St. Joseph and St. Lawrence schools to become parish-operated this fall

St. Joseph School in Penfield and St. Lawrence School in Greece will become parish-run schools this fall under plans approved by Bishop Matthew Clark, in consultation with the pastors of both parishes. The schools have been operated by the Monroe County Catholic Schools system since the formation of the system in the early 1990s. Both schools made announcements to parents at briefings this week (Tuesday evening at St. Joseph’s, Wednesday evening at St. Lawrence).

While the plan gives each parish direct control and responsibility over the daily operation of the schools and their finances, MCCS officials will continue to provide curriculum and staffing guidance and other support, such as information technology.

Overall staffing will not be affected.

From the earliest days of Catholic Schools in the 19th Century until the formation of the MCCS system in the 1990s, all schools in the Diocese were parish-run – and all outside Monroe County remain so. Nearby examples include St. Mary’s in Canandaigua and St. Agnes, Avon.

“Parents will find the transition seamless for them and will see no difference in the quality of their children’s education they have come to expect,” said Anne Willkens-Leach, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “This will be a true partnership for all.”

Said Rev. James Schwartz, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church: “We are excited to have the opportunity to directly operate and support this very important ministry to our youth. St. Joe’s was a parish-run school for the majority of its history, and we believe it will continue to flourish in this return to the parish,”

“St. Lawrence School is our pride and joy and we believe the parish-school partnership will be a tremendous benefit to the long-term future of the school,” said Rev. Frank Falletta, pastor of St. Lawrence Church.

Reversion was one of several major recommendations of the Monroe County Schools Task Force appointed by Bishop Clark in 2007. Members encouraged the Diocese to explore the idea, believing that over time parish-operated schools would be more economically efficient and create stronger links between parishes and on-site schools. St. Joseph’s and St. Lawrence are pilots.

Studies also are underway to determine the feasibility of reverting to parish-operated schools at two other sites as early as the 2011-12 academic year at St. Louis in Pittsford and St. Rita’s in Webster. No final decisions have been made. The four schools were chosen because of the vitality of the schools and the parishes.

St. Joseph’s, 39 Gebhardt Road, www.sjspenfield.org , has more than 400 pupils in pre-K through 6th grade and is led by Sister Christina M. Luczynski, principal. Parents interested in learning more about the school can call 586-6968 or email .

St. Lawrence School, 1000 North Greece Road, www.stlawrenceschool.org, has approximately 230 students in pre-K through 6th Grade and is led by Principal Susan Sak. Parents interested in learning more about the school can call 225-3870 or email

Christmas creches on display at Sacred Heart Cathedral through Jan. 6

A collection of creches from throughout the world and from the personal collections of Bishop Clark, several area priests and nuns are on display at Sacred Heart Cathedral through the Epiphany, Jan. 6. All are welcome to this free and public exhibit in the Cathedral narthex.

The creches were hand-crafted in such places as Vietnam, Kenya, Chile, Bolivia and Italy, as well as in various regions of the USA.

Catholic Ministries Appeal nearly $600,000 ahead of last year at this time

Thank you for your support!

Approx. 17,000 donors have pledged
more than $2.43 million: about 44 percent of the goal

• Support your parish! Give Online safely and securely.
• For more information about the CMA: Click here

Men and women of law enforcement to be honored at Cathedral “Blue Mass” Nov. 1

Most Rev. Matthew H. Clark, bishop of Rochester, cordially invites you to attend the annual “Blue Mass” honoring members of law enforcement in the Greater Rochester-Monroe County area, to be held on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

The Mass will begin at 11:15 a.m. A reception will follow. All are welcome.

Representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies throughout our community will attend the Mass.

Sacred Heart Cathedral is located at 296 Flower City Park, between Dewey and Lake avenues, in Rochester.

Bishop Clark will celebrate a special Mass for more than 800 Catholic School students from throughout the Finger Lakes Region on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in Geneva, NY. As many as 32 area priests also will be in attendance.

The Mass will begin at 10 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, 48 Pulteney St., Geneva.

Students from the following schools will be attending:
St. Francis-St. Stephen’s School, Geneva
St. Joseph’s School, Auburn
St. Mary’s School, Canandaigua
St. Michael’s School, Newark
St. Michael’s School, Penn Yan
St. Peter and Paul School, Auburn
DeSales High School, Geneva.

In addition to giving thanks for those priests serving the Finger Lakes children, students also will be praying for future vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Rochester.

Bishop Clark to preside at Red Mass for legal community Oct. 2    

Bishop Matthew H. Clark will celebrate the annual Red Mass, invoking the help and inspiration of the Holy Spirit on judges, prosecutors, civil attorneys, canon lawyers and local government officials, on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009.

The Mass will begin at 12:15 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 296 Flower City Park, between Dewey and Lake avenues. A reception will follow.

The first documented Red Mass was held at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, in 1225 A.D. and became a widely celebrated tradition throughout Europe thereafter. Cardinal Patrick Hayes of New York brought the tradition to the United States in 1928 and, since 1953, such a Mass has been celebrated at St. Matthew Cathedral, Washington D.C., often with the President of the United States and a majority of Supreme Court justices in attendance.

Sacred Heart Cathedral hosted the Mass in Rochester last year, as well. All are welcome. 

Help support your parish in the Catholic Ministries Appeal

‘Keeping the Spirit Alive’ theme of 2009-10 CMA

WATCH THE CMA VIDEO

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Asking Catholics to share their blessings to ensure the Church’s ministries remain vibrant in challenging economic times and amid growing need, Bishop of Rochester Matthew Clark today officially launched the 2009-2010 Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA).

“The ministries and services the CMA funds affect every facet of Catholic life and every Catholic in our Diocese in some way. I ask every Catholic family to participate if they can, knowing they are helping their parish, their friends and their neighbors. Every gift, large or small, helps us to keep the spirit of service alive.”

The CMA, which runs until May 31, 2010, helps fund ministries for more than 314,000 Catholics and others in Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Cayuga, Livingston, Steuben, Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins and Yates counties. This year’s campaign goal is $5.49 million. Materials are being mailed this week to more than 115,000 households. Every pledge received is used to help fund ministries such as:

• Reaching out to the poor, the homeless, the hungry
• Assisting Catholic Charities and Catholic Education
• Welcoming new Catholics through special education programs (RCIA)
• Providing faith formation programs for youth
• Encouraging religious vocations
• Honoring marriage and preparing engaged couples
• Spreading the Gospel through communications media
• Teaming with other dioceses in the USA, supporting the Vatican
• Providing parishes with needed services and resources they would be hard-pressed to obtain on their own
• Giving support to families, elderly and the sick

“I have felt blessed to celebrate my 30th anniversary as Bishop of Rochester this year. And year after year, I have watched in awe as Catholics open their hearts and give, even in difficult times.” the Bishop said. “I think people just know that when times are tough, the Church is all the more a refuge, a place offering healing, hope and help.”

Statement on the violence at the Holocaust Museum in Washington

Bishop Matthew H. Clark and the People of the Diocese of Rochester express our deepest sadness at the tragic violence that occurred yesterday at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. We ask God to assuage the pain of loss of Stephen T. Johns’ family. We recommit ourselves to work for and pray unceasingly for an end to anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and bigotry, evils that wound and diminish humankind and corrupt God’s plan for our world.

Catholic Press Association honors Karen Franz, Catholic Courier

Karen Franz, editor and general manager of the Diocese of Rochester’s Catholic Courier, is the 2009 winner of the St. Francis de Sales Award, the highest honor given to an individual by the Catholic Press Association (CPA). The St. Francis de Sales Award is given annually for “outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism.”

The award was presented last week during the Catholic Media Convention in Anaheim, Calif. The Catholic Courier also won several awards at the convention, including second place for general excellence for publications with circulation of more than 40,000, and multiple awards for photographers Mike Crupi, Tamara Tirado and Annette Jiminez for her work on El Mensajero,the Spanish language newspaper published by the Courier.

Franz’s nomination stated that her “passion for the Catholic press, twinned with good humor, has served as a model for editors throughout the country and for women determined to pursue their vocations as Catholic journalists.”

“I very much appreciate the honor,” said Franz. “It was amazing to think of the previous winners and to be there among the past winners. It was a very much a humbling experience.”

Franz began her career at the Catholic Courier in 1985 as editor. In 1989, while continuing her responsibilities as editor, she became assistant general manager and was promoted to general manager six years later.

The newspaper has been in the forefront of new technology, having launched its Web site in 1996 with continuous updates in design and content. In 2004 she led an effort to change the paper’s publication schedule from weekly to monthly, with greater emphasis on delivering new content daily through its Web site. Franz said the newspaper continues to broaden its digital communication outreach through networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Details of the specific awards the Courier received are as follows:

Catholic Courier
1. General Excellence — 40,000+: Second Place COMMENTS: “The Catholic Courier is journalistically very sound with obvious dedication to examining important topics in-depth. Sections on health, schools and family were thorough and compelling. Excellent photography; some of the best I’ve seen in any newspaper. A strong second place.”
2. Sports Photo: First Place to Tamara Tirado for “Something to cheer about” COMMENTS: “Judges felt this was a nice moment, with clean composition. Also has a sense of humor about it with the repeated smiling faces and open mouths. Clearly the best shot in the competition.”
3. Best Multiple-Picture Package — Feature: First Place to Mike Crupi for “Statues help us recall lives of saints, others” COMMENTS: “This series of photos takes something extremely familiar and renders it unusual, arresting and evocative. The content everyday nature of the subject — statues of saints — is transformed through the photographer’s choice of viewpoint and framing.”
4. Best One-Shot Special Issue: Second Place for Volunteering issue. COMMENTS: Catholic Courier’s Faith & Family edition provides a crisp and clean presentation of the people who exercise their faith by volunteering. The stories and photos help readers get to know the subjects in each article in the section.”
5. Best Portrait: Second Place to Mike Crupi for “Jesus is local painter’s favorite subject” COMMENTS: “Good colors and composition, but try more creative approaches when working with a creative subject. Don’t just place them with their art.”
6. Individual Excellence — Photographer: Third Place to Mike Crupi (“U.S. Catholics welcome pontiff”) COMMENTS: “While some may view the use of a silhouette in a photo illustration as cliché, this image was well-executed, and is displayed in a clean, straightforward way. Sometimes the most effective design is simple.”
7. Best Seasonal Issue: Third Place for Lenten issue. COMMENTS: “An excellent look at what it takes to keep faith alive and well in these troubling times, nicely told through real people examples.”
8. Best Scenic, Still Life or Weather Photo: Honorable Mention to Mike Crupi for “Statues help us recall lives of saints, others”

El Mensajero Católico
1. Best Newswriting — Local or Regional: First Place to Annette Jiménez for “Grupo de vigilancia buscal justicia para los trabajadores migrantes” (a/k/a Church Watch) COMMENTS: “The article succeeds in analyzing the thorny issue of illegal immigration without resorting to blanket statements, and carefully considering various points of view. The quotes from John Ghertner are very powerful, focusing mostly on legality and rights. The piece ends with a poignant call to action.”
2. Best In-Depth Analysis: First Place to Annette Jiménez for “Familia considera tratamiento para el Parkinson una bendición” COMMENTS: “The article insightfully combines elements of both faith and science to create a compelling portrait. The result is a piece that both inspires and informs, maintaining the reader connected to the rousing story of the featured individual and the latest breakthroughs in medical treatment.”
3. Individual Excellence — Writer/Editor: First Place to Annette Jiménez COMMENTS: “This reporter showed excellent enterprise reporting skills in her body of work. She tacked Parkinson’s disease, writing clear explanatory paragraphs in a heart-felt story about a musician stricken at a young age. She also thoroughly reported on immigration and border patrol agents intimidating parishioners from attending church services. Her stories were multifaceted, good reads.”
4. Best Multiple-Picture Package — Feature: Honorable Mention to Mike Crupi for “Festival celebra la cultura puertorriqueña”

Brian Carpenter to be ordained a priest of the Diocese of Rochester

“Pray that I may be a holy and faithful servant of God.”

Bishop Matthew Clark will ordain Brian Kumar Carpenter as a priest of the Diocese of Rochester on Saturday, June 6, 2009. The ordination Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 296 Flower City Park, Rochester, at 10:30 a.m.

“Brian is a very bright, outgoing and deeply spiritual man whom I believe will be an excellent priest and will serve the people of God with conviction, compassion and care,” Bishop Clark said. “I am delighted to ordain him and welcome him into the diocesan priesthood.”

Said Carpenter: “I am excited to have Bishop Clark ordain me to the priesthood. I look forward to sharing this day and all my days as a priest with the people of God, and I ask everyone to pray that I may be a holy and faithful servant of God.”

Carpenter, 33, a native of Indiana, is a 1998 graduate of the University of Notre Dame –he was baptized as an infant on the very same campus by his uncle, also a priest. Among many other activities at Notre Dame, he also served as a student athletics manager, working with the famed Coach Lou Holtz, and was president of Toastmasters International.

Most recently, in 2009, he was awarded a Master’s of Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake-Mundelein Seminary.

Carpenter joined the Diocese of Rochester as a seminarian in 2004. As a seminarian, he has served at St. Paul’s in Webster, the Winton-Culver Catholic Community (now Peace of Christ parish) and St. Mary’s in Canandaigua/St. Bridget’s in Bloomfield.

He was ordained a transitional Deacon on May 31, 2008, by Bishop Clark.

After his ordination, he will be assigned to Peace of Christ parish (Rochester) beginning June 30, 2009.

Besides his studies and his work in service as a seminarian and deacon, Carpenter was a computer consultant in Chicago, volunteered full-time at a soup kitchen run by the Daughters of Charity in Brooklyn, N.Y., and worked for the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service in Washington, D.C.

Carpenter is the son of Dr. Bob Carpenter, a pathologist, and Kathi Carpenter, R.N., of Fort Wayne, IN. He has a brother, Sean, and a sister, Kimberly.

Men who are interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic priesthood are invited to visit www.dor.org/index.cfm/vocations/ for more information, or telephone Carol Dady at 585-328-3228, ext. 1374, or contact her via e-mail:

An opportunity for young adults to gather
to discuss and reflect on issues of faith.

THEOLOGY ON TAP

June-September 2009

Good Company…Interesting Speakers…Lively Conversation…
For Catholics and friends
in their 20s and 30s!!!

For more information: 328-3228, x-1218 or click here to send an e-mail

Please note: All gatherings begin at 7 p.m.

June 24: What’s with Community? with Dr. David Stosur, St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, held at Mulconry’s Irish Pub, 17 Liftbridge Lane East, Fairport

June 30: Stem Cells and the Catholic Church with Dr. Patricia Schoelles, SSJ, President, St. Bernard’s. Held at On the Rocks Grill, 1551 Mount Hope Ave, Rochester

July 7: Angels and Demons with Barb Swiecki, Pastoral Administrator, Guardian Angels. At Jitters, Southtown Plaza, Henrietta

July 15: A Disciple’s Radical Yes with seminarians Peter Van Lieshout and Greg Rupik. Held at Johnny’s Irish Pub, 1382 Culver Road, Rochester

July 22: Living Our Gifts with Nancy DeRycke, Pastoral Administrator, Good Shepherd. Held at Jitters Southtown

July 28: Am I a Machine? with Dr. Staszek Radziszows, RIT. At Johnny’s Irish Pub

August 4: Africa, AIDS, Condoms and the Church with Kevin Mannara, St. Mary’s Downtown. Held at On the Rocks Grill

August 10: It’s More Than Just the Our Father with Dr. Damien Zynda, Church of the Transfiguration. Held at Mulconry’s Irish Pub

August 19: Faith and Finances with Chuck Sayer. Held at Jitters Southtown Plaza

August 25: Being Catholic in the 21st Century with Jamie Fazio, Campus Minister, Nazareth College, at Johnny’s Irish Pub

Sept. 1: Making Christian Choices with Fr. Robert Kennedy, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, at Johnny’s Irish Pub

Sept. 9: Discipleship during Times of Societal Crisis with Michael Sauter, Pastoral Administrator, St. Luke’s, held at Jitters, Southtown Plaza

Co-sponsored by the Diocese of Rochester, Guardian Angels, Good Shepherd, St. Joseph, St. Christopher’s, Office of Vocations, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul’s, St. John of Rochester and the University of Rochester Newman Community.

Theology on Tap is a copyrighted program of Renew International. Used with permission.

Six men to be ordained as permanent deacons at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Mass will be celebrated May 30, 2009

Most Rev. Matthew Clark, Bishop of Rochester, will ordain six men to the permanent diaconate on Saturday, May 30, 2008, at a 10:30 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 296 Flower City Park, Rochester.

The permanent deacons are:

• Thomas Behe of Webster
• James Carra of Fairport
• Robert Colomaio of Bath
• Dennis Donahue of Union Springs
• David Squilla of Greece
• Craig Stratton of Spencerport

A permanent deacon – most often a married man – is ordained for service within the church, according to Deacon David Palma, director of deacon personnel for the diocese.

A deacon’s ministry ranges from Service of the Word (proclaiming the Gospel message, teaching, conducting retreats and counseling), Service of the Altar (assisting at Mass, witnessing marriages, baptizing and presiding at wakes and funerals) to Service of Charity (building up human dignity as ministers of charity and justice).

Candidates for the permanent diaconate must participate in four years of formation at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. Many deacons complete a master’s degree in pastoral studies.

The Diocese of Rochester has 102 active deacons.

Rev. Robert McNamara, 1910-2009

Father Robert McNamara, the oldest priest in the Diocese of Rochester and a respected historian and writer, died in Rochester Friday, (May 22, 2009) at the Our Lady of Mercy Motherhouse infirmary. He was 98 years old and had served as a priest for 72 years.

Father McNamara was best known for his well-received and popular history, The Diocese of Rochester in America, a richly detailed history of the Diocese of Rochester. He also wrote a history of the famous Pontifical North American College in Rome, where seminarians from the U.S. study in preparation for service as priests. Both works are considered outstanding among institutional histories in the Church.

“I am greatly saddened by Father McNamara’s death,” Bishop of Rochester Matthew Clark said. “He was our oldest priest at 98, and we were blessed with his ministry for 72 years. We were graced by his prowess as a writer, researcher, historian and archivist, and his magnificence as a minister and servant of God.”

Father McNamara was born on Nov. 3, 1910, in Corning, N.Y. He held degrees from Georgetown University (1932), Harvard University (master’s in literature, 1933) and the Gregorian University in Rome (Licentiate of Sacred Theology, 1936). He attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome as a seminarian.

He was ordained a priest on Dec. 8, 1936.

Father McNamara served as assistant at the former St. Frances Xavier Church in Rochester early in his career, as well as on the editorial staff of the Catholic Courier newspaper and as chaplain at St. Anne’s Home, Rochester. He also served as a history, Italian and liturgy professor at the former St. Bernard’s Seminary on Lake Avenue, Rochester until the seminary closed in 1981, and for many years was the diocesan archivist. In 1999, at the age of 88, he laboriously researched and updated his original 1968 history on the the Diocese for a new, expanded edition.

On Wednesday, May 27, Father McNamara will lie in state at the Mercy Motherhouse on Blossom Road, Rochester, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Evening Prayer at 7 p.m. On Thursday, May 28, he will lie in state at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 4536 St. Paul Blvd., Irondequoit, from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. immediately followed by his funeral Mass, at which Bishop Clark will preside.

Interment will be in the family burial plot in Corning.

For additional details: www.catholiccourier.com (See Obituaries) content

13th Annual Monroe County Catholic Schools Golf Tournament is June 29 at Greystone

The 13th Annual Catholic Schools Scholarship Golf Classic will be held on Monday, June 29, 2009, at Greystone Golf Club in Walworth, Wayne County.

Proceeds will be used to provide financial assistance for needy students in the Diocese of Rochester’s Monroe County Catholic Schools system. Pat McGonigle of WHEC-TV (Channel 10) will emcee the awards luncheon.

Teams, sponsors and donations of auction items and raffle prizes are being sought to help raise funds. For more information, please call 585-328-3228, ext. 1297, or e-mail . You also can download a brochure and register online here.

Catholic Call-in May 12, 2009

Get answers to your questions about the Catholic faith

Have you always wondered why we Catholics genuflect? Why do non-Catholics who were married before need an annulment before they can marry in the Catholic Church? Can I receive Holy Communion if I’m divorced?

Catholics throughout the 12-county Diocese of Rochester can get answers to these and any other questions about the Church and their faith during a special toll-free “Catholic Call In.”

CALL 1-866-595-8575 between 2 and 7 p.m.

The call-in is just one part of a diocesan-wide, three-year Spiritual Renewal called Spirit Alive! It was initiated by Bishop Matthew Clark in Lent 2008. Spirit Alive! consists of three movements: deepening one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, deepening one’s knowledge and understanding of the Word and deepening one’s commitment to discipleship and stewardship.

“It is a very special and important time to deepen our relationship with Jesus,
our Lord and Savior, and to more fully learn and practice what true discipleship means,”
the Bishop has said. “This is, after all, what is truly crucial to our lives as Catholic
Christians.”

For more information and for resources for individuals and groups, visit www.rochesterspiritalive.org.