March 23, 2003
Turning Tables
Revival
It’s
not every parish that has the chance to be renewed by an incredible
revival that’s taking place on Long Island. St. Brigid’s will
be blessed this Monday night with incredible singing and preaching as
the Sr.Thea Bowman Mass Choir
and Father Jim Goode come to St. Brigid’s to praise God in a most
uplifting way and to revive our weary souls. In the face of war, abuse,
family troubles, financial problems, etc. we need to know that God stands
with us and Monday night at 7pm will leave us with no doubt. Bring your
neighbors, your children, your friends.
Snow
Gone, Bills Stay
Isn’t
it nice not to have to shovel your way to church today? While the last
of the snow has melted, this week we attempt to "melt” the
$45,000 bill for snow removal and heating oil with a special collection.
Thank you for any generous donation you can give.
Away
at College?
We'd
love to stay in touch.
To receive the “letter from home”, take this bulletin with
you to college as a reminder to send in your e-mail address. Just Click
Here!
Technology Ministry
If you’d like to give your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or work on its website, you can let us
know by filling in our
online form
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
March
16: Transfiguring Imagination
March
9: Beasts and Angels
March 2: Lent and Imagination
Feb 23: Sorrow
Far and Wide
Feb 16: Saints
Feb 9: Columbia Lessons
Feb2: Giving At A Difficult
Time
Jan 26: Penny Power
& Catholic Schools
Jan19: Yet Another
Year
Jan 12: Stealing Jesus
Jan5: The Wise Still Come
From Afar
Columns from 2002
Jesus walks into the temple and is upset
by how the house of prayer has been turned into a marketplace. He gets
so angry that he drives the animal-sellers and the money-changers out
of the temple and overturns their tables.
Today, our tables are being overturned by
the Lord. Again this week the press reported on clergy sexual abuse allegations
in the 1980's here at St. Brigid’s and how one of the parish priests
attempted to bring this crime to light, without apparent success at the
time. Now it is all coming out in court cases. Crash! The tables are being
turned. The house of prayer is being purified.
I have had some conversation with one of
the families whose child was abused and have been praying for them and
all who were hurt here. If anyone wants to talk about his/her experience,
please know that I, and the other members of our parish staff, am available.
I certainly encourage anyone who wishes to report criminal activity to
go directly to the civil authorities. And some may want to take advantage
of the special hotline that the diocese has set up to respond to sexual
abuse cases. In an effort to ensure a response to those who wish to report
incidents of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy, the Diocese
of Rockville Centre has installed a dedicated telephone line for the reporting
of all cases. That phone number is (516) 594-9063. If the caller does
not reach someone directly, messages can be left on an answering machine
connected to the phone. Those messages will be retrieved by a member of
the Intervention Team and returned as soon as possible. Information is
available online at www.drvc.org.
I’ve shared with you before my own feelings
of anger and hurt at the abusive actions of priests and the subsequent
inaction of those in charge. I welcome Jesus into this anger, watching
him yell and shove and overturn tables until his church is made whole
once again.
You are Person
