Dear parish family, R.C.I.A. pilgrims and worshipping visitors (pardon my long but important letter):

This Sunday, Catholic parishes in our nation celebrate “Catechetical Sunday” as Sister Lenore and I gratefully commission this year’s ministry of all our parish’s secondary Catechists (teachers) who serve in our children and youth Religious Education/Formation Program (R.E.P.), in Good Shepherd School’s faith formation efforts and our parish’s continuing adult faith-formation opportunities. With every Christian parent commissioned as the first, principal and leading Catechist of faith to their children, we honor the ministerial and supportive role of all Catechists this weekend.

Our Transition Committee has met every Wednesday evening since our two Parish Listening Sessions were held where every parishioner and every school parent was invited to attend and offer their concerns and constructive ideas on our parish’s and school community’s transition. The questions formed at these meetings were divided into several categories. Some members of our Transition Committee are appointed to discover with me public responses to these questions. We hope to begin publishing our best responses within the next few weeks. Be reminded that these responses will be based on what is felt to be the best and clearest response available, with the information we have, for the best and common good of our parish and school. Some responses may appeal to you and others may not. This is the challenge of having such wonderful and large parish family, believing that every member, spouse, parent and individual holds a valid and respected opinion, then arriving at our best responses. Knowing that long term indecision can cause frustration, frustration can cause anger, anger can cause despair, and despair can cause disengagement. Our responses liked or not, will lead to decisions. A friend once told me after he had a major disagreement with his wife whom he dearly loves, “Father Charles, I can live with what I know. It’s what I don’t know that I can’t live with!” He made a lot of sense to me.

Also, an updating dialogue is needed between our parish’s Building Committee and our parish’s Transition Committee. Then afterwards, a final plan for the physical transition of our parish and school will be submitted to our Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Councils for approval, as time is of the essence.

A letter was recently sent from our diocesan C.F.O. to Judge Collins affirming the on-going purchase of the announced portions of our downtown property. With the affirmation from our bishop, a “501c-3 (a technical tax term for a specific type of a “non-profit organization”) Committee,” which I sometimes call the “Downtown Worship Site Development Committee,” has been convened by Senator Julian Carroll. Its mission is to discover a means to preserve our historical downtown worship site through a collaborative effort between civic and parish representatives, while also establishing a dignified communal purpose for our downtown worship site to serve Franklin County. Our Mayor, County Judge Executive, State Representative, Senator, Commission of Tourism, Kentucky State University, Farmers Bank, historic organizations, Bishop Gainer and I are continuing positive dialogues with this team to advance this mission. This team and I have met three times so far. From the parishioners who signed up weeks ago expressing their interest in this effort, I am now discerning who and how best to engage them soon in this effort so that some of them may serve as parish representatives on this board. Senator Carroll, with preliminary advice from a professional C.P.A., bankers and attorneys, has agreed to compose and submit some rules of incorporation for this board’s eventual review and approval. So, it is time for me to engage a level of parishioner-representation on this board to collaborate and to help this 501c-3 team discover (1) how best our downtown worship site’s historic architecture and integrity can be preserved, (2) allowing both Good Shepherd and our civic leaders a level of collaborative and shared-stewardship in the worship site, (3) define and fund its new mission while (4) relieving Good Shepherd of the financial challenge of its upkeep.

Also, I will soon contact those parishioners who signed-up to serve on our upcoming Parish & Diocesan Capital Campaign Leadership Team. Along with our parish’s Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council, I am discerning the type of campaign in which to engage our parish for both our parish’s capital mission needs and our diocese’s capital mission needs, and which professional fund raising corporation will help guide us. I anticipate that we will launch our campaign effort just after the new year of 2010.

Finally, as I see all that lies ahead, now more than ever, I am in need of the pro-active and collaborative lay leadership of every Standing Committee chairperson, their committee members, every Parish Pastoral Council member and PPC committee liaison. We need to stay responsible and be “in-sync” together with me and our parish’s mission. With these other high maintenance specialty committees developing to advance our parish’s transition, I know that I cannot do it all, nor can I attend all our parish’s

regular monthly parish meetings, most as I have been. Honestly, burn out of my focus is a fear. I am now going to have to rely evermore on the leadership, talents and abilities of our all committee chairpersons and

parish committee members, along with these specialty teams, to work well with each other and communicate well with me and our parish.

How? Chairpersons, make sure your committees are meeting regularly, check your individual parish mailboxes weekly for “hard-mail” in the Parish Office, announce your meetings and brief agendas in the bulletin, meet deadlines, make sure your next meeting dates and present agendas are planned, and that your committee’s dates, ideas and effort are thought through far in advance. Prepare to publish your committee’s events with large creative posters (including who’s invited, time, date, place and purpose) and place your committee’s poster in the Gathering Hall to attract, inform and involve parishioners. Plan far in advance, and then submit your upcoming event date ideas and deadlines for pre-approval by our Parish’s Pastoral Staff (Deacon Tom, Sister Lenore, Kevin O’Neil, Debbie Pack, Tim Tappel, Jennifer McKenna, Kristen Loxley, Bob Oerther, Narisa Lao and myself) for our weekly Staff meeting discussions so that your events can be placed on our parish’s Master Calendar so as to not compete or collide with another parish event. Once approved, submit your event to the bulletin weeks in advance. These efforts alone will help our parish tremendously. Planning in advance, exclusivity and communication are essential to the success of our parish and school community’s mission throughout this era of transition. I ask for your prayers for all these good people who are offering their time and talent in these efforts for the best and common good of our parish and school community for God’s glory, not ours, and our central mission to evangelize.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Fr. Charles

Dear parish family, R.C.I.A. pilgrims and worshipping visitors:

        Have you ever wondered what the role of a Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is? They are representatives of our parish membership who advise me as your pastor, and serve our parish as leaders in directing our parish’s mission and building our sense of being a Catholic community. In collaboration with our parish’s seven current Standing Committees (Liturgy, Peace & Justice, Facilities Management  Advisory, Stewardship, Parish Life, School Advisory Council and Finance Council), the PPC, working with our Pastoral Staff, School Staff and me, spearhead the course of the “S.S. Good Shepherd.” In short, the ministry of a Parish Pastoral Council is to steer the ship, with the pastor as Captain, the staff as crew, and the parish committees rowing at turn. Both the ministries of steering and rowing are equally interdependent upon each other.

       Last Saturday members of our PPC, our Youth Minster, our school Principal and some of our Standing Committee Chairs escaped to Lexington to make an “advancement” (not a retreat!) <smile> by spending the entire day praying, reflecting and sharing as a community of servant-leaders. We spent our time effectively discovering and acknowledging the common strengths and weaknesses we see in our parish. Afterwards, together we envisioned a course on which we felt our parish should set. With Sister Helen Garvey’s gifted facilitation skills, we left uplifted and encouraged after a creatively valued day of converting our basic acknowledgements into measurable action items that can implemented this year to improve our parish and later be evaluated at the end of this pastoral year. The three destinations our Council is setting course for this pastoral year are: (1) Spirituality, (2) Unity and (3) Stewardship. As our PPC soon develops the finer details of implementing our action goals, these goals will be published to our committees, staff, school, teams and households to begin rowing and reaching as our destination. Our PPC will also be revising our 1985 “Mission Statement.” As times change, so do our parish’s mission and vision, while we always keep God’s Reign through the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our relationships and evangelism at the center of everything we do.  

      On another topic, an update on our parish’s Saint Vincent DePaul (SVDP) society is needed. SVDP’s mission is to serve the poor, the needy and the disenfranchised of our local society just as St. Vincent de Paul did in fulfilling Christ’s words, “Whatever you did to one of the least of my brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.”- Matthew 25:40. Faithful men, women and youth of our parish weekly dedicate their time and abilities to serve both “the poor in pocket” and “the poor in spirit” throughout Franklin County through this long-standing outreach ministry of our parish. Our parish’s SVDP society is still located and serves others out of the basement of our downtown Elementary School each Saturday (10 a.m. until noon) and throughout the week as needed. After they discerned their need for more space and storage in which to function better, their foresight to remain in the downtown district in anticipation of some of our Wapping Street property being sold and of the eventual physical unification of our two parish campuses, SVDP purchased, out of its own funds, downtown property and buildings near Holmes and Wallace Streets (the former “Curtis T.V. Repair Shop”) out of which they can continue to serve the needy. The move to their new location will take place in the near future, and help will be needed to assist them once this date is announced.

       If you need more information to join this weekly ministry which serves our local brothers and sisters, or to assist SVDP in any way, contact Bob Hicks (223-3034), Chuck Cotton (223-8520) or Dr. Steve Mims (227-2532). More and new members – youth, young adult and adult – are always welcomed and needed!

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

 ‘Tis the season to invite others and participate in our parish’s weekly (R.E.P.) Religious Education Program (R.E.P.) for Catholic children and youth, and our R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian [Catholic] Initiation for Adults) process. Sister Lenore needs REP Catechists (teachers) as she would prefer to have two teachers in every classroom. Catholic parents, you are invited now to register your child/youth for weekly REP classes to help them continue their own Catholic faith-formation since the formation of our faith does not end at Confirmation. Knowing that there can be so many challenges and what seems to be beneficial opportunities set before our children and youth, we as Catholic Christians have to recall that in the choices we set before them we could be affecting both their present and their eternal salvation. Children need to be baptized early in life (see – I Peter 3:21 & Acts 16:15, 31 & 33, I Cor. 1:16). This reality calls both parents and parishioners like need to fix our first priorities by putting Christ first and at the heart of it all. Enroll your children today and volunteer to help as a teacher.

R.C.I.A., with Sister Lenore and her team will once again begin its more formal cycle of weekly evening Catholic adult formation classes in the Parish Life Center on Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m. To attend or help, contact Sister Lenore (lthomas@gssfrankfort.org or 227-4511) ASAP. If it is impossible for you to work this class time into your personal schedule, let Sister know also.

So, if you are feeling called to (1) covert to Christianity, learn about Christ’s basic teachings in the Bible and how to follow Jesus, or (2) simply ask questions about the Catholic faith in a friendly setting, or (3) if you or your spouse are already a baptized Christian from another Christian faith-tradition and desire to enter full-commUNION with the Catholic Church, or (4) as a Catholic already you desire to refresh your basic understanding and faith in the Catholic faith, then R.C.I.A. is for you!

The fundamental mission of the Catholic Church is to fulfill Christ’s command to …“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This mission is called “evangelizing” or “evangelization” from a Greek verb meaning “to proclaim or share good news.”

You have heard it said that, “converts often make the best Catholics.” While the mission of evangelization seems to be a new or renewed concept to the mind-set of some senior, middle-aged and contemporary Catholics who believe that evangelization should be left to the priests and nuns, RCIA brings hope. During an after the Second Vatican Council (1960-1970’s), the basic method of evangelization used by the earliest Christians used was carefully researched, studied and renewed by Catholic theologians. Their research was hailed by popes and implemented for the modern day Church whereby hundreds of thousands of converts to Christianity and hungry Catholics continue to encounter a renewal of faith. So, in light of this history, it will take a few generations to convince Catholics of the influence effective evangelization can and will have for the good of our eternal souls.

To fulfill Christ’s commandment (not suggestion) to evangelize, you can evangelize by openly inviting that co-worker, neighbor or family member who does not have a church-family to attend R.C.I.A. or Mass with you. Evangelization is doing as Christ does for us – offer your Christ-like compassion, forgiveness, understanding, resources, time and patience to others who need them, not who just deserve them. Become an R.C.I.A. “Sponsor” demonstrating our parish’s Christ-like hospitality to another pilgrim. Ask Sister Lenore if you can be present or share with the R.C.I.A. group on a particular topic of Catholic faith, like your experience of the serving the poor or others, a healing or a reconciling experience, service, marriage and family life, the sacraments, your sense of Catholic-community, what the Word of God means to you, stewardship, our Blessed Mother the Virgin Mary, the rosary or prayer, or why you are and continue to remain a Catholic.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear good shepherds of our parish,

This weekend our parish more formally says some warm hellos and a heart-felt goodbye to some members of our Parish Pastoral Staff. Immediately after this Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass in the Parish Life Center, our parish will hold a light reception to more formally welcome Sister Lenore and Narisa and to say a “quasi good-bye” and thank you, Kevin.

Sister Lenore is originally from the Altoona, PA area, and she belongs to the community of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (I.H.M.) based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She now comes to us from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland in her former position in its Office of Vocations. In her new ministry as our parish’s Director of Faith Formation (DFF), she will oversee: (1) our children’s Religious Education Process (“R.E.P.”), (2) the preparation processes for our parish infants and children to celebrate their first Sacraments, (3) our (RCIA) Rite of [Catholic] Christian Initiation for Adults process, (4) our adult continuing faith-formation opportunities, and (5) assist Deacon Tom and I in conducting some pastoral ministry in our parish.

This Sunday, we also welcome Narisa Lao, as our parish’s new part-time Director of Music, Choir & Organist. Born and raised in the Philippines and a faithful Roman Catholic, she became a citizen of the USA and obtained a degree in Music. She is a divorced “single-again” mother with family in the USA, and she has one young adult daughter who lives in Texas. Narisa comes to us as an experienced parish musician, most recently from Austin, Texas where she also taught individual piano lessons in her home to over 40 students while taking care of her infirmed mother before she recently died. These phenomenal students of hers and their parents sadly regretted her departure and gave Narisa a personal music recital to affirm the life-long impact she had on them. Narisa’s hopes are to begin a new life in Frankfort through music ministry in our parish, and through building a promising new clientele of piano students in Franklin County by continuing to teaching private lessons in her home in order to compensate her part-time parish salary. Narisa trusts God with a deep faith and lives a simple life. In her transition to Frankfort, she may need some general household items or furniture. If you wish to help her, hospitably inform Narisa of what you can offer her.

Lastly, but sadly this Sunday, we formally say thank you and so-long from the organ bench to Kevin O’Neil as our parish’s part-time Director of Music and Organist. Having served our parish for 33 years as an organist —13 years as Organist and Choir Director, Kevin personally and prayerfully discerned that he is no longer called to serve as our part-time Director of Music/Organist. Thankfully, Kevin will, however, continue on as our parish’s full-time Administrative Office Assistant. He’s shared that he will gratefully and respectfully work under Narisa’s new leadership, and if needed, would serve as an occasional substitute organist as needed.

Kevin, thank you for the talent, patience, faithfulness and compassion you have given our cantors, choir, musicians, Liturgy Committee and our entire parish over these years. As Good Shepherd now hospitably embraces a new Director of Music and extends to Narisa the gift of understanding regarding the transition and learning curves that she, our choir, cantors and musicians may experience, we expect to also appreciate Narisa’s talents and leadership as we did yours. We will always cherish you as one of our friends and parish sons.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

As an update to the many questions our parish is preparing for these next few weeks, months and years, here is what I can share currently.

From the names of those parishioners who graciously submitted their names to serve on one of our upcoming teams (Steering Committee, Transition Team, Capital Campaign Team, or a Downtown Worship Site Development Team) to help guide us and me through our parish’s upcoming era of transition, I will review, interview and appoint the best balanced team of representatives that I can from these lists of names. Some who signed up, I do not yet know personally, while a healthy balance of representation for the common good of our parish and school is needed. Everyone who offered may not be chosen on a team, but I want to say thank you to everyone who submitted your name. Your passion and talents will be called upon somehow and sometime. Those whom I choose will be contacted soon to begin work on these teams.

Those I appoint to our parish Transition Team, will meet for the first time this Wednesday, August 19th to begin assembling the constructive ideas and concerns being offered by our parishioners and parents as we prepare for this era of changes. Notice I said, “era of changes,” not year of changes. This will be the team that will receive your input, hear your ideas and advise our Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council and me on what may be best, yet not always agreed upon by all, for our parish and school before and during this era.

Questions like, “What is the perfect plan? Will our GSS students be in the downtown 1922 school building for only one year or more? How long will they remain in this building? How many students will be in the Middle School Building? What about the gym? What about a playground? Demolition time? How much of the Parish Life Center may be used temporarily for our school’s classroom space? How much of the Parish Life Center debt will be paid off once our downtown property portions are sold?” Exact answers – I cannot respond to all these completely right now. A lot depends on the many different avenues we can take, economic timing and how much money we need to raise in our Parish Capital Campaign before beginning construction for our new school, preserving and developing our downtown worship site, our communal timing, our school’s enrollment and what need we might we have to relocate some of our school children and when during this era. My hopes are that every parishioner will value and continue to value our parish’s mission of total Catholic education and formation as our Transition Team begins working on these other ideas and concerns this month.

Rumors exist about demolition. I can assure you that demolition only of the portions of our downtown buildings (Elementary School, Business Office, and Gym) we sell to the county, are to begin sometime AFTER the 2010 school year is finished.

If there is anything I can encourage that will help our parish right now, is keep the rumor-mill down. Unfounded rumors only cause concern and doubt in the hearts of the faithful and of school parents in a parish as large as ours. Instead, live with the facts you know or read from me or someone I personally delegate. When you hear something, before concluding it as true, ask, “Upon whose parish authority (the Pastoral Staff or the Principal) did you hear that?” WOW! What a difference this can make in our ability to love and live with, not always agree with, the plans we will eventually confirm for our parish. May the spirit of truth and love prevail in all of us as we begin this era.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

This weekend our parish welcomes, Father Pat McKrosky, a Franciscan Friar-Priest from the Cincinnati Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, as he visits and shares with us during our annual “Mission Appeal Weekend.” I ask for your prayerful support for his presence and mission.

For the next four weeks, a great opportunity is given by the wisdom of the Catholic Church for us to read, study and hear preached Christ’s basic teachings on the Eucharist as found in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. I often entitle it the “Bread of Series” of readings from the annual Bible readings for Masses. Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist is celebrated in some fashion or form by most Christian faith-traditions. Interestingly enough, what makes the Catholic Church’s understanding of the Eucharist so unique is actually grounded solidly in John 6 and many other biblical texts. For many Christians, the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, the Eucharist is ONLY A SYMBOLIC commemoration of Christ’s Tue Presence and saving actions, whereas for us as Catholics, the Eucharistic in substance, IS Christ’s True Presence and true saving action. Jesus said, “This IS my Body,” “This IS my Blood,” … not this is symbol of my body, blood and saving action. Through God’s unmerited grace, the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, totally Divine with His human flesh truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity at Mass saves us as we turn to follow and obey Him.

At each Mass, many non-Catholic Christians accuse us Catholic of believing that we crucify again and again for our sins. This is misunderstanding because the true teaching of the Catholic Church is that Christ’s one and only sacrifice, as the sinless, perfect, sacrificial Lamb of God, was once and complete for atonement before God. However, we as Catholics also believe that we actually stand at the foot of the Cross of Calvary every time we offer to God the Father the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ our Savior and ourselves as the Mystical Body of Christ through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in worship, praise and service.

In short, the Mass does not “represent” Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension; rather the mass, through the ordained hands of a priest, makes “RE-present” the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Therefore, Christ in the Eucharist invites us His Church to imitate His actions by sacrificially offering our lives, actions, worship and service in true love to God and others.

Your Simply Village Priest,

Fr. Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

There is the “Calendar Year,” usually January through December, there is the “Fiscal Year,” for our parish this yearly cycle is July 1st through June 30th, then there is the “Pastoral Year,” an annual cycle which never really begins or ends, but it does have higher periods of activity. The Pastoral Year is gearing up at Good Shepherd as we prepare for school to start (August 12th) and continue our parish’s mission of evangelizing and educating youth through our Catholic School system, and parish activities and parish committees will soon be meeting more regularly again. If you have not yet done so, invite parents and friends to register their children at Good Shepherd School NOW.

Also, if you are the chairperson on one of our parish’s current Standing Committees (Liturgy, Stewardship, Parish Life, or Peace & Justice) or one of our Advisory Councils (Parish Pastoral Council, Finance or School Board) now is the time to make sure you contact Kevin O’Neil, who maintains our parish’s master calendar for space reservations and the bulletin, and your committee’s members to set and declare a regular date to meet, at least once every four to six weeks, as a team so that our parish can continue its mission of advancing God’s Reign in and through our parish this Pastoral Year.

A non-Catholic can certainly can begin inquiring about the Catholic faith or begin their journey to enter full-communion with the Catholic Church during anytime of the year. However, our more formal season of Catholic-Christian formation classes (called R.C.I.A. – the Rite of [Catholic] Christian Initiation for Adults) will soon begin again. So NOW is the time to call the parish office and submit your name as (1) one who is wanting to become a Catholic Christian or as (2) a Catholic who wishes to serve as “Catholic Sponsor” with someone who is inquiring or wanting to enter full-communion with us. Please note the additional article in this week’s bulletin with important RCIA information and contact information.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

These next two weeks, our parish is both preparing to welcome a new member to our Parish Pastoral Staff as well as say farewell to one of our parishioners preparing for leave for seminary.

Firstly, this Monday afternoon, (July 27th) our parish’s new full-time Director of Faith Formation (”DFF” for short), Sister Lenore Thomas, I.H.M., will arrive in Frankfort. She will towing a U-Haul trailer containing her belongings to move into her home on West Todd Street which she will be renting. Sister Lenore is a Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary based in Pennsylvania. She comes to us from her most recent former position as one of the former Vocation Recruiters & Directors for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, and she also has great experience as a Sister, lay pastoral minister and educator in areas that will promote opportunities for our parishioners of all ages to continuing their life-long Catholic faith-formation. She will collaboratively oversee such parish ministries as R.C.I.A. (the Rite of [Catholic] Christian Initiation for Adults), R.E.P (Religious Education Program) for children, Sacramental Preparation for children, Bible study and Catholic faith-formation opportunities that will enrich the faith and lives of our adult parishioners, along with assisting me in other areas of pastoral ministry. I have asked our local Knights of Columbus to be present this Monday afternoon to assist her in unloading her U-Haul. She will then take the next week to settle-in a bit and she hopes to get started at the office on Monday, August 3rd. So, with open arms, gratitude, and a spirit of Christ-like hospitality, let’s welcome Sister Lenore warmly into our parish family.

Secondly, Good Shepherd is also preparing to say farewell to Seminarian Jason Hall of our parish as he begins his new venture of discernment into diocesan priestly formation for our diocese at the Archabbey of Saint Meinrad School of Theology in southern Indiana. Jason, as a State employee working with Kentucky legislators, entered full-communion with the Catholic Church from his Christ-centered heritage in the Baptist faith-tradition, his dad being a faithful Baptist pastor. On Wednesday, August 5th, the location of our regular 5:00 p.m. daily Mass, celebrated downtown, will be moved for that week only to Leestown, so that we may pray for, with and over him as we send him forth from our parish. A light reception will be held in his honor immediately after Mass that Wednesday in the Parish Life Center. If you would like to bless Jason, your prayers, words of support and cards dropped into the box located in the Leestown Gathering Hall are most welcome. You may also choose to support him by helping our parish purchase some wonderful and appropriate gifts with which we will bless him that evening. Please make your checks out in support of these special gifts to “Good Shepherd Catholic Church” – memo: “Seminarian’s Support” The financial remainder after the purchase of these gifts will be given to Jason as an additional financial blessing to him. For more information contact Ruth Ann Boyles (502-320-3638) whom I delegated to coordinate these efforts along members of our parish’s Catholic Women’s Fellowship.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

Next weekend, especially at Sunday’s 10:30 Mass, our parish will be celebrating the ethnic diversity and international presence of our parishioners as we recognize an “International Celebration” – South Americans, North Americans, Caribbeans, Hispanics/Latinos, Pacific Islands, Europeans, Africans, Indians, Middle Easterners, Filipinos, Orientals and Asians. The word “catholic” is a Greek word first applied to Christians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch (110 A.D.). It is often translated to mean “universal.” So, as Roman Catholics, this means that we belong to one universal body of Christians (the Body of Christ on earth), who believe in the “Latin Rite” way of following the teachings of the Lord Jesus. We do not belong to just some religious institution of society who do not know any better. Rather, we are hopefully Catholics who belong to Him and to each other because we love Jesus and hear His call to follow Him this way.

Incorporated within the Catholic Church are other valid rites, that is, other true and proven ways to follow Jesus according to scripture, apostolic tradition, sacred tradition and one’s ethnic heritage. For example, there are Catholics from the Middle East who are “Maronite Catholics,” who together, with us Latin Rite (Roman) Catholics share full and total holy commUNION (same Bible, same Pope, same doctrines, same sacraments and dogmas), even if they have celebrate the sacraments differently, have a different list of canonized Saints or celebrate their liturgies in Arabic following the “Rite of Saint Maron.” There are also “Byzantine Catholics,” throughout Europe and Asia, with whom we share full-commUNION, but their liturgies, sacraments and prayers are in different languages with expressions of their Eastern European and Asian heritages.

“Catholic,” also means “worldwide,” “complete,” “whole,” “total,” “wide-spread,” “entire,” “inclusive,” “all-encompassing,” “all- embracing,” “thorough,” “not-lacking” since we believe that Jesus Christ Himself established His Catholic Church through the truths He passed on to us through His first apostles, their successors and His Word. The Lord gave to His bride, His one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, every grace she needs to be what He has called her to be; and He gave His Church the Holy Spirit to help us discern, collaborate and fulfill His calling, mission and expectations.

Next weekend, our parish will celebrate the wonderful international catholicity present within our parish. Please, feel welcomed to come to Mass dressed in the formal clothing of the nationality of your own ethnic heritage. Baked bread from international recipes by our parishioners will be presented at the offertory to be enjoyed after Mass. During the offertory at the 10:30 Mass, you will also be invited to process up with your own financial tithes and offerings to place in baskets near the Altar. Immediately after next Sunday’s 10:30 Mass in the Parish Life Center, we will enjoy an International Potluck Meal. Come join us as we celebrate ourselves as one diverse family of Catholic Christian believers.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles

Saturday, 11 July 2009 19:50

Dear parish family, Catholic way-seekers and worshipping visitors:

On this the 15th Sunday of Ordinary in our liturgical calendar, our parish celebrates “Treasure Sunday.” Too often, when we hear the word “stewardship” most well intended Catholics think strictly of “money” or “fund raising.” To help expand our minds, our parish’s “Stewardship Committee” has collaboratively decided to celebrate many themes of stewardship this coming year with several weekends dedicated to the diverse meanings of “stewardship.” If we were to insert another word in place of “stewardship” that would help us all grasp its fuller meaning we could use words like, “management,” “the proper care of…” “overseeing,” “the shared guardianship of…”. Although, “stewardship” certainly entails, the management, the proper care of…, the overseeing of…, the shared guardianship of money in how we use or invest it to God’s glory, stewardship is not limited solely to the notion of money. The word- phrases above replacing the word “stewardship” can help that can help us move us from conceiving the notion that “stewardship” is ONLY about money.

For example: there is the “stewardship of community” meaning how we as a Catholic community are to welcome, care for, manage, oversee, and exercise a shared guardianship of our hospitality in welcoming our new members, and of networking every parishioners to build a holy and supportive spiritual, emotional, and relational fellowship between all the members of our parish.

There is the “stewardship of time” wherein we as Catholics are invited to exercise our ability to care for, manage, oversee, a shared guardianship of how we best use and allot our time each day to advance our relationship with God, our families, our parish, our community at large, and ourselves. Are you getting the idea? We can go on and on with a list of themes in which total Biblical stewardship also calls us to engage ourselves, in the “stewardship of proper rest and relaxation,” “the stewardship of our talents, gifts and abilities,” “the stewardship of our property and possessions,” etc.

Our theme this weekend is our “stewardship of treasures.” And before you go on… yes I will be talking about money. But be encouraged, in these stewardship themes that we’ll be promoting during upcoming Masses this year, will not be talking about money, but rather many other stewardship topics that are just as, if not more important than money.

In the spirit of keeping you informed and of listening to your ideas and input, after all the Masses this weekend, we will begin what I call the first in a series of brief (20-25 minutes total) quarterly thematic “Parish Forums.” The topic of this particular Parish Forum will be a brief overview of the current status of our parish’s and school’s financial outlook. Greg Harkenrider, our Parish Finance Council Chairperson will present a brief transparent update and then he will allow time for questions and input from attending parishioners.

Our next Parish Forum is scheduled on the weekend of August 1st-2nd with the theme of “Good Shepherd’s Youth Ministry: How Our Parish is and can Minister to our Youth” To inform you and get your input, all parents, youth and any parishioner with a passion for the Catholic spirituality and livelihood of our youth are welcome to attend.

Your Simple Village Priest,

Father Charles