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Letter from the Pastor
ANGELUS: THOSE WHO PRAY ARE NEVER ALONE
Last Sunday Pope Benedict XVI appeared at the balcony
overlooking the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered there.
The Pope commented on the Gospel reading
in which the disciples ask Christ to teach them how to pray. "Jesus raised no objections, He used no strange or esoteric
formula but with great simplicity said: 'When you pray, say: Father ... And he taught them the Our Father". “These
are the first words of Sacred Scripture we learn as children. They are impressed in the memory, they mould our lives, they
accompany us unto our last breath", said Benedict XVI. "This prayer also comprehends and expresses the material
and spiritual requirements of human beings. ... And precisely because of our everyday needs and difficulties, Jesus exhorts
us forcefully: ... 'Ask and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you'.
"This is not a request for our
own desires to be satisfied, but for our friendship with God to be kept alive", the Pope added. "This was the experience
of the ancient Desert Fathers, and of contemplative people in all times who, through prayer, became friends of God".
In this context he
quoted words of St. Teresa of Avila who encouraged her nuns to "beseech God to deliver us from these perils for ever and to keep us
from all evil! And although our desire for this may not be perfect, let us strive to make the petition. What does it cost
us to ask it, since we ask it of One
Who is so powerful?" "Each time we pray the Our Father", the Pope concluded, "Our voice mingles
with the voice of the Church, because one who prays is never alone. ... May the Virgin Mary help us rediscover the beauty
and profundity of Christian prayer.”
 
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Pastor Reverend Steven P. Wetzel O.S.F.S. OFFERING ENVELOPES F.J. REMEY & CO MINEOLA, NY You must know
the needs of your parish in order to meet them….. Most people agree that offering envelopes are a more acceptable
means of expressing these needs than frequent “money talks” from the pulpit. Envelopes bring the spirit of charity
and sacrifice into the home and in doing so, they allow you (and perhaps your family) to decide upon your offerings in thoughtful privacy – not in a rush
as the collection basket nears. Be honest with yourself. While
in some cases the non-user may actually be supporting the Church as fully as the envelope user, on the proven average between
80-90% of a church’s weekly income results from envelope use. Yet a far smaller percentage of parishioners regularly
use their envelopes. So no matter how sincerely non-users, as a group, may feel that they are doing their fair share, the
fact remains that the faithful envelope user bears the burden of Church support. “My
offering is my business!” Of course it is….but remember that your offering goes to support
the business of the Church. Your pastor has learned that the only regular income he can depend on is that which is returned
through Offering Envelopes. Therefore, in privately making known your gift through the use of these envelopes you provide
your pastor with the important confidential data he needs to plan the parish budget. “They’re
too commercial!” Rather than being “commercial”, Offering envelopes are simply
practical. While enabling your parish to handle its income more efficiently, they also regularly inform you of the needs which
your offerings support. “But I can’t give much!” Your
envelopes are there to help you give what you can and to keep your gift private. After all, what you give is a very personal
matter and in many cases a small donation can be more meaningful than a large one. So there is good reason to use envelopes
in making even small donations…they
may be large sacrifices. Through giving anonymously you have disregarded the fact
that – Those who make known their support through the use of envelopes give a sign that they
are concerned in other areas of parish life as well. Your rightful
income tax deduction – In acknowledging the importance of church support, the government grants
a deduction on all contributions. In other words, your gifts afford you a savings. However, in order to claim your rightful
deduction you need proof of your donations. Again, if you have been a regular envelope user, this proof is confidentially available through your pastor. A
final word to the anonymous giver… When you present a gift to someone you care for, you know
that it is not the value of the gift which truly counts but the fact that it came from you. What really matters is that you
care – and that someone has been pleased by your consideration. Had your gift been anonymously given, would either of you have received true satisfaction from
it? Your offerings to the Church are much like the tokens of affection which you present to a close friend. In acknowledging
your sacrifice you show your concern – in giving anonymously, you deny both your parish and yourself the full fruits of your sacrifice.
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FROM
THE PASTORS DESK
Dear Parents/Guardians: Each year in July, I am asked
by the Catholic High Schools and Holy Innocents
(Aces) to verify the status of those families, (our parishioners) whose children attend their school. This coming school year (2010-2011), the families of St. Joachim who
are designated as a contributing parishioner by me will receive a reduction in tuition. Consequently, the parish in the form
of an assessment pays this portion
of the tuition to the schools. In addition, the parish also pays a subsidy per child to attend Hi-Aces, our regional Elementary Grade School. As we make plans for the 2010-2011 school years, I urge you to please be
mindful of your current status as a parishioner in regards to our parish guidelines pertaining to tuition rates. Remember,
according to parish policy, in order
to maintain a contributing parishioner status for tuition, registered parishioners are expected to give of their time, talent
and treasure in supporting the parish. This support is accomplished by: •
Weekly participation at our parish celebration of the Sunday Mass • Giving of your time to volunteer in the parish •
Participating in, and supporting the fund raising efforts of the parish (Example): Parish Lottery, Dinners etc. •
Contributing at least $500.00/year by using the Sunday Collection Envelopes this would average $10.00
a week. For those families that support our parish, I want to thank you for your participation.
For those parishioners who have received or will receive a non-contributing parishioner status for the 2010-2011 school years, it is never too late. If throughout
this current year, you follow this policy, you will receive a contributing parishioner status and will receive the reduction
the following school year. As always,
I encourage anyone with financial concerns to please contact me. Please Note: Please remember that the monies to pay our subsidy come from the general collection
of the parish. In fairness to the people of the parish, it is important for us to follow these guidelines. CC: Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council
Reflection: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2010 Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-56
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. the Almighty has done great things for
me, and holy is his Name.
Reflection: (taken from Living Liturgy, pg.
194)
Even before the dawn of feminism and rising consciousness about the dignity of women, great women have
done great things and history has been kind to their memory. We have for example, Esther, Ruth, and Judith from the Old Testament;
Joan or Arc, Helena,
Monica, Florence Nightingale, Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa have all left their indelible marks. It is no surprise, then,
that we also find a great woman remembered at the very heart of Christianity - Mary the mother of our Lord. This solemnity
celebrates the "great things" God has done for Mary. God, who has "lifted up" his "lowly servant"
Mary, lifts up all the lowly not only because they are faithful but because
God is faithful to the promise of divine mercy. Mary's assumption of body and soul into heaven celebrates the mercy of
God and the promise to us of a share in that same mercy. The great thing Mary does is say yes to being an instrument of God's
promise. The great thing God does for us is invite us to share in that
same promise - everlasting life.
Personal Growth:
·
Reflect on the great things God has done in your life. How do you give praise to God for that? · Reflect on the women in your life that have shaped your spirituality. Find ways to express gratitude to them this week.
Something
to reflect on:
In trial or difficulty I have recourse to Mother Mary, whose glance alone is enough
to dissipate every fear." St. Therese of Lisieux What a joy to remember that she is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?"
St. Therese of Lisieux
Sister Louise Alff Coordinator for Parish Evangelization Archdiocese
of Philadelphia 215-587-0547 SRLALFF@adphila.org
We
Oblates of St. Francis
de Sales were founded by a holy and zealous French priest, Father Louis Brisson, who was recently declared “Venerable”
by Pope Benedict XVI. This means that the Church recognizes in Father Brisson someone who practiced “heroic virtue”
during his lifetime In order to be
beatified and given the title “Blessed,” he needs a miracle from God through his intercession. Please consider
praying to God for a miracle through the prayerful intercession of Venerable Louis Brisson.
Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Father Louis Brisson, OSFS
Lord Jesus who
has told us, “Ask and you shall receive.” We address our prayer to You through the intercession of Your priest,
Louis Brisson. Attentive to the signs of the times and in Obedience
to Your will, he founded the double family of the Oblate Sisters and of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. Confident in
Your providence and joyful in hope, he knew as a good father how to make himself all things to all people. Grant us, through
his intercession, the favors which we ask of You. Especially… May
Holy Church rejoice in glorifying this
priest after Your own heart who gave himself totally to Your love.
Amen
The Venerable Louis Brisson (1817-1908)
Born in Plancy, in the Champagne
region of France,
on June 23, 1817,
Louis Brisson was ordained a priest in the diocese of Troyes in 1840. Assigned to teach religion and sciences in the boarding school of the Visitation
monastery, he was, himself, an ingenious inventor; among his works is
an astronomic clock, one so accurate that it was later studied by NASA engineers. But Fr. Brisson's greatest work would
be a divine invention! As chaplain to the Sisters of the Visitation monastery, Fr. Brisson encountered there the religious
superior – Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis -- who would orchestrate the prelate's life work as founder of two religious
institutes: the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales and the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. It was she who prevailed upon
Fr. Brisson, after decades of discussions and 3 miraculous interventions, to establish the group of priests that St. Francis
de Sales had intended to found centuries before. As director of the Catholic
Association of St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Brisson established four boarding schools, where young female factory workers would
be kept safe and would grow in their religious education. This work would lead to the foundation of the Oblate Sisters, with
St. Leonie de Sales Aviat, in 1868. A year later, Fr. Brisson accepted
the request by the bishop of Troyes to oversee the College Saint Bernard. This educational
work led to the foundation of the Oblates in 1872. Personally and professionally, Fr. Brisson suffered the persecutions of
the French Revolution, which forced the expulsion of his religious orders and the dissolution of their property. Still, his faith was unwavering: "If everything seems lost," he said, "and
everyone has already surrendered his hope, the Lord will show His might and His influence. Then it will become clear to all
that the decision lies only in His hands and we are capable of nothing." Fr. Brisson died on February 2, 1908. His mortal remains, along with
those of St. Aviat, lie in the crypt of the motherhouse of the Oblate Sisters in Troyes. The process for his beatification was officially opened,
in Troyes, in 1938;
currently, this cause is under review in Rome.
This
week we share the: Catholic Month Devotions / Designations January
- Holy Name of Jesus February - The Sacred Passion (or The Holy Family) March - St. Joseph April
- The Holy Eucharist May - The Blessed Virgin Mary June - The Sacred Heart of Jesus July - The Precious
Blood of Jesus August - The Immaculate Heart of Mary September - The Seven Sorrows of Mary October
- The Holy Rosary November - The Holy Souls in Purgatory December - The Divine Infancy (or The Immaculate Conception) Reflection
for today: How many times have I said the Our Father
in my lifetime? More importantly, how many times have I prayed the Our Father? Praying is transformative.
The apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray because they wanted to be like him. They had seen him slipping away at night
to be alone with his God. They observed the impact that his prayer life had on his ministry. If they were to be true disciples
of Jesus they had to develop that same relationship with God. The Our Father is the perfect prayer. The first part centers
on God – praising God and asking that God’s kingdom be a reality on earth. In the second half we lift up our daily needs, our need for forgiveness and the
grace to be delivered from temptation.
This
week we continue with the:
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11)
1.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted 3.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth 4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy 6. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God 8.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 9. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. **************************
DID YOU KNOW?
•
Only six in ten Catholics are registered at a Catholic parish. • 34% agree strongly with the statement: “I
can be a good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday.” More that 2/3 (68%) agree with
this statement at least “somewhat.” • Only 12% of adult Catholics say they “always” attend
Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation.
This
week we continue with the: Precepts of the Church Duties of Catholics as listed in the Catechism 1. To
attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation and rest from servile labor. 2. To receive the Sacrament
of Reconciliation at least once a year, if aware of committing a mortal sin. 3. To receive Holy Communion
at least once a year, between the first Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday. 4. To observe the fast days
and abstinence days established by the Church. 5. To contribute to the material support of the Church Duties
of Catholics as added by US Bishops 6. Obeying the Marriage Laws of the Church 7. Join
in the Missionary spirit of the Church
This
week for our Catholic practices/duties we continue with: The Three Eminent Good Works 1. Prayer 2. Fasting 3. Almsgiving The
Evangelical Counsels 1. Chastity 2. Poverty 3. Obedience
In the Bulletin over the next
few weeks we will be posting different Catholic practices and/or duties to inform our parishioners, as summer is a good time
to put out reminders. This week we will start with the Works of Mercy.
The Corporal Works of Mercy The seven practices of Catholic charity toward our neighbor's body:
1. Feeding the hungry 2. Giving drink to the thirsty 3. Clothing the naked 4. Sheltering the homeless 5. Visiting
the sick 6. Visiting the imprisoned 7. Burying the dead
The Spiritual
Works of Mercy The seven practices of Catholic charity toward
our neighbor's soul:
1. Admonishing the sinner 2. Instructing the ignorant 3. Counseling the doubtful 4. Comforting
the sorrowful 5. Bearing wrongs patiently 6. Forgiving injuries 7. Praying for the living and
the dead
Don’t forget to continue to support St. Joachim’s
Church by dropping off your envelopes before you leave for vacation or catch up when you return; and as always thank you!
Dear Parents/Guardians: Each year in July, I
am asked by the Catholic High Schools and Holy Innocents (Aces) to verify the status of those families,
(our parishioners) whose children attend their school. This coming school year (2010-2011), the families of St. Joachim who
are designated as a contributing parishioner by me will receive a reduction in tuition. Consequently, the parish in the form
of an assessment pays this portion of the tuition to the schools.
In addition, the parish also pays a subsidy per child to attend Hi-Aces, our regional Elementary Grade School. As we make plans for the 2010-2011 school years, I urge you to
please be mindful of your current status as a parishioner in regards to our parish guidelines pertaining to tuition rates.
Remember, according to parish policy, in order to maintain a contributing parishioner status
for tuition, registered parishioners are expected to give of their time, talent and treasure in supporting the parish. This
support is accomplished by:
�� Weekly participation at our parish
celebration of the Sunday Mass ��
Giving of your time to volunteer in the parish �� Participating in, and supporting the fundraising efforts of the parish (Example): Parish Lottery,
Pasta Dinners etc. ��
Contributing at least $500.00/year by using the Sunday Collection Envelopes this would average $10.00
a week. For those families that support our parish, I want to thank you
for your participation. For those parishioners who have received or will receive a non-contributing parishioner status for
the 2010-2011 school years, it is never too late. If throughout this current year, you follow this policy, you will receive
a contributing parishioner status and will receive the reduction the following school year. As always, I encourage anyone
with financial concerns to please contact
me. Please Note: Please
remember that the monies to pay our subsidy come from the general collection of the parish. In fairness to the people of the
parish, it is important for us to follow these guidelines. Reverend Steven P. Wetzel, OSFS, Pastor Cc: Parish Pastoral & Finance Council |
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