Why we Cancelled the Simon Bruté Awards Masses

By MATT POTTER

RADICAL JOY — CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP AND ABUNDANCE

For many years, our diocese has recognized parishioners who exemplify Catholic stewardship by inducting them into the Bruté Society, named after Servant of God Bishop Simon Bruté, the first bishop of the historic Diocese of Vincennes, part of which is now the Diocese of Evansville. As our first shepherd, Bishop Bruté established and nurtured this young church on the frontier of the Northwest Territory by giving completely of himself even to death.

We were in the final stages of preparation to hold two Simon Bruté Award Masses and Solemn Ceremonies of Induction on Nov. 1 at St. Benedict Cathedral and Nov. 15 at St. Joseph Church in Jasper.

We planned to have two ceremonies this year, as last year’s ceremony would have been so close to the Mass celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Evansville and the dedication of St. Benedict Cathedral. While not necessarily a conflict, the proximity of the two would likely have moderated the importance of both. We thought that we would honor Bruté award members for both 2019 and 2020 at the same time in November 2020. Surely we would be able to do this without a problem.

But then, as they say, COVID-19.

However, we were intent on honoring the Bruté award recipients from 2019 and 2020 one way or another, ultimately committing to the two ceremonies and limiting seating to award winners only so we could maintain social distancing requirements.

Award letters were sent to the 140 recipients detailing the events. Then, just a couple of weeks before the Mass at St. Benedict, we were faced with COVID-19 numbers climbing again. The bishops of Indiana made the difficult decision to extend the dispensation for Mass beyond Nov. 1 and to continue to encourage those over 65 and those with underlying health issues to remain home because of the increase in cases. As inductees would be coming from all parts and the diocese and many of them were in the high-risk category, we reluctantly canceled both Masses to protect the health and well-being of the participants. We were truly saddened by this course of events but believe it was the best course of action for all concerned.

None of these decisions came in a vacuum and were made with consultation of clergy and lay leadership at the Catholic Center and throughout the diocese, all with the intent of giving Bishop Joseph M. Siegel the information he needed to make the final call. We were all in agreement with this difficult decision.

Before we end our thoughts for this column, dear reader, let me mention how one gets to be nominated for the Simon Bruté award. Pastors and Parish Pastoral Councils try to discern and vet individuals who selflessly give of their time, talent and treasure to their parish communities.   Many parishioners exemplify those qualities, and we ask our parishes to look for and select those whose devotion and dedication to the parish can best and simply be described as “extraordinary.”  Let me offer an example.

In my work for the church, I have been tasked with putting together committees to help with projects and planning. That means contacting individuals and asking for their help. After explaining what it was I had in mind, almost without fail, the first words out of the person’s mouth were “How much time will this take?”

I understand this response entirely. People are busy and genuinely want to help, yet there is constant tension on managing schedules. But every once in a while I came across someone who answered simply, “of course I will.” This was never someone who was looking to pad a resume but genuinely understood that she was being asked to help build the Kingdom of God through the use of the gifts God had given her. The genuine and selfless nature of the individual filled the space between us. She loved the church and would do anything the Lord asked by way of helping her diocese and parish.

In my view, that is “extraordinary.” No conditions, no exceptions. Just “yes.” That’s what it takes to be a member of the Simon Bruté society.

As you read the names of the newest members of the Simon Bruté society in this issue of The Message, remember their induction came about because they lived their lives as Disciples of Jesus Christ, stewards of God’s many gifts to us, His children. Like Servant of God Simon Bruté, they have given completely of themselves. Congratulations to all of them!

As always, thanks for reading. I would love to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. Like and Follow us on Facebook Radical Joy - Diocese of Evansville Stewardship; Twitter @Radicallyjoyful; Check out our blog radicaljoy.blog.