St. John the Evangelist Church, Severna Park MD

Climb Every Mountain, But Not By Yourself

2012-03-05T20:16:00.000-05:00

Mount Tabor, the Mount of the Transfiguration,
with the valley of Armageddon in the background

My first assignment as a priest took me to Hagerstown, Maryland. Not all that far from there, up on the Pennsylvania border is what was once known as Pen Mar Park. Pen Mar used to be a favored destination of Baltimoreans who would take the train west and stay in one of the many hotels. The park, I believe, used to contain some attractions like a merry-go-round. It was a great weekend excursion to escape the heat. While those hotels are long closed, and the remains of the park's attractions were long ago dismantled, there is one natural one that remains and still draws people to it. "High Rock" is true to its name. It is a rock that is very high. When you climb onto high rock you can get a bird's eye view down into the valley. On a clear day you can see distant towns. During farming season you can see freshly plowed fields. You get a clear vision of all that is below, albeit without the closeup detail.

The mountain is an image used throughout scripture. In countless circumstances, the mountain is put forth as a place where one would go to encounter God. It wasn’t a novel idea by any measure. The ancient Greeks held to the belief that the gods resided on Mount Olympus, and made it a practice to erect major temples at high elevations (such as the Parthenon in Athens). Moses ascended Mount Sinai (Horeb) from which he received the commandments of God. Jesus often retired to the Mount of Olives to pray. In today’s scripture readings Abraham encounters the Lord on the mountain, in this case with the expectation that he would be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of his son (a foreshadowing of the work that God would ultimately do in offering His Son, Jesus Christ). Jesus and this three closest disciples ascend the Mount of the Transfiguration and the disciples catch a glimpse of the fullness of God’s glory.

This Lenten season the Lord calls us to, at least figuratively speaking, meet him on the mountaintop. Personally, my preferences lie with water and sand, but we all know the perspective that is received when standing on a high elevation. Anyone who has ever climbed a mountain, or scaled any measurable height, knows that it gives you a glimpse of the “big picture.” In Rome, you can climb into the dome of St. Peter’s and view a panorama of the entire city. At the Grand Canyon, depending on your location, you can see the vastness while standing along it’s edge. Having lived for a time in western North Carolina where my father was raised, I embraced a love for the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains. Height, be it physical or spiritual, lends itself to a broader perspective.

My Lenten journey affords me that opportunity to gradually make the climb towards a point of a clear perspective of where I am in relationship to where God would have me be at this point in my life. As anyone who has scaled a mountain could tell you (and I’m not the expert by any measure), the journey can be exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. The higher one climbs the more one is subject to wind and chill. There are moments of peril. Yet, in order to get that full perspective—that is, to reach the peak of the mountain, one must continue to climb and brave those elements and resist the temptation to “settle” on the current view.

Mount Tabor, the mountain of the Transfiguration, overlooks the valley of Armageddon. Pilgrims scale the mountain in buses. Jesus and his three companions hiked it! It's important to recognize that Jesus didn't just send his disciples up the mountain, as if to say "You go ahead, I'll meet you there." He made the journey with them!

Our spiritual life, rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, pushes us to continue to climb - not alone, but accompanied by the Lord of the journey! I can settle for the view that I have, and even become comfortable with it. But I know there is so much more that God wants to show me. That alone can fill me with anticipation as well as a sense of hesitation at the same time. It’s kind of like the feeling associated with going to confession, isn’t it? Sometimes I hesitate to go because of an awkwardness or hesitation, but I know there is something on the other end of the experience that is better (in this case, the sense of reconciliation and forgiveness through the sacrament). I just have to muster up the fortitude to “make the climb.”

Lent is a journey; indeed life is a journey that calls us to scale many mountains. Many of this mountains are composed of challenges that we face. Some of them we have constructed by our own struggles, sins, and shortcomings. Yet, we are called to climb them, not just sit in the valley waiting. As we climb them, we overcome them! The disciples learned this lesson. They made the climb and then witnessed nothing short of the glory of God!

Yet their fear at the vision gripped them, almost paralyzing them. They turned their eyes. Yet, when they mustered the courage to finally look up, the scriptures tells us, all they could see was Jesus. So Christ becomes our principle companion on this climb and, ironically, the destination as well! The disciples were finally content. "It's good to be here, Lord. Now, let's mark the spot with some memorials for you, Moses, and Elijah!" Yet he told them what was important wasn't marking the occasion, but returning to the valley to carry the message and memory with them. So it is with us. We climb the mountain placed in our path and having scaled in, then descend to continue our journey for awhile in the valley until the next mountain comes along. And, indeed, it will come soon enough. But isn't there some consolation in knowing that Christ accompanies us we proceed?

So the question we are confronted with this Second Sunday of Lent is simply, “How is our Lenten climb proceeding?” Keep in mind, we need not climb alone. We do it with Jesus and others as we pray together, learn together, and do good for others together.

"Sobering Up" and Confronting Spiritual Jet Lag

2012-02-24T16:39:00.001-05:00

As I write this, I’m experiencing the effects of jetlag following a 9 1/2 hour flight back from Rome, a layover in Philadelphia, and an almost two hour delay (in the plane) awaiting take off for the 20 minute flight back to BWI. The pilgrimage was a wonderful experience. It was great being with fellow pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Baltimore as Cardinal O’Brien received his red biretta (four sided hat) and ring, the signs of his new office as a member of the College of Cardinals, the pope’s closest advisors. It was a week of prayer and celebration (and a lot of walking). Some “war stories” were created as many of us were at St. Peter’s Square before 6 AM waiting for the beginning of the 10:30 AM public consistory, the ceremony where the new members are “inducted,” hoping to get a seat. There were 6,000 seats to be had, yet 17,000 tickets had been distributed. I couldn’t help but wish that such enthusiasm would be present in all our churches on Sunday. It is expected that we will be receiving word about who will become the new Archbishop of Baltimore within the next few weeks.

In any case, it was a memorable experience. But now we find ourselves at the beginning of Lent. In some sense, the Lenten season throws us into a sort of “spiritual jetlag.” We wake up “sober” to the reality that there are things in our lives that need improvement. We wake up to the reality that our sin does cause harm, to others as well as to ourselves. We wake up to the fact, too, that we are preparing to celebrate the greatest of all Christian mysteries, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who offers healing, forgiveness, and victory over sin and death!

Jesus gave us a model of how to engage in this period of prayerful preparation: his own 40 days in the desert. Fr. Austin Murphy, our archdiocesan Director of Vocations, will be preaching our Parish Lenten Mission to help us get off on the right foot. This is a season that calls us closer to Christ in bearing witness to His love for us as we embrace acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Let our prayer increase, particularly giving ourselves over to personal prayer. If possible, make daily mass a part of your life, or spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament. Read scripture. Get a good Catholic book for spiritual reading: a classic writing of a saint, or a saint’s biography, or a book on prayer. Let’s fast from those things that harm us or others, and turn our fasting into opening ourselves up to give more freely in our almsgiving. Remember the Poor Box which supports our St. Vincent de Paul Society’s mission to the needy in our area. Make a casserole for one of our Soup Kitchens. Donate towards our Jamaica Outreach (they will be offering a Lenten meal on March 30).

Take the opportunity this season to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, particularly if it’s been awhile since you’ve been to confession. We will have several opportunities offered, including “The Light is On For You” with confessions being heard in church on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 PM. Watch the bulletin closely for other Reconciliation Services with our school and religious education students that are open to all.

Pastor's Pen, 1/1/2012: A New Year With Some Transitions

2012-01-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the beginning of a New Year! As we had a full four weeks of Advent, it makes for an “abbreviated” Christmas season with the feasts of the Holy Family and Baptism of the Lord begin transferred to weekdays since both Christmas and Mary, the Holy Mother of God fall on Sunday this year. I’d like to thank everyone who made a Christmas celebrations so beautiful, particularly our music ministers, under the direction of Jo Anne Ibex, Mary Tamplin, and Barbara Lancaster, other liturgical ministers, and those who worked so hard to decorate the church. Fr. Michael Foppiano did a wonderful job of coordinating. Thanks again to the Knights of Columbus for hosting us on Christmas Eve for the 4:15 PM Mass!

As we ring in the New Year we also welcome a few transitions at St. John’s. First, let’s offer our congratulations to our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Cassandra Anderson who married Matthew Palmer on Friday, Dec. 30 at Church of the Resurrection, her home parish in Ellicott City, MD. The happy couple should be on their honeymoon as your read this! Cassandra’s husband, Matt, is a journalist and writes for The Catholic Review, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We look forward to welcoming back our “newly minted” Cassandra Palmer when she returns next week.

Speaking of The Catholic Review, I encourage you to watch their website (www.catholicreview.org) over the next several weeks, as well as read the print edition. Towards the end of the month the paper will take on an entirely new look, but also make more use of a digital format. Plans also include a monthly Review in the Pew that will be distributed via parish bulletins as the paper will be printed every other week. I travelled last year with Chris Gunty, Associate Publisher and Editor of the paper, when I took part in the priests’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He’s a great man and I believe has brought a lot to our archdiocesan paper in his short time in Baltimore. If you’ve stopped receiving the paper, or haven’t been reading it as faithfully, I encourage you to give it another try.

This Tuesday, Jan. 3, our parish will welcome Deacon Fred Passauer as Director of Parish Operations. Deacon Fred, and his wife Kathy, are in the process of relocating to Severna Park, having lived in western Maryland at Deep Creek Lake for several years. He has served as Parish Manager of upwards of nine parishes concurrently for the past several years and brings a strong background in business. Deacon Fred will temporarily live at the rectory, and if we don’t drive him back to the west, Kathy will join him as they move into their new home towards the end of the month.

Deacon Fred comes to us as a parish employee, not in a formal ministerial assignment. For the time being, he will not hold any official deacon assignment, but will eventually be assigned by the archdiocese to either St. John’s or another parish in the area. We look forward to welcoming the Passauers to our community. When you see him, please extend a warm St. John’s welcome!

May this New Year be one filled with blessings for you, your family, and our entire parish community!

Pastor's Pen, 1/8/2012: Watching for "Epiphanies"

2012-01-06T15:47:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, this week we welcomed Deacon Fred Passauer to St. John’s as our new Director of Parish Operations. Deacon Fred is settling into his new office in the Parish Center and getting acclimated to our community. For the time being he is bunking at the rectory until later in the month when he will be joined by his wife Kathy and they will move into their new home in Severna Park. As I mentioned before, Deacon Fred brings a great deal of experience both in the world of business and in church management. He received his master’s degree in church management from Villa Nova University and served as the parish manager for what were once 11 parishes in Mountain Maryland. The one problematic area that I may personally find challenging is that, hailing originally from Eric, Pennsylvania, Deacon Fred is a (gasp!) lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers! It should make for some interesting exchanges.

Of course, on that note, you can imagine my excitement with the Ravens win last weekend in Cincinnati, crowning them the Division Champs of the AFC North! We now look forward to “Festivus” and, hopefully, a trip to the Super Bowl!

As we begin the new year, I’d like to point out two opportunities for growth in faith. First, many are aware of The Catholicism Project that was put together by Fr. Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Details are in today’s bulletin. This 10-part video series (each segment which can stand alone) approaches the faith through the insights of travel, culture, art, history, and Catholic belief. I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities and come together to watch and discuss each presentation. Secondly, next month, on Saturday, Feb. 18, St. John’s will host a “CHERISH” Retreat for Married Couples. Again, details are in today’s bulletin. This is a great opportunity for husbands and wives to take a respite from daily life and give each other a precious gift: a day of shared prayer and fellowship with other couples seeking to live out the Sacrament of Marriage in its fullness. I encourage you to sign up quickly as there is only room for 25 couples!

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. The word epiphany literally means “manifestation.” We recall when the Savior was made known to the nations, represented by the magi from the East. Even today, we experience little “epiphanies” of God’s presence in our lives. Sometimes, though, we do have to take on the task of “following the star” and travelling the distance to meet the Lord. While it may not always mean literally physically travelling, sometimes the “star” we must follow is that yearning in our heart for peace, contentment, and grace that come from being in, and recognizing, the presence of God. This is the lesson of the magi applied to our life’s journey. We must always be moving in the direction of the Lord Jesus, to come to greet him, to know him, and ultimately enjoy a relationship with him. Let this new year bring with it many epiphanies as we experience the Lord in the people and circumstances that he puts before us.

The Pastor's Pen, 12/25/2011: Christmas Greetings

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

First, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas! would like to extend a special welcome to those who are visiti ng with us for the celebrati on of the Lord’s birth. It is great to have you with us as we join with Christi ans around the world in worshipping the Lord and offering thanks for the birth of our Savior. Likewise, welcome home to those of you who have been away at school, in military service, or now living away from the area. It’s always good to see your faces.

Christmas is probably the busiest ti me of year across the board for all us. At church we are busy preparing for large crowds with Masses celebrated at multi ple sites. We all have our share of work-related holiday parti es as well as gatherings with family, friends and neighbors. Christmas itself is a ti me when families are often drawn together. Interesti ngly enough, the very origin of the Christmas celebrati on lies with the forma tion of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Obviously, there was little that was lavish about

that celebrati on. Yet, in quiet simplicity, a child was born that would change the course of human history as God became one with humanity. This we refer to as the mystery of the Incarnati on, when God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the last month we’ve been u lizing the new English translati on of the Roman Missal, the book of prayers used at Mass. Most of the prayers recited by the priest-celebrant have changed with a number of the people’s responses being altered. We’re s ll struggling through the transi tion unti l they become familiar as the former version had, over the course of four decades. Personally, I’ve found the implementa on of the new translati on to be challenging on two levels. First, I need to focus more on the words in the book whereas

before many of those prayers were more or less memorized. Secondly, however, it’s caused me to really think (and pray) about the words we are saying.

Most notably, in the Creed, we have the big theological words such as consubstantial or made incarnate. It’s “higher” language, so to speak, but also should move us to recognize the mystery and the majesty within the sacred acti on in which we parti cipate. On Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 PM in the church, I will be facilitati ng an evening en titled “What Just Happened? A Discussion of the Recent Mass Changes.” I hope that you will come to share your impressions, your experience thus far, and your questi ons as well.

On behalf of the staff, and all who make up the St. John’s parish family, I wish you a joy-filled celebra tion of the holiday season!

Christmas at St. John the Evangelist, Severna Park

2011-12-20T17:38:00.002-05:00

Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, but we will still have a SPECIAL SCHEDULE for Masses for Christmas:
Christmas Eve (Church): 4 PM, 6 PM (Children's), 8PM (Contemporary), 10 PM (Choir)
Christmas Eve (Columbian Center): 4:15 PM
Christmas Day (Church): 10 AM & 12 Noon

Be forewarned: The Masses at the 4:00 Hour on Christmas Eve are EXTREMELY crowded, although parking is more manageable with the 4:15 PM at the Columbian Center. Arrive early!
Good Advice: Go to a later Mass on Christmas Eve (8 PM or 10 PM). Masses on Christmas Day are very much like a regular Sunday liturgy with plenty of seats and parking.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE: If you are at a crowded Mass, exercise patience and charity, particularly towards those visiting with us. Let our worship be sincere and not filled with distractions.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

The Pastor's Pen, 12/18/2011: Mary Teaches Us To Say "Yes"

2011-12-20T17:35:00.002-05:00

Our Lady of Advent

We are now in the “home stretch” of the Advent season. With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year we enjoy a full seven days for the fourth week of Advent! Of course, many pastors will tell you that Christmas falling on a Sunday, while certainly less stressful in terms of planning, does mean that we “lose” a regular Sunday collection. All I’ll say about that is please consider a special end of the year gift to the parish so that this “fluke” of the calendar doesn’t negatively impact our financial position.

And, while the financial contributions are certainly important, the most important things you can bring to church at Christmas is yourself, and as many family members and friends as you can fit in your car. Not only will that enhance our celebration, but carpooling will help to alleviate the crowded parking conditions, particularly at the early Masses on Christmas Eve. Of course, it bears noting, that space is much more abundant at the later Masses on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.

Please take note of our Christmas Mass schedule on the cover of today’s bulletin. Expect the early Christmas Eve Masses to be crowded! Remember we have Mass at 4:15 PM on Christmas Eve at the Columbian Center to ease the crowding, and parking, at church. Note that the last Christmas Eve Mass begins at 10 PM with Christmas Day Masses at 10 AM and 12 Noon.

The central figure in this weekend’s gospel is the Virgin Mary. When you really consider the scene it’s amazing how God put so much trust, and depended so heavily, on a calling he had to a young teenager girl. She was given the call to say the first “yes” to the Savior and she did so without hesitation, abandoning any personal concern and placing all in God’s hands. Let us all say a resounding “Yes!” to Christ this Christmas as we welcome him joyfully!

I would like to thank our Boy Scouts from Troop 450 for again erecting our Nativity Scene along Ritchie Highway. A whole tribe of them were out there last Saturday putting it together, providing a visible witness to our faith to all who pass our property. Guys, our parish community is very grateful to you!

As we look forward to larger that usual Christmas crowds next weekend, might I appeal to your generosity in welcoming our visitors? Please keep an eye out for those who are looking for a seat in a crowded church, particularly the elderly and those with babes in arms. Also, let’s be generous with our Christmas greetings and words of welcome if you see someone you don’t know, or perhaps the neighbor who’s not a regular at weekend Mass. We’ll all be here together to celebrate the Savior’s birth. Come, let us all adore him!

The Pastor's Pen: 12/3/2011: Advent Continues With New Prayers; A New Addition to Our Staff

2011-12-10T15:16:00.001-05:00

John the Baptist directs us to
prepare the way of the Lord.

Well, it appears that the new translation of the Mass has beenfully implemented here at St. John the Evangelist and at Roman Catholicworshipping communites throughout the English-speaking world. It’s interestingto hear the various reactions to the new translation ranging from exultantjubilation to outright anger by some. The most common response seems to be rooted more in the pragmatic. Folksseem to point to the “newness” of it and the uncomfortable feeling that comeswith the fear of making an incorrect response.

Personally, I can see the good in that our translation nowconforms not just more closely to the original Latin (which is a good thing),but also reﬂects the words being prayed in Spanish, French, Italian, etc. Particularlyin the United States, I can see the beneﬁt of our multitude of languages beingin harmony with one another to convey a sense of unity (communion) inprayer.

Nonetheless, it will take some ge3ng used to. For uspriests, the new Roman Missal is laid out diﬀerently and prayers we have longago memorized are altered. The ﬁrst me I celebrated using the new translation,it was like saying Mass for the ﬁrst time. The main diﬀerence was that when Icelebrated my ﬁrst Mass over 20 years ago, I had participated in thatcelebration literally thousands of times! The gospel reading this weekend isapt for all of us: Prepare the way of theLord, make straight his paths. Eventually,and with much practice and repetition, we’ll straighten out!

I’m pleased to announce that we have hired a new Director ofParish Operations. Eﬀective Jan. 3, 2012, Deacon Fred Passauer will beginserving our community in this position. Deacon Fred is currently ParishAdministrator of a number of parishes in Western Maryland, essentially everyparish in Garrett and Alleghany counties except for one. He brings with him asolid background in the business world and “retired” in order to dedicate his life to work in theChurch. I’d like to thank the SearchCommittee for the major part they played in reviewing resumes and conductingthe initial interviews and look forward to welcoming Deacon Fred to St. Johnthe Evangelist in January. In the meanme, please keep him and his wife Kathy inyour prayers as they prepare to move to the area.

I would like to thank all those in our music ministry groupsand readers who participated in our Advent Lessons and Carols service lastSunday evening. It truly was a wonderful way to begin the Advent season bymeditating on God’s Word and being ediﬁed by the congregational singing andchoral presentations. Our Traditional Choir, Youth Ensemble, Children’s Choir,and Handbell Ringers did a wonderful job of ﬁlling our hearts with the spiritof preparation for Christmas. Kudos to JoAnne Ibex, Mary Tamplin, and Barbara Lancasterfor their ﬁne leadership!

A blessed Advent to all!

The Pastor's Pen - 12/11/2011: Gaudete! Rejoice!

2011-12-10T14:45:00.001-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Gaudete

Sunday wearing the traditional rose-colored

vestments.

Already we are in the Third Weekof Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, so named from the scripture cited inthe Entrance Antiphon for today’s Mass: Rejoicein the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near. (Phillipians4:4-5). Gaudete is a Latin word meaning “to rejoice.” In this usage it isemployed in the command form. St. Paul, cited above, as well as in today’sSecond Reading implores us to Rejoicealways! Certainly, the holiday season can indeed be a time for rejoicing.

Yet, the reality is that duringthis ‑me of year many struggle to ﬁnd a cause for rejoicing. For many, theholiday season can be a struggle, particularly if one has experienced a senseof loss in one’s life. An empty chair at the table, a bad health report, theloss of a job can make us question what we have to rejoice about.

Yet, while acknowledging feelingsof loss, we are still confronted by the apostles call to “rejoice always” and“in all circumstances give thanks.” To be sure, that involves us mustering upsome resolve to do so and to believe that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spiritthat is not conﬁned to circumstances where things are going as we wouldlike. At the same time, it is achallenge to those who ﬁnd it easier to rejoice and give thanks. We arechallenged to celebrate our blessings given by God and to share those blessingswith those around us.

For instance, this weekend is thelast weekend to purchase gift cards for the St. Vincent de Paul Giving Tree program. Imagine the impact that could makeon a family! This Christmas when you come to Mass and see a stranger, might itnot be a good idea to simply extend a brief word of welcome and a Christmasgreeting? If you know someone who is going through a tough time, a card orphone call could go a long way!

And, if we are having problemsﬁnding cause for rejoicing, perhaps we need simply to gaze on a nativity scene, or perhaps even a cruciﬁx, and see the love of God poured outon us. This is the mystery of the Incarnation, that is, the act of God takingon human ﬂesh so that he might become one of us, and it was all out of love. Letthis Christmas season be a time when we can reach out and become one withGod, one with each other, and be a causefor rejoicing!

Please take note of our ChristmasMass schedule on the cover of today’s bulletin. Expect the early Christmas EveMasses to be crowded! Remember we have Mass at 4:15 PM on Christmas Eve at theColumbian Center to ease the crowding, and parking, at church. Note that thelast Christmas Eve Mass begins at 10 PM with Christmas Day Masses at 10 AM and12 Noon.

Gaudete! Rejoice!

The Pastor's Pen, 11/27/2011: Watch and Be Ready!

2011-11-26T17:31:00.001-05:00

I hope that you had a great celebration of Thanksgiving, being with those whom you care for. Thanks to everyone who contributed food for our Thanksgiving outreach. Over 70 families were assisted with food for Thanksgiving meals! Also, our pantry was able to be restocked. Of course, we anticipate that food to move out quickly with Christmas coming!

Today marks the beginning of a new liturgical year and the official introduction of the new translation of the Mass throughout the English-speaking world. As we now find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season, everyone gets super busy with preparations, celebrations, and shopping. We may find ourselves yearning for stability. Our responses may need to be more intentional as we become comfortable with these new words.

We are also introducing our new hymnal this weekend, Gather, third edition. This hymnal, with the familiar title, was published with the idea that it would contain a mix of traditional and contemporary liturgical music. Our missalette, Breaking Bread, is published by Oregon Catholic Press and likewise is a combination of both and contains the entire Order of Mass, including the scripture readings for Sundays and Holy Days. You may find the congregational responses now in the Breaking Bread missalette, on the inside front cover of the Gather hymnal, as well on the laminated cards in the pews. The reality is that, as the priest-celebrant will have to have his eyes focused more on the printed missal at the altar since many memorized prayers have changed, so will the congregation need to read the responses until they are put to memory.

I would like to thank all those who generously contributed to the purchase of the new hymnals. We have collected enough money to pay for them. There are, however, memorials still available in many hymnals. Any future contributions here will be put towards the cost of the new liturgical books at the altar as well as the new missalettes and the cost of the plastic covers.

Now, as this holy season of Advent commences, let’s take this opportunity to be watchful, as we are beckoned in today’s gospel. Let us watch for the Lord as he comes to us in our worship. Let’s watch for him as he reveals himself to us in other people and circumstances that we encounter in our lives. But let us also welcome him into these moments as we recognize and respond to him.

This is a holy season of quiet expectation. You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating: In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, take some time for quiet reflection. Go to confession. Come to the special Tuesday evening Holy Hours during Advent. Make time to stop by church for a visit before the Blessed Sacrament. Find something spiritual to read. Take time to pray.

Our search committee interviewed several candidates for Director of Parish Operations. I interviewed two finalists for the position this week and hope to be able to announce a decision in the coming weeks. Please continue to keep this process in your prayers.

The Pastor's Pen, 11/20/2011: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

2011-11-20T10:47:00.001-05:00

In 1925, responding to a concern over a growing sense of nationalism and secularism, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King. In 1960, Pope John XXIII revised the liturgical calendar, giving the celebration the ranking of a feast of the first class. In 1969 Pope Paul VI moved the celebration to the last Sunday of the liturgical year and renamed it Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, elevating it to the rank of solemnity, the highest level of liturgical feast. At the end of the year it provides a segway from the ending of one liturgical year to another with its focus on the end of time and the ultimate reign of Jesus Christ. During the season of Advent, one of expectant hope, we literally count down the days to the celebration of Christmas filled with anticipation of the festivities. Today’s feast, while not leading us to a literal countdown, reminds us that there will come a time when we will meet the Lord face to face. Furthermore, there is that invitation to anticipate how God wants to meet us in our lives right here, right now!

As we enter the final days of one liturgical year our eyes are fixed at the future, hopefully filled with anticipation at the thought of meeting the Lord. For now, though, let’s not look too far ahead, possibly overlooking how he wants to encounter us now and continue to accompany us on that journey forward.

Next weekend is the official “launching” of the new Roman Missal. This past week we began introducing the congregational responses at daily Mass to ease in our adjustment to the new words that will hopefully lead us to appreciate their deeper meaning. Let’s be patient as we make mistakes and stumble here and there. I’m sure this transition is nothing compared to the one that took place in the 1960’s!

As we prepare for the beginning of a new liturgical year, we look forward in hope and have several things to pray for in the life of our parish community:

· Let us pray for our Archdiocese as we await the appointment of a new Archbishop, that the Lord sends us a leader with a shepherd’s heart;

· Let us pray that the newly translated prayers and responses will challenge us to enter more deeply into the Eucharistic mystery and move us to welcome the Lord ever deeply in our hearts;

· Let us pray that more return to the Church; those who may be hurting or angry over past events, that they might find a warm welcome through those who make up our parish community;

· Let us pray that God grant us vision as we move forward with our parish planning as an archdiocese and as a parish, that we always keep in mind effective ministry to God’s people and worship that is pleasing to the Lord;

· Let us pray that marriages would be strengthen and that husbands and wives live out their vows with joy and fidelity;

· Let us pray always for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

We do have our work cut out for us, don’t we? But all can be accomplished if we remain rooted in prayer!

Pastor's Pen: 11/13/2011 - Change Can Be a Good Thing

2011-11-19T14:53:00.001-05:00

We live in an age of change. I’m not sure that there has been a ti me in history that has experienced change at quite the rate of we who live in the 21st century. I took a course on change management several years back and the professor pointed out that, unti l the Industrial Revolu tion, the way that people lived changed very little, and certainly not radically, from one generation to the next. However, today we see things change rapidly. We know that to buy a new computer means that when we open the package it will soon become a dinosaur. Recently buy an iPhone? There will be a new one on the market before you know it! The value of a new car depreciates from the moment it is driven oﬀ the lot because next year’s model will be diﬀerent,

and somehow better.

The Church, much to the chagrin of our fast-paced society, moves at a much slower pace. The changes in the Mass in the 60’s were the ﬁrst major ones in 400 years! Forty years later, we sti ll are at the "implementati on” stage of the reforms of the Second Vati can Council, with the full implementati on of the new Roman Missal (which was promulgated in Lati n by Bl. John Paul II more than 10 years ago!). Yet, today change can sti ll be unsettling and a cause for consternati on. A few years ago there was a popular book by Spencer Johnson en titled Who Moved My Cheese? It dealt simply with the challenge we all have with change in our lives. Perhaps with matters of faith it’s even more diﬃcult because we take some solace in having memorized our prayers and responses. Of course, we must remember that growth only takes place when change is embraced. As a priest ordained 20 years (and there are many ordained much longer than myself), I’m a little nervous about adopti ng new words in the prayers that I’ve come to be able to “pray from the heart” from years of repetit on, parti cularly the Eucharisti c Prayer at Mass. Yet, I have to admit, the new language is much more precise, even literal and often more poeti c. Yes, it might feel like a new shoe that feels just a tad ti ght and needs to be broken in, but with time I’m sure it will ﬁt comfortably and be well worn.

Changes in the translati on will challenge us to be more deliberate in our prayers and may even cause us to scratch our heads and think about the words, some of which may seem detached from our daily conversa tional style, such as consubstanti al or made incarnate. The liturgy will challenge us to conti nue to grow, but will also necessitate that we change in order to grow. I hope that you take ti me to sit with the cards distributed last weekend to become familiar with the new responses. Be prepared for some bumps along this new road that we pray will take us to a deeper understanding of the sacred mysteries we celebrate.

A thought: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Alvin Toﬄer

Homily for October 30, 2011: Stewardship Sunday

2011-11-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

Listen again to the words of St. Paul to theThessalonians:

And for this reason we too givethanks to God unceasingly,

that, in receiving the word of God from hearingus,

you received not a human word but,

as it truly is,the word of God,

which is now at work in you who believe.

St. Paul was the founder of the Church atThessaloniki. It was through his preaching that the Christian community wasestablished there. Recall for a moment the setting in which St. Paul exercisedhis calling as a missionary apostle. The first day he entered that, and mostother cities that we visited, he was encountering a people who had yet to hearthe Word of God preached. Most often, he entered communities whose religiouspractices was paganism, cultures that were ensconced in the idea of a multitudeof gods and goddesses who needed to be appeased, whose favor was courted, forjust about any need or desire. The cult of the Greek and Roman gods was one onseeking out divine favors. There was no sense that the divine had a benevolentinterest in humanity, no idea of a relationship built on love, much less anotion of a divine love so strong that it would allow itself to be subject toridicule, rejection, and even death in order to bring about resurrected NewLife.

Paul is writing to a community that heloved dearly and that he watched blossom from a group of pagan god-worshippingindividuals into a strong, even though struggling, Christian community.

I believe that sometimes we find ithard to imagine what life was like for the first century Christians. In manyways I think we feel sorry for ourselves. We look at the world we live in andbemoan the fact that things aren’t like they use to be. People don’t seem asreligious in their practice as they use to. More and more our culture seems tobe at odds with the faith community. Government appears antagonistic toreligion, exercising tolerance at best, and engaged in agendas that undermine andoften oppose basic Christian moral principles.

In many ways, we live in the world ofSt. Paul! Some have described the 21^st century as being part of the“post-Christian” era. Others speak of the irrelevance of the Church and faithin general. Some folks are angry and hurting because of changes in the Church –most recently with movements in parts of our country to respond to changingdemographics and fewer priests by consolidating parishes which sometimes meanthat parishes are closed or church buildings are no longer used. I’m sure manyof you read Archbishop O’Brien’s letter last week about some intentionalpastoral planning that will be taking place in our own archdiocese in theimmediate future to address these same issues, issues that are not unique toour area but seem more and more the case in the northeast and midwest sectionsof our country. Some folks think it’s all about money when in reality it’s moreof a question as to how we can effectively utilize all the resources that wehave: yes, financial, but also personnel, buildings, and special charisms thatrise up in various communities.

In many ways, for as much as thingshave changed over the last 2,000 years, many things are quite similar. St.Paul’s words ring true to us today as we are called and challenged to let the Word of God be at work in us who believe.

The Church today is the same church ofour childhood, regardless of how long ago the concept of childhood might be forany of us. For some our childhood is filled with memories of rectories filledwith priests, convents filled with nuns – and each classroom in the parishschool presided over by one. Some memories are of active participation in CYOdances and athletics. For some, childhood memories include the celebration ofthe Mass in Latin. For others, childhood memories of church included makingcollages, guitars and tamborines, and Mass always in English. Still, we are thesame Church, founded by Jesus Christ, to be a living sign of God’s love to allpeople, and we are still called to letthe Word of God be at work in us who believe.

I’ve been pastorof this parish for a little over two years, and take such pride in this parishcommunity. I’ve told you before that I should have studied juggling in seminaryto prepare me for the many aspects of life in this parish community. This isone busy place, a place busy of folks who letthe Word of God be at work. This week a group returned from a week ofmission work in the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica. Just about four years agothe first group went down and I’m excited by the enthusiasm generated by eachgroup that returns to tell the tales of those they meet and the Spirit of Godat work. We have one of the strongest Respect Life ministries of any parishwith which I’ve been associated, with regular prayer efforts and outreach tothose struggling to make the choice for life. In an age when many Catholicschools have seen declines in enrollment, our parish school has seen modestincreases for the third straight year, without taking into consideration there-establishment of our pre-school program. No wonder Sr. Linda Larsen has beennamed “Principal of the Year” in our Archdiocese! We should all be proud of ourschool.

For a month now, our new youthministry program has been up and running with a core group of committed adults,ranging in ages from 19 to over 80, building community and growing together inthe Catholic faith with our high school teens. When I visit them, I walk awayso pumped, so energized, to see our kids so happy and so excited to be involvedin the Church!

I could go on and on, and you know I’mvery capable of doing so! But I’ll cut to the chase now, as they say. Thisweekend is Stewardship Weekend, and that time when as Pastor I’m charged withpresenting to you the state of our parish. Today’s bulletin contains ourfinancial report. Both our parish and school budgets ended in the black lastyear, which is not something every parish can say, and it’s in no small partdue to your committed generosity.

I’m excited that we are poised to moveahead with strengthening our existing ministries and expanding others. We nowhave some more space to accommodate small group meetings with the move of therectory off campus and the conversion of the former rectory into a ParishCenter – which is a work in progress.

We will be looking at a capitalcampaign after the first of the year and I realize that many will observe thatwe are in economically uncertain times. Yet, I’m confident that we have what ittakes to move forward. I believe God honors our commitment and our sacrificeswhen we place it all in His hands. Look around our archdiocese – even aroundour country – and when some of the great building booms took place: during the1930’s in the midst of the Great Depression. I can believe that happened for noother reason than people did it out of love for God and Church. However, moredetails will come as we get closer to launching that campaign. For now, we needto focus on our immediate, operating needs.

Succinctly put, we’re not in a badplace, but we can’t take anything for granted. We are running a little short ofour current budget this year, principally due to the fact that one weekend ouroffertory was low due to the power outage from Hurricane Irene. I believe thatcan be made up if we all pitch in. I’m asking each household to join me inmaking a commitment to an increase in offertory giving each week, inasmuch asyou are able, to help us meet our expenses. Furthermore, I would like toencourage every family to consider utilizing Online Giving as a regular way ofmaking offertory contributions to our parish. It affords consistency and ournew system that we’ve implemented allows you to control your giving in realtime including making donations to special collections and even particularministries in the parish, as well as to our offertory on which we rely to meetour regular expenses.

Remember, your gift is one way ofallowing the Word of God to be at work in you, and to support that work in ourparish. I count it a privilege to serve here as a parish priest and pastor.This is an exciting place to be, and I look forward to the future withexpectant hope and pray that you do as well! God bless you.

The Pastor's Pen - 10/23/2011: Loving God and Neighbor is a Challenge!

2011-10-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

In the gospel reading this weekend, Jesus relates love and the fulfillmentof the law and the prophets. The great commandment, to love God and our neighbor, reminds us that God desires that we have a commitment to our faith, but onethat also reveals itself in our actions.

As Church, we have a call to evangelize. This calling must first be rooted in our desireto serve the Lord with all that we have and all that we are. However, this loving relationship, by design, must not be contained by embracing a “me and Jesus” attitude.Jesus himself calls us to branch out and take that love that we receive from God andextend it to those around us, particularly the poor and the needy. Likewise, however, our love cannot be rooted solely in human relationships. The Church’s call toserve the poor and needy cannot be disjointed from our mission to evangelize andhelp others to come to know the truth of God’s love.

I am so proud of our Jamaica outreach. As you are reading this, we have 11 membersof our Jamaica Team who are serving as “missionaries” in the Diocese of Mandeville,Jamaica. They are spending a week building homes for the less fortunate and build-ing relationships with members of our sister parishes. I’m sure when they return thisweek they will have many stories to share with our community of how God workedamong and within them.

The Diocese of Mandeville, as you might remember, is a missionary diocese headedby Bishop Neil Tiedemann. It encompasses around 8,000 Catholics (smaller than ourparish alone!). The parish communities are very small, but the diocese is hard atwork trying to provide opportunities for education and vocational training as well asdirect assistance to the poor and needy, all the while proclaiming the Good News ofChrist and His Church. Please keep our folks in your prayers as well as the people ofJamaica.

At our last Pastoral Council meeting, we learned that donations of casseroles for OurDaily Bread Employment Center have declined, in the midst of a time when the needhas grown larger. I encourage you to help by preparing a casserole and dropping itoff at St. John’s to be delivered to ODBEC to assist feeding the hungry. Casserolepans and recipes can be found at the Information Center in the Gathering Space orat the church exits. Details are in the bulletin regularly about drop off times. Youmight want to consider making this part of a service project that you do as part of aministry or small group that you belong to.

Remember, our annual Gala is on Saturday, Oct. 29! I invite you to participate in thisyear’s Totally Awesome 80’s Auction! This is our largest single fundraiser of the yearand supports the ministries of our parish, school, and religious education & youthministry programs. Perhaps you’d consider sponsoring a table of ten with family andfriends. It really is a wonderful night with some really wonderful baskets at the silentauction and some phenomenal items at the live auction. Check outwww.stjohnsp.org/gala for more details!

Life [Teen] Begins at St. John's

2011-10-09T14:37:00.000-04:00

Take a look at some of the excitement from the first evening of Life Teen at St. John's. Life Teen meets most Sundays, starting with the 5:15 PM Mass, followed by the Life Night at 6:30 PM. All teens are welcome, and friends are invited.

USCCB Media Blog: Roman Missal: Two Months and Counting

2011-10-08T15:54:00.000-04:00

A summary of what to expect with the "new" Roman Missal:

USCCB Media Blog: Roman Missal: Two Months and Counting:

On November 27, the First Sunday of Advent, the Roman Missal, Third Edition , the ritual text containing prayers and instructions ...

2011-09-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

Perhaps you’ve heard that on November 27, 2011 (the First Sunday in Advent), all Catholic Churches in the United States will be using a new translation of the mass. That is, we will be using new words, but the mass will be the same. On Tuesdays Sept. 27, Oct. 4 & 11 at 7 PM (repeated on Saturdays, Oct. 1,8, & 22 after the 8:30 AM Mass) we will have a three week series of presentation outlining both the need for the changes as well as discussion of the changes. Presented by Fr. Jim, Fr. Michael, and Jen Mayer.

Conscience Rights Violated by Sweeping HHS Contraceptive Mandate

2011-09-13T21:09:00.002-04:00

In implementing the new health care law, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now issued a rule mandating contraceptive and sterilization coverage in almost all private health plans nationwide. The USCCB General Counsel, criticizing this “nationwide government coercion of religious people and groups to sell, broker or purchase ‘services’ to which they have a moral or religious objection,” has called it “an unprecedented attack on religious liberty.” HHS has established a period for public comments that ends on September 30.

ACTION: Please send an e-mail message to HHS by visiting www.usccb.org/conscience. Once you send your comments to HHS, you will be automatically invited to send a message to your elected representatives in Congress, urging them to support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179/S. 1467) to ensure that such federal mandates do not violate Americans’ moral and religious convictions.

MESSAGE TO HHS: “Pregnancy is not a disease, and drugs and surgeries to prevent it are not basic health care that the government should require all Americans to purchase. Please remove sterilization and prescription contraceptives from the list of ‘preventive services’ the federal government is mandating in private health plans. It is especially important to exclude any drug that may cause an early abortion, and to fully respect religious freedom as other federal laws do. The narrow religious exemption in HHS’s new rule protects almost no one. I urge you to allow all organizations and individuals to offer, sponsor and obtain health coverage that does not violate their moral and religious convictions.”

Pastor's Pen - 9/11/2011: We Remember

2011-09-08T12:14:00.000-04:00

This weekend we mark the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Most of us I am sure can recall where we were when we heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Many of us personally knew people who died in the attacks, or people related to the victims.

In many ways, it was also a display of America at its finest, albeit saddest, hour. Most will connect a rebirth of patriotism to the events of 9/11. Communities bonded together to support one another in a time understandably marked by fear and uncertainty. Churches were crowded with worshippers.

Ten years have passed and I know that personally it doesn’t seem that it’s been that long. Preparations have been made for the opening of the memorial at Ground Zero that will hopefully bring some closure to families and loved ones of the victims. Other memorials have been erected at or near the sites of the other attacks. I can remember preaching the weekend after the attacks to a crowded church that such an event really does underlie our need for a true dependence on God as we search for answers. Of all the experiences that we have in life, death associated with an evil act, has got to be among the most difficult of which to make sense.

The irony, and the challenge, lies (perhaps providentially) in the scripture readings for this weekend. The first reading from Sirach condemns the idea of seeking after wrath and vengeance. In the gospel Jesus speaks of the value of forgiveness “seventy-seven times.” I know these words cause me some uneasiness. Upon hearing of the death of Osama bin Laden, I breathed a sigh of relief, although I have to admit that I was very uncomfortable when I viewed footage of crowds jumping up and down with joy at his death. It reminded me too much of the footage after 9/11 of gatherings in the Middle East of people rejoicing after the attacks had taken place. Based on today’s scripture readings, it seems God calls us to higher ground, even as we pursue national security. Am I relieved that Osama bin Laden no longer poses a personal threat? Absolutely. But I am somehow saddened that he died, presumably unrepentant, as we should always be when someone dies, in the words of Sirach “hugging them [wrath and anger] tight.” As we move forward as a country, let us pray for healing in human hearts and that our world might come to a point when we can address our problems without resorting to acts of violence.

We are now moved into the new rectory and work is beginning at reconfiguring the former rectory into a Parish Center with the movement of offices and the establishment of meeting rooms. That will be taking place over the next month or so. All business continues to take place there, but you can always reach a priest in case of emergency by calling the Parish Office and following the instructions for emergencies.

I will be leaving Monday morning, with several parishioners, for our parish trip to Greece and Turkey. Please keep us in your prayers as we visit cities well known to St. Paul such as Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus as well as Istanbul and the island of Patmos where St. John, our patron, wrote the book of Revelation. We return the evening of September 23.

Pastor's Pen - 9/4/2011: Wow! What a Week!

2011-09-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

Wow! What a week! An earthquake, a hurricane, power outages! It’s amazing how such events force us to slow down as life comes to a standstill. I know that as I write this letter (on Wednesday) I am grateful for the resumption of electrical power. It’s good for things to get back to “normal,” and I’m sure we all have some catching up to do this week. It was certainly interesting celebrating Mass in the Gathering Space. You may have noticed we lost an oak tree in front of the Parish Office. I had commented a week before that we could use a little more light in the front rooms. I had no idea God would answer in that way. I pray that everyone has been safe and that the inconvenience has been manageable.

We settled on the house that is now our new parish rectory (residence) on August 23. The house is located on Bricepointe Court in the adjoining Cypresspoint neighborhood. With the power outage we have begun the moving process but envision it to gradually be completed over the next month. We will then begin repurposing the current rectory to become our Parish Center with the creation of more offices and meeting spaces.

We also learned that Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop O’Brien as the Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order (Knights) of the Holy Sepulchre. While certainly an honor for Archbishop O’Brien, as he will likely be named a cardinal in the next consistory (which will probably take place sometime in the next year or so) it means that we will be losing him as our shepherd in Baltimore. He has been appointed our Apostolic Administrator, meaning that he will divide his time between here and his new offices at the Vatican, until his successor is installed.

Current enrollment figures for St. John the Evangelist School put us at 524 students, including 34 in our newly reconstituted preschool program. We were happy to welcome a number of new families to our school community last weekend and remain committed to offer a quality Catholic education to our young people. Most months we will be taking a second collection in support of our parish school and I thank you for your generosity. Should you feel God calling you to do something more substantial, such as establishing a tuition endowment fund or assisting a family in need, please contact me directly.

We still have a need for volunteers in our religious education programs for catechists, assistants, and aides. One of our major ministries is the passing on of the faith to our young people. John Poland, our Director of Religious Education, anxiously awaits your call to step up to minister to our young people from Pre-K through Grade 8. Also Cassandra Anderson, our Director of Youth Ministry, would love to hear from those interested in working with our high school youth as we prepare to launch the Life Teen Program this fall! Pray about it and see where God might be calling you.

May God bless all students and educators, as they embark on a new school year. Let’s all keep them in our prayers and I wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day.

Pastor's Pen - 8/28/2011 (with annotations): A New School Year!

2011-09-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

Well, with the opening of the school year, I suppose the summer vacation season has officially ended. While it’s been a busy few months by summer standards, we are happy to welcome the return of our school students this week as well as resuming our many parish programs that have been on hiatus during the summer. Current enrollment figures for St. John the Evangelist School put us at 524 students, including 34 in our newly reconstituted preschool program. We were happy to welcome a number of new families to our school community last weekend and remain committed to offer a quality Catholic education to our young people. Most months we will be taking a second collection in support of our parish school and I thank you for your generosity. Should you feel God calling you to do something more substantial, such as establishing a tuition endowment fund or assisting a family in need, please contact me directly.

This week we settled on the house that will become our new parish rectory (residence). The house is located on Bricepointe Court in the adjoining Cypresspoint neighborhood and we anticipate a gradual move over the course of the next month or so. (N.B.: With the power out for 3 1/2 days, our move was excelerated. We're now sleeping in the new rectory, but it's still rather disheveled!)We will also begin repurposing the current rectory to become our Parish Center with the creation of more offices and meeting spaces.

This weekend our Music Ministry programs are recruiting. (Actually, the recruitment was moved to Sept. 3 & 4 due to the hurricane.) I know we have some spectacular voices in our parish, because I often hear them. We have openings in music ministry for all ages and abilities: children’s choirs, traditional choir, contemporary choir, youth ensemble, cantors, and instrumentalists. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to step forward and lend support to our parish music program.

Last weekend Pope Benedict presided over the closing Mass for World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain. Official numbers placed participation at this year’s World Youth Day at over 2 million! Indeed, this shows a real interest among the young people of the world and I believe such enthusiasm is something we are charged to nurture in our own community. Passing on the faith and generating an excitement for building a relationship with Jesus Christ and being an engaged member of His Church is primary to our mission.

We still have a need for volunteers in our religious education programs for catechists, assistants, and aides. One of our major ministries is the passing on of the faith to our young people. John Poland, our Director of Religious Education, anxiously awaits your call to step up to minister to our young people from Pre-K through Grade 8. Also Cassandra Anderson, our Director of Youth Ministry, would love to hear from those interested in working with our high school youth as we prepare to launch the Life Teen Program this fall!
Pray about it and see where God might be calling you.

May God bless all students and educators, as they embark on a new school year. Let’s all keep them in our prayers.

Archbishop O'Brien to Leave Baltimore

2011-08-29T08:16:00.000-04:00

Read about Archbishop O'Brien's new appointment:

http://www.catholicreview.org/subpages/selectedstory.aspx?action=10525.

It put him in line to be named a Cardinal. A great loss for us, but a great honor for him

Hurricane Update

2011-08-28T08:22:00.000-04:00

We've weathered the storm! However, power is out so we are not having mass for the time being. We lost a tree in the front of the rectory, that fell into the path of the driveway. In case of major emergency, call 410.746.8449. We will update Here as circumstances permit.

From the Archdiocese of Baltimore Office of Communications

2011-08-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

Archbishop O'Brien is reminding Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that Church law excuses them from fulfilling the Sunday obligation to attend Mass because of a grave cause, such as unsafe travel due to severe weather conditions. Those who cannot safely attend Mass are encouraged to listen to the Sunday radio Mass on WBAL-AM 1090 at 9:30 a.m. or watch the TV Mass on the Eternal Word Television Network. Check www.ewtn.com for listings.

Preparing for Hurricane Irene: If the power is out, all activities are cancelled

2011-08-26T11:43:00.000-04:00

Our intention is to celebrate weekend Masses as scheduled; however, if the power is out at church, all masses and activities will be cancelled. You may call the Parish Office, but realize that we may not be able to receive phone calls. If you call the church and the phone just keeps ringing, that is an indicator that our phone system is down and in all likelihood power is out.

We encourage parishioners to use their best judgment and to be safe. If you have a major emergency, and you cannot reach the Parish Office, please call 410-746-8449. We will do our very best to respond to you.

Coming Soon to a Youth Ministry Near You...

2011-08-25T15:53:00.003-04:00

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”
- Pope Benedict XVI

St. John's Youth Ministry has a lot to be excited about. This fall, we will launch our newly adapted LIFE TEEN program for high school students! In my years as a professional youth minister, my observations of "Life Teen parishes" are of vibrant programs, energized adult leaders, and inspired teens . . . and St John's community is simply primed for such a program that strives to lead teens to Christ!

What is Life Teen?
Life Teen is an international Catholic youth ministry program that serves the Church and leads teens closer to Christ by providing resources and training that encourages vibrant Eucharistic celebrations and opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.

The mission of Life Teen is accomplished by bringing teens to:
-The celebration of Eucharist
-The teachings of Christ and the Church
-An experience of being loved and accepted within the community

Where did Life Teen Come From?
Life Teen began in 1985 as a single-parish program in Mesa, Arizona with the mission of “leading teens closer to Christ.” Over the years, Life Teen has grown into one of the most prolific Catholic youth ministry programs in the world being implemented in over 1060 parishes in 26 countries. While Life Teen looks different in every culture, region and parish, the heart remains the same – Sacraments, relational ministry and engaging catechesis. Life Teen wants all teenagers to know that they are loved and an important part of the Church.

Most importantly, Life Teen is a movement of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist, the source and summit of our lives as Catholics, stands at the heart of everything we do. We believe that our entire ministry flows from and back to the altar of sacrifice.

So . . . This is what we're excited about. Here at St. John's, we are having a banner year in youth ministry!
Cheers,
Cassandra

Homily for August 21, 2011: Greater Expectations

2011-08-21T16:03:00.000-04:00

In 1986 I started my studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I can recall that first year as we began our studies in liturgy of being told that, in all likelihood, by the time I was ordained that a new translation of the prayers used at Mass would be issued.

I was ordained a priest in 1991 and, no such new translation was issued. However, year after year I can recall statements being made in print in liturgical planning publications noting the impending release of a new translation of the prayers used at Mass. Then, in the year 2000, Pope John Paul II issued the third edition of the Roman Missal, in Latin, that included many new prayers, particularly related to the celebrations of saints and other feasts that had been included on the liturgical calendar. This, of course, meant that this new Latin version needed to be translated into the vernacular languages.

Of course, here we are today, some 25 years after I entered seminary, still using the same translation that we have for the last 40 years. I must admit that I was skeptical as to whether any new translation would be issued in my own lifetime. Yet, 10 years after the Latin version of the Roman Missal was issued, the English translation was approved and will be implemented in the United States on November 27, 2011 – the First Sunday of Advent. Many people thought that this new translation would never happen, yet now we find ourselves a mere three months away from implementation that will include a period of transition where we will begin utilizing many of the retranslated sung acclamations as soon as next month.

In today’s gospel the disciples were asked a simple question by Jesus: “Who do people say that I am?” It was a simple enough question that yielded a litany of responses: John the Baptists, or one of the prophets. Certainly not bad company to be compared too. You know, sometimes our answers to questions can betray our expectations. In this case, I’d put before you that, while often people are accused of having too high expectations here we see just the opposite happening: their expectations were too low. That’s not to say they were meager. John the Baptist was a very holy man. To be compared with any prophet was to put you on par with an individual who spoke with the voice of God. Yet it’s Peter who comes up with the more elevated expectation, a statement that we now embrace as essential to our creed as Christians: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Talk about elevated expectations! It’s Peter who recognizes that Jesus is more than a preacher, teacher, prophet, or healer. Here is one who speaks not just for God, but rather as God!

When we look at new translations of our prayers and responses at Mass, the period of transition might seem a bit awkward, even unnerving. Yet, I believe a lot of it has to do with what our expectations are. I read that there was a national survey of Catholics taken recently that showed that roughly 77% of Catholics when asked whether they knew that a new translation of the prayers and responses were coming responded that they were unfamiliar that such a change was planned. Of course, those numbers improved among those who attend Mass weekly, but still only 56% of those surveyed were familiar. In our parish we’ve tried to get the word out through the bulletin, but we honestly know that most folks aren’t running home and getting on the computer to look up this information, particularly as it wasn’t something that would be happening immediately. But I’m sure there will be two obvious questions floating around as we start implementing the changes. First, what are changes? Secondly, why are we changing?

Perhaps the most notable change will be at the beginning, and several times throughout the Mass. As the priest I say “The Lord be with you” and the congregation responds “And also with you.” In the new translation, the congregation will reply “And with you spirit,” which is a literal translation of the Latin Et cum spiritu tuo. What’s the big difference?

To say “and also with you” seems sound like an exchange of pleasantries, a cordial response to a greeting. Rather, the priest addresses the people with what really should be viewed as a statement: Dominus vobiscum: literally, the Lord [be] with you. There is no “to be” verb included in the greeting, which renders it as equally a declarative statement. In the reply, you are reminding me, the priest, the the Lord is with my spirit. In other words, it is God working through me, not me doing the work. This act of liturgy is not merely the work of the priest or the people. It is the work of God acting through his priest for the sake of his people.

In the years after the Second Vatican Council I believe that we rightly recovered a sense of the Church as a community of believers. Part of what we do when we gather together in worship is to celebrate our identity as sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters to each other. We form a community of friendship with a bond of fellowship. Yet, if that is all that we do, we are a social club. Many of these new translations, that will reintroduce religious words such as “consubstantial” and “made incarnate” will remind us of why we are here and Who the focus is on.

We gather in God’s name, to witness a divine act that, not knowing the bounds of time becomes mystically present to us. The sacrifice of Calvary when “the Christ, the Son of the living God” gave his life for us in such a bloody manner, becomes present to us albeit in an unbloody way. We as God’s people gather to allow God to act in our midst. Talk about embracing higher expectations!

Now consider a moment that, if the Lord can transform the simple gifts of bread and wine into His Body, His Blood, what can happen when we receive these gifts into our bodies, co-mingling with our blood. His soul becomes one with our soul. His divinity touches our humanity! Our worship is then elevated as something not just where we gather to celebrate with each other or even to simply offer ourselves and our praises to God – although that is an essential component of our worship. When we gather, we profess and believe that God comes to us! God dwells in us! God gives himself to us! Our gathering is elevated to become not just a service of prayer and praise but one of a real encounter with the Risen Lord! In the new translation of the prayer before communion we will say with the centurion: ”Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” We affirm God’s action, and we use the words of sacred scripture to do it.

Many folks paid the Lord a great compliment when they equated him with being John the Baptist or one of the prophets. Today, many do the same when they identify Jesus, rightly, was prophet, teacher, brother, and friend. Yet, Peter reminds us to have greater expectations when we proclaims Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” As we celebrate the Eucharist today, let us open ourselves to seeing the reality of His becoming one with us: His Body with our bodies, His Blood with our blood, His Soul with our souls, His Divinity touching our humanity.

Pastor's Pen - 8/21/2011: A recap of summer as it winds down

2011-08-21T15:06:00.000-04:00

As always, it’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end as schools prepare to start up in the next couple of weeks. Over the summer we’ve been working hard in preparing for the re-opening of our school, religious education, youth ministry, and parish programs. I’d like to bring you up to date, at the risk of repeating of myself, with some staff additions as well as some parish business.

In our Religious Education and Youth Ministry Offices we welcome two new faces. Ruth Gorski and Ann Marie Cucinotta have joined the administrative staff. Ruth is working full time, focused on religious education programs while Anne Marie is assisting with programming for middle and high school-aged youth. Maureen McCart is settling in as our new Development Director, learning the lay of the land, and moving into her new office in the rectory. Maureen will be overseeing fund raising activities for the parish and school as well as working with the stewardship of time, talent, and treasure of our St. John’s community. Kitt O’Brien, who has been working as a secretary in the Parish Office, will assume her responsibilities as Development Assistant, with responsibilities centered on communications and marketing for our parish and school. Parishioner LeAnn Brand recently joined the parish office staff as a part-time secretary, joining Barbara Dean in the front office. Jo Anne Ibex joined us in May as our Director of Music Ministry and is gearing up for the fall choir season after her “baptism by fire” that included coming to St. John’s as we were celebrating the major events of First Communions, Confirmations, school graduation, and the First Mass of Thanksgiving of Fr. Warren Tanghe.

The settlement date for the purchase of the new residence for the priests of St. John’s is set for this Tuesday, Aug. 23. Shortly thereafter we will gradually begin moving things over, after some minor modifications to the interior of the house take place (an additional bathroom and bedroom). We will then expand our offices and meeting spaces throughout the current rectory. Parish business will continue to take place at the current rectory.

Our parish is anxiously preparing for the beginning of our new high school youth program called Life Teen. The Life Teen program is an international Catholic youth program that is centered on the Eucharist and engages teens utilizing creativity in prayer, learning, service, and social activities. Core members of all ages, but at least one year out of high school, are needed to serve our teens. I encourage you to contact Cassandra in the Youth Ministry Office to discuss the possibility of being part of this awesome ministry!

The new Roman Missal, the prayers used in the celebration of the Mass, will be shipped by publishers on Oct. 1 and implemented fully on the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27. To take advantage of the best deals on the needed resources we have pre-ordered new hymnals and missalettes for use at Mass. Parishioners will have an opportunity to memorialize hymnals as was done the last time a new hymnal was introduced at St. John’s, about 15 years ago. The new hymnal is the updated edition of Gather, which will incorporate a mixture of traditional and contemporary liturgical music. It will be supplemented with a new seasonal (annual) missalette, Breaking Bread, that will include the readings for Mass. The resources, produced by two different publishers, will provide the best of familiar Catholic hymnody as well as new liturgically appropriate modern compositions. The missalette will allow us to keep up with new liturgical developments as time goes on.

Also, there have been some requests to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation at a time other than Saturday afternoon. While we will continue to hear confessions on Saturdays from 4-5 PM, we will also beginning offering the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament on the first Friday of each month beginning Sept. 2 from 7-8 PM on a trial basis. We hope this will encourage regular reception of the sacrament as it will follow the monthly offering of Eucharistic adoration.

Homily for August 14, 2011 (Matthew 15, 21-28)

2011-08-18T21:27:00.004-04:00

God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. But our unchanging God has taught us, through stories like today's gospel, that we should come to Him in prayer, and pour out our hearts to Him, and that our heartfelt prayer can change things. It is a great mystery how that can be, but that's what faith believes.

A gentile woman came to Jesus, pleading on behalf of her troubled daughter. "Lord, help me," she cried. At first there was no response from Jesus. Nothing at all. Then he told her why he did not respond: he was sent "only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel", not to gentiles. That was his mission. That was the plan, God's plan.

Now stop the story here for a moment. Doesn't it sound really familiar and personal? We come to God in anguished prayer about some desperate need, using even the same words as the Canaanite woman - "Lord, help me." And sometimes we get no response. The Lord doesn't do anything. And then we get the idea: the Lord is saying to us that what we're asking for is not His plan for us. It's not meant to be. This kind of thing happens to every faithful Christian.

But then, in today's story, something truly remarkable happened. The Canaanite woman changed the Lord's mind. Something about this woman got to him. So the plan had to change. And with that the story comes to an end: Great is your faith, the Lord says. Let it be done for you as you wish.

I wondered if anyone else was struck with how remarkable and mysterious a thing that is: that in response to a person's persistent cry for help, the Lord would change his mind. So on a whim, I went to Google and entered "Canaanite woman changes Jesus' mind". The search returned 2,130,000 hits.

One of the responses that got my attention was a sermon on today's story by a Presbyterian minister in upstate New York. She had a dog, who sat under the table at mealtime waiting for whatever came his way. If she waited too long to slip him something, she would feel his nose applying pressure on her knee.

When the Canaanite woman said to Jesus: "Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master's table", that was the breakthrough moment. That was the line that got Jesus to change his mind. So what the minister did once, she said, was to go sit were the dog sat, to get a better understanding of the view from under the table.

And the attitude below is different. It's humble, but persistent. It's needy, and persistent. Above all, it's trusting that the one above will respond. And that's the attitude that caused the Lord to change his mind. "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish."

One last thought occurred to me. A lot of people might not fine those words of Jesus to the Canaanite woman all that encouraging - because in our times of profound need - when the Lord is responding with silence and seems to be saying that an answer to our heartfelt prayer is not God's plan - at such times, our faith might not be great at all. We've hardly got anything left. "Great is your faith"? How could the Lord say that to us when we're stretched to breaking?

Matthew's gospel takes care of that little issue. A bit later, the Lord will be talking to his own disciples who were so often living examples of little faith. And Jesus will say to them: "because of your little faith, I say to you if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain 'move from here to there' and it will move."

I just put in my fall vegetable garden and planted some mustard greens. So this image is very real for me: how tiny, tiny, the mustard seed is. And that's the rest of the story. Even if our faith is not great, like the Canaanite woman's, in our times of crisis; even it's just a tiny little seed, stay with it. Don't lose it. In some very mysterious way, it can change things.

Learn About the New English Translation of the Roman Missal in EIght Minutes

2011-08-13T19:02:00.000-04:00

This video takes you through the reasoning behind the changes to the English translation of the new Roman Missal. It lasts a mere eight minutes.

http://vimeo.com/25418957

Archbishop O'Brien's Continued Reflections on the Parish Planning Process: "We Hear You!"

2011-08-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

Archbishop O'Brien reflects again on the parish planning process in this week's Catholic Review column.

Last week, I updated you on the consultations that have taken place this summer to guide the development of a process for parish planning in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Bishops Denis J. Madden and Mitchell T. Rozanski and I found the four consultations with lay parish leaders to be very revealing, as parishioners from across the Archdiocese responded with their perceptions and ideas about a host of related issues.

In furtherance of our commitment to transparency throughout this process, I provide this summary of the prevailing themes to emerge from these very helpful sessions. It should be noted that the format of these meetings precluded any discussion. We were strictly there to listen, an enormously beneficial exercise given the wealth of ideas, passion and enthusiasm in our parishes.
Vibrant and Sustainable Parishes

A number of broad categories emerged from the discussion on what constitutes a vibrant and sustainable parish with clear consensus that the following elements are essential: Mass/Liturgy; Sacramental Life; Sense of Community; Encouragement of Diversity; Evangelization; Faith Formation; Youth and Young Adult Ministries; Community Service/Outreach; Parish Leadership; Communication; and Stewardship.

Participants emphasized the importance of having good Mass attendance, as well as an inspiring liturgy with full participation, relevant homilies and a strong music ministry. Access to the sacraments is seen as a key component of any parish. A vibrant parish must have a welcoming atmosphere that fosters communication and relationships among parishioners, and should celebrate and encourage diversity by offering a variety of liturgical styles, activities and ministries, as well as Masses in different languages when necessary.

Lay leaders said that evangelization efforts need to be visible both inside and outside the church, with a special focus on how to engage inactive Catholics. A vibrant parish has robust religious education, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and continuing adult formation programs, as well as active service ministries in the form of pastoral care for parishioners and in outreach to the surrounding community. Participants urged parishes to recruit and train laity to form an active volunteer base – another important measure of vibrancy – and suggested developing a database of parishioner skill sets. Additionally, youth and young adult ministries should be active and engaging with solid leadership, and should be treated as core ministries of the church.

In addition to the various ministries and services that are integral to parish life, lay leaders stressed the necessity of effective leadership, communication and stewardship at the parish level. Parishes need pastors to be strong spiritual leaders as well as have adequate management, leadership and interpersonal skills. To this end, participants suggested priests and seminarians should be trained accordingly and reviews should be conducted to help balance how priests are performing and how their time is spent.

Effective leadership also encompasses an active pastoral council and committees, and a parish mission statement providing a shared vision and common goals. It was also recommended that parishes proactively identify strengths and weaknesses by performing internal assessments, and that they develop parish strategic plans. Some suggested that the Archdiocese of Baltimore could help these efforts by developing guidelines and providing support for strategic planning at the parish level.

Open lines of communication between the Archdiocese, pastors and parishioners are likewise important to good parish health. It was recommended that communication efforts on the parish level include an engaging web presence – specifically utilizing the various social networking tools currently available.

Participants acknowledged that good stewardship requires a sense of ownership among parishioners and that a sustainable parish must have adequate resources – including facilities that are well-maintained, safe and updated, and sufficient collections and revenue to keep the parish financially sound. Some expressed concern about Cathedraticum (the assessment each parish is required by Canon Law to contribute toward the operation of our Central Services offices) and it was suggested that the Archdiocese consider forgiving past Cathedraticum debt for poor parishes.
Priest Shortage

Participants also addressed questions and voiced concerns about the number of available priests and about the allotment of spiritual versus administrative duties being performed by them. Many believe that there is a need to maximize the time priests have for sacramental and catechetical duties. At the same time, parishioners felt that parishes should focus on the recruitment and training of lay leaders, recruitment to the permanent diaconate, and inter-parish sharing of personnel, such as business managers and directors of religious education, to help minimize the administrative burden on pastors and priests. Some said there is also a need to better define the possible roles of the laity and provide clarity about limitations as well as measures to enhance their involvement.

Understanding that priests perform many duties that are not visible to parishioners, it was recommended that the Archdiocese raise awareness of behind-the-scenes work of pastors and what those responsibilities are beyond Sunday Mass. It also became clear in the discussion that there is a need to increase the understanding among the laity of priest assignments, particularly non-parish priests and their roles in the Archdiocese.
Vocations

Connected with the discussion on numbers of priests and their workload is the question of how best to increase their numbers. Lay leaders had numerous thoughts and suggestions related to this issue, including:

• Focusing evangelization efforts on youths and young adults, and nurturing a greater awareness of the priesthood as a viable career choice;
• Marketing vocations to be a more attractive career choice, thereby increasing the encouragement and support provided by parents;
• Utilizing Catholic schools and faith formation programs as potential feeders for vocations;
• Helping priests and seminarians recognize the central role they play in encouraging vocations, especially through homilies and seminarian involvement with parishes, particularly with the youth population;
• Ensuring parishes use activities such as retreats, vocation nights, vocation prayer groups, outreach and field trips to seminaries as a way of promoting vocations;
• Sharing by the Archdiocese whatever recruitment efforts are happening behind the scenes, and offering guidance as to how parishes can help support these efforts on the ground level.
Inter-parish Collaboration

Recognizing the value of collaboration, many examples emerged from the discussion on how parishes can work together for a more efficient use of resources: coordinating and/or reducing Mass schedules to promote full and vibrant liturgies; joint liturgical and faith sharing initiatives such as reconciliation services, Eucharistic adoration, and missions; joint ministries such as adult faith formation, RCIA, children’s religious education, youth ministry and service initiatives; shared parish resources and personnel. Participants also promoted opportunities for financial collaboration (e.g., shared purchasing power and combined fundraising efforts). The cooperation of parish leadership – pastors, councils and committees – is critical to the success of any such collaborative efforts.

A number of participants spoke specifically about developing a model for managing parish collaboration. Suggestions included forming regional networks with the help of the Archdiocese to share resources and ideas across parishes, and examining the best practices of successful models both within and outside our Archdiocese. Some lay leaders spoke about the necessity for openness among parishioners to new parish models, including mergers and closures. Some voiced concerns about the potential impact of parish mergers or closures, especially in city neighborhoods where parishes are viewed as stabilizing presences.
Values and Expectations for the Process

Lay leaders believed that Christian values should be predominant in shaping the parish planning process, and all efforts should be characterized by a spirit of collaboration, inclusiveness and evangelization. Changing demographics throughout the Archdiocese should not be overlooked – in particular the growing Hispanic population in many areas – and the diversity in parish communities should be celebrated and marketed.

In recognizing the need to make decisions based on stewardship, fiscal responsibility and best business practices (at both the Archdiocesan and parish levels), participants cautioned against decision-making based solely on these factors. Creativity, flexibility and open-mindedness were frequently cited as important elements that should not be overlooked in the planning process. Planners were encouraged to “think outside the box” and also take into consideration the differences between communities, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, and preserving unique parish identities where possible.
Keeping the Laity Informed and Involved

A prevailing theme in all meetings was communication. Participants in every session called for openness and transparency, calling them critical to the success of a planning effort. Participants expressed their gratitude for their inclusion in the process thus far and asked for regular updates – including pulpit announcements, parish bulletin notices, newspaper articles and online content – going forward. The process should be marked by transparency – sharing critical information such as trends, data, financial status and the criteria for determining viability – as well as authenticity, with assurance that the decisions are not already made, they said.

Indeed, lay leaders widely agreed that parishioners need to be invited to be part of the solution to ensure global buy-in of stakeholders. This will require two-way dialogue throughout the process, welcoming feedback from parishioners through councils, town hall meetings, web forums, focus groups and/or surveys. Such efforts, they said, will be necessary to address the natural resistance to change and to promote good change management throughout the planning process.

My response to these and other comments received to-date: we hear you! And we want to continue to hear from you. We will continue to find ways to provide updated information throughout this process and I encourage you to continue to monitor these pages, the Archdiocesan website and, of course, your own parish.

The Pastor's Pen - 8/14/2011: New Development Director arrives and it appears we are buying the house

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

First, let me take this opportunity to welcome Mrs. Maureen McCart, our new Director of Development, to St. John the Evangelist. Maureen started work here on Monday and is getting acclimated to her new surroundings. She will be introducing herself formally at various meetings and gatherings over the course of the next month. Let’s extend a warm St. John’s welcome to her!

Over the last several weeks, I’ve tried to keep you abreast of the progress towards the purchase of a home to act as the residence of our parish priests, thus opening up our rectory for much-needed office and meeting room space. We have a settlement date of Aug. 23. While respecting the wishes of the seller to not publish the precise address at this time, I know there are folks who are curious. The house is 0.2 miles from the church in a neighboring community, so we will be very close (a two minute drive or six minute walk). All parish business will continue to take place in our current rectory. The move will enable us to utilize the rectory space to a maximum, opening up meeting space in what is currently the rectory dining room and my office. The priests’ offices will be re-located to the second floor as well as the Business Office staff. The St. Vincent de Paul Society pantry will be relocated to the rectory, which will centralize our efforts and make it much easier to distribute food to clients seeking assistance. Our Development Office staff will be housed on the first floor set of rooms formerly used by our seminarians. We will also gain a small conference/meeting room on the basement level and parish office staff will be able to spread out a bit and have better working space.

The house, including the finished basement, has about 3,900 square feet of space. It has four bedrooms and 3.5 baths. We will be adding an additional bedroom on the basement level which will allow us to have a guest room and for Msgr. Auer to have the use of two rooms—one being a sitting room/study as well as maintaining space for the possibility of a future resident seminarian. The home has been well cared for requiring nothing obvious in the way of critical maintenance. It also is blessed with a number of energy saving features. The purchase of the home is much less than it would cost to build a similar structure on our property to yield the footage we are gaining for offices and meeting space.

We are able to make the purchase using money accrued in our capital reserve fund with the intention of replacing it over time, thereby avoiding a mortgage debt as well as acquiring a marketable resource that we believe could be sold fairly easily if the time came that it was no longer needed.

Certainly, I wish we had more time to “socialize” this event in our parish life, but time was of the essence as such a house, in such proximity to the church, is rarely on the market. I believe that the Lord somehow made this possible and also enables us to advance a bit in our master plan, essentially giving us time to study future parish needs and priorities while addressing some concerns immediately. I do appreciate our lay leaders, who on short notice took the time to hear the proposal and offer their counsel. I hope that we will be able to transition to the new home, and open up the rectory space, over the course of the next month or two. Thank you for your prayers and support.

New Director of Development Arrives at St. John's

2011-08-11T07:54:00.000-04:00

St. John the Evangelist Parish and School extends a warm welcome to Mrs. Maureen McCart, our newly hired Director of Development. Maureen arrived at St. John's on August 8 and is getting acclimated to our community. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the area of development, most recently having ministered at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD. Maureen's work will include overseeing the fundraising efforts of our parish and school as well as executing an effective stewardship program at St. John's. Also she will work with communications and marketing. Her office is in the rectory and she can be reached at mmccart@stjohnsp.org.

Many Hands = Light Work: Archbishop O'Brien on the Parish Planning Process

2011-08-04T19:28:00.009-04:00

»The Catholic Review Online | Catholic newspaper, Archdiocese of Baltimore, world and national Archdiocese news, CNS
As the summer rolls on, I thought I’d offer an update on the recently-concluded consultations with parish lay leaders, which were aimed at helping me and our auxiliary bishops better understand the laity’s opinions and ideas about how best to address the challenges facing our Church today and those which loom large for us tomorrow.

More specifically, I wanted their input as I wrestle with formulating a process that engages parishioners in the monumental task of charting a new course for Catholic ministry and Catholic parish life based on our desire for healthy and vibrant parishes, and an overarching responsibility to plan for a number of realities and projected realities, included among them:

• Shortage of active-duty priests and new priestly vocations
• Declining Mass attendance
• Aging churches and other parish structures
• Increasing number of parishes operating with a financial deficit

Chief among our challenges in addressing these real and unavoidable issues is the equally relevant fact that these parishes hold great meaning and significance for the people they serve (as they did for their ancestors) as well as the wider communities where they are located.

We have our work cut out for us, indeed, but we have no choice but to meet the task at hand head-on or we will abdicate our responsibility not only to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, but also to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible. We cannot do this if we have to spend each of the next several years reacting to crises that we would have avoided with some careful and thoughtful planning today!

That is where you come in, dear people of the Archdiocese.

We invited three members from every parish to attend a series of two meetings held at four locations throughout the Archdiocese: Columbia, Baltimore, Frederick and Fullerton. Each meeting lasted approximately two hours. The first was moderated and there were no priests or bishops present. We assigned participants to a table with 7-10 people from other parishes in the Archdiocese and asked them to deliberate on two assigned questions (one on substance, the other on process) from the following list:

1. What elements constitute a vibrant and sustainable parish? What measures can be used to determine whether a parish is thriving? What does a vibrant parish look like, feel like? What do you think should be done if a parish is not found to be financially sustainable?”

2. What should Catholics expect their parishes to provide and how should parishes meet the needs and expectations of their parishioners? Further, how can parishioners engage inactive Catholics? Please be specific.

3. How can parishes work together to help address the decreased availability of priests? How can parishes promote vocations to the priesthood? Please be specific.

4. Are you aware of examples where a parish has worked with another parish to utilize resources more efficiently—priests’ time, finances, and/or combining activities/ministries?

5. As parish leaders, what concerns do you have about the future of the Archdiocese given the background information you were sent and heard this evening?

6. What are the values that should help shape the parish planning process?

7. What are your expectations for this planning process?

8. How can we assure that the laity are involved and informed throughout the planning process?

9. What should not be overlooked in any planning process undertaken to address the challenges facing the people and parishes of the Archdiocese?

Participants were asked to select a “reporter” to represent their table the following night, when Bishops Mitch Rozanski, Denis Madden and I would listen to their findings. Each table prepared notes that were transcribed and presented the second night via PowerPoint (or flip chart) to assist those presenting as well as those listening to the presentations.

And based on the keen interest, robust participation and tremendously insightful input on display at these recent meetings, I am enthusiastic about our prospects for success.

For the record, not all of what I heard I agreed with, nor was it always pleasant to hear. But I did appreciate the honesty and the passion and the interest in improving our Church. And I hope those who participated appreciated and recognized my sincere desire to have them (and you) be a part of this process. As I said before each meeting, this is our Church and it is our responsibility to plan together for the future, whatever it may hold.

Clearly some tough decisions will have to be made. But, there should be no surprises. If we go about this process the right way, everyone invested in his or her parish and in our wider Church should know the issues being addressed, as well as what is being proposed as a solution to those issues. This will require a tremendous communication system to reach the many people who will be impacted by our work to try and improve our Church.

To that end, reports on all four sets of meetings have been compiled and are being sent this week to every priest and parish leader, as well as every participant so that further discussions can take place at the parish level.

Next week, I’ll share in this space some of the most commonly heard suggestions and concerns expressed during the meetings, and offer some food for thought of my own.

I intend to use these insights, as well as those gleaned from my meetings and other correspondences with the wise and generous priests of the Archdiocese, to help shape a vision and a process for how we might proceed together in addressing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Aug 4, 2011

Pastor's Pen - 8/7/2011 - Parish Proceeding With Home Purchase; Also Welcoming New Director of Development

2011-08-04T18:56:00.000-04:00

I’d first like to update you on the purchase of the house to become the priests residence and the conversion of the rectory into expanded office and meeting space. We are currently under contract to purchase the home. As I mentioned before, the purchase of this particular house has happened rather quickly and I’m grateful for the feedback that I’ve received from members of our lay leadership. It is, however, a wonderful opportunity for us to proceed with some items in our master plan at a rather modest cost in comparison with the cost of construction, realizing the use of space for office and meetings in a relatively short period of time.

Our plans for the rectory include moving the clergy offices to the second floor as well as the Business & Accounting Offices. The dining room (with kitchen access) and my present office will become meeting spaces for small groups. The first floor suite of rooms will house the Development Office. Donna Boyko, our Office Manager will (finally) have an office space of her own that will really help with storage space, and we anticipate the movement of the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry from the convent basement which will centralize their ministry in the rectory basement. We also anticipate the freeing up of space for a small conference room in addition to the current meeting room already in use.

Settlement on the house will probably take place during the month of August, but those details are being worked out pending some minor repairs being done by the seller. The purchase of the house will give us a marketable asset for the future and, if it is no longer needed, we believe it would be highly marketable. Purchasing in a buyer’s market is certainly a plus.

This coming week we will welcome the arrival of Mrs. Maureen McCart as our new Director of Development for our parish and school. Maureen comes to us from Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD where she has worked in development. She has experience in fundraising and development within the Catholic community, not only working in Catholic education, but also serving as a volunteer in her parishes and sitting on several Catholic school boards. She will be introducing herself to our community in the coming weeks.

It is always a pleasure to welcome Fr. Dominic Zimmerman, SOLT home to Severna Park. Fr. Dominic, a native son of the parish, will be assisting us with Masses over the next few weeks. See the Mass schedule on page 3 for his specific Mass times.

Finally, with the planned move into a more traditional residential setting, and in light that it appears that I’ve been developing some allergies, I’ve decided it best that I search for new homes for my two cats. Sidney (the 20 pound one) is 11 years old and I believe she is part Maine Coon. She is pretty bright and puts on a rather matronly aura. Mickey is my black cat, and of a more playful nature. She’s eight years old and more active. Both have their shots and are spayed and declawed. They don’t necessarily have to go to the same home (as Sidney isn’t all that fond of Mickey). They have been indoor cats since I got them each as kittens. Contact me or the Parish Office if you, or someone you know is interested.

National Pastoral Musicians - 2011

2011-07-31T18:53:00.000-04:00

Recently JoAnne Ibex and myself went to the National Pastoral Musicians Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme this year was Sing a New Song. There was a gathering of over 3,400 musicians who all work or volunteer in the music ministry.

From morning prayer, Mass to Industry workshops this conference had something for everyone! Our former associate pastor Father Rick Hilgartner offered workshops on the New Roman Missal.

The Keynote speaker and the plenum speakers were all excellent. Msgr. Ray East, who is from St. Teresa of Avila parish in Washington, DC (Anacostia area) was particularly inspirational. With his guidance we all sang Give Me Jesus by David Haas and singing Lori True’s Magnificat during his talk. Just imagine over three thousand musicians sining acapella in a very large convention hall! Msgr. East is perhaps one of the most dynamic speakers I have ever heard. His talk summed up all that we are as Catholic Christians.

1.) Worship steeped in liturgy, real faith continues through out the entire week. (prayer)

2.) Fellowship formed is inclusive in all who we meet throughout the week, months and years. 3,) Discipleship - to become like Christ. Christ must be the center of our universe, our bodies, our thinking. 4.)Service (Let Me Be Your Servant) Be like Mary the Mother of God, saying yes to all that Jesus wants you to do. 5.) Evangelization: We are all called to evangelize.

Msgr. East had a wonderful little saying that really says it all. EGO’s out, God in. Of course EGO stands for Edging God Out. What a perfect little saying!

Over the course of the week, we sang through many new Mass settings, learned more about chanting psalms, improvisation of Hispanic music and new publications! One of my favorite breakout sessions was Chant taught by Father Anthony Ruff from St. John’s University, MN.

If you have a chance, visit the National Pastoral Musicians website - www.npm.org. They have many resources available. If you are assisting in any way in the music ministry (cantoring, choir, instrumentalist) consider joining this great organization. We have a local chapter - Baltimore chapter of NPM that sponsors events throughout the year.

Submitted by,

Mary Tamplin

Children’s Choir Director

Homily for July 31, 2011 - "We've Found the Food!

2011-07-31T10:06:00.000-04:00

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

For the last several weeks, our selections from St. Matthew’s gospel have been accounts of Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God using parables. We hear the Kingdom described as being like a field of wheat and weeds, a buried treasure, a rare pearl. This week Jesus speaks to us less in words and more in actions as we are invited to meditate upon the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand.

The scene is a familiar one for many of us. Jesus and the disciples find themselves surrounded by a crowd of overwhelming numbers. These folks have been following Jesus, hanging onto his words, reaching out to him for assistance. Interesting to note, the gospel account tells us that his first response is to look upon them with pity and heal the sick.

How often do we find ourselves overwhelmed by the demands that life places on us? How often would we like to react be recoiling, retreating, running away to escape into solitude rather than respond to those demands, which can seem unreasonable or even impossible? Yet, the response of Jesus is one of compassion, reaching out with his healing touch, presumably taking time to be with those in the midst of their brokenness?

The day progresses and the disciples recognize that the crowds are getting hungry. No one came prepared for the length of this day and in terms of provisions that have only five loaves and two fish – meager when you consider just the task of feeding Jesus and the twelve. A very human response is to turn the crowds away, to send them home as this task is too much. Common sense that this little bit of food is not enough to feed such a vast throng.

It’s important to note Jesus’ response here. What does he do? He takes the bread, breaks it, and gives it to his disciples who, in turn, are called to give it to the people. This gospel teaches us two things. First, it teaches us to rely on God first for our provision. They thought the little they had to offer was far from sufficient. But, in offering it to the Lord, it became enough to meet the need. What did we respond in today’s psalm? “The hand of the Lord feeds us. He answers all our needs!” God is the provider. There is no need to rely on a harsh “every man for himself” approach here. We come to God and God provides for whatever is lacking in what we already have.

But there’s a second action. Not only does the Lord give to his disciples, but he instructs them to them give to the crowd. Someone once said that a simple definition of evangelization consists in the idea of one hungry person approaching another hungry person and proclaiming, “I’ve found the food!” Simple? Certainly, but also true.

As followers of Jesus, like the disciples we recognize our hunger, our yearning, our desire for fulfillment. But we also recognize our inability to be able to do it on our own. When we gather together before the Lord’s altar, we gather as that hungry crowd, bringing all that we have, however inadequate it might seem. Yet, mysteriously – even mystically – what we have to offer takes on a new identity and is transformed, or to use the big theological word – TRANSUBSTANTIATED – into something more, something better, something sufficient. We who are hungry come to the table, are fed, and in turn are called to invite others to this banquet that satisfies our deepest longings, for it is here that we meet the Lord.

As some of you know, I have a fascination with gadgets. I guess that goes back to my infancy when I was attracted to shiny things with moving parts. Of course, today that fascination is geared towards electronics. My favorite thing is my iPhone, because I normally carry it with me – except in church! I can use it to talk, keep my calendar, store addressed and phone numbers, and go to the internet. But it also has these marvelous little things called apps. It seems that you can get an app for just about anything. I love a number of the prayer apps that I’ve downloaded.

One evening I was hearing confessions and there was an unusually large gap in penitents. I decided to take out my iPhone and go to the app so that I could pray Evening Prayer. That’s the great thing about the app – I don’t need to carry the book with me! Anyway I prayed Evening Prayer and then my rosary, but still no business in the confessional! So, a bit bored, I resorted to another app: one of my games called “Angry Birds.” It’s a simple game with a simple premise. The evil pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs and the birds will do anything to retaliate. (It’s probably not the best game to be playing in the area where we celebrate God’s reconciliation and mercy.) Anyway, you put the birds in a slingshot and hurl them in the air at the pigs that are in various configurations of bunkers to blow them up. I was very careful to turn the sound off, but a few minutes later I heard a voice on the other side of the screen: “Father, I’m sorry to interrupt your game.” Ouch! Imagine my embarrassment. It would have been better if I’d still been on Evening Prayer!

Anyway, the point is that as folks who hunger, we are called to draw others to the table to have their hungers fed. That’s certainly true of the priesthood, but equally so for all who are baptized. We hunger for union with God. We hunger for forgiveness and mercy. We hunger for compassion and companionship. We’ve found it here! We’ve found the food!

Now, let us go forth after having our hunger satisfied by receiving Christ in Word and Eucharist. Let us be people who are disciples that have witnessed the Lord break and distribute to us to answer our needs and then evangelize those in our world who hunger as we do by proclaiming in so many words: “We’ve found the food!”

Update on Purchase of Priests Residence and Rectory Conversion

2011-07-30T13:37:00.000-04:00

The property underwent a home inspection and radon test, both of which showed no major areas of concern. In the meantime, another offer was extended on the property (without contingencies), thereby requiring us to remove the initial 21-day contingency that we had placed in our contract. We removed the contingencies and are proceeding with the purchase of the home as a residence for the priests of the parish. To clarify, there will be no offices in the residence. The priests' office will remain in the current rectory where all parish business will continue to take place. Of course, the priests will be able to continue to be reached for emergencies through our emergency voice mail system. The entirety of the rectory will now be able to house offices and meeting space by making use of the current residential area. The upper level will include the Business & Accounting Offices and Clergy Offices. The main level will contain the Parish Office, the Development Office, and meeting spaces in the current rectory dining room and current pastor's office (which will be relocated to the 2nd floor). The lower level will continue to contain a meeting room, but will centralize the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, with the parish pantry moving from the convent basement. Tentative plans would also allow for a conference room on that level. We do not yet have a closing date for purchase of the residence as there are some minor repairs that must take place and we must also receive a buyer's package from the community Homeowners Association. I will continue to keep you abreast of progress and am happy to answer your questions.

The Catholicism Project - A new video series by Fr. Robert Barron that tells the story of the Catholic faith through art, architecture, and history.

2011-07-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

I Pray You Enough

2011-07-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

This was forwarded to me by a parishioner and I thought I would share it with you.

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport.. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.'

The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.'

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'

Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'

'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?'

She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory:

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Pastor's Pen - 7/31/2011 - A Busy Summer!

2011-07-27T17:18:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned here last week, we are pursuing the purchase of a house in a nearby neighborhood to serve as a residence for the priests of the parish, opening the rectory for much needed office and meeting space. As of this writing things look promising that the purchase will go through. For more information, I encourage you to access our new up and running parish blog at www.stjohnsp.blogspot.com and to sign up for email alerts to keep abreast of all that is happening in the parish. The blog will include homilies, The Pastor’s Pen, as well as other news and information regarding parish life.

You might also notice in the coming months a number of repairs and improvements to our parish and school facilities. Not noticeable, but an advance for both is our new email system that will eliminate the need for an email server by placing the information on a “cloud.” This will expand the amount of storage space and hopefully help us to avoid email shutdowns like we experienced this past spring due to a system overload. Additionally, we are updating our entire network system.

A new concrete terrace on the east side of the church has poured, and attention is being given to a water leak in the drainage system.

We have installed a portable classroom to house our newly re-established pre-K program for four-year olds at St. John the Evangelist School. It appears that the classes are nearing capacity.

The oldest ten classrooms in the school building are getting a facelift with new ceiling tiles as well as new paint which is a marked improvement. We are also in the process of updating the restrooms in that area and hope to have the work completed early in the school year. In addition, we are examining the costs that would be associated with introducing air conditioning into these same classrooms. We are awaiting more information from the contractor and will then explore avenues for financing.

Of course, ministry continues as our young people have been taking part in various mission trips and youth conferences. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society continues to assist those who come to us in need of assistance to avoid evictions and utility cutoffs, as well as offering non-perishable food items. As our requests have increased I encourage you to remember to bring your non-perishable food items to church as well as to remember the Poor Box as you leave church.

I would also like to recognize the “Joy in the Spirit” Prayer Group that has been meeting each Sunday at St. John’s for the past ten years. They marked this milestone last weekend. We are truly glad to host the monthly Filipino Mass and certainly benefit from their prayers. Please join me in congratulating them for their ongoing ministry of prayer!

Pastor's Pen - 7/24/2011 - Possible Purchase of New Residence to Open Rectory to Meeting and Office Space

2011-07-23T16:32:00.000-04:00

My Dear Friends,

This is Seminarian Jeider Barraza’s last weekend at St. John’s. This week he leaves for his annual seminarian retreat, then has some time to visit with family for vacation before returning to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in August. Let us all keep him in our prayers and give thanks for his eight weeks with us.

In 2008 St. John the Evangelist worked on the development of a Master Plan for the parish’s physical plant with the goal of being able to meet the needs of our growing community. Part of that included an eventual capital campaign to finance the expansion of our buildings and improvements to our church. One of the marks of that plan included the purchase of a residential home for the parish priests to free up space for a larger Parish Center. That center was envisioned as being constructed on the site of the current convent with the current rectory being converted into a convent. Of course, breaking ground for major construction is a ways off in any scenario, with plans for a capital campaign to be launched next year.

When our current rectory was first built in the 1960’s it initially housed two priests. The office staff consisted of a secretary and part-time bookkeeper. Of course, over the years, our parish grew drastically to the point where today, we have 11 staff members needing office space in the rectory and also find ourselves very short on meeting space for our various ministries and committees. (Ask our Office Manager, Donna Boyko, what it’s like to manage the Facilities Calendar). Space is at a premium on our campus.

When the study for the Master Plan was conducted it was learned that usage of space was at 96% (before some of our current staff were on board). Experts recommend a number not to exceed 80%. Very recently I learned that a house not far from the church was put on the market. Mostly out of curiosity, I investigated and was pleasantly surprised to learn that it could easily meet the needs of St. John’s priests as a residence, thus essentially doubling the amount of space in the rectory for meeting space and offices. While this wouldn’t solve all our problems, it would be a big move in the right direction.

I met with the members of the Pastoral Council Executive Committee, Parish Finance Committee, Buildings and Properties Committee, as well as our corporators to discuss the feasibility of such a move. I thank them for taking the time to provide counsel to me to make a good decision. The group was supportive of moving in that direction and we have the support of the Archdiocese.

We would finance the purchase through funds in our capital reserve fund and operating expenses would be included in our normal budget. The immediate benefits, if this comes to fruition, would be the availability of additional meeting spaces (such as the rectory dining room and my current office) as well as expanded office space utilizing the second floor residential area. We could never build this type of space for what the house will cost. The parish would also secure a marketable asset in the house that could be resold in the future if no longer needed.

It also puts us in conformity with archdiocesan policy which encourages the priest’s living quarters to be separated from the parish offices, and to be able to do so in the midst of a buyer’s market when prices are more reasonable saves money in the long run.

We have extended an offer on the house with some contingencies as we await an inspection to insure that it is a good investment. If this works out, this will offer our community an opportunity to minister more effectively as well as to extend the reach of our existing ministries, many of which have to limit their activities or look elsewhere for meeting space.

I know this seems to be moving rather quickly, and may be a bit much to digest. However, should you have any concerns, or seek more detailed information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will keep you abreast of developments as we know more in the coming weeks.

Welcome to our new parish blog!

2011-07-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

It's my pleasure to welcome you to our newly created parish blog. This is another avenue of communication to the parishioners and friends of St. John the Evangelist with the ability to receive updates via email should you so choose. Here you will find entries, posted by members of the parish staff, that will include the weekly Pastor's Pen from the bulletin, homilies that are posted by our priests and deacons, timely announcements and reminders, as well as bringing to your attention other pertinent information on the internet that would be of interest. As always, we welcome your comments and observations. Please observe good manners in making comments, avoiding personal attacks at a post's author or the commentator to a post.