Thursday, 06 October 2011 14:02

St. Anthony Church to host daily Masses while construction continues at building site

By Coryanne Graham, Diocese of Wichita

The renovation of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is about to hit another milestone. On Monday, Oct. 17, the church doors will be locked as construction crews begin work on the interior of the church.

“We’re still open for business – the business of the sacraments and the tending to the people of God,” said Fr. John Sherlock, rector of the Cathedral.

Fr. Sherlock and his associate pastor, Fr. Patrick Reilley, will be ministering to the people of God from three locations:

• The temporary parish office is located at 442 N. Emporia. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• St. Anthony Catholic Church, 325 N. Ohio, has opened its doors to those wishing to attend daily Mass downtown. St. Anthony already offers Mass at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Fathers Sherlock and Reilley will celebrate an additional Mass at St. Anthony at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday beginning Friday, Oct. 21.

• Weekend Masses for Cathedral parishioners and a 5:15 p.m. daily Mass will be held in the newly renovated chapel on the southeast corner of the Cathedral campus. The former Cathedral gymnasium has been transformed into an inviting chapel and social hall named Good Shepherd Hall.

Friday, 16 September 2011 08:59

By Christopher M. Riggs

WICHITA – The sounds of progress – the din of back-up warning beeps, concrete saws, drills, and other noises – are resonating across the campus of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

One of the areas that will interest parishioners and downtown Mass-goers is the social hall that will serve as a temporary worship area until work in the church is complete.

Chris Baalmann, project manager for Simpson and Associates, said last week that drywall work was complete and that painting had begun in the social hall. This week workers began hanging the ceiling support grid there and in the next few weeks doors and hardware will be installed.

Although Masses will be celebrated in the temporary chapel, he said, some finishing work will have to be done in between Masses because of material delays. “There is a delay with the floor tile, the acoustical wall panels, the wallpaper – those three items for sure.”

Father John Sherlock, rector of the Cathedral, thought that Masses would begin to be celebrated in the temporary space in mid-October.

Friday, 02 September 2011 08:37

By Ken Arnold

Ed Herzog originally came to Newman University to play golf.

Although Herzog was raised Catholic, he didn’t choose Newman because it is a Catholic university, and didn’t consider himself an actively practicing Catholic.

While at Newman, however, something happened. Herzog, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 2010 and an MBA in May 2011, found himself becoming more interested in the faith. He became friends with the theology professors. He took more classes to pursue his interest. He decided to be confirmed in Newman’s St. John’s Chapel.

Today, Herzog is a student at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emittsburg, Md., and one of seven former students from Newman University who are now in seminary formation for the Diocese of Wichita. According to Father Mike Simone, director of vocations for the diocese and former chaplain and director of Campus Ministry at Newman, that’s the most men in formation this year who hail from a single university in Kansas.

Newman U leads all other state colleges

“This year, there are more alumni and former students from Newman in seminary formation for the Wichita diocese than from any other school that sends men to us,” Simone said. “I think that says something important about the Catholic identity and mission of Newman.”

Formation is a period of six to nine years in which men prepare intellectually, spiritually, and pastorally to handle the demands of priesthood, Simone said. In addition to earning a master’s degree in theology, men perform practicums to help prepare them for pastoral ministry, hone their personal skills to better work with people, learn how to deliver homilies, minister to the sick and poor, and other activities that help them, as Simone said, “learn to lead people to Jesus.”

Simone said more men have been coming to formation from Newman over the past few years than from other area institutions.

“For me as vocation director, to see this sustained pattern is exciting,” he said. “And, the quality of the candidates is very good.”

Simone added that the large number of men in formation from Newman can be attributed to the university’s Catholic heritage, traditions and academics.

First step: prayer

“The first step for young men who are interested in the priesthood is learning to pray and live a life of holiness, and Newman can teach them that,” he said.

“The second step is allowing them around a priest, so they can see how that vocation is lived. At Newman, they come into closer contact with that than they would just sitting in a pew, because Newman is a close, small community that provides those opportunities. By helping at Mass and in Campus Ministry, they learn to take responsibility and pride in what they’re doing, and in their devotion.”

J.D. Betzen, who studied at Newman for two years before transferring to Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., agreed that the activities and opportunities Newman offered to get involved played a large part in the development of his faith. Betzen served at Mass, lived on the Metanoia Christian community floor in Beata Hall his sophomore year, and was a student worker in the Campus Ministry Office. “Having that office available on campus definitely had an impact on me,” he said.

Herzog agrees that Newman offers a good environment for men considering the priesthood, and that it prepares students well for the path they will take.

“The nice thing about Newman is there are great professors who are really true to the mission and give students the tools to transform society,” he said. “With the skills they teach you, they really do prepare you to go out and make a difference, no matter what direction you take in life.”

Herzog and Simone also credit former Newman Chaplain Father Joseph Tatro for the increase of men in formation. Herzog said Tatro, who left Newman in June 2010 to pursue graduate studies at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Va., played an important role in helping him make the decision.

Chaplains had role, too

“Fr. Tatro put the bug in my ear to consider it, and that idea never went away,” Herzog said. “I talked to Fr. Tatro and then Fr. Simone when he came to Newman, and I got involved in Campus Ministry. One thing led to another, and here I am."

Simone noted that all these factors are important in helping more Newman students consider the priesthood. Ultimately, however, the reason goes beyond mere earthly concerns.
“What can we do to promote vocation? We do a lot,” he said. “But part of it is God’s mystery. We can help set up the right conditions, and offer the teaching and training. But really, it’s God.”

Arnold is director of Editorial Services at Newman University.

Thursday, 25 August 2011 13:07

By Coryanne Graham
Diocese of Wichita

Each fall students from across our diocese load up their backpacks and head back to school to be formed spiritually as well as academically.

“Learning and teaching Christ is so important,” Bishop Michael Jackels said. “Everything that we do as a Church rises or falls on the vigor of our religious education.”

The 38 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wichita have one common mission: to form each student into a Disciple of Christ.

But what happens when a parish struggles financially to provide that formation?

The mission does not change.

“Day-to-day operating costs pose enough of a concern in a down-turned economy where parents struggle to provide a Catholic education for their children,” said Winston Kenton, principal at St. Anne Catholic School in Wichita. “Balancing our budget is paramount to our school survival.”

The St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund directs financial assistance to those parishes with the greatest need in hopes that every child will have the resources to meet their spiritual and academic potential.

“The support from St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund is crucial for meeting our needs of day-to-day expenses,” said Fr. Jerome Spexarth, pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Wichita. “Without it, we would not be able to have the great services that are so vital for our children’s needs. Each year the government seems to withdraw more support for economically challenged children, so Drexel helps cover the bases and give these kids equal footing.”

With more than 70 percent of St. Patrick students qualifying for free or reduced lunches, Fr. Spexarth sees the impact St. Drexel funding can make.

“The results are wonderful,” said Fr. Spexarth. “These children excel and show wonderful fidelity to the parish and community academically and spiritually.”

Last year $349,761 was distributed to 20 qualified parishes with more than $45,000 coming directly from students in our Catholic schools.

In January students from every school in our diocese, ranging in age from 5 to 18, celebrated the stewardship way of life as they participated in the second annual “Walk In Sister’s Shoes” program. The effort taught about the life and legacy of St. Katharine Drexel while inviting each student to make a donation to the St. Drexel Fund.

The parish school that raised the most dollars per student was not a large school filled with wealthy families. It was a St. Drexel-supported school in Winfield, Kan.

“We really have a family atmosphere here,” said Kim Porter, principal of Holy Name Catholic School in Winfield. “Our staff goes beyond I think most apparently through the relationships they establish with the parents and the students. The teachers will do whatever it takes to help meet the needs of the children – whether that is spending extra time developing individual lessons, tutoring, researching, or purchasing supplies with their own money.”

Thursday, 25 August 2011 12:57

Meet the 2011-2012 class of seminarians for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.

By Scott Carter
4th Theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md.

The men in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita studying for the priesthood will encounter many changes when they return to school this fall.

The men who attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland will have a newly-renovated chapel as well as a number of new faculty members. Those at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, aside from having a new rector in charge of the seminary, will be living off-site in an old convent while the seminary building is remodeled. And the men at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri will welcome eight new Wichita seminarians to their group.

Despite all the changes, the daily routine will stay the same: pray, study and spend time with fellow seminarians. With daily Mass, a daily Holy Hour, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, going to class, exercising and finding time to study and sleep, seminary is a lot like going to college and holding a job at the same time. On top of that, there are formation meetings and spiritual direction sessions which help form the seminarians into good priests.

This can be quite an adjustment for those attending seminary for the first time. “Being required to go to everything every day was the big transition for me,” said Kyle Martens, a seminarian from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Wichita. “At Wichita State University I could choose what to go to, but at seminary every day is full.”

Twelve men will be making the leap to seminary for the first time. Most of them will be in college at Conception, studying philosophy along with other classes like math, English and history; those who graduated from college before seminary will take two years to focus on philosophy. Five seminarians graduated from college seminary last year and will begin their theology studies either at the Mount or at Kenrick, studying topics such as Church History, morality, spirituality, dogmatic theology and Canon Law. Those who are closer to ordination will also get to practice baptisms, homilies and hearing confessions.

Even with the busy schedule, it’s the friendship among the seminarians that shines out the most and helps the new men adjust. “We’re really blessed to have our Friday seminarian gatherings in the summer,” said Martens, “because it helps us get to know each other before school starts. We have so many seminarians that you don’t ever really feel alone.”

Friday, 19 August 2011 09:47

Hall will be used as temporary Mass site when work begins in church

By Christopher M. Riggs

WICHITA – Recent rains have cut down on the dust around the construction site at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, but work is progressing – especially in the old gym, which will become a social hall.

Chris Baalmann, project manager with Simpson & Associates, recently gave the Catholic Advance a tour of the project’s progress.

Workers are busy in the new social hall, Baalmann said. “We are finishing up the mechanical and electrical rough-in in the ceiling here, and in the next couple of weeks we will be working on the hanging and finishing of drywall.”

The social hall will be ready to be used as a temporary chapel for Mass around Oct. 1, when work will begin in the Cathedral sanctuary.

The Catholic Advance will publish details about Mass changes when available. They will also be at ourwichitacathedral.org.

Demolition is well-underway in what will become the St. Joseph Pastoral Center, the three-story building on the east end of the campus, he said. Structural support is being installed on the second floor of that building and demolition of existing walls and ceilings is still taking place on the third floor.

“The main entrance to the pastoral center is being remodeled,” Baalmaan added. “We are taking out the old, outdated stairwell and getting ready for reconstruction there of a more grand entrance.” An elevator will be installed at the entrance.

Dirt work is being finished in the center of the campus where a basement will house air conditioning and heating equipment. An elevator shaft has been dug next to the northeast side of the cathedral. Concrete work will begin soon in those areas and will take about a couple of months to complete.

The exterior of the buildings are being cleaned and work continues in the old Marian and Pius X meeting rooms.

Friday, 05 August 2011 10:06

Six young men get a couple of weeks of vacation before returning to their seminary

By Christopher M. Riggs

Pittsburg might seem like an odd choice for seminarians to participate in an intensive Spanish language program, but the Southeast Kansas city has a long history of associating itself with many cultures.

Father Michael Simone, director of Vocations for the Diocese of Wichita, said, “the people of Pittsburg have been welcoming the migrant worker since its founding. In fact, during the time of the coal mining, it was said that up to 57 languages were spoken there.”

Being able to immerse the seminarians in such a welcoming atmosphere is helping form their hearts, he said. “The entire city of Pittsburg, and especially the parish, should be proud of the way they not only remember their roots but are continuing to welcome migrants to their community today.”

Fr. Simone said the parish has also been a good location for the seminarians to interact with the migrant population because many of those in the area’s Hispanic community have been living in in the United States for less than a decade.

“The new population – and even the Hispanic ministry – is in some ways in its infancy in this parish,” he said. “With the help of the Missionary Catechists of the Poor and the parish community, who are so welcoming, we also have a perfect environment where the men are able to come into contact with various families, both in the Hispanic community and the Anglo community. It’s really a joint effort, if you will.”

Another reason the program was so successful, Fr. Simone said, was because the university was so open to adapting classes to fit the needs of the seminarians.

“Our men came in with various levels of Spanish and Pittsburg State, being a small regional college, has a limited number of classes that they are able to offer during the summer, but they were eager to welcome our six students and were able to accommodate their needs,” he said. “So it’s been a great fit for them this summer.”

On Wednesday, July 27, the Spanish faculty department hosted a luncheon for the seminarians who completed their work on Friday, July 29. The men will get a couple of weeks of vacation before hitting their theology books back at the seminary around Aug. 15.

Friday, 05 August 2011 10:02

Bishop Michael O. Jackels shared the TOGETHER Vision with parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Wichita on July 9 and 10. Go to the photo galleries to see more pictures from the bishop’s parish visits.

So far our diocesan family has pledged more than $21 million toward seminarian education, Catholic formation programs and the renovation of our Cathedral campus, but your support is still needed. Please continue to pray the Hail Mary daily and – if you haven’t yet – make a generous, proportional and sacrificial gift in support of our diocesan family.

“Your family comes first. Your parish family and its needs come second. But there are needs at the diocesan level that I cannot hope to address without the help of every Catholic, and it is my hope – a hope greater than this monetary goal – that every Catholic in Wichita, Fort Scott, Zenda, Bushton, Baxter Springs and all points in between, that every Catholic young and old make some contribution to the welfare of our Church family.”
– Bishop Michael O. Jackels

Goals of the TOGETHER Vision
• Strengthen the oneness between parish and diocese.
• Deepen our practice of stewardship as a way of life, sharing responsibility for the mission of the Church.
• Invite everyone to help fund seminarian education, Catholic formation programs and a renovation of the Cathedral campus.

Where will Bishop Jackels visit next?
Bishop Michael O. Jackels continues his TOGETHER Vision visits. Here is a schedule for the next few weekends.
Aug. 6-7: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Newton
Aug. 13-14: St. Rose of Lima, Council Grove
Aug. 13-14: St. Anthony of Padua, Strong City
Aug. 20-21: St. Joseph, McPherson
Aug. 20-21: St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindsborg

Monday, 18 July 2011 10:51

By Cory Graham, Diocese of Wichita

As Fr. John Reinkemeyer neared his 90th birthday and his 60th anniversary as a priest, the people closest to him wondered how they could celebrate his life and the impression that he has left on the hearts and souls of many.

Fr. John is a beloved servant of God, known as much for the bees he kept and the motorcycle he rode as for his impassioned faith and concern for fallen away sheep.
Bishop Michael O. Jackels describes Reinkemeyer as “one of the heroes among the great and saintly priests of the Diocese of Wichita,” in the 2009 biography, “Father John Reinkemeyer: God’s Humble Servant.”

With Fr. John’s birthday and Jubilee approaching, his housekeeper and friend of 44 years, Doris Brand found a way to honor the life of this selfless and faith-filled man with a seminary burse in his name.

The burse allows Brand and others to put money into an endowment that will produce interest. And that interest will be used to educate seminarians in our diocese now and into the future.

“A lot of individuals and groups begin seminary burses to honor or memorialize a loved one,” said Mike Wescott, director of development for the diocese.

When Doris Brand first considered starting the burse, Fr. John was reluctant. He suggested she wait until he was dead. But a burse does not have to begin as a memorial.
“I just thought when the Lord calls him home, we can have a memorial to that seminary burse,” Brand said.

Wescott says donors can start a seminary burse with as little as $1,500 or contributions in any amount can be added to existing burses like the Father John C. Reinkemeyer Friends and Family Seminary Burse.

The diocese uses seminary burses like the one honoring Fr. John along with a portion of the annual Christmas Call to Sharing collection to pay the tuition, room and board for nearly 50 seminarians each year. But in recent years, that has not been enough.

“We are blessed to be able to provide this time of formation and education to our men through your generosity,” said Fr. Mike Simone, director of vocations for the diocese. “However, as the number of our seminarians increases, and the costs of education continue to rise, we are constantly searching for ways to fund seminarian education.”

This financial need along with our need for holy men to study for the priesthood in the Diocese of Wichita led Bishop Jackels to include seminarian education in the TOGETHER vision. Any member of our diocesan family can designate all or a portion of their TOGETHER vision gift to seminarian education through a seminary burse.

Through the Father John C. Reinkemeyer Friends and Family Seminary Burse, Fr. John will continue to support the formation of young men who may one day give their lives in service … just as he has.

“He’s the one who encouraged me – strongly encouraged me,” said Fr. Samuel Pinkerton, pastor at St. Anthony in Garden Plain and St. Mary in Aleppo. “Thanks be to God and this great man for helping me to follow (God’s call).”

How to start a seminary burse

You can start a seminary burse in honor of a loved one with as little as $1,500. Or you can make a contribution to an existing burse in any amount. To find out how you can designate your TOGETHER vision gift through a seminary burse or for more information call the Office of Development at (316) 269-3900.

Monday, 18 July 2011 10:47

By Christopher M. Riggs

The six seminarians in the intensive Spanish program at Pittsburg State University are learning more than how to conjugate Spanish verbs, they are learning about the cultures of those who speak Spanish by familiarizing themselves with the cuisine and their customs.

Fr. Michael Simone, director of vocations for the Diocese of Wichita, said the six “estudiantes” have been invited to dinner by various Hispanic families, families to whom one day they will minister.

“The idea is to put them into contact with the local community in a more intimate way so that they can learn more about the customs and cultures in addition to just learning about the language,” he said.

“When they come face-to-face with someone, it helps to open their heart to future Hispanic ministry. They also will learn the importance of familial relationships – which are strong in North American culture – but even stronger in the Hispanic culture. It’s exciting because these men are continuing to learn the things that they will do one day as future priests in our diocese.”

Fr. Simone said the program’s title includes the word “intensive” for a reason.

In addition to language, cultural, and social studies, the young men have also been listening to formation talks by various priests and from Jo Fernandez, the director of Hispanic Ministry for the diocese. They are learning about cultural customs, such as the quinceñeras, an event near a teenage girl’s 15th birthday that marks a transition from childhood to womanhood. It usually involves a Mass. The seminarians are also learning the differences between a typical wedding in the United States and a Hispanic wedding.

“They also learned where our migrant workers are coming from, where immigrants are coming from, why they do things differently and why they worship differently than we do,” Fr. Simone said.

The seminarians are getting practical experience, too.

“They are learning to lector in Spanish,” he said, “and they’re also giving post-communion reflections once a week at the Spanish Masses to the Spanish speaking congregations.”
One of the seminarians, Sam Brand, said the most interesting thing he’s learned this summer about Hispanic culture is the close relationship that Hispanics have with each other.
“For example, when they talk about their family, they’re not referring only to members of their house, but also aunts, cousins, and grandparents. The family is so close that they form their own little community and very rarely move away from each other. Hispanic culture greatly emphasizes relationship with others, especially among family.”
The seminarians began their studies the first week of June and will complete their work at the end of this month.