Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church

Transcription

1 Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church S. Archer Avenue Lemont, Illinois (Ph) (Fx) Website: Listen to The Winds of Change 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm on WNDZ AM 750. Fr. Koys substitutes every other Wednesday. Visit: windsofchangeshow.com. Fr. Koys Register on Flocknotes to receive important text messages and s. Text: jamesatsag to th Ordinary Sunday Founded in 1833, St. James at Sag Bridge is the sole country parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago, serving a growing community of Catholics who come together to worship God through the celebration of the Eucharist and traditional devotional activities within truly unique and beautiful surroundings. Our faithfilled community strives to bear witness to Jesus Christ by loving and serving one another to bring about the Kingdom of God. Mass Schedule: Weekends: Saturdays: 5:00pm Sundays: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30am Holy Days: 8:15am & 7:00pm Weekdays: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 8:15am, Fridays: 8:15am & 6:00pm Wednesdays: 7:00pm Confession Schedule: Saturdays: 9:30-10:00am Wednesdays: 6:30pm Baptisms: Sundays after the 11:30am Mass by appointment. At least one parent must be a registered parishioner. Weddings: Minimum eight months in advance. At least one spouse must be a registered parishioner. Marriage preparation by appointment only. Funerals: For families of registered parishioners, or for non-parishioners to be buried in our own cemetery. Sick & Homebound Pastoral Care: Please notify rectory Rectory Office Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri: 9:30am to 1:00pm Apostolic Disciples: Fr. Thomas Koys, M.A.,S.T.L., Pastor Fr. Ed Gleeson, Pastor Emeritus Deacon John M.Wilkinson, CKM, Minister of Care/RCIA Mike Dillenburg Parish Council Chair Mike Wall, Finance Council Chair Mrs. Pamela Stafford, Cantor Mrs. Pamela Mikrut, Organist Rodney Poynter, Holy Name Society, President JoAnn Starha, Altar & Rosary Mrs. Giovanna Imbarrato, CCD Teacher Mr. Seamus Coughlin CCD Teacher Mrs. Mary Coughlin Lenzen CCD Teacher Mr. Steve Hagen CCD Teacher Mrs. Joyce McNamara-Coughlin, CCD Director.

2 Page Two October 11, 2015 From the Desk of the Pastor A SECRET PARALLEL SYNOD A SECRET PARALLEL SYNOD By Marco Tosatti Italian journalist Marco Tosatti reveals that A SECRET PARALLEL SYNOD has been established in Rome, a cabal composed almost exclusively by Jesuits, with the occasional Argentinean presence (easy to guess who), to draft the necessary post-synodal documents to implement whatever the Pope wants to implement. And they will implement it, no matter what, as the secret committee to draft the Annulment reforms has shown; what everyone supposed was true in fact is true: the Synodal process is a sham. The always admirably well informed Marco Tosatti, who has refused to become a stealth spokesman for the pontificate and has kept his journalistic integrity -- and, for this reason, has become, along with Sandro Magister, the best Italian religious correspondent in the current pontificate -- reports today on the most recent machinations for 2015 "Synod on the Family", which opens in a few days. Because since, as Edward Pentin revealed in detail, the 2014 Synod was rigged, the 2015 will be rigged beyond all measure, as Pentin himself reported on September 29 at the National Catholic Register, on procedural changes to be announced tomorrow (Friday) that will make any control over the outcome impossible by Synod Fathers who realize they are being cheated (as happened last year - the manipulators learned their lesson): "At last year s meeting, the interim document, properly called a relatio post-disceptationem, caused controversy after it was sent out to the media before the synod fathers had read it. Critics said the document lacked references to Scripture and tradition, and most controversially, appeared to imply the Church was considering giving tacit acceptance of same-sex relationships an issue that was hardly discussed during the meeting s first week. "The probable decision not to have an interim report may be an effort to avoid last year s controversy from recurring. But some fear it will lead to less transparency, and worry the timing could be intentional in order to facilitate the advancement of controversial proposals as time runs out for discussion." Another rumored change is that the rule on propositions having to pass by a two-thirds majority might be eliminated and a simple majority take its place. This would favor a controversial proposal, such as Cardinal Kasper s, because his thesis only received a simple majority at the last synod. (It should have therefore been rejected under the rules in place, but the Holy Father insisted that it, and the paragraph on a new approach to same-sex relationships that also failed to achieve a two-thirds majority, remain in the lineamenta (guidelines), for this October s synod) And in fact the first part of Marco Tosatti's article today translates what Pentin reveals in his own piece in the Register. Then, Tosatti adds his own exclusive information, which is quite explosive, considering that the last time a secret papal commission met, what we got was the most authoritarian canon law reforms in the history of the Church, in violation of all understanding of the proper boundaries of papal power and establishing de facto Catholic divorce under the guise of easy access to "annulments": "In this context [that is, of the procedural changes mentioned by Edward Pentin], news has arrived to us for about twelve days that around thirty people, almost all of them Jesuits, with the occasional Argentinean, are working on the themes on the Synod, in a very reserved way, under the coordination of Father Antonio Spadaro, the director of Civiltà Cattolica [the official journal of the Holy See], who spends a long time in Santa Marta, in consultation with the Pope. "The discretion in the works extends also to the Jesuits of the same House, the villa of Civiltà Cattolica, Villa Malta, on the Pincio [Hill], where part of the work is done. One possibility is that the "task force" works to provide the Pope the instruments for an eventual postsynodal document on the theme of the Eucharist to the remarried divorced, on cohabiting [couples], and samesex couples." Unlike Other Nations, Fr. Thomas Koys, M.A.,S.T.L., Pastor Woman s Guild Corner WANTED: DONATIONS FOR RAFFLE PRIZES Donations for NEW items to be used as Main Raffle prizes at the annual Card & Bunco Party are needed. This is a major fundraiser for the Ladies Guild & its success depends on the generous support & donations of the entire parish. All items must be new & have a value of $10.00 or more. Some donation suggestions are: household & kitchen accessories, giftware, ceramics, glassware, small appliances, bed & bath accessories, liquor, Christmas decorations, photo supplies, handcrafted items, gift cards. You can drop off your donations at the rectory office during usual business hours. Blessed are those among Woman, Jo Ann Starha, WG Pres. WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY KICKS OFF THURSDAY Women s bible study kicks off Thursday, Oct. 1 st, immediately after our 8:15am Mass in Sag Hall. Plan to come for one hour study session with the series Walking with Purpose. Mrs. Lisa Beecher will be the coordinator. Spread the word and bring a friend.

3 28th Ordinary Sunday Page Three IN A WORD: HOLY REBEL, By Catherine Anne Someone near and dear to me considers herself a rebel because she s not living the holy lifestyle (aka the Catholic lifestyle she was brought up in). Yet I consider myself a rebel because I am striving to be holy. Sure I like to dance. I like to drive too fast and holler out the window. I like to drink wine, sleep in, stay up late, eat pizza from the south side, make lots of music, and laugh out loud. I also need to pray, receive Holy Communion, observe the Sacraments, obey the Commandments, dwell in the Word and witness. So there s God Holy Ruler. And here s me holy rebel. The word holy has an origin in the Greek hágios. The fundamental meaning of hágios is "different". A temple in the first century was considered hágios because it was different from other buildings. In the New Testament, hágios has the more specific meaning of "different from the world, as in, like the Lord." Often the definition of holy goes straight to sacred. Although it really implies something greater. Holy means "set apart" because sacred. You are holy if you are set apart by the seal of God. What about rebel? How can that even be in the same sentence as holy? The etymology is from Old French rebelle "stubborn, obstinate" and directly from Latin rebellis, from rebellare "to revolt," from re- "opposite, against" + bellare "wage war," from bellum "war which in simplest terms means to struggle. holy rebel (1) a person set apart to struggle, for the glory of God & (2) a saint. See what I did there? Many saints have battled with temptations, transgressions, and persecutions of the world. In journals and biographies we can read about their individual struggles (and I highly recommend you do starting with The Confessions of Saint Augustine). Still, not one of us can truly understand the nature of another man s soul and the struggles he/ she must face on the journey to eternal life in Heaven. We do know that the further one leans towards God, the harder the devil pushes against it (and it s often in the most vulnerable spot). However, as Saint Rose of Lima reminds us: The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases. St. Augustine, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Rose, St. Patrick, St. Cecilia. These are the rebels with a cause I d like to join. The cause given to us by the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The cause of Love. Dear friend, you are a child of God. Even as you struggle to find your place in the world, know that it is passing, and believe in God s special plan for you. You are made whole, sanctified, and set apart by the Father s Love. Be stubborn in your pursuit of Him. Follow the way of Jesus, God s Son Most Holy. Hallelujah! For God's will was for us to be made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Hebrews 10:10. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God s own possession, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into PRAYERS WE ALL SHOULD KNOW: THE ST. MICHAEL PRAYER, By Trish Stukbauer As Catholics, we are blessed to share a rich and vibrant prayer heritage that has accumulated over literally thousands of years. Over time, many of these prayers that once were mainstays of our faith have been sadly neglected or just not taught and as a result, not said as often as they once were. One of those is commonly referred to as The St. Michael Prayer. Up until 1970, this prayer, along with the Hail Holy Queen, was said at the end of every Low Mass. Let s delve into this prayer and its importance. WHO WAS SAINT MICHAEL? St. Michael the Archangel, one of the three archangels whose names are recorded in the Bible, plays a key role in both creation history and Revelation. It is he whose very name means Who is like to God? the cry that is attributed to him as he led the battle in heaven between Satan s followers and the angels who remained faithful to God at the beginning of time. He is also the angel named in the Book of Revelation who ultimately will sound the final trumpet and bring about the defeat of the beast. This leader of God s angelic armies also has been looked to since the time of the Apostles as the protector of the Church. Given this rich history as God s warrior and our protector, it s no wonder that the faithful have turned to Saint Michael for assistance with daily struggles and temptations. ORIGIN OF THE PRAYER: The St. Michael Prayer was instituted in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII. Although the details of the happenings of that day and the date on which they are said to have occurred vary, all the accounts that have been handed down to us center around the aged Pope having a mystical experience. Most accounts say it happened after the Pope Leo XIII finished celebrating Mass. Some accounts say he stopped at the foot of the altar, transfixed by a vision, while other accounts say he passed out or appeared dead for quite some time. When pressed as to what happened later, he supposedly explained that he had a vision of the devil wreaking havoc on the church. Some accounts recount that he heard the voices of God and Satan in conversation, with Satan boasting that he could destroy the church if God but gave him power and time to do so. The Pontiff himself never mentioned the vision, although Cardinal Nasalli Rocca seemingly confirmed the fact that the Pontiff had a vision of some type in his Pastoral Letter for Lent, which he sent to Bologna in In any case after the experience, Pope Leo XIII composed the St. Michael Prayer, and issued instructions that the prayer should be said after all Low Masses said everywhere in the world. This tradition of saying the prayer after Mass continued until the new rite of the Mass was put into place in about The prayer found new life when on April 24, 1994, Pope John Paul II urged Catholics to once again recite this prayer to St. Michael: "The prayer can fortify us for that spiritual battle about which the Letter to the Ephesians speaks [of]: Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10). And to this same battle that the Book of the Apocalypse refers [to], recalling in front of our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (cf. Revelations 12:7). Surely, this scene was very present to Pope Leon XIII, when, at the end of the previous century, he introduced to the entire Church a special prayer to St. Michael: St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil Even if today this prayer is no longer recited at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, I invite all to not forget it, but to recite it in order to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and the spirit of this world." THE PRAYER OF ST. MICHAEL: There are two main versions of The St. Michael Prayer, a long and a short version, with several minor wording variations. Which came first is also a question of debate, with some versions of the story saying Pope Leo XIII penned the short version quickly and the long version after, and some citing the reverse. The customary short version, which many American Catholics grew up with, reads: "St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen." The long version can be found on many websites. I ve posted it in its entirety, taken from the Roman Raccolta. No matter which version you favor, this prayer can be a powerful resource in times of trial and temptation, and it is incredibly appropriate for the times in which we find ourselves today.

4 The Sunday collection for the weekend of October 4th was $3, The number of envelopes was 110. The Maintenance collection was $1, Our many thanks to our Registered Families using envelopes and the cash-and-carry folks. MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND VALUED SUPPORT! Our CHURCH CLEANERS FOR FRIDAY, 10/ 16/15 are Irena, Barbara, JoAnne & Bronislawa. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the rectory office VOTIVE OFFERINGS FOR THE WEEK OF 10/11/15 St. James Ladies Guild Special int. for Anne & Baby Slowik Special int. to Respect All Life For all the Souls in Purgatory The two beautiful bouquets of flowers surrounding our altar were made available in celebration of Happy Birthday for Irena & for special int. of Clarence & Maryann Zima THANK YOU! We pray for all those in the service of our country in all capacities, both at home and across the seas, especially in the Middle East. Please keep Nick Imgrund in your prayers as he continues his service in the United States Navy. Please keep Lucas Gough in your prayers as he continues his service in the United States Air Force. Please keep Kelsey Smith in your prayers as she continues her service in the Peace Corps in Africa.

5 Monday October 12th 8:15 AM Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida Tuesday October 13th 8:15 AM Walter Skurnicki Wednesday October 14th 7:00 PM Special int. for Anne I. Post Thursday October 15th 8:15 AM Special int. for Constance Formanek Friday October 16th 8:15 AM Special int. for Bernice & Joseph Kapusnik 6:00 PM Special int. for Jozef Dziaba 29th Ordinary Sunday Saturday October 17th 10:00 AM Memorial Mass for Patricia Mulhall 5:00 PM For Safety of Kelsey Smith Sunday October 18th 8:00 AM Special int. for Fr. Patrick Henry 9:30 AM Special int. for Dr. Tom Salmon, Jr. 11:30 AM Special int. for Liane DeSitter 29th Ordinary Sunday 10/17/ & 10/18/15 Celebrant Altar Servers Lectors 5:00 PM Fr. Ed Gleeson L. Mikrut E. Dooley M. Dooley C. Zarzycki 8:00 AM Fr. Tom Koys J. Beecher J. Beecher Dillenburg C. Stach- Pearman 9:30 AM Fr. Mitchel P. Brunk 11:30 AM Fr. Tom Koys G. Estrada J. Jacobek M. May DeRoche