Vol. 2, No. 3 Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019

Catholic Schools Week

Please join me in this annual celebration. Already, a few of our schools have brought treats or banners and the folks from St. Ambrose School sang mariachi music – all very well done – to our Pastoral Center to help us celebrate too.

Each of our 25 Catholic schools have events planned that began Jan. 27 and that will continue through Feb. 2. I encourage all of our students, parents and grandparents of students and perhaps potential students and parents to check out the schools at this time. According to the National Catholic Educational Association website, National Catholic Schools Week has been celebrated since 1974. This year's theme is "Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed." Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities. 

Photos by Michael Brown Above, a beautiful banner handcrafted by students at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and presented to the Catholic Schools Department.

There is more about our schools in the remainder of the Update below. At right, mariachi students from St. Ambrose Catholic School presented song and culture to those at the Pastoral Center.

Mass for Religious Jubilarians

Msgr. Fuller Mass of Christian Burial I remind Update readers that we will bury our much-beloved Msgr. Robert Fuller, long-time pastor at St. Frances Cabrini, who passed away last week. A vigil service will take place tomorrow evening at St. Francis Cabrini Thursday, Jan. 31 at St. Frances Cabrini Parish, 3201 E. Presidio Road, at 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave., with interment to follow at Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle Road. Msgr. Fuller is survived by a sister, Peggy Angelastro (Mike) of California; sisters-in-law: Dora Fuller and Rose Marie Fuller; nephews: Dr. Greg Fuller (Denise) and Robert Fuller (Sandy); great nephews: Shawn and Alan; and nieces: Sarena, Jennifer and Julia. Monsignor was predeceased by brothers Milton Fuller and Cyrus Fuller, and by a sister, Nikki Marshall.

I will be the main celebrant at a Mass celebrating consecrated life of all of the Religious men and women who serve in the Diocese, especially our 11 Jubilarians, two of whom are celebrating hallmark jubilees - silver (25 years) and golden (50 years). The Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 3 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 1946 E. Lee St., Tucson.

This Mass is important because it recognizes the accomplishments of the many vowed religious that serve our diocese. I am sure many of readers remember the Sister who taught them in the first grade, or the Brother who helped coach the track team. We rely heavily on the assistance and ministry of our religious here in the Diocese and I am grateful for their work.

In addition to the jubilarians mentioned above, here are others marking special anniversaries:

15 years: Jesuit Father Paul Gabor; 20 years: Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity Brother Andres Rivera;

25 years: Oakford Dominican Sister Jodi Cecilia Min (unable to attend);

30 years: Jesuit Father Sean Carroll and Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno;

40 years: Franciscan Brother David Paz;

50 years: Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Mary Beth Kornely;

55 years: Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Karen Berry and Leonette Kochan;

65 years: Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Francesca Marti and Capuchin Father John Francis Samsa.

Fathers Carroll, Samsa and Corbally and Father Patrick Crino will serve as concelebrants at the Mass.

Sister of Charity Jeanne Bartholomeaux , our Vicar for Religious, provided me some other interesting information about religious serving our diocese: There are 135 religious women from 33 congregations or orders serving in the Diocese of Tucson 61 priests and 31 brothers from 16 different religious congregations serve in our diocese.

Protection Office Convocation

Each year, our Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection holds a training day where important presentations and information is provided to the Compliance Officers for our parishes and schools. These officers are responsible for helping the Protection Office ensure that all employees and volunteers are finger printed and are given background checks before they are involved in any work or ministry.

This year's training focused on the impact of trauma and featured Andy Maurer, an expert in training people about trauma and its impact on work and relationships. He is a skilled speaker who holds a master's degree in Divinity in Professional Counseling form Phoenix Seminary and a master's degree in Martial Family Therapy form Fuller Theological Seminary.

In Phoenix

I was in Phoenix Tuesday and am in Phoenix again today. Tuesday, I spent the day first at the Arizona Catholic Conference meeting and then we member bishops met with state legislators. You may know that our Arizona Catholic Conference serves as a conduit of information from the bishops in Phoenix, Tucson and Gallup, NM to lawmakers, providing them information about support for or concerns from the dioceses or the larger Catholic Church on legislation under consideration.

http://www.azcatholicconference.org/ to learn more about the work of the Conference office and to read statements on various issues.

We held our Breakfast with Legislators this morning (Weds) and then went on to the annual Catholic Schools Rally outside the state Capitol. I also will be the homilist for the Mass proceeding the schools rally today.

Our Catholic schools and our students always show up in great numbers to participate in the annual Catholic Schools Rally, as do schools from the Diocese of Phoenix. The rally is a good way to remind state lawmakers that our schools also provide education to thousands of students and that support of scholarships to private schools and Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, ESAs, positively impact thousands of residents throughout the state, who benefit by being able to choose the education their family members receive.

Catholic Schools Seton Award Endowment Dinner

CTSO 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner

Feb 1. Marriott Starr Pass

This annual dinner takes on a new sparkle with the celebration of Arizona's Catholic Tuition Support Organization's 20th Anniversary. CTSO, as we call it, has been responsible for thousands of scholarships provided to Catholic school students over the last 20 years.

Founders, past and current board members and presidents of Arizona's Catholic Tuition Support Organization (CTSO) will be recognized as we celebrate CTSO's 20th Anniversary and Catholic Schools' Dinner. The annual St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for service and leadership in our Catholic Schools will be presented r to Lynn Cuffari, principal of St. Augustine Catholic High School. Quiroz Marum, CTSO CEO states that over the past 20 years, CTSO has awarded $124 million in scholarships to approximately 68,000 deserving students throughout the Diocesan Catholic schools and private schools statewide.

Tables and seats still are available for the Friday's dinner by calling by calling Quiroz Marum at 520-838-2571.

Also, there are raffle tickets available for purchase online or at the dinner for prizes that include tuition. The celebration will take place at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa and begins at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and cocktail hour. Mass with Kino Teens I will be celebrating Mass at St. Augustine Catholic High School with members of the Kino Teens at the school on Saturday. We have several Kino Teen groups in our diocese. The group is organized through the Kino Border Initiative, which includes information about the group on its website: "The Kino Teens is a network of clubs at high schools that provide students across the country the opportunity to accompany deported migrants, participate in educational activities with an emphasis on understanding the stories of migrants and the complex issue of migration, and to defend migrant rights through advocacy. Kino Teens seek to embody the heritage of Padre Kino who was a defender of native peoples and a protector of their rights."

Please remember . . .

Grace Lohr, who worked for the diocese for several years; her last position was with the Office of Worship. Grace was well known around our diocese for her beautiful singing. She passed away the evening of Jan. 28. There will visitation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 8650 N. Shannon Road, on Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a rosary beginning at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m., also at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Upcoming:

Lüthen Lecture: "Living and Ministering Authentically Within an Intercultural Context"

This series (named for an early Salvatorian priest) is intended to help enrich the faith and ministry of those who serve in official capacities in parish and school communities, as well as for the people in the pews.

Presented by Fr. Eddie de León

Wednesday, February 20 at 7 p.m. - St. Cyril of Alexandria Church, Tucson

Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m. - Immaculate Conception Church, Yuma

Unless we develop a sensitivity to the particular cultures and languages present in our local parish communities when we gather for liturgical celebrations, social gatherings, meetings, and ministries, we risk having our outreach limited, ineffective and lacking authenticity. Father Eddie de Léon, CMF, Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Preaching, Director of Intercultural Outreach, and Department Chair of Spirituality & Pastoral Ministry at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, will provide anecdotes, mural art, and real-life practical application to assist participants to move forward in faith. Father Eddie has served in campus ministry for 17 years and later served his congregation as provincial minister, before being appointed as an NGO representative for the Claretians to the United Nations.

Catechetical Leaders Gathering: "Gather ~ Voice ~ Dream ~Plan"

Presented by Peggy Guerrero, MPM, and Jeannete Apaez-Gutierrez, M.Ed Saturday, March 2, 2019 from 8:30-noon at St. Frances Cabrini Church, Tucson

This workshop is intended to provide time and space for Parish Catechetical Leaders to gather with other catechetical leaders, to voice their current reality, questions, and concerns, to dream a new vision and hopes, and to plan on how to make that vision take root and flourish. The workshop will be on Saturday, March 2. Sign-in and a continental breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m.; the formal presentation will be from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost for the workshops is $20. To register, contact Jordan Ministry Team at 520-623-2563 or JMT@JordanMinistry.org. The website also will list future classes.