Gold Vessels, Feet Washing & Stations.
Our New Gold Vessels are Here.
I understand there was a "by invitation only" mass for those secretly selected to donate our new GOLD vessels. Maybe we will be able to see them during the upcoming Easter services. I just can't help but think that this whole project could have been such a special opportunity for our entire church community to join together had the selection process not been so closed and secretive. I hear our Youth Group wanted to participate collectively, as did others, but their requests fell on deaf ears... Go figure!
Another healing opportunity lost... Maybe I am just too young to understand the interworking of church logic!
Kanickers~
Washing of the Feet
From The Monitor, Sunday, March 20, 2005
BOSTON -Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley has decided to wash the feet of both women and men during this year's Holy Thursday footwashing ritual, a year after angering Catholic women by washing only men's feet.
O'Malley's decision, which came after consulting with the Vatican, drew immediate praise from advocates of a greater role for women in the Catholic Church.
Would somebody please inform our pastor about this... instructions directly from Rome! Maybe we should stage an "angry women" protest here, too! We could make some posters and picket after services on Holy Thursday... Call Ch-4, Ch-5 and The Monitor! It worked for the women up in Boston!
Also see our previous post (and comments) of 3/10/05: "Holy Thursday".
Kanickers~
Fundraiser Ticket Sales
What is going on within our parish?
It seems that there is no scheduling of food fundraisers by the various organizations. In the past month I have been approached 4 times to buy a Bar-B-Q plate for one group or another and last Sunday, March 13th, 2 different groups (the Middle School Youth and the Catholic Daughters) were selling Bar-B-Q plate tickets after mass.
How can either group expect to make their fundraising goal if they are in competition with other organizations? I also see that the ACTS ministry has a weekly Friday Fish Fry during Lent. I have heard a rumor that this coming Friday - Good Friday - a day of Fast and Abstinence - the ACTS group will be frying up their fishy wares again??
The over use of this type of fundraising has to change or no group will be able to have a successful food fundraiser because every one will get fed up with it all.
A Fed Up Parishioner.
Stations of the Cross
Our now disbanded Peace and Justice Commission will again sponsor its annual Way of the Cross through downtown McAllen. Official Parish sanction of this annual event has not been granted by our pastor, but we ask that you overlook that fact and participate anyway. This prayer event will begin at noon on Friday at Archer Park and will proceed through the downtown area for the 14 Stations, ending back at Archer Park at about 2:30.
This prayer offering brings to light the ways in which the sufferings of Jesus continues today in the poor and oppressed, reflecting on such issues as the death penalty, addictions, homelessness, unemployment, immigration, health care, and war and peace.This is a good way for the entire family to pray together on this holy day. Wear your walking shoes and bring drinking water! Also, rice, beans, canned food, etc. to drop off at the Food Pantry on the way.
Kanickers~
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10 comments:
I say we protest the pastor at the Holy Thursday function if he doesn't include women. He has exceeded the boundary of decency and needs to be confronted about it.
Chances are he will have the silly Knights with their swords drawn again on the very night that Jesus tells Peter to put away his sword.
Our once dynamic parish is a circus now; Jesus would get out the whip.
Parishioner
In reference to Archbishop Sean O'Malley's directive received from the Vatican, I say we need to show this to Fr. Blum. If his reaction is still negative, then let's organize a big protest prior to and after the Holy Thursday services. I feel that Ch. 4 and 5, plus all the other news media will cover the protest, especially if we protest prior to the start of Holy Thursday Services. Protesting after the fact sounds too reactive, rather then proactive, and I am certain the news media will give significant coverage at the 5:00pm and the 6:00pm news programs. So will Univision. The Monitor will probably have a picture of the protest on the front page the following day. We should also send the new article about Archbishop O'Malley to Bishop Pena, so he can see that this was send directly from the Vatican!
Not to distract from the topic, but if we have proof that there was a secretly held Mass in appreciation to those parishioners who donated the golden chalices, let's send Bishop Pena a certified return receipt letter with that information as further proof of how Fr. Blum himself creates dissension, disparity, severe alienation between factions within our church community. This is further proof that Father Blum belongs in another parish, as he has created nothing but discord, hate, and endless negative circumstances. We, as faithful servants of God, continue to endure and survive this preposterous condition only because of our deep faith and love of our Lord. And no one, including Fr. Blum and Bishop Pena, will diminish our Spirit and Loving Grace that Our Heavenly Father bestows upon us everyday!
A concerned Parishioner
Christians love Christians. Christians do not talk about Christians in a hurtful way.
Fr. Carlos A. Villarreal
“Christians love Christians. Christians do not talk about Christians in a hurtful way”.
I agree with Fr. Carlos 100%.
In addition, bishops and priests should love their flock and should not act with malice towards them or tell them false-truths, i.e. Where is Fr. Ivan? “Oh, he has been sick and needed some time off” or, “Fr. Nicolau resigned from the Basilica for health reasons” or, “I didn’t have anything to do with the firings at Holy Spirit”!
YES… “Love One Another”, “Do Unto Others”… But, also Speak Out to Correct Injustice! Isn’t that what Christ taught us?
Nowhere could you find more examples of Christian values being put into action than at Holy Spirit Parish previous to June 18, 2003. Where were your Christian values then?
A still hurting parishioner.
Amen.
And the flock scattered far and wide, including to other religions. And it continues.
Another still hurting parishioner.
"Christians love Christians. Christians do not talk about Christians in a hurtful way." -Carlos
I get the message, but I don't agree. What is missing are the words SHOULD and PEOPLE, not just Christians.
Though Jesus never stopped loving sinners, he had what would be considered hurtful words for them. Words like vipers, whitened sepulchers, Satan. And he saved the worst for the religious leaders who should have known better. He was actually quite kind and understanding with the oppressed laity when they sinned.
But at least Carlos is making an attempt at communication, not considering himself a high and mighty priest unworthy of hearing what his parishioners have to say.
One rumor has it that after Luis goes to the Basilica, Carlos will replace him at Holy Spirit.
If Carlos keeps an open mind and heart and truly listens and seeks reconciliation, he will have no problem at Holy Spirit, except for the small handful of outsiders who continue to demand that the church return to the superstition, secrecy, arrogance, sexism, and racism of pre-Vatican II. We will help Carlos handle those lost sheep lovingly, as we did before the upheaval of June 2003.
We seek a priest who will listen and respond with God's interest at heart; that is all. No genius spiritual director nor orator is necessary.
-A humble parishioner
Fr Carlos,
May I say with all sincerity, "Thank you for entering into dialogue with us.”
Perhaps you sensed feelings of anger, pain and bitterness and you felt this was not the proper Christian response to our situation.
The problem is that our anger, pain and bitterness has come as a response to deceit, oppression and injustice imposed on us by spiritual leaders who are supposed to have chosen to be Christian and Catholic as their vocation. Instead, their goal seems to have been ordination as a career and whoever is the greediest, most ostentatious, most callus and calculating is the most successful. How can we stand (or perhaps, I should say “kneel”) for this if we know with every fiber of our being, that it is WRONG!!!
Margaret Eberhardt
It seems almost comical…
Those that are living their religion according to current Catholic Church directives (Vatican II) are the ones that are considered to be the “rebels” and those that are going against those directives and are trying so fanatically to change them... are not!
Proud to be a rebel.
I have to agree with Margaret that at least Fr. Carlos is showing some attempt to dialog, something we have not been able to do with our own pastor after trying so many times. He only consults with his few secret "advisers" and decisions for the whole parish are made in this fashion, i.e. the ending of one or our most beloved traditions of having real bread (as directed by the GIRM) at the Eucharistic Banquet; ignoring and eventually disbanding our Parish Council, Liturgy, Financial, and Peace and Justice committees; etc., etc. For our pastor, his sheep are not all deserving of the same respect, only those who will never challenge him, even if he is wrong.
Parishioner
Wow! I guess I've been gone from the RGV for way too long!
Or, maybe, I really need to stay away for alot longer...
Washing women's feet...
"superstition, secrecy, arrogance, sexism and racism of pre-Vatican II"...
What's next? Are you guys going to invite the "sisters of perpetual indulgence", so that y'all can be all-inclusive?
Now, I don't know Fr. Blum but, have you not heard of PRIVATE Masses? Where the celebrant INVITES others, if he so chooses?
And here I thought a couple of the local parishes bordered on the heretical!
Domine Iesu Christe, filius Dei, miserere nobis pecatorem
R. Villafranca
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