Quincyans welcome 100th grandchild

It is not every day that a married couple welcomes their 50th grandchild into their family, but Leo and Ruth Zanger did that some years back. In fact, the parents of 12 children recently welcomed their 100th grandchild into the family:

"The good Lord has just kept sending them," Leo Zanger said of the grandkids. "We could start our own town." 

He was only half-kidding. 

"There's always room for one more," Ruth Zanger said. 

Leo and Ruth, who have been married 59 years, had 12 children of their own between 1956 and 1984. Daughter Linda, born in 1956, is the oldest at 58. The youngest is son Joe, 31, who was already an uncle 10 times over when he was born in 1984 [more].

As might be expected, family is of tremendous importance for the Quincy couple and this importance they passed on t the children:

Make no mistake about it, the Zangers are a close-knit group and proud of it. 

Most of the family lives in the immediate Quincy area. When they get together, it not only means renting out a church hall. It also involves about 50 pounds of ham or 10 turkeys. 

The family has a well-honed routine for who supplies what and how often. 

"Everyone takes their turn (in helping with food), and they all try and outdo each other," Donna said. "We are always getting together for something." 

The unofficial "mandatory" get-togethers are Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day. And don't worry, there are plenty of other "excuses" for them to gather. 

"We enjoy all of the family get-togethers," Leo Zanger said. 

For those who marry in to the family, it can be an adjustment, but a pleasant one.

 Congratulations to the Zanger family!

If you aren't hearing or reading these lines from the Synod, it's time to find a new news source

I cannot begin to fathom why the Holy See Press Office would release the so-called "midterm report" of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops presently meeting in Rome when it refuses to publish the individual interventions of the Bishops and Cardinals. If the Holy See Press published the Relatio post disceptationem in attempt to keep the media from hijacking the media, this has failed miserable; the "midterm report" has, in many ways allowed the media to misrepresent a great deal of what the Bishops have apparently been talking about.

With this in mind, I thought it might be helpful to publish below a few quotes from unofficial translation of the "midterm" report published on the Vatican web site that you will not likely hear tonight on the news or read about in the morning papers.

By no means must you read all of them, but if scanning through them you realize this isn't what your media of choice - whether Catholic or secular - is telling you, it may be time to find a new news outlet.

• "The most difficult test for families in our time is often solitude, which destroys and gives rise to a general sensation of impotence in relation to the socio-economic situation that often ends up crushing them. This is due to growing precariousness in the workplace that is often experienced as a nightmare, or due to heavy taxation that certainly does not encourage young people to marriage" (6).

• "Today’s world appears to promote limitless affectivity, seeking to explore all its aspects, including the most complex. Indeed, the question of emotional fragility is very current: a narcissistic, unstable or changeable affectivity do not always help greater maturity to be reached. In this context, couples are often uncertain and hesitant, struggling to find ways to grow. Many tend to remain in the early stages of emotional and sexual life. The crisis in the couple destabilizes the family and may lead, through separations and divorce, to serious consequences for adults, children and society as a whole, weakening the individual and social bonds. The decline in population not only creates a situation in which the alternation of generations is no longer assured, but over time also risks leading to economic impoverishment and a loss of hope in the future" (10).

• "It is necessary to accept people in their concrete being, to know how to support their search, to encourage the wish for God and the will to feel fully part of the Church, also on the part of those who have experienced failure or find themselves in the most diverse situations. This requires that the doctrine of the faith, the basic content of which should be made increasingly better known, be proposed alongside with mercy" (11).

• " Following the expansive gaze of Christ, whose light illuminates every man (cf. Jn 1,9; cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22), the Church turns respectfully to those who participate in her life in an incomplete and imperfect way, appreciating the positive values they contain rather than their limitations and shortcomings" (20).

• "It must not be forgotten that the crisis of faith has led to a crisis in matrimony and the family and, as a result, the transmission of faith from parents to children has often been interrupted. Confronted by a strong faith, the imposition of certain cultural perspectives that weaken the family is of no importance" (28).

• "Christian marriage cannot only be considered as a cultural tradition or social obligation, but has to be a vocational decision taken with the proper preparation in an itinerary of faith, with mature discernment. This is not about creating difficulties and complicating the cycles of formation, but of going deeply into the issue and not being content with theoretical meetings or general orientations" (31).

• "As regards this necessity the Synodal Fathers agreed to underline the need for a greater involvement of the entire community privileging the testimony of the families themselves, as well as a rooting of the preparation for marriage in the path of Christian initiation, underlining the connection between marriage and the other sacraments. In the same way, the necessity was highlighted for specific programs for preparation for marriage that are a true experience of participation in the ecclesial life and that study closely the diverse aspects of family life" (34).

• "Divorced people who have not remarried should be invited to find in the Eucharist the nourishment they need to sustain them in their state. The local community and pastors have to accompany these people with solicitude, particularly when there are children involved or they find themselves in a serious situation of poverty" (45).

• "As regards the possibility of partaking of the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, some argued in favor of the present regulations because of their theological foundation, others were in favor of a greater opening on very precise conditions when dealing with situations that cannot be resolved without creating new injustices and suffering" (47, emphasis mine).

• "Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony" (50)?

• "The Church furthermore affirms that unions between people of the same sex cannot be considered on the same footing as matrimony between man and woman. Nor is it acceptable that pressure be brought to bear on pastors or that international bodies make financial aid dependent on the introduction of regulations inspired by gender ideology" (51).

• "Being open to life is an intrinsic requirement of married love" (53).

• "In this light, we should go back to the message of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae of Paul VI, which underlines the need to respect the dignity of the person in the moral evaluation of the methods of birth control"(54).

A news round up - 12 September 2012

More news you may have missed:

• Over the last forty years, the number of Baptists in the United States of America has decreased by 25%.

• Administrators at Ventura High School in California have banned an offensive chicken sandwich. I knew these are bizarre days in which we live, but I didn't realize they were this bizarre yet.

• While we're on the topic of bizarre school news, a teacher in a school in Washington, D.C. asked 6th grade students to compare George W. Bush and Adolf Hitler.

• At least 5,186 people have been in killed in the Central African Republic since December as Islamic militants continue to gain strength in the CAR.

• Lawmakers in Missouri overrode a gubernatorial veto yesterday to pass into law legislation mandating a 72-hour waiting period for any woman seeking an abortion in the Show Me State (without a clause for rape or incest).

• Paleontologists have unearthed the fossilized remains of a Spinosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur even to swim the waters of the earth, in the Sahara Desert. As if it weren't obvious enough, this discovery - among others - shows that the oceans have changed increased and receded in various places for centuries, even millennia.

• Because it spans the globe, the Catholic Church faces various problems in various parts of the world that are often unknown in places where they aren't prevalent, like polygamy. This will be one of the many issues the upcoming two Synods on the family will have to discuss.

• Al-Qaeda  expanded last week into the Indian Subcontinent and from there it has already attacked Pakistan twice.

Pope: Authentic love comes from Jesus

Much has been written about the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will meet in October to consider the "pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization." As the preparatory work for this Synod is undertaken, His Holiness Pope Francis has written to families to invite them to pray for the work of the Synod.

The text of the Holy Father's letter, which was written on February 2nd and released today, follows, with my emphases:

Dear families,

With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”. Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.

This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.

I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Lk 2:22-38). Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally “seen” salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.

Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.

It would be very good if every pastor would print this letter in their bulletins - and even read it at Mass - so that every family might see it and take his words to heart.

Pope calls attention to needs of working mothers, of the elderly and of families

Pope Benedict XVI met Friday with Giovanni Alemanno, the Mayor of Rome, for the exchange of greetings for the new year.

The text of his address follows, with my emphases:

Illustrious Gentlemen and Ladies!

Following a happy custom, this year also I have the pleasing occasion of meeting the representatives of the Institutions of the Lazio region, of the Municipality and of the Province of Rome. I thank the Honorable Renata Polverini, president of the Regional Junta of Lazio, the Honorable Giovanni Alemanno, mayor of Rome, and the Honorable Nicola Zingaretti, president of the Province of Rome, for the courteous words addressed to me on behalf of all. I return the cordial good wishes for the New Year to you, to the citizens of Rome and of the Province and to the inhabitants of Lazio, to whom I feel particularly linked as Bishop of this city, Successor of Peter.

Rome's singular vocation, center of Catholicism and capital of the Italian State, requires of our city that it be an example of fruitful and profitable collaboration between the public institutions and the ecclesial community. Such collaboration, in respect of the reciprocal competencies, is particularly urgent today because of the new challenges that appear on the horizon. The Church, particularly through the work of the lay faithful and of the associations of Catholic inspiration, wishes to continue to offer her contribution for the promotion of the common good and of genuinely human progress.

Original cell of the society is the family, founded on marriage between a man and woman. It is in the family that the children learn the human and Christian values that make possible constructive and peaceful coexistence. It is in the family that solidarity between the generations, respect for rules, forgiveness and acceptance of the other is learned. It is in their own home that young people, experiencing the affection of their parents, discover what love is and learn to love. Hence, the family must be supported by organic policies that are not limited to propose solutions to contingent problems but have as their aim its consolidation and development and are accompanied by an adequate educational endeavor. At times, unfortunately, grave violent events occur, and some aspects of crisis of the family are amplified, caused by rapid social and cultural changes.

Also the approval of forms of union that pervert the essence and end of the family, ends by penalizing all those who, not without effort, are committed to living stable affective bonds, guaranteed juridically and recognized publicly. In this perspective, the Church looks favorably on all those initiatives that seek to educate young people to live love in the logic of the gift of self, with a lofty and oblative vision of sexuality. Serving this aim is an educational convergence between the different components of the society, so that human love is not reduced to an object to consume, but can be perceived and lived as a fundamental experience that gives meaning and purpose to existence

The reciprocal giving of themselves of spouses bears with it openness to generation: the desire of paternity and maternity is in fact inscribed in man's heart. So many couples would like to receive the gift of new children, but they are driven to wait. Because of this, it is necessary to support maternity concretely, as well as to guarantee to women who are engaged in a profession the possibility of combining family and work. Too many times, in fact, they are placed in the necessity of choosing between the two. The development of adequate policies of help, as well as of structures destined for children, such as nurseries, also those run by families, could help to make the child not to be seen as a problem, but as a gift and great joy. Moreover, because "openness to life is at the center of true development" ("Caritas in Veritate," No. 28), the high number of abortions that are practiced in our Region cannot leave one indifferent. The Christian community, through numerous "Family Homes," "Center of Help to Life" and other similar initiatives, is committed to support and give sustenance to women who are in difficulty in accepting a new life. Public institutions are able to offer their support so that Family Consultants are able to help women to surmount the causes that can induce them to interrupt their pregnancy. To this end, I express my appreciation for the law in force in the Lazio region that provides the so-called "family quotient" and considers the conceived child as a component of the family, and I hope that this norm will be fully accomplished. I am happy that the city of Rome has already undertaken its commitment in this direction.

On the other side of life, the aging of the population poses new problems. The elderly are a great richness for society. Their knowledge, their experience and their wisdom are a patrimony for young people, who are in need of teachers of life. If many elderly are able to count on the support and closeness of their family, the number is growing of those who find themselves in fragile conditions because of their age or precarious health. While I rejoice over the existing synergy with the great Catholic health realities -- as, for example, in the field of children, between the "Bambino Gesu" Hospital and the public institutions -- I hope that these structures will be able to continue to collaborate with the local entities to ensure their service to all those who turn to them, I renew the invitation to promote a culture that respects life until its natural end, in the awareness that "the measure of humanity is determined essentially in the relationship with suffering and the one who suffers" (Encyclical "Spe Salvi," No. 38).

In these last times, the serenity of our families is threatened by the grave and persistent economic crisis, and many families can no longer guarantee a sufficient tenor of life to their children. Through Caritas, our parishes spend themselves to help these family nucleuses, alleviating, in so far as possible, the hardships, and addressing the primary needs. I trust that adequate provisions will be adopted, geared to supporting low income families, particularly those that are numerous, too often penalized. To this is added every day a more dramatic problem. I am referring to the serious question of work. Young people in particular, who after years of preparation do not see work openings and the possibility of social insertion and of projection of the future, often feel disappointed and are tempted to reject society itself. The prolonging of similar situations causes social tensions, which are exploited by criminal organizations by proposing illicit activities. Hence, it is urgent that, despite the difficult moment, every effort be made to promote occupational policies, which can guarantee work and dignified sustenance, indispensable condition to give life to new families.

Dear Authorities, many are the problems that require a solution. May your commitment as administrators, who make an effort to collaborate together for the good of the community, always be able to consider man as an end, so that he can live in a genuinely human way. Hence, as Bishop of this city I would like to invite you to find in the Word of God the source of inspiration for your political and social action, in the "search for the true good of all, in the respect and promotion of the dignity of every person" (Post-Synodal Apostolic "ExhortationVerbum Domini," No. 101).

I assure you of my remembrance in prayer, above all for those who today begin their service to the common good, and while I invoke on your commitment the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, I impart to you my heartfelt Blessing, which a gladly extend to the inhabitants of Rome, of its Province and of the whole of Lazio.

Much attention has been given in the media to his words about homosexual unions, but strikingly little attention has been given to his call to support mothers who wish to work.

Translation via Zenit.

Prayers requested

I just received word that my 86 (or 87 maybe; I always forget) year old grandmother fell early this morning.

I don't know how she fell, but whatever she did she did it well, that she will require surgery on her left ankle in the morning. She also did something to her right knee but we aren't quite sure what yet because she didn't feel anything until her pain medicines wore off and so it hasn't been x-rayed.

Would you please remember my grandmother in the charity of your prayers. Thank you.

He likes it

Growing up as a boy I remember one of my favorite toys. It was a koala with velcro paws which wrapped around and held a smaller koala. When I was in Australia last July for the World Youth Day 2008 wherever we went I kept my eyes open for a similar koala to give to my little nephew, Matthew.

Koala toys abounded, but the ones who held a smaller koala were not only cheaply made but also cheap looking. Finally, I found what I was looking for in the Sydney airport as we prepared to leave the great south land of the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday I was finally able to give the koala to Matthew (I kept forgetting to bring it with me the last couple of times I returned to Quincy. I think he likes it:

Isn't my nephew adorable?

In the news

One of the many blessings which the Lord sent to me through my first Great River Teens Encounter Christ weekend was the Lunt family.

Over the years the Lunts have become very dear friends and really have become a part of my family.

Today, one of them, Nathan, is in the news. Congratulations, Nathan!

Grace Before Meals

You’ve probably already heard about this national movement but in case you haven’t, let me tell you a little something about it.

There is a growing movement called Grace Before Meals. It was started by Fr. Leo Patalinghug and aims to help families unite around the dinner table for stronger families and better food.

Fr. Leo sends out a free weekly e-mail that you can sign up to receive. The Grace Before Meals web sites offers a few simply suggestions that every family can undertake to strengthen the bonds of the family:

• Eat meals with my family at least five days per week (or as many as possible)
• Say Grace before each meal, no matter where I am
• Turn off the TV while eating dinner
• Introduce interesting topics for the family to discuss at mealtime
• Engage the family in preparing meals

Be sure to check it out!

My great-uncle, the priest

Among the numerous priests to come from St. John the Baptist parish in Quincy is the Reverend Father Berard Zehnle, O.F.M., my great-uncle.

(We also have a couple of nuns in our family history as well, but I do not know very much about either of them.)

Given the name Andrew at birth, he and his brother August were the second set of twins to his parents, Ambrose and Mary (twins seem to run in the family; I am a twin myself, though my twin, Matthew, died shortly after birth).

Andrew and August were born in Quincy - the Gem City - on 3 January 1879. The twins were baptized at Immaculate Conception parish in Quincy just four days later.

His Excellency, the Most Reverend James Ryan, Bishop of Alton, confirmed the boys at St. John the Baptist parish on 10 June 1894.

Andrew was invested with the habit of the Order of Friars Minor on 25 July 1901 in Teutopolis, Illinois (just a few miles from where I now live). He made his simple profession on 29 July 1902 and his Solemn Profession on 17 August 1905 in the city of the Teutons.

Brother Berard received the tonsure and was ordained to the subdiaconate in St. Louis, Missouri on 29 June 1906. He was ordained the Sacred Order of Deacons on 28 June 1907 and to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ on 26 June 1908, both in St. Louis.

He died in Jordan, Minnesota on 28 May 1937. He is buried in Quincy.

In the parishes in which he served, Fr. Berard was known for his love of drama.

If you would be so kind, please say a prayer for him. Here are a few more pictures of Fr. Berard:

Fr. Berard is sitting down, but I do not know the priest standing next to him. Does anyone recognize this priest?

Family Night, Cavins style

Emily Cavis, wife of Jeff Cavins, is offering a weekly publication called "Family Night." It is designed to be used by family who want to spend time each week praying together. In each issue she offers devotions to pray and activities to use as a family. It looks very promising!

Be sure to take a look!

Bishop Yanta on the family

The Most Reverend John W. Yanta issued a pastoral letter entitled, "Family - A Community of Love," on 9 January 2007.

It is a difficult letter to read, largely because the style of writing seems haphazard and hasty, almost as if it is a first draft. If poor grammar upsets and distracts you as it does me, I would not suggest reading the letter in its entirety.

Be that as it may, His Excellency offers a few challenges for Catholic families today:

Minimum family prayer might begin with family meals together praying the sign of the cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, and grace before meals...

No Catholic child should be enrolled in a Catholic school or CCD [or PSR] program who doesn't already know by heart how to recite the Sign of the Cross, Our Father, and Hail Mary.

The Bishop of Amarillo (Texas) also notes "two big mistakes by parents and children":

The first mistake by the parents to children: "What are you going to be when you grow up?"

Parents should remember and teach that the first calling of the Christian and Catholic is to follow Christ.

God has a general plan for everyone in the whole human race: salvation by righteous living, disciplship - for Christian to follow the master Jesus, and holiness like that of the saint's name chosen at baptism by our parents, or the saint's name you chose at Confirmation as a young Catholic. That is God's general plan for us.

Apparently the plan is not too general to preclude following individual and very specific models of holiness... Yanta continues:

God also has a specific plan for everyone to attain salvation, discipleship, and holiness.

So the question becomes: "What do you think God wants you to be in your life?"

A good question for each of us to consider, and to encourage others to consider.