November Cemetery and Grave Blessings

On the first Sunday of November the parish processes after Mass to the nearby cemetery to pray for the dead and bless the graves of departed loved ones, all in accordance with the rite in the Book of Blessings. I'm sure there's one in the more traditional Rituale Romanum but I think it's worth the reminder that this is very much part of the current practice of the Church, at least in theory. However, all of my parishioners have said that they never experienced this before I introduced it last year. I hope this brief post assists in promoting the practice.

Further photos at the parish facebook page.

Edna Hocking receives Catholic Services Award

Bishop Sample speaks before presenting the
Catholic Services Award to Edna on July 27th.

Edna receives the award from the Bishop.

With her daughters Linda and Phyllis.

Edna shows off the award.

Bishop Sample blesses the reception held at St Anthony's in Edna's honor yesterday.

Bishop Sample came to the parish yesterday to celebrate the principal parish Mass and to formally present Edna Hocking with the diocesan Legacy of Faith Catholic Services Award.

Because Edna's health had deteriorated a little, Bishop Sample first presented the Award to Edna on Friday July 27th at the Brookridge Assisted Living facility to which she had just moved. However, Edna was determined to make it for the previously arranged date of September 2nd and, thank God, she was able to be with us. The parish erupted into a spontaneous standing ovation when Edna was wheeled to the sanctuary for the presentation of the award at the end of Mass yesterday.

Other photographs were taken - I'll update the post with a link but check out the UP Catholic Facebook page.

Here is the citation that the Chair of our parish council, Mrs Sandy Hause, submitted as we nominated Edna for this award. It will give you some idea of what an extraordinary person she is.

Commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church

Edna Hocking is a life-long member and a "forever-giving" member of St Anthony Parish in Gwinn and we treasure her! She has served in countless positions and immeasurable committees for many, many years, but the one that she is most proud of is her 75 years as an active member of the Choir of St Anthony Parish! A rare distinction that no one has held before her and I dare say it will never be accomplished again! She joined the choir as a young girl and as the years went by, she was asked to lead daily "Latin Mass" along with many other distinctions at weekly Mass. Even though she was working with her husband in their store and then at the Gwinn Bank before her retirement, she never ever faltered in her dedication to her God, her parish, her choir! She is an exemplary witness to her Faith by never missing an opportunity to use her voice to praise God in all special devotions, for funerals, and all Masses. You can always depend on her to be there, no matter what it takes to make sure that it happens. Please allow me to also mention that by her example, her two daughters both began singing in our choir and then in their own respective parishes after they began their careers. Her daughter Linda is the organist at St Joseph Parish in Sioux Ste Marie, MI and has shared her talents with us on many occasions; many times when we were urgently in need of an organist.

Inspiration/Service/Leadership

It is extremely difficult to know where to start and, indeed, where to end explaining Edna's qualities in this category. She inspires all of us that work with her or know her, on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, I never try to schedule any meeting that she would be involved with unless I talk to her first!! Her schedule is that jam-packed! Though she has had a few health problems of late, she simply works with and around them and keeps on going!

She has been an officer and active member of our Altar Society since its inception and its is joy and a gift to be able to have her share all those years of knowledge with us which reminds us that we have the same goals in mind always. Serving! She has been on every committee possible associated with this organization, from elaborate dinners and fund-raisers to Carnival planning and numerous other special events through the years, but I believe that she would tell you that her copious amount of hours spent working on the Funeral Luncheon Team has been (and is) her greatest joy! Being part of that special group of ladies who immediately drop everything in their own lives in order to ensure these grieving families, having lost loved ones, are well cared for and shown mercy and love is of utmost importance to her. There is never a family who not only appreciates the donation of food and service time, but who feel truly blessed by the Corporal Work of Mercy when their hears are so sorrowful.

In additions, she performs this same service at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Member. In either organization, she is on the phone like lightening to ensure enough donations are secured to feed everyone, and in Gwinn, that can be a lot of people! She is very active in this organization as well and is their past-president, along with many other leading roles. Her leadership in their ever on-going Pasty Project is heralded far and wide! She arrives by 5:00 a.m. on Pasty Day and always says it is "just to try to get a jump on things!" She continues to mentor and inspire and still work banquets for them as well. Like I said, "forever-giving" is our Edna!

Edna is a member of our St Anthony Parish Pastoral Council and our Finance Council. Her ability to remember specific facts and numbers is utterly amazing and she never, ever ceases to participate by sharing her much-valued assessments or input and ideas to a given topic or situation. We are so enriched by her wisdom.

In addition to all that I have shared with you, there are many other organizations to which Edna belongs and is a vital link in their objectives and goals. They are as follows:

Forsyth Township Library Board Member ... currently extremely busy working on plans and development for a new Library in Gwinn.

Historical Society of Gwinn ... lends her mind and ideas to his important organization that honors and chronicles the founding of his Community.

"Share Food Group" ... For 20 years she arrived at our local Club House at 5:30 a.m. to receive and check in the food truck that came from Wisconsin for orders placed through her. Another prime example of her fierce dedication to whatever she does and for whomever she does it! The behind the scenes time this project took is unreal!

"Merry Mixers" and work in the Senior Center ... [Edna's leadership in this was explained in an attachment to the submission.]

Study Club of Gwinn ... This group has been in existence for many years in Gwinn and they study everything from books to engaging guest speakers that will educate and enlighten them on any number of subjects. She never misses!

"The Red Hats" of Gwinn ... And the, just for fun, she joined the "Red Hats!" How could a "gal" miss the opportunity for a lovely meal at a great place, or a trip to Michigamme shops, or an Ice Cream Social! I just had to add this because it just further exemplifies that Edna never stops inspiring by her service, her devotion, her beautiful radiant sharing of her time and talents with everyone and every group she serves on and always, serving her God is most important in her life. The Holy Spirit guides her and she "preaches and teaches" with every action she takes. "As often as you do it one of the least of my brothers, you do it for me", said our Lord and I think this is certainly the scriptural quotation that embodies how Edna lives her life, consistently and faithfully for so many years.

Endorsements from parishioners, as well her pastor (me) were also submitted.

In presenting the award, Bishop Sample remarked that when he telephoned Edna to inform her of the award, she said she didn't want it! After a little persuasion, she accepted. This was, the Bishop said, the reaction of one who truly deserved the award.

I hope that others in the parish, especially our young, will be inspired by Edna's example of service to God, Church and Society.

Congratulations Edna!

St Anthony of Padua

The statue of St Anthony in our Church.

Today is our parish patronal feast. The Solemnity is being transferred to this coming Sunday when Bishop Sample will come to celebrate the 11am Mass in honour of our centennial celebrations.

A commemorative prayer card has been produced:

St Anthony won many heretics and others in error back to the Catholic faith. There are many in our own parish who have lapsed from the practice of the faith or who have joined other denominations. My prayer request for St Anthony's intercession is their return to the one true fold of Christ.

Here's the prayer in larger print (it is being recited daily after Mass as a Novena in preparation for Sunday):

St. Anthony, you are glorious for your miracles and for the condescension of Jesus Who came as a little child to lie in your arms. Obtain for me from His bounty the grace which I ardently desire. You were so compassionate toward sinners, do not regard my unworthiness. Let the glory of God be magnified by you in connection with the particular request that I earnestly present to you.

[State your request here.]

As a pledge of my gratitude, I promise to live more faithfully in accordance with the teachings of the Church, and to be devoted to the service of the poor whom you loved and still love so greatly. Bless this resolution of mine that I may be faithful to it until death.

St. Anthony, consoler of all the afflicted, pray for me.

St. Anthony, helper of all who invoke you, pray for me.

St. Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus loved and honored so much, pray for me. Amen.

St Anthony Parish Centenary (or Centennial if you are American) celebrations

Detail of the statue of St Anthony of
Padua in our church

This year marks 100 years since the celebration of the first Mass in the basement of the as yet uncompleted church. The schedule of this week's celebrations is as follows (do come and join us):

Sunday June 10
Solemnity of Corpus Christi
11:00am      Mass followed by Procession of the Blessed Sacrament along Pine St (M-35) to the Peter Nordeen Park where there will be Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and luncheon provided by the parish Altar Society.

6:00pm        Vespers followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Forty Hours of Adoration.

Monday June 11
9:30am         Mass (Exposition will be interrupted for Mass)
 
Tuesday June 12
9:00am         Solemn Benediction and conclusion of Forty Hours
9:30am         Mass

Wednesday June 13
9:30am          Votive Mass of St Anthony of Padua (our Parish Solemnity is transferred to the coming Sunday)

Thursday June 14
7:00pm          Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal)

Friday June 15
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
7:00pm          Mass and Consecration of the Parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Saturday June 16
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
10:00am        Mass and Consecration of the Parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sunday June 17
11:00am        Mass of St Anthony of Padua, our Parish Patron Saint, celebrated by His Excellency the Most Reverend Alexander K Sample, Bishop of Marquette, followed by celebratory luncheon.

My previous parish celebrates 25 years

On Saturday May 26, Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark visited the parish of St Simon Stock, South Ashford, where I was parish priest from 2001 - 2010. There are some lovely photographs at the diocese's flickr page.

Many treasured memories came flooding back.

Parish Confirmations

Yesterday Bishop Sample came to the parish to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation upon Jennifer Weber and Andrea Heinz. Bishop Sample preached about union with Christ the vine as only being possible through union with the Church. To say that "I know that the Church says... but what would Jesus..." is to separate Christ from His Church and to break away from the vine.

Presenting her certificate to Jennifer.

Presenting her certificate to Andrea.

The Bishop with his Mom and (couples from left) Rosie King, the catechist
who prepared the candidates with her husband Paul, our parish secretary Angie
Doyen and her husband Frank, our chair of parish council Sandy Hause and
husband Jerry at the Up North Lodge afterwards.

Sound advice from Gamaliel

Gamaliel I with students from New World Encyclopedia

At Mass today we heard (Acts 5:34-42) this wise advice from Gamaliel, "a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin..., a teacher of the law, respected by all the people", concerning the apostles:

If this endeavor of this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.

Gamaliel was the great teacher of Saul, who set out to persecute the Christians of Damascus but who himself encountered the once dead but now risen Lord.

Gamaliel referred to two earlier movements that had risen and fallen. One was promoted by a man named Theudas who gained about four hundred followers. But once he was killed they disbanded and the movement came to nothing. The other was started by Judas the Galilean. He also gained followers but once he was killed, "all who were loyal to him were scattered."

And so we have the followers of a supposedly dead Jesus. Surely they would disband and scatter too, if what Jesus started was simply another troublesome group like the other two.

We know that the Church still stands. It has not been destroyed, in spite of attempts from those from outside who would wish to suppress it, and those from within who would seek to divide it.

We too must always ensure that we look upon the Church as coming from God. It is not ours to do what we want with. The Gospel of today's Mass (Jn 6:1-15) speaks of the twelve baskets of fragments from the five barley loaves. Twelve baskets for each of the twelve apostles and their successors from which they are able to feed the flock that comes after them. The Bishops have been entrusted with the deposit of the faith. It is an awesome responsibility with which they have been entrusted, the faithful handing down of the Word through their teaching. And we (laity - consecrated or not; deacons and priests) who are not Bishops must ensure that we think with the mind of God, that our initiatives do not have as their origin a human way of thinking but that they be - as far as we can be sure - from God.

Any initiative in a parish, any changes that might be seen necessary, must be subjected to this question: is this from man or is it from God? We do not have any right to think that we, who live in April 2010, own our parish. We hold it in trust for the generations that will, hopefully, come after us. This can also be a way of discernment when there is potential for division in a community. What is the more divine way of proceeding now? Is it to insist on my position, to be so convinced that I am right that I will not climb down? Or is it better to concede a point, to compromise, to let others have the day, and thus preserve a greater good of unity and harmony.

Naturally, there can be no compromise on sin, or the defined truths of our faith. But often, whether it be in a parish or in a family or some other enterprise, people get hung up on little things, when a little bit of give and take would be the more divine way of acting.

And how do we get into the habit of a more God-like way of thinking and acting? Becoming men and women of prayer. Spending time in quiet prayer, particularly before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, will help us distinguish the human from the divine.

PS: the New World Encyclopedia gives this interesting comment on Gamaliel.

Because of his sympathetic attitude to the early Christians, at an early date Christian ecclesiastical tradition has supposed that Gamaliel I embraced the Christian faith, and remained a member of the Sanhedrin for the purpose of secretly helping his fellow-Christians. According to Saint Photius, he was baptized by Saint Peter and Saint John, together with his son and Nicodemus. His body was said to be preserved at Pisa, in Italy. Contemporary Jewish records, however, continue to list him and his sons as respected leaders in the non-Christian branch of the Jewish community. This would be highly unlikely if he had been a convert to Christianity.

Gamaliel and Nicodemus portrayed as mourning the death
of the Christian martyr, Saint Stephen, c. 1615
From New World Encyclopedia

Austrian Priest resigns after Cardinal Schonborn overrules him on homosexual parish council member

LifeSiteNews reports the resignation of Father Gerhard Swierzek, the pastor of a parish in the Archdiocese of Vienna, who refused to allow an active homosexual, Florian Stangl, who is living in a legal registered partnership with another man, to sit on the parish council in the town of Stützenhofen. Stangl had received 96 out of 142 votes in the parish council elections.

Eminent canonist and blogger Dr Ed Peters wrote about the affair a little while ago in Sorting out the latest from Vienna.

Here's a little summary of the Canon Law on Parish Pastoral Councils.

Can. 536 §1. If the diocesan bishop judges it opportune after he has heard the presbyteral council, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish, over which the pastor presides and in which the Christian faithful, together with those who share in pastoral care by virtue of their office in the parish, assist in fostering pastoral activity.
               §2. A pastoral council possesses a consultative vote only and is governed by the norms established by the diocesan bishop.

That's all the Code of Canon Law says.

Some points to note.

1. Parish Pastoral Councils are not mandated by the Code but need only be established if the diocesan bishop judges it opportune.
2. The Pastor presides over the Council. He is in charge. This is not something that anyone - even the bishop - can change. No meetings can be held, no decisions taken, without the presence and approval of the Pastor.
3. The role of the members of the Council is to foster pastoral activity. In other words, they are to facilitate the work of shepherding the souls in the parish which is the exclusive and proper role of the Pastor. If they are not assisting him, they are not effective members of the Pastoral Council.
4. The Pastoral Council makes no decisions. It advises - that's what is meant by possesing a consultative vote. The Pastor consults the members, they make their advice known to the Pastor, even by voting on a subject, and then the Pastor prays about it and accepts or rejects the advice. If the members are faithful Catholics with a clear love for God and the Church, their advice should be taken very seriously.
5. But here is the difficult part: the Pastoral Council is governed by the norms establish by the diocesan bishop. "Norms" implies law. How binding are these norms? Obviously, they cannot contradict the universal law of the Church, but can the diocesan bishop mandate the establishment of parish pastoral councils? Can he establish norms concerning appointment, election, etc? Can the bishop confer membership of a parish pastoral council on any of the faithful? Can the bishop overrule a pastor who decides that a particular person is unsuitable for membership of a parish council? I very much doubt it.
6. Accodring to Dr Peters, membership of a Pastoral Council constitutes the holding of an Ecclesiastical Office (see Title IX of Book I of the Code of Canon Law). To hold ecclesiastical office one must be in communion with the Church as well as "suitable". Being in a sinful state does not, of itself, rupture communion with the Church, but it might well make one unsuitable if this state is publicly known.

One way to make a pastoral council ineffective is for the pastor not to attend. The council has no authority and without the pastor presiding it is rendered ineffective.

I am writing from a position of ignorance concerning the facts of this particular case but with my own experience of parish pastoral councils which has been altogether positive. I have never held elections and always appointed members. I have also asked members whom I did not consider helpful in fostering my pastoral work to stand down.

I hope Fr Swierzek had/has a good canon lawyer to advise him. On the basis of the very little known to me about this case, given that the Cardinal Archbishop had overruled his decision, I would probably advise him to simply insist that Stangl's election to the pastoral council had not been ratified by him. Since he as Pastor presides over the Council, Stangl could not therefore be considered as having been appointed as a member. The ball would then be in the Cardinal's court to either insist on Stangl's appointment or to accept the Pastor's decision. If the Cardinal were to take action against the pastor, there would be options available, from throwing in the towel (one doesn't want to spend one's priestly life fighting battles and one would hesitate before entering into a conflict with one's Cardinal Archbishop) and resigning, to having recourse against any decisions made by the Cardinal.

As Dr Peters rightly says, Pastoral Councils are new in the Church and so it will take some time to develop the law in this area.

In the meantime, I am praying for Fr Swierzek and for the Church in Austria which is in dire need of prayers. (See Pope Benedict's Chrism Mass homily in which he explicitly refers to rebellious priests in Austria.) None of us likes battles and it could be that Fr Swierzek just doesn't want to fight this one. He may have found the parish to be ungovernable.

Belated Baptism Congratulations

To Austin James Michael Hooker and his parents and family. Austin was baptized in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite on January 8.

The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel

This will be my "Desktop" item for this coming weekend's parish bulletin for the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

“Going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” (Mt 2:11 - RSV)

This is a very striking phrase from Matthew’s Gospel. These wise men fell to the ground when they encountered “the child”.

Many would consider kneeling, or prostration, beneath man’s dignity. We should not be humbled before anyone, not even our God. We should not demean ourselves by falling down. We should stand face to face before our God. This is folly! The Magi - pagans! - of today’s feast teach us true wisdom.

Bishop Sample gave all the priests of the diocese a Christmas present: a book by the then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, entitled The Spirit of the Liturgy. Our bishop clearly desires that we priests study the Pope’s book and apply it to our liturgy today. I first read this book soon after it came out in 2000 and consider it a charter for renewal of our Catholic worship.

Pope Benedict writes about the gesture of prostration or kneeling. He says that kneeling, of its very nature, “does not come from any culture.” In other words, those who protest that kneeling does not belong to their culture do not understand that kneeling “comes from the Bible and from knowledge of God.” “We now kneel before that humility” of Christ “which went as far as the Cross”. “The kneeling of Christians is not a form of inculturation into existing customs. It is quite the opposite, an expression of Christian culture, which transforms the existing culture through a new and deeper knowledge and experience of God.”

Pope Benedict stresses the importance of the unity of our spiritual dispositions and our bodily postures. “The bodily gesture itself is the bearer of the spiritual meaning, which is precisely that of worship. Without the worship, the bodily gesture would be meaningless, while the spiritual act must of its very nature … express itself in the bodily gesture… When kneeling becomes merely external, a merely physical act, it becomes meaningless. On the other hand, when someone tries to take worship back into the purely spiritual realm and refuses to give it embodied form, the act of worship evaporates, for what is purely spiritual is inappropriate to the nature of man. Worship is one of those fundamental acts that affect the whole man. That is why bending the knee before the presence of the living God is something we cannot abandon.”

Pope Benedict  gives Holy Communion to  communicants
kneeling and on the tongue. “The man who learns to believe
learns also to kneel, and a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar
with kneeling would be sick to the core. Where it has been lost,
kneeling must be rediscovered…” (Pope Benedict, Spirit of the Liturgy)

Sadly, this gesture of bending the knee has been abandoned by many who either simply ignore the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle, or who bow rather than genuflect. Obviously one understands those whose knees are weakened by ill health or old age and for whom kneeling/genuflecting would be painful. But for the rest, Pope Benedict says that “the Hebrews regarded the knees as a symbol of strength; to bend the knee is, therefore, to bend our strength before the living God.” He relates a story that comes from the Desert Fathers according to which the devil showed himself to a certain Abba Apollo. “He looked black and ugly, with frighteningly thin limbs, but, most strikingly, he had no knees. The inability to kneel is seen as the very essence of the diabolical.”

Pope Benedict concludes his consideration of kneeling as follows:

“The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel, and a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling would be sick to the core. Where it has been lost, kneeling must be rediscovered, so that, in our prayer, we remain in fellowship with the apostles and martyrs, in fellowship with the whole cosmos, indeed in union with Jesus Christ himself.”

O come, let us adore him!

Extraordinary Form of the Mass at Gwinn - and a request

Bishop Sample celebrating Mass in the Extraordinary Form
at St Peter Cathedral

I celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass for the first time in the parish this evening. A goodly congregation was present considering some serious snow had fallen - 14 communicants, plus some little children. Two of our young servers did extremely well considering they had only had one hour's practice yesterday. They were assisted by an adult who regularly attends the weekly EF Mass at St Peter Cathedral in Marquette.

My intention is to celebrate this form of the Mass on the evenings of my day off, Thursday, and maybe on other occasions if the faithful request it.

This evening I celebrated with my small travel edition of the Missale Romanum which I brought with me from England and which you can find reviewed by Fr Z.

Whilst I don't mind celebrating with this Missal privately - it is a very worthy  publication - for a public Mass it has its drawbacks. I did not notice any damage to the tabs as Fr Z did but the glue binding the tabs to the page also binds pages to pages, so that one has to use two hands to carefully separate the pages during the celebration of Mass. This evening I slightly tore one of the pages of the Canon. Also, I now notice my age: my sight is not as good as it was and I found myself struggling with the smaller print.

So, I need to buy a new Missal.

I could get the 1962 Missal published with the approval of the late Cardinal O'Connor. The lowest price I have found it available for is $110.00 (s/h included) from Roman Catholic Books or $99.99 plus $12.25 s/h from Fraternity Publications i.e. the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP). This is the Missal I bought for (and donated to) my previous parish in South Ashford, England. My verdict on this Missal is that is quite adequate - it does the job and would be fine.

However, there is a much nicer one: a 2008 reprint of the well-known and beautiful Benziger Brothers Missal approved by the late Cardinal Spelman, with ad libitum prefaces that were approved in July 1962, including a restored Advent preface, and Masses approved for use in the dioceses of the USA.

Fr Z reviews it here.

The lowest price I have found it available for is $320.00 plus $17.00 s/h from Preserving Christian Publications. The website of Biretta Books gives further details, including examples of the beautful type setting and artwork (far superior to the O'Connor Missal above) shown below:

My question: would anyone like to help me get either of these Missals for the parish? See About Me if you would like to email me.

Biblical Walk through the Mass Bible Study

Last week we held our first sessions of this five-session study programme published by Ascension Press. The desire in the parish to know more about the Mass and to understand it better is amazing. The advent of the new English translation has surely been a wonderfully providential occasion to provoke renewed interest in the Mass.

Between 50 and 60 people have signed up for the programme which takes place in two groups: Tuesday evening with a repeat on Wednesday morning.

Highly to be recommended, thoroughly orthodox, deeply theological and biblical. The significance of the changes with the new translation is also explained.

Our parish wishes to record its thanks to the Marquette Diocese Legacy of Faith for funding the purchase of the presentation materials.

Born again by water and the Holy Spirit

Congratulations to Mary Beth and David Patrick Langin on the baptism of their son Hunter Patrick today. Hunter was baptised using the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in the presence of his parents, godparents (pictured above), grandparents, great grandparents, and members of our parish youth group who have just begun to meet on Sundays. Mr Langin teaches some of them sports in the local high school.

New birth in Christ

Congratulations to Doctor Michael and Mrs Amanda Harl on the baptism today of their daughter Emory Grace. Emory Grace was baptised in the Extraordinary Form and so benefits from the exorcisms and blessings administered during the ceremony. In the picture are Emory's parents and Godparents, and her proud brother (who held the salt as it was being blessed and exorcised) and sister.

Making Things Happen at KI Sawyer, MI

Our Lady Help of Christians is an outreach of our parish here at St Anthony's, Gwinn. The Sisters of St Paul de Chartres have embraced it as one of their particular apostolates.

I expect that not many people will imagine that there can be poverty and deprivation in this remote and beautiful part of the Upper Peninsula.

Necessary funding was granted by Catholic Extension and their representatives made a fact-finding visit recently. Read their report about it at the Catholic Extension Blog.

Discouragement

Swirl How, Lake District (UK) near Coniston Water, photo take August 16th 2008

My "Desktop" from this weekend's parish bulletin.

Do you ever experience discouragement? I do hope so!

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I want you all to be discouraged. It's just that I would feel a whole lot better knowing that I am not alone in these feelings. Sometimes things seem to be going really well, often for an extended period of time, but sooner or later one comes face to face with the fact that it is not by one's own efforts that the work gets done. It doesn't matter what the work is: priestly ministry, parenting, professional work of any other kind, particularly that kind of work (and I can't readily think of any work that does not fall into this category) that involves relating with others and achieving goals.

I think that when one experiences discouragement, one is brought face to face with one's true self: with one's limitations, one's weakness, one's pride... It must be awful to face this alone. Thankfully, none of us need be truly alone with these thoughts. There are times when we might feel alone, unable to share our feelings with others, perhaps out of embarrassment, but often out of pride and a sense of shame. It can take time for these feelings of inability to communicate to pass. But we do have Someone Else we can and must communicate with: and that is our loving and merciful Father who looks upon us his children with kindness and understanding. He dwells in the depths of our heart, and we need to seek alone-ness with Him in prayer, perhaps just saying nothing, just being in His presence, whether it's in our private room at home, or going out for a drive, a ride on the bike, sitting by the side of a lake, a walk with the dog…

Or being before His Son in the Blessed Sacrament who knows what it is like to be, humanly speaking, forsaken. "My God, my God, have you forsaken me" He exclaimed from the Cross. These are the first words of Psalm 21. The psalm certainly expresses that experience of alone-ness, but it quickly goes on to sentiments of trust: "Yet you are holy... In you our fathers trusted; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not disappointed."

There is also the beautiful sacrament of Confession. I thank God so much that I have the opportunity of certainty of God’s forgiveness. In Confession one opens one’s heart out to Christ in the person of His minister, the priest. For me, it is also to a brother priest. And as we are absolved from our sins, we are reminded that “God, the Father of mercies … has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins.”

We all know enough about the limitations of St Peter and yet Our Lord entrusted him with the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the ministry of loosing us from our sins. We know that if our sins are “loosed” by the power of the keys on earth, so they shall be loosed in heaven.

Each of us, too, has been entrusted with great treasures - above all our faith. At our baptism, along with faith we received the theological virtues of hope and charity, by which we place all our hope in God - hope in His mercy, His forgiveness, His strength, His promises of eternal life - knowing that His love (charity) dwells within us.

Now, I feel very encouraged! I hope you do too!

I shall be going away for a time of vacation on Tuesday, staying with a priest friend of mine (also an Englishman but now permanently resident in the US) in Vermont. Rest assured of my prayers for you in my daily Mass and times of prayer. Wishing you the peace that comes only from Our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr John.

Recent events at St Anthony's

Making my Profession of Faith and taking the Oath of Fidelity

I was installed as parochial administator last Sunday July 24th by Father Ronald Browne, Moderator of the Curia. Thanks to all who helped in any way to make it such a joyous occasion. (Photos of the installation Mass taken by Kelly Matthews.)

Before the Mass

Father Browne adds incense to the thurible.

Entrance procession.

Father Browne incenses the altar at the start of Mass.

Before Holy Communion.

Reverencing the Cross after Mass.

Our servers.

On Wednesday July 27th we had a Youth Pizza Evening in the rectory so the youth of the parish could meet their new pastor.

My thanks to Len McKeen, our parish DRE, and all the other adults who came with food, cooked, and showed their support for the youth in so many ways. You can see more photos at my facebook page.

And yesterday, the baptism of Philip Joseph Winkler, ninth child of Denyl and Michael Winkler (who appears above with the dark glasses) which was celebrated in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. So he is well protected from the devil.

Philip Joseph in the arms of his godmother Dr Catherine Kroll and with godfather, Catherine's husband Michael Prokopowicz. Parents Denyl and Michael Winkler at either end (with one of their daughters).

Hello World

The last time I posted was a few days after arriving at my new parish of St Anthony in Gwinn, MI. I have been very busy getting acquainted with parish and parishioners. I have to inform my readers that I am extremely happy with the appointment. Parishioners have been most welcoming. My predecessor, Father Ron Timock, has left the parish in a very good state spiritually. Under his stewardship this somewhat modern church was reordered according to a much more traditional line. There are many statues, a fine tabernacle (which used to be at St Peter's Cathedral Marquette) centrally positioned, "Benedictine" arrangement of crucifix and candles on the altar, and the people are accustomed to a liturgy celebrated with dignity and reverence.

I am still wondering when I shall have my first battle. So far it all seems plain sailing in that people are just so willing to promote evangelisation, faith formation for the young and adult, etc. There is all day Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Mondays from after the 10:00am Mass until 10:00 pm. I was very pleasantly surprised by the number of people who came for Benediction at 9:45pm last Monday.

As with so many parishes here in the US there is a memorial to the victims of abortion in the lovely grounds:

You can see the very nice rectory in the background.

I am also responsible for St Joseph's Mission in Northland some 25 miles away. I go there every Sunday for Mass at 9am. Again, there is a wonderful group of parishioners, all committed to the welfare of the parish and accustomed to a reverent and respectful liturgy.

During the past week at St Anthony's there was a Vacation Bible Study for young children. As well as the Bible they had the opportunity to learn something about the saints who were celebrated during the week. Here's a slide show of photos taken on the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks:


You can read our parish bulletins here. My first two issues are 10th July and 17th July. I am working on renewing the presentation but you'll get a flavour of how things are.

I hope to start posting on more serious topics now that I have my feet under the desk. There are so many troubling things going on: the excommunication of the newly ordained bishop in China, the continuing fallout from the abuse scandal in Ireland, to name but a few. Wheat and cockle (this Sunday's Gospel) come to mind. I hope to give some comment. But first I must inform myself. I have hardly looked at a blog for the last fortnight (two weeks for my American readers).