South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, September 13, 1991 Page: 1 of 16
sixteen pages : ill. ; page 15 x 11 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
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Falfurrias pastor, catechists
Inside
Special
supplement for
Catechetical
Sunday
Pages 6-10
CSS adoption
agency:-,
the gift of
selfless love
Page 4
Catholic Campaign
for America
pledges to stop
‘Catholic-bashing’
Page 3
5 j' -
By Paula Espitia
STC staff writer
FALFURRIAS—The need fbrcomprehensive parish re-
ligious education programs may be needed now more than
ever. Hectic family schedules and an increasingly hu-
manist*; attitude in the public school system fuel the
demand for programs which, in conjunction with
parental involvement, provide a foundation of faith
for young people.
However, a successful religious education pro-
gram doesn’t jest "come together" overnight
Teachers are hard to come by. The average parish-
ioner may feel inadequate or unqualified to “pass
on the faith.” An overworked pastor mightnot take
the time to be involved in curriculum planning
sessions. And the mere logistics of scheduling
classes in a limited amount of space can put a
clamper on the most enthusiastic coordinator.
Of course, there arc many programs in parishes
across the diocese which have managed to thrive
despite these obstacles. Sacred Heart Parish in Falfur-
rias is beginning another year with a traditionally large
enrollment in its religious education program for children
in elementary through high school grades.
Classes are rotated on Mondays through Wednesdays at
varying hours to accommodate over 600 students in eight
classrooms.
A special classtime is offered on Sundays for the few
children who attend the parish and live in the neighboring Jim
Wells County. . _...
Along with these large numbers comes a new enthusiasm from
teachers, parents and students, all backed by a supportive pastor.
WALK IN THE
Father Matthew Stephan, who came to the parish last September, has
spent the past few months involved in planning sessions, parent
interview s and the remodelling of classroom •*, which previously
served as the parish’s rectory.
“We're working toward a common goal,” said Leona
Hill, who coordinates the junior high program with her
husband, Gerald. This is the first year coordination of
the religious education program has been divided
among four people.
Mary Chapa coordinates the first through third
grades, Rosie Hernandez coordinates the fourth
through sixth grades and Maclovio Lara directs
the high school program. All are long-time pa-
rishioners and veteran religious education in-
structors.
Father Stephan credits the nearly 70 teachers
and aids who run the program for its continued
success. “There are a lot of people here with a
very deep faith, experience and knowledge," said
the priest. “It's oneof those humbling experiences
when you can name dozens and dozens of people
who can do your job better than you can.”
He said he is fortunate to be in a situation where
many of the religious education instructors are also
professional teachers in the town’s public school
system. Father Stephan has been an educator himself,
and soke;, “chalk runs through my veins,”
Lara said that his pastor’s energetic attitude and
interest in education has spread to his fellow coordinators,
who share the job previously held by one person. Father
Stephan “accentuates the positive,” said Lara.
A counselor at the local junior high, Lara said he has a
See Falfurrias, page 8
OF THE L+O+R+D
Diocese begins quincentenary
commemoration Sept. 14
By Radselie Ram6n
STC editor
CORPUS CHRIST1—The U.S. Catho-
lic observance of the fifth centenary of
Columbus’ arrival in the Americas will be
launched with religious services in Catho-
lic cathedrals throughout the country, in-
cluding Corpus Christ! Cathedral, on Sat-
urday, Sept. 14, according to local organ-
izers.
Other plans for the diocese’s year-long
obscrvanceofthe quincentenary, includ-
ing cooperative efforts with civic organi-
zations, was also announced.
Sept. 14 is the feast of the Triumph of
the Cross and on that date most of the 188
U.S. Catholic dioceses will participate in _
religious services during which a hand-
. made replica of the cross used by Pope
. JohnPaitilltolaijnchadecadeofevaxigeli.
cation in the Americas will be presented
/ The crosses will be presented in each
diocese, by members of the Knights of
Columbus to each diocesan bishop or his
representative. In the Diocese of Corpus
Christi the service will be held at 11 a.tn, in
Corpus Christi Cathedral, Father Michael
Hems, episcopal vicar for Evangelization
and Parish Renewal, will accept the quin-
centenary cross from the Knights in place
of Bishop Rene H. Gracida, who will be at-
tending the slate Sena Club convention in
San Antonio Sept. 13-15.
Made by two New Mexican craftsmen at
a tost of several hundred dollars each, the
crosses were provided by the Knights of
Columbus in a joint project with the Na-
tional Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Each cross is a replica of the one planted
in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,
by the pope in 1984 during a pastoral visit
there. .He gave copies of that cross to each
of the episcopal conferences in tire Ameri-
cas as pari of the observance of the decade
of evaxigelizatior,.
Following she Cathedral service, as in
dioces^arourid the country, the quinces
/tenary cross will be circulated by local
■ Kmghts in parishes throughout the Corpus
Christi diocese for similar services.
The fifth centenary observance will
See Fifth Centenary, page 3
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Freeman, Robert E. South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, September 13, 1991, newspaper, September 13, 1991; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth840257/m1/1/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .