The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana "5
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Bishop's Forum--
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was but 50 years.
;farm woman.
had raised us
alone in al-
years of marriage. She
g out to others
now that she had the time.
rain in her ab-
could not diag-
I cancer. Ex-
was elected.
a phone call
on Monday, Nov.
, Just after surgery.
through fine. The
s a result of adhesions, scar
an appendectomy many years earlier.
at all.
time I was called to the phone. It
about the same hour. I thought it
"Mom's doing fine." It wasn't.
suffered a very severe stroke from a
:lot. She was in grave danger of
Was in a whirl. I was to be ordained a
Mother had so much looked forward
ByBISHOP
GERALD A.
GETTELFINGER
If ly
on ....
to it. I was scared that she might
die before I got to see her even
though there was nothing I could
do. Within an hour I was at her
bedside with Dad at St. Edward's
Hospital in New Albany. Mother
was in a deep comatose state.
You, I am sure, are familiar with
the scene, one that all too many
-families experience. The endless
waiting in hospital waiting rooms
with others who are suffering too. It
was here that I learned a harsh but
invaluable lesson.
During the course of that long
lonely night into the waiting room
came a grown man of about 35. He was sobbing so
severely that his whole body was heaying. He was
alone.
His mother too was in grave danger of death.
One of us, I cannot remember who, got up to con-
sole him. Through his tears and sobbing he told us
that his mother was dying. He had not gotten to
the hospital to see her before she went into uncon-
sciousness. Somehow a rift had come between him
and the rest of his family. He admitted that had
failed his mother.
Then he began repeating the haunting words:
"If only...
-- I had gotten here before she became
unconscious.
-- I had told her that I was sorry while she
could still hear.
I had called her more often.
-- I had helped her instead of causing her
trouble.
-- I had been faithful to my prayers as she
taught me.
-- I had gone to church as she did.
-- I had said I was sorry for hurting her.
I had told her that I loved her as she loved me!
His pain was enormous. His flood of tears could
not heal his mother. She died. He was too late. He
could not be consoled.
Our mother survived. She remained paralyzed
and speech impaired. Her mind remained sharp till
her death 28 years later. She loved us. We loved
her. We told her often. We were all at her bedside
when she died.
That young man in the hospital that one lonely
night taught a lesson he never knew. Thanks to
him, none of us kids had to say: "If only..."
,r
ministers must help link classw0rk, faith, cardinal says
BUNCE
Service
Ill. (CNS)-
while ful-
central mission of
must also guide
class-
with the
to the
Congre-
Education.
Laghi, former
in the
gave the
symposium
Edward
! anniversary as
Founda-
at the Univer-
s at Champaign.
urn, titled
of To-
the Youth of
April 25 at
the university's Student
Union.
The most essential aspect of
campus ministry, according to
Cardinal Laghi -- who in the
1980s was Pope John Paul Irs
official represeritative in the
United States -- is providing the
sacraments, religious guidance
and other forms of pastoral care
to individual students.
Campus ministry "has
• brought the celebration of the
Eucharist into the university
and formed communities there.
This traditional form of cam-
pus ministry can never be re-
placed," he said.
Still, campus ministers must
develop a form of pastoral care
specific to the university set-
ting, he said, by encouraging a
"meeting of scientific and
learning discovery -- what stu-
dents learn in their courses
to their faith."
& MILLER
For many students, the
years spent at college are a
"parenthesis in their life of
faith," the cardinal said.
"The tendency of people in
the university (is) to separate
their faith from their univer-
sity activities .... The meeting
and dialogue of faith with the
world of the university is
strictly limited."
To counter this tendency,
priests involved in campus min-
istry must be aware of what stu-
dents are learning and experi-
encing in order to guide them to
the realization that there is no
gap between Christian faith and
scientific truth.
"If this does not happen,
there is a risk of graduates ei-
ther leaving in a separated
world (of faith and learning) or
leaving the faith completely,"
said Cardinal Laghi.
Another danger is the "frag-
mentation" of ideas that may
result from a university educa-
tion that primarily prepares
students for work in a specific
field. "(Students) all collect a
lot of information, but they
don't put it together into a pic-
ture which is a complete one,"
Cardinal Laghi said.
"When you go to class, you
learn a lot of elements. But,
you have to realize faith is not
only elements, faith is a per-
son," the cardinal said.
While students are very re-
ceptive to "horizontal values"
human rights, solidarity,
peace and justice -- the mes-
sage is empty without the "ver-
tical value found in the person
of God, he said.
The symposium, the conclud-
ing event in a two-day celebra-
tion of Msgr. Duncan's anniver-
sary at Newman, also featured
talks by such nationally known
figures as Holy Cross Father
Theodore Hesburgh, retired
president of the University of
Notre Dame, and the Rev. Mar-
tin Marty, Protestant theologian
and senior editor of The Christ-
ian Century magazine.
In his presentation, Dr. MarCy
offered a portrait of the average
Catholic university student.
Today, Catholics are the
highest educated identifiable
group in the United States, as
well as the largest religious
group represented on college
campuses, he said. Moreover,
the percentage of Catholic
freshmen is slightly higher
than the percentage of
Catholics in the general popu-
lation.
Because of these factors,
Catholic students will have a
large impact not just on the
church but on the whole of so-
ciety.
"The private and individual
search is intense during these
years, Dr. Marty said, and col-
lege is often a time for stu-
dents to return to a sense of
community. "What happens
when (Catholic students) come
together and find community is
decisive to American culture."
h Sheet Metal Inc.
al & Commercial Heating & Cooling
Sales & Service
422-9242 I
Patricio Koch 15 S. Third Avenue, Evansville
"A family name you
cantrust" Preparing for Pentecost-
424-9274
A Day of Family Ministry
"
BoX 88 • Montgomery, Indiana 47558
FUNERAL HOME
Pre-planning .....
Because you care
425-2896
Phone:486-3285
Je?,n 8owmg Hestr
FUNERAl DIRECTOR
'1let)
Father A1 Lauer will be the
guest speaker during a Day of
Family Ministry, Sunday, May
15, at Holy Redeemer parish in
Evansville.
The day, which is sponsored
by the Evidence of Grace
Prayer Group, begins at 2 p.m.
Father Lauer will be leading
two session: Introduction to
the Holy Spirit and His Gifts
to You, and From This World
to Jesus -- the Spirit Connec-
tion.
The Emmaus Players will
have teen ministry at 2 p.m. in
Holy Redeemer's Activity Cen-
ter and Terry and Leslie King
will provide Children's Min-
istry at 2 p.m. in the cafeteria.
A Mass and healing service
will begin at 5 p.m., followed
by Reconciliation.
Father Lauer is the founder
of Presentation Ministries, a
canonically established Associ-
ation of the Laity under the
Archbishop of Cincinnati.
During his second year of
priesthood, Father Lauer expe-
rienced a Holy Spirit renewal
that is the key to his ministry.
He began teaching adult Bible
studies and experienced first-
hand, the power of God's word
to change lives.
His radio program, Daily
Bread," is now heard across
ii i i Hill II I I r II
RUXER
j 4JAsPE" 1
FORD - LINCOLN - MERCURY 82-10
, , ,,,, i ,
b
FATHER AL IUER
the country each week, Mon-
day through Friday.
In addition to his radio
broadcasts, he trains Bible
teachers, healers, intercessors,
leaders of basic communities,
and Bible counselors for min-
istry. He is the author of One
Bread, One Body, a daily
Scripture study.
