St. Cecilia Circle brings music to dining masses

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Nov 22, 2018

If drum circles do indeed refer to an informal gathering of musicians “jamming,” then the St. Cecilia Circle was aptly named.

Far beyond the circle’s honoring of the Church’s patron saint of music, St. Cecilia Circle, like its drum circle counterparts, can easily be identified as “countercultural.” Its repertoire is as broad as it comes — classical, bluegrass, pop, Gospel, blues, originals, covers — but St. Cecilia Circle musicians and every guest artist must abide by one rule: don’t play anything with lyrics that contradict the Catholic faith.

That especially means avoiding songs whose lyrics might go for the snicker or the blush among audiences. Some songs got deleted from the collection at the onset, but there were thousands they could agree with, said Doug Barnett, St. Cecilia Circle’s sound engineer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has about 300 songs he could play from memory.

That means audiences can attend multiple shows without hearing a repeat, save for one. St. Cecilia Circle’s theme song, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” is a staple at each show.

Any musician there at the time is welcome to join in. Doug takes the vocal lead for that one. Wife Barbara Rayes-Barnett occasionally does vocals, but audiences are most likely to see her with a flute or guitar. The two have been musicians since the ‘70s.

The St. Jerome parishioners formed St. Cecilia Circle in July 2017 after praying for a way to get parish musicians and Catholic musicians not part of a music ministry — about half of their artists — in front of bigger audiences. Two affiliated with area parishes happened to be booked for the same variety show the couple coordinates through their company, Barnett Productions.

Barbara Rayes-Barnett, left, and Doug Barnett, right, co-founded the St. Cecilia Circle to create a wholesome show for largely Catholic musicians could perform and all ages could enjoy. (Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN)

“They want joy. They want love. These things come from God. They’re the fruits of the Holy Spirit as entertainers,” Rayes-Barnett explained of the St. Cecilia Circle audience, which has ranged from 40 to 200.

The Circle now tries to have about four shows per year with breaks for Advent and Lent. Performances are at restaurants with family-friendly patios — largely Desert Rose Steakhouse in Glendale with North Mountain Brewing Company getting into the mix. The musicians quickly found a way to not just learn from one another, but to give back, too.

St. Cecilia Circle

All-ages concert within a family-friendly restaurant with 10 percent of sales and 100 percent of musician tips benefiting a Catholic or pro-life cause.

BARNETT PRODUCTIONS

“St. Cecilia Circle is always a social event featuring Catholic entertainers benefiting a Catholic or pro-life cause. Our favorite cause is the pro-life cause. I even shake trying to say what abortion is,” Rayes-Barnett said.

Variety show headliners choose the beneficiary — 100 percent of the tip jar and a percentage of restaurant sales. They overwhelmingly choose the pro-life cause. Places like Life Choices Women’s Clinics, Lotus Loft Maternity Housing and the St. Monica Pro-Life Ministry at St. Augustine Parish have benefited in the past.

“We want to bring back a culture of beauty through family-friendly entertainment,” Rayes-Barnett said.

Each variety show attracts 15-25 performers playing their top two or three songs. Some are seasoned musicians with regular gigs. Others only play at home. Lieu of You made their performance debut at a St. Cecilia Circle variety show in October after meeting in a school jazz band. Musicians tend to represent eight to 12 parishes per show and can play solo or invite the St. Cecilia House Band to play with them.

“Part of it is community and part of it is as a musician, there is a certain joy you get making music with other people,” Doug Barnett said. “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

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St. Cecilia Circle House Band

Doug Barnett (guitar, vocals)

Barbara Barnett (flute, guitar, vocals)

Jim Whitaker (piano, bass, vocals)

Magdalena Strahota (violin)

Rene Casasnovas (percussion)

Tom Lynch (percussion)

Stephen Strahota (percussion)

New percussionists are welcome

Jeff La Benz, a parishioner at St. Mary in Chandler, can relate. He brought his ukulele to the St. Cecilia Circle last month playing anything from John Denver to the Beatles to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

“Even though I’m one little instrument at home, I can come here and it’s like a big band,” La Benz said.

“It’s a chance for a person who doesn’t always get a gig to play in front of a real audience and have them clap at the end,” La Benz continued.

Though the musician lineup changes frequently, most house band members are regulars.

“It’s really the gift of the spirit that unites us and forms us into a community. We’re being formed and reformed and conformed to His will,” said Jim Whitaker, St. Cecilia Circle pianist, bassist and vocalist, plus longtime parish musician.

That will seems to be producing solid music and fostering a family-friendly atmosphere. Results move beyond friendships too with some audience members returning to church or learning more about the faith.

“Even here in this restaurant, I know of two people who went back to church,” Rayes-Barnett told The Catholic Sun during a variety show at Desert Rose Steakhouse last month.

Perhaps the next show can literally save a life. It will be a Valentine’s Day celebration Feb. 10 benefiting Lotus Loft Maternity Housing.

Next show

2-5 p.m. Feb. 10, 2019

McHugh Hall, Most Holy Trinity, 8620 N. 7th St.

Vendors welcome

INFO

Giving thanks in all things, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense

By

Joyce Coronel

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Nov 21, 2018

NEW YORK THANKSGIVING MEALS — A resident of East Flatbush, N.Y., smiles outside St. Jerome Church in the Brooklyn Diocese after receiving a Thanksgiving turkey Nov. 16. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens distributed more than 800 meals to local residents that day. (Melissa Enaje/CNS, via The Tablet)

A resident of East Flatbush, N.Y., smiles outside St. Jerome Church in the Brooklyn Diocese after receiving a Thanksgiving turkey Nov. 16. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens distributed more than 800 meals to local residents that day. (Melissa Enaje/CNS, via The Tablet)

It’s that time of year when Americans turn their hearts toward home and prepare for a Thanksgiving feast, one that brings us around the table to celebrate.

For many of us, it’s a time to give thanks for the blessings of family and friends, for our homes and our work. We give thanks for freedom and peace and security at a time when much of the world is torn by war and strife.

The Church teaches very wisely that in order to feast, we first have to enter into a fast. In other words, we empty ourselves and trust in Him, relying on His love and strength to carry us.

The world will tell you a different story: Feast every day, indulge yourself and fill up on as much stuff as possible. If we follow that path, we might find temporary happiness, but it doesn’t lead to a spirit of thanksgiving or to joy.

Giving generously from our want rather than our excess, a spirit of solidarity with the poor — these arise from a heart that has practiced self-denial for love of God.

Joyce Coronel is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun and author of “Cry of Ninevah.” Opinions expressed are the writers’ and not necessarily the views of The Catholic Sun or the Diocese of Phoenix.

Sleep on the floor a few nights or put yourself to bed hungry, and suddenly you’ve got empathy for that homeless person standing at the freeway entrance. Then there’s the bonus: a greater appreciation for the simple blessings of a comfortable bed and enough to eat. Step out in faith (and in spite of your own financial concerns) and write a generous check to support Catholic Charities or a pro-life pregnancy center, and your trust in Providence expands. Faith is like a muscle that grows stronger when we train hard and push through pain.

Though we ought to give thanks each day for all God has done for us, Thanksgiving Day also calls us to ponder what it means, as St. Paul tells us, to “in all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

We might find it easy to thank God when things are going well in our lives, but it seems counterintuitive when we’re struggling. How can we give thanks in “all circumstances” when we’re hurting? The answer is that we can’t — unless we’ve learned to cultivate a thankful heart and rely on the grace of God in our lives.

I think of a dear friend, a religious sister, who spent the entire first five decades of her life on the East Coast. At a time when most people begin to think about retirement and settling down to a more quiet existence, God had other plans for Sr. Jean Marie. Her religious superior dealt stunning news: She was to leave everything behind and move to Phoenix.

I’m sure Sister shed more than a few tears at the thought of leaving, but because she had learned to trust God completely and thank Him in all circumstances, she said: “If He’s leading me to Phoenix, He must have something good for me there.” And of course, He did. She found love and blessings and joy here in a desert that at first seemed so bleak.

Things aren’t going your way in life? Thank God. Your friend has abandoned you or betrayed you? Thank God. Your doctor gave you a tough diagnosis? Thank God. Thank Him for His love and protection and tender care, thank Him though your heart is breaking.

It sounds crazy and you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but we can believe it. God has our best interests at heart and He is faithful. We may not understand His reasons for our troubles while we pass through this earthly exile of ours, but we can be sure that He loves us, has a plan for our good and will never abandon us.

We give thanks, even when it is painful to do so, because we trust Him completely. In the midst of wonder or woe we can learn to say, along with other believers across the centuries, these words from Chronicles: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His mercy endures forever” (1 Chr 16:34).

Profiles in Mission: Norma Carrillo

By

Ambria Hammel

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Nov 21, 2018

Names: Norma Carrillo

Affiliation: Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Role with St. Vincent de Paul: Volunteer Services Coordinator and oversees “Hearts and Hands” Kids Days

How did you get involved with St. Vincent de Paul?

I began as an intern in 2011 through AmeriCorps. I fell in love with this mission. I was praying to God and said, “This is where I want to be and this is the kind of work I want to do. Please keep me in a place like this where I can help people in need.” So God heard my prayers and a month and a half later, they offered me a job here.

Related

Francis Mercy Fund to bolster, in part, SVdP outreach

What does this campaign mean?

It will help feed more people in need. That’s what St. Vincent de Paul’s mission is: to feed, clothe, house and heal those in need. I’ve been here seven years and they use the money well. I could tell you stories of how people’s lives change.

Jose came five years ago. He was 56 years old. [Health issues led to unemployment] Because of that his wife left him and took the kids because he wasn’t able to provide. [He was so grateful for a bed at a nearby shelter he came to St. Vincent de Paul to help. Carrillo asked him,] “Why don’t you start by volunteering? That can give you some hope.”

We all go through hard times. Things will get better. You don’t know when, but it will get better.

“Hearts and Hands” Kids Day

An all-ages volunteer event supporting St. Vincent de Paul outreach. 9 a.m.-noon

Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving)

Dec. 1

Dec. 24

From a St. Vincent de Paul perspective, how does this campaign speak to evangelization and discipleship?

I feel we’re all disciples and we have to spread the Good News. You’re teaching the young kids and they’re the future. By teaching them, you’re going to be teaching others. I can see the passion in the kids serving others in the community. By making sack lunches at this event, they’re feeding people. It’s a good way to evangelize and treat people like family. We’re all in this together.

Saluda al Diácono Jeffrey Strom

By

Justin Bell

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Nov 21, 2018

Dcn. Jeff Strom WEB — New Dcn. Jeff Strom from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Scottsdale was ordained Nov. 3 and will serve at his parish. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN) El nuevo Diácono Jeff Strom de la Parroquia Santo Sacramento en Scottsdale fue ordenado el 3 de noviembre y sirve en su parroquia. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

El nuevo Diácono Jeff Strom de la Parroquia Santo Sacramento en Scottsdale fue ordenado el 3 de noviembre y sirve en su parroquia. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

El recién ordenado Diácono Jeffrey Strom no pensó en convertirse en diácono hasta que en los últimos años, cuando en el transcurso de un mes, tres personas diferentes se lo sugirieron. Esto llamó su atención y comenzó a dar pasos hacia este ministerio y el Señor siguió abriendo puertas.

“Todas estas cosas me llevaron al viaje de discernimiento diaconal y formación acompañado por el aumento de la paz y la alegría”, escribió el Diácono Strom sobre su proceso, que incluyó el apoyo y el discernimiento de su esposa, en su breve autobiografía que proporcionó a El Sol Católico.

El Diácono Strom fue ordenado al diaconado permanente para la Diócesis de Phoenix el 3 de noviembre, junto con otros cinco hombres. Casado con su esposa Laurie durante casi 32 años, el nuevo diácono se une al grupo exclusivo de hombres que están en camino de recibir los siete sacramentos del Señor. Es también padre de un hijo y una hija, y sirve en su parroquia Santo Sacramento en Scottsdale.

El Obispo Thomas J. Olmsted impone los manos al nuevo Diácono Jeffrey Strom, ordenándolo al diaconado permanente el 3 de noviembre en la Catedral SS. Simón y Judas. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

El Diácono Strom creció en Ohio en una familia donde sus padres, Tom y Aileen, se sacrificaron para asegurar que sus cuatro hijos pudieran asistir a escuelas Católicas. “Mi servicio a la Iglesia comenzó en el segundo grado tocando la guitarra en la Misa cuando la guitarra era igual de grande que yo”, escribió.

Años más tarde, conocería a Laurie en un programa de estudios de trabajo en la NASA. Para que un hombre casado se convierta en diácono permanente, su esposa debe acompañarlo a través de su formación con su bendición. El Diácono Strom dijo que necesitaba el 200 por ciento de apoyo de su esposa o de lo contrario su esfuerzo no funcionaría.

Un tiempo clave para el Diácono Strom fue cuando él y Laurie se inscribieron en el Instituto Catequético Kino de la diócesis para profundizar su fe. En el lapso de un mes, escuchó a tres personas sugerile o referirse a que se convirtiera en diácono: un compañero estudiante de Kino, alguien del estudio bíblico de su parroquia y su propia madrina. Después de dos años con Kino, continuó con otros cinco años de formación con miras a ser un diácono permanente.

El nuevo Diácono Jeffrey Strom presente el cáliz a otros diáconos durante la Liturgia de la Eucaristía en su Misa de Ordenación Diaconal el 3 de noviembre. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Parte del proceso de profundizar su fe incluyó el desarrollo adicional de su vida de oración, incluida la oración en silencio.

“He llegado a aprender y apreciar el poder del silencio”, enfatizó el Diácono Strom.

En la semana previa a su ordenación, dijo que se sentía humillado, honrado, emocionado y “completamente bendecido”.

En referencia a qué le entusiasma de ser diácono estableció: “Que podemos tocar muchas vidas de diferentes maneras: Bautismos, funerales, vigilias, sirviendo en la Misa, sin duda, los diversos ministerios dentro de la parroquia”.

El Diácono Strom también está trabajando para ser un capellán de hospital certificado por la junta directiva, que se basa en su experiencia previa en capellanía. También será mentor de capellán de nuevos candidatos y coordinará los diferentes retiros de diáconos para la diócesis, aprovechando su experiencia.

Meet Dcn. Jeffrey Strom

By

Justin Bell

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Nov 21, 2018

New Dcn. Jeff Strom from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Scottsdale was ordained Nov. 3 and will serve at his parish. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Newly ordained Dcn. Jeffrey Strom did not think of becoming a deacon until in recent years, when in the course of a month three different people suggested the role to him. This caught his attention and he started taking steps toward this ordained ministry and the Lord kept opening doors.

“All these things led me to the journey of diaconate discernment and formation accompanied by increasing peace and joy,” wrote Dcn. Strom about his journey, that included his wife’s support and discernment, in his brief biography which he passed on to the Sun.

Dcn. Strom was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Phoenix Nov. 3, along with five other men. Married to his wife Laurie for almost 32 years, the new deacon joins the exclusive group of men who are on track to receive all seven sacraments of the Lord. Dcn. Strom is also a father of a son and daughter and serves at his home parish of Blessed Sacrament in Scottsdale.

EN ESPAÑOL: Saluda al Diácono Jeffrey Strom

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted lays hands on Jeffrey Strom, ordaining him a permanent deacon Nov. 3 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Dcn. Strom grew up in Ohio in a family where his parents, Tom and Aileen, sacrificed to ensure all four of their children could attend Catholic schools. “My simple service to the Church began in the second grade playing guitar at Mass when the guitar was as big as me,” he wrote.

Years later he would meet Laurie at a work study program at NASA. In order for a married man to become a permanent deacon, his wife must accompany him through the journey with her blessing. Dcn. Strom said that he needed 200 percent support from his wife or the deacon endeavor would not work.

A foundational time for Dcn. Strom was when he and Laurie enrolled in the diocese’s Kino Catechetical Institute to deepen their faith. Within the span of a month, he heard three people suggesting or referencing him becoming a deacon: a fellow Kino student, someone from his parish Bible study and his own godmother. After two years with Kino, he continued with another five years of formation on the road to being a permanent deacon.

New Dcn. Jeff Strom presents the chalice to other permanent deacons during the Liturgy of the Eucharist in his diaconal Ordination Mass Nov. 3. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Part of the process of deepening his faith included further developing his prayer life, including silent prayer.

“I’ve come to learn and appreciate the power of silence,” said Dcn. Strom.

In the week leading up to his ordination, Dcn. Strom said he felt humbled, honored, excited and “completely blessed.”

In regards, to what excites him about being a deacon?

“Just being able to touch that many lives in different ways: Baptisms, funerals, vigils, serving at Mass certainly, the various ministries within the parish,” Dcn. Storm said.

Dcn. Strom is also working to be a board certified hospital chaplain, which builds on his previous chaplaincy experience. He will also be a chaplain mentor to new candidates and coordinate the various deacon retreats for the diocese, drawing on his business experience.

Giving thanks for Thanksgiving

By

Catholic News Service

-

Nov 20, 2018

Mynor Gutierrez, a migrant from Guatemala who is part of a caravan traveling to the United States, carries a bucket decorated with a U.S. flag and a text that reads “American Dream,” while he walks with fellow migrants along a road in Tapanatepec, Mexico. Columnist Greg Erlandson writes that many of those born in the U.S. should be thankful for the blessings they sometimes take for granted. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/CNS, via Reuters)

I was in the middle of a root canal when I began to think about gratitude. To be clear, I was not performing the root canal. It was being performed on me. I had a jaw full of Novocain, and though I was numb, I had the distinct impression that the doctor was all but jumping up and down on my tooth as he filled in the space where the nerves had been.

Perhaps it was the Novocain talking, but in the midst of my discomfort, I started thinking about all that I had to be grateful for. I began to think of my wife, my children, my siblings and my friends. It still felt like the doctor at any moment would be apologizing for accidentally disconnecting my lower jaw, but now I felt calmer. Being grateful puts things in the best possible perspective.

That’s why I’m thinking that Thanksgiving couldn’t come at a better time this year.

Our political system is inflamed with hostility and resentments. Our Church is riddled with scandal, division and distrust. The planet is warming to a dangerous level.

Greg Erlandson’s column “Amid the Fray” appears regularly on Catholic News Service. He is director and editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service and can be reached at **gerlandson@catholicnews.com.** Follow him on Twitter at **@GregErlandson**.

The Red Sox even beat my Dodgers.

We’ve got a lot on our minds, and most of it is bad. It feels like someone is jumping up and down on our spirit.

Times like this try our souls, threatening to turn us into fuming hashtags on social media, honking at strangers on public streets and unfriending friends digitally or otherwise.

We are dispirited, as if some sort of unhappiness virus has been unleashed on us. Our economy is on a sugar high from all the tax cuts and booming. Yet pollsters tell us we remain darkly worried about our country’s future.

We aren’t grateful. We are fearful. Fearful of a ragtag band of people walking north in the hopes of finding the American dream. Fearful of those who don’t look like us. Fearful of those who do look like us but who harbor terrible hatreds, even violence, in their hearts.

And all this happening in the richest, most powerful, most materially blessed nation in the history of the world.

Thanksgiving couldn’t come at a better time this year, because gratitude is the one inexhaustible natural resource we seem to have a shortage of these days.

We start with gratitude for our country. We are certainly not perfect. Yet it is so easy to forget the rights we have been given and the opportunities that are available to us.

Those of us born here had no say in selecting our birth country, so America is a true gift, an unmerited blessing. We can also be grateful for the immigrants among us. Their sacrifices and their commitment to better their lives are a constant reminder of the blessings we sometimes take for granted.

And as we put away the remains of the Thanksgiving feast — itself a blessing that embodies the abundance of our land — and prepare for Advent, we must remember to be grateful for the gift of faith and for our Catholic Church.

The Church has taken some big hits lately. That they are mostly self-inflicted is heartbreaking. Yet we must recall the good priests, the dedicated nuns, the faithful laypeople who remain everywhere around us if we look for them. They are the hands and feet and face of the Lord we profess to follow, the Lord whose Incarnation we are about to celebrate.

President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It breeds envy and resentment. Gratitude, however, breeds both joy and humility, thankfulness for graces received. Even for a successful root canal.

Meet Dcn. Stephen Schmidt

By

Ambria Hammel

-

Nov 20, 2018

Dcn. Steve Schmidt WEB — New Dcn. Steve Schmidt from St. Timothy Parish in Mesa was ordained Nov. 3 and will serve at his Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN) El nuevo Diácono Steve Schmidt de la Parroquia San Timoteo en Mesa fue ordenado el 3 de noviembre y sirve en la Parroquia Espíritu Santo en Tempe. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Final conversion yields ordination, service within true Church

New Dcn. Steve Schmidt from St. Timothy Parish in Mesa was ordained Nov. 3 and will serve at his Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

From preaching on the front porch to at the pulpit, Dcn. Stephen Schmidt can see God’s hand in it all.

He was raised Baptist and even served as interim pastor of a charismatic storefront church, all while bearing a given name mirroring that of a canonized Catholic deacon — also the Church’s first martyr. Splits within the Church across centuries over Scripture interpretation and other turmoil ultimately brought his wife, Donna and then himself to Catholicism. Her father was brought up Catholic.

“Instead of the pastor being the focus, Jesus was still the focus,” Dcn. Schmidt said.

He ended up converting to Catholicism at a Mesa church named after the same Epistle writer whose verse earned him a Scripture memorization contest as a child: St. Timothy.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted lays hands on Stephen Schmidt, ordaining him to the permanent diaconate Nov. 3 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Two deacons, his wife, daughter Anna and some Rite of Christian Initiation sponsors encouraged him to discern the diaconate as soon as he was eligible. Deacon candidates in the Diocese of Phoenix must be Catholic for at least five years prior to submitting an application. Dcn. Schmidt was welcomed into the Church in 2007 and spent the last five years in diaconate formation.

“I found him to be a very bright man, a very humble man, a very eager-to-help man who knows his Scriptures,” Dcn. Abe Calderon from St. Timothy said four days before his own anniversary of ordination.

Those qualities inspired him to mention the diaconate to Dcn. Schmidt while he was still going through RCIA. The pair continued to work together in RCIA ministry and served at the altar during Dcn. Schmidt’s formation. The new deacon even researched and reminded the more established ones of some things. It was the software engineer in him.

Knowing Scripture was fairly easy, but passages like the Bread of Life Discourse had new meaning. A lot of those Scripture passages he memorized or referenced as a Protestant came back to him as ordination neared because they centered on grace. That gift was clear to Dcn. Schmidt during the laying on of hands at his ordination.

EN ESPAÑOL: Saluda al Diácono Stephen Schmidt

New Dcn. Stephen Schmidt processes from the church at the end of his Diaconal Ordination Mass Nov. 3 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. (Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN)

“There was something internally that happened. You could just feel the spirit, the grace of God,” he said. His wife described it as seeing heaven and earth in unity.

Dcn. Schmidt identified his main charism as being pastoral so he looks forward to going where he is called. That meant switching parishes to nearby Holy Spirit in Tempe where the need is greater. Dcn. Schmidt will be serving in ministry of care, infant baptism and RCIA.

“I love being a servant of the Lord however that looks,” Dcn. Schmidt said. He hopes the love and hope of Christ he brings to those in need allows them to encounter Christ in one another.

His wife is confident that can happen. The couple prays to St. Michael the Archangel each morning and Donna said her husband has a gift of gentleness and openness that allow people of all ages to be comfortable with him.

Saluda al Diácono Stephen Schmidt

By

Ambria Hammel

-

Nov 20, 2018

La conversión final lo llevó a la ordenación y servicio dentro de la verdadera Iglesia

El nuevo Diácono Steve Schmidt de la Parroquia San Timoteo en Mesa fue ordenado el 3 de noviembre y sirve en la Parroquia Espíritu Santo en Tempe. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Desde la predicación en el porche delantero hasta el púlpito, el Diácono Stephen Schmidt puede ver la mano de Dios en todo esto.

Fue criado como Bautista e incluso se desempeñó como pastor interino de una iglesia carismática frente a una tienda, mientras que lleva un nombre del primer diácono católico canonizado y también el primer mártir de la Iglesia — San Esteban.

Las divisiones dentro de la Iglesia a lo largo de los siglos sobre la interpretación de las Escrituras y otros disturbios finalmente llevaron a su esposa Donna y luego a él al catolicismo. El padre de ella se crio como Católico.

“En lugar de enfocarse en el pastor, Jesús seguía siendo el enfoque”, dijo el Diácono Schmidt.

Terminó convirtiéndose al catolicismo en una iglesia de Mesa que lleva el nombre del mismo escritor de la Epístola, cuyos versos le valieron un concurso de memorización de las Escrituras cuando era niño: San Timoteo.

El Obispo Thomas J. Olmsted impone los manos al Stephen Schmidt, ordenándolo al diaconado permanente el 3 de noviembre en la Catedral SS. Simón y Judas. (Jesús Valencia/CATHOLIC SUN)

Dos diáconos, su esposa Anna y algunos patrocinadores del Rito de Iniciación Cristiana para Adultos (RICA) lo alentaron a discernir el diaconado tan pronto como fuera elegible. Los candidatos a diáconos en la Diócesis de Phoenix deben ser católicos durante al menos cinco años antes de presentar una solicitud. El Diácono Schmidt fue recibido en la Iglesia en 2007 y pasó los últimos cinco años en formación del diaconado.

“Encontré que, en él a un hombre muy brillante, un hombre muy humilde, un hombre muy ansioso de ayudar que conoce sus Escrituras”, señaló el Diácono Abe Calderón de San Timoteo, cuatro días antes de su propio aniversario de ordenación.

Esas cualidades lo inspiraron a mencionar el diaconado al Diácono Schmidt mientras todavía estaba pasando por RICA. Ambos continuaron trabajando juntos en el ministerio de RICA y sirvieron en el altar durante la formación de Schmidt. El nuevo diácono incluso investigó y recordó a los más establecidos algunas cosas. Era el ingeniero de software en él.

Saber las Escrituras fue bastante fácil, pero pasajes como el Discurso del Pan de Vida tuvieron un nuevo significado. Muchos de esos pasajes de las Escrituras que él memorizó o mencionó como un Protestante regresaron a él cuando se acercaba la ordenación porque se centraban en la gracia. Ese regalo fue claro para el Diácono Schmidt durante la imposición de manos en su ordenación.

El nuevo Diácono Stephen Schmidt procesa desde la iglesia en la conclusión de se Misa de Ordenación Diaconado el 3 de noviembre en la Catedral SS. Simón y Judas. (Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN)

“Hubo algo interno que sucedió. Simplemente podías sentir el Espíritu, la gracia de Dios”, dijo. Su esposa lo describió como ver el cielo y la tierra en unidad.

El Diácono Schmidt identificó su carisma principal como pastoral, por lo que espera ir a donde se le llame. Eso significó cambiar parroquias al cercanas a la del Espíritu Santo en Tempe, donde hay más necesidad.

El Diácono Schmidt estará sirviendo en el ministerio de cuidado, bautismo infantil y RICA.

“Me encanta ser un siervo del Señor, sin embargo, eso parece”, expresó; espera que el amor y la esperanza de Cristo que aporta a los necesitados le permita encontrarse con Cristo en los demás.

Su esposa está segura de que eso puede suceder. La pareja le reza el Oración a San Miguel Arcángel cada mañana y Donna dice que su esposo tiene un don de gentileza y franqueza que permite que personas de todas las edades se sientan cómodas con él.

Pope offers prayers for victims of wildfires; death toll climbs

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Catholic News Service

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Nov 19, 2018

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DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO FIRE ASSISTANCE FUND

ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES WILDFIRE FUND

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) — Cal Fire officials reported that the death toll had reached 77 in the Camp Fire north of Sacramento, one of the deadliest blazes in the state. The number of people who are missing has reached almost 1,000.

At the Vatican Nov. 18, Pope Francis offered a “special prayer … to those affected by the fires that are plaguing California. … May the Lord welcome the deceased in His peace, comfort their families and support those who are involved in relief efforts.”

As of Nov. 19, 150,000 acres had been scorched and 12,794 structures destroyed by the Camp Fire. Containment of the fire was 65 percent to date and full containment was expected Nov. 30.

“The tremendous loss from the Camp Fire ravaging parts of the diocese is devastating,” said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento. “The families in Paradise and the surrounding communities affected by the fire can rely on the support of our prayers.”

The entire population of Paradise of about 30,000, was forced to evacuate Nov. 9; the town was destroyed.

Jennifer Boone, who lost her home during the Camp Fire wildfire, receives a hug Nov. 18 during an interfaith service to remember the victims at the First Christian Church of Chico in Chico, Calif. (Noah Berger/CNS, Pool via Reuters)

“We also pray for the brave men and women responding to this disaster and battling the fires,” the bishop added in a statement posted on the diocesan website. “May all those who have died in this catastrophic inferno be granted eternal repose in the merciful hands of the Lord Jesus.”

Bishop Soto celebrated Mass Nov. 18 at St. John the Baptist Church in downtown Chico for all those affected by the Camp Fire. He especially invited the community of St. Thomas More Parish in Paradise; their church was in the direct line of fire.

Many of St. Thomas’ parishioners have lost their homes. The Sacramento Diocese confirmed that the church and school buildings survived the fire. The new rectory, old rectory and parish hall were destroyed.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Northern Valley Catholic Social Service were working with partner organizations on local relief and recovery efforts. Donations can be made through the Sacramento Diocese by visiting www.scd.org/donate (choose the Fire Assistance Fund).

Residents of Southern California have been coping with the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles, which started Nov. 8, the same day as the Camp Fire. Both fires were fueled by low humidity and strong winds.

An air mask hangs on an altar Nov. 18 at the First Christian Church of Chico in Chico, Calif. (CNS, Pool via Reuters)

As of Nov. 16, residents displaced by the Woolsey Fire were being allowed to return home. Full containment of the fire was expected by Nov. 22. It burned close to 97,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, destroyed 1,452 structures and damaged another 337. Three fatalities were confirmed.

In a Nov. 14 statement, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gómez asked all people of faith and goodwill to join him in offering prayers and support for everyone affected by the fires in Southern California.

“The devastation of the wildfires continues throughout our state. We need to keep praying for those who have lost their lives and their homes and livelihoods, and for all the men and women fighting the fires,” said Archbishop Gómez.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has started a fund to help the victims of these fires. Donations can be made at www.archla.org/fires.

“These funds will assist families within our parish communities in their recovery efforts,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has been providing support to the communities affected by the fires through Catholic Charities of Los Angeles and local parishes and schools.

Sagrado Corazón en Prescott, parroquia más antigua de diócesis, dedica espacio restaurado

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Nov 19, 2018

CHURCH-REDEDICATION — Parishioners cheer as Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted holds up the keys to the renovated church of Sacred Heart in Prescott Nov. 4. (Courtesy of Nancy Wiechec Photography)

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Una multitud de alrededor de 500 personas esperaron afuera de la Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón, en Prescott, el pasado 4 de noviembre a las 5 p.m. para la re-dedicación de su iglesia. A pesar del aire fresco otoñal y frío de la caída, algunos habían estado esperando afuera durante casi una hora la oportunidad de ingresar al recinto de adoración que no habían visto desde la Pascua.

“Decidimos volver a dedicar la iglesia porque todo su interior es prácticamente nuevo”, dijo el P. Kieran Kleczewski, maestro de ceremonias y director de la Oficina de Culto y Liturgia de la Diócesis de Phoenix.

El P. Rosendo Urrabazo, el provincial de la Congregación de los Misioneros Hijos del Inmaculado Corazón de María — o los Claretianos — en los Estados Unidos, dirige a fieles de la Parroquia Sagrado Corazón en Prescott, durante la conclusión de la Misa de re-dedicación para la iglesia renovada el 4 de noviembre. Los Claretianos sirven en la parroquia. (Cortesía de Nancy Wiechec Photography)

Explicó la ceremonia de re-dedicación a los congregantes que esperaban, comparando la dedicación de una iglesia a una persona que ingresa a la Iglesia y recibe el Bautismo, la Confirmación y la sagrada Comunión.

El Obispo Thomas J. Olmsted luego llevó a los feligreses e invitados al espacio oscuro, donde vieron un piso recientemente renovado, bancas nuevas, así como nuevos vitrales y paredes. Algunas paredes fueron renovadas y otras retiradas para alegrar el recinto de Adoración.

Durante la construcción, los miembros de la parroquia más antigua de la Diócesis de Phoenix habían estado celebrando las Misas en el gimnasio de la escuela de al lado, donde podían ver el progreso, pero no ingresar a su iglesia.

“Todo el trabajo, todos los sacrificios que se han llevado a cabo durante los últimos siete meses, pero mucho antes, también, han servido para hacer de este lugar uno que sea verdaderamente una casa de oración”, dijo el Obispo Olmsted.

Durante la Misa de dos horas y media, el obispo roció agua bendita e incensó el altar, los muros de la iglesia y a la congregación; también bendijo el altar de mármol, lo incensó y lo frotó con aceites sagrados. Las luces se encendieron entonces, iluminando el lugar.

Fieles aclaman mientras el Obispo Thomas J. Olmsted levanta las llaves de la iglesia renovada de la Parroquia Sagrado Corazón en Prescott el 4 de noviembre. (Cortesía de Nancy Wiechec Photography)

Este vitral en la iglesia renovada de la Parroquia Sagrado Corazón en Prescott representa el patrón de la parroquia — el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. (Cortesía de Nancy Wiechec Photography)

“Nada es imposible para Dios”, dijo el P. Irudayaraj “Raj” Britto, CMF, párroco del Sagrado Corazón. “Desde el primer día, siempre vi todo este proyecto como un proyecto de Dios y estamos aquí como Sus siervos para hacer Su voluntad. La fe está dando el primer paso incluso cuando no ves toda la escalera”.

El P. Darrin Merlino, CMF, ex párroco del Sagrado Corazón que inició la renovación, dijo que el trabajo salió “incluso mejor” de lo que esperaba. Indicó que el retablo, o la pared detrás del altar, era uno de los artículos que le gustaban, así como el nuevo altar de mármol y el ambón.

“Me sorprendió lo bueno que salió”, dijo. “El altar se veía bien en las fotos, pero cuando lo ves en vivo, se ve mucho más hermoso”.

El P. Merlino señaló que el bautisterio estaba hecho a medida para la iglesia con cuatro imágenes a los lados: el arca de Noé, la separación del Mar Rojo, el Bautismo de Jesús y la perforación de Su corazón.

“Esos son los cuatro símbolos que están en el rito bautismal que están en el bautisterio en sí”, dijo el P. Merlino. “Las fuentes de agua bendita son una réplica de las fuentes de agua bendita de la antigua iglesia. Tomamos fotos, las enviamos a Italia y las copiaron perfectamente”.

Fieles de la Parroquia Sagrado Corazón en Prescott celebran en una recepción después de la re-dedicación de su iglesia renovada el 4 de noviembre. (Cortesía de Nancy Wiechec Photography)

La iglesia llena a su nueva capacidad para 780 personas, ahora es un poco más pequeña por una cabina de sonido construida. Lo que los feligreses probablemente apreciarán más adelante sobre el proyecto de $3 millones es una nueva unidad de calefacción y aire acondicionado, nuevas escaleras y un nuevo elevador. El techo también fue reemplazado por un nuevo metal acústico ligero.

“El sonido es agradable y tranquilo. La iluminación es mucho mejor: tiene una sensación más fresca y brillante”, resaltó el P. Merlino. “Abrimos las paredes, por lo que es más ligero”.

“Es increíble”, dijo la parroquiana de 30 años Lilly Miley sobre la renovación. “Me sentí como si estuviera en el Cielo, si así es como es el Cielo. Y para verlo lleno de gente. Es la apertura que amo, y todos trabajamos juntos”.

El esposo de Miley, Doug, es el artista local que pinta las nuevas estaciones de la cruz, que planea completar en Pascua.

El gerente del proyecto, Greg Watts, dijo que fue el Espíritu Santo quien realmente dirigió el proyecto.

“No podríamos hacerlo sin Dios detrás de nosotros”, expresó Watts. “Piensas en los colores y todo, y eso fue difícil, pero todo se conjugó”.

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