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Most current "From The Pastor's Desk" is posted first
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June 22, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Listen to the words of the Gospel today.
“For My Flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one
who feeds on Me will have life because of me.”
I invite everyone to chew on the words through prayer and reflection and allow this feast of Corpus Christi
to show how we will fulfill the old phrase—- “You are what your eat!” With the reception of the Eucharist,
we are invited to become one with Jesus Christ!
After your prayer and reflection, let the words of Saint Paul lead you in prayer—- “Brothers and
sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is
it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all
partake of the one loaf.”
June 15, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Today is a wonderful day that we think about the ways we name
or acknowledge the God who has created everything. For we have come to know God as
three and one — revealed in Jesus Christ by His command to go out and share with the world about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We celebrate a God who is close to us, living in and
among us yet shrouded in mystery as that Holy Trinity! May we take comfort today that
we know in this world the rich love of the triune God. Furthermore this weekend we also
take a moment to acknowledge and share our thanks to those who have helped us, supported us, taught us our faith in those who we may call father, grandfather, godfather or big brother! May
we rejoice, celebrate and pray!!!
June 8, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Today as the church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost, may we all be filled
with the Holy Spirit and continue to live out our lives without any fear or doubt!
Like the disciples who were in that upper room, may the gifts of the Holy Spirit bless
each of us to go out and celebrate our faith! May the Eucharist we celebrate strengthen us in our lives by the Word and Sacrament and always find His loving presence in our lives as Saint
John Paul II shared in this quote, “There
is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already faced. There is no
cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us and does not now bear with us.”
Within this month of June, the church invites us to honor and pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You may find
this image in the statue in the gathering space. The Feast of the Sacred Heart has been
in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar since 1856, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As
Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart always falls on a Friday.
June 1, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Easter is quickly coming to a close and we hear the words of Jesus saying goodbye
to those who became so close with and all of the people that were present. We celebrated the Feast of the Ascension this past Thursday when Jesus ascended to
heaven before the eyes of his disciples and promising to send the Holy Spirit!
Last year the Holy Father, also preparing the world for Pentecost, spoke at
Mass at Saint Peter’s Square which was also a Mass for the conferral of Confirmation.
Listen to Pope Francis’ words to the young confirmation candidates which
speak to each of us as we prepare for the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost!
“Remain steadfast in the journey of faith with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret
of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention my young friends to
go against the current. This is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus,
give us the courage! With him we can do great things, he will give us the joy of being His disciples and His
witnesses!”
How will you be a witness? How will you offer to others your knowledge of Jesus Christ? How will you make a
difference in this world?
May 25, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Jesus showed great compassion for sick people. Some he healed. By His own suffering, however, He showed all of us how our suffering can be a path to per-sonal growth and a means of redemption for other. For Christians, no suffering is meaningless.
It is a share in the life of Jesus. It is a share in His saving mission. The Church
strengthens those who are in danger of death with the Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament has been practiced since the time of the Apostles (see James 5:14-15). The sign of this sacrament is sacred
oil applied to the forehead and hands by a priest, who recites the prayers of the
Church. If a person is gravely ill, the priest may also give Viaticum (Latin for “food for the Journey”), for strength during life’s final suffering.
The Sacrament of the Sick will be administered during the 11AM Mass on June 1st by
Father Kevin Dominik and Father Tom Kirby. This administration of the sacrament of the sick in this context is offered for
those Catholics who are experiencing physical ailments of serious nature: those who will be undergoing surgery for serious
reason, the elderly who have become notably weakened even though no serious illness is present, those who are battling serious
illnesses and have not been anointed recently, and children who have reached the age of reason and are seriously ill. The
Sacrament of Penance will be offered on Sunday, June 1st from 10:15 until 10:45AM prior to the Mass for those who will be
receiving the Sacrament of Anointing.
We encourage anyone who is anticipating serious surgery or those who
in their advanced age are facing serious health issues to contact the rectory to make arrangements for the Anointing of the Sick. For
those in the hospital, it is important to let admissions or nurses know of your Catholic faith and your desire to receive
Holy Communion and the Sacrament of the Anointing as there are chaplains assigned to those facilities.
May 18, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
In the Scriptures today we hear “Beloved,
come to me. I am the Cornerstone, Jesus. My arms are wide open to receive you. I have chosen you and called you by name. You
are precious in my sight—far more valuable than diamonds or gold.” With
this in mind, have you noticed the changes in the gathering space of your church? There is more planned like a bathroom—only
because of your help and requests. After listening to your dreams from the Open Forum meetings and the discussions and plans
of the Finance Council and Pastoral Council the parish of Saint Angela will be embarking on a journey of the Campaign—-
“Come and See and we will work and Build!” Build you may ask—Parish Programs for our Youth, the completion
of the Church Basement, the upkeep of our campus to name a few! Keep praying and be patient as we will share with you our
plans and hopes!
May 11, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
As we come together this Sunday in May, we have many amazing gifts
to celebrate!
First for the gift of life from those who we call Mom—Mary the Mother of Jesus!!! May we find time this day to pray in thanksgiving for all life. Spend time in
prayer, in person, on the phone with those who have given of themselves to help us
come to this point!
The gift of being a mother fulfills the role of the second celebration—-the
World Day of Vocations. Today and this week take a moment to pray for all those discerning, praying and living out the vocation we are called to celebrate!
Finally as we look at the vocations—marriage, the single life and to
the consecrated life, they are manifestation of Christ’s love for the community as seen in the scriptures
of today—The Good Shepherd who cares for the flock. The church is to be a loving
community in which the members have real ties to each other.
I know that this is still the month of May, but do you know June will offer
many blessing of the Easter Season. In scripture we will continue to hear and see the many ways our Risen Lord Jesus promises to be present for each of us in the world. One promise is to
send the Holy Spirit as we prepare for the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Corpus
Christi (the Body and Blood of Jesus) and finally the gift of our faith in the Holy Trinity.
Come to the Eucharistic adoration on Wednesday evenings from 6-7PM prior to
the evening Liturgy and learn in the homily what each of these feast are to us as Catholics.
Be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and consider how you can fully participate
in our church Mission and ministries.
May 4, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Think about a journey you have recently taken? Along the way of that journey did you encounter or meet anyone that helped you? Have you had the experience of the Disciples that after the encounter of Jesus they realized that they have been changed?
I would invite as many as possible to encounter your chance to be with
the True Presence of Jesus —- within Holy Hour on Wednesday evening 6-7PM followed by Mass and the Novena to the Miraculous Medal.
Today, like many other parishes in this wonderful season we welcome those
children who have encountered the precious gift of their First Eucharist. Let us rejoice and acknowledge the gift of Jesus in each of us! May the Eucharist they have received strengthen
their faith, hope and personal relationship within their lives as children of God.
A note of sincere thanks and congratulations to the parents, godparents, grandparents and those who
have catechized and prepared these children for this special encounter with God!
April 27, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
How are you greeting people and rejoicing today? Happy Easter? Peace?
Take a moment as the world welcomes this beautiful Season, this feast of God’s Divine Mercy and the joy
of new saints!! First as we hear in the gospel on this First Sunday after Easter Jesus greeting the disciples who have been
in the Upper Room. Peace! Today
we are also invited to open our hearts to the comfort and hope our Risen Lord can offer us with His Divine and merciful Love.
Are we like the disciples who have the doors closed to the possibilities of God’s true presence? Look at what we are
celebrating, what the world is celebrating with new Saints and how the church invites us to TRUST IN his loving mercy!!! In
our various styles of prayer and devotion we have another option to meditate and feel the love and mercy of God in the Divine
Mercy Chaplet. Nonetheless, whatever our level of faith, our own personal style of prayer to the studies of the scriptures
let us all find ways to continue to strengthen our relationship with God! If we find ourselves like Thomas in our doubts simply
reflect on the beauty of the Spring Flowers, the gift of family and unending encounters of Jesus in the sacraments!
Speaking of prayer and sacraments, let us as a parish continue to pray for those who will begin their faith
journey in the sacrament of Baptism this Easter or continue to encounter Christ in the Eucharist especially for the children
who will celebrate their First Eucharist next Sunday!
A special note of thanks to the many who helped in song, word and actions in the Liturgies as well as those
who cleaned, decorated and prepared the church for the Amazing celebration of the Holy Triduum and gift of Easter!
Thanks.
Please note that Father Kevin is away and will return on Friday, May 2nd.
April 20, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Easter Sunday- HE IS RISEN!!!!!
The grave is empty—we know that means GOOD NEWS! So let us sing out our song—- This is the day the
Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! ALLELUIA! Polish: Wesolego Alleluja! Spanish:
Felices Pascuas! Croation: Sretan Uskrs! French: Joyeuses Pasques! German: Frohe Ostem! Italian: Buona Pasqua! However we
express it, we celebrate that on going story of how Jesus conquered death, walked among his followers, and then ascended
into heaven, where he reigns even now! Jesus is triumphant and it is a Joyous time!
Look around and you will see the Triumphant horns of the Lily plants, the Vibrant colors of the tulips, the
daffodils singing out the good news to the fragrant aroma of the hyacinths! Not to mention the budding trees, the brightness
of the forsythia bushes and the blossoms eager to burst open on the azaleas! Smell the sweetness of the Easter Candy, the
warmth of the ham, to the bitter and sharpness of the horseradish, while never forgetting those allergies! Spring has truly
come!
In the joy and celebrations of Easter the world will rejoice and welcome the gift
of new Saints in our Universal Church. As a part of my 25th Anniversary as a priest last year, I will be among the many to
rejoice at the new sound of saying and praying for Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John the XXIII!!! Please know I will be
praying for you all as I travel to Italy with family. I will return the First of May. Reverend Kevin Dominik
While I am away please welcome back to our area a friendly face who has now become a Religious Priest—
Reverend Dave Driesch. Father Dave joined the Norbertine Community—Daylesford Abbey in the Philadelphia area.
April 13, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Jesus rode into Jerusalem with the people lining
the road, shouting His praises. A short time later, they were shouting for Him to be crucified. This can be a test for our personal journeys of
faith—do we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and King
with a strong committed sense or are we shallow and weakened by the pressures of the world?
This is Holy Week a great opportunity for us to mediate on the true reverence of the Lord’s passion and allowing our eyes to focus on the Sacred
Heart of Jesus who was crucified as one like ourselves. Let us all be open to the blessings
that this HOLY WEEK Offers in Prayer, Song, Adoration, Reflections and renew our faith together! Saint Leo the Great once reflected on this week—
“The Sacred Blood of Christ has quenched the flaming sword that barred access to the tree. The age-old night of sin has given way to the true light
and the Christian people of Life are invited to share in the riches of paradise.”
Holy Thursday has the disciples falling asleep, the betrayal of Judas and the denial
of Peter—age old night of sin. Good Friday has the true light of Christ’s stretching out His arms as He carried the cross and was nailed
to offer us forgiveness. Finally the Vigil and Easter has each of us renew our baptismal
promises! Come and see the beauty of these Holy Days
April 6, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Within this Lenten season, we are invited to understand
our humanness– our weaknesses, our short-comings
and just our many temptations. We have been asked to be freed from our sins, freed from the fear of death by understanding the Resurrection of Jesus,
to a clarity of how through prayer we can be made whole. Take a moment and reflect how this
Lent we have seen how Jesus is like us. He faced the temptations
while in the desert, then we encountered his transfiguration a change that we will encounter
through our Lenten prayers and fasting. As we progress, we even saw how Jesus was strong enough to be free to become more inclusive to all people and encourage
freedom from their sins and not blame God for their struggles.
Today we hear of the humanness that we, like our Lord Jesus, faced in the death of Lazarus. Death creates a range of emotions, questions,
sadness and pain. Jesus wept in love and was perturbed with impatience. Be conscious of
all that is within you this week and how each moment brings
you closer to the Living God. From this story of Lazarus to the prayers of the Mass may
we continue to prepare for the Paschal Mysteries. Take some time to pray as we do “Release us Lord and unbind us:” a translation of the Greek
words of Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison. The Penitential Rite like the words of the Our
Father invites us to be willing to forgive others and seek the merciful love and tender compassion of God.
March 30, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
As we begin this Fourth Week of Lent the church invites us to find some joyful
relief amidst the seriousness and somberness of these long (Winter) weeks of preparation
for Easter. Hence you see a different color of ROSE rather than the heaviness of the
purple. Laetare Sunday comes from the Prophet Isaiah 66:10—” Rejoice Jerusalem and all who love her, Be joyful all who were in mourning, exult and be satisfied.”
We also are able to hear a similar message from the opening prayer: O God, who through Your Word reconcile the
human race to yourself in a wonderful way, grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people
may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come at EASTER!
Lent invites each of us to mediate on how we can become strong and VIBRANT members of our Catholic Faith renewed
through Christ and His many miracles. Take a moment and reflect on the man born blind who was healed because of his faith!
Open yourself to the ways your faith can make you whole, strong and excited to claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior!
I would encourage you to appreciate all the simple gifts many of us have in our senses—sight, hearing,
taste, smell or touch! Can you imagine going at least one day without one of these abilities to utilize what is innately yours?
Think about just one moment in your daily activities— How can you see your loved one if you do not have your eyesight?
How can you smell the roses or smell the dinner being prepared for you if you did not have any sense of smell? How many of
us have not been able to walk, or pick something up?
Then think about the parents who were associated with their son’s blindness and how they were looked at
as the cause of this loss or as in the gospel shunned because they wanted to speak the truth of his healing by Christ? Let
us praise God for the many gifts we are given by Him in our daily lives, let us be strong enough to live out today’s
account of the Gospel by SPEAKING UP and tell the truth even when it is not easy to do. Stand for a cause even without the
support of others.
March 23, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
“THRIST” is an image that
is presented by Jesus with the encounter of the Samaritan Women at the Well as well as from Exodus in the first reading. Lent
has this long standing image used for coming to understand and embrace our own personal spirituality and relationship with
God. Specifically, that thirst is a part of our personal journey towards the NEW WATERS of Easter and the refreshment of turning
away from our sins so that we may be faithful to our loving God. The Baptismal theme abounds not only underscoring the responsibility
of baptism but its significance to the inner transformation of every Christian. Take a moment this week to embrace your personal
prayer and like the Samaritan women to appreciate the waters of everlasting life of Easter! As we all journey through Lent
may our hearts ponder not the water that quenches our earthly thirst or cleansing but the water that quenches our deepest
thirsts to be close with the “All Loving and Merciful God.”
Be attentive to the listing of Reconciliation Services being offered in the various parishes! Perhaps ponder
if you can assist our parish church with your time to WASH and clean the pews and church for Easter—Monday of Holy Week
(April 14th) following the morning mass!!
March 16, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Listen a
command that we hear the voice of God the Father speaking to the disciples and each of us. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.” It was both the gleaming vision of Jesus miraculously
transfigured before the disciples, and the clear voice of God that followed that invites each of us in this Lent to be open
to a conversion. From that command LISTEN I find God saying
L ove one another.
I nvite others to join
in our community.
S tay with our Lord
in prayer or adoration for a period of time alone.
OR
S erve others who are in need.
T hink and contemplate
how you are serving God and others.
E mbody/Exemplify body
the lifestyle of the Saints and disciples.
N egotiate with those
who you may not always get along with to peace filled terms!
March 9, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
“Temptations”
It has been 4 days since Ash Wednesday—- have you been
keeping your Lenten Promises or are you fulfilling your plans for this Lenten Journey? Like all humanity, Jesus was tempted
to listen to a choice other than of his Heavenly Father. The gospel identifies the tempter as the devil or Satan—the
fallen angel now the leaser of the powers of evil according to Revelation 12. Amazing while tempted and strong enough to defeat
the evil one, Jesus was ministered by the angels. Continue to walk in the Light of God, be fed only by God’s Word and
Commands and be strong in the words used on Ash Wednesday “Turn
away from Sin and Be faithful to the Gospels.”
In these forty days of Lent, open your eyes to all that is influencing
you to be anything other than the child of God that you are called to be.
March 2, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Lent is so close. Are you ready to accept the challenge? Today we hear a challenge
to the disciples from Matthew’s last sentence “Jesus
called His disciples go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” You
may ask who are we to go out and make disciples like Jesus, but we recently have heard Pope Francis say that we are all called
to create a different world. We are called to value the things Jesus values.
On Wednesday—Ash Wednesday—you may hear words like turn away from sin and be strengthened to the
gospel when we accept the ashes. We, like the early disciples, are asked to begin the journey as faith filled children doing
his will.
February 23, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
In today’s gospel Jesus continues to teach us valuable lessons and we should be bright-eyed and attentive. As we have heard Turning the Other Cheek — these words of
Jesus is not saying we should allow someone to walk all over us. He is saying that
we need to be conscious of what is worthy of our efforts and time and to be the
same person in all situations. Consistency matters, be persistent in our efforts and actions and be aware how our hope and trust can
be the bright light for others to see and follow! Within two weeks, we will be
invited to look into our attitudes, our activities and our personal time with God.
What are your planning to do within Lent? Pray, Fast or Give?????
February 16, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Let us be open to what we have heard and prayed within the Liturgy
today. First from the opening prayer, we prayed that we may be so fashioned by the
grace of God as to become a dwelling pleasing to God! Secondly, from the gospel of Matthew Jesus looks
at the ten commandments and says quite simply they are fine but they are not enough!
Allowing ourselves to make the connection of Liturgy to our life— participating
in worship is not to engage in ritual actions for their own sake, but rather so that our participation in ritual worship will change us to live it, so that Jesus will truly abide in our
hearts and our lives!!!
From the gospel Jesus challenges us that if we really want a happy life, we
have got to go beyond the rules, because they only look at things from the outside. The inside of things is what you need to see and respond to. Look and listen carefully to each person, each creature,
each thing that crosses our paths, because each of them has a message for us!!
Both of these messages from the opening prayer and the gospel are strong, so
let us begin with our actions in the liturgy specifically as we welcome each other and share the sign of peace so that we may go out with the gift of the Word of God and the Sacrament of the
Eucharist into our daily lives!!
Finally, I ask that each of us take a moment this week to consider how we can
all participate in making this Parish community strong— in prayer, in the Eucharist and our adoration of the Eucharist, to the various ministries being offered, or simply by your kind assistance
to your stewardship offerings!
February 9, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Today our gospel invites us to find a sense of hopefulness, happiness and the awareness that we are never alone
with the words of Salt that helps preserve many things or adds a sense of new zest. Perhaps we can look at these words with
new meaning- - - for Jesus is the
S avior
A lmighty
L ord
T eacher
Who offers us the
L ove
Inspiration
G uidance
H ope
T ruth
That our loving Father will never forget about us. Similarly this week, many of you will be able to share with
those who are important in your life that they are important and that we love. them. The Saints offer us this example like
Saint Scholastica who loved her brother Saint Benedict very much even creating a community of religious women after his community
of religious men. More importantly the Saints who have an amazing legend and following to help spread the love and joy and
the knowledge of our faith as Jesus did through their examples of Saint Cyril and Methodius and the famous Saint Valentine.
May you find the salt to spice up your relationships and light to help share your love for others!!!
February 2, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk |
Like Simeon and Anna we are all encouraged to announce the Gospel
to others with courage and conviction. When we are rooted in prayer and attuned to
the Holy Spirit, we too can be effective instruments of God’s Power. Then amazing things can happen! We become the channels through which God’s truth is proclaimed and thought, by which his love and healing comfort and compassion are given to other
people. I would begin to invite each of you to think about how you can offer our parish
assistance to our programs, our outreach, our parish events.
With the blessing of the candles today, the church invites us to remember and
recall the miracles of Saint Blasé who we honor on Monday. Two candles that were blessed will be used to offer a blessing to those who attend Mass as we pray through the intercession of Saint
Blasé, a Bishop and Martyr that all of our illnesses and ailments will be healed. Packages
of Blessed candles will be available after the Masses this weekend for a donation.
January 26, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Faith is celebrated in our homes,our school class
rooms, our work place, and especially in the Liturgy.
This week is Catholic Schools Week when many will celebrate
the work and dedication of those who grow in their faith and education at schools like Mon
Yough Catholic. The gift of our parish is how our Patroness’ feast is also celebrated this week. Like Saint Angela who dedicated her life and
work in offering opportunities for children to learn about God, our parish family was created
and formed because dedicated and concerned parents wanted
to share their Catholic faith with all families whose homes were in the White Oak area.
Our parish family continues to offer many opportunities for all to grow in their faith and I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead our parish
to be the Beacon of Hope and Faith in this area.
We will celebrate the Church universally as the Beacon of Light, Hope and Faith next weekend. February 2nd is the Feast of the Presentation
of the Lord. In faithful observance of the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the Temple to consecrate him to the Lord. There they met the
righteous Simeon and the Prophet Anna. When the presentation of the Lord was completed,
Mary and Joseph and Jesus returned to their hometown. There they
created a home and a family life where Jesus grew up becoming strong and wise and the grace
of God was upon him. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is also called Candlemas Day, according to Luke’s account of the gospel Simeon recognized
Jesus as the Messiah in the Temple and declared him “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and
glory for your people Israel.” (Luke
2:32) This sparked the tradition of blessing enough candles to last an entire year. So the entrance rite of the Mass next weekend will begin with
a blessing of candles which you can take home.
January 19, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
As we continue our journey in this new year of 2014,
we also now begin our faith journey in the Ordinary Time. The Prophet Isaiah shares with us a reflection on the ministry of the one chosen by God to help
all people find their salvation! God’s servant would be the light revealing the ways to understand and receive God’s love and grace. For many
John the Baptist was seen as the Chosen One, however integrally related John the Baptist
shares with us in the gospel that he was but a messenger of the one to come! I would invite us to reflect and ask ourselves about our role now as SERVANT.
S We are called to be a Supporter of our
faith
E Evangelization is
our role and task
R We all need to Reassure
to know they are welcome
V What our Vocation
is as members of a community
A Advocate for our
faith where we work and live
N Help Nurture and foster hope in this world
T Teach others about God’s Love and
Presence
January 12, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Today is a Feast for each of us, as we celebrate and remember the
Baptism of our Lord, which followed the wonderful gift of Christmas, and we celebrated the dawning of the Light to those who
dwelt in darkness. The light of a STAR guided the Magi to Bethlehem to see the newborn King. As we renew our faith in this
Eucharist, we join in the Theophany—a revelation, or manifestation of divine Sonship of Jesus by his anointing and appointing
to his messianic witness. At His Baptism a voice was heard from the heavens saying “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” We may not see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove but we are invited to recognize Jesus in the Lamb
of God!
Like Jesus who will begin His ministry, let us all begin again in 2014 the chance to give back to God as we
participate here in the liturgy and work together in our daily lives!
January 5, 2014 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Epiphany: In This Christmas
Season we have been able to share, give and receive! We
have been able to travel, visit and see! We have been able to celebrate the gift of Faith, Family, and friends! All because of the Father Son and Holy Spirit!
Our focus invites us to focus on these men who have traveled to honor this new-born
king- - Kaspar, Melchoir and Balthazar! Through the darkness
we listen to their study of the Star which lead them and each of us to God! An finally,
we have the manifestation of God to all people in that Jesus came on this earth as one like us in His incarnation! Ponder a moment on three actions
we hear repeated since the Shepherds came to see this precious gift in Jesus Christ that Baby King!
Homage—- who have we recently paid homage to? In our lives we each have a guiding light—person, concept, ideal goal—that
helps us move forward. Be conscious of what path you have chosen to follow and if it is
not worthy of being paid homage to!
Prostrated is seen in these three Kings as they prostrated themselves
to the Baby and his parents. Their journey satisfied they laid their lives before the Holy
One—Jesus!! How often do we kneel in prayer and adoration for the many blessings God has give us?
Celebration in our journeys and carry that good news to others!
From these celebrations of Christmas and as we begin this new year, we are invited to offer more
opportunities to gather meet and celebrate our gifts! Who is hosting the next Party!!!
December 29, 2013 -
Feast of the Holy Family: The birth
of Jesus is a celebration that we are invited to continue to celebrate. Reflect on the precious manger scene that is filling
up with people, from the cow to the sheep, Mary and Joseph, we are invited to celebrate this Feast! Take a moment to listen
to a prayer by Saint Ambrose who describes this precious gift of who Jesus is: “You are medicine to me when I am sick, strength to me when I need help, life itself when I fear death,
the way when I long for heaven, the light when all is dark and food when I need nourishment. Glory be to your forever. Amen”
In the news every day are stores of families who face challenges to their well-being. Natural disasters or personal
conflicts can tear at the fabric of a promise to love and cherish forever. This Sunday’s gospel reminds us that even
the Holy Family encountered unexpected difficulties, like upheaval and a concern over the safety of this new born infant.
May we take a moment today and celebrate the gift of faith, family and pray for those who are struggling, hurting, needing
change in their lifestyle. Please see the insert for various prayers for Families.
December 22, 2013 -
From the Pastor's Desk
As we have reflected in this Advent season on the prophets who share that hope, Bethlehem that offers us joy
of what we will find in that little city, the reality of the Shepherds, who love their work very much like Christ that they
lived their life walking, working and finding a new home every night, and finally the Angels, we all await the great
news of the angels that peace we can all celebrate! May we see that manger scene in our parish filled with those special presents
we will open on that Christmas!! Just think about Jesus who made His choice to be here on earth with us as he left his heavenly
home with the Father and Holy Spirit. Christmas brings us this story to celebrate, share, and participate in. May this week
be filled with joy, peace and a healthy safe opportunity to be with family! Consider a warm welcome and open arms to one and
all this season here in this parish Family and community of Saint Angela—my phone number is always ready for a chance
to talk, question or simply pray!
Sunday December 15, 2013
From the Pastor
Welcome to Guadette Sunday!! Within the
liturgy and prayers we are reminded to “Rejoice in the Lord
always; again I say rejoice!” Like the Shepherds who were blessed for their patience and hard work in the fields, let us
take notice of the color for the Advent wreath and the vestment—both shed a ray of hope, as if we can see the light
at the end of the tunnel! Yet like ourselves as we begin to stress and become fearful of how close Christmas is, I would invite
us all to listen to the struggles that John the Baptist is experiencing in this week’s gospel. As for the hardship John
the Baptist was suffering and enduring while in prison, he was given hope when he heard about all of the works that Jesus
Christ was doing—healing, comforting, forgiving! Let us all be like John as we hear the Christmas music, see the decorations,
smell the baking, to become eager to see the blessing Christ will bring this Christmas. Even in these long winter looking
days and nights, the amount of work we need to accomplish for Christmas, the doubts, fears and wonders we may have we
are in the same good company as those prophets, and Saints!
Sunday December 8, 2013
From the Pastor
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is the PRESENT.”
Today we light the second candle on the advent wreath which is referenced as “BETHLEHEM.”
How appropriate for each of us to think about the true gift that we are waiting to receive—Jesus Christ is born to us
in the little town of Bethlehem. With that in mind, I would like to invite each household to participate in a little tradition.
As you are preparing your homes for this precious present of Baby Jesus, I can imagine that you have some style
of decoration depicting the Manger scene with Mary, Joseph & the Christ Child. I would invite you to find an appropriate
size box that you can place the Christ Child figure in and wrap this box!
If you think about the reason for the season the first gift that you should open would be the Gift of Jesus!
Once wrapped place the tag on the gift
TO: Your Name—Example—Helen Dominik
FROM: God our Father
You can then place this wrapped box in your manger scene again to help remind us what is the reason for this
season!
Finally, I would invite each household to bring that wrapped Christ Child Present to Church on the weekend of
December 21st and 22nd to have them Blessed! Simply bring your wrapped present and place it on the sanctuary altar and during
the Mass I will bless them all. Following the Liturgy you can then take your BLESSED present home to open as the
first gift this CHRISTMAS!!
December 1, 2013
From Father's Desk
Advent: We are invited to prepare for
the coming of Jesus by remembering his birth in Bethlehem (past), anticipating his coming in glory (future) and by celebrating
his coming to us in the word and the sacrament (present)! The scriptures begin with the voice of Saint John the Baptist calling
us all to prepare! Think about this as the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit of John the Baptist and other Saints—the
day of salvation, peace, and reconciliation!! Once again the church allows this season to be full of celebrations that we
are invited to observe with faith and love—through our listening and prayer in the midst of preparations for the season.
We are all invited to continue to truly try to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again.
So take time in this Advent to also prepare your hearts as you prepare your homes! Please take a moment to plan one small
way to prepare for Christ to come more fully into your heart!!!
The following are some simple activities that the church offers:
November 24, 2013 -
From the Pastor
For weeks many people waited for the birth with the young Prince William and Kate, the media anxious and excited
to hear the proclamation of their Baby! The excitement continued as the world waited to see the young family leave the hospital
with their little prince!
Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King which is a nice transition or bridge to the First Sunday
of Advent. May this image of bridges continue to be a reality for our parish as I continue to be your pastor and help Saint
Angela continue to grow in faith and new hope!!
Reflecting on the title King, the scriptures invites us to remember from the Old Testament David as king! Who
and what was David—-he was a shepherd and a commander, two seemingly conflicting images one very pastoral and the other
militaristic, one overseeing a flock of sheep and the other in charge of armies preparing for battle. We honor Jesus in a
similar way, first to that Good Shepherd who is always protecting us and yet that leader who is always helping, teaching and
showing us how we can stand up for our faith and traditions.
I pray that with the image and role model of Christ who we honor as King I can continue to help, listen and
lead this parish to be Vibrant and Strong in the time and world that we live in.
November 17, 2013 -
From the Pastor's Desk
Can you believe that next week is the last week of the Year—-the
Liturgical Year that is!!! The universal Roman Catholic Church invites us to celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. This
solemnity brings us full circle toward Advent Hope. As you will see on Sunday, we invite everyone to come and give thanks
to Christ our King truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. The church will be open with the Eucharist for personal adoration
and prayer. Usually this is a wonderful time to reflect, listen and perhaps just simply relax in the quiet beauty of our Church.
Listening to your heart can be a time of planning and setting up! Why not spend some time setting some new personal goals
in working on our relationship with Jesus Christ!!! Goals of how we can prepare for his Birthday— Season of Advent!
Setting goals and creating a checklist of how we can become stronger in our relationship with God and within our families?
Families who will be gathering on Thanksgiving and in the upcoming Christmas holiday!?!?! So please consider as a family or
an individual to spend next Sunday, Nov. 24th in our parish church with Jesus Christ our Lord!
On Dec. 1st at 1PM spend time as a parish family sharing our dreams and hopes planned by the Pastoral
Council and Finance Council!!! Check out the insert.
Finally, I also mentioned quietly listening—-something that we are going to plan to do within our Sunday
Liturgies! More information will come about this new style and adaption to our Liturgy.
Sunday November 10, 2013 -
From the Pastor
Let us all continue to pray for all the Souls in this month of November. Perhaps we can reflect for a moment
on the word.
S pirit
O f
U nison
L ove for all the Faithful
departed
How can you participate in keeping the spirit and the memories of our departed family and friends as significant
part of daily lives? The obvious is through our sharing of stories and memories that we have. Some other obvious means for
our Catholic faith is through requesting a Mass Intention to remember them on their birthday or the anniversary of their death.
Yet have you thought about requesting the eternal candle that burns by the tabernacle in the church in their honor? Yes we
can always remember them at Christmas and Easter with flower donations but have you thought about having a fresh flower arrangement
on the altar in their honor throughout the year? Think about how we can continue that spirit of showing our unison with and
love for all the faithful departed.
With this in mind I invite each of us to pray and remember the men and women veterans on Monday, November 11th
who have faithfully given of their time and service to our nation.
Sunday November 3, 2013 -
From the Pastor's Desk -
November is called the Month of the Holy
Souls!! From the readings of this celebration Saint Paul
writes to the people of Corinth: “Love is eternal;
when all else passes away.” This eternal love compels
us to keep our beloved dead in mind on this day. Out of love, we recall and pray for our beloved dead in mind throughout this
entire month. Out of love, we recall and pray for our beloved dead, hoping and trusting in God’s mercy to welcome them
into the glory of heaven. With this in mind, you will find
a Book of Remembrance in the rear of the church near the Easter Candle—the clear sign of Christ’s victory over death!! We are all given a light on the day of our
baptism with these words: “This child of yours has
been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as a child of light. May they keep the flame of faith alive in their heart.
When the Lord comes, may they go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.” On the day of our Christian funeral this large Easter Candle is lit and placed in
the center of the church to assist our beloved on their new journey to Heaven.
So with this in mind please take a moment and write the names of your beloved souls in this Book of Remembrance
which will be on display for the entire month of November.
Sunday October 27, 2013 -
Speaking of words I wanted to reiterate the theme from the Gospel
and from Bishop Zubik as well as Deacon Dale.
Push
Until
S omething
H appens
As a community let us all P U S H
forward creating a strong an vibrant parish.
From the desk of the pastor:
Words cannot adequately express my deep appreciation to all of you who helped create a historical day for the
parish of Saint Angela. Actually the celebration began on Thursday when the children of the school offered their prayers,
warm wishes and gifts that I will truly enjoy and use for the school liturgies! Then as we preceded to Sunday—God provided
an amazing sunny Fall day for many people to travel and participate in the installation Mass. From the Knights of Columbus,
to the ushers, servers and choir many of my family members appreciated the magnificent celebration with our Bishop David Zubik!
The reception was overwhelmingly tasty, fun and full of pleasant faces. Thank you all for truly making me feel
at home and you made my family feel as if they have been lifelong members of our parish. To quote Saint Paul, “I give thanks to God in my every remembrance of you and my every prayer
for you is filled with joy,” as we continue to share
this new adventure of faith and prayer together. With gratitude and love, Father Kevin
Sunday October 20, 2013 -
Today marks a new chapter in the faith community of Saint Angela Merici Church.
As we welcome the Shepherd of the Diocese Bishop David Zubik, I am deeply honored to be your fifth pastor. As
I have said over the past few weekends it is my hope and prayer that we will continue to build on the foundation set by your
previous pastors, Father Higgins, Father O’Connell, Father Drap and Father Chervenak. Yours is a wonderful story of
faith and prayer in action as for over fifty years you, as a community, have made Christ present to so many people in so many
ways. Together, let us continue the work God has begun in us. “ Let us build the City of God.” Let
us learn each others stories and write another great chapter in the story of our God with us, for us and in us so that many
will come to know the joy we have found in our faith. Let us live that faith with the courage of our patron, Saint Angela.
Let us be a blessing for each other. Thank you for welcoming me to this great parish and know I hold all of you in my heart
and my prayers. May God bless us this day and always. !
In Polish “Z Bogiem I Bog Zaplac”
Peace, Father Kevin
Let me continue my words I am praying over as we begin our journey together as a parish. Many times I teach
that we are all reminded that YoU aRe”
the ChURch!
I hope we can create
a
C ommunity of faith
filled people
H elping one another
U nity of our diverse
family’s traditions
R espectful place to
use our individual gifts and talents
C aring and welcoming
parish community
H ope filled dwelling to gather,
pray and worship
Sunday October 13, 2013 -
From the Pastor's Desk -
For my new role as Pastor, I have many words to describe my dreams to fulfill my ministry with you. I would like to share
these words over the next couple of weeks.
CATHOLIC
I hope to:
Collaborate and communicate with the parish always
Announce the good news if necessary using words
Treasure your history
Hold on to memories and parish celebrations
Open the parish to new ideas
Love as Christ, laugh and learn with all of you
Identify and encourage your participation
Celebrate your gifts you bring to the parish
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St. Angela Church * 1640 Fawcett Avenue * White Oak * PA * 15131 * 412-672-9641
(a PA Charitable Trust)
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