Presentation Ministries Newsletter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tribute to Carl Handermann
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Exciting News From the Indiana Communities Network
St Paul HBC In Indianapolis "Puts Out Into The Deep" — Taking the First Step Of A Four Part Vision
Our Lady's Prayer on Fountain Square
The Directors make a visit to the Cleveland Home Based Communities: St. Anthony, St. Pio, Sacred Heart, and Holy Family
Presentation Members Join Salesians in Mission Work
Inner City School Implements Fr. Al's Prophetic Vision
Did You Know? There Is A Connection Between The Guadalupe Bible College and the Paul Jansen Discipleship Center
Presentation Ministries and Guadalupe Bible College Outreach Stretches All The Way To Ghana, West Africa

 

Note:This year we commemorate the fifth year anniversary of Fr. Al Lauer's death on October 13, 2007. Plans are underway. Input is invited. Any ideas? Would you like to help organize this remembrance? Contact Marianne Lander at 513-662-5378 or

 

Tribute to Carl Handermann

by Judy Erwin

Carl Handermann We should all hope and pray we would be as ready as Carl when we go to meet the Lord.

"Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!" resounded from the Handermann home on November 25, 2006 when good friend and long time Presentation Ministries member, Carl Handermann, entrusted his wife, Mary, his six children, and twenty-six grandchildren, his family and friends to the Lord's care and went to meet Jesus.

Carl Handermann was an ordinary man who had been given a special gift, a childlike trust in the Lord — a double dose of the Holy Spirit some have said, which drew many people to Jesus. He demonstrated for us all, especially the men God put in his path, how to be in love with the Lord and to live and share this love. He formed many disciples through his gifts of joy and laughter, prayer and praise. Carl was a true spiritual leader whether leading a Life in the Spirit group, his Home Based Community, or participating in a Scripture Teachers Program, or interacting with his parish community, and/or showing his children and grandchildren how much God loves them.

It is impossible to think about Carl without including his wife, Mary. They were and are continuing, with Carl's spirit, to be a team — especially in their work for Presentation Ministries (PM). The Handermanns have a long history with PM beginning in February, 1985 when Carl and Mary felt called to learn more about the Bible and attended the Scripture Teachers Program being taught by Father Al Lauer. With Father Al's prompting, they had begun, within six months, a family Bible study, a Bible study group for Mary's Christ Renew Group, and then in September, 1985 coordinated a Scripture Teachers Program at their home parish, St. Antoninus. Amazing!

In 1986, Father Al approached Carl about leading a home based community. He had always said, "his home was his castle," so opening it to outside people twice monthly did not appeal to Carl. His answer to Father was that "he would pray about it." In two weeks Carl knew the Lord wanted him and Mary to do this but he procrastinated for three months before giving Father Al the okay. The New Creations Home Based Community was established and still is thriving. Praise the Lord!

In 1988 Mary and Carl involved themselves in PM's first Bible Institute coordinated by Charlie and Charlotte Hirt. In 1990 when it became necessary for the Hirts to step down as leaders, a meeting to discern candidates for new leadership took place. Carl jokingly told Father Al he should consider him. (You have to understand. Carl was not known to be patient with details and hated meetings and could only be quiet for a maximum of 30 minutes before disrupting the flow of the meeting with a joke or humorous comments.) Carl missed the next Bible Institute meeting because of working. That evening Carl innocently asked Mary who were the "poor souls" who were going to lead the Bible Institute Ministry. Mary's reply formed Carl's motto from that time forward: "Never miss a meeting!" For the next sixteen years Mary and Carl gave freely of their spiritual gifts, shaping the Bible Institute (BI) from it's humble beginnings into a ten day masterpiece with nationally known speakers, drawing attendees from all across the U.S.A. and Canada.

Many of us, by Mary and Carl's invitation — and okay, sometimes arm twisting — have been blessed with the opportunity to grow in our faith by working in this ministry. Mark Mussman, the current BI ministry leader muses: "through Carl's prompting and the Holy Spirit he is now in charge, and Carl [he suspects] is laughing all the way from heaven."

Like Father Al, Carl walked his faith like he talked it. He was a true disciple witnessing for Jesus to the very end of his life. His family, his Christian community, his caregivers, the wonderful priests who ministered to him — all benefitted from his testimony and manner.

On the day of his death, his pastor, Father Chris Armstrong, asked Carl if he was ready to meet the Lord. Carl's response so touched him that he incorporated it into the following Sunday's homily. We should all hope and pray we would be as ready as Carl when we go to meet the Lord. Sirach 1:11 says "He who fears the Lord will have a happy end — even on the day of his death he will be blessed." God uses our failing health to make more disciples (see Galatians 4:13).

The Ministry Center has become a little quieter. No more dropping in with home baked bread for the volunteers, nor hearing the laughter and singing during newspaper mailings. But his spirit continues through the steadfast volunteers that keep Presentation Ministries running. We may believe his laughter has been silenced but sometimes we swear we hear his booming laughter echoing from heaven and we know the laughter of the Lord prevails.

 

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

by Jerry Cappel

Catholic Relief Services presented PM with the "Deus Caritas Est" Award

We at Presentation Ministries (PM) have been recognized by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) because we, as an organization, have given CRS over one million dollars since our inception in 1982. Recall, we tithe 10% of all donations we receive to CRS and we give another 5% in alms to the poor of the Philippines. Praise Jesus! God has been so generous to us. Recall also that no one in PM accepts any pay for any work that is done for PM. Thank God for all those people who give freely of their time and services. Truly, they are giving the great gift of their lives to God by working in PM! CRS enrolled PM into their "Ambassadors of Hope Society" on February 28 in Naples, FL. This is a newly established society and CRS wants to say "thank you" to PM and about 35 other people and organizations who have given over one million dollars to them.

My wife, Mary, and I represented PM by traveling to Florida to participate in the ceremony. At that time CRS presented PM with the "Deus Caritas Est" ("God is Love") Award. The next day, we celebrated Mass with Cardinal McCarrick. Praise Jesus! George Schmidl, Mark Schuermann, and I (the directors) feel no one deserves an award for doing the work and the will of God. Certainly Jesus was not into receiving awards for his miracles and works. Jesus hid himself when they wanted to make Him king. Fr. Al, while living in our midst, didn't accept pay for his work—just donations to be able to keep doing God's work. But Jesus did question the Leper (Luke 17:12-18) as to why the other nine lepers did not give Him thanks.

Mary and I merely went in support of CRS and to thank them for their work. CRS is doing God's work (see information on CRS below) and we need to continue to support our brothers and sisters in Christ. In that mind set we humbly traveled to Naples, Florida. It also presented an opportunity for Mary and I to share what PM is doing and how they can help us serve God as well.

From the CRS website:

Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Their mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world. Working through local offices and an extensive network of partners, CRS operates on five continents and in 99 countries. We aid the poor by first providing direct assistance where needed, then encouraging people to help with their own development. Together, these approaches foster secure, productive, just communities that enable people to realize their potential. As the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS is also committed to educating the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our global brothers and sisters by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice.

Information on CRS:

According to Smart Money Magazine, CRS is the third most efficient charity among international relief agencies: 94.8% of the funds they receive go to those who they are trying to serve.

 

Exciting News From the Indiana Communities Network

by Darlene Davis

A New community!

Image of God Community has nine families with 43 children. This community has formed in the Greenwood, Indiana area and is part of the Indiana Network. The leaders, Darren and Karen Weber are familiar with community from Karen's family involvement in Our Lady of Guadalupe community in Cincinnati as she was growing up. Darren recalls that they would go to community meetings and be prayed over before they went out on dates! The Weber's have five children.

March Retreat

"Christian Communities: Living a Prophetic Lent" was the title of a March 3 retreat given at St. Michael, Church in Greenfield, Indiana.

Three talks were featured: "Ezekiel _ From Death to Life"; "Jeremiah _ a Prophet for Our Times"; and "Hosea _ Return to Me." The presenters were Fr. Paul Landwerlen, Administrator of St. Vincent de Paul in Shelbyville, Indiana and Fr. John Maung, a well known scripture teacher from Indianapolis.

Renewal of Covenant And Branching Out!

Members of the PM communities at St. Michael Church, Greenfield, Indiana participated in a covenant renewal ceremony conducted by Fr. Severin Messick, OSB, Pastor of St. Michael on November 21, 2006. Each of the five communities placed their covenant on the altar and each member went forward to sign their covenant. This ceremony has become an annual event in the parish where 68 members of the parish belong to a PM community.

The communities at St. Michael are: Servants of Encouragement, Foundations of Faith, Divine Mercy, Apostles for Life, and Eucharistic Disciples.

Foundations of Faith and Apostles for Life are branches of Servants of Encouragement and Divine Mercy and Eucharistic Disciples branched from Foundations of Faith.

One of our goals is to present community to as many people in the parish as possible. As new leaders arise they are encouraged to start new communities to accommodate growth.

 

St Paul HBC In Indianapolis "Puts Out Into The Deep"—Taking the First Step Of A Four Part Vision

by Terri Bates

The Home-based community (HBC) of St Paul in Indianapolis collaborated with members of Presentation Ministries to present a Life in the Spirit Seminar at St. Gabriel Parish in Indianapolis. On the weekend of February 3-4, 2007 about 25 people attended. Those from Presentation Ministries giving the teachings included Dave Noe, Paul Egan, Joe Brink, Terri Bates, Janet Willig and Mark Mussman. Members of the St Paul HBC along with parishioners of St. Gabriel helped facilitate the discussions.

The seminar was repeated on the following Saturday, February 10, this time in the Spanish language. An Indianapolis team led by Jose Anaya and his wife, Martha, undertook the work of the Spanish seminar. Jose had attended PM's Bible Institute this past summer.

The Life in the Spirit Seminar marks the beginning step of a four part program which will eventually introduce the importance to people of being a part of a home-based community. The overall vision continues with "How to Teach Scripture in the Power of the Holy Spirit", next establishing Bible study groups, and then giving Fr. Al Lauer's twelve teachings on forming covenanted home-based communities. This vision was presented to the parish council and approved unanimously for implementation.

I praise Jesus for those faithful PM servants from the Cincinnati area who helped to make these seminars a success. They were quite a blessing to all of us.

 

Our Lady's Prayer on Fountain Square

by David L. Willig

Cincinnati Catholics call on Our Lady, the Patroness of the Americas, to intercede.

On the great Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2006 a group of 16 emboldened Catholics gathered together for public prayer on Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Dave Willig, the leader of Our Lady of Guadalupe home based community (HBC), led them all in the recitation of the rosary. Additional members of his HBC, along with parishioners from two local Churches, St. Xavier and St. Antoninus, joined to support this outdoor event. Growing violence in city of Cincinnati gave reason for this display of prayer. Our Lady of Guadalupe's critical intercession was needed.

Dave Willig's inspiration to pray in a civic setting came from his recent pilgrimage with his wife and several other PM couples to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the tilma of St. Juan Diego in the 16th century immediately brought an end to the tens of thousands of people murdered annually by human sacrifices to the pagan sun and moon gods, and also brought about the conversion of 6 million pagan Aztec Indians.

Dave Willig answered a strong call from God to pray the rosary on Fountain Square in front of a large image of our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe HBC plans to make this an annual event on Fountain Square in the center of the city of Cincinnati. Please plan to join in this public rosary prayer on the Feast of Guadalupe on December 12, 2007 at noon to stop the violence in Cincinnati and bring the peace of Jesus Christ through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

 

The Directors make a visit to the Cleveland Home Based Communities:
St. Anthony, St. Pio, Sacred Heart, and Holy Family

Jerry Cappel and George Schmidl (2 of PM's directors)


Brian Fults and Jeff Minor play guitars


Singing: L-R Mary Cappel, Bonnie Bobrowski, Gayle Carroll, Kay Vossler, Don Carroll, George Harabin, Anita Harabin

 

Presentation Members Join Salesians in Mission Work

by Jerry & Mary Cappel and Marianne Lander

Nicole and the girls in their courtyard

Yolia: Niñas de La Call is a place in Mexico City that means survival and a hand up from desperation for several young Mexican girls who lived on the streets or were in danger of doing so. Since August of 2006, Lisa Cappel and Nicole Weckenbrock, younger members of Presentation Ministries (PM), have joined Salesian Lay Missionaries in a relatively new ministry in Mexico City. It is akin to running a foster home for the girls, teaching them, learning from them and serving in all ways: from wiping their tears to discipling, from playing and laughing to tutoring. Personal, profound growth from the whole experience has far surpassed any difficulties Lisa and Nicole may have encountered.

The two are fulfilling a year's commitment where their title is "educator" entailing a multiple set of responsibilities. They reside at a large complex staffed by three lay Salesians along with fifteen girls, aged 10-15 years, from all around the city. During the day most of the girls are in school, but a few with more severe problems are not. Lisa and Nicole work throughout the week, ending with one and a half days off on Saturday and Sunday. Daily Mass is available at the local parish. Mastering the language was hard in the beginning, but necessity prevailed. As in all languages, some people speak fast and others slur their diction. But over time even these barriers were overcome.

They minister to children living in the house as well as those unfortunately still living on the streets. In the middle of the day their schedule takes them to a day center also run by Salesian Lay Missionaries. The help available at both sites to these vulnerable and traumatized street children is extensive, including assistance from social workers, doctors, dentists and psychologists. They are taught the Catholic faith and also trained in various personal exercises, such as calming techniques. Lisa has additionally proposed art projects and trained the youth in computer skills.

One of the many positive experiences they are trying to give to the girls is to take them on a mission trip to the poor, indigenous area of Oaxaca, Mexico for Holy Week.

While both Lisa & Nicole will complete their one year commitment in August, 2007, Lisa is considering staying through until December of 2007. After that she may make a further commitment for one more year.

Remember to lift up a prayer from time to time for these two PM missionaries and the blessed work they are doing.

 

Inner City School Implements Fr. Al's Prophetic Vision

by Vivian Jansen

Fr. Al Lauer

Father Al Lauer's vision to develop and disciple inner city youth as strong Christians for future leadership in Cincinnati was prophetic. The school opened in 2001 in the Old St. Mary's School building. His belief that inner city boys are in deep trouble has been supported by recent reports that inner city males lead the nation as either perpetrators or victims in homicides and they have the fastest growing rate for suicide. Statistics for these young men have escalated to the top of the negative charts in most states for arrests, convictions, and incarceration. According to research cited in Newsweek, boys are falling behind in almost every academic benchmark. The statistics for African American males are even more alarming. The school's Board of Trustees, benefactors, staff, and volunteers have taken up Father Al's challenge. They are working diligently to provide these young men with the opportunity to learn in an environment where each child is given the opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus and receive the instruction necessary to develop both spiritually and mentally.

It is obvious that only the Holy Spirit has the power to implement this prophetic vision and achieve these goals which seem impossible. So the call to this mission to educate the inner city youth and train Christian leaders in Over the Rhine [uptown Cincinnati] is a call of faith. "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen" (Heb.11:1). Father Al left a legacy of faith based on the Word of God. St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances…The one Who calls you is faithful, and He will also accomplish it" (2 Thes.5:19-20, 24). "…for nothing will be impossible for God (Lk.1:37).

St Peter Claver Latin School Orchestra performs at the Annual Appreciation Dinner, March, 2006.

Please pray for an ever growing faith for all who keep this vision alive, for the school's success, and for its financial needs.

The Mission

St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys was founded as a leadership training school for qualified boys. The school's mission is to promote a long-term positive impact on the lives of its students, on their families, and on the Over the Rhine community [uptown Cincinnati] of which it is a part, by providing a strongly Christ-centered education for boys who demonstrate aptitude for a rigorous course of studies and Christian character development.

The Goals

• To support and encourage the restoration of family life and marriage by forming loving husbands and fathers.
• To raise up and make leaders for the transformation of inner city communities through a rigorous course of study with heavy parental involvement.

Prayer for St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys

Heavenly Father, you conferred on St. Peter Claver a supernatural gift of love. Through his intercession we pray for the young men at St. Peter Claver Latin School to be transformed by Jesus into strong Christian leaders, husbands and fathers. May the Holy Spirit working in and through parents, students, staff, and faculty, revitalize the City of Cincinnati, the Over the Rhine neighborhood and beyond. We give you praise and thanksgiving for inspiring our many benefactors and volunteers and we ask you to grant their special intentions.

Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Amen.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
St. Martin de Porres, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Peter Claver, pray for us.
St. Juan Diego, pray for us.
Fr. Al, Fr. Jim, and Fr. Charles, pray for us.

 

Did You Know? There Is A Connection Between The Guadalupe Bible College and the Paul Jansen Discipleship Center

by Shelley Meade

Shelley Meade, Ed Lamparyk, and Barb Triozzi will all three be presenting teachings on 1st & 2nd Corinthians in April, 2007.

We pray in thanksgiving for the resumption of the Discipleship Retreat Program in 2007. Guadalupe Bible College (GBC) and the Discipleship Center along with the Bible Institute Program are intimately linked as a means of making Fr. Al's vision "to stop abortion, save lives, restore families, evangelize young people, and build a new civilization of love," a reality. Fr. Al believed strongly that we needed mature Christians who were deeply rooted in the teachings of the Church who would pattern their lives in imitation of Jesus. He said, "For a new world, we need new people, who have received a new formation." We pray that the Holy Spirit will pour out the grace of Christian maturity on all those open to His will."

Fr. Lauer developed the Discipleship Retreats and the "40 day" program as an opportunity for people to receive healing and be formed as disciples of Jesus through study of the Church's teachings and the Bible in the context of the Sacraments and Christian community. These disciples are then called to go forth and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19) and form a new "civilization of love" (Pope Paul VI).

All students in GBC can attend Discipleship Retreats for credit in the Bible College. They also may choose the Discipleship Seminar Program Package for their course of study. This program package consists of the "forty (40) day" Discipleship Retreats and eight (8) GBC courses in class or by home study.

 

Guadalupe Bible College News GBC Prison Outreach

by Shelley Meade

Currently there are twenty-five active incarcerated students enrolled in Guadalupe Bible College. By far the largest request for admission to the college is from the incarcerated population. Unfortunately, the number of home-study teachers has limited our ability to accept new incarcerated students at this time. Ideally, the program should be taught in a classroom setting in the institution, but GBC has not been successful in establishing a classroom program in a correctional facility. However, one of the students does hold an informal Bible study in his unit utilizing what he has learned in the college. The students are active in the liturgical and catechetical programs in their institutions. Several of the students work in the Chaplain's office so they are able to use what they have learned to affect the secular culture in their institutions.

Anyone interested in becoming a home-study teacher for an incarcerated student please contact:

Shelley Meade
c/o Our Lady of Guadalupe
Bible College
P.O. Box 96
Madison, OH 44057

 

Presentation Ministries and Guadalupe Bible College Outreach Stretches All The Way To Ghana, West Africa

by Shelley Meade

Joseph B. Armah, a student in Guadalupe Bible College (GBC), is living Jesus' command to make disciples to permeate the secular culture with the Gospel (Mt 28:19). He has established the Catholic Evangelization Training School in Elmina, Ghana. Joseph established the school in January, 2006 under the authority of the Archbishop of Cape Coast. He equips students in the program using courses from the GBC curriculum to disciple them for the work of evangelization.

Each semester class consists of ten to fifteen students. Following a six month period in which the students study the Bible, Church documents, Church teachings and other spiritual topics they are commissioned to go into villages and evangelize souls for Christ. Joseph continues to work with the students during their two week "practical experience" in pastoral duties. The fruit of the ministry in Ghana has been the formation of four new Catholic Churches in the villages.

Joseph has expressed the need to purchase a computer, printer, and photocopier for the ministry. If you wish to make a contribution towards the purchase of equipment for the GBC Branch in Ghana please contact:

Shelley Meade
c/o Our Lady of Guadalupe
Bible College
P.O. Box 96
Madison, OH 44057