From the Pastor
Last weekend, you heard Steve Dudenhoefer speak on the wonderful accomplishments in our mission that your very generous offerings have made possible. This weekend, we take up a second collection for Ak’ Tenamit in Guatemala. Thank you, again for your stewardship of God’s gift of treasure to you. May your sharing in the work of missionaries in the rain forest of Guatemala bring you blessings, and may it bring more of God’s children closer to Him. For sure, here you know your gift is going for a great cause!
Next weekend, with Palm Sunday, we begin the holiest week of the year. To prepare ourselves for this solemn observance and Easter, we will have our annual Lenten Penance Service this Thursday evening (April 2nd) at 7:00 p.m. Several priests will be available to hear your Confession and reconcile us once again with the Lord. May you take the opportunity to confess to the Lord and receive His pardon for offenses committed against Him directly (blasphemy, neglect of
Sunday obligation, etc.), or through His people (so many ways a bit too numerous to publish here).
This week I would like to share with you a letter from a good Catholic named Tom Mealey. His road to conversion had not been easy, but he came to the Faith through what we might call the “back door.” “When we first married, my wife, Misty, and I were the typical secular couple. We relied on hormonal contraception. Due to bad side effects, that didn’t last long. Then, Misty found out about Natural Family Planning (NFP) through a Catholic friend. Admittedly, I was suspicious of all the “hocus pocus” involving thermometers at o’ dark-thirty in the morning and observations written down in cryptic symbols on the NFP chart. That would all change in surprising ways once we got into living the NFP lifestyle. Before having children, Misty had been an atheist, and I had been an agnostic. With our first child, the miracle of life spurred a spiritual awakening in us. We realized the Holy Spirit had already been leading us into a Catholic life. Even after our conversion, however, NFP enriched our relationship with each other and with God in ways we never expected.
We studied Pope John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” and became excited about living out our faith and sharing it. It was thrilling to learn the compelling reasons behind the Church’s beautiful teachings on sex and marriage. Much to my surprise, I also learned how grateful my wife was that I was willing to learn how her body worked. I shared the responsibility in planning our family, and also found non-sexual ways of expressing affection and intimacy when we had good reasons to postpone pregnancy. This strengthened our marriage and made me a better husband and father.
When we became Catholic, I knew I wanted to be the spiritual leader of our family, but I didn’t understand what that entailed besides bringing our children to church on Sunday. Through NFP and Scripture, I discovered
that I had a choice in the kind of man I was going to be. We often blame Eve for eating the forbidden fruit. But in Genesis, we learn that after taking a bite, she turned and offered the fruit to Adam, who was with her. Adam didn’t stop her and say, “This is a bad idea, let’s go.” He did not protect his wife, but stood by silently while the serpent convinced her to surrender her holiness and damage her relationship with God.
Then there was St. Joseph. When Joseph obeyed the angel who told him to bring Mary into his home, he was accepting the public shame and embarrassment of a pregnant fiancée. He sacrificed his personal honor
and reputation to obey God and protect Mary and Jesus. The choice for a husband is clear: either he can be his wife’s Adam, or he can be her Joseph. A man can stand by silently and allow his wife to suffer the physical and spiritual consequences of contra-ception; or he can defend her virtue, body, and soul by using NFP. Today, sadly, contraception is so commonly accepted and expected. And if a man forgoes it for NFP, he may likely be exposed to some ridicule and criticism. But
as St. Joseph taught us, there are some things more important than the opinion of others. May we husbands choose to be Joseph to our wives!”
If you would like to hear more about enriching your marriage preparation or married life, based on Pope John Paul’s teaching of the Theology of the Body, you may contact Meaghan Hildebrandt of the Diocese of Palm Beach at 803-7692, or e-mail at meg615@gmail.com. Please don’t forget that our school children are collecting long-sleeved shirts for the migrant workers who labor in the fields of the counties of our diocese. The laborers need to be protected from pesky mosquitoes and other insects. You may drop your donations at the main school door during morning “drop-off” time or afternoon “pick-up” time. This drive will run until April 3rd. God bless you for helping the needy of our community!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
This Sunday, we welcome our Bishop Gerald Barbarito to celebrate the 12:30 p.m. Mass, and to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to over 30 of our teens and one adult. They have been preparing for a long period of time, and are now ready to express their faith more profoundly and to practice and to offer their service to God’s people. We congratulate them on embarking upon this stage of their journey in life in order to show that they profess the belief made for them in Baptism!
This Sunday, we also welcome Steve Dudenhoefer, lay-missioner and founder of our Guatemalan mission in Ak’Tenamit, Guatemala. There, we are continuing to expand the Father Tom Moran Vocational High School serving 6,000 Mayan people in the rainforests of Northeastern Guatemala. Steve is again asking us to support the school where over 500 children from 100 villages are being educated. Since the average family income is less than $100 per month, this hands-on training of students will be the only way that they and their families and villages will be able to overcome poverty. That second collection will be taken up next weekend (March 28-29). Checks may be made payable either to the “Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund,” or to St. Vincent Ferrer Church, with the appropriate memo: “Guatemalan Mission.”
There’s a new Marriage Preparation program based on the Theology of the body that has been exciting to young couples preparing to live their marriage in a Christian covenant. Based on Pope John Paul II’s revolutionary new insights found in his Theology of the Body, “God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage” explores the “whys” behind the “whats” in a non-threatening and convincing manner. It has helped thousands of couples come to a more profound understanding of marriage. The weekend program will be conducted on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center in North Palm Beach. “God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage “ is an interactive seminar that offers married and engaged couples a compelling vision of God’s glorious plan for marriage, love and human sexuality more than perhaps any other program available today. When people think of Christian teaching on sex and marriage, they often
think of a list of prohibitions. “God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage” offers a refreshing, liberating vision of marriage and marital love – one that helps couples fully embrace God’s glorious plan for their lives. For more information, contact Meaghan Hildebrandt at meg615@gmail.com or call at (561) 803-7692.
God bless all of our parishioners who participated in the recent 40 Hours Eucharistic Days. This was a “first” for our parish, celebrating Jesus’ Presence in the Blessed Sacrament on our altar as part of a diocesan-wide observance marking the 25th anniversary of our establishment. We hope to make this an annual Eucharistic occurrence in our parish. With Lent moving along so swiftly, Easter will soon be upon us. Our parish Lenten Penance Service will be on Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 p.m. There will be several priests available to help us that evening, and I would like to encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to go to Confession in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation that evening.
Our Lenten Fish Frys are proving to be a very popular and successful joint endeavor on the part of our Knights of Columbus and our Teens from our Middle School “Edge” program. Each Friday evening, up to and including April 3rd, from 5 to 8 p.m., you’re invited to join us in a delightfully delicious dinner in our Parish Center for a most reasonable price. The dinner helps support the two sponsoring organizations.
The 4th annual Long-Sleeve Relief Drive, sponsored by the Florida Catholic, will run until Palm Sunday, April 5th. In consideration of these stressful economic times, we greatly appreciate all the personal commitments you will make in helping to feed and clothe our brothers and sisters in Christ. The demand on organizations to help the unfortunate victims of our economic circumstances is immense, so our school children will once again help in collecting these usable clothes with long sleeves that will help protect our migrant workers against the mosquitoes and other critters which prey upon them during their work. You may drop off your articles of long-sleeved clothing at the large box by the front door of the s c h o o l a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f e a c h s c h o o l d a y m o r ning. God bless you!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
As we draw closer to Easter, we pause in our regular schedule of Lenten observances to see the impact that the Holy Eucharist has in our lives. We set aside approximately Forty Hours this coming week for special prayers, meditations and reflections on the great gift of God to His people. He gives His very self to us, unlike any other god in recorded history, and offers his life for our sake.
Most historians say the practice of Forty Hours Devotion originated in Milan, around the year 1530, as a means of stirring up the faith of the people. The custom of having this devotion in one church after another in that diocese began in 1537, and soon it spread all over Italy and even beyond its borders. Then, St. John Neumann (1811-1860), the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, introduced the custom to his diocese and following that, it spread throughout our country. At the Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, the devotion was approved for all the dioceses of our country.
Following the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, many parishes dropped Forty Hours as well as novenas and other pious practices. The post-Vatican world focused more on the reception of the Eucharist and on the celebration of the Mass. Pious devotions were often but on the back burner. But, in recent years, a resurgence of devotional life has come about again in the Church, as many Catholics miss and yearn for some of the traditional devotions practiced in their youth.
The Forty Hours Eucharistic Devotion is a special period of rather continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. It usually begins with a Mass of Exposition and concludes with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament. During Mass, the Sacred Host in the monstrance (golden and elaborate vessel that shows the host through a glass container in the middle of the vessel, often shaped like a sun burst) is reserved in the tabernacle. After Mass, until the solemn conclusion (or each night’s ceremony), it is exposed again for adoration by the faithful, until put away at the end of the day.
While the number 40 is one of the most significant of Biblical numbers, most historians attribute the number of hours to the time that Jesus spent in the tomb after His crucifixion. Pope John Paul II highly recommended this devotion, as well as the procession of the Eucharist on the Feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ). Since the Eucharist was called “the source and summit of the Christian Life” (Vatican II), the faithful are urged to pray during these devotions for the grace of God to flow into their lives and that of their neighbors.
Since the Eucharist is understandably the heart of our diocese’s 25th Anniversary celebration, during this entire year each parish will have the opportunity to celebrate, for its particular community, this special devotion. In each place we are asked by Bishop Barbarito to thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon our five-county diocese, as well as to make atonement for the various sacrileges and sins committed against
Jesus in the Eucharist, and the various other sins connected with our relationship to our God and our neighbor. The law of God is our guide through life, and each time we disobey God’s law or, worse yet, ignore Him, we place ourselves in difficult straits regarding our salvation in Christ. This week’s Readings try to show us that God’s laws are meant to free us, not hinder us. Jesus tries to teach us that He is here to help save us and from sin, if only we’d believe in His Father’s law of love for all His children. In Scripture, the laws of God are described as perfect, refreshing, giving wisdom to the simple, trustworthy, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eye, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, just, right and true.
Not once do we even have a hint that they may be burdensome, difficult, unpleasant, partial or impossible. If only we’d look closer at God’s law, perhaps we would come to appreciate it as the writer of the Psalms did. Then we would look upon it as deserving of more attention than mere human law. May you and your family find peace, nourishment and consolation during these next few days of increased love for Our Lord in the Eucharist!
Very Rev. Canon Tom Skindeleski
From the Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Pastor’s Letter this week begins with an important statement from the diocese. Please read it carefully.
STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH REGARDING THE CRIMINAL CASE OF FATHER GUINAN
The Diocese of Palm Beach has been informed that the jury has found the Rev. Francis P. Guinan criminally guilty of charges of grand theft. While respecting the rights of the accused, and not wishing to interfere with the criminal process, the diocese is relieved that the jurors were not swayed by the inaccurate presentation of the defense. This defense portrayed a false notion that diocesan policy permits priests to spend up to $50,000 of parish funds for personal use. This is blatantly false! The policy referred to is one that gives pastors the ability to spend up to this amount exclusively for church purposes, such as parish building renovations and the like. Above this amount, diocesan permission is required.
When diocesan officials received credible evidence against Fr. Guinan regarding financial impropriety at St. Vincent Parish, which pointed to using parish monies not in keeping with his priestly ministry, Bishop Barbarito immediately withdrew his ability to administer financially the parish of St. Vincent Ferrer, and approved a diocesan investigation, including an independent audit. The Delray police, who had simultaneously received an anonymous complaint about Fr. Guinan, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement launched a separate lengthy investigation with which the Diocese of Palm Beach fully cooperated at all times. In the course of the investigation, evidence was also uncovered against Father John Skehan, Fr. Guinan’s retired predecessor at St. Vincent Ferrer. Because of the evidence uncovered at St. Vincent Ferrer, Bishop Barbarito also authorized an investigation at St. Patrick Parish, where Fr. Guinan has previously served as pastor.
Bishop Barbarito wishes to assure all that, independent of this matter, a policy of regular thorough biennial reviews of every diocesan entity by independent audit firms, and a system of handling parish funds were established and promulgated in March, 2005. Parishes are required to follow these policies. The current policies and procedures are intended to assist parishes and finance committees in complying with diocesan norms. They are also intended to assist pastors in the financial administration of their parishes.
In light of Fr. Guinan’s conviction and Fr. Skehan’s recent guilty plea, Bishop Barbarito will continue to restrict Fr. Guinan and Fr. Skehan from public ministry. They will be expected to lead lives in reparation for their actions.
The trial and conviction of Fr. Guinan today may be a painful reminder of the feelings of betrayal and anger, especially for the parishioners of St. Vincent and St. Patrick Parishes. Bishop Barbarito wishes to commend the people of these parishes and the diocese for their patience and continued faith in the long period since this matter began. On behal of all priests, the Bishop apologizes for the scandalous behavior which has occurred. The Diocese of Palm Beach has successfully sought and intends to continue to seek restitution of stolen funds. We will continue to do our best to right a wrong that should never have occurred and is a grave aberration from the upright conduct of the majority of the good priests of our diocese. The Bishop asks for your continued prayers for all involved, including Fathers Guinan and Skehan. Relying on God, the ultimate judge and source of healing, let us move forward with the same faith that is the hallmark of our diocese.
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On a big positive note for our parish this week, we have our 43rd annual Parish Festival this weekend. It’s a BIG fundraiser that goes for the benefit of our school. Some special news comes in the way of our St. Vincent Ferrer School Girls’ Soccer team completing an undefeated season recently, winning the league championship in the process. Congratulations!
St. Vincent’s defeated Saint Mark’s team 3-2 in the big championship game on Feb. 18th.Our Vikings advanced to the title game with a 3-1 win over the Gulfstream School in the league semi-finals. We finished the season with an 8-0 record, and are very proud of our girls. This is just another good reason we hope you’ll continue to support our school and help maintain our high standards and top quality education. Thank you to the many Moms and Dads and Volunteers who help make our annual Parish Festival such a wonderful success. You help me to maintain a very vibrant and great parish. May God continue to bless you and your family as you strive to work for the peace and unity of us all!
Msgr. Tom