May 5, 2002 • The Feast of Easter!
Reason for Hope
Ongoing
Thanks
I am so grateful to so many people who are bringing us very close to
our Bishop’s Annual Appeal goal. So far we have pledges of $101,657
toward our goal of $111,309. Many people have faithfully been giving
for many years and so far this year 118 new first time givers are participating
in this appeal. Once our goal is reached, our parish receives 25% of
the goal back as a rebate. If you can make a pledge, please return the
card you may have received in the mail or pledge online by clicking
here.
Bishop's
Letter
We distributedBishop Murphy's letter on the Diocesan response to the
sexual abuse scandal last week. See
it online.
Cool Way to Pray
If you’d like to try out a new interactive prayer site online,
go to the St. Brigid’s home page and click on the “Church
Interactive” link.
Away
at College?
If you know of a St. Brigid parishioner who
is away at college, you can help us stay in touch through our parish’s
weekly “letter from home”. Send in their name and e-mail address
just click here.
Today’s Bible Quote
““Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear.”
-1 Peter 3
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:
April 28: Changing
Ministry
April
21: The Poor Are Hurt Again
April 14: Celebrating
50 Days
April 7: Where have
they put him?
March 31: Alleluia!
Alleluia!
March 24: Hardly
Hosanna
March 17: Roll The
Stone Back
March 10: Here's
Mud In Your Eye
March 3: Our Local
Drought
Feb 24: Welcoming
Bishop Murphy
Feb 17: We Will Rise
Again
Feb 10: Very
Good Now
Feb 3: The Multi
Cultural Church
Jan 27: Appealing
Words
Jan 20:Our
Wonderful School
Jan 13: Changing
Times
Jan 6: Farewell Father
Augustine
“Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope...” so says the
reading from the first letter of Peter at today’s mass.
Of course this raises the question, “Do
we have a reason to hope?” In the face of Mid-East violence, amidst
the sex-abuse scandal in the church, and as we confront our own personal
disapointments and hurts, do we indeed have a reason to hope?
My reason for hope is Jesus. This past week
the readings at mass told how the disciples of Jesus were persecuted.
Yet they did not call for revenge or bloodshed. That’s because they
had the peaceof God in them. If the people in the Middle East had the
same gift of God alive in them, they too could put aside the desires for
revenge. Jesus is the reason for hope. In the midst of the shame I feel
about sexual abuse in the church and subsequent mishandling of abuse cases,
Jesus is the reason for my hope. I know that Jesus will not abandon his
disciples now -- rather I’m confident that this is a time of purification
and enlightenment for the church and that because of Jesus a new healing
and openness will be the hallmark of our future.
I know that the staff and people of St. Brigid’s
want to offer healing and peace. Recently I read in the paper, as many
did, that in the early 1980's a former priest at St. Brigid’s was
accused of abusing a parishioner. It hurts even more when the abuse is
here “at home”. I, along with the rest of our parish family,
want to offer support and a reason for hope to anyone who was affected
by abuse. And as sad as it is to know that priests were guilty of the
crimes of abuse, it is also sad to know that minors are abused by others
too -- the recent revelations about clergy abuse is now opening the opportunities
for anyone to have an opportunity to deal with these kinds of hurtful
situations in their lives, regardless of who the abuser was. Jesus can
and will help us all through this painful time.
Please feel free to talk with me or any of
our parish staff. In particular we’re fortunate to have Sr. Fran
McGlynn as a social worker on our staff. Sr. Fran is a trained counsellor
who can be reached at 333-0804.
You can help too. When people feel discouraged, angry and hurt, “always
be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for
your hope.”
WEB BONUS: Check out two special sites on hope:
