Diocese Celebrates Rogation Masses In All Four Deaneries

The Diocese of Evansville celebrated Rogation Masses in each of the four diocesan deaneries earlier this month. This marks the first time that each deanery has hosted a Rogation Mass, which is celebrated for successful planting and harvest of crops, and for the safety of those working in the fields.

Bishop Charles C. Thompson celebrated the East Deanery Mass at St. Mary Parish in Ireland on March 23. Concelebrants included Father Gary Kaiser, pastor of St. Mary Parish; Father Simon Natha, Associate Pastor of St. Mary Parish; Father Ray Brenner, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Jasper and Dean of the East Deanery; and Father Eugene Schmitt, pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in Celestine. Deacon John Huether assisted.

Father Kenneth Betz celebrated the West Deanery Mass on March 23 at St. James Parish in Haubstadt. Father Betz serves as senior associate pastor of St. James Parish. Concelebrants included Father John Boeglin, Director of the Diocesan Office of Rural Life and Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Jasper; Father Tony Ernst, pastor of St. James Parish, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Haubstadt and Holy Cross Parish in Fort Branch, and Dean of the West Deanery; and Father Biju Thomas, associate pastor of St. James Parish, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, and Holy Cross Parish.

Father Kenneth Walker, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Loogootee and Diocesan Judicial Vicar, celebrated the North Deanery Mass at St. John in Loogootee on March 27. Concelebrants included Father Dave Fleck, Pastor of St. Francis of Xavier Parish in Vincennes and Dean fo the North Deanery; Father Paul Ferguson, Pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Washington; Father Jim Koressel, Pastor of St. Peter Parish in Montgomery; and Father Jeff Reed, Administrator of St. Mary Parish in Sullivan and St. Joan of Arc Parish in Jasonville. Deacon William Consley, who serves at St. John in Loogootee, assisted.

The first of the four Rogation Masses was held in the South Deanery at Evansville’s Resurrection Parish on March 21.  Father Phil Kreilein, Pastor of Resurrection Parish and Dean of the South Deanery, concelebrated the Mass with Father Tyler Tenbarge, Associate Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Newburgh. Father Tenbarge served as homilist.

Father Tenbarge began his homily by explaining how the two decided who would give the homily. “Father Phil asked me the other day if I would mind preaching this Mass. I replied thank you, but aren’t you kind of the event preacher? He responded, ‘Yes, but you’re the FFA priest.’”

A former National FFA officer, Father Tenbarge reminded those in attendance that more than just for farmers and gardeners, Rogation Day is special because all of us rely on the growth of God’s creation.  We are co-workers with God, we are stewards for God and we find revelation of God on days like today.

Father Tenbarge cataloged the many virtues shown by those who care for God’s earth: patience, perseverance, gratitude, repetition, investment and faith that God will bring a crop to fruition – and prayer.

"Work is a good thing for man … a good thing for his humanity … because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes 'more a human being'." Father Tenbarge quoted Saint John Paul II’s Encyclical “Laborem Exercens.”

Father Tenbarge explained the many ways that one may see and recognize God’s work on this earth: viewing the beauty of the land, wondering at God’s creation and tasting the bounty of the harvest.

“As Catholics we believe that we find God most profoundly in food: in fact if we don’t have farmers and gardeners, we don’t have hosts; without hosts, we don’t have the Eucharist; and without that we don’t have the Bread of Life. He gave us his whole body, soul and divinity for us to receive.

“May we cultivate in our own hearts what God hopes to cultivate through our hands - new creation.”

Before the conclusion of the Mass, Father Kreilein led the blessing of individual bags of seeds and soil. Similar blessings occurred at each of the deanery Masses.