From 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, 2019 From 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 From Father Jordan My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us! Days of Joy and a Weekend of Grace In last week’s From Father Jordan I complimented Mr. Bob and Miss Kristen for their great work with Vacation Bible School. Of course, I wrote those words while Vacation Bible School was still in session. I want to share more of what I witnessed, and the gifts and graces our children were given:· The students who attended Vacation Bible School were given some of the most creative and faithful catechesis I have seen in the last ten years. Mr. Bob and Miss Kristen were able to teach our children about 5 wonderful Saints, as well as Bible Studies from both the Old and New Testaments. · The children really “got” what they were being taught. Saint Juan Diego is known for his tilma on which Our Lady imprinted her image. Mr. Bob and Miss Kristen presented that lesson in a very creative way: first, tilma is like an apron by which something is carried, or in the case of Saint Juan Diego, an apron that bears a particular image or message. Each of the students made their own tilma to wear, but they also saw a tilma being used to carry water balloons. Later in the week, Miss Kristen gathered her shirt in front of her to carry supplies for the students. One boy remarked, “Look, Miss Kristen is wearing a tilma!” From the mouths of babes… there are more stories like this one that can be told. · One parent told me that when she was getting her children ready for Vacation Bible School the next day, her 4-year-old corrected her and said, “Mom, it’s just vacation….” Another parent told me that her child cried when she was told her family had no way to get her to Vacation Bible School the next day…. Thank God for Nana to the rescue! · Families were given the opportunity to know one another better, or to meet each other for the first time; and, we attracted people from outside of the Parish. This newly knit community is so strong that several of the families came to Andrew Hill’s baptism at the 11:00 am Mass last Sunday: what an untold blessing. Vacation Bible School was something we never did before; something that stretched us; something many thought would never work. By God’s grace and Our Lady’s intercession, Vacation Bible School did more than work – it flourished! Mr. Bob and Miss Kristen are already planning for “VBS 2020”! Last weekend our Parish was blessed to have three baptisms. We have had 32 new families join the Parish since January and many have young children. Each baptism was perfect: beautiful babies’ loving and grateful families; a sense of JOY that no one could take from us. This past week and weekend have been the happiest of my 13 months as your Pastor. Joy Communities that are joyful grow – it is that simple. This can be seen in school communities; religious orders old and new; parishes that spring up in the most unexpected places, and parishes that come back from the brink of ceasing to exist. Joy attracts more than money; works; or personalities: joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God! As I often told you, joy is not a slap on the back and being “hail fellow well met”; joy is laughing and crying together; joy is agreeing and disagreeing with one another; joy is teasing one another about our peccadillos; joy is the presence of the Holy Spirit that proclaims over and over again that sin, death, hell and sorrow do not have the final word – only God and His Triumphant Love have the final word! May Saint Sebastian’s ever be and become even more a community of Joy, a temple of Praise, a home where there is always a four – year – old’s “just vacation”! 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. July 28, 2019 From Father Jordan My 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 |