CANCER SHRINE TO OPEN IN MESA

First of its kind in Arizona

MESA, Ariz. – (November 6, 2009) The dedication of the St. Peregrine Shrine – Arizona’s first 24-hour Adoration Chapel devoted to serving families of all faiths affected by cancer will take place with Bishop Thomas Olmsted at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1551 E. Dana Ave, Mesa.
The free standing 2,400 sq. foot gold-domed shrine will hold up to 70 people and will be open 24 hours a day for prayer. The shrine is devoted to serving families of all faiths affected by cancer and offers emotional and spiritual support, cancer resources, education, outreach, wigs, treatment supplies, and medical equipment loan all free of charge. Staffed by volunteers trained by the American Cancer Society, the shrine will ensure that families affected by cancer have support in all areas of their cancer journey.
“A cancer diagnosis can be very complicated. It may bring with it grief, changes in lifestyle and appearance, spiritual concerns, financial concerns, physical changes, and a great sense of powerlessness. The shrine wants to help families affected by this disease cope with the diagnosis and everything that comes with. We fully expect miracles here.” said Shrine Director, Melissa Veselovsky.
Veselovsky’s words are echoed by a National Cancer Institute study on spirituality and cancer care that found “spiritual and religious well-being may be associated with improved quality of life in the following ways: reduced anxiety, depression, and discomfort; better adjustments to the effects of cancer and its treatment; increased ability to enjoy life during cancer treatment; feeling of personal growth as a result of living with cancer; and improved health outcomes.”
“If we can help people cope with cancer by supporting them emotionally and spiritually – we should see more people surviving cancer.”
The St. Peregrine Chapel is named after St. Peregrine Laziosi, a thirteenth-century monk that was miraculously healed from cancer.
For more information, contact the Chapel Director at 480-844-4493 or www.cancershrine.org or www.cancershrine.blogspot.com on the internet.

Cancer Survival Strategies

The St. Peregrine Shrine has come up with "Seven Strategies for Cancer Surivival." You can read them here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-18324-Phoenix-Cancer-Examiner~y2009m10d23-Cancer-shrine-strategies-for-cancer-survival

Please feel free to email or post your suggestions for future articles on cancer survival. We would love to hear from you.

Expect Miracles Gala

All are invited to the "Expect Miracles" Gala hosted by 12 News' Rick DeBruhl and his wife, Patricia DeBruhl, an oncology social worker for Banner Desert Hospital for an evening of excitement and joy as we celebrate and raise money for the St. Peregrine Chapel - Arizona's first Adoration Chapel devoted to serving persons affected by cancer. Special concert by renowned performing artists julie and Kurt Carrick, live and silent auctions, and a chance to bid on sculptor Sandi Clark's 14" bronze model of the life size statue of St. Peregrine commissioned exclusively for the chapel.

The final deadline for tickets has been extended to October 31, 2009.

For reservations, you may email melissav@ctk-catholic.org or call 480-844-4493, or mail the information below to CTK-Expect Miracles Gala (1551 E. Dana Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85204). Visa, MC, and Discover accepted. You may also email melissav@ctk-catholic.org for an official registration form.

WIG OUT WITH ST. PEREGRINE Wig Drive

Wig Out with St. Peregrine!
During the month of September, drop off or mail your new or used wigs to the St. Peregrine Chapel at Christ the King - 1551 E. Dana Ave. Mesa, AZ 85204. The wigs will be cleaned and styled and given to people with cancer - free of charge. Wigs are often an expensive and dreaded part of dealing with cancer treatment side effects. Please help us make things easier for people with cancer by donating your wigs. LET'S COLLECT 300 WIGS THIS SEPTEMBER! WE CAN DO IT!! SPREAD THE WORD. Email the chapel director at melissav@ctk-catholic.org for a flyer to email to others or post in your community or on your website.

St. Therese of Lisieux Window

The second stained glass window to be installed in the chapel (by Utopian Studios) was St. Therese of Lisieux. St. Therese, also called "The Little Flower", was born in France on January 2, 1873. She was a determined and strong-willed child. Therese's mother died of breast cancer when Therese was only 4 years old. Therese's sisters became mothers to her and each went on to join the Carmelite order when they came of age. Therese shared their desire for vocation at an early age. In 1887 her indomitable spirit was evident when she had the courage to beg the pope for acceptance into the order even though she had been forbidden to speak to him. She entered the Carmelite order in 1888. St. Therese suffered from illness and had periods of time when she felt isolated from the Lord. Through her own suffering and struggle, she came to realize that trusting in Jesus was the path to holiness and that making small daily sacrifices was the way to His Sacred Heart. St. Therese knew the pain of losing her mother from cancer, her father from stroke, and several Carmelite Sisters from influenza. St. Therese died after a long struggle with tuberculosis on September 30, 1897.

ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX PRAYER

Dear St. Therese,
You were stubborn and strong.
Yet through your trials you held fast to the love of the Lord and looked to him for light in the darkness.
Please pray that I may find light in the darkness as I face this struggle.
Pray that I may find little ways to recognize His face in the midst of my own pain.
Even if it means allowing others to help me or forgiving people that I don't like.
It is the ordinary things done with great love that can reveal His glory to me.
Please pray to God on my behalf.
(your intention)
Amen.

COPYRIGHT 2009 ST. PEREGRINE CHAPEL

St. Padre Pio Window Installed

A couple of weeks ago, the first stained glass window designed by Utopian Studios of Mesa, AZ was installed in the chapel. The incscription on the window reads "St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Although his name is technically "St. Pio", he is known affectionately to most as "Padre Pio" so the decision was made to place "Padre" in the inscription. St. Padre Pio was born in Petrelcina, Italy on May 25, 1887. He had an extraordinary call to holiness and consecrated his life to God at the age of five. He joined the Capuchin Friars at age 15 and was ordained to priesthood at age 23. Padre Pio prayed almost continuously and was known for contemplation and simple prayer. Although Padre Pio suffered from physical and spiritual afflictions, he worked 19 hour days and denied himself vacation time. He was blessed with many spiritual gifts such as healing, bilocution, stigmata, and reading people's hearts. He saw Christ in those who suffer - such as the sick and the poor. He encouraged his followers to "Bring God to all those who are sick. This will help them more than any other remedy." He knew what it meant to bear the burden of a loved one - as he bore the stigmata - the physical wounds of Christ. He died on September 23, 1968.

ST. PIO PRAYER

Dear Padre Pio,
My heart is heavy.
I need God's help to continue.
I am burdened and am in need of His strength to carry the load.
I am sorry for my sins.
I am far from being perfect and know that there is much that I can do to be closer to God.
You showed love and kindness to the poor and sick in your lifetime.
Please show this compassion to me as I carry this cross.
Please pray that I may be gracious and loving to others and keep my eyes focused on Our Lord.
Please pray to God on my behalf.
(your intention)
Amen.

COPYRIGHT 2009 ST. PEREGRINE CHAPEL

St. Anne's Cancer Ministry Coordinator Dies

Last Thursday, Healing Through the Body of Christ Cancer Ministry Volunteer Coordinator for St. Anne's Catholic Church in Gilbert, lost her battle with cancer. Debbie Bond was an incredible volunteer and an inspiration to people faced with a cancer diagnosis. Despite enduring treatments for Stage IV Breast Cancer for almost four years, Debbie worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. An engraved brick will be placed at the chapel as a permanent reminder of the love and compassion that she showed for others. We have no doubt that she will have the best seat in the house for the dedication of the chapel in November. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Gilbert on Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 11am.

Channel 3 News Story

On June 1, 2009, Tess Rafols of Phoenix local news channel 3 did a great story on the chapel. She interviewed Emily Bayda, a student at Christ the King school and a brain tumor survivor. We are very proud of Emily and think she did an incredible job! And thank you Channel 3 for helping us spread the word!

2009 GOLF TOURNAMENT

The 2nd Annual St. Peregrine Charity Golf Tournament, hosted by the Knights of Columbus and Christ the King, was held on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at the Arizona Golf Resort in Mesa, AZ. Our sponsors: Fiat HVAC, DBR Electric, Arizona Watertite Systems Roofing, and Tim's Auto Group helped make our event a great success and we raised almost $6,000 for the chapel! We are grateful to everyone involved in the tournament - from the members of the committee to the sponsors, players and dinner guests. We are looking forward to another great event next year!

Pilgrimages

We often get questions from people wanting to know more about making a pilgrimage. We believe that a pilgrimage can be very healing. The trip, however, is not always so much about the final destination as it is about the journey itself. It can be a metaphor for our relationship with God. Often times people travel to specific destinations believing that if only he or she could get to the site - a healing will occur - such as a cure from cancer. The problem, though, is that often times the miracle that the person was hoping for does not occur and faith is lost instead of gained. In many cases, the journey was what was important but the person missed it because he or she was fixated on the final destination. There is nothing wrong with believing that God will heal us but it is important to remember that it is God that determines what healing will occur - not us. When we ignore the journey, we ignore the call from God to really come to Him. If we get to a Holy site and expect a miracle without opening ourselves up completely to Him, we are often disappointed or fail to see the real miracles. God loves us completely and without reservation. We must be diligent in our quest for closeness to Him - even in the midst of our stress and sorrow. God uses our pilgrimages as an opportunity for us to grow closer to Him just as we are getting closer to a certain site. When we get to the site, we should honor God and allow Him to guide us rather than trying to tell God what He should do for us. It is vital that we seek spiritual healing for those are the miracles that stay with us through eternity. Physical healing lasts only as long as our earthly bodies. When visitors come to the St. Peregrine Chapel, we want them to be active participants - praying, seeking, and opening up their hearts. There really are miracles - and they happen every day.

Exciting News:
We had our first "pilgrims" to the shrine this week. On Thursday, we welcomed a group from Houston, Texas. Even though the chapel is not open yet, our cancer ministry was ready to help them on their cancer journey. It is our hope that they felt comforted and loved. It was an honor and a privilege to have met them and we look forward to seeing them again.

AZ Republic Story

The Arizona Republic did a story in last Sunday's paper and you may read it here: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/04/19/20090419cancerchapel0419.html

LANDSCAPE DESIGN IDEAS

Landscape Ideas

Now that construction is nearing completion, the team has been discussing the final plan for the landscape around the chapel. Initially, the idea was to have some type of cross pattern made up of the engraved bricks in a path leading up to the doors of the chapel. We have since come to realize that a cross pattern may not be the best solution. First, the location of the chapel doors is perpendicular to the walkway to the main church. No matter which way we looked at it, it could be perceived as facing the wrong way. Was West or South the right way? Secondly, we wanted to tie the landscape plan of the chapel into a new master plan for the landscape of the entire campus. We know that we want to continue to offer the engraved bricks to people to memorialize someone they love and/or show their support after the chapel is built so after thinking, researching, sketching, and standing in the space and thinking some more, we came up with an alternate plan. With the idea that cancer is a journey, we came up with a design featuring a curved garden path. We discovered several advantages to the pathway: 1. More bricks could be added than the cross pattern and the blank bricks would be easier to remove and replace with engraved ones. 2. It encourages people to walk the path and use it as a mediation and metaphor for their own journeys. 3. It helps people to be a part of the garden - rather than just an outsider looking in. 4. The path will curve around and also lead to the main church. 5. There will be benches and grassy areas so that people can socialize or find a quiet place to sit. 6. We are going to place a substantial crucifix in the chapel and it seemed like we were using the cross motif too many times in a very small area (in the pathway, on the dome, on the exterior walls of the chapel, on an interior door in the church, on the interior walls, and then a very large crucifix on the wall inside).
As we revised the path, we also looked very carefully at the plants. Except for the small areas of grass, all of the plants that we chose were listed as drought tolerant - low water use plants so that we can conserve water. We chose plants that were easy to maintain, had low litter, smelled good, and looked pretty. We have an area on the west side of the chapel reserved for a Native American garden. This will be designed with the input of the American Indian tribes in Arizona. There is a huge need for cancer support in their communities and we want them to feel comfortable coming to us if they need us. Take a look at the designs and let us know what you think. We even added a pot of Chocolate Flowers near the chapel doors so that people wouldn't have to bend over to smell their chocolate scent. (And yes, it is true - there really is a flower called the Chocolate Flower - and it really does smell like chocolate - and it is native to Arizona!) (If you are not familiar with the other design idea - the cross design - you can view it at www.cancershrine.org

The cross went on the chapel this morning as scheduled and the gold metal for the dome was placed shortly after. Workers hoisted the 8ft cross with a crane and fastened it to a specially constructed steel plate at the top of the dome.

Big Day Tomorrow

We got word earlier today that the 8ft gold cross will be placed on the top of the chapel tomorrow. The crane will arrive at 7am and the cross will be placed atop the dome sometime before 8am. The gold metal on the dome will be placed sometime tomorrow after the cross is placed. It is an exciting development as tomorrow is Good Friday. Such an appropriate day to add such an incredible symbol of our faith.

April 6, 2009 Photos

It is a beautiful day in Mesa today. The sky is blue and the air is slightly breezy. I walked over to the chapel today and marvelled at how amazing it is to be involved in such a great project. I see it sitting solidly on consecrated ground and imagine that it is waiting patiently for the opportunity to serve.

Stained Glass

There are four stained glass windows planned for the chapel: St. Padre Pio, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Philomena/St. John Vianney, and St. Luke. I will go into more detail on the lives of the saints and why they were chosen in future blogs. The stained glass is being custom-made by Utopian Studios in Mesa, AZ. We are blessed to be able to have one of the finest stained glass artists in the country, J.R. Lupkin (shown in picture), design and paint the glass. He started his work in stained glass art and fabrication in 1959 and graciously agreed to come out of retirement to work on our windows. His work can be seen online at http://www.utopianstudios.com/ as well as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson and St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Phoenix (voted best church interior by the Arizona Republic in 2008). The picture shows Mr. Lupkin next to the scale drawing of our St. Padre Pio window. We wanted the windows designed with meaningful images and symbolism. For example, when you see each window, there will be an element of water in each one, symbolizing the cleansing water of baptism. The top of each window will have the cross and Eucharist to symbolize that healing comes through the body of Christ. Only one of the saints was verified to be a martyr and that window will be the only one with clouds in it. It is exciting to see the windows "come to life". Mr. Lupkin and Utopian Studios are very precise in their work and we have no doubt that the windows will be exquisite. (If are interested in donating towards a window, please contact me at melissav@ctk-catholic.org )

Pews

The search for pews has been an adventure and quite an education. Did you know that simple wood pews can cost in excess of $1,500 per 4ft of bench? And that does not include kneelers ,book racks, installation, or delivery! It has been suggested that we obtain discarded pews from churches that are remodeling and use them to save money. We definitely looked into that option but the results were discouraging. It seems that many churches are discarding used upholstered pews. They are moving away from upholstered pews because of the cost of upkeep and often poor quality of the materials underneath the padding. According to pew manufacturers, padded pews have cheaper wood underneath the padding because it won't be seen. We have selected unpadded pews so that we will not have the cost and worry of cleaning and maintaining padded pews. In addition, the solid wood pew has the potential to last the entire life of the chapel whereas the padded pew or its fabric may need to be replaced in time. The solid wood pews will be easier to keep clean for the many visitors that may have compromised immune systems. If we find that visitors would like some extra padding, we can provide individual seat pillows for people to borrow. When we found discarded solid wood pews, the cost of refinishing them was quite high and often times the style did not fit the architecture of our chapel. The decision was made to take the time to raise the money for the pews, find a furniture maker that could give us the best price, and do it right the first time. If you know anyone that would like to donate for the pews, let us know! You can email melissav@ctk-catholic.org or call us at 480-964-1719.

April Update

As you can see by the pictures, it is getting exciting! The first picture is a view from the main entrance - just as you enter the chapel. A bathroom will be on the left and an office on the right. The other doors are for electrical and plumbing areas. The next interior views is from the sanctuary. The domed area will be directly above the altar. The third interior photo shows the view from the altar looking out through the double sets of doors to the entrance. The final photo shows the exterior of the chapel and workers constructing the cross decorations. We are trying to finish construction by Easter. This means that the structure will be complete and the chapel will be a safe building. This does not mean, however that we will be ready for visitors. There will not be any pews, stained glass, statuary, altar, woodwork or other furnishings in the chapel. Church furnishings are quite expensive and we still need donations to pay for them. We are searching out the most cost effective solutions but do not have the funds to pay for all of them. I will discuss specific items in future postings.

Catching Up

Here are some pictures from the last few months to give you an idea of our progress.

The walls of the chapel are made of foam forms filled with concrete (ICF or Insulated Concrete Forms). The diocese takes buildings such as ours very seriously. We were required to build it of brick & mortar or stone. ICF is very energy efficient and less expensive than brick, so the diocese encouraged us to use it for our structure. As a result, the chapel will be strong, cool, and quiet. In addition, we placed all of the air conditioning duct work under the floor to minimize noise and maximize cooling in the 110+ degree summers.

We have come a long way in a short amount of time. The picture below was taken only 3 months later.

John Barrett, Superintendent , D.L. Withers. John keeps a clean and safe job site. D.L. Withers has been exceptional in their interactions with the parish and their reverence for the spiritual nature of this project. They work with integrity and we are continually impressed with the high quality of their work and their ability to remain on schedule.

December 2009

November 2009

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS MARCH 6, 2009

Introduction

Today is the first day of the St. Peregrine Chapel Blog. It's purpose is to educate and inform people on the progress of construction and the activities related to the St. Peregrine Chapel & Shrine. The St. Peregrine Chapel is one of those extraordinary projects that is clearly a work of the Holy Spirit. If you have ever wanted to watch God's work happen right before your eyes - take a look at the chapel. The Holy Spirit has been at hand since the plans were drawn. Every path that has been taken was the work of the Lord. As the project unfolds it becomes more and more clear that God is guiding the work, not man.
Construction is going very well and the trusses for the dome were placed last week. There is a possibility that the 8ft gold cross will be placed this weekend. The dome will be gold in color when it is finished and we should see those panels going on in about 3 weeks.
A display was created at the back of the church so parishioners can see the design choices that we have made for the chapel. We still need funds to pay for the pews, statuary, stained glass, landscape, etc. Donations can be made online at http://www.cancershrine.org/
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