While Clyde was growing up in Perkins County and participating in 4-H and church events, Lorrie(Lorretta) was growing up and participating in 4-H and church events in Butte County.

Clyde was active in the Thunder Butte Valley 4-H Club raising and showing beef and as a member he held several offices. He helped his family host a countywide livestock judging school at their ranch for several years. His family raised Hereford livestock. He and his siblings showed their livestock at the 4-H Achievement Days a few years in the street east of the Legion and static exhibits were shown inside the Legion. They showed livestock a few years on the south east corner of the Perkins County courtyard with static exhibits again in the Legion. Clyde was out of 4-H in 1961 when the first Perkins County Fair and 4-H Achievement Days were started. The livestock was shown at the Perkins County Livestock Yards (West of the Elevator). The static exhibits for 4-H and Open Class filled the gymnasium at the Bison School which helped create a need for a new building at the Fairgrounds.

Lorrie belonged to a 4-H Club in Butte County that only participated in non-animal projects. (She did help her brother get his animals ready for the fair.)They showed static exhibits at the beautiful Fair Grounds West of Nisland, South Dakota where there were dedicated buildings for 4-H and Open class exhibits. The livestock had barns for beef animals and sheep. There were barns for the race horses and chickens too. The grandstand had a cover and the fair board would bring in special entertainment for the Fair. The stage across from the race tracks was for the entertainment and the 4-H Style Show that was before the main entertainment. Lorrie was an active 4-Her participating in judging events locally. She was a top scoring judge in Visual Arts, Clothing and Home Living at State Fair and the Western Jr Livestock Show.

Clyde has lived his entire life on the Hafner Ranch which was started in 1907 and Lorrie joined him in 1968.

Clyde and Lorrie attended the National Western 4-H Roundup in Denver in different years, representing the Lemmon Jr Livestock Show and The Western Jr Home Ec Show. Their son, Terry won a trip representing Lemmon Jr when he was in High school. There son Rick won a scholarship from the Lemmon Jr Livestock Show.

Lorrie helped as a leader for a three 4-H Clubs in Perkins County. She was barely in PC when Pat Kolb asked her to help with her club. Her second club, with Judy Gano, found her helping several young people learn how to sew. Her last club, with Geraldine Peck, did a routine at Mount Rushmore before the evening lighting ceremony. She judged Clothing construction and Visual Arts at surrounding counties and at State Fair.

Lorrie served on the State 4-H Board as well as the State Extension Advisory Board serving as an officer in each group and represented the State at meetings in Washington DC.

Clyde served on the Perkins County Fair Board for a several years while the current grounds were being improved with a livestock shade, the Bentley Building, covered grandstand and improvements on the rodeo arena. Their sons also helped with the building of the Bentley building. Lorrie and Clyde were on the building committee and the kitchen design committee as well as helped design many of the advertising spaces in the building. When the Bentley Building was first built and used, it had no cement floor. The 4-H Horse showmanship class was held inside the building because of rain. Both of their boys showed their horses under cover.

The Hafner family was not afraid to volunteer for jobs that needed to be done so that the Perkins County Fair could be a success. While Clyde was helping put on a rodeo, Lorrie was coordinating the Food Stand to help raise funds to support the Fair.

Their interest in 4-H and community continues on with their grand daughter, Nicole, who was active in 4-H rodeo on a county and state level. She often volunteered to sing the National Anthem at surrounding rodeos. Her love of art won her top ribbons and she is still pursuing interests in her art and photography. She married into another active 4-H family in the Eastern part of the state.

Clyde and Lorrie have been active in their church too through the years, serving as leaders in the church on a conference level and local churches. Their son Terry and his wife started the TNT Steakhouse in Bison during the Fall of 2021.

Read more:
Hafners' are 2022 "Friends of the Fair" - Philip Pioneer Review

Worshippers wait outside as Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St. Joseph Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania, May 31, 2019. Romanian officials have ordered the demolition of the tall office building, at left center, 10 years after a ruling that it was built illegally and endangers the historic landmark. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)

By Jonathan Luxmoore

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) Romanian officials have ordered the demolition of a 20-story office building overshadowing Bucharests Catholic cathedral, 10 years after a ruling that it was built illegally and endangers the historic landmark.

Father Tarciziu-Hristof Serban, spokesman for Romanias Bucharest Archdiocese, called the order a joyful affirmation of the churchs life after all the aggression directed against us. Our archbishop continually deplored the injustice from the beginning, highlighting the perils posed to the cathedral, a cultural, historic and religious monument.

The priest spoke amid preparations for the 246-foot tower to be dismantled under a July 20 order by Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, who confirmed it was built without a legal permit and endangered the adjoining 19th-century St. Joseph Cathedral.

In a July 29 interview with Catholic News Service, Father Serban said previous mayors had refused to enforce a final, definitive and irrevocable appeal court ruling in 2012, ordering the demolition, adding that Catholics were grateful that a move which should have happened long ago was now finally being taken.

The present mayor is an architect whos long combatted abuses by building firms disfiguring the central panorama of Bucharest, Father Serban told CNS.

Although no further legal steps are possible, the proprietors may still attempt to hamper or delay the demolition, especially since theyre required to finance it themselves.

In 2006 city officials authorized construction of the Cathedral Plaza tower, a project of the Millennium Building Development corporation, but the construction was interrupted by repeated appeals from the Catholic Church, which warned it imperiled the image and structure of the historic cathedral, built 1875-1883 by architects Friedrich Schmidt and Carol Benesch.

Orders to demolish the building, which stands just yards from the Gothic-Romanesque cathedral, were later issued by courts in Dambovita, Ploiesti and Constanta, but ignored by city and company representatives.

Announcing his order on Facebook, Dan said certain administrative steps still had to be taken before demolition could begin, but added he was confident the move would now go ahead after years of prevarication.

Since 2013, the capitals City Hall has been compelled under a final court decision to demolish this building, the mayor explained.

The expenses will be borne initially by the municipality, and then recovered from the buildings owners. Our goal now is for the land to be harmoniously reintegrated into Bucharests urban landscape.

In a website statement, Archbishop Aurel Perca said the mayors order symbolized a return to normality and victory not just for Catholics, but for all citizens of Romania.

He added that the archdiocese was grateful for perseverance by his predecessor, Archbishop Ioan Robu, in the arduous course of justice, as well as for goodwill and solidarity long shown by local Catholics.

This act by the mayor represents an act of historical reparation a crowning moment for efforts by Romanias judiciary, Archbishop Perca said.

It forms part of a series of acts by institutions and authorities of the Romanian state, which have identified legal frauds and the existence of interest groups pressuring local administration with damaging consequences for our historical heritage.

Father Serban said it could take some time to find a specialist firm capable of carrying out the delicate demolition work, given the very narrow space between the office block and cathedral, which was damaged by U.S. and German bombing during World War II.

But the mayor has promised we wont have to wait long, so were praying with gratitude for work to begin, Father Serban told CNS.

This story has been updated.

Originally posted here:
Bucharest Archdiocese Welcomes Order to Demolish Building Near Cathedral - The Tablet Catholic Newspaper

Bloomington, Ind. Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are underway this season to advance community goals, including safety, sustainability, accessibility, equity, economic vitality, and quality of life in Bloomington. The City will provide regular public updates on a range of these improvements as they progress. City departments coordinate with one another, as well as with private developers, to minimize the impact on Bloomington residents and visitors.

PARKS & RECREATION

Southeast Park

The nine-acre park on Sycamore Drive near Moores Pike features a paved trail that connects users to the Renwick Trail as well as all the park amenities. A small portion (about 1,500 square feet) of the pedestrian trail between the parking lot north to the tennis courts has deteriorated, causing accessibility concerns. Contractor E & B Paving has been on site this week to remove the deteriorated area and install new asphalt.

The Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park

Repairs to the performance stage columns have begun. The project contractor is deconstructing the existing columns and is working with structural engineers to re-design and construct new columns. Crews will be working in the park through August to complete the work.

UTILITIES

Hidden River Pathway Project

The two-year downtown stormwater infrastructure reconstruction project to address flooding during rain events continues. Last week the contractor, Milestone, began excavating between Trinity Church and Long Fei Restaurant and pouring concrete curbs and sidewalk on 4th St. Rain has delayed paving work this week so Saturday work may be necessary.

Grant will be closed from 4th to Kirkwood and 4th Street will remain closed from Lincoln to Grant. The alley on the east side of Grant, between Trinity and Long Fei, will be closed.The City will continue to coordinate with other construction and road projects as they reconstruct 1,829 feet of culverts to protect downtown area residential and commercial buildings. This project is on track to be finished by the February 2023 deadline.For more information about the project visit bloomington.in.gov/utilities/hidden-river.

Businesses on 4th and Grant are still open as this project continues around them. They welcome customers and taking the time to visit them may afford residents an opportunity to see whats happening with this project. The contractor expects to have one eastbound traffic lane on 4th Street and the south sidewalk opened on August 1st.

Businesses in the impacted area include Siam House, Little Tibet, Burma Garden, Korea Restaurant, Oak, My Thai, DO Asian Fusion, Dat's, B-Town Gyros, Healthy Hoosiers, Bali Cafe, Storm Real Estate, Longfei, Parlor Donuts, Soma Coffeehouse, and Taste of India.

Evergreen Village Stormwater

City of Bloomington Utilities will be doing restoration work on a drainage ditch and detention pond in Evergreen Village, off Susie Street. The ditch grading is now complete and planting native flowers and grasses can begin. Weather permitting, the project will be complete in early August.

PUBLIC WORKS

The Street Division paving finished crews milled N Jefferson Street from E 3rd to E 10th this week. Next week, weather permitting, crews will continue with the resurfacing of N Jefferson Street.

The sidewalk crews completed the installation of ADA-compliant curb ramps on N Jefferson Street from E 3rd to E 10th. Next week, crews will continue with ADA-compliant ramp installation on E 2nd Street from S High Street to S Swain Avenue to prepare for resurfacing.

Engineering

Walnut Traffic Signals

The Citys project to construct new traffic signals at the N Walnut Street intersections of 11th Street and 14th Street is expected to be substantially complete by the end of July. Final work tasks to be completed over the upcoming weeks include installation of pavement markings, power hook-up coordination with Duke, and signal activation. The new signal at 11th Street and Walnut Street was activated on July 25th. This project also includes curb ramp improvements for the pedestrian hybrid beacon crossing of S Walnut Street at the Switchyard Park entrance and B-Link Trail connection. The work at this crossing of S Walnut Street is expected to start this week.

Hopewell Phase 1 East Demo

The City anticipates demolition activities as identified in the Hospital Site Master Plan to start soon at the Hopewell Phase 1 East project site bounded by 2nd Street to the north, 1st Street to the south, B-Line to the east, and Rogers Street to the west. Some activities such as equipment mobilization, and building preparations for demolition may begin this week with tree clearing next week. The project has a significant landscaping plan that includes over 100 trees and the installation of the Citys first silva cell suspended pavement system to increase the life expectancy and health of the trees in the tree grove area. Additional information about the project and the contractor can be found at the following links: https://bton.in/mRp~I, hopewellbloomington.org & renascentinc.com. The Hospital Site Redevelopment Master Plan is available at https://bton.in/mlLbk.

Crosswalk Project

Progress continues on the Citys crosswalk improvement project at the intersections of, 3rd and Grant Streets, 11th Street and Blair Avenue, and Patterson and Isaac Drive. Demolition has begun at all three intersections, and new curbs have been poured at 3rd and Grant. The project requires a short-term full closure of Grant Street just north of 3rd Street to facilitate pavement maintenance and is being coordinated with a water main connection for the adjacent development project (The Annex). Additional information about this project can be found at bloomington.in.gov/engineering/projects/crosswalks.

Neighborhood Greenways

The Citys project to construct traffic calming along E 7th Street, Graham Drive, and Ralston Avenue is substantially complete. Recent highlights include the installation of asphalt speed cushions along Graham and Ralston Avenue. Final work tasks to be completed over the upcoming weeks include final paving on 7th Street, installation of signs and pavement markings, and installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons at the intersections of Graham at Rogers and Rockport. Additional information about the project and contractor can be found at bloomington.in.gov/engineering/projects/ralstongraham.

The rest is here:
Southeast Park Improves Accessibility; Businesses Around the Hidden River Construction are Open; and Installation of ADA-Compliant Ramps Continues |...

Paul Karanja, the presiding pastor at Kiambaa Church located in South Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county has narrated how they were forced to change its name after the 2007/2008 post-election violence.

Speaking to BBC on Wednesday, August 3, Karanja disclosed that the church became deserted, forcing the administration to rebrand to Kenya Assemblies of God Faith Church.

According to the preacher, the church was initially known as Kenya Assemblies of God Pentecostal. The leaders had to drop Pentecostal and replace it with Faith.

Explaining the reason for changing its name, Karanja maintained that it was meant to erase the bad memories of the 2007 poll skirmishes.

Pastor Paul Karanja speaking to BBC on the rebuilding of Kiambaa Church on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.

BBC

Karanja further detailed that well-wishers built the iron sheet church to promote peace and foster cohesion within the region.

"When I came here in 2012. Everything was extremely complicated. People did not want to be associated with it. Then the Holy Spirit instructed me to change the name to give it a new breath," Karanja explained.

Karanja appealed to political leaders and asked them to tone down as the country heads to the August 9 general election. The pastor reiterated that he has spent over ten years promoting peace and lost glory of the Kiambaa area.

"In the past years, people have been concerned and thinking negatively. But we believe this time round; God will not allow bad things to happen." Karanja explained.

"I'm grateful because people are flocking into the church for prayers as we have built a friendly environment," he added.

One of the congregants, also a survivor of the 2007 ordeal, stated that the bad memories had cleared after the establishment of the church and its subsequent rebranding.

"Old the memories have faded away with the changing of Kiambaa Church name. Right now, we are praying that our God will forgive the perpetrators.

We also hope our leaders will continue preaching peace as we approach elections. We need one another, and our political differences should not make us enemies," she explained.

In March, the Kiambaa Church administration published a poster announcing plans to reconstruct the worship centre.

Church leaders stated that they had faced resistance from a section of political leaders who were opposed to rebuilding the altar, adding that they were determined to bring back to life the church, which was raided and burnt down with worshippers inside on January 1, 2008.

"With God's grace, the rebuilding of the Church began last month and construction is currently underway.

"The committee in charge of the project is asking well-wishers to support the construction by making contributions to KAG Kiambaa project," the church stated.

File photo of Kenya Assemblies of God Faith Church in Kiambaa, Eldoret South

File

violence

Originally posted here:
Kiambaa Church Pastor Narrates How They Were Forced to Change Its Name - Kenyans.co.ke

ONE of Ireland's biggest dioceses has introduced a radical new structure of 'faith-centred communities' in a bid to cope with the challenges of the increased demands facing rapidly ageing clerics and the reduced numbers of young people attending Church ceremonies.

ishop of Cork and Ross, Dr Fintan Gavin, unveiled a new structure which will divide the sprawling diocese into 16 'families of parishes' and aim to increase and enhance the involvement of lay personnel in Church operations in a bid to ease the workload on elderly clerics.

The Diocese of Cork and Ross - one of the largest geographic dioceses in the Irish Church - will celebrate the ordination of one new priest in September.

However, 12 clerics - many aged over 70 years - are scheduled to step-aside from their former responsibilities.

Its 69 parishes will now operate under a streamlined structure of 16 designed areas.

Dr Gavin published a special pastoral letter outlining the radical plan - and the blueprint is now expected to be adopted by other Irish dioceses which are facing similar challenges at parish level.

"It is important to be aware that this picture is not unique to our diocese, but is replicated throughout Ireland, Europe and indeed in most parts of the Western World," he said.

"It is part of a much larger societal change which we cant control.

In fact, the challenges we face are similar to the challenges being faced by big institutions throughout the western world.

"We need to acknowledge these huge changes and the sense of loss we feel for times past. We need to allow ourselves to grieve, acknowledging this loss and the pain associated with it."

The bishop warned that radical new approaches were required to guide the Church into the future.

New structures will come into operation from September across Cork - with 12 'families of parishes' in the first phase.

A key aim will be encouraging young people back into active Church involvement, increasing lay personnel duties and efficiently managing the workload of clerics, many of whom are now elderly.

"People have often said to me: 'You have a very difficult job ahead of you, Bishop.' A system that served well in the past is crumbling," he said.

"In the past, the local community was also the faith community where going to Mass was the place where you met everyone, young and old.

Many parents and grandparents now express sadness that their own children no longer practise their faith or seem interested in Church matters."

Under the new structure, the diocese will have 16 'families of parishes' - and each will be administered by a team of priests.

Each priest will be resident in a particular parish but ministering across the whole family of parishes.

"Bringing parishes together as families of parishes presents an opportunity for much greater lay participation and shared leadership of parishes," he said.

A key aim is to maximise efficiency and ease the workload on ageing clerics.

"Initially, the team will consist of priests but I hope that lay leadership and more involvement will grow in time. It will involve parishes working much more closely together and sharing their gifts, talents and resources including their priests."

Dr Gavin said the new structure was developed following his arrival as bishop in June 2019 and involved multiple visits to individual parishes.

"I got a sense of a very strong faith tradition, built up over many years, of which parish communities were rightly proud," he said.

"Many things are working well in parishes: choirs, altar servers, funeral teams and so much more. Unfortunately, those visits to parishes had to be paused because of the pandemic and could only start again when it was possible to do so safely."

But he said it was clear the Church faced challenges at diocesan level to get greater numbers of young people involved.

"Many lamented the fact that large numbers of our young people are not present in our churches on Sundays. At the recent CONNECT event for young adults, the loudest message of these young adults was how isolated and alone they feel at times at Sunday Mass because most of the people there are much older. The link between our parish schools and our parish faith community is weaker than in the past."

Dr Gavin said that while it was wonderful to see so many young people involved in First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies, it was "disheartening" to see how few then continued to actually participate in the faith.

A further challenge was the rapidly ageing profile of clerics within the Diocese of Cork & Ross as well as other Irish dioceses.

"There is an awareness that our priests are getting older and fewer young men are choosing to become priests, Dr Gavin said.

"This was expressed in the November priests gatherings when we reflected on what was described as the 'predictable future.' Some spoke of the imminent retirement of more priests in an already tight situation which for priests might mean more work, ageing, poor health and a fear of burn-out, a fear of being further stretched."

While Cork & Ross will get one new young priest in September, 12 priests are scheduled to retire.

"While a small number will continue to help out as assistant priests, most have understandably decided they would prefer to retire fully from their appointments, he said.

"In addition, a number of religious provincials are recalling priests to their orders this summer and will not be in a position to replace them.

"Every crisis also brings an opportunity for new possibilities. When we allow ourselves to dream, we can recover hope and the sense of opportunity."

"Priests spoke of a Church where all people are welcomed, cherished, valued, especially the poor, where the role of women is appreciated and valued, and where all are involved in decision making.

"Change is inevitable. Our parish faith communities cannot stand still. Neither can we go back. But how we respond to change can vary a lot.

"This is a radical new start, a new beginning.

"It is not going to be easy and there will be challenges and teething problems but, if we listen to the Holy Spirit working through us, I believe that we can build this Church together."

More here:
Radical overhaul of major diocese announced in plan to help parishes cope with dwindling number of priests - Independent.ie

Father Jonathan Resmini kisses the casket at the reburial of Father Polycarpos Krithinakis at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte.

Published inThe Charlotte Ledger on August 2, 2022

Father Polycarpos Krithinakis has been laid to rest. Again.

His connection to Charlotte goes back nearly a century to when he was the first full-time priest assigned to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The story we are about to tell is how his journey brought him back to Charlotte Evergreen Cemetery specifically one July morning all these years later.

Father P, as we will respectfully refer to him for simplicitys sake, was born in 1882 on the Greek island of Crete. In 1915, at age 33, less than a month after being ordained, he sailed to America aboard the SS Patri. It was known as an immigrant ship for obvious reasons.

He devoted his short life to serving as a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. Records from a century ago are hard to come by. Heres what we found. During his 23 years in our country, Father P led 10 parishes in seven states. His stops included Syracuse, N.Y.; Akron, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; Charlotte, Akron again, Detroit and finally Minot, N.D.

Charlotte and Minot are the two stops pivotal to this story.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Charlotte was founded in 1923. Father P was the first full-time priest assigned to the parish, serving from 1926 to 28. The hope was that his arrival might spark construction of the congregations first building. Parishioners first met in the Chamber of Commerce office uptown. But for reasons lost to time, he wasnt in Charlotte long enough to make it happen. In 1928, he was assigned for a second time to the Akron parish, then to another in Detroit.

In 1937, he was transferred to the Greek Orthodox parish in Minot. The city, home to fewer than 20,000 people at the time, was attracting Greek immigrants to help build and maintain the Great Northern Railway that ran from Minneapolis to Seattle. The parish needed a leader. Alas, Father P had to resign due to poor health. Fifteen months after arriving in Minot, he died on Aug. 10, 1938. He was 56.

Father P was buried at Rosehill Memorial Park in Minot. Perhaps owing to English being parishioners second language, the headstone identifies him as a GREEK PREIST.

Vivian Maragos Zimmerman has spent her entire life in Minot, worshiping at the Greek Orthodox parish. Her father emigrated to America from his Greek village in the 1920s. Laying railroad track, he worked his way west. For reasons lost to time, he got as far as Minot and stopped. She was too young to have known Father P. But she has vivid childhood memories of her mother taking her to Rosehill to visit the graves of relatives. There they would take a few moments to pause at Father Ps gravesite.

My mom always had a sense of sadness when she stood by his monument, Vivian recalled. She said he was a kind and good man, sensitive to the people, but he seemed depressed.

She has long wondered if his depression came from being assigned to what was then a small city in the north central part of a cold and desolate state. Might this have contributed to his early death? In this day and age, Vivian said, it would be characterized as he wasnt eating and just kind of faded away.

Dead and buried, you would assume the story ends there.

Not so fast.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023. It has grown to become a flourishing faith community with 1,100 families, its East Boulevard campus a Charlotte landmark. For those who still cant place it, Holy Trinity is home to the Yiasou Greek Festival that welcomes thousands for food and all things Greek. This years festival is Sept. 8-11.

To create excitement for the centennial, Holy Trinity is organizing monthly events to mark the occasion. Enter Father P.

What better way to celebrate an anniversary then by bringing our first priest home to us, where he can be taken care of and not forgotten, said Father Jonathan Resmini, Holy Trinitys spiritual leader.

The idea was inspired. Now to execute it.

Holy Trinity got permission from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to disinter Father P and rebury him in Charlotte. Disinterment is the process by which a body is legally exhumed from its final resting place. Here there is a large Greek Orthodox community to watch over Father P. There in Minot, there isnt much left of the parish. While the city today is home to nearly 50,000 people, the original Greek Orthodox parish closed down. A new parish has 30 members. Its not many, but at least enough to operate a food truck selling gyros at the North Dakota State Fair held each July in Minot.

Virginia was at the cemetery on July 11 for the disinterment, though she chose to leave before she could see what was left of Father P.

Working for four hours in the summer heat, not knowing what they would find, cemetery workers dug down to the wooden casket, eight feet rather than the typical six. The dirt was moist. First they used a backhoe, then shovels so as not to damage whatever remains remained. Eighty-four years after Father P was buried, they arrived at their destination. They found his skeleton intact, including skull, jaw and legs. There was more: They retrieved the rubber sole of one shoe and pieces of his cloth vestment, green with gold border.

I was filled with amazement and awe, said funeral director Andrew Bahanovich of Charlotte, who led the effort with Minot funeral director Ben Slind. Being Orthodox and the son of a priest, it was very personal to me, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Andrew works with Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, which handles many Greek funerals in Charlotte.

The remains were brought up on a wooden board that apparently formed part of the bottom of the casket. It was placed in a metal container lined with plastic and flown to Charlotte on Delta Air Lines.

Father P arrived on July 22. Four days later, 40 Holy Trinity parishioners offered an official welcome home at a brief service in the sanctuary. Father Remini told the gathering that while time passes, we remain connected by the relationships we forged long ago. That includes the priest who was there at the start of Holy Trinitys journey.

The motorcade to Evergreen Cemetery off Central Avenue took 30 minutes. Father P was laid to rest in a simple casket made of poplar.

Vivian, who visited Father Ps grave as a little girl, wishes she could have come to Charlotte for his second burial. At the moment Father P was being laid to rest for presumably the final time, she was baking spinach and cheese triangles to sell out of the parish food truck at the State Fair.

Having been at his gravesite so many times, Vivian said, I would have liked to have been there for the last chapter.

Ken Garfield is a freelance writer/editor who specializes in obituaries. Reach him at[emailprotected].

See the article here:
On its 100th anniversary, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Moves the Bones of Its First Priest to Charlotte - From the Archdiocese - Greek...

OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) The Catholic community in OKC will have a new gathering place coming Fall of 2022. Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is still under construction after the 22.5-ton dome was lifted and installed in place in August of 2021.

The Shrine will become the biggest gathering place for Catholics in the whole state of Oklahoma. The sanctuary itself is around 38,000 square feet and the whole site takes up 52 acres.

The church, located east of Shields Boulevard on Southeast 89th Street, will seat 2,000 people.

The 40 million dollar project is expected to attract visitors and pilgrims from all over the world.

The plan includes the construction of a pilgrim center with a museum displaying artifacts from Father Rother as well as a replica of the famous Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City.

The hill on the west side of the shrine will have the statue of Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and of the Americas, as well as a statue of Saint Juan Diego, who witnessed 3 Mother Mary apparitions on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City.

The church will entomb the late Father Stanley Francis Rother, declared martyr of his faith in 2016 by Pope Francis.

Boldt is the construction company for the project and is currently working on the roof tile installation of the church.

Once the roof tile is installed, most of the exterior work will be done and make way for the dry-in process so workers can start doing dry-walls, floors, electrical, and other interior finishes like painting and moving in furniture.

Tepeyac Hill is mostly done and the pilgrim center building is starting to rise.

Boldt plans to finish the construction by the Fall of 2022 and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City will offer the first service soon after that.

Stanley Francis Rother was born in Okarche, Oklahoma in 1935.

After high school, the young Rother left his farmer upbringing and enrolled in a Texas Seminary hoping to become a priest.

Studying Latin proved challenging. After six years, he was advised to withdraw due to academic reasons.But, after that disappointment, he persuaded the bishop to allow him to find another seminary to attend which he did successfully.

That same year he was ordained and came back to Oklahoma to serve as an associate pastor.

After five years in Oklahoma, he moved to Santiago de Atitln, Guatemala, and became the priest of the village.

Father Rother also known as Padre Francisco, served the mostly indigenous community until he was murdered in the rectory of the church 13 years later.

Father Rother arrived in Santiago de Atitln in the Solal department (state) of Guatemala during an unfolding civil war.

Santiago de Atitln, mainly populated by the Tzutujil indigenous people, was the capital of the Tzutujil before colonial times.

He spent 13 years within the community learning both Spanish and Tzutujil language and connecting with the community at a time where social leaders were being targeted as enemies of the Guatemalan Government.

Throughout the many years of service, Padre Francisco helped the local community create crop co-ops and contributed to the opening of a radio station and school.

He also helped translate the gospel into the local Tzutujil.

As the civil war continued, the Guatemalan Army established a base next to Santiago de Atitln where the murders, tortures, and disappearances increased.

The situation took a dire turn for the rural Oklahoman priest when he found out his name was on a death list alongside his associate pastor.

After 12 years of serving the community in the small Guatemalan village, Father Rother traveled back to Oklahoma in response to the death threats.

In December of 1980, he wrote a letter to the Oklahoman Catholic community stating:

This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.

He returned to Guatemala to spend Easter within his community.

Father Rother was shot twice by unknown assailants in the rectory of Santiago de Atitlns church around 1 am July 28, 1981, at the age of 46.

After his death, hundreds of Guatemalans showed up for his funeral service.

He was soon entombed in Okarche but his heart was kept in Santiago de Atitlns church where the community built a shrine in his honor.

His body was taken from Okarche to Oklahoma City where it rests near the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

The Catholic Congregation for the Cause of Saints approved Father Rothers status as a martyr with justified validity in 2012 after a long process of submitting information by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma with the help of the Archdiocese of Solal.

The congregation oversees the validity of the requests for priests to become saints.

The first step in the process of sainthood is to be accepted as a martyr which then clears the way for beatification.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, celebrated the ritual of beatification in front of more than 20 thousand people in 2017 in downtown Oklahoma City, a year after Pope Francis approved Father Rothers martyrdom.

The sainthood, also known as canonization, of Father Stanley Rother will be granted after a miracle is proven to occur posthumously.

The Blessed Stanley Rother will be entombed inside the Oklahoma shrine once it is finished.

Last Updated December 23, 2021, 12:16 PM by Brett Dickerson Editor

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Construction continues on what will be the largest ...

For motorists racing south along Interstate 49, just a glimpse of the massive structure can prompt a double take. Pale stone walls form the broad base; in the center, smaller towering layers taper toward what will eventually be a spire stretching to the heavens.

"Impressive" could be the casual observer's description of what will be the only temple of its kind in Arkansas. Simon Keogh hopes other words are more closely linked: "inspiring" and "uplifting," for example. Keogh is president of the Bentonville Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"As a sacred place of worship, we want it to be uplifting, edifying and inspiring for people," Keogh says. "The building has the ability to inspire, but that is a reflection of what happens inside."

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are distinct from the regular meetinghouses where worshippers gather on Sundays. Temples are specially set apart for sacred services and ceremonies, according to the website churchofjesuschrist.org.

Church members in Bentonville have previously traveled to temples in Kansas City, Mo., or Oklahoma City for covenant ceremonies that are central to the faith.

THE TEMPLE'S ROLE

Keogh says people may sometimes ask why church members desire to build a temple when they already have a meetinghouse or chapel in place. Keogh traces such a key sacred space to before the time of Jesus Christ. Israelites made covenants with Jehovah in the temple, he notes.

When Christ came, he went to the temple as a boy and was instructing the wise men, according to Luke, Chapter 2, Keogh recounts. Later, at the beginning of Christ's ministry, he was again at the temple. After Christ's death and ascension, his followers continued to attend temple, Keogh notes.

"Temple worship has been a pre-Christ ritual," he says. "It was a ritual in Christ's life, and it continued to be a ritual in the lives of his followers after Christ's life. That remains true today for followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple becomes a central part of our connection with heaven and with God."

A tenet of faith within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that families can be together forever, and the temple plays a central role in making such permanent bonds possible. For example, Keogh says Latter-day Saints believe that when a marriage ceremony is conducted in a temple under the appropriate authority, marriage can be for time and all eternity.

Elder Jon Paget and Sister Debbie Paget are full-time missionaries assigned to the area to support the construction of the temple. They arrived on the day of the groundbreaking, Nov. 7, 2020, and will be departing in October of this year.

Elder Paget is an architect by trade, and though he doesn't have oversight authority on the construction work, he and his wife provide an important connection among the community, the Church and the construction project.

"We do have the opportunity to document the progress of the temple and to visit with people here in our visitors center who might want to know about our temple," he explains.

The visitors center is a small building adjacent to the temple grounds off McCollum Drive in northeast Bentonville. Inside the center walls is a collection of information about the purpose of a temple and specific features of the Bentonville structure. A sample board contains pieces of the stone being used -- sourced from Turkey -- the fabric patterns to be used in some of the seating, and the wall coverings for a special bridal room and for the celestial room, the most sacred of spaces in the temple and intended to be a place of quiet peace, prayer and reflection.

Keogh says that just as in the Old Testament, when the children of Israel built the temple of the finest materials they could source, Latter-day Saints seek to use the best construction and highest quality materials in constructing a temple.

"We try to build to the very highest construction standards," he says. "Some of that is a metaphor for what we hope our faith and devotion to be. We consider temples to be literally the house of the Lord and sacred."

Maps on the wall denote a mark for each of the temples in the United States and around the globe. The Bentonville temple is one of 265 such temples in place, under construction or announced.

When finished, the structure will have 25,000 square feet of usable space, Paget says. The height from the floor of the building to the top of the dome will be 100 feet, and the distance to the top of the spire will be 111 feet. Completion is estimated to be late this year.

Each temple's features include some customization unique to the region, Paget says. In the Bentonville temple, dogwood blossoms are etched in the stone around the windows. "Every window, even the ones in the tower, will have art glass behind the regular glass and will be backlit."

MOVING FORWARD

In addition to documenting the construction work and sharing information with visitors, the Pagets play additional important roles, Keogh says.

"They take the time to share with the contractors why this building is of such religious significance to us as the members," he says. "That gives them a chance to appreciate what they're building. They help us be connected with those artisans and construction workers. It brings a sense of community and oneness, and we feel like it brings the spirit of Jesus Christ to the process."

The Pagets also have organized special luncheons and gift baskets for special seasons to give to those involved in the work. "The little children have written lots of 'thank you' notes that we give to them," Debbie Paget says with a smile. "It's been wonderful."

When the structure is completed, there will be open houses and tours prior to dedicatory services. Once the temple begins its service as a functioning temple, anyone meeting the qualifications of faithfulness and preparation can enter, Keogh says. Local congregation leaders will issue a small "recommend," a card that validates one's readiness and preparation to enter into the temple.

Decisions about the location of a temple are based on need relative to the strength of membership, Keogh says. The growth of the church membership in Arkansas and southern Missouri was a factor. According to information provided at the time of the 2020 groundbreaking, the church counts more than 32,000 Latter-day Saints in Arkansas, spread throughout nearly 70 congregations.

A FOUR-HOUR DRIVE

The travel distance to the nearest temple also is considered in temple location decisions. Most of the members in North America live within a four-hour drive of a temple, Keogh notes. Previously, the trips to Oklahoma City or Kansas City, Mo., required members to allocate an entire day. The location in Bentonville provides greater access for the Latter-day Saints throughout the region.

Each temple is considered a "house of the Lord," where Jesus Christ's teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Keogh recalls his own marriage in a temple and being there when his daughter was married in a temple.

"It's quite the thing for families to gather together and enter in there," he says. The couple kneel across the altar from each other and someone with the authority to bind in heaven as well as on earth performs the marriage sealing ceremony, he said.

"That's perhaps one of the most uplifting and pinnacle blessings of our faith is to know that our marriages and our relationships as families will be recognized and in force in heaven," Keogh says.

Jon Paget says he has realized that the temple will perhaps be the first thing people entering Bentonville from the north will see from the interstate.

Keogh speaks of the beauty the structure and the planned gardens around it will provide to the community. That is in keeping with the nature of the temple -- an offering to God.

"For a place where you make covenants or promises, if you will, commitments with God that will be in effect out of this life, as well as in it, you would want it to be as beautiful and as uplifting and as edifying as possible," Keogh says. "Even the sense of the building, you would want it to bring permanency or even a sense of eternity and of stability to your worship. That's what the temple is for us."

Debbie Miller is a longtime writer and editor who now teaches college-level journalism. Email her at debmiller25@cox.net.

About the Temple

Location: 1101 McCollum Drive in Bentonville

Announced: Oct. 5, 2019

Groundbreaking and site dedication: Nov. 7, 2020

Groundbreaking ceremony: Presiding from a remote location, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the site for the Bentonville Temple. Bednar, once a professor at the University of Arkansas, has assisted in the organization of two Arkansas stakes, including the Bentonville Stake.

Temple Facts: The Bentonville Temple will be the first LDS temple built in Arkansas.

Source: churchofjesuschristtemples.org/bentonville-arkansas-temple/

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Temple takes shape: Sacred space will be first of its kind in Arkansas - Arkansas Online

By Matt Kyle | Staff Writer

Last week, Baylor University announced the recipients of the 2022 Alumni Awards. The university also announced that a celebration recognizing the recipients and honoring the impact of alumni around the world will be held on Feb. 18.

This years recipients include Thasunda Brown Duckett, MBA 01 as the Alumni of the Year and Alex Le Roux, BS 15 as the Young Alumni of the Year. Rebekah Naylor, BA 64, MD was the recipient of the Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service, and Susan Peters, BA 86 received the Pro Texana Medal of Service. Giancarlo Guerrero, BM 91 and Chris Charles Scott III, BA 04 each received the Medal of Service for Contributions to the Professions. Fran George was named the Merrie Beckham Alumni By Choice of the Year.

Amy Armstrong, associate vice president of alumni engagement, said the awards are meant to recognize graduates who excel in their field and have an impact on the world.

Baylor alumni do amazing things, Armstrong said. They come to Baylor, they learn, they study and then they go out into the world. Its our way to celebrate some of those alumni who are going above and beyond and have great success on all different kinds of levels whether its business or nonprofit within the Christian values.

Armstrong said the celebration in February will include a banquet dinner where President Linda Livingstone will present each of the recipients with a medal. Armstrong also said Baylors social media and web pages will share stories about each of the award recipients and their accomplishments throughout the spring, and the Baylor Magazine will feature similar stories about the recipients.

Alumna of the Year Duckett is the president and CEO of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America a Fortune 100 financial services organization. Duckett was included in Fortunes and Forbes list of the Most Powerful Women in 2021 and serves on the board of trustees for Sesame Workshop and on the board of directors for Nike. Inc, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the University of Houston Board of Visitors and the Deans Advisory Board for Baylor Universitys Hankamer School of Business. In 2013, she founded the Otis and Rosie Brown Foundation in honor of her parents.

Naylor, recipient of the Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service, is a doctor and retired medical missionary who is currently a distinguished professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She spent 35 years in India working as a doctor and church planter, and she was an administrator and chief of the medical staff at Bangalore Baptist Hospital. She also oversaw the construction of the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing, served as a professor of anatomy and physiology at the school and helped plant 900 churches in the state of Karnataka, India, between 1999 and 2009.

Le Roux is the co-founder and CTO of ICON, a construction technology company that uses 3D printing, robotics, software and advanced materials to build houses. He invented the Vulcan printer a large-scale 3D printer designed for constructing homes and other structures.

Peters, who received the Pro Texana Medal of Service, is the founder and executive director of Unbound Global, a multi-national organization focused on combating human trafficking that is headquartered in Waco. She founded Unbound out of Antioch Community Church in 2012 after seeing the effects of human trafficking around the world. She also serves as chair on the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition, which she also co-founded in 2014.

Guerrero is a six-time Grammy award-winning conductor and music director of the Nashville Symphony. Born in Nicaragua, Guerrero has appeared with many prominent orchestras and symphonies around the world.

Scott is the founder and head of documentaries at Strategy Films and has won awards as a director. He began his career in politics before finding a passion for filmmaking. Scott has directed Shape of Shreveport, What About Waco, Class Action Park and most recently Ode to Joy, The Death and Resurrection of Baylor Basketball.

George is the second-ever recipient of the Merrie Beckham Alumni By Choice of the Year, which is given to someone who was previously nominated and selected as an Alumni By Choice and has achieved distinction through service to the community. Georges daughters attended Baylor, and George helped form the North Carolina Chapter of the Baylor Parents Network. George and her husband were named Baylor Parents of the Year in 2018.

Naylor said she was surprised and humbled to receive the Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service. She also said her time at Baylor prepared her well for both her medical and theological missions.

I consider it all a great privilege that God let me do that, Naylor said. Seeing people come to faith in Christ, of churches being started, of people being healed physically, meeting needs that otherwise might not have been met those are privileges. God has directed me as He promised to do. I have submitted my life to Him. He directed my path. This recognition is so appreciated, and I want to bring honor and glory to God, who just made all of it possible.

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Recipients of 2022 Alumni Awards announced - The Baylor Lariat

James (Jim) Matthew Peter Hughes, 54, of Orange, passed away on January 21, 2022, in Port Arthur.

Funeral liturgy will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 24, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Orange. Officiating will be Father Joseph Daleo. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., with a recitation of the rosary at 10:00 a.m., at St. Mary Catholic Church in Orange.

Born in Orange, Texas, on December 18, 1967, Jim was the son of William Robert Hughes, Sr. and Martha (Monroe) Hughes. He attended St. Mary Catholic School through 8th grade and was a 1986 graduate of West Orange-Stark High School. Jim was also a Troop 1 Eagle Scout who loved spending time outdoors. After high school, Jim attended Texas A&M University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Science and proudly held the title of Fightin Texas Aggie, Class of 1990.

His career as a professional construction manager included positions in both FL and TX estimating and managing projects for municipalities, industrial plants and commercial buildings. Jim was married to Kaala Hughes for the last 5 years and loved being Jim Pop to their 3 grandchildren. He was previously married to the late Nancy Smith for 11 years.

Jim was an avid boater, fisherman, and hunter. He enjoyed camping out and cooking with friends. He loved sports and especially football. Jim was a longtime member of St. Mary Catholic Church and enjoyed praying at Eucharistic Adoration every chance he got. He loved dogs, loved his country and especially enjoyed reading US & world history. He loved his family dearly. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Robert Hughes, Sr.; brother, William Robert Hughes, Jr.; and niece, Tiffani Danielle Hughes.

He is survived by his mother, Martha Hughes; siblings, Cynthia Cindy Hughes, Theresa Hughes Blankinship and husband Brian, and Kenneth Hughes and wife Kelly; sister-in-law, Anna Hughes; 13 nieces and nephews; 4 great nieces and nephews as well as numerous other family and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Brian Blankinship, Michael Chalambaga, Delis Chalambaga, William Hughes, Spencer Hughes, John Hughes, Nathanael Hughes, Justin Hughes, Kolbe Hughes, and Carter Hughes. Honorary pallbearers are Jake Hughes, Brody Hughes and Derek Barbee.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Southeast Texas Hospice, St. Mary School Foundation, or to the American Diabetes Association.

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James Matthew Peter Hughes, 54, Orange - The Record Newspapers - TheRecordLive.com