Month: March 2023

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — Keith Nester, a former Protestant minister who converted to Catholicism, shared his story and his appreciation for eucharistic miracles with students at Assumption High School on March 22.

Greg Hansen, a member of Holy Family Parish in Davenport, introduced Nester, with whom he has developed a friendship through Nester’s journey to the Catholic Church. Nester told the teenagers, “I grew up going to church. My dad was a pastor. We thought Catholics were pretty whacky. We didn’t agree with things they did.”

He said many mainline Protestants view the Eucharist as a symbol of Jesus. Some believe in a “spiritual presence,” sensing that something happens in the Eucharist. Catholics “believe in the real presence,” transubstantiation. “It’s a hard thing to explain,” Nester said. While the consecrated Eucharist still looks like bread and wine, it is the body and blood of Christ, which is a difficult concept to grasp, he added.

Following the story of his conversion, he talked about eucharistic miracles and showed a video on a eucharistic miracle in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1996. After Mass on Aug. 18 that year, a host was found discarded in the church. The pastor placed the host in a receptacle with water to follow proper protocol for disposal. On Aug. 26, the priest found that the host had not dissolved. It had grown in size and appeared to contain a “bloody substance.”

Then-Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, asked that photos be taken. Later, scientists examined a sample but had not been told it was a host. They identified the sample as a heart muscle from the left ventricle. Another sample from a separate eucharistic miracle elsewhere produced the same results, according to the video.

Nester asked the students, “What does science tell you? What does God tell you? You might believe. You might find the results interesting. You might reject it. Most people ignore it. Why should you care?  God is real and he is here for you. His promises are true.” He gave the students three tasks: spend one hour weekly in adoration, listen to or read the Bible and “ask God to show his will to you.”

Hansen shared information about Italian teenager Carlo Acutis who at age 11 began to investigate eucharistic miracles. He documented countless miracles over the next three years and created a website with the information he found before he died of cancer at age 15.

Assumption High School Principal Bridget Murphy said the school has a first-class relic of Carlo Acutis. “Don’t let today’s message go in one ear and out the other,” she said. “God is placing all these things before you.”

She told the students about several display panels featuring eucharistic miracles that the St. Serra Club and Bill Barrett, an Assumption graduate, are making available for Scott County Catholic schools. “The ideas for these boards were created by Carlos himself. There are 152 eucharistic miracles. Take time to read them.” The panels will rotate between Assumption and the feeder schools of Lourdes in Bettendorf, All Saints, John F. Kennedy and St. Paul the Apostle schools in Davenport.

Senior Charlie Leinart said, “Keith Nester’s talk was very engaging and energetic. After hearing his talk there is no denying the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.” Another senior, Cecilia Booth, said, “I was impressed that he came to our school to teach about a lot of new things that were both inspiring and challenging. … Grow in your faith and knowledge,” she added.

By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

IOWA CITY — A few years ago, a group of St. Patrick Parish members studied Laudato Si’ during Lent. Pope Francis’ encyclical gave the group “a newfound respect for the interconnectedness of everything,” said Diane Platte, the parish’s social action committee chairperson. This Lent, the whole parish is celebrating that interconnectedness through ecological, stewardship, prayer and wellness challenges.

A display in the vestibule shows how countries and families spotlighted by this year’s Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl collection are adapting to climate change. Parishioners can choose a pledge — written on a slip of paper shaped like a grain of rice — and add it to the display board. “If we don’t take steps to mitigate our emissions, it’s going to keep getting harder and harder for our brothers and sisters to adapt,” Platte said.

These pledges explain how small, concrete actions — such as swapping a pound of chicken for two cups of beans or washing clothing in cold water — can save money and reduce carbon emissions. The cost savings from these actions can go to CRS to help foster adaptation and resilience in vulnerable regions. “Each grain of rice may be small, but many together can fill a bowl,” the display reads.

With a grant from Victory Noll Sisters, the parish is working to supply as many parish families as possible with climate action materials. Native plant seedlings, a kitchen compost container and household-efficiency materials such as LED bulbs, rope caulk and a WaterSense showerhead are available to households at no cost.

The parish’s Healthy Habits ministry is stepping into action by taking parishioners on a virtual Lenten pilgrimage through this year’s Rice Bowl countries — the Philippines, Kenya and Honduras. Each week, parishioners log hours of exercise and/or contemplative prayer, keeping in mind that some families must walk an hour each day for clean water. “Water is essential for life and a powerful symbol in our Catholic faith,” said Marygrace Elson, a member of the Healthy Habits ministry. Participants can meditate on weekly Scripture readings about water, which are posted in the vestibule and on the parish’s Facebook page, and log their hours. The parish encourages participants to fill their rice bowls with financial donations throughout Lent.

Information and materials for the Lenten projects are available in English and Spanish. Maria Lourdes Hernandez, wife of Deacon Angel Hernandez, provided translation and helped promote the activities within the parish’s Spanish-speaking community.

Platte hopes the parish’s integrated challenges can “make life a little easier for those who are bearing the brunt of climate change.”

DAVENPORT — The Diocese of Davenport invites the faithful from throughout the diocese to participate in the Chrism Mass April 3 at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral. The Mass also will be available for viewing on the cathedral’s YouTube page at https://tinyurl.com/5cbxx5sw

Bishop Thomas Zinkula will preside at the Chrism Mass, which bring together priests, deacons, religious and laity for the blessing and consecration of the oils for use in the diocese’s parishes in the coming year. The bishop will bless the Oil of the Sick, which is used to strengthen, console and heal, and the Oil of Catechumens, which is used to strengthen and free those preparing for baptism. He will consecrate the Sacred Chrism, which is used to ordain bishops and priests, to confirm individuals, to anoint the newly baptized, and to dedicate churches and altars.

During this Mass, diocesan priests will also participate in the Rite of Recommitment.

(See Father Thom Hennen’s Question Box on Page 5 for more information on the Chrism Mass.)

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

BURLINGTON — Inspired by her mother’s knitting and crochet club, religion teacher Jennifer Baxter thought making hats, scarves, shawls and blankets for Native Americans in the Dakotas would be a good service project for seniors at Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School.

Baxter originally planned to have members of the Flying Hooks and Needles group from Stronghurst, Illinois, teach the seniors to crochet and knit. “But knitting and crocheting are not always easy skills to learn,” she said.

Senora Rosa Bailey, a Notre Dame Spanish teacher, suggested using looms and volunteered to teach the students in Spanish class how to create items on looms of various configurations. Loomers use circle looms to make hats or infinity scarves and rectangle looms to make blankets. “The steps are repetitive and have been pretty easy to pick up,” Baxter said.

Flying Hooks and Needles donated most of the yarn and the Notre Dame art department donated additional yarn. A few teachers donated some looms. “This is our first time trying,” Baxter said. Students worked on the looms at the end of class periods. “The project is not complete, some are still working; some have made more than one item. The project will end as soon as everyone has made at least one item,” she said.

Brad Beard from Roseville, Illinois, makes frequent trips to reservations in the Dakotas to deliver supplies, Baxter said. “He is coming to speak to the senior class next month about his experience and why he is so dedicated to this mission. He will be delivering the items we make on his next run up north.”

Students have completed eight hats so far and 30 students continue working on or starting another hat, ranging in size from infant to adult. A few students are making blankets and scarves. Baxter has been so impressed with the project that she plans to do it again next year.

“The students have really enjoyed the project. In the beginning, it was frustrating for some when the yarn would get tangled or their loom would unwind. But when they got the gist, they have had a really fun time. It has been a joy watching them do this project.”

Student Owen Gulick said his first experience with working on a loom “wasn’t too hard. We learned the names of the tools in Spanish.” Wyatt Pearson said, “It was pretty easy to learn. I am making a blanket. Senora Bailey taught us how to make hats. I have taught three other people how to make blankets and scarves.”

Brayden Edmunds described the project as “complicated at times, but I feel pretty good knowing that what I am making is going to keep someone warm. Some of my family is Native American so it means a lot.” He said it is “unfortunate that people have to worry about staying warm. So it’s good for us to help them out.”

Before the items are delivered, Father James Flattery, parochial vicar at Divine Mercy Parish-Burlington/West Burlington, will bless them. “The Holy Spirit is responsible for the idea,” Baxter said. “We try to allow him to lead our classrooms. He planted the seeds, put the idea in our heads and we ran with it. To God be the glory.”