July 2020

MESSAGE FROM DEACON JOHN CARRARA

Fr. Jeff is finishing up the last few days of his retreat / mini-vacation and so he asked me to compose a few words to go with the year-end financial information we are providing in this week’s digital bulletin. Fr. Jeff will be back with his regular letter next week.
 
We just completed our financial year on June 30^th and moved into a new financial year with a new budget. Like many other parishes in the Archdiocese, we had a challenging year. Depressed oil prices and the fallout from the Covid-19 virus and its effect on the local economy was evident in our financial results for the year. We finished the year with collections down $220,000 from the previous year, resulting in a $136,000 budget shortfall. The decrease in regular collections was partially offset by several generous special gifts, one of which was $100,000. Securing a $181,000 SBA Paycheck Protection Loan also made it possible to pay our employees during the Covid-19 shutdown and partial reopening.
 
In addition to meeting our normal operating expenses, we had to deal with major maintenance issues in the Cathedral Church last year. Cleaning the limestone exterior, repairing and restoring the marble flooring, repairing the roof and replacing the water line that feeds the fire safety sprinkler system cost us approximately $100,000 during the year. We anticipate that we will continue to have to deal with maintenance and repair issues at the church, some routine and others that result from the original design decisions and construction execution. The repair of the paving and landscape damage incurred by repairing the damaged water line remains to be completed and paid for and we are dealing with a serious issue with one of the air conditioning chillers that feed the Cathedral Church.
 
As we look ahead to the coming year and our new budget, there are some bright spots. On the expense side of the budget we have a reduction in property insurance premiums, the temporary suspension of the required payments into the Archdiocesan Disaster Reserve Fund, and a modification to our Archdiocesan loan agreement. All of this amounts to a reduction of approximately $450,000 in expenditures over the coming financial year. Our loan agreement has been converted to one that does not require principal payments every month, only interest payments at a very reasonable interest rate. As our financial situation improves over time we will resume principal payments as we are able.
 
As you can see from the financial presentation in this bulletin, our budget for the 2020-2021 financial year has expenses exactly equaling income. There is no surplus for emergencies! Major maintenance projects will probably have to be funded from our modest savings ($239,000).
 
Obviously, the major element in the accuracy of this budget is our income projections. We conservatively estimated collections to be down 15% from last year’s actuals and, unlike last year’s experience, we only projected special gifts to be at a level more in line with historical results. Facility rentals at the church and Cathedral Centre are also a significant source of income. Weddings and wedding receptions were down year over year and many weddings have been rescheduled because of the pandemic. We have lowered our expectations for facility rental income for the coming year.
 
We have been fortunate that so many have begun contributing electronically through Faith Direct and PayPal even though they could not be physically present at Mass. Others have consistently mailed in their contributions in their physical absence. Still facing the unknown for the coming year and when things might return to normal, it is more important now than ever before that you continue to support the parish through your regular giving. Many have stopped their regular giving since they are not physically attending Mass. I realize that some have faced financial hardship because of the economic effects of the Coronavirus. I urge those who are able tp give  but are not doing so please start.
 
We will be closely monitoring our weekly contributions and will continue to report results on a weekly basis. We continue to look for ways to reduce expenses in the coming year, fully aware that we may have to take more drastic steps in the coming months in order to meet our obligations.
 
Even though we are not able to be together physically each week, we are still a parish family and we need to pray for each other and support each other even at a distance until the time that we can once again come together to listen to God’s Holy Word proclaimed in Sacred Scripture and share the Eucharist at the Table of the Lord.
 
Let us pray for our new rector, Fr. Jeffrey Bame, as he leads us into this new year and for Fr. Lawrence Jozwiak, our former pastor, and for all the priests who are starting new assignments throughout the Archdiocese.
 
Deacon John Carrara
Parish Business Manager

Dear Friends in Christ:
     Quí Ông Bà và Anh Chị Em thân mến trong Chúa Kitô:
                    Estimados Amigos y Amigas en Cristo:
 
You may have noticed my absence this week.  I have pre-written this week’s letter as I am away on vacation time.  “Vacation already?!  You just got here!” – I can hear the objection now.  After all, it is usually poor form for someone to take time off early on in a new job.  However, this situation is a bit unique, as I would like to explain here.
 
As I mentioned before, my previous assignment was as the Priest-Secretary to Cardinal DiNardo.  One of the unique aspects of this ministry is that his secretaries neither take a day off or receive vacation time or retreat time during their terms.  He does not ask his secretaries to serve for long terms (usually only for two years, although three in my case), but it is all-in, all-the-time during our terms in order to best support Cardinal DiNardo and the work of this local church.  Usually, when a Priest-Secretary finishes his term, he receives a month off before beginning a new assignment in order to rest, retreat, and transition well.
 
Given the needs of the Co-Cathedral, however, Archdiocesan leadership and I agreed that it would be less than desirable to leave the parish pastor-less for a whole month.  Therefore, I agreed to start right away while taking a couple of weeks later in the month of July.  Thus, after spending a couple of weeks introducing myself to the people of the parish and the staff, I have now withdrawn for some critical quiet time of retreat that I may spiritually recharge, adjust, and prepare for this new challenge so that I may serve this community to the best of my ability.  Thus, you will not see me again until near the end of the month. 
 
I explain all of this in this space this week for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I wanted you to understand why I may be gone more than a priest normally would during the upcoming year – this will be an outlier this year as I “catch up” on vacation.  Secondly, and more importantly, I ask that you pray for me this week that my time in retreat may be rejuvenating, edifying, and enlightening so that I may return equipped to shepherd this community well.
 
 
In the meanwhile, I would like to continue with this month’s focus on vocations in the Church as a whole and particularly for our parish.  The last two weeks we have put the spotlight on our priests and deacons.  This week, I would like to spotlight our men in seminary and religious formation.  The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is blessed to be connected to four men in formation: Brother Lazarus, with the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, Raphael Ozoude of the Order of Friars Minor, Carlos Jaime, who is in collegiate formation for the Archdiocese at St. Joseph Seminary College, and Trieu Nguyen, who begins his seminary formation this fall.
 
For all men and women in formation, their home parishes are important if for no other reason than that they are the places that have formed their Catholic identities that provide the foundation upon which for formation to build.  Particularly for diocesan seminarians, though, a home parish is important in that it provides a continued connection to the local church for which they are being formed.  A diocesan seminarian not only must discern his call to priesthood in general, but to the local church they are being formed to serve.  The diocesan priest is called to serve their local church with all of its unique attributes, cultural realities, and needs.  The Co-Cathedral will provide a place for our seminarians to visit and remain connected as they learn to grow to love the Church of Galveston-Houston.
 
A seminarian’s home parish is most important, however, for the support it can provide its seminarians during the very challenge years of discernment and formation.  Sometimes, this support will be material as the parish can help meet the financial and material needs a seminarian might have in addition to the support received from the Archdiocese.  Other times, it may be in the form of cards, emails, or notes of encouragement to help support a man during the inevitable difficult times.  All the time, though, our seminarians need our prayers and spiritual solidarity so that they may persevere through difficulty, discern their vocations well, and be open to the grace of God and the good work of the Holy Spirit to make them into holier men and, God willing, eventually holy priests for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
 
Please join me this week in offering prayers for each of our four men in formation as well as for the intention that more men and women may hear and faithfully answer the call to enter the Lord’s vineyard.

Dear Friends in Christ:
     Quí Ông Bà và Anh Chị Em thân mến trong Chúa Kitô:
                    Estimados Amigos y Amigas en Cristo:
 
This month, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is looking at different aspects of vocations.  Last week, we asked for prayers for our priests, including myself, Fr. Loc Phan, Fr. Lawrence Jozwiak, and the newly ordained Fr. Robert Moreno at his new parish assignment at Lord of Divine Mercy Parish in Brownsville, TX.
 
This week, I would like to place a special focus on deacons.  To some of the faithful, there is often some confusion as to what a deacon actually is: in the eyes of many, the deacon seems to be a “priest-lite”.  The deacon, in fact, is not a lesser version of a priest, but is ordained to a distinct mission within the life of the Church. 
 
We can find the origins of the diaconate in Acts 6:1-6, when the Apostles chose men to serve the needs of the widows and poor so that they could focus on efforts of evangelization.  In fact, the diaconate historically predates the distinct ministerial priesthood.  While priestly ministry was first carried out by the bishops and each church had presbyters (elders), it was only in time as the church grew too large for the bishops to meet all of the sacramental needs that presbyters (priests) began to receive the laying of hands in order to carry out a priestly office distinct from that of the bishop.  Throughout the early centuries, the deacons were the main assistants to the bishops. 
 
However, over the centuries, the role of the deacon became absorbed by the priesthood.  Diaconate became one of the many orders a seminarian received before priestly ordination.  Therefore, for the majority of the history of the Church since antiquity, the only deacons were what we would today call “transitional” deacons – men preparing to be ordained as priests.
 
In 1967, as one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council, Pope St. Paul VI issued an Apostolic Letter titled Diaconatus Ordinem, which re-instituted what is now known as the “permanent” diaconate – men specifically ordained to be deacons.  Unlike the absolute celibacy of priesthood, men may be ordained deacons whether they are single or married.  While deacons can carry out some of the sacramental and liturgical roles that a priest can (they can preach the homily, baptize, witness marriages, preside over funerals, etc.), their role is meant to be distinct.  Like the priest, who makes a promise of obedience to the local bishop, the deacon’s obedience is promised to the local bishop, not to the pastor of the parish at which they serve.  Some deacons are full-time employees of churches (in which case their pastor is their “boss”), but in terms of ministry, they are ultimately accountable to the bishop. 
 
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is home to one of the largest groups of deacons in the world, comprised of over 400 men.  Each deacon is assigned to an Archdiocesan ministry, such as hospital or prison chaplaincy, in addition to his parish ministry.  The deacon is called to be an advocate for the poor, the sick, the homebound, and the marginalized.  They are called to ministry of the Word (which is why a deacon always proclaims the Gospel at Mass instead of the priest or even the bishop).  Ultimately, the deacon is called to service, which is why priests (and ultimately bishops) are still ordained deacons before they can become priests – the servant’s heart must underlie any authority given          (fun fact: this is why the bishop wears the deacon’s dalmatic under his chasuble for solemn liturgical occasions such as ordinations – to symbolize the fullness of distinct orders he has received).
 
At the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, we are blessed by the presence of four deacons: Deacon John Carrara, who serves as the Parish Business Manager, Deacon Daniel Addis, Deacon Lynn Carney, and the most recent addition, Deacon Gil Vela.  In January, God willing, Joe Millhouse will be ordained to join their ranks.
 
Furthermore, on Friday night, July 10, the Co-Cathedral hosted the ordination of four men to the transitional diaconate for the Archdiocese as they prepare to be ordained priests next year: Chad Henry, Wayne Ly, Houston Okonma, and Joseph White.
 
Please join me in praying not only for these newly ordained deacons, but especially for our permanent deacons and their wives who help sustain them in their ministry.  When you next see one of our deacons, please take a moment to thank them for their beautiful ministry to this local church – to you and to me!

Dear Friends in Christ:
     Quí Ông Bà và Anh Chị Em thân mến trong Chúa Kitô:
                    Estimados Amigos y Amigas en Cristo:
 

      A happy Independence Day weekend to all of you!

 
I admit that this year’s holiday feels unlike any I have experienced before in previous years of my life.  In addition to issues in our nation of political, civil, and economic unrest and the general dark cloud of the current pandemic afflicting our communities that take some of the light-hearted energy out of the holiday of our nation’s birth, this particular occasion of transition feels somewhat surreal.  After twelve years as your Pastor, Fr. Lawrence Jozwiak departs the place he has poured his love into for twelve years with farewells consisting of drive-by parades and virtual thank-yous (and I thank all of you for making the best of the COVID-19 environment to give him a generous and loving farewell!).  As the new shepherd assigned to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, I arrive with excitement to meet this new community and yet realize that it may be some time before I am able to meet so many parishioners face to face.  Instead, my first formal address to all of you comes by means of a video and an electronic bulletin letter.
 
Nonetheless, we do the best we can with what we have in the time we are given.  Therefore, I would like to use this space this week to make a brief introduction of myself.  I am the only child of my parents Philip and Beverly Bame.  My father is a cradle Catholic while my mother is a convert.  Therefore, I grew up as a “cradle” Catholic, but one brought up with the perspective of a convert.   While born in Corpus Christi, I have essentially lived in Houston my entire life outside of times of college and seminary studies.  I grew up  at Prince of Peace Parish and graduated from Klein High School.  Following in the tradition of both of my parents, I attended Texas A&M University (Whoop!) and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information and Operations Management.  By the time I graduated, I was already employed by Hewlett Packard as a business planner and immediately began my graduate studies at the University of St. Thomas, where I earned a Master of Science in Information Systems.
 
 As much as I loved my developing career, after five years at Hewlett Packard, I took the leap to enter the seminary.  I had discerned the call to priesthood since high school and after many years and no small amount of stubbornness on my own part, I entered formation at Holy Trinity Seminary in 2008, continuing on to St. Mary’s Seminary for Theology studies in 2010.  On June 6, 2015, I was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal DiNardo here at our very own Co-Cathedral.  My first assignment was to St. Michael the Archangel in the Galleria, where I spent two years as Parochial Vicar and a few months as Administrator Pro-Tem.  In 2017, Cardinal DiNardo asked me to serve as his Priest-Secretary, where I have spent three “exciting” years during some challenging times in the Church.
 
During my time as Priest-Secretary, I am grateful to have the opportunity to get to know our local church so well, as well as leadership in the Church as a whole.  I have also had the pleasure of being frequently present at the Co-Cathedral as Cardinal DiNardo’s Master of Ceremonies, although I was usually seen and not heard by the faithful.  On a more somber note, this beautiful Cathedral is also the place where I was able to celebrate the funeral for my mother Beverly on March 7 – a moment which will always be sacred to me and my father, who as a downtown resident will be able to attend the parish and worship here as well.
 
Having lived and worked downtown these last three years, I feel blessed to be able to stay downtown and move across the street from the Chancery to the Co-Cathedral.  I especially look forward to returning to parochial ministry and to getting to know this beautiful community of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart not just as an administrator and Master of Ceremonies, but as a parish priest.
 
There will be much more to say in the days, weeks, and months to come, but for now I want to express my gratitude to Cardinal DiNardo for the opportunity to come serve in this parish.  And I most especially want to express my gratitude to Fr. Lawrence Jozwiak for his dedicated service to this community for the last twelve years (and for five years prior to that as a parochial vicar in the 1990s).  I know he leaves the parish in good shape and I ask you to join me and Fr. Loc in praying for  Fr. Lawrence as he begins his new assignment at St. Maximilian Kolbe.
 
I pray that you may all have a safe holiday weekend and I look forward to meeting you all soon.
 
O  Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in You. Amen.
 
- Father Jeffrey Bame
Rector & Parish Administrator