SPRINGTIME IN THE OZARKS—The Japanese Stroll Garden, Springfield, MO. (Photo by Bruce Stidham/The Mirror)

A blessed Easter Season to all of you! Now that Lent is over, have you gone back to your normal routine? With all the things that you might have given up, such as television or media or sweets, have you now binged on all of those things to make up for those 40 days? How about having an extraordinary Easter Season? Why not continue one of your Lenten practices throughout the 50 days of the Easter season? Are you able to go to an extra Mass during the week? Can you keep the TV off and pray the rosary as a family? Is there some way that you can mark these 50 days of Easter as a special time to grow in your faith?
As much as we try to make Lent special through prayer, fasting and charity, can we not come up with some Easter activities as well?
During Lent I read the passion narratives in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. How about reading the resurrection narratives in the Gospels? How about Reading from the Acts of the Apostles and the beginnings of the early Church? During the seven weeks leading up to Pentecost (May 28), how about focusing on one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit each week? We are Easter people! Let’s not go back to the same old ways. Let’s build on what we did during Lent, and carry it through the 50 days of Easter.

SECOND COLLECTIONS
In a letter dated March 10, 2023, from the Office of National Collections in Washington, DC, I received a thank you for the many donations from our diocese for the national collections taken in the year 2022. First and foremost, $78,302.79 was collected for the 2022 Retirement Fund for Religious. In a note from Sr. Stephanie Still, Executive Director for the Retirement Fund for Religious, was written, “We are very grateful to you and your parishioners for your generous support of our mission.” This annual collection helps to support nearly 30,000 elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests each year.

In addition to that amount, in 2022 you contributed $53,392.48 to the Good Friday collection to support the Holy Land. Add to that $44,725.42 for Central and Eastern Europe; $16,578.19 for the Catholic Communications Campaign; $44,054.12 for the Catholic Home Missions appeal; $41,767.50 for the Church in Latin America; $57,340.79 for Catholic Relief Services; and $43,785.64 for the Charities of the Holy Father. If my math is correct, that comes to a total of $326,554.55 donated last year to these various Catholic causes. That does not include your support to the local Diocesan Development Fund (DDF); the second collection each November for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri; to your local Saint Vincent de Paul Society, or your personal donations to your local parish and other charitable organizations. Your generosity is overwhelming, and as the bishop of the diocese, I thank you.

Of course, when people are not happy with me or some other facet of parish or diocesan life, many immediately withdraw their financial support. I recently received a DDF card which said “no more contributions until you get a priest that cares about our church and our parish…” Another wrote, “we will not contribute this year because of a conflict with the parish council.” Let me be very clear, money does not influence me. I’m a realist, I know we need money to sustain our mission and ministries, but that’s about as far as it goes. Ultimately, people donate to the diocese or to their parish because they believe in our mission. We are “One Church, East to West, loving Jesus, serving Jesus, sharing Jesus.” Throughout our diocese, all our parishes are trying to move from “maintenance to mission,” focusing on holiness, intentional discipleship, and witnessing to the faith.

Yes, some of our priests speak with accents beyond our southern Missouri drawl. Yes, some of our priests may have a different skin color than perhaps do you. Yes, some of our priests might have a big learning curve when it comes to working in a parish in the Church of the United States. But let me say this: without those priests that have accents or different skin color, we would not be able to keep our parishes open. And, as I wrote to one parishioner, “instead of giving me the list of all the things you don’t like about your priest, could you tell me what you’re trying to do to help him?”

At the end of the day, we are all in this together. And if we focus only on our differences, we will find them. Rather, let’s focus on our shared common humanity, our faith, our love of God and Neighbor, and you’ll also discover a great many similarities! You either believe in the mission of the Church, and you support that mission, or you don’t, and this mission is way more than personal or political agendas.

O Sacrament Most Holy
O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all Thanksgiving
be every moment Thine.

Published in the April 28, 2023 issue of The Mirror.

Next week we mark the beautiful days of Holy Week. As I say every year, just because we refer to this week as “holy,” doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be unless we approach them with some intentionality. The beautiful ceremonies of Holy Week can come and go, and the week can be no different from any other week of the year. How sad that would be! So, let’s dig in and make it indeed a holy Holy Week!
It always touches my heart to receive the palms on Palm Sunday, and hear “hosanna in the highest” juxtaposed to the cry “Crucify Him.” To hear the mandate to love one another, accompanied by the washing of the feet, the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood truly makes Holy Thursday “holy.” And what can we say of Good Friday? To watch people come up one-by-one, to embrace, to kiss, to touch, or offer an act of reverence to the cross of Christ is one of the most profound moments in which a person can participate. As I watch people coming up to the Cross, I see those who are dealing with illness, loss; I see parents with newborn children, all different circumstances, as they file up one-by-one to have their moment to give reverence to the cross of Christ. We recognize that Christ died for each one of us and that makes that Friday so “Good.” The somber, quiet mood of Holy Saturday gives us time to reflect on our own death, and just how fragile life is, and how we should treat each other with care. And as the sun begins to set, we prepare for the Easter Vigil, where we proclaim the resurrection of Christ and our share in that resurrection.
I say it again, just because we call it Holy Week doesn’t mean it will be holy. We each have to do our part. First, we have to show up, participate, and let go of all the things that distract us and focus on the beautiful events that will unfold for us during these sacred days of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the celebration of Easter. It is my privilege to pray for all of you daily, and in a special way, I will remember you during the celebrations of Holy Week and the Easter Season. May each heart know the joy of the risen Christ during the 50 days of Easter!

EUCHARISTIC ANTIPHON

 “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine! All praise and all Thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”
If you have been at a Mass with me recently you may have noticed that I have been singing this little verse as a meditation after the reception of Holy Communion, if time allows. While the song was included in an Italian prayer book in the 19th century, it became popular in Ireland and other places with various melodies and verses. I am going to make this particular verse the official antiphon for our Eucharistic Revival throughout the diocese, and it is my hope that every Catholic will know this song by heart. It is my typical practice to intone this verse on a low note and then repeat it twice more, going up a third each time so that by the third time, it is a crescendo reverberating throughout the church. The other two verses have a simple, beautiful summary of eucharistic theology. The second verse, “Now come, all you who labor and sorrow and in pain, come, eat this bread from heaven; thy peace and strength regain.” And the third verse is classic, “Lord Jesus, we adore Thee, our victim and our priest, whose precious Blood and Body become our Sacred Feast.” I ask all of our choirs and musicians to teach this to our parishioners. How beautiful if all of our First Communion classes could sing these three verses as a meditation after the reception of their First Holy Communion. The beauty of this song is in its simple, straightforward theology. The organ is not needed, no piano, no accompaniment—just the voices of God’s people who believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, singing that beautiful refrain in an act of worship. Let us remember the words of Pope St. John Paul II, “May our adoration never cease.”
To everyone: a blessed Holy Week

Published in the March 31, 2023 issue of The Mirror.

“Never has a Lent been more important. Every newspaper and every newscast tells us of terrible happenings throughout the world. We must be prepared for whatever is coming by taking up every means provided by Mother Church. We must get ourselves ready, no matter what the future, to live in peace and holiness, without fear and without concern for our own lives.”

 

These are the words of Jean Fox, of Madonna House, from a letter written on March 10, 2003. Maybe you thought these words were written today and they certainly do apply. The news is filled with war, turmoil, and natural disasters. There are many things that can rob us of our peace if we allow it. In these days of challenge and difficulty, let us turn to Our Lady, Queen of Peace. We turn to the rosary, the source of our consolation. Our own diocesan patron, Pope St. Pius X said “The rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; It is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God … and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family rosary.” I echo once again the words of Fr. Peyton, the “Rosary Priest,” “The family that prays together, stays together.”

Could not the family rosary be a beautiful Lenten activity? How touched I am when I see spouses and children in adoration at Saint Francis Hospital, Cape Girardeau, and Holy Trinity Parish chapel, Springfield. How beautiful it would be to receive an invitation to join a family in their family rosary (I may regret this!!!) Or how about a group of families coming together? With the month of May right around the corner, I will once again try to schedule a few “Meet Me At The Grotto” events to pray the rosary at some of our beautiful outdoor shrines spread throughout the diocese.

In this time of prayer, fasting, and charity, each one of us is invited to a renewal, a conversion, a turning away from the things that hinder us from turning more fully toward Christ. When we respond to the 40 days of Lent, we participate more deeply in the glory of the Risen Lord at Easter. As your Lenten journey continues, please know of my prayerful support!

PRAY FOR VOCATIONS
Remember also to pray for and promote vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life. I have scheduled a series of Masses followed by the rosary throughout the diocese for that very intention. Join me if possible! The remaining Masses for Vocations will be Tuesday, March 28, 6 p.m., St. Peter the Apostle, Joplin; Tuesday, April 11, 5:30 p.m., Saint Agnes Cathedral, Springfield; and Wednesday, April 19, 5:30 p.m., St. John Vianney, Mountain View. If you aren’t able to attend, you can always pray the rosary for that intention. I ask that you look for those young men and women who you feel have the qualities to make a good priest or consecrated religious and invite them to discernment. Encourage them, and please send me their name and address so that I may send them a note of support. At every confirmation I always encourage the candidates to consider if the Lord may be calling them. I am always so pleased when I hear of those people who are open to the possibility. I ask the candidates to entrust their future to Our Lady, asking her to guide their future vocation. We need to support our youth with prayers and encouragement, which gets me back to the family rosary. I have referred many times to the home as the “Domestic Church.” Should not the home also be considered the first seminary or convent? Long before a young man or woman steps into the seminary or convent, hopefully they would have learned the virtue of prayer from the parents within the family.

We are grateful for the vocations that the Good Lord sends to us. As we hear in Scripture, “The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest provocations.” We do so with confidence, trusting that the Lord will give us what we need.

Published in the March 17, 2023 issue of The Mirror.

On Fri., Feb. 17, I was privileged to be part of the Mass for the Dedication of the Church and Altar at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City, OK.
Blessed Stanley was born in Okarche, OK, about 45 minutes northwest of Oklahoma City. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1963, and murdered at the age of 46 in the rectory of his parish in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, on July 28, 1981. He is the first recognized martyr from the United States and the first priest born in the US to be beatified (Sept. 23, 2017).
Raised on a farm, Bl. Stanley was well suited to the people of his rural parishes in Guatemala, where he helped to build an irrigation system, created a farmer’s Co-op, taught new farming techniques, and even helped to build a hospital and a radio station. Long before Pope Francis coined the phrase, Bl. Stanley had the “smell of the sheep.”
During the long Civil war in Guatemala, he sought justice for his people, as many of his parishioners were kidnapped and killed. Eventually the violence came to him, as his name appeared on a death list. He did return to Oklahoma but did not stay long. He believed that he should be with his people, and he is known for his famous words, “The shepherd does not run at the first sign of danger.”
He returned to his mission church in Guatemala just before Holy Week of 1981, and within a couple of months, on the early morning of July 28th, 1981, three gunmen entered the rectory, fought with Blessed Stanley, and murdered him. His body was returned to Oklahoma and is now interred in the Chapel at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, while his heart remained in Guatemala and is encased in a small shrine inside Saint James the Apostle Catholic Church, where he served.
“Blessed Stanley Rother is such an attractive role model, a faithful witness and powerful intercessor in our midst,” said Abp. Paul S. Coakley, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, at the blessing and dedication of the shrine. “I pray his witness will inspire many young men to be open to God’s call to the priesthood and prompt all people of faith to realize their baptismal promise and call to holiness.”
Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Church is the largest Catholic Church in Oklahoma, seating 2,000. The Chapel, where his body is entombed, seats 162. The parish complex also has a Pilgrim Center\Museum and a designated area, “Tepeyac Hill,” 50-feet high, which highlights a 12-foot statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a 6-foot statue of St. Juan Diego, recalling the occasion when Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec convert to Christianity.
As evidenced by the title “Blessed,” a verified miracle is still required for Bl. Stanley to become a saint. And, in the 400 year history in his Guatemalan parishes, there were no vocations to the priesthood. However, since his death, the seminaries are full. As our own diocese strives to reach our goal of “25 by 25,” let us ask the intercession of Bl. Stanley Rother.
I was privileged to offer my morning Holy Hour in the Blessed Stanley Chapel, where his body is interred. I kissed the altar where his body is enshrined and I lit a candle for the intentions of the people of the Diocese of Springfield— Cape Girardeau. May Bl. Stanley bless our diocese with an abundance of holy vocations to the priesthood and religious life to serve the people of southern Missouri. And so we pray: Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us!

Published in the March 03, 2023 issue of The Mirror.