St. Michael's Church

8/31/10

   I have reservations about the Catholic TV station EWTN broadcasted here in West End on channel 12.

   Some of their offerings are excellent, but a few I have seen are quite strange.

   I do want to call your attention to a promising program, "The Biblical Story of the Mass", which is aired Sundays at 5 pm. Fortunately, modern technology permits us to record TV shows and view them at times convenient for us.

   You may find it worthwhile to catch some of this series. 

   We are looking ahead to our October celebration of St. Michael’s 125th anniversary, which will feature Italian and German food. I am deeply attached to both cuisines and look forward to the meal.

   One of my more interesting adventures was spending several       in the Tyrol - an area in which the Italian and southern German cultures mix  - as does their cooking. This event promises to be more informal than the "High Tea" enjoyed by so many.

   We will start the increased offertory campaign, which the diocese is underwriting in a few weeks.

   Some parishioners should sit this campaign out. They have been devastated by the current economic crisis.

   But for most of us, an increase is possible.  Most of us are not contributing as much as we would spend on a movie, a stop at Starbucks, or a pizza. 

   Those who travel south for a while will see how much more Catholics living there give than we do. Catholics in the northeast stand at the bottom of the list of givers from all religions.

   Much of this has an historical cause. Our institutions were built on the work of the nuns most of all, and the priests.

   The hard hearted and dishonest behavior of many of our bishops has done great damage.  But, our place at the bottom of religious givers was true before the stench of their attitudes and conduct hit our awareness.

   It needs to be said that our Trenton Diocese was far ahead of others in facing these issues honestly. 

   I will be increasing my contribution by fifty percent.

8/2/10

   Anniversaries give us opportunities not just to look back but to see our present in a richer light.

   This parish has changed as the area and the Church has changed. We first are well advised to see our history as a record of what God has been doing here.

   It is His grace which led those before us to have faith and the energy to pursue His will. This aspect of our history is wonderful and glorious.

   The record of our response and that of those who went before us is always mixed. We bring our talent, ingenuity and willingness to pursue God's will. But, we also carry our weaknesses, failings and a certain cussedness to the story.

   So, we celebrate God's work through us, take comfort at our best efforts to be obedient to His word, and keep confessing to Him our failings, and continuously recommit ourselves to be better servants.

   We are now taking due satisfaction in the parish's long history of faithfulness. 

   We are doing this in a joyful, even playful way. The Anniversary Committee has arranged a year long celebration which is strong on creating events which will be fun.

  In time, there will be opportunity for spiritual rededication.

   The High Tea is a great idea. It gives parishioners a chance to dress up a bit, to enjoy good food and drink. And , most importantly, from my point of view, it provides our parishioners and the many friends of St. Michael’s an enjoyable setting in which to mix. 

   It will also be recreating a social ritual practiced here when the parish was founded. 

   In those days, our parishioners, our founders, were the help. We can be proud of their pride in their Church. We now continue to be a Church of immigrants and of all classes.

While all of us enjoy this and our other anniversary events, let us keep in mind the Irish servants who left us this beautiful Church and parish. I imagine them looking down on us from heaven, knowing that we are keeping alive the faith and having some fun. No doubt, this increases their joy up there.

7/28/10

   A unique thing about St. Michael's is that no more than 10 % of the parishioners live within the geographical boundaries of the parish.

   Most Catholic parishes are "territorial". The diocese divides its territory into parishes, so that every Catholic residing in it has a spiritual home, and a place that is dedicated to providing its members with the sacraments, spiritual care and opportunities for education and outreach.

   Most of those within our boundaries are Jewish. We are encouraged as we watch so many walking to one of the many synagogues in the area.

   Most of our parishioners have made a choice to come here.

   By and large, this makes for a congregation of very interesting members. Something about the parish draws them.

   As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, the committee has chosen to create attractive opportunities for parishioners to meet one another.

   I hope you will use these opportunities to meet your fellow parishioners. We come from many economic, ethnic and social backgrounds. 

   My experience is that every parishioner has an interesting story to tell. Parishioners lead interesting lives with varied interests.

   Do take advantage of the anniversary events to learn about these fascinating people.

  7/8/10

 There has been even further enrichment of our Homelife section at our website. Included is an enlarged section of ipod downloads from itunes.  All are free; very much worth a look.

   Don't miss taking a look at the free printed resources available in the area of the vestibule that leads to the handicapped ramp. We are committed to providing the finest resources in the most convenient ways to enrich family life.

    We await the arrival of new material for the handrails ordered long ago.

   I pray that the cause of the delay is increased orders. That would point to some improvement in the economy.

   As you can see from the bulletin, St. Michael’s is part of a wider movement recovering the use of chant in our worship. For many, the ancient chants lift the spirit, relax the body and increase the awareness that the Mass really is a sharing in the worship of heaven. We will be exploring ways of making it part of our parish life.

   Many people find great satisfaction in chanting. The workshop we are presenting  is open to parishioners and others who would find it of interest. People will leave the workshop having experienced chanting. It is less lecture and more practice.

   Try it yourself. Let people, Catholic or non-Catholic, with an interest in music, be aware of this opportunity. They will leave having an experience of chant.

6/29/10

   A group of hard working, thoughtful parishioners are doing the planning for the celebration of St. Michael’s 125th Anniversary. Their meetings are public and announced in the bulletin. They welcome additional parishioners willing
to share ideas and the work.

   We are very interested in learning more of our history. The appearance of the Church (both the exterior and interior) have seen several changes over the years. Photos are easily reproduced these days . People who have some of the Church or parish activities can rest assured that they will be returned to them in very much the way we receive them.

   I am praying that parishioners are finding the time to pray each day.

   Iphone and Ipad users can download the free apps Breviary. It presents each day the readings and prayers for the day's Mass.

   You will also find the "Office" or sections of the Breviary of the day as well.

   The breviary or the "Office " is the official daily prayer of the Church. It contains prayers, readings and psalms Roman Catholics the world over will be reciting.

   The Breviary is somewhat complex but the apps presents it so one can easily pick a section (called hours) and pray the way the apps lays it out.

   I found it hard to find on the apple page, but google "apps Breviary" and there it is.

   Regularly reading the Bible lessons for the day will, with time, bring us a greater understanding of the richness of the Bible and the way it can inspire us.

   The apps lies out just what is needed for the particular day. Select the section that is of interest and scroll down.