August 26, 2012
Sr Barbara Croom Golden Jubilee
Faithful Servant To Her Faith
What kind of decisions did you make in the
third grade? Perhaps what to take to a sleepover, or what color bike you wanted. However, Barbara Croom decided to be a Sister!
Quite a decision for a child that young! But
from then through her teen years, while she
went to parties, danced, and dated, she never
doubted the call to religious life. She was
drawn to the way the Sisters in her parish
school in Kinston, N.C., seemed so joyful over
the simplest activities in life. When one Sister
took Barbara under her wing, taking her
places, had her help after school, introduced
her to convent food and many activities, Barbara felt “physically and spiritually nourished.”
Little did she know - that Sister was praying
for Barbara’s vocation. That Sister had actually
asked God to find someone to take her place
in the convent, and the first time she saw Barbara, she asked God: “Give me that one!” But
Barbara didn’t hear that story until she was 28,
professing her final vows.
Why did she choose the Adorers? Sr. Barbara read and learned about other Congregations, but decided to join the Adorers community for a practical reason and a spiritual reason. Practically, they were one of the few
communities at that time who were open to
accepting African-Americans. Spiritually, one
of their charisms is to bring people together
through a reconciling, forgiving presence. As
Adorers “we strive to direct our energies toward helping people get along with each other,
possibly helping them to see some aspect of
their life that could be done differently. This
calls for learning how to be reconciling and
forgiving.”
Sr Barbara L. Croom, ASC
Sr. Barbara notes: “For me and for AfricanAmericans in general, this congregational
charism of the suffering Christ, his death and
resurrection, is close to who we are. Indignity couldn’t keep us down and it is why our
people (as well as anyone who experiences
Cont. p.2
Holy Savior Academy Receives
Interfaith Ministry Humanitarian Award
L-R, Anne Corriston (Inter-Faith
Ministries Excc-director), Academy Principal Delia Shropshire,
Fr Pat Malone (Ret), Fr Jim Billinger (Pastor, Holy Savior) and
Bishop Michael Jackels.
Holy Savior Catholic Academy’s
outreach to students of various faith
and economic backgrounds earned
the school a prestigious community
award. `The academy was one of
five recipients of an Inter-Faith Ministries’ Humanitarian Award. `The
awards were presented during the
Annual Humanitarian Award Dinner,
held Aug. 16 at Beech Activity Center in east Wichita.
`Holy Savior received the Spirit of
Faith Award, which “recognizes faithbased organizations and groups
whose actions exemplify IFM’s vision
for people of faith to cross lines of
faith and culture to help people in need, to
relieve misery and promote justice,” according to Inter-Faith Ministries.
Academy Principal Delia Shropshire, Fr.
Jim Billinger and Bishop Michael Jackels received the award, a framed artwork piece
of people of various racial and cultural
backgrounds with the words:
“DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU
WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.”
The program featured a video produced by
KSN, Channel 3 about Holy Savior Catholic
Academy. The video included segments of
interviews with Fr. Billinger, Ms. Shropshire
and current students.
cont. P. 6
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(cont.) Golden Jubilee
L-R, Sr Barbara with her
mother in 1943 at age 3.
Corpus Christi Day, L-R,
LaVerne Johnson, Sr Gertrude
(mentor) and Sr Barbara Croom
1st Grade Students, Kinston, N.C
and Sr Barbara Croom.
indignity and suffering) can still go on and
be joyful because they trusted, found
strength, and believed in Jesus who suffered like them and overcame it all.”
After 50 years of professed religious life,
how does Sister feel about being a nun?
“Fulfilling!” She still likes the simplicity of
life in the convent, the daily community
experience, and even the challenges of
being in community. She has a BA in
Education and a MTh in Pastoral Theology. Over the years, her ministry has
been to primary grade children in four
different states, to adolescents in Pennsylvania who were neglected, in administrative and pastoral service to her own
community in Columbia, PA, and to several church parishes. In the Bronx, the
multi-racial and multi-ethnic parish felt
like “a mini-United Nations!”
Now, as Sister Barbara currently ministers as Pastoral Assistant / Spiritual Director at Holy Savior, she advises:
“Regardless of who and what we are, we
are part of the culture and prejudices we
come from. If you have your own personal strengths and beliefs, then you can
meet anyone on an equal basis.” For
those who think they might have an interest in or a call to religious life, Sister invites: “Come and see. Spend some time
in one of our houses. Meet some of the
Sisters and talk with them about what we
are about and what our charism is. Spend
time praying, and reading and listening for
God’s call.” No matter who you are or
what your needs are, says Sr. Barbara,” if
you believe in yourself, and trust in Jesus,
you to can over come it all”.
First Communion, L-R, Martha
Barnes, James Marshburn and
Sr Barbara Croom.
Sr. Barbara Croom, ASC
In celebration of Sr Barbara's jubilee, a recognition Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 15
at Holy Savior Catholic Church at
4:00 P.M. Following Mass, there will
be a diversity dinner in the gym.
Bring a desert reflecting your ethnicity ( see church bulletin for details).
Parish Picnic L-R. Sr Croom,
Hazel Bias, Naomi Walton and
—staff—
Ira Mae Dempsey
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Blacks Arts Festival President Dana McPherson
A New Generation of Leadership
Dana McPherson,
The new Wichita Blacks Arts
Festival President (WBAF), Dana
McPherson, is taking a pragmatic
approached to the 2012 Black
Arts Festival. “The mission of the
WBAF is to raise the level of appreciation for the role that Black
Arts and Culture played in the
development and well being of
the community,” says Dana.
“This year’s festival will focus on
educating diverse audiences about
the arts and culture of the African Diaspora and provide opportunities for artistic and creative
expression,” said Dana with enthusiasm.
The WBAF was established in 1968 that
organizer sought to create a safe and positive place for the entire community the
opportunity to display cultural and civic
awareness, particular during the an era of
social transitions to the Wichita community.
“Please understand that the WBAF is a
community volunteer operation, surviving
off of community support and grants that
are available to us for operational cost. For
example, funding from the Kansas Hearts
Commission. Last year that funding was
not available and for the first time in 44
years, the WBAF was cancelled.
“The 2012 WBAF will allow the voices of
the community youth to play an integral
role in planning and decision making. We
will dedicate Saturday as “Youth Day” to
include a teen summit discussing school
and community issues, the problem with
gangs and teen pregnancy “commented
Dana.
Organizer have taken on a hands on experience by introducing a booth dedicated
to Gordon Parks. It will be staffed by professional photographers that will demonstrate the art of visual perception as it ap-
plies to modern photography; Janis
Factor will be on hand to teach the art
of finger painting and how to be creative with clay figures.
Dana brings a fresh perspective to the
WBAF, thinking out side of the box
with emphasis on youth activities and
events. He has been proactive in securing sponsors to partner on events
such as the Gospel Sunday on Sept 2nd.
The UMOJA event will kick off WBAF
with a 5K walk/run race on August 25,
2012. This event has created a competitive element among area churches
on who has the most participants.
Danna, a native Chicagoan, moved to
Wichita at an early age when his parents relocated to the Heartland. He is
fourth oldest of five siblings, two
brother and two sisters. He is married
to his beautiful wife Jackie and, they are
the proud parents of two daughters,
Princes and Nikima and granddaughter
Dominique. Dana served as Holy Savior’s Choir Director for ten years following the departure Mary Waller
in1985, the first innovator of gospel
music at Holy Savior.
—staff—
The UMOJA Run
Holy Savor Catholic Church 2012 UMOJA Runners
Tony Sementelli was the first
Holy Savior runner to cross
the finish line at 24:44.
Metalist winning in their category went to: Liberty Sementelli,
DeVante Washington, Cabrini McCraw, Ronna Bailey, Belinda
Anderson and Tony Sementelli
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“You Must Now Give Your Gifts of Blackness to the Church”
(Pope Paul VI to the People of Uganda in 1969
Fr, James Billinger
On July 19, 2012, thirty one parishioners of Holy Savior Church and
other Black Catholics from the
Catholic Diocese of Wichita attended
CONGRESS XI of the NATIONAL
BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS, in
Indianapolis, Indiana. To say that it
was an exciting and grace filled time –
which it certainly was – would be a
great understatement. From the first
moments of CONGRESS XI, which
began with an energetic roll call of all
dioceses present, to the final Mass on
Saturday, July 21, the Holy Spirit’s
voice could be heard loud and clear,
in all the presentations and beautiful
music and Liturgies. It was an extraordinary time of grace for the
2,200 + participants of the congress.
The theme of the congress was Faith
Engaged: Empower, Equip, Evangelize.
CONGRESS XI also celebrated 25
years of the landmark document, issued by the African American Bishops, entitled “What We Have Seen
and Heard.” In the introduction to
this pastoral letter, the Black Bishops
state: "Within the history of every
Christian community there comes a
time when it reaches adulthood. This
maturity brings with it the duty, the
privilege and the joy to share with
others the rich experience of the
'Word of Life.' Always conscious of
the need to hear the Word and ever
ready to listen to its proclamation, the
mature Christian community feels the
irresistible urge to speak that Word
… We write to you, Black brothers
and sisters, because each one of us is
called to a special task. The Holy
Spirit now calls all to the work of
evangelization." The Holy Spirit calls
all members of Holy Savior Church to
evangelize our brothers and sisters, to
share the Good News with those
who are near and dear to us.
In regard to the work of evangelization, a quote that struck me forcefully,
a quote that was taken from “What
We Have Seen and Heard,” and used
often during CONGRESS XI, was a
quote from Pope Paul VI, when he
visited Uganda in 1969. The Holy
Father said to the people of Uganda:
“You are now missionaries to yourselves. You must now give your gifts
of Blackness to the whole Church.” I
think it is critical that Holy Savior
Catholic Church share the gifts of
Blackness, the depth and beauty of
being authentically Black and truly
Catholic, with the Church of Wichita
and others in our community.
Finally, I attended several sessions at
the Congress in which the PASTORAL PLAN of ACTION 20122017 was discussed. In preparation
Faith Engaged:
Empower, Equip,
Evangelize.
Bishops representing dioceses
across the country, chuckle at
Bishop Braxton remarks
for CONGRESS XI, thirty dioceses
around the country gathered parishioners together in early 2012 for a
Day of Reflection and to examine
elements gleaned from a survey of
Black Catholics in the United States
that was taken in 2011. From the
survey and day of reflection the following 10 core elements emerged and
will become points of discussion on
the parish and diocesan level: I. Holiness of life; II. Life and Dignity of the
Human Person; III. Walking with the
Saints; IV. Engaged in Parish Life and
Evangelization; V. Faith Informed; VI.
Schools too Valuable to Sell; VII.
Reaching Out to the Next Generation; VIII. Vocations – Every Catholic’s Priority; IX. Getting Married and
Staying Married; X. Social Apostolate.
I think that all parish organizations
within our parish would benefit from
discussing these core elements of the
.
The Holy Spirit calls all
members of Holy Savior
Church to evangelize our
brothers and sisters,3 to
share the Good News with
those who are near and
dear to us.
CONGRESS XI pastoral plan, as will
the parish pastoral council. And I
hope the end result will be the giving
of the gifts of Blackness to the community and Church of Wichita.
“We entrust to Mary’s powerful
intercession this work of evangelization within the Black community. May our Heavenly Father
perfect us, His Church, in faith
and love, that we might always
and everywhere give faithful witness to the power of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
through Whom be all honor and
glory in the Holy Spirit, now and
forever. Amen.” (Closing prayer
of the draft of the pastoral plan.)
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Students Maintain a Strong Friendship With Lucy
The students at
Holy
Savior
Catholic Academy
are spreading the
joy of the Holy
Spirit to a nine
year old girl in
Meru, Kenya. This
joy is evident by
the bright shining
eyes and slight
LUCY
smile one can see
in the newest photo of Lucy Kawira
Kinyua. Lucy is a sponsored child through
the organization Christian Foundation for
Children and Aging (CFCA). This past
school year students discovered the joy
one can experience through the power
of prayer, compassion, education, knowl-
edge of another culture, and hope.
This learning experience has been
incorporated into weekly Spanish
classes. Students’ basic question and
answer skills have been strengthened
through conversation activities regarding Lucy’s life. Praying for Lucy
has enlightened the students on the
power of prayer. Learning our prayers
in Spanish has a lot more meaning
when praying for our special friend,
Lucy. The understanding that education brings hope to Lucy and her family reinforces the importance of a
quality education for HSCA students
right here in Wichita.
Lucy knows that she is special due to
the many cards and letters we have
sent her. Christmas greetings were
sent to Lucy in the form of colorfully
decorated nativity scenes prepared by
students. Signed Easter cards were also
sent to Lucy as a reminder that people
across the globe celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord just as she does.
Birthday cards were signed by parishioners and students at HSCA and sent
to Lucy to brighten her special day.
Receiving letters from Lucy has been
exciting for all of us. Her aunt has
written to us on several occasions detailing the events of Lucy’s life and extending many blessing to the children
of HSCA and parishioners of Holy Savior Church.
Cont.. p.7
The Man With A Plan
Josh Rosales
Josh Rosales is a young man who has
a plan and is living it. At 24 years old,
many young people are trying to figure
out what is in the future for them.
Some are out of college wondering
what to do with their degree, others
are wondering where the six years has
gone since graduating from high school.
And others are working a plan that
they have prayed on for quite some
time. Josh has been living his plan since
he graduated from North High in 2006.
A lifelong resident of Wichita, Josh was
educated through the Wichita public
school system, attending Horace Mann,
Allison, North, and graduating from
WSU in 2010 with a math and teaching
degree.
“After college I was interested in engineering and had a full ride scholarship
while working at Raytheon” said Josh.
“But I got bored sitting a cubicle all day,
that is not me” he added. While Josh
was at WSU he worked as tutor at
North high and realized that teaching was
a gift from God that he needed to answer. With a big need for math teachers,
Josh received another scholarship, returned to school and received his teaching certificate. A math teaching position
opened up at North High School and
Josh was offered a contract.
“Returning to my alma mater to teach is
very special to me especially since I had
walked the same halls and sat at the same
desks that my students sit in now” said
Josh. After receiving a full ride scholarship, Josh will be attending Newman University in the fall pursuing a master’s degree in theological studies. “My master’s
program will last two years and the highlight of it will be traveling to Rome to
study for two months” exclaimed. As a
cradle catholic, Josh’s life has always been
centered on the catholic faith through
the support and encouragement of this
family.
“I had attended the same church all my
life and I just wanted to see what else
was out there in reference to a church of
my faith” Josh said. “While in college
I had a lapse in my attendance to mass
and I prayed that God would send me
a message of where I should attend
mass” said Josh.
“I actually found Holy Savior by accident” said Josh. “I was diagnosed with
diabetes and could not drive, so I had
to rely on the bus for transportation.
The bus stopped at the corner of 13th
and Erie and there was Holy Savior!”
Josh said. “I love the multi-cultured
diversity of the parish and how everyone has welcomed me. Father Jim
though really inspires me with his
homilies. I meditate on his Sunday
homilies all week long, he is awesome” he adds.
Josh is now the leader of the altar
servers, as he too grew up serving
mass, and he is also a Eucharistic minister. Josh’s parents Lawrence and
Cindy have also joined Holy Savior.
Josh has two sisters Elisa, a KU grad
and studying in Boston and Leah who
attends Brooks’s middle school.
“I really love the opportunities that
Holy Savior presents to its parishioners, especially the youth” he adds. If
you haven’t already, next time you see
Josh, show him some Holy Savior
love! His plan is working!
—staff—
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National Black Catholic Congress 2012
“Faith Engaged: Empower, Equip, Evangelize”
L-R, Dense Fields and Belinda Anderson.
Dense Fields, from the left and
Belinda Anderson, from the Wichita Diocese (Holy Savior Catholic Church) sing
as hands are raised in prayer. Gospel
music under the direction of Aaron Johnson echoed in the large ballroom at the
JW Marriott on July 19 in Indianapolis IN,
as 2500 from across the country gathered
for Mass at the opening of the National
Black Catholic Congress.
The congress was founded in 1889 and
met several times until the late 1890s. It
did not meet again until 1987 in Washington, D.C., and has convened every five
years since then.
Twenty-five plus parishioners from Holy
Savior traveled by chartered bus, private
vehicle and air transportation to attend
the congress. “I was truly inspired and
spiritually motivated by the Gospel choir
and enriched by the celebrants homilies,”
says a member of the Wichita delegation.
The opening Mass was celebrated by
Bishop Edward K. Braxton, of Belleview.
Il. In his homily, Bishop Braxton reflected
on the past Black Catholics in the U.S. He
emphasized the story of Fr. Augustus Tolton, the first Black priest in the U.S. who
was the celebrant and homilist at the first
congress in 1889. Fr. Tolton died in 1897
at the age of 43. His cause for beatification
and canonization is being promoted.
The Wichita delegation to the congress
returned to the Great Plans that following Sunday, exhausted, but seemly inspired
and proud to be a Black Catholic
Bishop Edward K. Braxton
L-R, Terry Knox, Kim Miller
and daughter Zenzele.
Conference Choir at the Closing
Mass on Saturday morning.
—Staff—
The long Journey back to Wichita
( cont .) Humanitarian Award
Holy Savior Academy
was presented with
this framed artwork,
the Spirit of Faith
Award
It highlighted some of the successes at the academy, and shared some statistics about Holy Savior including:
* More than 80 percent of students are of faith
traditions other than Catholic
* More than 95 percent of students are racial
minorities
* More than 70 percent of students receive their
school meals for free or at a reduced rate
* About about one-third of the students live with
both of their biological parents
“Led by Principal Delia Shropshire and Fr. James
Billinger, Holy Savior Catholic Academy delivers
quality Catholic education to children, regardless
of faith, culture, or income level,” the award program shared about Holy Savior Academy.
"This award is one of the highest honors an institution like Holy Savior Catholic Academy could
ever receive because the Spirit of Faith Award
embodies who we are as church and school,"
Ms. Shropshire said. “We are called to serve
and live out the mission of Jesus Christ
through a tiny vehicle called Holy Savior
Catholic Academy. As one looks back over
Salvation History, it is God's way to use the
tiniest of vessels to accomplish His greatest
works. We are ever so humbled to be of service for His glory and that Inter-Faith Ministries selected us for this great honor."
Other Humanitarian Award recipients are:
Wichita Cargill Cares Council, Golden Rule
Award; Jack Focht and Gloria Farha Flentje,
Leadership through Faith Award; Dr. Tamim
Qaum, Light of Faith Award; and David and
Lynn Gilkey, Peace by Piece Award.
—staff—
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Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 7
Holy Savior Host Senior Dinner
Senior Dinner Committee
L-R, Linda And John Pierce
Best Dress, L-R, Friend of a senior, Charlotte Shaver, Cathleen McIntosh, Betty
Ridley, Naomi Walton & Hazel Bias.
In The News
Johnny & Becky Palacioz
renewed their wedding
vales on Sunday, August
19, 2012 after 8:00 A.M.
Holy Savior Catholic Church
hosted Totus Tuus (Totally
Yours), a parish-based summer
catechetical program for both
grade school-aged children and
junior high and high school youths.
About 30 children attended the
program, which was held at Holy
As a reward for their hard work during the 2011-12
school year, Holy Savior Catholic Academy students
spent their final day of school at Genesis Health Club,
1551 N. Rock Road. The students and school staff
members -- were able to take part in activities such as
tennis, basketball, and swimming.
( cont .) Friendship
Mr. Charles Muguchia,
Sheridan and Leslie
It was exciting to learn
first-hand information about
the country of Kenya by
Mr. Charles Muguchia, the
father of Sheridan and Leslie, students at HSCA. He
was born and raised in
Kenya and came to Kansas
about 10 years ago. He informed us about many aspects of Kenya including
education, food, weather,
animals, geography, and life
in general. He also enlightened the children on the
importance of learning a
second language such as
Spanish. While living in
Kenya he spoke six different languages including Swahili, English, and several
tribal languages.
Students prepared creative cards the last few
weeks of school. The cards
were created with care and
contained many prayerful
expressions of love. This is
evidence that the Holy
Spirit is working through
HSCA students to bring joy
and hope to Lucy Kawira
Kinyua of Kenya, Africa.
Share in the joy of the Holy
Spirit by participating in
future events of support for
Lucy. Information will be
posted in the bulletin and
on the Holy Savior website.
Learn more about Lucy
and read all of her letters
by going to holy-savior.org.
Click on the Organization
tab and go to Mission Outreach. You will be touched
by the joy of her letters.
—staff—
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VOICE OF HOLY SAVIOR STAFF
Fr James Billinger
PARISH PICNIC
Gwynne Birzer
Ric Camargo
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Anita Guidry
Holy Savior Catholic Church
Lica Bellecci-st-romain
Joe Rodriguez
Immediately Following 11:00 Mass
Chris Sementelli
See Church Bulletin For Details
Al Wright
Spirit of Faith Photo, Compliments of
Pictureman
My Being Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord
A Soulful Music and Workshop Experience in the Heartland
Woodward, Ok
September 27-30, 2012
Registration $40 per person, includes 7 meals
Make reservation at LaQuinta $77/Night
See Mark Winchester for details
KNIGHTS of PETER CLAVER
LADIES AUXILLARY
BAR-B-QUE DINNERS
SATURDAY, Oct.13, 2012
ST PETER CLAVER HALL
INDIANA & 11th
FROM 4-7 P.M.
Eat In Place to Smooth Jazz
Carry Out
DONATION $10
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