Posted on 07/09/2005 12:58:28 PM PDT by summer
Ave Maria [University in Naples, FL] creates Terri Schiavo Scholarship
By I.M. STACKEL, imstackel@naplesnews.com
July 9, 2005
UPDATE — Likening Terri Schiavo to St. Therese, the Little Flower, the Rev. Michael Beers hinted Schiavo, too, could be canonized.
The dean of Ave Maria University's undergraduate theology program, Beers was shepherding Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and brother, Bobby Schindler, through a Friday morning announcement that a new scholarship would be set up in Schiavo's name.
Schiavo lost her ability to function physically or mentally on Feb. 25, 1990, after her heart stopped as a result of an eating disorder. In 1993, the Schindlers sued to have Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, dismissed as Terri's guardian. They did so again, when Michael Schiavo filed a 1998 petition to have Terri's feeding tube removed.
He said Terri would not have wanted to be kept alive artificially.
The Schindlers did not view Terri as being in a progressive, vegetative state and believed their daughter could improve.
The case went to trial in 2000 and remained national news, as the two sides battled it out from court to court. Terri's feeding tube periodically was removed and restored as a result of various — and conflicting — court decisions.
Amid passionate and heated national debate, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed on March 18, and she died on March 31.
Friday, the Rev. Joseph Fessio, AMU provost, said while it should never have been a debate or controversy, the conflict "awakened the conscience of the nation about the tragedy for the Schindlers and Terri Schiavo."
"When people say 'persistent, vegetative state' and you see this smiling young woman, is that what it is?" Fessio asked, rhetorically.
Consequently, AMU faculty members want to work with the Schindlers in their family foundation, and to help promote a respect for life, and help other families in the same situation, Fessio said.
When it opened its doors two years ago, AMU became the nation's first new Catholic university in more than 40 years.
Attaching Schiavo's name to AMU's "pro-life scholarship fund for priests in our pre-theologate program" seemed like one way to help, Fessio said.
"If we can educate young priests to be vibrantly pro-life, we'll help the whole cause, families like the Schindlers and others," Fessio said.
Does that mean some priests are not pro-life? a visitor asked Fessio.
"Most priests are fairly pro-life," Fessio said. But many aren't proactive about the cause.
Fessio said prayers for Terri and the Schindlers on Friday morning by remembering St. Therese, Beers said Friday.
The French saint was born in Normandy in 1873 and entered a Carmelite convent when she was 15. She died of tuberculosis at 24.
Known as the "little flower of Lysciu," St. Therese lived a cloistered and "a very insignificant life" by human or worldly standards, Beers said.
However, because of "the saintliness of her life, and the holiness of her death — very much like (Terri) ... I think you see a very great parallel," Beers said, adding that St. Therese is the patron saint of missions.
"I'd like to suggest that ... Terri (is) the American 'little flower,'" Beers said, "that by her intercession for us from heaven, that she can really become a patron for the priestly vocation here at Ave Maria (and) throughout the U.S., especially by her example of a saintly death, and the saintly example of her family."
Is there actually a chance that Schiavo could be sainted? an observer asked.
Beers wouldn't say "no," and countered with a story about the Schindlers' visit to Rome.
"They were able to meet with an associate of the man we now revere as John Paul the Great," Beers said, speaking of Pope John Paul II, who died on April 2 of complications from Parkinson's disease.
"This bishop told Mr. and Mrs. Schindler that John Paul the Great, from his deathbed, was offering out his suffering for the sake of Terri Schiavo, (so) I think he's really kind of spoken about the holiness he saw in Terri Schiavo ... . It could happen," Beers said.
What Beers didn't say was that AMU has closer than average ties with the Vatican.
When Fessio lived in Germany in the early 1970s to get his doctorate, he studied under — and became friends with — then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who recently was rebaptized Pope Benedict XVI.
On Friday, the Schindlers said they are both grateful for, and humbled by, AMU's attention.
AMU, not they, is starting the scholarship, said Bobby Schindler. They were first approached by AMU officials about a month ago, he said Friday.
Beers said Pleasant Mount, Pa., resident Joe Grady, who has a child studying at AMU, came up with the idea to start the scholarship and is providing the approximately $10,000 in seed money.
"We're kind of blown away," said Bob Schindler.
Mary Schindler remained fairly quiet Friday and responded to questions with one- or two-word answers, but said she is somewhat more at peace than she was two months ago.
Mostly, she just wanted to get back to St. Petersburg before Hurricane Dennis started bearing down on Florida's Southwest Coast, Bob Schindler said. Bobby Schindler said he would resign from his teaching job to run the Schiavo foundation full time.
"We established it about five years ago for her, so now we are reorganizing it," Bobby Schindler said. They were never an official 501c3 not-for-profit organization, and are filing those papers now, he said.
He and his parents want to be a source for families in the same situation they were in, a place where they can find doctors and attorneys willing to take up their pro-life fight.
"We still think it is very important (to) try to change the laws," Bobby Schindler said. No one should be able to walk into a courtroom and "kill someone who is disabled," he said.
The fact that Terri never had a living will raises another issue for the family.
The foundation also will try to promote the following concept: "Instead of a living will, a will to live," Bobby Schindler said.
Fessio agreed, saying "a living will ... makes people think it's their choice as to how they're gonna live or die, but we can't just die because we don't feel well some day and put that into a living will."
"The principles of life and death are the principles of natural law," he said.
Bobby Schindler didn't view the entire dispute as a "right to die versus a right to life" as many did. He said he saw his sister as disabled, and stressed that there's a whole community of disabled folks "who are extremely frightened" as a result of Terri's fight.
"Hopefully, we're going to have their aid, too, with our foundation," Bobby Schindler said.
The first step to sainthood is beatification, recognition that one's ascent to heaven enables him or her to intercede on behalf of others who pray in the name of the beatified. Usually, a miracle has to be attributed to the deceased, although that is not required if someone died a martyr.
This is cool. We will never forget.
Terri made us all better. I think it was miraculous how she got us all praying our heads off and crying our eyes out. She made us feel closer to Heavenly Father. We felt His love for her. Terri was the closest to being perfect as you can get. No malice. No hatred. No meanness. She was perfect and they killed her.
Terri was the apple of her father's eye. To her Mom, she was pure joy. It is unimaginable that George Felow, Michael Schiavo and George Greer would kill such a lovely human being who was loved and adored by her family. Amazing.
Still waiting for justice.
Hi, summer -- so good to see you! Thanks for posting this.
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