists- such as Racheal Jacoby, who recently restored ST. Francis Xavier Mission in Melvin, Texas.
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42<br />
IGNITE<br />
World Campaign<br />
HOLY SPIRIT AND ST. PATRICK<br />
PARISH | DIOCESE OF FAJARDO-<br />
HUMACAO, PUERTO RICO<br />
H<br />
oly Spirit and St. Patrick<br />
Parish is one of the oldest<br />
churches in Puerto Rico.<br />
The drumming tradition of “La<br />
Bomba” is incredibly important to<br />
this Afro-Caribbean faith community.<br />
Father Rocendo Herrera<br />
shared how the intersection of<br />
faith and culture has enriched the<br />
lives of the people in Loíza:<br />
“We celebrate faith and Mass<br />
every week but especially on<br />
Sundays. We’ve tried to create<br />
a dialogue between the Catholic<br />
ritual and the experience of<br />
the sounds of the drums, most<br />
widely known in the world as ‘La<br />
Bomba.’”<br />
Catholic <strong>Extension</strong> continues<br />
to support this community<br />
through its Hurricane Maria<br />
recovery program.<br />
f<br />
OUR<br />
SACRED SPACES<br />
CATHOLIC EXTENSION SUPPORTS GLOBAL CALL<br />
FOR SAFE AND PEACEFUL WORSHIP<br />
or 115 years, Catholic <strong>Extension</strong> has helped build,<br />
preserve and protect Catholic sacred spaces<br />
throughout the United States. These religious sites<br />
are symbols of our faith, history, traditions and<br />
humanity in every community across the country.<br />
Catholic <strong>Extension</strong> accepted the invitation of the<br />
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) to<br />
showcase the beautiful sacred sites of our <strong>Extension</strong><br />
dioceses in a campaign called #forSafeWorship. This<br />
campaign is a call to action for the protection of religious<br />
sites and worshippers around the world. Read<br />
below to learn about the sacred spaces across the<br />
country featured in this campaign.<br />
CORONADO CROSS | DIOCESE OF DODGE CITY, KANSAS<br />
T<br />
he Coronado Cross in the Diocese of Dodge City commemorates<br />
the region’s first Catholic Mass, celebrated in<br />
1541 by Father Juan de Padilla during an early European<br />
expedition of the territory.<br />
For Gentry Heimerman, left, the sacred site<br />
serves as a reminder of the area’s Catholic<br />
roots. It inspires him to continue the work of<br />
the Church: “It’s a place that fills me with gratitude<br />
knowing that someone was willing to<br />
travel here and bring with them the good<br />
news of Jesus Christ.”<br />
He serves as director of young adult<br />
ministry for the <strong>Extension</strong>-supported<br />
diocese. Through the generosity of<br />
our donors, he earned his graduate<br />
degree in theology from the University<br />
of Notre Dame in 2018.
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