Jenuwine named Administrator for Beal City's St. Joseph the Worker

SAGINAW - Bishop Joseph R. Cistone announced today that he has named Father David J. Jenuwine, associate pastor at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Mount Pleasant, as administrator for St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Beal City, effective December 3.

Jenuwine will continue to offer sacramental and educational assistance at Sacred Heart parish and school.

The appointment follows the previously announced transfer of Father Thomas J. McNamara from pastor at St. Joseph the Worker to rector at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, which took effect today.

Jenuwine, 47, was ordained to the priesthood on June 5 by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson at St. Stephen Church in Saginaw.

A native of Detroit, he pursued careers as a researcher at General Motors and as a linguist for the U.S. Navy before he answered God's call to the priesthood following a discernment retreat at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit in 2001.

He holds both a bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the former General Motors Institute in Flint and Indiana's Purdue University, respectivly. In addition, he also has a master's degree in Christian ministry and theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and a master's degree in divinity from St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Fr. Joseph Favara, Saginaw's Oldest Priest, dies at 97

SAGINAW -- Father Joseph F. Favara, 97, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, died Sunday, November 22, 2009 at Covenant HealthCare Cooper in Saginaw.

Father Favara was born on January 15, 1912 in Saginaw to the late Thomas Dominic and Grace (Trentecoste) Favara and baptized that same month at St. Mary Church, now the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, on Saginaw's eastside. He received his elementary and secondary education from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, North Intermediate Elementary, and St. Andrew High School, all in Saginaw.

As a seminarian, Father Favara received his priestly formation at St. Joseph Seminary and Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, and Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Norwood, Ohio. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1941 by Bishop William F. Murphy, the first Bishop of Saginaw, at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.

His first assignment was as an assistant pastor at St. Brigid of Kildare in Midland from June 1941 to June 1945. He also served as assistant pastor at Ss. Peter & Paul inSaginaw. In June 1948, he was assigned as administrator at Mount Saint Joseph in Saint Louis and its St. Patrick Mission at Irishtown in Seville Township, and later became pastor of the same two churches. He also served as pastor at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Saginaw, St. Christopher in Bridgeport, Our Lady of the Visitation in Bay City, Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary in Midland, St. Mary at Nine Mile in Pinconning. From 1987 to 1997, he served among the parish community of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mount Pleasant, living in-residence there as a senior priest.

During his priesthood, Father Favara also served as chaplain to the Knights of Columbus in Midland, Alma and Saginaw. He was a member of the Priests Senate, Diocesan Finance Committee, Personnel Board, Clergy Benefit Society, Knights of Columbus Council No. 593 and the Sons of Italy. He was also chairman of the Catholic Services Appeal. He was granted senior priest status in 1981 and retired from active ministry in 1987. He enjoyed traveling especially foreign travel to Europe and the Holy Land.

Fr. Favara is survived by his nieces and nephews: Fran Wisniewski, Mary Ellen (Patrick) Doman, Joann Evert, Dominic (Catherine) Favara, Thomas (Lynn) Favara, Joseph D. Favara, Catherine Hickson and Peter Favara; many great-nieces and nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his brothers: Dominic, Charles, Peter, Anthony and Leo Favara; and sisters, Mary Favara and Elfemia Evert.

Father Favara's Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 28, 2009 at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, 615 Hoyt Ave., in Saginaw. Burial will follow in the Priests’ Section at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Saginaw. Bishop Joseph R. Cistone will concelebrate with Father Richard E. Jozwiak and Father Thomas J.  McNamara.

Visitation will take place at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 27, 2009 and from 9:00 a.m until the time of the Funeral on Saturday. The Knights of Columbus Council No. 593 will lead a Rosary prayer at 4:00 p.m.on Friday and a vigil service will take place at 7:00 p.m.

Those who wish to make an expression of sympathy may consider memorials to the Priests' Retirement Association of the Diocese of Saginaw or a charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements were entrusted to the Deisler Funeral Home, 2233 Hemmeter Rd, in Saginaw. Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at the Cathedral or through http://www.deislerfuneralhome.com/
 

Class of 1941: The photo above was taken from inside Saginaw's Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption on June 7, 1941 and documents the ordination of Joseph F. Favara, Eugene A. Forbes and Noman F. Van Poppelen by Bishop William F. Murphy. Father Van Poppelen died in 1980, Monsignor Forbes died in 2003 and Father Favara died on Sunday.

Pope: The Power of Christ the King is to Free us from Evil

VATICAN CITY (VIS) - On the Solemnity of Christ the King and the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Pope told the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square that today's feast, though "established relatively recently, nonetheless has deep biblical roots".

"The tile of 'King' applied to Jesus is very important in the Gospels and allows us to gain a full understanding of His person and His mission of salvation. ... When Jesus is placed upon the cross, the Jewish leaders mock Him saying: 'He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him'. The truth is that, precisely because He is the Son of God, Jesus gave Himself up freely to His Passion, and the cross is the paradoxical sign of His royalty which consists in the victory of the love of God the Father over the disobedience of sin".

Yet, the Holy Father asked, "in what does Jesus' 'regal' power consist? It is not that of the kings and leaders of the world; it is the divine power to give eternal life, to free people from evil, to defeat the dominion of death. It is the power of love which knows how to draw good from evil, to soften hardened hearts, to bring peace to the harshest conflict, to enkindle hope in the murkiest darkness.

"This Kingdom of Grace never imposes itself and always respects our freedom. Christ came 'to testify to the truth'. ... It is necessary then, for each conscience to make a choice: whom to follow? ... Opting for Christ does not guarantee success according to the criteria of the world, but it does ensure the peace and joy that only He can give. This is apparent, in every age, from the experience of so many men and women who, in Christ's name, in the name of truth and justice, have shown themselves capable of resisting the lure of earthly power in its various disguises, even to the point of crowning their faithfulness with martyrdom".

Bishops Approve Items on Marriage, Reproductive Technologies, Medically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration

BALTIMORE — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a pastoral letter on marriage, a document on reproductive technologies, and a proposed revision to the directives that guide Catholic health care services on November 17, the second day of their 2009 Fall General Assembly.

“Marriage: Life and Love in the Divine Plan,” the foundational document of the U.S. bishops’ pastoral initiative on marriage, passed with 180 in favor, 45 opposed and three bishops abstaining. The final document can be found online at: http://www.usccb.org/laity/LoveandLife/

A document on reproductive technologies, “Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology,” which addresses Catholic teaching on a range of infertility treatments, passed with 220 in favor, 4 opposed and 3 abstaining. The document looked at morally problematic procedures including in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption, sperm and egg donation and surrogacy and recommended therapeutic means that help a couple conceive through sexual intercourse rather than replacing the act itself.

The bishops also approved revision to the directive dealing with medically assisted nutrition and hydration of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The revised directive, which passed with 219 in favor, four opposed and 1 abstaining, takes into account elaborations on Catholic teaching by Pope John Paul II and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome predated by the current directives. It states more strongly the need to provide food and water even to patients in a persistent vegetative state.

Bishops Elect Chairs-Elect of Five Committees, Bishop Cistone elected to CRS board

BALTIMORE — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB), meeting for their Fall General Assembly, elected by simple majority the chairmen-elect of five committees.

-- Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis was elected Chairman of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocation in a 118-114 vote over Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh, N.C.

-- Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans was elected Chairman of the Committee on Divine Worship.

-- Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, Calif. was elected Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

-- Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. was elected Chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

-- Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio was elected Chairman of the Committee on Migration.

Chairmen-elect serve for one year in this capacity before assuming the responsibilities as chairman of a committee.

The U.S. bishops also elected members of the boards of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC). Bishop Kevin Boland of Savannah, Ga., Bishop Denis Madden, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, Bishop Richard Malone of Portland in Maine, and Bishop Joseph Cistone of Saginaw, Mich. were elected to the CRS board with 158, 151, 150 and 146 votes, respectively. Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey, Calif., and Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, MSpS, auxiliary bishop of Seattle, were elected to the board of CLINIC with 164 and 163 votes, respectively.

John Jay Researchers Offer Update On Causes And Context Study; Early Findings Confirm Steep Decline In Sexual Abuse Cases After 1985, Emphasizethe Importance Of Seminary Training

WASHINGTON — Researchers from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice presented an Interim Report on the Causes and Context Study on sexual abuse of minors by clergy at the November assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The bishops called for the Study as part of their response to the sexual abuse crisis when they adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002.

The Causes and Context research seeks to explain the rise in incidence of sexual abuse by priests in the late 1960s and 1970s and its subsequent decline after 1985. Karen Terry, PhD, the principal researcher on the Study, reported on the synthesis of information from several independent data sources that confirmed the explanation for this variation that was previously reported to the bishops. The Study involves gathering and analyzing archival research and collecting data from priests, psychologists, sociologists, and the U.S. bishops. Funding was provided by the USCCB, the National Institute of Justice, and several foundations.

The Causes and Context Study was pursued by the bishops in order to understand more fully the problem of clergy sexual abuse and what needs to be done to keep children safe in the Church’s care.

The completed Causes and Context Study is expected in December of 2010. Findings will be made public so that what the Catholic Church learns will benefit others working with youth in and outside of the Church.

The Interim Report found that:

-- Data on cases of abuse reported after 2002 reflect the same pattern of incidence found nationally – the rise of sexual abuse in the 1960s and the decline in the 1980s. There is no evidence that unreported cases will be brought forward that change the overall time frame of the problem.

-- The pattern of deviant sexual behavior by clerics is consistent with several other behavioral changes in society between 1960 and 1990, including use of drugs, and an increase in divorce and criminal behavior.

-- Clergy who as seminarians had explicit human formation preparation seem to have been less likely to abuse than those without such preparation.

-- Diocesan responses to charges of abuse by clerics changed substantially over a 50-year period, with decreases in reinstatement and more administrative leave given to abusers in recent years.

McNamara named Cathedral rector

SAGINAW - Bishop Joseph R. Cistone announced Sunday that he has named Father Thomas J. McNamara as rector of the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption following the resignation of Father James W. Bessert from the same position.

Father McNamara was named as vicar general for the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw on Oct. 29. His duties as Cathedral rector begin Nov. 30.

Father Bessert's resignation and Father McNamara's appointment were announced to Cathedral parishioners at Sunday Masses through a letter written by Bishop Cistone, who was traveling to Baltimore during the weekend for this week's meetings of the United States bishops.

The text of the letter follows:

To: Parishioners of the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I wish to share with you some important information concerning Father Bessert. Recently, Father Bessert asked to meet with me and requested that he be relieved of his position as Rector of the Cathedral. Also, at his request, I have granted Father Bessert a period of time for personal health leave. I ask you to join me in prayerful support of Father Bessert.

Father Bessert has asked me to express the following words on his behalf.

“Please know my affection for you, the dear and faithful parishioners of the Cathedral Parish, as well as my deep gratitude for your many kindnesses to me personally in my ministry as Rector of the Cathedral. I am grateful to Bishop Cistone for allowing me this opportunity to take the necessary time to be renewed in body and spirit. I ask your prayers for me and assure you of a special remembrance in my Masses and prayers.”

Because of the unique importance of the Cathedral in the life of the Diocese, I did not wish to leave the position of Rector vacant for any length of time. Therefore, after consultation with diocesan staff and priests, I have appointed Father Thomas McNamara as Rector of the Cathedral effective Monday, November 30, 2009. Father McNamara is currently the Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Beal City and was recently appointed as my Vicar General. Father McNamara brings a wealth of pastoral and administrative experience to his appointment as Rector and I look forward to working closely with him on your behalf. I ask that you extend to Father McNamara the same warm welcome which you have shown to me since my arrival as your Bishop.

I am grateful to Father Bessert for his priestly ministry here at the Cathedral and within the Office for Liturgy. Let us pray together that the days ahead will be for him a time of grace, peace and renewed priestly spirit. If you wish to convey your support to Father Bessert in writing, you may do so by sending your correspondence to him in care of my office.

May our Lord bless all of you and your loved ones and may Mary our Mother watch over you always.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Joseph R. Cistone, D.D.
Bishop of Saginaw