Getting Ready for Lent, 2009

With one week to go till Ash Wednesday, it's time to start getting ready physically and spiritually for this holy season.

Bring your "old" palms to the Church, and we'll collect them for the burning, and we'll use them for our ashes next Wednesday.

This weekend, we'll show the video introducing the Bishop's Annual Appeal for 2009.
If you have already made a gift to the appeal...THANK YOU! If you have not, please consider a gift to the appeal which will benefit the formation of lay ministers, future priests, and other vital activities throughout the Diocese of Trenton.

Please consider participating in the B.A.A. as your Lenten practice of giving alms!

Remember the other two pillars of Lent are fasting and prayer. To that end we invite you to take part in our Friday Simple Meals and the celebration of the Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings.

Bishop's Annual Appeal....2009

This weekend, we will speak about this year's Bishop's Annual Appeal. Many of you who have donated to this appeal in past years have already donated to this year's appeal. Thank you for your wonderful generosity!

Just for your information, and in keeping with our practce of being transparent, our parish's goal was raised by the Bishop's Development Office by over $2000 this year. This raise, despite our committment to not hiring any new staff positions, has been imposed on us with no input from our parish community.

Also, we have heard absolutely nothing from the Office of Catholic Education about the future of our parish's involvement in Pope John XXIII regional Catholic Grade school in Deal. As of this date, we have absolutely no idea how much money the diocese is asking us to donate toward the future of this school. While we all want to be supportive of the wonderful students and teachers at the school, the Diocesan Office of Catholic Education has been absolutely mute on this area.

It's our time to be Church, as the Bishop says in his video from the Appeal.
And so, I'm asking all of the 2000 families of our St. Anselm Parish, for a one-time gift of $25 to the Bishop's Annual Appeal for 2009. That will put us over our goal, and a percentage will come back to St. Anselm's too! With the left-over funds, we can reach out to our own parishioners, to our friends in Asbury Park and Long Branch, to the hungry and homeless who come to us for help.


It's a fact of life that the Bishop's Annual Appeal is given to us once a year. I promise you, that this is the one and only time of this year that I will speak to you about this issue. I pray that God will continue to bless you and your family for your wonderful generosity to St. Anselm, and to our local efforts to reach out to the poor and the marginal!

A Catholic Funeral, revisited

Today, we celebrated a very large funeral for a young person....only 21 years old. Funerals for young people are usually big events, and this proved true today. I must admit that I'm very proud of our parish bereavement committee, and how they host a funeral like today's celebration. They are so attentive to the many details of hospitality and reaching out to young people who may not be familiar with the Catholic celebrations of funerals. I really hope that the way we celebrate helps people to grow in their faith!

Companions Groups Starting Up

This weekend we announced the formation of the next season of small faith-sharing groups, otherwise known as our "Companions" groups. We have many different groups meeting at different times and locations during the season of Lent.
Please consider joining one of the groups. You'll be glad that you did!

Vatican flexes its muscles with Schismatic bishop

Vatican Demands Holocaust Denier Publicly Recant
By Rachel Donadio/New York Times

ROME — Responding to global outrage, especially in Pope Benedict XVI’s native Germany, the Vatican for the first time on Wednesday called on a recently rehabilitated bishop to take back his statements denying the Holocaust.

Late last month, the pope revoked the excommunication of four schismatic bishops, including British-born Richard Williamson, who in an interview broadcast last month denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the Vatican Secretariat of State said that Bishop Williamson “must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Shoah,” or Holocaust, which it said were “unknown to the Holy Father at the time he revoked the excommunication.”

The unsigned statement seemed a clear indication that the Vatican was facing an internal and external political crisis.
...

The statement from the Secretariat of State noted Benedict’s remarks last week in which he expressed his “full and unequivocal solidarity” with Jews and condemned all Holocaust denial, yet it went far beyond the pope’s earlier remarks in which he had never mentioned Bishop Williamson by name.
...

The statement from the Vatican on Wednesday also sought to address significant lingering questions about what conditions the society would have to meet before being fully welcomed back into the fold. It stated that the society would have to offer its “full recognition of the Second Vatican Council” in order to receive “recognition” by the church.

Maybe the mitre is a bit too tight?

Image: logo from Williamson's blog, Dinoscopus


Richard Williamson of the SSPX has posted on his blog the text of a letter of "apology" which he sent to Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos who serves as a liaison between the Vatican and the SSPX. Included below is the introductory paragraph posted above the letter on Williamson's blog:

Following in the steps of Our Lord (Jn. XVIII, 23) and St. Paul (Acts, XXIII, 5), (SSPX founder) Archbishop Lefebvre gave his Society the example of never so cleaving to God's Truth as to abandon respect for the men holding God's Authority. In the midst of last week's media uproar, surely aimed rather at the Holy Father than at a relatively insignificant bishop, here is a letter written to Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos on January 28 by that bishop:

To His Eminence Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos

Your Eminence

Amidst this tremendous media storm stirred up by imprudent remarks of mine on Swedish television, I beg of you to accept, only as is properly respectful, my sincere regrets for having caused to yourself and to the Holy Father so much unnecessary distress and problems.

For me, all that matters is the Truth Incarnate, and the interests of His one true Church, through which alone we can save our souls and give eternal glory, in our little way, to Almighty God. So I have only one comment, from the prophet Jonas, I, 12:

"Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you."

Please also accept, and convey to the Holy Father, my sincere personal thanks for the document signed last Wednesday and made public on Saturday. Most humbly I will offer a Mass for both of you.

Sincerely yours in Christ

+Richard Williamson


For the life of me, I can't find any real "repudiation of Anti-Semitism" or the inane remarks of this guy about his denial of the Shoah of the Jews! Stay tuned for the latest in this little winter drama.

Oh, the NCR (National Catholic Reporter) has an interesting story about some other brothers and sisters who have been "excommunicated" who seek to be welcomed back into the fold: the women who were ordained priests and bishops without Church recognition, and the priests who support their ordination. They've all been excommunitcated officially, but they all adhere to the teachings of Vatican II. Why can't they come back if the wackos in SSPX are welcomed back, even though they still refuse to acknowledge Vatican II as a legitimate Council of the Church? Interesting stuff indeed!

Is Anti-Semitism a real condition of membership in the Society of Pope Pius X?

This is reprinted from the current issue of AMERICA magazine, regarding the controversy over the lifting of the excommunications of the SSPX "bishops", espcially the strange remarks of "bishop" Williamson of England, who denies the Shoa of the Jews.


The Anti-Semitism of the Society of St. Pius X
Posted at: 2009-01-31 10:37:00.0
Author: James Martin, S.J.


The ongoing debate over Pope Benedict's decision to lift the ban of excommunication on four bishop-members of the Society of St. Pius X has been split into to general discussions. First, the (currently) more explosive issue of the reception of Bishop Williamson into full communion with the Catholic church in light of his absurd comments on the Holocaust, which the Vatican has rejected and Cardinal Kasper termed "gibberish." (This is the issue that has been receiving more media attention.) Second, the more complex question of why the pope would move to lift the ban on a group that has as its raison d'etre the rejection of the Second Vatican Council. The first, you might say, is a more political-historical question; the second a more ecclesial-theological one.

But the two issues are linked. For one thing, a rejection of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, which includes a rejection of "Nostra Aetate," means that is more difficult for members of the Society to engage in dialogue with Jews, to respect Jewish history and to understand Jewish concerns, as well as to reflect on the sad history of Christian anti-Semitism.

Still, the question remains: Is anti-Semitism a pattern that pervades the Society of St. Pius X, or is it simply a bigotry expressed by only a few members?

The Society's website indicates the former. This appalling article, entitled "The Mystery of the Jews," is still on their official American website, as of this morning (Saturday).

It includes these comments, which read less like a contemporary theological reflection on the Jewish faith and more like passages Mein Kampf. For the record, the article was written in 1997:

"It is public knowledge that the Jewish sector, relatively small compared to the Gentile sector which devotes itself to the creation of wealth, controls especially the financial power that is exercised through banks."

"Then these Jews, in the name of their Law, their Torah, and to serve the material interests of their nation and race, demanded the blood of Him who had been promised them as their blessing. They stirred up the Gentiles against Jesus. Using them to carry out their plans, they crucified the One who was to be raised up as a "sign of contradiction".

"Judaism is inimical to all nations in general, and in a special manner to Christian nations."

"Catholics are not to enter into commercial, social, nor political relations which are bound hypocritically to seek the ruin of Christendom. Jews must not live together with Christians because this is what their own Jewish laws ordain and also because their errors and material superiority have virulent consequences among other peoples."

Bishop Williamson is one thing; an anti-Semitic tirade appearing on the group's official website is quite another. At this time, it is important to remember that in official Catholic teaching anti-Semitism is a sin, and, in the words of Pope John Paul II, an "evil."

James Martin, SJ

Getting ready for some Gospel!

We're getting ready to welcome the wonderful choir and priest from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Newark for our 5:30 p.m. Mass. We're looking forward to great singing, great preaching, and great and powerful prayer in Gospel style. Our Parish Life committee will help prepare and present a wonderful Pot-luck dinner.

We ask all families that plan to stay for dinner to please sign up on the registration forms in the church foyer. This way, we can be accurate in how many tables and chairs to set up.

Also, we ask each family that plans to come to the dinner to bring a tray of salad or enough desserts to share with others.

We will need help on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. to help set up the Learning Center's tables, chairs and decorations. Come join us for a fun evening of set-up, and preparation, and come sample some of the "liquid refreshments" to help us "warm up" for the Blessed Sacrament Choir.

Catholic-Jewish Relations Strained

Bishop's remarks on Holocaust strain US Jewish-Catholic relations

By Chaz Muth
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Strained Jewish-Catholic relations are being felt beyond the Vatican and Israel as U.S. rabbis express their displeasure with Pope Benedict XVI's decision to lift the excommunication of a traditionalist bishop who has minimized the severity and extent of the Holocaust.

"It has been very hurtful to our Jewish partners," said Father James Massa, executive director of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. "They've been calling us for answers for what this means. The mood is very tense."

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel Jan. 27 postponed indefinitely a March meeting with the Vatican in protest over the pope lifting the excommunication of British-born Bishop Richard Williamson, who has claimed that reports about the Holocaust were exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers

He was one of four bishops of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X whose excommunication was lifted by the pope Jan. 21.

The pope Jan. 28 renewed his "full and unquestionable solidarity" with the Jews and condemned all ignorance, denial and downplaying of the brutal slaughter of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

According to a letter posted on his blog Jan. 30, Bishop Williamson apologized to Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos for "having caused to yourself and to the Holy Father so much unnecessary distress and problems." Cardinal Castrillon heads the "Ecclesia Dei" commission, which oversees the reconciliation of Lefebvrite Catholics with the church.

"Bishop Williamson's disgraceful remarks ... indicate his contempt for those who oppose his advocacy of Holocaust denial," said Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, the American Jewish Committee's U.S. director of interreligious affairs.

"While we appreciate that Pope Benedict has again declared his support for the Jewish people and his rejection of Holocaust denial," he continued, "we fear that the Vatican's decision to invite (Bishop) Williamson back into the Catholic Church will give legitimacy to these outrageous lies and suggest toleration of those who perpetuate them.

"Doubtless, this will contribute to the deterioration of the excellent relations between Jews and the Catholic Church," the rabbi said in a statement.

The entire ordeal has created a lot of confusion, Father Massa told Catholic News Service Jan. 29.

There is a difference between the lifting of excommunication and being in full communion with the Catholic Church, he said.

"Removing excommunication doesn't mean they are fully reconciled as priests and bishops of the Catholic Church," Father Massa said. "Like any other Catholic, they can go to Mass and receive holy Communion, but they cannot perform the sacrament themselves as fully recognized ministers of the church."

The pope said he lifted the excommunication of the four traditionalist bishops with the hope they would take further steps toward unity, including the recognition of the authority of the pope and of the Second Vatican Council.

In 1988 French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre -- the founder of the Swiss-based Society of St. Pius X -- and the bishops he ordained incurred automatic excommunication for defying papal orders against their ordination.

"In no way am I excusing (Bishop) Williamson," Rabbi Bradley Hirschfield, president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, said in a Jan. 26 blog.

"But I am willing to entertain that however much pain his reinstatement might cause relative to this issue," he said, "it may not be the only basis upon which the pope should make his decision, nor should it govern the future of church-Jewish relations, as some have already suggested/threatened it will."

Though Jewish-Catholic relations in the U.S. may be strained at the moment, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, chairman of the USCCB's Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, said the foundation is solid and he is confident they will forge ahead with friendships intact.

"We (Catholics) are embarrassed during this episode, like when a family member has said a shameful thing," Archbishop Gregory told CNS Jan. 30.

"We'll have to take those steps necessary to let them know we value those (Catholic-Jewish) relationships, as well as our bond, love and unity with our Jewish counterparts," he said, "and that we don't in any way indent to step aside from our great tradition of friendship in this country."

The archbishop noted he was to speak at an upcoming Jewish event in his city that he already had on his calendar, and he planned to take that opportunity to assure the Jewish community he will do whatever he can to reinforce Catholic-Jewish relations.

"That is what many bishops in America will have to do -- to take that opportunity to let them know of our esteem, and strengthen our relations," he said. "The vehicles are there. We need to use them. We need to show our Jewish friends our desire to continue to move forward."

It is important now for the Catholic hierarchy to explain theological and canonical distinctions to their Jewish partners, and assure them of the church's commitment to Jewish-Catholic dialogue based on Vatican II, Father Massa said.

"We are expressing our profound dissatisfaction with the egregiously offensive comments of Bishop Williamson," he said. "It is unacceptable for a bishop who seeks to be in communion with the Catholic Church to deny the historical fact of the Shoah."

Rumors aside, FOCA legislation no threat to Catholic health care

By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Internet rumors to the contrary, no Catholic hospital in the United States is in danger of closing because of the Freedom of Choice Act.

As a matter of fact, the Freedom of Choice Act died with the 110th Congress and, a week after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, has not been reintroduced.

But that hasn't kept misleading e-mails from flying around the Internet, warning of the dire consequences if Obama signs FOCA into law and promoting a "FOCA novena" in the days leading up to Inauguration Day.

The Catholic Health Association "is strongly committed to opposing FOCA and (the board) is unanimous that we would do all we could to oppose it," said Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla., an elected member of the CHA board of trustees since June 2006.

"But there is no plan to shut down any hospital if it passes," he added in a Jan. 26 telephone interview. "There's no sense of ominous danger threatening health care institutions."

Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, was equally sure that FOCA poses no threat to Catholic hospitals or to the conscience rights of those who work there.

"I don't believe that FOCA will pass, although we will continue to monitor all proposed regulations for their potential to help people in this country and for any negative assault on the life issues," she said.

As introduced in previous congresses, the legislation "has never contained anything that would force Catholic hospitals or Catholic personnel to do abortions or to participate in them," she added.

But even in a worst-case scenario, if the most dire predictions were to materialize and a federal law were to mandate that all hospitals provide abortion services, "I want to make it very clear that Catholic health care will not close and we will not compromise our principles," Sister Carol told Catholic News Service Jan. 26.

If necessary, Catholic hospitals will take a lesson from "how people have dealt with unjust laws" in American history, "and we would respond in the same way," she said.

"A very timely example" of that is segregation, which was backed up by U.S. laws and Supreme Court decisions that were unjust, Sister Carol said. "It was a very long and very painful journey to deal with that and now we have an African-American president," she added.

Some of the confusion over FOCA might arise from the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a long-scheduled postcard campaign to Congress against the possible legislation just as the false Internet rumors were reaching a peak.

The postcards, which are being made available for Catholics to sign at Masses over several weekends in January and February, ask members of Congress to oppose FOCA "or any similar measure, and retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion."

"At this time of serious national challenges, Americans should unite to serve the good of all, born and unborn," the postcards say.

The FOCA novena e-mails, the source of which has not been identified, have a different tone entirely.

Calling the legislation "the next sick chapter in the book of abortion," the e-mails say it will force all hospitals to perform abortions, increase abortions by 100,000 annually and "could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, Down syndrome babies, etc.) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have."

The rumors have spread like wildfire on blogs and Web sites. On the social networking site Facebook, three separate anti-FOCA groups with membership totaling nearly 130,000 (as of early Jan. 27) contain misinformation about what the so-far-nonexistent legislation would do.

Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Fort Worth, Texas, is "brand new as episcopal liaison" to the Catholic Health Association, a position he got in part because of his background as a medical technologist for three years in a Catholic hospital in Springfield, Ill., before he began his seminary studies.

"There is nothing definite yet about what is being introduced" in Congress, he told CNS Jan. 26. "But CHA is really committed to monitoring any proposed legislation and to upholding the sacredness of life in all our institutions."

Bishop Vann said the postcard campaign, run by the U.S. bishops' pro-life office and the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment, is getting a good reception from Catholics in his diocese.

"It's real simple," he said. "It's the voice of everyday folks expressing concern about FOCA in whatever form it comes."

Getting Ready for Saturday!

We're getting ready for the Saturday, 5:30 P.M. liturgy, at which the choir from St. Michael's College in Vermont will help us sing the liturgy! All of us here at St. Anselm are very excited about this upcoming event. We're really looking forward to hosting this college choir who will help us sing the liturgy, and the wonderful dinner to follow the mass on Saturday!

Tell your friends and family members to come join us for a wonderful celebration in these cold dark days that will lift our spirits and will warm our hearts! Let's join together and praise the God who never fails to call us to His heart!

Catholic Primary Education: Uncertain Future

Just this past Saturday, the Diocese of Trenton announced that three schools in northern Monmouth County would be closing in June of 2009. The Office of Catholic Schools had conducted a study and consultation of all of the Catholic grade schools in the Bayshore area of Monmouth County for the past few years. The decision, announced this weekend was that three Catholic grade schools would close: St. Joseph in Keyport, St. Ann in Keansburg (pictured here) and Holy Family in Hazlet.

The current stats on enrollment are very telling: in the three schools combined, there is a total of less than 400 students! Geographically, they are all less than 5 miles from each other.

This development is raising anxiety for Catholic educators in our area. We have 5 Catholic High Schools within Monmouth County. What does the closing of these primary schools mean for the future of our Catholic High Schools?

All good questions. School boards need to plan for the long-haul, and try to keep tuition minimal while exploring outside sources of funding for education. It is a time when we all need to start anew, seek new ways of funding and development, and try new ways of passing on the faith.

The Lone Catholic Prayer at today's Inauguration

The lone Catholic cleric heard from today was the chaplain of the House of Representatives -- Fr Daniel Coughlin of the archdiocese of Chicago -- who offered the closing benediction at the post-inaugural lunch in Statuary Hall.

Here's Coughlin's prayer as delivered:

Let us pray.

Lord God of history,
we have been blessed to witness the meteoric rise of President Obama,
the long, faith-filled journey of African-Americans,
the vibrant hopes of a nation catapulting into new directions.

Lord God of the present moment,
we are blessed, as free people
to see your hand in the peaceful transfer of power,
and your guidance in the affairs of state.
May we be attentive to your word and reach our full potential,
with equal justice for all,
compassion for the least,
and self-discipline to achieve lofty goals.

Lord God,
be with us into the future,
bless us by shaping a changing world into a more stable one
where all peoples and all nations will live in peace.
Protect and guide with creative touch President Obama and Vice President Biden, their families, and all in public service.
May each day be filled with peace and satisfaction
because they are about building your reign here on earth.

This we pray today, tomorrow and forever.

Amen.


The first priest to serve as cleric-on-duty to the lower house of Congress, Coughlin was named to the chaplain's post in 2000 by the then-Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican.

A very historic day

A day of new beginnings, full of hopes and dreams, and great rejoicing. May the Lord bless us, our nation, and our future!

"Come, and see!"

This weekend's Gospel story is the call of the first disciples. John's account has the interesting dialogue between Jesus and Andrew about where Jesus "stays." The truest answer is that Jesus has come to "abide" with us "always."

This week begins national "Vocations Awareness Week," and we're called by our bishops to pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, and religious life, and even to lay ecclesial ministries. In our own Diocese of Trenton, we've been blessed with a good number of young men responding to a call to ordained ministry. Some of these talented young men are from lands far away from America....and we're grateful for their willingness to respond to the call to serve the people of our diocese.

Let's pray that we can all be people who invite others to "come and see" the Lord by the lives we live.

Baptism of the Lord

A beautiful icon of today's feast. His baptism reminds us that in those waters, we all become brothers and sisters. Our dying and rising in the waters of baptism give us all a claim to the blessing of God who says to each of us: "You are my beloved child...In you I am well-pleased!"

Listening to what's in your heart

This morning at Mass, we heard about how Mary came to "ponder all of these things in her heart." After enduring mystical, scary, mysterious events, she gives birth to a baby, and despite many obstacles, raises him and nurtures him. Her faith, and her trust in God's ways helped to bring about the wonder of the incarnation. On this New Year's day, maybe we can reflect on the ways that Christ is being born in us today, and every day.

Thanks for the following video to Concord Pastor!

Mary, Mother of God

Pope Benedict's Christmas Day Message to "ALL"

Each year on Christmas Day, the Pope usually issues a major address to the world. It's officially called the "Urbi et orbi" address, Latin for "To the City and to the World." Today's address is Benedict's meditation on the state of the world today, and he shows an incredible insight into the difficult times we all face today, but his message is ultimately one filled with hope. He especially urges us ALL to work together to face the future.

The official English-language translation of the text follows:

"The grace of God our Saviour has appeared to all" (Tit 2:11, Vulg.)

Dear brothers and sisters, in the words of the Apostle Paul, I once more joyfully proclaim Christ’s Birth. Today "the grace of God our Saviour" has truly "appeared to all"!

It appeared! This is what the Church celebrates today. The grace of God, rich in goodness and love, is no longer hidden. It "appeared", it was manifested in the flesh, it showed its face. Where? In Bethlehem. When? Under Caesar Augustus, during the first census, which the Evangelist Luke also mentions. And who is the One who reveals it? A newborn Child, the Son of the Virgin Mary. In him the grace of God our Saviour has appeared. And so that Child is called Jehoshua, Jesus, which means: "God saves".

The grace of God has appeared. That is why Christmas is a feast of light. Not like the full daylight which illumines everything, but a glimmer beginning in the night and spreading out from a precise point in the universe: from the stable of Bethlehem, where the divine Child was born. Indeed, he is the light itself, which begins to radiate, as portrayed in so many paintings of the Nativity. He is the light whose appearance breaks through the gloom, dispels the darkness and enables us to understand the meaning and the value of our own lives and of all history. Every Christmas crib is a simple yet eloquent invitation to open our hearts and minds to the mystery of life. It is an encounter with the immortal Life which became mortal in the mystic scene of the Nativity: a scene which we can admire here too, in this Square, as in countless churches and chapels throughout the world, and in every house where the name of Jesus is adored.

The grace of God has appeared to all. Jesus – the face of the "God who saves", did not show himself only for a certain few, but for everyone. Although it is true that in the simple and lowly dwelling of Bethlehem few persons encountered him, still he came for all: Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, those near and those far away, believers and non-believers… for everyone. Supernatural grace, by God’s will, is meant for every creature. Yet each human person needs to accept that grace, to utter his or her own "yes", like Mary, so that his or her heart can be illumined by a ray of that divine light. It was Mary and Joseph, who that night welcomed the incarnate Word, awaiting it with love, along with the shepherds who kept watch over their flocks (cf. Lk 2:1-20). A small community, in other words, which made haste to adore the Child Jesus; a tiny community which represents the Church and all people of good will. Today too those who await him, who seek him in their lives, encounter the God who out of love became our brother – all those who turn their hearts to him, who yearn to see his face and to contribute to the coming of his Kingdom. Jesus himself would say this in his preaching: these are the poor in spirit; those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for justice; the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake (cf. Mt 5:3-10). They are the ones who see in Jesus the face of God and then set out again, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, renewed in heart by the joy of his love.

Brothers and sisters, all you who are listening to my words: this proclamation of hope – the heart of the Christmas message – is meant for all men and women. Jesus was born for everyone, and just as Mary, in Bethlehem, offered him to the shepherds, so on this day the Church presents him to all humanity, so that each person and every human situation may come to know the power of God’s saving grace, which alone can transform evil into good, which alone can change human hearts, making them oases of peace.

May the many people who continue to dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (cf. Lk 1:79) come to know the power of God’s saving grace! May the divine Light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians. May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East. May it bring forth rich fruit from the efforts of all those who, rather than resigning themselves to the twisted logic of conflict and violence, prefer instead the path of dialogue and negotiation as the means of resolving tensions within each country and finding just and lasting solutions to the conflicts troubling the region. This light, which brings transformation and renewal, is besought by the people of Zimbabwe, in Africa, trapped for all too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening, as well as the men and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the war-torn region of Kivu, Darfur, in Sudan, and Somalia, whose interminable sufferings are the tragic consequence of the lack of stability and peace. This light is awaited especially by the children living in those countries, and the children of all countries experiencing troubles, so that their future can once more be filled with hope.

Wherever the dignity and rights of the human person are trampled upon; wherever the selfishness of individuals and groups prevails over the common good; wherever fratricidal hatred and the exploitation of man by man risk being taken for granted; wherever internecine conflicts divide ethnic and social groups and disrupt peaceful coexistence; wherever terrorism continues to strike; wherever the basics needed for survival are lacking; wherever an increasingly uncertain future is regarded with apprehension, even in affluent nations: in each of these places may the Light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity. If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart.

Dear brothers and sisters, today, "the grace of God our Saviour has appeared" (cf. Tit 2:11) in this world of ours, with all its potential and its frailty, its advances and crises, its hopes and travails. Today, there shines forth the light of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High and the son of the Virgin Mary: "God from God, light from light, true God from true God. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven". Let us adore him, this very day, in every corner of the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a lowly manger. Let us adore him in silence, while he, still a mere infant, seems to comfort us by saying: Do not be afraid, "I am God, and there is no other" (Is 45:22). Come to me, men and women, peoples and nations, come to me. Do not be afraid: I have come to bring you the love of the Father, and to show you the way of peace.

Let us go, then, brothers and sisters! Let us make haste, like the shepherds on that Bethlehem night. God has come to meet us; he has shown us his face, full of grace and mercy! May his coming to us not be in vain! Let us seek Jesus, let us be drawn to his light which dispels sadness and fear from every human heart. Let us draw near to him with confidence, and bow down in humility to adore him. Merry Christmas to all!

PHOTO: AP/Alessandra Tarantino

Why no Mass at Midnight?

There's been a small change at St. Anselm this year. We'll celebrate our Mass at Night on Christmas Eve at 10:00 p.m. instead of Midnight.

I've gotten lots of great positive comments about this move. Our musicians and other liturgical ministers have been most enthusiastic about this decision. It seems that previously, singing and ministering at the Mass at Midnight was a huge inconvenience, and hurt their celebration of the Nativity of the Lord.

Realizing that it's most unrealistic to expect a Midnight Mass in a suburban parish with only one priest, we've gone to a more manageable schedule...that won't kill anyone....clergy or musicians, or other liturgical ministers.

I'm sure there will be many people who will interpret this move as "another example of going backwards." Not so. Pay no attention to those "prophets of doom."

I think this is a move forward, and being more realistic, and more sensitive to the real nature of our parishioners, many of whom are elderly. I think it's also more family-friendly. I also think it's more sensitive to the fact that more people want to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas Eve liturgy so that they can focus Christmas Day on their family celebrations.

Come to Mass, and pray well. Sing the liturgy, and join in the prayers, the wonderful Words of the Gospel, and join in the fellowship of the people who have been renewed, redeemed, and envigorated in living the Gospel of the Lord, who came to live with us always, as "God with us," Emmanuel! Come Lord Jesus.

Gaudete Monday

Let's share the joy of these last days before Christmas. Let's share favorite pieces of music, favorite images of the season, and favorite readings and pieces of literature!

My favorite video for this time of year

This is my favorite video for this time of year. It features an "a capella" group called, Straight, No Chaser.

Good news! They've reunited after ten years, and they've been signed by Atlantic Records to do a new Christmas CD. I, for one, am going out to the stores tonight to buy it.

Enjoy this fun romp through one of the most beloved Christmas songs.

John, the Forerunner

Thanks to our friends over at The Deacon's Bench:


This Sunday, after a week of turkey sandwiches, turkey casserole, turkey a la king, turkey burgers, turkey pot pie and turkey surprise… locusts and honey is starting to sound pretty good.

We are here in the second Sunday of Advent – in the desert, with a strange and disheveled figure dining on strange food and proclaiming that we need to make ourselves ready for the Lord.

We tend to think of John the Baptist as The Voice – the forerunner, the prophet, the one crying in the wilderness.

And he is.

But I’d like us to think of him another way this particular Sunday. This man is a figure of great hope. More than an ominous, fearsome figure, he is also, to my mind, the Saint of Second Chances.

He wanders into the desert of our lives and invites us to start over.

Appropriately, we are entering into a liturgical cycle where we will be reading the gospel of Mark – the gospel most scholars believe was the very first one written. And we start with the same words that start the book of Genesis:

“The beginning.”

And the message from the beginning? Make yourselves new. Begin again. Something is about to happen that will change everything. This is your chance at a fresh start, to make things right with God.

That is John the Baptist’s message – the message of the Saint of Second Chances.

And like second chances, he doesn’t necessarily appear when or how we expect him to. This preacher isn’t Joel Osteen in a silk suit and an air-conditioned arena. John the Baptist is rough and wild and frightening, yelling in the desert.

But then again, God doesn’t always enter into our lives when or how we want him to.

The other day I read the story of a 16-year-old Korean boy named Philip Kim. During the Korean War, he was one of many boys rounded by and arrested for refusing to join the People’s Volunteer Army of North Korea. They took him to prison and were going to execute him. Philip Kim stood there, lined up with other boys, facing a wall, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the gunshot that would end his life.

But at the last minute, an officer yelled for them to stop. The soldier noticed that one of the other boys lined up against the wall was holding a rosary, and was praying. The execution was called off. The boys were spared.

That moment changed everything. Philip wasn’t a Christian. But he never forgot what happened, what had saved his life. Not long after, he converted, and came to America. He married, raised a family, became active in his local Catholic church. He settled in San Antonio, Texas, where he opened his home to other Korean immigrants to hold mass. Those masses led him to help found the first Korean Catholic church in San Antonio.

His love for the church led him eventually to being ordained a deacon. Several years later, his wife died after a long battle with breast cancer. Before she died, she gave Philip her blessing to become a priest. And he did. He was ordained at the age of 72. Last week, tragically, Fr. Philip Kim died in a car accident. He was 76.

He owed his remarkable life to a second chance nearly 60 years ago. And he didn’t let it get away. He made his life matter.

What about the rest of us?

During this season of Advent, John the Baptist calls out to us, imploring us. You have another chance, he tells us. Seize it. Repent. Prepare. To paraphrase Isaiah: level the mountains and fill in the valleys. Make what is crooked straight.

Like that boy facing a wall, and facing death…we can start over.

So, think of those mountains and valleys, those winding roads that cut through every life. And think of the wild and untamed man in the desert. He tells us it’s not too late to change.

He is the saint of “I’m sorry. Let’s talk.”

He is the saint of “Where did I go wrong?” and “How can I make this right?”

He is the saint of “I’m addicted and I need help.”

He is the saint of “Bless me, father, for I have sinned…”

He is the saint of the slammed door being re-opened…the phone being picked up…the fences being mended…the wound being healed.

Last week, we began not just the season of Advent, but a new liturgical year. So consider this a time for making New Year’s resolutions. For resolving to live differently. Resolving to make room for God.

Listen to the Saint of Second Chances – and take hold of every one that comes your way.

The dark days of December, after all, are not an ending.

As Mark reminds us, they are “the beginning.”

St. Nicholas Day

Tomorrow, the 6th of December, is the Feast of St. Nicholas. Here are some prayers:

Father,
hear our prayers for mercy,
and by the help of Saint Nicholas
keep us safe from all danger,
and guide us on the way of salvation.

Grant this through our Lord Jeus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you
for ever and ever.
Amen.

S. Nicholas, pray for us.

St. Nicholas Parish, Plumstead, UK

Almighty God,
who in your love gave to your servant Nicholas of Myra
a perpetual name for deeds of kindness on land and sea:
Grant, we pray,
that your Church may never cease to
work for the happiness of children,
the safety of sailors,
the relief of the poor,
and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Contemporary Eastern Orthodox

Advent Sights and Sounds

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

World AIDS Day

Today, December 1 is World AIDS Day. Here on the Jersey Shore, we will commemorate this day with a prayer service at the Center in Asbury Park at 6:30 p.m., followed by a candlelight march to a nearby church.

Please join us in honoring the memory of all who have suffered from AIDS.

1st Sunday of Advent, 2008

Today, the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new year of grace.

We begin the year with readings from old friends and prophets, with our old friend Mark, the earliest evangelist.

We've changed our vesture from the greens of ordinary time to the blue-violets of Advent.

I offer the above image for your reflection about the colors of Advent. Look into the skies to see a hint of our vesture, and to what this season is all about.

Some people have a hard time with our priests' vestments of midnight blue. Some people think that I should be wearing purple.

This year our "Advent Wreath" is located behind the altar, in relation to the Crucifix sculpture on the back wall of the sanctuary.

I really hope this Advent season may be a time of grace, in the face of changes and new ways of doing things, for all of us!

Thanksgiving 2008

Tomorrow will be full of all sorts of activities, Mass at 9:00, High-School Football games, a great parade in NYC (best viewed from a HD TV at home), and then the travel to the homes of relatives for great food and conversations, and the renewal of relationships.

It's a day filled with all sorts of activities. We have much to be thankful for.

Enjoy the day, and let's stretch it out as long as possible!

Bring Sean Home

A local friend, David Goldman, has been in the news recently. He's on a noble quest to regain custody of his son, Sean. Sean is now about 8 years old. When he was just 4 years old, Sean was abducted by his mother and kidnapped to Brazil. You can read the whole story here at this website: http:/www.bringseanhome.org

If you can help get news about this tragedy around, your help will be much appreciated. Please try to contact our congress people to enlist thier support to help David to get Sean back home.

Family Promise

Thanks to everybody who volunteered this past week to help host the families who stayed with us as part of the Family Promise program. We had several new volunteers helping us this time, and everybody did a wonderful job.

It never ceases to amaze me how our parishioners rise to the occasion and strive to treat our guests with the utmost respect and dignity. Everybody works very hard to provide an environment full of peace, security and dignity for the families who are enduring very difficult situations.

I'm reminded of the words of scripture: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

Keep up the good work gang!

News from Long Branch

Long Branch parishes to merge in first decision of Monmouth Central Deanery study
Sunday, November 09, 2008


The first decision resulting from the Monmouth Central Deanery Study was announced by Bishop John M. Smith in a letter read to three Long Branch parish communities at Mass Nov. 8 and 9.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea; St. John the Baptist, and Holy Trinity Parishes, which were twinned in June, 2007 as three separate communities under one pastoral administration, will become one parish community as of July 1, 2009, according to the bishop's announcement. Father Sam A. Sirianni, pastor of the twinned communities, has been named pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, effective Dec. 1, 2008, replacing the late Father Thomas O'Connor who died earlier this year. Bishop Smith named Father Daniel Peirano, who has served the twinned parishes as parochial vicar, to be the administrator of the merging communities during this transition period, with the intention of taking over as pastor after the merger becomes effective.

The bishop's letter states that the merged parish will be given a new name and will be asked to act collaboratively with the other parishes of the Monmouth Central Deanery, especially nearby Precious Blood Parish, Monmouth Beach, to support expanded ministry opportunities. The bishop established Our Lady Star of the Sea Church as the principal worship site. A soon-to-be named implementation team, which will have representation from all three parishes, will manage the details of the merger and determine the use of the other buildings and properties. Set to begin its work in December, the team will also elicit input from parishioners on suggested names to present to Bishop Smith for his decision.

The recommendation to merge the three parish communities was one of several different scenarios submitted in August by the Monmouth Central Deanery Study Team, which represented 15 parishes in the region. In receiving the recommendations, Bishop Smith emphasized that the work of the study was dedicated to the goal of keeping the Catholic community vibrant well into the future. He cited the challenges of meeting the ministerial and pastoral needs created by demographic and vocations trends, such as shifting population from small towns and cities to sprawling suburbs, a decline in the number of priests and religious available to serve and the arrival of new Catholics in the area, as well as growth in the senior citizen population.
Bishop Smith is expected to announce decisions related to other recommendations before the end of the year.

The Catholic community in Long Branch, which includes about 2,500 families, has a long and dramatic heritage. Once home to national political figures, corporate tycoons and their entourages, Long Branch became known as a cultural center in the mid-1800s. The town's first church, later dedicated for Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish, was built in 1854. Holy Trinity was established in 1906 as a national parish for Italian-speaking Catholics, and St. John the Baptist was dedicated in 1978 as a mission of Immaculate Conception Parish in Eatontown. St. John Parish was established in 1984 as an independent parish serving the growing Hispanic and Portuguese population of the area.

In announcing the Long Branch merger, Bishop Smith expressed his gratitude to Father Sirianni for the leadership he has shown and his service to the three parishes as their pastor. Acknowledging that "change is never easy" especially in relation to matters of faith and spirituality, Bishop Smith writes, "These changes will certainly require all of us to work together in a spirit of faith, to develop the implementation plans and to assist the pastor in forming everyone into a new worshiping community. I ask that you join together with optimism, confidence, expectation and dependence on the presence of Christ who is always with us, so that our Catholic life in Long Branch will be vibrant well into the future."

Sun. Nov. 2 - All Souls Day

This Sunday's liturgy celebrates the Commemoration of All Souls. We remember and pray for (and with) all of the souls who have gone before us. Our prayer is always directed to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, but our theology of our communion of saints tells us that our prayer is always with the entire church, living and deceased in the Lord.
Below is a wonderful piece of liturgical music, the Kyrie by Tomas Luis de Victoria, from his wonderful Requiem.

May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

Halloween and All Saints

This humorous video from our friends over at BustedHalo.com is a nice explanation of the roots of Halloween. With All Saints Day coming up on Saturday, and All Souls Day coming up Sunday, this should help to refresh our theology of these feast days.

The narrator of the video is Fr. Jim Martin, S.J., the author of a great book entitled "My Life With The Saints."

Fr. Martin is coming to our diocese for the annual Spirituality Day at Georgian Court University in Lakewood next weekend! On Saturday, Nov. 8, he'll be speaking at the conference. He's a very entertaining speaker, so if you can join us for the conference, I guarantee you'll have a great day, and you'll come away with lots of new insights.

International Craft Fair

This weekend, we'll have our annual International Craft Fair. It's always a good way to start some Christmas gift shopping. All proceeds go back to Third World countries, and the folks who fashioned the crafts.

FDLC - The Final Report

As you know, I attended the recent meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) held in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. During that meeting we received the results of a survey by CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) studying recent Mass-attendance data for American Catholics. The final report of that FDLC meeting has recently been released to the press. Some excerpts:

From the survey of 1,007 self-identified Catholics, 20 percent attend Mass every week, 11 percent attend almost every week, 10 percent attend once or twice a month, and 3 percent attend more than once a week. Thirty two percent attend rarely or never.

"We've seen an erosion in the faith life of people because of that lack of practice," Bishop [Blase] Cupich, a member of the U.S. bishops' ad hoc committee on liturgical translations, said in an informal discussion with participants on current liturgical issues.

The statistics force the church nationwide to ask what people are searching for in the liturgy, but the church cannot let the discussion be driven solely by people's desires, Bishop Cupich said. Respondents to the CARA survey placed higher importance on feeling the presence of God at Mass and receiving the Eucharist as opposed to the homily, music and environment.

Reasons for missing Mass ranged from 51 percent of those attending Mass at least once a month being too busy, to 48 percent of the same group citing family responsibilities. From the CARA survey, 68 percent of respondents believed they could be a good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday and 57 percent believed that it was not a sin to skip Mass.

Bishop Cupich cited the upcoming revisions to the Roman Missal, which contains the texts used in the celebration of Mass, including the responses by the congregation, as a perfect opportunity to create enthusiasm and renewal in the church. (See related sidebar outlining coming changes.)

"How do we use this moment, this opportunity and be a teaser, inviting people?" Bishop Cupich said. "Something new is coming. Americans love that theme."

"The way the church is calling us to pray is going to deepen the lives of people," Bishop Cupich said. "We are a church always in reform. We are a church mining the depths of our tradition. This is a mine that is very deep and we should be excited about this.... We're pliable. We can stretch our lives. This is a moment for us to ask, how are we being renewed?"

Another trend noted by the CARA survey was the lack of belief in the real presence in the Eucharist. Only 57 percent of respondents said they believed that Jesus Christ was truly present in the Eucharist.

The Bishops' Synod on the Word of God

Synod Presents 55 Propositions to Pope

Assembly Approves Every Proposal



VATICAN CITY, OCT. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The work sessions of the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God concluded at midday Saturday, with the approval of 55 propositions that the synodal assembly presented to Benedict XVI.

The proposals were voted on electronically by the 244 synod fathers present in the hall. To be approved, each proposition needed a two-thirds majority.

All of the propositions that were presented were approved, confirming the evaluation of this synod as exhibiting perhaps more consensus than any synod since the Second Vatican Council reinstituted this assembly.

Part 1

The first part includes propositions on the Word of God in the faith of the Church. The proposals in this sections include suggestions so that Catholic communities better understand and live their deep relationship with the Word, Jesus Christ, who can be found in the reading and meditating Scripture.

They highlight the role of the Holy Spirit, the Church and tradition, as well as the intimate relationship between Scripture and the Eucharist.

Three propositions present the Word of God as a Word of reconciliation, a Word of commitment in favor of the poor, and the base of natural law. This section also considers the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Part 2

The second part of the document (propositions 14-37) considers the Word of God in the life of the Church. Among other things, concrete ideas are offered to improve homilies, a revision of the Lectionary is suggested, and lectio divina is promoted. It is suggested that women be allowed to be instituted lectors.

This section also urges overcoming division between exegetes and theologians, or exegetes and pastors.

Proposition 37 has a historical value, because it takes up the contribution make by Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.

Part 3

Propositions 38-54, on the Word of God in the mission of the Church, speaks of the Word in relation to art and culture, and the translations and availability of the Bible.

This section also considers the transmission of the Word in the media, as well as the fundamentalist reading of the Bible and the phenomenon of sects. It also takes into account proposals on interreligious dialogue, the promotion of pilgrimages and studies in the Holy Land, dialogue with Judaism and Islam, and the relationship between the Word and protection of the environment.

The concluding proposition is dedicated to Mary, and invites a promotion of the Angelus and the rosary -- contemplation of the Word though the eyes of the Mother of Christ.

Public

The propositions were prepared by a team led by the relator-general of the synod, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec and by the special secretary, Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo.

The team spent the entire night working so as to present the propositions for vote.

Normally the propositions are not made public, but Benedict XVI has asked the secretariat of the synod to publish a provisional, non-official Italian translation.

Bishop Smith and his Pastoral Council

Today, Bishop Smith came here to St. Anselm to celebrate Mass and to be part of the regular meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council. The topic of the day was to gain input into the process of devloping a Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Trenton.

Once again, we provided excellent hospitality and a warm welcome to representatives of all of the other parishes from throughout the diocese. Everybody commented on how "welcomed" they felt. And, of course, the food from "Hills of Tuscany" was first-rate, and there was plenty of it!

A big word of thanks to our Music Ministry and our Director, Mike Zorner, for putting together a wonderful choir for this morning's Mass. Even the Bishop commented on how well, and how easy it is to sing here at St. Anselm! That's a great complement....if the Bishop thinks it's easy to sing, then we've hit a home-run!

Although the Bishop didn't speak directly to me about his thought-processes for the upcoming Deanery Study, a representative from another local parish told me that the Bishop holds us up as a "model parish" and as a community that truly "gets it".

That's nice to hear. I hope that translates into me continuing as Pastor here for at least another 9 years (6 years, followed by a renewal for another 6!). But, knowing that the Bishop and the diocese are getting desperate for qualified pastors to lead larger parishes, I won't be surprised if the Bishop calls me up some day to ask to "chat with me."

Maybe I should change my cell-phone number!

Anyway, THANKS FOLKS to everybody who helped to host Bishop Smith and the Diocesan Pastoral Council today here at St. Anselm.

Notre Dame 33, Washington, 7

Well, the Loyal Sons of Notre Dame creamed the poor guys from Washington. A great game....

Maybe ND will get into the top 20...who knows? It could happen!

Go Irish!

Young Catholics

However one views the cleavages, one report bound to garner some chatter is the recently-released Faith in Public Life poll on the preferences and views of young churchfolk across the religious spectrum.

CNS runs the numbers from the Romish crowd:

The survey indicated that younger Catholics are less traditional than older Catholics. More young Catholics identified themselves as Democrats than as Republicans -- 54 percent to 35 percent -- whereas older Catholics were almost evenly split between the two political parties.

Only 28 percent of young Catholics said they are politically conservative, compared to 42 percent of older Catholics.

The survey showed that young Catholic voters are the most pro-government among voters of any major religious group, even more pro-government than other surveys show the rest of the young population is. Sixty-seven percent said that they prefer government play a larger role, offering more services to the public, compared to 41 percent of the older Catholics surveyed.

Of those surveyed Catholics had the highest support for government involvement of any religious constituency.

Young Catholics said they are more likely to support legalized abortion and same-sex marriage than older Catholics; 60 percent of young Catholics believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to 51 percent of older Catholics who believe that.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, young Catholics resemble other young adults on the issue, with 44 percent saying that same-sex couples should be able to marry if they are in a committed relationship; 46 percent of the general young adult population shares that view. Twenty-six percent of older Catholics said they approve of same-sex marriage.

The majority of young Catholics, however, were less likely to believe that abortion or same-sex marriage were significant issues in this election.

However, a majority of most older and younger Catholics agreed that a candidate's stance on abortion is not the deciding factor in their vote. More than half agreed that they would vote for a candidate who disagreed with them on abortion.

Fifty-five percent of young Catholics said they prefer the Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama [against 40 percent for McCain], compared to 59 percent of all young adults who say they prefer Obama [to 35 for the GOP ticket]. Among older Catholics, 45 percent said they are for Obama and 46 percent said they are for his rival, Republican Sen. John McCain.

A Vestment for Christmas

Today, a parishioner made a nice donation toward a new vestment especially for use during the Christmas/Epiphany season. A photo of the new vestment is pictured at left.


The total cost of the vestment is about $900. I think that it would be nice to list the names of those to be remembered in a memorial label for the vestment. This way, all of the "donors" can be remembered each time the vestment is put on by the presider.

If you, or your family, would like to make a donation toward the "Christmas vestment", please drop me a line and let me know the name(s) of those you'd like to be remembered on the label. Please know that we are all grateful for your very generous donations! May God bless you all!

A great day for the Parish Retreat

Last night and today, we had a very good retreat for our parish. We had several guest speakers, including Grace Conte and Fr. Pat Connor. People were very pleased with the workshops, the talks, and the prayer services. Last night, we concluded with an experience of Taize prayer, with a full complement of our music ministry. Taize was a wonderful service of prayer with music, candles, icons, and it gave us all a deep feeling of peace and recollection.
The goal of any retreat is to renew people in their relationship with the Lord. I personally give thanks for the wonderful ways in which the Lord renewed his relationship with all who came last night and today.

FDLC....until next year

I'm back home in New Jersey. Fresh from a good meeting of the FDLC in Milwaukee. We did a lot of good work this week. We reflected on how participation in the Liturgy forms our Catholic identity.

We also spoke about, prayed about, and dreamed about how we, as U.S. Church leaders, were going to help the rest of the Church to accept the new translation of the Roman Missal, set to come to our shores in 2010. Some sources in the popular media have given some pretty bleak sketches of the new Missal. Some church leaders spoke to us this week about their perceptions of the new language of the liturgy. Let's just say that there are still lots of questions all over the place....

Let's pray for the future, and trust the Holy Spirit will help us all.

FDLC Part II

Yesterday, the FDLC was welcomed at the Cathedral of St. John by the Archbishop of Milwaukee, Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Archbishop Dolan presided and preached at the celebration of the Eucharist for the FDLC in the beautiful cathedral. Music for the Eucharist was led by the wonderful Diocesan Choir.

During business yesterday, we heard 3 wonderful presentations on the state of the Catholic Church in the US today. We heard about the current stats on church attendance, including a survey on Catholic beliefs in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The later presentations helped us to reflect on our current liturgical theology and pastoral practices to help celebrate the Liturgy.

More updates to come.....

FDLC in Milwaukee, 2008

Here at the annual FDLC National meeting, the days can seem like the meetings of the Second Vatican Council...people speaking all sorts of languages, not really understanding each other, but trusting that the Holy Spirit is guiding the proceedings.

We trust that the Holy Spirit is leading us beyond our differences towards a more positive understanding and direction for the Liturgy in the United States.

One big news item from today's events: Msgr. Tony Sherman of the BCDW urges us all to: Check out the USCCB website for the latest, official news of the BCDW developments. Don't trust the "bloggers" out there, who just throw out grenades toward the Liturgical Movement. Check out what the Bishops' really have to say on the Liturgical Renewal

You're Invited!

Today's Gospel reminds us that all are invited to come to the feast! How do we respond to the invitation?

That's the question of the day.