Jun 2010
From the Pastor
June/25/2010
After returning from my recent sojourn to Rome at the close of the “Year For Priests,” I found some interesting developments in our country regarding serious discrepancies between the teaching authority of the Church (that rests with the Pope and Bishops [Magisterium]) and the resistance by some members of our Church, including some rather influential members, to that teaching authority. I bring this to your attention because of the ever-present danger of eroding the teachings of our Church in matters that seriously affect the life of our faith and our country.
It seems that a real “battle royal” had been brewing steadily between the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Catholic Health Association over the recently passed health care reform of President Obama. Sister Carol Keehan, CEO and President of the Catholic Health Association (CHA) openly acted in favor of President Obama’s health care reform and in opposition to persistent requests from the bishops, said Cardinal Francis George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), during their recent spring meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida. During the bishops' executive session held last Tuesday morning to address the fallout of CHA’s support for the health care legislation despite the bishop's opposition, Cardinal George recounted the events that took place prior to President Obama's signing of the health care reform.
The cardinal then concluded his remarks by criticizing CHA and Sr. Keehan, saying they have created a dangerous precedent of a parallel magisterium (teaching body) to the teaching authority of the bishops. In the events leading up to the final health care vote, the USCCB president, Cardinal George of Chicago, presented arguments on how the Bishops' Conference “remained consistent to the two guiding principles throughout the whole process: number one, everyone should have access to health care; number two, no one should be killed.” The consistent moral position of the bishops, Cardinal George explained, centered around the protection of life, conscience protections, and the inclusion of immigrants. “The Conference never backed down on these issues,” he forcefully stated. According to the Archbishop of Chicago, when the Stupak Amendment was defeated in the Senate in December 2009, “everything went south.” That is when “the Catholic Health Association and other so-called Catholic groups provided cover for those on the fence to support Obama and the administration.” Cardinal George clearly remarked that “Sr. Carol and her colleagues are to blame” for the passage of the health care bill. He continued by revealing that the bishops repeatedly tried to reach out to Sr. Keehan, both before and after the vote. “I personally met with her in March, to no avail,” the cardinal reported.
In April, three bishops of the USCCB ‘ad hoc’ Health Care Concerns Committee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth and Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, also met with Sr. Keehan to try to make her understand the bishops’ concerns, and thus bring CHA back in line with Church teachings; however the meeting concluded with “the same frustrating results.”
The president of the USCCB reiterated the bishop's fundamental opposition to the health care reform. “The bill which was passed is fundamentally flawed. The Executive Order is meaningless. Sr. Carol is mistaken in thinking that this is pro-life legislation,” Cardinal George emphatically said. The cardinal also expressed disappointment with CHA “and other so-called Catholic groups” because, “in the end, they have weakened the moral voice of the bishops in the U.S.”
In that regard, Cardinal George highlighted that the USCCB and CHA’s positions on Obama’s health care are not just “two equally valid conclusions inspired in the same Catholic teaching,” and reiterated that what the bishops said on May 21 in their statement “Setting the record Straight” is and will remain the official position of the USCCB on the contentious issue.
The document, presented by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo (Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities), Bishop William Murphy (of Rockville Centre, New York, and ) and Bishop John Wester (of Salt Lake City, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Immigration), says: "As Bishops, we disagree that the divergence between the Catholic Conference and Catholic organizations, including the Catholic Health Association, represents merely a difference of analysis or strategy (Catholic Health World, April 15, 2010, “Now That Reform Has Passed”). Rather, for whatever good will was intended, it represented a fundamental disagreement, not just with our staff, as some maintain, but with the Bishops themselves. “As such, it has resulted in confusion and a wound to Catholic unity."
We need to be observant about these and future developments that affect the life and health of the People of God, especially as it pertains to those who are united under the mantle of the Catholic Church’s leadership throughout the world. The danger persists that when the media and society at large construct a scenario against the Church, because of the moral weaknesses of some of its leaders and members, it will use such a setting to try to gain a greater foothold on the means to further damage the Christ-founded institution and dismember it, piece by piece. That’s why we must continually be on guard against the wiles of the Evil One, and to pray for the protection of our Catholic Church, its true leaders, and the Faith of our Fathers.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
June/17/2010
Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers, soon-to-be fathers, would-be fathers (except for taking on a special role in family life that precludes the normal course of events) and our Priests! While I was in Rome, wonderful things happened in the parish, especially the Vacation Bible Camp 2010, with its theme, “Spirit of the Seas.” I ask you to prayerfully thank those special women who made this possible: Julie D’Addio, Kim Weber, Carrie Socha, Marjorie Robinson, Cathy Fradkin, Noreen Kelly, Chrissy Hubiak, Amy Sexton and Sister Dorothy. God bless them!
Yes, it was a privilege to be in Rome again, this time for the closing of the “Year for Priests.” I think the highlight of my week was the celebration of Mass with Pope Benedict on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The Eucharist was concelebrated by cardinals and bishops as well as by more than 15,000 priests from all over the world. The Holy Father consecrated the wine in the same chalice as that used by St. John Mary Vianney, the “Cure of Ars” in France. In his homily the Pope noted how the ‘Year for Priests’ was celebrated to ensure "a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry.” The priest is not a mere ‘office-holder.’ Rather, he does something which no human being can do of his own power: in Christ's name, he speaks the words which absolve us of our sins,
and in this way he changes, starting with God, our entire life. Over the bread and wine, he speaks Christ's words of thanksgiving, which open the world to God and unite us to Him. Priesthood, then, is not simply 'office,' but Sacrament.
“This boldness of God who entrusts Himself to human beings (conscious of our weaknesses, He nonetheless considers men capable of acting and being present in His stead) is the true grandeur concealed in the word 'priesthood'.” This is what Pope Benedict wanted us to reflect upon and appreciate again over the course of the past year. He wanted to reawaken our joy at how close God is to us. He also wanted to demonstrate once again to young people that this vocation, this fellowship of service for God and with God, does exist. Yet, it is to be expected that this new uplifting of the Priesthood would not be pleasing to the 'enemy' (Satan), who would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the Sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of children. The Pope insistently begged forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again; and that in admitting men to priestly ministry and in their formation, he will do everything he can to see that the authenticity of each vocation will be ensured as each man continues along his journey.
Had the Year for Priests been a glorification of our individual human performance, it would have been ruined by these events. But for us what happened was precisely the opposite: we grew in gratitude for God's gift, a gift concealed in 'earthen vessels' which ever anew, even amid human weakness, makes God’s love concretely present in this world. “So let us look upon all that happened as a summons to purification, as a task which we bring to the future and which makes us acknowledge and love all the more the great gift we have received from God. In this way, His gift becomes a commitment to respond to God's courage and humility by our own courage and our own humility".
Finally, the Pope commented on the lance thrust in Jesus' side, which caused blood and water to come out. This, the Pope explained, recalls "the two fundamental Sacraments by which the Church lives: Baptism and the Eucharist. From the Lord's pierced side, from His open heart, there springs the living fountain which continues to well up over the centuries and which makes the Church. The open heart is the source of a new stream of life. "Every Christian and every priest should become, starting from Christ, a wellspring which gives life to others. We ought to be offering life-giving water to a parched and thirsty world.” The Holy Father concluded, "Lord, we thank you because for our sake you opened your heart; because in your death and in your resurrection you became the source of life.
Give us life, make us live from you as our source, and grant that we too may be sources, wellsprings capable of bestowing the water of life in our time. We thank you for the grace of the priestly ministry. Lord bless us, and bless all those who in our time are thirsty and continue to seek".
This Sunday, as we celebrate Father’s Day and honor all fathers, let us remember to pray for all of our fathers, including our own spiritual fathers: our priests. As we celebrate with the newest “Father” Christopher LeBlanc, and the ‘older’ priests of our parish, and as we conclude this Year for Priests, may we recall that the essence of all fatherhood comes from God, the Father of all creation, the source of all life. May all who are called to “fatherhood” in this life be one day united with our Father in heaven! May Father LeBlanc be filled with an abundance of grace and peace and love for his ministry.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
Yes, it was a privilege to be in Rome again, this time for the closing of the “Year for Priests.” I think the highlight of my week was the celebration of Mass with Pope Benedict on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The Eucharist was concelebrated by cardinals and bishops as well as by more than 15,000 priests from all over the world. The Holy Father consecrated the wine in the same chalice as that used by St. John Mary Vianney, the “Cure of Ars” in France. In his homily the Pope noted how the ‘Year for Priests’ was celebrated to ensure "a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry.” The priest is not a mere ‘office-holder.’ Rather, he does something which no human being can do of his own power: in Christ's name, he speaks the words which absolve us of our sins,
and in this way he changes, starting with God, our entire life. Over the bread and wine, he speaks Christ's words of thanksgiving, which open the world to God and unite us to Him. Priesthood, then, is not simply 'office,' but Sacrament.
“This boldness of God who entrusts Himself to human beings (conscious of our weaknesses, He nonetheless considers men capable of acting and being present in His stead) is the true grandeur concealed in the word 'priesthood'.” This is what Pope Benedict wanted us to reflect upon and appreciate again over the course of the past year. He wanted to reawaken our joy at how close God is to us. He also wanted to demonstrate once again to young people that this vocation, this fellowship of service for God and with God, does exist. Yet, it is to be expected that this new uplifting of the Priesthood would not be pleasing to the 'enemy' (Satan), who would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the Sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of children. The Pope insistently begged forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again; and that in admitting men to priestly ministry and in their formation, he will do everything he can to see that the authenticity of each vocation will be ensured as each man continues along his journey.
Had the Year for Priests been a glorification of our individual human performance, it would have been ruined by these events. But for us what happened was precisely the opposite: we grew in gratitude for God's gift, a gift concealed in 'earthen vessels' which ever anew, even amid human weakness, makes God’s love concretely present in this world. “So let us look upon all that happened as a summons to purification, as a task which we bring to the future and which makes us acknowledge and love all the more the great gift we have received from God. In this way, His gift becomes a commitment to respond to God's courage and humility by our own courage and our own humility".
Finally, the Pope commented on the lance thrust in Jesus' side, which caused blood and water to come out. This, the Pope explained, recalls "the two fundamental Sacraments by which the Church lives: Baptism and the Eucharist. From the Lord's pierced side, from His open heart, there springs the living fountain which continues to well up over the centuries and which makes the Church. The open heart is the source of a new stream of life. "Every Christian and every priest should become, starting from Christ, a wellspring which gives life to others. We ought to be offering life-giving water to a parched and thirsty world.” The Holy Father concluded, "Lord, we thank you because for our sake you opened your heart; because in your death and in your resurrection you became the source of life.
Give us life, make us live from you as our source, and grant that we too may be sources, wellsprings capable of bestowing the water of life in our time. We thank you for the grace of the priestly ministry. Lord bless us, and bless all those who in our time are thirsty and continue to seek".
This Sunday, as we celebrate Father’s Day and honor all fathers, let us remember to pray for all of our fathers, including our own spiritual fathers: our priests. As we celebrate with the newest “Father” Christopher LeBlanc, and the ‘older’ priests of our parish, and as we conclude this Year for Priests, may we recall that the essence of all fatherhood comes from God, the Father of all creation, the source of all life. May all who are called to “fatherhood” in this life be one day united with our Father in heaven! May Father LeBlanc be filled with an abundance of grace and peace and love for his ministry.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
June/14/2010
At the time of publication, Monsignor Tom was fortunate to be in Rome attending the closing of the “Year For Priests”. In lieu of Monsignor’s article, here is a beautiful poem titled “The Beautiful Hands Of A Priest”.
The Beautiful Hands Of A Priest
We need them in life’s early morning, we need them again at its close; We feel their warm clasp of true friendship, we seek them when tasting life’s woes. At the altar each day we behold them, and the hands of a king on his throne are not equal to them in their greatness; their dignity stands all alone; And when we are tempted and wander to pathways of shame and of sin, “Tis the hand of a priest will absolve us – not once, but again and again. And when we are taking life’s partner, other hands may prepare us a feast, But the hand that will bless and unite us is the beautiful hand of a priest. God bless them and keep them all holy for the Host which their fingers caress; What can a poor sinner do better than to ask Him to guide thee and bless? When the hour of death comes upon us may our courage and strength be increased By seeing raised o’er us in blessing the beautiful hands of a priest!
The Beautiful Hands Of A Priest
We need them in life’s early morning, we need them again at its close; We feel their warm clasp of true friendship, we seek them when tasting life’s woes. At the altar each day we behold them, and the hands of a king on his throne are not equal to them in their greatness; their dignity stands all alone; And when we are tempted and wander to pathways of shame and of sin, “Tis the hand of a priest will absolve us – not once, but again and again. And when we are taking life’s partner, other hands may prepare us a feast, But the hand that will bless and unite us is the beautiful hand of a priest. God bless them and keep them all holy for the Host which their fingers caress; What can a poor sinner do better than to ask Him to guide thee and bless? When the hour of death comes upon us may our courage and strength be increased By seeing raised o’er us in blessing the beautiful hands of a priest!
From the Pastor
June/04/2010
Grateful to the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, I am in Rome, this week, with the head chaplains of each of the 50 states and several countries that have Knights of Columbus. There we will join Pope Benedict in closing ceremonies of the “Year For Priests.” I hope you find this column helpful.
More than several parishioners have asked me over the past few years exactly what is a Canon, as in Canon Tom. To try to help clarify this for them, I offer the following, much of it taken from an article I found in Wikipedia. My classification of Canon is found under the section titled “Honorary Canons.” **
More than several parishioners have asked me over the past few years exactly what is a Canon, as in Canon Tom. To try to help clarify this for them, I offer the following, much of it taken from an article I found in Wikipedia. My classification of Canon is found under the section titled “Honorary Canons.” **
Canons in Bruges, Belgium.
A canon of Sint Niklaas, Flanders.
A Canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανονικος "relating to a rule") is an honored priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule (canon). Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or in one of the houses within the precinct or area near a cathedral, and ordering his life according to the orders or rules of the church. This way of life began to become common in the 8th century. In the 11th century, some churches required clergy living together to adopt the rule first proposed by Saint Augustine that they renounce private wealth. Those who embraced this change were known as Augustinian or regular canons, while those who did not were known as secular canons.
In the Catholic Church, specially designated clergy members of the cathedral chapter or a collegiate church are called Canons. A cathedral chapter is a special group of clergy composed to assist the bishop in the governance of his diocese. A collegiate church is a church where the community of clergy, organized as a self-governing corporate body, may be presided over by a dean. Although a collegiate church is not the seat of a bishop, and has no diocesan responsibilities, in its governance and some religious observances a collegiate church is similar to a cathedral.
Honorary canons **
The title of Canon is still given in many dioceses to senior parish priests as a largely honorary title. It is usually awarded in recognition of long and dedicated service to the diocese. Honorary canons are members of the chapter in name, but are nonresidential and receive no remuneration. They are entitled to call themselves “Canon,” and often have a role in the administration of the cathedral and the diocese (generally speaking, Canons in the Anglican or the Episcopal Church are of this sort).
They also are equivalent to a monsignor in the Catholic Church, often wearing the violet or violet-trimmed cassock which is associated with that rank. Since the reign of King Henry IV, the heads of state of France have been granted by the pope the title of sole honorary canon of Saint John Lateran.
Lay canons
In addition to canons who are clerics in holy orders, cathedrals in the Anglican Communion may also appoint lay persons as canons. The rank of "lay canon" is especially conferred upon English diocesan chancellors (the senior legal officer of the diocese, who is usually, though not exclusively, a lay person).
Secular canons
All canons of the Church of England have been secular since the Reformation, although an individual canon may himself also be a member of a religious order. Mostly, however, they are ordained, that is, priests or members of the clergy. Today, the system of canons is retained almost exclusively in connection with cathedral churches. The dean and chapter are the formal body which has legal responsibility for the cathedral and for electing the (arch)bishop.
Very Rev. Canon Tom