September 11, 1987
The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana
3
Black Catholic woman keeps active in the church
Mary Church, Evansville,
Lawrence is a Eucharistic
minister and has participated in
the Genesis II and RENEW
groups. She is also on the com-
mittee to work for the church's
Fall Festival food booth next
month. William, her husband
of 46 years, is an usher at St.
Mary's and a past president of
the PTA.
In addition, the Lawrences
are active at St. John Church,
Evansville. They are membe._rs
of the Knights and Ladies of St.
Peter Claver and help out
regularly at church functions.
However, not all Black
Catholics have this initiative to
get involved in the church. So
Lawrence and other area Black
Catholics have volunteered to
work on a committee to imple-
ment the National Black
Catholic Pastoral Plan
established last May. She
thinks the plan should be put
into practice because it will
help Blacks feel welcome and
recognize what they can give to
the church.
Particularily, she said more
should be taught about the
Black saints and bishops. If
more was known about their
heritage in the church and
schools, Black Catholics,
especially teens, will "feel they
have something in this
church."
At left, the Message offers the
second section of the National
Black Catholic Pastoral Plan.
By MARY T. ELLERT
Message Staff Writer
Pilar Lawrence is a Black
Catholic who has seen many
changes in her church during
her lifetime.
_ From her childhood, she
remembers the days of segrega-
tion when she and other Blacks
were assigned a special section
at Assumption Cathedral in
which to sit during Mass. She
and her 18 brothers and sisters
were not allowed to attend
Catholic schools; seminarians
taught them catechism in the
basement of Assumption
School.
In spite of this segregation,
G Lawrence did not lose faith in
'-the Catholic Church. When she
was raising her own 12
children, she gave them
something she never had -- a
chance to attend Catholic
schools.
She sent her children to
Catholic schools because of the
"better religious education,
discipline and study habits" in-
stilled there. Most graduated
from area Catholic high schools
and many went on to continu-
ing education, she said.
.. Despite all the strides the
church has taken where Black
Catholics are concerned,
Lawrence said there is still
more to be done. The Catholic
Church needs to do more to get
more Blacks involved, she said.
A 63-year-old member of St.
Pastoral Plan: Section Two
PART I
DECISION MAKING
I. Offices of Black
Ministers: We propose a per-
manent structure for the pur-
pose of focusing Black
concerns.
II. Blacks and Diocesan
Structures: We propose
broad based participation of
Blacks in the Church.
HI. Blacks and Diocesan
Policy: We propose that the
concerns of Black Catholics
and the issues which face the
Black community be factored
in Church policy.
PART II - CONSCIOUS-
HESS RAISING
I. Raising Consciousness
of White Leadership: We
propose that white leader-
ship of the parish and
Diocese should be invited to
attend workshops and pro-
grams that will help them
know and appreciate the
culture in the Black
community.
II. Sharing and Showcas-
ing Our Gifts: We propose
that each parish seek ways of
showcasing the giftedness of
its members.
HI. Joint Parish Programs:
We propose that parishes
should foster joint programs
HELP OTHERS TO
"Millions of persons are still not
Christian, and in suffering or in
cannot invoke the name of the Saviour
because they.do not yet know it!"
This month as we celebrate
Pope John Paul II's Second Pastoral
Visit to the U.S. his words remind us
that to be an "authentic Christian"
is to want to share the marvelous gift
of Redemption with others. Help
the poor and needy to invoke
Christ's name !
Won't you help make His love
known "to the ends of the earth'.'
Give generously to the Propagation
of the Faith!
!::.iil
follow the call as a priest or
religious. We propose that
parish councils should have
a Vocations Committee. We
propose that parishes should
have vocation days with
Black priests and religious as
speakers.
We propose that schools
should have parent nights
that help to explain the need
."Here I am Lord." for vocations. Parents should
be helped to understand the
with other Black Parishes role they play in supporting
and invite white or mixed vocations. We propose that
parishes to participate, vocation materials that show
IV. Publicity and Con- Black priests and religious at
scious Raising: We propose work and prayer should be
that members of the parish displayed.
should be encouraged to II. Vocation Support
write articles and take Systems: We propose that
photographs of events that there should be the building
take place in Black parishes of support systems for those
so that the diocese and the who are following the Call of
wider community will know a Vocation. We propose that
what is happening. When there should be support
such pictures and articles ap- systems for our priests,
pear in the paper, Black Brothers or Sisters who are
pride is enhanced and already professed or ordain-
everyone gains from the ed. This holds especially
experience, true for those clergy and
religious who are in
PART HI -- VOCATIONS predominately white
I. Parish and Diocesan communities.
Support: We propose that We propose that ways be
parishes and dioceses found to help the
develop programs to help seminarians and religious
young people who want to See BLACKpage 13
i
Hoosier organizes papal tzqp
By MARY T. ELLERT Minn. Last spring, he finished
Message Staff Writer his undergraduate studies "but
at that point was not interested
For the past year, the brother in continuing in the seminary,"
of a Newburgh resident has according to Bernie. "His
been working at a "tremendous spiritual director and the peo-
pace" preparing for Pope John ple he was working with at St.
Paul II's second visit to the Thomas still wanted to keep
United States. him active in some type of
Bernie Etienne, member of ministry."
St. John the Baptist Church, St. Thomas Seminary arrang-
Newburgh, said his younger ed an interview for him with
brother Paul is the assistant the National Catholic Con-
coordinator for the U.S. papal ference. Bernie explained,
tour, which begins this week in "They were favorably impress-
Miami. As second in charge, ed with Paul, so they named
his duties with the National him the assistant coordinator
Catholic Conference in for the papal tour.
Washington, D.C., range from "Apparently, everybody's
making meal and accomodation very pleased with his perfor-
arrangements for the papal en- mance," said Bernie, adding
tourage to working with the that private public relation
secret service to handing out firms, the secret service and the
press credentials and passes to National Catholic Conference
the media, have "made overtures as far as
"It's a tremendous amount of career opportunities when he
responsibility," said Bernie, gets done with this."
adding that his brother has been Bernie and his brother and
kept very busy making final sister-in-law will travel this
preparations. He has flown all weekend to New Orleans to
across the country, made two visit Paul and see the pope.
trips to the Vatican and even "I'm excited about it...just be-
traveled with the pope in ing there and seeing the ape:-
Australia last Thanksgiving to tacle of the whole thing," he
n n In mn m nnml toni mn ulna mm unlulll
:n The r pgn'ro-a-a"oa of the Faith ;n "see how they had run the said.
show down there." Bernie, an ortheopedic sales
I ' Msgr. Clarence Scldachter, 4200 North Kentucky Avenue I Originally from Tell City, representative, is a member of
logo, Louisville, Ky., and St..youth director for St. John the
| I writ to help Ihe Imer ud needy Imew ChriS! bclosed is my gift of: J Thomas Seminary, St. Paul, Baptist Church, Newburgh.
1-155 I"1510 []$25 1-1550 [-35100 I-'1 Other $l ] I ,,,,.:z:=t,,. CHURCH WINDOW RESTORATION & STORM GLASS
Special Gifts are needed too! [] $250 [] $500 [] $1000 WINDOWS AND TIFFANY-STYLE SHADES
I
[] I would like to be a monthly donor!
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i Addres .... 'taJltJtl (hllllt fpJtl;lZl|tlltlt, eln,.
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City State Zip •
n Please ask missionaries to remember my intentions at Mass In TIMOTHY L. DASSEL
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