From the Pastor
November/05/2009
With much gratitude, I want to thank the many women and men who helped prepare the great Auction-Dinner-Dance on Saturday night, November 7th. They made a full fledged effort to bring about beautiful results, including preparing the elegant setting, gathering and preparing the gift baskets and other prizes, sending the invitations, and more. There is another part of this bulletin that’s been set aside to list the names of the people who were responsible for its success.
We have something of special pre-Christmas significance to bring to your attention that will be taking place soon. St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach will be one of the only churches in southeast Florida this year to host this special type of religious-themed musical event. Join us on Sunday, December 6th at 2:30 in the afternoon, as we host a beautiful Advent-Christmas themed musical performance in the church sanctuary. This one-time, hour-long presentation is a modern- day take on several medieval mystery plays performed in the churches before Christmas, such as “Herod” or “Daniel,” and is produced as an English-language opera. The popular work, entitled “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” tells the apocryphal story of a penniless widow and her young crippled shepherd boy who are visited by the Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem. The opera composer was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, Gian Carlo Menotti, who died less than three years ago in Monaco. The roles of the shepherds and the chorus will be sung by members of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Choir. We offer this program as both a timely form of spiritual preparation for Christmas, and a meditative reflection on the ongoing conflict between virtue and vice in life. We guarantee that the lasting sentiments generated by this performance will stay with you for a long time. There is no admission charge, but a suggested donation of at least ten dollars will be received during that performance to cover the production costs. A light-snack reception will then follow in the parish center, whereby you can meet the performers.
Friday night of the previous weekend was a delightful occasion for a lot of the young people of our parish, as their parents sponsored “Trunk or Treat,” a tail-gate type of Halloween gathering in our parking lot. The children safely went “trick-or-treating” from car-to-car, to garner goodies, while their parents enjoyed the camaraderie that such a gathering engendered. We hope that this type of fellowship will continue to build up the spirit of the parish and its school. Thank you to all who put this one together. May your next ventures be as enjoyable and successful!
On Sunday, November 22nd, following the 11:30 A.M. Mass, which he will celebrate, Father Jimmy will receive well-wishers at a parish-sponsored reception in Kellaghan Hall, as he says his farewells to the parish where he has spent almost two years in service. Right now, he’s on a trip to the Holy Land. We wish him well in his new assignment at St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton.
Catholic critics have reacted to a HBO Sunday night show called, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” that recently had a scene showing a painting of Jesus being urinated on, and which also mocked Catholic devotion to Jesus. They have questioned an apparent double standard in the treatment of religions and have called for an apology from the show’s producers. Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, criticized the episode, accusing HBO of only liking to “dump on Catholics.” “Last night’s episode demonstrates that Larry David’s best years are behind him. He ought to quit while he’s ahead.” Deal Hudson, editor of InsideCatholic.com, wondered why people are allowed to show such public disrespect for Christian symbols. “If the same thing was done to a symbol of any other religions -- Jewish or Muslim -- there'd be a huge outcry! It's simply not a level playing field," Hudson told Fox News. "When is it going to stop?” I believe it will stop when you notify HBO that you’re cancelling our subscription because of such blatantly anti-Christian productions on its network! Know for sure that we don’t subscribe!
As of this printing of this bulletin, I’m not sure if any Health Care Reform bill will make its way through Congress, but you can be sure that the one being rammed by Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts is not acceptable. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. Bishops’ Conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for legal immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them. You can tell Congress: “Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform!” You can contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. To send a prewritten, instant e-mail to Congress, go to www.usccb.org/action. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices. MESSAGE to SENATE: “During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.” MESSAGE to HOUSE: “Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.” Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
We have something of special pre-Christmas significance to bring to your attention that will be taking place soon. St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach will be one of the only churches in southeast Florida this year to host this special type of religious-themed musical event. Join us on Sunday, December 6th at 2:30 in the afternoon, as we host a beautiful Advent-Christmas themed musical performance in the church sanctuary. This one-time, hour-long presentation is a modern- day take on several medieval mystery plays performed in the churches before Christmas, such as “Herod” or “Daniel,” and is produced as an English-language opera. The popular work, entitled “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” tells the apocryphal story of a penniless widow and her young crippled shepherd boy who are visited by the Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem. The opera composer was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, Gian Carlo Menotti, who died less than three years ago in Monaco. The roles of the shepherds and the chorus will be sung by members of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Choir. We offer this program as both a timely form of spiritual preparation for Christmas, and a meditative reflection on the ongoing conflict between virtue and vice in life. We guarantee that the lasting sentiments generated by this performance will stay with you for a long time. There is no admission charge, but a suggested donation of at least ten dollars will be received during that performance to cover the production costs. A light-snack reception will then follow in the parish center, whereby you can meet the performers.
Friday night of the previous weekend was a delightful occasion for a lot of the young people of our parish, as their parents sponsored “Trunk or Treat,” a tail-gate type of Halloween gathering in our parking lot. The children safely went “trick-or-treating” from car-to-car, to garner goodies, while their parents enjoyed the camaraderie that such a gathering engendered. We hope that this type of fellowship will continue to build up the spirit of the parish and its school. Thank you to all who put this one together. May your next ventures be as enjoyable and successful!
On Sunday, November 22nd, following the 11:30 A.M. Mass, which he will celebrate, Father Jimmy will receive well-wishers at a parish-sponsored reception in Kellaghan Hall, as he says his farewells to the parish where he has spent almost two years in service. Right now, he’s on a trip to the Holy Land. We wish him well in his new assignment at St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton.
Catholic critics have reacted to a HBO Sunday night show called, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” that recently had a scene showing a painting of Jesus being urinated on, and which also mocked Catholic devotion to Jesus. They have questioned an apparent double standard in the treatment of religions and have called for an apology from the show’s producers. Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, criticized the episode, accusing HBO of only liking to “dump on Catholics.” “Last night’s episode demonstrates that Larry David’s best years are behind him. He ought to quit while he’s ahead.” Deal Hudson, editor of InsideCatholic.com, wondered why people are allowed to show such public disrespect for Christian symbols. “If the same thing was done to a symbol of any other religions -- Jewish or Muslim -- there'd be a huge outcry! It's simply not a level playing field," Hudson told Fox News. "When is it going to stop?” I believe it will stop when you notify HBO that you’re cancelling our subscription because of such blatantly anti-Christian productions on its network! Know for sure that we don’t subscribe!
As of this printing of this bulletin, I’m not sure if any Health Care Reform bill will make its way through Congress, but you can be sure that the one being rammed by Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts is not acceptable. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. Bishops’ Conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for legal immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them. You can tell Congress: “Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform!” You can contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. To send a prewritten, instant e-mail to Congress, go to www.usccb.org/action. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices. MESSAGE to SENATE: “During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.” MESSAGE to HOUSE: “Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.” Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!
Very Rev. Canon Tom