Father Knows Best

Dear Parishioners,

It’s hard to believe that only 2 weeks ago we celebrated the 75th anniversary of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish. For those of you unable to attend, it was a glorious event with six visiting priests, good music at Mass, and an inspirational homily by Msgr. Jay O’Connor who grew up in the parish and attended the parish school. The Mass was followed by a social gathering at Kurtz’s Beach featuring a silent auction, appetizers, a nice meal, and good conversation. Many of the attendees came up to me and said what a nice occasion it was. One of the highlights of the Mass and gathering was the presence of two former teachers, Sr. James Brian and Sr. Aloysius, both of whom taught here for 30 years and were celebrating 55 and 60 years of serving the Lord as School Sisters of Notre Dame. They were truly an inspiration.

So much for the old; the new is now here. This weekend, we celebrate the beginning of the new liturgical or church year as Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent. Among other themes in the scriptures this weekend, Psalm 25 concentrates on walking in paths which bring us life (Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14). The key to finding the right path is humility which allows us to confess our absolute dependence upon God and makes us less sure that we have all the answers. After all, we are fallible human beings, whereas God is all knowing. The old TV show in the fifties had it right, “Father Knows Best.”

Fr. Carl

Christ The King

Dear Parishioners,

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The readings this week speak of kingship (Dn 7:13-14/Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5 [1a]/Rv 1:5-8/Jn 18:33b-37). We think of kings taking power from others by winning violent battles or by force. Jesus ushered in his kingdom through love, by appealing to the hearts of people—a kingdom that will not be brought through revolution but through the conversion of hearts.

Do you belong to his kingdom? Does Christ reign in your heart? Let us today re-commit our heart to Christ the King. If he truly reigns in our hearts, then our actions will be Christ like. Also, let us give Jesus control over our lives. In the gospel of Matthew, he says, “come to me all you who labor and are burdened....” It is only in him that we can truly have rest for our hearts. Let us emulate Christ's lesson of humble service to the truth. He came to bear witness to the truth. If we belong to the kingdom, truth must surely be our focus, even when it hurts. Lastly, we need to obey the law of love because that is what governs in the kingdom of Christ.

I would also like to thank everyone involved in last week’s celebration of our 75th Anniversary of St. Jane Frances parish. It was a wonderful day. We are a blessed faith community where love and friendship are truly present.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Parishioners,

Happy Anniversary, St. Jane Frances de Chantal! This weekend we celebrate our parish’s 75th anniversary or Diamond Jubilee. In case you didn’t know it, the word “jubilee” comes from a Hebrew word “yobel” which means “ram’s horn trumpet.” If you’ve ever celebrated the Jewish New Year, it’s possible you’ve heard the ram’s horn trumpet to mark the jubilee. In ancient times, a jubilee was celebrated every seven years. Land sold by the poor to provide sustenance in past years was restored to them to farm and to be used to provide a livelihood for their families. It was an occasion of great joy and the basis for the word “jubilation.” Today’s diamond anniversary jubilation is also a time of great joy as we reflect on St. Jane’s past. We have brought Jesus to our people and our people to Jesus through baptisms, communions, confirmations, weddings, confessions, funerals, and education. There have been our activities

1. Spiritual (Mass, Confessions, Adoration/Benediction, Missions and Retreats)
2. Educational (St. Jane Frances School—72 years, the School of Religion, and Adult Education)
3. Athletic (soccer and basketball)
4. Social (St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar, Bull Roasts, Bus Trips, Lenten Fish Frys, and Golf Tournaments).

Truly, St. Jane Frances has done so much for its people and the wider community. We have every reason to be filled with thanksgiving and jubilation. Happy Anniversary, St. Jane’s!

Fr. Carl

Gift Giving

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus taught his disciples an unexpected lesson about giving with love in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mk 12:41-44). Love is selfless and sacrificial. Jesus drove this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people making their offering. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has wealth? Jesus’ answer is very simple: love is more precious than gold! Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given for display or show loses its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is priceless. The amount or size of the gift doesn’t matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she generously gave away all she had. Jesus praised her because it was everything she had, her whole living. 

What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord’s disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our imagination. Do you know the joy and freedom of giving generously to God and to neighbor with gratitude and love? In what ways can I give my entire self to God?

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The Lord Has Done Great Things For Us

Dear Parishioners,

“The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.” (Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6) These words from last week’s Psalm were probably not on our lips during the past two years. Still the Lord has done great things for us. The god given intellectual gifts of our scientists coupled with the monetary support of our government have enabled many of us to survive these difficult times and see a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not all over, but we are moving in the right direction.

I particularly want to thank you all for your prayers and support on behalf of the parish. Obviously, with the church closure and social distancing over a lengthy period of time, our income took a hit. Nevertheless, many of you stepped up and mailed in your weekly/monthly contributions, while still others signed up for online giving. (It sure beats writing a check each week.) Thanks so very much. I was so touched by your thoughtfulness and loyalty to St. Jane’s.

I have enclosed the financials for the parish Fiscal Year 2021 (see page 3 of the 1/31/2021 bulletin). This year’s were not too bad. But last year’s were. The parish had a FY2020 deficit of $273,646, and the school a deficit of $212,865. Fortunately, thanks to your generosity in past years, we had enough savings to weather the storm. This year the parish—even after the church provided deficit funding for the school—showed a modest surplus of $90,948 thanks to you and the financial aid from the federal government’s Payroll Protection Program.

This year we are keeping our head above the water. The end of September showed a modest surplus of $13,000 in our ordinary income. So, thank you for your continued support.

Finally, if your finances allow it, please prayerfully consider increasing your contributions to the parish. Thank you and God bless.

Fr. Carl

Security Blankets

Dear Parishioners,

We learn a valuable lesson this week from the Gospel story (Mk 10:46-52). The blind man, Bartimaeus, provides us a model of faith to follow. The Gospel points out that when Jesus called him, he threw aside his cloak, jumped up, and went to his Lord at once. The cloak was the most versatile item of Palestinian clothing at the time. It was protection against the rapid and frequent temperature changes, insulation against the harsh Judean winds, and at night, it doubled as a blanket. The cloak of the blind man symbolizes our own self-sufficiency, those things in our lives that we depend on for our security—the things that can hold us back when we hear God calling. By leaving it behind, Bartimaeus teaches us that our only sufficiency should be Jesus Christ. Our true security is in Him alone. Let us get up, throw off our cloak, and go to Jesus at once when we hear Him calling.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Achieving Greatness

Dear Parishioners,

Next Sunday is World Mission Sunday, when we are reminded that the Mission of the Church is the spreading of the Gospel. So it is very fitting that the Friday before, we celebrate the feast of Pope St. John Paul II, the greatest missionary since St. Paul in the early days of the Church. Traveling 725,000 miles to 129 of the 195 countries of the world, St. John Paul II spread the Gospel in person and through the media, to billions, not millions, of people. He was truly Pope St. John Paul II, the Great. Nobody will ever again have such a global missionary effect. None of us could ever come close to John Paul II and never will we be called “The Great.” However, we can become great without doing what the world considers to be great things. Jesus says, “Anyone who aspires to greatness must serve the rest.” It is a very simple task and yet it is difficult for many to sacrifice their time, talent, or treasure in service to others. Laziness, comfort, and pride are the chief enemies of service which we must try to overcome.

One of the early popes, St. Gregory the Great, realized the value of service calling himself “Servus servorum Dei”—the servant of the servants of God. It’s a title popes have taken upon themselves ever since. So, if they see themselves as servants, how much more should we?

Fr. Carl