The Story of Our Faith in Colored Glass

St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners,

In a society where we are often in an extreme hurry to go here and do this or that, we may unfortunately miss or take for granted the things that surround us every day.  I think of the white sandy beaches nearby with their accompanying sunrises continually greeting us as they ascend high above the mighty ocean’s waves.  Then there’s the colorful flowers and trees in bloom (albeit with loads of irritating pollen!) appearing daily beside houses and along the various streets and roads for our viewing pleasure.  Even in our church building, there are the picturesque stained-glass windows telling just a small portion of the glorious history of our faith through colors and images pierced the by sun’s rays.

It is these magnificent works of art found along the perimeter of our church that I wish to bring to your attention as we begin a project to restore them and to protect them for generations to come.  Perhaps you’ve noticed the various saints portrayed or some of the incidents in the life of St. Joseph, our patron.  Traditionally, these stained-glass images told Bible stories and the various lives of saints to a population that generations ago could not read or write but could see the colorful tales narrated in glass and lead as they prayed and worshipped.

Two of these windows are soon to be removed and completely restored.  You may have noted that some of the panels of the windows are cracked, some windows do not close properly, some lead supporting the glass has bowed or bellied, and that time and weather has begun to deteriorate each of these works of art to a greater or lesser degree.  We have had them evaluated and set up a plan to have them restored over time according to the most urgent need.

For the most part, the actual interior windows have been patched or repaired over the years (as needed), but a proper restoration will now begin.  This involves removing the windows completely, having them taken to a professional studio to be restored, replacing them into their original locations while repairing their fittings/frames (and surroundings) and protecting them exteriorly.

The project will be costly—the two windows nearing $15,000 to restore—but the alternative is to allow the windows to sit in disrepair and continue to patch them, while they deteriorate and become even more of an urgent issue as time goes by.

If anyone would like to memorialize a window as it is being restored, we will gladly accept donations for this project.  This can be done completely or partially (i.e., a group of families/parishioners combining efforts to restore a particular window).  A plaque under each window will indicate in whose memory the window was restored.

Every undertaking—even the loftiest—begins with an initial step.  Our stained-glass window restoration will commence with two windows.  Please take the time to appreciate the beauty of these windows which regularly surround us as we worship.  I want their beauty to endure for future generations to experience and to love.  You can certainly help us do this!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

                 

St. Therese of Lisieux: "The Little Flower"
(A window in need of repair)

Pure Jerzy Kidz - Mom (Official Music Video)

Click here for the link to the music video of my "Mom" song on YouTube.

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Comments are also helpful and welcome!

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http://youtu.be/p8g32jv722A

Some Information about First Holy Communion

Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend and this weekend we have the privilege of gathering as a parish family at Mass as our children receive their First Holy Communion.  I can recall having made my own First Holy Communion in 1^st grade with my classmates at St. Ann’s Church in Wildwood.  It was a separate ceremony back then, on a Saturday morning (if I remember correctly).  Some parishioners have asked me, “Why don’t we do it like we used to do it all together as a class?”

There are a number of reasons for our current practice (which, incidentally, has been in place prior to my arrival as pastor).  Let’s first look at our diocesan guidelines for sacramental preparation:

The preferred option for the celebration of First Eucharist is within the Sunday Liturgy.  It is the whole community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates [the liturgy.]  Liturgical services are not private functions but are celebrations of the Church which is the ‘sacrament of unity’ (SC 26*).  Liturgical services pertain to the whole Church.  Rites are meant to be celebrated in common, with the faithful present and actively participating, and should as far as possible be celebrated in this way rather than by an individual or quasi-privately.  (SC 27*)  Eucharist is the crowning jewel in the sacraments of initiation and should be celebrated within the parish worshipping community.  It is recommended that the celebration take place during the Easter Season when the Church traditionally welcomes her new members.  (Sacramental Guidelines when Sacraments of Initiation are not Celebrated Together, Diocese of Camden, 2005)

It is critical to remember that the two families that should be most important in the children’s lives are their domestic family and their Church family.  The parents are the first (and need to be the best) teachers of their children in the ways of faith.  It is also necessary to consider that we are preparing the children to be a part of the regular worshipping community that we call the Church.  While it may look “nice” or “cute” to have all of the children together in one (or two) ceremonies with their classmates and friends, it is much more essential to emphasize for them the bonds of family and Church.  Essentially, we are not preparing them to be with their current friends (who may not be their friends past next week), but to be regular, practicing members of the Catholic Church as experienced through their local parish family.

Let me again quote our diocesan guidelines:

Children should be made aware that Eucharist is not a “once and done” sacrament.  Therefore, there should be encouragement to the children (and their parents) to form good habits of weekly celebration of the Eucharist.

We all have much to learn from each other and to teach one another.  We should rejoice to see our children share in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, as lived and experienced in our parish family of St. Joseph.  If the faith is not handed on to, experienced and practiced by our young, then eventually our Church will be nothing but a bunch of empty, lifeless buildings.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

(*SC  Sacrosanctum Concillium 12/4/63, a document of Vatican II) 

My First Holy Communion, 1967

Shoes to Fill

Dear Parishioners,

When Bishop Dennis Sullivan was here for the Sacrament of Confirmation last week, he remarked to me about how well some of our Confirmation students read at Mass.  He even said, “They should be reading at the Sunday Mass.”

This got me thinking about our parish situation in general.  Yes, our young people should be readers at Mass.  And they should also be our ushers, our choir members, our altar servers, our parish council members, and (when of the proper age) our extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, etc.  They should be our future Knights of Columbus members, St. Vincent de Paul Society members, Rosary Altar Society members, etc.  Perhaps—if they feel “called” by God—they could someday fill the shoes of the priests, deacons and religious who are getting up in years and retiring!

We need people to step up to the plate—continually!

I know that the future of our Church is in our young men and women.  As a priest for almost 26 years, I have spent the vast majority of my priesthood educating the young.  I believe in their goodness and their ability to make a difference in our world.  They may make mistakes.  They will need to learn much and to mature.  But don’t we all need to mature, to study and be educated and to learn from our mistakes?

As for the situation at hand, our parish urgently needs more Readers for Mass.  (I hate having to look out in the congregation on any given Saturday/Sunday trying to see if someone could possibly read because there is no Reader present in the sacristy right before Mass is scheduled to begin.)  If you are a trained Reader, please check before the Mass that you attend to see if we can use your assistance!  Ideally, I would like to see two Readers for every Mass.

In addition, we need ushers, altar servers, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at some Masses.  If you are present and available at a particular Mass, please volunteer your services!  Don’t wait to be asked!  We also need people interested in filling some vacant spots on various committees.  In fact, I am not aware of any parish organization of committee that is not looking for new members.

This is, once again, a request and an invitation from your pastor to become more active and involved in your parish.  In whatever capacity you think that you can assist, please inform a member of the parish/office staff and we’ll see where your talents can be best utilized at this time.

When I begin Mass, I regularly pray that the gifts, talents and abilities that we bring to the altar—all of our service—be for the greater honor and glory of God.

I am certainly grateful (and I think God is pleased) if you attend Mass regularly.  But if you are able to be of service to your parish in some capacity, and can help to strengthen our community through your assistance and talents, I think God (and I) would be even more delighted!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Stinky Feet

Dear Parishioners,

There was a bit of controversy for some after Pope Francis broke tradition by not celebrating Mass in a major cathedral or basilica on Holy Thursday and by washing the feet of two females at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  If you read the liturgical instructions for the day (as found in the Roman Missal), it does indicate that the feet of twelve men (vir in Latin) should be washed.

Frankly, I am not usually the type of person to ignore deliberately and knowingly official liturgical guidelines.  At the same time, this particular action of our Holy Father did not really upset me.  It seemed like the natural, pastoral thing to do, given the fact of his surroundings—the Roman reform center for minors, Casal del Marmo.

Here is a portion from our Holy Father’s homily:

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it. 

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

I thought about what Pope Francis attempted to do—to follow the example of Jesus and to teach others to do the same.  I don’t think that he was making any statement other than service of others.  For those who try to read more into it—that he’s opening the door to women’s ordination or that he has no regard for liturgical guidelines—I think that they will be pretty disappointed.  Like Jesus, when He was accused of curing someone on the Sabbath and breaking Jewish law (see Luke 13:14), I think that our Holy Father simply took this time to show humility and love, and to use a very teachable moment.

If I apply this foot-washing scenario to our own parish, who would be the people whose feet should be washed?  How about those who give their service to the parish regularly:  the ushers, the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, the secretaries, the altar servers, my brother priests, etc.  How about those mothers and fathers who sacrifice daily for their children?  How about those who would be seen as outcasts, disenfranchised, immigrants, elderly, or impoverished?  Granted, not all of them may be men.  Would I be seen by some as radical or controversial?  Probably.  Rather, I would hope to be seen as joining company with Jesus (and apparently Pope Francis) who “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10: 45)

The average observer—inside or outside of the Church—will more than likely see a priest, bishop or even a pope who is willing to be of service to his people as “Christ-like,” humble and self-giving and will probably not be delving into some deeper hidden meaning of this action.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

   

Rejoice! Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Dear Parishioners,

 “. . .  If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. . . . But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor. 15: 17, 20)

I was brought to tears of joy many times this past Lent.  How could I not be after seeing the powerful, sincere confessions from penitents after ten, twenty, thirty years or more?  Thanks be to God for His mercy and forgiveness!

During our 40 Hours celebration, I observed devout parishioners praying before our Eucharistic Lord around the clock, day into the night.  Fr. James King preached some dynamic and inspiring homilies leaving us with much to ponder.

These past weeks of Lent and Holy Week have given us precious time to prepare spiritually for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter.  Whether it was at the Soup and Stations on Fridays, at the Communal Penance Service (and many other opportunities for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation after the Masses), at Lectio Divina, at the Lifelong Faith Formation event with Carrie Ann Ford or at the services of Holy Week, I witnessed some tremendous occasions of God’s Grace touching lives and penetrating hearts.  If you took the time to participate in these and various other opportunities that were afforded our parish, I hope you were as spiritually rejuvenated as I was.

Now we have reached the culmination and highpoint of our Lenten journey—Easter Sunday.  Rejoice because Christ is Risen from the Dead!  As we celebrate the Easter season, please try to keep the Resurrected Christ at the center of your lives.  This is the central mystery of our faith and needs to be forefront in our thoughts in order to guide our daily actions.

In times of sadness or uncertainty it is the light given us by the Resurrected Christ that should illumine our lives and shine through the darkness!

I thank all who work so hard and who are so generous to this parish and help to strengthen our Christian faith community.

Be assured of my daily prayers and Masses for all members of this parish.  May I ask a continued remembrance in your prayers and Masses as well?

 

Have a blessed Easter season!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Habemus Papam

Pope Francis

Dear Parishioners,

I remember observing a similar reaction in 1978 when Pope John Paul II was first announced as Pope.  There was a strange silence that came over the crowd waiting and watching in St. Peter’s Square.  People were silenced by an unfamiliar name--a name that they truly had not expected—heralded from the balcony.  “Habemus Papam.” “We have a pope.”  But who was he?  Karol Wojtyla?

After the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, many of the pundits and insiders predicted—sometimes rather authoritatively—that our next pope would be the Cardinal from Milan, Italy or maybe the one from Brazil.  There were certain expectations created in anticipation of the election.

Then, I saw it happen again last Wednesday.  The announcement of a new pope was made.  I observed another occasion in which the huge crowd that gathered in St. Peter’s Square was temporarily silenced.  “Habemus Papam.”  Jorge Bergoglio.  Who?  Where’s he from?

I was happy to see that the Holy Spirit was at work surprising us again, working in and through the Church and its leaders—the College of Cardinals.  They chose a Cardinal from their ranks who was a Jesuit priest, someone from South America, someone who selected a name never before taken by a pope—Francis.  Surprise!  Surprise!  Surprise!

Observing Pope Francis from the balcony that day, I wondered what could be said about our newly-elected Supreme Pontiff.  From the outset he showed himself to be a man of prayer, a man of humility, someone who did not appear intimidated by the huge crowd or the daunting responsibilities that lie in front of him.  He seemed to be a man who stood with and for the people.  He spoke from his heart and was comfortable and genuine in his manner of interaction.  I was immediately impressed and reassured by Pope Francis—our new Shepherd.

I read Pope Francis’ first homily—simple, direct, and spiritual.  I examined his formal interview with the press—clear, articulate, polite and insightful.  What he said was unmistakably “Christ-centered.”  He repeatedly evidences a love for and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This morning (Tuesday, March 19—the Solemnity of St. Joseph), I watched via the Internet as Pope Francis greeted the visiting dignitaries from around the world in St. Peter’s Basilica after the Papal Mass.  His smile and warmth seemed to radiate a certain peace and inner joy.

What lies ahead in the years of Pope Francis’ pontificate and beyond—that which is currently unknown to us—I confidently conclude continues to be directed and sustained by the mysterious Hand of God.  Moreover, the Holy Spirit, guiding the Church from its inception, is not subject to or intimidated by any outside force whether worldly or spiritual/demonic.  No pundit, insider, supposedly “enlightened” cleric or layperson, can completely and authoritatively know what God has in store for us all (beyond that which has already been revealed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition).  Only God knows every detail of the things to come.

Back in the 13^th Century another Francis—the one from Assisi—heard the voice of God telling him to “rebuild my House (Church) which is in ruins.”  Francis took up the call and the impact was felt worldwide.  I’m pretty sure another Francis has heard a similar call and will do his part—with the Grace of God—to shepherd the Lord’s flock (Jn. 21:16), to feed the Lord’s sheep (Jn. 21:17), and to rebuild His Church.

May our continual prayers assist him in this task.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

   

St. Francis of Assisi

Helping the Church in Africa

Dear Parishioners,

Last year Fr. Alfred Onyutha returned to St. Joseph’s Church, where he was previously assigned, to make a financial appeal on behalf of his parish and village in Uganda.  Fr. Alfred is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Nebbi in Uganda.  We were also privileged to host Bishop (Msgr.) Sanctus Wanok, his Ordinary, for one weekend last summer.

Fr. Alfred received a generous amount of donations to make substantial progress on the church that is being constructed in his home village.   Fr. Alfred e-mailed me a letter today which I now share with you: 

Dear Friends and Brother Ed, 

Just to let you know how much you have contributed to building the House of God in this part of the continent of Africa (Uganda) and my home village. From praying in a grass thatched house to under a tree and now to a decent House of Prayer! The Lord will definitely bless your efforts because without you and your assistance this would be impossible. Thanks so much and God bless you all! 

My Bishop, Msgr. Sanctus Wanok, who remembers you fondly, was in my village to see the church. He was so pleased by the contributions of your parishioners. He has agreed to officially commission/open the Church in January of next year (even as people are already praying in it.) Invitations have been extended to you by him and my people to have you there in Uganda for a week or so. You are most welcome and we shall talk about the details later. 

We prayed for you and your intentions as we began the New Year (together with the intentions of the other donors). 

Thanks so much. 

Yours brotherly, 

Alfred Onyutha

It was a very special moment for me to read this letter and to view the attached photos of his church.  (I will post the pictures subsequently on our parish web-site and Facebook page for all to see!)

Although I realize that the Church is really made up of the People of God, it is certainly nice to have a beautiful building—a sacred space—in which to worship the Lord.  I personally thank all who were able to contribute to making this happen for Fr. Alfred and his people.

I am sure that if anyone else still wishes to help Father in the final stages of this church, he would gladly accept further assistance.  Just contact me and I will help make the arrangements!

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving—thanks to all who take that call seriously!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Stop the World . . . I Want to Get Off!

Dear Parishioners,

This past week was one of those weeks.  I should have expected it since Lent is here.  This liturgical season can frequently be a period of intense personal trial and tribulation—my own 40 days in the desert.

Let me go back a number of years to set the scene for you.

When I entered the seminary in 1978, I began a significant period of time in my life (until about 1986) when I rarely watched television.  We weren’t allowed a TV in our college dorm rooms and, quite frankly, I never missed it.  Ask me about a particular TV series or sit-com from those days, and I am probably more clueless than usual.   Whenever I would watch something—usually when I was at home during a break or extended vacation—I was routinely disgusted with how some particular show tried to push the envelope.  Whether it was vulgar language, questionable sexual mores, nudity, etc., I wasn’t desensitized to these things because I wasn’t continually watching them.  As a result, they would tend to upset me quite intensely.  How could this “stuff” be on TV?

Fast forward with me to this past week.

 

A sleepless Saturday night had me peek at Saturday Night Live for just a few minutes.  Why I turned this program on at this time, I‘ll never know.  There was a skit spoofing the movie Django Unchained in which a violent Jesus, wielding swords and guns, goes around seeking bloody revenge on the Romans after His Resurrection.  The narrator informs us:  “He’s risen from the dead . . . and he’s preaching anything but forgiveness.”  “He may be wearing sandals, but he can still kick a**.”  Then, the actor portraying Jesus proceeds to kill people quite violently.  This was blasphemy, plain as day.  I’m still shaking my head.

Later in the week, I turned on the radio in my car.  Another big mistake.  At the time Rihanna was singing a song entitled S & M in which (among other things) she exclaims that “sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me.”   The glorification of sexual perversion for all to hear!  How edifying!

Since this column is composed for use in a church bulletin, I’ll spare you the vulgar, even more disgusting details of the many other troubling things that I was subjected to recently.  Let me instead quote you words that a Trappist monk spoke to me while I was on retreat.  These words have been permanently ingrained in my memory:  “Our world is gravely sick with perversion.”  Internet porn, sexting, virtually unrestricted cable TV, vulgar song lyrics accompanied by explicit videos . . . .  Need I go on?  And we are somehow unaffected—individually or as a society?

On top of it all, it seems to be the perfect time for some to continue to attack, mock and disregard the entire Catholic Church and its teachings (a la comedian Bill Maher), usually by referring to and fixating on the grave sins of a few.  It has been in vogue to point out and accentuate every single flaw in the Church as if we are the scapegoat or whipping boy (sorry Rihanna) for a society that demands license to do whatever it pleases without culpability.  Just do it! (no matter what it is!)

As I walked the Stations of the Cross on Friday night, it was never more apparent to me why Jesus suffered and died for our sins.

Lord Jesus crucified, have mercy on us sinners.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Using Technology for "Good"

Dear Parishioners,

I must admit that I arrived kicking and screaming into the computer age.  When I first began teaching in a Catholic high school many years ago, I can remember quite forcefully telling the guidance secretary (at St. Joseph High School in Hammonton), “If you think that I’m going to spend most of my time in front of a computer, it ain’t happening!”  We were using an old Apple computer back then for scheduling—the one with the green letters on the black screen.

I still unequivocally advocate the importance of personal relationships and interpersonal communication.  I (albeit, sometimes hypocritically) get annoyed when people pay more attention to their phones than to the person(s) in the room.  However, I am resigned to the fact that our advanced technology is here to stay and we had all become better aware of what our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews already know.  

Can you believe that even our Holy Father now sends out Tweets on Twitter!  Who would have thought!

What does it all mean for this parish?  Our website (www.stjosephsomerspoint.com) has been updated so that various parish information, parish bulletins, forms, schedules, etc., are readily available.  (Incidentally, if you have any compliments, constructive criticisms or suggestions about the site, let me know.)  We also have a Facebook page.  If you “like” us on Facebook, information about St. Joseph’s will come automatically to your Facebook page.  I have a blog (www.fr-ed-namiotka.com) on which I post this column each week.  To date, it has been viewed approximately 40,000 times worldwide!

My Smartphone (an Android) is really an unbelievable mini-computer.  I have downloaded a few free apps which have proved quite helpful.  Catholic Droid is a resource library for the Catholic faith with the Bible, prayers, devotions, an examination of conscience, church teachings, etc. all at your fingertips!  iBrieviary allows me to pray the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) just about anywhere without having to carry the actual book around.  Laudate is a similar app to Catholic Droid and also has numerous Catholic resources.  Then there is ihradio.com (Immaculate Heart Radio) which can be downloaded to the phone (or viewed/listened to on the computer) to provide 24 hour Catholic radio and information.

If you want to view Catholic information on various computer websites, start with the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (www.usccb.org).  Such official sites sponsored by the Church are the most accurate and reliable when it comes to official Church teaching as opposed to some individual’s (sometimes inaccurate) opinion of the matter.  Each diocese usually has a website—including our own (www.camdendiocese.org).   EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) has been a pioneer in technology for years now, providing Catholic TV, radio and internet resources (www.ewtn.com) .

I could go on and on about the many places online to find information.  It’s best to bookmark particular places because unfiltered surfing the web or “Googling”—even in search of religious topics—sometimes leads one to unexpected and unwanted sites.

So if you see me in Church and I’m looking at my phone, don’t always assume that I’m answering a call, texting, surfing the web, or playing a game.  I might be, in fact, praying my Liturgy of the Hours, reading a Scripture passage, researching a homily, or sending a tweet back to the Holy Father!

Maybe I can be the first to invent an app to contact God directly!

(Oh, we already have something to do that.  It's called prayer).

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor