Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Dealing with Change



Dear Parishioners,

People have asked me at various times why our priests are moved so often.  They say that just when they are getting used to a particular person, then he is transferred to another assignment. 

In the past, some of our diocesan priests spent a long time at one assignment.  Msgr. Joseph Stoerlein, who died this past year and was previously assigned to St. Joseph Church, had been pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Vineland for 32 years.  Chances are we will not see a similar situation again with the policy that is currently in place in the Diocese of Camden.  Pastors can usually expect to spend a term of six years at a particular assignment with the possibility of being renewed for another six years.  While there are sometimes exceptions made, this is now the common expectation.

Regarding parochial vicars (associate pastors) and various special assignments like hospital chaplains or teachers, the duration of assignment can vary widely.  I had been in the education apostolate for 20 years prior to coming here.  Fr. Larry Polansky was with us just about two years as hospital chaplain.

Now our parish faces additional changes.  With the reassignment of Fr. Larry to St. Peter Church in Merchantville, some adjustments had to be made.  Fr. Christopher Onyeneke, who is one of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (M.SS.CC.) from Linwood, will serve part-time as hospital chaplain and part-time as my parochial vicar.  Fr. Christopher is from Nigeria and will officially begin on August 1st.  We welcome him to St. Joseph Church!

Additionally, Fr. Alvaro Diaz who is serving the Hispanic community both in Ocean City and here in Somers Point (as well as assisting with some Masses in English), will no longer be assigned to St. Joseph Church as of August 1st.  The simple truth is that our parish cannot afford the salary/benefits of two part-time priests without depleting the remainder of our meager savings.  Fr. Alvaro will continue to live and minister at St. Damien Parish in Ocean City.

Our seminarian, Mr. Anthony Infante, will leave us in the beginning of August to continue his studies at Seton Hall University.

On behalf of our parish, I extend my thanks to Fr. Alvaro and to Anthony for the time that they spent at St. Joseph Church.  Our prayers and best wishes are with them as they continue doing the Lord’s work.

We must all remember that we are on a pilgrimage through life while here on this earth.  Our true home is intended to be in Heaven with God.  The many changes that we experience in life remind us constantly that we are not meant to be here forever.  Christians should not become too complacent with their situation in this life.  Recall a parable from the Gospel:

Then (Jesus) told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?  Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”  (Lk, 12: 16-21)

Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Making the Same Mistakes . . . or Even Worse



Dear Parishioners,

It was the 20th century philosopher and author George Santayana who is noted for the quote:
 “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

All of us who are Christians as well as our spiritual ancestors, the Jewish people, are able to refer to sacred, inspired texts—the Torah or the Holy Bible—reminding us of important lessons from salvation history.  These lessons of Scripture are timeless and must be understood as relevant for every age because God’s truth never becomes insignificant or out-of-date.

At various times in the history of the Jewish people, the covenant with God was broken.  The people worshipped false gods, led immoral lives and failed to heed the warnings of the prophets.  Because of their rebelliousness, they often paid a most severe price.  They were exiled from their land, enslaved or even killed.

In the Second Book of Kings (Chapter 22 f.), we read of the reign of King Josiah (641-609 BC) and how the Book of the Law was rediscovered in the Temple during his time. Unfortunately, the people had become oblivious to their obligations concerning the covenant with God. “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his garments.” (2 Kg. 22: 11)  The tearing of one’s clothes is an ancient tradition among the Jews, and it is associated with mourning, grief, and loss.  The King realized that he and his people had not been living up to the covenant and he feared the consequences of their infidelity.  He began a series of religious reforms.  He set himself to the task of cleansing the land from idolatry.  He wanted to make it right again before God.

Why do I make reference to this story?

I think that if we forget to draw upon the teachings of the inspired Word of God, we will repeat the mistakes of the past and wind up suffering the consequences of our actions.  We have to remain faithful to our part of the covenant with God.  This covenant with God has to be seen through the Person of Jesus Christ. . . For this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant . . . .  We hear these words of consecration at every Mass.  Jesus established this covenant and sealed it in His own Blood.

Are we faithful to the covenant or have we abandoned it?  Are we committed to worshipping the true God?  Do we seriously keep His commands?  Do we know and live the words of Sacred Scripture?  Do we pray daily?  Do we buy into the ways of the world around us and wind up compromising our Christian values?  Do we seek to do the will of God in our lives?

The call of the prophets was for the people to return to the Lord and to be faithful to the covenant with God.

Be modern-day prophets and get this word out to the people around us!


Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor