Easter Edition 2015 - St. Joseph`s Catholic Church

S T. J O S E P H’ S
Reflections
EASTER 2015
FOR SAINT JOSEPH’S PARISH COMMUNITY
Dear Church
Family,
Message from Father Thanh
My first Christmas as pastor of St. Joseph’s was great! It was wonderful to see
everyone at Advent, Christmas, and the Epiphany. I was told we had about
10,000 people come to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve and
Day. What a sight to behold!
11730 Old St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32258
ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 2469
JACKSONVILLE, FL
Christmastime is a very hectic season for everyone. It takes a great deal of help
and coordination by staff and volunteers to prepare for the celebration of God’s
precious gift to us. Everything went very well this year, thanks to my staff and
volunteers who gave of their time and talent
to make this year’s Christmas celebrations
beautiful and grace filled.
Good News! Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament is now available to everyone Monday
through Friday. Come pray with us. Thanks to
the dedication of Dawn Mall and to all who
have committed their time to this important
ministry, we were able to implement this new
schedule in January. Prayer is one of the most
important gifts God has given to us. We should
never underestimate the power of prayer and
the Eucharist in our Christian life.
On January 17, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
was proud to host a Mass of Installation for
Fr. Michael Morgan, J.D., J.C.L., who was
given the honorary title of Monsignor by His
Holiness Pope Francis last November. In
addition, Monsignor Morgan also accepted a
new position serving as the canonist Apostolic
Nuncio to the United States. The acceptance
VOL. XXII, ISSUE I
of this new appointment meant he would need
to relocate from the Diocese of St. Augustine
to Washington, D.C. Monsignor Morgan’s
celebration produced mixed feelings for many.
The Mass of celebration and farewell was
offered by Bishop Estévez with Bishop Galeone
delivering the Homily. Several priests who were
able to leave their duties at their parishes were
in attendance. Parishioners and friends came
from other parishes such as Sacred Heart, St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton, as well as the staff from
the Diocesan office to honor him and wish
him well on his new journey. Thanks to Frank,
our music director, and our wonderful choir,
the music was outstanding. A special thanks
to everyone who helped make Monsignor
Morgan’s send-off so special.
Monsignor Morgan’s contribution here at
St. Joseph’s will never be forgotten as he has
presided over many Masses, confessions,
and sacraments throughout the years. Nor
will he be forgotten by me when, a little
over a year ago, he took on additional duties
as administrator at St. Joseph’s during my
sabbatical months in Rome. I, like so many,
have been recipients of his willingness to
help his brother priests in times of need. Our
prayers and good wishes will go with him as
he takes on his duties in Washington.
Every priest looks after his flock, always
wondering what he can do to lead each one
closer to God. What can the church do to let
everyone know the joy and happiness they
can receive by not only coming to Mass at
Christmas but by coming to Mass regularly,
all year round? How can we as priests show
our appreciation for all who make a point of
helping us to accomplish our goals? I, like my
brother priests, am always looking for new
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Message
EASTER 2015
2
CONTINUED FROM COVER
ways to enhance our celebrations to bring
our community together in fellowship
throughout the year.
All of us, at one time or another, have
been curious about where our families
originated. Some families have even
traced their family trees as a way to find
out more about their heritage. As a pastor,
bringing our parish family together while
respecting the diversity of all ethnic
backgrounds is very important to me. It
is through understanding others that we
come to respect their traditions.
With honoring and respecting our diverse
backgrounds in mind, we inaugurated the
Solemn Feast of St. Joseph’s Celebration
on March 15, 2015 (with Bishop Estévez
presiding). I believe it enhanced our
traditional Feast Day when we invited all
to share their heritage with others. With
your help, each year on this day, we will
continue to add a special international
flavor at Mass by incorporating music,
the readings of the day, and prayers in
different languages.
This year’s feast day, thanks to Michael
Broach, we added an entertainment
feature to the luncheon by presenting a
slideshow of activities held here during
2014. Everyone who attended this year’s
celebration really enjoyed reminiscing in
this manner, and Michael has graciously
agreed to add his special talents to our
feast day in the future.
We also decided to honor our volunteers
on this year’s feast day by adding an award
ceremony. Our volunteer ministries are
the backbone of our church. Volunteers
work hard all year sharing their time and
talents to help others. Without their help,
we priests would not be able to fulfill our
priestly duties as effectively. What better
time to make these awards than on our
patron’s feast day?
Thank you Bishop Estevéz for being with
us. It is always an honor to have you at
our Mass. A special thank you to Pete
Kelley (president) and our Parish Council
for their help in organizing this St. Joseph
celebration. It was a great success, and
everyone who helped to make it so has my
sincerest gratitude. Thank you to all who
joined us in celebration.
If you missed this year’s Feast Day, please
be sure to add this celebration to your
calendar as you won’t want to miss it next
year (the Sunday Noon Mass before or
after March 19 – you will be informed as
soon as we receive a date approval from
our Bishop)
The Easter Season is now upon us,
and as Catholics, we prepare ourselves
for this somber occasion by following
the traditions of the Church. What
exactly do we celebrate during Easter?
We celebrate the triumphant victory of
Jesus’ resurrection over the darkness of
his agony in the garden, crucifixion, and
death on the cross. The Paschal Candle,
which stands tall in the sanctuary of our
Church, is an important symbol of this
holy season. With its light, the glory of
the risen Lord is seen.
In the Easter sequence, we ask, “Tell us,
Mary, what did you see on the way?” In
the gospel, we hear about Peter’s and John’s
visit to the empty tomb and what they
observed there. We read how John went
into the tomb and “saw and believed.”
They were the first disciples to become
witnesses and went on to proclaim to all
people the truth of what they had seen.
But what about us? What is it we see this
Easter Day? There is a great deal to see, but
we must truly open our eyes and hearts. By
doing this, we see the faith of those who keep
the “Easter witness” alive by joining fellow
worshippers at Mass in hearing the church’s
proclamation of Easter faith and renewing
our baptismal promises to live that faith.
We see the church of Jesus Christ preaching
the Gospel. We see it trying, if not perfectly,
to fulfill the command of Jesus to love one
another and to give evidence of such love
in words and deeds of justice and peace.
We see, above all, the people who make up
this community of Saint Joseph’s. We see
individuals, each with unique values and
possibilities, receiving the Easter message.
We see each of us joined in the fellowship
and community our Easter faith creates.
In opening our eyes and hearts, we also
see the vast human problems of disease,
natural catastrophes, and environmental
threats which beset the human family. We
especially see the burdens which people
place on each other by wars and other
violence, discrimination, exploitation, and
greed. In particular, we see the suffering
caused by the failure of Christians,
individually or as a church community,
to meet fully the challenge of Christ’s
message. This becomes the measure of the
challenge we take upon ourselves as Easter
people when we see and believe and move
on to help others see and believe.
On Easter, we see and heed the call to
faith. We also recognize and acknowledge
the summons to compassion and love. But
do we act on what see, heed, or recognize?
In order to share the passion of Christ,
we must show our compassion and love
to those in need. We share the Easter life
of Christ by our eagerness to give new
life to others. We share the Easter victory
of Christ by demonstrating our desire to
conquer violence, disease, and the lack of
love which afflicts so many. For the Lord
Jesus is truly risen and lives in us and
among us. Alleluia!
In Christ and Mary,
Thanh Nguyen
Pastor
School News
EASTER 2015
3
Catholic Schools Week at St. Joseph
A Week of Celebrating – Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service
P
romoting the theme, “Catholic Schools:
Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service,”
St. Joseph Catholic School celebrated Catholic
Schools Week, January 26 through the 30, along
with other schools in our diocese and across
the nation. Each year, the week’s
theme and programs are designed to
underscore the benefits of a faithbased education for St. Joseph’s
families, as well as the residual
benefits to our church and
surrounding community.
In his January 18, 2015,
bulletin message, Father
Thanh
said,
“Catholic
Schools here in the United
States have made a great impact
in our life. Catholic Schools
provide both a top-notch education
in human knowledge [Math, English,
and Social Studies] and in divine truth [Scripture,
Ethics, and Theology]. Catholic Schools light the
way to a brighter future for individuals and for
society because we educate children of all faith
backgrounds and help advance the whole human
family, not just Catholics. Catholic Schools help
students, parents, faculty, and board members
follow Jesus and put their faith into action.”
By Pam McMillan
Students, faculty, and staff participated in a myriad
of activities this year promoting the messages of
our theme. The week kicked off with a wonderful
Mass presented by the faculty. The entire student
body was so blessed to stay for Adoration of
the Eucharist after Mass, with many
parents and parishioners staying as
well. Other activities included an
outstanding performance by the
Bishop J. Snyder High School
drum line; a presentation on
the work of Ann Adams, an
artist whose faith helped her
through her disabilities; a
celebration of the lives of the
Saints with a Saint parade and
Saint trivia game; a collection of
over 378 jars of peanut butter for
Catholic Charities; the traditional
Teacher Appreciation luncheon given
by the Home and School Association and
generously hosted by Enza’s Restaurant for the
third year in a row; Valentines to residents in assisted
living facilities and letters to the seminarians of our
diocese; recognition of our priests, deacons, and
sisters; and finally, a very moving closing assembly
with the Bishop Kenny ROTC color guard and the
entire school praying a Patriotic Rosary for each state,
our government officials, and our members of the
military. The students (and teachers!) really enjoyed
their visit from “Curly” bringing treats of Dilly bars
donated by the Smolios family, owners of four Dairy
Queen stores.
Supported by a comprehensive marketing program
developed and distributed by the National
Catholic Education Association and the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, St. Joseph
Catholic School, like hundreds of others across the
country, embraced this opportunity to reinforce
with families why the religious educational
environment is an important and wise choice for
their children.
As we remember Catholic Schools Week, we give
thanks to God for all those who have dedicated
their lives to educating the young, especially the
teachers. But none of this would be
possible without the support of our
parishioners. Today, more than ever,
Catholic Schools need your support
both spiritually and financially.
We pray that the Lord continues
to bless our St. Joseph Catholic
School as it helps educate and
spiritually equip our students
to face the many challenges
in our society today.
Ministry News
EASTER 2015
4
Parish Bus Program
I
n 1999, a small group of dedicated St.
Joseph’s parishioners were using their own
personal vehicles to make sure our senior,
disabled, and homebound parish memebers
had a way of getting to Mass on Sundays to
receive the Eucharist with the rest of their
parish family. However, the number of people
needing this help had grown so large, a better
way to serve them had to be found, and our
Michael
pastor, Father Dan Cody, took a leap of faith
Broach
and made the courageous decision to purchase
a sixteen-passenger, wheelchair-accessible bus.
In November of the same year,
Father Cody asked me to serve as the first driver and
then as director of this new parish bus program.
This certainly was a turning point in my
life! Though I have been fortunate to have
participated in many ministries and roles
in our parish, the opportunity to bring
people to our Eucharistic Lord through
transportation has been the most
fulfilling and rewarding experience of my
Catholic life. The dedicated volunteers of
our ministry share this same sentiment as
they give their time so willingly to transport
fellow parishioners to Mass. Our volunteers
truly are a tremendous group of humble servants
who take joy in serving others.
Over the past fifteen years, our ministry has been blessed to serve
over 350 people – some for only a few weeks, some for many years
with a few still riding since our first route launched in March 2000.
However, in recent years, the need for transportation has exceeded the
capacity of the bus. In 2008, we reached such a critical demand that
we started double routes, often dropping off one group 45 minutes
before Mass in order to pick-up another group on time. Despite these
efforts, we continued to have a waiting list for transportation. Due
to this demand for transportation, we planned for the purchase of a
second bus. However, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
approached us with the opportunity to participate in their new Sunday
Community Shuttle service. Beginning in 2009, one of our volunteers
rode the JTA Shuttle to three retirement centers which transported the
Catholic residents of those facilities to and from Mass. The shuttle
route served as a great blessing to our ministry as it opened capacity on
our parish bus to serve more of the homebound in Mandarin.
Last December, the JTA ended its Sunday shuttle service. While there
is a shuttle on Saturday evenings, its time schedule is limited and only
allows for one retirement center to be served. Therefore, we are back
to the same situation as in 2008. We currently have a full roster for
our parish bus and a waiting list for transportation. In addition, given
the many homebound parishioners we serve as well as the number
of stops, our routes average over an hour in length one way which is
not ideal for passengers with health concerns. Accordingly, Father
Thanh, as well as the Finance Committee, have taken a leap of faith by
committing our parish to the purchase of a second bus. This second
bus will be slightly smaller in capacity and accordingly, drivers will
not be required to hold a Commercial Driver’s License, or CDL, as is
currently required with our present bus. Instead, adults 25 years or
older with safe driving records and in proper health may volunteer to
drive this new bus with a regular driver’s license. The advantage of a
second, smaller bus, rather than a larger capacity vehicle, is that we can
run two simultaneous routes in different directions, transporting more
people in less time.
As readers of this newspaper well know, receiving Jesus in Holy
Communion is the source of our salvation and the heart of our faith.
As our bishop often proclaims, we are a Eucharistic people!
We are very fortunate in this parish to be able to
bring people to Mass so they may share in this
feast. In closing, I ask for your support to
purchase a new bus and your prayers for
the continued success of this ministry. A
special collection will be offered Palm
Sunday weekend. Our goal is to raise
$50,000. I ask for your generosity in
financially supporting this program.
Second, in order to expand our ministry
to two buses, we need more drivers. If you
feel a calling to this ministry as I did fifteen
years ago, I can write in confidence that you
will experience the same joy in serving others.
Please contact me to learn how you can answer the
call to serve in this fulfilling ministry. Finally, I ask for your
prayers. It is through the intercession of your prayers that the Holy
Spirit continues to guide us as we transport the faithful.
Michael Broach
Director of Transportation
(904) 891-0746
[email protected]
Ministry News
EASTER 2015
5
Touching and Saving Lives Across the World!
Update and an Appeal from The Divine Mercy House
I
By Peter Prince
n 1996, a group of St.
Joseph’s parishioners met to map
a strategy and develop a program
which could aid the fight to end
abortion. From that meeting came
the Divine Mercy House, our
commitment to aid women in
crisis pregnancies, help them build
a solid foundation for themselves
and their children, and develop a
relationship with God.
When we opened our permanent
Diving Mercy House home on the
campus of St. Joseph’s, our need
was confirmed. Since then, we have
helped almost 100 women; that’s
100 babies who have a chance at life thanks to the Ministry’s help.
Obviously, most of our residents are from our area, but the culture of
death is pervasive in the world. Our reach has even been able to help a
woman from Ghana and another from Malaysia, whose lives and the
lives of their babies were in danger. I don’t think anyone could have
anticipated our small faith offering having such wide-ranging scope.
In order to establish a source of recurring funding for the home, we
have opened the Divine Mercy Thrift Shop in the Mandarin Central
Shopping Center located in the same strip as Wing-It on Old St.
Augustine Road. This store serves as a wonderful medium to raise
awareness of our mission and is an important but not nearly fully
sufficient component of our funding. The only way to sustain this
Ministry permanently will be with recurring support from all the
people who see the need and value of the statement we make for the
sanctity of life right here at St. Joseph’s.
As you’ve probably noticed, all non-profits nowadays realize the only
way to raise funds consistently and reliably help those in need of
services is through supporters who commit to recurring donations.
A small amount given consistently
over time by a large pool of donors
is the most dependable way for
those supporters to insure the
success of the ministries dear to
them.
Well, we may not have Sarah
McLachlan, but we do have the
words of Pope John Paul ll in his
Gospel of Life, who said, “Every
Christian community, . . . must
continue . . . appropriate and
effective programs of support for
new life . . . with special closeness
to mothers who, even without the
help of the father, are not afraid to
bring their child into the world and to raise it.”
The generosity of our parish here at St. Joseph’s shows what a
“Dynamic Catholic” community we have with the dozens of
wonderful ministries which reach across our community and
around the world. We all try to support various worthy causes, and
it can be difficult, and for some impossible, to give to each of these
organizations. We are only asking that all who support our ministry
donate whatever amount they comfortably can on a monthly basis.
Support of just $10 per month from even a small percentage of
the roughly 4,500 families at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church would
powerfully impact our ministry’s ability to ensure women in crisis
pregnancies and their babies will always find the lifesaving aid they
need here at St. Joseph’s.
Please consider becoming one of our “Angels of Mercy” and
donating as little as $10 per month using either our website
http://www.divinemercyhouse.org/ or your own bank to give
your monthly donation to: Divine Mercy Ministries, Inc., 4118
Loretto Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223; Tel (904) 268-6282.
Please keep us in your prayers and consider being a part of this important ministry!
Ministry News
EASTER 2015
6
Adopt and Island and
Walking Rosary Garden Ministries
By Karen and Paul Belkot
O
ur ministry mission is to “Give back to God what is His.” We do this
by praising and thanking God for the beauty which surrounds us on the
St. Joseph’s campus with the commission of land beautification. There
are currently approximately 89 islands throughout the parking lots of the
main church. Each island is named after
a saint and is adopted by parishioners.
Upon adoption, the commitment
and responsibility of the family or
group is to maintain the island
on a year-round basis. This
includes weeding, planting,
watering, and mulching. The
parish provides the mulch for the
islands. We currently have several
islands available for adoption.
The Walking Rosary Garden is a beautiful tribute to Our Lady, providing
a comfortable location either to walk or sit while saying the rosary and
is a wonderful site to teach children how to pray the
rosary. We are currently seeking three team leaders as
well as team members for our Walking Rosary Garden
Maintenance Teams. Each team consists of a team
leader and four to five members who get together
two times per year to tend to the Rosary Garden by
trimming and pruning the plants, pulling weeds, and
removing leaves and debris from the pathway.
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all of our
loyal islanders who have said “Yes” to this awesome calling by sharing their
love of God, working together as a church community, and sharing their
time, talent, and treasure in an effort to keep our church grounds pleasing
to God, fellow parishioners, and visitors.
Anyone wishing to join our ministry is welcome, whether you adopt
an island or join the Rosary Maintenance Team. Please contact us by
e-mail at [email protected] or phone at 716-2119.
Mandarin Meals on Wheels II
Celebrating 25 years!
T
he Meals on Wheels ministry is celebrating 25 years of serving the
homebound in our community. It has been guided by our motto: We do
what we can for those who cannot.
Unfortunately, the Cathedral Foundation recently informed us
of a cost increase per meal to $4.12.
Since the program began on June 11, 1990, our outstanding
volunteers have delivered over 77,000 meals to the homebound
who are suffering from a variety of disabilities ranging from
chronic illness to convalescence following a surgery.
The Cathedral Foundation delivers meals to the Mandarin
Senior Center where our dedicated volunteers pick them up
each weekday at noon and distribute them to the homebound.
They have not missed a single scheduled day since our program
began, which is remarkable. These wonderful volunteers are
truly a blessing to our community, not only for bringing hot,
nutritious meals to our recipients, but also for showing their
love for them. They take the time to listen to an individual’s special
needs and concerns, and this lets our homebound friends know they are
not alone and there are people who do care about them.
Pat
Kowall
Meals on Wheels receives very little in the way of outside
donations. Our main source of income since this ministry
began has been from the “Penny a Meal for Meals on Wheels”
collections. For this we are extremely grateful to our precious
children of St. Joseph’s whom we also consider volunteers –
volunteers who are giving from their hearts to help others by
saving their pennies for this collection. May God bless them
and all of you.
“We do what we can for those who cannot”
Ministry News
EASTER 2015
D
Bonnie
McNulty
7
Mandarin Food Bank
Easter Hope
uring this holy
season of lent, we focus
on Jesus’ journey, His
deep love for us, His
tender instructions, His
extraordinary sacrifice, and
His glorious resurrection.
We are ever mindful that
the teachings of Jesus and
His profound sacrifice
are the foundation of our
beautiful faith.
Our ministry began during an Easter season. This
April we will be celebrating our twenty-fourth
anniversary. Each year at this time, we thank God
for all the many blessings He has bestowed on the
Food Bank, and we reflect on how our ministry
has grown and how we can find ways to better
serve those in need in our community. “For I was
hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me”
(Matthew 25:35).
Our ministry opened its doors on a bright, sunny
April morning in 1991. Our sixteen volunteers
were so excited to have the opportunity to serve
the needy in our community. We wanted to reach
out to our neighbors with the love of Jesus in our
hearts and minds. We anticipated a great need but
were fairly surprised to see how quickly our client
population grew. There was really no advertising to
speak of. The only publicity occurred when Father
Cody, our pastor at the time, explained our mission
at a meeting of the Mandarin Clergy Association.
Our ministry grew by word of mouth and, as we
grew, we became aware of the wonderful support
we were given by the entire Mandarin community.
It was as if Mandarin’s churches, schools, businesses,
civic groups, and individuals formed a circle of
love around our little building! This circle remains
strong to this day, and we are deeply grateful for
such wonderful support.
Our dedicated volunteer family grew very quickly as
well. Our family of sixteen original volunteers has
now grown to 175 men, women, and children since
our doors first opened. All of us at the Mandarin
Food Bank are volunteers. We come from all over
the United States as well as countries all over the
world, bringing many different backgrounds and
experiences. We all have something very important
in common: Our goal is to serve our needy neighbors
as best we can, always with dignity and respect.
“‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is
no other commandment greater than these” (Mark
12:31).
Soon after opening, we began to see a need to
help our families find ways to meet their daily
challenges. Dispensing food became only a part
of our mission. Our families desired to find a path
out of their maze of poverty. We needed to provide
them with this hope. There is an old Chinese
proverb: If you give a man a fish, you feed him
for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him
for a lifetime. Our goal is to find ways to address
these challenges, and we are still seeking new ways
to do so. We began slowly, compiling a referral file
with names of organizations and programs to better
offer assistance in this area. Today we continue to
utilize this file, constantly revising it so we have the
most up-to-date information available. We also put
together a cookbook/budget book titled Making
Ends Meet. The fourth edition of this book will be
available soon. We also published a client newsletter
four times a year, featuring ways to save money at
the grocery store and finding free or nearly-free fun
family activities. Client education has continued to
be a real priority for our ministry. We truly believe
dispensing food is not enough.
families to use the products given to them at the
food bank, (e.g. how to make a box of macaroni and
cheese more nutritious, healthy snacks for hungry
teens, how to use over-ripe fruits and vegetables
efficiently, how to stretch a can of tuna, or how to
sneak healthy affordable vegetables into any not-sohealthy meal).
These classes are presented the last Wednesday
of each month to a captive audience of clients
waiting for Food Bank assistance. Our team of
volunteers research a topic, then put together
the presentation which is demonstrated twice a
morning, enabling us to reach as many families
as possible. Each presentation is accompanied
by a printout summarizing the presentation and
offering additional information, tips, and recipes.
Another way we try to better address the needs
of our families is by helping them apply for food
stamps. Our food stamp volunteer is available to
assist clients by appointment only. She guides them
through the complicated online application and
helps them to comprehend the process.
Our goal this year is to address many more
educational topics. We have several master
gardeners on our staff and hope to demonstrate
container gardening this spring. We want to
offer even more information via updates in our
client newsletter.
In 2007, we started our Life Skills program. This
program – Peter’s Promise – has undergone quite
a few revisions since its
Jesus has taught us to love our
inception. For the last two
neighbors and to reach out to
years, we have adopted
them with hearts filled with
the Cooking on the Porch
love and hope. We are truly
project. This is our first
blessed by the support of our
step in developing a more
community. Generosity isn’t
comprehensive agenda. In
always demonstrated by large
the first year of Cooking
donations of money. There are
on the Porch, we partnered
many methods of reaching out
with
the
University
to our fellow neighbors. The
of Florida’s Extension
wonderful people who support
Service, receiving valuable
us have shown this in many
Cooking on the Porch team
information and techniques
ways. “If you can’t do great
from them. Providing nutritious meals is a challenge
things, Mother Teresa used to say, do little things
for all of us. When you are trying to accomplish this
with great love. If you can’t do them with great love,
on a very strict budget, it can be quite daunting.
do them with a little love. If you can’t do them with
The Cooking on the Porch project strives to
a little love, do them anyway. Love grows when
introduce the value of low-cost protein, like beans,
people serve” (John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be).
paired with whole grains. We try to present new
budget-friendly products such as quinoa and other
Easter blessings to everyone!
affordable grains. It also demonstrates ways for our
Medical Mission
EASTER 2015
8
St. Joseph’s
YORO, HONDURAS
MEDICAL MISSION
Another Successful Mission
W
2015
By Denise Sink, Honduras Medical Mission Team Leader
hat an amazing week! I could not have asked
for a better team. All members took their love and put it
into action. Everyone who donated and prayed for the
mission put his or her love to work. Christ is the center
of our mission. Through his love, compassion, and joy
to serve the people of Honduras, we were able to have
efficient and well-organized clinics. We worked hard
for long hours in four villages, two had never before
been served by a medical team. For most of the people
we saw, traveling to a clinic or hospital is impossible as
the distance from their remote villages, tucked in the
mountains, is too far to travel. However,
they traveled for hours by foot to see us, and
not one of those 2,354 people was turned
away. God is good . . . all the time!
What is great love? The world says it’s a rush
of warm tender feelings. God shows us love
is an action and a decision. It’s practiced in
service and self-sacrifice. The saints often
teach us love and suffering go hand-in-hand.
Love is full of light and joy; the deep joy of
knowing Christ is completely different from
the passing emotional highs of the world.
Going on a mission is not about bringing
God to the people but more about going to
meet God regardless of the destination. On
every mission, I pray to see God in the faces
of the people we serve. These people,living in the remote
villages of Honduras, have nothing in material goods,
yet they have something that is priceless . . . God’s peace.
Denise
Sink
Three years ago, I was blessed when a two-year-old
boy named Joel came into my life. His father was
the lieutenant in the military escort assigned to us
(something we’ve only experienced once). Three months
after the mission, I received a call from the lieutenant
asking for my prayers for Joel, who had been diagnosed
with leukemia. Of course, I would pray and give thanks
for Joel’s healing! I prayed everyday for a little boy I’d
never met. After a few months, Joel asked if he could
call me his “madrina” (godmother). His parents were
embarrassed to ask me; However, I found it a blessing.
Joel and I had never met, yet he felt so close to me
he, wanted me to be his godmother . . . a relationship
formed by God. How could I say no to a little boy who
was filled with so much love?
Joel regained his health and started kindergarten. He
was so excited to be able to attend school. Last year,
when I arrived in San Pedro Sula for the 2014 medical
mission, he was at the airport waiting to meet me for
the first time. We only had five minutes before I had to
catch a bus and leave for Yoro. I was so saddened I could
not spend more time with him. So, this year I invited
him and his family to Tela, Honduras, to visit during
our mission. One of Joel’s dreams was to be able to see
the sea. I so much wanted to make his dream come true.
I wasn’t sure if this would be possible for him since he
had suffered a relapse a couple of months prior. A large
tumor the size of a baseball was found behind his right
eye, and he was receiving intensive radiation treatment.
He had been spending four days a week in the hospital,
and his strength was weakened. Still, I was determined
to help make his dream come true. With God’s grace,
Joel and his parents met me in Tela for the
last two days of the mission.
I was consumed with the thought of how
incredible it would be to make Joel’s dream
come true, to see the sea and walk on the
beach. To help a child’s dream come alive
is a deep level of joy and love I wanted to
experience. I envisioned carrying him to
the beach with his eyes closed and have
him open them seeing an enormous body
of turquoise water . . . WOW! What an
amazing moment it could have been.
Unfortunately, my vision was not in God’s
plan. When Joel arrived, he was too weak
from his treatments to make it to the beach.
All he wanted to do was lie down and sleep
after traveling six hours just to see me and express his
love for me. So, I escorted Joel and his parents to their
room so he could rest. Love and peace are so powerful.
Joel didn’t need the Caribbean Sea or the beach, as
spending quality time together was all he wanted. Since
he was so weak, I held him in my arms in silence. Joel
doesn’t speak English, and I do not speak Spanish. That
didn’t matter. We were both in awe with God’s beauty,
love, and peace surrounding us. He felt God’s love in
me, and I felt it in him.
When I go on mission trips, I pray I will see Christ in
the faces of the people we serve. I pray they will see the
love of Christ in each of the team members. I pray that
hunger, cruelty, abuse, and medical needs end. I love
giving those with little or no hope a sense of hope by
showing them they are loved and truly cared for. On
every mission, we see our prayers answered. God is
among the thousands of people we serve. He wraps His
loving arms around us and gives us strength to face all
the sadness surrounding us. Every year, I repeatedly say
I will not return to Honduras. Then I think of those
faces . . . faces that sparkled when they were given a
rosary, toothbrush, toothpaste, or medicine.
I remember seeing “hope” in their eyes.
THANK YOU!
Fiesta Sponsors
Bob Evans
Si Senor Fresh Mex
Don Juan’s Mexican Restaurant
Rosy’s Mexican Restaurant
Pisco’s
Rosaries/Prayer Cards
St. Anastasia Catholic Church,
Rosary Makers, Pat Greenfield
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,
Legion of Mary, Paul Williams
Children of the JPII Homeschool Group,
Maggie Britt
Glasses
Select-A-Vision, Howard Ducat
Lisa Comeaux
Supplies
St. Joseph’s CCW
Henry Schein Medical Supplies, Jeff Reade
Jim Augustine
Rita Dover
Nan & Dan Duffy
Dentists
Dr. Sam N. Hanania, D.M.D., PA
Dr. Marinela M. Nemetz, D.D.S.
Dr. H. Ronald Levin, D.D.S., PA
Dr. Richard A. Stevenson, D.D.S.
Dr. James T. Powell, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Brian E. Floro, D.M.D.
Dr. Theresa B. Abood, D.M.D.
Monetary Donations
St. Joseph’s Historic Church,
Spanish Community
for their second collection
May God Bless You!
Medical Mission
EASTER 2015
Visit Our Website at: www.friendsofthemissions.org
9
Medical Mission
EASTER 2015
10
Parish Medical Mission
NEWS
O
Parish Medical Mission Sponsorship Report
ur Mission Sponsorship Program continues to grow, and this year we had
lots more donors on board to help us finance the mission costs for all of the
medicines we take to Honduras.
We thank everyone who donated whatever amount they
could afford. You all are what makes a mission happen.
Yes, you are our “At-Home” missionaries. Without
you, there are no medicines for our medical mission.
Greg
Hemsoth
2015 YORO MEDICAL MISSION
Full-Mission Sponsor – $7,500
SJCC Parishioners with Second Collection
(Thank you Father Thanh!)
3-Day Sponsor – $1,500
Although many on our mission team are from our St.
Joseph’s Parish, others join us from around the diocese
and from as far away as Kansas. Our team and Friends
of the Missions, Inc. are grateful for your financial
donations for the medicines.
The team prayed for all our donors while on the
mission this past February, but here we highlight by
name our largest sponsors. Please see the 2015 Yoro
Medical Mission Sponsor graphic in this section.
Again, GRACIAS to all for your gifts!
You may donate any time for our next 2016 medical mission to Honduras. Our
team, and all of the poor people who received health care and medicines, wish
to thank all of our donors and especially the Full Mission Sponsor and the Day
Sponsors.
If you would like to help by donating now, you may mail a check made out
to: Friends of the Missions, Inc. and sent to: 2643 Tacito Trail, Jacksonville,
FL 32223. On the memo line write “Honduras Mission.” You may also
donate securely by going on-line to: www.friendsofthemissions.org (Click on
“Honduras Group” and follow prompts.)
Lynn and Jeff Graley
2-Day Sponsor – $1,000
Michael Greene of Eisman & Russo
1-Day Sponsors – $500
Dick and Diane Erickson, Lance Mora, Bryan and
Mary Morris Williams, plus one Anonymous Donor
Dear Greg,
Greetings from Honduras. Last Friday morning (and Thursday
evening), we said goodbye to this year’s medical brigade. They did
a great job despite the huge numbers, and Denise did a wonderful
job coordinating all the activity. We missed you, of course. But the
veterans helped the newcomers to continue your excellent service to the
people here. We had great weather the first four days, but Thursday
evening it began to rain and continued Friday and yesterday. I assume
everyone returned home safely.
Thank you for the book you sent me. I hope that Diane gets better.
Please give her my greetings. We’ll be praying for her, for you and the
twins, and for so many other people there who do so much to help us.
May God bless you all and repay you for your many years helping us.
We’ll be counting on your prayers for us and for Honduras.
Gratefully yours,
Fr. John Willmering
Yoro, Yoro, Honduras
Without your support, we would not have had a medical mission.
Thank you and may you be blessed always and in all ways!
Medical Mission
EASTER 2015
11
REFLECTIONS FROM OUR MISSION TEAM
While in Yoro Honduras, I was able to experience many life
changing events. Being able to assist the many groups and families
who needed medical and dental assistance, but at the same time
could not afford it, allowed me to feel a great sense of purpose. This
mission trip was truly a God given experience. I hope one day I will
be able to experience this again.
Preparing for a mission trip is a lot of physical work and takes
dedication on those involved in the journey. We all need to remember,
it also requires a spiritual journey to really appreciate the mission. It
is not always how we respond to the big challenges of life, it is how
we respond to the small messages. Small messages are often missed,
and they are the ones which really teach us to listen to our Lord. God
God chooses ordinary people to serve, those marginalized and continually nudges us and never tires in helping us. We need to pray
for the courage to follow where he leads us.
forgotten ones, in His name.
It was sad to see people without basic necessities, but it felt good to Jesus became human like us. He was subjected to the same experiences
we face. He displayed great Grace, compassion, sorrow, tenderness, and
be making the difference.
mercy. He knew fatigue, hunger, pain, fear, and temptation. So it gives
We visited the nutrition center and I was touched by those beautiful us the strength and courage to know we can provide the same things.
infants who were separated from the parents because of malnutrition.
These kids were kept at this center until they were in good health, There are many innocent, abandoned, and vulnerable people in our
world. It is, and was, a privilege and honor to share God’s Grace and
then were returned to their families.
Love to those who must feel so isolated.
I keep praying to God, to show me the way where I can serve in
We can draw courage from the apostles. They did not volunteer.
His name.
They were chosen for that special position. They must have asked,
– Luz Ocampo –
“What am I getting myself into?” We also need to remember, the
apostles were not perfect. Peter denied Christ, Judas betrayed Christ,
I’ve had many people ask me what I could possibly contribute and Thomas doubted Christ. However, they kept up the good work
to a medical mission given the fact I have no medical training. I asked and learned from their mistakes. Thank the apostles for their example.
myself this same question last year when I went on my first mission Keep up the good work and learn from your mistakes for His Grace is
trip. The answer is: God gives each of us unique gifts and it’s up to us sufficient for you. His power is made perfect in your weakness.
to use those gifts in the best way possible to serve Him.
For me, God’s plan was to help by working mainly in the makeshift
pharmacy. We counted pills . . . and counted pills . . . and counted pills.
We also filled prescriptions under the supervision of our pharmacist.
The pharmacy was full of suitcases containing the many medicines
we were able to buy with all of the donations we received this year.
That alone was incredibly heartwarming to me. It showed how much
giving there truly was, not just by those of us on the mission but also
by all of our support back home. It reminds me that kindness, love,
and compassion will always overcome a world full of anger, hatred,
and greed.
Other non-medical missionaries spoke to the villagers to determine
their ailments, held lights into their mouths so the dentists could
extract their teeth, and a few acted as translators for some of the
doctors and nurses. We had opportunities to play soccer with the kids,
hand out lollipops, and even watched team members show their gifts
and talents as they did face painting and made hats out of balloons.
I was again amazed by the peacefulness of the Honduran people. In
villages where there is so much poverty, you would expect them to be
angry, impatient, or even short-tempered. They were none of these
things. They smiled and the children laughed and played.
Our team will laugh and tell stories about the conditions we are
sometimes faced with. The term “bathroom” has a whole different
meaning in these villages. On occasion, we have to take cold showers,
we go nowhere without bottled water, and rice and beans are the daily
menu. Several friends have told me, “I just couldn’t do it.” I tell you,
“You absolutely can.” Because at the end of the day, when all is said
and done, you’re not thinking about all of that.
Some of the villages we visited this year were very remote – to the
point where we had to hike a portion of the way to get to where
we would set up the clinics. At one point, my legs were so sore and
shaken from an uphill climb, I literally compared them to Jell-O! That
doesn’t even compare to the hiking and walking these villagers did
in order to get to the clinics for medical and dental care. Some of
them walked for hours with their babies and toddlers in tow. And
they were smiling! One lady, who I believe was in her 90’s, came into
the pharmacy and walked around hugging every one of us. When she
got to me, all 4 1/2 feet and about 85 pounds of her, she wrapped her
arms around me and squeezed so tight. She was pretty darn strong!
Anyway, she spoke to me in Spanish, which I didn’t understand, and
then I realized I knew exactly what she said – not her words of course,
but I understood her heart. It overwhelmed me because all I was doing
was counting some pills. A fellow missionary then translated that she
had thanked me and given me a blessing. That’s worth every cold
shower I had to take!
I’ve been truly blessed for the last two years to be able to go on this
mission. The graces I have received far outweigh anything I have
given. I’ve become part of a new family and have grown so much in
my relationship with Christ. I know now, this is my true calling and I
pray God will bless me with the ability to continue mission work for
many years to come.
– Sue Johnson –
If you are sitting quietly and listen, God will provide you with the
wisdom, strength, and courage to do His work, whatever you are
called to do. He helps us walk together and provides us unity as we see
the dignity and value of each person. Man was made from dust, and
woman from the ribs. This means we walk together, side by side, on
the solid foundation God has given to us.
Remember, God has a plan for you. Push aside your fears and know
you were chosen, for your spiritual journey begins new this moment.
For me, there was a lot of spiritual growth, which really touched me
through so many of the people we saw. Some of those I was privileged
to see, touched my heart in a special way. There are so many little
things I can only feel. I praise God for this journey and for allowing
me to know each person on this journey with me. May God Bless
each of you, and know I love each of you; not for your perfection but
for your imperfections which will help each of us grow.
I want to thank everyone who helped make this mission possible. It
could not have been done without the donations, prayers, and support
you gave. Know you had a part in serving so many in need. Continue
to listen to the small messages, and know the Grace promised to us all.
– Donna Karber –
The one word which can describe the trip the most is love.
The love and appreciation for the much needed medical care we
provided for the Honduran people was eminent throughout all of
the clinics. I wish I could receive a hug and blessing when I take my
patient’s blood pressure and ask some medical history questions like
I did during the clinics. It was a wonderful opportunity to serve the
beautiful people of Honduras for the fourth year in a row. Christ’s
love was truly present during the mission. Visiting the hospital in
Yoro was truly an eye-opening experience on the lack of resources
they have, which we take for granted here in the USA. I am so
grateful for all of our sponsors this year, through supplies, monetary,
and prayers which made this mission possible.
– Caitlin Heffner, RN –
We go to Honduras to serve the people as volunteers. We have
different employment backgrounds and different nationalities. Some
are doctors and nurses and others have no medical training at all,
but go to provide help and support where needed. What we all have
in common is, God has called us to help our brothers and sisters in
need. The compassion and love which God has shown to us, is in
return given unconditionally back to people we have never met, nor
will probably ever see again. It is the most rewarding experience an
individual can imagine.
In the few days we are there, we came to realize how fortunate we
really are. To have a toilet (and one that flushes) is a luxury we all
take for granted, instead of a two-inch hole in the concrete which
someone washes out with a bucket of water. This is a “normal” way
of life for some of the people in Honduras, which we consider to be
unsanitary and an inconvenience. Even something as common to
us as Tylenol, vitamins, or toothpaste is something which some of
the villagers have never had, nor seen. On our third day, we loaded
onto a school bus at 6:30 a.m. and went to a village no medical
brigade has ever attempted to go. It was a three hour bus ride, up
a mountain, on a one-lane dirt road, and then we had to walk the
rest of the way to the village. I was working in Dental that day.
Apparently, someone had tipped off the Jocon News Station of our
plans for a medical and dental clinic in Las Mangas. The camera
crew came and videotaped the suitcases filled with toothpaste and
toothbrushes which our St. Joseph’s congregation had donated. I
could not get over the fact that they spent so much time filming
the opened suitcases holding these items. I am not sure if they were
overwhelmed by the amount we were giving out or if they had no
idea what it was? However, both camera men left with toothpaste
and toothbrushes in hand and big smiles on their faces.
The afternoon of our last clinic, I sat with one of our doctors as he
spoke with the Hondurans about their ailments. We saw a young
lady who was three months pregnant. Prenatal vitamins were not
something we had an abundance of; normally we give pregnant
women a 90-day supply. Because it was our last day, one of our
doctors, Dr. Tim, asked if we could find any extras. He explained
to the young lady that she needed to take these vitamins every day,
to help her baby be healthy, and gave her a six-month supply. You
would have sworn he had given her $1,000.00. Her face lit up when
she realized she had enough prenatal vitamins to last the rest of her
pregnancy. You cannot image how someone would be so appreciative
over something as simple as a vitamin!
On the last day before we leave Yoro, we always go to the Children’s
Nutrition Center. The women at this Center take in malnutrition
children. They feed, clothe, and love them in hopes they will become
healthy. Last year, we all left in tears. Some of the children were so
skinny and malnourished and their faces were expressionless. There
were twin boys, about four years old, who had spina bifida. They
were hunched over on the floor with their skinny legs extended and
moved around by scooting on the floor with their hands. This year,
some of the same kids were still there and we were amazed at how
healthy and happy they looked. The twin boys were still there and,
by the grace of God, both boys were standing upright and learning
how to walk! Our doctors could not believe their eyes! When we
left the center this time, we didn’t cry, but were excited to know our
continued prayers and donations have helped these children survive
and thrive in difficult times.
The bond formed amongst our team is everlasting. Friendships
for life are created by doing what the Lord has asked us to do; give
to others. As in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “Consider this: Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will
also reap bountifully.” This is an amazing experience each one of us
have “reaped” the rewards of.
– Lisa Comeaux –
This is my third Mission, but my sixth year traveling to
Honduras. For three years, I tried to start a clean water project and
develop a Waste to Energy plant, but this I’ll save for a later Reflection.
I worked in Dentistry this year, which I prefer because I enjoy
interacting with the people we are there to help. Our patients are a
cross-section of the village population. We may see a cowboy, sweaty
and dirty, who came in from the fields to have his last few teeth
extracted. We may see the Moma who has had several children and
is now helping others in the village. She arrives with her own face
cloth so she can wipe her mouth and bite down on the cloth after
the last tooth is pulled.
This year, we saw many more children and teenagers. A typical nineyear-old girl arrived with her mother. She sat in the chair, dangling
her feet with a playful innocence. She looked around the room at all
the instruments and people. Many village children have never seen
a doctor or dentist before. Her mother coached her on being tough
as she needed to have several teeth pulled. Half way through, we
needed to hold her in the chair, so the dentist could extract the teeth.
After we finished, she was sobbing and her little body spent. She was
not the same little girl. This is their plight, their parents do not have
money for toothbrushes and toothpaste.
At the end of the week, we reflected on many stories we shared as a
group. We never laughed and cried so hard, but more importantly,
we did not want to leave.–
– Jim Mathews –
Parish News
EASTER 2015
12
HEARTS AFIRE
Parish-based program for the New Evangelization
By Carolyn Laing
S
PART 1:
Total Consecration to Jesus
through Mary
t. Joseph’s parish is planning the next 33
Days to Morning Glory retreat to begin on May
7, 2015. The retreat is based on the book 33 Days
to Morning Glory by Father Michael Gaitley and
is a preparation for the total Consecration to Jesus
through Mary. We will meet once a week for six
weeks on Thursdays,
and participants have a
choice of either 10:00
a.m. or 7:00 p.m. We
will be meeting at both
times to accommodate
everyone’s schedules.
Each meeting lasts 90
minutes. There is a brief
introduction at each
meeting by Father
Gaitley on DVD,
followed by a 45-minute discussion of the week’s
daily readings from the book 33 Days to Morning
Glory. After the discussion, there is a 30-minute
retreat talk given by Father Gaitley. Each week
of the retreat focuses on a different Marian saint:
Louis de Montfort, Maximilian Kolbe, Mother
Teresa, and John Paul II.
After completing the retreat, we will have a
Consecration to Jesus through Mary celebration
on June 13th, the feast of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary.
Please join us in this retreat and learn how much
consecrating yourself to Jesus through Mary can
profoundly change and deepen your spiritual life.
Marian Consecration is dear to the hearts of many
Catholics throughout history, including the ones
we will learn from in the retreat.
T
PART 2:
Consoling the Heart of Jesus
(Divine Mercy)
hose who made the first retreat of 33 Days
to Morning Glory, which started last August, are
now participating in the Consoling the Heart of
Jesus retreat. Consecration to Mary leads us right
into the Heart of Jesus, and this is what the second
retreat is all about – Divine Mercy. It’s hard to put
into words how much of a
blessing this retreat is. We
are using Father Gaitley’s
second book, Consoling
the Heart of Jesus. The
retreat is ten weeks, with
almost the same format
as before, with the talks
by Father Gaitley and
discussion of the reading
afterward.
These retreats are not very long, only six weeks
of meetings for the first one and, for those who
want to continue, only ten weeks for the second
one. However, the blessings they will bring for
you and your family are infinite. So please think
about joining us in May for the beginning of the
retreat.
For information or questions about the
retreats and Marian Consecration, please call
or email Carolyn Laing at 904-553-0612 or
[email protected].
Parish News
EASTER 2015
St. Joseph’s Art Connections
Roman arches and the Triumph of Christ
B
efore I start talking about the architecture
of St. Joseph’s, I need to make a few confessions.
First, I have no idea who our church architects
were or how much of a historical connection
to the past they were trying to make when they
drew up the designs of our church. Second, I
have not done any research about that. But,
as an observer reflecting on what I do know
about the origins of church architecture, I
would have to surmise they knew a great
deal about the importance of historical and
spiritual connections, and about the traditions
of the church.
The Early Christian church of Santa Sabina has side aisles separated
from the main nave by an arcade (a row of arches side by side). St.
Joseph’s also has multiple arcades, inside and outside of the church.
Roman Triumphal Arch – New Christian Meaning
Becky
Colangelo
Roman (and Early Christian) Arch Construction
The Romans did not invent the rounded arch but were the first to fully
appreciate its practical advantages over previous systems for carrying
more weight and widening the distance between vertical supports.
They used it for aqueducts, bridges, the Colosseum, and in many
other places. The development of new building materials in the
modern times makes the use of the arch mostly decorative rather than
really functional. But, if you notice the usage of arches throughout
St. Joseph’s main church, you will soon realize the architects of our
church may have borrowed this device from Roman architecture
for a different reason than necessity. I believe it is to connect our
church to the long history of our Catholic heritage. Early Christian
churches were derived
from Roman building
types and used the arch
from the very beginning
of church architecture in
St. Joseph’s, toward side arcade
the 4th century. You will
find many arches inside
and outside of St. Joseph’s.
This extensive use of the
Nave, side arcades and central triumphal arch,
Santa Sabina, Rome, 432 AD
arch links St. Joseph’s to
Early Christian churches,
including the original St. Peter’s, and to other previous periods of
church architecture (especially Romanesque and Renaissance) which
also borrowed the Roman arch.
At the end of the nave (the large central area of a church interior),
Early Christian churches included an unusual architectural feature
with a great deal of symbolic and cultural significance. It was a
type of triumphal arch. For a long time, Romans had been building
large freestanding outdoor arches, called triumphal arches, to
commemorate Roman military victories. The Arch of Titus, below,
commemorates the Roman army’s defeat of a Jewish uprising
in Jerusalem and the
destruction of the Temple
of the Jews in 70 AD. The
Early Christians in Rome
Arch of Titus, dedicated 74 AD, Rome
turned this symbol of war into
a new symbol of love and peace
by placing large triumphal
Triumphal arch of St. Joseph’s
arches around the altars of
basilica plan churches, including the original St. Peter’s and the
best preserved example of an Early Christian basilica church, Santa
Sabina, above. To quote the textbook I used at FSCJ, “The altar
and apse of Old Saint Peter’s were framed by a huge triumphal arch
– a regular architectural element of Early Christian basilicas. The
architects thus transformed the meaning of the Roman triumphal
arch from the emperor’s triumph to that of Christ” (Adams,
Art Across Time). The architects of St. Joseph’s also used a large
triumphal arch to frame our altar, linking us directly to our history
as a Church. We, as the body of Christ, are still in the battle to
spread the triumph of Christ to the world. Let’s resolve to join the
battle every time we look at the altar of our beloved St. Joseph’s.
13
Respect Life
EASTER 2015
14
Respect-Life Committee News
MARCH FOR LIFE 2015 – The March for Life in St. Augustine was a
great success. Several thousand people
from parishes throughout Florida and
Georgia converged on St. Augustine this
past January 17 to demonstrate against
abortion. The streets were packed
with demonstrators carrying signs and
banners – some groups singing hymns
and some praying Rosaries. The Knights
of Columbus in Regalia led the way and
then lined the entrance to the plaza in
front of the Cathedral. What a sight
for all the people visiting St. Augustine.
What a great message for them to take home.
ROSE PROCESSION – Peggy Truss organized forty-two people at each Mass
on Sunday, January 17, to form the annual Rose Procession. Immediately
following the offertory, each person processed down the center aisle of the
church and placed a rose at the foot of the altar. Of course, this event gets
longer each year, and it gets to be more and
more difficult for Peggy to fill each slot.
Thank you to all who were willing take
part in this procession. Many people have
been touched, and who knows how many
hearts changed. The Rose Procession isn’t
about cute kids processing to the altar; at
forty-two years since Roe v. Wade, most
are now adults. This event is to remind
us of the great loss of life abortion has
cost us. We need to keep in mind the
thousands who die every year just here in
Jacksonville and, through prayer, votes, and pro-life activities, try to bring an
end to this slaughter. Thanks again Peggy.
STAND FOR LIFE – On January 22, several hundred pro-life demonstrators
spent an hour walking around the Federal Courthouse protesting the 1973
Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. We enjoyed the
company of Bishop Estévez along with religious from around the city.
Father Thanh led a group of forty St. Joseph’s parishioners. Each year we
park at the Kings Avenue skyway station and ride the skyway across the river.
Hemming park plaza station is just across the street from the courthouse, so
we had no worries about parking, and the skyway is free, not counting our
tax dollars.
40 DAYS FOR LIFE – The Spring 2015
vigil ran from February 18 to March 29 on
the sidewalk in front of A Woman’s Choice
4131 University Blvd. South. This is the
same location the respect-life committee
pickets every Saturday morning. The 40
Days for Life vigil took place daily from
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thank you to all
who participated this year and we hope
others will consider this event next year. For
more information, look to the 40 Days for
Life website at https://40daysforlife.com/local-campaigns/jacksonville/.
Respect-Life Committee
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
Jacksonville, Florida
www.sjrl.com
Russ
Tooke
The Respect-Life Update is a free monthly newsletter.
If you would like to subscribe, contact the committee
at [email protected] or call Russ and Carron Tooke at
268-3349.
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
15
My Hope is in the Cross
T
By Patrick Kinnare
he Passion of our Lord provides for the
but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said,
contemplative mind an infinite source of material
‘Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly
by which, the human, with use of heart and mind,
power.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you,
may assume into the soul the perfect manifestation
today you will be with me in Paradise.’”i Whether
of Love. In this series of actions, which unraveled
in accord with justice or not, we have all been the
within the confines of the temporal, we come to
receiving victim of suffering. Our response can
see the transcendent qualities of a God who is, by
manifest in two possible manners: one, a lashing
nature, Love, Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. The
out with anger, bitterness, and desperation; the
Passion brings into the realm of time the gift of
second, humble acceptance couched in a peaceful
eternity. In the actions of Christ on the Cross, the
and patient endurance of the reality surrounding us.
love which first brought forth creation, now in a
manner seemingly vacant of all goodness and joy,
The first thief who joined in the mockery of Christ
recreates, redeems, and supplies
could not, and would not, accept
meaning to all human pain and
the due punishment for his crime.
suffering. Through the Passion,
According to the confession of
God enters into a profound
the good thief, these outlaws were
solidarity with the human soul.
receiving justice according to the law
In the often debilitating and
of their time and place. The wicked
seemingly meaningless afflictions
thief, however, remained impenitent;
of grief, anguish, and pain, is now
he used the last breaths of his earthly
found a God who loves enough to
existence to deny the truth of his life.
suffer those same toils. The Cross
Did he rationalize all his evil away?
becomes the means by which we
Was his conscience so malformed
experience a love which is eternal,
and distorted that the most base and
a love which is enduring, and a love
primal passions of the human person
from which all lesser loves derive.
were all that remained in his troubled
The vision of our God upon the
soul? In the wicked thief, we see
Cross breaks down the walls of
manifested chaos, despair, a violent
the finite and temporal, which
lashing out, and ultimately the loss of
Hans von Tübingen, Crucifixion, 1430
themselves keep the human soul
all hope.
from experiencing its true destiny. The Crucified
One brings into view a reality which is infinite in
The good thief, on the contrary, reveals to us the
nature, a reality which promises to satisfy the longing
proper manner in which the human soul ought
each soul has for perfect and complete happiness.
to receive suffering. The good thief, through the
The promise of redemption is assured and valid due
movements of grace, opened his heart and mind to
to the infallible nature of the One offering the gift,
truth. He accepted the truth of his life, his actions,
yet the gift remains in the category of the “not yet.”
and his due punishment. More importantly, he
The gift, eternal beatitude, is the goal of striving and
came to see the absolute and first Truth which was
is sought firmly with the virtuous quality of hope.
nailed to a cross besides him. Our Lord, through
the mystery of grace, whispered to his heart the
Hope is that mysterious virtue which sustains
saving truth of His Passion. The good thief saw how
countless souls who have experienced the suffocating
the truly just man, the righteous man, the man of
exhaustion of sin and suffering. This virtue carries
God handles suffering and intuitively knew the only
and comforts what, for many souls, is the seemingly
choice for him, a sinner, was to accept the fate he
endless gauntlet of despair known as life. Hope is that
justly deserved. In the acceptance of the reality of
one virtue which drives the heart to keep grasping for
his life, he found a certain liberation, and this new
not only the lesser goods of human life but ultimately
found freedom burst forth from his lips in the form
for the source of all good, God Himself.
of prayer. The good thief sought only that our Lord
remember him. The hope of the good thief was to be
The sacred pages of the New Testament record
remembered, yet in the over abundance of goodness
the famous dialogue between our Lord and a pair
which is intrinsic of God, the good thief received the
of thieves. This dialogue in concise fashion reveals
promise of eternal beatitude.
to us hope in action and its contrary vice, despair.
“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at
In his work, Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two, Pope
him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself
Benedict briefly discusses this encounter and states,
and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do
“Of the two men crucified with Jesus, only one joins
you not fear God, since you are under the same
in the mockery; the other grasps the mystery of Jesus.
sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly,
He knows and sees that the nature of Jesus’ ‘offense’
for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds;
was quite different – that Jesus was nonviolent. And
now he sees that this man crucified beside him truly
makes the face of God visible; he is truly God’s Son.”ii
The dilemma of evil which all humans experience
in varying degrees is roundly solved through the
paradox of the Cross. In the Cross, evil and suffering
are not eradicated, but rather they are embraced and
become the means by which the Divine and human
enter into a more profound and substantial mode of
relation. It is precisely when we suffer intensely that
we cry out for God. God, through the Cross, brings
the joy of the eternal into the temporal. He comes
to meet us and sustain us precisely where and when
we need Him the most. The vision of our suffering
ought to be that of our Crucified Lord. The goal
of our striving sustained by hope ought to be our
eternal home. Our Lord is with us constantly. He
is calling us all to be with Him in perpetuity, yet
the journey over Calvary is arduous and inevitable.
A simple glance around will show many souls who
have lost hope, many souls who have been crushed
by the trials of life. These souls have lost sight of the
goal of their striving; for many the reality of heaven
is no longer a reality. When we divorce Christ from
the Cross, the one thing which gave the trials and
tribulations of life meaning, loses its efficacy. Christ
came to suffer. His Cross with Him upon it is the
North Star by which our course into eternity is set
and guided. Hope keeps us focused upon that Star.
Life presents countless other stars, many seemingly
to shine much brighter than the perceived scandal
of a Crucified Messiah, but their inner darkness is
eventually revealed, and their inability to satisfy and
guide come to the surface.
No person knows the fullness of the trials their Calvary
has in store for them; nonetheless, trials and suffering
are imminent. Prayer prepares the heart for hardship;
Hope sustains the heart through the turbulent seas
of life. Christ Crucified is the enduring witness and
example of how our God is good and His loving
embrace will outshine any darkness. Lent is a proper
time wherein to return our focus to the Cross. Lent
is the season in which our priorities ought to return
to that of the eternal. Perhaps the conversion and
prayer of the good thief is a worthy meditation this
year which will help all of us recognize our need to
further surrender and accept the crosses our Lord has
allowed to enter our lives. Let His hope become ours,
and may this hope sustain each of us as we journey
together into Paradise.
Written in grateful dedication to a fellow Christian
pilgrim who has been a beacon of hope and source
of strength.
Luke 23:39-43, Ignatius Study Bible
Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011) pg. 212
i
ii
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
16
ST. AUGUSTINE DIOCESE
Leaders in the “New Evangelization”
B
rad Wente doesn’t
like to talk about it. He’s
a bit embarrassed by the
Peter A.
way he used to live his
Casella
life. Raised in a devout
Catholic family and
educated in parochial
schools, he had become a Christmas Catholic,
putting the tenets of his faith
in his pocket while living by
the tenets of what he called a
relativist, secular culture.
“You let the world work on
you,” Wente recalled, “and
sooner or later you’re not going
to church and you just put God
on the shelf.”
The Second Vatican Council actually issued
the call for this “new evangelization” 50 years
ago. However, the many other changes and
reforms instituted by the council pushed
evangelization to the back burner. Vatican II’s
Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People stated
all Catholics are responsible for promoting
our faith. It interprets the term “church” as the
Apostles did – not as a parish
building or hierarchy of clergy,
but a community of disciples.
In short, “church” is “us.”
Fast-forward to the 21st
century. Catholics did not
see evangelization as being
a significant factor in their
faith. One survey of American
Catholics showed only six
percent believed evangelization
was important. For American
Protestants, that figure was 75
percent.
Wente, a St. Joseph’s parishioner,
is a husband, father, and an
engineer by trade. Like most
people, he was not open to St. Joseph’s parishioner Brad Wente says
change. Human nature dictates he had a change of heart about his faith
only when a close friend said he no longer
that our comfort zones are far believed in the Church or the Eucharist.
Shortly after his election, Pope
more – well, comfortable – than
Francis issued his five-chapter
risking the unknown. It took a dear friend’s
document Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium),
repudiation of his own Catholicism for Wente
urging the faithful to make evangelization a
to realize the value of his faith.
priority. Francis writes, “Every Christian is
challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged
“He said, ‘You know, I don’t believe in the Catholic
in evangelization.” In accordance with the pope,
Church, and I don’t believe the Eucharist is the
the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, in its
Body of Christ,’” Wente recalled. “I was not
2013-2016 Strategic Plan, calls on clergy and
prepared for that. I looked at him, and it was like
congregation to engage the new evangelization
looking at myself.” Wente says it was his “road to
as an opportunity to “turn back to Jesus and
Damascus” moment which brought him back to
enter into a deeper relationship with him.”
active membership in the church.
Although his friend was the catalyst, Wente
may not have recognized that the example
set by the many active Catholics in his life
set the foundation which left him open to
his change of heart. Their examples were
the type of evangelization Pope Francis has
made a cornerstone of his papacy. This “new
evangelization” initiative is promoted by the
Vatican and embraced by dioceses worldwide. In
the United States, the Diocese of St. Augustine
is the first to adopt a new evangelization effort,
and parishioners from St. Joseph’s are among
the first to join.
In his Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis wrote that
Catholics should spread the good news of the Gospel to believers
and non-believers alike.
In our diocese, Bishop Felipe Estévez has made
the new evangelization his first priority. More
accurately, he learned evangelization was the
top priority of the people of the diocese – the
church – during the series of listening sessions
he conducted shortly after his installation in June
2011. He believes the effort must begin with our
families at home and in our parish families.
“We are a family,” Estévez asserted. “Because we
are a family, we have to act like a family.”
The bishop says this means actively welcoming
into our home churches visitors and even fellow
parishioners we may have seen for years in the
pews but never bothered to learn their names or
even say hello.
“It’s like being a stranger when we are family,”
Estévez said. “If people don’t feel welcome, we
risk losing them. They will go once to another
church and they will be treated nicely and
they will switch, because all of a sudden they
discover a family or a sense of community that
was very warm.”
The bishop also took two major steps on the
diocesan level. One was inviting the secondhighest
official
in
the
Vatican’s
new
evangelization
office
to address clergy and
lay ministry leaders
last
February
7-8.
Archbishop José Octavio
Ruiz Arenas, secretary of
the Pontifical Council Archbishop Octavio Ruiz
for Promoting the Arenas, second in command
the Vatican’s Pontifical
New
Evangelization, of
Council
for
Promoting
established by Pope the New Evangelization,
Benedict XVI in June said during a Mass in
“Pope Francis
2010, told the gathering Jacksonville,
has invited every single
a greater dedication to person to play a special role in
spreading the faith is evangelization.”
desperately needed.
“The world has dragged everyone into
secularism,” he said. “God is presented as a
useless hypothesis. Man doesn’t know what to
do with his life. We are only trying to satisfy
our desires.”
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
“There is no ‘new’ in the content of the New
Evangelization,” Ruiz continued, “but rather, a
newness in our attitude and approach to it.”
Ruiz cited the 2012 Arab Spring revolutions in
the Middle East in suggesting digital networks
and social media be used as modern tools to
spread the Gospel. He also called for a focus on
youth, identifying young people as the present,
not just the future of the Church.
brokenness in our parish that we don’t reach
out to. There’s a lot of misunderstanding of the
Church. And there’s a lot impacting the lives
of Catholics that move them away from the
Church little by little.”
Noting that the greatest commandment is to
love God and love each other, Fr. Thanh said
we are called to love people “where they are.”
That means, he said, going back to the core
of the Gospel. To illustrate his point, he gave
an example that challenged three
different parishioners during his
first year as pastor. All three had
received invitations from family
members to attend weddings – gay
weddings – and asked Fr. Thanh if
they should attend.
Estévez’s
second
major
step to nurture the new
evangelization is a training
initiative for lay leaders. He
contracted with the Catholic
Leadership Institute (CLI)
of Wayne, Penn., for the
training. This past January, St.
Joseph’s became one of seven
The parishioners saw the
parishes in the diocese to
invitations as a moral dilemma.
participate in CLI’s year-long
Fr. Thanh told them they
Parish Missionary Disciples
were actually opportunities to
initiative. Five lay members
demonstrate the power of the
of the parish have joined Fr.
greatest commandment.
Thanh Nguyen, pastor, and Bishop Felipe Estévez, celebrating Mass at
Dcn. Kevin Boudreaux in St. Joseph’s with Dcn. Kevin Boudreaux, says Fr. Thanh said he told one of
Catholics must reach beyond their comfort
honing skills in prayer, sharing zone to reach non-active Catholics.
the three, “If you want to go the
the Gospel with others,
wedding or not, it’s up to you. But
sharing the stories of their own faith journeys
if you stay home and have hostility against your
with others, and helping others along their own
(relative), then you are a sinner. If you go to
faith journeys, creating the beginnings of a ripple
the wedding and you show your love, that is the
effect throughout the parish.
witness to the Truth.”
17
society – prostitutes who sold their bodies and
their human dignity, and the extortionist tax
collectors who collaborated with Rome, the
superpower that occupied their nation.
These prostitutes and tax collectors were real
people, not fictional characters whose lives were
sanitized by the Gospel writers. What might
their lives have been like if Jesus put judgment
before love? What if Jesus – Son of God who
loves unconditionally – had insisted they first
amend their lives as a condition for breaking
bread with them? By demonstrating his love
right from the beginning, Jesus set the example
for our own evangelization efforts.
Parishioner Brad Wente risked change and is
now determined to live his life as an example
of the Gospels. He has become active is parish
organizations – Christ Renews His Parish, the
Knights of Columbus, RCIA as a sponsor – but
his greatest transformation is his attitude with
others.
“I describe it as having a more pastoral tone,”
Wente said. “I think people appreciate that a lot
more. And it’s a great feeling for me to push
back some of the misunderstandings that exist.”
In other words, Wente is now setting the same
type of example that led to his own renewal,
hoping others will now benefit. It’s the ripple
effect of the new evangelization.
Barbara Eckert, a senior leadership consultant
with CLI, says Catholic dogma is a small part
of the initiative. The most important part, she
says, is showing others “who we are” by the way
Catholics live their lives.
“We hope that, in these parishes, there’ll be a
new breath of what it means to be a Catholic,”
Eckert said. “And, along with all that beauty, try
to let people know we’re Catholic in a way that’s
highly invitational and approachable.”
St. Augustine was the first diocese to adopt the
initiative. Miami, Los Angeles, St. Louis and
Tulsa followed. The six other local parishes are
Christ the King, San Juan del Rio, St. Anastasia,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton, St. Matthew, and St.
Paul in Riverside. Fr. Thanh said he accepted
Bishop Estévez’s invitation despite the fact
that, on the surface, St. Joseph’s is an unusually
vibrant and active parish.
“But if you look deeper, you will see a deep
problem,” Fr. Thanh said. “There’s a lot of
Fr. Thanh Nguyen hopes the Parish Missionary Disciples initiative
will help address the stagnation, secularism, and brokenness so
many Catholics are experiencing in today’s society.
“If people believe it’s a sign of acceptance of
gay marriage,” Fr. Thanh continued, “simply
say ‘No, it’s a sign of love.’ Go to the wedding.
Don’t judge. Just love, because love is our
greatest testimony.”
Fr. Thanh cited Gospel stories to punctuate
his point that Catholics should love
unconditionally. He noted that Jesus socialized
with those judged the worst sinners in his own
Peter Casella has been a member of St. Joseph’s parish
since 1985. You can read his writings about his Catholic
faith and leave your own comments and observations
at http://ourcatholicheart.blogspot.com/.
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
Following Jesus
Holy Spirit
By Barbara Crawford
T
hroughout the past forty days of Lent,
beginning with Ash Wednesday, I have been
attempting to be “present” to it all: reading
scripture, praying, and listening to God’s words
in my life. I don’t recall anything dramatic, just
a gentle “follow me,” help minister to the world.
As Christians, this is everyone’s mission, not just
the ordained. We are Jesus’ face in our world.
We provide a “warm” welcome in church. Our
hands give food to the hungry through the food
bank. Our prayers and monthly protests outside
abortion clinics can and do save babies lives.
Volunteer work is everywhere: Ministers, of the
Eucharist, Lectors, choir members, Ministers of
Hospitality, Sacristans, etc, Together we form a
community, a people of God. Easter is a time
of great rejoicing, “HE IS RISEN!” He lives
through our daily life by our following His
example. This knowledge is our challenge to
take up our daily cross and follow Jesus. As I
write, I am seeking guidance. Where do I fit into
this plan? I am just a “dew drop” in an ocean
of pain and suffering. My contribution seems
so infinitesimal, and inadequate, yet I know my
small deeds add to the benefit of others, as do
yours. I think we often tend to grow discouraged
as we feel powerless in our city, church, state,
and nation; it often appears as if our views are
not heard, or if they are heard, little measurable
change results from our efforts. I’m sure I am
not the only one to be told, “Who do you think
you are to question us?” I, like you, am a child
of God, just trying to follow Jesus’ example and
find my way home to Heaven. If I fail to voice
my faith, that’s what I will be held responsible
for; not for being quiet and meek, but for not
raising questions and seeking solutions to the
issues of our day. Perhaps my voice will never
be heard, but I feel I have to continue to try.
Perhaps one day someone in authority will hear
the cry of the poor, lonely, and disenfranchised
and affect change. I believe this to be Jesus’
message: make the world a better place by your
being here, and be a gift to others.
18
By Georgia MacLean
D
o people really communicate with the Holy Spirit? I don’t know for sure,
but lately I have been having thoughts come to me out of the blue. These
thoughts just pop into my mind uninvited, with words I have never thought of.
Many of these are solutions to problems and have come to me when I didn’t
know the problem.
Case in point: As I was sitting in the chapel this week, I looked up at the Lord’s
Prayer etched in the glass window above the altar and, while reading the prayer,
I thought, “Something is not right.” I reread the prayer and it seemed like it was
right. “Why am I having this feeling?” I asked myself as I was praying.
When I got home, I took out my bible to find the passage where Jesus teaches
the disciples how to pray. I didn’t remember where it was, but I found it in both
the gospel of Matthew (6:9-14) and the gospel of Luke (11:2-4).
Jesus started the prayer, “Our Father,” which seems to indicate he is referring to
“His” father (God) as well as “our” Father. In several places, he also refers to
God as His father. He definitely said “Our” Father not “My,” or “Your,” Father.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this
cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39).
As Jesus was dying on the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not
what they do” (Luke 23:34).
I have a friend whose sister and husband were returning from a holiday in South
Florida. It was late at night, and when they stopped for a red light, a huge semi
ran into the back of the car. The family had various injuries, but the husband
had brain damage and was thought to be permanently impaired. We all started
to pray for him. One night, my friend prayed for his recovery and added, “If he
can’t be cured, please give my sister the strength to bear it.” The sister became
very upset and said, “No, No, you don’t understand. I am praying he gets well
and is just as he was.”
I was thinking, “Now she is trying to tell God what to do.” But then she said,
“Jesus promised.” It was then I realized she was the only one in the room who
really had faith. And, you know what? He did get well, just as she asked and
believed.
Now, when I pray, I feel as if Jesus is praying with me to the Father in heaven as
I say the Our Father. It is most comforting because Jesus also said, “Whatever
you ask in my name will be given to you.” I am sure the Father will give it. At
any rate, I am never alone now.
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
I
19
Parish Bulletin Announcement Rankings
venture to say the most important bulletin announcement on any
given week is our Mission Statement. It’s a perfect spiritual map for our
journey through life and a source for endless and fruitful quiet reflection.
Today, it gives me some ideas for this Reflections publication. Our Mission
Statement is a clear call to holiness and mission. Holiness references our
personal relationship with the Lord and his teachings. Mission references
our proclaiming the Lord and his teachings to the world.
In its infancy, the Church was known simply as “The Way.” St. Paul is
quoted as using the term as he spoke of his persecution activities prior to
his conversion in Acts 22:4, “ I persecuted this Way to death, binding
both men and women and delivering them to prison.”
The Mediterranean world, in the early days of the
first millennium, was not an environment of easy
living. Yet, “The Way” survived and thrived. Plain
and simple, the Lord was at work, as he is today.
It should not surprise us the emphasis was not so
much on powerful theological presentation as on
a Spirit-filled daily living of this message. Charity
and sacramental fellowship became shining lights
in a brutal world. This tiny messianic sect taking
Tom
shape on the outer limits of the powerful Roman
Empire promoted love over disdain, neglect, and
Kelly
hatred. There were no exceptions. The slave, the
prisoner, the foreigner, and the sick were brothers
and sisters in the Lord. “The Way” was indifferent to ethnicity, race,
and civil status. Yes, the doctrine of “The Way” also made far more
sense than the many cults of the Roman gods, but it was the Christian
example of living the doctrine and inviting fellowship to all which made
a compelling difference. “The Way” moved from periphery to center,
and even to recognition by the Emperor Constantine, and is alive, well,
and growing today.
Our Parish Mission Statement is in perfect alignment with the past
and effectively points the road to the future. The focal point is Jesus
Christ. Two words say it all: holiness and mission. Holiness is essentially
embracing the Lord and his gift of spiritual wellbeing, without
reservation, through sacrament and prayer. Mission is a step further by
publicly living in every aspect of our lives what we embrace and, by this
example, creating a compelling invitation to come and fully participate
in “The Way.” The Mission Statement speaks of “reaching our full
potential through growth in the knowledge and image of Christ” and
“proclaiming boldly the Word of God” and “through outreach supports
and ministers to the community at large.”
Baptisms and receptions, like on this Holy Saturday evening at St.
Joseph’s, do not just happen. They happen because we are faithful to our
responsibility of invitation to those outside the family of the Church.
The person of our attention might be spouse, family member, neighbor,
friend, or stranger. Next to the ever vibrant inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, our most effective tool will be our living example.
Hosios Loukas, Harrowing of Hell, Greece, 11th century
ASK FATHER
Prior to the beginning of Saturday
evening and Sunday Masses, the lights
over the Tabernacle area are turned off
and the decorative gates separating
that area from the main church are closed. Why
is this so?
When we enter church before Mass, the focal
point is always the Eucharist present in the
tabernacle. The ornate gates are wide open. The
lights in this small area are on full beam. The
lighting in the main area is in dim mode. In
quiet prayer and meditation, we are very conscious of the
Real Presence.
What is about to happen as Mass begins calls for a change
in our focus. The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of
the Eucharist are most worthy of our full attention and
participation. The lighting in the main body of the church
turns to full mode. The lights turning off and the closing of the
ornamental gates symbolize this change in focus. Yes, it is the
one God, but his communication methods are multi media.
At Mass, his communication will be through the Liturgy of
the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Lord will
again be present on the altar with the words of consecration
and with us in our reception of him in Communion. In
the human condition, all of this would truly be beyond us
without our best focus and his divine inspiration.
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
20
Miracle by the Hands of Saint Padre Pio
I
was born in Italy in a small town
near Rome. When I was in my last year
of high school, my father promised me
and my sister that he would take us to
spend a weekend in Napoli if we were
promoted with high grades to our first
year of college. At the end of the school
year, and to the great joy of my parents,
Igino
we were promoted with straight A’s.
My father kept his promise and, at the
Di Paolo
beginning of July 1950, we traveled
by train to Napoli. The trip took two
hours, but it was a very memorable two hours.
On the train, my mother and I sat together while my
father and sister sat together. Seated
directly across from my mother
and I was a young lady and her sixyear-old daughter. My mother was
complimenting the little girl’s beauty
when the girl’s mother spoke of how
her daughter was alive due to Padre
Pio. The lady proceeded to tell her
daughter’s story.
The daughter, Silvana, had been
gravely ill due to kidney failure. The
mother had taken her daughter to see
many specialist and had even gone
to Bologna to see the best doctors in
Europe, but they all gave her the same
news. Silvana had only three months to
live. The young mother was becoming
more disheartened with each day that
passed but continued her search for a
doctor who could provide hope.
At the beginning of the third month, the mother read an
article in the newspaper about Padre Pio curing people. The
young lady was not Catholic and initially did not believe
this to be possible. Meanwhile, Silvana was getting worse.
She wasn’t eating and was losing weight. Out of desperation,
the mother decided to seek out Padre Pio. She left her small
apartment in Milano and set off with her daughter on the
long trip to Pietrelcina, a little town near Napoli where Padre
Pio’s church was located. The mother was reluctant to travel
so far with her sick child but felt she was out of options.
After two days of travel on the train, her daughter became
extremely fatigued and slept constantly. The young mother
was worried they wouldn’t be able to continue the trip but,
on the fourth day, they had finally arrived in Pietrelcina.
Hours later, they reached Padre Pio’s church to attend Mass.
The church was small with space for only 500 people so
hundreds of people were standing outside and there was
no place for the two to sit. The doors of the church were
propped open to allow the people outside to just barely see
the altar at which Padre Pio was to celebrate Mass.
After twenty minutes of waiting, Padre Pio approached the
altar; however, instead of starting Mass, he walked slowly out
to the street and came straight to Silvana and her mother to
welcome them. The mother was shocked. She had never seen
him before, but he acted as if he had known them both for
years. The young mother told Padre Pio of Silvana’s illness,
and he proceeded to inform the worried mother that the
girl would be fine. Then he held both their hands and said
a prayer. Before he finished praying,
the mother and daughter felt a kind of
electric shock that almost caused them
to fall over in the street. The shock
only lasted a few seconds. After the
prayer was finished, Padre Pio kissed
the little girl’s head and went to the
altar to celebrate Mass.
The young mother said she would
never forget that experience for as
long as she lived. She would also never
forget Padre Pio’s half gloved hands,
hiding his bleeding palms.
After leaving the church, they went
back home. The next day, the girl
started eating and, by the fifth day,
she was eating all the time. Silvana
insisted on going back to school, so the
mother was thrilled. About two weeks
later, the mother received calls from a
few of the doctors, reluctant to ask of the little girl’s current
condition. They all seemed pleasantly stunned to hear of the
improvement. An appointment was made for the little girl
to have an x-ray and, to the astonishment of the doctors, the
results showed two healthy and fully functioning kidneys, as
if they were brand new.
The mother, who did not initially believe in him nor in
Catholic prayers, was elated and said a prayer for Padre Pio.
The young mother explained to us that the purpose for
their current train ride with us was to bring Silvana back
to Padre Pio and thank him, to tell him she believed and
had become Catholic.
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
21
“Lent . . . Time to Ponder Anew!”
W
By Sr. Andrea Zbiegien, SFCC/D.Min
e can truly ponder God’s love for
us . . . our love for God, especially when we
open our hearts, souls, and minds to our
Creator who consistently wants to shower
us with many blessings. God wants nothing
more than to grace us, so we can develop our
fullest potential. God wants us to become our
very best for all eternity.
These 40 days of Lent are a great time to focus
on two things: What gets in the way of being
my best each day? What do I need to do to
cooperate with my Creator to become my best?
After all, when I meet my Maker, I will not be
compared with anyone else.
The Lord Jesus tells us emphatically, “Ask,”
adding an assurance: “You shall receive!” “Seek,
you shall find!” “Knock! It shall be opened!”
(Matthew 7:7-8). He doesn’t impose on us; the
Lord consistently extends invitations, awaiting
our response and gracing us to do so.
How often have you been working on
something and a good idea comes out of the
blue? “Wow!” you think, “That ought to work
well in this . . .” How do you really think God
communicates with you? I often find when I
pray, the Lord puts me right in the middle of
the solution, of the answer I am seeking in
prayer. Why else do people say, “Be careful
what you pray for!”
Don’t you think Lent is a good time to focus on
growing, on deepening a personal relationship
with God? By setting special time for a daily
devotional, for Bible reading, and for silent
listening, the inner self is strengthened. As
God says through Paul, “May the God of peace
himself make you perfectly holy and may you
entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved
blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” We need to be readied to take on life’s
challenges. “The One who calls you is faithful”
(I Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Keep it simple. Ponder the Word. See how
the Word of God resonates with your world
of concerns and responsibilities. Bounce it
off your memories, ideas, and interactions
with others. The weeks of Lent provide many
moments to begin new spiritual approaches;
to take time with God Who eagerly awaits our
response and loves us dearly. Speaking through
the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says: “You are
precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I
love you” (Isaiah 43:4).
GRANDMA’S CORNER
By Barbara Crawford (a.k.a. Me-Ma Crawford)
S
pringtime brings thoughts of new
beginnings – Lent, nice weather, and of course
Easter itself. As a grandparent, I think of the
Easter bunny and baskets filled with candy
and toys and the like, but my thoughts are
also focused on the true meaning of Easter:
Jesus’ death and Resurrection. I wonder
how to get the true meaning of Easter across
to my grandchildren and others without
overwhelming them. Mostly, I tend to teach
them by example. I try to live the messages
of scripture, such as the Beatitudes and works
of mercy, and to love them and their parents
unconditionally. As we celebrate Easter, let us
try to get past the “bunny” and focus on the
true meaning and its implications for our lives.
Sr. Andrea
Zbiegien
SFCC/D.MIN
“Ponder Anew . . . 2015”
Our world
screams out
in deep distress!
Can we go about
As if nothing
Is really amiss?
A tangle
of tree limbs
Reflects sun’s
dawning light . . .
morning news
echoes torment’s
Tangled atrocities
passing night . . .
Awakening
How can we conjure up
Prayerful response?
Trying our best
Drawn from God’s Grace
To “ponder anew
What the Almighty can do!”
Let us listen
To the Voice of God
Let us discern God’s will here . . .
Here . . .
Here!
Lenten reflective prayer attempt
After word of Coptic Christians
Martyred by ISIS men in Black
February, 2015
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
I
22
Powerful Blood
awoke and rose up to go into my bathroom. There, in my
doorway, stood a petite woman clad in early 1900s attire. Too
sleepy to be afraid, I just stared, trying to figure who she was.
Her big eyes suggested my mother who passed a
year earlier, but the parted hairstyle of two side buns
confirmed another being I’d never met: my maternal
grandmother, Julia Desdemona Woods. Neither of us
spoke. She just stood getting a good look at me before
turning around and heading out.
Upon fully awakening about three hours later, I
thought about this ethereal visit and began to wonder
why I received such an honor. I’m assured it was
Julia, for she wore a lace white blouse and colorful
handkerchief skirt. Her small head was partly
covered with a lace white handkerchief, matching
the blouse. As most do nowadays, I consulted the
internet under 1917 Fashions.
It stunned me how popular the handkerchief skirt
and lace blouse were in that time! The hairstyle
for long hair was parting it down the middle
and affixing a bun on each side! I was stunned,
but joyous. I concluded Julia was approving the
manuscript I started featuring her “Words” for the Florida
Historical Archives.
At about 2:30 a.m. on January 3, 1917, my
grandmother, Julia, went into labor. She gave birth
to her third child, my mother, around 4:00 a.m. that
morning. The mid-wife, according to the family,
was sleepy-headed and probably made mistakes. In
12 days, 23-year-old Julia Desdemona Woods was
gone. Forever.
turn-around, would say, “Julia, your baby is crying!” But Julia
responded each time: “You mean our baby is crying.”
Little Julia Elouise was raised by her maternal grandmother, an
ardent warrior for Jesus Christ. At Easter, Christmas,
St. Valentine’s, and Thanksgiving, this tenacious yearround fighter glorified the Lord and instilled this
virtue in Julia’s children.
She was determined not to let her die in vain.
I believe the attire I saw Julia in was her “shroud,”
perhaps quickly made by her mother, a great
seamstress, or simply a favorite compliment of the
Taltons, who ran the general store in Anthony, FL.
Elouise Talton is the namesake of the newborn girl.
Every year, long before my confirmation, I reflected
on a young Jesus (only 10 years older than Julia) an
innocent Lamb, bleeding to death. The night after He
had supper with fellow apostles, He sweated blood in
Gethsemane while praying as well as at the hands of
the Temple’s arresting soldiers.
By Friday morning, the precious savior had suffered
lacerations around His body and head. The powerful cleansing
blood is flowed and dispersed onto onlookers. Then He was
forced to carry a humongous cross to Calvary upon
which He would die. He shed blood for hours. Simon
helped, but Jesus bore the bulk of this heavy load, while
still bleeding.
How did He do it?
God His father was with Him
God His almighty father was one with Him all the time.
My petite grandmother was a brilliant young woman
His blood, the very life force, shed slowly, steadily to
who had many ambitions. She worked hard and
save us from sin for centuries to come. This powerful
Gwendolyn
bought a used Chickering organ from a well-to-do
blood trickled down and covered 1893 to 1917. In
couple in Ocala, FL. Julia taught herself how to play Elouise
her 23 years, Julia knew the Lord surrounded her. She
it. Before long, she played for the Baptist church and
did not mind dying, for she knew her babies were in
Butler
choir. She was said to have been very religious, always
Good hands.
showing great reverence for Christ and His words.
She was very strict about Christian education. From
Jesus’ blood is still trickling, and always will.
what mother told me, Julia was not as talkative as others in the
family. However, when she spoke, it was profound.
According to medical science, it was a miracle that little
Elouise survived. But she did – for 92 years. And one of the
On her deathbed, the young Julia was in deep exhaustion
most profound messages she taught us was: “Don’t let Jesus
from constant blood loss. Her mother, however, in hope for a
bleed in vain!”
Focus on Faith
EASTER 2015
W
Help Me to Understand the Magnitude of Your Love
hat a glorious act it is to receive
communion; Jesus is present in the Eucharist!
When I receive communion, I pray, “Thank
you Jesus for allowing me to receive you in Holy
Communion. Please help me to understand the
magnitude of your love!”
How many times have
we received communion
without giving it a second
thought?
Am I doing
this just because it is the
Catholic thing to do?
Have I failed to love? Am
I in grace with God? Am
I really in grace? Or am I
just receiving communion
so other parishioners don’t
think less of me, a sinner?
B
23
God gave us his only Son so we could have
eternal life! This is the extent and the magnitude
of God’s love for us. So next time you and I
approach communion, think about this. Jesus’
love for us was such that he endured:
• Doubt in his Father
• Humiliation
• Ridicule
• Suffering
• One fall after another
• Stabs to his body
• Scourges to his back
• Being beaten over and over
• Cuts and bruises everywhere
in His body
• The perforation of his scull
with a crown of thorns
Maribel
Guzman
Saving a Life
arbara Booth was born on December 5, 1924, in Jacksonville, Florida.
She first laid eyes on her husband in 1956, and she prayed to God he would
ask her out on a date. A few days later he did, and six months later they
were married.
They started a family soon after they were married and had three beautiful
kids, two girls and a boy. They had everything they wanted and lived a
happy life. When she was forty years old, she found out she was pregnant
with her fourth child. Barbara was angry and she didn’t want this baby
because she thought she was too old. It was a long
hard pregnancy, both physically and emotionally.
Barbara and her husband went to the hospital when
she was in labor. Sixteen hours later, the baby still
wasn’t born. The doctor recommended she have
a therapeutic abortion because the long labor was
risking her life. She refused to abort the baby and
asked the doctor if she could call her family priest,
Father Michael. The priest came and blessed the baby
in the womb. The priest told the doctor they would
not abort the baby and then left to celebrate Mass.
He offered the Mass up for Barbara and the baby and
when the Mass ended, the baby was born. On August
22, 1964, Barbara gave birth to a beautiful baby boy
and named him Michael after the priest.
• His beard being pulled
• Being spit on
• Slapped
• Excruciating pain
• The agony of being nailed to a cross
• Crucifixion!!
• Every last drop of blood
poured out for you and me
• And at the end, a spear
was launched through his ribs
This is the magnitude of God’s love for us! So
next time, before I receive communion, have I
reconciled with Him; am I in grace? Am I able
to love Him back in return for what he did for me
and be eternally grateful?
The Prayer of an Unknown
Confederate Soldier
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humble to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
Isabella
Horning
Michael brought great joy to Barbara and their family. He grew to be a big
boy, standing 6’ 2” and weighing 180 pounds, and was the male athlete
of the year when he graduated high school. Michael currently lives in San
Francisco with his wife and two kids. God truly works in mysterious ways.
I got nothing that I asked for,
But everything I had hoped for . . .
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all people, most richly blessed.
~
Anonymous
Submitted by Richard Stritter
Happenings
EASTER 2015
24
New Parishioners
We are pleased to welcome the following new members of our parish family who registered between November 4, 2014,
and March 3, 2015.
Christian & Shannan Amandi
Ernest & Stella Anthony
Sabine & Sylvester Asiamah
Stephanie Atwell
Christopher &
Francia Baniqued
Susana Benjumea
Kathleen Bigg
Laura Blancato
William & Jennifer Bond
Brian Bosick
Beau & Kelly Bottin
David & Erin Bunuan
Thomas & Dinora Castle
Diana Castro
Mary Ellen Chajkowski
Jackie Chim
David Clark
Anthony Colavito
& Rachel Hirst
Robert Coluccio
Anthony & Gemma Conway
Juan Cordero
& Murela Munoz
Ilario Cunha
Natasha Ducali
Steven & Angie Elias
Drew Envent
& Shelby Spandl
Romeo & Filipina Fernandez
Luis & Brenda
Rodriguez Fidalgo
Michael & Rebecca Filakosky
Michael & Donna Folmar
Marco & Andrea Fortini
Brandon Ghioto
Eric & Karen Glover
Robert & Leslie Grayson
Danniel & Bibiana Grose
Christie Guerrero
& Ryan N Ray
Danielle Hassan
Brandon & Melissa Hipp
Edward Hoak
& Naomi Garcia-Hoak
Valerie Jennings
Michael & Alicia Kivlin
Kim P Lambert
Maricel & Allan Legaspi
Preng & Martine Marku
Barbara Martin
Patrick McCann
Riley & Kelly Minahan
Mark & Marya Monroe
Stations of the Cross & Confession, 7:15 p.m.
(Main Church)
Mar 23 - 26 Parish Mission, 7:00 p.m. (Main Church)
March 25 Parish Penance Service, 7:00 p.m. (Main Church)
March 29
Palm Sunday
Masses: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 12:15 p.m.
(Main Church)
April 2
Holy Thursday
Confession, 5:30 p.m. (Main Church)
Mass of our Lord’s Supper, 7:00 p.m. (Main Church)
April 3
Good Friday
Living Walking Stations of the Cross, 2:45 p.m.
(Rectory Parking Lot)
Confession, 5:30 p.m. (Main Church)
Solemn Liturgical Observance with Holy
Communion, 7:00 p.m. (Main Church)
Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Novena Begins), 8:30 p.m.
(Marian Center)
APRIL
2
3
4
5
8
11
HOLY THURSDAY
SJS Easter Break Begins
GOOD FRIDAY - No School
HOLY SATURDAY
EASTER SUNDAY
PREP Classes Resume
CCW Rummage Sale
MAY
1
2
3
6
9
10
13
First-Friday Healing Mass
PREP 1st Communion
SJS 1st Communion
PREP May Crowning
FFC Family Night
K of C Spaghetti Dinner
Mother’s Day
PREP End-of-Year Banquet
JUNE
April 4
Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil Mass, 8:30 p.m. (Main Church)
2
3
4
5
April 5
Easter Sunday
JULY
Masses: 6:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and
12:15 p.m. (Main Church)
Reminders about Obligations during Lent (from the USCCB):
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are
obligatory days of universal fast and
abstinence. Fasting is obligatory for
all who have completed their 18th
year and have not yet reached their
60th year. Fasting allows a person to
eat one full meal. Two smaller meals
may be taken, not to equal one full
meal. Abstinence (from meat) is
obligatory for all who have reached
their 14th year.
If possible, the fast on Good Friday is
continued until the Easter Vigil (on
Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal
fast” to honor the suffering and death of
the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves
to share more fully and to celebrate
more readily his Resurrection.
Fridays in Lent are obligatory days of
complete abstinence (from meat) for all
who have completed their 14th year.
SOURCE: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-
and-worship/liturgical-resources/lent/
catholic-information-on-lenten-fast-andabstinence.cfm
Juan & Sergia Reyes
Beth Rodgers
Lauren Rodriguez
Carlos & Lilian Rojas
Elizabeth Allen
& Ismael Ruiz
David Schwenn
Bradley & Christina Scott
Winston & Mary Shaeffer
Rozival &
Glenia Sousa Paula
Peter & JoAnne Spisso
Angel Taboada
William Thrower
Loretta Vincentini
John & Susanna Whitford
John & Lisa Williams
James & Lynn Zenone
PARISH CALENDAR
LENTEN/EASTER SCHEDULE
Fridays Phuong Nguyen
Joackim & Theresa Nguyen
Kevin & Ann Nguyen
Ly T Nguyen
& Han M Duong
Nelson & Rosa Obando
Khaled & Amanda Oweis
Jin-Soo & Maio Danielle Park
Jonathan & Brooke Peters
Ioannis & Amanda Polematidis
Leobardo Posadas
& Guadulupe Paz
Enrique & Deborah Prieto
Andrew & Heather Raines
Rolando & Nayda Ramos
Eddy Rejas
& Yasmin Gomez
Nathan & Amanda Reneau
Parish Council Meeting
FCC Family Night
Clay Last Day of School
St. Johns Last Day of School
First-Friday Healing Mass
1 FCC Family Night
3 First-Friday Healing Mass
4 Independence Day
AUGUST
5
7
10
12
FCC Family Night
First-Friday Healing Mass
St. Johns 1st Day of School
SJS 1st Day of School
SEPTEMBER
2 FCC Family Night
4 First-Friday Healing Mass
5 Participation Weekend
12
13
18
19
24
25
27
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
SJS Classes Resume
Men’s CRHP Weekend
Men’s CRHP Weekend
SJS Spring Play
SJS Spring Play
Baptism Seminar
17
18
21
25
27
29
31
Annual Parish Big Breakfast
Baptism Seminar
SJS Pre-K Last Day of School
No School - Memorial Day
SJS 8th Grade Banquet
SJS Last Day of School
SJS 8th Grade Graduation
DOSA Adult Confirmation
Duval Last Day of School
21 Father’s Day
15-19 Vacation Bible School
19 K of C Pulled Pork Drive
22 Baptism Seminar
18 CCW Bunko Night
27 Baptism Seminar
17 Clay 1st Day of School
24 Duval 1st Day of School
Baptism Seminar
6 Participation Weekend
7 No School - Labor Day
Spiritual Director
Father Thanh Nguyen
Editorial Staff
Angela Allala
Roger Lestina
Layout, Design and
Production
Angela Allala
St. Joseph’s Reflections
is the newspaper of
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,
Jacksonville, Florida.
It is published in
celebration of Easter,
Participation Sunday in
September, and Christmas.
The mission of
St. Joseph’s Reflections
is to build community
by informing and educating
parish members, strengthening
the bond between them,
inviting and inspiring their
participation in parish ministries
and activities, and encouraging
and supporting their outreach to
the Jacksonville community.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
11730 St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32258
Phone: (904) 268-5422
Fax: (904) 292-0248
www.stjosephsjax.org
PASTOR:
Rev. Thanh Nguyen
PAROCHIAL VICARS:
Rev. Bernardine Eikhuemelo
Rev. Bernie Ahern