Great Value

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend we celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our first reading this weekend is from 1st Kings. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him to make a request for something, and the Lord will give it to him. Solomon doesn’t ask for wealth or power or prestige. Instead he asks for an understanding heart—he asks for wisdom in order to judge the people fairly and justly. To this day, the wisdom of Solomon is known and recognized as a great gift given to him by the Lord.

Wisdom is active in Jesus’ parables this weekend as well. When we discover something of great value or worth, we desire to possess it. But the “great value or worth” is not monetary, it is eternal, for it is the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have received a priceless gift from the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – forgiveness of our sins and new life in the kingdom of God. As beautiful as this world is, it cannot compare to the eternal beauty that awaits us in the heavenly realm. Therefore, keep your focus on the Lord God. Continue to seek and to search for God’s presence in your lives and in the world around us, and always be ready “to sell what you own” one you find this precious gift from God.

Our Pastorate has now completed our VBS programs at both parishes. “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God” has been a rousing success! Over 300 youth and adult volunteers have participated in learning that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is forever, and God is love. I would like our Pastorate’s awesome pastoral staff – Marie Griffiths and Michaela Stanton – and our youth ministry team – Tim Janiszewski and Carrie Hilmer – for leading and supporting our VBS efforts this year. I would also like to thank all of our adult volunteers and teen peer leaders who donated so much time to preparing and leading our VBS programs. We cannot do this without you all, so THANK YOU!!!!

With the impending retirement of Gina Bujanowski at St. Jane Frances, I am pleased to announce that we have hired a new administrative assistant for the office. Please join me in welcoming Carolina Saah to our Pastorate. We had many good applicants, so it was a difficult decision, but I am grateful that Carolina accepted our offer of employment. She will be working Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 1:30pm in the office at St. Jane Frances. Tracey Laber will be assuming the role of Office Manager and will still be working Monday to Thursday, from 7:30am to 4:30pm. Gina’s final day in the office will be Thursday, August 27th. I would personally like to thank Gina for her many years of faithful service to the Church and to St. Jane Frances. She will be missed!

Finally, we are continuing to accept inquiries for our O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Phil will be leading our program this year so if you would like to become Catholic (never been baptized or baptized in another Christian faith or never Confirmed) please reach out to Deacon Phil at phil.snyder@archbalt.org. Classes will formally begin in September and will be held on Mondays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the school. Stay tuned for more details. 

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Weeds Among The Wheat

Brothers and Sisters,

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear from Jesus how the enemy is at work for our hearts. But it is in this same parable that we must not forget the good seed God sows in each believer’s heart and the patient mercy He uses to cultivate his divine plan within each of us. We are called to be rich soil for this good seed. As rich soil, we are called to allow the seed to take deep root in us and in our lives.

If God’s seed has not sunk deeply in our heart, if our heart is not rich soil and is instead rocky and hardened ground, then we are at risk of being overcome by the world, and the Word of God getting choked off in our lives. What are the weeds that are choking out the wheat God has planted in our hearts? Is it the weeds of doubt and fear, or maybe the weeds of pridefulness or self-centeredness? Are we allowing the truth of God’s Word to penetrate our heart against the lies of our present society? Goodness overcomes evil. Are we striving to live virtuously and bearing fruits of love, kindness, and compassion? This parable serves as a reminder that our actions and choices influence not only the richness of the soil in our own heart but also the world in which we live.

May we find strength and guidance in this parable as we navigate the challenges of the world we live in, remaining steadfast in our faith and allowing God’s grace to transform us into instruments of His love and mercy. We want to be followers that are patient and confident that the Lord is at work in us. May the offering of our lives be an abundantly rich harvest of wheat for the Lord.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Seeds

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend we celebrate the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. One of the themes for this weekend is seeds: how they are sowed, what is needed for them to grow, and how successful they can be depending upon where they are sowed. Jesus outlines this in the Parable of the Sower. All seeds start out with the same potential to grow and thrive and produce an abundant harvest; however, whether or not they actually do is dependent upon what happens after they are planted and whether or not they receive the proper amount of sunlight and rain.

Jesus uses different planting locations to demonstrate this. Seed that is planted on the pathway is eaten by the birds, so it doesn’t even have a chance to sprout. Seed planted on rocky ground can sprout but will eventually wither and die. Seed planted among the thorns will get choked by the vines, but seed planted in good soil will produce an abundant harvest. Jesus asks us to become rich soil so that when his word is planted within us, it will produce an abundant harvest for the Lord. He will provide the sun and the rains but nurturing us with his Body and Blood. We have only to trust that when we receive his Word and understand his will, it will be enough for us to grow and thrive as his disciples.

Our Pastorate is preparing for two action packed weeks of VBS! We are offering “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God” at both churches. Participants will be learning that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is forever, and God is love. VBS at St. Jane Frances begins this Monday evening, July 13th, and runs through Friday, July 17th. Then the following week, OLC will have VBS in the mornings beginning on Monday, July 20th through Friday, July 24th. I would like “pre-thank” Marie and Michaela and the many volunteers who have assisted us in preparing for VBS this year.

We are anticipating the project to reinstall the rebuilt organ at St. Jane Frances will begin this week and take the next couple of weeks to complete. I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the organ rebuild project. So far, we have raised over $86,000 toward our goal of $106,000. All monies donated to this project are “tax free” meaning every dollar you donate will stay at St. Jane’s to cover the cost of the project. If you’d like to make a donation, please go to www.stjane.org. Thanks!

Our new associate pastor, Fr. Kevin Farmer, will be introducing himself at OLC this weekend and at St. Jane Frances the weekend of July 18–19. Many of you who were parishioners at St. Jane’s in the early 1990s remember him when we was at St. Jane’s finishing up his formation and preparing for his priestly ordination. Welcome Fr. Kevin!

Finally, we are continuing to accept inquiries for our O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Phil will be leading our program this year so if you would like to become Catholic (never been baptized or baptized in another Christian faith or never Confirmed) please reach out to Deacon Phil at phil.snyder@archbalt.org.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

Happy Semiquincentennial (or 250th) Anniversary to our country! I am old enough to remember the Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, which just reminds me that time continues it march forward, even when we don’t feel as old as we are. This occasion reminds us of our country’s founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Christian-speak, happiness is the same as blessedness, when we acknowledge the blessings that the Lord God has poured out upon us through His Son, Jesus Christ. May we always be a people and a nation that gives thanks to God for all of the many blessings we have received. May God Bless America!

Our Gospel reading this weekend (Matthew 11:25-30) reminds us to come to the Lord whenever we are weakened or tired by the burdens of life, for the Lord is always ready to help us to carry these burdens. Matthew mentions a yoke, which in this context is the wooden beam that is used to strap two animals together, such as a yoke of oxen. When they are yoked to each other, the burden of pulling the plow is easier because they are working together to do it. Jesus offers to yoke Himself to us so that the burden we are tasked with can and will be shared with Him, who will ease and lighten it for us. Don’t be afraid to yoke yourself to Jesus by inviting him into the busyness and messiness of life, for He is here to offer us His rest and His peace.

Please join me in welcoming Fr. Peter Igwilo and Fr. Frank Iacona from Cross Catholic Outreach to the Pastorate on the weekend of July 4-5. They will be speaking at all the Masses about the great works accomplished by Cross Catholic Outreach (www.crosscatholic.org). There is no collection taken up but there will be brochures and envelopes available if you would like to make a donation to the organization. The pastorate will also be forwarding the proceeds from the Missionary Coop collection in July to them as well. Thank you for your generosity.

Fr. Kevin Farmer

Our youth ministry has been participating in Summer Mission last week and this week. They gather for prayer in the morning, before heading out to a ministry site for service in the community. After breaking for lunch, they will participate in a fun afternoon activity (I hear they may be touring Ravens Stadium this week.) Please keep them in your prayers. Vacation Bible School/Camp is rapidly approaching as well. VBS begins next Monday, July 13th at St Jane Frances and July 20th at OLC. Thanks to everyone who has been helping us prepare for VBS at our Pastorate.

Please continue to keep Fr. John in your prayers as he transitions to his new assignment as the full time chaplain at Mount St. Joseph High School. Our new associate pastor, Fr. Kevin Farmer, will be introducing himself at OLC the weekend of July 11–12 and at St. Jane Frances the weekend of July 18–19.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your prayers as we go through these changes over the next several weeks!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Farewell For Now

Dear Friends in Christ,

Thank you for your love and encouragement, for your gracious words, thank you gifts and cards, your presence at farewells, and all the rest as I conclude my assignment. Here is my farewell for now!

Being assigned to our Pastorate of the Visitation has been the Father’s gift to me (cf. John 17). I have LOVED being your associate pastor. Thank you for becoming a home and family to me. For any of the ways that I have been a help in bringing you closer to the Lord your God who created you, who rescues and heals you, and whose love for you is beyond compare—thanks be to God. For the times when I was a hindrance, as well as for the times when I did not make a full and sincere gift of myself in service to you, please forgive me.

It has been an inestimable gift to serve here… to bring babies and adults into the family of God through the waters of Baptism and other sacraments of initiation, to enter Heaven with you worshipping the Lamb of God in the Mass, to reconcile you to the Father of mercies in Confession, to celebrate marriages, to share in your sorrows, to find hope during times of grief, sickness, and loss, to adore Jesus in the Eucharist together, to gather in fellowship, to celebrate and sing and so much more. All is gift (St. Therese).

“Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him,” Pope Benedict XVI once said. It is my prayer that every parishioner and every family has the joy every day of discovering what Benedict is talking about.

This joy will be yours by praying daily individually and together as families and friends; by sharing Christ with others through your words, actions, gestures, and intentionality; by drawing near to Jesus through Holy Mass weekly (daily if you can) and through adoring Christ in the Eucharist outside of Mass; by reading daily the words of life in Sacred Scripture; by cultivating friendships in faith and cultivating and sharing your gifts TOGETHER!

Each of us is part of the great commission: to be a witness to Christ and to make disciples. We all share the sacred purpose: to inspire disciples, build community, and serve Christ. Don’t over complicate it. With all of your personalities, talents, words, gestures, and desires anointed by Christ—be the saint God made you to be and you will set the world ablaze (Catherine of Siena).

As Mary teaches us at the Visitation (Luke 1:39-56), let us always be filled with Jesus and go in haste to declare, “the Lord has done great things for me and holy is Name!” Please pray for me that I go in this same haste, filled with Christ to my ministry at Mount St. Joseph High School. Thanks be to God!

See you in the Eucharist!
Fr. John Bilenki

Farewell To Fr. John

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend, we celebrate the twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This is also Father’s Day, so we would like to wish all of our fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and the father figures of our lives a very happy and blessed Father’s Day. There will be a special Father’s Day blessing at all Masses this weekend.

Our readings today remind us of our need to trust in the Lord, even when things seem too difficult or impossible to resolve. This can be challenging when we cannot see our way through a situation or a problem, but if we lose hope in the Lord, what else do we have to lean upon? Jesus reminds us to turn to the Father and rely on His mercy and compassion. Even in the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah says to always sing praise to the Lord, for the Lord rescues “the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.” The grace of God will always lead us through the difficulties of life, so turn to the Lord in Eucharistic adoration, in your prayers, and in the loving support of family and friends to get through the difficult days, because for every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday waiting to dawn upon us!

As Fr. John’s time with us comes to a close, we have a couple of Farewell and Thank You celebrations planned over the next two weekends. This Sunday, June 21st, there will be a Farewell and Thank You gathering in the St. Jane Frances Parish Hall following the 11:30am Mass. The following Sunday, June 28th, there will be a Farewell and Thank You celebration at OLC in the Gathering Place following the 8:30am and 10:45am Masses. Please stop by at either event to thank Fr. John and wish him well at his new full time assignment at Mount St. Joe’s. A special thanks to all of the volunteers who are helping to organize both events!

We will be welcoming priests from Cross Catholic Outreach to the Pastorate on the weekend of July 4–5. According to their website, Cross Catholic Outreach is “a Catholic Ministry that partners with bishops, priests, religious and lay workers to provide food, water, housing, education, orphan support, medical care, microenterprise and disaster relief—and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ—to the poorest of the poor in over 30 countries around the world.” They will be speaking about the great works accomplished by the missionaries at Cross Catholic Outreach. There is no collection taken up, but there will be brochures and envelopes available if you would like to make a donation to the organization. The pastorate will also be forwarding the proceeds from the Missionary Coop collection in July to them as well. Thank you for your generosity.

There is still time to sign up for Vacation Bible School (VBS) this summer at both St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake. Vacation Bible Camp at SJF runs from July 13–17 in the evenings from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and at OLC from July 20–24 in the mornings from 9:00am to 12:00pm. I hope your children will be able to join us for either (or both!) this summer. Registration information is included in the bulletin.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

The Great Commission

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend, we finally return to the celebration of Sundays in Ordinary Time as we celebrate the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our Gospel this weekend is the commissioning of the twelve apostles to go out and minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They are to proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand and bring God’s message of healing and freedom and peace to all they encounter. The Church today continues this mission as well by our service to the people of God throughout the world, but especially in our local community. We, too, are called forth and sent out to proclaim healing and freedom to our neighbors and invite them into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Deacon Phil will be taking over the O.C.I.A. process from Fr. John. O.C.I.A. stands for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, and it is open to anyone who would like to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus by becoming a member of the Catholic Church. This would include anyone who has never been baptized, was baptized in a non-Catholic Church, or was even baptized Catholic but never completed the Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and/or Confirmation). Classes will begin in September, but if you would to begin the inquiry process now, please contact Deacon Phil at Phil.Synder@archbalt.org.

Please keep our pastorate youth and chaperones in your prayers this week as they head out for Catholic Heart Work Camp in Dover, DE. They will be working in the Dover area on service projects during the day and then spending time in prayer and reflection in the evenings. This has been a very successful program over the past few years, so thanks to Carrie and to all who have helped to organize and lead our participation in CHWC.

This Sunday is Flag Day. It was on June 14, 1777 that the Continental Congress authorized the design of the US flag. It was this “star spangled banner” that flew over Ft. McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem. Last week, the U.S. Bishops consecrated our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in preparation for the semiquincentennial of our independence. As we prepare as a nation to celebrate our 250th Anniversary on the Fourth of July, let us pray for our country, that we may continue to live in peace and freedom.

There is still time to sign up for VBS this summer at both St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake. Vacation Bible Camp at SJF runs from July 13–17 in the evenings from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and at OLC from July 20–24 in the mornings from 9:00am to 12:00pm. I hope your children will be able to join us for either (or both!) this summer. Registration information is included in the bulletin.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve