PASTOR S COLUMN 2 WHY REMAIN CATHOLIC? (WITH SO MUCH SCANDAL)

Transcription

1 THE CROWN

2 PASTOR S COLUMN 2 Dear Parishioners & Visitors, I recently read a very interesting article of Bishop Robert Baron, which I would like to share with you today. Bishop Baron is an auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA. He is well known and respected speaker across USA and the world. Please, take your time and enjoy the reading: WHY REMAIN CATHOLIC? (WITH SO MUCH SCANDAL) Note: The text below has been transcribed from the video. Hey everybody, this is Bishop Baron. I wanted to speak to you again about this terrible crisis we re passing through in the Church, this crisis of sexual abuse and the countenancing of it by some bishops. I know I spoke to you a couple of days ago. But what s been striking me recently is the number of people who seem to be calling for the abandonment of the Church: Because of this crisis, it s time for us to leave the Church. We ve simply had enough. Now, can I just say this? I totally understand people s feelings. I share them the feelings of anger and frustration. I get it. I get it. But can I also suggest, I think this is precisely the wrong strategy at this moment in the Church s life. Leaving is not what we ought to be doing. What we ought to be doing is fighting. Let me explain that with a little historical reference. One of my great heroes is Abraham Lincoln. And Lincoln of course operated politically at one of the most convulsive times in our national history, when slavery was threatening the very foundations of American democracy. Lincoln knew from the beginning of his career that the nation, as he put it, couldn t survive half-slave and half-free. But he saw more profoundly too that slavery as an institution was repugnant to the very principles of American democracy. Now, we can hear that in the Gettysburg Address. And in a way it s sad that that s become so cliché, that we all memorize it in high school. But let s go back to those words: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Notice he s articulating the principles that define American democracy: freedom and equality. Then he says, Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. He knew what was at stake in the war was American democracy itself. He knew that slavery was a kind of cancer that would undermine American ideals. Now, I suppose at the time an option would have been simply to give up on the American experiment. I m leaving the country. I ve had it. This thing is a disaster. I m giving up. But Lincoln wouldn t take that option. In fact, he led the country down the other path toward fighting fighting for the ideals of American democracy. Now, can I suggest everybody, I think something similar is at stake right now. The Catholic Church, its great principles and ideals; the Catholic Church, grounded in Jesus Christ, the love of God made manifest in him in his dying and his rising; the Catholic Church, in all of its power and beauty and perfection, is indeed threatened by this terrible scourge of sexual abuse. It is indeed a blight upon the Church. It is appropriate that people feel anger, frustration. I suppose the option is on the table: leave. I ve had it. The thing is just too corrupt. I m out of here. But see, I want to suggest everybody, that is not what is called for. Rather, what s called for is the Lincoln option: fighting for the Church that we believe in so powerfully; seeing this blight, naming it clearly, unambiguously, but then fighting to set things right. It s not the moment for cutting and running. It s the moment for getting into the fight. And you say, Well okay, Bishop, I get it. But how do I fight? Look: You fight through your own righteous anger. You fight by writing a letter to your Bishop, a letter to the Pope. You fight by your very presence at Mass. You fight by keeping people s feet to the fire. You fight by organizing your fellow Catholics. Fight any way you can. But you fight because you believe in the Church; you love the Church; and you realize that despite this terrible blight, it s worth fighting for. You know, keep in mind everybody, we are not Catholics because of the moral excellence of our leaders. I mean, God help us if we were. We want our leaders indeed, we expect our leaders to be morally excellent. But we are not Catholics because of that moral excellence. We re Catholics because of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead. We re Catholics because of the Trinitarian love of God. We're Catholics because of the Mystical Body of Christ. We re Catholics because of the sacraments. We re Catholics especially because of the Eucharist. We're Catholics because of the Blessed Mother. We re Catholics because of the saints. Even as leaders in the Church fail morally, the Catholic Church remains the Mystical Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. And she s worth fighting for. Keep this in mind too everybody: every baptized person is priest, prophet, and king. A couple of days ago I talked about the kingly office. Can I talk now about the prophetic office? When Israel got off the rails read the Old Testament, it happened on a regular basis: this community was meant to reflect the will of God into the world, Israel the chosen people of God, but frequently its leaders failed, frequently its people fell into sin, frequently it fell away from the Torah and the temple what did God do? He called forth prophets: people like Jeremiah, people like Isaiah, people like Amos and Ezekiel, people like Zechariah. And they raised their voices sometimes, yes, in very angry protest about these corruptions within Israel. You re a prophet. Every one of you listening to me right now who is baptized into Jesus Christ is a prophet. Raise your voice! Prophets didn t cut and run when Israel was in trouble; the prophets spoke out. That s all of our responsibility, all of us who bear the prophetic charism. (cont.)

3 PARISH INFORMATION 3 You know, perhaps a last thought here. I said it a couple of days ago, I ll say it again. Whom are we fighting for? We re not fighting primarily to save our institutions. See, I m with my old mentor Cardinal George of happy memory. In the last talk he ever gave to all the priests of Chicago, he said, Remember, at the beginning of the Church, there were no parishes. There were no schools, hospitals, institutions. There were evangelists, he reminded us. There were proclaimers of the word. But the point was the Church does not depend ultimately on institutions. We re not fighting primarily for that aspect of the Church's life. We are fighting for the victims of these terrible crimes. We re fighting for people who were sexually assaulted, sexually abused. If we cut and run precisely at this challenging time, who will be the prophetic voice on behalf of these victims? So that s my little cri de coeur, everybody my cry from the heart. I get it. I get the frustration people feel. I share it. But this is not the moment to abandon the Church. This is the moment to fight for the Church. May God bless you all. Fr. Marcin Szczypula, Pastor THE DOOR IS OPEN...AND YOU ARE INVITED It s nice to get an invitation, isn t it? Especially when the program is one of the most important events of the year. It s officially called the The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults R.C.I.A. for short. The R.C.I.A. is one of the most important programs of the year because it s one of the principal ways we bring new members into the Church (infant Baptism is the other). We will offer more specific information to those requesting it, but for now we need the help of every parishioner to get the invitations out to: unbaptized adults who would like to become Catholic, or adults baptized in other Christian churches who would like to study the Catholic faith. Catholic adults who would like to receive the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, but never had the opportunity. If you are one of these people, this invitations is for you. If you know someone who fits the description, we encourage you to make sure they receive an invitation. For more information, please call Fr. Tom, at Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich on Misleading NBC Chicago Report August 29, 2018 An NBC Chicago TV report that aired Monday night was edited in such a way that gave the false impression that Pope Francis and I consider the protection of children to be less important than other issues, such as the environment or immigration. Nothing could be further from the truth. A review of the unedited footage of that interview shows that I was referring to the recent letter by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, not the terrible crime of clergy sexual abuse. I said that it was not appropriate, or even possible for Pope Francis to respond to the letter s many undocumented allegations, and I endorsed his request that journalists determine their veracity. I was then asked whether there should be an independent investigation of the Archbishop Theodore McCarrick case, and I endorsed the call of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, for a thorough investigation. The edited report created the false impression that my comment that the Pope should not go down the rabbit hole of the allegations in the Viganò letter was about sexual abuse. As the unedited footage shows, it was not. As I wrote in my letter responding to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report: Whatever words we may use to describe the anguish of reading about these heinous acts, they can never capture the reality of suffering endured by victims of sexual abuse, suffering compounded by the woeful responses of bishops who failed to protect the people they were ordained to serve.we must resolve to face our failures and hold each other accountable. We must resolve to be clear-eyed about what we have done, what we have failed to do, and what remains to be done. We must resolve to live in the light of humility, of repentance, of honesty the light of Christ. As your bishop, I pledge to continue holding firm to that resolve. And I ask for you to pray for all victims of abuse.

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5 PARISH INFORMATION 5 THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO Dear Father Marcin, August 13, 2018 HOSPITALITY SUNDAY Next Sunday, September 16th after the 9:30am mass. All bakers welcome and appreciated. My deepest thanks to you and your parishioners for contributing to the special collection for Catholic Charities on Mother s Day. We received your parish check for $4, Your parish gift brings grace and dignity to children, mothers, families and elders who are struggling to cope with traumatic life experiences. Because of you, they will have a more secure, selfsufficient future. Where there was once an empty table, a family now sits together and enjoys a meal. A homeless woman, who had once felt so hopeless, finds encouragement in the warmth of a new affordable apartment. A homebound senior, struggling to remain independent, enjoys the company of one of our caretakers. Your kindness has made these things possible, and I thank you for your thoughtful support. As we look forward to our second century of service, I am reminded that we would not be where we are without your commitment. Thank you for investing in our charitable mission to help those who are most vulnerable and marginalized. Sincerely, Rev. Monsignor Michael M. Boland President NEW GIFTS BOOTH The Aisle of Gifts, Santa s Workshop, is looking for brand new, never used items. Please look through your closets and drawers. Anything brand new, never used. Jewelry, perfumes, purses, wallets, toys, clothes, crafts, tools, stationary, bath and kitchen items, and small appliances. You can drop them off, or we will be glad to pick them up. Please call Barbara Calabrese or Jeanine Dent Please do not leave items in the vestibule of the church.

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8 LITURGY FOR THE WEEK SATURDAY, September 8 5:00 pm Ric Caruso; Alex Dimoglis; Kevin Keag; People of the Parish SUNDAY, September 9 7:30 Thomas Smith; Fr. Fred Tomzik; Salvacion Trojillo 9:30 Nancy Johnston; Kevin Keag; Greg Jonesku 11:30 Deceased members of Beckler & Podock families; Patricia Grammas; Charles Konezney; Margaret Peggy Farnelli MONDAY, September 10 8:00 Jim Krudl; Elias Oberio TUESDAY, September 11 8:00 All the faithful departed WEDNESDAY, September 12 8:00 Walter & Mary Wanick THURSDAY, September 13 8:00 All the faithful departed FRIDAY, September 14 8:00 All the faithful departed SATURDAY, September 15 8:00 All the faithful departed 5:00 pm John Gierut; Joseph Senato; Alex Dimoglis SUNDAY, September 16 7:30 Thomas Smith; The Otto Bezouska family; Rick Yurkovich 9:30 William Eckles; Lou D Andria 11:30 Jane Ulsafer-VanLanen; Roger & Anna Pona; People of the Parish PRAY FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Anita Contacessi Margaret Cullen Gerry D Andria Donald Doucet Joseph R. Lentino Gordon Macpherson Nick Martino Marie McHugh Karen Mulcrone Una Murphy Frank Pedota, Sr. Bernice Salvo Michael Scherer Donald Sloan Paul Sodayko Steven Wiersema Loving God, give strength to all who struggle with illness. Grant them courage when they are afraid and comfort when they are in pain. Because of government regulations, hospitals and nursing homes are no longer allowed to notify us if you are admitted to either facility. If you or a family member would like to be visited in the hospital or nursing home, please call the rectory at If you or a family member are sick or homebound and would like to be added to our prayer list, visited, receive Holy Communion or be anointed, please call the rectory at MAY THEY REST IN PEACE Deacon Phil White WEEKDAY SERVERS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY 8:00 Ava Perry THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY 8:00 Payton Cullum NEXT WEEKEND S MINISTERS CELEBRANT COMM. MINISTERS MUSIC LECTORS SERVERS SAT. 5:00 Fr. Joyce D. Thoms G. Pracz B. Boyle W. Thoms R. Raysa A. Ortiz SUN. 7:30 Fr. Tom P. Casey A. Garbacz J. Lindsey R. Casey A. DiFiore M. Bamford SUN. 9:30 Fr. Marcin G. Swan SOF, Children s C. Schukies L. Wesolowski M. Zebert Choir & DI Singers W. Rogalski O. Wesolowski SUN. 11:30 Fr. Joyce L. Brown Teens J. Hennings R. Brown A. Perry

9 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 PR 6:30 pm Athletic Board Meeting LH 7:00 pm Rel. Ed. Parent Meeting CR 7:00 pm Liturgy Meeting TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 CH 3:00 pm Chimes PR 6:45 pm School Board CR 7:00 pm PPC meeting WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 CH 4:00 pm Music Dept. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 CR 7:00 pm St. Vincent de Paul SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Mum Sale SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Mum Sale Catechetical Sunday CH Hospitality after 9:30 am Mass MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 RE Classes CR 6:30 pm Dispa PLEASE USE GiveCentral.org FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS Divine Infant Jesus Parish depends on your generosity in order to carry out its ministry of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and teaching and healing in his name. We do not charge for anything. We rely solely on your Sunday and Holy Day donations. To make it easier for you to give your gifts to Divine Infant, we work with GiveCentral.org. When you sign up with GiveCentral.org, you can make all your Sunday, Holy Day, second collection, and every other donation that you make to the parish. Then you never have to use a parish envelope or put anything in the collection basket ever again! Please visit GiveCentral.org to create your personal and secure donations account. Thank you for your generosity! SUNDAY OFFERING September 2, This week s collection $7,778 When you are away for a weekend, we hope you will remember your offering to Divine Infant. Thank you. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-7, 12; Lk 6:6-11 Tuesday: 1 Cor 6:1-11; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Lk 6:12-19 Wednesday: 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:11-12, 14-17; Thursday: Lk 6: Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13; Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24; Lk 6:27-38 Friday: Nm 21:4b-9; Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-38; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17 Saturday: 1 Cor 10:14-22; Ps 116:12-13, 17-18; Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 Sunday: Is 50:5-9a; Ps 116:1-6, 8-9; Jas 2:14-18; Mk 8:27-35 PROTECTING CHILDREN At Divine Infant Jesus Parish and School, the protection of our children is of utmost importance, and we comply fully with the policies of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. To learn more, go to our website dnn.archchicago.org/divine infant and click on the tab Protecting Children at D.I. or visit archchicago.org and click on the button Protecting Children. If you do not have internet access and would like to learn more, please contact the rectory or call the Office for Protection of Children and Youth at WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE ALL PARISH MAILINGS ELECTRONICALLY If you would like to receive parish mailings Christmas and Easter letters, statement of annual contributions, and yearly report by , please send an to the parish at d.infant@comcast.net. In the subject line write Parish , and then in the body of the write your name, street address and envelope number if you know it. This will help save the parish money in printing and postage. Thank you! WELCOME... We are happy you have chosen to be with us. We hope your experience is warm and welcoming whether you are here to celebrate the Eucharist or spend time in quiet prayer. If you wish to learn more about Divine Infant and/or become a new member of our parish please call the rectory (708) Welcome to Divine Infant. We look forward to seeing you again!

10 LOCAL INFORMATION 10 DIVINE PROVIDENCE DIVINE INFANT SENIOR CLUB September Meeting Our senior club meeting will be on Wednesday, September 12th, 2018 at 1:00 PM. Doors open 12:30PM. Looking forward to seeing everyone again and hope all had a lovely summer. Any questions, please call or See you Wednesday, September 12th for fun, friendship and good times. SEE BEYOND OUTWARD APPEARANCES The phrase "Sunday best" has lost much of its meaning in our society today. Some lament the loss of people dressing up for church on Sunday; others think it's a healthy sign that we're as casual in attire gathered before the Lord as we are elsewhere. No matter which school of thought on this topic we belong to, James would probably chastise us. In either case, we are still focused on external appearance, mistaking it for some sort of favored position before God. True, James criticizes the community that favors the rich and well-dressed while ostracizing the poorly clothed, but even more he criticizes the making of distinctions, making choices based on criteria that having nothing to do with the reign of God. James might turn our attention to the reign of God described by Isaiah, in which people are healed and the earth becomes ripe to bear fruit. Jesus today is focused on this reign of God, healing a Gentile man in a region hostile to his Jewish faith, not mindful of the man's origins or clothing or status or ability to repay. Isaiah, James, and Jesus in Mark's Gospel all call us to look more deeply to find where the will of God needs to be done, and has been done, on earth as in heaven. Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. INTERFAITH CAREER NETWORK Career Search and Development Boot Camp - Week 1 We invite you to join us on Tuesday, September 18, 7-9 pm, at First Presbyterian Church of La Grange, 150 South Ashland Avenue. This fall's fiveweek Boot Camp will kick off with an overview of the State of the Job Market. Keynote speaker, Heather Davis, will share her success story in re-entering the workforce after a lengthy absence and Dr. Joe Yount will deliver a special presentation on building your self-confidence for your career search. There is no cost for attending the Boot Camp and everyone is encouraged to attend every session to make the most out of the training. Meetings will be in Westminster Hall; please enter church on Catherine Avenue. For further information, contact Susan Sedler at sqsedler@aol.com. Attaining and Retaining Job Search Referrals Join us on Thursday, September 20, 7-9 pm at St.John of the Cross Parish Center, 5005 S. Wolf Road in Western Springs. Key takeaways covered at this presentation will include...the importance of having employee referrals as a key part of your job search. Steps in preparing to search, find and select employee referrals. How to get an internal sponsor to help your cause. How to write effective introduction messages. What to say and do with targeted individuals in face-to-face new networking conversations. Our speakers, Bob Johnson and Bob Rosell, have helped place job seekers through sponsored referrals, as well as shortened the transition time for people looking for work. This meeting is open to everyone and there is no cost to attend. We look forward to welcoming you. 50th DIVINE INFANT REUNION CLASSS OF 1968 Saturday, October 6, 2018 For complete info, ljfergle@comcast.net 9 am optional golf outing at Fresh Meadows in Hillside 3:30 pm tour of the school 5:00 pm Mass at Divine Infant 6:30 pm Rockwood Tap House, Downers Grove RSVP via our Divine Infant class of 68 FACEBOOK PAGE or call Jeanine Grammas Dent

11 DIVINE INFANT PARISH NEWCASTLE AND CANTERBURY AVENUES WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS Like us on Facebook REV. MARCIN SZCZYPULA, Pastor (ext. 203) REV. GERALD JOYCE, Pastor Emeritus (ext. 206) REV. THOMAS WINIKATES, Associate (ext. 204) DEACON JAMES SPONDER (ext. 306) MS. KRISTINE OWENS, School Principal SR. SUSAN MAJCEN, O.P., Director of Religious Education Website: divineinfant.archchicago.org Rectory: 1601 Newcastle Avenue, Fax number: School: 1640 Newcastle Avenue, & Office of Religious Education: Music Director: Mrs. Janet Reif, Assc. Mus. Dir: Mrs. Judy Schindler, Rectory Secretary: Mrs. Toni Podock, (ext. 201) SUNDAY MASSES: 7:30, 9:30 & SATURDAY EVENING: 5:00 pm WEEKDAY MASSES: 8:00 am SATURDAY MORNING: 8:00 am HOLY DAY MASSES: 8:00 & 10:00 am, and 7:00 pm SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: (Confession) Saturday: In the Reconciliation Room 4:00 to 4:45 pm or by appointment. BAPTISMS: Baptisms are celebrated on the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of the month at 12:45 pm. By Archdiocesan regulation and parish policy, parents are required to attend a Baptismal Preparation session before the Baptism of their child. These sessions will usually be held on the first Sunday afternoon of the month. Call the secretary at the rectory ( ) to register for the session and schedule the Baptism. D.I.V.M. SERVICES: Communion to the sick, food shopping, necessary transportation, emergency meals, transportation to Mass. Resource information also available. If you need help from any of these services, please let us know as much in advance as possible so the chairpersons can make arrangements and the volunteers arrange their schedules. If you are able to volunteer to help provide these services to our parishioners, we can always use more help. Please call the rectory at WEDDINGS: Couples should contact the rectory and speak to a priest shortly after the engagement, but no less than four months before the desired wedding day. No date should be set (especially in reserving a hall) for your wedding until you have spoken to a priest. In this way, you will not be disappointed if the church has been previously reserved for another ceremony. Please keep in mind the times that are available for weddings at Divine Infant: SATURDAYS 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm WEEKDAYS Any reasonable hour

12 CHURCH NAME & NUMBER Divine Infant #9216 ADDRESS 1601 Newcastle, Westchester, Il PHONE CONTACT PERSON SOFTWARE Microsoft Publisher 2003 Windows XP Professional Adobe Acrobat 6.0 PRINTER HP Laserjet 5P NUMBER OF PAGES SENT Cover through 12 SUNDAY DATE OF BULLETIN September 9, 2018 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS