April 20, 2003
Amazingly Graced Days
Priest
Update
Earlier
in the year each of the priests (except the pastor) received letters
from the personnel office indicating that his term was concluding this
June. They were invited to indicate if they wanted to extend their term
at St. Brigid’s. Each priest requested a new term and recently
Bishop Murphy appointed Father Leonard for another one-year term, Father
George and Father Cine to three-year terms.
Because this is Father Jim’s first assignment as a priest, he falls
under the diocesan policy to give a new priest a different experience
of parish life after five years of ordination. So it’s with sadness
that Father Jim will be moving on this June. We expect that a priest
will be assigned to take his place. He doesn’t yet know which parish
he will go to and it will be at least a month before we know who will
be assigned to us.
We’re planning some celebrations for Father Jim -- a parish picnic
celebration on May 31st and a Eucharistic celebration on June 13th.
Away
at College?
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love to stay in touch.
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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
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Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
April 13: Ashes to Palms
April 6:
God Embedded
March 30:
Pastoral Visits
March 23:
Turning Tables
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
Easter at last! The forty days of Lenten
war against sin are over. Haunted by pictures of the Iraqi war, haunted
by past sins of the church leaders, haunted by one cold snow after another,
it feels good to stand in the light of Easter and realize that there is
new life ahead.
Easter at last! This last week was filled
with amazingly graced moments as hundreds of people sought reconciliation
with God and the church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation -- some
came for their latest “spiritual checkup”, others -- many people
in fact -- came back after ten, twenty, thirty or more years of being
away. They return with a new commitment to the Lord and our community
of faith.
Easter at last! Catechumens and candidates
have been journeying for years and months to this moment where they were
baptized, confirmed and fed with the Eucharist for the first time. They
are one with us and we are one with them and we are all one with the Lord.
And during the great 50 days of Easter ahead there are children who will
receive communion for the first time...then the second time...then the
third -- yes they can now be fed weekly with Jesus, just like the rest
of us. And more will be confirmed on Pentecost.
Easter at last! Countless people have brought the gift of themselves to
this Holy Week. We’ve had processions, music, shared stories of faith,
festive decorations, a moment to share a sign of peace, to kiss a cross,
to wash another’s feet, to dance in praise of the Lord...so many
people gathered together in the church, the gym, the chapel, the beach,
the streets of Westbury...witnesses to our faith in Jesus. Thank you!
Grazie! Merci! Gracias!
Easter at last! Not a destination but our
future. Things are not over because Easter is here, rather we begin again.
we rediscover our early love of Jesus and rededicate our lives and our
future Sundays to him -- no matter that we’ll be tempted by the busy-ness
of life to do other things instead of coming to “keep holy the Lord’s
Day”. This time it’s different. This is the day the Lord has
made. We rejoice and are glad.
Easter at last!
You are Person
