May 11, 2003
Bows for Peace
Our
New Deacon
Manuel
J. Ramos is being ordained a deacon next Saturday, May 17th. Our parish
will celebrate our newest deacon at the 11:45 Mass on Sunday, May 18th
in Code Auditorium. This will be a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) Mass
and everyone is invited to celebrate our newest deacon.
Note: We’ll be celebrating the 9am and 10:15 Masses in Code Auditorium
on May 18th instead of the chapel due to the arrangements for the special
11:45 mass.
Happy
Mother's Day
Today
we honor mothers in a special way and we pray for them. Of course we
don’t need to wait for Mother’s Day to pray for the women
in our lives who gave us life, who raised us and who taught us to love.
In the gospel today, Jesus says that he is the good shepherd. We recognize
the qualities of the good shepherd in our mothers too.
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:
May 4: Upcoming Ordinations
April 27: One Heart One
Mind
April 20: Amazingly Graced
Days
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
As you approach St. Brigid’s church,
in addition to noticing the gardens in full bloom, you’ll see that
our trees and bushes are festooned with yellow and purple bows and ribbons.
If you look closely, you’ll see that there are cards attached to
many of these bows. The yellow bows have names of servicemen and women
from our parish who are serving in Iraq. The purple bows have cards with
different Iraqi people (e.g. “An Iraqi grandmother”, “An
Iraqi child”, etc.) These bows are bows for peace -- calling us to
pray for safety and peace for all those involved in the Iraqi conflict.
These bows were the result of a group of
children in our parish who wanted to do something to respond to the violence
of the war in Iraq. Like so many Americans they wanted to pray for and
support our troops. Yellow ribbons have been a symbol of hope for their
safe return home. Yet the war has had an even greater affect on the people
of Iraq and we want to pray for all those Iraqi people who lost loved
ones, whose homes were destroyed, who are suffering injuries -- physical
and psychological -- as a result of the war. So purple ribbons were put
up along with the yellow ones.
Pax Christi, people involved in a movement
for peace around the world, heard about this project and joined with the
children of St. Brigid’s in putting up the bows and in leading us
in prayer for peace. Nancy Dwyer, who leads the local Pax Christi group
on Long Island, recently wrote to thank the children: “Thank you
so much for including Pax Christi in your "Bows for Peace" event.
It was a beautiful, wonderfully healing experience.”
I had mentioned this project to a newspaper
reporter to see if he would cover the event. He checked with his editors
who thought the story was “a trifle dated -- two weeks ago we would
have covered it,” he noted. That’s a telling statement. It’s
as if there is no more need for attention or prayer for our troops or
the people of Iraq now that the shooting is over. But our children lead
us in the truth: prayers are needed now as much as ever. What people do
in Iraq over the next weeks and months can set the stage for lasting peace
-- or could lead our world into greater oppression and violence. So as
you see these bows during the rest of the Easter season, please join in
prayers for all the men, women and children who long for peace.
You are Person
