October 28, 2001
Figuring It Out
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. Lots of people tried it last week.
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
“The Lord is a God of justice who knows no favorites.”
-Sirach 35:12
Technology
Ministry
If you’d like togive your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or develop its computer networking or
work on its website, you can let us know by filling in our
online
form
El
Salvador Trip
If you’d like to see the parish’s mission trip to
El Salvador online, you can see photos and a travelogue by
clicking here.
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
Oct 21:Prayers for
Our Time
Oct
14: Warring Words
Oct 7: Getting more
from the Word
Sept 30: Saying Goodbye
Sept 23:
Gray Days
Sept 16: This
Week's Tragedy
Sep.9: Summer Vacation
Sep
2: I Used to be an Embryo
August 26: Holy
Walking
August
19: Just Like Family
Aug
12:Incredible Forgiveness
August 5: Diocesan Doings
July
29: On A Mission
July 22: Piecing Together
July 15th: Unpacking St Brigids
July 8th: Happy to Be Here
July 1st : First Words
Last Monday evening we had a remarkable gathering
of people who came together to continue to deal with the aftermath of
the September 11th terrorist attack. A panel of presenters included social
workers, a chaplain in the army reserves, a corrections officer, bereavment
counsellors, and a nurse and their topics ranged from dealing with our
own trauma and stress to how to help our children deal with their fears.
We learned about how to get support for those in the military and their
families and practical steps to take to relieve our own fears and stresses.
The conversation among those who attended
was so helpful, as people shared their own experiences and offered advice
to those struggling with question about their own feelings or the reaction
of family members.
I came away from the evening with several
insights:
• We have never experienced anything like this
before and so it’s normal not to know how to react. All our reactions
(tiredness, anger, sadness, stress, being in a “fog”, etc.)
are normal and we’ll need time to work through this.
• We need to be good to ourselves and others
around us. Pay attention to our own physical and emotional needs, and
let others know we’re available for them.
• Talking is healing. When we tell the stories
of what we experienced on September 11th, or after, we get healed in little
ways. When we listen to others sharing their experiences, we offer them
healing. There are people who can’t yet share their feeling about
these events and we can’t make them talk, but we can let them know
we’re interested and available whenever they are ready.
• We’re only beginning. This devastating
experience will take a long, long time to overcome, but we can overcome
it. Prayer is such an important part of this, as is the time we spend
together.
So I’m so grateful for all who came
out on that remarkable Monday evening. And yes, God came too.
Come Visit Our Online Tour of our Youth Group's Trip To El Salvador!
For the Record..
See Father's Ralph's first spoken greeting to the community at St. Brigid..
Italian Mass
(translation provided)
(translation provided)
Haitian Mass
(translation provided)