Latest news with #PontificalCollegeJosephinum
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nature: Clyde Gosnell and Omie Warner are extraordinary conservationists
The year 1930 brought momentous impacts for conservation in Ohio. The Great Depression was setting in, but the dates of Jan. 19 and June 24 launched two people, who would eventually have an outsized impact on the stewardship of the Buckeye State's natural resources. Louise 'Omie' Warner was born on the earlier date, and Clyde Gosnell the latter date. It would be some time before their paths would cross, but they'd eventually become a power couple in conservation. Warner was married to Dr. Jack Warner until his death in 1996, and Gosnell was married for 44 years to his first wife, Sue. When Gosnell and Warner met, there was an instant attraction, and they married in 2001. They remain deeply in love to this day. Even at the age of 94, both are hearty, hale, creative thinkers and whirlwinds of ideas and activities. Both became interested in nature as kids, but career paths followed different trajectories. Warner became an anesthesiologist, and Gosnell an architect. Warner had a long and distinguished medical career, and Gosnell left a big architectural imprint on Columbus. Nature: Eastern tent caterpillar nests can be seen throughout Ohio He specialized in hospital design and had major roles in the design of Grant, Mount Carmel and St. Ann's hospitals — and about 45 other medical centers. He also designed parts of the Pontifical College Josephinum, but undoubtedly, his best-known work was the iconic Christopher Inn on East Broad Street. Warner did not let the grass grow under her feet, even while actively working. Her first husband had purchased 236 acres of land in Delaware County in 1953. He decided to preserve the wetlands and woodlands and use part of the property for sustainable agriculture. Inspired by their daughter Gale's vision, the two turned the property into the Stratford Ecological Center, an educational showcase of the best agricultural practices. Woodlands on the property host scads of breeding salamanders and other wildlife. Stratford opened in 1993 and hosts around 16,000 visitors annually — over half of them children. Because of her contributions, Warner was inducted into the Delaware County Agricultural Hall of Fame. Prior to his architectural career, Gosnell enlisted in the army and spent 15 months on the ground during the Korean War. At one point, his unit received airstrike support from two young Air Force aviators who would later achieve fame as astronauts: Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn. Much later, inspired by astronomer Brad Hoehne, Gosnell and Warner worked tirelessly to establish the John Glenn Astronomy Park at Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills, which opened in 2018. Astronomical education was by no means their only contribution to the betterment of Hocking Hills State Park, which sees over 4 million visitors annually. After much leg work, along with naturalist Paul Knoop, they convinced both the Ohio Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation to reroute State Route 664, which passes near Old Man's Cave. The former alignment forced visitors to cross the busy road near a blind corner, creating a dangerous situation. The new risk-free reroute was completed in 2011, and millions of people are the beneficiaries. Many people, especially birders, appreciate the massive prairie/wetland complex at Battelle Darby Metro Park in southwest Franklin County. Nature: Orchids grow spectacularly in Ohio Gosnell, along with his buddy Jack McDowell, visited relict prairies to collect the seed that spawned the prairie, which now harbors bell's vireos, blue grosbeaks, sedge wrens, northern harriers, short-eared owls and much more. Consummate naturalists and born educators, Gosnell and Warner have long hosted Trillium Fest at their Mathias Grove property on the northern fringe of Hocking Hills. Thousands of people have attended the mid-April event over the many years they've opened their property. The lure is an awe-inspiring forest blanketed with red trillium and large-flowered trillium — the latter is Ohio's state wildflower. Gosnell also expresses the beauty of nature through his art. He got interested in painting decades ago and has produced scores of works. Several years ago, he gifted me a beautiful watercolor of darters in Big Darby Creek. It features four species of the little perch family members, including the rare Tippecanoe darter. The eye-catching painting owns space on a prominent wall of my home. This brief column can only cover the tip of the iceberg regarding Gosnell and Warner's accomplishments. The numerous awards they've received over the years reflect their many achievements. Insatiable intellectual curiosity, out-of-the-box thinking and a tireless work ethic are rare attributes. Combine them all in one person and you've got a one in a million. Put two one in a millions together and you've got Gosnell and Warner. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to this power couple, whose work will benefit people for generations to come. Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first and third Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at jim This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Nature: Clyde Gosnell and Omie Warner are top conservationists
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV takes helm of Catholic Church amid a priest shortage in the U.S.
Columbus, Ohio — At St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, being on the altar feels momentous for Joseph Rolwing. He's 27 years old and a Catholic deacon, who is set to be ordained as a Catholic priest on Saturday. Rolwing studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus. It is the only seminary outside of Italy that is governed by the Vatican. "I was a normal high schooler, played sports, did it all," Rolwing said. "I never thought that I would be doing this. But the Lord had other plans." In high school he began questioning his faith. Then in college, he felt the call. "'Did you hear a voice? Did you see a sign in the sky?' No, but I was…praying, this rosary overwhelmed with this wave of peace," Rolwing said. Rolwing's calling comes as the Catholic Church in the U.S. faces a serious priest shortage. Between 1970 and 2024, the number of priests fell by more than 40%, from 59,192 to 33,589, according to numbers from Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, or CARA. The impact has also been felt in Columbus, where 15 churches are slated to close. "We've kind of made up for some gaps in the priest shortage by bringing in missionary priests from other countries, but also priests from different religious orders," said Bishop Earl Fernandes, who leads the Columbus Diocese. About one in four Catholic priests in the U.S. is foreign-born, according to CARA. Many could soon be forced to leave unless special visas for religious workers are extended. New bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate last month, known as the Religious Workforce Protection Act, designed to protect foreign-born religious workers to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency. To recruit more priests in Columbus, there are retreats and monthly dinners for those considering the priesthood. The number of new seminarians at Pontifical College has grown from 17, two-and-a-half years ago, to 40 this year. Local Catholic leaders hope the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first ever American pope, will serve as an inspiration. "I have never been happier than I am right now, on the cusp of becoming a priest, having made all of these promises: never get married, and never to do these things, it doesn't make any sense in the eyes of the world," Rolwing said. "But I've answered this call, and by far, it's the best decision I've ever made." Texas mom accused of buying ammunition for son who officials say planned school attack See the moment 10 inmates escaped from New Orleans jail Extended interview: Retired Gen. McChrystal on 2010 resignation, life after Army and more
