From the Pastor
April/15/2010
What tragedies have befallen God’s people again, this time in West Virginia and Poland. My classmate, the Bishop of West Virginia, missed our class reunion last week to spend much time ministering to those of his flock who have lost loved ones in the coal mine disaster there (I did get to see his picture on the news more than once during that sad vigil). In Poland, the nation suffered its most devastating setback since World War II. Their leaders were on their way to offer a commemorative Mass marking the 70th anniversary of the wiping out of the leadership and intelligentsia of Poland by the Soviets in Katyn Forest.
My Polish-language professor had been among the leadership of those who persisted in bringing to light the atrocities that were hidden for years by Russia. When he died two years ago, he was given a state funeral from Warsaw’s Cathedral, already having been given the equivalent of Poland’s Medal of Honor and the Polish Parliament’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. For those of us who remember the Kennedy assassinations and were deeply affected by them, just try to imagine the wipe-out of not only the Kennedys, but much of the leadership of our military and Congressional leaders.
It is virtually unparalleled in these times outside of war and genocide. I knew the bishop of the Polish Military Diocese who lost his life (just saw him last summer), as well as the ex-President of the Republic-in-exile, who served his people from London during the years of Soviet and Communist domination of Poland. There were seven other priests also on board that ill-fated aircraft.
Please pray for all those who have perished in these disasters, as well as their families (and for our Sister Maria and Sister Dorothy, who cannot return home at this time to join in their nation’s mourning), and the entire Catholic Polish nation. Now that the flu season is over and the danger of rapid transmission of the “bug” seems to have passed, the reception of the Precious Blood at Sunday Masses in our parish will be resumed, with the usual precautions for both Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and recipients still being observed. The ministers will continue to purify their hands before distributing the host or cup, and carefully wipe the cup after the recipient has partaken of the Precious Blood.
The recipient should not approach the cup if he/she is aware of any cold or other illness that could infect any other recipients. This will be the last Sunday that Deacon Chris LeBlanc will serve as a Deacon in our parish before his going off to prepare for his priestly ordination and First Mass. We are grateful for his weekends of service throughout the past year, and wish him only the best for his last days in the seminary as a student. He has been a good preacher of God’s Word here, and a valuable asset to our parish family, especially to the youth of our Life Teen program. Though we will lose his presence in our area, we know that his Diocese of Pensacola- Tallahassee will utilize his many talents, and hope that he will receive a suitable assignment there and continue to develop his gifts for the use of God’s people in that diocese. Pray for him, that he may be worthy of that call by God to serve Him and His flock in the best ways possible. Pray, too, for the health of his own bishop, the Most Reverend John Ricard, weakened by a series of strokes and physical setbacks in this 70th year of his life.
Father Chris will be ordained in the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Pensacola on Saturday, June 5th, in this “Year for Priests.” Then, on June 20th, “Father” Chris will return to us to offer a Mass of Thanksgiving, followed by a reception in our Parish Center. Until then, we wish him the choicest of God’s blessings and “bon voyage!”
Steve Dudenhoefer, of Ak’Tenamit in our Guatemalan mission, has sent us a lovely message of thanks for your generous contribution to that cause. He will greet us when several men from the Knights of Columbus of our parish and their sons arrive in mid-July (17th to the 25th) for our annual volunteer work week (actually 9 days) in the steamy rain forest of Guatemala. If you wish to donate to this worthy project, green envelopes marked for the Guatemalan mission are found in the clear plastic brochure holders at each of the entrances of our church. You may put your offering along with your weekly parish stewardship envelope in the Sunday collection. Thank you so much for your support of this worthy cause!
We welcome the newest members of our parish, who will join us after the last Mass this Sunday morning, in a meeting and reception in our parish hall. We thank Karen Turnbull and her team of welcoming volunteers who, with the leadership of our parish, are making them feel welcome to our parish family.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
My Polish-language professor had been among the leadership of those who persisted in bringing to light the atrocities that were hidden for years by Russia. When he died two years ago, he was given a state funeral from Warsaw’s Cathedral, already having been given the equivalent of Poland’s Medal of Honor and the Polish Parliament’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. For those of us who remember the Kennedy assassinations and were deeply affected by them, just try to imagine the wipe-out of not only the Kennedys, but much of the leadership of our military and Congressional leaders.
It is virtually unparalleled in these times outside of war and genocide. I knew the bishop of the Polish Military Diocese who lost his life (just saw him last summer), as well as the ex-President of the Republic-in-exile, who served his people from London during the years of Soviet and Communist domination of Poland. There were seven other priests also on board that ill-fated aircraft.
Please pray for all those who have perished in these disasters, as well as their families (and for our Sister Maria and Sister Dorothy, who cannot return home at this time to join in their nation’s mourning), and the entire Catholic Polish nation. Now that the flu season is over and the danger of rapid transmission of the “bug” seems to have passed, the reception of the Precious Blood at Sunday Masses in our parish will be resumed, with the usual precautions for both Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and recipients still being observed. The ministers will continue to purify their hands before distributing the host or cup, and carefully wipe the cup after the recipient has partaken of the Precious Blood.
The recipient should not approach the cup if he/she is aware of any cold or other illness that could infect any other recipients. This will be the last Sunday that Deacon Chris LeBlanc will serve as a Deacon in our parish before his going off to prepare for his priestly ordination and First Mass. We are grateful for his weekends of service throughout the past year, and wish him only the best for his last days in the seminary as a student. He has been a good preacher of God’s Word here, and a valuable asset to our parish family, especially to the youth of our Life Teen program. Though we will lose his presence in our area, we know that his Diocese of Pensacola- Tallahassee will utilize his many talents, and hope that he will receive a suitable assignment there and continue to develop his gifts for the use of God’s people in that diocese. Pray for him, that he may be worthy of that call by God to serve Him and His flock in the best ways possible. Pray, too, for the health of his own bishop, the Most Reverend John Ricard, weakened by a series of strokes and physical setbacks in this 70th year of his life.
Father Chris will be ordained in the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Pensacola on Saturday, June 5th, in this “Year for Priests.” Then, on June 20th, “Father” Chris will return to us to offer a Mass of Thanksgiving, followed by a reception in our Parish Center. Until then, we wish him the choicest of God’s blessings and “bon voyage!”
Steve Dudenhoefer, of Ak’Tenamit in our Guatemalan mission, has sent us a lovely message of thanks for your generous contribution to that cause. He will greet us when several men from the Knights of Columbus of our parish and their sons arrive in mid-July (17th to the 25th) for our annual volunteer work week (actually 9 days) in the steamy rain forest of Guatemala. If you wish to donate to this worthy project, green envelopes marked for the Guatemalan mission are found in the clear plastic brochure holders at each of the entrances of our church. You may put your offering along with your weekly parish stewardship envelope in the Sunday collection. Thank you so much for your support of this worthy cause!
We welcome the newest members of our parish, who will join us after the last Mass this Sunday morning, in a meeting and reception in our parish hall. We thank Karen Turnbull and her team of welcoming volunteers who, with the leadership of our parish, are making them feel welcome to our parish family.
Very Rev. Canon Tom