September 18, 2022 // Diocese

Around the Diocese: September 18, 2022

Todays Catholic

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Understanding God’s Plan for Human Sexuality When Your Child Has Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

ONLINE — A virtual presentation will be held on Monday, Sept. 26, via zoom, for those parenting a child with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 

Issues related to sexuality can raise important questions. Some include: How to handle puberty? What about inappropriate sexual behaviors? Are dating and romantic relationships possible? What are the ways to avoid exploitation or abuse?

This live, virtual presentation, developed exclusively for the parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages, explores how the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality can help families navigate these challenges and others, while also giving them deeper insight into God’s plan for their children. The special role that parents play in educating their children in this area will be discussed. 

Time during the presentation will also be dedicated to discussion among parents about personal experiences and concerns as well as for asking questions of the presenters. Presenters are Mary O’Callaghan, Ph.D. and Clare Kilbane, Ph.D.

To register, contact Allison Sturm at [email protected] or 260-399-1452. 

Sponsored by Marriage & Family Ministry, Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, and the McGrath Institute for Church Life.

St. Joseph Missions Receives Grant

FORT WAYNE – In response to the urgent need for emergency shelter for single women, St. Joseph Missions received a $20,000 grant from St. Joseph Community Health Foundation. St. Joseph Missions Women’s Shelter is the first and only 24-hour, 7-days-a-week emergency shelter in Allen County expressly for single women who are experiencing homelessness. The emergency shelter, funded in part by the grant, provides a welcoming, homelike refuge for guests who have nowhere to call home. The ultimate goal for each guest is self-sufficiency.

Saint Francis Welcomes Presidential Catholic Scholarship Recipients

FORT WAYNE – The University of Saint Francis welcomed its second class of Presidential Catholic Scholarship recipients as fall classes began.
The Presidential Catholic Scholarship is a full-tuition and fees scholarship. Selected students must practice the Catholic faith and embrace Franciscan values, demonstrate commitment and perseverance under pressure, graduate with a 3.0 or higher grade point average, and receive a strong recommendation from their high schools and parishes. 

Bethany Beebe
Viewers enjoyed the creative labors of hobby-carpenter Father Thomas Shoemaker during rectory tours on Saturday, Sept. 10 as part of Cardinal Fest. The open house showcased Shoemaker’s carpentry and painting skills, including the pictured door frame and reredos. The art is part of a chapel at the St. Charles Borromeo, Fort Wayne rectory.

Provided by Jeanne Hohenstein
Members of Bishop Luers High School band came to St. John the Baptist School in Fort Wayne to perform a concert and spark an interest in students at the feeder school to join the high school band.

Kevin Kilbane
Host John McGivern, in blue shirt, and a film crew from his television travel program “John McGivern’s Main Streets” toured the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend’s Diocesan Museum in Fort Wayne and interviewed museum Director Kathryn Imler on Sept. 6 while filming for a show about visiting Fort Wayne. The 30-minute shows, which are produced by Plum Media of Milwaukee, explore the history, charm, and attractions of communities in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The upcoming second season of shows will be broadcast on PBS stations beginning in January. The show on Fort Wayne is expected to air in mid-March. A cradle Catholic, McGivern enjoyed seeing the museum’s many artifacts and exhibits, especially an exhibit honoring the many orders of women religious who have served in the diocese. The current season’s “Main Streets” programs are available on YouTube; via the show website, mainstreets.tv; and in South Bend at 9:30 a.m. Saturdays on TV station Fox WSBTDT2.