2 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana Jul
I-CAN
i I
J
Indiana Catholic Action Network: A direct impact on legisla
By JUDY NEFF
Chancellor, Diocese of
Evansville.
The Indiana Catholic Con-
ference (ICC) celebrates its
thirtieth anniversary this
year. Formed in 1967, the ICC
is the public policy voice of the
Catholic Church in Indiana. It
consists of a Board of Direc-
tors, professional staff, Dioce-
san Coordinators, and active
Catholics like you. The Board
includes all the active Bishops
of Indiana and one lay person
from each of the five Indiana
dioceses. In the diocese of Evans-
ville, the lay board member is
Diane Bender and the diocesan
coordinator is Judy Neff.
Shaping public policy is the
responsibility of every person.
Our democratic form of govern-
ment and our Church both call
us to become involved. The
Church is not trying to form a
religious voting bloc nor tell peo-
ple how to vote, but it is analyz-
ing political issues from a social
and moral point of view. Through
the Indiana Catholic Action Net-
work (I-CAN), you and other
Catholics can have a direct
impact on legislative action.
How does
I-CAN work?
Issues important to the
Church are selected by the ICC
Board of Directors after consul-
tation with the Diocesan Coor-
dinators and advisors from each
diocese. The ICC professional
staff then researches and drafts
a position statement based on
the teachings of the Church as
well as pertinent secular infor-
mation.
Newsletters are sent to I-CAN
members outlining the Church's
position on each issue and
informing them of House and
Senate activity as it happens.
Before a vote on a key issue
takes place, "Action Alerts" are
sent through the Network
branches notifying each mem-
ber to immediately contact their
legislators.
Review of 1997 General
Assembly
The priorities approved by the
iCC's Board for the 1997 leg-
islative session were fairness in
education, welfare reform, fam-
ily issues, partial-birth abortion
ban, and farm counseling.
The following is a summary
statement of what took place in
the General Assembly regarding
the priority issues:
1. Fairness in Education --
HB 1001 was passed as part of
the budget bill. It provides for a
Mentor Teacher Stipend, pay-
ment of Advanced Placement
test fees, and Free Textbooks for
students eligible for free or
reduced lunch.
2. Welfare Reform and Fami-
lies -- HB 1777 was passed
which provides for an earned
income tax credit, a homestead
tax credit of 10 percent, and an
increase of $500 in the income
tax deduction for dependents•
HB 1921 passed and provides for
a medicaid hospice payment
rate. HB 1265 passed which bans
same sex marriage in the state.
3. Partial-Birth Abortion --
HB 1185 was passed which
bans partial birth abortion in
the state.
4. Farm Counseling --'HB
1001 provides for $175,000 each
year of the two-year budget for
the farm counseling program.
What can you do?
1. Join the Indiana Catholic
Action Network (I-CAN) today.
2. Read the I-CAN newsletter
which will be mailed to you to
stay informed
3. Call other Catholics in
your local network to
the "Alerts."
4. Contact
voice your reasons
ing or opposing anissue, i
At the present time, the action
network in the
ville has members from
73 parishes. We
have every parish active
network. There are
to attend. Everything
done right from a
home. If you are interes
joining I-CAN, please
the form below and
Neff, Catholic
4169, Evansville
In the words of Pope
Paul II, "Catholics
instrumental in
social order that
dignity of the human
serves the
So, get involved.
Indiana Catholic Action
work today ! ,
. 4(!
Religion-health link gaining acceptance, researchers
By NANCY FRAZIER
ORIEN
Catholic News Service
their spiritual beliefs.
Everett L. Worthington Jr., a
psychologist who teaches at Vir-
ginia Commonwealth Universi-
ty in Richmond, said his mental
health working group found a
similar mixed bag.
Involvement in spirituality
and religion translated into
"better mental health for many
and worse mental health for
some," he said.
Worthington said a study of
1,900 female twins, published in
March 1997 by the American
Journal of Psychiatry, showed
that those with "a high personal
devotion to religion" had less
stress and less depression.
The study of religion's role in
avoiding and treating addiction to
alcohol, tobacco.and illicit drugs
is complicated by the fact that all
three "have played a part in reli-
gious ceremonies," said William
R. Miller, director of the research
division of the University of New
Mexico's Center on Alcoholism,
Substance Abuse and Addictions.
But research shows clearly
that "involvement in religious
activities is associated with
lower rates of substance abuse,"
he said, and that spiritually
rooted programs like Alcoholics
Anonymous do help many peo-
ple recover from alcohol and
drug problems.
The fourth working" group
looked at the neuroscience of
spirituality, despite some initial
questions about "whether the
two fields could be mixed with-
out combustion or explosion,"
said Dr. Frank Gawin, scientific
director of the UCLA VA Med-
ical Center in Los Angeles.
Gawin said some study is
already under way of how
processes such as brain-mapping
can be used to determine why
use of meditation techniques can
result in reduced blood pressure
in certain patients.
But the goal is not to find a
"religion pill" that can duplicate
the beneficial effects of spiritual-
ity in patients without a religious
background, said Einda George,
associate director of the Center
for the Study of Aging and
Human Development at Duke
University Medical Center.
The goal, she
"acknowledge the
in patients' lives
it into treatment."
SlJirituality "has no
side-effects, it
approval from the FDA,
doesn't cost
But questions
why spiritual
some patients and
George said. .... i
"There is a paradox
people in America cIJ
religious, and while
enjoy better health as a ]
tion group,
she said, adding
study is needed on
conditions religion has a
cial effect."
K of C hosting state Exemplification in Septern
The Msgr. A.G. Sprigler
Assembly O f the Fourth Degree
Knights of Co}umbus of Evans-
ville is hosting the State of Indi-
ana Fourth Degree Exemplifica-
tion, Saturday and Sunday, Sept.
13 and 14.
The ceremonies are used to ini-
tiate Third Degree K of C mem-
bers into the Fourth Degree.
"The Evansville Fourth Degree
really feels privileged to host this
Exemplification for Indiana,"
said Father August Busch, who
has been involved with the
Knights of Columbus for many
years as chaplain.
"The Evansville Fourth Degree
Knights invite all the Third
Degree members of the two
Evansville councils, and all the
councils of southern Indiana. to
use this opportunity, right here
in Evansville, to join the Fourth
Degree Knights of Columbus," he
said.
Father Busch described the
Fourth Degree Knights as "a spe-
cial group of outstanding Knights
dedicated to promoting patrio-
tism and upholding the standards
of the Catholic faith." He said the
programs are "all focused toward
the application of Christian and
Catholic principles to the Knight's
personal and public life.
The Fourth Degree Assembly
has sponsored an annual high
school essay program focused on
Catholic patriotism in the United
States. The assembly also spon-
sors an annual Christmas Right
to Life billboard.
Members of the Fourth Degree
Assembly are available to serve
as an honor guard for First Com-
munions and Confirmations in
the diocese.
The
being planned
Bishop Gerald A.
St. Mary Church,
Saturday, Sept'. 13,
banquet will follow,
son Inn, for the
Degree candid
plification Ceremonies
held at the
morning.
Further details are !
from Pourth
• Navigator Tony
766-2787, or (812)
Poor Clares celebrate centennial series of
By PAUL R. LEINGANG
Message editor
The Poor Clares of Evansville
established a monastery I00
years ago, and members of the
community have been observing
significant milestones through-
out the centennial year of 1997.
A celebration is. planned at
the new monastery, 6825 Nur-
renbern Road, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m.
-- to commemorate the dedica-
tion of the first monastery.
The following entries were
made in the Annals of the
Evansville Poor Clares, which
were transcribed from the orig-
inal hand-written entries by Sis-
ter Catherine Kiske Janewas; a
member of the community. Orig-
inal spellings and capitaliza-
tions are preserved.
"On August 12, 1897, the first
wing with the Exterior Chapel
and the Choir was dedicated by
the Most Reverend Silas
Chatard, D.D., Bishop of Indi-
anapolis, assisted by Rev.
Joseph Dickmann, Rev. Kilian
Schott, Rev. Joseph Byrne, Very
Rev. Athanasious, O.S.B., of St.
Meinrad, Very Rev. E. McBar-
ron. The blessing of the Chapel,
grounds, and Cloister took place
at 9:00 a.m. Rev. Charles Clen-
ver was celebrant, Rev. Kilian
Schott, deacon .... The Bishop
occupied the Episcopal Chair
and participated in the Cere-
monies .... "
"We had no furniture, dishes,
or food, so the good charitable
people of the city gave every-
thing to make a suitable dinner
for the Most Reverend Bishop
and sixteen priests. The kind
ladies of the city, particularly
Mrs. Sebastian Henrich, Mrs.
Keegan, her daughter Miss
HAUBSTADT
ELECTRIC
Licensed * Bonded * Insured
Industrial, ComrnerciaJ and Residential
P.O. Box 4O5
TONY NAZARIO Haubstadt, tN 47639
812-768.5207 1-800-766-2787
ii i i ii i i i i i i i i rl
Mamie Keegan,
hausen, Mrs.
Mrs. Rupe, ,
Ellen Doyle aria
lent their table
and silverware'
the dinner all
hand and then
Ries sent her
whel
graciously
donation
Hwy 57
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A
yearlong review of research into
the relationship between spiritu-
ality and medicine shows that
acceptance of the link is moving
from the margins of medicine to
the mainstream, according to an
expert on the topic.
Dr. David B. Larson, president
of the National Institute for
Health Care Research, spoke at a
Washington press conference July
18 at the conclusion of a three-day
conference on "Scientific Progress
in Spiritual Research."
The conference featured
reports from four working
groups on the effects of religion
and spirituality on physical
health, mental health, alcohol
and drug abuse, and neuro-
science. The groups, made up of
more than 70 medical and social
science researchers from around
the country, summarized their
findings in a 22-page report.
"We have compiled enough evi-
dence to suggest that the field of
faith and medicine has matured
and is now ready for growth,"
Larson said. "We are placing a
wake-up call to the medical and
scientific communities to stop,
look and listen to the compelling
collection of data on this forgot-
ten factor in medicine."
Dr. Dale A. Matthews, associ-
ate professor of medicine at
Georgetown University School of
Medicine, said his physical
health working group found that
existing research supports the
link between religious beliefs and
reductions in "illness-related
risky behaviors" and mortality
following cardiac surgery.
Church attendance is associat-
ed with lower rates of coronary
disease, emphysema, cirrhosis,
and reduced mortality, he said.
"Are all effects of religion on
health positive? Matthews
asked. "No. Some studies have
found no effect, and sometes
religion can have some negative
effects on health." As examples,
he cited those who refuse vacci-
nations or medical treatment for
religious reasons and the_.se who
join in suicide pacts based on
