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Two things I wanted to mention.

Everyone Prays at Holy Etchmiadzin

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity our local ecumenical group held its meeting at St. Peter’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Fr. Bedros was the gracious host as always, providing for our needs, both spiritual and material.

Those who read my posts rather regularly might note that I have a great deal of love and admiration for St. Peter’s and its people and pastors (past and present — currently Fr. Bedros, and previously Fr. Stepanos, and Fr. Garen). The parish staff at St. Peter’s generously support our little ecumenical organization by looking after mailing lists and other administrative duties. In addition to all that – they always prepare a wonderful meal.

Fr. Bedros was good enough to provide for a viewing of Everyone Prays at Holy Etchmiadzin. The production was slated for viewing on ABC affiliates across the country. Unfortunately, our local ABC affiliate, WTEN, declined to air the film noting that they ‘don’t do religious programming,’ or words to that affect. The Capital Region lost because of that attitude.

I highly recommend the firm. It has a distinctly ecumenical overtone, and shows the Church as one with its faithful and its communities. One of the most moving parts was the descrioption of the Holy Muron and the visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, to the United States. Imagine the Bishop of Rome visiting New Orleans, rolling up his cassock sleeves, and painting homes being built by Habitat for Humanity and you’ll get the picture. The film is available from St. Vartan’s Bookstore for only $20.

The Hours on your iPhone or iPod Touch

As you may have noted, I link to the Universalis site which provides the Liturgy of the Hours. I was pleased to learn that Universalis has published Universalis on the iPhone. The application is rather expensive, but well worth it (as opposed to buying the four volume set of the Hours) and it is reasonable in terms of the convenience the application provides.

It should be noted that a few of the readings for the Office of Readings are still missing, and the application is currently being updated so as to include all the antiphons. The updates are free. The other nice thing about Universalis is that you do not need 3G or Wi-Fi to access any of it, it sits right on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Universalis for the iPhone and iPod Touch (available at the iTunes store) has enhanced my ability to pray the hours wherever I may happen to be. It is convenient, easy to use, and works seamlessly with the accelerometer. If you have an iPhoe or iPod Touch I highly recommend this app.

Perspective, PNCC,

Reviving closed Roman Catholic parishes for use by the PNCC

From the Buffalo News: Polish Catholic Church may buy sites: Considers buildings closed by diocese

More than a century ago, Catholic communities of Polish-Americans around the country, including Buffalo, broke with the Roman Catholic Church in disputes over property and lay governance.

Now, two recently closed Roman Catholic churches are being considered for use as worship sites by the Polish National Catholic Church, a denomination established in 1897 as a result of the split.

Some of the vacant churches’ former parishioners —” many of whom objected to the closings —” are expected to be among those in the pews again.

The Polish National Catholic Church’s Buffalo Pittsburgh Diocese has expressed interest in purchasing Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Brant and Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Woodlawn.

The Polish National Catholic Church would establish a new parish at the Brant church, which closed last July.

Holy Trinity Polish National Catholic Church in Lackawanna wants to move permanently into the Woodlawn church, which the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo shut down last March.

Holy Trinity has been leasing the space for Sunday worship since mid- August, when a lightning strike sparked a fire, resulting in extensive water damage to its church on Pulaski Place.

—We’re hoping to buy it,— the Rev. Gary J. Spencer, Holy Trinity pastor, said of the Woodlawn site.

The parish was grateful that the Rev. John Kasprzak, pastor of Queen of Angels Roman Catholic Church in Lackawanna, offered the use of the Woodlawn facility, Spencer said.

—It was truly a blessing from God. We didn’t miss one Sunday,— he said.

…

[John Chiavetta] predicted a Polish National Catholic church, which has a liturgy and customs almost identical to those of Roman Catholicism, in the Brant building would attract many former Our Lady of Mount Carmel members.

—They’re the closest thing to the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, you’re asking people to change their religion, but it’s a very minor change,— Chiavetta said. —The biggest thing is the parish would own the church. No diocese would ever close it.—

In the Polish National Catholic Church, as in most Protestant denominations, parishes decide for themselves whether they should close.

Bishop Thaddeus Peplowski of the Buffalo Pittsburgh Diocese said the Brant site could work.

—We do have people who live in that area,— he said. —And there are some Roman Catholics interested in joining with us. . . . It seems there’s enough interest there. In other cities, in other states, we’ve purchased Roman Catholic church buildings.—

Spencer said Holy Trinity would not actively seek to recruit former Our Lady of Grace parishioners.

—It would be a blessing if a lot of people in that neighborhood did check us out,— he said. —But I wouldn’t want to undermine the Roman Catholic Diocese in any way because of what they’ve done for us,— Spencer said.

Kevin A. Keenan, spokesman for the Buffalo Catholic Diocese, said the Polish National Catholic Church has inquired about the churches but has yet to meet with the diocese or make an offer.

Despite its name, the Polish National Catholic Church no longer encompasses only people of Polish heritage…

ACTS – the newsletter of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese notes:

So far, the negotiations for the closed church property have not been going too well, and that is the cause for the uncertainty.

However, Father Gary Spencer and the parishioners of Holy Trinity are optimistic, and have been praying that the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Buffalo and Holy Trinity Parish will soon come to terms on the purchase of the property.

The property consists of a church, rectory, two garages, a social hall, and two classrooms.

Everyone seems to feel right at home at Our Lady of Grace church, and getting in to church for some of the more senior seniors has been much easier as there are about 10 less steps to climb to access the nave.

Father Gary welcomes, and would be very grateful for, any support afforded to Holy Trinity by their sisters and brothers in the Buffalo —“ Pittsburgh Dioceses, but he especially asks for your prayers that Holy Trinity succeed in purchasing Our Lady of Grace church, and that the move results in substantial growth in their parish.

This seems to contradict Mr. Keenan’s statement.

Bishop Peplowski has worked hard at encouraging positive relations within Buffalo’s Polish-American community and between the PNCC and Buffalo’s Roman Catholic Diocese. I think that the Roman Diocese’s generosity, in allowing our parish the use of this building, is commendable and is ecumenically positive. Buffalo’s Roman diocese has a plethora of closed parishes and lots of land and buildings that need to be put to good use. Roman Catholic Canon law would not restrict the sale of the building to the PNCC (Canons 1222 para. 2, and in general 383 and 392). This is outlined nicely in a document prepared by the R.C. Archdiocese of Boston. Of course any reason could be cited for disallowing the PNCC purchase (price, the faith of Roman Catholics, etc.). As Fr. Gary asks, let us pray that the sale of the parish buildings succeeds and that the parish is blessed with a new and more accessible home.

In Bishop Peplowski’s ACTS article he notes:

We are now in the process of talking with groups that are interested in organizing new parishes. There has been increased interest in the Polish National Catholic Church by non members, and one person expressed her interest with the following comment: —The PNCC is a Catholic Church that is so American in its polity and government – the ideal Church that many of us are looking for.— This concept has been the hallmark of our structure as the Catholic Church from its very inception. There are Christians who are having difficulty understanding in their own churches questions that concern the ownership and policy regulating local parishes’ buildings and assets. They are discovering in the PNCC that these questions are clearly answered in the Constitution of the Church. Hopefully by our next issue of ACTS, we will have more information about the groups that are now developing into mission parishes.

With all of the problems concerning our economy, national security and the rise of secularism in our country, it is refreshing to hear that many people are still turning to the Church for guidance and inspiration. Even though we have a shortage of priests, we cannot turn away those who are seeking to renew their faith in Jesus Christ through affiliation with the Polish National Catholic Church. Yes, the harvest is great, even though the workers are scarce; we need to continue in our missionary zeal of evangelizing the Gospel as proclaimed by our Church. Growth comes through faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in His Will, and leaving all other things to fall into place as He inspires us to find the solutions to these problems.

It is a blessing when the faithful find a home, and when their need for a parish home can be met easily. May our Lord and Savior protect and encourage all those who seek His light.

PNCC,

There’s a lot we can learn from the Reformed Churches

From Kosciol.pl: Abp Gołębiewski: wiele możemy się nauczyć od Kościołów reformowanych (Archbishop Gołębiewski: There is much to be learned from the Reformed Churches).

Od protestantów możemy się nauczyć większego szacunku dla Słowa Bożego —“ powiedział metropolita wrocławski (We have the opportunity to learn great regard for the Word of God from the Protestant Churches says the Metropolitan of Wrocław)

Unfortunately, the article is only available in the Polish language. The translations provided above are mine. More on Archbishop Gołębiewski

As I’ve noted in previous posts, the Roman Church held a Synod on the Word of God this past October. Let’s pray that the Roman Church follows the PNCC in elevating the hearing of and teaching on the Word of God to sacramental status.

Current Events, PNCC

Again, what celibacy is and is not…

From the Morning Sentinel: Church acknowledges Dumoulin fatherhood, but takes issue with other details

The Rev. Marcel Dumoulin never denied that he fathered Judy Soucier’s child, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland said last week.

“We have a fair amount of documentation on this,” Diocese spokeswoman Susan Bernard said Tuesday.

…

Asked if a priest fathering a child is an unusual occurrence, Bernard said: “It certainly isn’t something that happens every day. Of course it’s unusual. Priests take a vow of celibacy.”

…

She said Dumoulin made a decision that he still wanted his vocation and recommitted to that vocation. Church officials said he needed to be responsible to the child, but did not force him to leave his vocation or to marry, according to Bernard.

…

“It’s not a crime,” she said. “This is not about a crime, to father a child. He certainly did break his vow of celibacy and that is a mistake to do that.”

First, just to cover what the PNCC teaches, celibacy is not mandatory, in fact most PNCC clergy are married because they are called to that grace. The grace of Marriage and Orders are not mutually exclusive. If the Holy Spirit grants a man with the gift of celibacy that is a great gift, and something they are called to. Celibacy is not a gift that can be demanded, nor is it anything other than a man made discipline as instituted in the R.C. Church.

Now to the issue above. The R.C. Diocesan spokeswoman, the official spokesperson for the diocese at that, has no idea what celibacy means. She is either misdirecting or is ill informed.

Put simply, celibacy means that one pledges that they will not marry. Now certainly, if one is not married one shouldn’t be engaging in sexual relations (the normal requirement of abstention from sexual relations applies to all unmarried persons). However, engaging in sexual relations and fathering a child is not breaking ones vow of celibacy. If Church officials had “forced him to marry” (something they cannot do — you can’t force someone to get married), or if he had chosen to marry Miss Soucier, then he would have broken his vow of celibacy. The statement: “This is not about a crime, to father a child. He certainly did break his vow of celibacy and that is a mistake to do that.” is wrong. He did not break his vow. Rather he sinned against chastity.

Perspective, PNCC,

As long as you….. then you’re one of us

I would like to take a whole different tack on the little Roman Catholic reconciliation that took place this weekend. The Bishop of Rome un-excommunicated four bishops from the Society of St. Pius X. What fascinates me about the whole thing is the level to which the Bishop of Rome will go to reconcile certain folks, while adamantly keeping others at bay.

Of course the SSPX believes in the office of the Pope as defined by the Roman Church. They hold lots of other beliefs in common, especially certain “dogmas” much of the rest of Catholic world rejectsIn terms of their being defined dogmas.. That said, these bishops and their clergy also reject much of what the Roman Church teaches. Think on that! They do not adhere at the level where they can honestly say: “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.” As a matter of fact they differ quite a bit on that, and are unable to accept a lot of what has been defined and taught since 1962.

The document lifting the excommunications makes that point clear:

With this act, it is desires to consolidate the reciprocal relations of confidence and to intensify and grant stability to the relationship of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X with this Apostolic See. This gift of peace, at the end of the Christmas celebrations, wishes also to be a sign to promote unity in the charity of the universal Church and to try to end the scandal of division.

It is hoped that this step be followed by the prompt accomplishment of full communion with the Church of the entire Fraternity of Saint Pius X, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope with the proof of visible unity.

It even paraphrases the letter, allegedly from the SSPX bishops, requesting that the excommunications be lifted, clearly making the point that the SSPX has differences which must be “discussed:”

His Holiness Benedict XVI … faithful in the effort expressed by them in the aforementioned letter of not sparing any effort to deepen the necessary discussions with the Authority of the Holy See in the still open matters, so as to achieve shortly a full and satisfactory solution of the problem posed in the origin

So the Bishop of Rome brought folks who express less than full adherence to the Roman Church’s teachings, folks who have open questions that still need discussion, and an acknowledged (in writing) imperfect communion (lacking “true fidelity and true recognition”), back into full communion. It boggles the mind.

The Roman Church is defining this as an act of charity, and I’m sure that it is for some the faithful who attend SSPX chapelsAt the same time, others in those chapels have less than a pin-head full of filial affection for the local Ordinary. They wouldn’t follow him if their life depended on it.. On the other hand, it is uncharitable to those who have tried to work with Rome on issues of reconciliation. In doing this the Roman Church is saying that impaired communion is fine and fully acceptable, while turning to Churches such as the PNCC, and saying impaired communion isn’t good enough.

Where’s the bright line to be crossed to achieve unity? We all know of course – believe in the Pope (as we define him) and the other recent innovations in dogma. As long as you do that, the rest is up-for-grabs (and not all that important).

If Benedict was trying to reach out to the Orthodox and the other Catholic Churches in his moves toward stricter standards, this sends the opposite message. It says that the standards are whatever you declare them to be at the moment. The spirit of VII — arbitrary and capricious fits and starts — continues to be the cause celeb. The rules are different at different times, as long as Rome if filling in the blank “As long as you….. then you’re one of us.”

On a funny note, this blogger mentions the PNCC as one of a group of options for “uber-liberal” Roman Catholics who may wish to desert the Roman Church. Of course anyone can find a home with us, and all are welcome to come to our Lord and Savior with us, but he knows little to nothing about the PNCC, its Catholic nature, its history, its life, and what it teaches. He paints everything with the broad “us versus them” brush. Unfortunately (at least from his perspective) the Roman Church can’t even define what full communion really means. For all the Te Deums being sung on conservative Roman Catholic blogs, take a moment to think about the totality of what was done. Further, those bloggers and apologists see the Church as coming into agreement with their perspectives, with their way of thinking. They too have the spirit of VII — the Church is me, and I am the Church, I get to tell the Church what’s right and wrong. Pater nostrum indeed.

Perspective, PNCC,

The democratic Church — the PNCC as model

The September 12, 2008 issue of Commonweal carried an article on trusteeism in the Roman Catholic Church. In Distrusteeism Roger Van Allen takes Roman bishops to task for seeing trusteeism as an abuse. He notes that prior to Roman bishops assuming the “corpoation sole” model of management, 97.4% of the “experiments” that allowed democratically elected lay trustees (1780-1830) to own and manage parish property were successful and without incident. He further notes that the adoption of the corporation sole model distanced bishops from their flocks, and otherwise resulted in an unhealthy centralization of worldly power among the bishops. In simple terms, the people were made mute, told to “pray, pay, and obey.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Van Allen doesn’t call for a return to such a system. He wants greater lay participation, likely in aspects of the Church where bishops should be controlling, i.e., matters of faith, doctrine, and morals. The other misstep is that Mr. Van Allen, and Notre Dame historian Scott Appleby (referenced in the article), fail to assess the success of the democratic model of Church as lived by the PNCC.

Bishop Hodur’s success centered on working with God’s people, understanding that their faithfulness to Catholic teaching did not preclude them from a voice and a vote in the secular matters of the Church, nor in its synodal undertakings. Bishop Hodur rightly saw that mankind has a role in the Church’s success, in it undertakings, in its life and work. Man is not just a follower, but a partner in building God’s Kingdom. In the second Great Principal of the PNCC we state:

…our Nazarene Master served the great purpose of preparing humanity for the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Apostles and their immediate successors took up this appointed task, and for its sake suffered and died the death of martyrs; but later generations forgot it, and became entangled in a system of Church politics directed from the Vatican. Official Christendom devoted itself to the unraveling of theological problems, to the building of magnificent cathedrals of stone, brick, gold and silver, and in curtailing human thought and freedom…and forgot about the building of a regenerated living society, the Kingdom of God on earth.

For this reason, there arose among the Polish immigrants in America, the Polish National Catholic Church, in order to remind the world…of that immortal and indispensable idea of organizing a Divine Society founded on love, heroic courage, cooperation, righteousness and brotherhood.

I hope that Mr. Van Allen and Mr. Appleby will undertake a study of the success of the democratic model of Church found in the PNCC. This model reveals unswerving faithfulness to the Catholic teaching, achieved through the active participation of God’s people in union with their clergy. It isn’t just trusteeism, it is true democracy in the Catholic Church.

Christian Witness, PNCC, , , ,

PNCC Bishop Anthony Kopka gives keynote at M.L. King Day service

From the Stratford Star: King Day speaker joins call to service

Echoing a call sounded 40 years ago by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and this week by President Barack Obama, Bishop Anthony Kopka Sunday rallied Stratford residents to come together in community service.

—I ask fellow town residents to join us in offering greater community service in the Town of Stratford. Individually and collectively let us do more from forest to shore,— Kopka, of St. Joseph’s of Stratford National Catholic Church, said during the Stratford Clergy Association’s annual service to honor King, hosted this year by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Bridgeport.

—How many of us in Stratford will strive to do more from forest to shore?— Kopka asked from the pulpit. —My fellow town citizens, I ask you to join my fellow clergy and me in committing to do more from forest to shore, through community service and our neighborly love for each other.—

Kopka, speaking two days before Obama took the oath of office as the nation’s 44th president, pointed out that the first black to hold the highest elected office in the land chose volunteering as the way to spend the holiday that honors King, and in a speech Obama urged others to do the same.

—With the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States —” 40 years from the time of Rev. Dr. King’s death —” we have new hope that life can be better for all Americans,— Kopka said.

America can have a new beginning, Kopka said, because the citizens of this nation can choose to unite under Obama’s leadership to build on the legacy and accomplishments of King.

—Stratfordites, may we always pursue with one another both friendship and understanding,— Kopka said. —Remember, any one of us is capable of offering love to our neighbors and service in the community.—

…

Ansonia resident Peter Morse became a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church two years ago and is in the choir.

—It was a fabulous service,— said Morse. —There were a lot of wonderful things said and it all came together very nicely.—

Morse said of the Bishop’s speech, —He was fabulous,— and it is such an amazing time with the inauguration near.

—After all these years we had a woman and a black man running for president,— Morse said. —And one will get nomination and will the election; I was excited through out the election process.—

More added, —To have it happen right after Martin Luther King Day is an incredible thing to see.—

The following is the text of Bishop Kopka’s keynote: ‘Do More from Forest to Shore”

If you want to be important, wonderful! If you want to be recognized, wonderful! If you want to be great, wonderful! But, recognize that ‘he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.’ That’s a new definition of greatness … the thing that I like about it —” by giving that definition of greatness —” it means that: Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant.

Those words were penned and proclaimed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his sermon entitled, —The Drum Major Instinct.— You can see those words and hear him —preach it— on the King Center Web site.

The call to serve is also being made by President Barack Obama to the American people. President Obama asked that the celebration of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., be joined to his inauguration in order to make the community service and social justice accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. King a preeminent focus for Americans.

So we, the members of the Stratford Clergy Association, have agreed to do just that and we invite members of our congregations and our community to join us. On behalf of those clergy, I ask fellow town residents to join us in offering greater community service in the Town of Stratford. Individually and collectively let us do —more from forest to shore.—

In one of his last sermons the Rev. Dr. King spoke about what he believed made up a —full life.— He said of his own eventual passing that, —I’d like somebody to mention on that day: Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.— In the —Drum Major— sermon he said, —I won’t have money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things in life to leave behind; but I just want to leave a committed life behind.—

Forty years later, we continue to say that he —gave his life serving others— and that he has —left a committed life behind.— His legacy of faith, courage, sacrifice and service; and his accomplishments for justice, peace and a better life for the poor and for the persecuted are what we honor today. May we give thanks to God for this legacy and for these accomplishments and then pledge to continue them.

With the election of an African-American to the Presidency of the United States —” 40 years from the time of the Rev. Dr. King’s death —” we have new hope that life can be better for all Americans. At the inauguration of this new president America can have a new beginning, because we citizens of this great nation can choose to unite under the leadership of President Barack Obama to build on the legacy and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Each of us can accept the Rev. Dr. King’s call to high school students in Philadelphia, when he asked —What’s Your Life’s Blueprint?— He said, —You have a responsibility to seek to make your nation a better nation in which to live. You have a responsibility to seek to make life better for everybody. And so you must be involved in the struggle for freedom and justice.—

Will you accept as your own responsibilities to make our nation a better nation and to make life better for everybody? It is all part of the Rev. Dr. King’s definition of greatness that he learned in the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark where Jesus says to His disciples: —Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant.— When each of us serves one another, we can have genuine hope for a better nation and a better life for everybody. We are —great— when we serve each other and as Dr. King said, —Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.—

This kind of community service is based on love. A love that —seeks to preserve and create community— as Dr. King said in his speech entitled —Stride Toward Freedom.— He said: —… we speak of a love, which is expressed in the Greek word, agape. It is a love in which the individual seeks not his own good, but the good of his neighbor.—

That principle is based on the ancient Commandment of God: —Love your neighbor as yourself.— It is a code of conduct that is derived from the codes of the earliest civilizations that states one has a right to just treatment, just as one has the responsibility to treat others justly. It is what we know as the Golden Rule: —Do to others as you would have them do to you.— It is, therefore, an ancient truth; but one that has not yet been embodied and personalized by members of society thousands of years later.

Will we also accept failure for not abiding by this ancient civil right and responsibility? Or, will we try to love and serve our neighbors in our community? How many of us in Stratford will strive to do —more from forest to shore?—

In furthering his explanation of agape —” or the love we are to have for others —” the Rev. Dr. King said in his —Stride Toward Freedom— speech, —It is the love of God operating in the human heart.— He also said: —In the struggle for human dignity, the oppressed people of the world must not succumb to the temptation of becoming bitter or indulging in hate campaigns. To retaliate in kind would do nothing but intensify the existence of hate in the universe. Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate.—

He continued, —Love in this connection means understanding, redemptive good will.— About this agape love he said that it —…makes no distinction between friend and enemy; it is directed to both— and that it —discovers the neighbor in every man it meets.—

My fellow town citizens, I ask you to join my fellow clergy and me in committing to do —more from forest to shore— through community service and our neighborly love for each other.

To help us accomplish this in the times that disagreements may deter us, let us accept as our guiding principles the Six Principles for Nonviolent Social Change promoted by the King Center. They are derived from Rev. Dr. King’s essay, —Letter from Birmingham Jail.— Succinctly they are: 1. Information gathering, 2. Education, 3. Personal Commitment, 4. Negotiations, 5. Direct Action, and 6. Reconciliation.

In particular, during any kind of disagreement, let us be mindful of the following two principles:

In the fourth principle of Negotiations, we are challenged to look for what is positive in every action and statement made by anyone in disagreement. One can do this by not seeking to humiliate anyone who is in disagreement. Instead, one can call forth the good in the opposing person and look for ways in which the person on either side of an argument can come away with winning points.

In the sixth principle of Reconciliation, we are challenged to always seek friendship and understanding with all others. Stratfordites, may we always pursue with one another both friendship and understanding.

Remember, any one of us is capable of offering love to our neighbors and service in the community. As the Rev. Dr. King said, —You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.—

If we want to be sure to succeed and not fail, then, may we turn to God for help. In God we can certainly have a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. Through and with God we can serve one another. United in God, we can offer —more from forest to shore.— Yes we can!

Christian Witness, PNCC,

Appeal for assistance

From Fr. Randy Calvo of Holy Name Parish:

Just after the New Year the house of Doug Bialecki and his family burned to the ground. Doug is the son of Janet Sadowski. He now lives in Georgia. Every summer his two daughters worship with us for two Sundays when they come north to spend time with their grandmother.

Doug awoke in the middle of the night to a red glow in the house. None of the smoke detectors went off so the assumption is that the fire climbed up the exterior walls of the house and then engulfed the entire building. Less than a half hour before all this happened, a neighbour was outside with her dog. There was no sign of anything wrong at that time. This blaze happened extremely quickly. Thank God Doug had been startled awake by the light from the fire. He only had time to get his wife, two daughters and pet out of the house. With only the pajamas on their backs, his cell phone and wallet, they had to watch as the entire structure burned to the ground. All of their possessions were lost. Even their cars, parked in the garage beneath the house, were lost. Eventually, insurance will kick-in to help them re-build, but as you can imagine, in the meanwhile things are not easy. Furniture, computers, clothes, food, everything we take for granted in our homes, all of this, was lost in a few short moments. My parish decided to accept a free will donation from her members on the behalf of the Bialecki family, the only problem being that we have had two very snowy Sundays since then, and therefore, two very poorly attended Sundays. The quicker the better it will be when it comes to our help. We can’t wait for another Sunday.

We are requesting that PNCC members, and all our brothers and sisters in Christ, who may be able to help, consider sending a check to the Bialecki family. If your situation in life allows, the address is: Doug Bialecki, 321 Homestead Circle, NW, Kennasaw, GA 30144-1335. Thank you for anything that you can do for them. And whether you are able to help financially or not, please keep the Bialecki family in your prayers.

Christian Witness, Current Events, PNCC, ,

Honoring Dr. King in Stratford, Connecticut

From the Stratford Star: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be honored Sunday

The annual Stratford Community Interfaith Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration will take place Sunday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Bridgeport, 96 Chapel St. in the Putney section of Stratford.

This service is organized by clergy serving congregations in Stratford in an effort to create a service that is respectful to people of all religions. This year’s preacher will be Bishop Anthony Kopka of St. Joseph’s National Catholic Church.

There will be music from two church choirs and a combined choir. All who would like to sing in the combined choir are asked to arrive at the church at 3 p.m. that day for rehearsal.

Each year at this service a collection is taken to support scholarships in King’s name which benefit students at Stratford’s high schools.

Questions can be directed to the host pastor and president of the Stratford Clergy Association, the Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn, at 378-1020.

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