While I was in central Georgia, filming the Flannery O’Connor episode of my Pivotal Players series, I saw a sign on the outside of a church, which would have delighted the famously prickly Catholic author: “All Sinners Are Welcome!” I thought it was a wonderfully Christian spin on the etiquette of welcome that is so pervasive in our culture today. In a time of almost complete ethical relativism, the one value that everyone seems to accept is inclusivity, and the only disvalue that everyone seems to abhor is exclusivity. “Who am I to tell you what to do?” and, of course, everyone gets inside the circle. What I especially liked about the sign in Georgia was that it compels us to make some distinctions and think a bit more precisely about this contemporary moral consensus.

Is it true to say “everyone is welcome”? Well, yes, if we mean welcome into the circle of the human family, welcome as a subject of infinite dignity and deserving love and respect. Christians—and indeed all decent people—stand against the view, pervasive enough in the supposed culture of inclusion, that the unborn, the aged, the unproductive are not particularly welcome. If by “all are welcome,” one means that all forms of racism, sexism, and elitism are morally repugnant, then yes, the slogan is quite correct.

But let’s consider some other scenarios. Would we claim that everyone is welcome to become a member of the college baseball team? Everyone is welcome to try out, I suppose, but the coach will assess each candidate and will then make a judgment that some are worthy of being on the team and others aren’t. Like it or not, he will include some and exclude others. Would we claim that everyone is welcome to play in a symphony orchestra? Again, in principle, anyone is invited to give it a go, but the conductor will make a fairly ruthless determination as to who has what it takes to make music at the highest level and who doesn’t, and he will include and exclude accordingly. Would we argue that everyone is welcome to be a free member of our civil society? Well, yes, if we consider the matter in abstraction; but we also acknowledge that certain forms of behavior are incompatible with full participation in the public space. And if misbehavior is sufficiently egregious, we set severe limits to the culprit, restricting his movement, bringing him to trial, perhaps even imprisoning him.

With this basic distinction in mind, let us consider membership in the Church of Jesus Christ. Are all people welcome to the Church? Yes of course! Everyone and his brother cites James Joyce to the effect that the Catholic Church’s motto is “here comes everybody,” and this is fundamentally right. Jesus means to bring everyone to union with the Triune God, or to state the same thing, to become a member of his Mystical Body the Church. In John’s Gospel, Jesus declares, “When the Son of Man is lifted up, he will draw all people to himself.” Bernini’s colonnade, reaching out like great in-gathering arms from St. Peter’s Basilica, is meant to symbolize this universally inclusive welcome offered by Christ. Is the Church, as Pope Francis says, a field hospital where even the most gravely wounded are invited for treatment? Is the Lord’s mercy available to everyone, even to the most hardened of sinners? Yes! And does the Church even go out from itself to care for those who are not explicitly joined to Christ? Yes! In fact, this was one of the reasons the Church was so attractive in the ancient world: when Roman society left the sick to fend for themselves and often cast away the newly-born who were deemed unworthy, the Church included these victims of the “throwaway culture” of that time and place.

However, does this mean that the Church makes no judgments, no discriminations, no demands? Does the Church’s welcome imply that everyone is fine just as he or she is? Here we have to answer with a rather resounding no. And that Georgia sign helps us to understand why. The Greek word that we translate as “church” is “ekklesia,” which carries the sense of “called out from.” Members of the Church have been called out of a certain way of life and into another one, out of conformity with the world and into conformi ty wi th Chr ist . Every ecclesiastical person, therefore, is a welcomed sinner who has been summoned to conversion. She is someone who is, by definition, not satisfied with who she is. To return to the Pope’s famous image, a field hospital receives not those who are doing just great but those who are deeply, even gravely, wounded. The problem is that anytime the Church sets a limit or makes a demand or summons to conversion, she is accused of being “exclusive” or insufficiently “welcoming.” But this cannot be right. As Cardinal George once put it, commenting upon the famous liturgical song “All Are Welcome,” all are indeed welcome, but on Christ’s terms, not their own.

 Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Barron’s latest film series and study program, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, debuted in September 2016 and has been syndicated for national television. The original article, used with permission from: https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/author/bishop-robert-barron/47/

Think about your day yesterday. Did you lead with your heart? Okay, I understand, that is a tough question. But, what would the day look like if we had led every decision, every action, every encounter only through the way our heart would respond?

The Gospel today is one in which many of us learned early on in Catholic formation. Who doesn’t remember learning about Jesus’ loaves and fishes at a young age? I am not sure if I was impressed by the miracle or equally impressed that Jesus was so generous he had “extras,” but this Gospel was easily absorbed by my young mind. When we teach this story to children they hang on to this miraculous miracle, almost in a superhero type of way. I remember thinking, “Wow, the magic,” when in my simple childish mind, I couldn’t really understand some of the deeper meanings of this Gospel.

Did you notice the invitation Jesus has for us? We are invited to cooperate with Him. Think about it this way, the disciples were pointing out there was not enough food and money to feed everyone. Without having to say it, I can assume the disciples’ natural inclination was to disperse the group and have everyone “fend for themselves!” However, that is not Jesus’ plan for us. He does not want us dispersed and fending for ourselves, rather to put our trust in Him and to take what little we have and offer it up, together.

Stewardship is a testament to leading with your heart. For example, the envelope was never made to be a collection device; it wasn’t made to just put the check in the magic canister and shoot it up over to the bank teller who then responds with a lollipop. It is a generous and trusting offering. It is a visible sign of our willingness to come to the altar with what little we have and to ask Jesus to multiply these blessings. It does not matter the amount, the type, the time, talent, or treasure sum we place before Him, whatever we have will be abundantly multiplied, large or small. A parish community can either be of the mindset that everyone fends for themselves (and we all get Root Beer flavored lollipops, ew!) or the mindset that when we act together we multiply blessings (yey, a multitude of flavors!) As you can tell, going to the bank as a child was quite an experience for me.

I like to teach Gracey, my daughter, about the saints. These incredibly ordinary people who have all started with what little they had and through making each decision, each sacrifice, and each encounter a response from their heart, their mission grew. When they were willing to give, Jesus multiplied their efforts. There was no movement, no community, no saint that didn’t start with a small amount of loaves and fishes and through living out the Gospel found that Jesus multiplied their ministry and blessings.

Let go and let God lead the way. Trust in Him, he will multiply our offerings if we are willing to cooperate and lead from the heart.

Katie Price is the Coordinator of Stewardship and Discipleship at the Cathedral. She can be reached at the Parish Offices 522-3342 or via email at [email protected].

In my article in last week’s edition of The Weekly, I talked about what makes a cathedral a cathedral. Its not about size, beauty, or architecture, which in many cases are prominent features of a cathedral, but what makes a cathedral is one thing: a chair. Now, it is not just any chair, it is the bishop’s chair or cathedra in Latin, from which a cathedral church derives its name and prominence. The cathedra is a symbol of the bishop’s authority over a local church (diocese) and because of the location of the cathedra in a cathedral, it gives a cathedral church its special status in a diocese as the mother church of the diocese. The cathedral in each diocese is “the bishop’s church. ” A cathedral’s place in the life of a diocese is so special that the anniversary of it s dedication is celebrated each year in ever y parish as a feast. This is true in our diocese on December 2nd, formerly October 14th before the restoration and rededication; in the Cathedral parish, the anniversary of the dedication is a solemnity.

A cathedral being the “mother church” means that, generally, certain special events happen within its walls; this is true of our Cathedral church. Important Masses and celebrations throughout the year occur here such as the Chrism Mass during Holy Week when the new holy oils are blessed for the year and the priests of the diocese renew their priestly commitment to God and the Church. The ordination of deacons and priests takes place in the Cathedral as well as the ordination and/or installation of a new diocesan bishop. Other special events in the life of the diocese happen in the Cathedral as well, such as the yearly Mass for couples celebrating 50+ years of marriage, the annual Mission Mass celebrated with school children throughout the diocese, and the Rite of Election for Catechumens and the Call to On-Going Conversion for those who seek to be received into the Church at Easter.

In almost every case, the diocesan bishop celebrates these special celebrations in a cathedral. Having received the sacrament of Holy Orders three-fold, a bishop in his own person is the fullness of the priesthood, being deacon, priest, and bishop. The bishops are the successors of the Apostles and they are the guardians of what is termed “Apostolic Succession,” meaning that they hand on from generation to generation the sacrament of Holy Orders to deacons, priests, and other bishops assuring the on-going sacramental life of the Church. The bishops are also the body of authoritative teachers in the Church called the Magisterium. Collegially and individually, they are to strive to protect and preserve the truth of the Faith as given by the Lord Jesus and revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Most bishops are given the ministry of being a diocesan bishop, meaning that they are charged with shepherding a section of the people of God known as a diocese. As our diocesan bishop, Bishop Paprocki is not the pope’s representative here, but rather, he is the representative of Christ himself. As a successor of the Apostles and as our diocesan bishop, Bishop Paprocki unites us to the greater Church in his obedience to and communion with the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, who is the successor of St. Peter, the apostolic head of the Church as designated by the Lord Jesus.

It is the special ministry of the diocesan bishop, combined with his special relationship with the cathedral church, that gives a cathedral its unique place among other churches, making a cathedral truly the mother church of a diocese

Father Christopher House is the Rector-Pastor of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, specifically Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

 You might think it strange that, here in the height of the summer and baseball seasons that I would be writing about football. Why? Because I love football! The fall season is arguably my favorite time of the year not just because the seasons are changing and the weather gets a little cooler. More importantly, the fall season brings us football season as well, one of my favorite activities!

I’m not sure how or when I got hooked on football. The sport was not a mainstay in my family entertainment schedule. But I started playing in 7th grade on a 6-man league followed by a move up to the full 11-man teams in 8th grade. When it came time to register for high school, I was eager to meet the freshman football coach and start practicing at the high school level. By the time I graduated high school, I had two varsity letters and lots of fond memories on the gridiron. These hot, humid days, mixed with the smell of fresh cut grass, remind me of late summer practices on the practice field.

Why am I spending so much rhetoric on football? Did I mention that I love football? Because I love football so much, I know the difference between a quarterback, fullback, halfback, cornerback and nickelback. You don’t have to explain to me what the significance of the line of scrimmage is, or why the line of gain is so important to both the offense and defense. I enjoy watching the game, whether it’s at a local high school matchup or a nationally televised broadcast of a collegiate or professional game. One of my daughters will often ask me which team I plan to cheer for when they announce a game and when I don’t really care which team wins I might reply with something like, “whoever is wearing the white uniform.” It doesn’t matter who wins, I just really enjoy football.

In contrast to my love of football, I do not particularly care for math. It’s not that I don’t value math – good math skills are important and are used every day! Academically, I struggled with math in school. As hard as I tried with homework and extra help with my teachers, if I got a C on a test, I was excited! My mom, of course, was not, and was always on me about my grades! I took college prep level classes in high school and I can vaguely remember concepts like sine and cosine, the Pythagorean Theorem and the FOIL method. But because I did not love math, I did not strive for excellence in my math studies. I endured my math lessons and am happy to not have to endure those lessons again.

If you are still reading this article, you are probably wondering where I am going with this story. I’m writing about my experiences growing up to illustrate an important point about discipleship. In my time here as part of the bishop’s curia staff, I’ve had numerous conversations about how we catechize our young people. Invariably during these conversations, I’ll hear something about how we need to do a better job of communicating the faith to the next generation. Many people lament to me about how deficient young people are in their knowledge of the faith. While I certainly agree that we can all learn more about our faith, I’ve tried time and again to explain to my conversation partners how catechesis is not the problem.  The problem, in my opinion, is that we as the Church have not effectively evangelized our young people. We have many fine catechists who present the Catholic faith through an organized and systematic curriculum that can effectively transmit the truths about our faith.

 Yet, despite effective catechesis, the statistics about the religiosity of young people paints a bleak picture – roughly 8 out of 10 (79%) young people leave the Catholic Church by the age of 23. What gives?

If we are effectively catechizing, why are young people still leaving the Church? Young people are leaving the Church not because of poor catechesis. They are leaving because they have never had a conversion experience that helped them experience Christ in a personal way.

Let me explain… Did I mention I love football? And that, because I love football, I do a lot to actively seek out opportunities to interact with the sport? Faith is so much more than the facts and information that we study in catechesis. If we want young people to become life-long disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to help our young Church fall in love with Him and to have a personal encounter so that Jesus is alive and real in their lives. When we fall in love with Jesus, just like how I fell in love with football, we will eagerly seek out ways to grow closer to Him and His Church. Otherwise all the catechesis in the world will be of little help, much like how all the instruction in the world did little to help me grow in understanding of math because I did not love the subject the same way I love football (did I mention I love football???)

What I have learned through this reflection is that our focus in ministry should be on conversion! Without a metanoia experience, a turning point in a young person’s life, catechesis will do little to motivate anyone to be a life-long disciple of Jesus. Not that we should completely abandon the head knowledge (catechesis). Unless hearts are won over for Christ (evangelization), we will be nothing more than a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal because we do not love Jesus (I read something about this in 1 Corinthians 13!)

 How do we convert hearts to Jesus Christ? Start by telling your own story.

Why are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? What is it about being Catholic that excites you the most? What experiences did you have in your life where you felt a close and personal connection with Jesus Christ? Share other people’s experiences, too. We have this wonderful example from holy men and women who have gone before us called the Communion of Saints. Their stories paint an amazing mosaic of the many and unique ways each of these holy men and women encountered Jesus Christ. Immerse young people in the richness of our Catholic traditions! The smells and bells of Liturgy are meant to bring all our senses into the experience of the sacred. Finally, don’t forget to pray!

Converting hearts to Christ relies thoroughly on God’s grace and we should constantly pray that we be effective witnesses of that grace.

I love Jesus more than I love football. And because of my love for Him I do everything I can to learn more about Him and His Church, just as I do because of my love for football . Our challenge as disciples is to find ways to help young people fall in love with Jesus so that they, too, pursue Christ with the same passion that I pursue football.

 Kyle Holtgrave is the Director of the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield, IL. Kyle and his family are also longtime Cathedral Parishioners. You can contact Kyle and find out more information on the Diocese of Springfield website: http://www.dio.org/youthministry

As some of you may know I am currently in my second trimester, almost six months pregnant, with twins. The joy and excitement my husband, daughter and I feel is overflowing! We are incredibly excited and very much in “twin planning mode!” What will they need? Do we need two of everything? How will the car work with three car seats? Will we ever be able to sleep again? This Sunday’s Gospel speaks to me, it reassures me that rest in this overwhelming world of ours is equally important to our lives and daily tasks.

It is easy to get caught up in a “To-Do” list. If you are like me, you may have a hard time saying, “No,” which means you might be over extending yourself often! It is hard for those of us serving in ministry to be able to pause and rest. We almost get a sense of guilt if we say no or if we take time to ourselves. But, how else can we listen and be open to hearing God if we don’t make the time to be quiet? It is often through rest, reflection, and silence that we can draw closer to Him, it is not like he has a megaphone on standby!

My daughter has a hard time napping, in fact a hard time getting to sleep at any time. I can imagine I was similar when I was her age (5). Singing, talking with her stuff animals, or “reading” to her barbies, is a more engaging and fun activity then closing your eyes and silence. As she says, “Sleeping is boring.” Oh the joy of being young! Her actions remind me how hard it is for us to slow down. Rest is just as essential to her young growing mind and body, as it is to mine. If prayer is essential and intentional, so too must our commitment to rest and silence.

As Jesus encouraged his disciples to rest, he too encourages us to take time for ourselves. I often tell Gracey, Jesus likes to whisper little secrets just for you to hear, so quiet time is essential to a friendship with Him. How can we take time to find rest and silence in this busy world?

Here are some tips:

• Find a quiet place, all to your own, where you can commit to being in silence when you are there. Maybe a room in your house, a park bench, or a pew in church.
• Set aside 1% of your day to silence and prayer. This can be just 15 minutes a day! If you set aside this time before bed, you might have an easier time falling asleep!
• Explore the silence by journaling afterward. As you sit in silence, your mind may tend to drift. It takes practice to control your mind. Perhaps writing down where your mind is drifting might indicate items controlling too much of your time.
• Remember, being comfortable in silence takes practice. Being intentional about rest is important and essential. Don’t worry, that “To-Do” list will be there when you get back!

 Katie Price is the Coordinator of Stewardship and Discipleship at the Cathedral. She can be reached at the Parish Offices 522-3342 or via email at [email protected].

What makes the Cathedral church different from all other churches in a diocese? It is not a question of beauty or architecture or size or liturgical style. The simple answer to the question is one item: the cathedra or bishop’s chair from which a cathedral derives its name. Throughout history, chairs have been used as a symbol of authority, both in the Church as well as in secular society.

The pope, as Bishop of Rome, has his own Cathedral, but it is not the church that most people think that it is. Most people think that St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is the pope’s cathedral but it is not. Vatican City is actually not a part of the city of Rome nor is it in Italy. The city of Rome and the Italian Republic surround it, but Vatican City State has its own sovereignty.

The pope’s cathedral in Rome is the Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the Lateran, or popularly known as St. John Lateran or simply as “the Lateran.”

It was gifted by the Emperor Constantine to the Church sometime in or after the year 313. In 324, Pope Sylvester I formally dedicated the Lateran as a place of worship, placing the cathedra of the Bishop of Rome inside of it.

Before our parish was the Cathedral Parish, it was known as Immaculate Conception Parish until the Holy See moved the see (seat) of our diocese to Springfield from Alton in 1923. The newly appointed diocesan bishop, Bishop Griffin, chose the church of Immaculate Conception Parish to be the pro-cathedral (temporary) until a new and larger cathedral church and complex could be constructed.

When our current church and plant were completed in 1928, it became the new location for the parish church as well as the mother church of the diocese by being designated as the Cathedral.

Sometimes you will hear of churches referred to as basilicas, which is a different designation from a cathedral, although some cathedrals are basilicas, such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. A basilica is a church that is given a special honorific designation by the pope, generally for its historical or its artistic merit. Basilicas have a few special privileges attached to them such as a special bell called a tintinnabulum and a special red and yellow umbrellino (umbrella), which bears the coats of arms of the pope, diocesan bishop, and others historically connected to the particular basilica. Almost all basilicas are termed minor basilicas. There are only four major basilicas, one being in the Vatican State and three in Rome: St. Peter’s in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. The Lateran has the distinction of being an archbasilica because it is the oldest of the four major basilicas.

In the next edition of The Weekly, we will look at some of the unique features of how Mass is celebrated by the bishop, especially here in the Cathedral.

Father Christopher House is the Rector-Pastor of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, specifically Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

As we start to prepare for the fall What’s for Dinner program, we need your help! The What’s for Dinner program meets the first Thursday of the month. If you are able to provide childcare during the program, please contact the Parish Offices. We want to continue providing an evening of family formation for the Parish!

Have some news you would like to share? Please email Katie Price at [email protected].

It gives me great joy to welcome Father Michael Friedel to the Cathedral Parish this weekend! Father Friedel (pronounced FREE-dull) was ordained with Father Stock in May of 2017 and returned to Rome to finish advanced studies in biblical theology. He completed those studies the last week of June, returned from Rome and, after a few days with his family, arrived at the Cathedral last Sunday evening and has spent the past week getting settled.

Father Friedel grew up in Rosewood Heights (East Alton) and was a member of St. Kevin Parish which was eventually merged with St. Bernard Parish in Wood River to become Holy Angels Parish; it was there that I first met the young Michael Friedel when I was pastor from 2005-2007. He is graduate of Marquette High School in Alton and the University of Illinois at Urbana. From the U of I, Father Friedel entered seminary formation at Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago, spending two years there for his philosophy studies before being sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome for his theological training. Please join me in welcoming Father Friedel to the Cathedral Parish!

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For the past several weeks there has been a lot of activity in our school building with cleaning and moving. Preparations are also being made for the CCCW’s annual garage sale the first weekend of August. Moving forward, the plan is to eventually move the parish offices to the first floor of the school building. The fact is that the building must be used. It is in very good condition but it is 90 years old and we need to be using it to keep it that way.

The current location of the offices in the rectory has become problematic because we have run out of office and storage space, which was never abundant, and the rectory, because of its age, is not accessible while the school building is accessible. The second floor of the school building will eventually be given over to diocesan use as a center for the diocese’s Discipleship and Stewardship initiatives. This transition will take some time with planning needing to be done as to how some minor re-configuring is to be made for the offices. I will keep you informed as the project progresses.

Finally, I hope that your summer is going well and that it is affording you some leisure time. It is hard for me to believe that we are already well into July, but time never stops. Let us be continually mindful of the goodness of God and his blessings as we move through these summer months and always. God bless you and yours!

Father Christopher House is the Rector-Pastor of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, specifically Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

The image of a mustard seed was something very familiar to those living in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago. The mustard seed was symbolic for the smallest of things. The Lord Jesus teaches us in this Sunday’s Gospel to be cautious in underestimating something simply by its initial appearance.

A mustard seed yields a mighty tree, an image not unique to this Sunday’s Gospel. A strong tree was symbolic in ancient times, including in the Old Testament, of various empires on the earth. From this Sunday’s Gospel, the mustard tree becomes a symbol for the Church, singular in her beginning yet growing large and strong to the point that others some and dwell in her shade and strength. Two millennia ago, the religious and secular authorities thought nothing more of Jesus after he was crucified, but his life, death, and resurrection became the singular see from which the Church came forth. The world did not think much of the early Church either. Today, the Church draws all people to herself as the source and fount of God’s grace in the world.

The Church is both a static and active reality.

 She exists because she is a divine initiative, but much of her vitality is contingent upon our discipleship, our free choice as to whether or not we cooperate with the grace of God in our own lives.

We are the living stones that make up the Church. We must make the active choice to advance her agenda of the Gospel, given to her by our Lord.

The mustard seed may seem insignificant to many, not getting a second thought, but locked within is so much potential. The same is true with us. To the world we may seem insignificant or unremarkable, but not to God. God knows the potential that lies within each and every human life; the power and possibility to change the world by simply being the men and women that he has called each of us to be, to use the gifts and talents given by him to build up the Kingdom here and now.

Before the parable of the mustard seed, we were presented with the parable of the farmer who scatters the seed but knows that the rest is not up to him. Jesus is reminding us that we must rely on God’s grace. The farmer cannot make the seed grow on his own. He does his part in sowing the seed but nature does the rest; so it is with our discipleship. We are called to do what we can with what God has gifted us and to allow God to do the rest; this demands trust. Trusting in the gifts and talents that God has given us, trusting that he will do his part, and trusting that, in the end, all things will work for his purposes.

 Don’t under estimate the power and possibility that God has placed within you.

Use your God-given gifts for his glory and for the good of your fellow sisters and brothers. If each of us would simply do our individual part in God’s grand design then we would find the world set ablaze with his grace, his love, and his mercy. God bless you!

 Father Christopher House is the Rector-Pastor of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, specifically Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

Stewardship of Time
This summer try adding a Mass Journal into your routine. Draw from the Readings or the homily and take time to write and reflect how God is speaking to you each Sunday.

Stewardship of Talent
Thank you to our ministry volunteers who celebrated with us last Thursday evening. Please pray for them!

Stewardship of Treasure- June 2nd & 3rd
Envelopes: $4,817.00
Loose: $4,376.31
Maintenance: $170.00
__________________________
TOTAL: $9,363.31
Needed to operate weekly: $15,907.89
Difference: $6,544.58

May EFT: $18,261.10