The Angelus

   SAN ANGELO — After many years of planning, saving, and praying, St. Joseph the Worker Church in San Angelo has received a much needed facelift.  
   Since its dedication in 1983, the church had been lovingly maintained but had not received any major renovations — until now. With permission and blessing from Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, OMI, the project began with enthusiasm.  The work took four weeks to complete thanks to dedicated volunteers who worked long hours into the days and nights. The task began with the careful removal of old pews.
   During the renovation, Masses were held in the old mission building, which brought back a flood of memories for many of the long-time parishioners who had worshiped there from 1957 until the move to the current building.    
   In the main church, flooring was replaced by shiny new marble and a new layout was created which allowed better access in all areas.  Attention to detail was paid as special areas were designated for wheelchair seating.
    In addition, niches were carved into the walls to give a special setting for the antique statues to allow parishioners to worship with the Communion of Saints.  
   Fr. Emilio Sosa took on a special project as he hand-painted a glass door with the images of the old San Jose Mission along with the new St. Joseph the Worker Church logo and other art including lilies (the symbol of St. Joseph) and the crest of the Diocese of San Angelo.  
   A special blessing was given by Bishop Pfeifer during the dedication of the newly remodeled church on the weekend of February 11-12. Many thanks and blessings go out to all who dedicated their services, time, efforts, financial pledges, and prayers towards this undertaking. If you wish to view the “new” church, St. Joseph the Worker Church is located at 301 W. 17th Street (on the corner of Bryant and 17th Street) in San Angelo.  All are welcome.

Pro-Life Rosary scheduled in Midland

   MIDLAND —  Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer will preside over a pro-life Rosary in front of the Midland Planned Parenthood at 9:30 a.m., Friday, June 8, 2012, a day when abortions are done at Planned Parenthood. The date also closely coincides with the Feast of the MNost Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which is Sunday, June 10.
   “The beautiful Feast of Corpus Christi, which has a long tradition in our Church, reminds us of the greatest gift Christ has left His Church, which is His own Body and Blood, and that by receiving His Body and Blood, we enrich our membership in the precious Body of Christ, linking us to all who are members of the Body of Christ, even to the precious little ones in the wombs of their mothers who are part of the sacred Body of Christ.'


Deacon to speak in Midland

    Greg Hall, a deacon with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, an engineering technology graduate of Texas A&M is this year’s featured presenter at the “An Evening With ...” fundraiser series, July 20, 2012, at the Midland County Horseshoe. The event is for the Midland non-profit Centers for Children and Families.
   Hall’s drilling technique was instrumental in the October 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners who had trapped underground for over two months.
   Hall received a diploma in pastoral studies from St. Mary’s Seminary in December 2010 and was ordained a permanent deacon in February 2011.
   Watch for additional details in upcoming issues of the Angelus.

An Encounter with God’s Call

   Conception Seminary College invites you to experience its seminary, community and a personal sense of the unique vocation to the priesthood. TODAY, Christ is still calling courageous young men to pick their cross and follow Him.
   Conception Seminary College is hosting Encounter with God's Call, a weekend opportunity to spend time with men your own age who, like you, are seeing God's will in their lives.  You will be immersed in the daily life of the seminarian. To find out more information or to register, please call Fr. Barry McLean at the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of San Angelo at (325) 651-7500 or email him at frbarrymclean@aol.com.

Come & See Weekend

   The Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate will provide an inside view of life in a convent setting during “Come and See” weekend at their Motherhouse, 201 Yucca, San Antonio, on March 23-25, 2012. The weekend will give women, between the ages of 18 and 45 an opportunity to prayerfully reflect on religious life and vocation discernment, look at their gifts and talents and decide if God is calling them to be of service to the Church and its people. The Holy Spirit Sisters minister in the United States, Mexico and Africa.
   Registration for the Come and See Weekend is available online at www.shsp.org or by contacting Sister Gabriel Hession, 210-533-5149; 817-360-9316 or by emailing sghession@hotmail.com.

Religious Archivist Workshop

   SAN ANTONIO — The Catholic Library Association is pleased to announce the fifth Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities to be held at the Oblate Renewal Center, San Antonio, from June 24-29, 2012. The 5-day intensive program is directed toward individuals who are interested in learning about archival theory and practice or who wish to update their archival training.
   Unlike other archival workshops, the sessions will focus on the unique types of records found in the archives of men’s and women’s religious communities. The program, directed by professional religious archivists, will include lectures, tours, and opportunities for sharing experiences.
    Complete program and registration information and a registration form are posted at www.cathla.org/preservation.php, or contact the CLA office toll free at (855) 739-1776.     

Help Wanted: Accountant, Midland

   MIDLAND — St. Ann’s Parish announces an opening for the position of Parish Accountant/ Financial Manager, which involves supervision of parish and school finances, budgeting and record keeping.  The accountant also maintains the software that affects the finances.
   The applicant must have a BA degree in accounting or business with accounting experience, as well as be skilled at the use of computer technologies.  The applicant must be an active member of the Catholic Church, familiar with the structure and practices of the Catholic Church.  The applicant will be working at times with volunteers.
   Salary ranges depend on education, experience and degree of responsibility in a parish the size of St. Ann’s.  There may be occasional evening meetings.
   Please contact the Parish Business Manager, Steve Pepper, at St. Ann’s Parish, 432-682-6303.  Send resume to St. Ann’s Parish, 1906 W. Texas, Midland, TX 79701 or to spepper@stanns.us.


Catholic Texans 2nd Edition

    Catholic Texans: Our Family Album” by Steve Landregan, has just been released by the Diocese of Dallas. The book tells the story of Catholicism in Texas, and details each of the 13 dioceses in our state. To purchase a copy for $25, email archives@ cathdal.org, or phone Steve Landregan at 214-379-2870.


Consider becoming a FOCUS Missionary

   Two parishioners in the Diocese of San Angelo, Jerome Ibarra, of San Angelo, and Perla Garcia, of Midland, became FOCUS Missionaries last summer. FOCUS (www.focus.org) bring Christ and the Catholic faith to college campuses all over the United States. FOCUS is on close to 60 campuses with 250 missionaries in the U.S. FOCUS missionaries meet college students where they are and invites them into a growing relationship with Christ and the Catholic faith. To contact Jerome Ibarra, write in his guestbook at www.focus.org/goto/46127; to contact Perla Garcia, go to www.focus.org/goto/perlagarcia.


Scheduled Executions
    The Angelus publishes the execution dates of Texas offenders on death row each month so that the faithful in the Diocese of San Angelo can pray for them. The following offenders face upcoming execution dates. Please pray for them as well as the victims, families and all who are affected by violence:
Offender/Scheduled
Execution Date
Keith Thurmond/March 7, 2012
Jesse Hernandez / March 28
Beunka Adams / April 26
Bobby Hines / June 6

AUSTIN - Texas' Roman Catholic Bishops Tuesday urged the state's Congressional delegation to strongly oppose new governmental mandates requiring religious employers to provide contraceptive, abortifacient, and sterilization services as part of their health care plans.
 
In a letter sent to all members of Congress from Texas, the bishops called “unconscionable and unnecessary” the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requirement that is being attached as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2011.  The mandate has provoked a groundswell of controversy since its announcement two weeks ago.
 
"For religiously based social service agencies, health care providers, and educational institutions, this mandate abrogates our country’s foremost right to religious freedom," wrote Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, on behalf of the Texas bishops.
 
The HHS mandate ". . .forces religious employers into bitter choices: to violate their religious convictions and consciences, to stop providing health coverage for their employees, or to end the charitable, medical, and educational services that for centuries have provided a crucial safety net to the poor and vulnerable of our society," the Cardinal and Archbishop wrote.
 
The letter urges members of the Texas congressional delegation to co-sponsor the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act--co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Dan Boren (D-OK) in the U.S. House and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) in the U.S. Senate--that preserves freedom of conscience for those who provide or purchase health care coverage.
 
“These bills will prevent any mandates under the Affordable Care Act from effectively disregarding the freedom of conscience and brings law into line with the federal government’s long tradition of respect for those rights,” said the bishops. “Institutions that sponsor, purchase, or issue health plans should not be forced to contravene their religious principles just to provide insurance to their employees; nor should families be forced to violate their religious convictions to care for their children.”
 
The bishops have also asked Catholics across the state to contact their members of Congress  to voice their concerns.  The Texas Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Texas Bishops, has created a web site, www.TXcatholic.org/HHSMandate.asp, to assist in contacting members of Congress and the Obama Administration regarding protecting religious freedoms and supporting the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act.  The Conference web site also includes links to the Bishops’ letters, blog posts, and news coverage on the issue.
 
The Texas Catholic Conference is the association of the 15 Roman Catholic dioceses of the State of Texas and is the official public policy voice of the Bishops of Texas. For more information on the Texas Catholic Conference, visit www.TXCatholic.org.

_House, Senate Contact  information

-- U.S. Congressman K. Michael Conaway (District 11-- San Angelo, Midland-Odessa, Andrews, Stanton, Crane, Rankin, Big Lake, Colorado City, Sterling City, Robert Lee, Bronte, Ballinger, Winters, Miles, Christoval, Eldorado, Junction, Menard, Eden, Melvin, Brady, Coleman, Brownwood, Sonora, McCamey, Mertzon, Sweetwater )
   Phone: 202-225-3605
   Mailing Address: 511 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
   Email (via Web): https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml:
   Web: http://conaway.house.gov/

-- Rep. Randy Neugebauer (District 19 -- Big Spring, Abilene, Clyde)
   Phone: 202-225-4005
   Mailing Address: 1424 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
   Email (via Web): https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
   Web: http://randy.house.gov/

-- Rep. Francisco Canseco (District 23 -- Fort Stockton, Iraan, Ozona)
   Phone: 202-225-4511
   Mailing Address: 1339 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
   Email (via Web): https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
   Web: http://canseco.house.gov/


-- U.S. Senator John Cornyn
   Phone: 202-224-2934
   Mailing Address: 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510
   Web: http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/

-- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
   Phone: 202-224-5922
   Mailing Address: 284 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
   Email: http://hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay