Comments and Contributions for Lent

How to Fast
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast in the unity of life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of life.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on appreciation.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on increasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast form gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Gentle God, during this season of fasting and feasting, gift us with your presence, so we can gift others in carrying out your work. Amen.
~Author Unknown


Spokane Bishop praised for victim settlement.
On Feb. 1, Bishop William S. Skylstad announced an offer of $5.7 million dollars to settle with 75 victims of sex abuse. But it was the non-financial concessions that won the diocese praise from various victims’ organizations including the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest and Voice of the Faithful.

The diocese agreed to use the term "victims" rather than "alleged victims" and allow victims to write about their experiences in the diocesan newspaper. Skylstad also plans to lobby state lawmakers for an end to the statue of limitations on child sex abuse. Skylstad is currently the President of the U.S. Bishops' Conference
~Catholic News Service


A comment on "Thoughts on collaboration".
Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo, March 19, 2006

It is very difficult to understand why has our Catholic Institution discriminated against women, and continue to do so, when historically they played a very important role and there was no conflict about it during the first four centuries of Christianity.

More than ever the church leaders should welcome the gifts of women to meet the needs of of our Church by emulating Jesus' example.

Jesus honored women, treating them as equals. He welcomed them as His disciples -Scripture tell us that Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Susanna "and many other women" accompanied Him and supported and financed His Galilean ministry. (Luke 8:1-3)

Jesus chose to reveal His Resurrection first to a woman - His devoted disciple, Mary of Magdala - and entrusted her to proclaim this good news to her brothers.

The early church, inspired by Jesus' example, and the memory of women leaders such as Mary of Magdala, Prisca, Lydia, Phoebe and many others, welcomed the leadership and talents of women.

Substantial archaeological and literary evidence reveals that women served as deacons, teachers of theology, priests and bishops throughout the Mediterranean world. Early women leaders had the same ministerial roles and titles as their brothers.

Sadly, by the fourth century, male Church leaders succumbed to the conventions of society. The memory of Mary of Magdala was re framed, identifying her as a repentant prostitute, which has no Scriptural foundations. In the 4th century, the Council of Laodicea suppressed women serving as priest.

This is simply wrong especially at a time when the growing priest shortage deprives many Catholics of access to Eucharist and is causing closing and merger of parishes. (Excerpts from Future Church)
~Submitted by a Parishioner


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Newsletter of 03/20/06

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—March 19, 2006

Before Charity, Justice First
“Promoting justice is a fundamental role of the church. The Old Testament, for example, is full of examples. I cannot see any room for doubt about the importance of justice as a major concern of the church.

“In fact, I would say, ‘Before charity, justice first.’ If you have not given me what I deserve, and then you give me alms and expect me to say thank you, that’s a form of injustice.

“We can’t make such water-tight distinctions in real life. One of the greatest expressions of charity for the laity, in fact, is to go into the struggle for justice. I have been preaching this to our people, trying to help them understand that working for the common good is the apostolate of the laity…. “Any attempt to separate these two things—charity and justice—as if one is for the state and other is for the church is unrealistic. Concern for justice opens up a wide range of channels for positive interaction between church and state.”
From Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria, the elected president of both the Nigerian bishops’ conference and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

In the National Catholic Reporter, 3/10/06.
In this article, one of Africa’s most prominent bishops has a taken a position that is in the mainstream of Catholic teaching. It is, however, diametrically opposed to the one taken by our Pastor. Not only has the Reverend Monsignor expressed a contrary position and has taken strong action to curtail the Parish’s justice activities, but he has overtly punished those who have had the temerity to question his thinking and the actions that have flowed from it. More than any other issue in the Parish, these actions of the Pastor have set in motion a spiral of very unfortunate actions and reactions. It is time to step back and allow those who think as Archbishop Onaiyekan to have a place in Holy Spirit’s ministry once again.

Collaboration
Thoughts on collaboration—something our Bishop has asked for.
“…[the American Catholic parish] has nary a clue what to do with gifted lay women, who enjoy neither the status nor the protection of the ordained priesthood, but who are called upon increasingly to play the role of mediator between competing factions within the parish and to organize and lead whatever spiritual enrichment or social outreach programs the parish offers. Despite the predictable charges that they foment ‘radical feminism’ and watered-down catechesis, the Judy Nices [religious educator in Kenmore, NY] of the Catholic world seem its best hope for preserving continuity, at the parish level, with the historic Christian practices of hospitality, personal and communal prayer, theological education, and spiritual formation.

“By the early 1990s there were more lay people in graduate theology programs than there were young men studying for the priesthood, and most of those lay students were women. Although these two sets of Catholic ministers will likely be working side by side in the coming years, the church has done little to introduce them to one another during their years of formal training, and even less to break open and reshape clerical culture in such a way as to make room for and welcome such collaboration with lay women as the will of God and a grace to the church.”
From a book review by R. Scott Appleby, Professor of History at Notre Dame, in Commonweal, 3/17/97.
[Discovered by Googling the phrase “Post Vatican II Parish”]

Holy Darkness
There is an honesty and humanity in the season of Lent that has always touched me. I feel a deep connection to Good Friday because it is a day filled with all the highs and lows of the human condition. If I immerse myself in Lent, I can feel the truly redemptive power of being broken, the beauty of humility. Even though we might be tempted to skip the hard stuff, to turn away when faith becomes uncomfortable or even starts to hurt – by turning away we miss a great treasure. There is a grace that can only be experienced in the times of darkness. Lent reminds us there are times when we must simply be the seed. Alone and in the dark, waiting for the Creator’s touch to bring forth the miracle of growth. Lent reminds us that there is a holy darkness, a blessed night that we must embrace before we can truly experience the dawn.
From fellow parishioner, Michelle Peña

$$$$$ Update
According to the Sunday Bulletins, since 10/16/05 parishioners have donated $30,727.39 less than the $319,000 the parish budget called for during that period. If the spending patterns of the last fiscal year have continued (13.4% over budget), then during this same period an additional shortfall of $42,729.72 was created. This gives a total of $73,457.11 of red ink (versus budget) for the period 10/16/05 to 3/12/06. Stretching that pattern for an entire year, the Parish would fall short by $173,525.90.

Authority and Power
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton
Lord Acton was one of the wealthiest men of his time and probably the most prominent Catholic layperson of the mid 19th century, but his famous comment was not, as most of us probably think, about secular government and politics but, instead, was about the Papacy and the Pope of his time, Pius IX.
Our Bishop described the situation in the Parish as a “power struggle.” This is an unfortunate phrase and at its root cannot be correct because there is no “power” in the Church, if by power it is meant the imposition of one’s will on another. As John McKenzie in Authority in the Church says, “… [such a use of power] is in direct opposition to the sayings of Jesus in which this form of self-assertion is forbidden formally and explicitly. Power is not a substitute for apostolic leadership. Power is not even an inferior way of achieving that end.” There is authority in the Church, it is one of the gifts that Paul talks about in Corinthians, and every member of the Body of Christ is concerned that the authority be exercised properly, but no one in the Church has power over another person in the Church. To describe our situation as a “power struggle” is to have a view of the nature of the Church that appears to be at odds with Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, the great constitutions of Vatican II.

The Stealth Process
Is a process with no stated goal, no metrics of success, and no visible activity, other than passive listening, really a process? Our Bishop speaks of healing and reconciliation, but seems to really want just two things: acceptance of the status quo in the direction and management of the Parish and silence. If the underlying issues that have plagued the Parish since June, 2003, are not addressed in an organized way, then “making nice” will not accomplish anything in the long term.

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. Copy this, and pass it on to fellow parishioners, either by e-mail or paper. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these and other issues about the parish or have any other comments, please contact us at: gbrazier@rgv.rr.com

Sister Theresa Kane

Sister Theresa Kane
God Bless Sister Theresa Kane for speaking truth to power.

It is truly inspiring to see one women with the strength and courage to raise her voice to shed light where there is darkness in our Church. As Catholics, we each have an obligation to reform our Church where it has strayed from the teachings of Christ. We are all made in God's image and each called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, our Church continues to perpetuate a system of prejudice and discrimination by refusing to allow women to serve in all ministries of the Church. This is wrong and contrary to the teachings of Christ. As Sister Kane suggested, to be successful we must each possess a vision of what we want our Church to be in the 21st Century.

I for one want my Church to reflect the universal love of God. Therefore, I envision a Catholic Church open to all men and women that courageously espouses love for all people and an end to hatred, discrimination and violence throughout the world. This is my vision of our Church, and I pray that God grant me the humility, strength and courage to make this vision a reality.
Mark Peña

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Parishioners Should Stand Up for Rights.

March 13, 2006
McAllen Monitor Newspaper

To the Editor

Parishioners Should Stand Up for Rights

When a parish is as divided as Holy Spirit is under the new pastor, fasting and praying is indeed needed; I agree with Jay Ramon, Feb. 8, 2006. Many have been doing it for a long time. What Mr. Ramon doesn’t understand, perhaps because he is not a parishioner, is that the struggles of Holy Spirit are not about a priest who was relocated. It is about the new priest who replaced him, who came to rule, not to serve the community with humility and love. From day one, he was frequently absent, unavailable or late. He demonstrated no appreciation for this progressive community, which during 23 years worked hard to make the parish an authentic Vatican II parish, a model of lay leadership and social justice involvement.

With a professional Liturgist on staff, communal prayer followed strict Vatican II and GIRM guidelines and was full of meaning and participation. He came to change it to an antiquated, pre-Vatican II style that satisfied him and a handful of ultra conservatives who never accepted the natural development proper to Liturgy, and who yearned for the rituals of the Medieval Church.

Holy Spirit parishioners learned and practiced the teachings of Vatican II. With no reason, he came to change what didn’t need changing. With arrogance he ignored the Parish Council and eventually dismissed it, creating his own, secret one. He destroyed the morale of employees and laity, especially of those who dared asked why; many of them eventually were banned from ministries. Entire ministries were banned with no reason given.

All documents of Vatican II Council (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, etc.) had clearly given all members of the church rights, as well as guidelines. Nowhere is a priest given the right to authoritarian "reign" and the community a mandate to blind obedience. The documents speak of a hierarchy as serving the entire Church.

Ordination doesn’t make a man a saint. Jesus, after prayer and meditation, acted and loudly denounced the corrupted priests of his time. If a parish gets a pedophile priest, prayer alone will not prevent his crimes; calling the police will. When numerous petitions for dialogue, mediation, or any kind of help from the bishop’s office has been ignored, praying alone won’t change anything; standing against injustice and abuse of power — as Jesus taught us — is our only recourse.

A pastor who has caused so much pain and fed a serious division among parishioners is not fit for that community and should be removed, for the good of the parish.

Ana L. Hallman,
McAllen


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Peace & Justice Affirmation Night

You are cordially invited to attend

Holy Spirit Annual
Peace and Justice Affirmation Night

in honor of those who work for peace and justice in the Valley.

Keynote Speaker:

Sr. Theresa Kane, RSM
"Speaking Truth to Power"

Monday, March 13, 2006, 7:00 PM

First Christian Church
Corner of Nyssa and 10th Street in McAllen
(1 block South of Pecan on the East side of 10th Street)
Entrance and parking in rear and on Nyssa Street.

Reception with refreshments and desserts to follow.
Babysitting will be available during the keynote address.

Sr. Theresa Kane, RSM, is a current associate professor at Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she teaches History of World Religions and History of Women.

Among her many positions, experiences and honors are: Delegate to the UN Conferences on Women, Nairobi and Beijing; Founding member of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church; Former President of the National Union of the Sisters of Mercy; Former President of the National Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR); Recipient of the National Catholic Leadership Award from Call To Action (CTA); Recipient of the LCWR Leadership Award; Noted Greeter of Pope John Paul II on his first visit to the United States, when she asked that all church ministries to be open to women.

For more information, contact:
Sr. Moira Kenny at (956) 787-8171

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Loss of a Dear Friend, San Juanita Colón

SAN JUANITA "ITA" COLÓN
McALLEN — Today we are all deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend San Juanita "Ita" Colón, 58, who died Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg.

Born in Mercedes, San Juanita had lived in McAllen for the past 15 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carlos and Cristina Diaz.

San Juanita died of complications of a surgery which was done in an effort to extend her life with great expectations to live to see her only beloved grandson "the apple of her eye" graduate from high school and college.

Due to her own disabilities, she deeply comprehended injustice and discrimination, therefore, she became an avid supporter of causes such as Justice for Irene, Call to Action, and Citizens for Accountability. Her last calling was to become a Eucharist Minister at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen.

San Juanita graduated from Mercedes High School, Pan American and attended Columbia University in New York City.

San Juanita is survived by a daughter, Sandra (Glen Hosmer) Meave of Houston, Texas; a grandson, Robert Meave III; nine brothers and sisters, Carlos A. Diaz, Rosa D. (Mario) Espinosa, Juan P. Diaz, Noe Diaz, Oscar (Laura) Diaz, all of McAllen, Daniel Diaz of Dallas, Texas, Ruben (Odilia) Diaz of Weslaco, David Diaz, Arturo (Mary) Diaz, both of Mercedes; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will take place from 5 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. rosary today, March 9, 2006, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Friday, March 10, 2006, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen. Cremation will take place at Val Verde Memorial Gardens in Donna.

San Juanita was dearly loved within her church community of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish and she will be greatly missed by her friends and family. As per her wishes, she will be cremated and a private interment of her cremated remains will be at a later date.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.

Newsletter of 03/05/06

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—March 5, 2006

On Sunday, March 5, 2006, Bishop Reymundo Peña visited and spoke about healing and reconciliation in our parish. As with any family, open communication is essential to our parish healing process. In a spirit of cooperation, this newsletter renews its focus on sharing informative and enriching articles from parishioners, clergy, religious and scholars to further communication, dialogue and learning concerning the teachings of our Faith and the future of the Catholic Church.

Mercy!
The Corporal Works of Mercy are the seven practices of charity toward our neighbor, based on Christ’s prophecy of the Last Judgment that will determine each person’s final destiny:
● Feed the hungry ● Visit the sick ● Bury the dead
● Give drink to the thirsty ● Visit those in prison
● Clothe the naked ● Shelter the homeless

“Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, urged parishioners on Ash Wednesday to devote the 40 days of Lent to fasting, prayer and reflection on the need for humane reform of immigration laws. If current efforts in Congress make it a felony to shield or offer support to illegal immigrants, Cardinal Mahony said, he will instruct his priests—and faithful lay Catholics—to defy the law.” NY Times Editorial, 3/3/06.

“But to live outside the law you must be honest.
I know you always say that you agree.
Alright, so where are you tonight, sweet Marie?” Bob Dylan

Living the Gospel is not always comfortable or easy and frequently leaves us very lonely and exposed. There are many in the Parish who find their reading of the obligations of the Corporal Works of Mercy very uncomfortable, difficult, and lonely to carry out.

Possibilities Within the Church
“I have sought to show that even today, changes in the practice of the ministry can be quite legitimate (in the sense of being legitimate dogmatically) and that from a pastoral perspective they may even be said to be necessary for the vitality of the gospel in Christian communities at the present time. Of course opinions may differ over the question of pastoral necessity, but there is no need to brand someone a heretic who points this out and indicates possibilities within the church.”
Edward Schillebeeckx in The Church with a Human Face: A New and Expanded Theology of Ministry (1985). Father Schillebeeckx, a Dominican priest from Belgium, was an expert for the Dutch bishops at the Second Vatican Council.

A New Heaven and a New Earth
“Some want to keep a Gospel so disembodied that it doesn’t get involved at all in the world it must save. Christ is now in history. Christ is in the womb of the people. Christ is now bringing about a new heaven and a new earth.” Oscar Romero

We are in the season of Lent—a season of reflection and preparation, a season to open our hearts more fully so that the Gospel can become more embodied in us. This Lent some of us will choose to give up something as a path for spiritual growth, others of us may choose to adopt a new action. With the turmoil in our world, perhaps choosing to more actively follow Jesus’ example of non-violent love would be a meaningful experience for Lent and a way to participate with Christ in bringing about a new heaven and a new earth.

From Six Principles of Nonviolence (Pax Christi):
Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body.
Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.
Nonviolent love gives willingly, knowing that the return might be hostility.
Nonviolent love is active, not passive.
Nonviolent love is unending in its ability to forgive in order to restore community. Nonviolent love does not sink to the level of the hater.
Love for the enemy is how we demonstrate love for ourselves.
Love restores community and resists injustice.
Nonviolence recognizes the fact that all life is interrelated.
From fellow parishioners, Mark and Michelle Peña

$$$$$ Update
According to the Sunday Bulletins, since 10/16/05 parishioners have donated $28,473.33 less than the $290,000 the parish budget called for during that period. If the spending patterns of the last fiscal year have continued (13.4% over budget), then during this same period an additional shortfall of $38,845.20 was created. This gives a total of $67,318.53 of red ink (versus budget) for the period 10/16/05 to 2/26/06. Stretching that pattern for an entire year, the Parish would fall short by $175,028.18.

Images and Language
“In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.

“In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe!—I hope I'll be safe at home!” George Carlin.

Like George Carlin’s little bit indicates, the language and imagery we use to describe an enterprise reveal a lot about our understanding of the nature of the enterprise and how we involve ourselves in it. The militaristic images and language that are sometimes used to describe the Church are an example of that—the Church is an army, soldiers of Christ, etc. For many, this sort of language is disturbing, not only because it seems so at odds with the peaceful, nonviolent Christ of the Beatitudes, but also because it leads to jingoistic and super-patriotic displays with uniforms and pomp and regimented group-think that is just too reminiscent of the Fascist governments of Europe in the mid-20th century (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany).

The Church is more like baseball than football—safe at home!


Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. Copy this, and pass it on to fellow parishioners, either by e-mail or paper. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these and other issues about the parish or have any other comments, please contact us at gbrazier@rgv.rr.com.

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

Sunday, March 5, 2006, 12:30 mass

Sunday, March 5, 2006, 12.30 mass
Today was quite an eventful day. As I sat in the back of the church for 12:30pm mass, I watched as Bishop Raymundo Peña gave his speech to the congregation. He spoke of forgiveness and peace between the two main parties. As he kept reminding us of how we should be one and of "forgetting the past", he also mentioned that "things will never be the same again" and how we should now transition into a "post Vatican II parish".

He also mentioned that the “Kanickers” website (http://www.kanickers.blogspot.com/) should be shut down.

When he finished, a big applause roared from within the middle sections of the church...people stood and clapped hard as he came down the steps and into his seat.

To tell you the truth, if he is reading this, I do not hate this man. I could never hate anyone, even if they were full of hatred towards me. But the truth of the matter is, his entire speech was one sided. He spoke of how the "other parishioners" should stop harassing, abusing, and trying to take power and control of the church.

What he didn't realize (or must have forgotten) is that everything that has happened in this church (the dismissal of the Moya family, Ed Arguelles, and other volunteers) has been the fault of our most "trusted" Fr. Brum. The disaster that has befallen our parish could have been irreversible if there wasn't so much of the power being taken by Fr. Louie's follower's, Fr. Louie himself, and of course, the Bishop.

At this moment in time, most of us might be at a standstill, but please do not give up hope. I have been told by others to just leave, to better my faith. But I know I cannot because this parish has become my second home over the years. For now, sadly, the best option is to wait it out...some may not agree with this, but that is ok. Whatever tactic makes anyone feel better will hopefully be a good one.

Our "shepherd" is leading his flock into separate paths. Stand together and keep faith...
~The Saddened Parishioner

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