The Casualties of War

Transcription

1 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time August 21, 2011 Homily Next Week: Fr. John D. Whitney, S.J. Readings for August 28, 2011 First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2 Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27 Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday - 5 p.m. Sunday - 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Weekday Mass Schedule Monday - Friday - 7 a.m. Reconciliation Saturday - 3:30-4:15 p.m. in the Church or by appointment Parish Center Hours Monday-Thursday - 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday - 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday - 9 a.m. - 1 p.m th Avenue East, Seattle, WA Fax: (206) Parish Receptionist (206) Parish Staff (206) Pastor Rev. John D. Whitney, S.J. x107 Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Jack O Leary, S.J. x101 Deacon/Pastoral Associate Steve Wodzanowski x106 Pastoral Staff: Dottie Farewell, Director of Religious Ed. x112 Dennis Gentele, Facilities x110 Renée Leet, Administrative Assistant x100 Courtney Lilly, Development x103 Bob McCaffery-Lent, Music & Liturgy x109 Caprice Sauter, Bookkeeper x102 Greg McNabb, Administration x108 Anne Moran, Administrative Assistant x116 Randy Novak, Communications x114 John Stuntebeck, Accompanist x105 St. Joseph School th Avenue East (206) Main Office George Hofbauer, Principal Rick Boyle, Academic Vice Principal Patrick Fennessy, Vice Principal x210 x213 x215 x218 The Casualties of War Through the midnight streets of Babylon between the steel towers of their arsenals, between the torture castles with no windows, we race by barefoot, holding tight our candles, trying to shield the shivering flames, crying Sleepers Awake!. ~Denise Levertov This week it was revealed that several more young veterans, returned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had committed suicide. They join a growing number of suicides: a shocking and disproportionate number of those who have served, often numerous tours, in Iraq or Afghanistan, have taken their own life upon their return. Overcome by despair and disconnected from a nation that has for the most part continued to function as though we are not at war, those who have died by their own hand are but the most obvious casualties of a national policy rooted in violence and marshaled by fear, but paid for on the backs of the very few. Along with the thousands killed in action or suffering lost limbs and traumatic brain injuries (a particularly prevalent result of the roadside bombs), these women and men who have sought relief in suicide are holding a candle in the streets of our cities and crying out to all of us, as Levertov says, Sleepers Awake! The casualties of our wars are not all in the Veterans Hospitals or fitted with prosthetic devices. Rather, all those who have been to these wars have given something of themselves a part of their lives and a part of their heart in facing situations and responding to directives no one should be asked to endure. They have most often done so with amazing grace and courage, with fidelity to their comrades and to their ideals; and they should be honored for their service. Yet, if those who have served have great nobility, the nation that called for that service and exacted that cost from each of these men and women has a duty to honor them by serving the truth, by spending not one more life without ensuring an equitable distribution of cost. Because we have used the guise of a volunteer armed forces though the status of volunteer must be strange to those held over for tour after tour we have avoided the political backlash that accompanied a draft, and have asked less than.1% of our population to shoulder the dangers of the war. For the first time in our history, we have avoided taxing ourselves to pay for a war, and even now look to cut resources to the poor rather than accept the cost of this military endeavor. We have asked our sons and daughters to fight justly in a war whose origins were (by the traditions of the Church) unjust, and have given them rationales for torture unheard of in our history sacrificing notions of justice that go back to Augustine because of our fears. We have gone to war not as a last resort, but because we could; and have continued in these wars because of our national pride and fear of those who seem to grow stronger as we fight them. We have spoken,

2 Calendar Monday, August 22 Friday, August 26 Sacred Silence, 7 PM, Church Eucharistic Adoration, 7:30-11 AM, Loyola Chapel, Parish Center Mariners Game - 7 PM George Hofbauer Night Note: Daily masses (Monday-Friday) are celebrated in the Arrupe Room at 7 AM and the Blessed Sacrament will be reserved in Loyola Chapel of the Parish Center. During the summer months, the Parish Center offices will close at 3 PM on Fridays. at times, as crusaders and have failed to follow the teaching of the Church and of the gospel, often because of fear or pride. In all this, we have, too often, failed to trust the call of the gospel and the best principles of our tradition and so have embraced a spirit of despair rather than hope, retribution rather than reconciliation. Now, however, like the canary in the coal mine, the epidemic of suicide calls us to examine the air that surrounds us and rise, again, to the light that gives us life. As people of faith, we must seek an end to the culture of war and bind the wounds of our children and our nation. We must acknowledge how much we are all casualties of this violence and the silent despair we have allowed to embrace us, and see that God has given us the grace to act for peace and healing, for the care of our children and the justice of the world. We must awaken, with courage and hope, into the dangerous light of the cross of Christ; for only this way is the fullness of life possible. St. Joseph Safe Environment Training All volunteers in the Parish, School and CYO Sports are required to complete Called to Protect for Ministries by October 1, We will be offering two classes at St. Joseph School - Friday, September 2nd at 9 am and Monday, September 12th 6:30 pm. To register, visit If you have any questions, please contact Jane Mueller at jmueller@stjosephsea.org or , ext St. Joseph Community extends its prayers and hopes for the following intentions: For the treatment to help Alice with her vision... For LeeAnn who is very ill and has a young family, we pray for her and her family... Grateful for the support that has been given to make a difference in people s lives in Africa, Bangladesh, Haiti and other areas of need. We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance. ~Ephesians 2:10 If you are interested in having someone placed on the prayer tree, please contact Renée Leet at or rleet@stjosephparish.org IBlood Drive Monday, August 22nd in the Arrupe Room, 1-3 pm and 3:45-7 pm. Sign up in the vestibule following Mass. So invite a friend or family member to join you when giving blood. See you there! For Those Who Cannot Eat Gluten: An Invitation to Eucharist If you have celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy, you may receive the Eucharist in a glutenfree form from the Presider, who will have the consecrated host in a pyx. Please tell him that you need a gluten-free host, and he will allow you to remove it from the pyx in a safe manner. Remember: this pyx will only be with the Presider, so go to him. Eucharistic Adoration Just a reminder that there is Eucharistic Adoration every Friday morning from 7:30-11 am in the Loyola Chapel of the Parish Center.

3 Formation Come and See What the Catholic Faith Has to Offer Tuesday, September 20th 7:00 pm 8:30 pm St. Joseph Parish Center Are you, your spouse, a friend, or an acquaintance a member of another faith tradition but worship regularly here at St. Joseph. Are you experiencing God s call in your life and seeking Baptism or full communion with the Catholic Church. Children s Faith Formation Fall Registration CFF Registration is OPEN NOW!! Sign up TODAY by visiting the St. Joseph Parish website: Point to Children/Youth. Select the class of choice & click on it. An online registration form is at the bottom. Fill out the registration forms: Fill in the Parent Registration including all the children you want to register and click submit Fill in a Child Registration page for each child you are registering and click submit Follow the PayPal prompts; you may either pay online or click Bill Me to submit a check via mail. If you are, please consider participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. The RCIA program is an opportunity to explore with others what the Catholic Church has to offer. It is an opportunity, through a process of discernment and gradual conversion to become a full member of the Catholic Church. If you are interested contact Deacon Steve Wodzanowski at or stevew@stjosephparish.org All are welcome in this journey of faith. Attention St. Joseph Families with Young Children (birth to preschool): Parenting for Peace and Justice Are you interested in meeting with fellow parents of young children to reflect, discuss and pray about raising our little ones with an outlook toward peace and justice? The IPJC (Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center) has a small group curriculum called Parenting for Peace and Justice. We are hoping to form small groups of interested parishioners with the intent of beginning late August or early September. Please contact Sarah Riggio at Sarah.Riggio@gmail.com or Suzanne Long suzelong@yahoo. com to sign up or for more info or Social Ministry JustMatters In keeping with St. Joseph s mission to educate parishioners on Catholic social teaching, the Social Justice Commission will begin facilitating JustMatters modules in the fall. These 8 week sessions engage parishioners in study and prayer focused on topics found within the social teachings of the church. Currently, we are beginning the planning phase for the fall and would like to hear from you; what days of the week work for you, what starting date work and what topic would you be most interested in studying. There are 8 topics to choose from. If you would be interested in participating and would like to help choose the topic please Meghan Mayo at meghan.m.mayo@ gmail.com with your availability and top two choices of module: Ecology, Torture, Federal Budget, Immigration, Climate Change, Prison Reform, Forming a Mission-Based Community, Peacemaking and Non-Violence. For more detailed information on each topic please visit the JustFaith website

4 Community Welcome the Newly Baptized This summer we welcomed into our faith community the following children: Eva Louise Howard Kicinski,Patrick Joseph Sainsbury, Caitlin Marie Cline, Parker Andrew Fitch, Lucia Blue Mintkeski, Brody Alexander Wetzel, Ashleigh Vivian Abrams, Amelia Veronica Hayashi, Alison McCoy Herdener, Joseph Stevens Leber, Emma Jane Olendorf, Blake Ashton Raney, Ava Leigh Stafford, Ava Alexandria Torrico, Isabella Valentina Torrico, Sofia Lynn Torrico, Nicholas Paul Goebel, Charles Robert Deitz, Declan Thomas Rooney, Connor Beck Felton, Josepher Frondozo Pacquing, Jr., Mario James Ribera, Violet Helena Babaie Isabella Maria Franquelo, Grady Christian Opalia Lammers, Zoe Grace LaRubbio, Jack Alexander McGinnis, Fiona Selina Rodriguez, Braelyn McCartney-Anne Milnor- Lewis, and Grace Katherine Early. Congratulations! George Hofbauer Takes the Field! All tickets that were ordered for the Mariners game were mailed on Friday, August 12th. If you have not received your tickets please T-Shirts If you did not pick up your shirts for the game at the end of the school year, you have TWO options to get your shirts. Shirts will be distributed after ALL masses this weekend, Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st. Shirts will be available for pick up on Friday, August 26th at 3 pm in the school parking lot next to the Wyckoff Gym. This is the time that ALL class lists are posted for the upcoming school year. Seniors on the Go Friday, September 2nd - Healing Mass at 11:30am (No Luncheon) Thursday, September 15th - Seniors Monthly Planning 11:30 am 1 pm at the Parish Center. Brown Bag Lunch Thursday, September 15th - Afternoon at the Movies 1 pm Parish Center The King s Speech Bring a beverage or snack to share. Sign-up with Renee at the Front Desk or call , ext 100. Tuesday, September 27th - Seniors Monthly Potluck 6:00pm in the Social Hall. Annual School/Parish Picnic! Sunday, September 11th 1 to 4 p.m., Parking Lot School/Parish will provide refreshments, hot dogs, sno-cones, ice cream and cotton candy. Inflatable rides for the kids and so much more! (Please bring a salad or side dish to share.) To volunteer contact: Mary Freiburger (rides) at or maryfreiburger@comcast.net Steve Wodzanowski (set-up/clean-up) at or stevew@stjosephparish.org Sign-ups to help will also be held after all the Masses next weekend, August 27th-28th.

5 Prayer St. Joseph Marriage Enrichment The Marriage Enrichment group is sponsoring a short group hike at the Mercer Slough on August 27th at 10 am. We will meet at the Eastside Heritage Center (Winters House). It has easy, straightforward trails and it isn t too far away for a nice Saturday morning walk. All ages are welcome. For details, contact Sarah O Neil and John Kew at sarahconeill@gmail.com or Visit www. ci.bellevue.wa.us/mercer_slough_trail for Mercer Slough details. First Thursday Holy Hour The monthly Holy Hour is set for September 1st, 7-8 pm in the Loyola Chapel of the Parish Center. Refreshments afterward. Sponsored by St. Joseph Choose Life Ministry. For information, call Jackie Quinn at or Tom Cannon St. Joseph s Men s Ministry Welcome Back from Summer: Home Mass and Potluck Barbecue Friday, September 16th At the Home of Steve Turnure: 1710 Parkside Dr. E. (located in Broodmoor: - Madison Street Entrance) 6 pm Gather 6:30 pm Mass with Fr. John Whitney, S.J. Music by Ken Barroga Main Dish provided. Everyone invited to bring a salad, bread, appetizer dessert and beverage of choice to share. When you RSVP, please indicate what you are bringing. All are welcome, so spread the word! For more info contact Don Manning at donmanning@mac.com or Steve Wodzanowski at or Steve Turnure at turnure@ me.com or Fall Men s Weekend Retreat Friday, October 7th Sunday Oct. 9th Camp Casey on Whidbey Island Cost: $130 per person (includes two nights lodging & four meals). Partial Scholarships are available Contact Don Manning at donmanning@mac.com or Or Deacon Steve at or stevew@stjosephparish.org for details. Sharing Prayer: A new opportunity for families & friends of those living with cancer. If you re loving someone who is dealing with cancer, (or, if you yourself are in recovery) it can be a challenge to find time and focus for prayer. St. Joseph is offering a new opportunity for those who would like to pray and share together. The first meeting of Sharing Prayer is Tuesday, August 23rd, from 7-8:30 pm, in the Jogues Room of the Parish Center. This is a chance for companionship, compassionate listening, and quiet prayer, with very little agenda. Please come! ICabrini Ministry Training Who Benefits from Cabrini Ministry Training? You and Your Parish: Individuals who complete the Cabrini Ministry Training Report receiving the gift of: Increased self awareness Stronger command of pastoral helping skills, renewed relationship with God Contributing to the community and world, by serving others Pastoral leadership skills Helping others see where God is working in their lives Trained lay minister, giving skills to live out the baptismal call Plan to attend an Information Meeting on Monday, September 12 (7:00-8:30 pm) at St. James Cathedral Place. Please RSVP (or for more information) to Patrick Lim at Ext 4 or pslim@cabriniministry.org Hospital Ministry Volunteers Needed Volunteers are needed to provide Catholic prayer presence and sacrament of Eucharist to patients and their families at Harborview Medical Center and Virginia Mason Hospital. Previous experience being an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion preferred, but not required. Volunteers must complete all necessary paperwork, background checks and complete Orientation/Training sessions and personal interviews. Time expectation is once a week, 3-4 hour shift, plus monthly check-in gatherings. There is lots of flexibility in regards to specific day and time. To volunteer at Harborview please contact Deacon Steve Wodzanowski at /stevew@stjosephparish.org or to volunteer at Virginia Mason contact Fr. Don Perea at donaldperea@msn.com

6 IThe Food St. Mary s 12th Annual Harvest Dinner Dinner and Auction Saturday, September 24th Doors Open at 5:30 pm Seattle Design Center Georgetown District of Seattle th Ave S. $45 donation per person Please RSVP by September 5th via at harvestdinner@thefbsm.org ICentennial Celebration Immaculate Conception School Building Saturday, August 27, 2011 Open House - 4 pm Mass with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain - 6 pm Reception Following th Ave. IAugust is Baby Corner Month The St. Joseph Baby Corner, which serves poor mothers and young children in their many needs, needs us! As part of our prayer and action for the month of August, St. Joseph Parish is responding to the call of a work that started in our community. Baby Corner is in desperate need, especially, of the following items: Newborn & Infant size undershirts & pajamas, Outfits for newborns & infants, Baby Bath Towels, Baby Wash, Diaper Rash Ointment, Lotion, Diapers! Diapers! Diapers! (especially sizes 3-6), High Chairs, Bouncer Chairs, Booster Chairs, Bath Tubs, Floor Gyms. Baby Corner accepts gently used and new items, all of which goes directly to the most needful in our community: mothers with small babies. Like Mary and Jesus, these mothers and children depend on St. Joseph--may we honor our patron by following his example. Collection: August 14, 2011 Total Needed Weekly to Meet Budget: $15, Total for Masses and Gift Mailed In: $10, Please remember to include St. Joseph Parish in your estate plans.