Perseverance

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus tells his disciples they will face persecution before He comes again in glory. Through their perseverance, they will emerge victorious when He finally comes. At the same time, the proud and doers of evil will have to answer for their sins.

As we journey through life let us pray for the grace to follow the example of the humble, obedient, and loyal followers of Christ.

- Fr. Carl

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Dear Parishioners,

This past week we remembered and prayed for the dead. This month we will continue to offer Masses for our deceased relatives and friends who might be in purgatory. This is an opportune time to think about our own funeral arrangements and not burden our loved ones with decisions and problems after we are gone.

A Catholic funeral consists of three parts: a wake service at the funeral home, a Mass of Christian burial in church, and prayers at the cemetery or mausoleum. The most important part is Mass, for the fruits of the Mass are infinitely more pleasing to God and effective in relieving any remaining temporal punishment due to sin. That is, it will help the deceased get out of purgatory much more quickly than a prayer service at a funeral home. Unfortunately, more and more often, the surviving family members are opting for a service at a funeral home; it’s quicker and easier. So if you want a full Catholic funeral, it would be wise to make specific arrangements well in advance.

Today the Catholic Church allows for cremation of the body, but prefers the cremation to take place after the funeral Mass in church. It also has some specific instructions on the disposition of the remains afterwards. The U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship says the following:

   "Any catechesis on the subject of cremation should emphasize that the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the corporeal remains of a human body. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition."

While cremated remains may be buried in a grave, entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium, or even buried at sea, the practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. The cremated remains of the body may be properly buried at sea in the urn, coffin, or other container in which they have been carried to the place of committal. (“Cremation and Burial at Sea”) See www.usccb.org/liturgy/cremation.shtml.

- Fr. Carl

Silence is Golden

Dear Parishioners,

“Silence is Golden.” That’s an old saying I used to hear as a young boy. It was usually directed at an overly talkative or noisy child when he/she was disruptive. However, the world needs to rediscover the beauty of silence. From the ring of the alarm clock, through the constant sounds of radio, television, cell phone conversations; through the noise of traffic, there is hardly a moment of silence. The only place where silence is found is in church, and even there we try to minimize it, because we are uncomfortable with it.

In the First Book of Kings, God tells Elijah to leave his cave and stand by the mountain as He will be passing by. A strong, heavy, rock-crushing wind passed, but God was not in it. Nor was He in the earthquake or fire. Instead, God was in a tiny whispering wind.

So if we want to experience God, silence is necessary. Vatican II called for periods of silence during worship, but few listened or paid attention. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says:

     “Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts.

     Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.”

So when the lector bows his/her head after the first and second reading, they haven’t lost their place nor are they having a senior moment. They are meditating and inviting you to meditate on the Word of God they just proclaimed.

- Fr. Carl

The Winds of Change

Dear Parishioners,

If you have been following Parish Trends and Challenges in the bulletin this last month or Archbishop O’Brien’s “Wake Up Calls” in the Catholic Review, you should know that the priest shortage is here. One of the reasons Fr. Jicha was not replaced is because there were no extra priests available. Currently, there are four parishes in the Archdiocese without a pastor. When they get a pastor, four other parishes probably will be without a pastor for a good while. Some pastors are now responsible for multiple parishes, and that seems to be the trend for the future. Still, morale among the priests is high. As a matter of fact, theirs is the highest degree of satisfaction and happiness among any vocation – 87%. Firefighters are second – 80%.

Obviously, some adjustments and changes are needed. No quick fix will satisfy the situation. A process involving bishops, clergy, religious, and lay people that is open and transparent is needed. Understanding, cooperation, sacrifice, and prayer will be the key ingredients.

In his editorial two weeks ago, the Archbishop said, “For starters, our liturgical schedules need to be adjusted throughout the archdiocese for the sake of our mission and our goal of nurturing vibrant liturgies and making good use of our priests.” Pope Paul VI said something similar in 1976 when he suggested fewer Sunday Masses with more people attending each to encourage more sense of community. “Sunday assemblies are so much more penetrating when they are well attended, well put together, and pastorally alive.”

The Archbishop has asked area pastors to begin a dialogue regarding Mass schedules, but our area has not yet started, and I don’t know when it will. Eventually everybody will be given an opportunity to provide input. For the foreseeable future, and I think for a long time, St. Jane’s schedule will remain the same. In the meantime, pray for vocations.

- Fr. Carl

The Priesthood: We need your help!

Dear Parishioners,

Here is the final segment of the information which I have been sharing with you over the past few weeks.

Pope Benedict XVI
(Meetings with Italian Priests July 2007)

Q: How can priests handle growing responsibilities and multiple parishes?
A: "[Bishops] must see clearly how to ensure that the parish priest continues to be a pastor and does not become a holy bureaucrat.”

“Furthermore, I think it very important to find the right ways to delegate…; [the priest] should be the one who holds the essential reins himself but can rely on collaborators. This is one of the important and positive results of the council: the co-responsibility of the entire parish, for the priest is no longer the only one to animate everything.”

Wrap Up

• We have a challenging vision of parish
• There are significant changes in parish life
• Key question: How best do we organize parish life to maximize
  the gifts and talents of pastors and the community?

- Fr. Carl

The Priesthood: We fight fires, too!

Dear Parishioners,

For the past two weeks, I have shared some interesting ideas and data which I received at a convocation with Archbishop O’Brien. Today, I’ll share a little more of that information with you.

Workload
In a study of various Christian denominations in the U.S., it was found that Catholic priests work the longest hours per week – an average of 56 hours per week. Percent of time per week administering parish/congregation’s work and attending meetings:

• Protestant Pastors    14%
• Catholic Priests        31%

Satisfaction Levels

• 30% of parish priests say they are too busy to adequately
  meet the pastoral needs of the people they serve. 
• 88% of all non-retired priests agreed that they were satisfied with their lives. 
• 87% in a 2007 survey said they were “very happy” with their jobs –
  well ahead of the second place, firefighters, who came in at 80%. 
• 86% of U.S. Catholics agreed, in a 2007 survey, that their pastors
  were doing a good job. 

Catholic Optimism
73% of Catholics were optimistic about the future of the Church despite some recent difficult issues.

(To be continued...)
- Fr. Carl

The Priesthood: Growing diversity

Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend I began to share some interesting ideas and data which I received at a recent convocation with Archbishop O’Brien. Today, I’d like to share a little bit more of that information with you.

Growing Diversity
One third of all Catholics in the U.S. are Latinos. Over half of Hispanic Catholics identify themselves as charismatic. 68% of all Latinos are Catholic. Hispanic population will nearly triple by 2050 expanding to 497 million from 132.8 million. (Census Bureau Statistics) In 2010, 25% of all 5-year olds in the U.S. are Hispanic – up from 19% in 2000.

Catholic Stewardship
Percent of income donated to Church:
Protestants: 2 - 2.4%
Catholics: 1 - 1.2%
Average hours volunteered to Church:
Protestants: 3.0%
Catholics: 1.6%

Declining Youth Attendance at Mass
Age:
62+          52%
44-61       38%
18-43       21%

(To be continued...)
- Fr. Carl