News

Local Catholics attend papal events

By Sam Lucero
Compass Staff

GREEN BAY -- The theme of Pope Benedict XVI's papal visit to the United States was "Christ Our Hope," and one local priest who concelebrated the papal Mass at Nationals Park in Washington said Pope Benedict delivered a new hope.

"The theme ... really did give a new hope and a new joy to priests and sisters, and certainly to all Catholics," said Fr. Tom Farrell, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Appleton. He was one of three Green Bay diocesan priests who drove to Washington for the April 18 Mass at Nationals Park. He was joined by Fr. Carl Schmitt, associate pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Oshkosh, and Fr. Brian Belongia, pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Waupaca.

The three priests began their trek on Tuesday, April 18. They spent that evening at St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh, guests of Bishop David Zubik, who had already departed for Washington by the time they arrived. Following Wednesday morning prayer and breakfast with Pittsburgh seminarians, the Green Bay priests drove to Washington. On Thursday they awoke at 4:45 a.m. to take the Metro train to Nationals Stadium.

According to Fr. Farrell, the priests submitted their requests to the Green Bay Diocese last February to attend the papal Mass. They received their tickets two weeks prior to the Mass.

Celebration of faith

The experience of seeing more than 40,000 Catholics gathered in celebration of their faith was unforgettable, said the priest.

"It just made me feel so good that the leader of our church cares enough for all countries to be present to us," said Fr. Farrell. "It was so reaffirming to hear the young people, really all people, scream with joy."

He was especially pleased to hear that Pope Benedict met with victims of clergy sexual abuse. In addition to offering words of comfort to survivors of abuse, the pope had a positive message for faithful priests, who were also unwitting victims of the scandal, said Fr. Farrell.

In his homily at Nationals Park, the pope lauded U.S. church efforts to deal "honestly and fairly with this tragic situation, and to ensure that children - whom Our Lord loves so deeply and who are our greatest treasure - can grow up in a safe environment."

"I encourage each of you to do what you can to foster healing and reconciliation and to assist those who have been hurt. Also, I ask you to love your priests and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do," he added.

"Priests were also victims in a sense that the priesthood" was scrutinized, explained Fr. Farrell. The pope "was trying to reaffirm all priests, that their ministry is a beautiful thing. ... It was just a feeling of hope for me and it was refreshing for me. It brought a lot of joy back to the priesthood, to say this is a great ministry I'm in. I love to serve God's people and (Pope Benedict) gave me more enthusiasm."

Fr. Schmitt said that concelebrating Mass with the pope "was very powerful for me."

"When we have the Mass, which is the source and summit of our faith, and when you can concelebrate with the Holy Father, it just shows the universality of the Catholic faith."

He said Pope Benedict offered hope to the church.

"He's the type of leader we need to be able to confront difficult topics and also to be able to start a healing process of forgiveness," he said, alluding to the abuse crisis. "It's dealt with from a very spiritual and loving and caring person. There's definitely a lot of hope for the future."

St. Norbert president attends meeting

William J. Hynes, outgoing president of St. Norbert College in De Pere, was one of more than 400 Catholic educators who attended a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at The Catholic University of America on April 17.

Hynes said he walked away from the meeting proud to be part of Catholic education and affirmed by the pope's positive message.

"It is the first time, I think, that a pope has ever met with the combined college and university presidents of Catholic institutions," he said. "He thanked the educators for the work that they did, noting how important it was in an age of secularism; how important academic freedom was, yet understanding that that's not an excuse for teaching anything but authentic teaching of the church."

Hynes said that while some people speculated that the pope would criticize the college presidents, he did not.

"They may have expected a more austere or punitive individual, but he was not either of those," said Hynes. "He was warm and pastoral and caring and yet firm. He certainly did not chide the college presidents. He was very straightforward, thanking them for their work. That may sound like a small thing, but I can count on two or three fingers when a bishop or a cardinal or a pope has said thank you to sisters and priests and lay people who are working every day for Catholic education."

Couple participate in N.Y. Mass

Anita DuBois, business manager at St. Mary Parish in Greenville, accompanied her husband, Deacon Ray DuBois, to New York for the pope's Mass at Yankee Stadium. She said the trip was a homecoming of sorts. "We're both originally from New York. We met there in graduate school," she said.

DuBois said that the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium was magnetic.

"Even though there were about 57,000 people in the stadium, it was an amazing, joyful moment," she said. "You could feel the love, the excitement. You could tell that he had touched so many people in such a short span of time. Everyone felt so great about having him there."

Among other Green Bay diocesan Catholics who attended papal events were Bishop Robert Banks, Deacon Everett Doxtator of St. Joseph Parish in Oneida, Karen Johnston, director of Catholic Charities, Norbertine Fr. James Baraniak, pastor of Old St. Joseph Parish in De Pere, and Josh Raymond of Relevant Radio.