Kansas prelate served most of his vocation in Brazil
Scott City vocation, Bishop Hermes, dies
The Most Reverend Herbert J. Hermes, O.S.B., 84, bishop emeritus of Cristolandia, Goias, Brazil, and religious vocation from St. Joseph Parish, Scott City, Kansas, died Jan. 3, 2018 of complications from pneumonia at the General Hospital of Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil. The funeral Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Wellington Querioz of Cristalandia, and Abbot James Albers of St Benedict Abbey, Atchison, at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Paraiso do Tocantins. Burial was in the crypt of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cristalandia, Tocantins.
Herbert Hermes was born at Shallow Water, Kans., on May 25, 1933, the son of John and Mary Hilger Hermes. He was baptized in St. Joseph Church, June 5, 1933. He received his elementary and secondary training in Scott City. He was an honor student at Scott Community High School and valedictorian of the Class of 1951.
After two years in the preparatory seminary of St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchinson, Kans., he entered the Benedictine novitiate on July 10, 1953. He professed his solemn vows on July 11, 1957. He received the major orders of subdeacon and deacon in Dec. 14, 1958, and Dec. 19, 1959, respectively.
The Rev. Herbert Hermes, O.S.B., was among seven Benedictine monks ordained to the priesthood in St. Benedict’s Abbey Church, on Ascension Thursday, May 26, 1960. The ordaining prelate was Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler of Kansas City in Kansas.
Father Hermes celebrated his first solemn Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Scott City on May 30, 1960. Father Herman Schulte served as the archpriest; Msgr. George Hussman, deacon; Father Peter Urban, sub-deacon; Father Arnold Tkacik, O.S.B., preached the sermon.
In 1962, he was assigned to St. Joseph Priory in Mineiros, Brazil, a foundation of St. Benedict’s Abbey. He was appointed prior of the foundation in 1985.
Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of the territorial prelature of Christlandia in 1990. The prelature covers 27,000 square miles. At the time of his appointment there were 245,000 inhabitants of which 80 to 90 percent considered themselves Catholics. There were only 12 priests serving the region.
Bishop Mathias Schmidt, O.S.B., of Barbosa, Brazil, ordained Bishop Hermes to the episcopacy at St. Benedict’s Abby on Sept. 2, 1990. He was assisted by Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker of Kansas City, and retired Bishop Frederick W. Freking of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Prior to his appointment as bishop, Father Hermes had served as pastor of several parishes and mission churches in the Mineiros region of the Jatai Diocese.
During the 19 years of his Episcopal duties, Bishop Herbert ordained 16 diocesan priests, created seven parish and subdivided the prelacy into five pastoral regions. He welcomed several religious congregations of men and women religious to minister in the prelature.
Bishop Hermes was active in many organizations promoting the human, social, political and economic rights of indigenous and poor persons, who were often exploited and victimized by powerful alliances of corrupt government and business. He exposed the practice of modern slavery and worked to rescue the enslaved.
His opposition to acts such as these brought threats to his life.
In 1994, he created the Center of Human Rights of Cristalandia and established offshots called Human Rights Nucleos. He received the award, Honorary Citizen of the State of Tocinchins, from the State Congress, on Nov. 11, 2001. In 2002, he received national recognition as a Distinguished Personality in Human Rights.
Bishop Hermes inspired a cousin and a nephew as they sought their own vocations in the priesthood. He ordained Father Michael Hermes, a diocesan priest, and now pastor at St. Paul Parish in Olathe, and Father Alphonsus Hermes, a Norbertine priest of St. Michaels’s Abbey in Silverado, Calif.
Bishop Hermes retired on Feb. 25, 2009, and continued to reside in Brazil. He returned to St. Joseph Church in Scott City on June 19, 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination with a Mass of Thanksgiving. He described his priestly ordination as the “blessing of blessings, grace of graces.”
His ordination, he said, offered to him the “sublime gift of Jesus using my throat, tongue and lips to transform bread and wine into His Body and Blood and to give the blessing of absolution for the forgiveness of sins. Likewise the grace of anointing the elderly, the sick, the dying, of baptizing and of uniting couples in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony, of preaching the Good News.”
He is survived by his twin brother Norbert of Salina; a sister, Lucilla Herman in Oklahoma; nephews and nieces; and his brother monks and priests at St. Benedict’s Abby and the Prelacy of Cristalandia.
(Contributing to this article were Joe Bollig of the Leaven, and Herbert Hermes, columnist for the Register in Salina.)
After 43 years serving in Nigeria,
Sister Rita Schwarzenberger says,
‘The greatest joy for me is to see lives changed’
Editor’s Note: The Southwest Kansas Catholic posed several questions to Sister Rita Schwarzenberger, a Dominican Sister of Peace, via email. The Kansas native serves in Nigeria.
Southwest Kansas Catholic: Where were you born?
Sister Rita Schwarzenberger: I was born in Collyer, Kansas (directly north of Dodge City, just north of I-70), the third of eight children.
SKC: How long have you been a Sister?
Sister Rita: I entered the convent in 1960, made temporary profession in 1963.
SKC: Can you tell me what it was that compelled you to become a Sister?
Sister Rita: I think your word ‘compelled’ is a good description. Not only did I go to Catholic grade school and was often helping the Sisters or Priests with one task or another, I was also very much exposed to the life of a Sister because our family often went to see our aunt, Sister Michael, in Great Bend, and on the way we stopped in Liebenthal to visit our great uncle, Father Francis Uhrich.
So when you use the word “compelled”, I sometimes tell people I did not choose to become a Sister; I was prayed into it. And as you might be aware, I have a sibling whom I followed into the convent, my older sister who worked for some time in the RENEW program in Dodge City Diocese, Sister Francine.
SKC: How long have you been serving in Nigeria?
Sister Rita: I came to Nigeria in 1975 to join the Dominican Sisters from Great Bend who were ministering here.
It was a big change for me to come from a small town in Kansas across the ocean, but it had been a dream of mine to be a missionary.
Initially I was involved in teaching, but later was asked to work for the northern Nigerian Dioceses in works of Justice and Peace. As that was handed over to Nigerians, I took up the work of directing the Hope for the Village Child Foundation. The Foundation was started by a friend of mine who left the country in the year 2000. I was free at that time to accept, and have been working there ever since.
SKC: Are there other Sisters from Kansas working with you? Any Nigerian Sisters?
Sister Rita: Initially I was part of a group of Sisters from Great Bend, but due to a number of circumstances, health issues, aging and sadly, of the death of some whom I met here, I am now the only Sister of the original ones from Great Bend still here.
However, the Sisters left a marvelous legacy in the foundation of a group of Nigerian Dominican Sisters who are doing wonderful work and who will soon take on the work that I am doing.
SKC: How is the faith of the people served? Are they mostly Christian? Muslim? Or a mix?
Sister Rita: Hope for the Village Child Foundation is an NGO, not a faith-based program, as that is defined. The meaning is that we do not proselytize. We work among and with both Christians and Muslims and we have representatives of both faiths on our staff.
Saying we are not faith-based does not mean we ignore religion. It is very important in the life of the people, but as an organization, we try to witness to others that as people of different denominations, different faiths and different ethnic groups, we can work together in harmony. It is a challenge, but I am proud to say that I feel we do that quite successfully. Key to it all, of course, is respect.
SKC: Can you share a bit of what you do with the Foundation?
Sister Rita: Our work is mainly in rural interior communities, though we do have a central clinic.
Health care is a very big issue. In our clinic as well as in outreach programs, we deal with immunization against childhood diseases, child and maternal health, diseases such as malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, HIV, meningitis and other common diseases such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Of course, each of these has many different components to treatment, but we are fortunate to have a well-supplied laboratory that assists with diagnosis.
An important part of our health program is our potable water program, i.e., the digging of wells in rural communities. These wells are donated by individuals, families or groups mainly in the United States; the Diocese of Dodge City has not been left out, as there are names of members of the Dodge City Diocese on wells throughout our rural area. In all, I am proud to say that the people of the United States have sponsored well over 200 wells in various communities.
As our name suggests, our main focus is on the child, but we have found out that one cannot focus on the child without bringing in the other members of the family.
With that in mind, we place stress on education, assisting the rural communities in strengthening their schools. We engage in agricultural programs with farmers, both men and women. We also have special programs for women as the primary care-givers for the children.
Some years back I learned about the incidence of rickets, often a crippling disease among children in the rural areas.
Thanks to the generosity of the Catholic Church in Germany, we were able to get assistance for these children, distributing calcium and for those whose deformity was too severe, surgery.
To date we have had more than 400 surgeries carried out. This is linked to another program for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, post-polio paralysis, etc.
SKC: What are some of the great joys you have encountered?
Sister Rita: The greatest joy for me is to see lives changed. Immediately what comes to mind is the story of a young woman named Lami Tanko. When we met her, she was severely affected with rickets, with what we called bow-legs.
The pain was so severe she could not walk the several miles she needed to go to attend school. She was among the first set of children to have surgery, and that was her first exposure to the English language.
But Lami had a spark inside her, and she pleaded with her parents to go to live in the town where she could attend a better school. Her dream was to become a health worker so she could help others as she had been helped.
Within 10 years she completed, in English, the 12 years of primary and secondary school, graduating with high marks. She is now enrolled in a school of health technology. There are many stories that touch the heart, and I am privileged to be here in the heart of it all.
But I am also privileged to be involved in the Archdiocese of Kaduna where I am a member of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Executive Council. Over the last few years we have been able to produce the revised five-year Pastoral Plan, syllabi in English and Hausa (common local language) for the teaching of religion, special syllabus in Hausa and English for the RCIA program, and other policy documents.
We are involved in other events such as hosting the Archdiocesan General Assembly. And for me, in the small village where I live, there is no resident priest, so daily I am blessed to be able to have a Communion Service with the people here.
SKC: What are some of the challenges?
Sister Rita: Yes, there are challenges. In Nigeria, just one-third again as large as Texas, we are now reported to have 180 million people.
Resources, as in many countries, are not evenly distributed to the people, and thus there is wide-spread poverty and un- or under-employment. This contributes to insecurity and a need that constantly comes knocking for assistance.
But thanks be to God, each day brings its own blessings because in general, I find the people of Nigeria to be highly intelligent, gracious and accepting and open to the workings of God in their lives. It is a blessing for me.
SKC: What could we in southwest Kansas learn from your experiences in Nigeria?
Sister Rita: I believe the same is true of southwest Kansas because I also served in the diocese, albeit for only one year. I know the people there to be generous, gracious, and aware of God’s gifts in their lives. I know that we are united in faith, and I pray that we continue to grow in grace and peace. In spite of difficulties, pain and need, one of the common expressions here is “We Thank God” and for me, it is one of the profound learnings that has affected my life and I hope yours also.
DACA’s demise means discarding some of our most educated
By DAVE MYERS
Southwest Kansas Catholic
The DACA program benefits 800,000 young immigrants, nearly 7,000 of whom live in Kansas. If the DACA program is not renewed on March 5, there is a good possibility that someone you know will be placed on the deportation list.
“You’re talking about attorneys,” Ernestor De La Rosa, Assistant to the City Manager and Interim Human Resources Director for the City of Dodge City.
“You’re talking about nurses. You’re talking about teachers. You’re talking about individuals who have been educated in our school systems.
“You are talking about the brightest and the most talented group that are already here.”
De La Rosa is an advocate for immigration reform and works with the City of Dodge City to navigate legislative issues.
“People will start losing their driver’s licenses; they will be pulled out of the work force; we will see families being separated, which is already happening; you will see people who have literally been in the United States their entire lives being deported to a country that is not familiar to them, where they may not speak the native language, where they may not have any family.”
De La Rosa is a Dodge City High School graduate; he earned his Master’s Degree in public administration from Wichita State University in 2014. He is well spoken and intelligent. And if the DACA program is not renewed, in July 2019, he can be deported to a country he barely remembers.
“My family came to the U.S. through a visitor’s visa 15 years ago after being sponsored by an uncle who is a United States citizen,” De La Rosa explained. “My family was able to obtain a Visa for 10 years, which we thought would allow us time until our green card would be issued.”
The brokenness of the immigration system has been attested to by the U.S. Bishops in their 2001 pastoral statement, “Welcoming the Strangers Among Us,” and in 2013’s, “Strangers No Longer…”. The mountain of red tape is nearly insurmountable. People are on waiting lists for years or decades. It has been addressed by multiple presidents, including Ronald Reagan, who created an amnesty in exchange for tougher border protection and penalties. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama tried to address the system.
Despite their efforts, the immigration code has not been reformed in more than 30 years. So, it was little surprise that, when asked whether or not he ever received his green card, De La Rosa responded, “We’re still waiting.”
Then came DACA, or the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program. Established in 2012, the program sought to bring the immigrant out of the shadows. DACA allowed individuals who arrived here before age 16 and prior to June 15, 2007—and who were able to pass a stringent background check—to receive a protection from deportation, work permits and driver’s licenses.
For two years, DACA recipients can live without fear of being deported. After two years, they reapply. De La Rosa last renewed in July 2017, which means that if there is no DACA fix, he can be deported as of July 2019.
On Sept. 5, 2017, the DACA program was rescinded by President Donald Trump. In January 2018 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel promised that the issue would be addressed before the March 5 deadline. Hopes remain that an agreement will still be reached. Thanks to a court injunction, “they are accepting DACA renewals but they are not taking any new applications,” De La Rosa explained.
Does he have faith that the issue will be dealt with prior to the March deadline?
“That’s one of the things I struggle with,” De La Rosa said. “Last year, McConnell made the same promise that he would address the issue of DACA in December, yet nothing happened, and here we are again with a promise that the immigration debate will take place.
“That’s where dreamers are skeptical and do not trust legislators on either side of the isle.”
In a Jan. 24 statement to the press, President Trump offered a bit of hope: “We’re going to morph into it,” he told reporters. “It’s going to happen at some point in the future. If they do a great job, I think it’s a nice thing to have the incentive of, after a period of years, being able to become a citizen.”
But it includes a trade-off. Trump said he would support legal status for ‘Dreamers’ in exchange for $20 billion in funding for the border wall over a period of seven years.
“We’re talking about a group of people who are educated,” De La Rosa said. “Ninety-seven percent of dreamers are college or high school graduates. We are in different professions, mine happens to be public administration.
“We have to pass background checks through the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services), assuring that we don’t have any felonys or serious misdemeanors. If you can’t pass a background check, you are not approved.”
If DACA is not renewed, “We will continue to advocate and push our legislators to address or provide a DACA fix, a permanent solution. If not this year, then hopefully after the 2018 election the political spectrum will change, and congress can deliver a legislation with a permanent solution, hopefully with a pass to citizenship.”
Faith and Light
Celebrating the gifts of God’s special people
By Dave Myers
Southwest Kansas Catholic
They came into the large room one by one, some smiling in anticipation, others a bit apprehensive, their friends or family—or both—in tow.
Some were talkative, eager to chat. Others were quiet as a church mouse (but not so quiet that they were immune to bursts of laughter).
They were young and, well, not so young, men and women, English and Spanish speaking.
Despite all the differences, the one thing they all had in common is that they were surrounded by unconditional love and acceptance.
This is Faith and Light, a non-denominational monthly gathering for people with physical and intellectual challenges, their friends and family. It is hosted by Virginia and Frank Sumaya. Virginia embodies sweetness and light and unconditional acceptance, while Frank goes from sharing his wisdom-filled teachings on the Gospel to showing joyful acceptance of the participants disguised as fun-loving needling. Both equally shine the light of Christ on all those gathered.
After several years of overseeing the monthly gatherings, they are slowly transitioning to another host. But when new facilitator Claudia Lucero called Virginia just hours before the Jan. 21 event after having become ill, Virginia quickly organized an itinerary and gathered up the supplies.
Among those participants was Margie Sloan, who brought with her Kiley Kline and Milton Rivera, one shy, the other in perpetual anticipation of conversation. When asked if she was their mother, Sloan replied, “No, I used to work at Arrowhead West, and we became friends. I bring them to the meetings—with their parents permission.”
EVERYDAY GOD
Each gathering is opened with the beautiful litany, “Everyday God.”
Earth’s creator, Everyday God,
Loving Maker, O Jesus,
You who shaped us, O Spirit,
Recreate us, Come, be with us.
Eleven verses are sung. After each line, a participant holds a large, colored placard that reads, “Everyday God,” “O Jesus,” “O Spirit,” or “Come, be with us.”
“God is there for everything we need, every day,” Frank Sumaya said in English and then in Spanish. “Every day he is something different that we need.”
“What is prayer?” Virginia Sumaya asked all those gathered. “Tom, would you like to share?”
Tom Patterson, a man in his 60s who’s been coming to the gatherings for more than a decade, can’t answer. He’s too busy laughing. It was something his friend whispered. But that’s okay. Laughing is part of the joy of the moment. Seconds later he answers, “It’s asking God to help people.”
There are several more thoughtful responses. Then Frank says of prayer, “You share your pain, your sacrifice, but mainly you say thanks! What if you lost everything and then suddenly got it all back? Would you feel the same? Probably not!”
Virginia discussed many types of prayer, including adoration, which she described as “praising God simply because He is God.”
“Contemplation” she said, is spending time with God in silence, relaxing and being attentive to God’s presence.”
The most important kind of prayer, Virginia said, “is the Mass. It is important because it brings us together as a community to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.”
A supper always concludes the Faith and Light event. Many people brought desserts and salads, while a chili dinner was provided. The sharing continued; more laughter, more joy.
“See you next month!” a smiling man shouts as the participants filter out the door.
If you would like to attend a gathering, volunteer to help, or to form a Faith and Light community in your parish, call (620) 682-0455.
Faith and Light presently numbers more than 1,450 communities on five continents in 83 countries with 38 different languages. Two thirds of the countries where Faith and Light is present suffer from great economic difficulties or political instability. Members of Faith and Light communities come from different Christian traditions without distinction of age, culture or income.
-- From www.faithandlight.org
Sharing lives
Dodge City couple journeys the heart and soul of the Catholic Charities Adoption Program
By Dave Myers
Southwest Kansas Catholic
Ross and Tracy Smith had just returned from a company ski trip to Breckenridge, Colo. when the Southwest Kansas Catholic visited their home in Dodge City.
One of the stories they shared from their bus trip provided a look into just what kind of parents the couple would be to the child whom they are hoping to adopt one day soon through the Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas Adoption Program.
“We were on I-70 and were hit with a bad snow storm,” Ross said.
“There was a long line of buses and semis on the side of the highway putting on their chains,” Tracy added.
“We could see the other bus drivers out struggling by themselves to get the chains put on,” Ross continued. “We all got out and helped. He had half of the bus out there working. We made short work of it.
“Our driver felt pretty lucky that he had a bunch of Kansas farm boys on his bus!”
One day—hopefully soon—a little child will be equally as lucky, facing life with the support of two loving and hard-working parents.
Ross and Tracy met while attending Kansas State University in Manhattan.
“His friend had a Dodge City tee-shirt on,” Tracy recalled, smiling. The two could have been from anywhere across Kansas. Even well beyond its borders. Kansas State University is, well, Kansas State University after all!
Turns out, Ross and Tracy were raised just 30 miles from each other, Ross in Cimarron and Tracy in Ford. And with that, a new family history began its first stages.
Tracy was raised on her family farm, the daughter of Ronnie and Dina Herrmann. She has two older siblings, Milo and Erin. She attended Bucklin High School and eventually earned a degree in Human Resource Management; she now serves in recruiting and event planning for Crop Quest.
Ross was born in Paris, Tex. and moved to Cimarron as a toddler. He learned a love for farm-work from his father, John Smith, a cattleman, and his mother, Mary. He has three older siblings, Rachel, Nicole and Joshua. After earning his degree, he taught geography and history at Dodge City High School for five years before devoting himself full time to working on his in-laws’ family farm in Ford.
“I want to pass down some of the things that my parents taught me,” Ross said of parenthood. “They did a good job. They worked hard. I gained a lot of values from them.”
Having spent two semesters in Spain and Mexico to learn the Spanish language—as well as the Spanish and Mexican culture—Tracy said she is very open to adopting a boy or girl of a different cultural heritage.
“I would look forward to mixing some of our culture and values with their heritage,” Tracy said.
The couple recognizes that it must be an agonizing decision for the birth-parent to choose the adoption process.
Tracy said she appreciates the fact that Catholic Charities “would help the expectant mother’s decision to either parent the child, or go through the adoption process.
“We’re taught that the first priority is the baby, then the birth parents, then the adoptive parents,” Tracy said.
They admitted that the thought of open adoption (in which the birth parent(s) continue to be a part of the child’s life) was intimidating. But through the classes that the Smiths took as part of the Catholic Charities adoption program, they learned that open adoption is ultimately helpful to the birth-mom in coping with her decision. And it helps the child, who will never face the enduring mystery of their birth-family.
Tracy and Ross have been married for five years. They attend the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City. They are hard-working, farm-stock Kansans, as is attested to by the amount of construction work they’ve both put in on their Dodge City home. The work-in-progress shows a skill and talent for construction and woodworking from both parents.
One day they will have a child, and that child will be lucky. He or she will more than likely develop an artistry for working with wood and other building materials; they’ll appreciate and respect the Kansas farmer as being the heart of the heartland; and they’ll love animals (Doug and Gabe, right, were out enjoying their big backyard the day of our visit).
But most importantly, the child will be enveloped by the love of two good people intent on passing on their love of life and love for God, who has already blessed them so deeply.
For more information about the Smiths, see their introductory profile at http://tiny.cc/RTadopt, or view their Facebook page “Ross And Tracy Hope To Adopt”.
Local Catholics march in Topeka
A delegation of dedicated adults and high school youth departed the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe parking lot at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, to travel to Topeka for the Kansans for Life Pro-Life Rally and March.
The group braved the harsh Kansas winds and snow and arrived at the Topeka Performing Arts Center to participate in the Mass prior to the march and rally.
Immediately following Mass, the group took a stand with thousands of other adults and youth from across the state in the March which ended on the Capitol steps.
After lunch, the group returned to the Capitol for a tour and to listen to speaker Melissa Ohden. After a stop in Salina for the evening meal, the group returned to Dodge City at 10:30 p.m.
Parishes sending youth to represent the Diocese of Dodge City included St. Anthony of Padua in Liberal, St. Alphonsus in Satanta and Prince of Peace in Great Bend.
“I am always amazed at the dedication of our youth from the far southwest reaches of our diocese for getting up so early to catch the bus at 5:30 a.m.” said trip organizer Gayla Kirmer. “They represented our diocese well and they all came away with a much deeper appreciation for the protection of the lives of the innocent children in the womb and for the protection of all life from conception to the end of life.
“The youth of our diocese are the future voters for our state. Through this trip, my hope is that it instills in them the responsibility of that privilege for the sacredness of life. Thank you to the youth and the sponsors for making this year’s trip such a success.”
Melissa Ohden, who survived an abortion and was adopted, spoke at the rally. “Today, we are here, unfortunately, to acknowledge such a somber occasion, but at the same time we are here to celebrate the legacy of life that we are all a part of,” Ohden said.
Because there have been 17,000 fewer abortions during the years of Sam Brownback’s governorship, 17 children each presented him with a red rose during the rally. Brownback has been a strong supporter of pro-life legislation and has signed every pro-life bill that came to his desk.
For ‘Dreamers,’ the United States is
the holy home they know
By Ruby Thomas and Jessica Able
Catholic News Service
SPRINGFIELD, Ky. (CNS) -- In response to Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to “Share the Journey” of their lives with one another under a two-year program introduced in September, the following stories relate the experiences and hopes of young Catholic immigrants who worship at St. Dominic Church in Springfield, Kentucky.
For now, they are protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, but that program is set to end in March unless Congress passes the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act.
Yuliana Ortega, 15, is a student at Washington County High School. Ortega came to the U.S. from Jalisco, Mexico, when she was just a year old.
Ortega said she fears having to leave her friends and family in Springfield once the DACA program ends.
“I don’t know anything about Mexico. I don’t know where I would go to,” she told The Record, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Ortega, who juggles school and work at the restaurant her family manages, said she wished she wasn’t judged because of her race. Following high school, she hopes to work one day as an interpreter.
“We have goals and things in our lives we want to reach,” she said.
Wendy Hernandez, 21, is an English language tutor for Washington County Schools. Hernandez, who came to the U.S. when she was 6 years old with her mother and two siblings. She said her mother fled Cuernavaca, Mexico, to escape physical abuse.
She considers the U.S., and Springfield, in particular, her home.
Since Hernandez learned of President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel DACA, she has found her future to be uncertain.
“It’s kind of scary because I don’t know what is going to happen,” she said. “My career, everything, is in their (lawmakers) hands.”
Hernandez said there are several misconceptions concerning Dreamers, as DACA youth are sometimes called.
“We don’t get all the benefits everyone believes we do. We have to work harder than others to be able to go to school or to get a job sometimes,” she explained.
She said she worries about being forced to return to a country she does not know. If she could speak to legislators, she would tell them to “get to know us.”
“Get to know a little about us and see how we are trying to help our community. We have ambition and goals in our life for our future.”
Carlos Guzman, 26, is owner and operator of Longview Roofing in Lebanon, Kentucky. Guzman, said ending the DACA program would have a devastating ripple effect in his life.
Not only would he be taken away from his home, family and faith community, but he would be stripped of his livelihood, a business he has worked hard to build, he said.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize we work hard to have a better future. We try our best to contribute to this country. We pay our taxes, we create jobs and we contribute to the economy,” he said.
Guzman, who was brought to the U.S. from Sonora, Mexico, at 14, said people should not judge each other solely based on what others are saying.
“I’m sure every parent wants a better future for their children. Some may think it was probably wrong (for our parents) bringing us here, but what would you do for your child?” he said.
Guzman’s parents decided to bring him and his three brothers to the U.S. to avoid the constant violence they faced.
“It’s a big sacrifice because they left behind their parents and family. When family members die, it’s hard for them not being able to go back,” he said.
Dora Lozano, 18, is a student at Elizabethtown Technical and Community College, where she is studying Spanish and special education. Lozano said she has no memories of her native Mexico City, which she left with her family for the U.S. when she was three years old.
“I’m scared to lose everything. This is all I know,” she said.
If given the opportunity, Lozano said, she would ask legislators to try to understand the situation from her point of view.
“We didn’t come here to harm anyone; we came here to have a better life. This program (DACA) helps us to reach our goals. We don’t want it to be taken away.”
Juan Saucedo, 16, is a junior at Washington County High School and wants to become a diesel mechanic. He came to the U.S. from Aguas Calientes, Mexico, when he was 4 years old.
Saucedo applied for DACA status earlier in 2017 and was in the application process when the Trump administration announced the end of the program. He is unsure of the status of his application.
“Our future is in their hands, but there’s nothing we can do,” the teen said. “We have goals like everyone else. Just because we’re Hispanic or a different race doesn’t mean we don’t have goals.”
Manuel Hernandez, 25, is a senior at Eastern Kentucky University where he is studying computer networking and security. He came to the U.S. with his two siblings, including sister Wendy, and their mother, when he was 13 years old.
Hernandez said he and other DACA youth contribute “to this country in many ways.”
“We’re students; we have jobs,” he said. “This is our home; I don’t think any of us want to go back.”
He said it’s difficult to fight against a narrative that depicts immigrants as ones who take jobs from others and demeans them.
“We’re not just a stereotype. We don’t steal jobs. We’re not criminals. We’re trying to contribute as much as possible.”
Thomas and Able are on the staff of The Record, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Southwest Kansans take to the streets of Washington, D.C.
By CARLEIGH ALBERS
Diocese of Dodge City
Thousands of people from around the United States gathered in Washington D.C. on Jan. 19 on the National Mall to peacefully protest against abortion in the 45th annual March for Life. Out of those thousands of protestors standing up for dignity of the unborn were 26 from the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City.
“We have become a culture of death with abortions, euthanasia, infanticide, physician assisted suicide, and much more,” said Jaclyn Brown, Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry for Prince of Peace Parish in Great Bend.
“The dignity of the human person has been lost. Fortunately, the Catholic Church has stood up for the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death.”
This is the second year that Brown has coordinated a bus trip for the March for Life. After serving as the Coordinator of the Respect Life office for the Diocese of Salina, Brown witnessed a need for the diocese to represent itself in the pro-life movement.
“The Roe v. Wade decision is not just a Catholic Church issue, it is an issue that affects every single human being whether directly or indirectly,” Brown said. “As someone had put it to me a long time ago, these 60 million citizens could have been our future priests, maybe someone’s future spouse, a best friend, the one to find a cure for cancer, etc…. This has been my eighth pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. This pilgrimage is something that should not be taken lightly. The March for Life is a life-changing experience, because there are people who don’t realize what the Roe v Wade ruling has done to our U.S. population. We have aborted more than 60 million U.S. citizens who are missing since the ruling in 1973.”
The speakers at the march consisted of Paul Ryan, speaker of the house, Pam Tebow, mother of the former Major League Football player Tim Tebow, Sister Bethany Madonna of the Sisters for Life, Archbishop of Washington, William E. Lori, former NFL player Matt Birk, and more. However, the most notable speaker was President Donald Trump.
Trump made history by being the first sitting president to address the March for Life via live video feed. The president stated that he was “honored and proud” to be addressing the march this year. “The March for Life is a movement born out of love,” Trump said.
According to Gallup, only 18 percent of Americans believe that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Forty percent believe that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Forty-six percent of people call themselves “pro-life”.
“I think the pro-life movement is quite strong in the United States, when it comes to abortion, specifically speaking,” said Luke Blair, pastoral assistant at Prince of Peace in Great Bend who attended the march for the first time this year. “I would like to see it become a nonpartisan issue that focuses on all issues of life, as the mantra says, ‘from conception to natural death’, including the care of the ‘least among these’ as Jesus speaks of in the Gospel of Matthew.”
The group that attended consisted of pilgrims from Great Bend, Marienthal, Leoti, Ellinwood, La Crosse, Hoisington, and Dodge City. Along with marching for life they also attended other sites such as the National Shrine of John Paul II, the Smithsonian museums, the “Life is VERY good” rally hosted by the Diocese of Arlington, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. They also attended Mass before the march at Nativity Catholic Church with others from Kansas, including Archbishop Nauman of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, who presided over the Mass.
“My experience at this year’s March for Life was definitely a positive one!” Blair said. “I had never been on the March before, so it was a new experience. It was amazing to hear the testimonies of so many people who, in some way, have contributed to the pro-life movement. It was amazing seeing so many young people—especially from my alma mater, Benedictine College—participating in Mass so joyfully.”
The pro-life movement doesn’t stop when people return home.
“There are tons of things that people can do in their hometowns to support the pro-life movement,” Brown said. “One thing that comes out every year from the USCCB is Respect Life Sunday. It is the first Sunday of October. People have stood out in the public square standing up for life. There are organizations such as Birthright or Catholic Charities that are always accepting baby items to give away to expectant mothers. Baby showers are pretty popular and easy to do for these organizations. Prayer is probably the most important. Praying a rosary, visiting the tomb of the unborn, praying for our government and church leaders. The possibilities are endless.”
After coordinating two of the cross-country treks, Brown said she is ready to pass the baton.
“Right now, I am praying for someone to step up and take charge of the trip next year,” Brown said. “It was hard to leave my son and husband behind. I want to eventually take my son on this trip but not sure that next year is the right time for us. There were groups that joined other dioceses for this trip. I want to see this trip continue for the diocese, but feel at this time, I need to step back and take care of my family and other priorities at the parish.”
If you are interested in coordinating the March for Life pilgrimage or know someone who may be interested please contact Jaclyn Brown at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 620-792-1396 or Adam Urban at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 620-227-1540.
Knights raise $47,000 toward ultrasound machine
The ABC Pregnancy Care Center in Garden City is much closer to getting a new $47,000 ultrasound machine, thanks to the efforts of the Knights of Columbus.
The annual Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative actively raises money toward the purchase of ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers across the country. Ultrasound machines have been purchased for pregnancy centers in other parts of Kansas, including Wichita and Parsons. This will be the first time that a machine was purchased for a center in southwest Kansas.
The Knights are closing in on their goal. Tom Loker, a former grand knight and a member of the St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus, Council 2795 in Garden City, explained that the Supreme Council (the national Knights office) has provided half the cost, and the state Knights have provided the other half. But more funds are needed.
“There will be expenses incurred within the pregnancy center not only for the machine, but also for shipping, installation, software probes, etc…,” Loker said.
“Once it is installed, the state will have a representative come—and if his schedule allows, the bishop will bless the machine.
“Our center is doing a lot over here,” added Loker, who is on the board of directors for the ABC Pregnancy Care Center in Garden City. “We even provide post-abortion counseling. We recently hired a new executive director, and she has done a fantastic job.”
Alvin Bergkamp, a member of the Lakin Knights, wants to make sure that all the funds are raised that are needed to cover every cost. He has issued a challenge to other Knights in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City to each donate $1 per member toward the installation of the sonogram.
“They’re trying to get a new machine (which creates a sonogram image of the child) so they can show the women who come in who are considering abortion that this is a live human being that they are aborting,” Bergkamp said.
“Many people don’t think a child is alive until after it’s born, and most of us know differently.
“This is just something that falls under what the Knights believe, and what we all should believe.”
Loker suggested that funds can be sent to the Kansas State Council Knights of Columbus or directly to the ABC Pregnancy Care Center in the name of the Knights of Columbus:
ABC Pregnancy Care Center
509 N. 6th St
Garden City, KS 67846
The elderly: respected and valued by God
By Bishop Arthur Serratelli
Each year, Christmas gives the biggest economic boost to our economy. To celebrate the day, more than 86 percent of Americans purchase gifts for family members and friends. Holiday sales exceed one trillion dollars. However, the big winners in this frantic holiday spending spree are our young people. On average, most children receive anywhere from three to eight gifts and sometimes even many more. We are a society preoccupied with youth.
Entertainment, fashions, and fast food industries cater to the taste of the young. Commercials capitalize on looking young to sell their products. Our culture projects the illusion that life ends before 40. With such great emphasis on youthfulness, it makes aging undesirable and something to be disguised.
In the past half-century, thanks to the progress of medicine, lifespans have increased. The average life expectancy is 78 years old. In the next twenty-five years, the elderly population will increase by nearly 80 percent.
As the traditional extended family vanishes, the elderly among us are increasingly seen as a burden and not a blessing.
“In the West, scientists present the current century as the aging century: children are diminishing, the elderly are increasing,” said Pope Francis during a general audience in 2015.
“This imbalance challenges us, indeed, it is a great challenge for contemporary society. Yet a culture of profit insists on casting off the old like a weight.”
A quick glance at the Christmas crèche could lead someone to think that Christmas was simply about young people. Mary, a teenage mother. Her young husband Joseph. And, a newborn baby. Eternally youthful angels. But, a reading of the entire Christmas narrative shows how important the elderly were for the birth of Jesus. Luke sets the stage for the birth of Jesus by centering our attention on Zechariah and Elizabeth, a pious couple related to Mary and well on in years.
God likes to call the elderly in service to his work of salvation. Moses was 80 and his brother Aaron was 83 when called to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. In fact, when God wanted to form the Chosen People, he began with an elderly couple. He called Abraham who was close to 100 and his wife Sarah who was 90.
Not only were Abraham and Sarah on in years, they were also childless. Yet, God promised Abraham that Sarah would conceive and bear a son and Abraham would become the father of many nations. God intervened; Isaac was born, and there began the generations of faith that led to the covenant with God on
Sinai. Thus, from the loins of Abraham, the aged patriarch, and his barren wife, there sprung hope for salvation.
St. Luke deliberately begins the Christmas narrative not with Mary and Joseph, but with Zechariah and Elizabeth. They embodied the piety of Israel. They were righteous and kept the laws of the covenant, living in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. And, just like Abraham and Sarah when God offered them a most important role in the drama of salvation, Zechariah and Elizabeth were also elderly and without child.
Fifteen months before the birth of Jesus, Zechariah, a descendant of Aaron, went to the temple to carry out his priestly duties. In his day, there were about 7,000 priests serving in the temple. Zechariah was chosen by lot one morning to offer incense. A coveted privilege. As Zechariah entered the sanctuary of the Temple to perform his duty, he was well aware that this was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for him. His turn had come and he would no longer be involved in the drawing of lots for this office.
At the time of the incense offering, the entire Temple hushed into silence. In the outer courts, the devout bowed in prayer while others outside of Jerusalem gathered in their synagogues to pray. When Zechariah took the incense made from 11 different spices and flung it on the fire, he held close in his heart his own prayer for a child. The sweet-smelling smoke immediately enveloped the Holy Place. Suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared standing at the right side of the altar. Even more startling than the sight of the angel was the angel’s message. Gabriel told the old man that his prayer for a son was answered. Elizabeth would bear a son.
Gabriel informed Zechariah that his son would be no ordinary child. Like the judge Samson and the prophet Samuel, he was consecrated even before his birth for an extraordinary mission. The angel even gave Zechariah the name “John” for the child. This name means “God is gracious.” Certainly, in giving Zechariah and Elizabeth a child in their old age, God was truly gracious. But, more than that, John’s very name announces the new dispensation of grace to be inaugurated with the birth of Jesus.
In both Old and New Testament times, God chose the elderly to usher in something new and extraordinary. In Abraham and Sarah, in Zechariah and Elizabeth, age only served to highlight the miraculous. God overcame the barrenness of the women and the agedness of their husbands. God did not discard their wisdom that came with age nor their faith that had been tested and proved. He valued their virtue and their hope.
Like the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah and like the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, the elderly today are a link to the past and the bridge to the future. They are the depositories of great wisdom and faith. The elderly “represent the roots and the memory of a people. … [Their] maturity and wisdom, accumulated over the years, can help younger people in search of their own way, supporting them on the path of growth and openness to the future. The elderly, in fact, show that, even in the most difficult trials, we must never lose confidence in God and in a better future” (Pope Francis, Address to Grandparents, October 15, 2016).
The genuineness of our society will always be judged by the way in which we respect and honor our elderly. God does not cast them aside. In fact, he has given them most important roles in the life of faith and in his plan for salvation. He respects and values the elderly. How can we do less?
Bishop Serratelli is the bishop of Paterson, New Jersey.