I had come by subway that morning, in fact, my subway stop was the Pentagon. When I got to work Sept. 11, I heard one of the twin towers had just been hit and our entire office was crowded into the board room to listen to the news.

said Msgr. Joseph M. Mayo, pastor of the Cathedral of the Madeleine at the Bishop’s Dinner held at the Grand Hotel Aug. 15.

This information was released in a statement by Marianne K. Bartman, director of Communications at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in conjunction with the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

The students worked on creating an edited film using iMovie with the help of Aaron Hamm, a specialist at the Apple Store and other Apple Store technicians.

“The kids could not believe we won,” said Lisa Mendez, Saint Mary Youth Group director.

Then, between the ninth and 12th of December of 1531, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared before Blessed Juan Diego.

Selection of this award is based on the 2007-2008 school year and is sponsored in part by the National Federation of State High School Associations. UHSAA Coach of the Year honors are given to those coaches who hold the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and moral character.

Vicar General J. Terrence Fitzgerald of the Diocese of Salt Lake City celebrated the Mass, and said it might seem strange to have the ceremony of installation after Fr. J. J. has been at Our Lady of Lourdes for several months.

“This is an opportunity to welcome him and thank him for his generosity because transitions are never easy,” said Msgr. Fitzgerald.

This transition will also affect parishioners from Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in Logan from where Fr. J. J. was transferred. A group of Saint Thomas Aquinas parishioners came to the Mass to wish Fr. J. J. well in his new assignment. They will miss him.

Fr. Dinsdale was installed for the first time in the office of pastor Nov. 15, at Saint Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City.

“I have installed many pastors, but I would say, Archbishop William Levada is pleased to present a particular pastor,” said Bishop Wester. “It is a joy for me, and I am very proud to be able to do it in my own name. I feel so very confident in Fr. Dinsdale and so proud of him, and know that he is already a wonderful pastor.”

The conference was held at the Yarrow Resort and Conference Center in Park City Aug. 29-31. About 200 people attended the conference that was filled with prayer, a healing service, Masses, music, Eucharistic adoration, talks on overcoming depression, Saint Paul, the archangels, truth and reality, and Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

Fr. Halbing is from St. Antoninus Parish in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He said he travels all over the world and is meeting people who are stressed and depressed.

“I don’t specifically recall the day the old Kimball organ was taken out, but I do remember that we saved some of the old pipes to use with the new organ,” Msgr. Mannion told the Intermountain Catholic in an Aug. 28 interview.

The new organ was built by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Ireland.
Msgr. Mannion said he was very happy with the Eccles Memorial organ, which was donated by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. One of the conditions of the donation was that the organ would be used not only for liturgical music, but would also be used for concerts and public recitals.

The first one was the remarkable Nora Gleason, a daughter of Irish immigrants who Bishop Scanlan plucked from the mining towns of southern Utah and saw to her education in Salt Lake City and Chicago. She became the organist in the old St. Mary’s Cathedral which preceded the Cathedral of the Madeleine, played and directed the choirs at the dedication of the present Cathedral, and continued to occupy the organ bench until Bishop Scanlan died in 1915, and Bishop Glass had been ordained. She died in 1918. I have written about her previously, and you may find those stories on the Archives web site under “Past Archives.”

When Gleason retired, she was replaced by a young protégé, Ethel Hogan, who continued in the position through the tenure of no fewer than five bishops, almost until her death in 1975. Hogan was born in Aspen, Colo., in 1903, but her family moved to Salt Lake City when she was a young girl. She studied music at St. Mary’s Academy and the University of Utah, later doing graduate work at Notre Dame University. She became the cathedral organist in 1917 at the amazing age of 14.

“This is a family league,” said Ernie Reyes, who is in charge of the softball league and a member of Saint Ann Parish. “We currently have 10 teams made up of family members from different parishes throughout the diocese. We have four teams from Saint Ann Parish, a team from Saint Thomas More Parish, and a team from Saint John the Baptist Parish. We also have other denominations playing in the league. We have a team from Christ United Methodist Church, two teams from Southern Methodist, and a team from Shadow Mountain Church, who won the sportsmanship award.”

“The league plays every Sunday at Harmony Park on Main Street and 3800 South in Salt Lake City,” said Reyes. “We have players who come all the way from Ogden. Sometimes we have double headers. The league brings families together, and some families bring their picnic lunches or barbecue here in the park. It is just a good way to relax on a Sunday afternoon.”

We arrived in Kadoka, South Dakota Sunday evening, Aug. 3, and Monday was our first day on the reservation or as the locals say, “the Res.” The first thing that we learned very quickly is the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation is a place full of startling numbers. 

•The median income on the Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.

•The unemployment rate on Pine Ridge is said to be approximately 83-85%.

•Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage systems as well as electricity. Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families.

Her formal education completed, Nora Gleason returned to Salt Lake City in 1893 when she is listed in the city directory as living with her mother, an arrangement that continued at least to 1900. After that, her mother disappeared from the historical record, as had her younger sister after 1880.

At any rate, Nora’s career was duly launched, as was her life as an independent adult. Although her church employment merited her full time salary of $50 a month, Nora augmented it by what was apparently a very successful private teaching career. Most years her entry in the city directory was an advertisement in bold type, and a studio photograph of her in about 1914 shows an elegantly dressed woman of obvious prosperity and social status. For some reason the location of her studio changed frequently over the years, but it was generally on the 100 East block of 100 South in the heart of the business district or at 260 1st Ave., adjacent to the Cathedral block in her residential quarters. In those studios she taught not only piano, but also mandolin and guitar at the rate of eight lessons for $6. She was apparently a teacher of the old school, a professional musician who took her craft seriously and expected the same of her students. She booked lessons in series and took her pay in advance. She offered no refunds for missed lessons, but allowed students to make them up at the end of the series. That policy notwithstanding, she took a dim view of students who missed, as her receipt book admonished, “Pupils missing lessons do not improve, and teachers can not afford to lose regular work each day.” Like her famously hard-driving bishop and probably her miner father as well, she gave a good day’s work for a good day’s pay.

Roderick is a senior at Juan Diego Catholic High School. Out of 800 girls who auditioned for the movie “High School Musical 3,” Roderick was one of nine who was selected as a principal dancer for the movie. “High School Musical 3” was filmed at East High School in Salt Lake City, and will be in theaters Oct. 24.

“There was a week-long open call audition for ‘High School Musical 3’ last March,” said Roderick. “The first day was a private call. My dance instructor told me about the audition. Tuesday and Wednesday were auditions for girls, and Thursday and Friday were the audition days for boys. Friday and Saturday were call back days. The audition took place at Studio 600 in Salt Lake City last March.

“I got a call the following Wednesday night telling me I had been selected as a principal dancer,” said Roderick. “I began working the next day. It was in the middle of March, so I had to completely check out of school and get all my credits from Valley High School. I was gone from Juan Diego the whole fourth quarter of school.

While in public schools there is an ongoing debate as to when and where God may be evoked, Blessed Sacrament is staying true to the instructor’s statement that you may converse with God everywhere: at home, at church, and at school, especially in the Interfaith Meditation Garden.

The garden is a small area on campus grounds designated to be an intimate space to pray and meditate.

“Kids are bombarded with information from TV, video games… and don’t have time of their own to think,” said Sonia West, advancement director and co-creator of the garden.

The name Interfaith Meditation Garden was born from the school’s honest attempt to maintain the student population as united, despite its religious diversity.

“It shows we respect all faiths and want to include all of them within our community,” said Judy Julian, principal. “Non-Catholic students make up about 15 percent of the school’s population.”

Julian said the garden has become a place where students, staff, and community members learn to be quiet and center.

“I once saw a man in the garden, which shows it is not just for the school,” said West.

Each year before school begins, parents, faculty, students, and volunteers gather to clean up the school playground. This assures the playground will be a safe and secure area for the children to play as well as make it an attractive feature of the school property and Saint Olaf Church.

“Kohl’s Cares for Kids” is a promise of hope for a brighter, healthier future for kids in communities around the nation,” said Stephanie Rasmussen, a Kohl’s A-Team Event representative. Kohl’s A-Team provides help in many ways throughout the year. Kohl’s A-Team associates volunteer their time and show their team spirit by participating in nonprofit charitable activities that enrich and transform the lives of children. The A-Team provides opportunities for Kohl’s associates to play an active role in their communities and Kohl’s is enhanced with corporate grants to be given directly to the charity.”

The school, located at 11835 South 3600 West in Riverton, is alive with vivid colors. Holy Cross Sister Karla McKinnie is the principal of the new school, and she oversaw the building of the school with Father Francisco Pires, pastor of St. Andrew Parish.

Built through the generosity of the ALSAM Foundation, St. Andrew Elementary School will be a second feeder school for Juan Diego Catholic High School at the Skaggs Catholic Center, the first feeder school being St. John the Baptist Elementary and Middle Schools.

Each year during the month of June, thousands of high school students gather on college campuses throughout the United States for a week-long citizenship training sponsored by the American Legion. For more than 60 years, the nation’s largest veteran’s organization has given high school juniors the opportunity to learn first-hand how their state and local governments work through its auxiliary’s Girls’ State and Boys’ State programs.

Participants create a fictional state where they run for office, elect public officials, create and enforce laws, and actively participate in all phases of running a working government modeled on their own local, county, and state governments.

For the past nine years, the Catholic Woman’s League (CWL) has been a strong advocate for the participation of young women from our Catholic high schools in this program by offering scholarships. This year, Kristi Brown and Erin O’Brien were the two delegates to attend Girl’s State from Judge Memorial Catholic High School. Juan Diego Catholic High School and Saint Joseph

Catholic High School were unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts.

Brown and O’Brien are now seniors at Judge Memorial, are honor roll students, served as captains of the varsity cheerleaders as juniors, and both are members of the school’s dance company, in which Brown is an officer. Both girls showed leadership experience in being chosen as delegates.

Brown wanted to go to Girls’ State so she could learn about the government as much as she wanted to meet new people.

“When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed with how many girls were there,” said Brown. “But once we met our roommates and were put into our cities it was really fun.

“Our daily activities included listening to public officials such as the state attorney, Cedar City’s police chief, and Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.,” said Brown. “Gov. Huntsman said he became intrigued about the government when he learned about it in school, and decided that is what he wanted to do with his life.”

Brown explained there are red and green offices at Girls State. A girl can hold as many green offices as she likes, but there are only 20 red offices, and you can only be elected to one such as the city mayor, county board member, and governor. These positions become your responsibility. Brown was elected as a city council woman and a state delegate.

He also marveled at the school supplies inside the backpack. He took out his new scissors, ruler, folders, pencils –stuff that would make anyone want to go back to school.

Hundreds of other kids ready to head back to their classrooms will be as excited as Williams thanks to Catholic Community Services of Utah and those who donated backpacks and school supplies during the annual Backpack Bonanza. “These backpacks go to the children of our clients in the refugee resettlement, the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul, and the Women’s treatment programs,” said Kathryn Brussard, Development Director. “So many of these parents don’t have the money to buy a good, solid backpack that will last the school year,” she said.

Nora Gleason, an orphan from the Nevada mining camps, became Bishop Scanlan’ personal secretary and organist and choir director at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

When Miss Nora Gleason’s short life came to an end at Salt Lake City’s Holy Cross Hospital on May 26, 1918, the newspaper obituaries could agree on her birth year – 1873— but not on her birthplace. The Deseret News identified it as Virginia City, Nevada, while the Intermountain Catholic said it was Silver City, Nevada. The Salt Lake Tribune gave her point of origin as “Silver Wreath,” Utah (How we wish Utah geography had a place with such a name!). When one corrects that to “Silver Reef,” the mining town near St. George, that birthplace becomes impossible, for miners did not begin to be attracted to the silver deposits there in significant numbers until 1875.

Gallegos received the 2008 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Heroism, June 3 at the State Capitol Building. Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., said, “I’m proud of you. Your selfless act of running into a burning house to rescue three small children, without regard for your personal safety, is remarkable. Because of your heroism, a family grieves only a lost structure rather than a lost child.”

The fire happened in a home near 800 West and 200 North in Salt Lake City about 7:30 p.m., in the fall of 2007. The flames destroyed the home. According to the Salt Lake Fire Department, the damage totaled about $90,000. The cause of the fire was not determined.

Fr. Flegge attended St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. He was ordained for the Diocese of Salt Lake City April 30, 1960. He has served the Diocese of Salt Lake City at St. Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City, St. Elizabeth Parish, Richfield, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Cathedral Parish, Salt Lake City, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, St. James Parish, Ogden, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Provo, and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish most recently. He also has served as dean of the Northern Deanery and of the Wasatch Deanery.
Fr. Flegge is 78 years old.

“I’m going to do what I can to help out,” Fr. Flegge told the Intermountain Catholic. “I’m going to try not to get too scheduled."

Devin Kallas, from Juan Diego Catholic High School, won a shot put individual state championship event by throwing the shot put 55 feet 2 inches. This was a school record and enough to win an individual event.

Dan Quinn, Judge Memorial head track and field coach said, “Our girls took state without ever taking first place in any individual event or relay. “It is probably one of the most team-centered championships we have won where we did not have just one outstanding person.

Lisa Reed, girls head cross country coach said the girls cross country team won the state title in 2002 and 2003. The girls came in second place in 2001. Reed and Javier Chavez both coach the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams. Chavez was out of town at the time of the interview with the Intermountain Catholic. The boys won the state title seven times in the last nine years in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005. They came in second place in 2004 and 2006.

“The running tradition started with the graduating class of 2004 at Saint Joseph Elementary School, which was the first class who had an eighth grade,” said Reed. “Chavez helped coach at the grade school at that time.

The Saint Joseph Catholic High School girls’ tennis team won their Region 17 title in 2007, which was the first time in the history of the school, and the 2007 State 1A-2A State Championship Tennis Title. This was the first time since 1979, that the girls have won a state championship.

“The Judge Memorial Catholic High School boys’ tennis team had not won a state title since 1981,” said Hank Kennedy, Judge Memorial head tennis coach. “They won the 2008 State Championship Title May 17 at Liberty Park, where all the tennis tournaments are played.

“It still makes me sad when I pass by it… but the people didn’t fit in there anymore,” she said.

The community of St. Francis Assisi outgrew the church and had to look for other options to make Mass participation more comfortable.

Last week’s Intermountain Catholic also ran a little wire story about the parents of St. Thérèse. Pope Benedict has approved the beatification of St. Thérès’s parents, Louis and Marie Zélie Guerin Martin. The couple will be beatified Oct. 19, World Mission Sunday, during a Mass in the Basilica of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, France. Louis and Marie Zélie Guerin had nine children, five of whom joined religious orders. Louis was a watchmaker and Marie made lace.

“With Empty Hands” is the way Thérèse said she always wanted to meet God – with hands empty and open to him. Having had limited education, Thérèse followed two of her sisters, Pauline and Marie, into the Carmel at Lisieux. She entered religious life at the young age of 15. She was not overly influenced by her sisters (the third girl in the family, Léonie became a Visitandine sister). De Meester wrote that Thérèse was drawn to religious life by her “dream ideal... The ideal that had captivated the youngest Martin sister was neither an ideology nor an object, but a human being unlike any other. It was Jesus himself. Thérèse aspired to love Jesus passionately, with all her heart.”