Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Around the Diocese
Southern Cross, Page 7
Winchel ordained a deacon
B ishop J. Kevin Boland ordained seminarian
James Scott Winchel to the transitional dia-
conate on December 26, 2008, the Feast of Saint
Stephen, deacon and martyr.
Winchel, 40, who hails from Peculiar, Missouri,
was raised a Southern Baptist.
While serving as an aircraft mechanic in the
United States Marine Corps, Winchel became
friends with several Catholics. Their influence
caused him to investigate Catholicism. “In my late
20s, I began to rediscover my faith, and I began
looking into scripture and reading,” he told Dana
Clark Felty of the Savannah Morning News. “I
came to the conclusion, 'I think I have to become
a Catholic.”
He was received into full communion with the
Catholic Church at the age of 29.
In Missouri, he met Catholic theologian, Dr.
Paul Thigpen, who later returned to his native
Savannah. Thigpen introduced Winchel to dioce
san priests, who encouraged him to consider the
priesthood. Thigpen proclaimed the first reading at
the ordination Mass.
For the last six years, Winchel has been studying
for the priesthood for the Diocese of Savannah at
Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg,
Maryland. He and three other transitional deacons
are scheduled to be ordained priests for the
Savannah Diocese on June 20.
In his homily, Bishop Boland pointed out that
Saint Stephen was one of the original seven dea
cons appointed by the apostles to assist them in
the work of charity and that he was the first to die
a martyr’s death for his faith in the Risen Christ.
After the homily, the bishop questioned the can
didate about his willingness to undertake the office
of deacon, and received his promises of obedience
and celibacy. After the invocation of the saints in
the litany, the bishop laid his hands on Winchel’s
head and prayed the prayer of consecration. He
handed the new deacon the Book of the Gospels
before celebrating the Eucharist at which Winchel
served as deacon.
Right: Deacon Scott Winchel receives the Book
of the Gospels from Bishop J. Kevin Boland dur
ing the Ordination Mass on December 26.
Meet a Catholic
Saint Anne’s Margo Truett: an inspirational leader
By Ormonde E. Lewis
ormer International Telephone and
Telegraph executive Harold Geneen once
said “Leadership is practiced not so much in
words as in attitude and in action.” These
words certainly apply to Margo Truett, pastoral
assistant of Saint Anne Parish in Columbus. “I
enjoy starting and developing things; it ener
gizes me,” Truett says. Apparently, this energy
gets transmitted to others resulting in benefits
to her parish and diocese.
Father J. Gerard Schreck, pastor of Saint
Anne’s, recalls how Truett became his pastoral
assistant: “Eleven years ago, I was looking for
someone to take Sister Mary Alice’s place as
pastoral assistant for Saint Anne's. I knew
Margo and had met her many times in the
Intensive Care Unit at Saint Francis Hospital
where she worked as a critical care nurse. She
had recently begun the Parish Nursing Program
in Columbus for Saint Francis Hospital. I hap
pened to mention the pastoral assistant job to
her one day and I was surprised that she
seemed interested. She said she was looking
for a change, and was interested in being able
to serve the Church. She has served Saint Anne
Parish wonderfully as pastoral assistant. She
has a very kind heart and cares for people. She
is also a very creative and energetic person.
She didn’t realize that she would be assuming
responsibility for the parish stewardship pro
gram, but she has done a marvelous job in pro
moting stewardship. She has been invited to
speak nationally and even internationally on
behalf of the International Catholic
Stewardship Conference. Margo has been a
great blessing for our parish.”
Truett has been a principal leader of two suc
cessful diocesan wide efforts: the Disciples in
Margo Truett smiles at the second One in the
Spirit gathering in Perry on November 1, 2008.
Photo by Ormonde E. Lewis.
Mission process (2001-2005) and the One in
the Spirit gatherings (2006 and 2008).
Recently, she traveled to Australia with her
pastor and others from Saint Anne to share her
expertise on stewardship.
“Disciples in Mission was an amazing chal
lenge. I loved working with people throughout
the diocese and watching the excitement as the
Holy Spirit touched their lives and brought
about a conversion and commitment,” says
Truett. A three year process at the parish level,
Disciples in Mission inspired Catholics to
become evangelizers.
When Bishop J. Kevin Boland was told
about the plans for the first One in the Spirit
gathering, Truett asked him what he would
consider to be a success for the event, in terms
of attendance. Truett says that the bishop told
her he would consider 1,000 people a big suc
cess. “I told him I knew we would have at
least that many. Needless to say, when about
3,000 people attended the June 2006 gathering,
his eyes filled with tears and he was almost
speechless,” Truett said. The November 2008
One in the Spirit had approximately 4,000 spir
it-filled participants in Perry.
A registered nurse, with more than 16 years
in critical care, Truett is proud of her efforts in
starting the Parish Nurse Program at Saint
Anne in the 1990s. It’s a ministry focusing on
health education and basic health screening.
Ann Pinckney, Director of Faith Formation for
the diocese, recalls this period: “I have known
Margo for almost 20 years, having first met
her through the Parish Nurse Program at Saint
Anne’s in Columbus. Margo is one of the most
kind and compassionate people I know. I have
worked closely with her the past three years on
the two One in the Spirit events. Through that
experience, I have also learned that Margo is
well organized and has a beautifully positive
attitude about work and life.”
In her spare time, Truett enjoys spending
time with her husband, Dan, who works in
information technology with Blue Cross-Blue
Shield, and her three children: Meagan, a
teacher at Saint Anne School; Courtney, a col
lege student majoring in nursing; and Bradley,
a college student majoring in biology. She also
enjoys cooking, entertaining, reading and dis
cussing history and other topics with her book
club members. Truett never gets too far re
moved from her parish, however. One of her
favorite “fun” activities is helping to develop
new activities and ministries at Saint Anne.
Here’s hoping you meet Margo Truett in per
son. She’s another Catholic who does extraor
dinary things in the Diocese of Savannah.