Search
1986-1995: Third decade of
newspaper chockfull of news
-
May 13, 2016As the third decade of the South Texas Catholic story began to unfold, Bishop Rene H. Gracida began to leave his imprint on the diocese’s development. In 1986, he organized a diocesan credit union, increased the diocese’s commitment to serving the disabled, changed the minor seminary into Corpus Christi Academy, opened Camp Corpus Christi, a diocesan campground in the hill country, began to invest heavily in telecommunications, radio and TV and initiated planning for “Synod 88, Becoming Body of Christ”, a diocesan wide confab designed to set the agenda for the future.
Perhaps the bishop’s major initiative was his communications efforts, which received extensive coverage in the newspaper. This venture included radio and television stations in Corpus Christi and Laredo, the South Texas Catholic and a print shop. Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communication, came to Corpus Christi and Laredo on Aug. 12, 1986 to bless and dedicate the new Catholic telecommunications centers. In 1988, Bishop Gracida appeared on EWTN with Mother Angelica to discuss the use of communications in evangelization.
In 1991, the bishop unveiled a new publishing venture by the diocesan press. The ambitious plans called for the South Texas Catholic to be reorganized into a multi-edition newspaper, which would publish one edition for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and one for the Western Vicariate, which had been established two years earlier to better serve the Laredo area. Also, editions would be published for the dioceses of San Antonio, Brownsville and Victoria. The actual plans did not materialize and several months later the award-winning newspaper began publishing biweekly “due to financial constraints.”
Perhaps because of the strain of the expanded publishing plans, in November 1992 the newspaper got a new editor. Father John Michael Vega, who retained his position as pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Portland, who took over for Rachelle Ramon who had replaced Don Miehls as editor in 1986. In June 1993, the newspaper took another cost-saving measure by announcing to readers that if they had not subscribed they would no longer receive the South Texas Catholic in the mail. It would be bulk mailed to each parish. Several months later, Antony P. Riley became the new editor with Father Vega moving up to “executive editor.” Before the close of the decade, Paula Espitia took over as interim editor in 1995.
The challenges presented by the communications ventures, led the diocese to make financial cutbacks. The diocese’s budget committee began to study ways to reduce the diocesan deficit and a few months later, the budget was reduced by $900,000 though restructuring.
Archbishop Foley was not the only national figure to come to the diocese at the invitation of Bishop Gracida. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago gave the keynote at the “20th Annual Southwest Liturgical Conference” in 1988. In 1989, Cardinal Timothy Manning of Los Angeles dedicated the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Cardinal John O’Connor of New York spoke at the “Celebration for Life Dinner” in 1994 and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia addressed the 1995 Red Mass. The next month, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, addressed clergy conference on dealing with abortion at the parish level. In 1994, at the bishop’s invitation, Catholic scholars held their annual fellowship convention in Corpus Christi.
The bishop used his column in the newspaper, “ Entre Nosotros”, to keep the faithful informed of his initiatives. These included topics such as possession and exorcism; aids and condoms; racism and abortion; withdrawing nutrition; and divorced and remarried. In an eight-page piece, entitled “The persistent prejudice: The truth about the Sarita K. East Estate," Bishop Gracida gave a comprehensive account about litigation that had entangled the diocese for 25-years. The litigation came to an end several months later when the courts dismissed claims that were adverse to the diocese.
Sarita Kenedy East.
The year 1987 opened with an emphasis on the implementation of a new immigration law. Bishop Gracida encouraged assisting “aliens” and the family was the focus of National Migration Week events. Catholics were urged not to blame immigrants and that migration offered an opportunity for Catholics to shape society. The South Texas Catholic featured several articles on “life working in the fields." Teams were organized to minister to migrant farmworkers. The bishop annually visited with farmworker families just before beginning their trek north and bestowed a blessing on them.
In February, Synod 88 convened for planning meetings with several hundred in attendance. Synod planning continued for months with delegates discussing synodal documents at regional meetings. Finally, in April 1988, Synod 88 got underway at the Bayfront Plaza, looking at the topics of Catholic education, religious education, evangelization, ecumenism and interfaith matters, laity, permanent deacons, social justice, liturgy, communications, the parish, the diocese, spiritual life, religious (consecrated life), priests, marriage and family, and youth and young adults. The newspaper provided extensive coverage and in subsequent issues covered each topic area in detail.
The newspaper planned special editions for the diocese’s 75th Jubilee as well as for its own 25th anniversary. In 1995, Our Lady of Refuge celebrated its 200th anniversary. Also noted were Pope John Paul II’s visits to San Antonio and Denver. Some 125 people from the diocese were selected to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at the San Antonio papal visit.
In November 1988, the bishop participated in the first Operation Rescue held in Corpus Christi, which resulted in 12 arrests. Shortly after, the Body of Christ Rescue, formerly Texas Rescue, was established in Corpus Christi. They grabbed headlines for months to come. Rescuers were very active and often they ended up in jail. Things calmed down when Bishop Gracida named their leader Rex Moses as head of the Human Life Office and directed him to stop rescues at all local abortion clinics.
Incarnate Word sisters from Corpus Christi, Sisters Therese Ann Ridge, left, and Elizabeth Close and Benedictine Sister Nancy Boushey of Rio Grande City pray and sing during a rescue at a Corpus Christi abortion clinic.
Archive photo
Still, the pro-life movement continued to be very active. Pro-life supporters organized for a pro-life walk across the Diocese of Corpus Christi, starting in Laredo. Moses used his newspaper column, “Voice for Life,” to advance the pro-life cause. Both he and Bishop Gracida wrote open letters in the newspaper to both pro- and anti-life elected officials and candidates.
Bishop Gracida’s letter to two abortion procurers informing them that their actions had resulted in automatic excommunication caused a furor in the local and national secular media. Msgr. Robert Freeman went on the CBS’ “Sunday Morning” show to explain that excommunication was a healing instrument of the Church. The bishop took to the columns of the South Texas Catholic to explain the topic of excommunication. The editor interviewed Bishop Gracida on the topic and the bishop also issued a Pastoral Letter on Abortion and Excommunication, which filled seven tabloid newspaper pages.
The bishop also lent support to a proposed Human Family amendment to the city charter and urged the active participation by parishes in the cause.
Protests at the abortion clinics were not the only pro-life activities in the diocese. The Gabriel Project was introduced to help women with crisis pregnancies. Support was also provided to unwed teen mothers and single fathers who were “often denied rights.”
In February 1989, the Western Vicariate of the Diocese of Corpus Christi was established with Msgr. James Tamayo named vicar. The vicariate was established in preparation for the new Diocese of Laredo, which came 11 years later. Msgr. Tamayo was named auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston in 1993.
The diocese was met with sad news in July 1992, when it received word from New Jersey that Bishop Emeritus Thomas Drury had suffered a heart attack. The bishop passed into eternal life on July 22, 1992. The South Texas Catholic honored its founder with a special edition commemorating his life.
In 1988, the new Bishop Garriga Junior High was dedicated. In 1990, the collegiate parish of St. Thomas More was established for students and staff from Del Mar and Corpus Christi State University, now Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. The first ministry conference was held in February 1990 and attracted 800 and the first Red Mass was held in October. In 1992, the first Anglican-use Mass was celebrated in diocese. Father William T. St. John Brown was the first former Episcopalian priest ordained for the diocese and was made priest in charge of St. Anselm Anglican-Use Community. In 1994, the Tecolote community in Jim Wells County united to build a new church, Santo Niño de Atocha. In 1995, Father Carlos S. Casavantes was assigned to minister to new traditionalist parish St. Michael the Archangel Latin Mass Parish, formerly known as the Corpus Christi Tridentine Latin Mass Society.
The third decade of the South Texas Catholic came to a close with the welcome of Bishop Roberto Gonzalez. At Bishop Gracida’s request, the pope provided a coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in anticipation of Gracida’s resignation at the age of 75, three years hence. The newspaper introduced the new bishop to its readers with a special edition.
Bishop Roberto Gonzalez was installed as coadjutor of the Diocese of Corpus Christi as the newspaper wound up its third decade.
Archive photo
