Slovenska cerkev Sv. Cirila v New Yorku - Novice

Slovenska cerkev Sv. Cirila v New Yorku

V leto 2023...

24/1/2023

Adventni in božični čas sta tisti čas v letu, ko se še posebej zavedamo kako pomembna je v življenju ljubezen do sočloveka in spoštovanje njegovega človeškega dostojanstva. Prav za to je Bog poslal na svet svojega Sina, rojenega v Betlehemu in jaslice nas vsako leto spominjajo na ta srečni trenutek v človeški zgodovini.

V naši cerkvi so letos postavili jaslice: Matej Branc, Delak Sergej, Peter Jenko, Sasha Jursha, Sebastijan Kopušar, Robi Poredoš in Robi Zakotnik. Ob njih smo lahko uživali ob poslušanju božičnih pesmi, ki so nam jih, po nedeljski maši 18. decembra, zapele Dominika Lango, Patricia Ruiz, Marinka Zupančič ob klavirski spremljavi Michaela Pilafiana. Po maši smo bili zopet deležni dobrot iz Mijine kuhinje, ki je, kot mimogrede, še praznično okrasila cerkev in orglala pri prazničnih mašah.

Januarska Kulturna ura je bila posvečena spominu na Antona Babnika in izidu njegove knjige “Še en čudež“. V njej popisuje svoje življenje od rojstva pa do prihoda v Ameriko. Helka Puc je iz nje prebrala par zanimivosti in ob koncu še “The 2nd inaugural address of President Lincoln” kot primer kako je on modro reševal težak politični položaj po koncu ameriške državljanske vojne.

Po Kulturni uri, ki so se je udeležili tudi Rupnicki in Rucigayi je bilo še pospravljanje jaslic. To delo so opravili Tone Branc, Vilma & Joao Chrisostomo, Branko Čampa in Robi Poredoš.

Vsem, ki ste nam polepšali Božične in novoletne praznike in darovali za našo cerkev PRISRČNA HVALA!

Kulturna ura in velika obletnica

13/12/2022

Zadnja Kulturna ura je bila posvečena 150-letnici rojstva arhitekta Jožeta Plečnika. Odlično jo je pripravil Sergej Delak in s pomočjo Branka Čampe in projektorja prikazal njegove najpomembnejše stvaritve, ki zaznamujejo Ljubljano: Tromostovje, nabrežja Ljubljanice, Centralno tržnico, Narodno in Univerzitetno knjižnico in ljubljansko pokopališče Žale. Cerkve in kapelice, ki so posejane po Sloveniji, so še posebno lep del njegovaga opusa. Njegova dela se lahko vidi tudi na Dunaju, v Pragi na Češkem in v Beogradu.

1.oktobra je minilo 30 let od smrti dr. Valentina Kalana, ki je več kot 50 let vodil Kulturne ure in tako pomagal ohranjati slovensko zavest in kulturo med Slovenci, živečimi v “Greater New York”. Po njegovi smrti je to plemenito nalogo prevzel dr. Silvo Lango. Ob njegovem 30-letnem vodenju Kulturnih ur, mu je župnik P. Krizolog, v imenu župnije sv. Cirila, izročil spominsko plaketo v znemenje priznanja in zahvale za njegovo delo.

From the Archdiocesan Newsletter

3/11/2022

October 21, 2022

Today, Reverend Martin Cimerman Krizolog, OFM celebrated 30 years as pastor of St. Cyril in St. Mark’s Place.

The 106-year-old Slovenian church, consecrated in 1916 is a beacon of faith in the East Village, bursting with eclectic shops and nightlife. Fr. Kriz also recently received a medal of honor from Slovenian President Borut Pahor, who was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, for his services in preserving Slovenian culture and uniting Slovenians in the USA.

Fr. Kriz remarked, “I did not expect this award and am surprised. I sincerely thank the president for this recognition, which I accept as recognition for the entire Slovenian community that lives and works here.”

Congratulations Father Kriz!

What Vatican II Accomplished

4/10/2022

The Catholic Church’s historic council is misunderstood today by both progressives and nostalgic traditionalists. Its true message endures.

The Second Vatican Council, which opened 60 years ago on Oct. 11, 1962, was the most important Catholic event in half a millennium. Its achievements were many and notable; it was also followed by ecclesiastical upheavals that continue to roil the Church today.

After Vatican II, Catholics worshiped in their own languages, rather than in Latin. By urging Catholics to become more biblically literate, the council inspired lay communities of spiritual renewal, some of them robustly charismatic. It also led to greater lay participation in all aspects of Church life: liturgical, educational, managerial, evangelical. The council fully inserted Catholicism into the ecumenical movement’s quest for Christian unity, even as it dramatically reconfigured the Church’s relationship to its religious parent, Judaism.

Vatican II was also the moment in which Catholicism fully realized its claim to be a global (“catholic”) institution, as churchmen from outside the Church’s historic European core began to take prominent roles in shaping the Catholic future. The extraordinary growth of the Catholic Church in sub-Saharan Africa—where Catholicism now counts hundreds of millions of adherents, many of them first- or second-generation Christians—was accelerated by the council’s promotion of native African clergy and religious orders, its disentanglement of Catholicism from colonialism and its insistence on the Church’s essentially missionary character.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

President of Slovenia Borut Pahor awards Father Krizolog

3/10/2022

Along with attending the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the President of Slovenia Borut Pahor presented the Reverend Martin Cimerman Krizolog, a Franciscan from the Slovenian Church of St. Cyril, with a state award for his services in preserving Sloveneness and for uniting Slovenes in the United States.

"I did not expect this, and I am surprised. I sincerely thank the President for this recognition, which I accept as recognition for the entire Slovenian community that lives and works here," said Fr. Krizolog, adding that, considering the small size of the nation, Slovenians contributed the most to the development of America.

He encouraged Slovenians to tolerance and unification. "The Slovenian soul has given a special flavor to this American society," he said, adding that there is strength in the community. "In the words of a philosopher, whose name I can't remember now: instead of cursing the darkness, let's turn on the light - that's what I want for everyone in this community of ours and the Slovenians at home," he said.

In the justification of the award, it is written, among other things, that Fr. Krizolog has been working in the parish in New York since 1991. On June 30, 1991, on the fourth day of the war for Slovenia, he helped prepare a protest against the invasion of the Yugoslav People's Army into Slovenia and for the recognition of the independence of Slovenia in the square in front of the UN Palace of Slovenia. He participated in and organized the sending of letters to American politicians and other influential people whom American Slovenians asked to prevent bloodshed in their homeland.

"He has made the promotion of Slovenia in New York and the USA one of his priorities. He has worked to make the parish a meeting place for Slovenian men and women, as well as others. He organized and encouraged many cultural events, concerts and exhibitions, lectures, and more. To his credit, it is a place of openness, tolerance, and inclusiveness regardless of religious affiliation or political persuasion."

"With his cheerful and humorous approach, he is always able to create a relaxed atmosphere that calls for dialogue and the search for what connects people in the community. Fr. Krizolog's openness and connectivity helped in the great success collecting funds for the renovation of the parish building, where the big donor concert in 1997 in Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana stood out in particular," he writes in the justification.

"He has done a lot for our Slovenian community. He is always ready to help and has an open door to talk or help. It means a lot that he has restored the church: it is the only remaining place where we can socialize. Sometimes when there was still more of a business community, and there was a Slovenian Consulate in New York, we also met elsewhere, but now we only have this church left," said Mija Branc, who regularly prepares Slovenian culinary delights for various events.

Fr. Krizolog said that he came to New York for two years and has stayed for 30 years. At the time of independence, everyone wanted to help Slovenia establish itself in the metropolis of the world. "We collected funds and renovated the building, and it was no longer just a religious building, but a kind of Slovenian house, where Slovenians from all over the world could come."

The church is threatened with closure in a few years because there are no Franciscans in Slovenia who could take over Fr. Krizolog's position, which means that after his departure, the fate of the building will be decided by the archbishop of New York. The Archdiocese of New York has no interest in preserving ethnic churches and would sell the building. There is an interest in keeping the church in Slovenian ownership. The state has already helped with reconstruction once in the past.

When asked if there is an interest in preserving the church, Pahor answered in the affirmative. He said that, of course, this is not a matter for the state, but it is aware of some co-responsibility or desire for something like this to remain here.

"The Slovenian state showed support immediately after independence when the decision was made to provide financial assistance. There is no doubt that the answer to your question is that this is an important institution that performed a unifying role. That is why we presented Father with the award because it is his personal merit. This is the center for Slovenians, religious or not," said the President.

In October 2016, the church celebrated its 100th anniversary with a mass led by Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore. The celebration was attended by former ambassadors, including the former high representative of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, and the former ambassador to Germany, Marta Kos. New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan said at the time that Slovenians are an important part of the wonderful diversity in the USA and the New York Archdiocese.

In 2018, the former US ambassador to Slovenia, Brent Hartley, with then Prime Minister Miro Cerar and former UN Ambassador Darja Bavdaž Kuret, learned more about the efforts to protect the church as Slovenian cultural heritage in the US.

In 2017, based on a reciprocal agreement with the United States, the government ranked the church at the top of the priorities of Slovenian heritage in the United States. Slovenia has, for example, taken care of the medieval synagogue in Maribor, which was restored in 2001.

In September 2019, the Prime Minister at the time, Marjan Šarec, also advocated for the protection and preservation of the church. "Procedures or efforts are underway to protect it as a cultural monument, to keep it as it is, because this is of great importance for Slovenia," Šarec said at the time.

The history of the Church of St. Cyril will remain recorded for future generations also in the form of Matjaž Brojan's book, which was published last year on the 105th anniversary of the church.

Translated from an article at 24ur.com. Presidential press release at predsednik.si. Announcement with comments on Twitter.

Ob koncu poletja

22/9/2022

Dragi farani in prijatelji!

Dolgo in vroče poletje se počasi poslavlja. Zapomnili si ga bomo po vročini, suši, požarih, toči in neurjih; najhujši požari v zgodovini Slovenije so upepelili ogromen del Krasa vse do meje z Italijo in še čez....

Človeštvo se sooča z zahtevnimi problemi, ki jih pred nas postavljajo podnebne spremembe. Zavedamo se, da je potrebno poglobiti zavest o skupnem izvoru, o medsebojni pripadnosti in prihodnosti ter spremeniti življenjski slog (p.S.K). Skrbeti je treba za zdravo okolje, ki ga človeški pohlep uničuje. Papež Frančišek je zelo konkreten v svojih predlogih za vzgojo za skrb za okolje. Omenja izogibanje rabi plastičnih vrečk ali papirja, manjšo porabo vode, ločeno zbiranje odpadkov, priprava hrane v količini, ki jo bomo lahko pojedli, skrbno ravnanje z drugimi živimi bitji, uporabo javnega prometa ali prevažanje več oseb v vozilu, sajenje dreves, ugašanje nepotrebnih luči... Skrb za naravo je bila sestavni del živjenjskega sloga sv. Frančiška Asiškega, ki goduje 4. oktobra in je sedanjemu papežu zelo ljub svetnik, ki ga navdihuje pri njegovih prizadevanjih in oznanjevanju o vesoljnem bratstvu; začutiti moramo, da potrebujemo drug drugega, da smo odgovorni za druge in za svet in da se splača biti dober in pošten.

MAŠE pri Brančevih v nedeljo, 14. avgusta, 2022 in piknika po njej se je udeležilo 65 ljudi, kar je rekordna udeležba odkar smo se pri njih prvič zbrali k maši leta 1997. Med mašo smo krstili Julijano, hčerko Andreja in Sare Branc, ki so prišli z Dunaja prvič na obisk domov kot družina. Spomnili smo se tudi porocnih jubilejev zakoncev Gaspari (56let) in Hranjec (46let) in molili tudi za zdravje Emily Harley in Henrija Stalzer in za Damjano Simončič (umrla 16. avgusta, 2021) ter za žive in pokojne Brančeve in Novakove. Posebno veselo vzdušje je ustvarjala kopica otrok, ki so se zabavali v bazenu in smo jih vsi z vesljem opazovali - ta slovenski naraščaj! Zahvala Brančevim za gostoljubje in vsem, ki ste prispevali jedi in pijačo, da nihče ni odšel lačen ali žejen.

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Church commemorates all her faithful children who have departed from this life, but have not yet attained the joys of heaven.

Po velikonočnih praznikih...

18/5/2022

Letošnji velikonočni prazniki so bili po dolgem času tudi za našo faro kot pravo vstajenje k novemu življenju. Zunanja podoba cerkve je dihala svežino s temeljito očiščenimi stopnišči, kar je zasluga Robija Poredoša, ki je ure in ure potrpežljivo odstranjeval umazanijo. Na Cvetno nedeljo so nas pri blagoslovu zelenja in procesiji razveselile slovenske narodne nose in butarice, ki sta jih naredila Tončka in Sergej Delak.

Mija Branc je velikonočni oltar okrasila s forzicijami in tulipani, znanilci pomladi in novega življenja, med mašo na orglah pa spremljala veselo Alelujo in velikonočne pesmi, ki so najglobji odmev človeškega srca po nesmrtnosti, ki jo prinaša Kristus. Po maši je lahko vsak dobil spominske pirhe, ki sta jih letos umetniško pobarvali Silva Vodlan in Marjana Burger.

Praznovanje se je nadaljevalo v dvorani ob potici in ostalih okusnih dobrotah Mije Branc, šunke začinjene s hudim hrenom Petra Jenka in prijaznim kramljanjem velikega števila naših faranov, ki so po dolgem obdobju covid-a lahko zopet normalno zaživeli. Lepa hvala vsem, ki ste nam s svojim delom in udeležbo naredili veselo Alelujo!

World Day For Grandparents and Elderly, July 24, 2022

Pope Francis has established throughout the Church the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly beginning in 2021 on the fourth Sunday of July, near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. The announcement of this celebration coincides with the celebration of the Year of Amoris Laetitia Family, which began on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph the husband of Mary, on March 19, 2021, and will conclude at the World Meeting of Families in Rome in June of 2022.

Pope Francis, Angelus (July 26, 2013)
"How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society! How important it is to have intergenerational exchanges and dialogues, especially within the context of the family. "

Prešernov dan, 2022

10/4/2022

Slovenska prosvetna ura je v nedeljo, 20. februarja potekala v znamenju počastitve slovenskega kulturnega praznika Prešernovega dne. Slovenski igralki Gaja Višnar ter Ana Karneža sta predstavili svojo življenjsko pot, igralske izkušnje v Sloveniji ter New Yorku in izvedli kulturni program. Višnarjeva, ki izhaja iz igralske družine, je na dramatičen način v Slovenščini in Angleščini izvedla znano Prešernovo pesem Povodni mož, ki jo recitira že od svojega 4. leta starosti ter pesmi iz zbirke Sonetje Nesreče. V New Yorku je končala igralsko akademijo Circle in the Square, prej, vmes in kasneje pa njeno življenje poteka od nastopov, do avdicij, novih nastopov in avdicij. Na newyorških gledaliških odrih je imela številne nastope, sama pa si želi več filmskih vlog.

Karneža, ki trenutno študira na znamenitem umetniškem konservatoriju Julliard, je ob spremljavi sošolca z Julliarda na kitari zapela znano slovensko popevko Mlade oči. V Sloveniji je začela kot pevka in med drugim uspešno nastopala v oddaji Slovenija ima talent. V New York jo je pot zanesla zaradi štipendije za študij na izpostavi Newyorške univerze (NYU) v Abu Dhabiju, kjer je vpisala računalništvo. Po prvem letniku se je odločila za spremembo smeri v petje in gledališče. Leta 2019 je nastopila v vlogi Mirande v Shakespearovi predstavi Vihar in sicer v gledališču Gallery Players v Brooklynu. Tako kot Višnarjeva se je tudi ona zaljubila v New York na prvi pogled in je tudi ostala.

Kulturna ura 20. marca nas je spomnila na dr. Zdravka Kalana, ki je pred 50. leti in več začel s kulturnimi programi po nedeljski maši. Lani so bili natisnjeni njegovi spomini Zgodba mojega življenja; iz nje je Sergej Delak prebral Kalanov opis trenutkov osvoboditve zloglasnega koncentracijskega taborišča Dachaua:
“Na stražnih stolpih so se pojavile bele zastave. To je pomenilo predajo brez borbe. Streljanje, ki se je slišalo s severa in zahoda, je prenehalo. V taborišču je zasijala v večernem soncu svoboda. Jetniki so hiteli na zborno mesto. Tam se bo odločilo.
Ko se je pojavila ameriška patrola na vratih Jourhausa, je ob pogledu na zbrano množico sestradanih, razcapanih, ušivih, a še vedno živih okostnjakov, onemela. Strmela je v množico, ki je v tolikih jezikih klicala dobrodošlico. En vojak je stopil na lesen podij, na katerega so prej postavljali tiste, ki so pobegnili iz taborišča, a so jih zopet ujeli. Po več ur so stali na podiju z napisom okolo vratu >Ich bin wieder da< (jaz sem zopet tu). Vojak je dal znak, da hoče govoriti. Nastala je tišina. Spregovoril je nekaj besed v angleščini, pokleknil, se pokrižal in molil. Za njim je padla na kolena tudi množica. Vsakdo je molil v svojem jeziku.
Te trenutke je težko opisati. Ljudje so se smejali, vriskali pa tudi od veselja jokali. Čestitali so so drug drugemu, se poljubljali in objemali. Počasi se se razšli po blokih in umirili.
Za 16. blokom ob stražnem stolpu so ležala trupla štirih nemških stražarjev. Postrelili so jih, ko so z dvignjenimi rokami prišli iz stolpa. Trdilo se je, da je eden izmed njih streljal na ameriške vojake. Res ali ne, v vojni in revoluciji je človeško življenje najcenejše blago.”
Na vse to prestano gorje nas v teh dneh zopet spominja Ukraina!

Dr.Miha Habič, naš nekdanji organist, nam je opisal svoje delo profesorja na Bard College, MA; trenutno vodi kurs za statistiko.
Dr.Matej Perovnik, mlad zdravnik nevrolog, ki se ukvarja z raziskavami možganov na North Shore University Hospital, nam je povedal zanimive stvari o raziskavah demence in alzheimerjeve bolezni. Posebna zahvala Tončki in Sergeju Delak, ki sta v odsotnosti Brancev poskrbela, da nismo ostali brez klobas in kislega zelja.

Dr. Janez Arnež 1923-2021

16/1/2022

18. decembra lani je v Ljubljani umrl Dr Janez Arnež. Dolgo let je živel v New Yorku. Bil je član slovenske skupnosti kjer je bil vključen in aktiven pri njenem življenju. Bil je popularen med mladimi zaradi njegove razgledanosti in zanimanj, ki je mladino navduševala. O Slovencih v New Yorku je spisal tudi knjigo. Bil je prvi, ki se je lotil te tematike.

Poučeval je ekonomijo na St Joseph College v Brooklynu. Njegova živjenska pot pa je bila zelo pestra. Po vojni se je kot begunec znašel v Belgiji, kjer se je preživljal tudi kot rudar in gradbeni delavec. Vendar njega kot tudi druge slovenske študente je gnala želja po dopolnitvi formalne izobrazbe. Druga svetovna vojna je prekinila marsikateremu študentu pot do izobrazbe. Kljub težavam se je Dr. Arnež vpisal na katoliško univerzo v Leuvanu v Belgiji, kjer je diplomiral iz političnih ved. Univerzo so vodili Jezuiti. Nato je emigriral v Združene Drzave Amerike. Nadaljeval je s študijem na Univerzi Yale v državi Connecticut. kjer je tudi magistriral. Doktorat pa je pridobil na univerzi Lavale v kanadskem Quebecu. Predno je začel s poučevanjem na St. Joseph’s College se je zaposlil za tri leta v Washingtonski ustanovi “Library of Congress” Ugotovil je, da kljub mogočnosti te ustanove knjig in drugih publikacij o Slovencih in Slovenstvu v angleščini skoraj ni bilo.

Odločil se je, da s prijatelji g. Erikom Kovačičem in g. Tinetom Leskovskom ustanovijo institut in založnistvo “Studia Slovenica” z namenom, da predstavijo Slovenstvo in njeno zgodovino v angleščini in to na znanstven način. Zato je “Studia Slovenica” objavljala dela o Slovenstvu tudi neslovenskih avtorjev.

Dr Arnež je bil vnet zagovornik dela na znanstven način. To so predvsem knjižne reference. Sporočila knjig so morala biti podprta z dokazi. Vsako zavajanje, špekulantstvo, površnost in neresnice niso bile sprejete za objavo. Od tod je izvirala njegova strast do zbiranja vseh mogočih člankov in publikacij objavlenih v zdomstvu in zamejstvu in to takih, ki so bila boleča takratnemu političnemu vodstvu v Sloveniji. Prišlo je tudi do absurdnih situacij, ko je Dr. Arnež pobiral iz smeti knjige, ki so jih nekateri Slovenci metali v smeti kot navlako. Tako pa je Dr Arnež zbral za več kot dva ladijska zabojnika knjig in tiskanega materiala iz ZDA, Kanade in Argentine in ju poslal v Slovenijo. Pri pošiljki prvega zabojnika se je zadeva skoraj ponesrečila, ker se je takrat ravno začela vojna za slovensko državo. Zabojnik je skoraj obtičal v italijanski Gorici. Vendar gre tu pohvala in hvaležnost za razumevanje takratnemu notranjemu ministru Igorju Bavčarju, ki je dovolil čezmejni uvoz tega zabojnika v Slovenijo.

Končno je ta zaklad prisel do Škofovih Zavodov v Šentvidu. Tam je Dr Arnež dobil prostor za knjižnico in je takoj začel z urejanjem vsega zbranega. V Škofovih Zavodih je tudi živel v majhnem stanovanju. Za “Studio Slovenico” se je začela zanimati tudi Ljubljanska Univerza. Ta je poslala k “Studii Slovenici” poklicno knjižničarko, ki je spravila v red vse in uredila ves tiskani material po mednarodnih, evropskih pravilih in standardih modernega knjžničarstva.

Dr Arnež ni bil politik, čeprav se je s politiki Slovenske Ljudske Stranke v zdomstvu dobro poznal. O Slovenski Ljudski Stranki (Krščanski Demokraciji – po Dr Ludviku Pušu) je spisal več knjig. Slovenski Politiki Ljudske Stranke so videli prihodnost Slovencev v Kraljevini Jugoslaviji. Dr Arnež pa se je navduševal za neodvisno slovensko državo.

Bil je Dr Arnež oče petim otrokom. Od teh je nam bolj znan sin Dr.Janez Arnež ml. Doktoriral je iz biofizike na Univerzi Yale. Več let je poučeval v ZDA dokler se ni odločil, da postane duhovnik. S svojo poprejšnjo visoko izobrazbo in po končani teologiji v Ljubljani je Dr. Arnež ml. postal kancler Koprske škofije in kot tak stoji ob strani koprskemu škofu Dr Juriju Bizjaku.

Napisal Sergej Delak.

Pismo patra Krizologa ob koncu leta 2021...

12/11/2021

Dragi farani in prijatelji!

Na praznik sv. Frančiška Asiškega, 4. oktobra 2021, je bila po večerni maši v frančiškansli cerkvi na Tromostovju v Ljubljani predstavljena knjiga Svetilnik slovenstva in vere v New Yorku, ki govori o stoletni zgodovini naše fare sv. Cirila. To delo predstavlja pomemben del mozaika, ki ga sestavljajo naši slovenski izseljenci po svetu. Knjiga je vzbudila precej zanimanja tako pri ljudeh kot v medijih.

V nedeljo, 17. oktobra 2021, smo med mašo krstili Petra Josepha Bretta, drugega otroka Patricka in Vide Mulec. Po maši smo imeli Kulturno uro: fizik David Grošelj nam je predstavil svoje raziskovanje različnih astrofizičnih fenomenov, ki jih opravlja skupaj z ostalimi znanstveniki Columbijske Univerze v New Yorku.

Martinovanja tudi letos ne bo zaradi virusa Covid, ki nam že dve leti greni življenje; Slovenija je trenutno med najbolj okuženimi državami v Evropi, naši farani sv. Cirila se mu zaenkrat uspešno izogibajo.

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Thanksgiving brings us together as a Nation. In the rich tapestry of our diversity we rediscover our unity in the values which inform and ground the American experiment in ordered liberty.

Many Catholics will participate in the Liturgy and hear the Gospel chosen for this day from St. Luke (Luke 17:11-19); the familiar story of the ten lepers who were miraculously healed by Jesus during his journey to Jerusalem. Only one came back to give thanks. The challenge leaps forth - are we that one?

Our celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy is always a call to return to the source of every gift, the God who gave Himself for us. It is the invitation to give thanks which gathers us as families around the dinner table today. We will tell stories of our past and toast the hopes for our future. Although a "secular" holiday, the celebration is profoundly religious at its core. Even in the midst of the struggles we have face in the United States, we really do need to stop and give thanks! We are a truly blessed people. ( Deacon Keith Fournier)

Christmas is coming.... Think of the many ways God has reached out to us to communicate with us since the beginning. The climax of God communicating with us in the Old Testament was when God formed the covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai. God joined himself to us in a covenant and we were joined to God in a covenant. But we still sinned so God raised up prophets to call us back but only a small number of people paid heed to the prophets. Through one of the prophets, Hosea, God said that Israel has been like an unfaithful wife committing adultery by going after false gods. All through the centuries of the Old Testament God pursued us like a lover but we had broken the covenant and God had to make a new unbreakable covenant with us. For this new covenant, God would become flesh and bones like us, and shed his blood in the person of Jesus to convince us once and for all to accept his invitation to be his people. Jesus was the climax of God reaching out to us.

The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory...
Fr. Tommy Lane