Around the Diocese: October 23, 2016

Rejoice Women’s Retreat

PLYMOUTH — Registration is open for the Rejoice! Women’s Retreat, which takes place Dec. 2-4 at Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center, 9601 Union Rd. This retreat is an invitation to deepen daily prayer and open  life more fully to the action of the Holy Spirit. The featured speaker is Debbie Herbeck, Catholic speaker, facilitator and author.  Register online at www.diocesefwsb.org/rejoice or call Jan Torma at 574-291-3381.

St. Jude Parish plans mission

FORT WAYNE — St. Jude Parish will have a mission, “Founded on Mercy,” with John Sehorn as presenter, Oct. 23-25 from 7-8 p.m.  There will be a children’s program for kindergarten throughgrade five with childcare available and a reception each evening.

The mission is going to focus on God’s gift of mercy, look at mercy from a unique perspective and explore the teachings of some of the Fathers of the Catholic faith.  The “Fathers of the Church” is a term that normally classifies the great teachers of the Catholic faith from the first seven centuries after the Resurrection.  Three Church Fathers: St. Athanasius, St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great will be presented by  John Sehorn, Ph.D., an expert in the theology of the early Church who will help to understand these great theologians.

Redeemer Radio fundraiser set

FORT WAYNE — Redeemer Radio will host a Fall Sharathon fundraiser event Oct. 24-28. Redeemer Radio is an area nonprofit dedicated to nurturing individuals toward greater Catholic discipleship.  Live programming will be available for 55 hours during the week as staff and guests from area parishes, apostolates and ministries discuss how they evangelize and partner with Redeemer Radio in their work.  National radio personality and Sharathon host Jerry Usher will be joined in studio with new guests every hour.

Executive Director Cindy Black commented, when asked about the importance of Sharathon: “When you call in with a pledge to our Sharathon, not only do you keep local Catholic radio on the air, you become an instrument of the Holy Spirit to share God’s infinite mercy and love with all of our listeners.”

Redeemer Radio is primarily funded by its listeners and will be taking donations during the on-air fundraiser, with the theme of “Sharing His Mercy” in support of the Jubilee Year of Mercy established by Pope Francis.

Pledges are taken by phone at 888-436-1450, online at www.RedeemerRadio.com/donate.

Calligrapher to kick off St. John’s Bible exhibt

NOTRE DAME — Donald Jackson, a Welsh calligrapher and artistic director of the illuminated St. John’s Bible, will speak at the University of Notre Dame on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The lecture kicks off “A Year with the St. John’s Bible,” a series of lectures and interactive events coinciding with an exhibition of the St. John’s Bible Heritage Edition in the Hesburgh Library.

The St. John’s Bible is a handwritten text featuring more than 160 inspired images that illuminate the deepest mysteries of God’s Word. Jackson collaborated with Benedictine monks at St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., and numerous scribes and artists to produce the seven-volume manuscript.

During his lecture “Ancient Texts in a Modern World,” Jackson will explore the Bible’s sacred text and art and discuss the project’s history. The lecture will be held in Andrews Auditorium in Geddes Hall.

“A Year with the St. John’s Bible” is sponsored by the McGrath Institute for Church Life. The Heritage Edition, a high-quality reproduction of the original manuscript, arrives in January at the university where it will be displayed in the Hesburgh Library Department of Rare Books and Special Collections until December.

“The Scriptures are not just any text. Rather, through the Bible, we come to encounter the Incarnate Word dwelling even now in the Church,” said John Cavadini, McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “The St. John’s Bible nourishes the imagination of the modern world to see the Scriptures once again as an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ.”

Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome to attend Jackson’s lecture.

For information contact Brett Robinson, Director of Communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, [email protected].

Liturgical day held at Our Lady of Guadalupe

WARSAW — A Liturgical workshop day for proclaimers and extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion was sponsored by the Office for Hispanic Ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Warsaw, on Saturday Oct. 8.

Approximately 140 participants either began or renewed their commitment to ministry during the day of reflection. St. Dominic, Bremen; St. Michael, Plymouth; St. John the Evangelist, Goshen; St. Joseph, LaGrange; St. Patrick, Ligonier; Our Lady of Hungary, South Bend; St. Vincent, Elkhart; and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Warsaw; were among the parishes represented.

St. Vincent de Paul’s adopt-a-family work seeks volunteers

SOUTH BEND — The annual Christmas Program of St. Vincent de Paul provides food and toys to hundreds of people in the community. To adopt a family, visit www.svdpsb.org  by December 5. Christmas program families in need of toys and food this holiday season sign-ups will be held October 24-28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 520 Crescent Ave.

USF Catholic Political Responsibilities lecture

FORT WAYNE — The St. Thomas More Society of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Department of Philosophy and Theology and the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Saint Francis, invite the public to a free public lecture, “Catholic Political Responsibilities,” as part of the 2016-17 USF Philosophy and Theology lecture series. The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese, will speak about the political responsibility of Catholics, including the duty to vote according to a well-formed conscience. He will speak about faithful citizenship in light of the social doctrine of the Church, highlighting Church teaching and principles for prudential decisions in voting as well as Catholic engagement in the civic order. The lecture will take place Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. on the campus of the University of Saint Francis, North Campus Auditorium, 2702 Spring Street, Fort Wayne. For additional information contact Angie Springer at 260-399-7700 x8100 or [email protected].

ALPHA for Catholics

Is your parish looking for ways to reach out to those outside the Church or on the fringes of faith and lapsed Catholics? Does your parish want to build a stronger faith community? ALPHA is a program being used by thousands of Catholic parishes around the world as a primary tool of evangelization and endorsed by the USCCB. Father John Riccardo, host of “Christ is the Answer” on Redeemer Radio brought ALPHA to his parish in Plymouth, Mich., with the goal to lead as many people in the parish as possible into an encounter with Jesus and into deeper friendships with each other. He says of ALPHA “hands down, I have never seen any program have as far reaching an impact as ALPHA.”

To learn more an informational meeting hosted by the Office of Evangelization will be Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the St. John Paul II Center in Mishawaka or on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 6:30–8 p.m. at the Archbishop Noll Center in Fort Wayne.  For information, contact Allison at 260-399-1452 or [email protected].

Shroud of Turin presentation offered

GOSHEN — The St. John the Evangelist welcoming committee sponsored a presentation on the Shroud of Turin on Sunday, Oct. 3. The presentation was given by Elkhart County resident Brian Cray, a parishioner at St. Mary of the Assumption, Bristol.

Cray spent years studying all the research about the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin and had a life-size replica made so he could better explain the different marks on the cloth. He pointed out the suffering Christ endured in His passion by means of what is exhibited on the shroud. Cray’s display also included replicas of the crown of thorns and weapons used in the scourging, and a picture of the Sudarium of Oviedo, believed to be the face cloth that covered Christ’s face after his crucifixion.

The 90-minute presentation included time for questions and answers.