June - St. Augustine Catholic

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June 2007 • www.staugcatholic.org
St. Augustine
FATHER JOE p. 8
the difference between
venial and mortal sin
Marriage Matters p. 13
caring for aging parents
Spiritual Fitness p. 14
ridding our hearts
of revenge
Answering
Bishop’s Message
ways to increase
religious vocations p.6
Priests of North Florida
one collar,
many cultures p.16
MAYO SISTERS
serving migrant
farm workers p.24
GOD’S CALL
Bishop Victor Galeone Ordains Three Men to Priesthood

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catholic
St. Augustine
contents
June 2007 Volume XVI Issue 10
The St. Augustine Catholic is the official magazine of the Diocese of Saint Augustine,
which embraces 17 counties spanning northeast and north central Florida from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The diocese covers 11,032 square miles and
serves more than 164,000 registered Catholics.
Special
features
16
9
One Collar, Many Cultures Since its
early beginnings, the Diocese of Saint
Augustine has been richly blessed with priests
willing to leave their homeland to serve the people
of Florida. It began with the Spanish, French and
Irish and today we have priests from countries as
far away as Poland and India. – Amelia Eudy
Scott Smith
Bringing Christ to Migrant Farm Workers
24 Three Claretian Sisters of Miami are on a
mission – they are providing much needed outreach
to the migrant farm workers living and working in
Mayo, Fla. Learn why they answered God’s call to
live a life of service. – Amelia Eudy
What Happens During an
Ordination? Discover the meaning
behind the signs, symbols and traditions
that are part of an ordination ceremony
for the priesthood and diaconate.
18
Cover Story: They
Answered God’s Call
On June 23 at 10:30 a.m., Bishop
Victor Galeone will ordain three
men to the priesthood. Read
their profiles and say a prayer
of thanksgiving as they prepare
for ordination later this month.
– Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
On the Cover: From left, Deacons Robert Trujillo, Steven Zehler and David
Ruchinski. They stand before the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine where they will
be ordained to the priesthood on June 23. Cover Photo: Scott Smith
Special
Amelia Eudy
what you’ll get
out of this issue
4 editor’s notes
Called to Serve – Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
5 saint of the month
St. Romuald – Elizabeth Johnson
6 bishop’s message
Pray for a Rich Harvest of Souls
– Bishop Victor Galeone
7 from the archives
The First Parish Mass – Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
8 in the know with Father Joe
What is the difference between mortal and
venial sin? – Father Joseph Krupp
10 theology 101 What does John mean
when he calls Jesus “The Word”? – Elizabeth Solsburg
12 your marriage matters Caring for
Aging Parents – Deborah McCormack
13 parenting journey The challenge of
raising your grandchildren – Dr. Cathleen McGreal
14 spiritual fitness Ridding our Hearts of
Revenge – Father Bill Ashbaugh
22 parish profile Queen of Peace Parish,
Gainesville – Shannon Scruby-Henderson
26 around the diocese
28 work life Maintaining a sense of personal
vision – Tim Ryan
29 book reviews – Catholic News Service
30 calendar of events
10
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

catholic
St. Augustine
The Magazine of the Diocese of Saint Augustine
Most Rev. Victor Galeone
Publisher
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
Editor
Susie Nguyen
Editorial Assistant/Subscriptions
Patrick McKinney
Art Director/Graphic Designer
Father Bill Ashbaugh
Amelia Eudy
Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
Shannon Scruby-Henderson
Elizabeth Johnson
Father Joseph Krupp
Deb McCormack
Dr. Cathleen McGreal
Tim Ryan
Elizabeth Solsburg
Contributing Writers
Amelia Eudy
Tom Gennara
Susie Nguyen
Scott Smith
Contributing Photographers
Jonathan Sion
Advertising Sales Coordinator
InnerWorkings
Print Management
St. Augustine Catholic Website
www.staugcatholic.org
Diocese of Saint Augustine Website
www.dosafl.com
The St. Augustine Catholic is a membership publication of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville,
FL 32258-2060. Published monthly except January and August.
Subscription rates are $15 per year. Individual issues are $2.50.
Send all subscription information and address changes to: Office
of Communications, 11625 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL
32258-2060; (904) 262-3200, ext. 108; fax (904) 262-2398
or email snguyen@dosafl.com. ©St. Augustine Catholic, Diocese of
Saint Augustine. ©FAITH Publishing Service. No portion of the St.
Augustine Catholic Junebe published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
reproduced or distributed in whole or in part, without prior written
authority of the Diocese of Saint Augustine and/or Faith Publishing
Service TM . For reprint information or other questions regarding use of
copyright material, contact the St. Augustine Catholic editorial offices at
the Diocese of Saint Augustine.
Help Spread the Faith!
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St. Augustine Catholic Magazine
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editor’s notes
Called to Serve
T
he average age of men ordained
to the Catholic priesthood in the
United States in 2007 is 35, and one
out of three of them is foreign born.
In addition, most entered the seminary with a
college diploma, some with advanced degrees
in areas such as law, medicine and education.
The information was compiled by the
Georgetown University-based Center for
Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)
for The Class of 2007: Survey of Ordinands to
the Priesthood. CARA conducts the survey
annually for the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Vocations and
Priestly Formation.
Researchers gathered information from 282
seminarians, estimated to be approximately 60
percent of the 475 potential ordinands (men to
be ordained). These 282 seminarians include
221 ordinands to the diocesan priesthood and
60 to the religious priesthood. The complete
survey can be found at www.usccb.
org/vocations.
In the Diocese of Saint Augustine,
we are blessed to have three
men who will be ordained to the
priesthood on Saturday,
June 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the
Cathedral-Basilica of
St. Augustine. The
Catholic community
is encouraged to
attend the ordination
Mass. Turn to page 9 for
a brief backgrounder that
explains the signs, symbols
and traditions of an ordination
ceremony in the Catholic
Church. It is one of the most
beautiful ceremonies you will
ever experience.
The average age of men ordained
to the Diocese of Saint Augustine this
year is 38. Deacons David Ruchinski,
Robert Trujillo and Steven Zehler are
all American-born, they have attended
college and each had professional careers
before entering the seminary. Turn to page
18 to read their profiles.
Our newest priests will join a long list
of distinguished priests who have served
the Catholic faithful in North Florida since
by Kathleen Bagg-Morgan
the late 1500s. Dr. Michael Gannon, in his
column, “From the Archives,” page 7, writes
about the first parish Mass celebrated in the
whole of North America north of Mexico.
Father Francisco López de Mendoza of Spain
celebrated the Mass of Thanksgiving on
Sept. 8, 1565.
Spanish priests were the first to bring the
Catholic faith to the indigenous people of
Florida. As the Catholic population grew,
Father Pedro Camps of Minorca, and Fathers
Thomas Hassett and Michael O’Reilly of
Ireland ministered to their needs. Bishop
Augustin Verot, a native of Le Puy, France,
became the first bishop of Saint Augustine.
The first religious order priests to serve in
Florida were the Jesuits and Franciscans, and
over the years, many foreign-born priests and
women religious followed. Today we have
priests serving in the diocese from as far away
as Viet Nam, Poland and India.
And while we have reason to rejoice and
be thankful for the diversity of our clergy,
we need to be mindful that there is a
shortage of diocesan priests and we need
to nurture men and women among us to
answer God’s call to serve.
If you know someone that
you think would make a good
priest or nun – tell them. Or
have them call our Vocations
Office at (904) 262-3200,
ext. 101 or Dominican Sister
Maureen Kelley, the bishop’s
Delegate for Religious at (904)
264-0577 or visit vocations at
www.dosafl.com.
– Kathleen Bagg-Morgan,
editor
Corrections:
The amount raised for the
Red Rose Ball hosted by the
St. Vincent’s Foundation, Feb.
9, was incorrectly published
in our April issue. More than
$200,000 was raised this
year. We apologize for the
error.
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

saint
saint of the month
Saint Romuald
how a duel sent him into solitude
by Elizabeth Johnson
A Refreshing Stop
books, gifts, religious items, more!
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Gift Shop
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Open Daily
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Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Phone for mail orders
(904) 829-0620
Saint Romuald
Birthplace: Ravenna, Italy
Feast Day: June 19
Claim to fame: Born to Italian
nobility, Romuald enjoyed the
pleasures of his family’s wealth and
position during his early years. His
life shifted dramatically, however,
after he watched his father kill a
relative in a duel over property.
Overcome with shame by his
father’s actions, Romuald withdrew
to the monastery of St. Apollinare
to serve penance for his father’s sin
as if it were his own. There, Romuald
embraced the monastic life and sought
an even more austere existence than
the one practiced by the Benedictine
monks. After several years of devoted
study and prayer, he was made an
abbot. But when he attempted to
impose his stricter discipline on the
monks, they strongly resented his
reforms. Romuald left to wander the
mountains in solitude.
Why he is a saint: After
establishing several small hermitages,
he embarked on a mission to
evangelize the pagans of Hungary. But
his journey was interrupted by sickness.
Convinced his illness was a sign that
God wanted him to remain in Italy,
Romuald returned to his homeland.
He traveled extensively through the
country’s central and northern regions,
establishing hermitages and attracting
disciples along the way.
Best quote: In 1005, Romuald
went to Val-di-Castro for about two
years. When he left, he prophesied that
he would return to die there alone and
unaided.
How he died: He built more
hermitages in the mountains before
retiring to his cell at a monastery he
had founded in the Val-di-Castro. As he
predicted, he died alone in his cell on
June 19 in about the year 1027.
Prayer: Dear Father, as St.
Romuald searched for solitude in which
to serve you, may I always make quiet
time in my busy life to serve you, too.
For you are the great Creator, and the
one who will bring me peace. May I
do your will in my everyday life, and
through my deeds, show your love
to others. For you are our salvation.
Amen.
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St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

from the bishop
by Bishop Victor Galeone
Pray for a Rich Harvest of Souls
ishop, I have a question. We hear a lot of talk these
days about the priest shortage in our country. I’d like
to know what our diocese is doing about vocations
“B– especially to the priesthood.”
At almost all of the town hall meetings
conducted during my pastoral visitations,
I’ve had to respond to similar inquiries. My
response has invariably been the same.
Vocations – whether to the priesthood
or the religious life – depend on four
key factors: solid family life, good role
models, invitation and prayer. Let’s
examine each one.
With few exceptions the Lord extends
the call to serve as a priest or religious to
those who have a solid family background.
There are exceptions, like St. Augustine
and St. Paul, who both had conversion
experiences prior to their call to service.
But normally vocations are nourished in
homes where parents deeply love each
other and their children. In such homes,
family prayer is the norm, whether at
meals or the recitation of the rosary or
scripture reading.
Prospective candidates to the
priesthood and religious life respond to
good role models who exude joy. These
role models exemplify in their lives the fact
that there is no high like the high of falling
in love with Jesus and sharing that love
with others. Young people today crave to
be challenged. If there’s a happy priest or
sister in their parish with whom they can
relate, they instinctively ask themselves,
“I wonder if I could be like Father Tom or
Sister Jean.”
An invitation is the third component in
fostering vocations. In the Gospels Jesus
always took the initiative in calling the
disciples. How important it is for a priest
or sister or even a parishioner to suggest
to a younger member, “I’ve been noticing
you lately. Have you thought about serving
the Lord as priest?” Or perhaps, “Do you
think the Lord might be calling you to be a
sister? I think you’d make a great one.”
The fourth and most important means
of resolving the vocation shortage is
prayer. In fact, the only means Jesus ever
identified for securing vocations was just
that – prayer! “The harvest is great but
the laborers are few. So pray that the
Lord of the harvest will send laborers out
to his harvest.” (Lk 10:2) Let’s take the
Lord at his word. Let’s remember this
intention every day in prayer, “Lord, bless
us with good priests, brothers and sisters
to help bring the harvest of souls into your
Kingdom.”
In stark contrast to the Lord’s solution
to the vocation shortage, at times we
adopt a radically different approach. I
recall reading about the vocation director
of the Pallotine Fathers, who back in the
60s placed an ad in Playboy magazine.
It generated national press coverage.
Questioned about the ad, the vocation
director explained without apology: “Well,
Jesus mixed in with publicans and sinners,
didn’t he? Besides, St. Paul, St. Augustine
and even Francis of Assisi are among
our greatest saints – yet prior to their
conversion they were sinners.”
St. Ignatius of Loyola falls into the latter
category. While recovering from a leg
wound received in battle, he passed the
time reading frivolous and suggestive
novels. One day on finishing a novel, he
asked his attendant to fetch him another,
only to be told that all that was left were
a life of Christ and some lives of the
saints. Disappointed, he began reading
these. He felt inspired to imitate Jesus
and the saints, reasoning with himself:
“What if I could do what St. Francis or
St. Dominic did?” Then worldly thoughts
from the risqué novels would return
– which initially gave him great pleasure,
only to leave him later feeling weary and
depressed. Not so with the lives of the
saints. He not only experienced great
pleasure when he thought about living
the rigorous sort of life they had lived;
but even after he had stopped thinking
about them, he still felt great joy. He
surrendered his heart to the Lord and
became the leader of a spiritual army,
launching the counter-reformation.
I close with three requests. For those
discerning their call in life, pray this
prayer every day: “Lord, let me know
what you want me to do with my life.” For
parents and grandparents, instead of an
iPod or video game, make that birthday
gift for your son, daughter or grandchild
the life of one of the saints, like Blessed
Miguel Pro or St. Katherine Drexel. And
for all of us, do not let a single day go by
that we don’t ask the Lord to send solid
workers to help bring in a rich harvest
of souls.
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

archives
First Parish Mass
by Michael Gannon, Ph.D.
from the archives
The Florida expedition of
Admiral Pedro Menéndez de
Avilés anchored off an inlet
on the northeast coast of this
peninsula on September 6,
1565. Father Francisco López
de Mendoza, fleet chaplain
and soon to be first pastor
of Menéndez’s settlement,
described what then transpired:
“Two companies of infantry
now disembarked. They were well
received by the natives, who gave
them a large house belonging to
a chief. [These were a tribe of the
Timucuan nation.] It was situated
near the shore of the river [months
later called Matanzas River, the name
it still bears today]. The brave soldiers,
who had no tools with which to work the
earth, accomplished the construction of a
defensive fortification, and when, two days
later, the Admiral disembarked, he was
quite surprised with what had been done.”
Father López’s description of the formal
ceremonies of landing contains such vivid
imagery one can easily form pictures and
sound tracks in the mind:
“On Saturday, the 8th of September, the
Admiral landed with many banners spread,
to the sound of trumpets and salutes of
artillery. As I had gone ashore the evening
before, I took a cross and went to meet
him, singing the hymn Te Deum laudamus
[O God We Praise You].
“The Admiral marched up to the cross,
followed by all who accompanied him, and
there they all kneeled and embraced the
cross. A large number of natives watched
these proceedings and imitated all they
saw done.”
Father López does not give us a precise
number of the natives present, but we
do have a fairly accurate figure for the
Spanish force: 500 soldiers, 200 sailors,
and 100 civilian farmers and craftsmen,
some with wives and children.
The first Mass celebrated in St. Augustine
on Sept. 8, 1565. Photo is of an engraving
made from a painting commissioned in
France by Bishop Augustin Verot in 1875.
Menéndez took formal possession of
the entire peninsula in the name of his
monarch King Philip II. He announced
that his settlement would carry the name
Saint Augustine, since it was on the feast
day of Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D.
354-430), August 28 that Menéndez
had made his first sighting of the Florida
shoreline, at Cape Canaveral. Thus began
the city and parish of St. Augustine.
Father López had devised a primitive
altar, probably of palm logs, and the entire
Spanish community now gathered before
it to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving,
expressing gratitude for a safe arrival in La
Florida after the perilous Atlantic crossing.
The liturgy of the day observed the Nativity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
That liturgy was the first parish Mass
to be celebrated in the whole of North
America north of Mexico. When, after
Mass, “Menéndez had the natives fed
and dined himself,” he set in place the
first community meal of Thanksgiving in
the first permanent European settlement
in the land, antedating the better-known
Thanksgiving in Massachusetts by 56
years. The meal served here was probably
cocido, a stew of salted pork and garbanzo
beans, laced with garlic, and served with
ship’s bread and red wine.
Frantizek Zvardon
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

fr. joe
in the know with Fr. Joe
Dear Father Joe
What’s the difference between
mortal and venial sins
OK, first we need to establish
the fact that there are a lot of
different types of sin. The Bible,
as well as the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, is filled with examples of
how we sin (as is television!) The catechism
sums it all up nicely in section 1853:
Sins can be distinguished according to their
objects, as can every human act; or according to
the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or
according to the commandments they violate.
They can also be classed according to whether
they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they
can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins,
or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or
omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man,
in his free will, according to the teaching of the
Lord: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false
witness, slander. These are what defile a man.”
But in the heart also resides charity, the source
of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.
That’s a pretty helpful summary. Through
it, we see that sin can be classified by what
it attacks and how and why it attacks the
good. We can sin by doing something;
we can sin by not doing something. The
catechism makes clear that our hearts are
the problem, as is our abuse of free will.
The cool thing is, and this is classic God,
the heart is a place where hope is – as Jesus,
who redeemed us, lives there.
Now, in general, all sins fall into one of
two categories: mortal and venial. What is
the difference? The difference tends to be
manifested most clearly in the consequences
of our actions (or inaction!).
When we commit a mortal sin, we damage
our soul in a very specific way: We wound
our hearts’ ability to repent and receive mercy.
The damage we do is real and intense, and the
One morning, a certain American senator instructed his attorney to notify him
as soon as a judgment was handed down in a case concerning his involvement in an
influence-peddling scheme. Early that afternoon, he received a fax: “JUSTlCE HAS
PREVAILED.” “He immediately faxed back: “APPEAL AT ONCE!”
catechism tells us that it takes a special initiative
of mercy on God’s part to heal us. (1856)
So, what are the mortal sins? Well, it’s easier
to describe how a mortal sin is committed than
what specific sins are mortal. Here is an easy
way to remember it: C.I.A.
That acronym works like this:
C. Circumstance: We have to be
completely free to choose to sin or not.
I. Intent: We have to know that it is a sin,
be free to not do it and do it anyway.
A. Action: The sin needs to be of a serious
matter.
If we commit a sin and all three of these
things are simultaneously true, then we have
committed a mortal sin. The consequences
are that we should not receive Communion
without either going to confession or making
sure that we are going to go to confession as
soon as is possible.
So, then, what is venial sin? Venial sin is,
simply, all the rest. Venial sins are those sins
that damage our hearts and souls, but still allow
God’s love to live and work within us. The
danger of venial sins is that they are a choice
we make toward something less than God
and what he wants for us. According to the
catechism, venial sins also have the ability to
condition us to commit a mortal sin. You know
how it goes, the more we sin, the more open
we are to sinning and the more difficult it is to
recognize the sin and repent.
I hope this is helpful; the key to all of this
is to remember the power and consistency of
God’s mercy. There is nothing we can do that
God can’t forgive; we need to remember to ask.
Enjoy another day in God’s presence
– Father Joseph Krupp
Send your questions to:
“In the Know with Father Joe”
c/o FAITH Magazine
300 W. Ottawa
Lansing, MI 48933
Or:
JoeInBlack@priest.com
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

ordination
what
happens
during
an
Ordination?
Call from the bishop and
1 presentation, where a notary
testifies to candidates’ readiness.
2
3
4
5
6
7
Election by the bishop
and the consent of the
people.
The homily is preached by the
bishop.
Candidates being ordained deacons
with the intention of later being
ordained priests, commit to celibacy.
The candidates are examined by
the bishop as to their resolution and
willingness to serve the people of God.
The promise of
obedience is given.
The candidates then prostrate
themselves on the floor while
the Litany of the Saints is sung.
The prostration is a symbol of their
death to their former lives and their
8
9
10
rising into a new Spirit-filled and
resurrected life in the risen Christ
– who came among us not to be
served, but to serve. The Litany of
the Saints calls them down upon the
candidates as the cloud of witnesses
who will support and sustain them
in their new lives as deacons.
The most solemn moment of the
ordination is the laying on of
hands. This is done
in silence, the bishop
laying both hands
on the head of each
ordained.
With the candidates kneeling
before the bishop, he extends
his hands over them and prays
the Consecratory
Prayer, calling down
the Holy Spirit upon
them to join them
into the Spirit-filled
humanity of the risen Christ.
Newly ordained deacons are
then vested with the stole and
dalmatic. The dalmatic
is a symbol of service to
God’s people. English
monarchs wear dalmatics
when they are crowned. The
original dalmatics were woven
from white Dalmatian wool.
11
12
13
14
Newly ordained priests are
then vested with the stole and
chasuble. The stole was
the symbol of office worn
by civil magistrates in
the time of Constantine.
The chasuble was an outer festive
garment worn by Roman men on the
occasion of great celebrations and
festivals.
The hands of the newly ordained
priests are anointed
with chrism, the holy
oil that permeates them
with the presence of the
anointed, the Christ.
Newly ordained deacons receive the
Book of Gospels from the hands of the
bishop, who tells them:
“Receive the Gospel of
Christ, whose herald you
are. Believe what you
read, teach what you
believe, and practice what you teach.”
Newly ordained priests receive a
chalice and a paten, charging them
to imitate the Christ
who gave us his body
and blood at the Last
Supper on the night
before he died.
The kiss of peace is
given by the bishop
to each of the newly
ordained priests or
deacons.
The bishop and the newly ordained
continue with the eucharistic part of
the Mass.
It is noteworthy that in the chronological
development of the church, deacons were
the first to be ordained by the apostles.
Subsequently, presbyters were ordained to
represent their bishops (successors to the
apostles) in parishes to which they were sent
by their bishops.
For more information on vocations
visit us online at: www.dosafl.com
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

t h e o l o g y 1 0 1
theology 101
by Elizabeth Solsburg
This year, the St. Augustine Catholic is exploring
Christology – the study of Jesus Christ. We
asked several eminent seminary professors
some questions about Jesus. Their answers
are enlightening and thought-provoking.
Meet the
professors
Who is Christ? a year-long conversation with theologians
Father Acklin Father Muller Father Stevens
Father Thomas Acklin is a monk of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa.
He is a graduate of Duqesne University, St. Vincent Seminary, The Catholic
University of Louvain and Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute.
Father Earl Muller is The Bishop Kevin M. Britt Professor of Theology/
Christology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He formerly taught at Marquette
University in Wisconsin.
Father Gladstone Stevens is on the faculty of St. Mary Seminary
in Baltimore.
Jesus
as the
Why is that one
of his titles? How is he
present?
QSAC: What does John mean
when he calls Jesus “the
Word”? How is that relevant
to us?
Father Stevens: There are so
many ties to the Old Testament
in this. The Jewish people
became a nation after the
Exodus, but it took more than
just this event. The absence of
slavery is not freedom. People
need a shape, a form for their
lives. The Torah did this for the
Israelites – it gave them the
Word. The giving of this word
establishes the people. The
Jewish imagination moved from
that experience to the recognition
that everything came from the
word, debar. We are not created
out of God’s struggle with
demonic forces, not a people
theologian
of the month
Athanasius of
Alexandria
(c. 298-373)
Athanasius
was the
patriarch of
Alexandria in the
fourth century.
He is famous
for his defense
against the heresy
of Arianism
which some
theologians believe
almost prevailed.
Athanasius
countered Arius’
teaching that there
was a time when
God existed, but
Jesus did not.
Athanasius
attended the
Council at
Nicea, where the
famous creed
was developed,
and he is one of
the doctors of the
church.
Athanasius is
the first person
to identify the
canon of the
New Testament
as being the 27
books we use
today.
Athanasius
was originally
buried in
Alexandria; his
body was then
transferred to Italy.
In 1973, Pope
Shenouda III
(Coptic Orthodox
Church) met with
Pope Paul VI, and
Athanasius’ relics
were restored to
Egypt.
10 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

Heresy!
Arianism: Jesus not human or divine
This is the granddaddy of the early church’s heresies about the nature
of Jesus Christ. It was pervasive, with a huge following – some scholars think it
almost carried the day. Arianism is a system of thought based on the teachings of
Arius of Alexandar. Arius believed that God the Father embodied the only true divine
nature. He was too pure to appear on earth – and so he created Jesus as the first
and best of all things in the cosmos. Like the adoptionists, Arius held that the Son
was not of the nature of the Father, he was adopted. Some of his followers also
believed that the Son created the Holy Spirit in the same way.
This heresy occasioned the first great ecumenical
council, that of Nicea, in 325, where Arianism was
condemned. Its chief opponent was St. Athanasius. The
statement of beliefs that was developed at Nicea is recited the
world over at Sunday Mass – it is called The Nicene Creed.
built on the body of a slain dragon, but rather the loving creation of
God’s spoken word. Whenever God speaks, he creates something
John makes
it particularly
clear that the Word is
the son who comes
from the father. This
is the mystery
of the Trinity –
God is, in himself, a
communion of love.
new. When he speaks to a prophet, that
person becomes a prophet. The word
from which everything came is not an
impersonal word – it is the Word, the
son of God.
Father Acklin: There are three
personifications of God in the Old
Testament: word, wisdom and spirit.
They are not yet fully revealed as
persons. The Word, as we find out
in John’s Gospel, is the son of God.
Through him all things are made. In the Old Testament, the
spirit of the Lord descends upon a prophet or king. But in the
New Testament, it is revealed that the Holy Spirit and Jesus are
individual and divine persons. John makes it particularly clear that
Bible Quiz
Judge, prophet, composer.
Who am I?
I am one of the famous
Judges of Israel (you
know, the ones the
book in the Bible is
written about) and
I was famous for my
prophecies. I called
forth General Barak
to lead the Israelites
in battle against the
opposing general,
Sisera. But I
knew Barak
what does that
symbol mean?
Fish
The fish is
probably the
oldest symbol
used by the
early Christians.
The symbol
derives from
the letters of the
Greek word for
fish, ichthys, which
are the first letters
of the statement,
Iesous Christos
Theou Yios (Jesus
Christ, Son of
God, Savior).
wouldn’t be responsible for the final
victory – another Israelite took care
of that while Sisera slept.
My song is one of the oldest
parts of the Bible, and I think it’s
beautiful poetry.
Unlike judges today, who
have to sit in stuffy robes in a
stuffier courtroom, I delivered my
judgments beneath a palm tree in
Ephraim. And, oh, yes, sometimes
I am called the “mother of Israel.”
Who am I?
Answer: Deborah
the Word is the son who comes from the
Father. This is the mystery of the Trinity
– God is, in himself, a communion of love.
Our one God is a communion of three
individual hypostases. There are three
individual divine persons, whose selfgiving
love to each other is totally given
to the other in their respective ways: the
Father eternally begetting, the Son eternally
begotten and returning all to the Father, the
Spirit saying nothing he does not hear from
the Father and Son. The interpenetrating
love is so total that they are perfectly one.
Father Muller: This particular
identification of Jesus only occurs in the
prologue of John’s Gospel. It contains the
echoes of the Old Testament’s constant
refrain: The word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah, to Isaiah, to all the prophets.
If you look at the Septuagint, the Greek
for that Old Testament experience is
translated as, “The word became.” It’s that
language that John picks up
in his Gospel. In saying
this, I differ from what
some older scriptural
exegetes saw: an infusion
of Hellenistic philosophy.
I think John is
summarizing and
integrating the
Old Testament
in his reference
to the Word.
“The Word
became flesh”
is an interesting
statement, because
the first mention of
flesh in Scripture
is the story of
Adam and Eve
– “flesh of my flesh
and bone of my
bone.” It’s as if
John is saying that
Jesus entered
into a nuptial
relationship with
his people.
Elizabeth Solsburg
esolsburg@faithpublishingservice.com
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 11

your marriage matters
by Deb McCormack
romance
The couple
that prays
together …
When going to
church, we may
not always be
mindful of how
our marriage
sacrament is
alive to others. If
possible, avoid
sitting in the pew
as “bookends”
separated with
your children
between the two
of you. Sit next
to each other,
side-by-side.
Hold hands as
you pray and
sing together.
money
Acquaint
yourself with
your finances
Both partners
in a marriage
should know
the ins and
outs of the joint
finances. Make
sure you know
what’s in your
accounts, what
your household
debts are, and
where all the
important papers
are. Consider
a folder labeled
“important
stuff” containing
account
numbers,
passwords
and insurance
information.
Dawn and Sam have been
married for 15 years. They
have three children under
the age of 14. Sam’s mother
is widowed and has some health
problems – Sam wants her to move in.
I want my
mother to move in
Sam says: My mom is a diabetic
and I worry about her living alone
now that my dad is gone. I believe
families should stick together and take care of each
other, so I’d like her to live with us. We have room,
as long as two of the kids share. This is my mother
we’re talking about; I can’t believe Dawn doesn’t
understand why we should ask her to move here.
I don’t
Dawn says: Sam’s mom is not
an invalid, and could live on her
own quite easily. And we hardly
have any time to ourselves as it is, after we’ve taken
care of the kids. I know Sam loves his mother, but she
is not the easiest woman to get along with, believe me.
I don’t think I can deal with two women in the same
household.
He said
She said
what do they do?
Intergenerational caretaking
is becoming a
hot topic in many
families. We have all heard about the
“sandwich generation,” those who
have elderly parents and are still
caring for children.
In a family, the core unit is the
marriage – it is the heart and stabilizing
force. Couples should prioritize this
important relationship always. This is
easier said than done. Often, we take
our spouse for granted and assume
he or she is self-sufficient. In caring
for elderly parents, we always need to
talk to our partners and listen to their
thoughts, feelings and needs.
So, first and foremost, Sam needs
to listen to Dawn’s concerns: What are
the problems and challenges she sees?
What are the benefits? How will this
decision impact their home life and their
Deb McCormack
12 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

children? Sam can talk about
his concerns for mom and his
feelings now that his father is
not there to care for her. I would
also encourage Sam to talk to any
other siblings in his family who
could help ensure their mom’s
safety and well-being. It’s possible
that some of his brothers or
sisters may feel the same worry
and together they can ensure
mom’s health and safety and not
overburden one child/family.
Having a relative move in to
your household is not a decision
to be taken lightly. Dawn’s
concerns of getting along and two
women in a household are very
valid and need to be discussed
thoroughly. Is there a solution to
this issue that will create a winwin
solution? Helping his mom
at the cost of a marriage does not
seem like a win-win answer. It’s
important that the couple work
as a team. Remember, the marital
relationship is priority.
Another very important step
is to talk to mom. What is she
thinking and feeling? Does she
think she needs help? Often
the elderly do not agree with
their families about what should
be done for them. They want
to remain independent for as
long as possible. Often, with
a minimal amount of support
from us, our loved ones can
remain independent and are
usually happier. The first step
is to do an objective assessment
of what mom needs help with.
She should be included in this
assessment. It is not helpful
for mom to feel overlooked or
ignored in this process. She
will be more willing to accept
needed help if she is respected
in this process and this means
treating her like an adult. She
should make her own decisions
if possible.
There are many alternative
answers to this issue without
Sam’s mom moving in with
Dawn and Sam.
Email questions and comments to:
marriage@faithmag.com
communication
Good Marriage
While it’s
important to
do things as a
couple, you also
need to develop
interests of
your own.
By spending
time on your
hobbies, reading
or community
activities, you
enrich your
creativity and
gain something
new to talk
about with your
spouse!
time
It’s about
Time..!
Make loving
memories, not
misery. Spouses
make a choice
each time
they are
together.
It is either
a choice to
make loving
memories of
how God has
blessed you with
your spouse,
or it is a choice
to focus on
the rough and
bumpy road
behind us,
with us, and
stretching out in
front of us. God
gave us a free
will to make the
choice. Loving
memories take
less effort to
maintain.
parenting journey
Grandparents as Mom and Dad
how to cope with raising your grandchildren.
A time of
life that was
to be spent
on adult
pursuits
suddenly
becomes
a time for
supervising
homework
and giving
baths.
by Dr. Cathleen McGreal
Astroller was positioned next to the minivan’s
sliding door. I watched as a silver-haired man swung a
toddler from car seat to stroller, heading quickly toward
Epiphany Cathedral, diaper bag in hand. The event would
have slipped quickly from memory had I not received a copy of The
Florida Catholic after Mass. The issue included a story by Bishop John
Nevins (retired, Diocese of Venice) saluting “all grandparents who are
‘alive with love,’” especially grandparents raising their grandchildren. He
asked: “What can our society do to be more helpful?”
“Grand” households – In the United States, 4.5 million
children reside with grandparents. According to Amy Goyer,
coordinator of the AARP Foundation Grandparent Information
Center, this number represents a 30 percent increase from the
1990 Census. The National Center on Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren (Georgia State University) notes the 10 states with
the highest number of these households: California, Texas, New
York, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and
North Carolina.
An unanticipated role – Grandparents become primary
caregivers of their grandchildren for many reasons. Adult children
may be abusing drugs or alcohol. Sometimes they are in prison.
Grandparents assist young families when military parents are
deployed overseas. In some cases, grandchildren are orphaned.
Whatever the situation, it is normal for grandparents to grieve
the loss of the expected role. Raising grandchildren involves
personal sacrifice. A time of life that was to be spent on
adult pursuits suddenly becomes a time for supervising
homework and giving baths.
Support groups – There might be feelings of
guilt about long-ago parenting decisions or anger at the
adult child for having been placed in this position. Legal
concerns about the grandchildren’s welfare add to the
stress. Many individuals find grandparent-support groups
useful in order to share these common feelings and learn
about available resources. The AARP website has links to
find these groups and helpful information:
www.aarp.org/families/grandparents. We may discover that Christ
uses the hands and hearts of others to answer our prayers.
Society’s help – Under some conditions, grandchildren,
and even step-grandchildren, can qualify for Social Security
benefits when a grandparent retires (1.800.772.1213).
In 1998, the GrandFamilies House opened in Boston,
providing affordable housing in 26 apartments.
Intergenerational safety designs were included, such as ramps
and grab bars for grandparents and child-proof outlets for
grandchildren. The YWCA offers an on-site preschool and afterschool
program. Many other states are building similar projects.
Email questions and comments to: mcgreal@msu.edu
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 13

spiritual fitness
by Father Bill Ashbaugh
our parish and shared with us her journey to forgive the man who
murdered her 7-year-old girl. Marietta, her husband and their five
children were camping in Montana in 1973. Sometime in the middle
of the night, a man slashed through the tent where the young girls
were sleeping and abducted the youngest girl, Susie. The family
awoke with horror to find Susie gone. A frantic search ensued to no
avail. When they began searching the river for Susie’s body, Marietta
“lost it.” She remembers, “I wanted to kill him with my bare hands!”
That anger would have consumed Marietta, but she turned to
Jesus. He knew her wounds. Marietta says, “I knew that hatred wasn’t
healthy – that it would obsess and consume me. Were I to give in to
that kind of mind-set, it would be my undoing. It’s not to say that it
was an easy realization, because I felt absolutely justified. I had every
right to feel how I did.” But she knew it was not the way.
As a Catholic, Marietta says, “I was called to forgive my enemies
– not to kill them. So I made the commitment to work toward
an attitude of forgiveness. I promised to cooperate with God in
whatever he needed to do to help move my heart from fury to
Ridding our hearts
of revenge
One of my favorite images of Jesus is one
where our risen Lord, with wounds visible,
is pointing to his Sacred Heart. The heart is
covered with thorns that pierce it, yet a fire
of love is burning inside the heart. The thorns symbolize
our sins that deeply wound Jesus. The fire is a reminder
that his love is greater than our sins.
I think most of us can relate to being wounded in some way
by another person. Every day, our news is filled with stories of
crime and human tragedy. Every day, people experience abuse,
deception, broken promises, indifference, rape, theft, murder and
other injustices. Deep wounds. We did not ask for them, but they
are there. What do we do with them? We have a couple of choices.
If we let the hurt of the wound fester, the infection of bitterness,
resentment, hatred and unforgiveness can take over our lives.
We will become toxic people. While being the victim of another
person’s sin and crime, we end up inflicting the hurt on someone
else. There is another way – the way of Jesus Christ.
Not long ago, a woman named Marietta Jaeger Lane came to
forgiveness … I’ve come to understand that God’s idea for us is not
vengeance but restoration,” she says. “Jesus came to forgive, to heal.”
One year after the abduction, the man called and spoke with
Marietta for a long time. He broke down. He had so much pain
inside. Eventually, the man was caught. Marietta did everything she
could to fight against the death sentence for the man. She tried to
speak of the man with respect, and remembered the truth that Jesus
came to seek and save all people, especially the lost. He confessed to
the brutal murder of her daughter, and to other murders as well.
Marietta then met the man who abducted and murdered Susie. She
looked into his eyes and forgave him. Later that same day, the man
committed suicide. At that point, Marietta began to reach out to
the murderer’s mother. In the years since, each has accompanied
the other to her child’s grave. “Together, we were able to grieve as
mothers who had lost their children,” says Marietta. “I hoped that
it would help her to know that I had forgiven him.”
Marietta continues to carry her wounds, but now they are united
and transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ. Deeply wounded,
Jesus still forgives. The feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
Immaculate Heart of Mary – celebrated June 18 and 19 respectively
– remind us of the great suffering inflicted on Jesus and Mary
through sin and hatred, but even more so the mercy, forgiveness
and love their hearts offer each person. They offer that mercy to
and through you and me!
14 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

For our spiritual fitness this month, we
will work on ridding our hearts of revenge
and forgiving those who have hurt us.
1
Pray for the desire to forgive. When we
have been hurt, forgiving the person who hurt
us may be the last thing on our minds. The pain
can be so great. Rage or anger can be seething
through us. We want justice. We want vindication.
We want revenge. But this is not the path to peace.
It is not the way of Jesus Christ. The first grace
we ask God for is the desire to forgive the other
person. Even one step before this is to pray for a
desire to forgive!
Read Luke 6:32-36, Mark 11:25 and Matthew
5:23-24. Pray: Dear Father, you forgive us as
we forgive others. Help me, dear God, please
help me! My pain is great. Help me to desire to
forgive (Name) for the pain they have caused me.
I know without your grace I cannot forgive them.
Jesus, you suffered so much because you had the
courage to love. You opened your hands in love
and friendship, knowing that we would put nails
through them. You forgave us and reconciled us
to the Father. Jesus, help me recognize your pain,
and to see in my pain a share in your suffering.
Help me, Lord, to know your desire to forgive us
our sins. Help me to know your love for me is the
same as your love for (Name). You loved us both
to die for us. Lord, I ask for a desire
to forgive (Name) who has hurt me.
Dear God, forgive me as I do my best
to forgive (Name).
Keep praying this prayer each
day – even a few times a day as
needed – until you receive the
grace you are asking for.
2
Receiving the desire
to forgive is a huge
grace. Thank God for it and
pray: Dear God, I praise you
for your mercy and the desire I
have received to forgive (Name).
Please Father, forgive me my sins
and faults. My pain is still great.
Jesus, I still spend most of my
time focusing on the hurt (Name)
has caused me. I rarely look at
how I have hurt others. Please
Lord, help me to look at my own
wrongdoing and repent. Then as I
receive your mercy, I will be able to
give your mercy to (Name). Read
Matthew 7:1-5.
‘‘‘‘
Offering
praise flows
directly
out of our
love for
God. When
we praise
people, we
think well
of them.
We have
a gratitude
and
appreciation
for them.
3
Pray for the other person. Ask God to bless
them. Dear God, you love (Name) as you love
me. You want (Name)’s salvation as you want mine.
You want (Name)’s happiness as you want mine. You
know I do not feel much love for (Name) right now,
but I do want (Name) to be happy and at peace. I want
them to be filled with love. I want them to be at peace
with you forever. Please Lord, bless (Name) and help
them in any way they need help right now in their lives.
Help them to seek you and find you. I forgive (Name)
for what they have done to me. Pardon them Lord as
you have pardoned my sins.
4
In prayer, imagine the following: You
have fallen and are lying in the mud. You are
embarrassed and hurt. Suddenly, you feel yourself
being pulled up. You look up and you see Jesus. He
brushes you off and gives you a new cloak. You see
the care and compassion in his eyes. In the distance,
you see another person lying in the mud, struggling
to get up. It is the person who has hurt you. You see
Jesus run to them and also help them up. As Jesus
brushes them off, you come close. You look into Jesus’
eyes and see his compassion for this person. You tell
the Lord, “Jesus, I have asked you to help me forgive
(Name). Please help me now.” You turn to (Name)
and say, “(Name), I forgive you. I release the anger
and hurt I am feeling toward you. It is off of me like this
mud that Jesus has wiped away. I am no longer angry
with you and want God’s peace to be with you as it has
come now to me.”
5
Meeting with the person who has hurt you.
In some cases, meeting with the person who
has hurt us can bring reconciliation and healing of the
relationship. In other cases, it may only help to free us
personally. It depends on the response of the person
who has hurt us.
6
Practice receiving forgiveness and giving
forgiveness. We receive forgiveness by
admitting our faults and saying we are sorry. The
sacrament of reconciliation is a huge grace for us. Take
advantage of it. Also, we can practice forgiving others
every time we pray the Our Father. When you come to
the part “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who
sinned against us,” pause and try to forgive anyone who
has sinned against you. Cultivate a forgiving heart by not
bringing up past hurtful situations that you have let go.
By recalling them and thinking of them again, you may
be allowing revenge and bitterness to enter your heart.
If this happens, repeat the above steps again and be
patient. Forgiveness is a grace that can take time.
Email questions and comments to: frbillashbaugh@mac.com
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 15

Mark Udry
One Collar,
Many Cultures
In September 1954, a young and newly ordained
Father James Heslin boarded a ship for a five-day
voyage to the United States. After completing his
studies at St. Patrick Seminary in Thurles, County
Tipperary, Ireland, his first assignment was in the
Diocese of Saint Augustine. Fifty-three years later,
Msgr. James Heslin of Ireland.
16 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007
B y A m e l i a E u d y
Msgr. Heslin retired
last June at the age of
76, passing on a legacy
of foreign-born priests
serving in the diocese.
The face of this priesthood has changed
from the days when Irish priests were being
exported to all parts of the world, including
Florida. Msgr. Heslin remembers when the
diocese encompassed much of the state and
Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley began inviting
Spanish-speaking priests to the diocese to
serve the many immigrant farm workers in
the south. “There were a number of priests
from Spain,” he remembers.
While there are still Irish priests serving
here, most are among the older clergy. Now
Msgr. Heslin is observing a different kind
of clergy immigration from India, Poland
and several Spanish-speaking countries. “At
present [the priests] seem to be doing a fine
job. The people are glad to have priests from
elsewhere,” he says. “We haven’t seen priests
coming from Ireland in some time.”
In fact, a study done by the Life Cycle
Institute at Catholic University of America
has found that the majority of priests born in
other countries complete their seminary study
in the United States, Asia and the Pacific. The
average age of foreign-born priests serving in
the United States is 47, and most stay in the
United States for more than five years.
In 2005, a study was conducted by
the Center for Applied Research in the
Apostolate (CARA) of Georgetown University
for the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB). According to the study,
more than two-thirds of all vocation directors
as well as major superiors of religious
congregations and rectors of seminaries
responded. The study found that one in
three priests ordained in 2006 was born
outside the U.S., and the percent of foreignborn
priests increased from 24 percent in
1998 to 30 percent in 2006.
Father Jan Ligeza, parochial vicar at St.
Augustine Church and Catholic Student
Center in Gainesville, is one of about 47
foreign-born priests serving in the diocese
today. He came to the United States in the
fall of 1998 after completing five years of
seminary training in Poland. Bishop Victor
Galeone ordained him in 2003.
Father Jan admits experiencing “culture
shock” when first arriving to the United
States. “It wasn’t easy in the beginning to
adjust,” he says in a thick Polish accent. “It
was far away, very different people and very
different lifestyles. There is more variety of
other religions (in the U.S.). In Poland, I
didn’t know anyone who wasn’t Catholic,”
Father Jan observes.
According to Father Jan, Poland still
produces a large number of priests and
many religious vocations. His home diocese
encourages priests to serve in other countries
around the world.
“It has been a great experience for me to
see different denominations working with
the Catholic Church. That’s great,” he says.
In turn, he is proud to share his culture
with the many students at the Catholic
Student Center in Gainesville, and he
occasionally enjoys preparing his favorite
dishes from Poland for the students at the
Newman Club at the university.

“This generation of young people is the
generation of Pope John Paul II (also a native
of Poland). I have enjoyed sharing extended
stories about myself and my roots.”
Shortly after he arrived in Florida, Father
Jan invited his brother, Father Kazimierz
Ligeza, who was teaching in Krakow, Poland,
to visit the Diocese of Saint Augustine. Father
Kazimierz decided to stay and has been
serving in the diocese for two years. He is
Leon says it means a lot to his parishioners
to have a priest who can effectively
communicate with them and understand
their culture.
“They are newcomers to America,” he
observes. “I think it is a tremendous help to
make them feel at home – to celebrate Mass
in their own culture.”
The parish regularly recognizes the feast
days of Latin American patron saints and
celebrates Mass in Spanish every Sunday.
Father Jhon Guarnizo, parochial vicar at
Assumption Parish in Jacksonville often
assists with the Spanish Mass downtown.
However, many of the children are now
going to confession in English, and Father
Leon says he sees the Hispanic youth of his
parish holding tight to their native culture
but also adapting to American life.
International religious order priests are
After eight years of schooling in Chicago and
Champaign, Ill., and South Bend, Ind., he
came to the Diocese of Saint Augustine at the
invitation of Bishop John J. Snyder in 1997. At
present there are seven Carmelite priests from
India serving in the diocese.
Susie Nguyen
Susie Nguyen
Father Jan Ligeza of Poland.
currently assigned to Queen of Peace Parish
in Gainesville.
The number of Hispanic Catholics in
the diocese has increased significantly and
Spanish-speaking priests, like Father Antonio
Leon, pastor of Immaculate Conception
Parish in downtown Jacksonville are in great
demand. Father Leon came to the United
States from Spain in 1959 and 10 years later
decided to stay and serve in the diocese
permanently. About 100 Hispanic families
are currently registered at his parish, from
places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia
and other Latin American countries. Father
Susie Nguyen
Father Antonio Leon of Spain
also a strong component of priests serving in
the diocese. Father Victor Narivelil, pastor
of Sacred Heart Parish in Jacksonville, was
ordained on April 6, 1964, in Cochin, India
for the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI).
Father Victor Narivelil of India.
Father Victor says that priests have come
from different countries to remedy the
shortage of priests in various dioceses. “In
countries like India there is a surplus of priests
at the moment and, hence, they are here.”
But for how long, he can’t say. “It will
depend on the availability of local priests and
the availability of priests from other countries.”
Throughout his years of formation for the
priesthood, Father Victor has had a chance to
experience the benefits of great diversity.
“The diversity (of the priesthood) really
adds to the richness of our Catholic faith
experience,” Father Victor observes of the
multi-cultural parishes in the diocese. “Taken
properly, it (the universality of our Catholic
faith) helps you to feel at home no matter
where you are.”
Clergy Serving in the Diocese of Saint Augustine at a Glance
Incardinated Diocesan
Priests...................................93
Extern Priests* ...................29
Religious Order Priests.....23
Permanent Deacons..........45
*Extern Priests are diocesan priests from
another diocese who are living or working
in this diocese.
Of the diocesan priests serving in the diocese, 33% of them
are between the ages of 60-69 with eligibility for retirement at the
age of 70. Twenty percent of our priests are between the ages of
70-79 and continue to serve.
Diocesan Priests: 50-59 years of age.............................. 26%
40-49 years of age...........................10.5%
80-89 years of age................................. 6%
Under age 40....................................... 4.7%
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 17

c o v e r s t o r y
On June 23, Bishop Victor Galeone will ordain Deacons
David Ruchinski, Robert Trujillo and Steven Zehler to
the priesthood. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. at
the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
All three men ordained for the diocese this year have
a unique background and a personal story to tell about
their vocation. After years of wondering and months
of discernment, they have left everything behind
to follow the Lord’s call, for at ordination they will
become fishers of men.
Deacon David Ruchinski, 37, was born in Warren, Ohio. The Ruchinski’s, a Polish
Catholic family, adopted him as an infant through Catholic Charities. He has an older sister,
Shari, who was also adopted.
David was 13 years old when his mother died of colon cancer. She was just 43. David and his
father had a difficult time after her death and their relationship deteriorated to the point that a
separation was needed. At 16, David went to live with Sue and Dave Ashcraft, the parents of his
best friend Steve and his siblings Mike, Tim and Sarah.
In 1987, David graduated from high school and began attending the Pontifical College
Josephinum, an international seminary in the Diocese of Youngstown. An excellent student, David
graduated from the seminary in just three years at the age of 20. Due to his age, the bishop of
Youngstown felt David needed one more year of formation.
David decided to continue his discernment while pursuing a master’s degree in English at
Ohio State University. He met a woman there and fell in love. After dating for two years, “I had
gotten it in my head that I no longer wanted to be in the seminary – that I was ready to commit
to marriage,” David said. Well so he thought.
He received his master’s in 1994 and while looking for a teaching position with the
Columbus Catholic Schools, David stumbled into a position that brought him to Jacksonville.
Knowing that his mind wasn’t settled about becoming a priest, David’s girlfriend decided to
accept a temporary teaching position in Japan. Both were hopeful the separation would help
David decide if God was calling him to marriage or to the priesthood.
Father Michael Houle, president of Bishop Kenny High School was in Columbus recruiting
religion teachers from the Josephinum. Father Houle was the director of development at the
Josephinum when David was there. He recruited David to teach English at Bishop Kenny – an offer
he said he couldn’t refuse. He taught at BK from 1992 to 1997.
For the next three years, David taught at Episcopal High School while also pursuing a doctorate
in education from the University of North Florida, which he earned in Dec. 2001. In 2000, he
accepted a position as coordinator of the New Beginnings Program at Lutheran Social Services – a
program he helped developed that addressed the cultural adjustment needs of refugee teenagers.
Even though his job at Lutheran Social Services was very rewarding, David said he was
“motivated by a desire to be a person for others – to minister and make that part of his life.”
He deepened his prayer life and soon he knew God was calling him to the priesthood and he
was ready to say “yes.”
He remembers everything happened quickly. In April 2002, he met with Father John Tetlow,
the vocations director at the time. One month later, he learned he had been accepted as a
candidate for the diocese. Bishop Galeone sent him to Rome to study at the North American
College. He will return to Rome after ordination for further studies.
“The whole journey – the 12 years I spent away from seminary, the 10 years I spent working
full-time, and living on my own, have really been a valuable part of the process [of becoming
a priest],” said David. “I am so grateful that God took me in that direction instead of going
straight into the seminary.”
18 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007
scott smith

Answering
GOD’S CALL
B y K a t h l e e n B a g g - M o r g a n
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 19

scott smith
Deacon Robert Trujillo, 36, was born
in Elizabeth, N.J., the youngest of five boys.
He was the only member of his family born
in the United States. His parents, Ramón
and Isabel, and his brothers moved to
the United States from their homeland,
Colombia, South America in 1968.
A parts salesman for Avianca Airlines,
Robert’s father used his contacts in the
industry to secure a position with American
Airlines in New York. Robert’s father lived in
New York for one year before bringing his
family to live in Elizabeth where he began
working for General Motors.
Rev. Mr. David Ruchinski
Born: July 1, 1969
Place: Warren, Ohio
Career: Teacher
Assignment: Returns to North
american College, Rome,
italy for further studies
Robert recalls that his family practiced their
Catholic faith nominally at best. However, in
the third grade, Robert’s mother insisted that
he receive a Catholic education. Robert said
he has fond memories of attending Catholic
school and being an altar server. The idea of
becoming a priest was very real to him at an
early age. “I remember telling Father Richard
after Mass one day that I think I want to be
a priest,” Robert said. He recalls the priest
smiling at him and said, “If it is God’s will, it
will happen in due time.”
By high school Robert said he started
hanging out with the wrong crowd. He said he
was attracted to heavy metal music and he grew
20 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007
scott smith
his hair long, past his shoulders. He remembers
declaring himself agnostic and eventually he
rejected his faith.
After graduation, he attended college for one
year before enrolling in the Chubb Institute, a
vocational school where he learned computer
programming. In 1992, at the age of 22, he
was hired by United Parcel Service (UPS) as a
computer programmer.
It wasn’t until he was in a life-threatening
car accident and recuperating for two months
in a rehabilitation hospital that he started
thinking about his faith again. He said he met
a group of Christians that seemed to have
their lives together. “They weren’t as unruly
as I was and that impressed me,” he said. He
began sampling other Christian churches and
reading the Bible.
In 1997, Robert said he was dating a woman
seriously and thinking about marriage. “We
decided to go to Mass together. She was Catholic,
but not practicing like me,” he said. Just before
Communion Robert said he remembers having
a powerful conversion experience. “I felt God’s
forgiveness was waiting there for me,” he said.
He met with a priest afterwards, Father Beau
Ardouin, who later became his spiritual advisor.
Unfortunately, his girlfriend didn’t have the
same conversion experience and over time their
relationship ended.
Rev. Mr. Robert Trujillo
Born: June 22, 1970
Place: Elizabeth, New Jersey
Career: Computer Programmer
Assignment: St. Catherine Parish,
orange Park,
effective July 15, 2007
scott smith
In 1998 Robert began seriously thinking
about the priesthood again after attending a
eucharistic-centered retreat in Northern Ireland.
In 1999, Robert sold his house and moved to
Florida to live with his parents who had moved
here a year earlier.
Rev. Mr. Steven Zehler
Born: February 7, 1965
Place: Hamilton, Ohio
Career: Marketing
Assignment: Christ the King Parish,
Jacksonville, effective
July 15, 2007
Shortly after, Robert explored his options,
including serving for six months with the
Family of Jesus Healer, a religious community
in Tampa that is devoted to healing prayer and
serving the poor. He said it was a wonderful
experience, but he felt called to become a
diocesan priest.
In Feb. 2002, Robert was accepted as a
seminarian for the Diocese of Saint Augustine.
“The way I’ve seen my journey is that the
Lord presents a door for me to step through
and at first it is intimidating, but as long as I do
my part and step up to the door, he opens it,”
said Robert. “It has been a series of those kind
of experiences. …The Lord always seems to
carry me through.”
Deacon Steven Zehler, 42, was born
in Hamilton, Ohio. His parents, Raymond and
Janice still live on the family farm just outside
of Hamilton. Steve has one older brother and
three older sisters.
Steve attended high school and college

in Oxford, Ohio where Miami University is
located. He majored in communication arts and
photography and he studied for one semester
in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – a branch
campus of Miami University. “The study abroad
literally changed my life and propelled me into
the world of travel,” said Steve.
Traveling has become a part of his life. Steve
has participated in five International Christian
Missions and visited more than 25 countries. “I
find it [traveling] a way to not only experience
the world and its culture, but also to see the
work of God in his people,” he said.
Steve said he never thought about becoming
a priest as a child. In fact, he said he was
heading down the opposite path hoping to join
an Evangelical missionary group when a close
Catholic friend, took him under her wing. “I
learned right then of the spiritual power of a
faithful Catholic woman,” Steve said. “The next
thing I knew, I was sitting in on RCIA classes at
a nearby parish to learn the Catholic faith, even
though I was baptized Catholic.”
Steve remembers being so hungry to learn
more about the Catholic faith that he pursued
a master’s in theology at Franciscan University
in Steubenville, Ohio. While working towards
his theology degree, Steve recalls the many
people who expressed that they thought he
had a calling to the priesthood.
It wasn’t until 1994 when he was in
Jerusalem with his spiritual mother, Babsie
Bleasdell, that he remembers being open to the
possibility of becoming a priest. “Babsie prayed
with me in the ‘Upper Room’ in Jerusalem and
said, ‘Steve, I believe God is calling you to the
priesthood, and the Blessed Mother will always
be with you.’” These were powerful words to
Steve, but he said it took a series of events and
eight years before he consented with a “yes.”
Steve worked in the area of marketing
for 16 years. Specifically he managed the
production of advertisements and publications
at Franciscan University.
“Once I entered the seminary there has
never been any doubt in my mind that God is
calling me to serve him as a priest,” said Steve.
“I love the Catholic Church, and consider it a
great honor, privilege and humble blessing to
be considered for the priesthood.”
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ext. 101 or email: vocations@dosafl.com.
More information is also available at
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St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 21

parish
parish profile
Stewardship is Transformational
Queen of Peace Parish in Gainesville
by Shannon Scruby Henderson
Susie Nguyen
Designed by KBJ/Associated Florida Architects
and built by Charles Perry Construction, the new
Queen of Peace Church seats 1,500 and was
dedicated on Oct. 7, 2001.
is taking the gifts
that God gives us, being
grateful, using them to the
“Stewardship
best of our abilities, and
providing increase for the Lord,” says pastor
Jeff McGowan. “That’s our real mission at
Queen of Peace: to use everything we’ve
got to draw more people toward the table
of the Lord.”
The overarching concept is pervasive at
Queen of Peace, which bills itself as A Total
Stewardship Parish. “We don’t separate the
concepts of time, talent and treasure,” says
Karen Milligan, co-director of stewardship.
“It’s not one or the other; it’s all three.
We encourage parishioners to take the
time to do something for their spiritual
development. Talent means finding their
passion – something they’re really good at
and love to do – and using it to give back.
Treasure is also important, but it’s part of a
total commitment.”
This commitment operates at the parish
level as well. “We give 10 percent of our
income to other charities,” says Father
Jeff. “Some are local, like Arbor House (a
refuge for abused
women) and
Ronald McDonald
House. We give
to organizations
like Catholic
Charities and the
St. Vincent de
Paul Society. And
we have several
missions in Haiti.
One is a home for
elderly homeless
people that we
built, staffed and
Susie Nguyen
Pastor of Queen of Peace Parish since June
1999, Father Jeff McGowan has been instrumental
in developing a very dynamic, energetic, bright and
diverse Catholic community.
22 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

maintain. We helped add a pediatric ward at St. Boniface Hospital,
and we are benefactors of a clinic for infants and toddlers and their
moms. Plus, working through the Hands Together Foundation in
Princeton, N.J., we pay the entire faculty’s monthly salaries at an
elementary school in the Cité du Soleil slum in Port-Au-Prince.”
With more than 80 active ministries and a school that will
include Pre-K through 8th grade in the 2007-08 school year, Queen
of Peace may not be a good fit for Catholics who like to disappear
into the landscape after Sunday Mass. “We’ve been really blessed,
and people are encouraged to show that,” Father Jeff says of his
community that is composed largely of young professional families,
many who work for the University of Florida or Shands Hospital.
“Very few are needy. All are talented and energetic. Together, we
have a big impact.”
To help parishioners optimize their gifts, the Stewardship Office
works hard to communicate needs. Ministry fairs twice a year help
connect people to outreach opportunities. A Ministry Forum meets
once a quarter so that all sectors of the parish can update each
other on programs and goals. “Even though we’re a big community,
Q u e e n o f P e a c e P a r i s h a t a g l a n c e
Queen of Peace Parish
10900 SW 24th Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32607
(352) 332-6279
Email: office@queenofpeaceparish.org
Website: www.queenofpeaceparish.org
Pastor: Rev. Jeff McGowan
Parochial Vicar: Rev. Kazimierz Ligeza
Deacon: Deacon Bo Turner
Parishioners: 1,800 families
Academy: 265 students in grades PreK-7
Principal: Sister Nancy Elder, IHM
Rarely has a parish come so far in two decades as west
Gainesville’s Queen of Peace Catholic Community. From a
congregation of just 200 when it was founded in the spring
of 1987, the parish now numbers nearly 6,000 members.
Its tree-shaded campus is home to a complex of parish
buildings: Walsh Hall, the Spanish mission style multi-purpose
building built in 1992 that was the first church; a magnificent
new church, dedicated in 2001; Queen of Peace Catholic
Academy; and coming soon, a Walsh Hall makeover and the
final phase of the school, a $4 million wing with six classrooms,
music and art rooms, a youth center, school offices and adult
ministry offices.
The parish was founded by Father Flannan Walsh, later
assisted by Father John Patrick, a retired Air Force chaplain,
and Father Paco Revilla, who pioneered the Spanish Mass.
Since 1994, Father Jeff McGowan has led the community.
Susie Nguyen
The Rose Window, located high above the altar, contains the
names of each individual parishioner. The altar was carved in
Italy out of granite from Finland.
we want to be cohesive,” comments Karen Milligan. “At the
forums, people from each ministry hear about what’s happening
and volunteer to jump in and help each other out.” The parish
also publishes a Gift Inventory: an updated list of parish and
community needs that may appeal to individuals who are not
otherwise connected with outreach. “If somebody likes computer
work, for example, or can bake cookies, or work with the poor,
this is an opportunity to get started. We encourage people to
start the journey and give at the level they’re able to manage right
now,” says Karen.
By all accounts, the efforts are working. “If I had to say one word
about this parish, it would be ‘family,’” proclaims parishioner Sherry
Cousins. “The people we’ve met there and the friends we’ve become
close with are in many ways closer than my own family. Being involved
gets you on your journey to being a better Catholic, a better person,
and helps you realize who you are.”
For George and Joan Weiland, founding members of the parish, the
“family atmosphere” is largely due to Father Jeff and the people who
work with him. “Everybody just thinks the world of him,” Joan says of
her pastor. “We’re also blessed to have Father Kaz from Poland, who
speaks Polish, English and Spanish and has such a beautiful voice. And
our nuns – Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters Nancy, Bea and Franziska
at Queen of Peace Academy – they’re just so dear to us!”
“We enjoy each other. We believe. We love our Catholic faith. It’s a
very dynamic, wonderful experience of church,” says Father Jeff of his
parish. “My main hope is that our young people will encounter the
living Christ here, and their lives will be forever blessed. I won’t live to
see it, but I pray that these kids will have good, secure lives in a very
dangerous world.”
Email questions and comments to: sac@dosafl.com
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 23

ultiple Protestant churches, sprawling ranches
and pine forests dot the scenic two-lane road
that leads travelers to the tiny community of
Mayo, Fla. Located on the western edge of
the Diocese of Saint Augustine, it isn’t until reaching
Main Street that the Catholic presence comes into full
view. An early 20th-century church, formerly used by
a Baptist congregation, now serves as Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Mission.
In 2002, the Religious of Mary Immaculate,
Claretian Missionary Sisters of Miami decided to
expand their outreach ministry to North Florida.
Sister Margarita Gomez, superior of the Claretian
Sisters in Miami, approached Bishop Victor
Galeone about “establishing a new house in an
area where there was a growing Hispanic
presence.” She offered him the assistance
of two sisters that would provide
evangelization outreach to Hispanic
families.
“These sisters are ministering to
some of the neediest of our flock
– migrant workers with little or no
command of English,” Bishop Galeone
says. “Our diocese is deeply indebted to
these dedicated women for what they
have accomplished among the Hispanic
community in so short a time: catechism
classes, baptismal and confirmation
preparation, weekly Bible studies, youth
group activities, visiting the sick and
conducting occasional Sunday Communion
services in the absence of a priest. On my
infrequent visits to Mayo, I detect the deep
love and respect that our Hispanic parishioners
have for these devoted sisters.”
“I love the community, the simplicity of
life in this little corner of the world,” says the
mission’s newest addition, Sister Teresa “Tere”
Gallarreta. “That’s not to say it is easy – we have
a lot to do in terms of evangelization.” She came to the
mission in 2005, ready to serve the needs of the people
who had previously traveled to Perry, Live Oak or
Branford for Sunday Mass.
Although she has found her calling, Sister Tere admits
that she didn’t always want to be a nun. “The calling
kept coming, but I kept pushing it away.” It wasn’t until
2002 when she attended World Youth Day in Rome that
the message took hold. “The whole week was a dialogue
with God,” she recalls. After listening to Pope John Paul’s
message of “Do Not Be Afraid,” Sister Tere became open
to the idea of living a religious life. “I was filled with
joy at that moment,” she says. She was drawn to the
Claretian Sisters because of their work with the poor.
From left, Claretian
Sisters Elisabet
Rodriguez, Tere
Gallarreta and
Yolanda Nunez in
front of the Our
Lady of Guadalupe
Mission Church in
Mayo, Fla.
The Monroy family proudly displays
braided palms made by some of the
migrant farm workers.
Accompanied by Alma
Huerta, Claretian Sister Tere
Gallarreta (center) plays
guitar as the congregation
processes with palms as
part of the Palm Sunday
celebration.
Sisters bring
Christ to Hispanic
Farm Workers
special
Amelia Eudy
B y A m e l i a E u d y
Amelia Eudy
24 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

Sister Tere joined two other sisters already
working in the Mayo area, Sisters Yolanda
Nunez and Elisabet Rodriguez.
And working closely with the sisters
in their work with the migrants is Father
Richard Perko, pastor of nearby St.
Francis Xavier Parish in Live Oak. He
celebrates a bilingual Mass on Saturdays
at 5 p.m. He speaks very little Spanish,
“but they love him because they see the
effort he makes,” Sister Elisabet says.
One of the biggest challenges,
according to the sisters, is providing
evangelization outreach to those not attending
church in a predominantly Protestant
community. On Sundays, many Hispanics can
be found just down the street on the soccer field
when they are not working the dairy farms,
raising animals or bundling pine straw.
In attempts to bring others to the mission, the
sisters go on home visits and spread news of the
mission by word-of-mouth. They also post flyers
for upcoming events at the laundry and the store
in town. “The Hispanic population has needs.
We as a church are responsible (for recognizing)
those needs,” Sister Elisabet says.
While weekends are mainly spent at the
mission, a good part of the sisters’ time during
the week is spent visiting other parishes,
the nearby prison and private homes within
Suwannee, Lafayette and occasionally Columbia
counties.
Among her many duties, Sister Elisabet, a
native of Cuba, visits the Mayo Correctional
Institution for men two times per month. She
conducts a Communion service for about 15
inmates. “I felt called to come here. They needed
me,” Sister Elisabet says.
Uriel Posada, an eighth grade student in the
confirmation class, clearly appreciates their
presence. “They’re nice,” he says. “They help us
with things we don’t know. They are kind to us,
and we appreciate that.”
Joan and Bill Harney have attended Mass at
the mission for a little more than six months, and
they are among the few Anglo attendees. They
find the sisters’ work a great addition to their
community and have grown accustomed to the
bilingual services.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Joan Harney says. “They
blend in very well and have gotten to know the
ministers and preachers in the area.”
A native of Puerto Rico, Sister Yolanda was
living in Del Ray Beach, Fla., when she was called
to become a Claretian Sister. She had a special
desire to work in ministry with the Hispanic
population in this part of the state because “they
are not attended to.” She wants others in the
Claretian Sister Yolanda Nunez sells
Mexican food at a kiosk at Pioneer Day,
an annual festival held in Mayo, Fla. in
October. Money raised from the sale went
to benefit the mission.
diocese to know what goes on in their small, yet
faithful and social community.
Although challenging, Sister Yolanda enjoys
working to integrate the Mexican culture into
North Florida. “Bringing the two cultures
together, Hispanic and American, is the big
challenge,” she says. “They [the Mexicans] are
trying. It’s not as easy as people tend to believe.
They are all trying to become part of this country,
but it’s not easy.”
Helping where they can, the sisters know the
importance of bringing more people into the
growing church community. Before the sisters
arrived, many residents had already decided
to gather and raise money for a church. “Now
that we have this,” Sister Yolanda says, gesturing
around the adjoining meeting hall, “this gives
them a place to come and worship together.”
On Palm Sunday in April, more than 50
people gathered for Mass and procession at the
mission, a testament to the tireless work the
Claretian Sisters have done in the past five years.
Each of them knows this is what she has been
called to do, and the sisters have advice for other
women considering religious life.
“Know there are many different types of
sisters,” Sister Yolanda advises. “If they [women]
have something inside they are trying to discern,
listen to that.”
“Be open and consider it an option in life,”
Sister Tere adds. “Be open to God’s call if that’s
what he indeed is calling you to. Be not afraid.”
To learn more about the Claretian Sisters call
Sister Claudia Ortega at (305) 274-6148 or visit
www.claretiansisters.org. For more information about
religious life, contact Dominican Sister Maureen
Kelly, the bishop’s delegate for Religious at (904)
264-0577 or email: mkelleyop@comcast.net.
Amelia Eudy
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Amelia Eudy
around
around the diocese
Good Samaritan Awards 2007 jubilarians
Celebrating 350 Years of Service
Michele Blevins
Standing from left, Father Seamus O’Flynn, Bob Wesselman, John
Barger, Mitch Heinz and Bishop Victor Galeone. Seated from left, Jan
Wesselman, Mary Lou Barger and Cynthia Williams.
The St. Augustine Regional Office of Catholic Charities
held their annual Good Samaritan Awards Dinner on April 16 in
St. Augustine. Each year, Catholic Charities presents the Good
Samaritan Awards to individuals in the community in recognition
of their humanitarian service to others.
Honorees are: John and Mary Lou Barger for their volunteer
service with Community Hospice of Northeast Florida; Mitch
Heinz for his work with the “Sandwich Mission”; Bob and Jan
Wesselman for their work with “Missionaries of the Poor”; and
Cynthia Williams, an advocate for disadvantaged youth. Father
Seamus was honored with the Bishop John J. Snyder “Faith in
Action” award for his many years of service to the people of the
diocese.
diocesan council of catholic women
Faith and fellowship celebrated at convention
DCCW Leadership Team members, Julie Rothery and Fran Gullman, present a
check for $11,055 to Andy Duran, diocesan director of the Disabilities Ministry.
26 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007
Seven priests and two deacons of the Diocese of Saint
Augustine received special recognition from Bishop
Victor Galeone for their years of service to the church at
the Chrism Mass, celebrated April 4 of Holy Week at the
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
Celebrating golden jubilees (50 years of ordained ministry) are:
Fathers Diego Conesa, James Corry, Joseph Finlay, Antonio Leon
and Msgr. Eugene Kohls. Celebrating silver jubilees (25 years of
ordained ministry) are: Fathers James Moss and Callistus Onwere
and Deacons James Casapulla and Anthony Marini.
Back row from left, Bishop Victor Galeone, Deacon Anthony Marini,
Msgr. Eugene Kohls, Holy Ghost Father James Corry, Deacon James
Casapulla and retired Bishop John Snyder. Front row from left, Fathers
Joseph Finlay, Antonio Leon, Callistus Onwere and James Moss.
The 77th annual Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women (DCCW) Convention was held April
14-15 at the Jacksonville Marriott Hotel. More
than 100 women from across the diocese
attended the two-day conference, which included
talks such as, “The How-to’s of Successful Presentation
Reports,” by keynote speaker Kathy Bonner, and “Pizzazz
for Council,” by Jane Carter. All talks incorporated the
conference theme, He gives you the Power – Use It.
At a luncheon held on Sunday, Julie Rothery and
Fran Gullman of the leadership team presented a check
for $11,055 to Andy Duran, diocesan director of the
Disabilities Ministry, to be used for Camp I Am Special,
Camp Promise and Camp Care. The money was raised at
a fundraising fashion show held last February.
“The purpose [the convention] is to enlighten
women… to join together all the different deaneries and
have fun,” said Angela Becker, president of DCCW.
Susie Nguyen

children get head-start
New Childhood Center Dedicated
On April 24, Bishop Victor Galeone dedicated a new Early
Childhood Learning Center at Holy Rosary Catholic
School in Jacksonville.
The project
is part of a five-year strategic
plan of the Guardian of
Dreams Foundation of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine.
Funds for the center
were raised during the
Early Childhood Excellence
Campaign that was initiated
in February 2004, and raised
more than $2 million for
construction of the building Bishop Victor Galeone, joined by more
than 200 friends and supporters,
and its furnishings.
dedicated a new Early Childhood
The 6,400 square foot Learning Center at Holy Rosary Catholic
complex has classrooms for School in Jacksonville, April 24.
children in pre-Kindergarten
(ages three and four), a Kindergarten classroom, computer lab, resource
room and an after school hall.
Sister of Notre Dame Darlene Siebeneck is the director of the Early
Childhood Program at Holy Rosary and St. Pius V Catholic schools
located on Jacksonville’s north side.
Research has found that participation in intensive, high-quality
early-childhood education programs can improve school readiness.
Children who attend such programs are less likely to drop out of
school, repeat grades, or need special education than children who
have not had such experiences.
Catholic School Teachers Retire
Seven Catholic school teachers, with a combined service of
199 years, will retire this year. Bishop Victor Galeone formally
recognized the teachers at the Teacher’s In-Service Day, March
9, at Sacred Heart Parish in Jacksonville.
From left: Elizabeth Jimenez (40 years), Susana Suarez (24
years), Carol Voelker (37 years), Betty Lou Kelliher (25 years),
Bishop Galeone, Donna Wilkey (25 years), Carol Hayley (26
years) and Kathy Tierney (22 years).
around
around the diocese
Special
Susie Nguyen
Teri Aschilman Retires
Teri Aschilman, principal
of Morning Star School in
Jacksonville will retire in June after
32 years of service.
Teri’s career in education began
in January 1970 at the Morning
Star School in Tampa while she
was a student at the University
of South Florida. She was hired
seven months later as a speech
therapist for the Morning Star
School in Jacksonville. Teri served
Teri Aschilman, principal of
in this position until 1975 when Morning Star School .
she became the school’s principal.
When Morning Star School was opened in the Riverside
section of Jacksonville in 1956, its purpose was to provide a
Catholic education for children who were physically handicapped.
Today the school is located in the Arlington area of Jacksonville
and specializes in providing a Catholic education for children with
specific learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia and
mild emotional handicaps.
The diocese thanks Teri for her dedicated service and wishes
her many years of happiness in retirement.
hispanic charismatics
Fountain of Unity and Peace
Hands were raised and the energy was high as more than
400 Hispanic Catholics met for the ninth annual Hispanic
Charismatic Congress at St. Catherine Parish in Orange Park,
April 21-22. The weekend included motivational talks by
national speakers, a Healing Mass, confession, music, dancing and worship.
Conference team leader,
Chiqui Maldonado said,
“We try to motivate people
to lead their lives according
to the Holy Spirit. We like to
say, ‘We are not a movement
in the church; it is the
church moving.’” According
to Chiqui, the congress is
getting bigger each year.
Named, Holy Spirit
– Fountain of Unity and Peace,
the conference was open to
all Catholics in the diocese
Maria Astudillo and Marcela Acosta from
St. Paul Parish, Douglas, Ga., raise their
arms in praise and sing along with the
worship music in Spanish.
and beyond. Maria Astudillo and Marcela Acosta traveled from St. Paul
Parish in Douglas, Ga., to attend. “We’ve come every year,” Marcela said.
“We love the preaching. We love what we learn, and we can take that back
and share it with others.”
St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 27
Susie Nguyen
Amelia Eudy

in the news…
diocesan highlights
The Office of Liturgy for the Diocese
of Saint Augustine has received a
$14,000 grant for a Music Mentoring
Program from the Calvin Institute of
Christian Worship of Grand Rapids, Mich.
“We are ecstatic about being awarded the
grant,” said Father Tom Willis, director of
Liturgy for the diocese. “The mentoring
program we have designed will help
parishes with limited resources in having
a musician trained and mentored to be a
true pastoral musician for the parish.”
Parish leaders in liturgical music who may
be interested in applying to be part of the
mentoring program may contact the Office of
Liturgy at the Catholic Center (904)
262-3200 or email: twillis@dosafl.com
for further information. Deadline to apply is
July 1, 2007.
. . . . .
Catholic Charities service center in
Lake City has been named a new regional
office under the corporation. “This is the first
time a regional office has been established
since 1976, when the Gainesville Regional
Office was formed,” said Bill Beitz, diocesan
director of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc.
The Lake City Regional Office will serve
Columbia, Hamilton and Suwannee Counties
in North Florida.
Under the direction of Suzanne Edwards,
newly appointed as the Chief Operating
Officer and Executive Director, the regional
office will continue its food and financial
assistance program, Travelers Aid services, the
Homeless Drop-in Center and the Food Bank
of Suwannee Valley.
. . . . .
Michael Gannon, Ph.D. has a new book
out called, History of Florida in 40 Minutes,
published by University Press of Florida, 73
pages, $24.95. According to Mark Pettus,
in his Florida Times-Union nonfiction book
review column of April 22, “Forty minutes
for a history spanning 450 years might not
seem like much, but Michael Gannon has
proven that 40 minutes is enough time
to teach almost anyone the basic facts of
Florida history.” Dr. Gannon, professor
emeritus of history at the University of
Florida, has authored two other books
on the Sunshine State: The New History of
Florida and Florida, A Short History.
28 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007
work life
work life
I had a great boss — he left
now what?
Tom
worked for
Ken for four
years and
thought he
was a great
boss.
Tom says: Ken was my boss for about four years; he
was probably the best manager I ever worked for. He
was supportive, yet firm. Everyone seemed to like him;
there was just something about his demeanor that drew
people to him. He got things done; he was able to direct his team’s
activities without being overbearing. We simply wanted to do quality
work for him. He had a presence that was peaceful and inviting. He
was a kind man, and people respected him. I was disappointed
the day he announced he was taking early retirement. I’ve often
felt that if he hadn’t retired, I’d still be working for him.
The expert says:
You experience these people in the
workplace every once in a while.
They are people to whom others
are drawn; people you never hear
anyone say anything negative
about. They seem to peacefully
go about their business and get
things done without a lot of fanfare.
Ken is a person who was close
to achieving what is referred to in
the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook as
“personal mastery.” “In mastery,
there is a sense of effortlessness
and joyousness. This feeling stems
from the ability to understand
and work with the forces
around you” (Art Kleiner,
p 194). We all have a
personal vision for
our lives and career.
Frustration occurs
when we don’t
achieve our vision
quickly
enough
due to our
current
Tim Ryan
circumstances. This frustration
often translates into turfism, politics
and power struggles because
we’re trying too hard. “Personal
mastery” reflects one’s ability
to “have a sense of deliberate
patience – with themselves and
the world” (Fieldbook p 195). When
this happens, there is a greater
enthusiasm, which ultimately
translates into tangible results.
Another term we often use for
people such as Ken is “salt of the
earth.” That term comes from
Matthew’s Gospel, in which Christ
refers to us as salt of the earth. “If
salt loses its flavor it is no longer
good for anything” (Mt 5:13). If we
allow our current circumstances
to diminish our sense of purpose,
vision or enthusiasm, we cannot
positively change. So how do
we establish and maintain our
personal vision in the face of
the work we do?
• Base your personal vision on
God’s plan of serving one
another, not selfish desires for
money or power.
• Recognize the characteristics of
personal mastery, reflect the gifts of
the Holy Spirit (i.e. peace, patience,
kindness, joy) and thus, pray for
grace to receive those gifts.
• Do not expect to achieve
personal mastery overnight; trust
God to guide you over time.
Email questions and comments to:
tryan@faithmag.com

ook review
In the United States, the connections
between religion and organized sports
are, according to author William J.
Baker, both complex and uneasy. Yet,
at the same time, there is no doubt that the
two are well nigh inseparable in the American
mind.
“Religion and sport
especially are joined, at
the altar of commercial
interest,” Baker writes in
Playing With God: Religion
and Modern Sport. “As
sports promoters seek
publicity and lively
attendance at their events, and
as churches seek wholesome activities and
a podium for their message, their marriage
seems made in heaven.”
Author Baker takes the reader on a
fascinating and informative trek through the
history of the intimacy between religion and
sports in America. “The long arc of modern
sport’s interaction with religion can best be
viewed as a dance,” Baker concludes, “in
which the terms of engagement have changed
over time.”
Tom Hafer, author of Faith & Fitness: Diet
and Exercise for a Better World, is a registered
physical therapist and
certified athletic trainer. In
this book, Hafer prods the
reader to think of physical
fitness and diet in more
holistic terms, indeed, in
the context of one’s faith
relationship with God.
“It is only by God’s
grace that we are made whole,” Hafer notes.
At the same time, his book admirably brings
a global perspective to his discussion: “When
we are disciplined with our overabundance
while concerning ourselves with the poor, a
redistribution of resources occurs throughout
our global community. … In this new
paradigm shift, wellness is no longer selfcentered,
but centered on Christ and the least
of these, our neighbors.”
Playing With God: Religion and Modern Sport,
by William J. Baker. Harvard University Press,
311 p., $29.95. Faith & Fitness: Diet and
Exercise for a Better World, by Tom P. Hafer.
Augsburg Books, 143 pp., $14.99.
Reviewed by Mitch Finley, Catholic News Service
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St. Augustine Catholic June 2007 29

Pre-Plan
your arrangments
By pre- planning your
arrangements, you will spare your
loved ones unnecessary emotional
and financial burden.
For pre-planning information,
please contact the St. Augustine
Diocesan Cemeteries office at
(904) 824-6680
San Lorenzo Cemetery, St. Augustine
St. Mary Cemetery, Korona
Diocese of Saint Augustine
Save your marriage!
Attend a Retrouvaille
Weekend. It’s like a
lifeline for troubled
marriages. When
both spouses commit,
Retrouvaille has a
70% success rate.
Join us for a
Retrouvaille
Weekends in 2007
June 8-10
October 12-14
Call Bill or Trudy Hehn
904.992.0408
www.HelpOurMarriage.com
calendar
June 2007
June 4-9
SPLUNGE – A weeklong inner-city
program for youth ages 15-21. Participants
will stay at Immaculate Conception
Parish, Jacksonville. Cost: $75. To register,
call Kathy Yoakley at (904) 284-3811.
Gainesville, call Joan Prado at (352)
373-3627 or visit www.splungejax.org
June 8-10
Retrouvaille/Rediscovery –
A weekend retreat for couples with
troubled marriages. Friday, 8 p.m. to
Sunday, 5 p.m., Jacksonville. For details,
or to register, call Bill or Trudy at (904)
992-0408.
June 10
Ministry Formation Program
Certification Ceremony with Bishop
Victor Galeone. Sunday, 3 p.m., Cathedral-
Basilica of St. Augustine. The community
is invited to the celebration.
June 15-22
Guided Retreat: Beatitudes of
Jesus – Presenter: Oblate Father Richard
M. Sudlik. Marywood Retreat Center,
Jacksonville. Cost: $395-$465.
Call (904) 287-2525 or visit
www.marywoodcenter.org
June 22
Theology-on-Tap – A program and
social for young adults ages 19-40. Friday,
6:30 p.m. at Mudville Grille, 3105 Beach
Blvd., Jacksonville. Speaker and Topic:
TBA. Cost: $5 or $3 with a student ID.
For details, call (904) 262-3200, ext.112
or email: amcgaugh@dosafl.com
June 22-24
Engaged Encounter – A marriage
preparation program open to couples
of all faiths. Begins Friday, 7:30 p.m.,
Marywood Retreat Center, Jacksonville.
Cost: $280 per couple. Call (904)
308-7474 or register online:
www.dcfl.org
June 22-24
Silent Retreat –
Friday-Sunday, Marywood Retreat Center,
Jacksonville. Cost: $122-$162.
Call (904) 287-2525 or visit
www.marywoodcenter.org
June 23
Ordination to Priesthood –
Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Cathedral-Basilica
of St. Augustine. Bishop Victor Galeone
will ordain Deacons David Ruchinski,
Robert Trujillo and Steven Zehler to the
priesthood. Community is invited to
attend ceremony.
June 24-29
Camp Risk – Marywood’s annual camp
for youths in grades 7th-9th. Sunday-
Friday at Camp St. John, Jacksonville.
Week two is July 1-6 and Week
three is July 8-13. Cost: $350. To register,
call (904) 287-2525 or visit us at
www.marywoodcenter.org
June 25
Queen of Peace Anniversary
Celebration Monday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.,
St. Catherine Parish, Orange Park. Teen
and young adult programs available. To
register, call (386) 445-1564 or email:
admin@gospafl.com.
July
July 7
Pre-Cana - A marriage preparation
program for engaged couples who want to
marry in the Catholic Church. Saturday,
9:20 a.m.-5:30 p.m., St. Vincent’s Medical
Center, Jacksonville. Call (904) 308-7474
or register online at www.dcfl.org
July 13-15
Worldwide Marriage Encounter - A
weekend retreat experience for married
couples that want to enrich their marriage
by learning effective communication skills.
To learn more or to register for the South
Jacksonville weekend, call (800) 923-9963
or visit www.geocities.com/jaxmeweb
30 St. Augustine Catholic June 2007

Men on a Mission
Feel called to join them? Call 1-800-775-4659, ext. 101
The Diocese of Saint Augustine
Vocations Office
. www.dosafl.com Email: vocations@dosafl.com

“We’ve got the latest
equipment, and the
smartest doctors around.”
—Cassandra Dunn, RN
Electrophysiology Lab Coordinator
St. Vincent’s associates not only treat
their patients like family, but they also make
sure their own families get treated here.
That’s because they know our facilities,
equipment, and staff represent the
best that healthcare has to offer.
To learn more, visit
www.jaxhealth.com.
“When you’re happy doing what you’re doing,
and you know you have a great
administration behind you and that the
patients come first, it makes you want to give
your best whenever you clock in.”
catholic
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