Miter Society members cite gratitude for God’s gifts
Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin greets Danny and Mary Chris Rodden, parents of seminarian Kyle Rodden, at the Oct. 27 dinner following the Miter Society Mass at Holy Family Church in New Albany. (Photo by Patricia Happel Cornwell)
By Patricia Happel Cornwell (Special to The Criterion)
NEW ALBANY—A chord of gratitude was sounded repeatedly by people who attended the Oct. 27 Miter Society Mass and dinner at Holy Family Parish in New Albany. The last of six such events in the archdiocese drew more than 100 Catholics from around the New Albany Deanery, a crowd that Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin noted was the largest attendance of all the Miter Society events.
Archbishop Tobin was the principal celebrant of the Mass. Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, vicar general, Father Wilfred “Sonny” Day, dean of the New Albany Deanery and pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Starlight, and Father Daniel Atkins, pastor of Holy Family Parish in New Albany, were concelebrants.
Members of the Miter Society donate $1,500 or more to the annual United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope (UCA) appeal. Some at the New Albany event were already Miter Society members; others were considering increasing their giving.
The Gospel reading for the Mass related how Jesus was criticized for healing a woman on the Sabbath. Archbishop Tobin told those assembled that “it was the spirit of gift that motivated the creation of the Sabbath. By Jesus’ time, the gift had been forgotten. All that remained was the obligation. But the healed woman cannot help but praise God.
“How many people today think of Christianity as a list of do’s and don’ts?” the archbishop asked. “Brothers and sisters, let us pray for our archdiocese, that whatever we do, it is the proclamation of the gift, the gift of God’s very life.”
Tina and John Thornsberry, members of St. Mary Parish in New Albany, are grateful for the gifts they have received through the Church.
“When we were first married and started out with our family, we didn’t have high-paying jobs and we couldn’t afford full tuition [at the former St. Mary School],” Tina recalled. “The members of St. Mary’s Parish helped us. So when we were able, we felt we should try to pay it back.”
Barbara Renn, a member of St. Paul Parish in Sellersburg, formerly a member of the archdiocesan education commission, said that is why she contributes.
“I got to see the good they do,” she said. “My children also went to Catholic schools.”
Barrett Briscoe, a member of Holy Family Parish in New Albany, said he and his wife, Mary, have “been blessed, and I think we should give back to those less fortunate.
“I work with a homeless ministry here called, ‘In Heaven’s Eyes.’ Whether they need education, religion, whatever, if we can help people, we should.”
Mary added that “that’s what God tells us to do.”
Mary Chris and Danny Rodden have a son, Kyle, who is an archdiocesan seminarian receiving his priestly formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad.
“Having a son who is a seminarian motivates us to support our priests,” Mary Chris said.
Mary Wright, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Clark County, said, “Our parish is part of the larger Church. Not only do we have to support our local Church, we have to support the Church overall.”
John Wilkinson, a member of St. Augustine Parish in Jeffersonville, considers participating in the annual appeal as part of his Christian duty and stewardship.
“It’s giving back to God, who has given us everything. Some charities you’re not sure about. The Catholic Church is a good place to give.”
Wilkinson’s wife, Vera, takes a practical view. “You can’t take [your treasure] with you,” she said, “so the best place you can give it is the Church.”
Bonnie Fessel and her husband, Charles, are members of St. Michael Parish in Bradford. She said of the archdiocesan appeal, “There’s no limit to the good they’re doing, not just for the archdiocese, but for the whole community. [Giving] makes you feel like you’re part of that.”
UCA funds support the ministries of proclaiming the word of God, celebrating the sacraments and exercising charity.
The funds currently help support the priestly formation of 26 seminarians and retirement benefits for retired priests. Catholic Charities agencies throughout the archdiocese last year served more than 180,000 individuals through food pantries, family counseling, disaster relief, pregnancy and adoption assistance and other services. Faith formation, youth and college ministries also benefit.
(Patricia Happel Cornwell is a freelance writer and a member of St. Joseph Parish in Corydon. For more information about the United Catholic Appeal, log on to www.archindy.org/uca or call the Office of Stewardship and Development at 317-236-1415 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1415.) †
