Pastor's Page

Our St. Edward parish message from Fr. Barry coming by e-mail for April and May

Let us have Alleluias in all our prayers! Let us let the Christ of Hope into our presence. Thanks, dear deacons, for your homilies this past weekend. I also hope that the homily I gave last weekend on letting the Full Light of Christ shine in did help some people.

We have a special event again for this “Year of the Priest.” It is the visit by Catholic apologist Tim Staples on Tuesday night, April 20^th at 7:30 p.m. He is a dynamic speaker from Catholic Answers ministry. Tim gives great explanations for the reasons of what we Catholics believe and why we practice the things we do and how it connects to our 2000 year-old Church and to one another. Come hear him! Tim takes questions after his talk—and there are many ones about the priesthood and papacy that you should hear and know (especially as this year focuses on such things).

We are looking to how many parishioners might come to this Adult Ed. offering, as we consider some other ideas about a parish mission or other programs ahead. The current numbers influences future choices.

There now is another Catholic Radio network on the air coast to coast, via the way of Sirius/XM satellite radio. It’s called The Catholic Channel. Catholic Answers has a show on it. There are a whole lot of other interesting offerings on it. I heard it while recently driving a rental car around that had it. It was very good. I thought I’d mention it here. I particularly enjoyed an open talk show that was on it.

The Catholic Channel has a different approach from the EWTN TV-radio network across the USA. CC is a bit in the entertainment direction. Of course, I highly recommend EWTN, too. EWTN focuses more on theological programs, devotionals, the Holy Mass, and themed programs in traditional Catholicism.

It went well at St. Edward’s. I especially enjoyed the Easter Vigil and how we received three adults fully into the Church with us at that liturgy. There names are: Charles (Trey) Crandell, Grace Dasalla, and Jamie Karbacka. If you see them, please give them a welcome or perhaps a few of you could write to them, in a way of encouragement to them. You could use the help of the office to forward a letter or e-mail to them.

May brings such big events in the parish as First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Pentecost. Here is the calendar for them.

The First Communion Mass is Saturday, May 1^st at 11:00am. It is limited seating. The Confirmation Mass is Monday, May 3^rd at 7:00pm. It is open for your attendance and worship. Bishop Holley is the presider. The Church’s feast of Pentecost is May 23rd; those Saturday and Sunday Masses will have some liturgical celebration of our parish diversity of culture and background. The parish council is appealing to you via the parish bulletins for your participation in those Masses, especially if you have a contribution of language or food (for the Sunday reception).

I met with a company rep that does modular buildings. I had liked a small building that they put up over at Holy Family in Mitchellville. They may be able to re-vive our hope for meeting space here. It’s in the consideration phase.

We do want to start re-surfacing the parking lot at the end of this Spring. We probably will do the east side lot first this year; and the west side in 2011—keeping in mind the above building program hopes.

We have granted our maintenance man a one-month vacation back to Asia. He will go away later this Spring. We’ll have a once-a-week cleaning service fill in.

1. The U.S. Bishop’s Conference said we didn’t get the Health Care Bill provisions that we hoped for (in what the Obama Administration put through so far…). In the last e-note, I had asked for your Catholic voice to get to our government officials. Maybe by then, it was too late.

Caught in all the discontent on Capitol Hill, the aftermath saw Catholic Congressman Bart Stupak announce how he now just wanted to get out of politics, even after years of laboring both for pro-life and health care concerns. Watching those two issues collide last month, with him in the middle, Stupak got lost. Lots of people like this Congressman are getting too frustrated to continue on in public service. Pray for them. Keep praying that the causes of being fully pro-life and being engaged in health care reforms can be somehow united. Pray for those remaining in the cause for good government and Catholic influence in it.

2. On Holy Thursday our church was not filled so much (as I had wished for)… and it was a rough Holy Week this year of critique, insult, and issues against the Church in various kind… so it was an interesting one for me. I still was moved by the faith of parishioners in their Holy Week practice and appreciation. The centering on Jesus’ Passion, Death and Victorious Rising is still what it is all about each Holy Week of the Church Year. Let us keep that witness going.

3. On the State of Maryland scene lately, Maryland pushed aside the “Boast Tax Credit” program, to the disappointment of those who have children in Catholic Schools-----so it was not greatly an encouraging time in some part this April 2010.

Christ’ Resurrection gives our life meaning and direction and the oppor- tunity to start over no matter the circumstances or situations that we are in.

The Risen Jesus takes humanity out of time and makes them soul-sense eternity.

The world is indeed quite out-of-focus. This is how it all is accepted: fuzzy!

If you think your situation is too hard for success to be found, remember how Moses once was a basket case.