Father Kleppner - February 27th 2005
Our new Pastoral Council met on Sunday, February 20, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rectory Multi-Purpose Room. All the following members were present: Joanne Basko, Debbie Bianco, Bernie Brennan, John Costanza, Ron Falkenstein, Philip Kanfush, Anne Michael, Carleen Papa, Bob Rice, and Terri Specht.
Each member was asked to share information regarding their family background, their family situation, their work experience, and their experience of church involvement. This gave members a chance to begin to know each other. Members were then asked to share what they perceived as the strengths and challenges for St. Frances Cabrini Parish. With regard to strengths, members mentioned such things as the wonderful people who make up this parish, the diversity of people, older and younger, the parish’s strong devotional life, that the parish tries to meet the needs of people through its various ministries. They though our liturgy was very good. They said that there was a sense of community among the members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish. They felt that the leadership of the parish has been a strong and good leadership benefiting and involving the whole parish. They see as one of our strengths the location and socioeconomic level of the parish as well as the various councils, committees, services, and support groups that the parish offers. With regard to challenges they mentioned that the media seems to be carrying an assault on the Catholic Church and it is imperative that people of the parish have a sound knowledge of their faith and be able to defend their faith. They wanted the standards of the parish to remain high given the shortage of priests. Constantly it was mentioned the need for adult education and greater commitment to the faith. The parish also faces the challenge of growth and change of landscape. They said that the parish should be involved in connecting with other parishes. They noted that another challenge is that some are resistant to change. They commented on the aging of our organizations like the Holy Name and Christian Mothers and not many young people seem to be joining these organizations. They mentioned the need for evangelization, reaching out to people who have fallen away from the practice of their faith, especially people in our parish who should be coming to church each Sunday. They noted that given the future we will inevitably have fewer Masses but will need facilities to accommodate more people. They mentioned that we need to instill in parents a sense of responsibility for the religious upbringing of their children and the need to reach out to young adults. I then asked them to share how they would like to see our parish life five years from now. The comments on this topic were as follows: They would like to see more people coming to church. They would like to see the sacramental life of our church strengthened and renewed. They would like to see a vibrant community. They would like to see people more passionate about our Catholic faith. They would like to see parents more active in the religious upbringing of their children. They would hope that interaction with neighboring parishes be a reality. They mentioned the need for a new church, additional classrooms, as well as improved social hall conditions. They would like to see more younger people in church and a living parish directory that would be available to the entire parish so that people might get to know fellow members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish. At this point I shared with them that if all these things are to be done we need to develop a strategic plan. I shared with them the work done by the previous pastoral council in long-range planning and I asked for members of the pastoral council to work together to put the long-range plan into the format of a strategic plan that would be understandable and that would be distributed to members of the parish for their input. I noted that we will also have to develop for the new pastoral council some by-laws and the appointment of officers. The new pastoral council displayed a very positive attitude toward the parish and toward its future. The meeting then closed with a prayer. The next meeting of the pastoral council is scheduled for Sunday, April 24, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. |
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Lenten Meditation - Third Sunday in Lent
Comfortable in Our Humanity A good life is not a perfect life. If we use the Lenten season as a time for trying to become superhuman with infinite wisdom, always doing the right thing, we shall surely be disappointed. Science and technology have reached the point where some machines come close to perfection, but being fully human is more than becoming an efficient machine. As humans, we are called to focus on who and what we are as persons. To be sure, there are certain expectations. What God wants of us is clear. The prophet, Micah, (6:8), spells it out: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Despite our obvious shortcomings, we are not “only” human; we are “gloriously” human. Human beings at their best are vulnerable and tender, yet also strong and courageous. Good human beings are able to ask for and accept help both from God and one another. We suffer losses and endure hardships, but do not let them destroy our faith or make us cynical. Charlie Brown of “Peanuts” fame may seem like an unlikely candidate for sainthood, but he is a wonderful human being. “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown!” Perhaps, we should all try to be more comfortable. The word, “mensch” is a good one here. A mensch is not an idol placed on a pedestal, but simply a fulfilled human, a person of integrity and honor. |
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