Advent Evening with Bishop William Medley December 13, 2016

With Advent more than halfway over, Ursuline Sisters and friends came to the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center on Dec. 13, 2016, for “An Advent Evening with Bishop William Medley.”

The Most Rev. William Medley, bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., chose Mary as his topic for Advent, and shared many interesting insights into how the Blessed Mother has been portrayed throughout the history of the Catholic Church. Here are some photos from the evening.

Bishop William Medley said the second chapter of the Gospel of John, regarding the Wedding Feast at Cana, contains his favorite words of Mary in scripture. After Mary tells Jesus the hosts have run out of wine, Mary instructs the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Bishop Medley tells those present that it wasn’t until the fourth century that leaders of the Church gave Mary the Greek name “Theotokos,” which means “God-bearer.” Listening from left are Ursuline Sister Mary Matthias Ward, Emily DeMoor, Jim Sullivan and Ursuline Sister Eva Boone.
Ursuline Sister Joan Walz, left, laughs as Bishop Medley says despite growing up in Loretto, Ky., the Ursuline Sisters who taught him never told him that Loreto, Italy, is the home of the Holy House, purportedly the house where the Holy Family lived. Legend says it was transported by angels during the Crusades from Nazareth to Loreto. Also listening from left are Ursuline Sisters Catherine Kaufman and Nancy Murphy, and Father Richard Powers.
Ursuline Sisters, from left, Lois Lindle, Mary Agnes VonderHaar, Alfreda Malone and Clara Reid, listen to Bishop Medley say that he enjoyed singing Mary songs in his youth because unlike the Latin hymns used at Mass, Mary songs were in English.
Bishop Medley said that rather than explore the humanity of Jesus, Church leaders chose to exalt Mary through the ages. It had the effect of making Mary seem less relatable to the people who are today’s disciples, Bishop Medley said. Listening to those comments are, from left, Ursuline Sisters Francis Louise Johnson, Grace Swift, Cecelia Joseph Olinger and Elaine Burke.
Ursuline Sisters, from left, Mary Angela Matthews, Amelia Stenger and George Mary Hagan listen to Bishop Medley say that the Second Vatican Council sought to reconcile the Catholic Church with its true history. “The Apostles did not come out the day after Pentecost saying Mass in Latin,” Bishop Medley said. “They said it in Aramaic or Hebrew, the language of the people.”
Ursuline Sisters Joseph Angela Boone, Ruth Gehres, Marietta Wethington and Rose Jean Powers listen to Bishop Medley say, “If theologians now want to preach the humanity of Jesus, does that mean Mary is out of a job? No.”
Ursuline Associate Joan Perry is joined by Melvin Fleischmann, center, and Jeff Payne. They heard Bishop Medley said that Vatican II wanted to make Mary more human and relatable to all of us.
Bishop Medley addresses the gathering in Conference Room A of the Retreat Center.