Apr 2009
From the Pastor
April/23/2009
Congratulations to our 2009 First Holy Communion Class! In that very moment when they first received the Body and Blood of the Lord, they became even more precious in the eyes of the Lord. May they be surrounded by good examples of Catholic living so that they may grow stronger in their faith and love of God. My first hope and prayer is that they will stay close to Jesus, by receiving Him every week. My second hope is that their parents will set the good example for them by accompanying them to church each week, and, where possible, receive the Eucharist with them.
Sadly, as is often the case, those who are supposed to lead by good example, fail in that special obligation to set the high standards that are needed. When reminded of their failure, they may even recoil and sometimes attack the good intentioned person with a vengeance that is most unbecoming of one who claims the name of “a follower of Christ.” Though their conscience may have shown them the error of their actions, they will not change, they will not repent; instead, they entrench themselves in their wrongdoing and respond with an attack that poorly attempts to hide their evil doings and dodge the real issue at hand, by using ‘ad hominem’ arguments.
So, if you should find yourself in such a situation in your own family, or community or even your profession or occupation, let me suggest to you to read the Psalms of the Old Testament for solace and consolation. In particular, I draw your attention to Psalm 37, especially these excerpts that follow, from which I have often drawn inspiration: “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not envy those who do evil, for they wither quickly like grass and fade like the green of the fields……Commit your life to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, and your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait in patience; do not fret at the man who prospers; a man who makes evil plots to bring down the needy and the poor. Calm your anger and forget your rage; do not fret, it only leads to evil. For those who do evil shall perish; the patient shall inherit the land. A little longer - and the wicked shall have gone. Look at his place, he is not there. But the humble shall own the land and enjoy the fullness of peace. The wicked man plots against the just and gnashes his teeth against him; but the Lord laughs at the wicked. For He sees that his day is at hand. The sword of the wicked is drawn, his bow is bent to slaughter the upright. Their sword shall pierce their own hearts and their bows shall be broken to pieces……for the power of the wicked shall be broken and the Lord will support the just….But all the wicked shall perish and all the enemies of the Lord. They are like the beauty of the meadows… they shall vanish, they shall vanish like smoke.”
You may have noticed that we are putting a new roof on the church; hopefully, this will stop the intermittent leaking that occurs during the more severe rainstorms. If you remember, a new one was put on a few short years ago, shortly before I took over the reins of the parish. Most unfortunately, that roof was done with an inferior quality of workmanship, and we have taken the necessary steps to rectify that flaw and to seek restitution from those responsible for such a mess. In the meantime, we’re glad to be cooperating with the diocesan overseers of any renovations to an existing parish facility or structure. I only wish that I could have taken charge of the parish a bit earlier than I did in order to prevent several such situations from occurring, thereby saving more money and avoiding more headaches.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
April/16/2009
This Sunday, known as Divine Mercy Sunday, is a rather recent feast that was instituted to proclaim the love and mercy Our Lord willingly pours out on those who need it and love Him. It was promoted primarily by St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish religious woman, who received revelations from Our Lord about His offering of mercy to the whole world. Though I wrote at length about this last week, I wanted to draw your attention to it once again, and ask you to consult the devotions we offer this weekend, listed elsewhere in our bulletin. Our Holy Father has granted a Plenary Indulgence (a full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin) to all the faithful who participate in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, go to Confession, receive the Eucharist, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father that weekend. In addition, a devout prayer offered to the merciful Jesus is to be recited (e.g., “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!”).
Keith Skinner, a very active member of our parish (familiarly known to so many of us here as “Rusty“), will be called, this Sunday, April 19th, to Candidacy at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary. This is another step in his journey to become, hopefully, a Permanent Deacon. With his equally active wife (Wanda) and his daughters (Wendy, Amy and Cindy), and with all of us to support him, may God grant the fulfillment of that desire he has been pursuing. He and his family were quite involved in making the church sanctuary so attractive for Easter. In this, they were joined by Deacon Lee Levenson and his wife (Alice) and their grandchildren (Cole, Mark and Alice Robinson). The Levensons and their teaching team also prepared the newest members of our parish family for full reception into the Catholic Church on Holy Saturday. What a great team we have for doing so much good and showcasing the positive aspects of our parish.
Our Holy Week and Easter celebrations were so beautifully enhanced by the fine quality of music which our choir, our Director of Liturgical Music, our accompanists and our soloists prepared for so well. So many of our guests and parishioners commented very favorably on the wonderful quality of the music, both, in the church and in the parish Family Life Center, that was presented on that occasion. All of our many talented musicians, including surprise soloist Dennis Alsgaard on the violin and the golden voice of Christine Delgado, are to be congratulated on using their God-given talents to praise God in gratitude for His gifts to them. Especially, I thank the Life Teen band group that played so well for the two overflow Masses in the parish center.
Our little children of the parish will make their First Holy Communion this coming Saturday morning at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. This is a most important day in their life and I hope it will make a lasting positive impression upon their minds and hearts about how much Jesus loves us that He gives Himself to us in order to help us draw closer to His Father. I offer special thanks to Deacon Nick Nowak and Sister Maria and their teaching team for their superb work in preparing our “little ones” for their great day in their special encounter with the Lord. May the little children, so loved by Jesus, stay close to Him. “NUNSENSE,” that hilarious Broadway musical that made us all roar with laughter when it first came out, will return to the stage at St. Vincent Ferrer on Saturday, May 16th. It’s a humorous spoof on the “Little Sisters of Hoboken``” and the dilemma in which they find themselves. Tickets are on sale in the parish office now, and the proceeds will benefit our parish school scholarship program.
Thank you for your generous contribution to the parish at Easter; this is a special help to the parish in which we count on the help of so many people to meet our annual budget. The amounts are published (as always) elsewhere in this week’s bulletin. May God reward you according to your return to Him of His gifts first given to us. Steve Dudenhoefer, our lay missioner in Guatemala, has asked me to thank you – and, so I do – from the bottom of our hearts, to all of you who contributed so generously to his recent appeal on behalf of our mission at the Father Tom Moran Educational Center in Guatemala. Your generous response to this appeal has so far produced a total of $27,758 in cash and child sponsorships for the mission. May God bless you for your kindness and generosity. Also, during the second half of July, thirteen fathers and sons (Knights of Columbus) will accompany me to Guatemala, to help make these gifts become a reality.
After consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council and its unanimous approval, we will be changing our Sunday morning Mass schedule, beginning on the first Sunday of July. It was decided that to allow for a sufficient chance for cars to clear the parking lot, an hour and a half between the start of each Mass would be sufficient on most Sundays (Palm Sunday and Easter may still present problems). For all of those who are headed north and will be returning next season, the new Sunday morning schedule will be 7:00 a.m., 8:30, a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The rest of the weekend Masses on Saturday, and the Life Teen Mass on Sunday afternoon will remain the same. Though this may inevitably create a scheduling problem for some (and there will always be some who may not like the change), we hope that it will alleviate it for others, and space the crowds accordingly.
The days of three associates in a parish in the diocese are long gone, and unless there is an increase of priestly vocations, two associates in a parish will soon be considered a luxury. “Pray the Lord to send more laborers into His harvest.” The annual diocesan Marian Rosary Festival will be celebrated on Sunday, May 3rd, beginning at 2 p.m. at Emmanuel Church, on Military Trail above Linton Blvd. We welcome you to join Bishop Barbarito and so many people of various ethnic backgrounds for this combined religious and social gathering in honor of our heavenly mother, Mary, during the month dedicated to her.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor Happy Easter!
April/08/2009
Every year we celebrate the joyous season of Easter, and every year our churches are filled to more than overflowing on the first of these seven Sundays of Easter. Next Sunday, we will observe the Feast of Divine Mercy (always on the 2nd Sunday of Easter), with special devotions to the merciful Son of God. Though, by then, the crowds will be noticeably reduced, that day has at least as much significance as does the previous Sunday. Our most recent popes have acclaimed this as the fuller celebration of the Easter season, with the richness of Jesus’ mercy being manifested in a wonderful way during this season.
Everyone has heard the slogan about keeping Christ in Christmas, but what about Easter? How can we celebrate the real meaning of Christ’s glorious Resurrection in the midst of bunnies, eggs, hams and lambs? The key is to help everyone understand that these seemingly “secular” Easter traditions were once based on meaningful ways to celebrate the Good News that Jesus rose from the dead. For in the Church’s liturgical year, Easter is more than one day. The Easter season, beginning on Holy Saturday evening and concluding on Pentecost, celebrates Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Perhaps we’ve lost the symbolism over the years. For instance, colored eggs, once a pagan symbol of rebirth at springtime, was easily adapted by Christians, with the egg as the symbol of new life that comes out of the grave at the Resurrection. The dyeing of eggs in bright colors became popular in the Middle Ages, and the more intricate “pisanki” of Poland, Ukraine and Russia carried it one step farther. The tradition of the Easter baskets began in the same area of Europe where people brought food to church on Holy Saturday that would be blessed for the Easter Sunday meal (we still maintain this custom in our parish). The Easter bunny represented the new and abundant life in Christ, and jelly beans represented a candied version of the colored Easter egg. Using white lilies as Easter decorations in church and homes came into practice in the 19th century. The white flowers are a symbol of purity, and the lily’s trumpetlike shape heralds the triumph of Jesus over death. But for too many, the victorious triumph of Christ isn’t seen too readily.
Let’s face it: we are living in difficult economic times. If Jesus had issued an order to worry constantly, many of us would have achieved complete compliance. Jesus’ command is just the opposite: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Mt. 6:34) Jesus isn’t saying that we shouldn’t think about the future, but He is telling us that we must not worry about things that haven’t happened – and may never happen – that would ruin our lives. Now, more than ever, we need to remember that, as Christians, we are called to be a sign of the resurrected Christ to the world.
So we need to see how we can find hope in hard times. Pope John Paul’s admonition of “Be not afraid,” needs to become ours as well. If we truly believe that God is the source of all good, then He can and will provide for us in every situation. We must remember to stay close to him in thought and prayer. St. Paul, in his first Letter to the Corinthians, offers the following advice, that we have the ability to control our thoughts; they do not need to control us. When fear begins to creep in, breathe deeply, and pray, “I am never alone; God is with me. Therefore, I will not be afraid.” All too often, we consider prayer a measure of last resort. Instead of waiting until panic prevails, ask God for help in every situation, and ask with hopeful confidence. Then, look expectantly for His answer, for Jesus follows that advice with “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:9) When things are going well, it’s easy to feel uplifted. But joy and hope are not contingent upon the economy. They don’t come from bank accounts and financial investments, but from a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord. “Consider the lilies of the field – how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet, I assure you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.”(Mt. 6:28b, 29) “Your heavenly Father knows all that you need. Seek first His dominion over you, His way of holiness, and all these things will be given you, besides.” (Mt. 6:33)
Congratulations and WELCOME to the newest full members received this Holy Saturday evening into the Catholic Faith: Shelley Fiorini, Donald John Gilchrest, Andrea L. Hodgens, Kyle Robert Hodgens, Gary C. Jones II, Chase Christian Kelly, James Lesane, Jonathan Blake Wagner Murphy, Pamela Anne Peifer-Murphy, Susan Roegiers, Terry Lynn Carlson, Patricia Sullivan, Yida Zhao, and (infant) Colin Blake Murphy. Additionally, Allison Marie, Joseph Thomas, and Stephanie Marie Giacomaro will make their First Holy Communion. Many thanks to Deacon Lee Levenson, his wife, Alice, and the entire RCIA team for their many hours spent in preparing our newest members for the full reception of Christ into their lives!
As our “snow-birds” begin to head back North, may I take this opportunity to wish them a safe journey home and thank them for their wonderful support of our parish during their stay. We look forward to their return to us again in a few months. In the meantime, they can keep up with us on our website. To all our parishioners and friends, may you and your loved ones enjoy the blessings of this most holy season, which lasts for fifty days! Joyeuses Paques! Wesolego Alleluja! Felizes Pascuas! Frolich Ostern! Buona Pasqua! Chrystos Voskres! Maligayang Pasko ng Pagkabuhay! Happy Easter!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
April/02/2009
From Your Pastor
How uniquely special is this time of year for those of us who are members of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish! Palm Sunday marked the day when the people joyously greeted Jesus on the streets of Jerusalem, only to mock or abandon Him there a few days later. How lonely and betrayed He must have felt by Friday.
As your Pastor for the past three and one-half years, I want to thank all of the many good people who have continued to support our parish throughout these past few difficult years. Though we know that there have been a significant number of people who have left the parish (and even the Catholic Church) as a result of the damage suffered here, or in some other situations, those who have remained deep in their faith do so because they know our faith is not built upon individuals, but upon Christ and his numerous beautiful teachings. Among these teachings is Christ’s own example of how to walk along with Him, carrying the Cross that He allows to be placed upon our shoulders.
Many parishioners in our hospitals and nursing homes have been offering their own sufferings for the sake of the good of our parish family. So many others, too, parishioners and non-parishioners, have spent numerous hours in prayer before Our Lord in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, asking for the true healing that only His love can bring.
As we begin the process of healing and “moving on,” may the continued efforts on the part of so many people of good faith encourage others in our midst to stay firm and steadfast in the faith of our Baptism and to walk with Christ, knowing that it is only with Him that we can accomplish all that He asks of us. May those many good and loyal staff members, parish volunteers and hard workers who have not “abandoned ship” serve as examples of strength to continue to build up the Body of Christ in our midst. May we also remember to keep in our prayers all those who have gone in other directions, those who have hurt us, and those, including Fathers Skehan and Guinan, who are, in some way, in great need of our prayers; that through the meritorious suffering of Jesus Christ, God may draw all closer to Himself.
May the grace of this most Holy Week of the year be a sublime opportunity to offer our sufferings, weaknesses and failures up to the Lord on the Cross, and hope to be taken, as the Good Thief once was, to be, one day with God and our loved ones who believe in Him.
Very Rev. Canon Tom