The thoughts and writings of Fr. Ed Namiotka as taken from his weekly parish bulletin columns.
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Patriotism
Dear Parishioners,
Recently on June 14th,
Flag Day, I participated in two virtual ceremonies for the Knights of Columbus. Over 300 men made their 4th
Degree Exemplification online due to the COVID-19 restrictions on crowds and gatherings.
The 4th Degree concerns Patriotism and it reminded me and all
of the men making their degree of our Catholic, American heritage. Patriotism is the principle of the 4th
Degree as Charity, Unity and Fraternity are the core principles of the
other three degrees. I encourage the men
of our parish to investigate and consider joining the Knights of Columbus, if
you are not already a member.
It is sad and it angers me to see
certain crowds throughout our nation defacing or attempting to destroy some of
our civil and religious monuments and statues.
I am proud to be an American and I think that we should be grateful to
live in this country. Yes, our country
is imperfect—it is not heaven nor will it ever be so—but some evil
elements are trying to hijack and undermine some valid concerns and turn them
into anarchy and lawlessness. There is a
deliberate attempt to cause civil unrest and foment hatred of our police. Peacefully protest and be civilly disobedient, if and when necessary. People pray the
rosary and participate in sidewalk counseling in front of abortion
clinics. However, anarchy, looting,
rioting, the destruction of property and other forms of lawlessness are not
the solution to any kind of racism or injustice and should never be accepted or
tolerated.
During the Olympics I am
proud to hear our National anthem played as I see our dedicated athletes
awarded their medals. Having been born
in and living so close to Philadelphia, I treasure the Liberty Bell, Independence
Hall and the many other reminders of the founding of our country. I look forward to the fireworks and various
celebrations on the 4th of July.
Our nation, like every person who
may ever live in it, is flawed. Unjust
laws and decisions unfortunately exist (e.g. Roe v. Wade) and we should peacefully
work to change them. We should strive
for equal justice under the law. Yet,
what I have seen happening recently in certain parts of our country is neither
productive nor divinely inspired. There
is an underlying evil source causing chaos, which I can clearly see is not from
God.
Our nation has been a continual force
for good throughout the world. Foreign
peoples long to live here. Judeo-Christian
principles have guided the rule of law throughout its existence. Although our past has some undesirable
elements, we should learn from them and try to improve upon them and correct
them. We should not attempt to
destroy our history and try to pretend that it was something other than what it
was. We should not attempt
foolishly to eliminate the rule of law or abolish the police. The result will be an absolute disaster, as
we can see playing out in the streets of some of our cities.
I pray you can celebrate this 4th
of July peacefully with family and friends.
I know there are still warnings about social-distancing and restrictions
around the gathering of crowds. However,
be proud to be a Catholic and be proud to be an American.
I certainly am!
Vivat Jesus! God bless America!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Friday, June 26, 2020
On the Road Again
Dear Parishioners,
I think that you are probably wondering why I am being
transferred after only three years as pastor at Holy Angels Parish. Let me fill you in with the details.
Approximately three weeks ago, Bishop Sullivan requested me to come and meet with him at his residence. When I talked with him, he asked me to become pastor at St. Thomas More Church in
Cherry Hill, NJ. Needless to say, I was
shocked. I had not requested a
change or put in for a transfer. I was
in the midst of a number of projects, including the move to a new parish office
building across the street from St. Patrick Church and the rectory.
I asked Bishop Sullivan if I could pray about the situation he
had proposed and I would then present any objections that I could think of for
his consideration. This I did. He then asked if he could take my objections
and concerns to prayer himself. When we
met again, he still requested that I make the move.
One of the bishop’s major concerns was my health and
well-being. He knew that I had a heart
attack a few months after arriving here.
Moreover, there is considerable responsibility (and stress) attached to
this parish, including three worship locations and eight Masses each weekend,
the operation of a school, numerous facilities for the elderly, etc. He said the assignment I would be going to
would reduce the stress in my life. He
thought that it was in my best interest to go.
That night, I went before the Blessed Sacrament
telling the Lord that I wanted to do whatever He wants. Obviously, I was going to be changed and if
He did not want this to happen, then He would have to do something to prevent
it from happening.
Initially, I was upset by the sudden change. Again, I did not ask for it nor did I expect
it. However, I am at peace knowing that
I took it to prayer and told the Lord that I would do whatever He wanted.
You have heard me preach about the brevity of our lives here
on this earth. While I genuinely love
and grow fond of the people whom I am asked to be a pastor over, I know that
nothing lasts forever in this world.
Change comes to us all at one time or another. I am simply grateful for the time (albeit brief)
that I have been given at Holy Angels Parish.
For the next few weeks, I will try to absorb and reflect on
the many blessings I have received while I was here. Hopefully, I contributed a little to your
spiritual growth and well-being. I know
my experience here has had a profound impact on my life as a priest. I am most grateful to God and to you for my
time here.
May we continue to pray for each other and support one
another.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Monday, June 22, 2020
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Thy Will Be Done
Dear
Parishioners,
If
we pray regularly, we probably recite the words thy will be done quite a few times daily. It is one of the central petitions of the Our Father.
Do
you ever stop to think about this prayer-petition? Do we really think that God’s will is not
going to be accomplished in the end? I
don’t think so. After all, God is, well,
God.
At God’s command absolutely anything can be achieved before we could
even grasp what was happening.
Do
we think that God Almighty actually needs us,
needs me, so that He could be more all-powerful, more all-knowing, more all-loving,
more all-just, more all-whatever? On the contrary, God would be quite self-sufficient
without any of us. God created ex nihilo—out of nothing. There was a time when nothing else but God
existed. So, obviously, God could get
along quite well without us.
The
fact of the matter is that God created out
of love. He brought into existence that
which previously did not exist—the entire universe, our world and us. His greatest achievement was the creation of
the human person, made in His image and likeness. We were given intelligence and free-will like God. Amazingly, God chose to become one of us as
evidenced by the Incarnation of Jesus.
So, when we pray that God’s will be done,
we must realize with ultimate humility that in the end we are not in charge. God
will always be in charge. Always. His Will is going to be done with or without
us. And we, as humans, must conform to His
Will, not the other way around. God is
creator and we are creatures. Period.
End of story.
What
is so mind-boggling is that God has invited each of us into a personal relationship
with Himself. We can either accept the
invitation or reject it. We can believe
or not. We can cooperate with His plan
or foolishly think that we can do whatever we want without consequences. The choice will always be ours because God willed it so.
With this in mind, my
personal prayer consists of a variation of this petition. When I come before the Lord Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament I simply pray: I want
what You want. I sit and give my
time over to the Lord. I submit my will
to His. I realize my place before Almighty God.
Perhaps each of us could ask ourselves a few questions to evaluate where we are before God: Does God really have control of me and my life? Do I love Him with all my heart, mind,
soul and strength? Do I desire to do His Will? Do I foolishly think that I am in charge?
In
the 1960’s Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to a song popularized by Frank Sinatra, Elvis
Presley and various others entitled My Way. I beg to differ with them with a rebuttal composition
of my own:
The Final Exam
“And now the end
is near,
And so I face the
final curtain”—
But after all life’s
tests I’ve had,
Of little or
nothing I’m certain!
Yet still, dear
Lord, I ask your help
To guide me day to
day—
And may the priv'lege
be always mine
To say I did it Your
Way.
© 1981 Edward F. Namiotka
Fr.
Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Monday, June 15, 2020
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
What You Need to Know (When Returning to Mass)
Dear Parishioners,
The time has finally arrived.
You can return to public Mass. Alleluia! Alleluia!
However, there are certain
parameters that we will guide you through as our two churches and worship
center are reopened.
First, prepare yourselves
for coming to church. Before you
leave home be attentive to proper hygiene (wash your hands, brush your teeth and
gargle, etc.), use the bathrooms at
home (since the ones at church will be for emergency use only) and
bring a mask.
Enter through the
designated door since we need to keep a count. Look for an usher to greet you to be sure
that people are properly spaced in the pews (social distancing).
People are asked not to
socialize before or after Mass. When
you arrive please remain in your seats.
After Mass, please do not socialize by the church doors or in the
parking lot.
Some changes to the Mass
will be made. There are no hymnals
in the pews, no holy water in the fonts, bulletins will be distributed only
upon leaving, there will be no offertory procession, no sign of peace, no altar
servers, an absolute minimal use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy
Communion (as the Precious Blood will no longer be distributed), the
cry-room will be unavailable, and Holy Communion will be distributed, for the
time being, at the very end of Mass.
Please follow the
directions given at each Mass for the distribution of Holy Communion. These will vary slightly by location.
Remember that we offer
multiple opportunities to attend Mass each week. There are eight (8) regularly scheduled
Masses each weekend at three (3) locations.
Some Masses have traditionally had fewer numbers. You might think about attending one of them
if you are leery about larger crowds.
If you are sick, please
stay home. Think about the health
and well-being of your fellow parishioners.
A live-stream Mass on Facebook will still take place at 10 AM for
those who are homebound. The dispensation for the faithful from the
obligation to participate in Mass on Sundays and Holy Days remains in effect.
For the Sacrament of
Penance and Reconciliation (confession), please wear a mask and keep the
proper social distance regulations (6 feet apart) when waiting in line.
The complete list of regulations
is found on the Diocese of Camden Website. Please realize we might have to make some
additional adaptations once we observe how many people initially return to
Mass.
Welcome back! I have missed you!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Monday, June 8, 2020
Preparing to Re-Open the Parish
St. Patrick Church
Dear Parishioners,
We have received word from the
Diocese of Camden that we can make various preparations for the reopening of
our parishes for Sunday Mass on the weekend of June 13-14. (Weekday Masses can resume on June 9th.) Doing this at Holy Angels involves getting
three locations ready for the celebration of Holy Mass: St. Patrick Church, St. Matthew
Church and the Worship Center.
To assist me in this process I have included a medical doctor, a
paramedic and an EMT so that I can be advised from their perspective as health
care professionals/workers.
Once we open, there are certain procedures that we are required to follow. These will be published on our parish website
(www.holyangelsnj.org), on our parish
app, in our parish bulletin, and on our parish Facebook page (Holy Angels Parish). I am only going to scratch the
surface here to explain some basic requirements and procedures.
Remember if you are sick,
elderly, or particularly vulnerable at this time, you may still have to stay
home for a while and not risk putting yourself in a crowd. What I tell people is to use common sense. Make the best decision for yourself and those
you love.
We will be required to minimize
the numbers at each Mass for social distancing purposes. Fortunately, with our eight scheduled Masses
each weekend, this provides plenty of opportunity for people to spread out at
each Mass.
Holy Mass will see some
changes: no missals or hymnals in the
pews, no sign of peace, no Holy Communion from the chalices (the Precious
Blood), the distribution of Holy Communion will occur at the end of
Mass, and possibly some others to be determined. Also, we will have limited stations for the
distribution of Holy Communion, so an absolute minimal number of Extraordinary
Ministers of Holy Communion will be used.
There will be only one entrance at each location used to enter for Mass
so that we can keep track of numbers and be sure people are seated far apart
enough from each other. Bathroom access
will be for emergencies only and the cry room will not be used at
this time.
We will post matters in more
detail on the above-mentioned locations.
In the meantime, please remember good hygiene is so important when
trying to prevent the spread of disease. Wash your hands thoroughly
before coming to Mass, brush your teeth and gargle to kill germs, etc. The diocese currently is requiring people to come to
Mass with face masks. Also, please do not socialize with other parishioners after Mass, even though we may be
glad to see each other.
While some of these initial
requirements may be lifted with time, my purpose is to get people back to Mass
and the sacraments. It has been too long
since I have seen all my parishioners in front of me. I miss you and I want to get you back here as
soon as possible.
Stay tuned and watch for future
information!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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