Beacon Apr 2024

Page 6B THE BEACON April 2024
OLDENBURG
By
Sue
Siefert
Community
Correspondent
O
ur
Communities
oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com
Oldenburgers have been
blessed by the presence of
Brother John Barker who
came to minister at Holy
Family Parish in 2023. On
January 20, 2024, he was
ordained a Deacon by Archbishop
Charles Thompson.
I interviewed Brother John to
share with readers about his
ministry.
John and his younger sister
were born in Oklahoma City,
and he shares, “My parents,
Gary and Sandra Barker are
from Iowa, so we lived there
in a couple of places from my
age 3 to 15; then we moved to
South Carolina, where I lived
until I joined the Franciscans
in 1998.”
Education has influenced
his religious vocation as the
friar received a BS in chemistry
from Francis Marion
College; a Master’s in Divinity
and also an MA in Biblical
Studies from Catholic Theological
Union in Chicago in
2008; and a PhD in Biblical
Studies from Boston College
in 2016.
Upon reflection about his
calling, the Franciscan noted,
“It’s a complex answer, but I
will just say that I was drawn
first to the friars themselves,
and then eventually to the
spirituality of Saint Francis. I
Brother John Barker and
Archbishop Charles Thompson
(Photo by Fr. Frank
Jasper, OFM)
was assigned here to gain additional
pastoral experience in
preparation for ordination to
the diaconate and then priesthood.”
He explained the distinction
between the two callings.
“A ‘brother’ is a member of
the Franciscan Order (a friar)
who is not ordained – that is,
who has not discerned a call
to what the Church calls the
‘ministerial priesthood’. To be
a member of a men’s religious
order is not the same as to be
ordained – they are two different
callings or vocations. A
non-ordained friar is no less
a friar than an ordained one,
with all the same rights and
responsibilities.
A deacon is a friar (or other
Catholic male) who is ordained
as a deacon. That is
redundant but let me explain.
While all deacons have the
same sacramental powers,
there are two types of deacons.
‘Transitional deacons’ are deacons
who are in the process of
becoming priests; all priests
serve for some time (6 mos. to
a year, typically) as a deacon.
It’s like a step in the process. I
am a transitional deacon.
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Miller York Fire Dept. members Shawn Lightner, Jacob Gaynor, Skip Stutz, Gary Honschell,
Darren Callahan, Pete Schwebach, Todd Biedenharn, Gregg Callahan, Cody
Dooly, Jared Callahan, Jamie Beard, Terry Stephens, Bob Billups, Nathan Mueller. (Photo
by Greg Callahan)
YORKVILLE
& GUILFORD
By
Laura
Keller
Community
Correspondent
yorkville@goBEACONnews.com
Several members of the
Miller-York Volunteer Fire
Department and their significant
others recently gathered
at the fire station to enjoy a
meal and fellowship. Many
thanks to John Huddleston
for fifty years of service as a
volunteer firefighter!
The annual Hoosier Classic
Basketball Tournament
for Special Olympics Indiana
– including Dearborn, Ohio,
and Ripley counties – was
held on Feb.11. Congratulations
to the Hot Rods players
“Big Mike,” Billy Joe Tallman,
Eric Moore, Matthew
Menchhofer, assistant coach
Kevin Beiersdorfer, and
coach Jessica Heindorn for
winning the tournament.
Members of a self-advocacy
group from New Horizons
recently visited the Statehouse
in Indianapolis to discuss
MOORES HILL
By
Barbara
Wetzler
Community
Correspondent
mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com
The Veterans Park received
a face-lift with clean-up, new
benches, and new plantings by
a local landscaping company.
All made possible with a grant
from the Dearborn Community
Foundation and sponsors.
Time to get outside and enjoy!
Cheryl and Marvin Keith
Ellison will be celebrating
their fiftieth wedding anniversary
on May 4.
April 24 is the first 2024
Cruise-In at the Legion. Come
join the fun and check out
great cars, and food.
Moores Hill Alumni Dinner
is May 4 at Carnegie Hall.
The doors open at 4, with
dinner at 5 P.M., followed by
The Hot Rods Special Olympics Indiana Team Mgr Kevin
Beiersdorfer, Eric Moore, Coach Jessica Heidorn, Matthew
Menchhofer, Billy Joey Tallman, Mike Scott, and David
Day. (Photo submitted by Kevin Beiersdorfer)
Advocates visited Rep. Alex Zimmerman at the Statehouse
to discuss issues impacting the disabled community.
(Photo submitted by Kevin Beiersdorfer)
issues impacting the disabled
community. Kevin Beiersdorfer
serves as the voting chair
for New Horizons. The advocates
participated in a session
with Jean Leising followed
by time with State Treasurer
Daniel Elliot to discuss how
individuals living on social
security often do not have
enough income to sustain the
cost of living. The group also
met with Rep. Alex Zimmerman
who shared, “It’s
always a blessing to get to
a meeting of alumni from the
former Moores Hill School.
This is always a great opportunity
to connect with former
classmates and recognize
graduation anniversaries.
Contact Brenda Ochs for
more information.
Proceeds from the Alumni
dinner fund the South Dearborn
Dollars for Scholars
Moores Hill Alumni Scholarship.
The Moores Hill
Alumni Scholarship has an
endowment at the Dearborn
Community Foundation. Past
recipients include Mary Jo
Busching Boruta, Chris
Bloom, Harry Dean, Jordyn
Armstrong Randall, Matt
McLaughlin, Skylar Butler,
Kaitlyn McLaughlin, Carley
Ochs, Aren Tibbits, Ashley
Brown, Georgia Hummel,
Natalie Mulholland, Katelyn
Brown, Alyssa Baker, Jaelyn
Lows, Kevin Brown, Emma
Traue, Izabella Bear, Max
Burger, Raegan Pyles, and
Lauren McHenry.
meet our local community
members, and I really appreciated
meeting with individuals
from New Horizons at the
Statehouse. Hoosiers living
with intellectual and physical
disabilities and their families
face unique challenges, and
I’ll continue to support efforts
on the state level that empower
them to lead their best
lives.”
If you have news to share,
contact me at yorkville@
goBEACON news.com.
Congratulations to the 2024
Chili Cook-off Winners: 1st
Carol Rummel (far right),
2nd Donna Davis (far left),
3rd Donna Phillips (center)
Carnegie Hall of Moores
Hill College, also known
as Moores Hill School, is a
historic educational building
built in 1907. The building
housed Moores Hill College
until 1917 when it moved to
Evansville to later become the
University of Evansville. It
was funded in part by Andrew
Carnegie, who donated
$18,750 to its construction.
It was added to the National
Register of Historic Places in
1994. Today, a local Board of
Directors oversees its use and
preservation.
ZACHARY MARSHALL
MARSHALL GROUP
513-673-9178
zmarshall@sibcycline.com
sibcycline.com/zmarshall
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