Last Friday night, 56 young people from our tri-parish cluster received the Sacrament of Confirmation conferred by Bishop Hying. It was a long journey to this place, but it is really just the beginning of what will, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, be a life long continuation of that journey we call faith. The young people, along with adult mentors walking with them, have explored various aspects of faith through discussion, service, research and of course prayer. It is the hope of our community that we have planted the seeds of faith in these young people that will grow into fruit to be shared with the larger world.
At a very busy time in these young people's lives, they are asked to step out of their comfort zones and explore what many adults struggle with - the role of faith in their lives and how they will live that faith on a daily basis. One of the highlights of this preparation for the Sacrament is always the Confirmation retreat. The retreat is an intense 24 plus hours of prayer, reflection, discussion, some crafts, an opportunity to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and ends appropriately with the celebration of the Eucharist at one of the cluster parish Masses. A solid sense of community is formed, as well as a strengthening of their relationship with God and each other.
Throughout the Confirmation preparation process, we emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and really explore God as Holy Spirit, especially on the retreat. In fact, the theme of the retreat is the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how in Confirmation these gifts are strengthened: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Courage, Reverence, Wonder & Awe and Right Judgment. We examine our own gifts and acknowledge the gifts in others; create gifts to share with other retreat participants and celebrate the gifts of forgiveness, a parents love and the ultimate gift of the Eucharist.
Please continue to keep the young people of our cluster parishes in your prayers, both now and throughout their lives that they stay open to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And check out the video from our retreat below!
On Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Pentecost which completes our Easter season and is another celebration of the Holy Spirit. For a refresher on Pentecost, take two minutes to check out this video from Busted Halo:
A Blessed Pentecost to you and Happy Birthday to the Church!
Maureen Rotramel
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
It is good and fitting that as the Church universal enters
into the celebration of the Paschal Triduum, our cluster parishes again gather
as one as we journey together from life through death to resurrection. After instituting himself as Eucharist for
us, Jesus went to the garden where he prayed for just that, that all of us may
be one (John 17:21). Not as three
distinct parishes then, but as one community of faith, we gather to immerse
ourselves once again in recalling the great love that God has for us made
manifest in Eucharist, in suffering, in death and ultimately in resurrection.
The richness of these days runs so deep that a list of every
detail could easily fill volumes. Instead,
I’d like to highlight a few moments and explore what they might teach us this
year.
On Holy Thursday, we sing the great hymn of praise, the
Gloria for the first time in 6 weeks. We’ll
ring the bells and hear the organ burst out in joy. After that, however, as we hear the ancient
stories of Passover and the Last Supper, we’ll begin to draw the music
quieter. Though we’ll continue to chant
the acclamations, tonight we’ll do them without accompaniment, reflecting the
increasingly somber tone of this night. During
the presentation of our gifts and the preparation of the altar, we’ll sing “Ubi
caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.” This
ancient text reminds us that where there is true charity (and love) God is
there. Having just heard and seen our
command to serve one another, we reflect on our call to bring that charity,
love and service beyond our doors.
After singing the Pange Lingua, a chant written by St.
Thomas Aquinas centuries ago, we’re invited to remain in prayer with our Lord,
just as the Apostles. We’re invited to
stay and keep watch and pray until 9 PM.
Since Mass doesn’t end tonight, we disperse in silence so we can gather
again in silence on Friday.
Good Friday is the one day of the entire year when Mass is
not celebrated. Things feel stark,
undecorated. The echoes of the Gloria
are hard to hear. Gone is the sweet
aroma of the incense. At times today,
the silence may feel uncomfortable.
Maybe it’s supposed to feel that way.
As we hear St. John’s Passion narrative, we come face to face not only
with our own sinfulness, but with the price Jesus willingly paid for it. We’ll come forward and venerate the cross.
With a kiss, a genuflection, a bow or in some other way, we’ll recall the
prayer, “We adore you, O Christ and we praise you, because by your holy cross,
you have redeemed the word.” After
receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, we depart in silence.
The Easter Vigil during the night begins in silence and
darkness. The final part of our great
Triduum liturgy begins with a new fire, and the proclamation of the Exsultet, the
ancient proclamation of resurrection. We
hear the stories of our creation and salvation before again raising our voices
in the Gloria. The Alleluia makes a
triumphant return as we prepare to hear the Easter gospel. This night we also bless new water, a sign of
our baptism into the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This night we leave not in silent prayer, but
with a joyful ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
So come with all your senses to pray, sing, listen and
experience the richness of God’s love as the story again unfolds in our midst. The locations and times can be found in the bulletin.
John Knetzger, IC Music Coodinator
Our Triduum celebrations are as follows: Holy Thursday at 7:00pm at Immaculate Conception Good Friday at 1:30pm at St. Mary's Easter Vigil at 8:00pm at St. Peter of Alcantara
Palm Sunday is on March 24 this year, it is the sixth Sunday of Lent and it is the beginning of Holy week.
On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was greeted by many people waving palms, and throwing their cloaks on the ground, just as they did when they were greeting military and government leaders. The cloaks were placed on the ground to hold down the ever present dust from the road so important people would not be covered with dust when they arrived at their destination. We are reminded that Jesus the Christ is a king because of this triumphant greeting. The government leaders and military officials arrived on horses, usually with a large group of guards or soldiers around them, the way Jesus arrived, riding on a donkey, reminds us that he is a humble king, a king for all, poor and rich alike.
The formal celebration of Palm Sunday and Holy Week has been in practice since early in the 4th century. In the earliest times the celebration began with a procession from the Mount of the Ascention and ended at the Church of the Holy Cross. A few centuries later, around the 9th century, the practice became more widespread. As the practice became more commonplace, the procession began at a church with the blessing of the palms, people processed outside the church, and then returned to church for a reading of the Passion. The tradition continues today for our Parishes.
Many of the palms received are woven into crosses to diplay in our homes. The palms we receive are blessed and should not be discarded in the trash. The palms should be returned to church and they will be burned, the ashes will be used for the next year's Ash Wednesday blessing. I have many fond memories from childhood sitting at the table after dinner making braided crosses from the palms for our rooms.
As we continue through Holy Week, we remember the Last Supper, and the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the washing of the disciple's feet by Jesus, reminding us all to be humble servants, (our new pope, Pope Francis I, certainly displays this humble servant leader attitude doesn't he?), and Jesus' arrest on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday we remember Jesus' death on the cross. The cross is a sign of Jesus' love for us, all of us are embraced by the cross and his love. Jesus was called to save us and he did, we are called each day to help others, we can answer that call too.
Submitted by Denise Murre, Director of Child Ministry
Below is another Two Minute video from Busted Halo (I know I use them a lot but that's cause they're good!) on Holy Week:
And don't forget to register for Growing the Cluster! Not sure what that is? It is a cluster wide celebration of our faith that we do each year based on a different theme. This year we will be looking more closely at the Year of Faith and "Alone we can do little; together we can do much" from Helen Keller. ALL parishioners are invited to attend one of the six sessions, regardless of age or family status. We spend time praying together, learning together, eating together and growing as a community of faith. Plus, its free! To register, go to http://www.portyouth.org/growingcluster.html or contact Denise Murre, Carol Burczyk or Maureen Rotramel.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA is the process whereby adults or children who have never been baptized or have been baptized in another faith tradition are instructed about the Roman Catholic faith and decide that they would like to become members in our Church.
The process of catechizing adults was something done in the early Church when many were being converted to Christianity. It fell out of use over the years but the Second Vatican Council prescribed the revision of the rite of baptism of adults and decreed that the catechumenate for adults, divided into several steps, should be restored.
The initiation of catechumens (the name given to those who are deciding to be baptized in the Catholic church) is a gradual process that involves a spiritual journey of faith. This journey includes not only periods for making inquiry and maturing in the faith, but also the steps marking the catechumen's progess, as they pass, so to speak, through another doorway or ascend to the next level (RCIA, no. 6).
This March, we have a candidate who is seeking Full Communion with the Catholic Church. Candidates are those Christians who were baptized in another faith tradition but wish to become members of the Roman Catholic Church. Please join me in welcoming Brian Hartwig into the Catholic faith tradition. He will be making his profession of faith on Sunday, March 10 at the 10:30m Mass at St. Peter's.
OUTLINE FOR CHRISTIAN INITIATIONS OF ADULTS
I. Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate
This is a time, of no fixed duration or structure, for inquiry and introduction to Gospel values, an opportunity for the beginnings of faith. 1. First Step: Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens
This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on some annual date or dates, marking the beginning of the catechumenate proper, as the candidates express and the Church accepts their intention to respond to God's call to follow the way of Christ.
II. Period of Catechumenate
This is the time, in duration corresponding to the progress of the individual, for the nurturing and growth of the catechumens' faith and conversion to God; celebrations of the word and prayers of exorcism and blessing are meant to assist the process. 2. Second Step: Election or Enrollment of Names
This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent, by which the Church formally ratifies the catechumens' readiness for the sacraments of initiation and the catechumens, now called 'the elect', express the will to receive the sacraments.
III. Period of Purification and Enlightenment
This is the time immediately preceding the elects' initiation, usually the Lenten season preceding the celebration of this initiation at the Easter Vigil; it is a time of reflection, intensely centered on conversion, marked by celebration of the scrutinies and presentations and of the preparation rites on Holy Saturday. 3. Third Step: Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation
This is the liturgical rite, usually integrated into the Easter Vigil, by which the elect are initiated through baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist.
IV. Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy
This is the time, usually the Easter season, following the celebration of initiation, during which the newly initiated experience being fully a part of the Christian community by means of pertinent catechesis and pertinent catechesis and particularly by participation with all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration.
Do you know someone who is interested in becoming Catholic? In this Year of Faith, perhaps the way you live your life, as a follower of Christ, will inspire another to think about becoming a member of the Catholic Church. If you or someone you know wants to know more about the RCIA program, have them contact Carol Burczyk, Pastoral Associate, at 284-5771.
Submitted by Carol Burczyk, Pastoral Associate
As we await the start of the papal conclave where the new pope will be selected, I thought it would be a good time to share the following video on how that will happen:
As you've probably read, heard or know by now, the three disciplines of Lent are prayer, almsgiving and fasting. We have talked a lot about prayer since the beginning of this blog. Last week you read about almsgiving and the wonderful way you can help Honduran children break out of the cycle of poverty. This week I am going to talk a little but about fasting and abstinence.
Fasting and abstinence are closely related, but there are some differences in these spiritual practices. In general, fasting refers to restrictions on the quantity of the food we eat and on when we consume it, while abstinence refers to the avoidance of particular foods. The most common form of abstinence is the avoidance of meat, a spiritual practice that goes back to the earliest days of the Church.
The Church's hope is that by denying ourselves food while fasting or meat while abstaining (especially in this country where most of us have an abundance to eat), we will discover our inner hunger for God that can only be filled by surrendering ourselves to total reliance on God.
I have often heard it asked, "Why did we give up meat?" or others claiming we do so because the disciples were fishermen or the Church wanted to support the fishing business and that's why we can eat fish but not meat! In my research of this topic, I cannot find any such proof that we were trying to corner the market on fish sales! As a matter of fact here is the answer I found on the Busted Halo web site regarding this question:
Did Catholics only eat fish on Friday because they had an agreement with fisheries? Fr. Joe answers: No, I don't think there was a backdoor agreement between the fishermen and the bishops over the whole fish on Friday thing.
Since about the second century of Christianity, Christians abstained from meat on Friday as a kind of sacrifice and reminder that acknowledged Jesus' supreme sacrifice on the Cross on Good Friday. About a century or two later, Lent came into being as a season of intense preparation for Easter (eventually it took on a more penitential flavor, asking folks to get their act together for Easter), so the fasting and abstinence was extended to much of Lent. When the Second Vatican Council met in the 1960's, they were trying to simplify Catholic customs and laws - they had become onerous, complicated, and a bit oppressive in terms of the emphasis on sin and sacrifice. Before this happened, many people believed (and even a Pope or two had talked about) breaking Friday abstinence as a sin so serious it could land you in hell. They knew the whole thing had gotten out of hand. So the bishops gathered in solemn council in the 60's decided to preserve the fasting custom (which means only one meal a day) but restrict it only to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday while retaining the old Friday abstinence law only during the more penitential time of Lent. You could say it was a kind of Catholic "lightening up". Although some people argue (and maybe they are right) that now its almost too easy (everybody needs a challenge, especially a spiritual one!) Father Brett Hoover [Father Brett Hoover, CSP answered this question for Fr. Joe]
From the site Busted Halo, accessed February 21, 2013
Here is a more scriptural and theological basis for why we don't eat meat:
What's given up isn't technically "meat" but the Latin "caro", which means "flesh". This is why fish is allowed: their meat isn't considered "flesh". So why do we give up flesh on Fridays? Two reasons:
First, "flesh" is often the term the New Testament writers (particularly St. Paul) use to describe our sinful appetites. So in Romans 8:13, Paul says, "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." We give up "flesh meat" to symbolize putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
Second, Christ redeemed up by offering up His Flesh for our salvation on Good Friday. St. Paul explains in Colossians 1:19-23: For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven. And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.
So Christ, by being put to Death in the Flesh, reconciles us to the Father. So our job is done, right? Christ bore all the bad stuff, so we're home free? Not quite. St. Paul says in the very next breath (Colossians 1:24-25):
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking on the afflictions of Christ in behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from the ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones.
Christ being put to Death in the Flesh reconciles us to God the Father, but the Passion doesn't mean that we're going to get a free ride. Rather, our job is to take up our cross daily, and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). A Cross is for killing: Christ is saying that we have to die to ourselves every day. So it's fitting that we put away the flesh-meat on Friday, the day of the week which forever honors Christ's Passion, to signify both our love of the ultimate Sacrifice of the Flesh, and to emulate our Savior by mortifying the flesh for the sake of the Spirit.
The biggest thing to remember is that we sacrifice something. After all, Jesus Christ sacrificed his very self for us. The least we could do is give up a little meat!
This Lenten season, as in all Lenten seasons, we are getting ready for the death and Resurrection of Jesus. We pray, we fast, and we give alms. Alms giving can take many forms; it can be a donation of money, food, clothing or some other item that is needed by someone living in poverty. It can be another act of charity such as visiting the sick, volunteering at a nursing home, hospital or school.
Bishop David Ricken says in his book, Journey to the Foot of the Cross: 10 Things to Remember, "It's about more than throwing a few extra dollars in the collectong plate, its about reaching out to others and helping them without questions, a way of sharing God's unconditional love."
This Human Concern's Lenten House will be used for Helping Honduran Kids, a non-profit, volunteer organization that provides for the needs of Honduran children. There is an orphanage that cares for 22 children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned in the northern section of Honduras. HHK feeds about 100 children a day as well as providing vitamins and clothing to children in the area. The organization also has a Jungle School that serves 100+ children from K-6th grade. Poor children in Honduras generally only go to school through third grade. Some of the children walk a three-mile round trip to get to school. The education HHK provides is important to them because they know that education is the only way to be lifted out of poverty.
HHK has no salaried administrative employees so most of the money (96%) donated goes to serving the children directly. By donating to organizations such as this, we acknowledge that we are all made in God's image, no matter where we were born, the color of our skin or our socioeconomic status. The service this organization does, and others like it, can have a snowball effect. Each child who earns this education will most likely help another, and pretty soon the whole village is educated.
If you would like to learn more about this organization, please go to their web site: http://www.helpinghonduraskids.org/. Financial donations to this organization can be made in the Lenten "house" in the gathering spaces at any of the cluster parishes. On behalf of the children, thank you for your generous support and prayers.
There are some other great ideas for you and your family for Lent on catholicing.com.
Submitted by Denise Murre, Child Minister
One of the things that makes me so proud to be Catholic is our commitment to the social justice principles as articulated in Catholic Social Teaching. And one of the ways we put this commitment to action is through organizations such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The video below talks about the situations of orphans in Nigeria, and how CRS is helping these young people to help themselves.
If you are reading this on Tuesday, happy Mardi Gras! As we indulge ourselves with paczkis and other yummy things today, we look forward to a time of spiritual renewal that begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Hopefully, we have all considered already how we will pray, fast and give during the Lenten season, but if not, below are some things that I have been thinking about - and maybe will be helpful to you too.
My friends often think that as a Youth Minister I spend all my time playing games with kids and praying. One of the biggest challenges I have personally, however, probably like a lot of you, is making sure I fit in time for personal prayer each day. Lent is a time then, that I really try to recommit in a specific way to that challenge. Fortunately, there are all sorts of wonderful tools available at this time to help. Just as in Advent, the Adult & Family Ministry office has purchased Little Black Books that are available to all parishioners in the back of Church. There are also lots of other reflection booklets with short daily reflections available as well - the one I am planning to use this year was written by Henri Nouwen entitled Journey of the Heart: Lenten Prayer. (If you happen to be at St. Peter's in the next week or so, we have set out a bunch of different reflection booklets outside the Youth Ministry office.) And of course, there are tools to help you pray with Scripture during Lent; or online Lenten "retreats". Loyola press has some really good resources you can access right from your computer. (See the widget on the right to access these resources.)
Most of us spend a lot of time reflecting on the "fast" portion of our Lenten practices. Personally, I have never been very good at giving things up - even as a kid I failed miserably at giving up candy or soda which always made me feel really bad and kind of defeated the whole purpose of the practice. Instead I have found that what works for me is to do something good - and in the mean time hopefully it replaces something "bad". As a teen (I was a little precocious), I spent one Lent reading the New Testament, which meant less TV time and less time fighting with my sister. As an adult, I usually commit to either reading Scripture or doing some other spiritual reading for a specific amount of time each day. I love the idea of making a point everyday to reflect on at least three things you are thankful for; or complimenting someone (thus giving up "negativity"). What are some creative ways you are fasting this Lenten season?
Finally, we come to the practice of almsgiving, or charity, during Lent. Why not make this a family endeavor? See what you can come up with as a family, or with a group of friends, to do a service project...our parishes have all sorts of needs, or check out the Volunteer Center of Ozaukee County. Or maybe its setting aside some extra money for your favorite charity or the Lenten House Project Helping Honduras Kids.
Whatever you decide to do to deepen your faith this Lent, start it out right by attending Mass on Ash Wednesday (and of course every Sunday!) Mass times for our cluster are as follows:
8:45AM at St. Mary's
9:00AM at St. Peter's
12:00PM Ash service only at St. Mary's
6:00PM at St. Peter's
7:00PM at Immaculate Conception
For an interesting take on Ash Wednesday/Lent, check out this two minute video from Busted Halo:
