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| Local News May 2009DIOCESE OF PHOENIX CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS PHOENIX (May 21, 2009) As graduations are taking place this month, the Catholic high schools of the Diocese of Phoenix once again proved in this academic year that they provide an unequalled atmosphere for successful academic achievement. Of the number of students who enter the six Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Phoenix as freshman, the overwhelming majority, in most cases 90 percent plus, graduate on time with their class, and those that leave the school do not drop out; they just transfer to a public high school. In addition, roughly 98 percent of all graduates of Catholic high schools in 2009 are going on to further their education in colleges and universities, community colleges, technical schools or the military. “When you look at the success rates of our graduates in going on to the next level of education, the figures are remarkable, especially compared to the general population,” noted MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent for the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Phoenix. “One of our Catholic high schools, Xavier, has 100 percent of its graduating class going into four-year colleges and universities across the country. This marked the third year in a row that Xavier could claim this accomplishment.” All of the Catholic high schools of the Diocese of Phoenix are graduating very impressive classes this May. Following is a summary of each schools accomplishments:
Bourgade High School, Phoenix
Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix
Saint Mary’s High School, Phoenix
Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix
Notre Dame High School, Scottsdale
More information on Diocesan schools and additional information on the programs and services of the Diocese of Phoenix can be accessed through the Diocesan web site at www.diocesephoenix.org. DIOCESE OF PHOENIX TO OPEN NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PHOENIX (May 20, 2008) The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools Office announces the opening of a new Catholic elementary school to serve the Cave Creek/Carefree/Anthem area of the far North part of the valley. Named Annunciation Catholic School, it will be located at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, 32648 North Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek. The school will initially open by educating students in the first and second grades for the 2009-10 school year as the permanent facility for kindergarten through eighth grade is being constructed. “Annunciation Catholic School is being opened to allow the children of Our Lady of Joy Preschool to continue their Catholic education,” says MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent of schools and executive director of the Office of Evangelization and Education. “The people of St. Gabriel have opened their doors and hearts to their neighbors, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the families from Our Lady of Joy and the communities in the North Valley.” Located at Pima and Cave Creek roads in Carefree, Our Lady of Joy is a little over seven miles away from St. Gabriel. Up until now, the preschool at Our Lady of Joy has been the only Catholic school presence in that part of the valley. Annunciation Catholic School will have the capacity for 25 students in each classroom for grade one and grade two and will be staffed by a fully accredited faculty. Admissions priority will be given to current students from Our Lady of Joy and then opened to the public at large. For more information, please contact the Catholic Schools Office at 602-354-2345 or the St. Gabriel Parish office at 480-595-0883. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS WIN STATE TITLES 4A-II softball: Seton tops Greenway for title4A-II boys track: Notre Dame coach goes out with titleXAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY STUDENT JESSICA PETZNICK NAMED GATORADE ARIZONA GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Photo Credit: Scott Foust Contact: Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA – Vice Principal for Activities and Athletics May 15, 2009 (PHOENIX) — Xavier College Preparatory is pleased to announce that senior Jessica Petznick has been named by The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE Magazine, as its 2008-09 Gatorade Arizona Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The award distinguishes Jessica as Arizona’s best female high school soccer player. “Xavier is incredibly proud of Jessica,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA, Xavier’s Vice Principal for Activities and Athletics. “She is a focused and talented athlete, but also dedicated to academics and volunteerism. Jessica is a leader and a role model, and this award is well deserved.” In addition to her soccer achievements, Jessica has maintained a 3.78 GPA, volunteered with her church youth group and to help women in need, and is a member of both the Spanish and Chinese clubs at Xavier. On the field, Jessica led a defense that recorded 18 shutouts and allowed just 11 goals this past season as Xavier won the Class 5A Division 1 state title. A two-time Arizona Republic First-Team All-Arizona selection, she was named the 2009 Desert Valley Region Player of the Year. The four-year starter led the Gators in minutes-played each of her four years on the varsity team. Jessica has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College this fall. “Jessica’s presence on the field, athletic ability and organizational skills kept our team confident and made our team better,” said Xavier head soccer coach Barb Chura. “She will leave her mark as one of the best to ever play soccer at Xavier.” Jessica is the third Xavier athlete to be named a 2008-09 Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field. Xavier College Preparatory is twice recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and recognized nationally for academic excellence by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Xavier was awarded the 2007-08 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, honoring high schools with high student success rates in AP math, science and technology courses. The Arizona Interscholastic Association awarded Xavier its prestigious Blue Cup Award (2006) for excellence in scholastics, athletics and activities. All Xavier graduates attend post-secondary institutions; members of the Class of 2009 were accepted at 212 colleges and universities, garnering over $23 million in college scholarships. HOLY REDEEMER CATHOLIC CEMETERY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO DEDICATE NEW EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCH SECTION PHOENIX (May 12, 2009) A special cemetery section designed for the burial of those who are members of the Eastern Catholic Church will be dedicated and blessed at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery, 23015 N. Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix. The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, and the Most Rev. Gerald N. Dino, Bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys, which is an Eastern Catholic entity, will preside at the ceremony. Named the Resurrection Garden, this section will include a specially crafted granite and mosaic icon depicting the resurrection of Christ. The granite was manufactured in Minnesota by Cold Spring Granite Company, and the mosaic was designed by Pickel Studios, Vero Beach, FL, and crafted in Italy. The idea for the garden was initiated several years ago at the request of the leadership of the five Eastern “The opening of Resurrection Garden at Holy Redeemer Cemetery allows us to continue our efforts at ensuring all Catholics are united in their belief in the resurrection of body and the need to bury the faithful in sacred ground,” said Gary L. Brown, President and Executive Director of the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries. “I would like to give a special thank you to Rev. Peter Boutros, Pastor, St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church, for his assistance in the development of this wonderful project.” “HOW TO CHOOSE A CATHOLIC SCHOOL” BOOKLET PHOENIX (May 11, 2009) A booklet entitled “How to Choose a Catholic School” has been published by the Diocese of Phoenix and is now available on-line through the Diocesan web site at www.diocesephoenix.org/catholicSchools/schoolchoice.htm. The booklet can be downloaded and printed from the Catholic school website. For those who do not have a computer, a booklet can be obtained by calling 602-354-2345. Produced by the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office, the booklet provides a practical vehicle for interested parents to decide which of the 25 Catholic pre-schools, 28 Catholic elementary schools and six Catholic high schools are right for their families. The booklet is designed to help parents list everything they expect from a Catholic School experience and prioritize the list in the order of importance to their family. The listing includes such categories as admissions process, athletics, campus environment, curriculum, faculty, location, and, of course, tuition and other fees. “Such a booklet can be a very useful tool for parents who take advantage of school tours, open houses and other special events offered by a school community,” said MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent for the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Phoenix. “By utilizing the categories in the booklet, families can compare the information and determine how each school meets their needs.” More information on Catholic schools and additional information on the programs and services of the Diocese of Phoenix can be accessed through the Diocesan web site at www.diocesephoenix.org. XAVIER COACH BARB CHURA HONORED BY PHOENIX WOMEN’S SPORTS ASSOCIATION Contact: Lauren Martich, Director of Program Funding and Community Partnerships (602) 240-3133 PHOENIX (May 8, 2009) – Xavier head soccer coach and faculty member Barb Chura was recently honored by the Phoenix Women’s Sports Association with the 2009 PWSA High School Coach of the Year Award. Ms. Chura received this honor at the Sixth Annual PWSA “Power to Inspire” Sports Awards Dinner on April 25, the only celebration of its kind in Arizona to honor elite women athletes and coaches from all generations. Coach of Xavier’s varsity soccer team since 2005, Ms. Chura led the Gators to a 2008-09 record of 23 wins and two losses against Arizona opponents, as well as victory in the Class 5A Division I tournament, to win the state title. Out of state, Xavier finished ninth place out of 32 teams in the prestigious Excalibur tournament held in Santa Ana, California in December. On March 1, Xavier was ranked No. 8 on ESPN's “Fab 50” girls soccer national rankings. “Ms. Chura has a tremendous, positive influence on the girls she coaches,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, vice principal and athletic director of Xavier. “She teaches sportsmanship and leadership and at the same time develops soccer skills. This award is well deserved and Xavier is proud to have Ms. Chura on our staff.” Before coaching at Xavier, Ms. Chura served as the assistant women’s soccer coach at both University of Notre Dame, James Madison University and Texas Tech, where she assisted in all aspects of recruiting, on-field coaching, practice sessions, scheduling and camp administration and supervision. A native of Clifton Park, New York, Ms. Chura attended the University of Connecticut where she helped the Huskies reach the 1990 NCAA title game and finish among the nation’s top 10 ranked teams all four years. She served as UConn’s team captain in 1992 and finished her playing days at Connecticut ranked fourth on the all time assist list and twenty-first in scoring. She received a master’s of education in sports administration from Texas Tech in 1996, and has been active in numerous soccer camps and clinics throughout the country as well as a variety of coaching roles in Olympic development programs. COLLECTION FOR CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN SET FOR MAY 16-17 PHOENIX (May 7, 2009) - The annual collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will take place in parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix and across the country the weekend of May 16-17. Locally, the Diocese of Phoenix produces the televised Sunday Mass ‘live’ from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, broadcast on KAZT-TV (AZ-TV 7, Cable 13). Funds from the CCC and generous donations, many from homebound viewers, make this television ministry possible. This is the first year that the Diocese of Phoenix is televising the weekly Mass on AZ-TV, and under the new 90-minute format, the Diocese is now able to broadcast the entire Mass even if it lasts beyond the hour. There is also additional time to follow the Mass with features on programs, services and events of the Diocese of Phoenix as well as opportunities to showcase some of the organizations that assist with sponsorship of the Mass broadcast. Money from the campaign will be greatly needed to continue what has become a very valuable ministry. Funds from the collection also go toward supporting the Diocesan website, which has been a dynamic form of communication that is ever changing. These donations help to maintain the web with current information using the latest technologies. These are worthwhile and exciting endeavors that the Diocese of Phoenix has for all to access – TV Mass and the website. More information on these communication ministries can be accessed by logging onto the Diocese of Phoenix website at www.diocesephoenix.org. Some of the funding provided by donations of generous Catholics is used to support an array of national Catholic multimedia projects developed by the CCC, an activity of the U.S. bishops that promotes Gospel values through network television specials, radio programs, movie reviews and new media content. The latest information about CCC is available to bishops, pastors, and parishioners on its web site, www.CatholicCommunicationCampaign.org. Visitors to this site will find information on communication activities in various dioceses, program scheduling, the collection date for their diocese, the CCC’s quarterly bulletin insert, View in the Pew, as well as reviews of current films and videos, Mass times, streaming video of featured programming or coverage of important news conferences or meetings of the bishops’ conference. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ANNUAL CONVENTION COMING TO PHOENIX THIS SUMMER NEW GUADALUPE FESTIVAL TO FOLLOW By J.D. Long-García | May 7, 2009 | The Catholic Sun Every year, thousands of men in the Knights of Columbus come together to pray, rekindle friendships and “tell their story” during the Supreme Convention. This August, they’ll be converging on Phoenix. <read story> STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF PHOENIX The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has issued a Decree of Excommunication to Reverend Christopher Carpenter. Fr. Carpenter has incurred the censure of excommunication because he has chosen to be in schism with the Catholic Church by becoming a priest of the Reformed Catholic Church, a movement that is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The decree of excommunication by Bishop Olmsted declares the censure that Fr. Carpenter, as an ordained priest, has brought upon himself. The purpose of this sanction is to reconcile Carpenter with the Catholic Church and to preserve the integrity and unity of the Diocese. As an excommunicated priest, Fr. Carpenter cannot participate in the celebration of the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of worship. He is also prohibited from celebrating or receiving any of the sacraments. In addition, he forfeits the benefits of dignity, office, or any function that they had previously acquired in the Catholic Church. Bishop Olmsted expresses his concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the actions of Fr. Christopher Carpenter. The Diocese of Phoenix does not endorse the actions of this excommunicated priest and we encourage Catholics to refrain from attending or supporting the Reformed Catholic Church. The Catholic Sun story The Catholic Sun Q&A |
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