Stay connected to each other and to Jesus, Archbishop Tobin encourages educators

Top: The Excellence in Catechesis Award was presented to the Terre Haute Deanery during a special Mass on Sept. 7 in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Pictured are Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin; Augusta McMonigal, youth minister for the five parishes in Terre Haute; Father Richard Ginther, former dean of the Terre Haute Deanery; Elizabeth Davis, director of religious education at St. Joseph University Parish in Terre Haute; Barbara Black, parish life coordinator of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Terre Haute; Father Joseph Feltz, vicar for clergy, religious and parish life coordinators, vice-chancellor, priest moderator and sacramental minister at St. Mary-of-the-Woods Parish in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Terre Haute; Donna Wenstrup, director of religious education at St. Margaret Mary and St. Patrick parishes in Terre Haute; and Ken Ogorek, director of catechesis for the archdiocese. Middle: Maria “Cuquis” Romero received the 2016 Youth Ministry Servant Leader of the Year Award for her volunteer work as the youth minister of St. Patrick Parish in Indianapolis. Romero received the honor from Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin and Scott Williams, coordinator of youth ministry for the archdiocese, during a special Mass on Sept. 7 in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Bottom: Doug Bauman, a teacher at St. Barnabas School in Indianapolis, received the 2016 Saint Theodora Guérin Excellence in Education Award during a special Mass on Sept. 7 in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Pictured in the back row are Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin; Bauman; his wife, Julie; and Gina Fleming, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese. In the front row are the Bauman’s three children, Annie, left, Betsy and Lily. (Photos by John Shaughnessy)

By John Shaughnessy

It’s a story of grace, perspective and humility—a story that Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin shared during a special Mass on Sept. 7 when several people from across the archdiocese were honored for their service in Catholic education, youth ministry and catechesis.

As he began his homily two days after Labor Day, Archbishop Tobin looked at the people in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis and asked, “What would you name as the greatest moment of your summer?”

The archbishop then shared the story of his own answer to that question—a story that unfolded on “a steamy afternoon at the end of July” as he entered the guest house in Vatican City where Pope Francis lives.

“I didn’t even have time to put on my game face when I arrived at his floor. The elevator opened, and there he was,” Archbishop Tobin told the gathering of priests, youth ministers, young adult ministers, Catholic school leaders and parish administrators of religious education.

“He invited me into a sort of television room where there were four or five chairs, and he said, ‘Pick whichever one you want. I’ll take whatever is left.’ And we talked, and shared. And I saw a very human side to him. He said twice, ‘I really don’t know why I was elected. I suspect the Italians couldn’t agree on a candidate.’ ”

Then Pope Francis added, “But because I wasn’t looking for this, I accepted it as God’s will. And I believe I’ll have what I need.”

“I tried in a clumsy way to provide him what I thought he needed,” Archbishop Tobin recalled. “I said, ‘You know, Holy Father, you hear a lot of the bad news. You get a lot of discordant voices. You know that you’re not the flavor of the month—from even some of my brothers. But I want you to know how much people love you—the people I serve, and ones who aren’t even full members of the Catholic Church. They listen to you. You inspire them.’

“He didn’t react, which surprised me because we were having a lively conversation. And thinking about his silence at that moment, I recalled an interview that I had heard about shortly on his return from Philadelphia last fall. An American reporter announced the next day that during the informal press conference while flying back to Rome, he had asked the pope, ‘How do you feel, now that you’re practically a rock star in the United States?’

“He said the Holy Father became very quiet. With a serious look on his face, [Pope Francis] said, ‘That’s a dangerous place for me. Stars are beautiful, but stars fade. My mission is to be the servant of the servants of God. I must always be sure that I do what I do for the right reasons.’ ”

The archbishop paused briefly before adding, “That told me something about his heart, about his knowledge of himself, that he probably realizes how easy it would be to live on the adulation of others. And to panic or fall into depression when that adulation is taken away.

“Francis is a humble man. One who knows his heart and strives each day to do what he does for the right reason.”

In closing his homily, the archbishop encouraged everyone in the cathedral to follow Pope Francis’ example—to stay “connected to each other in solidarity, but most importantly connected to Jesus Christ.”

That approach to life has been embraced by the people who received awards during that special Mass.

Maria “Cuquis” Romero received the 2016 Youth Ministry Servant Leader of the Year Award for her volunteer work as the youth minister of St. Patrick Parish in Indianapolis. Described as “God’s beautiful instrument” by one person who nominated her, she was also praised for the way “she inspires others to respond to the gifts that God placed in their care.”

Romero can be found nearly every day at her parish, volunteering “20 to 40 hours a week, sometimes more,” with the goal of bringing the parish’s teenagers and young adults closer to God.

“I want to teach them that God is amazing, and they need him in their lives—and to continue the job of evangelizing,” said Romero, the mother of an 11-year-old son. “Without him, we can’t do anything.”

While she regards the award as a tribute that also belongs to the young people, their parents and her family, she considers it too as a thank you and a challenge from God.

“The award was a blessing for me,” said Romero, her voice filling with emotion. “I feel that God was thanking me for everything I do. He was also telling me, ‘Don’t give up. You need to continue doing this.’

“I will. Serving the youth is my passion. I love doing this.”

Doug Bauman has the same passion for teaching. It’s why the teacher at St. Barnabas School in Indianapolis received the 2016 Saint Theodora Guérin Excellence in Education Award, given to someone who exemplifies the saint’s approach of “Love the children first, then teach them.”

Bauman is part of a team of four teachers at St. Barnabas that was one of just 10 schools from across the country chosen for a special three-year program at the University of Notre Dame—a program that focuses on helping teachers inspire student learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

Yet it’s his example of serving others and “walking in the light of Christ” that Bauman hopes lasts the longest with his students.

“Christ teaches us to love one another as he loved us,” says the father of three. “Enabling our students to experience that Christ-like love and service firsthand is the one teacher moment that will be forever instilled in my heart.”

The Excellence in Catechesis Award was presented to the Terre Haute Deanery for “a variety of excellent collaborative efforts” in the area of religious education.

“The award usually goes to an individual parish administrator of religious education,” noted Ken Ogorek, the archdiocese’s director of catechesis. “This year, to highlight the type of collaboration that’s becoming increasingly important among clusters and cohorts of parishes—as well as throughout entire deaneries—we invited each of our 11 deans to nominate his deanery for this recognition.

“We received several excellent nominations. The Terre Haute Deanery has a long history of collaborative efforts among parish administrators of religious education. Being the first deanery to experience the ‘Connected in the Spirit’ process has only enhanced this spirit of being co-workers in the vineyard of catechesis among parish leaders in Clay, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion and Vigo counties.” †

 

Related story: Young Adult Servant of the Year Award to be presented on Sept. 25