Dear Parishioners:
Involvement in the Church and
relationship with Jesus are not two separate realities.
Our current culture is attempting to
construct a world without God, a secular reality. In the face of this, it can seem that we can
have within the spiritual realm a world that is similarly distinct: the Church
and my personal relationship with God.
It is common in and out of the Church nowadays to say “the Church does
not have the right to dictate this behavior; that is between me and my God or
me and my conscience.”
First, it must be noted, that
contrary to what the world makes it seem, the Church has far fewer “rules” than
most of the clubs and neighborhoods to which we belong. For an institution that has lasted more than
2000 years, isn’t it amazing that the Latin Code of Canon Law has only 1752
canons, not even one for each year of the Church’s existence!
The last canon highlights the
purpose of the whole body of law: “The salvation of souls, which
must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes.” The “613 precepts of the Law,” from
the Old Testament, as interpreted through the two great Commandments of the New
Testament, Love of God and Love of Neighbor, are the backbone of this law of the
Church.
Second, even the secular enterprise
is bound to fail. They start with the
world of which God is the Creator.
(When a modern scientist said he
could create human beings just like God did, he started to take up some mud to
do so, and God said, “Get your own dirt.”)
To establish a world without the Author and Architect involved is simply
not possible.
Jesus and the Church, His Bride, are
inseparable. Just as husband and wife
cannot act independently of one another without creating problems for the world
around them, near and far, nor can we stay close to Jesus without staying close
to His Bride, the Church.
Keep this in mind when you read the
news of the situation in Germany . There are individuals telling
the government they no longer belong to the Church (and so being freed of
responsibility for “taxes” that go to upkeep of the institutional Church), but
still claiming to belong to the Church….
You cannot deny Jesus and His Bride in a public way and still be true to
the responsibility that is yours to live the Faith. The German Bishops are asking Pastors to
write a letter to those who make such a claim to let them know that the Church
is taking them at their word….
Membership has its privileges and responsibilities!
COMMUNION
PRAYER
My Lord Jesus Christ, I firmly believe that I am about
to receive, in Communion, Your Body, Your Blood, Your Soul and Your divinity. I
believe it because You have said it, and I am ready to give my life to maintain
this truth.
Celebrating our Golden Jubilee:
Getting to know Saint Timothy’s
Community of Faith.
Up to now, we have concentrated our study on the Scriptures
associated with Ephesus , since that
was the diocese of which our Patron St. Timothy was the first Bishop. We are now considering another Letter
associated with that community, this time from one of the early bishops of the
Church named Ignatius of Antioch.
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, CHAPTER XI.--AN EXHORTATION
TO FEAR GOD, ETC.
The last times are
come upon us. Let us therefore be of a reverent spirit, and fear the
long-suffering of God, that it tend not to our condemnation. For let us either
stand in awe of the wrath to come, or show regard for the grace which is at
present displayed--one of two things. Only [in one way or another] let us be
found in Christ Jesus unto the true life. Apart from Him, let nothing attract
you, for whom I bear about these bonds, these spiritual jewels, by which may I
arise through your prayers, of which I entreat I may always be a partaker, that
I may be found in the lot of the Christians of Ephesus, who have always been of
the same mind with the apostles through the power of Jesus Christ.
St. Ignatius is close to the Apostolic generation and he
continues to acknowledge the sense of imminence of the “last times.” Since this letter is being written as
Ignatius is on his way to martyrdom, he is looking clearly at his own
situation. He seeks the prayers of the Ephesians for himself and he exhorts
them to live in accord with the life and teachings of the Apostles.
The attitude of Ignatius is fitting for our own days as
well. We may not have the sense of the
first generations of Christianity of the imminence of the End of Times, but we
are called to have Eternity in our view even as we live day by day. As we come to the close of our own Year of
Jubilee and move into the Year of Faith, prayer and perseverance in the witness
we give the world ought to be our guiding principles.
This Week in Our History: October 7-14
1963: We want to thank Mr. Hugh Dorrian, Jr., who
arranged it, and the Knights of Columbus Council 4180, for the very generous
donation of the beautiful classroom flags to our school.
During the month of
October, the Bishop directs that a count be taken in all the churches of the Diocese
of those attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion. Last Sunday 1175 attended Mass and 399
received Holy Communion.
The collection last
Sunday came to $1,717.00. This is one of
the finest collections we have had.
Thank you very much.
The organization of
the school library is about completed.
The librarians have put in a great deal of time to have it ready for use
for the children. We consider the
library a most important part of our instruction program. In order to acquaint the parish with the
library and to give parishioners an opportunity to help stock it, we will hold
a Book Fair on Sunday, November 3.
In the not too distant future: Establishment of a parish library shelf in
the library.
1966: ROSARY AND BENEDICTION WILL BE HELD AT 7:15 THIS EVENING FOR FR. WINKLER.
Report from Mount Carmel Hospital at 6:45 this morning – Father Winkler remains in
critical condition. Progress is
satisfactory with Doctors for this stage – Responds intermittently – He cannot
be considered out of danger for perhaps another week – Report from night
supervisor also indicated he rested quite comfortably during the night.
During this past
week Father Tumeo was assigned as Assistant Pastor of St. Mary Church, Portsmouth , Ohio . Reverend John D. Burkhart has
been appointed as our new Assistant Pastor.
We take this opportunity to welcome him to St. Timothy.
1967: Book Review Club will meet…at the home of
Betty Bohn. Pat Albert will review the
writings of Graham Greene. Anyone
interested in good, informal discussions is invited to attend.
1969: Women’s Club News: A big THANK YOU to all the women who worked
so hard on the census. 4858 homes were
contacted and the results show that our parishioners number 1214, either
families or individuals.
1972: The following received the Sacrament of
Baptism last Sunday: David Allan, son of
M/M David Agee; Reno James, son of M/M Reno Menapace; Marina Regina, daughter
of M/M Philip Sbrochi.
1974: Marriage announcements: John Ochenas and Arlene Bursik; John Salimbene
and Allana Schaad. Both weddings will be
Saturday, October 19.
1975: Monday, 2:00 p.m. Bicentennial Day – Since this is our
country’s 200th Birthday year and many events are planned, we feel that
Columbus Day would be a good day to begin our celebration. The glee club and each class under the
direction of Sunny Murtha will present its salute to our country. All of you are invited to attend.
Our collections have
been the highest in history; while our attendance at Mass is the lowest in
history: The count was 989 last Sunday,
a little over half what it was 10 years ago when our income was the lowest over
what it is today. We are grateful for
the financial commitment of our loyal parishioners, but, pass along the
word: we are a community that worships
together, not just one that pays bills.
We congratulate
JoAnne Hooks and Joseph Keenan; and Pamela Baker and Robert Tournoux, who will
be married here at St. Timothy next Saturday.
1976: YOU ARE IN TROUBLE! That is, if you haven’t yet thought about
what kind of costume you are going to wear to the Men’s Club Halloween Dance on
October 30. (By the way, you don’t have
to wear a costume, but you won’t be admitted without something on.) Tickets available from Tim Pond, John
Sosnowski, and Bob DuMont.
1977: Communion in the Hand.
Next week Catholics
have the option of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand. If you choose the latter option this is what
you should do:
1. Place one open palm on top of the
other. (If you are right-handed, the
right hand should be on the bottom; if you are left-handed, the left hand
should be on the bottom.)
2. After you have replied “Amen” to “The
Body of Christ,” the minister will place the Host in your open hand.3. Step aside to make room for the next communicant.
4. With your lower hand, take the Host and place it in your mouth.
1980: On Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19,
the members of St. Timothy Parish are invited to a special Open House at our
newest Diocesan Cemetery .
1981: Thanks to the Women’s Club. Fathers Hanley and Virginia, and Deacon Pat
Rogers extend a warm and hearty “thank you” to all the ladies or the wonderful
Rectory Shower. Our linen closets and
kitchen shelves are now well-stocked.
The kitchen has all the necessary appliances and life is much more
comfortable. Thanks; thanks…and ever
thanks!
1983: Mural Dedication. After the 10:00 Mass next Sunday, the 16th, the beautiful
mural in the vestibule will be blessed.
At that time, a title-description plaque will be hung next to the mural.
1985: Mary Elizabeth Blaire of St. Timothy will
marry Robert Paul Ulliman of Immaculate Conception Church on Saturday, October 19 in St. Timothy Church.
1990: Weddings:
Beth Shary and Scott Wilson.
1995: For security reasons, all entrances to the
school building will be locked during the school day once the 9:00 a.m. Mass is over. Please use the East entrance to the building
on the lower level if you need access to the school or church. A sign directing visitors to the appropriate
entrance will soon be in place.
1997: Welcome to the Parish: Mark/Donna Bentele, Ben, Chris; Al/Swancy
Fazio; Sally James; Ron Corbitt; Victor/Joanne O’Brien, Joe, Cooper;
Richard/Darlene DeRoberts; Frank/Michelle Boscarillo, Megan, Amy, Frankie;
Dave/ Judy O’Neil, Tim, Josh, Abby; Karry/Ann Sparks, Amanda, Kyle; Betty
Dittoe; Ann Berroteran; Marjorie Dittoe; James/Patricia Sagester; Chad DeVillers
1999: Congratulations to Angela Chickey and Jin
Kruez who will be married Saturday, October 16th.
2002: Holy Communion. Beginning on the weekend of October 26/27, we
will be offering the Holy Eucharist under both forms of the Bread and the consecrated
Wine at all Masses. This has become a
regular practice at Catholic parishes.
Though not required that the cup be received also, it is a fuller
expression of receiving the Holy Eucharist which is so central to the Catholic
Faith.
2006: From the Pastor’s Desk
For reasons that
should become clearer over the next few months, and after candid discussions
with the Finance Board, I realized how important it is that the parish as a
whole come to a better understanding of our financial situation….This weekend,
I’d like to look at the “big picture’ – how much it costs to operate the
parish…It doesn’t take and Einstein to realize that the parish cannot pay more
than $14,000 worth of weekly bills with a weekly income of $11,000. I do not mention this to complain, much less
to blame anybody. This is a very
generous and responsible community. I am
trying to share as much information as possible because the better everybody understands
our situation, the better everybody will be able to help.
Fr.
John
We Welcome
The Newly
Baptized: Grace Ann Hoffman, daughter of
Duane and Lori; William Keith Putnam, son of Aaron and Amanda.
New
Parishioners: Aaron/Colleen Adkins;
Eugene/Lucille Klein; John/Theresa Klein; Jennifer Oddi; Tom/Erin Lacey;
Patrick/Hope Cooper; Ken/Mary Lou Guillory; Matt/Gina Studer; Suzanne Grant;
James/ Inez Bras Estopinal; Kathryn Kumler; Ronald /Rebecca Ruppersburg;
Jeff/Rebecca Ward
Please remember in
your prayers Byron Edgington. Our
sympathy to his family and may he rest in peace.
2007: Welcome into the Parish the Newly
Baptized: Fagan Olivia Jenkins, daughter
of Doug and Marylyn; Connor Maxwell Dawson, son of Sean and Sarah.
2008: Congratulations to Mark Hauenstein and Mary Ann Arend,who will be married on Saturday.
2009: A Word from Your Pastor
October is a month
that highlights many important aspects of the life of the Church. It is Respect Life Month, a time when we are
reminded of our responsibility to understand and promote the Church’s constant
teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death….
October is also the month of the Rosary. We are called on to use this wonderful form
of prayer that involves our whole person, body, mind, and spirit. Families ought to pray the Rosary together at
least weekly, if not daily. Most
Catholics have a rosary or two which have been received as gifts. How often do we use the gift? It is not a form of jewelry only to be placed
in the hands of the deceased in their caskets.
It is meant to be put to use.
2010: Journey to the Lands of the Bible in 2011.
There will be a
meeting on Sunday October 10th, following the noon Mass to introduce the forthcoming pilgrimage
“In the Footsteps of St. Timothy!” This
is a most unusual pilgrimage which has been suggested by Fr. Hayes to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of St. Timothy Parish, which begins in November of 2011.
The itinerary is designed to include all the
many places which St. Timothy visited as he traveled with St. Paul , which will include Greece and Turkey with a cruise between the two countries plus
a few other important religious sites in the area. Our Pastor, Fr. Timothy Hayes, and Fr. Paul
Hrezo, Spiritual Director at the Josephinum, will be spiritual guides on the
journey.
(A lengthy letter
from Holy Land pilgrim Mary Zeehandelar described the
plight of the Christian population in the Holy Land , and presented a proposal to sponsor a
Christian student in a Terra Santa school run by the Franciscan Fathers in the Holy Land .
Parish Council supported the proposal with a donation from St. Timothy
Parish for $500, the cost of one year’s support of an elementary student. Sponsorship of a student is a 7-year commitment,
supporting the student through high school.
Donations are requested – if every family gave $5, there would be enough
collected to sponsor a child for all seven years. It is hoped that the St. Timothy
schoolchildren will become involved in this mission.)
2011: Celebrate the Life of Dominic Gregory: Thursday, October 13, St . Timothy Rosary Garden, 7:00 p.m.
Bring your rosary and a friend.
All are welcome!
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