BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Bishop William F. Medley has always liked the quote from Pope St. John Paul II that “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”
Around the Diocese
A Word From Bishop Medley: Silent Night and Joy to the World
Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room. Let heaven and nature sign. … Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright, Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace.
Dadvent 2020: Advent initiative hopes to inspire men to be stronger husbands, fathers, leaders in their families
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC It has been a long and stressful year for families – but a new initiative hopes to encourage men across western Kentucky to foster the light of Christ in their hearts and in the hearts of their families during the Advent season.
Humility, wisdom and love – Sr. Bernadette Hengstebeck, Sr. Fran Wilhelm, inspired others to be best versions of themselves
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC In early November 2020, western Kentucky lost two “greats” – both of them women religious who had devoted their lives and vocations to serving the underrepresented and underprivileged.
Diocese releases new policy for displays of priests removed from ministry
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Louanne Payne is the diocese’s Pastoral Assistance Coordinator, which means she answers the hotline for callers to report abuse by someone acting in the name of the Church. Payne explained that when a space is named after someone, or their picture is displayed in a prominent place,…
more: Diocese releases new policy for displays of priests removed from ministry
Catholic schools and in-person learning
Wednesday evening a preliminary injunction was issued by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove saying that Governor Andy Beshear’s executive order closing all private and public schools to in-person learning beginning Monday, November 23, 2020, could not apply to private, religious-led schools across the state. While not a part of the lawsuit against Beshear’s emergency…
Curbside Meal Service
During the school closures the following school sites will be providing free curbside meal service. Lunch and breakfast for the following day will be served to all children 18 years old and younger. The dates that meals will be available are November 23 & 24 and Monday -Friday beginning November 30th and running through December…
November 19, 2020 Statement from Bishop Medley
“In consultation with the Archbishop of Louisville, the Bishops of Covington and Lexington, and the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, the Diocese of Owensboro wishes to announce that for the present the Catholic Churches of western Kentucky will continue our public worship as we have the last several months. Occupancy of churches will be limited to…
Serving the Church through a ‘hidden life’ – Cistercian nun who grew up in diocese saw her vocation ‘unfold’ over time
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC If she had to pinpoint the first time she had a strong sense that God was calling her to religious life, Cistercian nun Sr. Christina Marie Murphy would say it was at a Youth 2000 retreat when she was a freshman in high school.
Technology meets history with virtual cemetery database
Burial locations can now be found online at Resurrection, Mater Dolorosa BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC For the first time ever, family members and genealogists alike will be able to digitally search for gravesite locations at Resurrection Cemetery on Highway 54 in Owensboro and Mater Dolorosa Cemetery on West 9th St. in…
more: Technology meets history with virtual cemetery database
A Word From Bishop Medley: Thanksgiving in a Time of Pandemic
If we played a word association game and said November, the most likely response is Thanksgiving. In Catholic circles we might also hear the replies of All Saints Day, All Souls, and prayer for the dead. Others might say pumpkin pie, harvest.
Two women receive 2020 catechetical leadership award
BY WKC STAFF This year, the Bishop John J. McRaith Catechetical Leadership Award committee struggled to select just one recipient for the annual recognition – so they were happy to award two people.
Heroes and trailblazers in Black Catholicism inspire us to be united, not divided
Office director reflects on Black Catholic History Month in 2020 BY F. VERONICA WILHITE, OFFICE OF BLACK CATHOLIC MINISTRY Each year in November we celebrate the history of Black Catholics and honor those of African descent who have and continue to contribute to the evangelization of Blacks in the Church. Many Catholics still do not recognize…
more: Heroes and trailblazers in Black Catholicism inspire us to be united, not divided
God had a ‘different plan’ for church musician now celebrating 25 years at parish
An interview with Matt Gray, music and liturgy director at Immaculate Parish BY WKC STAFF What brought you to Immaculate Parish? My mother, Bonnie Gray, was very instrumental in getting me to play music from a young age. (I started playing keyboard at five years old, self-taught). She also sang in choirs my entire childhood…
more: God had a ‘different plan’ for church musician now celebrating 25 years at parish
Overcoming pandemic’s ‘hurdle’ to become the best priests possible
Prayer, community help seminarians persevere BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Many aspects of day-to-day life have changed for the eight men currently studying and discerning the priesthood in the Diocese of Owensboro, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A Word From Bishop Medley: Living the Christian life radically
Apart from Mary, Mother of God, perhaps no other saint venerated by the Church is as well recognized as Francis of Assisi whose feast day is celebrated on October 4. In fact, given a tradition of blessing animals on this feast, you may find numerous Protestant churches adopting this practice as a celebration of all…
more: A Word From Bishop Medley: Living the Christian life radically
Planning committee members discuss current needs for Hispanic/Latino ministry
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC On Sept. 1, the Diocese of Owensboro’s committee for producing a new pastoral plan for Hispanic/Latino ministry met via video conference.
Catholic school faculty, staff and students ‘ecstatic’ to be back
With semester in full swing, safety is top priority for in-person classes BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Perhaps the experiment didn’t go as planned, but for Joan Butterworth, the science teacher at St. Paul School in Grayson County, not finding microscopic life forms in her students’ petri dishes was a great sign.
Like a friend you’d known your whole life
Gasper River remembers ‘wonderful witness’ of camper Logan Davis BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Logan Davis’s faith journey received a life-changing boost after experiencing Eucharistic Adoration at Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center, when he was but a middle schooler.
‘Even if it’s tomorrow or a thousand years’ – ‘Unashamed’ faith of Logan Davis revealed wisdom beyond his 18 years
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC Logan Davis’s sister, Haley Davis, is the one who discovered the journal. They hadn’t known that Logan had kept a journal. And “it wasn’t something that was filled with lots of pages,” said their mother, Karla Davis. But among the pages, they found the following words: “My…