February 13, 2022 // Diocese

Around the Diocese: February 13, 2022

Todays Catholic

Ava’s Grace retreat planned

NOTRE DAME – For those who have lost a baby before or after birth, ava’s grace ministry offers support and healing. Come join others who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss for a daylong retreat, free of charge, to help face grief in the context of fellowship and faith. The retreat will be held on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Parish Center on the outskirts of Notre Dame’s campus. Lunch will be provided. While this retreat is geared for couples, individuals are welcome as well. Sponsored by Marriage & Family Ministry. To register, contact Lisa Everett at [email protected] or by calling 574-234-0687. For more information about ava’s grace, the diocesan ministry to support families grieving the loss of a baby before or after birth, please visit www.diocesefwsb.org/avasgrace.

Sharing the Light of Christ Award

FORT WAYNE – St. Mary, Mother of God Parish honored one of its parishioners, Jane Wick, with the Sharing the Light of Christ Award for 2022 at Mass on Jan. 9. Wick has served the parish for 50 years as a greeter, extraordinary minister of holy Communion and coordinator of funeral luncheons. She is a longtime member and current president of the St. Martin de Porres Society, the parish’s outreach to Black Catholics. She also aids in the parish’s Easter celebration and Thanksgiving meal distribution as well as fundraisers for the St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.

‘Restorative Justice and the Role of Faith’

NOTRE DAME – Holy Cross College is excited to announce college president Rev. David T. Tyson, CSC, as a guest speaker at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day happening February 6-9, in Washington, D.C. He will speak on “Restorative Justice and the Role of Faith.” Among the handful of issues with bi-partisan support during the recent past has been an increased interest in prison reform, including the positive role higher education can play in turning lives around. The effort has led to a reversal of the ban on Pell Grants for the incarcerated. Faith-based groups, both conservative and liberal, played an essential role in this policy turnaround. Tyson will speak about the Holy Cross College Moreau College Initiative, which is an academic collaboration between Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Correction. College students incarcerated at Westville Correctional Facility earn credits towards a Holy Cross College Associate of Arts degree. 

Sisters of Providence present discernment mini-retreat

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods – What is discernment? How can it help you make tough life decisions? Find out at the upcoming virtual mini-retreat hosted by the Sisters of Providence. Sister Denise Wilkinson, SP, will lead the mini-retreat “Discern with Sister Denise,” which will examine how prayerful reflective exploring and listening can help you see where God is leading you. The mini-retreat will take place from 6:30-7:45 p.m. on Feb. 11. All single Catholic women ages 18-42 are invited. Don’t leave your future up to chance; allow Sister Denise to offer insight into prayerful listening. Register online at MiniRetreat.SistersofProvidence.org or by contacting Sisters of Providence Vocations Director Sister Joni Luna, SP, at 361-500-9505 or at [email protected].

Sisters of Providence present ‘Mystics – A Journey of Discovery’

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods  — Join the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods virtually via Zoom or in-person for “Mystics – A Journey of Discovery.” The sessions will take place on Sundays (Feb. 20, March 13 and April 10) in the Foley Room at Providence Spirituality & Conference Center, from 1:30-3 p.m. Each of the sessions will explore the lives, writings and prayers of three remaining mystics. You will examine what mysticism is and how God continues to invite Christians into deeper relationship with divine union. Sister Jan Craven and Sister Paula Damiano will facilitate the workshops and will discuss Meister Eckhart on Feb. 20, Dorothy Day on March 13 and St. John XXIII on April 10. Cost to attend one session is $15. Register online at Events.SistersofProvidence.org or by calling 812-535-2952 or emailing [email protected].

Free tax preparation

FORT WAYNE – St. Mary, Mother of God Parish is offering free tax preparation for those with incomes under $58,000 from Jan. 31 to April 13. Participants must bring: copy of 2020 federal tax return, stimulus payment amount, health insurance information for all household members, photo ID, Social Security card or ITN card and birth dates, tax forms, any letters from the IRS, bank account information (if choosing direct deposit), rent or homeowner information, child care information and tuition information. All information can be dropped off at the parish on Mondays from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. There are also drop-off sites at the Catholic Charities office in Auburn, the Kendallville and Ligonier public libraries and the Carnegie Public Library in Steuben County. For more information, call 211 or 866-211-9966.

Holy Cross College to offer philosophy major

SOUTH BEND – Holy Cross College at Notre Dame in South Bend is adding the option of a philosophy major to their academic curriculum. David Lutz, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at Holy Cross College, explains that: “For as long as the Catholic intellectual tradition has existed, philosophy has been understood to be an essential part of it,” cementing the importance of the option of philosophy as a study at a Catholic educational institution. Incorporated in the philosophy program are 11 required courses in the history of Western philosophy including: logic, philosophy of nature, metaphysics, philosophical anthropology, epistemology, moral philosophy and natural theology. Lutz further iterates that the addition of the philosophy major at Holy Cross College is meant “to fill a void in our liberal arts education” because “philosophy is an essential component of any Catholic academic institution of liberal education.” Lutz resolves that philosophy is another means by which people achieve the vocation to which God has called them, prompting and elevating logic, communication and a religious ministry vocation.

Notre Dame presents 2022 ‘Conversations That Matter’ webinar 

SOUTH BEND – The University of Notre Dame will launch the 2022 spring installment of “Conversations That Matter,” a webinar series that the Notre Dame Office of Life and Human Dignity started in 2020 in order to maintain a broader cultural dialogue about life issues.

Human dignity and bioethics are the main focuses for this semester’s webinar series. Spring conversations will cover topics entitled, “Morality and the Microscope: The Basics of Bioethics,” “Trapped in Our Jeans? The Role of Genes in Determining Our Self” and “Editing Humanity? Creating with CRISPR.” A panel of experts will join each conversation for further appreciation of these complex topics. The webinar’s first conversation is open for registration and will be held on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Included in this conversation are Carter Snead, professor of law and director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, Charles Camosy, professor of theology at Fordham University and Kristin Collier, professor of internal medicine and director of the program on health, spirituality, and religion at the University of Michigan. Each panelist will present a 10-minute presentation, and the session will end with a live Q & A.

Provided by Jenny Conrad
Members of the Bishop Luers High School basketball team spend time with refugees from Afghanistan after their Jan. 28 game. These refugees have recently resettled in the Fort Wayne area and have been welcomed by various Catholic organizations and volunteers.