Saint Cecilia. Easter Sunday. 8 April Resurrection by Piero della Francesca (c. 1463)

Transcription

1 Saint Cecilia P A R I S H Easter Sunday 8 April 2012 Resurrection by Piero della Francesca (c. 1463)

2 Saint Cecilia Parish, Boston FRIDAY, APRIL 13, :00 p.m. Cecil B. DeMille s 1927 silent movie masterpiece The KING of KINGS Accompanied live by organist improviser extraordinaire Peter Edwin Krasinski Accompanied live on the St. Cecilia Smith & Gilbert Organ of 3,000 pipes Mr. Krasinski is...one of the world s finest if not the leading silent film live improvisational accompanists. The Times Quotidian, University of Pennsylvania Tickets available at the door: $15 Adults $10 Seniors, Students $30 Unlimited family pass Rclark@stceciliaboston.org

3 welcome! Welcome to Saint Cecilia Parish, a Roman Catholic community that gathers day by day, week by week, to know and make known the grace of God. By means of this abundant grace, we enjoy a diverse and close-knit parish family young, old, rich, poor, of various ethnic origins and differing backgrounds. From our extraordinary music program to a growing children s faith formation program; from the various liturgical ministries to the many opportunities for social outreach that the parish provides, Saint Cecilia is a vibrant community of faith, centered on prayer and worship that tries to keep the Gospel close to heart and to live by Jesus teachings. Saint Cecilia Parish was established in At that time the Back Bay section of Boston along Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street was the residential section of the Yankee aristocracy. The maids ( Irish working out girls ) and coachmen who served these residents had long requested a church of their own. When Archbishop Williams granted their request and carved the parish from the territory of the Cathedral, they built a magnificent church out of their meager earnings. The church was dedicated on April 22, Its architecture is Romanesque, XII Century Norman. The main altar, notable for its massive simplicity, was carved from a single block of white Carrara marble. The painting in the center reredos is a reproduction of da Vinci s The Last Supper, and the dome above is an array of 24K gold rosettes. For the sixtieth anniversary celebration in 1954, a massive renovation project was undertaken. During this renovation, a statue of Pope Saint Pius X (canonized that same year) was imported from Italy and placed on the right side of the sanctuary. Above the statue are paintings from Pius life. On the left side is a statue of Saint Patrick, principal patron of the Archdiocese of Boston, and above it are three scenes from his life. Fourteen circular and sixteen square panels adorn the nave and arches of the church. The square panels are decorated with the symbols of Our Lady taken from the Litany of Loreto and the circular ones with symbols taken from the lives of the apostles. The great window of the Assumption framed by the two oak cases of the organ was installed in 1954 (the Marian Year) in spaces originally designed for windows but not until then used. The original organ of 24 stops was built in 1902 by the Hutchings-Votey Organ Company, Opus 1465, and was rebuilt in 1954 with 32 stops. In 1998, Timothy Smith and Theodore Gilbert began a massive reconstruction of the organ. The current Smith & Gilbert Organ of 4 manuals, 50 ranks, and 2,926 pipes was dedicated on the Feast of Saint Cecilia, November 22, Today we are experiencing something of an awakening within these old walls. We have just completed a major renovation, our numbers are increasing, and we continue to grow in our commitment to issues of peace, justice, and service to our neighbors, both near and far. We ve been right here on Belvidere Street, in the same building for over 120 years, but that does not mean that life here is stale, stagnant, or even predictable. We are proud to be entrusted with the legacy of Saint Cecilia Parish, where everything is the same, yet always changing; where we honor tradition while embracing the future; where God s love makes all things new.

4 Prayers & Occasions Our Sick Please pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Josephine Parker, John Saulenas, K. Champoux, Patricia Hoggard, Jennifer Serpico, Christine St. Pierre, Jessica Coviello, Harold Williamson, Jessica Rivieccio, Earl Chilcote, Colonel Robert C. Tashjian, Roseanne Borgioli, Rosemary Messina, Kim Murray, Heather LoRe, Rudy Kikel, Herbert Simmons, Peggy Furey, Janice Mascia, Winnie Dyer, Jane Cox, Pamela D Ambra, Sue Lucas, Suki Coughlin, Roberta Keenan, Bridget Spence, Annette Kulas, Sam Gowan, Rhea Richard, Pil-Yun Son, Mary Yanez, Larry Buckley, M. Frances Driscoll, Ed Langlais, Bob McLaughlin, Steven Whitkens, Diana Slaton, Leo Garcia, Jean Marino, Joe Ford, Danny Cotter, Natalia Chilcote, Amy Sweetland, Jim Keyes, Michael Zawikowski, Cheryl Proctor, Patricia Macdonald, Elvera Dowsky, Frank Ackley, Fred Haslee, Lorraine Haslee, Robert Menson, Paul Flaherty, William Louttit, Lucie Kelly, Bro. Adam Zielonka, O.C.S.O., Amy Duarte, Karen & Rick, Phyllis Porras, Jim Linderman, Mark Amerault, Sr. Nuala Cotter, R.A., Kristen DeFranco Martinez, Michele Crowley Tippens, Sara Lima Santos, Joseph Driscoll, Pete Huttlinger, Anthony Simboli, Lisa Caputo, Edward Gill, Darlene McLendon, Jeanne Tibbs, Debbie Pace, Peter Schwahn, Deidre Sullivan, Roosevelt Brown, Mary O Donnell, Ginny L Abbe, Steve Chamberlain, Matt Penchuk, Carrie Penchuk, Christy Cosgrove, Jacques Romberger, John Scaife, Maureen Sullivan, Alyce Haley, Joe Capizzi, David Walsh, Joe Huenke, Kaylin Marcotte, Avito Pacifici, Charlotte Egan, James Noone, Keith Plaster, Frederick Flather, David & Paula Fillion, Fred Maglero, Sarah Sweeney, Susan Shea, Bill Croke, Ettore Bergamaschi, Ryan Delaney, Anita Cipriani, Cecile Finnerty, Manuela Almeida, Ilda Almeida, Joe Farrell, Ethan D Amato, and Sophie Gagnon. Our Newest Members At the Easter Vigil we celebrated the initiation of seven new Christians in the Easter waters. Pete Abernethy, Melissa Foley, Kara Gustafson, Vu Ho, Chris Rawlings, Bryan Willis, and Edison Wong professed their faith in Christ and were baptized, confirmed, and welcomed to the Eucharistic table. Nicole Aubourg, Tate Bevis, Antonio Garita, Kevin Gentry, Fatemeh Gholami Ghaleh, Bryan Kendall, William Knowlton, Fallon McLaughlin, Ryan McLaughlin, and Shelley Prencipe- Fish, were received into the full communion of the Catholic Church and were confirmed and welcomed to the table of the Lord. Lindsey Tracy had already been baptized Catholic but last night was confirmed and received Holy Communion for the first time. Keep these men and women in your prayer as they begin the period known as mystagogia. Mystagogia is an ancient Greek word meaning, education in the mysteries. Christian believers in the first century used the word mystagogia to describe the period of continuing spiritual instruction following the celebration of the initiation rites. Paschal Vespers Tonight at Six The Paschal Triduum concludes with the celebration of Paschal Vespers on Easter Sunday. If you are in town, please join us this evening at six o clock for this thirty minute liturgy. Welcome to Our Visitors We extend a warm welcome to our visitors this Easter. One of the delights of the Easter Feast is the experience of a church bursting at the seams. We hope that you find a genuine welcome and a vibrancy in worship during your time with us. We re glad you re here! 4

5 Remember your first Holy Week? This Easter, remember the priests who have played a signiþcant role in your spiritual life, as well as the spiritual lives of your loved ones. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: This Easter we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ with so many of our Catholic brothers and sisters. If you have been away from the church, please know that we are especially glad you are with us today. Above photo: Father Jim Curtin, ordained in 1951, has been serving the church for almost 60 years. His Þrst parish was St. Joseph in Woburn, below photo. During all EasterMasses, the collection will be in support of the Clergy Funds. The Clergy Funds supports the programs that provide for the retirement,medical care, and Þnancial needs of the priests throughout the Archdiocese. The revitalization of these funds is one of the most important issues we face as an Archdiocese today. I ask you to prayerfully consider giving generously to the Clergy Funds during the EasterMasses next weekend. Sincerely yours in Christ, Cardinal Seán P. O Malley 5

6 easter sunday It s not about the bunnies By JAMES MARTIN, SJ It s not about bunnies. It s not about coloring eggs. It s not about chocolate. It s not about flowers. It s not even about spring or signs of new life in nature after a long winter. So what is Easter about? It s about something almost terrifyingly serious: Jesus rose from the dead. That s one reason why Easter hasn t been completely subsumed by the consumer culture. (Though department stores and cheesy movies like Hop try their best to do so.) Christmas, which can be cast as the cozy story of Mary and Joseph and their little baby Jesus surrounded by cuddly animals in a manger, is easily domesticated. Easily tamed. More easily sold to the masses. Easter, on the other hand, is untameable. The man whose followers imagined him to be the Messiah, the one who would forcefully, even violently, deliver them from the hands of their oppressors (For isn t that what the Baptist said?) was tried, beaten and executed like a common thug. What s more, after the crucifixion the Gospels portray the disciples not as stalwart stewards of their master s legacy, but as abject cowards, cowering behind locked doors for fear of someone trying to arrest them. Then on Easter Sunday everything changes. It changes so much that it s hard for them to take it in. In one of his first of Jesus s many appearances, one of the women doesn t even recognize him. Several disciples refuse to believe the story one until he actually touches the man. But Christians believe, and I believe, that it s true: Christ has risen from the dead. Sounds strange said so bluntly, doesn t it? But the resurrection is the heart of the Christian message. If you don t believe it, then you re not Christian. Not really, as St. Paul would say elsewhere: If Christ is not raised, your faith is in vain. 6

7 About that new life: it is in fact new. Christ is not simply resuscitated, that is, brought back from the dead with the understanding that he ll die some time in the future. No, he lives forever and ever, as the Bible (and Handel s Hallelujah chorus) say. It s a completely new kind of life. And a completely new kind of reality. That may be one reason why the Gospel accounts of Jesus s appearances after his resurrection are so confusing. As I said, in one passage he is mistaken for the gardener. But for the disciples he was the most important man in their lives: How could they not recognize him? In another account, he seems like a ghost for he seems to pass through doors and suddenly appears before the disciples. And in another passage he is clearly physical. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke. What s going on? To my mind, the confusing accounts point out impossibility of describing what the disciples were seeing. What was it like? Well, he was like a ghost but not really. He was flesh and blood but something else. No one had ever seen anything remotely like this; no words could encompass the reality of what theologians call the glorified body. So everything changes on Easter. And what Jesus said during his earthly ministry (love one another, pray for your enemies, give to the poor) now takes on added meaning for the disciples. Easter is not about bunnies or chocolate or eggs. It is an event that makes a claim on you. Either you believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead (or his body was stolen, or the Gospels are made up, or the disciples simply remembered him and passed on his message). Or you believe he was raised from the dead. In which case everything changes for you, too. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, culture editor of America, and author of the bestsellers, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints. EASTER 2012 By JOAN CHITTISTER, OSB The old news about Easter is that it is about resurrection. The new news may be that it is not so much about the resurrection of Jesus as it is about our own. Unfortunately, we so often miss it. Jesus, you see, is already gone from one tomb. The only question now is whether or not we are willing to abandon our own, leave the old trappings behind and live in the light of Jesus, the Christ, whom the religious establishment persecuted and politicians condemned. It is the greatest question of them all in a world that practices religion as an act of private devotion and sees law and government as an arm of God. The resurrection to which Easter calls us our own requires that we prepare to find God where God is by opening ourselves to the world around us with a listening ear. This means that we must be prepared to be surprised by God in strange places, in ways we never thought we d see and through the words of those we never thought we d hear. We must allow others even those whom we have till now refused to consider to open our hearts to things we do not want to hear. We must release the voice of God in everyone, everywhere. It means putting down the social phobias that protect us from one another. It requires that we clean out from our vocabulary our contempt for liberals, our frustration for radicals and our disdain for conservatives. (Article continues on the bottom of the right column on page 9) 7

8 easter as opening the doors of hell By RON ROLHEISER, OMI Some years ago a young woman I knew, a university student, fell into a severe depression and attempted suicide. Her family, startled by what had happened, rallied around her. They brought her home and for the next few months tried to provide her with all the best that medicine, psychiatry, the church and human love could offer. They tried everything, but they couldn t penetrate the dark hole into which she had descended. Four months later she killed herself. She had descended into a private hell into which nothing on this side of eternity could any longer enter. She was powerless to open up her own soul for help. I suspect that many of the reasons for her depression were not her fault. She didn t will herself into that paralysis, circumstance, wound and bad health put her there. All of us know similar stories. What s to be said about this? Does our faith have any answers? There is a particular line in the Apostles Creed, which is deeply rooted in the Gospels that does throw light, major light, on this issue. It s the phrase: He descended to the dead. Or, in some versions: He descended into hell. What is contained in that phrase is, no doubt, the most consoling doctrine in all of religion, Christian or otherwise. What it tells us is that the way Jesus died and rose opened up the gates of death and of hell itself. What does that mean? This is not a simple teaching. There are different layers of meaning inside of it. At one level, it expresses a Christian belief (which itself needs much explanation) that from the time of the fall of Adam and Eve until Jesus death, nobody, no matter how virtuous his or her life might have been, could enter heaven. The gates of heaven were shut and could be opened only by Jesus through his death. There is an ancient Christian homily (now part of the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday) which paints a picture of this as you might see depicted on an icon. 8

9 It describes both why nobody could go to heaven before Jesus descent into the underworld and how Jesus, once there, wakes up Adam and Eve, and leads them through a now open door to heaven. But that s an icon, not a literal picture. The Gospels insert this into a wider concept. In the Gospel of Mark, for instance, we see that is important that Jesus goes into every dark, taboo place on this planet and take God s light and healing there. Thus Jesus goes into morally taboo places, the single s bars of his time. But he also goes into all other dark, taboo places, particularly into sickness and death. And, for first-century Judaism, there was no place more taboo than death itself. The belief was that human beings were created to enjoy God s presence in this life and not to die. Death was seen as an evil, the consequence of sin, an alienation from God, a place separated from heaven, with no door in between. Hence to say that Jesus descended to the dead was the same as saying he descended into hell.. All of the dead were considered as separated from God. One of our major beliefs about Jesus is that, by entering death, he precisely entered this underworld, this Sheol, this place of separation and alienation, this hell, and, once there, breathed out God s light and healing in the same way as, in John s Gospel, he went through doors that were locked by fear and breathed out peace and forgiveness. By going through locked doors and breathing out peace, he both descends into hell and opens up the gates of heaven. And this is not something abstract, a creedal statement to be believed. It is still happening. There are many forms of death, Sheol, the underworld, hell. Suicidal depression, incurable bitterness, a wound so deep it can never heal, helplessness inside of a life-destroying addiction, a beaten and crushed spirit, an alienation too deep and long-standing to be overcome, any of these can leave us huddled in a locked room, in some underworld, in some private hell, too weak to open the doors that lead to love and life. The gates of heaven close for many reasons. That was the case for the young woman described above who killed herself. She was in Sheol. But, I don t doubt for a second, when she woke on the other side Christ came through her locked doors, stood gently inside of her private hell, and breathed out peace. In that ancient homily describing Jesus descent into hell, as Jesus wakes up Adam he says to him: I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.... Arise, let us leave this place! No doubt this is what Jesus said too to this young woman, and then he opened the gates of heaven for her just as he once opened those same gates for Adam and Eve. (Continued from page 7) It presumes that we will reach out to all others to the gays and the immigrants and other races, to the strangers, the prisoners and the poor in order to divine what visions to see with them, what cries to cry for them, what stones to move from the front of their graves. That will, of course, involve listening to women for a change, seeing angels where strangers are, emptying tombs, contending with Pharisees and walking to Emmaus with strangers crying, Hosanna all the way. Easter is not simply a day of celebration: It is, as well, a day of decision. What is really to be decided is whether or not we ourselves will rise from the deadening grip of this world s burnt-out systems to the light-giving time of God s coming again, this time in us. Then the Easter Alleluia is true: God is surely with us. 9

10 Parish RESOURCES Parish Office & Mailing Address 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA Hours Monday Friday, 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Phone Fax Website Parish Staff Rev. John J. Unni, Pastor, Mark Donohoe, Pastoral Associate for Administration, Scott J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development, Richard J. Clark, Director of Music and Organist, Maureen Sullivan, Administrative Assistant to the Pastor, Genevieve Fiorente, Office Administrative Assistant Assisting Clergy Rev. Thomas Gariepy, CSC Rev. Peter Grover, OMV Rev. James Shaughnessy, SJ Rev. George Winchester, SJ Schedule for Liturgy Wednesdays During Lent 6:00 p.m. Thursday & Friday 8:00 a.m. Lord s Day Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:15, and 6:00 p.m. Holy Days 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation By appointment at any time and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 8:00 during Lent. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the communal process through which non-baptized men and women become members of the Catholic Church. It is also suitable for those baptized in different faith traditions who are interested in becoming Catholic, or, for those who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive the sacraments of eucharist and confirmation. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Baptism for Infants Infant baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Faith Formation for Children To register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Scott MacDonald in the parish office. Marriage Couples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Donohoe in the parish office at least six months in advance. Care of the Sick To arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion to be brought to those unable to attend the Sunday celebration, or for Viaticum for the Dying (Holy Communion for those in danger of death), please contact the parish office. It is always possible to anoint the sick during regularly scheduled liturgies. Order of Christian Funerals The parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Please contact the parish office for more information. Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Team The CAP Team is responsible for training all parish staff and volunteers in mandated reporting laws and the Protecting God s Children program (VIRTUS). They also provide consultation and support to anyone in the parish who has concerns about reporting child abuse and neglect. Please contact Lois Flaherty (loisflaherty@gmail.com), Ginny DiSanto (gin250boston@gmail.com) or Peg Quilty (nursempeg@gmail.com) if you have any questions or concerns. The Archdiocese of Boston has in place a vigorous program to protect children from harm and to educate its ministers and faithful about the nature of abuse, with a goal of increasing knowledge, creating a safe environment for children, and recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations. The full text of the policy is also available in the narthex and parish office, as well as on our website. For Those with Celiac Disease If you have celiac disease, please let us know. We have a supply of low-gluten altar bread available for those who cannot tolerate gluten. Hearing Assistance in Church The church is equipped with an FM listening device. Small receivers are available for anyone who may have trouble hearing the sound system. Simply request a receiver from any one of our greeters before Mass. Access for the Disabled The church is accessible by elevator. Parking Reduced-rate parking (maximum of three hours) is available Sundays at the Prudential Center parking garage, LAZ Parking (53 Belvidere Street), and at the Hilton Boston Back Bay. Please bring your parking ticket to church for validation before returning to the garage. Joining Our Community We re happy that you re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritual home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighborhoods in and around Boston but also have parishioners from as far afield as Marlborough, Newburyport, and Stow. Please introduce yourself to a staff member, drop in for coffee on Sunday, or fill out a new parishioner form in the gathering space. No matter what your background, please know that you are always welcome at Saint Cecilia. 10