St. John Lateran

 

The Lateran Basilica

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, November 9, we have a departure from the usual ordinary time Mass and readings. This feast day commemorates the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Every diocese has a cathedral, and the Diocese of Rome is no exception. The pope, as bishop of Rome, has a cathedral but it is not St. Peter’s Basilica as some might think. His cathedral is located about two and a half miles north of Vatican City where an ancient Roman family, the Lateran family, once had a palace that it occupied. Now established on the site is a basilica dedicated to Christ the Savior in honor of both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Sometimes the basilica is simply referred to as St. John Lateran.

If a tourist goes to Rome on a (Catholic) religious pilgrimage, it is often recommended that the person visit the four major basilicas. First, there is St. Peter's Basilica where we normally see the pope speaking or offering Mass. It may be the most famous church in the world. Then we have the Lateran Basilica that was just described. St. Mary Major is the oldest basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Western Christendom. This is the church where Pope Francis was recently buried. Finally, there is the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, referred to as such because of its location outside of the walls of the ancient city of Rome. According to tradition, this church contains the chain which bound St. Paul to the Roman soldier guarding him as he was imprisoned and awaited trial. These basilicas and many others like them are part of our heritage as Catholics and receive many thousands of visitors regularly, especially during this Jubilee Year of Hope.

However, the buildings themselves do not make up the Catholic Church. All of us who are baptized, together with Jesus Christ our Savior as its Head, make up His Church. We must never forget that even when all the buildings are gone, Christ's Church remains. We also should be reminded that we are part of the Communion of Saints consisting of the baptized here on earth (Church Militant), the souls in Purgatory awaiting purification so as to enter Heaven (Church Suffering), and those already with God in Heaven (Church Triumphant).

In recent years the Camden Diocese, through its process of merging and consolidating parishes, upset many people who were attached to their particular church or parish. Unfortunately, some church buildings were closed, sold and even demolished. I truly understand how people can associate faith with the particular building where they were baptized, received First Holy Communion, were confirmed, were married or may have had relatives buried from there. It is indeed painful to see the loss of certain buildings. However, we should always keep in mind the Catholic Church is greater than any particular building, no matter how beautiful or significant it may be. The faith is more important than a building itself.

The sad reality today is that people are less attached to the individual parish or any particular building. It is not unusual to see the younger generation "shop around" for a church that suits their needs or ideologies. People frequently go where it is convenient according to their busy schedules, if they go at all.

As we commemorate this important basilica today, pray that future generations will have beautiful churches in which to worship God and a sense of identity with a local parish community. While I am personally hopeful, I do not have all the answers as to what needs to happen so that the Church will grow and flourish into the future.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Bereavement and Praying for the Dead

Dear Parishioners,

Ministry to the sick and dying is an essential concern for us as Christians. To visit the sick and to bury the dead are two of the corporal works of mercy. Our parish’s consolation ministry can be of assistance with ongoing support after the death of a loved one.

Let me begin by reiterating the importance of having a priest visit when a person is seriously ill, is on hospice or is in the hospital. Please call the parish office and request that a priest visit the sick person for the Anointing of the Sick, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (confession) and Holy Communion. Regular visits by an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion can also be arranged.

When death occurs, someone from the parish will be available to meet with the family to help prepare the funeral liturgy. I am always looking for additional people to be trained to assist in this task. I encourage families to have a Mass of Christian Burial offered for the soul of the deceased. Joining our prayers to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest gift that we can give to one of our deceased loved ones.

I am also looking for additional volunteers to be present at the funeral Mass. People who can help to set up and clean up, to greet any parishioners and visitors, to serve during the Mass, to read the Scriptures (if no one does so from the family), can be a tremendous assistance during a funeral Mass. Those who are retired or senior citizens seeking to get more involved would be wonderful for this task. We will train you!

As time passes, it is important that those who have experienced the loss of a loved one not fall through the cracks. I know that when I finish one funeral, it seems I begin preparing for the next situation. I need people to help me by following up with a card or a phone call. I want those who may now be alone to know that they are not forgotten. This phase of bereavement ministry can be done right from home! I hope this task is appealing to someone looking to do more for others.

Part of our follow-up is our annual All Souls Day Mass during which we remember all our dead, especially those who died this past year. Please fill out your All Souls Day envelopes with the names of your deceased as they will be placed on the altar for the entire month of November—the month of the Holy Souls. 

If any of these phases of bereavement (helping to prepare the funeral liturgy with the family, serving on the day of the funeral Mass, or following-up afterwards) appeals to you, please contact the parish office for further information. We could always use your help in some capacity.

People are also encouraged to visit a cemetery during November to pray for deceased friends and relatives.

Most importantly, please take the opportunity and encourage others to have Masses offered for the dead. More than flowers that will wither quickly afterward, the spiritual benefits of the Mass are beyond what we as humans can fully comprehend.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Annual Presbyteral Convocation

Dear Parishioners,

Every year in the Fall, the priests of the Diocese of Camden, NJ gather with their bishop (currently Bp. Joseph A. Williams) for a few days of prayer, workshops, fraternity and relaxation at the shore. In recent history this meeting has taken place in Avalon at the Icona (Golden Inn). Usually, there is a presentation given by a priest or bishop on a particular topic. This year Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV spoke on "Discernment in the Daily Life of the Priest." It was based on some of the Rules for Discernment of Spirits in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus or Jesuits.

There was a discussion primarily on spiritual consolations as well as spiritual desolation, which both occur in the life of the priest, how to recognize them and what to do with each. The goal here seems to be to help the priest navigate daily living in a manner more attune to the spiritual dynamics of consolation (which can lead us to God) and desolation (which can obscure God) as taught by St. Ignatius. The topic of discernment of spirits is a primary tenet of Ignatian Spirituality.

Besides the talks, there is time for the priests to pray the Liturgy of the Hours together, to make a Eucharistic Holy Hour, and to concelebrate Holy Mass with the bishop. Some of the priests and the bishop competed in an international soccer competition, while others enjoyed the sunshine on the beach or swam in the heated pool.

Over the years I have noticed an aging priest population and how the clergy of Camden has definitely become more international. We honored priests for 25, 40, 50 and 60 years of service. I enjoyed meals with priests form Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe as well as with a few of us who have been here in New Jersey all (or most of) of our lives.

May I ask a continual remembrance of your priests in your daily prayers? It is apparent to me that most of our priests are aging quickly and, in many ways, our diocese is currently a type of mission territory served by an ever increasing number of foreign-born priests. Regarding our native clergy, thankfully this past year we had two home-grown sons ordained priests to serve the diocese. However, in years past this diocese boasted of classes of twenty, thirty or more priests per year. We continually need to pray that those called by God will respond to the need for priestly and religious vocations.

I truly believe that God will provide for the needs of His Church but we should do our part to pray, to encourage others and perhaps even to make spiritual sacrifices so that God may give us good holy priests now and in the future.

As I finish my writing and prepare to go to my Eucharistic Holy Hour, I will bring you with me to prayer and ask God to help you in whatever way He sees necessary for your eternal salvation. I trust that you will remember me and my brother priests in your prayers and Masses.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV 

(our guest speaker)

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C"- Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Spiritual Considerations from my Trappist Retreat

The chapel at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

I am writing this column as I attend my annual retreat, again with the Trappist monks. A silent retreat affords me much time to think and pray.  My stay at the monastery is often described as a type of desert experience, withdrawing from the world and primarily praying the Liturgy of the Hours (also sometimes called the Divine Office or Breviary) and concelebrating daily Mass with the monks.

Away from my parish routine, I realize just how noisy our world is. We seem to be controlled and dominated by the internet, the television, the radio, our cell phones, etc. These factors make it very difficult to listen to God. Silence is very necessary to our daily lives if we want to have a serious spiritual life. Noise often distracts us from the quiet voice of God.

What does God say to me in the silence? I will try briefly to summarize my various ongoing thoughts. I heard these words read at night prayer this evening:

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith . . . .  (1 Peter 5: 8-9)

We are in a period of intense spiritual warfare and confusion in the world. If we just ignore the signs of the time and go on with our routines, at some point—perhaps at a time of sickness or death—we will have a serious spiritual awakening. We need to pay close attention to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and to the over 2000 years of rich tradition faithfully handed down to us in the Catholic Church.

Satan is very real. He is a fallen angel, a spiritual being.  As God is the essence of love, the devil, in contrast, is pure evil. He hates humanity. He tries to destroy it, debase it, confuse it, cause it to abandon the true God and serve false gods. Satan is not our friend. In fact, he seeks the following:

• The destruction of humanity.  Think of the destruction of our preborn children by the millions. Think of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Pay attention to the contraceptive mentality when it comes to families. Consider the continual violence, war and terrorism throughout the world.
• The debasement of humanity.  Pornography reduces the human person to base animal acts rather than life-giving love. Artificial contraception and abortion throw human fertility back in the face of God claiming a type of absolute control of our “reproductive rights.” The rampant addictive behavior (drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, etc.) of so many illustrates a loss of control within human nature.
• The confusion of humanity.  We have faced many scandals in the Church, the undermining of the moral credibility of the church hierarchy, the questioning of traditional institutions such as marriage and family, etc. People embrace the delusion that they can identify as whatever they want, even if it directly contradicts God's design for us.
• The abandonment of the true God.  Consider the outright denial of God, the apostasy in the Church, the lukewarm or abandoned practice of the faith by the majority, religious indifferentism (one religion is as good as the next), etc.
• The serving of false gods. Materialism, secularism, the “sports” god, hedonism, the “sex” god, etc. have all taken the place of the true God for far too many.

Humanity, as a whole, is not in a good place in its relationship to God. Yes, there are some (a faithful remnant) who take the message of the Gospel seriously and repent. However, for far too many there is indifference, apathy, ignorance, or outright opposition to God. 

During this month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary, may I recommend that we pick up our rosaries and seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We, no doubt, need supernatural help in this cosmic battle!                                                              

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The chapel from outside

Our Lady of the Genesee

In Pursuit of "Truth"

 

Dear Parishioners,

Listening to lies, deceptions, half-truths, cover-ups, etc. can become exhausting. Add to the this the endless political messages this time of year as we approach the election of a new governor (and others) for New Jersey in November.

There’s a tremendous amount of confusion circulating today. My head continues to throb daily as I, like many people, question and seek out the truth. Pilate once questioned Jesus as He stood before him in judgment:  What is truth?  (Jn. 18: 38) It seems we are still looking for the answer to this question.

Going back to my days as a philosophy major in college, truth is defined as the conformity of the mind to reality. Jesus declared himself to be the way, the truth and the life. (Jn. 14:6) If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God Incarnate, then we had better pay close attention to Him and His teaching. Contrast this with Satan who is seen as the father of lies and we can begin to see the battle lines being drawn.

Lies and deception can potentially take place in any situation, circumstance and institution—unfortunately, even in the Catholic Church. That is how we find ourselves in cover-ups and scandals. The reason why a person traditionally was sworn in (with a hand on the bible) when giving testimony or taking an oath of office is to call God as a witness to what is being said “so help me God.”  When someone lies under oath, this is seen as committing the crime/sin of perjury.

Unfortunately, oaths and vows before God apparently are not taken too seriously anymore by far too many. Married couples walk away from their marriage vows exchanged with each other before God. Priests and religious are seen breaking their promises/vows of celibacy or chastity. While people may not admit to lying under oath, they may have lapses of memory, inadequate recall or parse words or phrases. “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” May I remind you of these words from a former President of the United States regarding his sexual indiscretions?

When searching for the truth, we need to look to Jesus.  We need to look to the Gospel and its eternal wisdom:

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (Jn. 3: 19-21)

When no wrong is done, there is absolutely nothing to hide. There is no need for continual silence, stalling tactics, deflection, or cover-ups. This is true in politics, church management, and in a person’s personal life and morality.

To the faithful Catholics in the pews seeking truth, I predict the days ahead will get even more ugly as various hidden things are brought to light. However, through it all, Jesus and His Church will endure in the end.  He promised it would. (See Mt. 16: 17-19) Unfortunately, it can be relatively certain that there will be many battle scars and casualties. 

There already has been.

Fr. Ed Namiotka 

Pastor

Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Bible on Beads

Dear Parishioners,

In one of my previous parishes, my predecessor, as pastor, put out a challenge to the parishioners to read the Holy Bible each day.  He even distributed bibles to anyone who asked for one. Being a priest who majored in Sacred Scripture in the seminary, how could I not be an advocate of such an initiative as well?

While I still believe in the importance of reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, I also think that our turbulent times necessitate a revival/renewal of an ancient, time-tested practice—praying the daily rosary. After all, these are days of intense spiritual warfare and in such circumstances we need spiritual weapons to do battle.

The history of the holy rosary reveals its power combating heresy (against the Albigensians) and providing victory in battle (the Battle of Lepanto). It was requested by our Lady herself during various Church approved Marian apparitions (Fatima). It has tremendous spiritual benefits for those who faithfully pray it.

Simply stated, the rosary traces the highlights of the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ and the life of his Mother Mary as found in Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition. It is, in a sense, the bible on beads. We can use the rosary to help us spiritually each day as we recall and reflect on various mysteries of our faith and our salvation.

The repetition of the prayers is meant to help us get into a spiritual rhythm and a reflective mindset. The meditation on the mysteries helps us to recall and reinforce essential truths of our faith. The rosary also seeks the intercession of Our Lady who is essential to the plan for our salvation. She is our spiritual mother guiding us and accompanying us on our journey of life.

If you are unfamiliar with the mechanics of praying the rosary or do not know the various mysteries given for meditation, these can be found very easily online and then printed out for reference. The rosary has evolved with time even adding elements such as the Fatima prayer and the Luminous Mysteries.

The challenge that I put out to all of you who will read this is to pray the holy rosary daily. Maybe it has to start with simply praying a decade each day (perhaps, before going to bed?), but I hope that it will grow into a devotion that will bring much peace and consolation to your soul. May I suggest that you pray it with the intention of bringing back to the faith someone in your family or among your friends who has left the Catholic faith or no longer practices it? That intention should keep us all busy for quite some time.

October is the month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary. It is also Respect Life Month. Why not pray the rosary with the intention of ending the scourge of abortion in our country and throughout the world? We can pray that all human life be seen and treated as sacred from conception until natural death. We can pray for the conversion of the hearts of those politicians who continue to support this unjust practice.

Please take the time to strengthen, renew or begin this devotion in your personal spiritual life and in the life of your family.     

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Our Lady of Fatima and the 3 Visionaries