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November 2002
Bishop Povish: His Fight With
Cancer
I figured that I ought to practice what I preached. I look back to those years when I was in a parish and six years when I was a full-time teacher. People would have some tough breaks and I used to tell them things like this: 'You say the Lord's Prayer every day. Every day you say, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is heaven" and it's easy to say when things are going good. But when things get rough, you gotta say it, and you gotta mean it: "Thy will be done!"' I don't know how many people I told that to, so I figured that I gotta do the same thing.
"This all started in the summer of 1994, and I've never asked the question, 'Why me?' Because if I think of all the people who died of cancer - my father, my maternal grandmother, others in the family, all the cancer victims I buried as a pastor - I could just as logically say, 'Why not me?' I just said, 'Lord, help me put up with this. I'll fight it as long as I can because I'm enjoying life.' "I had a colonoscopy in April, followed by 30 radiation treatments
and five chemotherapy treatments. They declared remission that same
year in August of 1994." Laughingly, Bishop Povish says, "Gosh, after retirement I
made more money than I ever made on the job! I was invited to do
all these missions, all these retreats, all these preaching assignments,
in five different states. My income taxes zoomed up for that period
- not a care in the world.
Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death. CCC No. 1500 I asked Bishop Povish pointedly: "Are you afraid of death?"
"No, I guess I don't fear it," he replied. "How long
have I prayed: 'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death'? I'm going to have a lot of support! Bishop Povish did admit to a dislike in life. "I don't like
snakes," he pointed out. "I don't like fish, green beans
or mushrooms either! I've never been afraid of walking the streets
of big cities. I don't remember ever really being afraid. I've been
behind the Iron Curtain and wasn't afraid there." His down-to-earth style of writing and no nonsense approach to life has inspired countless people throughout his "second" career as a journalist. For a man who has inspired so many, I asked: "Who inspires you?" "I taught American history for six years," he said. "It's always been a hobby for me as I liked history in high school. I've always admired Abraham Lincoln since childhood. Few men have faced failure as many times in their lives as he did to ultimately achieve their dream - only to then face the greatest trial one can imagine: the preservation of the Union itself!"
I didn't feel I needed it - I felt strong - it was just words then, you know? Now, they are more than just mere words." "The same thing is true with the Psalms. I read them for about 45 minutes a day, and they have really come to life because they were written for every kind of human situation, and they sure have a wealth of meaning now."
Postscript: When I first arrived at the retired priests'
condominiums on the grounds of St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt,
I realized that I wasn't quite sure which one was KJP's. There were
no names on the mailboxes to designate them, and I didn't want to
keep him waiting. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me find him, and
laughed inwardly at the thought of such a silly request. I parked
my car, got out and just stood still for a moment taking in my surroundings.
I realized at once which unit KJP was in and walked up and rang
the doorbell. That familiar smiling face appeared at the now opened
door. I said to him, "I really didn't know which one you were
in!" Bishop Povish on the best decision he ever made
I used to stay out late at night and he knew I was seeing these
different girls. I was kind of wild. That was all he had to say. Karen may be homebound
"I don't look at the things I can't do. I just do the best I can with God's help," says Karen, a parishioner at St. Pius Church, Flint. "I don't really think about praying. I just do it all the time." According to her friend, Jean Haines, "If you want anything, ask Karen to pray for it." Paavola and Haines belong to the Victorious Missionaries, a spiritual group that was founded on the premise that the best people to minister to people with disabilities are other people with disabilities. The VMs, as they call themselves, provide spiritual support for all people with disabilities or who are chronically ill. The group includes the elderly, the homebound, the mentally retarded, and the physically disabled. Those who can get out and about serve in their parishes as readers and Eucharistic ministers, or visit nursing homes and put on retreats for people with retardation. Those who are homebound minister by praying for others, sending birthday cards to people in nursing homes and group residences, or by stuffing envelopes for the organization's mailings. Jean, who has multiple sclerosis, says that Paavola's positive attitude is a ministry unto itself. "It's impossible to feel sorry for yourself when you talk to Karen," she explains. "She helps you to see that God has a purpose for your life and you should be thankful to Him for all the gifts He's given you. She helps people to see what's truly important in life." Karen says that because she doesn't act like a "poor me" person, other people don't look at her that way, either. "I thank God for my life," she says. "I never wonder why He let this happen to me. God gives you what you can handle. I don't think anybody else in my family could do this, but then, I couldn't do what they do, either." Noting that many people feel uncomfortable interacting with the homebound and people with disabilities, Karen offered a bit of advice that has helped her as she ministers to others. "I'm legally blind, so I can't see a person. I don't know what anybody looks like, so I can accept them for who they are on the inside," she says. "You have to remember that God loves everybody, and God made everybody, regardless of what they look like. If you can get beyond being afraid of appearances, it's easy to love them the way God wants us to." Karen and her mother, Martha, both serve on the board of the Flint chapter of the Victorious Missionaries, which has about 150 members in the Flint area. Those members who are able to get out meet on the third Sunday of the month at St. Pius. The chapter is part of a larger international organization founded 39 years ago by Fr. John Maronic, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate. The group is headquartered at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill. "We are disciples of Christ," says Jean, coordinator of the Flint chapter. "Our goals are empathy, education, encouragement, and empowerment. We try to help people cope and show them that there is hope, even if you are handicapped or ill. We stress the power of prayer, because everyone can pray." For more information on the Victorious Missionaries, call Jean Haines in Flint at (810) 732-1068, or visit the VM Web site at www.vmusa.org Ministry Focus: Diocese of Lansing Aging Ministry "We've been distributing prayer intentions since 1983," McKay explains. "The intentions come from anyone in the diocese who has something for which they want an elder to pray. ... Our seniors say they keep the intention cards from year to year. They don't want to stop praying for someone's intentions just because they get a new card." Are the efforts of the senior prayer warriors effective? While many of the people praying may never know the results of their ministry, McKay notes that her office does hear back occasionally about the power of prayer. "We've had several people write an intention of thanksgiving that their request from the previous year had been granted," she says. "It's nice to hear about answered prayers." If you would like to have a homebound senior pray for your intention, contact the aging ministry office at (517) 342-2467. Bringing the Mass to the Homebound Dr. Doyle's focus on the poor
"Twenty minutes later I saw her standing in the doorway," Doyle said. "She got down on her knees in front of me and thanked God that I came. She asked if our group could stay longer to take care of more people." Doyle is a member of the Michigan chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, or VOSH, as well as the DeWitt Breakfast chapter of Lions Clubs International. Both groups collect eyeglasses and send professionals abroad to provide vision care. The World Health Organization established a 20-year vision care initiative in 2000 with a goal of eliminating preventable blindness by that time. It does not estimate the number of people affected by near- or far-sightedness, but predicts that the worldwide need for vision care will continue to increase. On trips to Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras and a recently-completed journey to Latvia, Doyle has seen how dire the need can be. "Really, no matter how bad we think we have it here, when you see these places, you see how good we have it," he said. In Honduras, for example, the average income is about $850 a year, with rural families often earning $30 a month or less. Paying for an eye exam is out of the question. Doctors write the prescriptions, then volunteers find the two pairs of glasses in stock that are the closest to it. The patient receives the pair that works best for him or her. Volunteers refer patients with cataracts or other medical needs to local opthalmologists. On one trip, Doyle and his colleagues discovered that a simple magnifying glass could help a young man with retinitis pigmentosa to read. Sometimes - as was the case with a man whose eyes had been burned by acid from an exploding battery - there is little they can do. "Almost anywhere we would go, people would line up," Doyle said. "You start at 7:30 in the morning and go on until you can't see because it's dark." Doyle became interested in optometry at an early age. An athletic boy with poor eyesight, he often broke his glasses or knocked them out of alignment. He'd report to the office of Dr. Harold to have them fixed. "I was visiting his office once or twice a week," Doyle laughed. "I'd watch him and see what he was doing." Doyle attended St. Joseph Church with his parents, Rita and Gaylord, and three younger sisters. The children also attended St. Joseph School. "They scrimped and saved to pay tuition and did whatever was necessary," Doyle said of his parents. Rita, a registered nurse, also did volunteer time providing religious education for children with Down's Syndrome. "It really set an example," Doyle said. He was an altar server and worked as a custodian at St. Joseph School to earn money during high school and college. He attended Lansing Community College, Central Michigan University and graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. Doyle made his first trip, to Haiti, in 1979. Corrupt dictator Baby Doc Duvalier was still in power then, and the military was ever-present. Even today, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The visit was an eye-opener for Doyle. "I was a poor student in my last year of school, but I was thankful for everything that I had," he said. He knew even then that he'd someday make additional trips. After graduation, Doyle worked in Lansing for several years, then decided to establish a practice in DeWitt. He married his wife, Julie, 16 years ago. They have two daughters, Kelly, 13, and Abbey, 10. They attend St. Jude Parish, where Doyle was named Usher of the Year in 2001. He recently finished a yearlong stint as Lions Clubs' district governor, overseeing 47 Michigan chapters. By 1996, Doyle felt he was in a position to help again, and made the Nicaragua trip. He went to Honduras in 1999 and completed the Latvia trip in September. Doyle often tries to provide more than simple eye care on his trips, carrying rosaries and Spanish Bibles to Central America. "It's my opportunity to try to help people," he said. He hopes to arrive soon at a point where he can make a trip every year. "There are other optometrists in Michigan who have gone on 20 of these trips, so I feel like a novice," he said. He knows the trips will be important for years to come. "We could spend a year in one of these countries and never fill the need," he said. "It's a drop in the bucket." How Can You Help? Want to help a group that provides vision care to the needy in other nations? The simplest way is to donate eyeglasses or cash. Volunteers also are needed for overseas trips. Dr. Doyle challenges churches in the Lansing diocese to partner with local Lions clubs to collect eyeglasses. Call the local chapter of Lions Club International to learn more about organizing a drive. To donate cash, send checks payable to VOSH/International to: To learn more about VOSH or Lions Clubs' programs, check the Web at www.vosh.org or www.lionsclubs.org comfort foods food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has
that ability to comfort Have you ever missed a dish that your mother or grandmother made? Do the smells of certain foods bring back fond memories of times together? For most of us it does because food is more than nourishment. It has meaning to it. Check in with someone who is ill or a relative you haven't seen in a while. Consider reconnecting with them by preparing a favorite dish. Chances are it will be a comforting time for you both. If you don't have any family recipes, here are some favorites from FAITH. The magazine's staff has a fondness for mashed potatoes and meatloaf. Below are updated recipes for these old favorites, complemented by a vegetable side dish that includes a hint of honey. Mom's Meatloaf and Tomato Sauce With your hands, mix the ground beef, onion, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Soak the rye bread in milk and crumble soaked bread into meat mixture. Form into a rough loaf and bake on a sheet pan, in a 6-cup casserole dish or in a 9" x 5" loaf pan in a 375° preheated oven for 1 hour. Slice and serve.
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce to a third of its volume. Add tomatoes; cook until tomatoes begin to release their liquid, and then add tomato paste. Season to taste with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and heat one minute more. Serve with meatloaf. Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Bake potatoes and garlic head in a preheated 400° oven for 40 minutes; remove garlic and continue cooking potatoes for 20 more minutes until tender. While the potatoes are still cooking, cut off the pointed end of the garlic head and squeeze the roasted flesh from the skin. Split the cooked potatoes, scoop out the flesh into a large heavy saucepan, and beat in sour cream, half and half or plain yogurt until light and fluffy. Beat in butter and garlic, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reheat in pan or microwave.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add pea pods and cook until tender crisp; drain and set aside. Melt butter in the same pan and stir in cornstarch. Return carrots and peas to pan and stir in honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until heated through.
'______' was here By Douglas E. Culp How many times have you seen some variation of this phrase carved into a desk, written in a bathroom stall, or spray painted on the side of a building? What compels human beings, across all age groups and levels of education, to make this assertion in places where it will most likely be seen by another? The movie, The Shawshank Redemption, provides a window into the reason for this kind of behavior in one of its more powerful scenes. For those who are not familiar with this movie, it is set in a prison and it so happened that one of the convicts was approved for release. He was provided a job in a supermarket as a bagger. After several weeks, he arrived to the room in the halfway house that served as his home. He put on his best set of clothes and readied himself for a journey. After multiple decades in prison, he had been released as an old man into a world that no longer had any meaning nor made any sense to him. Uprooted, he lost the network of relationships and support that he had built during nearly a lifetime in prison.
There is another prevalent phenomenon in our culture that belongs in this discussion: the image of the bartender as counsel to the masses. The bartender is portrayed as someone to whom one can talk when no one else in the world understands. Why is this? Could it be that the bartender is by virtue of his position present and available in a place where people too often turn when things do not go right? This is probably part of it, but perhaps more importantly, it is that the "good" bartenders, the ones that everyone considers friendly, simply listen. When a lonely person is hurting or wants to share a triumph, the bartender fills the need of the person to be heard. We could learn a thing from the bartender. During my time in the seminary, I served as a Eucharistic minister at a hospital. I remember that many of the times, I was at a loss for words - and that these were often the best visits. Because I did not speak, the other person could and inevitably would share with me his or her story. Some of these stories were simply amazing - stories of a concentration camp survivor, of a captain of industry, and of a teacher of over 30 years. There is indeed something inside all of us that has a need to tell the story of our life. For those who are gravely ill, this need becomes even more pronounced. The dwindling presence of our religious orders in hospitals often leaves our loved ones dying alone, without closure, possessed of the suspicion that it does not matter whether they ever existed, and that they left no footprints. They simply get lost in the "coldness" of the institution. As a result, attention is the greatest gift we can give those
who are suffering and/or approaching the end of their life journey.
In a society where attention is a precious commodity, this is
no easy order. True attention requires us to be present physically
first and foremost. In the busyness of our day, amid the noise and
demands of our own lives, it can be challenging (to say the least)
to make time for another. This, however, is not sufficient by itself.
We must also be "present". This gets to the real meaning
of attention, i.e. to attend. In other words, we must be active
as a listener and therefore be willing to be quiet; we must clear
the clutter of thoughts, noise, and lists of things to do from our
mind. In short, giving our attention in this way is similar to the
same movements that are required to enter into a state of meditation
and prayer. In fact, I would argue that such acts of attention are
prayer.
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Rev. Kenneth Povish served from 1975 to 1995 as the third bishop
of Lansing. He is pictured here in his DeWitt home, a condominium
community for retired priests near St. Francis Retreat Center. Behind
him are photos that paint a picture of a life of service to the
Church - from seminary photos to five audiences with the last three
popes.
To
most he is "Bishop Povish" or "Bishop Kenneth."
A rare few simply use his initials: "KJP." The reason
for our meeting was to talk about the sacrament of the sick - more
specifically about the cancer that he was diagnosed with in 1994
and which has now returned. "People are expecting us to be
fairly pithy and insightful," I told him. "Instead of
Tuesdays with Morrie, I think they expect this to be Mondays with
Kenneth or something." He smiled at me with his wide trademark
grin. It's the sort of grin that lets you know he understands -
that he sees the humor, irony and insight of something all at once.
The thought seems to register with him, his smirk turning into a
full-fledged smile. "Well," he replied, "let's do
our best then."
"I
was going periodically for X-rays and blood tests to see if everything
was stable. Then, in January of 2000, they told me, 'There are spots
on your liver.' Since then it's been downhill and I haven't been
able to do very much of anything."
Over
the course of the next year, he had four RFA treatments. Initially,
it appeared as if the treatments were going to be successful. "But,
every month I went for CAT scans and it (RFA) didn't destroy them
- the tumors grew." 
This
year, instead of the RFA treatments, there was a switch to chemo-embolization
treatments - a deliberately placed embolism (or obstruction to an
artery) - to keep poisonous cells out of the liver. "But they're
not working, so my physician began a new regimen of very strong
chemotherapy treatments. I have it two weeks on, with one week of
rest. Then, two more weeks on, with another week of rest."
And
there is one regret - that he has not written a book. "The
book was going to be about Lake Huron," the bishop says. "I've
got this book outlined on an audio tape. ... I just don't have the
energy or the ambition to sit down and write it," Bishop Povish
says. Even though his book is on hold, the bishop continues to write
a weekly column for The Catholic Times and The Catholic
Weekly, as well as a monthly column for FAITH Magazine.
"I enjoy writing. I get a kick out of seeing the darn paper
come and there the thing is. I even enjoy getting the mail. And
if you turn this thing off (the tape recorder), I'll go see if I
have any letters from my reading constituency."
Even
facing cancer, Bishop Povish admits, is just one more thing "
... in a pretty interesting life. ... I see things now I never saw
before. For instance, in the Liturgy prayers that the priest says
silently to himself - I've said for over 50 years - and finally,
when I got sick, it dawned on me what I was saying. (There are)
two (prayers) before Communion and one afterward. People never hear
them because they are never said out loud. ... They're very simple
prayers but, wow! One of the prayers we say before holy Communion
is, 'Lord, Jesus Christ, with faith in your love and mercy, I eat
your Body and drink your Blood. Let it not bring me condemnation
but health in mind and body.' Boy, I say that one with fervor!
Bishop
Povish talks in indirect ways about time and about the inevitability
of the twilight of his life. "I figured that I ought to practice
what I preached," he says. "People would have some tough
breaks and I used to tell them things like this: Every day you
say, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is
heaven" and it's easy to say when things are going good. But
when things get rough, you gotta say it, and you gotta mean it:
"Thy will be done!"' I don't know how many people I told
that to, so I figured that I gotta do the same thing. Therefore,
when they told me in 1994 that ... 'you had a cancer in the colon
and we removed it,' I thought, 'Well golly, I gotta practice what
I preach.' 
It
was becoming a priest. I wavered at one point. It kept coming back
to me. I wanted to be a priest when I was a little kid. I remember
praying my last prayer at night, 'May God bless me, and make me
a priest.' I was under the influence of two very pious grandmothers.
They both urged me to tell the nuns I wanted to be an altar boy.
So I did, and they were very proud and very pleased. 
Once
I got to be an altar boy, my mother's mother said to me, 'Wouldn't
you like to do what Father does?' And I said, 'Yes, I think I would.'
So the nuns found out about it, and they pressed me pretty hard.
I quit Catholic school at the end of the sixth grade and went, instead,
to public school where they wouldn't bug me so much. I went to public
high school where I dated three or four different girls. I think
that both of my grandmothers kind of gave up at that point, but
they kept praying.
During
Lent of my junior year, they were still pressing me about it. So
I went to see my pastor and I showed him this graph that showed
my strong points and me becoming either a lawyer or a teacher. He
picked it up and threw it in his wastebasket! He looked at me and
said, 'I have been waiting for you to come back here and talk to
me about this! You ought to be in a seminary and you know it!' This
was the same priest I used to serve for as an altar boy! He told
me to go home and talk to my parents. He gave me a copy of a seminary
catalog and said, 'Tell your parents you're going to go to seminary
in the fall and let me know what they think.'
Karen
Paavola ministers quietly from her Flint home. You might not think
Karen could do much in the way of ministry. After all, the 51-year-old
woman is unable to use her hands or legs and she is legally blind.
But those limitations don't keep her from praying for others every
day, or from cheering others up with her positive attitude toward
life. 
"Some
people don't think the handicapped have anything to offer. I think
they're wrong," notes Karen, who became disabled 30 years ago
as the result of complications from surgery. "God put everyone
here for a reason, and that reason is to help other people. VMs
are needed people - we're needed by the handicapped and the able-bodied."
Tom
Doyle can't forget the elderly woman he met in Nicaragua in 1996.
The mid-Michigan optometrist was halfway through a seven-day trip
to provide eye examinations in the Central American country when
the woman arrived. She had undergone cataract surgery a few years
before, but had no lens implant to help her focus her eyes. She
could see colors and shapes, but not her grandchildren's faces.
Doyle ran her through a series of tests and wrote a prescription
for glasses. Other volunteers searched the database of donated glasses
and came up with a pair for her.
On
a typical trip, two to four doctors travel with a dozen or more
other volunteers. They'll send ahead or carry along 4,000 to 8,000
pairs of eyeglasses and vision testing equipment while local Lions
clubs and churches spread the word that they're coming. 
You
don't have to be a cooking expert to realize that certain foods
make you feel safe and secure, and comfort you in times of need.
It should also come as no surprise that these foods have their origins
in the misty memories of childhood.
Tomato
Sauce
Honey-Glazed
Pea Pods and Carrots
He
stood on a chair and dug the following into a wooden rafter: "Brooks
was here." The noose then went around his neck and the chair
was knocked on its side. Soon after, he breathed his last breath.
This character died alone, a stranger to the world with no one to
share his story. Yet, he still needed to share it, and this need
found expression in a last impulse to leave a mark indicating that
he had indeed been alive. 
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