My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
In the old calendar of the Church, today ended the Christmas Season. Today was formerly known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary: forty days after giving birth the women of Israel were brought to the Temple to be purified, which really meant to offer thanksgiving for the birth of their newborn child. While once considered a feast of Our Lady, since the earliest days of the Liturgical Renewal (circa 1929) Liturgical Theologians have taught us and shown us that today is truly a Feast of the Lord – when Christ was presented in the Temple and consecrated to His Father and the mission the Father has entrusted to Him.
The greatest liturgical imagery of this Feast is light: today is the day on which we bless candles to be used in the Liturgy for the next year. Today is the day on which Simeon sings, “Now, Master, You have kept Your Word; with my own eyes I HAVE SEEN the salvation which you have prepared….: Candles light our path, and Simeon proclaims the Father’s faithfulness because Simeon sees the Word of the Father in the flesh: Jesus Christ our Lord!
Liturgy and Life
It pains me not to be with you today to celebrate this great Feast! If I were home, we would be blessing candles; there would be a procession during which the words of Simeon become our own, “Now, Master, you have kept Your Word; You let Your servant go in peace! With my own eyes I have seen the salvation You have prepared…” . To behold the glory of God – what we shall all see when we go to heaven!
The Operative Phrase
There are two great phrases from today’s Liturgy: A light to reveal You to the nations; and With my own eyes I have seen… light and seeing – what the optic nerve perceives. I offer you several “optic reflections” about our life together.
An Optic of Gratitude
This is the greatest “optic” before my eyes when I think of our life together at Saint Sebastian: gratitude. Gratitude for our community which continues to establish unity amidst the irenic conversations of different points of view; gratitude for new parishioners and old; gratitude for a joyful, wonderful, fun Saint Sebastian Potluck; grateful for a Christmas Season that celebrates the hallmarks of joy, generosity, and welcome: joy for the birth of Christ; welcome for established parishioners and many guests; welcome that has brought us new families and generosity that allowed us to make our Christmas Collection Goal of $25,000.00. Indeed, an optic of gratitude.
An Optic of Continuity
The greatest optic about our community is marked by our three pillars: worship, learning, and service. We continue to grow in our liturgical life and our personal lives of prayer. Our Religious Education and Faith Formation efforts flourish through the great efforts of so many, and the desire of even more to grow in faith. And, our efforts of service continue as we do what is familiar and embark on new initiatives.
An Optic of Growth
Since January 2019 we have welcomed 52 new families to our Parish! We great gifts this new life is to our community! Have you met any new members? Do you see people sitting around you who you do not know? Introduce yourself to these people. New members tell me they are impressed by the sense of community they experience here – may we be faithful to their experience!
Participation in the Capital Campaign, as well as the Christmas Collection, helps us to support the growth we are being given by the Lord.
An optic of growth is evident in the growth of our newly constituted Parish Pastoral Council members and their work to develop a mission statement; find ways to help our income; and offer me sage advice about where the Pastor’s Optic is on the mark, or may need an adjusted or new prescription.
An Optic of Reality
While every optic listed above is true, there is also the necessary optic of reality. In a few weeks’ members of the Finance Council and the Trustees will offer a report about our finances. Here is the truest optic there can be concerning our finances:
· Financially there is some improvement, but more is needed.
· As a community we are slow to respond to or accept a “culture of stewardship”. A culture of stewardship is not simply about money. A culture of stewardship is marked by the gifts of time, talent, and treasure by all of the parishioners. Approximately 33% of our parishioners support us by their treasure; and less that 20% support us by time and talent. We need to develop a culture of stewardship.
· When you receive the Financial Report of the Parish, you will see that this is a bare bones budget. To quote one of the trustees: “this is not a matter of expense, but of income. We no longer have parishioners who can ‘bail us out’, we need to find a way to encourage everyone’s help and increase our income.”
· Some of you have mentioned to me that there is an “optic of disconnect”, that I remark about our poor financial state, but our daily life looks fine, perhaps even grand; or that repairs continue while I talk about being in financial straits. No repair is made that does not have to be made, and made at once. Those repairs are depleting our financial reserves.
· What will happen to us if we do not develop this culture of stewardship? To answer this question honestly and bluntly: we will close. What worries me is the good will and generosity of 33% will be defeated by the lethargy of 47% of our members, we will have chosen closure by our lethargy.
An Optic of Hope
The greatest hallmark of our optic, of the way we work for and perceive our Parish, must be one of HOPE! If we lose hope, the devil has won! ! Can we change the optic of difficult reality? OF COURSE WE CAN! But to change this optic requires hard work and sacrifice from all of us! How do you and I reach those who may be unaware or lukewarm about being part of our ministry.
God has not given us the optics of gratitude, continuity, and growth to see His gifts squandered or fail: we must forge on in hope, sacrifice, and putting our hand to the plow.
Saint Thomas will teaches us that a fruit of hope is joy. The longer I am here, the happier, more joyful, I am to be here. Joy is the greatest way to invite new life and strengthen life that may be becoming flat. We are a joyful community – let us never hesitate to share our joy!
May the words of Simeon be ours today, and for generations to come, “With our own eyes we have seen the salvation, the growth, the community, and the stewardship You have prepared…..”
Until we meet at the altar….
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
With the liturgical celebration of the Lord’s Baptism, we come to the end of the Christmas Season. Both social media and the stores in which we shop may have returned to ”just another day”, or moving towards Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day, our eyes and hearts remain with the Child born in Bethlehem, His parents, angel choirs, messages from angels, and the gifts of the Magi.
With the Lord’s Baptism, Christ “officially” begins His ministry of saving souls. Just as Christ was prepared for His active ministry by the years with Joseph and Mary, as well as the baptism of John the Baptist; our recent respite prepares us to embrace a New Year, filled with thanks, hope, and determination.
Thanks:
Shortly before Christmas a parishioner said to me, “Father, I bet you want another great Christmas Collection as your Christmas present, don’t you?” As your pastor I am concerned about finances, but I received a much greater gift this Christmas than a great collection: you, your family and friends, and visitors turned out in great numbers! The attendance at all of the Christmas Masses was really heartwarming! That is THEE present I received this Christmas: all of you filling the Church!! As to be expected, the “lightest” Mass was the Mass at night; Christmas Day gave us a full Church – approximately double a Sunday 9am; and the 5pm on Christmas Eve was SRO. Among the visitors were people who were looking for a new Church home, and after visiting with us, we have three new families who have joined our Parish! Again, no better gift: more souls for Jesus!
What would Christmas be without children? Our children’s choir; the children in the Pageant, and the wonderful spirit of the 5pm Christmas Eve Mass added to the best Christmas present: a filled Church receiving grace upon grace from a child: our own, and especially the Christ Child!
The Christmas Collection reflects the increased attendance, and even more – your great generosity! As Kathy Harrington finished the books on Wednesday, the estimated total is close to $23,000.00. There will be a final totally published in the next few weeks. Thank you for your great generosity and support!! We need every penny – there are a number of back bills to be paid.
And last, but far from least among Christmas thanks is your ongoing participation in, and support of Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge: Grateful for God’s Providence! I am waiting for a complete report from the Diocese about our current total, but we are doing well: thank you! We need to keep moving ahead. If you have not made a gift to the Campaign, please consider doing so in the weeks and months to come. One donor has given all of the new sinks, toilets, and other fixtures for the renovation of the bathrooms and kitchen!! A truly great gift!
Hope and determination:
As I mentioned to you before Christmas, I have been informed by our insurance company, Catholic Mutual, that we have until June to rectify a pressing issue: the floor in the former religious education office. This floor is filled with asbestos; and pieces of the floor are chipping and breaking loose. This room is no longer useable and cannot be used until the floor is replaced. There is also a leakage issue in this room. This leak is not from the tower, but from the foundation issue we addressed in the late fall, and the drainage pit under the Church, as well as drains in Cole Avenue itself. These drains are in serious need of cleaning. We are working with the City as well as independent engineers to rectify this issue quickly and economically. The Longobardi Brothers, Inc. continue to serve us well; and we all owe great thanks to our parishioner, George Calcagni for his invaluable advice, and history concerning the building. As soon as we are sure that we have stopped all the leaks, Paul Castaldi will be able to lay a new floor over the existing floor.
I am hoping that through your monthly contributions to the Maintenance Collection, we will soon be able to replace the handicapped ramp, which is becoming more dangerous. When we have collected the needed funds, I would like to attend to the ramp.
In the year to come, I would like us to discuss a liturgical change that has been ruminating in me for a while.
The placement of the celebrant’s chair places an unnecessary and an off-putting appearance that the Mass, or any Liturgy, is all about the priest: and that’s not true. Sitting there one feels more imperial, rather than being the presider of the Eucharistic Celebration. At the time the Church was renovated, this was an accepted placement of the celebrant’s chair. However, in the intervening years, and especially in the last 20 years, the thinking of the Church has developed, and the Church has been encouraged to restore a greater emphasis upon the altar, the Tabernacle, and the pulpit.
Thanks to the presence of Paul Castaldi, our great maintenance man, we could address this issue easily and economically. What might happen:
* The celebrant and server chairs would be moved to the side and placed on an angle where the servers’ chairs and kneelers are currently;
* The Tabernacle would move to the center where the celebrant’s chair is currently placed;
* What would be placed where the Tabernacle is currently placed? The honest answer – I’m not sure. In a storage room of the Church I have found a beautiful painting of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus; Toni Dumville has mentioned that there may be apiece similar in style to Our Lady of Perpetual Help; – these are just speculative possibilities of what might be placed in the niche if we move the Tabernacle.
* No decisions have been made. I am bringing this to you as a possibility, and something for us to consider.
* After you have had time to sit with this, please let me know your thoughts about this.
Thanks, hope, and determination; three great virtues for 2020!
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Amen.
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan Kelly
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
A Blessed Feast of the Epiphany! Happy “Little Christmas”! As a child growing up this was a wonderful day! At Mass, the Children’s Choir would sing all the songs we sang for Midnight Mass; we would again where our special “Christmas Angel Robes”; and it was another day of visiting. Because the Feast was celebrated on its traditional day, January 6, we were often in school. The Sisters made sure it was a special day: the older grades would go and sing to the younger grades and the younger grades had treats for the upper grades. The cafeteria prepared a special “Epiphany Lunch” of traditional ethnic foods. The day would end with an all school assembly during which our Pastor, Father Pekarik would give a talk about the significance of the Epiphany, and his talk always ended with a “surprise” that like the wise men, we were to find our way home immediately and the school day ended early. Why all this fuss about the Epiphany?
Today’s Feast, transferred to a Sunday in the revision of the Liturgical Calendar by the Second Vatican Council, demonstrates to us that although the searching of the Magi was completed when the found the Christ Child, a new and interior journey began in them which would only change their whole lives. The Magi went in search of justice because they longed for the renewal of the world. They were pilgrims in search of the justice that they expected from God – the justice that would set right all the wrongs and all the sufferings of their lives. They imagined a King, and they found a Child. And the Child was not even rich, He was so poor they adored Him in a manger surrounded by cattle and lying in straw. This would be the King who would be their justice?
Like the Magi, God is so often manifested in our lives in the way we least expect, not according to our plans or our imaginings. Like the Magi, this difference begins our inner journey. The Child in the manger, God made flesh, asks us to change our ideas about power, about God and about man, and about ourselves. The Christ Child asks us to learn to give ourselves; no lesser gift is sufficient for Him. The Christ Child asks us to conform our lives to His divine exercising of power, to God’s way of being. Jesus invites us to become people of truth, of justice, of goodness, of forgiveness, of mercy. How does this inner journey take place?
Like the Magi, we must “go into the house” and encounter Jesus. To find the Savior, we need to enter the house, which is the Church. As the Magi encounter Jesus they fall down in adoration; and their adoration blossoms into acts of faith and love, which acknowledges in Jesus, born of Mary, the Son of God, made man. We find experience the same encounter as we come to the manger today and anytime we enter the Church.
I am sure our grade school Sisters wanted us to have this encounter with Jesus and they made Epiphany Day so special that we would come to know, love and serve God with every fiber of our being. What has been your encounter with Christ this Christmas? You need not bring gold, frankincense or myrrh: bring your heart; our Infant King will do all that needs to be done!
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Amen.
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan Kelly
December 29, 2019
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
On this Feast of the Holy Family, I offer you these reflections of our Holy Father, Pope Francis as he discusses what makes a family holy:
1. First: the family prays.
…I would like to ask you, dear families: Do you pray together from time to time as a family? Some of you do, I know. But so many people say to me: But how can we? …But in the family how is this done? After all, prayer seems to be something personal, and besides there is never a good time, a moment of peace… Yes, all that is true enough, but it is also a matter of humility, of realizing that we need God… all of us! We need his help, his strength, his blessing, his mercy, his forgiveness. And we need simplicity to pray as a family: simplicity is necessary! Praying the Our Father together, around the table, is not something extraordinary: it’s easy. And praying the Rosary together, as a family, is very beautiful and a source of great strength! And also praying for one another! The husband for his wife, the wife for her husband, both together for their children, the children for their grandparents….praying for each other. This is what it means to pray in the family, and it is what makes the family strong: prayer.
2. Next, the family keeps the faith.
Here too, we can ask: How do we keep our faith as a family? Do we keep it for ourselves, in our families, as a personal treasure like a bank account, or are we able to share it by our witness, by our acceptance of others, by our openness? We all know that families, especially young families, are often “racing” from one place to another, with lots to do. But did you ever think that this “racing” could also be the race of faith? Christian families are missionary families. …They are missionary in everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith! Keeping the faith in families and bringing to everyday things the salt and the leaven of faith.
3. And finally: the family experiences joy.
I would like to ask you all a question today. But each of you keep it in your heart and take it home. You can regard it as a kind of “homework”. Only you must answer. How are things when it comes to joy at home? Is there joy in your family? You can answer this question.
Dear families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything seems to be going well… True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey. But the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God, the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful towards all. And above all, a love which is patient: patience is a virtue of God and he teaches us how to cultivate it in family life, how to be patient, and lovingly so, with each other. To be patient among ourselves. A patient love. God alone knows how to create harmony from differences. But if God’s love is lacking, the family loses its harmony, self-centeredness prevails and joy fades. But the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society as a whole.
The joy and peace of the Lord be always with you!
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Amen.
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
December 22, 2019
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
Hear and let it penetrate into your heart:
Let nothing discourage you,
nothing depress you.
Let nothing alter your heart or
your countenance.
Do not fear any illness or vexation,
anxiety or pain.
Am I not here who am your Mother?
Are you not under my shadow and protection?
Am I not your fountain of life?
Are you not in the folds of my mantle,
in the crossing of my arms?
Is there anything else that you need?
These consoling words of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac’s Hill in Mexico fit so perfectly with our Liturgical Celebration of this fourth Sunday of Advent. The Liturgy today focuses upon Mary and her role in the great events of salvation history that we have been preparing to celebrate throughout the Advent Season.
We need to hear these words that Our Lady proclaimed to Juan Diego. These consoling words sit in a framed card in my office – I look to them often. You know how I love Our Lady and it her maternal care, her protection and her intercession that are the wind beneath my wings. While there have been challenges and momentary minutes of discouragement as we strive to stabilize the budget and increase our income; continue to address the realities of our buildings; and keep smiling when the temptation is to cry, I am constantly reassured that Our Lady is doing great things for us. She is doing great things for us as we continue to gain new parishioners who are anxious to help our community; the staff is settling in; the new Parish Council continues to grow stronger “sea legs”; there have been outstanding additions to the Finance Council; the capital campaign keeps growing; and Paul Castaldi can fix anything!
But we also hear Our Lady’s say,
Let nothing discourage you,
nothing depress you.
Am I not here who am your Mother?
Are you not under my shadow and protection?
Are you not in the folds of my mantle,
in the crossing of my arms?
As marriages are challenged and end; those we love or we ourselves receive bad medical news; our job is unhappy or unstable; or we face the faithfulness that routine summons from us; it is our Mother Mary who is the Virgin most powerful who will carry our needs to her Son and from whom we will receive comfort, inspiration, and intercession.
In the blink of an eye it will be Christmas Eve and the wonder of the Incarnation will once again envelope our world. We always need Christmas, but this year we need it more than ever. In a world wearied by sin and war, the tiny of Child of Bethlehem will bring light, peace, and hope! May our hearts be open to receive Him! During these wonderful days, each one of you is in all my prayers, and are constantly present with me at the altar. I pray that you will know Mary’s peace, protection and intercession in abundance. And even more, I pray that you will know the gift of unconditional love that is the gift Her Son offers us on Christmas and everyday of our lives!
Hear again Mary’s words - do not be anxious or perplexed we are in her arms !
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
Happy Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday! Today we light the rose candle, the celebrant wears rose vestments, and there is more decoration in the Church than there has been since advent began, the Day of our Salvation is close at hand!
The first words of the Angel Gabriel to Our Lady are, “Rejoice! Full of grace, the Lord is with you!” The Blessed Virgin Mary is the preeminent person in the world capable of rejoicing, for joy is the elation we experience when our will desires something ordered to our true happiness and when we possess that desired good. Because Mary’s Immaculate Heart remains wholly conformed and devoted to the will of God, everything that she desires is a manifestation of the divine will. As a result, Mary can truly rejoice. In fact, her life is an act of rejoicing, for every act of her sinless - will stands as the human fulfillment of the will of God: her only desire!
Rejoicing because we make an act of the will – have you ever considered such a thing? Our will can be described as what we desire, and even more, what we choose. Do our choices truly make us happy; do our choices lead us to rejoice?
The foundation of our rejoicing on the Third Sunday of Advent is because the greatest desire of our hearts, the celebration of Incarnation of Christ Jesus, His return in glory, is at hand! And, the remembrance of His Birth and our joyful expectation of His return in glory, lead us to make a choice: will we choose to be a disciple of Jesus, not just when it is comfortable, but especially when it is uncomfortable? Will we choose, every day, to strive to unite our will and desires to the will of God, or will we go blithely on our way of self-sufficiency that causes us to feel a bit empty, like something is missing?
Our rejoicing rests firmly in the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives…a year of favor from the Lord!” Where do we find ourselves as poor, brokenhearted, captive; where are those we love, work with, our friends longing for freedom, seeking God’s favor, that all of us may rejoice? It is in these instances that Isaiah mentions that are choices will lead us to rejoice! What will be our choices that we will rejoice?
I pray that one of our choices will be to take part in the graces offered to us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please remember that this weekend, December 14 – 15, and next weekend, December 21 – 22, Confessions will be heard during all the Masses. How much easier could it be? As you are waiting for Mass to begin or through any part of the Mass, simply go to the Reconciliation Room, and Father will be there: this is better than shopping online! J
As Christmas draws near, what choices have you made from a few suggestions I offered to you on the First Sunday of Advent? Those choices are:
1. This Advent let your heart be inflamed a new as you go to Confession…
2. This Advent pray together as a family; have a family Advent Wreath and light it each evening at dinner; come to Sunday mass as a family.
3. This Advent find the wonder of love incarnate by visiting someone you haven’t seen or healing a broken relationship.
4. This Advent discover the greatest Wonder is Jesus Christ, your relationship with him, made incarnate in your family and your fellow parishioners!
Start to plan for attending Christmas Mass here at Saint Sebastian. The schedule is:
Tuesday, 24 December, Christmas Eve
No Morning Mass
11:00 – 12:30: Confessions
Christmas Masses: Christmas Eve
5:00pm: The First Mass of Christmas: Family Mass with Gospel Pageant
4:30pm: Musical Prelude by Saint Sebastian Children’s Choir and guest soloists
Mass during the night
10:00pm: Solemn Mass of Christmas during the night
9:15pm: Lessons and Carols
Coro di Natale di San Sebastiano
Christmas Day Mass of the Shepherds
10am: Musical Prelude
Massa del Coro dei Pastori
10:30am: Christmas Day Mass of the Shepherds
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
31 December: 5:30pm Anticipated Mass
11:00am: Mass during the Day
May all of our choices truly lead us to Rejoice!
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
December 8, 2019
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
How was the first week of Advent? Between “Cyber Monday” and “Giving Tuesday”, I feel like I have been shoved into Christmas giving mania! I am determined to resist!!
There is an element of giving that I want to bring you today. I think all of you have heard of Food for the Poor. Food for the Poor is an ecumenical group of group clergy and laity who actively raise money for the hungry and the homeless. While ecumenical in its scope, Food for the Poor is supported in greatest numbers by Catholic priests, brothers, sisters, and parishioners from Catholic parishes around the world. This Fall I was contacted by a representative from Food for the Poor (FFP) concerning a new initiative to build safe, affordable housing for people whose homes had been destroyed by storms or other natural disasters. I became especially interested in this because one of the countries FFP is trying to help is Haiti.
FFP Housing Program provides impoverished families with sturdy homes that are a safe haven against heat, wind and rain. Each home costs around $7,600.00.
These two-bedroom homes are constructed on a cement foundation with concrete block walls and covered with a galvanized sheet roof. They are built on land already owned by the beneficiary who, when possible, contributes to the building of the house by providing manual labor during the construction process and helping to paint the finished product.
Each home is equipped with personal sanitation (consisting of a toilet and shower area) that not only promotes good hygiene but offers the luxury of privacy. This is also an effective means for the disposal of waste and the prevention of the spread of diseases.
In addition, a household water storage unit connected through a guttering system eliminates the long, arduous and sometimes dangerous trips each day — generally made by young children or women — to collect enough water for the family’s daily needs.
Included with each home is a solar-powered light kit, which is a tremendous blessing for those not located near a power source. These kits that convert sunlight into electrical energy, have a profound impact on families, enabling them to accomplish chores, homework and other activities without the need for electricity. Here is a story of Sonette and her children who now have a safe, new home:
Sonette lived in a small shack when the 2010 earthquake demolished the little she had. She has 6 children and two toddlers as grandchildren. She then created her own tent/home where she had to put all the children under the bed when it rained. If it flooded, she had to farm out the children to kind neighbors who may have been living in slightly better conditions. As tears of sadness and joy rolled down her face, she explained how she prayed to God for a house for herself, her husband and the 8 children.
She asked for it... She will get it!! With clean water and a bathroom (with a communal septic tank) and a kitchen. What a great testimony to God's constant goodness, the loving generosity of donors like you and your wonderful work!
I asked Karin Schrott and the Outreach Committee to discuss the possibility of our helping FFP in this initiative. We’ve helped to build schools, what about helping to build homes? The Committee felt we could do something to help this worthy project. What could we do?? The committee suggested hosting a bake sale, and the monies raised would be sent to FFP from Saint Sebastian for a house in Haiti.
On the weekend of December 14 – 15 there will be a bake sale after all of the Masses. Whatever money raised through the bake sale will be matched by a generous parishioner and the monies sent to FFP. Make your favorite baked good, bring it to Church and by someone else’s tasty treats! A great way to help build a home for a needy family. This is a new endeavor for us: where will it go? I don’t know. But in the interim, don’t you think it is worth being part of putting a roof over needy peoples’ heads. Who knows… maybe we will end up taking a delegation to Haiti and help build a home!
This week, listen attentively for the Prophet’s call to hope and to love!
Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
December 1, 2019
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
While everything around us reminds us that this is Thanksgiving Weekend, and the great rush for Christmas has begun, inside the walls of this Church, and every Church; and I pray, within the walls of our hearts, there is the quiet expectation that waits for Christ to come again in glory; to visit each of our lives with his blessed invitation, “Come, you whom my Father has blest, and receive the reward prepared for you since the foundation of the world; and, to celebrate again the wonder and marvelous exchange that is ours in the Incarnation - Christmas Day.
On this first day of the new Liturgical year, I greet you with several greetings: Happy New Year!; Blessed Advent: and, Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder!
Each of the three greetings I mention above are important. However, it is the last greeting Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder!, about which I particularly want to reflect with you.
I first heard these words in a simple piece of music many years ago. The entire text sings:
Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder! Come, to inflame our hearts again! O, Holy Vision, go before us! To earth’s communion, God’s Amen!
Growing up near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Advent was a time of wonder! Whether Catholic or Protestant, the lighting of the Advent Wreath was something that drew everyone together. In my little town of Emmaus, we gathered at the “Triangle”, the center of town, and sang Advent Hymns as the Advent Wreath in the center of the square was lit. There was also the lighting of the Advent Wreath on the “Hill to Hill Bridge”; and, the white lights in the windows pierced the dark winter’s night. I can see it all in my mind’s eye as if I was there again, holding my parents’ hands and watching with eyes ready to pop! We were all in wonder of it all, and today Advent STILL is a time of wonder!
The lights of Advent are only a dim reflection of THEE Light: Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation tells us, “E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more; They need no light, nor lamp, nor sun, for Christ will be there all!”
What does this Light do? The Light of Christ inflames our hearts so that we may see anew. HOW do you and I need to see anew? I offer you the following:
· This Advent let your heart be inflamed a new as you go to Confession. I am always available for Confession; there are Confessions on Saturday afternoon; on Sunday, December 15 and 22 Confessions will be heard during Sunday Masses; and there are Confessions on Christmas Eve Day from 11am – 12:30pm.
· This Advent experience the wonder of this Season by promising yourself and your family that the crazy rush shopping, cards, and parties are NOT going to take over: pray together; have a family Advent Wreath and light it each evening at dinner; go to Confession and come to Sunday mass as a family.
· This Advent come to Gaudete on Sunday, 15 December at 3pm; let the wonder of the Season wash over you.
· This Advent find the wonder of love incarnate by visiting someone you haven’t seen or healing a broken relationship; or forgiving yourself!
· This Advent discover that the greatest Wonder is Jesus Christ, and your relationship with Him, made incarnate in your family and your fellow parishioners!
I wish you the most blessed Advent and the greatest Wonder of this Season of Grace: Jesus, the Light of the World!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of Christ the King, or as it is now called, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. What a glorious day and what a magnificent Feast!
Does this new name make any difference upon our understanding of this Feast and its impact upon our lives? I would say, “yes”, to this question and I do so after some thought and prayer. Throughout his writings, Pope Benedict has referred to what happens to the cosmos because of Christ, the Incarnation and the Paschal Mystery. Our Holy Father Emeritus teaches us that Christ transforms the cosmos by His life, ministry, preaching, death and resurrection that we might know everlasting life, and accept and serve the Gospel in complete freedom in and through Him for the Father. No computer glitches in this plan! As Christ has transformed the cosmos for the Father, He also transforms our lives as we worship Him in spirit and truth; serve Him in one another; and love Him by allowing our lives to be a living witness to the power of His Cross and Resurrection. Is Christ the King of the Universe? Absolutely, “yes”! All things live for Him!!
This great Solemnity ushers in a wonderful time of faith, family and feasting. Today, as we celebrate our Lord as King of the Universe we will pause as a nation, the Universal Church, a Parish and in our families to acknowledge God as the source of all of our blessings (Thanksgiving Day); we will pray for and await His return in glory (the Season of Advent) and celebrate His Birth in history (Christmas); and finally, we will know Christ as the Light of all People as three kings lay before Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Epiphany). For the next six weeks, families will intentionally make more time to be together; I pray that all of these gatherings will be “drama free” and only a source of love and gratitude. Throughout the next six weeks there will be many occasions of feasting: great dinners, many parties and special get – togethers of those we hold most dear. In every celebration, may we remember these moments of feasting and delight reflect and lead us back to the Lord’s altar and the gift of Himself in the Eucharist – without whom our feasting is empty eating. And each celebration of the Eucharist, a pledge of the glory to come!
On this great Feast and in this season of thanks my heart is very full. Here are just a few reasons my heart is full:
· I thank God for our Faith, our Church and our Parish;
· I thank God for my vocation to the Dominican Order and to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ – unworthy as I am;
· I thank God for my family – living and deceased;
· More than ever, as I live by myself, I thank God for my Dominican Brothers and Sisters – truly a great gift to me – men and women who inspire me and with whom I desire to live and die;
· I thank God for Saint Sebastian’s and the great Vision we have been given, no matter how difficult the Challenge;
· I thank God for the way in which our Parish is growing and being filled with wonderful signs of new life; generosity; and faithful dedication to Christ;
· I thank God for each and every one of you; no matter the struggles, you give meaning, purpose, vision and direction to my vocation, and because of you I desire to be the best priest and person I am able to become.
I pray that in this season of faith, family, feasting and delight God will continue to bless you with every gift, and that your lives will be a continuous hymn of thanks to Jesus, King of our hearts, and indeed, King of the Universe!
May we all be ambassadors of the hope and joy given to us by our King!
Until we meet at the altar….
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
The Campaign
Work continues in earnest for the campaign. The consultants were in the office the other day to help with the mailing to all registered parishioners. If you think you are registered and you do not receive a letter in the next 5 – 7 days, please call me at 751 – 0196, or email me at pastor@stsebastianri.org. If you are unable to financially participate in this campaign, you can pray for its success. In your prayer, I urge you to consider not what is comfortable to give, i.e. you won’t even miss it, but what is the sacrifice God invites you to make for the good of the Parish?
Life around the Parish
Life has been busy, and I like it that way. We had a larger than normal crowd for “Movie Night” last Saturday following the 5pm. The featured film was on the life of our newest Saint, Saint John Henry Newman, produced by Bishop Barron and the Word on Fire Institute. I couldn’t stay because of a commitment with a parish family, but from what I hear, all enjoyed the movie and folks had a good time. The next movie night will be Saturday, January 11 following the 5pm Mass. We will watch the film about the great Catholic author, G.K. Chesterton. Mark your calendars!
The work on the south side of the Church as well as the playground behind the Church, has been completed. The students from MCH are waiting for good weather to be able to use the playground. I’m waiting to hear the words, “no water, Father!” Thanks to the expertise of Lombardi Brothers Construction, I believe I will hear those words on a regular basis – and so will you!
I have had the flu this past week and as a result the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Meeting was cancelled. I’d like to explain the structure and the work of the PPC. The PPC is not required by Canon Law, as the Finance Council is required by Canon Law. Both councils are consultative bodies to the pastor, that is the advise the pastor about different issues in the life of the Parish, they are not legislative bodies.
Our PPC is filled with people of talent, vision, and a deep desire for our Parish to become an even greater and better of worship learning, and service; and a community where people find joy; a deep sense of welcome; a mission that is inviting and lifegiving; and a deep sense of belonging.
We have been blessed to add six new members to the PPC, and each has a specific area of responsibility. The new members are:
· Amy Thomas and Karin Schrott – Social Committee;
· Gerry Codola – Secretary;
· Catherine Denning – Outreach Committee;
· Toni Dumville – Liturgical Consultant;
· Rob Lough – Buildings and Grounds
Pat Recupero is the President; Fred Reinhardt, Vice President; and a member of the Finance Council needs to be appointed to sit on the PPC to foster communication and transparency between the two bodies.
Members of the PPC were to be installed this weekend at the 11am Mass, but because of my being sick, this will happen after the New Year. Please pray for the work of the PPC.
Our Confirmation Program continues to move forward. You will see members of the class serving in different liturgical roles: as greeters; servers; and lectors. The liturgical dimension of the Confirmation Candidates formation is very important: the Liturgy is the source and summit of our Catholic Life and involves all baptized people. Liturgical involvement is a weak point of our life together here at Saint Sebastian. It is the hope of the Confirmation Catechists (Bob Short and Michael Bonitati) as well as my own, that introducing our young parishioners to this graced facet of our Catholic Life is nothing to fear or avoid: we always receive more than we give!
Let’s pray for one another! We all need to be ambassadors of hope and joy!
Until we meet at the altar….
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Brothers and Sisters,
May the grace of our Lord remain with us always
Thank you to all of you who took one of the brochures for Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge last weekend and also signed the take-home sheet. I am more than happy to tell you that all of the brochures were taken – which is a really great response for us: thank you!!
Each day, the work of the campaign continues. It is my hope to be personally in touch with every registered family in the parish either by a phone call; an email; or a personal visit. While at first blush you might think, “Father Jordan is calling, what do I say to Father about the campaign?”. My reaching out to you is not just about the campaign, it is an opportunity for us to talk, ask questions about the parish, and have the opportunity to check in with one another.
Questions from the Receptions
A parishioner contacted me after one of the Campaign Receptions and told me about three questions that were “floating in the air”, but the opportunity to ask these questions didn’t present itself. I would like to address these questions here.
1. “The Finances of the Parish haven’t been listed in the bulletin since late August. How are we doing and why isn’t this information being given?”
First, why isn’t this information being given?
Since the end of August, the Parish Office has been in great transition. Changing from one full-time person who did a very long list of things, to two part-time people with very specific areas of responsibility is a much greater transition than can be imagined. The Parish Accountant, Kathy Harrington, is in the Office each Wednesday. Kathy is doing excellent work, but is still getting things reoriented, and her time in the Office is very busy. Kathy and I have met about these creating these reports for the bulletin. Kathy is joyfully – punctilious! We are working on creating accurate and easily understood reports.
As far as the bottom line is concerned, we are marginally better. The return from the summer holidays is helping to increase the weekly offertory; more people are using electronic giving; and some parishioners have increased their weekly gift. We are able to pay our bills and meet salary, but there isn’t a great deal of margin for error or unexpected expenses. You will have a report soon; I give you my word!
2. “Are the Worship Programs necessary? If they are necessary, why?”
The temptation is to answer this question with one word, but please indulge me while I offer a fuller answer.
A. Using Worship Programs affords the Parish the opportunity to draw from the widest possible repertoire.
B. Using Worship Programs allows us to “sing the Mass” and not “sing at the Mass”. What does this mean? To sing the Mass is to use the prescribed texts in the Roman Missal for each Sunday, Solemnity, and Feast of the Church Year. These rich texts, often little more than a sentence, encapsulate our prayer, the thoughts deep in our hearts, and can remain with us as a way to remember God’s Presence and to carry the Liturgy with us. To sing at Mass is to choose songs that are “close enough” to what the texts reflect, but not exactly.
C. Using Worship Programs allows us to easily make changes in the way we pray for specific Liturgical Seasons.
D. The Ritual Song Hymnals do not have the new translation of the Mass, Mass settings, or any of the Introits or Communion Antiphons.
E. We print these in the rectory each week, so the cost is minimal, and the paper is recycled.
F. Will we get a new hymnal? I hope so. Deciding on a new hymnal is both a long process and an expensive expenditure.
Some parishioners have expressed thanks for the Worship Programs. I hope this helps to explain why we are currently using Worship Programs.
3. “Our works of Social Justice and care for the poor are decreasing.”
This comment was made at one of the Receptions, and after speaking with Karin Schrott, I would like to respond to this observation. Next to my column you will see the list of things that our Parish Outreach Committee has accomplished this year. You will also read my words, “The Parish Outreach Committee is a true jewel in the crown of our Parish.” I believe these words, I mean them, and I am committed to helping Karin Schrott and these dedicated men and women accomplish and what they inspire us to accomplish. The Committee operates on a financial shoestring, and the Parish would like to offer more funding but cannot.
In the list of mission opportunities, you will see a new initiative, “Homes for Christmas Advent Project”. Sponsored by Cross Catholic this initiative builds homes for the people of Haiti who are still homeless after the hurricanes that have plagued these poor people. Saint Sebastian has done so much to help educate the children of Haiti; this is an opportunity to help us house the people of Haiti. There will be a bake sale to raise funds for this project. But I would also suggest thinking of this as an Advent version of the Lenten Operation Rice Bowl. Throughout Advent, save your change or whatever money you might use for something that is nonessential and put it aside for Homes for Christmas.
If we go over goal in Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge, we could consider ways that these additional funds could benefit our care for the poor, or with a renovated, up to code kitchen, prepare food for the poor. Do you have other ideas you would like to spearhead and explore?
Let’s pray for one another! We all need to be ambassadors of hope and joy!
Until we meet at the altar….
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
As I sit to write this column there are a number of thoughts in my mind and heart. I ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind that I may say the right words to you, and that you may receive them with an open heart.
The receptions for Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge are completed. I am thankful to everyone who made the effort to be at one of these meetings, and for your sharing of ideas, challenges, and hopes.
One of the questions raised about some of the proposed remodeling projects was “why these projects; and is there a priority to the items on the list?” A good question that I hope to explain in the next several paragraphs. Another question raised was “how was this list developed?”.
The first objective of Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge is to restore the money used from the Interparish Loan Fund for the restoration of the tower. We will repay the exact amount of $379,300.00, the final cost of the project. As we restore these funds we will need to spend approximately $13,000.00 to repair the handicapped ramp which is serious need of repair.
When the total amount taken from the Interparish Loan Fund has been repaid, we will begin to address other needs. Your input will be essential to the discernment and advice that will be given to me by the Parish and Finance Councils. The next few paragraphs begin to answer the “why” of this list.
Two items have a certain urgency: a. the bathrooms and b. the wiring of the Parish Hall and kitchen. First, the bathrooms. The bathrooms have toilets and wash basins that are so old that parts cannot be found to repair them. Our maintenance man, Paul Castaldi, recently repaired a toilet in the Ladies’ Room. Paul told me that if the unit breaks again we will need to replace the entire toilet. Paul was unable to get the parts needed, but with his talent, was able to jerry – rig a replacement that should work for quite a while. In addition, these bathrooms do not comply with ADA and when repairs are made, all repairs are to comply with the ADA.
As a result of the leakage from the Tower, the mis - pitched front stairs, and the unaddressed need for tuckpointing and the lack of regular gutter maintenance on the front of the Church and on the side of the Church closest to the Rectory, a great deal of water has seeped into the Men’s’ Room in the Church Hall. There has been so much leakage that there is a hole in the wall. The wire mesh and interior wall beams are exposed and a source for mold and other debris. Now that all of the leaks have been completely and successfully addressed, as soon as monies are available, the bathrooms need to be repaired.
Equally as important, and perhaps more challenging, is the wiring in the Parish Hall. Last winter, and immediately following Founders’ Day, there were serious electrical issues in the Hall. Last winter we spent slightly over $6,000.00 to address the repair of damaged sockets and removing all power from the old stage lights. The wiring of the stage lights has become defective, sporadically sparking and causing the wooden covers over the floor lights to smolder. Following Founders’ Day, there were a number of sockets that were inoperable, and the EXIT Signs were not illuminated. Some minor repairs were made so that the EXIT Signs operate; to correct the rest of the work I was told that Parish Hall must be totally rewired. I am waiting for estimates. Ultimately, when the ceiling and walls are torn apart for rewiring the question becomes, “what about the rest of the space?”.
Saint Sebastian needs to find additional avenues for substantial income. This need is why we have entered into a more equitable agreement with Montessori Children’s Home (MCH), for the use of the land behind the Church (which is being converted into a child friendly playground space) and MCH daily use of the Parish Hall for Creative Movement and Phys Ed Classes. In addition, we are receiving rental income from Opus Dei, Alcoholics Anonymous, Elmhurst Alumnae Association, and RICCO. When the electrical needs of the Parish Hall are addressed, refurbishing the Hall and the adjacent Kitchen, could be another avenue for new income for the Parish; i.e. the Parish could rent out the hall and kitchen for different events, creating another source of income, as well as improving the general environment of the Parish Hall – it is used for much more than a couple of potluck suppers. As the members of the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers become fewer, Generation X, the Millennials, and even the “Nones” do not have the same giving abilities or cultures as their elders. Thus, there are both internal and external reasons to consider remodeling the Parish Hall.
How did this list happen? This list is the result of two things: my experience with our buildings; and the remarks/advice of the Parish and Finance Councils.
My experience: Much of my days are spent dealing with vendors about different issues that are part and parcel of a well-used, under cared for building like our Church. As different things break and need repair I see an ever-increasing list of needs – I also wonder where will the money come from? The list of possible repairs began as I learned about issue after issue concerning the Church building. As the Pastor, I am charged by the law of the Church and the Bishop to care for the patrimony of what has been entrusted to this community. Developing a list is part of my job, it is part of what I am supposed to do.
Remarks and advice: At meetings of the Finance Council, or later the Parish Council, I would bring the Council members up to date about the different needs of the building. The Councils supported investigating all of the repairs that needed to be addressed.
At a joint meeting of the Parish and Finance Councils and the Trustees of the Parish concerning Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge, I was instructed to compile a list with costs of all that could possibly need to be addressed.
We are very fortunate to have Paul Castaldi here who will able to do a great deal of this work and help to keep the costs as reasonable as possible.
A Matter of Vision and Hope
Are these possible renovations written in stone? NO. Are they a wish list? YES. However, these possible renovations ARE a matter of vision! If we do not look forward to making our parish more attractive and more comfortable; more joyful and more welcoming; more letting go of the past and embracing the future; more courageous and less fearful – our future will be short-lived.
The Church has consistently taught us and showed us that to experience beauty is to encounter God. Thus, the great treasury of art, architecture, music, ritual, vesture, and tradition that is all that is Roman Catholic. Our world, both physically and emotionally, is often deprived of beauty: may Saint Sebastian be a home where people always experience beauty and encounter God!
For our vision to truly flourish I invite us to develop a vision of communication. The efforts that have been made seem less than successful. I will do all I am able to do to keep you up to date and to seek your advice, but I need your response.
I hope this helps to explain the genesis of some of the items you see either on the poster in the vestibule or in the Campaign Brochure. As I have said to you before, Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge is about much more than money and mortar: it is about our life and mission! Let us encourage one another that our Vision does meet the Challenge of our day!
Until we meet at the altar….
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear ones,
May the Grace of Our Lord be always with us!
Founders’ Day Celebration
I think there is agreement that the Founders’ Day celebration was great fun and a great success! There was a wonderful spirit through out the entire evening; and I think we all want to hire Chef Norbert for our personal chef! I am so grateful that Sister Marie Therese sent him to us!! J We are all grateful to Karin Schrott and her many helpers who transformed the Parish Hall and made it look so beautiful. Thank you also to Bob Short and James Wert who bravely took care of all the children so the parents could have a bit of free time to visit with friends and enjoy dinner. I am so grateful for all of you, and for the wonderful blessings we celebrated last Saturday evening.
Founders’ Day and Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge
The celebration of Founders’ Day leads us into the active phase of the Capital Campaign: Sharing the Vision, Meeting the Challenge: Grateful for God’s Providence. As we remember the many gifts we have been given by those who came before us, we are called today to continue our heritage as we meet the challenge of articulating the Gospel-Vision for 2019 and beyond.
Two of the three receptions for the Campaign took place last Monday. Both receptions were nicely attended, both had great questions, and both had a wonderful spirit. Like Founders’ Day, the spirit of these receptions was very positive, thought provoking, and up beat – we even managed to laugh as we discussed the challenges before us! There is one more reception, and that reception will be held on Monday, October 28 at 6:30pm in the Parish Hall. There is a brief presentation by the consultants from Guidance and Giving, by myself, and time for questions and answers. Everyone is welcome to attend! In the meantime, I invite you to do these three things:
· Pray for the success of the Campaign – as I said last Sunday, this is about much more than money, bricks and motar;
· Be an ambassador for the campaign: allow your conversation center around the good we can accomplish, rather than negative rumors, or worse untruths;
· Challenge yourself to consider a sacrificial gift that will allow the Vision of Saint Sebastian meet the Challenge of our contemporary world.
Choirs for Christmas
Carole Graves is waiting and ready for singers in both the Children’s and Adult Choirs. If you are interested in singing, please speak with Carole. Carole is quite creative and has a lot of wonderful ideas! Please be willing to sacrifice some time so that our Liturgies may be even more beautiful.
All Saints and All Souls
Friday is November 1st, and that means:
This Friday is the Solemnity of All - a Holy Day of Obligation. The Mass schedules are:
* All Saints Day: 7am and 5:30pm.
And if Friday is All Saints’ Day, Saturday is All Souls’ Day. Mass for All Souls’ Day is at:
9:30am
The Mass on All Souls’ Day is the annual Mass for all of the faithful departed, with the reading of the names of those who have been buried from Saint Sebastian this year. A reception follows the Mass.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Father Jordan, O.P.
My Brothers and Sisters,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
Last week I began to share with you information I learned at a panel discussion I attended recently, Empty Pews: The Future of Catholic Parishes? In my column, I introduced you to a “new faith”: the Nones. To refresh your memory Nones are between 25 and 40; they are not atheist; they qualify as spiritual, not religious; they believe in God and pray more than many church-going people; they believe that there is a morality by which we are to live, but they decided said morality; and institutions guilty of injustice are not worthy of their trust. I quote Archbishop Chaput “the Parish of the future, which is already here, must find a way of speaking into the minds and hearts of the young people who look at the reality of religion from this particular perspective.” The panel discussion began to talk about how to speak to the minds and hearts of these young people. There were several areas that were addressed:
Books could be written on each of these topics. For our purposes, let’s look and 1 and 2: the credibility of the Church, and the Mass and its celebration.
It would be an understatement of tremendous proportion to say that the Church has lost its credibility in contemporary society. Notwithstanding the scandals of the last twenty years, the Church has been increasingly marginalized as an institution that has a broken administrative structure, and whose leadership was never prepared to lead a post conciliar Church. Add the sexual revolution; a decaying family structure; and the postmodern person’s search for self-meaning to this brokenness, lack of preparation and ability and you have an institution that is singing a song that is difficult, if not impossible, for society to hear. Yet, the Church is not an institution limited by human ability and circumstance, but one which exists and flourishes by Divine Initiative and Purpose. This Divine Initiative and Purpose is simultaneously the catalyst and the reason that we need to find a way to speak to the Nones. We are fooling ourselves if we think the way to do this is to make everything easy and simple – we cannot “dumb it down”; we must offer them something to strive for; a richer, better, happier way of life – even if it is more challenging. How can the Church once again become credible? First, let’s acknowledge that not all bishops and priests have lost their credibility. There are many members of the clergy who have remained completely faithful to their vocation, their vows, and to serving rather than being served. Secondly, all priests and bishops need to return to a life of prayer and sacrifice; we need to take what we do seriously and realize that the salvation of souls, our own included are at stake if we do not. We need to be willing to enter into the difficult conversations with people concerning the Faith, the failures of the clergy, and in all the places where Catholicism appears out of step with contemporary society. Finally, we must be willing to teach the fullness of our Catholic Faith without compromise, but with tremendous understanding and charity.
For the Nones to come to Church it must be clear that the Liturgical Life of a given Parish is taken seriously. Like many other younger Catholics, for the Nones to experience beauty is to encounter God. Sloppy celebration, a priest trying to be a comedian, mediocre music, and pious preaching will not lead the Nones to fill our pews. They are searching for a celebration that will lead them to God and will help them deal with daily life.
For the Nones to join us, the New Evangelization becomes ever more urgent. Recall the definition of the New Evangelization, “The New Evangelization is a particular grace by which I encounter the Gospel as I never have before and seek to respond without compromise.”
May we respond: with zeal; with courage; with charity; and without compromise. Next week, fidelity to the Church’s teaching, and social outreach.
Until we meet at the altar… O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan, O.P.
My Brothers and Sisters Christ,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
Welcome to Saint Sebastian for another weekend of celebrating God’s Love; hear His Call to belong to Him; and to find JOY as we assemble as His People.
At all of the Masses this weekend we will begin to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance to call forth brothers and sisters to help me guide and form our community for the next two years. If you are asked to stand for election, I urge to consider the request and to respond with generosity. Please remember that if you nominate someone to serve on the Council, they need to have agreed to be nominated. Let’s strive for a real cross section of the Parish!
Today at the 9am Mass we will commission our Catechists for the Children’s Liturgy of the Word and Religious Education for the coming year. May God bless the efforts and generosity of these women and men. The theme of the year is stay with us!, taken from the Gospel story of the risen Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Just as the hearts of the disciples burned within them as they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread and asked Him to stay, may our children know and accept the living presence of Christ in their midst.
Both of these occasions bring to mind a panel discussion I attended recently entitled “Empty Pews: The Future of Catholic Parishes?” The panelists hold chairs in communications, moral theology, and sacred music at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Archbishop Charles Chaput, ofm.cap. moderated the discussion. As the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Archbishop Chaput has closed, clustered, or merged over 1/3 of the parishes of the Archdiocese. The Archbishop began the discussion with this question, “Having had to in act the Pastoral Plan of closing, clustering, and merging Parishes, the concern I bring to our discussion about the future of the parish is whether it is even going to exist!” I instantly thought of my ancestral parishes: Saint Bridget; Saint Monica, Saint Gabriel – what would it be like to see them shuttered and sold? Interrupting my thoughts came the Archbishop’s voice, “God will decide if parishes are to exist or not, but we have to be participants. The reason I am worried is because of church attendance.” Church attendance… my body was in Philadelphia, but my mind and heart were here in our Parish, our circle of influence and concern.
As a Parish, our attendance reflects the national norm for Sunday attendance: approximately 34% of people attend Mass weekly; another 33% attend Mass two or three times a month; and the remaining 33% are a mix between special occasions; the great Feasts of Christmas and Easter; and finally, those who are registered, but never attend. How can Saint Sebastian become a place that defies the national norm and draws more people to be very intentional about regular participation at Mass and in the Parish? Remember my suggested four hallmarks: Joy, Welcome, Mission and Belonging – I am convinced these will help us draw souls to God! Why? Each of these attributes reflect an authenticity that has been forged by facing the reality of life, wrestling with the difficult issues, and finding the ultimate answer in the practice of our Faith and a profound relationship with God.
Our joy, welcome, common mission, and sense of belonging will help contemporary people in a particular way. In the final 33% mentioned above, there is the growing population of which many people are aware; they may be perplexed by this new demographic and wonder “how did this happen”? Who is this growing 33%: the “Nones”? Those who qualify as Nones are between 25 and 40. A Nones is not an atheist; but qualify themselves as spiritual not religious; they believe in God; pray more than the average person; and many have studied the Bible. Nones are really a new faith rather than the loss of faith altogether. Normally, Nones believe that morality exists but they will decide what it is; as a result, institutions guilty of injustice as not worthy of their attention . The Parish of the future, a future, which is already here, must find a way of speaking into the minds and hearts of the young people who look at the reality of religion from this particular perspective. How do we enter into dialogue with the Nones?
Next week I will reflect upon three ways we can meet and welcome the Nones we might know.
August 25, 2019From Father Jordan My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! May you be Peace Last weekend as the Masses were ending, I was asked a question about our Church, our faith, the Pro-Life teaching of the Church and the issues of immigration that bombard our discourse and attention at this time. Joseph Cardinal Bernadine used the phrase “seamless garment” towards the Church’s economic policies and the manner in which we, the Church, care for the poor. I would like to propose for your reflection that the metaphor of a “seamless garment” is also most applicable to what it means to be Pro-Life and to strive constantly for the promotion and protection of the dignity of the human person. If the Roman Catholic Church is truly Pro-Life, and we are, then neither our theology nor our praxis is allowed to destroy the seamless garment of safeguarding the dignity of human life from conception until natural death. Life in the womb is as precious as life outside of the womb, and both demand and deserve our vigilance, protection, and our advocacy. As Roman Catholics we are rightly concerned about recent legislation read into power throughout our country concerning abortion and especially late term abortion; we need to be similarly concerned about legislation concerning immigration and the treatment of immigrants. If you have toured Ellis Island, you know it was no paradise; and there were many tragedies on that island. When we view the conditions being endured in Texas, Ellis Island might look much better. It is this same concern that guides us to address the concerns that surround proper medical care and treatment, as well as end of life issues. I read recently poor Philadelphians are dying without insulin needed for the treatment of diabetes because of revised insurance copays and highly inflated costs of insulin. As governments legalize assisted suicide, every Roman Catholic needs to know what the Church teaches about “ordinary” and “extraordinary” means of caring for life and preserving the quality of life that God desires for us. I recommend to you the work of our Dominican Sisters of Peace for more information about what the Church is doing to address the immigration crisis. Please go to: oppeace.org/dominican-sisters-peace-immigration-reformcommittee/. I recall for you the words of Sister Barbara Kane published recently in these pages, “Above all, Jordan, I urge you to encourage your parishioners to pray for all immigrants and immigration reform. May you be Peace!” Back from Vacation Vacation is great, but wow…reentry! Before I came home, I learned of the death of Judge Shea: my first days home centered on the passing of this great Catholic-Icon for peace and justice. At his funeral, I was taking back by the high number of Catholic Judges in our state. As Judge Shea was eulogized for his deep and active faith, may all our Catholic Judges follow his example! I ask Mr. Bob and Ms. Kristen every day if there are more Religious Education, CGS, Confirmation Class, or RICA registrations. If you haven’t registered for any of the above and you need to, please do! And, here is where each one can reach one: who has a first grader that needs to start Religious Education; a student for Confirmation; a wee–one from 3 – 6 ready for Mr. Bob’s unbeatable CGS; or, that spouse, friend, or yourself who have thought about joining our faith, or have questions about it: On the Fence (RCIA) is for you! I am having some health challenges, not serious but concerning, and I ask your prayers. Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! In the Lord, Fr. Jordan, O.P. August 11, 2019From Father Jordan My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! More Weekend Joy and Grace This past weekend, God continued to shower His Grace and His Joy upon us! First, the singing at 5pm Mass on Saturday was awesome! There was no organist, so “Unflappable Megan” skillfully led the congregation. But the response from the people!! At one point the congregation was singing in 3-part harmony!! It was wonderful to hear stories from the parishioners about their days in choir. Secondly, the crowd at the 9am Mass was much bigger than it has been since the summer began. So glad to see folks that been on holiday, and so grateful to God for more people in the pews!! Each one of you is the reason I am here; being accessible to you is why I live in the Rectory and not with my Dominican Brothers: I miss you when you are gone, and I thank God when you return. It was a joy for me to have Fr. Leo Checkai here while I played the organ. Finally, at the 11 o’clock Mass we welcomed Stanley William Finch to the Catholic Faith and to our Parish. Stanly, born on May 3, joins his Mom and Dad, Nate and Marta Finch (Majczak) and his big brother Peter. It was a great celebration, with a great gathering of family members Chicago and points closer to Providence. Witamy, Stashu! Faith and Violence Twenty years ago, I lived in Denver, Colorado. As I have told you before, I was part of the ministerial presence at Columbine High School in the days surrounding that horrific event. In the wake of the recent tragedies in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, memories of those days have flooded my heart, and filled my prayers. Our great shepherd and guide was Archbishop Charles Chaput, then Archbishop of Denver. In true form, the Archbishop is not silent about this latest horror. Recalling Columbine, Archbishop Chaput states: The real problem [of Columbine-like violence in our culture] is in here, in us … In the last four decades we’ve created a culture that markets violence in dozens of different ways, seven days a week…When the most dangerous place in the country is a mother’s womb and the unborn child can have his or her head crushed in an abortion, even in the process of being born, the body language of that message is that life isn’t sacred and may not be worth much at all… Certain kinds of killing we enshrine as rights and protect by law. When we live this kind of contradiction, why are we surprised at the results?... Only a fool can believe that “gun control” will solve the problem of mass violence. The people using the guns in these loathsome incidents are moral agents with twisted hearts… So I’ll say it again, 20 years later: Treating the symptoms in a culture of violence doesn’t work. We need to look deeper. Until we’re willing to do that, nothing fundamental will change… What do we do in the face of this perpetual tumult? I offer you two essential points: 1) My heart and yours must change…We cannot simply sit back and decry the state of our society, we must act. Our first action is prayer and penance. Consider saying one Hail Mary every day for the intention of peace; returning to presuming the good about another rather than anything negative or nasty. Consider “offering up” something for the well being of society and particularly our nation; e.g.: one less glass of wine with dinner one or two evenings a week; calling someone you would rather avoid; less TV and social media for family time and even --- family prayer! These simple acts will not change the world, but they WILL change US! 2) Besides the Heart of God, the primary place of healing is the family. How is your family and mine? Do we talk with one another? Do we pray together? Do we show unconditional love? Do we stand together or abandon one another? Do our children need to make an appointment for “Mommy and Daddy” time? Are we “snowplow parents”, or do we form our children to see the consequences of their actions? In the words of Pope Francis, “may every home be a school of human growth, love, and forgiveness”! Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! In the Lord, Fr. Jordan, O.P. August 4, 2019
|
July 28, 2019From Father JordanMy Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! Vacation Bible School Last week’s Vacation Bible School was a great success! The children had a great deal of fun; learned a great deal; and made some new friends. Look on our website for pictures chronicling the week and all its activities. Ms. Kristen and Mr. Bob were their consistent-100%-fantastic-homerun catechists! Looking forward to next year. Religious Education Survey All parents of currently registered Religious Education students as well as newly registered students, should have received a SurveyMonkey email from Mr. Bob about best times for Religious Education. If you have not received this survey/email, please contact Mr. Bob at ssricgs@gmail.com in order that one may be sent to you. If you have received the survey, but haven’t yet replied, please do so in order that we know what is best for your family. Financial Aid to Catholic School Students In today’s bulletin you will find information about Elementary School Tuition Assistance. Please use the FACTS Application at your earliest convenience in order that monies can be awarded as soon as possible. First Friday this Friday It is difficult to believe; Thursday of this week will mark the beginning of August. Friday is the First Friday of the month, with our usual set of devotions: 4:30: Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; 5:00: Confessions; 5:30: Mass I hope your schedules are more relaxed that you might be able to take advantage of this “mini-retreat day”: the holy silence of Adoration, Confession, and the Sacrifice of the Mass: a great 90 minutes of grace. Why First Friday? Our Lord says it best in His apparition to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque: · I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life. · I will establish peace in their families. · I will console them in all their troubles. · They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death. · I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings. · Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. · Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. · Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection. · I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored. · I will give to devotees of My Heart the power of touching the most hardened hearts. · Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced. · The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour. Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Fr. Jordan, OP July 21, 2019From Father Jordan My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! The Good Samaritan, Immigration, and Tweets After my homily about the Good Samaritan and immigration last Sunday, several parishioners shared their thanks for hearing this message, but also their great concern about the conditions of those being detained at the border. A common thread throughout these conversations is the silence of the church, with a small “c”, and especially the silence of our Church about this atrocity. The Bishops have spoken about the need for immigration reform, but there has not been a great call to action. Throughout this week I have continued to investigate ways for us to send relief to those living in this fetid squalor. There are many requests to send financial aid, and that is one way of helping. But I think the more urgent need is to offer physical care and relief to those who are not able to brush their teeth or have clean water to drink. I continue to search for a way to send aid to our brothers and sisters who desire to be with their family, and to live in freedom and peace. But the lesson of the Good Samaritan and human dignity has again been brought before us this week as we are subjected to more hurtful and divisive tweets, this time not from a religious leader, but one in government. Again, putting all politics aside, but claiming our common dignity as people made in the image and likeness of God, as people of faith we cannot support or ignore such vitriol. Unless it is an objective matter of sin, anything that weakens or divides the union of people and the dignity of society is itself sinful. In all of the frustration that we experience about malignant tweeting or unjust detention, our language, our thoughts, can never stoop to a lower level. As followers of Christ we are called to take the high road. We take that high road when we pray for the unity of God’s People; we take that high road when we pray for an end to division and seek a way of unity; we take that high road when we pray for those with whom we disagree, and pray for the conversion of our hearts, living the Gospel, being ever more faithfully missionary-disciples of reconciliation and compassion. In the words of Cardinal Dougherty, “may we be found faithful!” Vacation Bible School Tomorrow morning twelve children will begin “Traveling Around the World with the Saints” led by Ms. Kristen and Mr. Bob. I hope you are as delighted as I am that we have had such a great response for this new initiative. Thanks to our advertisement in the Rhode Island Catholic, we also have two students from outside of the Parish. Please pray for the success of our children’s “pilgrimage” this week; and join me in grateful prayer for Bob and Kristen! Each One, Reach One You have heard me say this on a number of occasions, and it is not just a catchy slogan: it is our mission, a way to grow, and a way to remain a viable, joyful, life-giving Parish. We really do have a good thing going here at Saint Sebastian! There are times that we can accentuate what is wrong more than what is going well. When this happens our vision, and our conversation, can become clouded and depressing, and the devil is making his way in. Let’s send him running away! Let’s send him running and be grateful for the gifts we are given! Blessings that come to my mind are: we are blessed to be able to disagree and keep talking with one another; we are blessed to celebrate the Liturgy with love and devotion; we are blessed with people who are concerned for one another; we are blessed with new life, both through the miracle of babies that fill our Masses, and the gift of welcoming new parishioners. We are blessed with children to be formed in the faith; we are blessed with a loving concern for the poor and the marginalized; we are blessed with a beautiful physical plant, and a stunning Church; we are blessed! But most of all we are blessed by God’s abiding presence in Word, in Sacrament, in song, and in one another!! All of these blessings are a great invitation to invite others to join us to celebrate what we have seen, heard, and touched here at Saint Sebastian. Invite a friend to Church! Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Fr. Jordan, OP July 14, 2019From Father Jordan My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! It is difficult for me to believe that it is over month since I wrote a column for the bulletin! You heard from Father Bernard in my absence, and then there were the weeks with early deadlines, and my inability to type due to some minor hand surgery. I am grateful to write to you today. Summertime… and the living is easy These lyrics from George Gershwin’s classic “Porgy and Bess” seem apropos for our life together during these summer days. We all relax from the regular hectic pace of the fall, winter, and spring and we rush to have time away. Yes, I said rush to have time away. I’m with you as we all work in advance to be away and find ourselves rushing around to pack and to get to wherever we are going and…. collapse. If only the summertime was truly easy! A Spiritual Reality and a Perennial Call Do you remember our Lenten Introit: If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts…? I believe that these words also ring true in this vacation season! The Lord calls us to step back, be with our families, and breathe! We need to breathe the air of relaxation and peace; to breathe the air of being together and creating new memories; to breathe the air of reconnecting, forgiving, and recharging our batteries for the year to come. Lent in the midst of summer!?! Do you hear the Lord’s voice saying to you, “SLOW DOWN!”? May our hearts be soft and open to His call! Life at 67 Cole Avenue As summer ushers us into the time of vacation and renewal, life in the Rectory and in the Parish is also a little slower, but everything still keeps going. The summer offers the opportunity to plan for the coming year, as well as to catch up on work that may have slipped through the cracks during the year. Here are some highlights of plans for the coming year: · Bob Short and Kristen Gold are busy preparing Vacation Bible School which will be held from July 22 – 26. See the bulletin for more details. · Bob and Kristen will send a survey to all parents of students in Religious Education and CGS about the best times for classes. · The Fall also holds several social opportunities: Fall Festival in late September; Founder’s Day Mass and Dinner in October; and the Advent “Gaudete” Celebration. · During late September and October there will be parish-wide nominations and elections for the Parish Pastoral Council. Several current members will become officers, and other offices and interest areas (social, liturgy, buildings and grounds, etc. ) will be chosen from newly elected members. A great amount of my time is spent working on the budget to close the current fiscal year and prepare for the new fiscal year. The budget is a heavy responsibility and one that causes me tremendous concern. Although our income is ahead of projection, this has been a year of extraordinary and often emergent expenses. Our collections fluctuate in such a manner that it is difficult to budget a way to pay bills, make payroll, and put some money into savings. With the joint assistance of the Parish and Finance Councils in the Fall we must address the critical need for an increased offertory. Through the bulletin, you have received the facts and figures of what it takes to run the Parish; you have been shown the fixed expenses over which we have little or no control. Since Easter I have paid a number of bills from my personal money, and I am not taking a salary or receiving any benefits at this time. Your help is needed. No gift is too small, but we need to embrace the reality that this is not about equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. Please consider increasing your weekly/monthly gift. As you travel during the summer please remember Saint Sebastian still needs and depends upon your support. I am happy to talk with anyone about this or any parish issue. Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee! Fr. Jordan, OP |
Dear friends,
It’s been a joy to be with you this past week while Father Jordan has been away—thank you for the warm welcome!
When Father Jordan invited me to write a column for today’s parish bulletin, he suggested that you might like to know more about my ministry and
Dominican community life.
I live at Saint Patrick’s Priory in Columbus, Ohio, a house with seven Dominican priests and one
Dominican brother attached to St. Patrick’s Parish. Out of the eight of us, three priests work full-time in our parish, which is thriving. Really it’s a remarkable parish. Probably the first thing visitors notice is that on Sunday mornings the children at Mass
outnumber the adults! Of course this is how all
parishes used to be, but today it is exceptional and striking. The parish does not have a school any more, but we do have a large religious education (CCD) program, scouting groups for boys and girls, and an array of clubs, reading groups, prayer grounds, and active ministries for adults. Since we are in downtown Columbus, in the middle of the business district and just a few blocks from the State capital offices, we do have large crowds for weekday Masses and hours every day given to hearing
Confessions – so while we do have a lot of priests, the number of faithful Catholics means we’re kept busy!
What do the other five friars do? Well, our non-ordained Brother runs a soup kitchen that our parish helps support. Two priests are full-time itinerant preachers (meaning they travel all over the country to preach parish missions). And the last two of us are full-time professors at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a seminary in Columbus that draws its seminarians from all over the United States. I teach theology to the “major
seminarians” (i.e., the graduate students), and the other priest teaches courses at the undergraduate level.
By the time you’re reading these words, I’ll be driving back to Columbus. As I head back, I want to ask you to pray for all seminarians—and I’ve got three suggestions for making your prayers specific.
First, pray that these men, and others who are called to the priesthood, will receive from God the gift of magnanimity: this is the virtue, crucial for every Christian, by which we expect God to do great things in us; not things that the world considers “great” or “successful”, but truly great things. In other words, it’s the virtue by which we are opened to the way of real holiness and total self-surrender to God.
Second, please pray that your future priests be men of pastoral charity. This is the particular love for God and neighbor that the priesthood calls for, the love of the Good Shepherd Himself. We have plenty of priests who are “nice guys”, and this isn’t at all bad in itself, but I know you’ll agree we’d rather have nice guys who are also men of ardent love for souls.
Third, I’d suggest you pray that our seminarians
receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of Wisdom, to
understand the Faith profoundly and to see how to make progress—and how to help others make
progress—according to the designs of God.
Those are not the only three gifts seminarians need. They also need perseverance, courage, humility, and a love for hard work. Anyway, however you pray for them, do pray for them, if only out of self-interest! After all, today’s seminarians are going to be your priests and your children’s priests in just a few years!
Many thanks, again, for your warm welcome, and God bless you!
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard, O.P.