Towards the 3rd Typical Edition

It's a good explanation for young people and really, for all of us.

Kumasi

A JOURNEY TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KUMASI GHANA

In recent weeks, my entries have been somewhat behind. This is due in part to my trip to the Archdiocese of Kumasi in Ghana, of which I made an initial note earlier. Part of the challenge for this entry is that many of the photos which were taken have not yet arrived.  However, to return to the regular rhythm of the entries in this weblog, I wish to make some reflections on the trip to Kumasi.

In our Diocese, and in the city of Arlington in particular, in what is known as the "Midcities" are significant number of Catholics from the area around Kumasi in Ghana.  Many of these are the Asante people. They now have a regular Mass at St. Joseph's in Arlington on Sunday at 1:00 PM and thanks first to Archbishop Emeritus Peter Sarpong, and his successor Archbishop Thomas Mensah, they now have priests to celebrate Mass and  minister to them. Archbishop Sarpong visited me one time when we was visiting the community in Arlington. Another time I had the good fortune to visit with him when I met him in Rome at the North American College, when he was in Rome for a meeting of Vox Clara. We have become good friends, and through his invitation and that of Archbishop Mensah, I was welcomed to Kumasi recently. I had the blessing to experience the welcome and life of the vibrant local Church. I was accompanied many places by Fr. Louis Touffour, who recently celebrated his 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination.  

During that journey of nine days, I was able to celebrate Mass at a number of Catholic high schools, three seminarians, pray with Religious, celebrate Sunday Mass at a vibrant local parish administered by the Holy Ghost Fathers, speak at Spiritan University, attend a funeral, pray with and have meetings with both the lay leaders and youth at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, and meet many local religious and civic leaders. This visit, I believe, helped to strengthen the bonds of communion between our local Churches. For me personally, this was my first visit to Africa, and in that was both a blessing and adventure!  And I am grateful for the Lord for that. I truly thank, from the heart, all who welcomed me in Kumasi. This was a trip of reflecting on the nature of both the Universal and local Body of Christ, and how are Catholic Faith is truly universal. This was a living experience for me of the mark of the Church of "Catholic." I would like to add to this reflection some words of Archbishop Sarpong himself reflecting on the Asante people and the Catholic Liturgy:

"When I became a major seminarian and began to study theology, discovered that apart from a few things - albeit of critical import - the religious and moral ideas and practices of my people were at least similar to those of Catholicism. I therefore realized the need for using some traditional and moral concepts in my Christian theological liturgical studies and practices. The Liturgy must be part and parcel of a Catholic. Hence, Catholic liturgical tradition as contained in the Roman Missal, it seemed to me, had to take into account the personality and ethos the Asante."

         From An Asante Liturgy by Archbishop Sarpong, Good Shepherd Publishers, Kumasi, 2011

Well Deserved Honors

On Monday morning I invited sixteen lay people, who over the years have made significant contributions to the Diocese of Fort Worth, to have lunch with me at the Catholic Center. I wanted to surprise them and let them know that at least six months ago I worked with several staff members to put together recommendations to the Holy See that they be recognized for their service and ministry to so many people.

The pontifical honors include the Benemerenti, the Pro Eccelsia et Pontifice, and membership to the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. The honorees are:

Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great

Art and Pat Dickerson - St. Patrick Cathedral

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice

Sister Devota Sweeney SSMN

Brother Al Kuntemeier SM

Brother Paul McMullen TOR

Sister Juliana Tran CSFN

Benemerenti

Michael Barks 
Our Mother of Mercy Parish

Peter Flynn 
Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services

Popo and Lupe Gonzalez 
Immaculate Conception Parish

Lucas Pollice 
Diocesan Director of Catechesis

Heather Reynolds 
President/CEO Catholic Charities Fort Worth  

Jean Riley 
St. Rita Parish

Ann Healey 
St. Andrew Parish

Daniel Shine 
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish

Ann Smith 
TCU Catholic Community

Lights On After School

On Thursday I stopped by the Fort Worth Intermodal Station just up the street from the Cathedral to see some sidewalk art and join Miguel Garcia, parishioner at Holy Family and former Nolan Catholic High School graduate, as they showcased the best artwork from elementary and 6th graders who participated in after school programs in the Fort Worth Independent School District. The purpose of Lights On After School is a yearly event that draws attention to the positive contribution of kids and administrators, who realize the importance of helping kids love school. During the formal part of the presentation, to my surprise, I was asked about a certain wager between the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Fort Worth mentioned in a press release.

Bishop Vann looks on as Miguel Garcia presents on FWISD's "Lights On After School"

Ghana

I have the opportunity to be on a mission trip in Ghana this week with 
Fr. Philip Brembah. 

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Accra, Ghana

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

De techne

The World has just lost a pioneer. The passing of Steve Jobs, the creative genius and motivational force behind Apple, has given us all something to think about. He, and his cohort of business associates, have challenged us all to rethink how technology should impact our world. This didn't result in a production of gadgets. What Mr. Jobs produced was a lifestyle. One could even say that he created a surrogate family. The iMac, Macbook, iPod, iPhone and iPad, along with many others, make up a family of technology that compliment and strengthen each other though an aesthetic leitmotif. Just think about how many of us feel a bit lost when we aren't "connected" to this family. It's a slightly embarrassing admission for some. Nevertheless, that feeling of nakedness that overcomes us when we don't have our phone or boredom when we can't connect, is a result of the deliberate attempt to make technology more natural and intuitive. Steve Jobs helped do that. Now, this isn't a eulogy for Jobs, but one cannot think about the where technology is taking us without giving Apple it's due. 

Where is technology taking us? The answer to that question is open ended because technology is only a reflection of ourselves. We ultimately decide where it takes us. The avenues that it opens up are avenues that we open up and its failures reflect the limitation of our own mind and manipulation. Technology, in its essence, is found in the human heart and finds its expression through what we fabricate. Technology, it could be said, is a part of our human nature, our fallen human nature. You see, because humans have the ability to appreciate the natural world, to see abstract connections between objects and manipulate them for our own purposes, we humans also have the ability to bricolage. This is an advantage that we have over all the other animals. We are made in the image and likeness of God. Because of this, human activity always reflects that difference. Unlike other creatures in the natural world, we can participate in creation even if clumsily so. And so, the iFamily on its own, as intuitive and natural as it is, can really only mimic God's creative activity.

Graphic tribute designed by Jonathan Mak

What Steve Jobs did was link science and art. He took the empirical and made it beautiful. He did what even our fallen human natures can do. With concupiscence and all, and perhaps unawares of it, Jobs valued the natural and intuitive potential of technology. He knew that technology was the art of expressing what is already embedded within us. For the Christian however, we must ask, What is embedded within? What do we find in the human heart, in the human mind and ultimately in human nature? Well, this question is already answered, sort of. Christian anthropology tells us that as creatures, we are made in the image and likeness of God, but through the Fall, lost our original innocence. And so if technology is only an expression of our choosing, then as amazed as we are by our tinkering, we must know that the direction in which technology leads us, isn't going to be a surprise. It will lead us where we chose.

Like human nature then, technology needs grace. 

St. Michael's Day

The Red Mass was celebrated on what used to be known as St. Michael's Day.

The legal community of Fort Worth was fortunate to have Fr. Joseph Fessio SJ as their guest speaker this year. The Red Mass was able to occur exactly on the feast day of St. Michael (and Gabriel and Raphael as well!). There were a good number of Catholic legal professionals present, as well as members of other Faith communities. Fr.  Fessio, who had been a doctoral student of then Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, gave a thorough and concise summary of the Holy Father's address to the German parliament, and applied the main points of the address to the United States, especially as it concerns our current challenges. This was the fifth year for the Red Mass in the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Fr. Fessio SJ speaks with members of the Fort Worth legal community.