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 Msgr. Mark Lane to present series on link between art, theology
Monsignor Mark Richard Lane, Vicar General and Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Richmond, will present three sessions on “Art and the Christian Apocrypha, Legends of the Early Church,” at The Church of the Epiphany in Richmond on Monday, January 30; Tuesday, February 7, and Tuesday, February 14. The presentations will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The cost is $40 for the three sessions; individual sessions cost $15. Registration will be at the door.
The Christian Canon of the Scriptures, the New Testament, excluded many of the Church’s traditional stories about its origins. This Apocrypha Literature included well-known tales such as the parents of Mary; her birth and ministry in the Temple; the choice of St. Joseph as her husband; tales of the birth of Jesus; the journey into Egypt; Jesus’ childhood escapades (the Hidden Years); Jesus’ descent into hell; the deaths of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph; the death of Pontius Pilate and St. Peter’s martyrdom, etc.
“These early Christian legends have had a profound influence on art, literature and theology from the second century through the Middle Ages and even to modern times,” Msgr. Lane says. “Some stories have affected doctrine and have influenced the Church’s teaching on the afterlife. They have influenced the visual representations of Christ in mosaics, paintings and sculpture.
There will be opportunity for questions, and handouts will be available.
Fr. Luke Travers removed from Benedictine Abbey
Father Luke Travers, a Benedictine monk of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., has been removed as canonical administrator of Mary Mother of the Church Benedictine Abbey in Goochland County.
His removal came Jan. 11 pending the outcome of investigation of an allegation of sexual misconduct which took place at the New Jersey abbey in the 1990s.
The decision to remove Father Luke came after Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo received a letter from Patrick J. Marker, a resident of Washington state, who made allegations of misconduct by the priest.
Abbot Giles P. Hayes, abbot of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, which runs Delbarton School, confirmed that his abbey’s review board hired an independent investigator to look into a single complaint against Father Luke of sexual misconduct with someone 18 or older.
Bishop DiLorenzo knew nothing about the allegations when Father Luke arrived to become temporary administrator of Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in July 2010. He also did not know there were any restrictions on the priest’s ministry which had been placed on him by the New Jersey abbey.
When his appointment was announced in the June 28, 2010 issue of The Catholic Virginian, Father Luke said, “I’ve been visiting the Richmond abbey every financial quarter the past year to help review finances.”
He never lived at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, but came about every two months to oversee finances in his role as administrator. He had minimal contact with students because classes of Benedictine are still held in its location in Richmond’s Museum District.
His appointment as administrator was made after the Richmond abbey had been without a reigning abbot since the departure of Abbot-Administrator Patrick Moore in 2009.
Father Adrian Harmening, a chaplain at Benedictine College Preparatory School and former principal, has been named administrator of Mary Mother of the Church Abbey.
Clarification
The position of Father Gerald Przywara at the Bethlehem Monastery of the Poor Clares in the community profile in the Jan. 9 issue of The Catholic Virginian was stated incorrectly.
Father Przywara, a retired priest of the Diocese of Richmond, is chaplain to the Poor Clares.
 Blue Ribbon School
Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo visited St. Matthew School in Virginia Beach Jan. 8 to congratulate the principal, faculty, students and parents for their recognition as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. He presided and preached at the 12 Noon Mass at St. Matthew Church. With the bishop, at left, is Louis Goldberg, principal, and Barbara White, former principal who retired last June.
The students on the altar are members of the school’s middle school choir who sang during Mass. At the right are Jennifer Alberto, the school’s music director and director of the choir; Father John A. Abe, pastor of St. Matthew Parish; Annette Parsons, Chief Education Administrator of the diocesan Office of Catholic Education, and Francine Conway, diocesan Superintendent of Schools.
NFP information session set Feb. 11
An information session to help women in their childbearing years with fertility awareness and Natural Family Planning will be offered on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the New Creation Renewal Center in Chesapeake. Doors will open at 9 for coffee, baked goods, and small talk as well as getting children into the free childcare provided for the morning.
The information session will begin with an explanation of NFP, a brief overview of what the Church teaches about sexuality, where to find more information, and it will end with a question and answer session. Women who use various methods will be present to share their experiences with NFP and how it works for them.
From this information session we would like to form a support group for users of NFP/FA and to expand teaching opportunities to interested couples or nurses.
For more information or to register for the information session, contact Anne Hamerick, 757-420-5321, or Cindy O’Connor, 757-588-4241.
African-American Heritage Tour to visit historic Richmond sites
A full afternoon tour of sites which are significant to the African-American history of Richmond will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18, to celebrate Black Catholic History Month.
Pilgrims on the African-American Heritage Tour, sponsored by the Ladies Sodality of Holy Rosary Parish, Richmond, will travel by bus and leave from the parking lot of Holy Rosary Church, 3300 R St., in Richmond’s East End at 12:30 p.m. and return by 5 p.m.
The guided tour will be provided by the Valentine History Museum and will include visits to the Black History Museum, Maggie Walker House and other significant sites.
The cost will be $35 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. Included in the fee will be guided tours of museums and historic site visits and a light snack. The payment is due by Feb. 1.
For more information, contact Diane Billups, 804-525-6104; Cheryl Hall, 804-329-7124, or Charlette Wilson, 804-674-9477.
Office for Black Catholics gets grant for evangelization
The Diocese of Richmond received a grant from the national Black and Indian Mission Office for a total of $70,000 for evangelization programs for the Black and Native American Community.
Of that figure, $40,000 will be allocated for Black Evangelization and $30,000 for Native American Evangelization. Among ministries which will receive assistance are parishes, schools and vocations.
The Black and Indian Collection is a part of the World Mission Collection which includes Propagation of the Faith and U.S. Home Missions. The collection this year will be held on October 21.
In addition, the Office for Black Catholics received $1,500 from the Office of Justice and Peace Respect Life Fund for a workshop on Theology of the Body for Young Adults.
Rodney Rodis dismissed from the priesthood
Rodney Rodis, once pastor of St. Jude Parish, Mineral, and Immaculate Conception Parish, Buckner, has been dismissed from the priesthood by canonical trial.
This decision was confirmed by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Mr. Rodis, who was informed of this decision, can no longer present himself as or function as a priest, nor can he receive any future benefits arising from his ordination.
This decision has no effect on Mr. Rodis civil sentences nor on his obligation to make restitution in accord with the decisions of the Federal and Commonwealth courts, said Msgr. R. F. Muench, Judicial Vicar.
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Copyright © 2012 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Doyle’s column, may not be reproduced due to copyright considerations.
The Catholic Virginian is a biweekly publication serving the people of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. This website includes some, but not all, of the articles from the print version of The Catholic Virginian.
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