The Mirr rVol. XLX, No. 22 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD—CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI February 20, 2015

One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus

The next issue of The Mirror will be March 6, 2015.If you would like to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format, please contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email her: atoben@dioscg.org.

See Rite / 10

2135“You shall worship the Lord your God” (Mt 4:10).

Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows

made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment.

The Catechism in brief

Rites of Election cause for great joyBy Leslie Eidson Springfield

A total of 177 people from par-ishes throughout the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau will come together Sun., Feb.

22 , and Sun., March 1, for an impor-tant milestone on their journey to-ward full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

Bp. James V. Johnston will preside over the two Rites of Election and Calls to Continuing Conversion. The Rite of Election is traditionally held each year on the First Sunday of Lent in ca-thedrals around the globe. Given the geography of the Church in Southern Missouri and its co-cathedrals, the Rite of Election is held in two locations ev-ery year: St. Agnes Cathedral, Spring-field (Feb. 22), and St. Mary of the An-nunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau (March 1). Nearly 700 people plan to attend.

The Rite of Election marks the be-ginning of the final phase of initiation for an anticipated 57 catechumens and an anticipated 120 candidates of the diocese who hope to be received into full communion with the Church dur-ing the Easter Vigil.

“One of the most important as-pects of Lent is the next phase of the process of conversion for those prepar-ing for full communion with the Cath-olic Church, our catechumens and candidates,” said Bp. Johnston.

The candidates and catechu-mens have been preparing for several months—some for an even longer time—through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Accompanying them to the cere-mony at the cathedral will be sponsors, parish RCIA teams, and family mem-bers. Home parishes and Catholics throughout the diocese are encouraged

to support with their pres-ence and prayers the catechu-mens and candidates who are discerning the call to join the Catholic Church.

Many parishes through-out the diocese will incorpo-rate a special sending rite for the men and women during their regular Sunday Masses earlier in the day.

Answering God’s callCatechumens have nev-

er been baptized. Candidates have been baptized into the Catholic Church or another Christian church and seek full communion with the Catholic Church.

During the Rite of Send-ing, those catechumens who are to be sent to the cathedral and the bishop for celebration of election in Christ, come forward, together with their godparents.

The celebrant will ad-dress the assembly:

“My dear friends, these catechu-mens who have been preparing for the sacraments of initiation hope that they will be found ready to participate in the R ite of E lection and be chosen in Christ for the Easter sacraments.” Dur-ing both Rites of Election, the catechu-mens’ names will be entered into the Book of the Elect, signifying they are God’s chosen people.

The candidates, who through their baptism have already been count-ed among the chosen of Christ, along with the rest of the Church, will be called to continuing conversion to Christ.

Sponsors will give testimony for the readiness of the candidates to proceed toward the sacraments of

confirmation and Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

Bp. Johnston then will ask them to join the whole Church during Lent in a spirit of repentance and to contin-ue to hear God’s call to conversion.

After each ceremony, Bp. John-ston will greet participants at a reception.

Closer to CommunionSince the early days of Christian-

ity, the RCIA is the process through which adults enter the Catholic Church. The process is focused on con-version to Christ.

Once considered an essential component of life in the early Church, RCIA faded out of existence during the

Middle Ages but was reinstated shortly after the Second Vatican Council.

Lent brings with it a period of intense preparation for the candidates and catechumens, as they contemplate the Scrutinies, powerful prayers of the Church through which the strength of all that is good in a person is lift-ed up, and whatever keeps him or her from God is cast out. For this reason, the readings at the Rite of Election are focused on Lenten themes: temptation, sin, death, and repentance.

“These men and women [ com-ing into the Church] deepen our own awareness of the gift of faith,” Bp. John-ston said, “as well as our understanding

ENROLLMENT OF NAMES—Assisted by Fr. David Dohogne, diocesan Director of Wor-ship, Bp. James V. Johnston signed the Book of the Elect containing the names of the catechumens during the 2012 Rite of Election held in St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral in Cape Girardeau. In 2015, the diocese will welcome the enrollment of 57 catechumens in the Book of Elect: 35 in St. Agnes Cathedral on Feb. 22, and 22 in St. Mary Cathedral on March 1. (Photo by Dan Williams)

2 The Mirror February 20, 2015LENT

Spiritual reading during Lent or all year

Washington

Here is a selection of re-cent releases that might be suitable for your spiritual reading during

Lent or throughout the year.—Lent with Pope Francis:

Daily Reflections and Prayers, edited by Donna Giaimo, FSP; Pauline Books & Media, 2014.

—Sacred Silence: Daily Medi-tations for Lent by Phyllis Zagano; Franciscan Media, 2014.

—40 Days, 40 Ways: A New Look at Lent by Marcellino D’Ambrosio; Servant Books, 2014).

—Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II: Prayers, Reflec-tions and Activities for Families by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle; Ave Maria Press, 2014.

—Breaking into Joy: Medi-tations for Living in the Love of Christ by Anne Costa; Word Among Us Press, 2014.

—Three Minutes a Day, Volume 49, by the Christophers; The Christophers, 2014.

—Flunking Sainthood Every Day: A Daily Devotional for the Rest of Us by Jana Riess; Paraclete Press, 2014.

—5 Minutes With the Saints: More Spiritual Nourishment for Busy Teachers, edited by Lou DelFra, CSC, and Ann Primus Berends; Ave Maria Press, 2014.

—No Bible, No Breakfast! No Bible, No Bed! Father Larry Rich-ards’ Scripture Desk Calendar by Fr. Larry Richards; Word Among Us Press, 2014.

—A Little Daily Wisdom From the Early Church, edited by Bernard Bangley; Paraclete Press, 2014.

—A Daily Catholic Moment: 10 Minutes a Day Alone with God, compiled by Peter Celano; Para-clete Press, 2014.

—Peace and Good: Through the Year With Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey, OFM; Franciscan Media, 2014.

—Abide in My Word: 2015 Mass Readings at Your Fingertips, Word Among Us Press, 2014.

—The American Catholic Al-manac: A Daily Reader of Patriots, Saints, Rogues and Ordinary People Who Changed the United States by Brian Burch & Emily Stimpson; Image Books, 2014.

Q. Why do we say that there are 40 days of Lent? When you count all the days from Ash

Wednesday through Holy Saturday, there are 46.

A. It might be more accurate to say that there is the “40 day fast within Lent.” Historically, Lent has varied from a week to three weeks to the present configuration of 46 days. The 40 day fast, however, has been more stable. The Sundays of Lent are certainly part of the Time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence.

Q. So does that mean that when we give something up for Lent, such as candy, we can have it on Sundays?

A. Apart from the prescribed days of fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and the days of abstinence every Friday of Lent, Catholics have tradition-ally chosen additional penitential practices for the whole Time of Lent. These practices are disciplinary in nature and often more effective if

they are continuous, i.e., kept on Sundays as well. That being said, such practices are not regulated by the Church, but by individual conscience.

Q. I understand that all the Fridays of Lent are days of ab-stinence from meat, but I’m not sure what is classified as meat. Does meat include chicken and dairy products?

A. Abstinence laws con-sider that meat comes only from animals such as chickens, cows, sheep, or pigs—all of which live on land. Birds are also considered meat. Abstinence does not include meat juices and liquid foods made from meat. Thus, such foods as chicken broth, consomme, soups cooked or flavored with meat, meat gravies or sauces, as well as season-ings or condiments made from ani-mal fat are technically not forbidden. However, moral theologians have traditionally taught that we should abstain from all animal-derived prod-ucts (except foods such as gelatin, butter, cheese and eggs, which do

not have any meat taste). Fish are a different category of animal. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphib-ians, reptiles, (cold-blooded animals) and shellfish are permitted.

Q. I’ve noticed that restau-rants and grocery stores advertise specials on expensive types of fish and seafood on Fridays during Lent. Some of my Catholic friends take advantage of these deals, but somehow I don’t feel right treat-ing myself to the lobster special on Fridays during Lent.

A. While fish, lobster, and other shellfish are not considered meat and can be consumed on days of abstinence, indulging in the lavish buffet at your favorite seafood place sort of misses the point. Abstaining from meat and other indulgences during Lent is a penitential practice. On the Fridays of Lent, we remem-ber the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday and unite ourselves with that sacrifice through abstinence and prayer.

Q. I understand that Catholics ages 18 to 59 should fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday, but what exactly are the rules for these fasts?

A. Fasting on these days means we can have only one full, meatless meal. Some food can be taken at the other regular meal times if necessary, but combined they should be less than a full meal. Liquids are allowed at any time, but no solid food should be consumed between meals.

Q. Are there exemptions other than for age from the requirement to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?

A. Those that are excused from fast and abstinence outside the age limits include the physically or mentally ill including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Also excluded are preg-nant or nursing women. In all cases, common sense should prevail, and ill persons should not further jeopardize their health by fasting. ©USCCB

Lent and Lenten practices

For more information, or to register Online visit www.DioSCG.orgYou may also call Katie Newton in the Office of Family Ministries at

(417) 866-0841, knewton@dioscg.org

(CNS graphic by Anthony DeFeo)

February 20, 2015 The Mirror 3COLUMN

Love greatest motivation for Lent

this closeness will always produce the fruit of joy. So, I suggest that if your Lent is not bringing you joy, you might be going about things in the wrong way.

Much can be said by way of ad-vice, but I will limit my own to a few points that might be helpful. First, we should remember that conversion is an exercise of cooperation be-tween us and God. We must want to change, but we cannot do so unless we also seek God’s help. That is the way God made us. To be human is to be dependent. We can be tempted to think that Lent is like a religious set of New Year’s resolutions. We decide on an objective and pursue it for 40 days, almost like an endurance test. When Easter arrives, we relax and celebrate, but we may not have changed very much. On the other hand, if we seek God’s grace and mercy in the sacraments, and prayer-fully discern what God asks of us, we will open ourselves to being changed. As Pope Francis said Ash Wednesday, the Lenten call to conversion, means returning “to the arms of God, the tender and merciful father, to cry in that embrace, to trust him and entrust oneself to him.” Lent is about change which is guided and made possible by God, but which also de-pends upon us and our desire.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” —I Thes 4:3

Lent has begun. This period of 40 days serves as a kind of retreat, a designated time for us both individually and

corporately to undergo a deeper con-version in preparation for Easter, the high point of the Christian year. It is a time of final preparation for the catechumens and candidates prior to their entrance into the full commu-nion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. And, as Ash Wednesday also reminds us, it is a time which calls us to realize our mortality and the limited time we each have before our mortal remains return to dust and we meet God for the particular judgment.

Lent is serious, but it is also joy-ous. Yes, joyous. We can sometimes miss the point that Lent is ultimately a joyous season if we approach Lent in the wrong way. Ultimately, if we take the approach that the Church calls us to, we will draw closer to God, we will grow as children of God to love Him and one another, and

Sat., Feb. 28 Confirmation, St. Michael5 p.m. the Archangel Parish,

Fredericktown, MO

Sun. March 1 Mass, St. Michael the9 a.m. Archangel, Fredericktown;

3 p.m. Rite of Election, St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau

Mon., March 2 Speak at RCIA group, St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield

Wed., March 4 Mass, St. Anne Chapel,12-noon Catholic Charities of Southern

Missouri, Springfield;

7 p.m. “Stump the Bishop” session at O’Reilly Catholic Student Center, Catholic Campus Ministry, Springfield

Fri., March 6 Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting, Mountain View, MO

Sat., March 7 Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting, Mountain View, MO;

6 p.m. Confirmation, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Cape Girardeau

Public calendarTaking our sin seriously

Jesus challenged his hearers to take their own sins seriously, using the hyperbole of removing the plank in one’s own eye, before trying to re-move the splinter in another’s (cf. Mt 7:5). In our current popular culture, it is not uncommon for certain things to be highlighted as sins, but other things to not be considered sins at all. When examining one’s life, it is important to use the light provided by God’s Word and the lens of the teaching of the Church; otherwise, we risk being blind or ignorant about sin. We also should consider both sins of commission and sins of omission, or as we say often at Mass in the peni-tential rite, “for what I have done, and what I have failed to do.”

In confronting sin in our own lives, we should not only be “heartily sorry for having offended” God, we should “detest” our sins, as we say in the Act of Contrition. As the Book of Proverbs notes, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil” (Prv 8:13). Some-times we secretly continue to nurture the attraction that certain sins have to us. It is important to learn how to detest sin if we are serious about overcoming its power and seduction. Again, this is done with the help of grace, especially that of the sacra-ments of Penance and Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.

While we should take our sin se-riously, we should not take ourselves too seriously. In other words, we should approach our Lenten journey with humility, realizing that we are already redeemed and loved and that God is on our side as our Father. It is important that we always be aware

ON THE WAY

Bp. James V. Johnston

The law of abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of Lent. The law forbids the use

of meat on these days. All persons age

14 and above are bound by the law

of abstinence.

Lenten abstinence regulationsthat God’s call is one of profound love which beckons us to participate more fully in the abundant life won for us by Jesus, and given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Turning to GodWhile Lent includes turning

away from sin, it is just as impor-tant to turn more fully toward God. Again, we humans are dependent creatures; we need help. Often, tried and true practices reflected in the Bible and from the saints are the most helpful. We should deliberately make time for prayer, for the sacra-ments, and for good works of love inspired by faith. We can also follow the instruction of Jesus to fast and give alms to the poor. These things help us clearly see the truth of things. For one, that God is God, and money and comfort, while not bad taken alone, can easily nudge God out of our lives, and we can begin to serve them rather than our Lord.

There are many other good prac-tices that can help us orient ourselves toward the Lord during Lent: go-ing to daily Mass a few days a week, spending an hour in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each week, read-ing the Bible for 20 minutes each day, volunteering to help someone or as-sist at your parish, make the Stations of the Cross, pray for your enemies, pray a rosary or the Divine Mercy chaplet, these are just but a few examples. All of these things are not ends in themselves, but are concrete ways of helping us toward union with God. When done with the right intention, they are love in action.

Love ultimately is the greatest motivation for Lent. ©TM

MARKED FOR CHRIST—As the first day of the six weeks of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday begins a period of fasting, peni-tence, almsgiving, and abstaining from meat and other rich foods. (CNS photo/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review)

By Marge Fenelon

Year after year, we hear the familiar words, reminding us “that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” If

we don’t hear those words, we may hear, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”

The tradition of receiving ashes goes back to Old Testament times.

The ashes symbolize our penitence, but why are they in the form of a cross? Biblically speaking, a mark on the forehead is a sign of ownership and being marked with a cross on the forehead shows that we belong to Christ. It also calls to mind the references in the Book of Revelation to the servants of God:

“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God” (Rev 7:3).

Marking the ashes in a cross

‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return’also echoes the seal that was put upon us at baptism. During the sac-rament of baptism, the priest or dea-con makes the sign of the cross with chrism oil on the forehead of the person who is to be baptized, and says, “The church of God welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our savior by the sign of his cross.”

We are thus marked for Christ then and forever.

Lent reminds us that we have work to do in order to fully align our lives with Christ. Lent is an invita-tion to leave our sinful ways behind and start anew, first by repenting and then by recalling the mark of Christ. It’s an opportunity to allow ourselves to be reclaimed for Christ, now and forever.

Lent is a time to remember those important words that remind us: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” ©CNS

4 The Mirror February 20, 2015

The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. Editor: Leslie A. EidsonProduction: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, atoben@dioscg.org

Published every other week except the last week in December at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143; Telephone (417) 866-0841; FAX (417) 866-1140; Email atoben@dioscg.org

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish. Subscription: $14 per year.Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. XLX No. 21 February 20, 2015 Single copy price, $0.50

Copyright © 2015, The Mirror, CNS, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: www.dioscg.org

REVIEW

Catholic ChristianHer memoir, an ex-

pansion of her 2010 first edition, is a richly detailed, beautifully written account of the spiritual journey that compelled her to choose Christianity, and then, a few years later, Catholicism. It is an honest and moving conversion narrative that un-derscores the pivotal role of great Christian literature in defeating Ordway’s staunch atheism. It is the story, as she puts it, of “the importance of imagination as both the catalyst and the foundation of my rational exploration of the faith.”

Reading authors such as Fr. Hopkins, G.K. Chester-ton and Lewis (especially his classics Mere Christianity and Surprised by Joy) tipped the balance for Ordway. These and other texts, such as Gary Habermas’ The Risen Jesus & Future Hope and retired Anglican Bp. N.T. Wright’s scholarly tome, The Resurrec-tion of the Son of God, pro-pelled her to undertake an exploration of the rational, historical claims of Christian-ity, including the Resurrec-tion. What she discovered led her to embrace Christian-ity unequivocally.

When her Christian coach urged her to go to church and seek baptism, Ordway at first resisted. “The prospect of going to church was distinctly unappealing,” she confides. “As for baptism, I had only the vaguest idea

Not God’s Type: An Atheist Academic Lays Down Her Arms By Holly Ordway Ignatius Press, 2014

Holly Ordway, author of Not God’s Type, was a well-educated English professor

who dismissed belief in God as so much superstition. While her family was not hostile toward religion and even adopted some cultural Christian practices such as playing Christmas carols, as a child she neither opened the Bible nor attended church.

She remembers reading C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, both of which made a deep impres-sion on her. But she “com-pletely missed” the novels’ Christian themes.

By early adulthood, she was comfortably ensconced in what she describes as a “fortress of atheism.” She writes, “I held that I was the product of blind chance working over millions of years, a member of a species that happened to be more intelligent than other mam-mals but was not unique.”

Nor did she believe that human beings have souls. “I thought that when I died, my consciousness would simply switch off, and that the only mortality in store for me was that of my body decaying and returning its constituent atoms for other living beings to use; some-times I even thought that was a beautiful and consol-ing prospect.”

Still, her recounting of her earlier years as an athe-ist underscores the inherent

darkness of this perspective.

Above all, Ord-way felt she was not God’s type. But in col-lege something stirred when she began to study English literature and the great Chris-tian poets such as T.S. Eliot, Jesuit Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Donne, and the Rev. George Herbert, an Anglican priest. Later, for her doctoral thesis in English literature at the University of Massachusetts at Am-herst, she focused on Tolkien.

Ironically, even though she was still an atheist who had rejected the possibility of any rational explanation for faith, God was reaching her, she says, through her imagi-

nation. Little by little, over the course of years, tiny seeds were planted that be-gan to sprout.

For in-stance, when she took a job as an English pro-fessor in Califor-nia and started teaching her students about Fr. Hopkins and other Christian poets, she was struck anew by how deeply meaningful this literature was. No longer could she dismiss the poets’ central beliefs as mere superstition or ignorance; she felt compelled to explore their basis. With encouragement from her fenc-ing coach, a deeply commit-ted Christian, Ordway applied her considerable intellectual gifts to researching the origin of Christian faith.

of what that might entail, but I feared the worst. It almost cer-tainly involved getting publicly fussed over in front of a large group of strangers; the whole thing would prob-ably be kitschy and embarrassing.”

Ultimately, Or-dway recognized that she had indeed con-verted to Lewis’ “mere Christianity”; but she “could not stay there, reading the Bible in a corner by myself.” She now felt drawn to choose one of the

many rooms that, as Lewis explains, open out from the main “hallway” of Christi-anity—such as Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, and so on.

After participating meaningfully in evangeli-cal Protestant and Anglican worship, she was eventually drawn to Catholicism for many reasons, including its scriptural and doctrinal truth and its fit with her own theological conserva-tism. Quite to her surprise, she writes, “being Catholic has proved to be far more than an ecclesiological or doctrinal commitment. It is, rather, a voyage of discovery involving my whole person: spiritual, physical, emotion-al, intellectual.”

Today, Ordway is an English professor who di-rects the master’s program in cultural apologetics at Houston Baptist University, specializing in study of the writings of Lewis, Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Her memoir is not itself an apolo-getic, but a thoughtful, heart-felt account of her pursuit by the Hound of Heaven. It will inspire all kinds of readers, from cradle Catholics to new converts—indeed, anyone who is a seeker, even if yet unchurched. ©CNS

Roberts directs the journal-ism program at the State Univer-sity of New York at Albany and is the author of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker and other books.

Spiritual memoir traces path from atheist to CatholicBook Review

Reviewed by Nancy L. Roberts

ABC Television network will air award-winning documentary on popeStarting on Feb. 8, Salt and Light Television’s documentary, The Francis Effect will air at various time throughout our diocese on the ABC Television network and its affiliates over the next six weeks.

This award winning program, which coincides with the second anniversary of the historic transition in the papacy of 2013, takes a critical and in-depth look at how the Catholic Church is rapidly changing under the leadership and vision of Pope Francis.

Those interested in watching the documentary should consult their local TV guides to determine broadcast times in our area during the broadcast period.

For more information, or to purchase the DVD you can visit the Salt and Light Web site at www.saltandlighttv.org/thefranciseffect

February 20, 2015 The Mirror 5ANNOUNCEMENTS

Aurora—Aurora Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) will hold its annual inside rum-mage/bake sale, Sat., Feb. 28, 7a.m.-noon, in the church gym, Hwy 60 and Carnation Dr. For more information, contact Therese Kahre, (417) 678-2403.

Belleville, IL—The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows will present a five-week Lenten Bible Study looking at the Gospel of Mark led by Mark Etling, PhD each Thursday: Feb. 26, March 5, 12, 19, and 26. Cost: $25 for the series or $5/session. Pre-registration required. Information and registration at www.snows.org/scripture, or contact the shrine at (618) 397-6700, ext. 6281; or (314) 241-3400, ext. 6281.

Belleville, IL—The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows will present a program on Seeking Freedom from Addiction through Prayer and Meditation, Sat., Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.-noon. with Fr. Walter Butor, OMI. Cost: $10. Pre-registration required. For information and registration visit www.snows.org/program, or contact the shrine at (618) 397-6700, ext 6281; or (314) 241-3400, ext. 6281.

Billings—St. Joseph Parish Men’s Club will hold Friday fish fries on March 6 and March 20, 5-7:30 p.m., in the parish hall. Adults: $8; children (ages 11 and under): $4. Menu includes fish, grilled cheese, French fries, cole-slaw, vegetable, dessert, and drink. Stations of the Cross will be at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Nicole at (417) 744-2490, or Email Gus Griffin, griffin1523@yahoo.com.

Gainesville—St. William Parish will host Friday fish fries on Feb. 27, March 13, and March 27, 4:30—6:30 p.m., in the parish hall. Menu includes fish, homemade desserts, and beverage. Cost: $7.50/person; children (ages 12 and under): $3.50. For more information, contact Theresa Kguzik, tkguzik@yahoo.com.

Kelso—St. Augustine Parish will hold a Spring Parish Dinner, Sun., March 8, in the St. Augustine School gym, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Menu consists of chicken and dumplings, baked ham, dressing, and all the trimmings; carry-outs available. Adults: $9, children (ages six-11): $5; children (ages five and under): free. For more information, contact Becky Essner, (573) 264-2274.

Mount Vernon—St. Susanne Parish will host Friday night fish fries, Feb. 27, March 6, 13, and 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the parish hall. The all-you-can-eat menu includes fish, hush-puppies, fries, homemade coleslaw, baked beans, desserts, and beverage. Cost: $8/person; children (ages five-12): $5; children (ages four and under): free. Proceeds will go toward fund-ing needed renovations of the parish rectory.

ScheduleThe next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations:Mon., Mar. 16 5:30-8:30 p.m. . . . . . . . .Our Lady of the Lake Parish, BransonWed., June 3 4-7 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Our Lady of the Lake Parish, BransonPreregistration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org and click on “registration” on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Ken Pesek at The Catholic Center, (417) 866-0841; or Email him at kenpesek@dioscg.org. Participants must be present for the entire training. Training sessions are for adults only. Schedules may be found on the diocesan events calendar at www.dioscg.org, or at www.virtus.org.

For more information, Email mvkofc7516@outlook.com, or call (417) 466-4190.

Mount Vernon—St. Susanne Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will serve breakfast on Sun., March 15, after the 9 a.m. Mass. Menu will consist of breakfast cas-seroles, fruit, sweet breads, coffee, and juice. Donations appreciated. For more information, contact Marilyn Mattas, (417) 466-2964.

Springfield—Immaculate Conception Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will host the Regional Council of Catholic Women, Thu., March 5. Registration and continental breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by a business meeting at 9:30 a.m. Following Mass, there will be student entertainment, lunch, and a presen-tation by Michele Marsh from LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home. For more information, con-tact Karen Soetaert at (417) 887-7929.

Springfield—The Secular Franciscan group will meet Sat., Feb.28, beginning with lunch at noon (optional), and then at 1 p.m. in the day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. Contact for new inquirers is Steve Moncher, stevemon cher@gmail.com, or call (417) 861-2109.

Springfield—Immaculate Conception Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) will host the Stations of the Cross with Mother Mary, Tue., March 10, 7 p.m, in the church. All women of the area are invited to attend. “Angel Voices” will provide music as we focus on the pain of a mother suffering with her son. Joyce Messerly will share her faith journey; Fr. Tom Kiefer will close this special evening with a blessing. For more information, contact Karen Soetaert at (417) 887-7929.

Springfield—St. Agnes Cathedral Knights of Columbus Council #13682 will host an all-you-can-eat fish dinner, Fri., Feb. 27, 5-7 p.m., in St. Agnes School cafeteria. Cost: $10/adult; $5/child; $30 maximum/family. Proceeds to benefit LifeHouse Crisis Mater-nity Home. For more information, contact Greg Gloeckner at (417) 353-2337.

Springfield—The Catholic Committee on Scouting is hosting a Lenten Lock-In for all Catholic Scouts, Sat.-Sun., March 7-8, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Registration forms are available on the Youth Ministry page of the diocesan Web site, www.dioscg.org. Cost: $15/person. Walk-ins welcome. For more information, contact Joe Harristhal, (417) 766-5085, or harristhal@sbcglobal.net; Shelly Pichler, (417) 838-2730, or espi-chler@aol.com.

Springfield—The Springfield Chapter of the Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will meet on Mon., March 2, 7 p.m., in Holy Trinity Church. For more information, con-tact Donna Walmsley at (417) 459-2960.

Applications are now being taken!

Application packets for Camp Re-NEW-All are now available in all parishes and are available on the diocesan Web site at www.dioscg.org (go to the Youth Ministry Page and follow the link to Camp Re-NEW-All.)Camp St. Vincent - FredericktownSession 1F - June 8-12Session 2F - June 22-26Session 3F - July 6-10

Camp Smokey - CassvilleSession 1C - June 29-July 3 Session 4C - July 20-24Session 2C - July 6-10 Session 5C - July 27-31Session 3C - July 13-17For more information, contact Rosie Francka in the camp office at rfrancka@dioscg.org or phone (417) 866-0841. *All staff 18 yrs. & over are required to complete VIRTUS Safe Environment Training, complete a diocesan background check, and sign the diocesan code of conduct.

2015

6 The Mirror February 20, 2015ADVERTISING

February 20, 2015 The Mirror 7ADVERTISING

8 The Mirror February 20, 2015DIOCESAN NEWS

KHJMCatholic radio for Southeast MissouriFrom Jackson to the Bootheel KHJM 89.1 FM brings the heart of Catholic Radio to the area.Heart of Jesus and Mary radio!

Name: _________________________________________ Phone: ________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City:___________________________________________ State: ______ Zip: ______________

Region: _________Parish: ________________________________________________________

Please select an option below and include a check for the amount indicated: (Read carefully)

____Complete Assembly $45 if mailed by March 31, (this includes going to the luncheon & banquet)

____Complete Assembly $50 if mailed after March 31, (this includes going to the luncheon & banquet)

____Attending Friday—morning/afternoon only $25 (includes luncheon/not banquet)

____I am only attending the Banquet on Friday evening $20

____I am only attending Saturday morning $25

____I am a First Time Attendee to the Spring Assembly

RegistRation FoRm — DCCW 57th Annual Spring Assembly — April 17 & 18, 2015 — Joplin, MO

Please make checks payable to DCCW and mail check and completed registration form to:Patricia Eftink, 1051 Patricia St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701Deadline for making Hotel Reservations is: March 31, 2015.Please call: Holiday Inn, Joplin, MO, at (417) 627-7806—$94/room, plus tax (1-4 people per room—Ask for double bed if needed) & mention DCCW for this price, includes breakfast.

Sheri Wolhfert Bp. James V. Johnston, Jr.

Carolyn King

2015 assembly speakeRs

April 17 & 18DCCW 57th Annual Spring Assembly

in Joplin, MO

Please check with your parish for local place and time of the Bishop’s Walk on March 21.

Springfield: 9-11 a.m.Springfield Catholic High School

Cape Girardeau: 12-noon to 2 p.m.Notre Dame Regional High School

Fri., April 176-10 a.m.—Breakfast (included in room cost)10 a.m.-12:45 p.m.—Registration(browse time-

grab bags, vendors and Silent Purse Auction)10:30-11:30 a.m.—Rejuvenating your PCCW

Program!11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Lunch1-1:20 p.m.—Welcome, Introductions, Opening

Prayer & Pledge1:20-2:20 p.m.—Keynote Speaker:Sheri Wolfert2:20-3 p.m.—Leadership Commission Workshop3-3:30 p.m.—Break & Browse time3:30-4:15 p.m.—Speaker:Bishop James V. Johnston4:30 p.m.—Drive to St Mary’s for Mass5 p.m.—Mass w/Bishop and attending Priests, &

Installation of new officers6:30 p.m.—Bishop’s blessing before banquet; cash

bar, entertainment and closing of Purse Auction

Sat., April 186-10 a.m.—Breakfast (included in room

cost)7 a.m.—Rosary /Meditation-Paula

Howard7:30-8 a.m.—Registration & browse time8 a.m.—Morning session opening prayer8:15-9 a.m.—Spirituality Commission

Workshop9-10 a.m.—Speaker: Carolyn King10-10:20 a.m.—Break-last chance to buy

tickets & visit vendors!10:20-11 a.m.—Service Commission

Workshop11-11:15 a.m.—Province Director11:15-11:30 a.m.—Closing Prayer11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Thank You! Ad-

journ & Drawings

2015 Schedule of the Day

Parishes open each Wednesday of LentThe Mirror staff

“The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven, and en-couraged to live the good life of the Gos-pel.” —Pope Francis, “The Joy of the Gospel,” 114.

Welcome!

Our doors are open and the light is on!

“The Light is On For You” is an initiative

of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau where, beginning Wed., Feb. 25 and continuing through Wed., March 25, Catholic churches across southern Missouri are open for quiet prayer and confessions each

Wednesday evenings throughout Lent.

“My great hope is that by offer-ing ‘The Light Is On For You’ during Lent throughout our diocese, many will find a great opportunity to be re-newed by God’s Mercy in the sacra-ment of penance and reconciliation,” said Bp. James V. Johnston. “Let’s pray to the Holy Spirit to bring those whom God is seeking.”

Have you been away from the Church? Do you have something weighing on your heart? Do you need to make something right with yourself or a neighbor or loved one? Now is the time.

For many of us the sacrament of penance can be scary and even em-barrassing. We may be too nervous

ONE CHURCH, EAST TO WEST—In each of our parishes, begin-ning Wed., Feb. 25 through Wed., March 25, there will be an oppor-tunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on all the Wednes-days of Lent. In the more rural areas of the diocese where pastors have re-sponsibilities in more than one par-ish, please consult the local parish bulletin for when The Light Is On For You initiative will be celebrated.

In each one of our parishes,

or consider ourselves unforgiveable. Yet with confidence Pope Francis re-minds us:

“How many times in my pas-toral ministry have I heard it said, ‘Father, I have many sins,’ and I have always pleaded, ‘Don’t be afraid; go to him; he is waiting for you; he will take care of everything.’ We hear many offers from the world around us, but let us take up God’s offer in-stead: his is a caress of love.”

“God never tires of showing us Mercy, as Pope Francis reminds us,” Bp. Johnson said. “This program is especially for those who may have not been to the sacrament for a while. So, if you know someone who might greatly benefit, please invite and even accompany them to church.” ©TM

February 20, 2015 The Mirror 9DIOCESAN NEWS

Catherine Lund-Molfese, farm manager at Trinity Hills, the diocesan Catholic Worker House and farm for the Church in Southern Missouri, has overseen the production of close to 29,000 eggs to feed the hungry.While the flock at Trinity Hills is happy, healthy, and free-ranging, chicken feed is a

significant expense. For just $15 a month, a family/class/club/office can adopt a hen, which you can name, assur-ing that she will be fed while she, in turn, feeds those in need in our community. Trinity Hills will even send you her photo!To get started, send a check for one or more month’s worth of feed and a suggested name. Trinity Hills will reply with a photo and other details of the hen.Make the check payable to the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (put “chicken feed” in the memo por-tion), and send it to:Trinity Hills 689 S. Farm Road 253, Rogersville, MO 65742Questions? Contact Nick Lund-Molfese at (417) 753-7758 or via Email to nick@thills.org.

Looking for a corporal work of mercy?

Adopt a chicken and feed the poor

HEALING MASS AT MERCY— Bp. James V. Johnston celebrated Mass in Mercy Hospi-tal Springfield on Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick. Posing for a photo after the healing liturgy were Russ Conroy, Kevin Rash, Sr. Elizabeth BuiThiNghia, Lynda Schibler, and Dena Dishman; (back row) Jim Burke, Fr. Alexander Inke, AJ, Bp. Johnston, Msgr. Tom Reidy, and Bill Hennessy. Pope John Paul II initiated Feb. 11 as World Day of the Sick in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suf-fer from illness and for their caregivers. February 11 is also the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. (Photo by Theresa Witt)

Pope Francis: Make time to care for the sickVatican City

Pope Francis is asking people to take time out of their frenzied lives to visit the sick,

spend time with them and learn from their suffering.

Marking the World Day of the Sick on Feb. 11, communities, parishes, dioceses and bishops’ con-ferences around the world gathered in prayer with

Pope Francis for the suffer-ing and their caregivers.

In his message this year titled “I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame” (Job 29:15) —Pope Francis also warns against what he describes as ‘a lie’ that lurks behind certain phrases that insist on the importance of “quality of life” and which make people think that lives affected by grave ill-ness are not worth living.

Instead, “the experi-ence of suffering can be-come a privileged means of transmitting grace and a source for gaining and growing in wisdom of the heart.” This means show-ing solidarity without judg-ing. “Charity takes time” concludes Pope Francis, “time to care for the sick and time to visit them. Time to be at their side.” ©Vatican Radio

As Catholics, we are indeed a sacramental people . The sacraments are at the heart of our Catholic Faith and play

an essential role both in our spiritual-ity and in our relationship with the Lord. The “sacramental system” is, to a certain degree, uniquely “Catholic” and contributes not only to our iden-tity as Catholics, but also helps form and establish the nature and mission of the Church.

So, why is the use and celebra-tion of the sacraments declining among many who profess to be Catholic? More and more parents are delaying the baptism of their chil-dren to a later age, even to the point of permitting the child to “make the choice” regarding Baptism. Many parents conveniently show up at the doors of the church when their child reaches the “magical age of seven,” which is the traditional age to celebrate and receive First Holy Communion, even though the child quite possibly hasn’t been inside the church since his/her baptism. Many youth are choosing not to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation because they aren’t really sure if they want to “commit” to the Catholic Faith— wanting to see what other “options” are available to them in the “world of religion .” There is a growing trend for many couples to marry outside the Church, preferring a “destination

wedding on the beach” rather than a sacramental marriage in the Church . A growing number of Catholics have no problem with deliberately and willingly missing Mass on Sundays, even though this action is considered a mortal/serious sin by the Church.

Needless to say, the use of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconcili-ation has probably suffered the most among the sacraments over the last several decades. Have we lost our “sense of sin” or have we convinced ourselves that the sacramental abso-lution and forgiveness of our sins is no longer necessary? In a television com-mercial from several years ago, the Maytag repairman claimed that he was the lone-liest guy on the job. Many priests now claim that honor! The confessional has become a very “lonely” place! Fur-ther, many Catholics

are unaware that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available to them. Either they have misconcep-tions and misunderstandings about this sacrament or they feel it is not necessary or would be beneficial to them in their illness or condition.

For those who proba-bly need to read this article, many won’t take the time or make the effort to do so. As a result, we who do re-ceive and celebrate the sac-raments on a regular basis have important work to do. We need to remind, invite, and encourage our broth-ers and sisters in the Faith that the sacraments are the spiritual gifts given to us by Christ Himself to help us in our journey of Faith and ultimately in our eternal salvation. Claiming

LIVING THE LITURGYFr. David J. Dohogne

Seven sacraments are spiritual giftsand professing to be “Catholic” and yet ignoring and disregarding the sacraments seems to be a contradic-tion. The sacraments are at the core

of who we are as Catholics. The sacramental system is oftentimes one of the most influential and motivating reasons why people join the Catholic Church. Tho se who seek the Church real-ize that something essential and necessary is lacking in their own faith tradition.

As we mark the Holy Season of Lent, let us make a concerted effort to learn more about the sacraments given to us by the Lord and then to make good use of these spiritual gifts by receiving them as often as

possible and encouraging others to do so as well. ©TM

Christians around the world are being martyred and we can’t make time for the gift of Mass?

10 The Mirror February 20, 2015DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING

Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc.Brentwood Chapel • University Chapel Crematory • Columbarium

Licensed funeral directors of distinction:Bill M. Abbott W. Bruce Howell Marquis Howell, Jr.Robert Lohmeyer Harley R. WilliamsDon R. Lohmeyer Clint W. MeaseMarquis Howell, Sr. Angela N. CollinsHeather K. Howell Winford R. Laster

Locally owned and operated for over 50 years

1947 E. Seminole, Springfield MO 65804(417) 886-9994 • fax (417) 886-9996, gormanscharpf@mchsi.com

Christ, King, Savior of the Ozarks radio station

KSOZ hits the airwaves in SalemSalem, MO

‘The Church exists to evangelize’

The above is a quote from Pope Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi” (“The Church in the Modern World”)

promulgated in 1975. Some five years ago , the parish council at Sacred Heart Parish, Salem, was discussing the en-cyclical and looking at ways in which the parish could better evangelize. One of the methods discussed was the possibility of having a Catholic radio station.

Sacred Heart Parish was awarded a LPFM license just last year after a rare application process was opened by the FCC. Bp. James V. Johnston blessed KSOZ Catholic radio 96.5 on Jan. 14. The call letters stand for “Christ, King, Savior of the O z arks. ” The station is on the air and operating on a piece of property owned by Deacon Richard

and June Cole . The coverage has been a bit greater than expected , between 10 to 18 miles .

The station has been met with joy.“ One gentleman came by two

days ago just to say, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ that he now has some-thing good, solid to listen to that’s not just general Christian,” said Fr. Dan Hirtz , pastor.

Currently, almost all of the pro-gramming is from EWTN but KSOZ recently began broadcasting the par-ish Mass on Sundays and will soon be offering the rosary prayed by our own Bp. James Johnston and diocesan semi-narians. Bp. Johnston also recently re-corded a memorare that will air on the station for the upcoming US Supreme Court hearing on gay “marriage” in April.

Another LPFM license was award-ed to St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Jop-lin. It has plans to be on the air in May of this year. ©TM

BLESSING OF RADIO STATION—Bp. James V. Johnston blessed Sacred Heart Parish’s KSOZ Catholic radio 96.5 in Salem on Jan. 14. Pictured in the station were Jonathan Barton, Dominic Biunno, Deacon Richard Cole, Bp. James V. Johnston, and Fr. Dan Hirtz, pastor. On the wall of KSOZ radio station is an icon of St. Gabriel painted by June Cole. (Submitted photo)

that to be a Christian is to belong to the ‘Body’ of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, and that all of us are called to ongoing conversion.”

ScrutiniesAfter the Rite of Election, three

scrutinies are solemnly celebrated. These are rites for self-searching and repentance and have above all a spiri-tual purpose. The scrutinies are meant to uncover then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the Elect; to bring out then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good. They are traditionally celebrated on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent.

First of all, the Elect are instruct-ed gradually about the mystery of sin, from which the whole world and every person longs to be delivered and thus saved from its present and future con-sequences. Second, their spirit is filled with Christ the Redeemer, who is the living water (gospel reading of the Sa-maritan woman is the first scrutiny), the light of the world (gospel reading of the man born blind is the second scrutiny), the resurrection and the life (gospel reading of Lazarus is the third scrutiny). From the first to the final scrutiny, the Elect should progress in their perception of sin and their de-sire for salvation. The scrutinies, when prayerfully reflected upon by the entire parish assembly, can be times of renew-al for all.

“ Celebrating the scrutinies re-minds the whole parish community of the meaning of Lent, when we take a deeper look at our lives, acknowledge the parts of ourselves which are not good and holy, and resolve to live as authentic disciples of Jesus ,” said Karen Pesek, diocesan Director of Evangeliza-tion and Catechesis.

“Lent is a special time when we work on becoming the person God wants us to be. Parishes who have per-sons who are asking for Baptism are so very fortunate! These Elect inspire all of us to examine our own lives and re-lationship with Jesus, which we often take for granted,” Pesek said.

Deepening initiation into Christ and the Church

At the Easter Vigil Mass on April 4, the catechumens will be baptized,

and the catechumens and candidates will celebrate the sacrament of con-firmation. They will also celebrate the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

The primary symbols of fire, light, water, oil, bread, and wine will be highlighted in a Mass filled with some of the Church’s richest traditions and rituals.

But that is only the beginning.Neophytes, as the newly-initiated

members of the Church are known af-ter the Easter Vigil, will continue meet-ing weekly through Pentecost, celebrat-ed 50 days after Easter.

This period, called Mystagogy, is a time to “savor the mystery” of the Easter experience and to experience a full and joyful welcome into the community.

During the RCIA process, the candidates and catechumens and their sponsors, godparents, and catechists tend to become very close. Most are sorry to move beyond the process and do not wish to leave the camaraderie behind.

But ideally, each parish is a liv-ing, vibrant faith community that is focused on Christ and the Gospel—not just in Scripture but also in all life experiences.

Parish communities that have the same exuberance for Christ that candi-dates and catechumens found in their RCIA process become welcoming envi-ronments for new Catholics.

As a result, many people who ex-perience RCIA, volunteer to serve as catechists and sponsors in the future years. ©TM

Jay Nies, editor of T he Catholic Missou-rian, newspaper for the Diocese of Jefferson City contributed to this story. Sources include the “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults,” 1988.

Rites of Election cause for joyFrom Page 1

February 20, 2015 The Mirror 11DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING

Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral HomeLocally-owned & operated u Dedicated u Caring u Professional

Offices of the Catholic CemeteriesPaul & Lynn Wunderlich

David Fenton • Louis Lohmeyer • Charlene Harris-BengschGene Lohmeyer • Mary Ann Johnston • Joel Champ

500 E. Walnut - Springfield (417) 862-4433www.hhlohmeyer.com

PO Box 1332Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

(573) 335-6443

Columbia Construction Co.

Branson, MO—Deacon Rich-ard Harden, a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, and his wife, Monica, have recently moved to Branson where they are parishioners of Our Lady of the Lake Parish. Bp. James Johnston has ap-pointed Deacon Harden to serve in Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Bran-son, and in Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish, Forsyth. ©TM

Rogersville, MO—Fr. Timo-thy Toohey, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, has recently moved to our dio-cese and resides in Rogersville. Fr. Toohey will participate in diocesan clergy gatherings and is willing to offer sacramen-tal assistance at parishes in the Springfield area. ©TM

Welcome to the DioceseYouth Ministry Leader’s Conference held in Van Buren

LEADER’S CONFERENCE—Faith and the interior life of a youth minister were a few of the topics explored under an overall football theme by the 32 people in-volved in youth ministry throughout the diocese who attended the Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Youth Ministry Leader’s Conference at The Landing in Van Buren, MO. Pictured were (front row): LeAnn Wilson ( Sacred Heart, Webb City), Annette Peterson (St. Peter the Apostle , Joplin), Melissa and Orin DeLaRosa ( Sacred Heart, Webb City), Dino Avellanosa ( Our Lady of the Lake, Branson), Pat Hutcheson ( Our Lady of the Lake, Branson), Becky Cato (Sacred Heart, Poplar Bluff); (second row): Chris Peterson (St. Peter the Apostle, Joplin), Julie Salyer (Sacred Heart, Salem), Johnna Dixon (Sacred Heart, Webb City), Mary Theole (Our Lady of the Lake, Branson), Art Theole (Our Lady of the Lake, Branson), Bill Barnes (Our Lady of the Lake, Branson), Troy Casteel (Coordinator, diocesan Office of Youth Minis-try); (third row): Katie Newton (diocesan Office of Youth Ministry), Mike Wilson (Sacred Heart, Webb City), Gail Timpe (St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau), Rebecca Ohmes (St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau), Nick Koeppel (Sacred Heart, Poplar Bluff), Crystal Pearce (Sacred Heart, Webb City), Kathi Vavra (Sacred Heart, Salem), Jennifer McCall (Holy Trinity, Marshfield), Julie Ware (Sacred Heart, Webb City); (back row): Ashton Gaskill (Immaculate Conception, Jackson), Natalie Wren (Holy Trinity, Aurora), Gail Herbert (Holy Trinity, Springfield), Rachael Ryder (Holy Trinity, Marshfield), Hallie Conrad (Immaculate Conception, Jackson), RuthAnn West (St. Susanne, Mount Vernon), Tori Long (Immaculate Conception, Jackson), and Jerry Nehl (Holy Trinity, Marshfield). Not pic-tured is Fr. Scott Sunnenberg (diocesan Youth Facilitator West). (The Mirror)

12 The Mirror February 20, 2015ADULT FAITH

By Matt Hadro Washington DC

For the sake of religious liber-ity, it is vital that the religious rights of corporations—and not just individuals and churches—

be upheld under federal law, a legal scholar has said.

“Most Americans, faithful Americans, they bring their religious commitment into all aspects of their life, including the workplace,” Gregory Baylor, a senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, said after a Feb. 13 congressional hearing on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

“We have Christian families, other folks, who own businesses and they want to operate their businesses in accordance with their religious principles,” he added.

“And the position of the govern-ment in these cases, and in today’s hearing, at least with respect to some of these representatives, is that your faith life is sort of within the four walls of the church, and that’s where it needs to stay.”

Baylor testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 13 about “oversight of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

The act, passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed into law by Pres. Bill Clinton in 1993, was a reaction to a Supreme Court ruling that the government did not have to prove a compelling interest in sub-stantially burdening one’s exercise of religion.

The act established that if a law places a “substantial burden” on a person’s exercise of religion, the bur-den of proof falls on the government to prove a “compelling interest” for the law, and that it is using the “least restrictive means” of action to pursue its interest.

The act certainly upholds the religious freedom of “entities like Catholic Charities, and Catholic University of America, and K-12 pa-rochial schools,” Baylor said, adding that most, if not all, of those entities are “incorporated.”

“So you can’t say that cor-porations don’t have rights,” he continued.

At hand is the argument—ex-emplified in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell—of whether a business or organization must cover items in employee health plans against its religious or ethical beliefs.

The Supreme Court ruled that

Why the Religious Freedom Restoration Act matters to you

as a family-run closely-held corporation, craft chain Hobby Lobby met the religious exemption under RFRA and did not have to cover items it considered aborti-facients in employee health plans. The court said that the govern-ment did not employ the “least restrictive means” of forcing Hobby Lobby to do so.

Professor Nelson Tebbe of Brooklyn Law School said that Con-gress should amend RFRA. When a religious exemption for a busi-ness such as Hobby Lobby places significant costs on a third party—in this case, the employ-ees who must pay for their own birth control and abortion-inducing drugs—the business must meet that need.

“These thousands of people have suffered harm that may well be irreparable,” Tebbe said of employees who have gone without coverage for their birth control.

When Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) asked Tebbe if this argument applied to religiously-affiliated organizations such as Catholic Charities having to cover late-term abortions, Tebbe said he was “reluctant” to answer that but that, using another example, Catho-lic Charities should have to provide adoption services to all couples, including same-sex couples.

Baylor said that argument meant that an organization with a re-ligious mission, such as EWTN, would have to cover late-term abortions for its employees.

“It’s commercial, but clearly they [EWTN] have a religious mission at its core. Would that analysis mean that EWTN would have to provide late-term abortion coverage, which is obviously something that people par-ticipating running that organization very much would disagree with?” DeSantis asked Baylor.

“I think it does, and that’s very disturbing about some of these argu-ments that are being made about Hobby Lobby,” Baylor answered, “is that we tend to think it’s about con-traceptives and actually the objection that was made by Hobby Lobby … is that they don’t want to facilitate ac-cess to abortion.”

Such a case is a reality and “not

hypothetical,” he continued, point-ing to laws in Washington, DC and California mandating that all em-ployers—even Catholic schools and dioceses—cover elective abortions for employees.

The Reproductive Non-Discrim-ination Act of 2014 passed the DC city council and was signed into law by Mayor Muriel Bowser in January. It mandated that employers could not hire or fire employees based on their reproductive health decisions, even if those decisions flatly contradicted the mission of the organization—such as a Catholic or pro-life organization.

Critics also said the bill forced employers to cover birth control and abortions in employee health plans. To clarify that it did not, Bowser introduced legislation after she signed the bill saying it did not apply to insurance plans but just employment decisions.

RFRA was understood from the beginning to apply to corpora-tions and not just individuals, Baylor argued.

“It was understood at the time RFRA was passed, that it included not just non-profit religious corporations, but it included all corporations. This was non-controversial,” Baylor said.

Cases where a massive corpora-tion would invoke religious freedom protections are so rare they’re almost hypothetical, he added.

“To be sure, for-profit, publicly-traded big companies, many of them,

all of them I would hope, try to behave ethically. But I think it’s fairly rare for a corporation on the scale of IBM or General Motors to try to bring specific religious prin-ciples into the operation of their businesses.”

Despite the congres-sional threat to religious rights of corporations—for instance, the Senate’s attempt last summer to overturn the religious exemption for employers like Hobby Lobby in cases about coverage of birth control—threats from the judiciary are far greater, Baylor explained.

“We’ve seen that in some of the bad out-comes in HHS mandate cases that have been brought by religious non-profits where judges are denying that these entities are substantially

burdened when the government makes them facilitate access to drugs and devices and services in violation of their religious consciences.”

Though critics might argue that interpretations of RFRA can restrain the civil liberties of employees, Baylor added that it protects the greatest civil liberty—the free exercise of religion.

“I think for example when a religious employer, a religiously-motivated family business refuses to provide abortion pills and pay for abortion pills to its employees, it’s not violating anybody’s civil liberties. It’s just not the case that people have a fundamental, inherent, human right to get free abortion pills paid for by their employer,” he explained.

However, the law doesn’t always uphold the religious rights of organi-zations, he added.

“RFRA doesn’t dictate outcomes, it doesn’t say that religion always wins and other interests can be ignored. RFRA specifically orders the courts to assess whether the govern-ment is pursuing an important inter-est. And one of those interests might be a civil liberty of a third party. And courts are already empowered to take those interests into account when they make their decisions.”

“That’s why these calls to amend RFRA are perplexing, because RFRA al-ready contemplates that interests will be balanced against each other,” he said. ©CNA

US CAPITOL—Though critics might argue that interpreta-tions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) can restrain the civil liberties of employees, Gregory Baylor, a se-nior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, said that it protects the greatest civil liberty: the free exercise of religion. (Photo by Shawn Clover, CNA)