Diocese of KalamazooThe Good News
Quo Vadis?
By Fr. John Fleckenstein
Director of Vocations

Giving Thanks

           
I have never quite figured it out, but it seems that a priest in a grocery store is a strange sight to see… or at least that is what I have come to believe.  Allow me to explain. Once in a while when I am on my way home from a meeting or appointment or visit I’ll stop by the grocery store to pick a few things up. On these occasions I am, of course, wearing my Roman Collar and black suit since I have just come from some church or school related activity. Did you ever get the feeling that someone is staring at you? Try walking through a grocery store dressed as a priest. People often look at you as if they are saying, “gee, he eats, too?” I’ve even had people look into my shopping cart! I’m not exactly sure what they are looking for, but if they enjoy seeing me purchase Special-K with red berries and Coca-Cola, who am I to complain?
      Recently, though, something a little different happened. I was walking through the store and made eye contact with another shopper.  At first, this shopper had that same stunned look on his face when he saw that the priest was out buying groceries. Inevitably, as we wandered in and out of the aisles of food, our carts eventually passed one another. He stopped and greeted me with the usual, “Hello, Father.” I responded, “Hello” and waited for the question about how it happened that I ended up doing my own grocery shopping. Instead, he started by saying, “Father, I have something to tell you.” So my mind quickly ran through all of the current concerns he must have about our parish, or our schools, or the homily I gave last weekend. He continued, “I just wanted to thank you for what you are doing.” And he moved on.
      To be honest, I was stunned.  I also felt a little bad for making the assumption that this man wanted something or needed something. Instead, he simply wanted to thank me… and I believe all priests… for answering God’s call to priesthood.
      I wonder how often we have taken the time to thank people for answering their call.  It can be hard to do, for some reason.  For example, I try to remember to thank men and women in the military when I see them walking down the street.  But I know sometimes I figure they don’t want to be bothered.  I figured wrong.
      So let me say thanks today to the good men in our Diocese who have responded to God’s call as His priests.  Let me say thanks to the seminarians of our Diocese who are discerning God’s will in their lives.  I say thanks also to those who are promoting and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life. And I thank God, without whom I would have nothing to be thankful about.

Growing Awareness
By Mary Jane Doerr
Director of Diocese of Kalamazoo
Safe Environment Program

 The last few months have been pretty hectic. The auditing team who examines the successful implementation of the charter was here the first week of October. New training sessions are being scheduled; new background checks are being run; the editor of The Good News is demanding an article. We are scurrying to run background checks and process visiting priest requests. During this frenzy of activity our office encountered an interesting situation — a visiting archbishop. (He was staying with family members on a private visit.) Since the archbishop was celebrating Sunday liturgy the pastor correctly sent in a visiting priest request form. The Diocese of Kalamazoo has a policy referring to visiting priests. It states that all clergy who do not have a current assignment in the Diocese of Kalamazoo must have clearance from their superior to do ministry in the Diocese. I am not sure if the pastor sending me the form knew me well enough to know that I would take this as a challenge or if he wanted to see what would happen to his request. Would it just be filed in the “Don’t need to do this one file?” Or, would it be handled as all other requests are handled. I figured I’d rather be criticized for doing my job then to be criticized for not doing it and so I sent the request to the Papal Nuncio in Washington, DC. When I sent the request, I knew the response I received would be content for my next article, to let the people of the Diocese of Kalamazoo know that The Diocese takes the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People seriously. No one is excluded from its directives. No one gets a pass.
      It is not unusual for people to take offense at the request for background checks. They are honest, sincere people who never have done anything wrong and resent being treated as if they were criminals. However, since child sex offenders never identify themselves as such, running background checks on everyone regardless of what their job is or who they are is the only way to screen out known child abusers. Since 2003 we have run more than 5,600 background checks. In that group were judges, sheriffs, sheriff deputies, state police troopers, teachers, CEOs and now a visiting archbishop.
     I received “clearance” for the visiting archbishop. He is as honest and sincere a person as we would expect an Archbishop to be. Like most of us, he has done nothing wrong. He allowed us to follow Diocesan policy knowing that and knowing how important it is to protect children and to restore trust in the Catholic Church. The people of the Diocese of Kalamazoo can be assured that the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People applies to everyone.           

The Other Six Days
by Jane Knuth

Never Alone

We Catholics like to keep in touch. Some people criticize us for taking this to extremes with our veneration of the Saints and our habit of praying for dead people. Especially around Thanksgiving, we remember our loved ones who are no longer at the table with us and we give alms in their memory.
      Last year we experienced the passing of several of the members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. One was a wonderful lady named Virginia. When she was in her nineties she still volunteered every week at our thrift shop. Her family requested that memorials be given to St. Vincent de Paul, thus continuing her labor for the poor even when she was supposed to be enjoying eternal rest. The way we look at it; if Virginia is still working for us, why wouldn’t we still pray for her?
      A young woman asking for assistance told me that she was all alone in the world; both parents deceased, no siblings, no grandparents, no aunts, uncles or cousins. Her finances had steadily worsened since her mother’s death two years before, so that she was reduced to going around to churches for help, even though she didn’t belong to one herself.
      “Do you talk to your mom?” I asked as I filled out the paperwork to help her.
      She looked startled, but then her face flushed. “Sometimes…actually; all the time. I can’t help it, I miss her a lot.”
      I nodded. “Do you know that she can still pray for you, just like she did when she was alive?”
      Her eyes widened. “No one ever told me that.”
“Well, now you know.” I gave her the promissory note. “Next time you talk to your mom, ask for her prayers. She’s a little closer to Jesus than we are, so it’s bound to help.”
      “Thank you,” she said, shaking my hand enthusiastically. “You’re sure she can hear me?”
      I smiled at her radiant face. “Absolutely sure.”