November 24, 2015 // Uncategorized

Around the Diocese: November 29, 2015

Todays Catholic

Christ Child Festival to celebrate ‘Christmas in the Park’

FORT WAYNE — The Christ Child Festival will host “Christmas in the Park” on Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Franke Park, 3411 Sherman Blvd.

Activities for the entire family include horse-drawn wagon/carriage ride, the “Streets of Bethlehem” with a Nativity featuring live animals. “Audience of One” youth theater troupe will offer re-enactments and interactions with visitors. Participants may walk through “Streets of Jerusalem” with live camels, puppet show on the ark float, booth on prayer with books for the children, animal balloons, crafts and games inside children’s tent as well as an Animal Grams petting zoo. Musicians, singers and speakers will entertain in the talent-sharing tent.

Visitors may write a note to a veteran that will be delivered to the VA Northern Indiana Health Services Facility on Lake Avenue. The cards will accompany the decorated Christmas tree that is on display at “Christmas in the Park.”

Visitors may also pack a “Bag of Blessings” to be distributed to area homeless, contribute toward the postage for the “Little Dresses For Africa” project and view a wide variety of displays in the heated pavilion including a “Make it … Take it … Say ‘Merry Christmas,’” and a Nativity collection.

Admission is free.  Refreshments will be served in the pavilion. For more information contact Judi Hapke at 260-447-9437 or visit www.christchildfest.org.

Lecture, panel to discuss helping those in need

FORT WAYNE — The Notre Dame Club of Fort Wayne and Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne-South Bend, in conjunction with the Alumni Association of the University of Notre Dame, will host a lecture followed by a panel discussion focused on current research and programs aimed at helping those in need. The lecture and panel discussion will be held Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Allen County Main Library, Meeting Rooms B and C. The event will include a scholar from the University of Notre Dame and two panelists from the Fort Wayne community. Attendees will have an opportunity to interact with panel members during a Q&A session.

Panelists include:

• William N. Evans, Ph.D. — Professor Evans received his Ph.D. in economics in 1987 from Duke University. He was a faculty member at the University of Maryland for 20 years before joining Notre Dame as the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Economics. His research covers a broad range of areas, including health economics as well as labor economics, public finance and the economics of education. Professor Evans is a co-founder of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), a unique research center that partners with local agencies such as Catholic Charities in an attempt to provide evidence-based poverty solutions.

• Gloria Whitcraft — Gloria Whitcraft is the Chief Executive Office for Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Inc. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s of science in education with a counseling concentration, and is licensed in the state of Indiana as marriage and family therapist. Whitcraft has worked in social services for 20 years. She previously worked at Lutheran Social Services of Indiana, Park Center, Inc., Choices, Inc. and Liberty Behavioral Health.

• Nyein Chan — Nyein Chan’s experiences as a displaced person and émigré have made him a knowledgeable, social worker in Catholic Charities’ refugee resettlement efforts. Chan, a former refugee from Burma, came to the U.S. in 1994. He was sponsored by Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne and started working as a case manager in 2000. He was named resettlement director in 2004. He has an undergraduate in Organizational Leadership and is completing his graduate studies.

The event is free and open to the public. RSVP by emailing Jacob Benedict at [email protected].

St. Bavo to host ‘Festival of Lessons and Carols’

MISHAWAKA — St. Bavo Church, 511 W. 7th St. in Mishawaka, will host its 11th annual “Festival of Lessons and Carols,” on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. The program will feature the Marian High School and St. Bavo Liturgical Choirs and the Antioch Youth Group. Father Bob Lengerich, pastor of St. Dominic Church in Bremen, will preside.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service celebrating the birth of Jesus. It is a brief journey through salvation history. The readings begin with the story of the fall of humanity, followed by the promise of the Messiah and then the birth of Jesus. All told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and choral music.

The public is invited and admission is free.

Internationalization efforts at Saint Mary’s garner recognition

NOTRE DAME — Saint Mary’s College had much to celebrate last week during International Education/Modern Languages Week. The 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released Monday, ranks Saint Mary’s College 25th among all U.S. baccalaureate institutions in total undergraduate study abroad participation. The Open Doors Report study abroad findings are based on 2013-14 data. The Institute of International Education (IIE) publishes the Open Doors Report and releases it annually during International Education Week.

This is the second time this fall that the women’s college, with an enrollment of about 1,600 students, has been recognized for the percentage of students who study abroad. In September, U.S. News & World Report (which uses a slightly different metric) ranked Saint Mary’s College among the top 100 institutions in its list “Best Colleges: Most students studying abroad.” The college was ranked 44th in the nation, with 51 percent of the college’s 2014 graduates participating in study abroad programs.

Saint Mary’s has also experienced continued growth in the international student population on campus due to the college’s English Language School, the international student exchange program, the Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant program, and the four-year degree-seeking international students.

Beginning in the fall the college is partnering with the Training Program for Students and Teachers Proyecta 100,000 Estado de Mexico to host a cohort of students from Mexico for one month to learn English. Five students came to campus in October and another group of 20 students from the Proyecta program will attend the English Language School in December.

The College’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) oversees the study abroad program and internationalization efforts on campus.

Arthur Snyder makes commitment as a Providence Associate

FORT WAYNE — Fort Wayne resident Arthur E. Snyder deepened his relationship with the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Saturday, Nov. 14, as he made a commitment as a Providence Associate, joining 27 other 2015 associates with the Sisters of Providence.

“Since I have been associated with the Sisters of Providence for many years, it was a more in-depth opportunity to understand the charism of the congregation,” Snyder said. “This reinforced my connection to my faith and the Sisters of Providence particularly as it relates to love, mercy and justice.”

Director of Providence Associates Sister Diane Mason said in order to become a Providence Associate, a candidate is paired with a Sister of Providence or Providence Associate companion and goes through a year of study, prayer and reflection. Snyder’s companion was Sister Denise Wilkinson.

Sister Diane said the Nov. 14 commitment ceremony brought the total of Providence Associates to more than 220 in the United States and Taiwan. The relationship began nine years ago.

In late October of this year, more than 40 women and men began their journey as Candidate-Associates. The associate relationship is open to people of faith, ages 18 and older.

For more information visit ProvidenceAssociates.org or contact Providence Associate Debbie Dillow at 317-250-3294.