December 10, 2013

Published each Wednesday by The Catholic Telegraph and the Office of Communications at Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Publisher - Most Rev. Dennis M. SchnurrEditor - Stephen A. Trosley

Director of CommunicationsDan Andriacco

Send submissions to strosley@catholiccincinnati.org and dandriacco@catholiccincinnati.org

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GaudeteSunday,Dec. 14

Gaudete Sunday, marks a break about midway through a season which is otherwise of a penitential character, and signifies the nearness of the Lord's coming. In both Office and Mass throughout Advent continual reference is made to our Lord's second coming, and this is emphasized on the third Sunday by the additional signs of gladness permitted on that day. The Nocturn lessons from the Prophecy of Isaias describe the Lord's coming and the blessings that will result from it, and the antiphons at Vespers re-echo the prophetic promises. The joy of expectation is emphasized by the constant Alleluias, which occur in both Office and Mass throughout the entire season. In the Mass, the Introit "Gaudete in Domino semper" strikes the same note, and gives its name to the day. The Epistle again incites us to rejoicing, and bids us prepare to meet the coming Saviour with prayers and supplication and thanksgiving, whilst the Gospel, the words of St. John Baptist, warns us that the Lamb of God is even now in our midst, though we appear to know Him not.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who died last week at the age of 95, was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation.

Deacon Royce Winters, Director, African American Catholic Ministries, said this of the passing Dec. 5 of Nelson Mandela: In the death of South African President Nelson Mandela, we’ve lost one of the icons of the struggle for Peace and Justice in our world. I can recall as if it was yesterday, the anger burning deep within me as I became

more aware of the movement against apartheid in South Africa. The anger was the residue of the injustice that shamed a n d s c a r r e d m y parents, grandparents a n d g r e a t grandparents as they

attempted to navigate the injustice of

Mandela remembered in archdiocese

Please see back page

Deacon Winters

Events of Interest

Page 2 Dec. 3, 2013

Advent Lunch with the Lord continues on Wednesdays Dec. 11 and 18 in the undercroft of St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati, immediately following the 11:30 a.m. Mass. Fr. Ezra Sullivan, O.P., will talk about “The Apostolic Vocation of the Laity.” Lunch with the Lord is free and open to the public. Drinks will be available for purchase. Bring a friend, your lunch, and have lunch with the Lord.

St. James the Greater Church, White Oak, will host an evening designed for individuals who see the Advent and Christmas season as overwhelming for their family. Veteran religious educator Jeanne Hunt will present the program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in the church hall. Her presentation promises to be particularly inspiring for those who wish to rediscover the silence and peace of this holy time. Call 513-741-5325 to RSVP

St. Margaret of York Catholic Church in Twenty Mile Stand welcomes you to join in an evening of scripture and song in anticipation of the birth of our Lord. Lessons and Carols will be presented by the choirs of St. Margaret of York at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11. Refreshments will follow.

The Caregiver Assistance Network of Catholic Charities is hosting a workshop, “Family Caregivers: Enjoying a Successful Holiday Season,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Hyde Park Health Center, 4001 Rosslyn Drive. Caregivers can often experience emotional meltdown and excessive stress during the winter holidays. The workshop is a two-part series that will help caregivers learn to relax and enjoy the holidays. There is no fee. For more information, contact Margaret Iannaci at miannaci@ccswoh.org or 513- 929-4483.

TV star Frank Runyeon will present “The 3½ Stories of Christmas” at Holy Trinity Church in Dayton, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12. Children and adults will be delighted as all the parts of the Christmas story are tied together, from the light of creation to the manger in Bethlehem, from the origin of St. Nicholas to the secret of the Christmas Angel.

Join Jeanne Hunt and Miriam, a women’s vocal ensemble, for an evening of reflection and perspective during this time of preparation and hope. The event will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor Centennial Barn, 60 Compton Road, Cincinnati. Free will donations will be accepted.

Mother of Mercy High School will hold its annual Christmas Concert on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy performances by Mercy’s freshman/sophomore and junior/senior choirs, Vocal Ensemble and Hand Bell Choir. This year’s theme is “Snow.” Tickets will be on sale in Mercy’s main office and before each performance for $7. Mother of Mercy alumnae who graduated between 1987 and 2013 and were a part of Mercy’s music department are invited to come on stage

either night and sing Merry Christmas With Love. Please RSVP to Mrs. Kim Zang at zang_k@motherofmercy.org so she can plan for stage arrangements.

The Sisters of Children of Mary will conduct a retreat at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein from 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, through 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. For details and registration, go to www.childrenofmary.net or call 740-323-1977. This order of sisters is familiar for taking part in the Fatima Service held every August at the Spiritual Center.

“God is Here. Let’s celebrate!” will be presented by Sr. Carol Leveque, SC, at the Sisters of Charity Motherhouse in Delhi Township from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. As we move through Advent and contemplate the meaning of the Incarnation, Sr. Carol will focus on the words, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Where do we find this incarnate God? As we reflect on this question we will also consider Margaret Silf’s words: “God seeks out the sheds and stables and the neglected outbuildings of our lives and lies down right there in the mud and the mess and the muddle of our living…” The fee is $15, payable at time of registration. For more information, call 513-347-5449 or go to www.srcharitycinti.org/spirit.htm.

The Comboni Missionaries opened their first crib scene to the public in 1947, and the automated display has been on view to the public every Christmas since then. The opening night this year is 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Join the Comboni Missionaries for live entertainment, refreshments, and shopping. The display will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 16 -30, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church will celebrate Lessons in Carols at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, in church. Join the parish’s 45-member choir and 11-piece chamber orchestra for an afternoon of beautiful and inspiring music of the season. No tickets are required.

McNicholas Liturgy Choir’s 3rd Annual Lessons and Carols will be performed at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Guardian Angels Church, Mt. Washington. This year’s program will be themed around the idea of “Light and Darkness,” using choral music, scripture, lighting, movement, and other sacred reading to tell the story of Christ’s birth and our salvation history. Everyone is invited to attend; admission is free.

The Cincinnati Catholic Alumni Club invites single Catholics to its Christmas dinner party, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec 15, at Slatt’s Pub, 4858 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash. Call Andi, 513-821-2440 for information and directions

Open your heart to the coming of Christ by attending Lessons in Carols at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at St. Antoninus Church. Giving Glory Contemporary Music Group will provide the music.

Page 3 Dec. 10, 2013

The Church in the World

Pope calls for actionagainst scandal of hungerVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People must stand united against the scandal of hunger while avoiding food waste and irresponsible use of the world's resources, Pope Francis said. People should "stop thinking that our daily actions do not have an impact on the lives of those who suffer from hunger firsthand," he said in a video message Dec. 9, launching a global campaign of prayer and action against hunger. Organized by Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based federation of Catholic charities, a global "wave of prayer" arrived in Cincinnati at 10 a.m. as the wave washed around the world’s time zones. The observance was marked at St. Louis Church. Pope Francis offered his blessing and support for the "One Human Family, Food For All" campaign in a video message released on the eve of the global launch. With about 1 billion people still suffering from hunger today, "we cannot look the other way and pretend this does not exist," he said in the message.

Ethicist sees 'informed consent'at issue in ACLU suit, not directives WASHINGTON (CNS) -- What's clear in the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit over the U.S. bishops' ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care is the lawyers' "selective reading" of those directives, according to John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. The ACLU and its Michigan affiliate filed suit in U.S. District Court Nov. 29 on behalf of Tamesha Means, claiming she received negligent care at a Michigan Catholic hospital when her pregnancy was in crisis at 18 weeks. The suit claims the directives kept the doctors from giving her adequate care. In a Dec. 4 interview with Catholic News Service, Haas said it was a "frivolous suit" with no basis and will "go absolutely nowhere." He said the real issue is whether the plaintiff was informed properly about her condition, and he said the directives require informed consent, but the suit does not cite that provision. Haas told CNS the ACLU lawyers' claim is "clearly a selective reading of the directives to advance their own cause, which isn't even to obtain redress (for Means)."

Same call by Francis to help poorseen in St. Ambrose's words, deeds DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNS) -- More than 16 centuries ago, St. Ambrose of Milan preached about and practiced philanthropy in a way that should seem familiar to admirers of Pope Francis. St. Ambrose believed Christians ought to give from their first fruits to people in desperate need. Whether the recipients were Christian, citizen or foreigner, didn't matter. "Ambrose wants us to give everything we can to help these people, not just a little bit of what we have. ... We have to give as much as we can," said St. Ambrose University senior Tom Prior. He shared this and other

observations during his talk Dec. 1 at the St. Ambrose of Milan Colloquium. The event preceded a Mass to celebrate the feast day of St. Ambrose, which is actually Dec. 7, and the first Sunday of Advent. Prior, who also is as editor of the student newspaper, The Buzz, provided students and others in the audience with an insightful look at St. Ambrose's scripturally based principles on sharing wealth -- that of the church and of individuals. "Let the Christian give money as if he were not to receive it again," Prior quoted the saint as saying. "Give without expecting anything in return."

Measure on background checksfor guns said to balance 'liberty, safety' SEATTLE (CNS) -- The Catholic bishops of Washington state support a legislative measure to place some limits on gun sales, calling it "a prudent balance between concerns for personal liberty and public safety." Under state and federal laws, gun dealers must have licenses and gun buyers undergo background checks in most cases. The Washington measure, called Initiative 594, would require background checks on the sale or transfer of all firearms and adds background checks for online sales and sales at gun shows. "Tragic mass shootings have become all too prevalent in our day and reflect a devaluing of human life in our nation," the bishops said in a statement released Dec. 2 by the Washington State Catholic Conference. "As people of faith, we, the Catholic bishops of Washington state, are deeply committed to the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of liberty and recognize legitimate recourse to self-defense. In addition, they also urged public and elected officials to support "policy initiatives to improve access to mental health care for those who may be prone to violence. Such steps would prove both effective and humane, and would receive broad public support as a means of reducing violent crime."

Pope asks that no one be indifferentto elderly, children, sick, poor ROME (CNS) -- Pope Francis prayed that people would never be indifferent to the cries of the poor, the suffering of the sick, the loneliness of the elderly and the fragility of children. "May every human life always be loved and venerated by all of us," he prayed on the feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8. Pope Francis marked the feast day with a traditional afternoon visit to a statue of Mary erected near the Spanish Steps. He traveled between the Vatican and the heart of Rome's tourist and shopping district riding in the passenger front seat of a four-door Ford Focus sedan. The visit was to pay homage to Mary by praying before the statue, which commemorates Pope Pius IX's proclamation in 1854 that Mary, by special divine favor, was without sin from the moment she was conceived. The pope offered a large basket of white roses trimmed with a white- and yellow-striped ribbon decorated with the pope's coat-of-arms.

The Archdiocese

America in the “Jim Crow South.” This struggle for justice in South Africa opened the wounds of division that separated people of color and rendered “colored-folk” to a less than human status in America. Yet, in the later part of the 20th Century stood a man for the ages, his name was Nelson Mandela. A man who overcame the stigma of being a political prisoner for more than twenty-years and upon his release led a movement, a people, and a country to face the sin of their nation. His voice was one of the many advocates for justice in our world who stood above the crowd, as heralds for justice, peace and reconciliation. It is not often that we are able to look back on a person’s life, while they are still alive to appreciate, to acknowledge and to honor their contribution to forging a just society. The years God granted Nelson Mandela to live on this earth blessed us with the opportunity gaze upon a hero for the ages. We as a people of justice join ours voices with the people of the African Continent and people around world to pause and give thanks to God for sending us this messenger of peace. In death, let us honor President Nelson Mandela by seizing this opportunity to live and act justly. The fight for justice continues on our shores and around the world. Archdiocesan Director of the Office of Catholic Social Action recalled: “When Pope John Paul II visited South Africa for the first time in 1995, the Holy Father said of the recently elected, first black president, Nelson Mandela: “‘At the beginning of my visit, I wish to pay tribute to you, Mr. President, who, after being a silent and suffering "witness" of your people’s yearning for true liberation, now shoulder the burden of inspiring and challenging everyone to succeed in the task of national reconciliation and reconstruction.’

“Nelson Mandela was a man of faith who often worked with South Africa’s church leaders, including Catholic leaders, to eventually toss off the yokes of such overt

racism. In addition to the resistance efforts of black and Asian South Africans throughout that country, the crushing system of Apartheid was eroded by the solidarity of millions around the world who were moved by Nelson Mandela and many other leaders’ passion and leadership. Such solidarity led to effective international sanctions and other efforts that reshaped the policies of

the ruling minority and eventually led to the path for a more racially equal society. In that respect, in addition to celebrating his life, this occasion is also a reminder that we are continually called to stand with the poor and outcast of today, wherever they may be, to pursue a greater respect for their life and dignity. As Pope Francis recently expressed, “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 187). “In that mission, we can all be inspired by Nelson Mandela’s faith, courage, endurance for suffering, leadership, and personal humility for the struggles ahead. In addition, as President of South Africa, Mandela’s support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, also illustrates for us how we can make oppressive structures of sin give way to opportunities for personal healing and God’s grace,” Stieritz said.

Tony Stieritz

Mandela remembered -- continued from front page

   Father  Andrew  Umberg,  has  recently  been  appointed  Director   of   the   Of;ice   of   Priestly  Formation.   The   appointment   took  effect  Dec.  1.    Fr.  Umberg  is  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  and  has   lived  here   almost  all   of  my  life.   He   has   been   a   priest   of   the  Archdiocese   of   Cincinnati   for  twenty-­‐two  years.    Fr.  Umberg   attended  grade   school  at  Assumption  in  Mt.  Healthy  and  St.  James,  White   Oak,   and   then  LaSalle  and   Colerain   high   schools.   He   attended   Cincinnati  Technical   College   (now  Cincinnati   State)   for  one   year  after  high  school  in  the  chef  program.      “Convinced   that  God  was  calling  me   to  be   a   priest,   I  attended   the   Ponti;ical   College   Josephinum   in  Columbus   for   college   seminary,   and   then   Mount   St.  

Mary’s   Seminary   here   in   Cincinnati   for   Theology  school,”   he   said   in   a   note   of   introduction   to   his  colleagues  at  the  archdiocesan  central  of;ice  this  week.     After  ordination   in   1991,   he   served   three   years   as  parochial  vicar  at  St.  Dominic  in  Delhi.  Next,  he  served  as   Dean   of   Students   of   the   Josephinum   college  seminary   for   ;ive   years.   After   that,   he   studied  Dogmatic  Theology  in  Rome  for  two  years,  receiving  a  license   in   sacred   Theology  (S.T.L.)   from  the   Ponti;ical  Gregorian   University.   He   then   served   as   Dean   of  Students  and   Lecturer   in   Systematic   Theology  at   the  Athenaeum,   in   the   seminary,   diaconate   and   Lay  Pastoral  Ministry  programs  for   four  years,   also  doing  some   ;ield   education.     For   a   year   and   a   half,   he   also  was  pastoral  administrator  of   St.  Angela  Merici  parish  in  Brown  County.  He  has  been  pastor  of   St.  William   in  Price  Hill  for  eight  and  a  half  years.  

Fr. Andrew Umberg

Fr. Umberg heads Priestly Formation office

Page 4 Dec. 10, 2013