Third Sunday of Lent - March 24, 2019

Gratitude and Co-Responsibility

In this Sunday’s readings, Saint Paul applies an Exodus lesson to the Church of Corinth.  After they escaped Egypt by the power of God, Moses’ people murmured complaints about the difficulty of the journey: “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.”  Paul instructs the Corinthian Christians, “Do not grumble as some of them did!”  For we, too, often lose our gratitude for God’s work, and instead complain.

Our Lord Jesus also responds to gossip about murdered Galileans, as if God allowed the grizzly murders because the victims were worse sinners than everyone else.  Jesus rebukes the gossipers, “Do you think that these Galileans suffered in this way because they were greater sinners?  If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”  Jesus seem to mean that we are all under God’s judgment; rather than compare ourselves to others, we ought instead “bear fruit,” become the people of love and obedience that we’ve been commanded to be.

So let me be among those who take this lesson to heart, and express my gratitude for a few of those whose labors have recently borne fruit:
Confirmation:  First, credit goes to parents, sponsors, and catechists for shepherding the youth of RocKenRo to their reception of the sacrament of Confirmation on March 14. I also thank key staff and volunteers such as Lisa & Tim Davis, Wayne Madden, Steve Swank, and others who were able to make St. Malachy Church into a host for the grand affair.  The RocKenRo music directors integrated the music and choirs for a lovely ceremony.  The Knights of Columbus from both parishes coordinated parking (and defended the lots from those who were less than eagerly cooperative!).  And finally, we’re in debt to Kennedy Township, McDermott Funeral Home, Dr. Harkins & Butler Dental, the Allegheny Valley School, the Kennedy Fire Department, and other neighbors for all the additional parking they donated for the special occasion.
Decision-Making:  An administrator is expected to make a lot of decisions for his parishes, but he’s supposed to do so in consultation with a lot of people.  At RocKenRo, some of key persons who coordinate the consultations are the facilitators of the pastoral councils: Linda Gomulka at Holy Trinity, Alice Kilonsky at St. John of God, and Patty Beasock at St. Malachy.  Linda was chosen for this role by Fr. Keene, but I retained her and since then she’s heroically organized consultations on many different and weighty matters.  Patty, too, assisted Fr. Hissrich at St. Malachy, and Patty’s shown remarkable agility at adapting to the new operating procedure I’ve created for that pastoral council.  Alice has trailblazed bravely, serving on the newly revived council at St. John of God.  I am grateful for these three women and so many other persons who have been assisting me On Mission for The Church Alive!
                                                                                                                      —Fr. Dave

Second Sunday of Lent - March 17, 2019

                                   Hang in There!

The internet is nearly full of pictures of cats and kittens being adorable. One popular motif is the
feline predicament of a cat who has climbed too high or into too awkward a place, and can now no longer extract itself.

If we’re following Jesus, we can feel like such a cat. Last year almost all priests received brand new or at least greatly expanded responsibilities covering multiple parishes. Here at RocKenRo, we’re already in the process of consolidating our schools. We’ve taken some big steps following Jesus, and now we’re outside our “comfort zone,” into situations where we cannot fully control the challenges coming our way.

Most of us were baptized as infants, and it was our parents who spoke for us: We didn’t even have a say in the matter. At our confirmation, like the RocKenRo youth confirmed last week, we were young and only dimly aware of the obligations we assumed. As adults, many of us received the sacraments of marriage (or holy orders!), but how many of us fully understood just how difficult the vocation to family or ministry would be?

That’s one of the Lord’s purposes in his Transfiguration: “Hang in there.” We’re now in the second week of Lent, and if you’re doing it right, you’re starting to feel the pressure of your fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. You may feel like the cat, barely hanging on, waiting for help, and wondering how long you can last until it does.

But following Jesus on the way of the cross is worth the pain and deprivation. We may compound our hard feelings with doubt, fear, or resentment, but the Lord encourages us to persevere in our shared life and mission despite it all. At his Transfiguration, the Lord revealed his Divinity even through his human flesh. Our humanity is the same stuff, and so we can hope that one day, we who share Jesus’ humanity may also share his divine Life.

X  March 17: Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!  March 19: Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
                                                                                                                                       —Fr. Dave

First Sunday of Lent - March 10, 2019

Come, Holy Spirit!

On Thursday, March 14, RocKenRo welcomes the Most Reverend David Zubik, Bishop of Pittsburgh, for the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation to the youth of our grouping.  It’s our first major liturgy to be shared by all the RocKenRo faithful, so I ask you to enter into it in a spirit of prayer, gratitude, and cooperation.

As with a family Thanksgiving dinner—or maybe more like an extended family reunion—the goal is not to treat everyone identically, but rather for each to contribute according to what makes the shared effort work.  For this first RocKenRo liturgy, the special burden falls on the faithful of St. Malachy, our largest church, to be hosts.  Therefore:

Parking:  St. Malachy parishioners have obtained permission from their neighbors to park cars in their lots.  Knights of Columbus from both parishes will be on hand to direct parkers; please follow their instructions.  They’ll try to clear drop-off points at the school gym (for candidates and sponsors) and the church.   I ask especially the families from St. Malachy, who are more familiar with the properties, and all able-bodied persons, to park in the more remote lots first, leaving the closer spaces for guests from other parishes and for the infirm.  The entire upper lot will be reserved for the disabled.  If you are bringing guests beyond your immediate family, please try to car-pool.

Seating:  Many pews will be reserved for the candidates and their sponsors.  Other guests will seat themselves in unreserved pews.  If you arrive early, please move to the interior of the pew and make space for latecomers.  If at any point you are uncomfortable, sick, or otherwise need to be in a different space, you are welcome downstairs (below the church) to Weirauch Hall, where there will be refreshments and a live video feed of the ceremony.

Video and photo:   Professionals have been retained to capture audio, video, and still photographs of the ceremony.  These will subsequently be made available to parents of the candidates.  Your respective directors of religious education will notify you as to how you may obtain the images.

The root word of “confirmation” is “firm,” indicating that the Sacrament is intended to strengthen us in our baptismal identity, especially in the face of hardship or persecution.  Thus in decades past, the confirming Bishop slapped the newly confirmed in the face as a prelude to the hardships expected for the maturing Christian.  Let us give evidence of the grace of the Sacrament by persevering in faith and charity through all the changes and challenges faced by our local Church.
                                                                                                                            —Fr. Dave

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - March 3, 2019

Archangel Gabriel School

By now you know that for the coming school year, St. Malachy Parish School will be merged into Holy Trinity Parish School to make the new Archangel Gabriel School, shared by the three RocKenRo parishes: Holy Trinity, St. John of God, and St. Malachy. My immediate motive is that St. Malachy School operates at an increasing deficit that neither the parish nor RocKenRo can afford. To save resources for our shared mission, we need to stop the deficit spending.

A few of my trusted councilors advised me simply to close St. Malachy and invite the students there to move to Holy Trinity. People of this reasonable opinion should be respected: Under Kim Stevenson’s leadership, Holy Trinity School has grown stably and successfully.

But we ask how best to undertake our shared mission as RocKenRo, including the mission to aid Christian parents in their God-given responsibility for rearing and educating their children, especially in the Catholic faith. To merge the schools effectively creates a Grouping school and the opportunity to integrate our mission to all our parents who subscribe to it.

Given Holy Trinity School’s success, I plan to locate all K through 8 education at that campus. Because the St. Malachy Pre-School is fully certified, I plan to locate all pre-school there. I make the 8-minute commute daily; I hope parents who chauffeur their children will be able to do so.

Many questions remain: Tuition, fundraising team, uniforms, gym usage, etc.  To answer I’ll be relying on advice from my implementation committee: Bonnie Amendola, Charles Baker, Rosemary Corsetti, Linda Gomulka, Julie Loehlein, Joseph Maggi, Amy Maxin, Fr. Alan Morris, and Dr. William Stropkaj. Our first task is to hire a principal for Archangel Gabriel School. Our current principals and outsiders are invited to apply. The principal will hire the new school’s faculty from the current pool of teachers at both schools. If you have special questions or concerns, please convey them in writing to me or a member of the implementation committee.

I hope all current students at Holy Trinity and St. Malachy enter Archangel Gabriel. Enrollments for 2019-20 at either school will be honored at Archangel Gabriel. To parents who judge that Archangel Gabriel is not the best choice for their children, I recommend Northside Catholic Assumption Academy, St. James School, St. Margaret of Scotland School, and St. Philip School.

I proposed the name “Archangel Gabriel” to link the patronal names of the three parishes:
The Archangel Gabriel is “one of the seven holy angels who…enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One” and behold the Holy Trinity (paralleling Raphael per Tobit 12:15).
The Archangel Gabriel makes known God’s plan for the salvation of his people (Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1:19). St. Malachy is most famous for his analogous gift of prophecy.
The Archangel Gabriel announces the conception of Jesus to the blessed virgin Mary. The principal church of St. John of God Parish is St. Mary, Help of Christians.
The naming of the school coincides with RocKenRo’s desire to commemorate the late Fr. Kenneth Keene. His mother, Alvera Keene, and family graciously agree to donate toward the installation of a large image of the Archangel Gabriel in his memory. May God grant eternal rest to Fr. Ken.  Archangel Gabriel, pray for us!

Please remember that Daylight Savings Time begins next Sunday, March 10. Set your clocks forward one hour or you’ll be late for Mass!
Lent begins Ash Wednesday, March 6.  Please find your Lenten calendar in this bulletin.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh sets the last Sunday before Lent as the annual appeal for the Parish Share Program, but only St. Malachy Parish traditionally observes this practice.  St. Malachy parishioners will therefore receive my appeal.  But everyone is asked to note that (1) Parish Share gifts are typically the most effective way to support your parish and (2) funds from Parish Share are never used for the compensation fund for those abused by clergy, nor for related legal expenses.
                                                                                                                              —Fr. Dave

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 24, 2019

Meet the Clergy, Again! Donna Spohn at St. John of God suggests I occasionally use this bulletin to answer questions from parishioners:

How do we ask you questions? Email me at dpoecking@diopitt.org or send me a letter. Don’t give me important information before or after Mass, because I’ll forget.

What if I’m a volunteer but didn’t get an invitation to the volunteer appreciation? Check with your parish receptionist and she’ll fix the problem.

Why aren’t we saying the St. Michael Prayer at the end of Mass? Well, the Bishop asked us to consider this, but practices vary among churches and clergy. Rather than trying to solve this problem now, I’m deferring the matter until we have the opportunity to focus on a revitalization of our Sunday Masses. That’s not first on our agenda, but we’ll get there!

Below you’ll see a complete list of the RocKenRo clergy. Keep the list for future reference!

                                                                                                                                —Fr. Dave

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 17, 2019

“Rejoice and Be Glad” 

This Sunday’s Gospel is Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, sterner than Matthew’s: Instead of “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” we get “Blessed are the poor”; instead of “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” we get “Blessed are the hungry.” Yet the main message is the same, and the Beatitudes anchor the Church’s teaching on how to follow Jesus. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1716ff.)

Last year Pope Francis published an apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, “Rejoice and Be Glad,” essentially a reflection on the Beatitudes, to call each and all of us to holiness in a practical way. He wants each of us in his own way not to be flawless, but to become the saints God intends. For most of us, that means patience with family, kindness to neighbors, working first for the common good rather than our own interests. Your life is a mission, a way for God to speak his word of love to the world. For this, you will need both prayerful devotion to God and committed service to others. Holiness will require sacrifice, but it leads to the vitality and joy of becoming the person God created you to be. Allow God to transform you.

To be holy you must be oriented to God and others, not too wrapped up in yourself. You can’t be too concerned with your own thoughts or feelings, still less whether these are perfectly refined. Nor should you be too absorbed in your own accomplishments or willpower. We begin the walk of holiness by responding to the Lord’s initiative, and by continuing in humble dependence upon his favor and forgiveness.

Jesus’ first great sermon, the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:1—7:28) begins with the Beatitudes, in which Jesus outlines how we can grow in holiness. Elsewhere, Pope Francis has encouraged us to recite the Beatitudes daily:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Pope Francis also cites Matthew 25:31-46—“whatever you did for one of these little brothers and sisters, you did for me”—as a guide to holiness. Here Christians can make two mistakes: (1) They can separate their good works from a personal relationship with the Lord, neglecting prayer and grace and Gospel; or (2) they sideline some social engagement, neglecting to see each person in immediate need as like Christ himself.

Some of the signs by which we can navigate our path of holiness are (a) perseverance, patience, and meekness, (b) joy and a sense of humor, (c) boldness and passion, (d) sharing life “in community,” (e) living “in constant prayer.” It will be a constant battle with the Devil, who opposes us on this path and whose goal is to make us stumble or turn away. Make a daily examination of conscience and ask God for the gift of discernment in finding our way.

Please pray for the 8th graders of St. Malachy and St. John of God Parishes, on retreat today in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

                                                                                                                                 —Fr. Dave