The Little Sisters of the Poor

Dear Parishioners,

As I write today, I am visiting a classmate from Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  The trip was more than social.  Fr. Bob was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer and is preparing to undergo treatment.  He is currently living with the Little Sisters of the Poor in their home for the aged just outside of Richmond, Virginia.  Please keep him in your prayers.

This morning I went to pray in the chapel centrally located in the home.  It is such a blessing to begin my day being able to spend quiet time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  No matter where I have travelled throughout the world, whenever I am with the Blessed Sacrament, I am truly home.

I watched as the sisters came into the chapel at varying times early in the morning to pray.  I was edified to see their love, reverence and devotion for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Recently, it was this religious order, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who caught national attention by their lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services Mandate (HHS), part of the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”) requiring the sisters to provide contraceptive, abortion and sterilization services to their employees against their core religious beliefs.  On January 24, 2014 the Supreme Court sided with the sisters and has enjoined the federal government from enforcing the HHS mandate against the sisters, pending their appeal.

This HHS mandate has a direct impact on all religious believers—not just Catholics.  Regarding the mandate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has written the following:  “. . . With its coercive HHS mandate, the government is refusing to uphold its obligation to respect the rights of religious believers.”  The First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion without government interference (known as the Free Exercise Clause).  The US bishops have continually stated that the US government has clearly overstepped its bounds by this mandate.

The foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Jeanne Jugan, so cared for the poor and elderly of her time in France that she was able to establish a religious community respecting the life and dignity of every person, regardless of wealth or age.  To mandate a religious order such as this to provide anti-life procedures (contraception, abortion and sterilization) railing against their core belief (respect for the life and dignity of every human person) should make us all take note and become more vigilant regarding legislation which apparently violates both our US constitution and our religious beliefs as US citizens living in a free society.

I know that the power of prayer can do more than we could ever imagine.  I wonder how many silent prayers of these dedicated sisters have been lifted up to God early each morning on behalf of the sick and dying, the poor and the elderly whom they have chosen to serve?  Isn’t it strange that a lawsuit filed on behalf of these humble sisters resulted in an injunction with the unanimous support of the US Supreme Court?

Thank you sisters for your dedication to the poor, for your sacrificial love for Jesus and for the humble prayers you offer each day.  I pray that many other women be inspired to follow your example and the example set by your foundress and consider joining the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

  

Roll Over Beethoven

Dear Parishioners,

It’s no secret that I like music.  I have been exposed to a very eclectic assortment of music and songs from the time I was a child.  From listening to polkas, to Broadway musicals, to rock, to pop, to country, to classical, to easy listening, to various religious hymns, I have enjoyed a rather diverse mix of music at varying times in my life.

And so, this past Sunday--in a moment of weakness or temporary insanity--I turned on the 56^th Annual Grammy Awards to see what is happening in the music world.

Where do I begin?

Ludwig van Beethoven has to be rolling over in his grave.  Or rather, he’s probably doing somersaults and flips after watching Pink’s athletic prowess as she twisted and twirled suspended high above the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  If she ever gives up singing, she’s a shoo-in for a position in the next Cirque du Soleil production.

Some performers were entertaining, some truly bizarre, some scary, and some on the fringe of lunacy.  Was there much musical talent—enough to receive an award?  What is it they say about beauty being in the eye of the beholder?  Is there such a thing as temporary blindness (as there is temporary insanity)?  While I realize that so many of these artists have the vocal ability and the deftness (a la "Deft" Punk) to play instruments beyond the average human, the over-all content of what they choose to write or perform never ceases to disturb me.

Let’s begin with pop star Katy Perry’s Dark Horse presentation.  Dressed as a witch, being burned by fire while clutching a broomstick that resembled something a pole-dancer from a strip club might be gyrating around, she looked simply satanic.  The goats in the background, the cross on her clothing, the red and black colors, the fire, and the pouring of sand around her, all have varying ties to witchcraft and/or satanic rituals.  Katy enjoys pushing buttons.  From kissing other girls and liking it to wearing cupcake tops on her breasts, this should come as no surprise to anyone who follows her music career.

Take the time to examine the uncensored lyrics of a popular song like Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines (particularly verse 3) or just try to decipher the meaning of rapper Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d City.”  His portion of a song could not be aired without a continual censoring from the network. I actually thought that something was wrong with the audio programming until I realized every other word was being bleeped.  And can’t you just imagine the profound meaning behind Record of the Year winner Daft Punk’s (We’re Up All Night to) Get Lucky?  So far, so nauseating.

The culmination of it all was the actual wedding ceremony of both gay and straight couples by Queen Latifah performed during the song Same Love by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.  It reminded me of something the Moonies (members of the Unification Church who were followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon) used to do when I was growing up—minus, of course, the same-sex couples.

I didn’t happen to see pop stars Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga or One Direction present during the evening’s festivities.  With or without this award ceremony, I guess they were busy doing something else more important, perhaps twerking their millions right to the bank.

Through it all, I thought about Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin all rolling over in their graves.  I thought about the choirs of angels making their heavenly music before the throne of God.  And I thought about the lyrics from an old Don McLean song.  I don’t know if it was the day the music died this past Sunday, but I think that some of today's "music" may be barely on life support.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

     

“We’re Just Too Busy.”

Dear Parishioners,

There was a TV show hosted by Bill Cosby back in the 90’s entitled Kids Say the Darndest Things which was based on an earlier Art Linkletter show.  (Now I’m really beginning to date myself and feel old!)  During these shows, children were asked questions similar to what they are doing today on certain AT&T “It’s Not Complicated” commercials.  The children can be seen giving various spontaneous remarks that would usually get a laugh or raise an eyebrow.

Truth be told, an awful lot of things can be learned from what children tell us.  For example:

A religious education teacher asked her little children as they were on the way to Mass, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"  One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

She seemed to have such great insight!  And then there was this situation:

After a Mass, a little boy told his pastor, “When I grow up, I’m going to give you some money. “Well, thank you.” The pastor replied, “But why?” “Because my daddy says you’re one of the poorest preachers we’ve ever had.”

Thanks a lot!  Let me go on:

On the first day of school, about mid-morning, the kindergarten teacher said, "If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers." A little voice from the back of the room asked, "How will that help?"

Obviously, the child was an Einstein in the making!

Recently, I tried asking a question or two myself to a few of the young people while they were in or around church during religious education classes.  My question was simply:  Does your family go to church?

   

On more than one occasion the children replied to me with the same answer, although they were not present to hear each other’s responses:  “We’re just too busy!”   It’s truly amazing to me how a 6, 7 or 8 year old child could have such a busy, complicated life!  I wonder where that excuse actually originated?!  No, I don’t really have to wonder.  I’m pretty sure I already know.

When a person or family is too busy to worship God, then that person or family is much too busy.  The season of Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of Christ, calls us to get ourselves ready.  It can be a time to re-prioritize things in our lives.  Shouldn’t the love of Jesus Christ for us be motivation for us to pray and worship God each week?  Is one hour out of the 168 hours of the week asking too much of us to give some time back to God?

       

 Out of the mouths of babes oft times come gems.

  . . . And also some painful truths as well!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

When Do We Say “Enough is Enough?”

Dear Parishioners,

I started and finished my Christmas shopping yesterday.  I pulled into a Hess station, and purchased this year’s featured toy truck for my two young nephews (who really seem to be into trucks and cars), and it was over.  Christmas shopping completed for another year!  Woo-hoo!!!!

Truth be told, I can’t see all the wasted time, energy and frenzy surrounding events like Black Friday.  Each year for Christmas I choose a religious Christmas card for my other nieces and nephews and place either money or a gift card in them.  My brothers, sister (and their spouses) and I generally have limited or entirely eliminated buying things for each other.  I remember my mom each year by taking her out to dinner and/or planning a trip with her sometime later—something she really enjoys.

What I have to say here has nothing to do with stimulating the economy or supporting our local merchants and has everything to do with resisting the materialism and the consumer mentality that has seemingly swallowed up the true meaning of Christmas.

When I saw certain retail stores advertize pre-Black Friday sales, and encourage shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself, I have to say “Enough is enough!”  Thanksgiving for my siblings and me is a family holiday where we get to spend some quality time with each other.  If people resist buying on such a day, then the stores would see that there is simply no profit in opening at this time and would cease this practice.  No profit would translate into don’t open today.

It is like many other things in our society that indicate we have certain priorities out of whack.  As long as we are willing to pay astronomical ticket prices for athletes and entertainers, as long as we feel the need for status symbols like over-priced luxury cars, extravagant jewelry and the latest electronics, as long as so many unborn children are seen as disposable, as long as the worship of God appears to be on or near the bottom of our priority list, then our Western society will continue to suffer from a disastrous, spiritual poverty.

St. Teresa of Calcutta had some thoughts on this spiritual poverty:

The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for.  We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.  There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.  The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality.  There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.   

 --Mother Teresa, A Simple Path: Mother Teresa

Filling our narcissistic tendencies with things and more things will only bring more emptiness.  Finding time for God, for our families and to love one another will fill the void in each of us.

We need to say:  “Enough is enough!”

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Indifference

Dear Parishioners,

I find that one of the most difficult attitudes that I have to face as a priest (and as a pastor) is either apathy or indifference.  Our Catholic faith is so important to me.  I believe it and try to live it to the best of my ability.  This does not exempt me from sinning or falling short of the goal.  However, I know that consent of my will (a decision) is necessary—to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and to love my neighbor as myself (see Mk. 12: 30-31)—followed by the daily attempt to put this into practice.

If nothing else, I keep trying.  Every day is a new day.  I can begin again and again.

This leads me to a quote that I read quite a while ago by the late Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:

Since the basic cause of man’s anxiety is the possibility of being either a saint or a sinner, it follows that there are only two alternatives for him.  Man can either mount upward to the peak of eternity or else slip backwards to the chasms of despair and frustration.  Yet there are many who think there is yet another alternative, namely, that of indifference.  They think that, just as bears hibernate for a season in a state of suspended animation, so they, too, can sleep through life without choosing to live for God or against Him.  But hibernation is no escape; winter ends, and one is then forced to make a decision—indeed, the very choice of indifference is itself a decision.  White fences do not remain white fences by having nothing done to them; they soon become black fences.  Since there is a tendency in us that pulls us back to the animal, the mere fact that we do not resist it operates to our own destruction.  Just as life is the sum of forces that resist death, so, too, man’s will must be the sum of the forces that resist frustration.  A man who has taken poison into his system can ignore the antidote, or he can throw it out the window; it makes no difference which he does, for death is already on the march.  St. Paul warns us, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Heb 2:3).  By the mere fact that we do not go forward, we go backward.  There are no plains in the spiritual life, we are either going uphill or coming down. Furthermore the pose of indifference is only intellectual.  The will must choose.  And even though an “indifferent” soul does not positively reject the infinite, the infinite rejects it.  The talents that are unused are taken away, and the Scriptures tell us that, “But because though art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).” --Peace of Soul:  Timeless Wisdom on Finding Serenity and Joy by the Century’s Acclaimed Catholic Bishop

By choosing to be Catholic, it is essential to live out that faith.  What are some practical suggestions for doing this?

·        Every day attempt to pray.  Don’t just recite prayers.  Pray from the heart. Talk and listen to God.

·       Be faithful in weekly Mass attendance.  Hear the Word of God proclaimed and preached.  Receive the Holy Eucharist.  Respond to Jesus telling us:  “Do this in memory of me.” (Lk. 22:19)

·        Get into the habit of monthly confession.  After a month (if not sooner), I need a sacramental confession to help me stay on the right path.  Confession is my moral compass.

·        Be Christ-like and show charity to those in my family, where I work, or where I go to school.

·       Avoid bad habits (vices) and cultivate good ones (virtues).  Do I spend too much time watching TV or on the computer?  Do I drink or gamble excessively, or use drugs as an escape?  Bad habits will ultimately become destructive and will deteriorate, if not destroy, the spiritual life.

·     Pray for the grace of conversion.  Conversion is a life-long process of turning away from sin and turning toward God.

·       Trust in the Lord.  Jesus loves you more than you probably can ever imagine.  He died for you and me.

Look at the crucifix.  How can I be apathetic or indifferent to that?

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

Ascending Mount Equinox

Statue of a Carthusian monk  on Mount Equinox

Dear Parishioners,

In one location in all of North America can you find a Carthusian monastery.  After my annual retreat a couple of weeks ago with two of my priest-friends, we happened to chance upon the presence of this unique religious order as we drove through the autumnal mountains of Vermont.

Who are the Carthusians?

The Carthusian order was founded by St. Bruno in 1084.  Throughout the world there are approximately 450 Carthusian monks and nuns who live a solitary life as hermits—strict contemplatives.  They consecrate their lives entirely to prayer and to seeking God in the secret of their hearts.  They intercede for the Church and for the salvation of the whole world through a life of solitude, living in a small room or cell.  They talk to each other only once a week for about four hours after they share a midday meal and take their Sunday walk.

While visiting Hildene, the historic home of Robert Lincoln (the son of Abraham Lincoln) in Manchester, Vermont, we realized its close proximity to the Carthusians.  They lived on nearby Mount Equinox.  We decided to try to find out more.  We located the entrance to Mount Equinox Skyline Drive at the foot of the mountain and we were permitted, although reluctantly because of rain and poor visibility, to head up the mountain.  While we were not allowed to enter the monastery because of their strict rule, we ventured to a visitor center (The St. Bruno Scenic Viewing Center) atop the mountain that told the story of the monks.  We ascended the mountain to its summit—an elevation of 3848 feet.

Up winding roads and a various sharp curves in the rain, made even more treacherous because of the slippery falling leaves on parts of the roadway, we climbed slowly toward the top.  When we neared the visitor center the rain and the winds were torrential, gusting in the range of 75 miles per hour!  What did we get ourselves into?

Once in the visitor’s center, we met the caretaker and she began to converse with us and tell us a few stories about the monks.  Soon she received an urgent call on her radio from the foot of the mountain:  “Get the three priests off the mountain!”  We saw clearly the conditions were truly hurricane-like as our building on the summit shook while it was pelted by fierce rain and winds.

Down the mountain ever so slowly, clinging to and praying our rosaries with great supplication for our safety, we finally reached the bottom of the mountain.  Phew!

Afterward, one of the priests with me wrote a spiritual reflection of our experience for his parish.  I share part of it with you: 

The spiritual life can be treacherous.  This world will throw so much at us to try to frighten us, to deter us from reaching our goal and to attempt to hold us from the peace that God alone can give.  Every one of us must ascend the mountain to find God.  Not literally of course, but the mountain that is our heart.  May we all seek the Lord every day and stop giving into the buffeting winds of the world.

I hope to see you at the summit!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Saint Bruno Scenic Viewing Center (on a clear day!)

Je Me Souviens

Dear Parishioners,

After finishing our Trappist retreat at the Abbey of the Genesee, my two priest-friends and I decided to spend a couple days in Canada.  Our destination was Montreal, Québec. We had been there briefly last year, visiting a few of the religious sights and we wished to return to spend a bit more time in this beautiful city with such a rich Catholic past.

Our first stop was the famous Oratory of St. Joseph at the highest point of the city.  There we prayed at the burial place of St. André Bessette.  Brother André (as he was better known) of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, was the humble porter responsible for the building of this massive basilica dedicated to the honor of St. Joseph.  Then it was off to the old part of the city where we visited the famous Notre-Dame Basilica and the Notre-Dame-de-Bons-Secours Chapel.  In the chapel, we prayed at the tomb of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Canada’s first woman saint, who founded the Congregation of Notre Dame.

The next day it was off to the Co-Cathedral of Saint-Antione-de-Padoue (St. Anthony of Padua) in Longueuil, Québec where we found the remains of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher entombed at a side altar.  Blessed Marie-Rose was the foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.  It just happened to be her feast day (October 6) and we arrived to observe a special celebration with the bishop in this co-cathedral.

All through our travels in this part of French Canada known as Québec, we could not but notice the tremendous Catholic influence on the history of the people.  The streets, buildings and various other locations had Catholic saint names.  The many Catholic churches were a magnificent tribute to the honor and glory of God, filled with the stories of saints and martyrs.

The license plates of the cars of Québec province carry the interesting motto: Je me souviens (I remember).  What exactly does it mean?  On June 24, 1895, Canadian historian Thomas Chapais, during a speech given for the occasion of the unveiling of a statue honoring a military hero, said the following:

. . . The province of Quebec has a motto of which she is proud and which she likes enough to carve it on her monuments and palaces.  This motto has only three words: "Je me souviens"; but these three words, in their simple economy of expression, are worth more than the most eloquent speeches.  Yes, we remember.  We remember the past and its lessons, the past and its misfortunes, the past and its glories.

My hope and prayer is that they (and we) remember the rich Catholic faith that is such an important part of our tradition.  In this Year of Faith, may we remember the North American martyrs and the many holy saints and founders of religious orders who worked tirelessly to bring and to establish our Catholic faith on this continent.

May their many sacrifices never go in vain.  May we, as Catholics, remember who we are and where we came from, now and forever.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Co-Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua, Longueuil

The Oratory of St. Joseph, Montreal 

When Prejudice Rears Its Ugly Head

Dear Parishioners,

This past Sunday I watched the Miss America Pageant on TV.  I was glad to see it return to its roots in Atlantic City where it began in 1921.  It was exciting to observe the various local points of interest featured during the pageant, including historic Boardwalk Hall.  (Whether or not beauty contests send the proper message to young women is the subject of debate for another day.)

    

The winner this year, Nina Davuluri, is of Indian descent—not the Native-American variety, but from India in South Asia.

Many stories about her victory included the racial slurs and unfavorable comments generated because of her racial background.  Some of the published tweets from Twitter are distasteful, to say the least.

It is sad to see that some Americans still can voice (or text, tweet, etc.) visceral comments against another person because of race.  We, as a nation, have certainly come a long way with an African-American (bi-racial) president in the White House.  Many people, fortunately, have the ability to be color–blind when it comes to a person’s skin and try to see who the person is on the inside.

Then, we have the followers of Archie Bunker still around spewing out racial slurs, derogatory comments and various insults.  (I fall in the meathead category, being of Polish-American descent.)

I remember a song I learned back in Catholic elementary school as a child.  The song asked:  “What color is God’s skin?”  The answer came back:  “. . . It's black, brown, it's yellow, it is red, it is white.  Everyone's the same in the good Lord's sight.”  Yes, it was a little ditty from those Kumbaya days still ingrained in my mind.  Please don’t tell my friends.

    

America is a nation of immigrants.  The diversity of races and cultures has made us a tolerant people and a strong nation in so many ways.  This is not to say that we haven’t faced many, many challenges over the years.  Unfortunately, prejudice still rears its ugly head far too often.

Within our Catholic Church, we need to strive constantly to rise above all forms of prejudice, following the instruction of St. Paul:

For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3: 26-28)

Congratulations Nina on being the first Indian-American Miss America!  My hope and prayers are with you to rise about the many obstacles that still exist when people judge others by their color of skin.  

What’s in the heart is certainly much more important!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

  Miss America 2014:  Nina Davuluri 

Inspiration Comes at Different Times

Dear Parishioners,

Composing a column each week is not an easy task.  Sometimes I feel inspired and a message comes rather quickly.  At other times, I can sit and wait, think and ponder, hope and pray that something relevant and pertinent will come to mind to share with the congregation.

The fact is: inspiration comes at different times.  I can’t always predict where and when.  Most times, I simply have to be open and receptive until something, perhaps unexpectedly, comes to mind.

I have conceived various topics when at prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in church.  I have gotten up in the middle of the night and an idea was there dancing in my head.  I have been struck with an idea or two when driving or sitting in my car:

Excuse me for a moment.   Time to get some gas for my car.
Can you fill it up with regular, please?   Thanks.

So sorry about the interruption!  Now, where was I?  Oh—inspiration!

Ideas have crossed my mind while I was walking on the beach.  Sometimes while I’m taking a shower, I am bathed with inspiration.  Often, in the hospital when visiting a patient, thoughts may turn to serious matters like the meaning of suffering, compassion, healing, and God’s mercy.  Then there are those times when I am teaching in a classroom and a student’s question or comment leads to an interesting topic:

“Father, when do you think Jesus is going to come back to earth?”  “Did Joseph and Mary have other children?”  “What is hell like?”  “Do you like being a priest?”

Inspiration—what I like to think of as God’s breathing into us—is not limited to any one place or to a particular time.  What I—what we—need to do is to make ourselves available and receptive so that God can speak to us—so that we can hear His voice within us.  Often, but not exclusively, God speaks in the quiet—in the silence and depths of our hearts.  There are certain places that seem to be more conducive to allowing God to speak.  After all, Jesus was known to go up the mountain, to walk along the seashore, to pray in the garden and even to spend time in the desert—besides going to various synagogues and to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Making ourselves available and receptive involves an act of the will.  We need to set aside the time to pray as we watch and wait for the Lord.  We need to make an effort to go to Mass frequently—never knowing when a passage from Scripture, an insightful homily or the kindness of another parishioner might be a catalyst in our lives.  We should continually call to mind the presence of God in our lives no matter what we are doing, realizing that God is always mindful of us as He carries us in the palm of His hand.  (See Is. 49: 15-16)

Really, you never know where and when inspiration may occur!

Flush!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Back to the Grind

Dear Parishioners,

As I write this week, our elementary school children are heading back to school—some to our regional Catholic school and others to the various public schools in the area.

First of all, I ask parents with school-aged children to consider the possibility of a Catholic school education for their children.  (I admit that I write with a certain bias towards a Catholic school education having attended Catholic schools for over 21 years and having been a teacher and/or administrator in Catholic schools for 20 years.)  I am well aware that, unfortunately, not every family is able to afford the tuition associated with a Catholic school.

This being said, what does a Catholic school have to offer?  The simple answer is the integration of faith, morals and the love of Jesus Christ as part of the life of the school.  The administration, teachers and staff of St. Joseph Regional Elementary School are working very hard to accomplish this task.  Together with strong parental support the school is truly an extended family.  I have witnessed our school community living out its faith, constantly improving its academic curriculum and developing new programs while it is experiences a strong interest by many families in our area.  I thank Mr. Pugliese and the faculty and staff of our school for their dedication and fine work!

I have told prospective families for years now that our Catholic school students are our best advertisement.  I encourage prospective families to pray about it, make an appointment to visit and see if a Catholic school may be the right fit for your child(ren).  Yes, in a struggling economy the added expense of tuition is difficult.  However, some tuition assistance may be available for needy families.  Isn’t sacrifice usually a necessary part of obtaining something truly valuable?

Whether students attend our Catholic school or participate in our religious education program, my expectation is that they will attend Mass weekly.  It is so important that faith is practiced continually, beginning with prayer and example in the home, aided by religious instruction both in the home and by our various religion teachers, and lived-out by worship at Mass each week.  If students are supported by the example of loving parents who practice their faith, and students try to live out the teachings of their faith as articulated in the home, in their religion classes and from the pulpit, then I think that they will be as well-prepared as anyone to face the challenges, trials and tribulations that life may present.

My thanks to those parents who do their very best as the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith.  I pray that you be the best teachers by word and example.  You make many sacrifices for your children and their well-being.  There is certainly no greater responsibility that we have for them than for their eternal salvation.

See you at Mass!  

Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor