The Blessing of New Life in Vocations



Bishop Vann with Ben and Mary Frances Doskocil,
and the Vietnamese Dominican Sisters



Blessing the new convent for the Vietnamese
Dominican Sisters in Arlington

A group picture

In the calendar of the Saints, the month of August has seen for years (August 4th, and now August 8th) the feast day of St. Dominic, founder of the "Friars Preachers" whose motto is to "Share with others the fruits of contemplation." The Dominicans, as they came to be known, were part of the "mendicant" movement of reform and renewal in religious life, contemporary with St. Francis. The Dominican family, in many ways paralleling the Franciscan family, has the Friars, the Sisters, and the Third Order. This month of August, for the Dominican Family and the Diocese of Fort Worth, is a true blessing because the Vietnamese Dominican Sisters of the Province of Mary Immaculate, from Houston, have come to Fort Worth to teach in two of our schools: Holy Rosary in Arlington, Texas, and St. George in Fort Worth, Texas. This past Saturday, August 26th, I blessed their new convent in Arlington, dedicated to Blessed Imelda Lambertini. It was a most joyful occasion, as nearly forty sisters from Houston joined us, along with other Vietnamese priests and religious. Also present were Father Daniel Kelley, pastor of St. Joseph in Arlington, our new Chancellors, Sister Yolanda Cruz, SSMN, Vice Chancellor, Mr. Peter Flynn, Vice Chancellor, and Mr. Don Miller, Superintendent of Schools. I would also like to express a special word of gratitude to Ben and Mary Frances Doskocil, and their family for their presence and assistance.

With a new academic year upon us, it is appropriate to reflect on all of our new seminarians who have just returned to school to either resume or begin their formation. This year, we are blessed to have thirty seminarians studying for the Diocese. The formal portrait which you see above was recently taken at the newly restored St. Peter's Church in Lindsay, Texas. I also had the blessing and privilege, recently, to be present at the North American College in Rome which just welcomed a first year class of 76 students, bringing the enrollment of the North American College in Rome to almost 260 students. Two of the first year men are Joseph Keating, of St. Mark's parish in Denton, and Matthew Tatyrek, of Holy Family parish in Vernon, Texas. I was able to be present when they arrived at the College, after having spent the summer studying Italian in Assisi. I also celebrated Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and they were present. Also, this coming year in Rome will see Father Jonathon Wallis returning for his second year of studies toward his S.T.L. degree at the Gregorian University in Rome, and Father John Swistovich, formerly pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Wichita Falls, Texas, for the fall sabbatical program at the North American College.

Welcoming prayer service at the NAC

Seminarians Matthew Tatyrek and Joseph Keating
with Bishop Vann at the NAC

On a related and similarly happy note, Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, on the campus of the University of Dallas, will have an enrollment of nearly 70 seminarians, the highest in many years. The Rector of Holy Trinity is Msgr. Michael Olson, a priest of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

From Rome...Heading Home

Framed Our Lady of the Rosary in the streets of Sperlonga, Italy

Sperlonga, Italy

The sun sets just outside of Rome

The Pope and the Four Winds

It looks like all Cuatro Vientos were present for Pope Benedict's WYD address...

Credit/A. Kudacki AP

With the announcement of the next World Youth Day in 2013, it is of interest to note that the 84 year old pontiff is closing in on becoming one of the oldest living popes in modern history. Pope Leo XIIIth, who served as the Vicar of Christ for 25 years, lived to be 93 years old.

A New Evangelization

This is a translated excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 address to the Bishops of Brazil, the site of the next World Youth Day:

Christ Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro   Credit/ Bossa67

"More than five centuries ago, precisely in your region, the first Mass was celebrated in Brazil, making really present the Body and Blood of Christ for the sanctification of the men and women of this blessed nation which was born under the auspices of the Holy Cross. It was the first time that the Gospel of Christ was being proclaimed to this people, illumining their daily life. This evangelizing action of the Catholic Church was and continues to be fundamental in the constitution of the identity of the Brazilian people, characterized by harmonious coexistence between persons coming from different regions and cultures. However, whereas the values of the Catholic faith have molded Brazilian hearts and spirit, observed today is a growing influence of new elements of society, which a few decades ago were practically foreign. This causes a consistent abandonment by many Catholics of the ecclesial life and even of the Church, while witnessed in the religious picture of Brazil is the rapid expansion of Evangelical and neo-Pentecostal communities.

In a certain sense, the reasons that are at the root of the success of these groups are a sign of the widespread thirst for God among your people. It is also a sign of an evangelization, at the personal level, which at times is superficial; in fact, those who are baptized and who are not sufficiently evangelized, are easily influenced, as they have a fragile faith, and many times it is based on simple devotion, although, as I have said, they preserve an innate religiosity.

Emerging in this context, on one hand, is the clear necessity that the Catholic Church in Brazil commit herself to a new evangelization that spares no efforts in the search for lapsed Catholics, as well as for persons who know little or nothing of the evangelical message, leading them to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, living and active in his Church." 

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

St. John of Avila

The Church will welcome a new Doctor of the Church. The 16th century priest, renown for his austerity, will join the ranks of those men and women recognized not only for their personal holiness but for their contribution to the intellectual patrimony of the Church.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

"St. Bernard of Clairvaux is clearly one of the greatest preachers of all time. Born to a noble family near Dijon France in 1090 AD, St. Bernard was inspired by the example of a new religious congregation, the Cistercians, who had abandoned the relative ease and security of Benedictine monasticism of that day to live according to the primitive pattern of St. Benedict through hard manual labor, solitude, and rigorous prayer. When St. Bernard decided to abandon the privilege of noble life to enter the monastery, he brought over 30 noble relatives with him. Once professed he was very soon made abbot and went on to found over 40 monasteries in his lifetime. St. Bernard's magnetic preaching and exemplary character changed the lives of thousands and his writing continues today to inspire Christians everywhere. His words were so sweet that he came to be known as the Melifluous ("full of honey") Doctor. St. Bernard died in 1153 and was later proclaimed a saint and a Doctor of the Church.  His feast day in the Roman Calendar is August 20."  - Crossroads Initiative

On the Feast of St. Bernard, Holy Family Parish in Fort Worth, has the honor of hosting Fr. Ambrose Strong's mass of thanksgiving. Fr. Ambrose is a Cistercian monk who entered Our Lady of Dallas in 2005 and was ordained to the priesthood on August 14th, 2011. 

Then "Deacon Ambrose" (on the right) is pictured serving with Pope Benedict.

At Close Quarters

St. John Eudes and the Two Hearts

"Surely a good preacher can win souls, but so can a good confessor. Preaching is the soul of the priestly work, while confession is its heart. Preachers begin the work of salvation, confessors bring it to completion; preachers make known the will of heaven, confessors have it practised; preachers are doctors giving general principles, teaching the faithful to love and serve God, confessors are physicians imparting individual direction and treatment. Preachers pronounce what remedies will be effectual, confessors apply them. Preachers are the trumpets of God, confessors are the soldiers destroying sin; preachers direct the artillery of eternity from a distance and not always accurately, while confessors battle at close quarters."

-St. John Eudes

Youth go to Confession at WYD Madrid     (ANDREA COMAS - REUTERS)       

                                                  

We Call it Life (Even if Grotesque)

Siena's Duomo                 Credit: Gbattistini

I never knew what was meant when Flannery O'Connor's literary characters were called grotesque. From the word grotto, meaning "little cave", in literature, a grotesque character is one that elicits both empathy and disgust. Always controversial, the grottesche, although initially unpleasant, is a means of meditating on the not so clean and finished areas of the soul and life in general. In a town like Siena, which is in the full ferragosto swing of things, we can see traces of that evangelical tool.

The Piccolomini Library in Siena is an example of grotesque art.

In last Sunday's gospel reading Jesus says, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs," reminding the Apostles of the dehumanizing epithet used to refer to the Canaanites. Although Jesus' intention was not to legitimize the racial bias, he did show the disciples that he was willing to further examine the more unpolished and unpleasant areas of life and their consequences. In a sense, he employed the grotesque, not to validate the epithet, but to elicit sympathy for the Canaanite. Jesus showed love and mercy for the Canaanite woman, grotesque though she was.

The Canaanite Woman and Jesus

Fr. Isaac

Without Flattery, Dissimulations... or Superficiality

As World Youth Day approaches, some reflection on the progress and challenges of evangelization in today's world is worth having. Always rooted in love, evangelization cannot be timid, especially with youth. A line emphasizing this point from Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela's opening address to WYD participants struck me,

"This passionate love of Jesus Christ is precisely what fascinates and catches young people. They were able to understand that in this way they were truly loved and liked by the Pope: without flattery, dissimulations, interest, cheating or superficiality, but with complete authenticity from someone who desired their good, the good of their lives: their happiness, their eternal salvation."

Along those lines, I would like to offer an extended excerpt from someone in Italy for the first time:

"I was praying in the crypt of San Francesco on Sunday, and it is almost unbelievable to look up and see the stone coffin and say, "That really is Saint Francis' body in there." It was a sort of incredulity that comes from having been raised on a different continent. Up until now, the lives of the Saints seemed almost like fairy tales to me--not that they weren't true, but that they took place a long, long, time ago in a land far, far away, in a castle with a king and a queen, where mystical phenomena seem to occur to everyone on a daily basis. Yet, for the last three weeks, I have been walking the streets of Assisi, praying in the same churches where the saints prayed and looking at the same frescoes and crucifixes that they looked at. I guess that is why it seems a little like Disneyland. You get introduced to the stories as a kid, and then you go to Disneyland and seems to be where these characters actually live. I suppose that reveals something about the hearts of men. We want to be told bedtime stories as children, and then as adults, we long to make those stories tangible. Throughout our lives we are looking for the fulfillment of the epic story with a king, a queen, a hero, and a dragon where the villains get punished and the heroes live happily ever after. Only, in THIS story, the characters are real people, the miracles actually happened, and there are real consequences for every person. Yes, that really is Saint Francis' tomb. He built that church right over there, he prayed right over there, he died right over there, and he is buried right here. Oh and by the way, so are Sts. Claire, Ruffino, and a few other bishop-martyrs as well. It is hard to believe, but only because I just can't believe I am HERE.  

I can't remember where I read it, but someone recently wrote that the stakes have changed in the battle for evangelization. The average person is no longer interested in arguing the finer theological points, taking for granted that God exists. Today's man begins with the assumption that God doesn't exist, and places the burden of proof on believers. Now, I am not saying that the finer theological points are not important.  I'm only saying that we need to be able to answer, or at least challenge the skeptics on a more basic level. Obviously, hearing the lives of the Saints and seeing the places they walked are not sufficient signs for many contemporary Europeans. I suppose that those were signs of the times, and that is what the Medieval Europeans needed for their faith and salvation.  What are the signs of the times today? Will we recognize them when we see them? I think that the signs are all around us, like in an ancient fortress on a hill.  God is speaking to us through his order. "




Fr. Isaac

World Youth Day Madrid

St. Stephen of Hungary

St. Stephen of Hungary being received into heaven by the Virgin Mary/ I. Scarsella

St. Stephen was the the son of a pagan father and a Christian mother. He worked hard for the conversion of his country to Christianity, setting up both episcopal sees and monasteries. He was crowned the first King of Hungary in 1001. He is the patron saint of Hungary.




Fr. Isaac

Many have asked about this...

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

National Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States of America Decree of Promulgation

On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

This decree of the Conference of Bishops was approved and confirmed by the Apostolic See by a decree of the Congregation for Bishops (Prot. N. 296/84), signed by Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, prefect of the Congregation, and dated July 4, 1992.

As President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, I hereby declare that the effective date of this decree for all the Latin rite dioceses of the United States of America will be January 1, 1993, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Given at the offices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, November 17, 1992.

+ Daniel E. Pilarczyk
Archbishop of Cincinnati
President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
Robert N. Lynch
General Secretary



Fr. Isaac

Position Statement on (HHS) Contraceptive Mandates, and Lack of Sufficient Conscience Protections

I join my fellow bishops of Texas in calling all Catholics to come to action against the federally proposed HHS mandate that makes contraception a mandatory, no-fee preventive service, on all health insurance plans. These proposed rules are contrary to Catholic moral teaching. Please read my complete statement below. Also, please visit the link to the Texas Catholic Conference Alert at the bottom of this post.

+ Most Reverend Bishop Kevin Vann

Position Statement on (HHS) Contraceptive Mandates,
and Lack of Sufficient Conscience Protections
August 9, 2011

The Catholic Bishops of Texas are joining together to oppose the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that all medical insurance and care plans pay for preventative services including contraceptives and abortifacients, with only a narrow and insufficient conscience protection and exemption clause for religious organizations.

First and foremost, we, the Catholic Bishops of Texas as well as the Bishops of the United States, believe this mandate violates the moral and religious convictions of providers and employees in order to participate in an organization’s health care plan. The language in the HHS mandate for the exemption of religious institutions and organizations in regards to the use of contraceptives is not broad enough to protect our Catholic hospitals and institutions. Catholic hospitals play an indispensable role all across our country in providing care to the most vulnerable in our society and should be protected and allowed to provide this critical care without compromising our conscience and moral beliefs. As it stands, the HHS mandate, while it may offer some good services, would constitute a grave violation of the right to freedom of conscience for millions of Americans and seriously threaten the good work and mission of our Catholic hospitals and other health care institutions. As Pope John Paul II teaches in Evangelium Vitae:

Christians, like all people of good will, are called upon under grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God's law…What is at stake therefore is an essential right which, precisely as such, should be acknowledged and protected by civil law. In this sense, the opportunity to refuse to take part in the phases of consultation, preparation and execution of these acts against life should be guaranteed to physicians, health-care personnel, and directors of hospitals, clinics and convalescent facilities. Those who have recourse to conscientious objection must be protected not only from legal penalties but also from any negative effects on the legal, disciplinary, financial and professional plane. (74)

The Catholic Health Association (CHA) has also strongly opposed this HHS mandate because of the inclusion of contraception and the inadequate conscience protections for religious institutions. You may find the statement from CHA on their website at http://www.chausa.org/.

Secondly, the mandating of contraceptives to be universally made available under the guise of preventative care is seriously flawed and misleading. Contraception is almost always prescribed for personal and lifestyle reasons, and not for any type of preventative medicine. In addition, contraception poses serious health risks to women such as a significantly increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease which are the very health conditions and diseases that HHS is trying to prevent.

Please take time to review the Texas Catholic Conference Action Alert and then join me, the other bishops of Texas as well all bishops in the United States, in objecting to the HHS mandate.

Action Alert:  View the Texas Catholic Conference Alert!

Summer Gatherings

Pre-Photo preparation

This is the time in the Diocese when our seminarians, after their summer of assignments of parish work, Spanish language study, Clinical Pastoral Education, summer study at the Institute for Priestly Life and Ministry in Omaha and other study, gather at the beginning of the week for a group picture. This year this picture was taken at the nearly finished restored Church of St. Peter's in Lindsay, Texas. This beautiful parish Church is similar to the "Painted Churches" in central Texas. It will be  blessed  and  rededicated on September 14th.  All of our seminarians were present, along with our new seminarians, except for those studying in Rome and the Seminario Hispano in Mexico City. Later on in the day, the seminarians gathered for evening prayer and dinner at St. Bartholomew parish Hall in Fort Worth. Their parents and families are invited, and a presentation is given of their lives, ministry, and schooling. For a number of historical and cultural reasons, our seminarians are studying in nine different seminaries in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Rome, and Mexico City. In the next days they will head down to Belton, Texas (near Austin), at the Cedarbrake Retreat Center for a week of convocation before heading back to their respective seminaries. Not only were our new seminarians present, but a number of prospective seminarians were also invited and present. 

Seminarians Recognition at the Annual Vocations/Serran Dinner

After Fr. Kyle Waltercheid spoke, I thanked the parents and families present for their gift of faith, from which their children come, and from which now, their sons are preparing to dedicate their lives to the Lord, in service to His people. I reflected on the answer I sometimes get to the question, "When are we going to have a priest?": "When was the last time that someone from your family or your parish entered religious life or the seminary? It is the duty of the entire family of God, not just the Bishop or the Vocation Director, to foster and atmosphere and culture where the call to follow the Lord in priestly and religious life can be heard. This year, our Diocese has 29 seminarians, for which we thank the Lord daily! And, amidst all of these gatherings, Our Lady of Victory keeps watch at the Cathedral and, as it were, keeping watch over the ongoing work on the new St. Patrick's Cathedral pastoral center, due to be completed at the end of October. In the meanwhile, guided by the prayers and love of Our Lady of Victory, our Diocese continues to plan for many events of faith in the fall: among others, the national convention of Catholic Charities USA, and the national meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul!

Our Lady of Victory statue flanked by the new St. Patrick Pastoral Center

K of C Religious Appreciation Dinner

Tuesday evening, August 2nd, saw the annual Knights of Columbus appreciation dinner for priests and religious at St. Francis of Assisi in Grapevine. The gym at St. Francis was filled to an overflow crowd of religious men and women, priests, deacons and their wives, and many families. This event was chaired by my good friend Pat Henz. There was a silent auction, dinner, and live auction, and the priests, religious and deacons present were honored during a narration by the dedicated Chairman of this event, Pat Henz, and Fr. Kyle Walterscheid, our vocation director. The check which was presented to me was over $190,000, and is directed to Diocesan ministry for the deaf and hearing impaired, and for seminary education. In days of increasing numbers of seminarians, the generosity and dedication of the Knights is very much appreciated. Events like this reflect what Pope John Paul II said in his book, Gift and Mystery, of a meeting at the Vatican on October 27, 1995, when a number of priests spoke about their own vocation: "In this festive atmosphere of that gathering a number of priests spoke about their vocation, and I gave my own testimony.  It seemed good and worthwhile that, among priests, in the presence of the people of God, this kind of mutual encouragement should be given....What I relate here, above and beyond the external events, belongs to my deepest being, to my innermost experience. I recall these things above all in order to thank the Lord. 'Misericordias Domini in aternum cantabo!' ..."

Noche de Fiesta y World Youth Day Madrid

Jóvenes at the Noche de Fiesta

Last Sunday I also had the privilege to visit St. Bartholomew parish in south Fort Worth for a Diocesan wide gathering of Jóvenes, which is the Spanish word for Young People. The had over 300 people present for a Noche de Fiesta. I think everyone knows what Fiesta means! This gathering is coordinated by our dedicated delegate for Hispanic Ministry, Andres Aranda. The new parish hall of St. Bartholomew welcomed all of these Hispanic young people who live a vibrant faith. After years of deliberate and thoughtful building up of ministry to Hispanics, especially for this who are new to this country, I could see the fruit of some of the work started and encouraged by my predecessor, Bishop Delaney. The Noche de Fiesta was attended by youth from multiple parishes, where awards were given and toys for children in need were donated. In anticipation of World Youth Day 2012 in Madrid, there was also a focus on the necessity for their contributions to the Church. 

On to 100!!!

Msgr. Thomas Weinzapfel - Courtesy Photo

Last Saturday evening, I was privileged to be asked to preach a Mass at St. Pius X Church in Dallas to honor the 65th ordination anniversary and 90th Birthday of a good friend of mine - Msgr. Thomas Weinzapfel, pastor emeritus of St. Pius X. Msgr. Weinzapfel hails from Muenster, Texas, now in the Diocese of Fort Worth, and is great example of priestly zeal and ministry. Msgr. has been a great friend and mentor to me since the first days of my life in North Texas. The Church was filled beyond capacity and the reception afterward as well. In part, my homily read: "Tomorrow, if it were not Sunday, would be the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Pope Benedict XVI said in April of 2006 that St. Ignatius was 'first and foremost a man of God who in his life put God first...Precisely because he was a man of God, St.Ignatius was a faithful servant of the Church, in which he saw and venerated the Bride of the Lord and the Mother of Christians." St. Ignatius' example, reflected in the Holy Father's words, reflects your ministry and your building up of the people of God over all of these years. This anniversary celebration, Tom, is also a clear reminder of the value and worth of priestly ministry in a time in the history of the Body of Christ when this witness is needed more than ever. Thank you, Tom, for that, for all of us here today. I plan on celebrating many more anniversaries and celebrations with you. Ad Multos Annos, gloriosque annos...vivas..vivas...vivas...That means, Tom, on to 100!!! 

Humanae Vitae

Tony Abadie

The high summer temperatures may continue, but this hasn't stopped groups of faithful Catholics from gathering for many reasons of study, prayer and celebration in North Texas. On Sunday evening, July 25th, I celebrated a full Sunday evening Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Keller, Texas, where a good number of couples were present - at least 25 or more (Hispanic and Anglo) who are certified teachers of Natural Family Planning. They gathered for a potluck afterward.  These couples are led by Tony Abadie, of the Office of Marriage and Family Life in the Diocese of Fort Worth. They were together to pray at Sunday Mass with their families. I recognized them at Mass for the genuine apostolic work and witness to the sanctity of life and openness to the gift of life in their children, and how they give a powerful witness to so many in this increasingly secular world. They gathered on the 43rd anniversary of the promulgation of the prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae. The number of young couples who are teachers in the Diocese are growing, and their ministry is heroic, prophetic and powerful. Thanks  to all of them.