By: Rosemary McLaughlin

Transcription

1 SJN Insights Saint John Neumann Parish LENT 2011 LENTEN OPPORTUNITIES ASH WEDNESDAY (March 9) Mass 7:00PM Liturgy of the Word and Distribution of Ashes (No Mass) 9:00 AM & 4:30 PM STATIONS OF THE CROSS All Fridays in Lent at 7:00 PM PENANCE SERVICES March 16 at SJN (during Mission) April 7 at SJN April 11 at Sts. John & Paul April 18 at St. Alphonsus TBA at St. Alexis all begin at 7 PM WERE YOU THERE Friday, April 15, 7:00PM HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE PALM SUNDAY (April 17) Vigil 5:30 PM 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 AM & 5:30 PM HOLY THURSDAY (April 21) Mass of the Lord s Supper 7:00 PM GOOD FRIDAY (April 22) Liturgy of Good Friday 1:30 PM Stations of the Cross 7:00 PM HOLY SATURDAY (April 23) Blessing of Easter Baskets 11:00 AM EASTER SUNDAY (April 24) Vigil 8:30 PM 8:00, 9:30, & 11:30 AM NO 5:30 PM Mass Lenten Mission, a Gift From the Church to the Parish By: Rosemary McLaughlin I have been to one mission in my life not counting two mission trips to Appalachia and two to Mississippi. The first consisted of several consecutive nights of sitting in church and listening to a guest homilist. He was a very good speaker, but it was a static event: no music, no participation and no surprises. The upcoming St. John Neumann Parish Mission on March will be completely different. Father Al described it as a gift from the parish to the parishioners, and it will be full of surprises. This four day parish event has at its center the theme, Bloom in the Dessert. This is a theme rich with possibilities, coming as it does at the beginning of Lent, a season that mirrors Jesus forty days of prayer in the dessert. Each night the music, homily, participation and surprises will build on this theme to creation. A parish mission unlike a mission trip is a chance for the members of the church to enhance and deepen their own faith while solidifying their community by praying together and taking part in the demonstration of God s love right in their own parish. The goal of a Redemptorist Mission according to the Redemptorist website, is to provide a positive experience of God, leading to personal and ongoing conversion in a community setting. Essential elements of the Redemptorist mission are preaching, reconciliation, fellowship, prayer, sacred and sacramental ritual, Scripture, and healing of relationships. Father Francis Gargani, a Redemptorist priest with ties to Pittsburgh, will be our mission leader. He has wide experience as a campus minister, retreat director, spiritual director, parish priest, and workshop leader. Most recently he has been serving as Superior of the Redemptorist Provincial House Community in Brooklyn, NY. He now calls Brooklyn home, and he still spends time on the streets of New York ministering to the poor, homeless and HIV infected people of the city. Those ties to Pittsburgh take him back to the 70s and 80 s when he was parochial vicar of St. Philomena s Parish in Squirrel Hill. To meet Father Francis is to take in his passion, warmth and enthusiasm for preaching and ministering to all God s children. His style is lively, full of scripture and anecdotes to illustrate his message; one won t easily nod off during one of his rousing homilies! Father Francis is not alone in planning this four day parish event. The church staff and several committees have been working since before Christmas to plan and prepare for a memorable and holy event in the life of St. John Neumann Parish. Rosemary McLaughlin is serving as coordinator; Jeff Jezerc and Michele Vora head up the music committee, Mary Ann Opacic leads hospitality, and Bill McLaughlin is chairing the liturgy. Sue Hogan has been directing the publicity committee which includes contacting and inviting neighboring parishes and religious communities. Many other parishioners have volunteered to help as well. This mission is shaping into a beautiful, defining event in the life of our parish.

2 SJN Katrina Volunteers Continue Recovery Efforts in Mississippi By: Sarah Schneider The first group of SJN volunteers arrived on the Gulf Coast in February 2007, 18 months after the eye of Hurricane Katrina came ashore in the Waveland/Bay St. Louis, MS area. Even then, there was devastation visible everywhere. Volunteers were housed in a former Catholic school in the country near Pass Christian. More than 100 people from many states stayed there. Each was a volunteer of the Diocese of Biloxi Disaster Recovery Office set up in response to the storm damage. Funding came from Catholic Charities and it was recovery still in its early stages. SJN people headed an hour east to Moss Point, MS near the Alabama Border. During the next four trips SJN volunteers found themselves in many small towns where people were still waiting for help. We were stopped and thanked wherever we went. We were readily identifiable by our distinctive blue T- shirts with the Catholic Charities logo. Many were the stories we heard. Much of the work was being done by churches of many denominations and the planes were full of volunteers. Colleges and universities were also doing spring break trips. Housing soon became available at the Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos parish in Biloxi, four blocks from the coast. Ironically, the priests there are Redemptorists and St. John Neumann was also a Redemptorist. This parish was completely rebuilt by volunteers from Michigan after being damaged by eight feet of water! This is a low income and minority neighborhood where Vietnamese fisherman and their families are members of the parish. Since there is still a need for volunteers, 20 adult volunteers formed the sixth SJN Katrina Project work trip to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi Feb , We worked on homes in Biloxi and Pascagoula, MS. The biggest project was the home of an elderly 2 woman, her son and his family. After waiting for three years, Miss Mary, 88, received a grant to raise her house up on pilings. Our volunteers finished stairs and deck posts, redid roofing, installed windows, did interior framing, caulked, painted and much more. Since the funds from Catholic Charities ran out, SJN folks have teamed up with HOPE, now a full service community resource center in East Biloxi, which got its start two days after Hurricane Katrina. This was six weeks before official government aid arrived. For more details on this organization, go to Parish Opportunity to Come Alive By: Fr. Al McGinnis What is a Parish Mission? Why a Parish Mission? We have been given a mission by Christ to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Sometimes we need to go back to the basics of who we are in Christ, to be reminded re-missioned. Lent is a time in the church year that calls us to reflect on this mission and how we are accomplishing it. A Parish Mission involves bringing in a speaker and designating specific times for this reflection. A Parish Mission is to involve the whole parish, not just a small group. Every one of us is needed to carry on the work of Christ, as we are all one body in Christ. Lent comes at a greening time in our regular calendar, where growth is accentuated and clearly seen and experienced in nature with an approaching springtime. We too need to grow and come alive again. Our Parish Mission is an experience of the Holy Spirit in our midst challenging us again to grow and become the people God has called us to be. Volunteers included Mike Conroy, Judy Dudas, Lou Gacek, Paul Hlasnik, Mary Ann Kuhn, Bill and Rosemary McLaughlin, Fred and Sue Mohrbacher, Dave Owens, John & Iris Parks, Len Pruckner, Jim & Judy Robertson, George Siegel, Charlie and Sarah Schneider (coordinator), Mimi Stullken and Jim Sweitzer. Many thanks to the people of St. John Neumann who have been most generous with your prayers and financial support! On the last day, Miss Mary said when she looked at her house she would see our faces reflected in it. At St. John Neumann we especially need to take this time, given our recent history where people began to question what it means to be a community. We need to remember that participation in and with our parish community is not a choice. To be a disciple of Christ demands that we get involved, share our gifts, and live the gospel message. Our Parish Mission can be a time to experience the rebirth, renewal and blooming that Jesus always offers us, even in the desert experiences of our lives. I invite and encourage you to be part of this life-giving experience within our parish during the first week of Lent, March I hope many of you may be able to come all four nights of the Mission, but I know some may have to pick and choose which nights are available. Think about inviting a friend or someone who you think may not usually attend church. Keep in mind that free babysitting will be offered each night. However you can be involved, know that we need you for the success of our Parish and our Parish Mission.

3 Trust in God s Plan, More Now Than Ever! Perspectives From a Permanent Deacon Candidate By: Rick Caruso My name is Rick Caruso and I am a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I keep a file of programs, letters, and other memorabilia that represent important milestones along this vocation journey. They help me answer a reoccurring question in my life which is How did I get to the place in my life that I am at today? They help with another question, more important than the first to me which is Where am I being led and am I OK with where the journey is leading me? Briefly, on June 9, 2007 Bishop Paul Bradley wrote a letter that was published in the Pittsburgh Catholic, to encourage men to apply for admission to the Permanent Diaconate Class of In the Fall of 2007, Fr. Bovard (then Pastor of St. John Neumann) wrote a Nomination letter on my behalf to the Seminary. On December 31st, 2007 all of my paperwork for application was sent. In April 2008, I was accepted into the program as a Pre-Candidate. August 2009, I was accepted into the program as a Candidate. This past September (26th), I was installed into the Ministry of Lector. Through prayer, discernment, trust in God s plan, support from my family (Carol my wife, Anne and Gina my daughters, support from my pastors (Fr. Bovard, Fr. Jim Gretz, Fr. Al), support from you, my parish community, and recognition from the Diocese, that s how I got to where I am today. Over 250 Hours of Service to Others By:Nikki Reynolds St. Lucy s Auxiliary to the Blind is a volunteer organization that promotes service to others and recognizes young women for their efforts. The highlight of the year is the Medallion Ball. The Ball honors a select group of young women who have completed a hundred hours or more of community service during their high school years. I qualified through my community service to participate in St. Lucy s Auxiliary and was privileged to attend the Ball, which was held in November. I completed more than 250 hours of community service during the past four years at St. John Neumann, as an aide in the Good Shepherd program and as an Appalachia work camper, and as a Special Olympics volunteer. At the ceremony, Bishop Zubik presented the Joan of Arc Medallion to me and the other community service volunteers. The medallion is a beautiful reminder of time I lovingly devoted and the good that comes from public service. I had an amazing time at the Ball and meeting the Bishop. By helping others I learned a great deal about myself and how all of us through service can become people who shine a light and instill hope in the hearts of others. Where I am being led if I follow this journey to its completion is ordination to the Permanent Diaconate? If I am ordained, I will have the privilege to administer the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Matrimony. I will also have the privilege to preside at a Funeral service. Finally, I will have the privilege to read the Gospel at Mass and at times deliver the Homily. As I am called to Liturgical service, I am also called to participate in ministries of Charity and Service. I am getting ready to work with Sister Cindy Ann Kibler, the Director of the Diocesan Office for Pastoral Formation, to determine where I will be placed this summer (Last summer was at Allegheny General Hospital) for my practical experience. What ministry I will be asked to take on as a part of my diaconal assignment if I am ordained is, quite frankly, out of my control. The Bishop and Sister Cindy Ann have promised to work with each of us to understand our gifts and abilities and try to assign us accordingly. However, in the end, it is part of my obligation to serve the Bishop (vow of obedience) where he sees fit and for the good of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Am I OK with where the journey is leading me? My answer to this question varies. Sometimes NO, sometimes YES. What I have figured out along the way is that trust in God s plan, more now than ever, is essential. This of course is more easily said than done. But prayer, discernment, support from my family, and support from my parish community are elements that I can count on to move me forward. May you all be richly blessed in your vocation as you help make the church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh Alive in Christ. Peace, Rick 3

4 Serving the Homeless at Pleasent Valley By: Ed Gillis Included under the umbrella of its Community Outreach Program, St. John Neumann Parishioners have been providing bimonthly meals to the Pleasant Valley Men s Shelter for many years. The shelter is located on Brighton Road in the Northside and is operated by the Northside Common Ministries (NCM). This ministry was founded in 1982 by a group of area churches to meet the needs of the homeless population in Pittsburgh. The mission of the NCM is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and receive the stranger, and in response to the prophetic call, to do justice, love, kindness and walk humbly with God. The Pleasant Valley Shelter accommodates the needs of men in a safe and clean environment every night of the year by providing a hot shower, clean clothes, a nourishing meal, a warm bed, and breakfast. In addition to meeting these bodily needs, the NCM staff is available to provide additional referrals for health, counseling, spiritual and addiction services. Phyllis and Jim Huber and Cathy and Ed Gillis are the current coordinators for our parish s participation. St. John Neumann Parish is one of the multitude of area churches who are committed to providing an evening meal for the shelter. Our responsibility is to provide the meal on the first Friday of February, April, June, August, October and December. Phyllis and Cathy each prepare and provide an entrée (chicken, beef, pork, ham, meatloaf, etc.). They have been blessed to have a small and loyal group of supporters who can be counted on to provide the side dishes (vegetables, potatoes, salads, fruit), as well as rolls, beverages and desserts. The Hubers and Gillises gather the donated food and beverage items that are left in Bovard Hall on Friday, transport the food and serve the 8 PM dinner at the shelter. In addition to the meal, there is always an abundant amount of men s clothing and toiletries that are delivered to the shelter. In St. John Neumann Donation Center (located under the staircase of the main lobby), there is a bin for Pleasant Valley Men s Shelter. They accept any clean men s clothing (pants, shirts, shoes, coats, hats, gloves, etc.) and men s toiletries. As with all the social outreach programs at SJN, it is a humbling experience to realize how blessed we are and how imperative it is that we open our hearts our resources to those in need. The warm and sincere gratitude of the men to us and to God is always Youth Ministry and Religious Education By: Grace Ghirardi Our middle and high school youth are invited to participate in our Lenten Dramatization of Jesus last hours, WERE YOU THERE? on Friday, April 15 at 7 PM. Our try outs will be on Sunday, March 6th at 12:30 in the Youth Room. If you are in grade 6 & up, act, sing or play an instrument, come and try out. Everyone is included; this is just an opportunity to see where your talents will best be served. HOSANNA 2011 will be held at the Palumbo Center on Palm Sunday, April 17th, from 12:30 till 6:30. It may sound like a long day but it will go fast with all the great guest speakers, musicians, and Bishop Zubik presiding for Mass. SJN will be getting a bus and hoping to fill it with grades 8 & up. This event is a Diocesan event which only happens every three years. More information will be in the bulletin and via . All high school seniors and their family are invited to the 5:30 Mass on Sunday, May 1st, followed by a reception to celebrate your GRAD- UATION. Invitations will go out in April. expressed vocally, as well as evident by their hearty appetites. Please consider offering to help with meal preparation, or delivery and serving, Also, leave clean clothing in good condition, and personal grooming items in the donation center. There is always a great need for personal size (ie. travel size ) toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, and toothbrushes, combs and disposable razors. The next dinner date is April 1 st, but please call Phyllis ( ) or Cathy Gillis ( ) at any time, if you are willing to participate or donate. SUMMER PROGRAMS There is a lot going on at SJN this summer. Our Confirmation Religious Education preparation for grade 9 will be on the week of June 12th through the 16th or July 17th through the 21st. Our Junior Youth Week, which is part of our Bible School will be on June 27th through July 1st. This is for grades 5-8, and our high school teens are invited to be helpers for this program. Flyers with all you need to know, will be coming out soon. The Summer Religious Ed classes this year for grades 6/7/8 are planned for July 18th through July 22nd. If you have participated in the summer program before please note that we need lots of help. We need catechists, aides, hall monitors, drivers and chaperones, kitchen helpers, etc. Without sufficient help, it cannot happen. More information and sign up will be coming in the registration packet. If you have questions in the meantime, please call Grace Ghirardi at , ex. 16 or director-youth@stjohnneumannpgh.org. 4

5 24 Hours... Sometimes life can be tough. Sometimes we need a little help. By: Larry Badaczewski It can be amazing how much can transpire in a family in a 24 hour period or not. There are lively exchanges ranging from funny and affectionate to mean and painful, or there can be no transactions at all. So how does one gauge where exactly normal is in all this and who is this anyhow that is offering these meandering thoughts?!? I hope to address both these questions right now. It s been a while since I ve contributed an article for Insights and then I m reminded in a comment that there are many in the parish that do not have a clue about who I am and what I do exactly here at St. John Neumann. (I m almost over not being pictured in this most recent parish directory but I think I convinced the editors to include one for this article!) This is my 25th year at SJN and Fr. Bovard brought me on board after I proposed that he needed someone to support the mental health of all the individuals, young families and marriages of the then-young parish and that what I ve tried to do. No vibrant community is without parenting challenges, marital struggle/crises, work stress, illness, loss, addictions, depression, anxiety, and difficult changes of all kinds. I have felt blessed and privileged that people have trusted me to share their sense of being stuck and their heartaches as well as their growth and healing. From suffering and death comes resurrection and new life. That s who I am and what I do and now for the part about what normal is. Oh, the Places You ll Go, by Dr. Seuss has been a favorite of ours to give as a graduation gift. It starts, Congratulations! Today is your day. You re off to great places! You re off and away! There s perhaps another version that could go something like, I love you! I hate you! I wish you would die! I m sorry. Forgive me. I don t want you to cry. Oh, the things we can think! The words that come out our mouths! Marriage and family the places you ll want to go from! There is no adequate preparation for what life brings and it never quite unfolds as we imagined. We can lose our bearings then get scared and angry with that. I taught my 7 th grade faith formation class recently that Christ saves us from diabolical forces (diabolical literally means to throw apart, i.e., chaos, confusion, disorder) by helping us to get it together again. Sharing Tree s Branches Reach Many By: Ellen Savadge How gentle the snow. How beautiful the season. The season of celebrating Jesus birth. It is perfect in all ways. God has blessed us at SJN Parish with health, shelter and food. God is good! God is great! To a family of need, the season is also beautiful but anxious. God s love is here with the family of need, but why has he given us so many crosses to bear?. We organize a movement to help the less fortunate. Our movement starts in the hearts of our parishioners. We need to give back. We must share our good fate. The Sharing Tree appears during Advent. We look and stare at the names. What person adult or child can we help? SJN is a giving church with much heart. With many volunteers and the guidance of Fr. Al and Joan Kiliany, we accomplish a great service to our community. If you missed the opportunity of the joy of giving, SJN continues this outreach program every year. The Agencies helped by the SJN Sharing Tree: ALPHA HOUSE provides help and hope for substance abusers and their families Larry Badaczewski will be married 30 years on September 12 th and has six children ranging in age from 28 to 12. To contact him, please call So what s normal? That we experience pain and darkness but then trust that God is there to bring healing, meaning and light. 24 hours can bring us to our knees and revive us all the same. 24 hours Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. (Dr. Seuss) GENESIS HOUSE provides transitional shelter for homeless women and their children. CATHOLIC CHARITIES provides social services to those in need without regard to race or socio-economic status. HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE was founded as a orphanage that served children in need of care because of grim family circumstances. MIRYAM S SHELTER now a part of Bethlehem Haven, provides shelter and supportive services for homeless women. ANGEL S PLACE total family development program for single low-income parents and their children, offers counseling, referrals and assistance. PERRY HILLTOP, on the Northside, provides low-income families with a food pantry & helps with supportive services. GWEN S GIRLS was created to meet the needs of at-risk girls to work from a positive perspective to build upon each girls personal strengths. The SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH in Baden, PA care for foster children, infants through teenagers providing them with academic and faith foundations. 5

6 Farewell Dear Friend By: Judy Robertson, Donna Brett and Clare Browne Change is one of those things in life we cannot avoid, but often find hard to embrace. One of the changes hardest to accept is the death of someone dear to us. Such is the case following Ann Shuckrow s passing. Ann Shuckrow loved St. John Neumann Parish. Her son Alan talked about how excited she was when she learned that a new parish would be formed. She saw the formation of SJN as an opportunity to have influence in how people saw the church and worshiped. As Father Bovard said in his eulogy, she was one of the true leaders in the parish s formative stages, serving on the Steering Committee as well as being a charter officer in Parish Council. Ann wore many hats at SJN including catechist, lector, Eucharistic minister, grief counselor and wedding coordinator. Ann was respected for her role as a strong champion of making women s role in the church more prominent. There was always an abundance of women as Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers and young girls as Servers at SJN. Most parishioners that joined SJN encountered Ann in some way. She had a way of making parishioners feel welcome and connecting them to the ministry that matched their talents. After Ann was hired as Pastoral Associate, she could be seen before and after almost every mass on the weekends greeting people and ensuring all facets of the liturgy were in place for the celebration. When the Diocese began Renew, Ann wholeheartedly supported it and brought the program to SJN fifteen years ago. She understood the role small faith-sharing groups could and 6 have played in adult faith growth. She made sure that everyone got into a group that was convenient for them, and visited the various groups each week. When the diocese no longer recommended readings and most churches ceased having the program, Ann spearheaded the group that planned the program for each session of Beyond Renew. When Ann s role as Pastoral Associate ended, she was adamant about continuing the Beyond Renew program and continued to lead other volunteers in the planning and administration of the program up until her death. Ann was truly the energy behind Renew. Ann was always available to comfort families when a member died. She was talented in helping them to plan a funeral that was unique to their loved one. It didn t matter if the funeral was at SJN, she was willing to assist in whatever way possible with planning, even if at another parish. Many of us remember the words of wisdom and insight that Ann shared with us for years in her weekly songsheet reflections. If we were not in an appropriately spiritual frame of mind before Mass began, reading her inspirational words could transport us there. She had a way of taking our very human trials and sorrows and even the mundane events of our lives and forming them into brief meditations that would prepare us to be in God s presence. Many of us shared these reflections with friends and relatives and she received notes from other towns and parishes telling her how much a particular reflection had meant to someone. The words she wrote for Sunday, April 20, 2008 are today an appropriate reflection on her own life: Jesus own love was not mere dreaming, but took shape in his human actions... Jesus is willing to die for love. Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing, compared to love in romantic dreams. Maybe Jesus knew how to love so profoundly because of his contact with human suffering. It may have been his experience of people in great need that helped him become such a loving person... Love one another just as I have loved you (John 13:34). There is no doubt that Ann will be missed, but we are grateful for the wonderful legacy she has left those of us who have been blessed by knowing her, serving with her and learning from her. Until we meet again, dear friend. Summer Fun Will Be Washing Ashore VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL June 27 July 1, 2011 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life.no one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Dudes and Dudettes, It s All About Jesus! Vacation Bible School/Junior Youth Week will be all new this summer. Even our week is moving. Plan to spend a whole week from Monday, June 27th through Friday, July 1st cooling off in sparkling blue waves, exploring tide pools, and collecting sea shells while we discover the Big Answers to the Big Questions about Jesus. There is lots of planning to be done so if you want to be part of the fun watch our Sunday Bulletin for our planning sessions dates and times. Registration brochures will be available in mid-march. We need people of all ages Moms, Dads, teens, and of course, kids to make this the best VBS ever.

7 Right to Life By: Diane Payne 6:00AM January 24, 2011, the temperature was close to zero as we all boarded the bus to Washington DC for the second annual March for Life, 25 people including seven teens. As we headed to Washington DC some of us knew what to expect and some of us were there for the first time. We saw our beautiful City of Pittsburgh in a very early morning light and as we traveled south we experienced an incredible sunrise. We prayed the Rosary and sang a few hymns (you ll have to ask our teens about the singing part). But the best was yet to come. Arriving in Washington DC at about 11AM we joined close to 400,000 other pilgrims to make our peaceful voices heard concerning saving the lives of unborn babies! Following are statements from two of the people who joined us on our trip. On Monday, January 24, 2011, the SJN Right To Life group (including several young students) and many other Americans participated in the March for Life Rally in Washington DC. By doing so we exercised our freedom of speech and petition. Children are America s greatest natural resource; our elected officials need to preserve the bond between mother and child. Our families and the future of our country are strengthened by our participation. (Dennis O Keefe) I want to thank all of the members of the Respect for Life Committee. The effort put into seeing that a bus is available to travel to DC directly from our church is so much appreciated! After hearing about last year s inaugural trip, I really got excited about attending and the day turned out to be every bit and even more than I expected. Gathering with others to show our support for the sanctity of life was a pleasure and a privilege. I have told a number of people about it and the overwhelming feeling that I felt as a peaceful group standing for what is right, we do have a powerful and loud voice that I know was heard by those that run our Country. More importantly, it felt like we were doing what God wants of us, standing for His desires and doing it in a peaceful and loving way. My daughters and I had a great time on the bus ride down and back as well, my only regret is that I did not make an effort earlier to get others to join us, but I am set to make that effort next year. Thank you! (Craig Schweiger) At the end of the March we met our bus at about 4:30PM and headed home. Box lunches were provided, and much appreciated. The friendships made that day are invaluable and the movies on the bus were good too. It was a very relaxing trip home at the end of an AMAZING day. Please mark you calendar for the 2012 March for Life on Monday January 23, A Good Shepherd Catechist s Joyful Journey By: Shelly Noel My journey as a Catechist of the Good Shepherd began seven years ago as an aide in my daughter s session. My life has not been the same since that first day in the Atrium, the specially prepared room where we meet with the children. When I realized that a threeyear-old not only has the capacity to learn about God but was born already knowing Him, I was blown away. Despite twelve years of Catholic Education, I honestly can tell you I learned a few things about my faith in the Atrium also. I became hooked, so when training to be a Level I Catechist was offered here at St. John Neumann I decided to dive in. At that time I never would have guessed where this journey would lead me and how fulfilling it would be. Not only have I been enriched by this ministry but now I also have the tools to enrich others. I am certified as a Level I (ages 3-6) and Level II (ages 6-9) Catechist and look forward to someday training for Level III (ages 9-12). Every week I look forward to my time in the Atrium with the children. What a gift! The children are amazing in their quest for knowledge and their need to have time with God. Words cannot express the joy I experience when a child realizes who the Good Shepherd really is and the excitement when they realize that we are the sheep he loves so much! This realization of the children is only the beginning of their journey. As a wise woman once told me, That would have been enough, but then He gives us more... much more! I always tell the children that in the Atrium we learn together. Each time we hear a Scripture or present a new work we learn something new. Together, we find another piece of the puzzle that is the Sacred History of the Kingdom of God. In their innocence and sweetness I can see their need and their joy when they are working with the materials in the Atrium. Everywhere I go I ask people if they know about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I want to share it with everyone! I ve even made my own sheepfold, sheep and Good Shepherd to share with my extended family. My greatest wish is for everyone to feel the joy that I feel in this wonderful ministry. When a child smiles at me during Mass or comes up afterward for a hug, I experience one of the many perks of being a catechist. To know that I have made a difference in someone s life is an amazing feeling! God is good, all the time! 7

8 SJN Insights Saint John Neumann Church 1543 Old Orchard Road Pittsburgh, PA NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit 243 By: Carole Shepard May 23, 2011 On May 23, 2011, St John Neumann will host its First Annual Golf Outing! The event is exciting because it provides so many opportunities to bless our parish! First and foremost, it is an opportunity to build community and engage parishioners of all ages! If you are a golfer of any ability it promises to be a wonderful day of fun and fellowship with a boxed lunch, a shamble format, great golf and buffet dinner afterwards. If you don t golf, you can join us for dinner great food and lots of silent auction and Chinese auction baskets to bid on and take home for an early start to summer fun! If you don t golf and can t join us for dinner, you can offer your time or talent to help plan the event. If you have a business that you would like to offer in support of the St. John Neumann Golf outing either as a tee/ hole sponsor or a prize donation - we would be most appreciative. The second opportunity the St. John Neumann Golf Outing will provide is to help and support our Youth Ministries here within the parish. We have many young people who have participated in the past with NCYC, World Youth Day, Habitat for Humanity, Appalachia Outreach, Middle School & High School retreats the list goes on. On a very personal note, I know my children continue to practice their Catholic faith today because of the opportunities St. John Neumann provided for them. If you are an older parishioner, hopefully you feel as I do and remember your children s participation with fond memories. For our younger families, we know how vital it is for us to help you share our faith. We all know that our youth are our future. The proceeds from this golf outing will benefit our young people and support their efforts to both experience and then share the Gospel. Please join us on May 23, 2011 either in spirit or in person. Our parish community is a special one let s just take a day for fun! Look through the enclosed brochure and find a way to be a part of our efforts to support the Youth Ministries of SJN.