Announcements Announcements

January 2008
Visit us at www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
Newsletter of the Msgr. Henry J. Watterson Council 1711 of the Knights of Columbus, Westfield, New Jersey
CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE
The Time Is Near
By R ev . P au l P r ev o s to
As we hear of the racket of men,
And take notice of the clatter of women,
The time has come to bar the din,
For the Child shouts: the truth will win!
The world is cluttered with violence and indifference
The silence of the good rings louder than bombs.
Shout loud you good so that evil be scattered
No longer heeded; only forgotten.
When the holy blaze devours the peace of the complacent
Then will be known the chaos of matter.
The unholy peace of muteness and ennui must be no more,
The thunder of angels has awakened the dull!
The world has been shocked by God’s own noise.
Man cannot behave as toads on stools
Nor can he play the game of unknowing.
Each one must open his eyes to see
And clear his ears to hear
The call of God’s own Son.
Wake up! Wake up! The time has come for us to heed.
No longer can the world’s distractions be grounds for our inactions.
We must listen beyond the world’s unhallowed clamor
And regard God’s only Voice.
Listen well to the Word made Flesh.
He has come to rid the sloth of our own flesh.
Take action now and be his sons and daughters too,
No longer subjects of this world,
But citizens of Thy Kingdom Come.
A Very Merry Christmas
and a Blessed 2008!
Fr. Paul Prevosto
Christmastide Greetings
from the
KnightLine Staff
Visions of Sugar Plums
Saint Nick paid our Council a visit during the Children’s Christmas Party on
December 9th. The children of our GK Kevin Lsrkin pause for a pose. Can you
recognize the man behind the snowy white beard?
Announcements
The Christmas gift program benefiting the
students at the Union Campus of the NJ
Department of Children and Families Regional
School in Scotch Plains was very successful. We
had a terrific response from the membership
this year, so all children received the two gifts
they requested, and then some. Excess gifts were given to the Holy
Trinity Food Pantry, who distributes the gifts to needy families in
our area and to Catholic welfare agencies and soup kitchens such as
the St. Joseph Social Center in Elizabeth. Through this endeavor,
many needy families experienced the miracle of Christmas. Thank
you for your generosity, and thanks to the many brothers who
stepped up to help with the sorting and delivery of the gifts.
FS Howard Saunders says members will be receiving their bill for
membership shortly. If the last card you received is dated 2006, you
owe dues for 2007 as well as 2008. The 2008 membership cards will
be sent out promptly after receiving payment. If they are any
questions about their status please call Howard at 908-755-7131 or
email him at [email protected].
Congratulations to our newest Honorary Members (65 years of age
and 25 years of service):
Dr. Richard Watson
Robert Tinervin
Paul Stockschlaeder
Martin Sheehy
Andrew Beifus, Jr.
Robert Lee, Jr.
Congratulations to our newest Honorary Life Members (70 years of
age and 25 years of service):
John McCormack
Hank Chisolm
Bernard Fallon
Benny Hasiak
See page 7 for information about the Youth Free Throw Contest.
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
KnightLine
This newsletter is published monthly by and in
the interest of the membership and families of
Msgr. Henry J. Watterson Council 1711, Knights
of Columbus, Westfield, New Jersey.
Editor ………….………..…… Mickey O’Brien, PGK
Advertising …………………. Mickey O’Brien, PGK
…….……..……………...........……..… (908) 654-9647
………………...…..… Email [email protected]
Staff Contributors …………..…… Trish Fitzpatrick
……………………………….…………… Luke Amoroso
…………………………..……………… Kevin Morrissey
………………………….….….… Miguel Pérez-Santalla
……….…….….….. Brother Michael Warren, OMV
COUNCIL OFFICERS
Chaplain
Grand Knight
Financial Secretary
Deputy Grand Knight
Chancellor
Recorder
Treasurer
Warden
Advocate
Inside Guard
Outside Guard
Outside Guard
Trustee 3 Years
Trustee 2 Years
Trustee 1 Year
Lecturer
Rev. Paul Prevosto
Kevin Larkin
Howard Saunders, PGK
George Russo
Dave Ferrell, PCC
Robert Manduca
Glenn Miklencic
Brian Raftery
Michael Margello
Mark Saunders
Ed Dickert
Paul Friel
Fred Malley, PGK
Mike Ruzek, PGK
Carlos Perez-Santalla, PGK
Miguel Perez-Santalla
COLUMBIAN CLUB OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Secretary/Treasurer
Trustee
Trustee
Trustee
Trustee
Richard Edge
KC McDevitt, PGK
James Sadowski, PGK
Neal Bradley
Kenneth Kimble, Sr.
Ron Martins
Michael Locascio
K OF C FRATERNAL BENEFITS
To be announced
MONTHLY MEETINGS
General Membership: First Wednesday, 8:00 pm
Columbian Club Officers: Last Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Council Officers: Last Wednesday, 8:00 pm
HALL RENTALS
Contact Ron Martins at (732) 882-1364
2
GRAND KNIGHT’S MESSAGE
QUOD SCRIPSI SCRIPSI
“Happy New Year”
O Come Let Us Adore Him
By K e v in L a rk in , G K
By M ic ke y O ’B r ie n
I would like to wish all your families a Happy
The wicked one, what does he
New Year and I hope it is a good year for you
and you families, and also the Knights. The first
thing I think about when a new year rolls around
is year New Year resolutions. I wish you luck in
achieving whatever goals you have set for yourself
and I would like you to add one more. I would
like all of you the make a resolution to make a
difference this year by becoming more involved
in our organization.
say? “What is this … to you?!” He says
It is unrealistic for everyone to be involved in
every activity. So if everyone can commit to
doing one thing more this year then they did last
year then we can make a difference for all the
charities we support. Please keep this in mind
and try to find an event to be more involved in.
I would like to thank all of volunteers who
helped assemble the crèche downtown. It looks
great, and this event was very successful as we
actually put it together correct the first time,
which is quite an achievement in itself. I would
also like to thank Mickey for running both the
Christmas gifts and children’s party again this
year. The kids’ party was a lot of fun and if you
haven’t attended before you should definitely
circle your calendars for next year as it is a great
family event.
We have a few upcoming events for this month.
Mike Ruzek is running the Free Throw
competition in January. Any that can help out
would be appreciated. The PADRE Dinner is
coming up in early February. This priest
appreciation dinner is always fun and is a great
way to meet and honor all the area priests who
do such a great job in our local parishes.
I leave you with this quote from Benjamin
Franklin: “Be always at war with your vices, at
peace with your neighbors, and let each New
Year find you a better man.”
‘to you,’ but not to him! By thus
excluding himself from the community
he has denied that which is fundamental. You, therefore, blunt his teeth
and say to him: “It is because of this that the Lord
did for me …”; ‘for me’ - but not for him! If he had
been there, he would not have been redeemed!”
You see the sign outside of our Council, as well
as in front of other councils, churches,
billboards, and even bumper stickers: “Keep
Christ in Christmas.” It should be a no-brainer:
Christ is the fundamental part of Christmas,
the Mass and holiday/holy day honoring His
birth. So important was this to our redemption
that we make Christmas a season that lasts
twelve days, and precede it with a four week
period of preparation (Advent) that begins the
new liturgical year.
And yet, many still deny Christ during
Christmas. Many communities are still
embattled by those who confuse the Christmas
tree and Santa Claus with religious icons and
do not permit a nativity scene to be displayed
on public property. The annual Chirstmas
pageants have become transformed into
“holiday” pageants that are inclusivist to
Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and now even Ramadan,
while exclusivist to Christmas (Jingle Bell Rock
and Frosty the Snowman are hardly Christian
anthems). Don’t know how Diwali escapes the
pageant programs, but the Hindus do not seem
to mind. Nor should they – there is something
odd about a bunch of Christians and a handful
of Jews singing praise to a Hindu holiday about
which they are largely ignorant. And watchdog
groups such as American Family Association
and The Catholic League are particularly busy
this time of year, tracking the hypocrisy that
seems to still creep into many regions regarding
the mentioning of the word “Christmas” or a
display of the Christ child.
The quotation at the beginning of this piece was
not a scriptural text, nor an instruction from
any Christian source. It is actually from the
Passover Haggadah. During the Passover Seder,
after the youngest in the group asks why the
night of Passover is different from all other
nights, recognizing that not everyone will know
why Jews celebrate this holiday, the Torah
mentions four types of people that might ask
about the meaning of the Passover: a wise one, a
wicked one, a simple one, and one who does
not know how to ask. Blunting a few teeth may
not sound like t he most Christian of responses
- continued on page 7
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
3
WRITE FROM THE HEART
THE PERPETUAL PILGRIM
Resolution, Redux
The Solution to Evolution
By T ri sh F it zp a tr ic k
By L uk e A mo ro so
As another year winds down we reflect on events of the last twelve
Ever since its publication in 1859, the Origin of the Species by Charles
months and perhaps look to the next twelve with some ideas about what
we’d like to accomplish.
For the Fitzpatrick family, this was a year of blessing and celebration
although there were challenges as well. The year started with the death of
my Mom’s companion of the last 27 years, Martin Conroy. We have
missed him this year, as Marty was a guy who would never fail to mark
life’s important events. And there were many of them.
Darwin has created controversy which continues to this day. His book
expounds the theory of evolution and generated such concepts as the
“survival of the fittest,” “God is dead,” “master race,” and “eugenics,” etc.
In short this theory spawned some of the worst woes in the history of the
human race over the past 150 years. Throughout this period, the validity
of evolution has been challenged by a minority of scientists and by most of
the religious thinkers, ebbing and flowing in what seems to be valid points
against and in favor of Darwinian Evolution.
Jeanne Carey Sinead Fitzpatrick was confirmed this spring at Holy Trinity
Church. What a wonderful day and I tip my hat to the preparation she
received from Sr. Kathy, Trish Martin, and Bobby Gregory, her mentor. I
am also grateful to our friend Karen Judge, who served as Jeannie’s
sponsor. Karen’s mother and my mother were best friends and our
families have been as close as families can be. Karen has known Jeannie
since she was born and it was fitting that she stand up for her.
My first recollection of the theory of evolution was when I was in the 8th
grade in a Jersey City public school, and given a science textbook which
contained a section on early man. There was an artist’s rendition of what
the Piltdown Man looked like when he roamed about in England (east
Sussex), many, many thousands of years ago. It also contained a
description of his hunting and foraging habits, along with his home (cave)
life and the customs of the society in which he lived.
May started with a whirlwind of graduation events for both Tom, who
graduated from St. Peter’s Prep and Maggie, from Holy Trinity
Interparochial. Proms, baccalaureate Masses, and finally the graduations.
Both events were wonderful and it was especially sweet for my father-inlaw to see Tom graduate from his alma mater. He did comment, though,
that “in his day” there would not have been noisemakers and beach balls
at the ceremony.
This Piltdown man was hailed as the “missing link” between the apes and
man by many archeologists. The fossils were discovered in 1912 and held
sway with most of the scientific community for over 40 years. This
“science” was challenged in 1953 and determined to be a hoax; since it
was proved conclusively that the fossils were a lower jaw bone of an
orangutan and the skull of a modern man. Somehow two human molars
were thrown in for good measure. Point here is that a lot of respected
scientific folk were fooled for over a generation by this Piltdown Man,
along with the 8th graders in Jersey City.
Other big events included a milestone birthday for my husband and a
fantastic retirement dinner for our beloved principal, Dorothy Szot. Tom
landed at a college and we set about the task of getting him ready and
contemplating the change in family dynamic with one less kid in the
house. The pluses: I could lock the door at 10 pm or so and know that
everyone was in for the night. I didn’t buy gallons of milk and tons of
cereal every week. The minuses: we missed him and we missed his
friends.
Reviewing the year and flipping through the pages of an imaginary photo
album (because of course I am not organized enough to have a real photo
album), I think about all the changes and about how fast the kids are
moving through. I now know how fast high school goes. The death of
Marty and also of our beloved Uncle Joe Keegan makes me think about all
those family and friends no longer here.
These musings once again lead me to contemplate what I can do next year
to alleviate suffering, to promote the Gospel message, and to contribute to
the education of youth, particularly those who cannot afford adequate
schooling. I think of examples of people I know who are making a
difference.
Recently I attended a concert at NJPAC given by our friend Tim
McLoone, who heads up a group of talented musicians called “Holiday
Express”. Holiday Express presents almost 60 concerts in the month of
December. Their mission is, “To deliver music, food, gifts, financial
support and friendship to those with the greatest need for the gift of
human kindness during the holiday season and throughout the year.”
What a wonderful mission statement.
They perform, as Tim says, “anywhere people need us”. The group travel
to schools, institutions, soup kitchens, food banks, jails, and the like.
They put on a great show and spread Christmas cheer. One of Tim’s
- continued on page 7
Later on when I started to study the Bible, I noticed a controversy
regarding the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Some saying you had to accept
the Scripture as literal, others allegorical and a few saying it was
mythological. A real conservative apologist seemed to make a good case
for those first 11 chapters being literal, since Jesus in the New Testament
spoke of Adam, Cain, Abel and Noah as if they were historical characters.
(Perhaps it was necessary for Jesus to speak this way given the times and
customs of the Jewish people of His day.)
Our theologians ran the gamut, e.g., some Church Fathers like Augustine,
well before Darwin, saying Genesis was allegorical. Moderns like Teilhard
De Chardin attempted to retrofit Jesus within the theory of evolution.
Jesus, he contended, is the Omega point, meaning some obscure, almost
poetic concept of Christ, leading one eventually into pantheism.
However, Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Humani Generis, August 12,
1950, emphasized that regardless of the theory of evolution, Catholics
must believe original sin was committed by an individual Adam and
through him this sin is passed on to all his descendants. Also, Paragraph
37 of this encyclical condemned polygenism, i.e. more than one first man,
men who “did not take their origin through natural generation from
him,” meaning Adam.
A few years ago, National Geographic announced an ongoing scientific
project tracking the DNA of thousands of peoples all over the world,
concluding that all modern humans, no matter the race or their
geographical location are descendants of the one man who they
nicknamed “Adam.”
My point up to here is that in brief, the validity of evolution has been
challenged by certain scientists and religious ebbing and flowing in what
seems to be valid points against and for the theory of Darwinian
- continued on page 4
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
Evolution (continued from page 3)
Evolution. It seems to me that there are three major groups of antagonists
involved in the evolution controversy. They are the Creationists, Intelligent
Design believers and the Darwinian Evolutionists.
Personally, I never embraced the Creationist position, but did believe in
Intelligent Design. Read two books by Michael Behe, which laid out the
Intelligent Design position by underscoring the irreducible complexity of life.
Behe, who is a molecular biologist, posits that the simplest life forms on the
molecular level are really complex machines which could have never arisen on
the basis of natural selection. Then, I recently read a book, written by Francis
S. Collins, entitled, The Language of God, published in 2006. This author is
the head of the Human Genome Project and helped oversee the sequencing of
the code of life. He has made a journey from atheism to faith and became a
Christian based on his understanding of the Moral (Natural) Law, the fine
tuning of the universe and the reliability of the Gospels.
4
The Roots of Our Christian Faith
Were Alive and Growing Long Before
the Time of Christ
By G r eg Sc h eu e r ma nn
I
was standing on a busy street corner in mid-town Manhattan
recently, waiting for the traffic light to change. A young man stood
nearby handing out pamphlets. I was never one much for sidewalk
handouts, usually promotions for restaurants, hair salons or dress
shops. So I normally don’t take them. But just as the light went green,
he turned to me and held out one of the pamphlets. So I took it.
As I started across the intersection, I glanced down at the flier. To my
surprise it had no commercial message. It simply read, “The Messianic
Claims of Jesus.”
Based on his findings of DNA, Dr. Collins posits that Darwinian Evolution
with its laws of natural selection, variation, adaptation and randomness is
“unquestionably correct.” These latest studies of DNA resolve the lack of
transitional fossil evidence that evolutionists were hard pressed to find.
Prior to these DNA studies we could readily see and understand microevolution, that is, changes within a given species by natural selection, but
could not see real evidence of macro-evolution, that is transitional changes
from one species to another. The pro-evolutionists were perplexed with the
lack of such fossil evidence and started to use wilder theories such as
“punctuated equilibrium.” This theory claimed that the reason there are no
transitional fossils is that evolution from time to time departed from the
normally slow process of change based on natural selection. This allowed for
a few abrupt changes from this slow course by producing one species from
another in a relatively short period of time. These were bursts of change, e.g.
a reptile lays an egg and a bird is hatched. It seems this theory explained
away the lack of transitional fossils by rationalization.
My reaction was: Hey, this is incredible! Here I am in the middle of
Manhattan dodging city cabbies and impatient pedestrians hustling
past. And in my hand I’m holding a pamphlet that says the prophecies
of old prove that the person we know as Jesus, the Christ, is the
Messiah, the Redeemer.
Now, according to Dr. Collins, the recent studies of DNA of multiple
organisms reveal occurring mutations which does explain the evolutionary
processes. While Darwin did not know the mechanism of evolution by
natural selection, variation is supported by “naturally occurring mutations of
DNA” in all species. As a result, Dr. Collins proceeds to give a critique of
Creationism, Intelligent Design, Theistic Evolution, etc., and concludes that
evolution is, as shown above, “unquestionably correct.”
-- (Isaiah 9:6,7) The Messiah was to be a descendant of David. Jesus
was. (Luke 1: 32,33)
-- (Micah 5:1) The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Jesus was.
(Matthew 2: 1-6)
-- (Isaiah 7:14) The Messiah was to be born of a virgin. Jesus was.
(Matthew 1: 18-25)
-- (Daniel 9: 25,26) The Messiah shall be “cut off” (die a violent death).
Jesus did. (Luke 23: 33)
-- (Psalm 2: 7) The Messiah was to be the son of God. Jesus is. (John 3:
16-18)
At this juncture the SOLUTION TO EVOLUTION must be based on
Catholic Christians looking at Creation (Evolution) from another perspective.
That is: The focal point of all Creation (Evolution) is Jesus Christ our Savior.
As Scripture teaches us, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption.
As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son in our hearts
crying out, ‘Abba Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a
child then also an heir, through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7) I would also like to
paraphrase a verse of Scripture (John 3:16) to make a point. God so loved
mankind that He created an exquisitely fine tuned Universe so that His Son
could take on a human nature in order to die for our sins.
As the pros and cons of the validity of Darwinian Evolution ebbs and flows
throughout its history, the truth of the purpose of Creation must be in the
forefront of our minds. That is, all was created by God the Father for His
Son in order for Him to take on a human nature in the fullness of time so
that He could die for us.
At this juncture, in this generation, objective science may be telling us
Darwinian Evolution is “unquestionably correct.” (However, remember the
Piltdown Man of an earlier generation and the more recent wild theory of
“punctuated equilibrium” in this generation). I believe future generations
When I reached the other side of the street, I looked for a quiet
doorway. I needed a few minutes to peruse the write-up. It was done
by the group that calls itself “Jews for Jesus.” I had heard of them
before but I didn’t know much about them.
Right at the outset the pamphlet poses the basic question: Is Jesus the
promised messiah? Their answer: “The surest proof that we can offer
you is in the prophecies of the Jewish Bible.” It then proceeds to list a
variety of examples from the Old Testament as proof. Here are a few of
them:
What a coincidence! Earlier this year Father Gerard Lair, a “down-toearth” biblical scholar and Abbot Emeritus of St. Mary’s Abbey at
Delbarton gave a series of talks at St. Helen’s on St. Matthew’s gospel.
St. Matthew wrote primarily for the Jewish community in ways intended
to make the Christ figure more meaningful, more intelligible to the
Jewish people.
All through his talks, Fr. Lair kept stressing that to understand Jesus,
- continued on page 6
will realize this DNA finding is but a subjective view after all,
reminiscent of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” seeing only the flickering
shadows on the cave wall and not seeing the Light of reality. Someday
physicists will postulate the illusive “Theory of Everything.” Then, the
higher levels of scientific findings will see that the design of all was for
the purpose of His Son becoming our Redeemer. True science cannot
contradict God for God is Truth.
Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ, King of Endless Glory!
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
5
Children’s Christmas Party
Photo Album
Santa and Tweedles helped us to make
some memories for many of the children
of our Council members – and for their
parents as well.
May your Christmas be at least as
memorable, filled with the many
blessings of this season of miracles.
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
6
Roots (continued from page 4)
Inspired Quotes
we’ve got to know the Old Testament. He pointed out that many of us have
the idea that Christianity replaced Judaism, that the arrival of Christ meant the
start of something entirely new. Not so! He said the coming of Christ actually
is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, not its replacement. Listen to what
Christ himself said about this. Christ said, “Do not think that I have come to
destroy the Law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to
destroy but to fulfill their teachings….” (Matthew 5:17)
Submitted by Kevin Morrissey
Interestingly, many of Fr. Lair’s examples of this “fulfillment” were the very
same examples cited in the Jews for Jesus pamphlet. Not really so surprising
when you think about it. It’s a matter of the Holy Spirit, by way of the Old
Testament scriptures, alerting us what to look for, telling us what to expect.
Our Nicene Creed says it clearly and simply,” the Holy Spirit has spoken
through the prophets.”
I was curious to know more about Jews for-Jesus as an organization. So I spoke
to one of their people, a man named Larry Stamm, in the New York office. He
was cordial and helpful. Their web site provided additional information.
They are proactive in evangelizing their message, which is that Christ is indeed
the Messiah and proof of this is in scripture. They stress that they are not a
church. They encourage people to support the local church of their choice
first.
The group was originally organized in 1973, although they enjoy pointing out
that when Christ walked this earth, many of his followers were the first Jews for
Jesus, Jews who heard Him and believed.
Their mission is “to make messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our
Jewish people world wide.” They do this by “communicating creatively”
through writings, discussions & conversations, presentations, music & song,
drama and a newsletter containing insights on the Jewish roots of Christianity.
They have what sounds like a missionary network in many countries, with
offices and volunteer teams in major cities of the world where there are large
Jewish communities, such as London, Paris, Johannesburg, Sydney, Moscow,
Rio de Janeiro, Tel Aviv, as well as New York and San Francisco. Some of
their programs sound unusual and interesting, like “How to Prepare for Christ
in the Passover” and “Christmas is a Jewish Holiday.”
Larry Stamm said that in response to Christ’s command “to do this in
remembrance of me,” some of their members do partake of bread and wine,
normally during a special meal in one’s home. The head of the family blesses
and distributes the offering to those at table in a symbolic reenactment of the
Last Supper, Christ last Passover meal.
Based on Fr. Lair’s talks and what I learned from the Jews-for-Jesus people, the
phrase “Judeo-Christian religion” became more meaningful to me in terms of
Christ’s fulfilling the Old Testament. It especially hit home when my wife and
I attended the funeral of a Jewish friend of mine, Amos Ilan. It was a moving
service, well attended by many of Amos’ relatives, friends and business
acquaintances. At its conclusion of the service, the rabbi and pall bearers
began the recessional from the synagogue, moving slowly down the isle. The
cantor, in fine, firm voice began to recite in English and the congregation
joined in. “The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I shall want…” And
so forth.
My reaction was: That’s the same prayer we say in our Church. They’re using
our prayer. Then I realized what a foolish thought that was. “The Lord is my
Shepherd” comes to us from the Old Testament, from the “Jewish Bible.”
Psalm 23. It’s their prayer. And now it’s our prayer, too. Written long before
the time of Christ but with Him in mind. Another instance of speaking to us
through the prophets.
Can I Get a Witness?
"It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by
the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive."
Charles Peguy
"When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to
win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you
must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before
friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith."
Abraham Kuyper
"Eloquence may be suitable for exhortation, reason may be effective in
persuasion, but examples are more forceful than words, and it is better
to teach by deeds than words."
Saint Leo the Great
"There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere...
...You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong "
Sly Stone
"Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."
St. Francis of Assisi
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they
were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took
note that these men had been with Jesus."
Acts 4:13
Monsignor Tuohy’s Advice
By L uk e A mo ro so
In the 1980’s, Msgr. Tuohy (now deceased) was the pastor of St.
Michael’s Church in Union, NJ, my former parish. One day I had a
discussion with him and during the course of our conversation, I
mentioned that I felt I was not doing enough for my local parish.
Between working hard and long hours at my job, participating in
raising my young children (at that time), and doing chores at home and
for some elderly relatives, I found no extra time for volunteering in
church activities and felt somewhat guilty about this situation. This
discussion took place at the height of Vatican II which empowered and
encouraged the Catholic laity to do various ministries and tasks for our
Church and local parishes.
The kindly Monsignor told me that as his vocation was first being a
good priest, then pastor and teacher, my vocation in life was being a
good husband and father. He suggested my priorities in life should be
to first have a good working relationship with God, then a good
working relationship with my wife, children and last of all a concern
and dedication to my job and other activities. He told me that in his
experience as priest, he noticed that when married couples allowed
their priorities in life get out of that cascading order, (God, spouse,
children, and work); they invariably have difficulties in their marriages.
For example, he cautioned that when one places his work ahead of
being reconciled with God or building a good relationship with his
spouse, it creates discord and a measure of unhappiness in ones life.
- continued on page 7
KnightLine
Tuohy
(continued from page 6)
Or when some couples put their children ahead
of their relationship as a couple it can also lead
to (future) problems. This last example was
difficult to accept, but Msgr. Tuohy pointed out
that eventually your children will be able to leave
your home and make lives of their own. As a
result, you and your spouse will be the only ones
living together again as it was when you first
married. So by spouses developing this bonding,
chances are then that the “empty nest syndrome”
would not loom as a major problem in their lives
after their children leave home.
Now he said, if you have a good relationship
with God, you should see your spouse as a child
of God and give her the respect and love that a
child of God deserves. This should result in a
blessed marriage based in love and mutual
respect. When your children realize that their
parents have this love and respect for each other,
it gives them a feeling of security and that all is
well in their lives. (“Mom and Dad love one
another.) Msgr. Tuohy continued, so if you as a
husband and your wife are right with the Lord,
having a mutual respect and love for each other
and having your children realizing this and that
they are in turn loved by their parents, this
generates a feeling of security in their lives.
When all this falls in place, your mind will be
uncluttered with any major problems on the
home front. The result is that you should be
able to perform somewhat unimpeded at your
work, hopefully making a decent living for your
family. Of course, he said all this is predicated
on you and your spouse staying close to the
Sacraments in order to give you the graces you
need to live your vocations as spouses and
parents.
I was impressed with his advice and tried to use
it as a template for my life. I was not always
successful in prioritizing the order as suggested
by the good Msgr. but at least I had a road map
and with a road map, if one gets lost he can find
his way back again.
Jesus in Scripture tells us, “No one can serve two
masters. He will either hate one and love the
other, or be devoted to one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and Mammon
(wealth). Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink, or
about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more than food and the body more than
clothing?” (Matthew 6:24-25)
Jesus continues in this same chapter in verse 33,
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these things will be given to
you besides.” As a priest, Msgr. Touhy in effect
was teaching me in the 1980’s what his Master
taught some two thousand years ago, and I am
thankful to him for that.
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
Resolutions
(continued from page 3)
children was stricken with a childhood cancer
from which he is recovering, but as Tim
explained to us, this deepened his commitment
to the disenfranchised and those who suffer.
I admire Tim and Holiday Express for coming
up with a fun, entertaining response to a real
need here in New Jersey. Likewise, I admire
Madeleine and Walter Korfmacher of Holy
Trinity Parish for leading the change for social
justice and bringing that ministry to our parish.
Tim, Madeleine, and Walter have done
something very significant and I hope to think of
some way that I, too, can make a significant
change in someone’s life in 2008.
Youth
Free
Throw
Competition
The annual Youth Free Throw
Competition will be held in January, with
the date to be finalized shortly. Boys and
girls between the ages of 10 and 14 are
eligible. If you are interested in having
your child compete, or would like to help
with the event (we always need scorers
and help with registrations), contact PGK
Mike Ruzek at 908-389-9151 or via email
at [email protected].
January 22nd is a Day of Penance
for violations to the Dignity of the
Human Person committed through acts
of abortion, and of prayer for the full
restoration of the legal guarantee of the
right to life.
7
Adore
(continued from page 2)
to those “wicked ones” who would deny
Christ at Christmas, but it might make us
feel a little better. However, maybe this
points out, particularly in a highly diverse
society such as that found in America, that
there are many who will not know what the
Christmas holiday really means. The
situation is exacerbated by Santa Claus
supplanting Baby Jesus as the central icon of
the season, and so it is not surprising that
there would be many who are either
misinformed or uninformed about the
meaning of Christmas. Ironically, Santa
Claus has Christian roots himself, having
been given the alternate reference “Saint
Nicholas” and being a central figure in the
celebration of the feast of Saint Nicholas in a
number of European countries (with giftgiving being a part of the tradition of this
December festival). There is an obvious
ignorance to this fact among secular circles,
perhaps a willful ignorance, for Santa also
ushers in the “holiday” shopping season, and
the spending of money is a good thing to
secularists, so that tree is apparently known
by its fruit.
Probably the best way to instruct the rest of
the world about the meaning of Christmas is
through our actions. Let’s return to a more
traditional celebration of Christmastide and
take the attention away from our Christmas
tree and divert it toward our churches. Christ
our Savior is born, o come let us adore Him!
Circle the date!
PADRE Dinner
Friday, Feb. 1st
Cervantes of Spain
Cranford, NJ
Contact Carlos
(908) 233-0456
Seats limited!!
KnightLine
www.westfieldnj.com/kofc
Real Estate Law
J AMES M. F OERST
David Spector & Associate
210 Haven Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Tel.: (908) 322-4886
www.jamesmfoerst.net
(908) 789-0555
FAX (908) 789-1792
Marano & Sons Auto Sales, Inc.
SPECIAL INTEREST AUTOMOBILES
SINCE 1955
RALPH MARANO
JAMES MARANO
507-513 SOUTH AVE.
GARWOOD, NJ 07027
GRAY FUNERAL HOME
GRAY MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME
318 EAST BROAD STREET
WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY
(908) 233-0143
12 SPRINGFIELD AVENUE
CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY
(908) 276-0092
WILLIAM A. DOYLE, MANAGER
DALE R. SCHOUSTRA, MANAGER
N.J. Lic. 2325
8
N.J. Lic. 3707
• Natural Vitamins & Herbs (Nutrition Products)
• GET CLEAN™ Home Care Products
Safe for you, your home, and your planet.™
Your opportunity to clean up big!
SAFE CLEAN – no household cleaner toxins
POWERFUL CLEAN – rivals 11 leading brands
GREEN CLEAN – earth-friendly, biodegradable products
SMART CLEAN – superconcentrated, economical
• Air & Water Treatment Products/Systems
Filterless AirSource® 3000 cleans 3,000 sq. ft. of air for your family
by reducing odors, microbes & particulate matter.
AirSource Mobile™ Portable Air Purifier. Cleaner air in the car, hotel
rooms, or office cubicle. Up to 300 sq. ft.
CALL FOR FREE INFORMATION!
908•233•9067
Frank Muggeo – Independent Distributor
JOSEPH PARDO
Francis M. Smith, ESQ.
Law Office
Personal Injury Law
Anthony J. Cavallo, Esq., CPA
2281 South Avenue – Scotch Plains, NJ
(908) 233-5800
Free consultations
No fee if no recovery
Wills, Estate and Trust Planning
Business and Tax Law
Turn of Events
Event Planning Services
o
o
o
o
o
Bridal/baby showers
Weddings
Banquets
Meetings/seminars
Training sessions
1140 Springfield Avenue
Mountainside, NJ 07092
(908) 301-9090
LIC.# 03541A
DOMINICK PARDO
WESTFIELD COLLISION CENTER
“Your Complete Auto Body Repair Facility”
AUTHORIZED INSURANCE WORK • STATE OF THE ART FRAMEWORK
EXPERT PAINTING & COLOR MATCHING • FREE ESTIMATES
WRITTEN GUARANTEE • TOWING AVAILABLE
404 South Avenue East
Westfield, NJ 07090
Tel. (908) 654-4212
Fax (908) 654-4246
DOOLEY
ROBERT BLACKMAN
President
P.O. Box 872
Tel. (908) 654-6648
Westfield, NJ 07091 Fax (908) 654-6668
www.westfieldpestcontrol.com
Christine O’Brien
(908) 612612-3119
[email protected]
[email protected]
Knights of Columbus
Msgr. Henry J. Watterson Council No. 1711
P.O. Box 101
Westfield, New Jersey 07091
(908) 232-9767
PRAY TO END ABORTION
Funeral Service, Inc.
218 NORTH AVE. WEST
CRANFORD, NJ 07016
(908) 276-0255
556 WESTFIELD AVE.
WESTFIELD, NJ 07090
(908) 233-0255
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR
ADVERTISERS
Charles V. Dooley, Manager
John L. Dooley, Manager
N.J. Lic. 3703
N.J. Lic. 4100
Francis J. Dooley, Jr., General Manager N.J. Lic. 3367
THEIR DONATIONS
HELP TO MAKE THIS
BULLETIN POSSIBLE
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Westfield, NJ 07090
Permit No. 51
The Conversion of St. Paul
January 25th