December 15 - 16, 2007

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

This weekend - the Third of Advent - we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, so called from the first word of the Introit. Gaudete “Rejoice”, taken from the Latin translation of the letter to the Philipians (4:4-5) sets a tone of joyful expectation for the Lord’s birth, as does the permitted use of rose-colored vestments.

“Are you ‘He who is to come‘, or do we look for another?” John’s anxious question from prison reflects both hope and disillusion. John had staked his life on the message that the centuries-old hopes of his people were about to be fulfilled. But the fulfillment, when it came, turned out to be quite different from what he had expected. Was Jesus the one whom John had proclaimed him to be? Like all of us, John had to discover that faith is now a once-for-all decision. Faith must be constantly renewed. Interestingly, instead of the yes or no answer John was seeking, Jesus gave John an answer that forced him to take the evidence available and work out his own answer. Faith is always free, never forced. Jesus asks John to look at the miracles and healings as signs, not as proof of God’s love. They point to faith, but they never compel it. Don’t we ask the same of those who love us? Don’t we ask that they love and trust us without having to prove in advance that we deserve to be loved and trusted? We are loved by a God who became one of us, that we might know the breadth and the depth of His love for us. Our call is to rejoice and have hope in that reality and freely respond in an ever-growing, deepening and constantly renewed faith.

As you can see, our decorators have been busily at work in the Church. Glenda, Clare, Betty, Tom, Marty, Kathleen, Dave and Deacon John have been hard at it these past few weeks. Clare very generously bought us a new large wreath to replace our old rather worn and torn one. Thank you, folks, on behalf of all of us for your work.

Our Parish Penance Service Thursday went very well and many of our parishioners took advantage of it. I’m really grateful for the many priests from the area who came to help out. Fr. Tony also did his usual great job in presiding. There was no story time, though. Celebrating this sacrament with the people of our parish and the many other parishes in the area is always such a privileged and sacred trust.

We had the staff Christmas party the other day. It’s a no-booze, rather low-key affair, and yet it is always a joy to get together and not have to discuss business. We really do have so many very talented and dedicated people on our parish staff who bring a lot of spirit and joy to their ministry with and for us; and frankly, we could never properly compensate them for all that they do. The staff has also had to undergo an awful lot of changes over the past year. Many things had been rather informal in the past, and I have instituted a system of documentation and accountability that is very comprehensive and initially a bit formidable and confusing. I am very grateful for their spirit of cooperation, understanding and constructive criticism in getting the system in place. They have been just great and I am really grateful to them. I have also had to saddle them with an extremely tight budget, and they have been making it work without sacrificing their ministerial efforts or quality. God bless them.

A member of the staff recently mentioned to me that I never put good financial news in my letters. You know what? She’s right. Two positive things immediately come to mind. This year we exceeded our DSA assessment by at least $5,000 and will be getting this back from the Diocese. Thank you very much to those who helped to make this possible. Also, the parish contributes approximately 6% of overall weekly income to help those in need. We have been able to help a number of our parishioners in financial need and kept some from losing homes, or those who need medicines, etc. I don’t know many parishes that are this generous in this way. We are also going to be able to help a number of families this Christmas with gifts for their children due to some funds that generous individuals have given us for this purpose.

Our Music Director, Shannon Roschke will be leaving us after the holidays. Motherhood and distance are taking a toll on her and a bit more of her energy than she anticipated. We are extremely grateful to Shannon for her wonderful ministry here with us and her inspiring dedication, energy and enthusiasm. We will be forming a committee in the near future to look for a replacement for Shannon.

I probably won’t be writing next week as that is when I’ll be getting my new genuine artificial elbow. I would like to wish you and your families a very happy, holy and safe Christmas on behalf of Fr. Tony and me, on behalf of Connie Milligan and the Faith Formation Staff, and Nancy Chiarelli and the Pre-School Staff.

Let’s keep one another in our prayers. I could use a few extras next Monday if you remember.

December 8 - 9, 2007

Dear Parishioners,

Father Russ has invited me to do a follow-up on the Mass Etiquette we started last weekend.

The most important thing I can do as a Priest is to celebrate the Eucharist. The most important act you can do as Roman Catholics is to participate in the Eucharist.

We have a lot of wonderful activities here at St. John’s. For example, our education programs for the children, our Bible studies for the adults, the wonderful work done by the Knights of Columbus and the Scouting groups, our many charitable acts we try to do for the poor, etc. All these are important and valuable. But none are as important and none of these define us more than when we participate in the Mass. No other activity can come close in importance or value to us spiritually.

Having said all that, we all must make an effort to celebrate the Eucharist in the proper manner. These three suggestions (listed last week and shown in the bulletin) are guidelines to help us celebrate as a community of believers.

. The importance of trying to be in Church 15 minutes before Mass. Also, not leaving Mass before the priest is at the gathering area. Remember, Judas left Mass early.

. Sing out. If you don’t think you have a good voice, that is all right. After all, the Good Lord gave you that voice - let Him hear it.

. The Sign of Peace should not continue beyond the Lamb of God. We move from greeting each other to getting ready to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.

We can learn a great deal from the early Christians of the first two centuries in the Roman Empire. Christianity was outlawed. Priests were forbidden to say Mass. The Baptized were told not to attend Mass. If caught, they would be executed. Yet, to spite the law forbidding Mass, the early Christians still met secretly and celebrated Mass. They put their lives on the line to be part of the Eucharist.

                         God Bless You!
                                         Sincerely,
                                          Fr. Tony

1 - 2 December, 2007

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

As we begin the Holy Season of Advent, I’ve decided to put pen to paper - literally. I tried one-fingered typing and discovered that my mind ran too far ahead of my finger and I gave up in frustration before I progressed too far into the letter. My disabled arm has definitely been a lesson in patience. My surgery for a total elbow replacement is scheduled for December 17 at some ungodly hour in the early morning. Before I go too much further, I want to thank Fr. Tony for all of his help over these past weeks. I’ve tried to keep up a full schedule, but have had my limitations. Fr. Tony has never complained or demurred regarding anything I have asked of him. Deacon John, too, has been a great help above and beyond his ministerial responsibilities and in his part-time (????) capacity as our Facilities Manager.

Mark Searle, in an article in Assembly (vol. 7:1) states that, “Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike animals, we are blessed - or cursed - with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions in shaping it.” We need something or someone to live for, something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for is to surrender to death in despair. I have often read over the years that it is the view of many psychologists that even the act of suicide is many times a statement or an act of hope that whatever is beyond death must be better than what the person is experiencing/suffering now in their lives. We hope that our children might have a better life and be saved from some of our mistakes. We hope for a better and more peaceful world. Our forbearers came here from other lands driven by hope.

The Old Testament readings of Advent speak of the hopes that the people of those times had - and they were big ones: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that those scattered and divided people would be gathered together again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, etc.; that they would have tranquil lives, sufficient food, and an end to suffering, pain and misery

We still hope for these same things as the people of the Old Testament, but their hopes are not yet realized. We differ from them in two very important ways. First, the coming of Jesus, the Christ, in history as a partial fulfillment of God’s promises incredibly confirms and strengthens our hope. Second, we differ from the people of the Old Testament in that Jesus revealed that God is not far off, but is already in our midst. Let us each make it our challenge this Advent to truly reflect on and pray on the readings of Advent and our own hopes and our relationship with Jesus Christ; He who is our life and our hope, who came as one like us, that we might truly know in-the-flesh, the love, the presence and the compassion of God.

Decorating has begun in the Church and will be going on in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Glenda Heffernan is taking leadership in this effort this year and has been hard at work these past few weeks. I want to get the names of all of her dedicated helpers before I mention them and risk leaving anyone out. They are doing a lot of refurbishing of a number of our decorations this year and their plans sound and look great so far.

Congratulations to all of our children who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on November 17. A special thanks, as always, to Connie Milligan and our Faith Formation Staff for all of their efforts in preparing our children. Our volunteer teachers; I cannot say enough about their wonderful faith-filled dedication to our children and our parish. It is a special calling and gift that they have, and their willingness to be so generous with it absolutely deserves our prayerful support and heartfelt gratitude. Teaching kids our faith in a world filled with so may conflicting and even contrary values is a challenge that they smilingly embrace week after week. We are, of course, grateful to their parents who remain their primary and most important teachers. Their challenges, too, are considerable, and they need our prayers and support.

Please mark your calendars for December 13 at 7:00 PM. We will be holding our parish penance service on this date. I would like to give you my annual caution not to wait until the last minute - Saturday, December 22 at 4:00 PM - to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. On the 13th, we will have a number of priests available. On the 22nd, it will be just Fr. Tony and me, and we will end at 5:00 PM. Again, please do not wait until the last minute.

Repairs to our lighting system, damaged by fire, have been completed and they are now back under computer control, which will save us a good bit of money and save Fr. Tony, Deacon John and I our frequent trips into what Fr. Tony calls “the dungeon”. While the lift equipment was here, we took advantage and had the parish hall retubed and the failed ballasts in 14 fixtures replaced. Al Miller has been working on the computer programming and things have gone well with only a few glitches. We are going to try to recover as much as we can from our insurance carrier.

Speaking of our insurance carrier, we recently received our second rejection from them with regard to our claim for mold abatement and reconstruction in the Parish Office and the Friary. My opinion: we were done dirt. The Diocesan Insurance office absolutely assured us that our claim would be paid and therefore we used their recommended certified contractor. While the work was well done, we really could have had it done far more cheaply by any other contractor. I find myself feeling very angry with them and betrayed by the Diocesan office and will know next time to take their advice with the proverbial grain of salt.

Thank you very much for your generosity to the Facilities Fund. It has helped us in many projects, large and small, in our aging physical plant. Deacon John and the Maintenance Committee will be preparing a report for you regarding expenditures in the next few weeks.

You know how I hate to talk about money and I know the feeling on your part is reciprocal, but I need to mention at least a few items. At this point in the year we are about $18,000 off budget projections for our collection goal of $14,000 per week. We are also short $18,000 in our Priest Retirement assessment. This is not to be confused with collections for Retired Religious which is next week, which is in a national collection. The Priest Retirement collection is an assessment from the Diocese of Charlotte and as an assessment it must be paid whether we get it all in the collection on the weekend designated or not. On the designated weekend we did very poorly, collecting only $8,000. We will need to have another collection after the first of the year to try to bridge the gap, as the money is due to the Diocese by January 30th.

Please do not forget that next Saturday, December 8, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and is a Holy Day of Obligation - mass attendance is required. We will have Masses at 7:30 PM on Friday December 7, and at 9:15 AM on Saturday, December 8.

We have been celebrating Mass in Spanish here at St. John at 3:00 PM on Sunday these past three Sundays. Our current attendance number about 110 faithful. I had intended to do a more extensive introductory and educative process regarding ministry to the Spanish speaking to the wider parish. We had been meeting as a committee since last spring. I had to miss a couple of meetings due to other parish meetings and the committee presented me with a plan that was very complete as I had insisted it be. They also wanted to begin mass in time to celebrate two feasts that are very significant for the Spanish speaking community - Day of the Dead (November 2) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). I see this ministry as extending our parish ministry to this growing population in our area. Frankly, the Protestant Churches in this area are heavily proselytizing the Spanish-speaking community and are eating our lunch with their evangelization efforts and are making serious inroads into a population that has traditionally been Catholic. I also see us as falling into the missionary footsteps of many who in the history of the Church beginning with St. Paul’s very controversial outreach to the Gentiles have seen the spread of the Gospel and evangelization as an important part of the Church’s mission. I have also experienced in my 25+ years in ministering to Spanish-speaking people that they have a wonderful sense of stewardship and a willingness to share their time and talents in the mission of a parish much more so than Anglo’s do. By the way, that’s not a put down or an insult; it’s just a cultural fact. I am an Anglo who has learned an awful lot and grown an awful lot in my life and prayer with our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters.

I am so grateful to you for your many, many cards, good wishes and prayers during my illness. Believe me, it helps an awful lot.

Know that you are a blessing to me and I appreciate your prayers, and let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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25-26 August 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This weekend we anticipate the feast of St. Augustine--August 28--who is the spiritual founder of the religious order to which Fr. Tony, Fr. Jim and I belong. Even some 1577 years after his death, he is considered one of the most distinguished theologians and spiritual writers in the history of the Church, and is thought to have exercised more influence on the shape and character of Western theology, both Catholic and Protestant, than any other including even Thomas Aquinas. His rule of life that he wrote for religious communities is a very brief, but profound one, and is the basis of life for many men’s and women’s religious communities. It is a very short and simple rule, and yet after almost 26 of reading and reflecting upon the rule and trying to live it, I still find it marvelously challenging, and a source of reflection and call to personal growth. Right near the beginning of Augustine’s rule (Chapter I, #2) he states: “ The main purpose for your having come together is to live harmoniously in your house, intent upon God in oneness of mind and heart.” He based that statement and call on the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles as found in this weekend‘s first reading. In a culture that prizes individualism and individual achievement a commitment to community is a very difficult one to make. And yet Augustine knew as Jesus himself knew that the Christian life is profoundly communal and social. Following Jesus Christ happens in and to community. Being part of a community whether a parish or a religious community does not make me any less of a personal person, but in fact enriches my identity and broadens my spiritual identity. I learn more about what it is to be a religious, a priest, a follower of Jesus Christ because I have others to journey with me, to show me how, help me to grow, and to challenge me to be these things, and to challenge me to reflect upon and repent when I am not. Living the life of Jesus Christ, and giving voice to the presence of the Spirit is challenging enough. Living this reality out with imperfect people and recognizing and accepting my own imperfections, and trying together to live, preach and build the Kingdom; now that is a challenge. I have to admit that there are times when after I have been to the umpteenth meeting that the old quote comes to mind, “God so love the world that he sent His only Son and not a committee to save us”. But seriously, I have to admit that while I do at times sigh before meetings, I am always glad for having been to them and having heard the enthusiasm, ideas, opinions and, at times, heated discussions that have been part of them. We really do have many very gifted and Spirited--and not shy--people here at St. John.

Speaking of heated discussions, the Finance Council met recently and along with discussing the parish financial situation discussed a report from the maintenance committee. The committee recommended accepting a bid from one of three electrical contractors for repairing the lighting and the lighting control system in the church. It was not the cheapest of the three bids, but was the most comprehensive. After a lengthy discussion it was decided by the Council members to accept this bid subject to certain limitations, and on the condition that certain concerns and questions raised by the Council members are responded to in a positive fashion. One bid was rejected because the contractor proposed using equipment, and making temporary structural adjustments, that might endanger the concrete base pad of the church.

Please keep Sean Leysath and his family in your prayers. His wife took him to the emergency room after he took ill at Mass last week, and he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He will be facing surgery in the next few days.

Received a call from Debbie Santore today that she had returned from delivering 245 pairs of shoes to Our Lady of the Americas Parish in Biscoe. Fr. Ricardo and the folks are very grateful for your generosity. This is a work of love that Kelly, Debbie’s daughter undertakes every year and really puts a lot of heart and hard work into. Debbie and Kelly both deserve our thanks and prayers of gratitude for their generosity and compassion. We, too, as a parish can be proud of our generosity toward those we can help with our willingness to share our resources and blessings.

I will be leaving on Wednesday for some time off. All of us OSA’s here in NC will be gathering for the feast on the 28th and I want to be here for that.

Know that you continue to challenge, call and bless me to live my life in service to you and the Lord. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,

Russell A. Ortega, OSA Pastor

11-12 August 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s second reading has given me some pause for reflection these past few days. St. Paul talks about “ faith”. It is a word we hear used a lot in Church circles, we think we know it when we see it, and we have all got it--right? But what is it? No fair reaching for your keyboard, dictionary or catechism. How would you define faith for you, in you, right here and now? Allow me some reflections and ruminations. Most of us can easily make the connection of faith with the Creed--the Profession of Faith--we recite each Sunday at Mass: those truths about God, the world, and the Church which, as Catholics, we believe, to which we give assent. This kind of profession of faith is an affair of the head and may even be a bit rote. Faith in this sense is probably better called “the faith”. I think the more fundamental and important meaning of faith, however, is personal trust--an affair not just of the head but even more and more importantly of the heart. It seems that is how the Bible understands faith. It is also, it seems to me, even the primary meaning of faith in the Creed. The Creed begins: “We believe in God”. To believe in someone is to really trust that person, to be willing to commit yourself to that person.

Because we know God in prayer and trust Him in our hearts, we are willing to commit our lives to Him. Because we trust God in our hearts, we accept as true in our minds the statements in the Creed. We believe that these are revealed truths by and about God. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has commissioned us his people to believe, teach and explain these truths and live our lives in response to them.

Today’s second reading has this understanding of faith as personal trust when it gives as a definition: “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.”

It is great to have Fr. Tony back from his meeting in Chicago. It was a meeting of Augustinians from the three North American Provinces involved in parish ministry. Fr. Tony said the meeting was very educational and informative, and he hopes to share what he learned with us in the coming months. Now that he is back I will be trying to plan to take some time off in the coming weeks. I have had only had one week of vacation in the last 14 months, so I am due a few weeks off.

Congratulations to Donna Tarney and her wonderful staff of adult and youth volunteers who had a terrific week of Vacation Bible School. I was only able to stop by for visits during the week and for the finale, but everyone, both kids and volunteers, seemed to be really enjoying themselves, and to be very much caught up in the spirit of it all.

Please mark off Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22 on your calendars for the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress to be held at the Charlotte Convention Center. We will be passing out prayer cards next Sunday at all of the Masses so that we can begin to pray for the Congress. I was not able to attend the whole event last year, what I was able to participate in was very inspiring and enjoyable. More information regarding arrangements and scheduling will be forthcoming and you can check the diocesan web site.

Please keep Dan Merwyn in your prayers. He was involved in a motorcycle/car accident last Sunday and is at home recovering. Also remember our parish secretary Ellen’s son, who was injured in a robbery, and is also, thankfully, recovering at home. The family of Joanna Maloney, whose funeral I celebrated the other day would also appreciate a remembrance in your prayers.

Thank you again for your generosity in the SOS--Save Our Savings--Collection. It was a real help in paying our bills.

Our insurance carrier denied our claim for the mold removal and concomitant reconstruction. We are seeking pro bono legal advice and will resubmit the claim. The denial came as a surprise, since we had been advised by the same carrier to expect the opposite outcome. The amount at stake makes it well worth our while to put up a stink regarding the matter.

Please do not forget that this coming Wednesday, August 15, The Feast of the Assumption, is a Holy Day of Obligation. Yes, that means you have “gotta go to Mass”. We will have three Masses: 7:30pm on Tuesday, and 9:15am and 7:30pm on Wednesday.

Know that you continue to be a blessing to me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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28-29 July 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What happens when we ask for things in prayer? Are we trying to get God to change His mind? And why ask at all when God already knows our needs before we pray? It is appropriate to consider these questions on a Sunday when two of the three readings deal with prayer of petition. In the first reading Abraham bargains with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, and he starts by putting God on the defensive with the question: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” In the lengthy haggling that ensues, Abraham seems almost to back God against the wall with his dogged persistence. What seems shocking and disrespectful to us, however, was easily accepted by people of the time. To them bartering and bargaining were as much a part of daily experience as long waits at a Wal-Mart checkout are for us.

The large amount of time Jesus spent in prayer--and not just the appointed and required times--is no doubt part of the fascination people had with Him. Men and women who live lives of prayer continue to challenge and fascinate us even today, as we see in the example of the lives of our recent Holy Fathers and Mother Theresa. Jesus responded to his disciples request for instruction in prayer with what Bible scholars believe may be the earliest form of the Lord’s Prayer. The longer version we use today was the result of expansion and embellishment by the Church in the first Christian generation. The “changes in the liturgy” that upset some people today began very early!

Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel about prayer in the Gospel emphasizes god’s readiness to hear and answer our prayers. St. Paul does the same in the second reading by reminding us how much God has already done for us when he says: “even when you were dead in sin…God gave you new life in company with Christ. He pardoned all our sins. He canceled the bond that stood against us with all its claims, snatiching it up and nailing it on the cross.” Surely we can believe that the God who has already done so much for us will hear and answer the prayers we make to Him for our daily needs.

In asking, however, we need to show some of Abraham’s persistence. Abraham was out to win, and refused to take no for an answer! Too often we are defeated before we start , by lack of persistence, or lack of faith. In times of personal need or mortal peril anyone can and will pray. To continue the prayer and the relationship with the Lord when the crisis has passed is the true test of faith, perseverance, fidelity and Christian maturity.

Belated birthday wishes to our beloved Deacon John. He turned 70 on July 16. He was away with Pauline and the rest of his family celebrating the occasion with Mickey Mouse and friends on the date. We missed him while he was gone, but he’s had an eventful year and the time away was much needed and well deserved. God bless, John, and many more years of good health and service in the Lord.

T.J. Ciesiolka, Matt Tarney and Brian Wahl have completed their service projects for the rank of Eagle Scout and have chosen to perform these projects in service to us here at St. John Neumann. On behalf of the parish, thank you very much. We can be proud to have such energetic and generous young men in our parish community. Their parents Barbara, Don and Donna, Mark and Regina can also be proud with and of their sons.

If you are wondering about the light situation in the church; the process is ongoing. We have two bids thus far. One bid seems really high, and another bid involves temporary physical alterations to church furnishings, which we are not sure are necessary or wanted. Deacon John and the maintenance committee are on task and will be working to get this resolved the very near future.

Linda, our new accountant, presented me earlier today with some checks to sign and a list of our outstanding bills. Our bills currently exceed our bank balance and our projected income for this weekend. I really do not want to dip into our savings to make up the difference. Okay, so maybe I am being relentless or stubborn. My solution is to have a second collection to be called “S.O.S”--Save Our Savings--every week so we can bring in the extra dollars to get us over the gap without recourse to withdrawing from our savings account. Deficit financing is really a territory we do not want to enter. Believe me. I have been there and done that before, and the digging out is an extremely arduous task, and the exigent and concomitant cost cutting part is brutal. And, frankly, at least at this point, I do not see a lot to cut.

Know that you are an inspiration and a blessing to me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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14-15 July 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

        “Father, is it still a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday?”
        “Father, suppose you’re on vacation and it’s a _____ minute/hr drive to
        to the nearest Catholic church. Do you still have to go?”
        “Father, I attended a wedding Mass on Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock.
        Have I fulfilled my Sunday obligation?”

I hear legalistic questions like this all of the time, and it seems that those who ask these questions assume that our religion is a way of finding our way through or around a maze of rules. They want to know what the rules are and just how far their obligation extends before they commit a sin. This was the way of thinking of the man who asked Jesus in today’s Gospel: “What must I do to inherit everlasting life?” Instead of answering this question Jesus challenged the man to provide his own answer. When the man responded with the familiar summary of duty toward God and neighbor, Jesus commended him. The man was not satisfied, however, and asked, “And who is my neighbor?” Like many Catholics today, the man wanted to know just how far his obligation extended. Jesus responded with the story of the good Samaritan.

The man asked for an exact legal definition, and Jesus gave him instead a story about what it means to be a neighbor. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing in making the hero of this story a person whom his questioner despised. “Look at this despised outsider,” Jesus was saying. “He has none of your knowledge of God’s law. Yet he is following the law in a way that puts you, with all of your knowledge, to shame. By refusing to answer the legalistic question and instead telling a story about what it meant to be a neighbor, Jesus was saying, in effect: “Your neighbor, the one to whom you must show kindness and compassion, for whom you must interrupt what you are doing is--anyone at all! To the law of love there are no limits.

How can Jesus make such a radical demand. He can because this is the way he treats us. Jesus is the Samaritan, the despised outsider, hated and rejected by those who ought to have known, recognized and welcomed him. We come to the Lord and to the Eucharist at times bruised and battered by life and it’s occurrences, and at times by the actions of others, even our fellow Christians. Jesus binds up our wounds pouring upon them the oil of forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation and the exhilarating wine of his presence and love in his holy word and the Eucharist. Because of his total generosity toward us, and his readiness to help which cased Jesus to lay down his very life for us, he is able to say to us: “See how much I have done for you? Look at what I am doing for you even now. Go and do the same for others.”

After reviewing a number of resumes and interviewing several candidates we have hired Ellen Mahlan as our new parish secretary. Ellen began this past Monday and has thus far handled the varied challenges of the job with calm and humor. The committee was composed of Aloha Torrents, Patti Matys, Carol Allen and Tom Strini and I am very grateful to them for their efforts. I am also especially grateful to Carol Brogdan, and to Tom Strini and Aloha Torrents who filled in on a volunteer basis over the past few months. Another committee has also hired an accountant whose first name is Linda, and whose last name unfortunately escapes me at this hour. She seems very capable and enthusiastic and I believe her experience will serve us well here at St. John. I would like to thank Terry Wilhelm, Christie Silvestri, Al Miller and Carol Allen for serving on this committee, whose work extended over a much longer period than we had expected, for their perseverance and diligence.

Thanks to Dave and Nathan Maher who have continue to work on the timbers bordering the parking area. It has been really hot and arduous work. Their efforts have made a vast and obvious improvement. Lynne and Craig Stoll and their volunteer team’s efforts have continue to “flower” and look just great. Lynne suffered a TIA recently and has had to slow up a bit. Craig was with her when it happened and, thank God, she looks and sounds well. Keep her in your prayers.

Please keep Betty Crawford and her family in your prayers. Her step-father Robert Tucker died the other day. He took a sudden turn after what was expected to be a short, routine hospitalization. I was surprised to receive her call to visit him in the hospital. Robert was a familiar and quiet presence at parish Masses and activities. Please keep the deLuca family in your prayers as well. Also, the family of William Bigley who died this evening, within minutes after I administered the sacrament of the sick to him, with his family at this bedside.

Although someone once called me “relentless” when it comes to money, in the end it is not my money I am managing or speaking about. It is your money. So if you think I am being relentless, move on to the next paragraph, but it is your money that you will not know about if you do. The good news is that according to our statements from the Diocese of Charlotte we have $139,417.59 in our parish savings account and $5,883.11 in our long term investment account. The bad news is that our collections are down over 25%. While this may be “normal” for the summer, it brings us below what it reasonably takes to run the parish. I simply can not tell our employees and vendors that we want 100% products and services for 75% payment. Let’s face it, you would/could not accept that from your employer or from your customers/clients. We have not put anything into savings this year--with the exception of the check from the Augustinians. I really do not want to withdraw anything from our savings unless I absolutely have to, but if collections do not pick up…. It is really basic arithmetic. And not paying bills and not paying salaries is just not an option. A parish, just like a family or a business is a 12 month, 52 week a year operation. I either have to take money from savings or cut fixed costs--Mass schedule, parish staff, facilities usage, etc.. Our normal collections cover expenses with just a tad left over, which is how we have come this far into the summer without hitting the wall financially. I very am grateful that many folks have made the effort to be faithful to their contributions, or have made them up upon their return from vacations.

Know that you continue to be a blessing to me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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30 June - 1 July 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have always seen preaching the Word as an interactive and dialogous experience. So it is always a source of fascination to me to observe how different people react as I am preaching a homily. I have even been known to throw out a well-prepared homily entirely as I am listening to the readings, and observing you listening and reacting to the readings. This occasions a rather intense and slightly nervous reflective and praying process, but has at times resulted in some really good from the Spirit and from deep-down- inside homilies. Although I have had a few clinkers in my 21+ years of preaching, I do put a lot of thought and prayer into what I say in a homily, and I really enjoy the dialogue that we have as I am preaching. Some folks I can tell are timing me, and a few others are listening, but basically feel that as “cradle Catholics” they have heard it all before, and I could just as well skip the homily and get on with the rest of the Mass. The homily is not an added extra, but is in fact an integral part of the proclamation of the word, and “is not to be omitted” (GIRM, 42). What occasions these thoughts is that two of today’s readings are about receiving preachers. The first reading tells how a wealthy woman set up permanent guest quarter in her home for the prophet Elisha, having recognized him as God’s messenger and having felt privileged to entertain him. In the Gospel Jesus tells those whom he was commissioning as his messengers: “He who welcomes you welcomes me, and he who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.” The primary purpose of preaching is to awaken and nourish faith. Jesus knew that people would never change their conduct until they were able to believe and accept how much God loved them and how much he longed for their love in return. The constant theme of Jesus’ teaching was not God’s law, but God’s love. He mentioned the law to describe the response we should make to God’s freely given and generous love. If I can by what I say awaken you to that reality, and challenge you to faith, conduct usually follows it--even if not always perfectly.

Fr. Tony has been on a well-earned vacation with his family in “Joysey”, and will not be back for a few weeks. So, if he is not answering your voice mail, now you know why. This also means that it is just the Lord you and me again for a few weeks. I am moving as fast as these legs and fingers permit me, but I can run a bit behind at the non-emergency things. Be patient with me, I always get things done, but please do not wait until the last minute. People do get sick, and I have had a fair number of funerals lately. I am not complaining, I love it all. Just give me some lead time if you can.

Progress is being made on a number of projects. We have interviewed two solid candidates for the accountant’s position that were submitted by an agency, and will be making a final offer to one of them in the next few days. A committee has been formed and is going over the resumes submitted for the parish secretary position, and they will begin conducting interviews very shortly. We have also gotten bids to do the interior work on the lighting for the church and should be accepting one of them shortly. Once the interior work is done, with the concomitant repairs, we can install and program our computerized control system in the basement. In the process of bidding out the interior work we discovered that we were using the wrong bulbs in the fixtures, and that this was the cause of several problems and costs we had experienced previous to the fire.

I noticed Lynne and Craig Stoll working some more on the plantings around the church and parking area. It really looks beautiful. Monica DeBrosse was also putting in a long day this week. Thank you, folks.

Please have a happy and safe holiday. With all of the invective that goes on in political debates these days, it is easy to forget how many freedoms we enjoy in this land of ours, and how much we have to thank God for.

Know that I thank God for the many ways you are a blessing to me. Let’s keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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16-17 June 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

One of the aspects of my ministry here at SJN that happily occupies more of my time and Fr. Tony’s time these days is the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is always both a humbling experience and a pleasure to celebrate the reality of a loving and forgiving God in the name of and in the context of a loving and forgiving community--all of you, the Church. It is also a reminder that to be a follower of Jesus Christ, a member of the Church and a person loved by God is to live my life according to certain values. These values and commandments are not a litmus test or moral test which we must pass before God will love and accept us. Not at all. But, they are a description of what one author I once read called the “grateful” life--the life of people who know that even after their best efforts to lead good lives they can fall short of perfection; yet who know that God accepts them in love nonetheless, and is always waiting with arms open to reconcile with them. I am still grateful to the Lord for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in my life and ministry even after 48 years as both penitent and minister of the sacrament.

The year-end Parish Pastoral Council meeting this past Monday night went very well. John Kane, Chair of the Council, presented a brief report of the Council’s happenings and accomplishments this past year. Christie Silvestri, Chair of the Finance Council, did likewise for this important group. I and they were able to address a number of questions and concerns that were raised as a result of the slips that were filled out and submitted during the past few weeks. Written synopses will be available as will a transcript thanks to Aloha Torrents.

Also in attendance was a large group (+ 50 people) of Spanish-speaking people. Lorraine Estrada, Nancy Hasty, Carol Strini and I have met with an increasing group of people who have requested that we celebrate a Mass in Spanish here at St. John. They wanted to begin right away. My past experience has taught me that it is very important to work with all of the parish ministries that we can properly welcome and serve this ever increasing population within our parish boundaries. Certain ministries have already been affected--there a number of Spanish-speaking children in our Religious Education Program and we will need to provide a translator for the RE staff who at times have problems communicating with parents who do not speak English. I also have a somewhat selfish concern in planning and organizing things well and in advance. I am the only bilingual priest here, and it will increase my work load, and by delegation that of Fr. Tony and Deacon John. It is, though, a wonderful opportunity and a call to growth for us as a Catholic Christian community. Additionally, innumerable Protestant churches in the area are eating our lunch, in that they are all offering services in Spanish to a population that has been historically and traditionally Catholic. If we do not take up the call and the challenge, they will.

Another concern that was addressed with the Council was the number of Mass Intentions a person can request. We have a number of people who request a large number (15-20 or more) Mass Intentions as far in advance as 18 months. This causes a problem in that, for example, our calendar for 2007 is completely filled, and the year is only half finished. It also does not allow someone to ever get a certain date unless they ask for it 18 months or more in advance. We have consulted with a number of parishes in this area and they all use enrollment in a Purgatorial Society as a way of equitably offering an opportunity for everyone in their parish to have Masses celebrated for their departed relatives. It was decided that each family would be allowed to request one Mass per quarter--every three months. We would be offering the opportunity to enroll the departed relative in the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Society--the Patron of the Souls in Purgatory. We would have a Mass for people enrolled in the St. Nicholas Society once a month. In this fashion the person would have a Mass offered for them twelve times per year as a part of the enrollment. We have yet to work out all of the specifics, but will do so and will have special enrollment folders printed in the very near future.

Both the History Project and Planting and Timber Project are still moving along energetically and can always use more volunteers. Please consider them.

I hate to be stereotypical, but do not forget that parish expenses still go on even if you are not around, so keep those envelopes coming.

I’m going to make this letter a bit short--kinda-- because I had a root canal today, and am feeling the effects.

Know that you continue to be a blessing to me. Let’s keep keeping one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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9-10 June 2007
Dear Brothers & Sisters,

One of the remarks I received among the many from the recent request for the year end parish council meeting was one that I wait until the end of the recessional hymn before processing down the aisle. While I appreciate the comment, and understand why it was made, the sad truth is that I would surely get caught up in the stampede to exit the church. It seems that folks having completed their “weekly obligation” can not wait to get on with the rest of their lives, even if it means just waiting another minute or two. I have to admit that the one thing that has both surprised and disappointed me the most since my arrival here at St. John has been alacrity with which the people of this parish dismiss their responsibility to participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist. I am not just talking about our “football syndrome“, although that is something I have never encountered even after growing up in and serving for many years in a metropolitan area with two football franchises. Our attendance really does go down 30% on home game weekends. Yes, even on the Saturdays before game day???!!! I am also not just talking about the “darters” who must leave right after communion starts. I have seen even the threats, by Irish Monsignors, of the pains of hellfire and damnation not deter them from their desperate need to escape a time for a prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord, whom they have just received, or to escape the dreaded post-communion prayer and final blessing. It is also tough to keep a smile when normally sensible and faith-filled people tell you that they were away and got home tired or they did not know where a church was nearby. Funny thing is that even back in the “Old Days” when I was young we went camping and on vacations, and we always managed to get to Mass or go to an evening Mass when we arrived home no matter how “tired” we were.

If all of the foregoing smacks a bit of sarcasm, it does so only because I think that I write so only to try to bring a bit of levity to a situation that really saddens me very much. I do not understand how a person can call themselves a Roman Catholic and not consider the celebration of the Eucharist, from its beginning to its end, the highlight of their week. The Eucharist is the central act of Catholic worship and “indeed of the whole Christian life” (Euch. Mys., 1967). The Eucharist in its two essential parts, the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the eucharist, is a single act of worship because of the intimate union between these two parts. We gather every week, or even daily, as the body of Christ to be nourished in who we are as followers of Jesus Christ by His presence in His Word and in His Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament. A body unnourished is a body that grows weak, and it is thus with the human spirit as well. I think it is good to always remember that the Eucharist is not for spectators. It is always an opportunity for communion with the Lord in genuine repentance during the penitential rite, in reflection upon and dialogue with the Word during the readings and the homily, for really listening to the words of the Eucharistic Prayers, and as mentioned previously, for a prayer of heartfelt thanksgiving to Our Lord whom we have just received in the Eucharist. How anyone who is mindfully and prayerfully engaged in the celebration of the Eucharist can be bored or feel the need for rapid escape is beyond me.

I am very much looking forward to our year-end Parish Council meeting on Monday night--June 11 @ 7:00pm in the Parish Hall. We have received a number of questions and comments and are working to provide you with the information you have requested. We hope to be able to answer most of questions that evening and will be recording the meeting to make it accessible to all. Please know that you are invited to be a part of the meeting, and although we will spend a good deal of time on questions a comments submitted, there will be some time for questions and comments from the floor.

We are in the process of trying to fill the accountant/bookeeper and secretary positions. The committee received and reviewed a number of resumes and has conducted numerous interviews. We made job offers to three people. We have had three people accept the accountant’s position, and even accept a starting date, only to notify us at the very last minute that they had accepted another position or were on another career track. And these were the ones we liked! With the advice and counsel of the Finance Council I have engaged a temp-to-hire agency to fill the position. It seems, though, that even they have a paucity of resumes to provide. Some people want more hours than we are offering, or a larger salary than we can reasonably justify for our needs. If it is any consolation, one local parish began a search for a full-time position even before we began ours, and has just recently filled it. A committee has been formed to seek a secretary and we hope to be filling that position in the near future. Carol Brogden has really been an angel with all of her hard work in the office these weeks, as has Tom Strini and Aloha Torrents.

Some folk gathered last Sunday for the history project. Obviously more folks and stories and photos are needed. Please get in touch with Lynne Stoll and John Silvestri.

Lynne and Dave Maher are also continuing their work to beatify our grounds and can always use help. Things are really looking great with the new timbers and the plants. Thanks for all of your hard work, folks.

Know you continue to be a blessing to me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers and to be grateful to a loving and generous God who gives us the sacrament of the Eucharist--The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ--which Feast we joyfully celebrate today and every time we gather.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor

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May 26-27th 2007

This past Monday we celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation with our young people and several of our adults with our Bishop Peter J. Jugis. These sacramental celebrations are always a source of great joy for me as I see our young people continuing on their journey of faith begun at their Baptism. At that time their parents and godparents made a profession of faith for them. They are now able to come forward on their own as they grow in their journey of faith with the Lord and as members of our parish community. It is precisely, however this second aspects of growth in faith and membership in our parish community that makes these celebrations somewhat bittersweet for me as a Catholic and as a pastor. At both the celebrations of First Communion and Confirmation I had the opportunity to meet the parents of many of our children and teens for the first time in my 11+ months here, as they do not attend Mass weekly and merely drop their children off for classes. And, if my experience of last year is at all predictive, I will see neither them nor their children in the future. I do not have any pat answers re: what to do to address the problem, but as pastor I can not help but notice this sad and sizeable problem. It also affects our very dedicated and faith-filled Faith Formation staff and wonderfully enthusiastic and dedicated catechists who give so much to prepare these young folks, only to have lack of parental example and support thwart their efforts. Ultimately, it is not a problem we can address with the children. Thank God for the wonderful parents who do model the centrality of the Eucharist and a life of prayer, faith and morality for their children. Being a Catholic parent these days is not easy, and I can not imagine the prayer and effort it requires, but I am inspired by the families in this parish who make the faith commitment, and experience both the joy and the growing pains that raising and educating a Catholic child entails.

A special thank you to Donna Tarney our Confirmation program director and to Donna Rayle our RCIA director for all of their dedication and hard work in preparation for our parish celebration. Also to the Family Life folks for the refreshments after both celebrations. I think “Red” Kenny has been at more First Communions in this parish than anyone, except the Lord himself.

If you have not as yet filled out one of the slips in the pew with questions and comments for the year-end wrap-up parish council meeting please do so as soon as possible. I have already received some questions from the organizing committee and will be preparing answers to them. Also, of equal importance, know that you are invited to be part of the meeting on June 11. In the rush of day to day parish life, or with schedules as full as they are, we are not always able to communicate about some things that might be important to you, or that you would like to know. Please see this as an opportunity to fill that gap.

We are in the process of trying to recuperate--hopefully 100%--the expenses incurred in the mold removal efforts from our insurance carrier--$11,000+--as this has put a sizeable dent in our facilities fund. This week we got the news that both of the compressors in the air handling unit for the education wing had failed. Although all 11 of our air handling units are currently under a maintenance contract, this unit was a victim of the fact that the units had not been under contract and had not been properly maintained for several years. Past neglect catches up. We ought have enough in the facilities fund to cover it. If not, we will wait for the insurance settlement, or until the facilities fund balance will cover the needed repair. Our buildings and mechanicals are aging. They range in age from 20 yrs. old--parish office--to 55 yrs. old--friary.

If you can help with the parish history project please get in touch with Lynne Stoll or John Silvestri. We would like to get both a written and oral history together for the 30^th anniversary, and could use more volunteers. I have heard some wonderful, and many humorous stories from the early days and many more need to be told and recorded. I hope you will be able to come to the gathering on June 3^rd. See the bulletin for more info. If you have not volunteered in some way to serve the community perhaps this is a way you can both serve and learn about the rich history of our parish. It is always nice to see new folks getting involved in parish activities. I would much rather see twenty people do one thing than one person doing twenty things. The one person doing twenty things can get very tired, very fast. And, people doing nothing tend to complain an awful lot, until they discover both the immense joys and the challenges in serving the community.

I hope you take time this day of Pentecost to give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit in your life and in our parish life. It is that Spirit alive within and among as individuals and community that inspires and animates us and makes us truly human. Christ’s gift of his spirit was not just once, long ago and far away. There is never a time when the Lord is not bestowing his gift of the Spirit. The Spirit is alive whenever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name (Mt.18:20); whenever we celebrate one of the Church’s sacraments; whenever we hear or read God’s word; whenever, in Christ’s name, the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick or imprisoned visited, or strangers sheltered (Mt. 25:35-40).

Know that you continue to be a blessing to me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
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May 19-20th 2007

Goodbyes are always sad events whether temporary, or most especially at the death of a loved one. As a health care chaplain I had the privilege of being a part of many of such partings. Today’s readings for the Feast of the Ascension give us two readings, both by Luke, Jesus’ parting from his apostles. This parting, however, was not a sad one, but a joyful one. They were filled with joy because they realized that although Jesus was no longer with them physically, he remained with them in the power of the Spirit. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you,” Jesus says in the first reading. And in the Gospel he tells them to “remain here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” We will celebrate the fulfillment of that promise a week from today on Pentecost. The readings also call us to be “witnesses” “..even to the ends of the earth.” The task of being Christ’s witnesses is one not just reserved to folks like Fr. Tony, Connie Milligan and her staff and me, but a Baptismal and vocational call that we have all received. It is not a hobby or an optional extra, it is part and parcel of the identity of a Spirit-conscious and Spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ. Despite an outward show of disbelief, I believe that most people experience a spiritual hunger and a longing for meaning in a world torn by war, famine, disease and injustice. In the midst of all this we can at least live as people who are convinced that life does have ultimate meaning and that this world is God’s world, and that the paschal mystery, if it teaches us nothing else, teaches us that the most powerful force in this world is not hatred, but love, not death, but life. Today’s feast of the Ascension assures us of Christ’s continuing presence with us in the power of his Holy Spirit. Like those first friends of Jesus, however, our challenge is not to stand with our eyes fixed on the skies, but to get on with the business of being witnesses to our risen Lord in a world hungry for Him and His love.

Last Saturday I had the privilege of presiding with Fr. Tony as our young children made their First Holy Communion. To see the nervous anticipation on their faces and their joy as they received Our Lord for the first time in the Eucharist was such a joyful experience. Proudly at their sides were their parents who first brought them for Baptism, and now accompanied them in receiving this second of the sacraments of initiation, and serve most importantly as their models of faith and primary catechists. Our wonderful staff of volunteer catechists was there too, nervous and proud both, as their beloved students received the Blessed Sacrament. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their great generosity with their spirit, time, enthusiasm and dedication to our children. And sitting quietly in the back, after making sure everything got underway perfectly, was Connie Milligan our Faith Formation Director. Connie and her staff--Sondra, Benita, Donna, Donna and Irene--work very hard together throughout the year to make sure that our children are well prepared for the sacraments and that our programs run very smoothly. The fact is that it takes a lot of prayer, hard work, dedication and creativity to do what Connie and her staff do, and their love of God and dedication to our children is very real and profound.

I also had the joy of receiving the profession of faith of Jack McIver and Michael “Todd” Hagler, and ministering the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation to them. Welcome, gentlemen, into the joy of full communion in our parish community. We are honored that you have seen in our community of faith a spirit that invited and challenged you to make this important step. Our thanks to Donna Rayle, our RCIA director, who accompanied these men on their journey.

Our Parish Pastoral Council met on Monday night for an educational opportunity with George Cobb from the Diocese of Charlotte who was able to provide some very valuable training and information to the Council. There is a committee planning next months Council meeting to which your presence, questions and comments are invited. Please take the opportunity to submit questions/comments, and by all means please come to this or any Parish Council meeting.

As you can probably tell by looking around the efforts of our landscaping volunteers are growing--no pun intended--and really making a visible difference. Lynne and Craig Stoll have been hard at work all around, as has the supposedly retired Dave Maher. In addition Sara Laurents, Monica deBrosse, Mary Rhykerd, Mary K. Hudome, The Hardings, Dean Carter and his 3 sons and the Cub Scouts, Brian de George, Kevin Howard, Bill Milligan, Brian Koomen, and Jim (?) have all been hard at work these last few weeks, some even in the rain. I am sure I am leaving someone out. We have had a few generous donations, and have thus been able to buy a few more plants and a few more pallets of timbers. Craig has also redone and repaired the benches on the patio.

The Finance Council met earlier this evening and begun the process of preparing and approving next year’s budget.

If you can help with the Parish History Project it would be a great thing. Over the past few weeks I have heard some wonderful stories and I am anxious to get them and their tellers on record. Please get in touch with Lynne Stoll or John Silvestri.

Know that you continue to be a source of joy and blessings for me. Let’s continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

May 5-6th 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“See, I make all things new!” The word “new” seems to recur in ever-fresh combinations in our lives. Everyone with something to sell from books to soap to their fitness for office is prone to use this word. It can spark cynicism, because, let’s face it we’ve all been disappointed by soap, self-help books and politicians and their promises. Or, it can spark anxiety. Why, in a world that is changing so fast and so often, can’t they just leave things alone for a while, and let me live in peace and catch up with the old? Are there no verities, and things that are excellent just the way they are? To the cynic in us the author of Revelation hears in his vision that “He (God) shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and he shall be their God who is always with them.” Despite all of the promises that others make to us and break, God is faithful. Deep in our hearts there is longing for someone who will accept and love us just as we are, who will support us in sorrow, share our joy, and who will be with us always. Jesus Christ knew lonelines and failure, betrayal by friends (witness beginning of today’s Gospel), and his suffering and death on the cross. God’s presence is not an insurance policy against the hurts of life, but the assurance that we will never be alone and unloved. In a changing world this will not change--ever!

Last Friday I had the sad duty of saying thank you and goodbye to Mary Beall as our Parish Secretary. Mary is still a member of the parish and a member of the 12:00 pm choir, and of course the many other activities in which she is involved, as well as being the wife of Mark, one of our counters and the devoted mother of Catherine. The job of parish secretary has changed a lot over the past months, and Mary and we decided to part ways by mutual agreement. I am very grateful to Mary for her hard work, long hours and devotion to us. I could not do her job. It requires the patience of a saint, and the skills of secretary, 911 operator, data entry clerk, pastoral counselor, and a few more. Tom Strini, Aloha Torrents and Carol Brogdon have been generously filling in until we find a replacement.

It was really wonderful to see the parents and the first communion candidates gathered last weekend for their retreat. Connie Milligan, our Faith Formation Director and her talented staff, teachers and volunteers did a really beautiful job of guiding the retreat. The kids and the parents seemed to have a really enjoyable spiritual and learning experience. And, they asked good questions and gave good answers, which is always a tribute to the teachers who work so hard, and have the children for really such a short period of time each week. They really deserve our gratitude and prayers.

If you have notice some changes in our parking area, it is because some folks have been very hard at work this week. Lynne Stoll and her group of volunteers have continued her efforts to prepare the beds for planting. Craig Stoll, Dave “The Commissioner” Maher, Marty Schneider and others--who I will thank by name in the future--have been hard at work replacing some of the badly rotted timbers near the roadway in the parking lot. It was hard work made more arduous by the beautiful, but hot, weather this week. Thank you, folks. It really looks really great. Fr. Tony has been faithfully watering their efforts every day at sundown.

If you have not already signed up for the retreat here in July I, would strongly encourage you to do so. The organizing committee has been hard at work for some time now, and it promises to be a very inspiring spiritual experience.

On June 3rd we will be changing the times of two of our Masses here at SJN. This change is a result of consultation between Faith Formation and the various commissions and the Parish Pastoral Council with the goal of making the Masses more accessible to our Faith Formation students and their parents. The changes are: Sunday 12:00 will move to 12:30 pm, and the 6:00 pm will move to 5:30 pm, beginning Sunday, June 3rd. Please pass the word around and post on your fridge.

G.I.F.T. is planning a Spicy Foods Night on Saturday, May 19. Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate a night of fun, good food and fellowship. The dinner will be around the theme of Pentecost, which is the “Birthday of the Church”. Please bring your favorite spicy food to spice up our dinner and we will have games and activities to spice up your spirit. There will also be a taco bar with lots of non-spicy choices for those with tamer tastes. Kids will get to blow out the candles on the SJN birthday cake. I can’ wait. I love spicy food. See you there.

Know that you continue to be a blessing and a source of joy for me. Let’s keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

April 28-29th 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the Easter season the Church draws from the Acts of the Apostles, rather than the Old Testament, for the first reading on Sunday. These readings show the immediate effects of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, namely the establishment and spread of his Church. Before returning to the Father, Jesus tells the apostles, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…”. Interestingly, even though Paul and Barnabas’ preaching efforts do not always meet with resounding success, Luke makes joy a principle theme at the birth of the Church in Acts. The presence of joy and the Holy Spirit created a solid Christian community while “the word of the Lord continued to spread throughout the whole region”. I think it is good to remember at this time of Easter that Christ came to bring us the “Good News” that we are a people loved and truly treasured by God and that this reality and our intimate praying relationship with God should be a source of joy. This is not to suggest forgetting our sinfulness and imperfections, but it is to suggest keeping them in perspective in light of the overarching and overwhelming love of God. Jesus’ death and resurrection is about our rising from the difficulties that our lives and times present us with, and in our confident faith--born of prayer, reflection on the word and experience--and joy helping others to do the same by our presence and example.

Something that brought joy to my heart in recent days was to watch our young Confirmation candidates journeying through the labyrinth in the parish hall. Although to all appearance a labyrinth looks like a maze, its actually the opposite, in that it is not meant to lose or to confuse you, but to gently and reflectively guide you on a spiritual journey. The particular form of this maze was adapted by our wonderfully gifted Faith Formation staff. It was very inspiring to see our young folks progressing meditatively through this experience and journaling about their experience. I went in to visit the labyrinth one night, and although it was especially prepared for our young folks, I too found it a rich experience.

A belated word of thanks to Dave Short who built our new Baptismal font. It beautifully highlights the sacramental symbol of the water, and has had much use over the last few weeks. Thank you, Dave, for your wonderful skill and heartfelt gift to us.

Fr. Tony will be spending the weekend with our youth and youth minister Irene Kilzer at the annual DYC retreat. Let us keep them in our prayers and wish them a wonderful spiritual experience. We also received word the other day that Eric Wagner will be receiving a diocesan award at the retreat, which we believe is the Bishop Begley Award, for which we nominated him. This is a great honor for Eric personally, and it is the first time a youth has been so honored in the history of the parish. Congratulations, Eric, and thank you for your efforts on behalf of the youth of our parish.

Last Sunday night the young folks in our confirmation classes and their teachers were helping in the planting areas of the parish were out with garden tools helping to clean up and prepare the beds for planting. Lynne and Craig Stoll were out their both supervising and praising their efforts. Several groups and groups of couples have already adopted areas and offered to plant and tend them. We will also be having a parish gathering for everyone one Saturday, May 5 beginning with coffee--we provide--and fellowship in the parish hall at 9:00 am. Please bring your garden tools and gloves and a brown bag lunch and we will provide drinks and a surprise dessert. It should be a really enjoyable day, and will really add to the obvious and wonderful work that Lynne, Craig and the young folks have already done.

I am sad to report the Olga Malissa died at CMC on Monday afternoon. I was with Marion and John CasaSanta and Marion’s brother Jim when she died some time after being removed from the respirator. She will have a funeral Mass celebrated with the rest of her family in Pittsburgh. Deacon John continues on the road to recovery, and in fact was at the 5:30 pm Mass last week and in the office for an hour this week. Chantal Saxon, after a few days home, had to return to CMC again. Please keep her and her family in your prayers, that her long and frustrating personal health odyssey, and her family’s as well, will soon come to a positive end. Please continue to pray for Sean Leist who is at home and on the mend from his hospitalization.

Tom Strini has agreed to take charge of the group that will be dealing with re-doing our lighting control system. The Lithonia Corporation has very generously given us all of the parts and software we will need to replace the burned and destroyed parts of the system. We will need to replace a few items extant including the part involved in the short that caused the fire and subsequent destruction, Further investigation and professional evaluation has shown that I owe Duke Energy an apology, as it seems the precipitating event was human error on our part.

Appended to this letter is important information from the Parish Pastoral Council. Please take the time to read it.

Know that serving you in the Lord’s name still gladdens me as it is still and always both a blessing and a joy. Lets continue to keep one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

  Link to April 28-29th  Parish Council Addendum Letter   

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

     Return to top of page

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With our celebration today of Palm Sunday we begin our celebration of our “High Holy Days”. I know I sound like a broken record, but those who on Palm Sunday and Easter are certainly coming for important celebrations. I can not help but feel that by missing the days in between--not to mention the rest of the year--the celebrations of the Triduum, that they are getting the crust and a taste of the filling, but that they are missing the really good part of the filling of the pie. The Easter Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is really the culmination of the entire liturgical year. Christ redeemed us and gave glory to God through the paschal mystery. As we say in the memorial acclamation “dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life.” These are beautiful and rich celebrations, filled with meaning and symbolism. Every year I celebrate them, I come to appreciate them more. An author named Nathan Mitchell reminds us that the celebrations of the Triduum are not merely reenactments, but that “ the Church’s long tradition insists that what happened once in history passes over to the assembly’s liturgical/sacramental celebrations. What the paschal Triduum actually celebrates is mystery, not history; anamnesis, not mimesis. The liturgies of these days do not ‘take us back’ to the upper room or to the path to Calvary. Their ultimate purpose is not to retrace or relive the last hours of Jesus’ life--nor to catch sight of him emerging from the tomb at Easter’s dawning. They celebrate not what once happened to Jesus but what is now happening among us as a people called to conversion, gathered in faith, and gifted with the Spirit of holiness. They celebrate God’s taking possession of our hearts at their deepest core, recreating us as a new human community, broken like bread for the world’s life--a community rich in compassion, steadfast in hope….” These are not just events of ancient history, but things that occurring here and now and we are a part of them.

Fr. Tony accompanied me on a few hospital visits this week, and now that he has his ID’s, he will gladly be joining Deacon John and me visiting our folks in the local hospitals. Bill Cooper is recovering from his heart surgery, and will be in for a bit longer. Jack Geoghegan, a long-time usher at the Noon Mass, has been transferred to an intensive rehab program for his recovery from a stroke. The program does not permit visitors due to its rather exhausting schedule, but Jack and Imelda ask that you keep them in your prayers. Please keep Chantal Saxon and her family, and Amy Deal and her family in your prayers as well.

Please keep Laurel Cardinali and her family in your prayers. Laurel is a parishioner, she is active with a number of our parishioners in several activities, and she cooks for Frs. Tony, Jim and me four nights per week. Her husband Don died very suddenly last weekend at the age of 59. Msgr. Richard Bellow, we Augustinians and many of Laurel and Don’s friends celebrated a Mass for Don on Thursday night.

I had the pleasure last weekend of visiting our Scout Troop and Cub Pack at the Catholic Camporee and concelebrating Mass with Bishop Jugis. It was good to see all of our guys and their parents there, and they seemed to be very much enjoying the experience. Both Troop 12 and Pack 12 and their adult leaders can be justly proud in winning the Best Unit Awards at the camporee. Both Mark Morris who leads Troop 12 and Mark Krouse who leads Pack 12 were awarded Bronze Pelican Awards by Bishop Jugis, which are awarded by the local Catholic Committee on Scouting for work above and beyond the call in the service of Catholic Scouting. Congratulations, Mark and Mark, we are grateful for your hard work for the youth of our parish, and are proud of the recognition that your efforts have earned. I was also informed that Mark Morris will be awarded the Silver Beaver Award which is the highest recognition by the local council of one’s exemplary efforts on behalf of youth and of scouting. Congratulations, Mark. Well deserved, indeed! Christopher and Nathan Silvestri received their Parvuli Dei award from the Bishop, after having had to undergo an arduous grilling from me before I would sign off on their workbooks. Congratulations, Christopher and Nathan. I also was reissued my Ad Altare Dei Award, which I had lost several years ago. It was a really nice and generous gesture on the part of the leadership at the camporee. I was really proud when I earned that medal as a young scout, and it meant a lot to me.

After some serious consideration Marge Urton has decided to leave one of our counting teams. Marge has be on a counting team for over 20 years and we are very grateful to her. As I have said before here, counting is one our most demanding and least appreciated, and yet ever so important ministries here in the parish. Marge, on behalf of all of us here at St. John I thank you for your dedication, and your selfless gift of your time and efforts to this demanding ministry over so many years. I’d also like to thank Tim, Marge’s son who has helped her in the counting room over the past few years. All of the counters have been just great even though we have had to change a number of things within their bailiwick over these past months to conform to RCDC policy and accepted money handling procedures. They have been more than accepting and cooperative in implementing the changes, and have even made some terrific suggestions re: how to better accomplish the process. They could have been a problem. They have chosen to be a major and proactive part of the solution. Thank you, folks!

The new Holy Water tank that I received as a gift for my installation has been place beside the statue of St. Rita. There are a good number of small plastic bottles that can be used for taking holy water home. We received them as a donation, so you are welcome to them without cost. I am very grateful for the gift of the tank, especially since it is something that we can all use.

On the days of the Triduum our Augustinian Community would like to invite you to join us in Morning Prayer in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Fr. Tony and I will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Holy Saturday from 4:00-5:00 pm ONLY, and confessions will end promptly at 5:00pm. Since there has been a parish penance service with many confessors, the need should not be great. We can not stay longer than one hour due to the number of preparations necessary for the evening’s celebration.

Interviews for the position of parish accountant are winding down, and an offer should be made within the next few days.

As things go now, I plan to take off the week after Easter and to go to visit my sister and brother-in-law on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for some R&R. It will be my first time off, and my first time away since my arrival June 1^st. Their home is a wonderful place to relax, pray, read, kayak, walk the beach, etc. She’ll spend the whole week--when she is not hard at work in her studio-- complaining about my smoking, telling me how fat I am, and then buying for me and cooking for me all of the things I shouldn’t eat. Ah, the many facets of love.

Know that you continue to be a blessing to me and that I continue to find great joy here at St. John in serving the Lord and in serving you. Let’s continue to keep Fr. Thom and one another in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Three and one-half weeks ago we began our Lenten observance as we were marked with ashes, a mark of mortality and repentance. Mortality is part and parcel of our human condition. We all experience it; no one escapes it. It is simply a matter of fact! Repentance, on the other hand, is a free choice, made by some, rejected by others, overlooked, unfortunately, by more than a few. The word repentance may conjure up thoughts that may strike us as negative, condemnatory and depressing. Repentance, however, I firmly believe, needs to be understood as a door to much that is positive for us. In fact, it is not repentance that is negative, but the refusal to repent and the simultaneous decision to stay where I am, that often has such paralyzing effect on my life. Repentance presumes an awareness of myself and the areas of my life that need attention, areas which especially invite and need change and growth. Repentance is not a form of self-bashing. Rather, it is a step along the process to greater self-respect and self-love. It is no mere wallowing in guilt for what has or has not been in my life, but it is a decision I make to move on, to take a stand with and before God, and to leave behind that which I now consider regrettable--and that I recognize as changeable with the help of God’s love. Repentance needs to be seen as a form of self-empowerment and a positive response to the grace of God, a grace that inspires and enables me to seek and to see the best in myself. The Lenten journey is always one we can make with the Lord, and with one another, from repentance to renewal, from self-awareness to self-improvement, from mediocrity to sanctity.

In my reflections this week on the Gospel of the Prodigal Son, something struck me that never had before. It was the part near the end of the Gospel passage where the father comes out to meet his returning son where he is in order to bring him back home. How wonderful a reminder that is that God in Jesus the Christ came out to meet us as sinners. How fitting a Gospel to begin week in which we celebrate our Parish Penance Service. The service will be held on Thursday evening March 22, at 7:30pm. Once again we will have several confessors from neighboring parishes to help us. At our Advent service approximately 140 parishioners in attendance and I think everyone would agree that no one had a really long wait. During Holy Week opportunities for Reconciliation will be limited, so please take advantage of this opportunity.

I am very grateful to God and to you for all that happened last week during my Mass of installation as your Pastor. Although I had been installed as a pastor before, I thought that Bishop Jugis’ style of celebration was particularly beautiful and meaningful, as were the words of his homily directed to all of us in this wonderful parish community. He made us both aware of our proud history and mission, but clearly challenged us to continue to live out our common call to mission as a parish community. I would like to add my compliments and gratitude to those of the Bishop Jugis for Deacon John who served as master ceremonies for the installation Mass. I would also particularly like to thank the members of the Parish Council and the Finance Council who served as both the planning group and hands-on workers for the after- Mass reception and the spaghetti dinner. It was truly a wonderful and blessed day for me, but at the same time really only a blessing of and a formalization of a relationship that we have forged with one another and with, and in, the Lord over these past months of life and growth together.

When Bishop Jugis spoke about our history, and the Councils were preparing the short piece at the end of Mass, it reminded me of something I had been thinking about recently. I was rather surprised to find that a parish history had not been done in observance of the 25^th anniversary of the parish. I feel that it would be really important to begin two projects in light of this. I would like to have a oral history of the parish done with some of the senior members of the parish, those who go back to the “country club days.” I feel that they possess stories and information that are invaluable to us. They are our forefathers and foremothers, our pioneers. Folks like Marti Burnoski, who cleans the friary, are a veritable cornucopia of information that it would be a real shame not to have recorded. I would also like to ask that they loan us some of their photographs, bulletins, council minutes, etc., from those early days so that we might copy them and begin a parish archives. There really is no material from these days. If someone would like to come forward to lead this project or to help with it, please call the parish office and leave your name and number, or speak with a member of the parish council--blue name tags--or finance council--green name tags.

As most of you know we have recently had a small fire in our very expensive lighting control system in the church. Although the fire never went beyond the control boxes in the church basement, our Faith Formation Secretary, Sondra Skibbe, and the teachers, safely and quickly evacuated the students in the Religious Ed Classes and called 911. It seems Duke sent us a surge and fried the electronics of our system. The fire was small, but impressive and smoky. In my short time here I have come to appreciate that you can find Duke Power in your thesaurus under sluggish, disorganized or unresponsive. Hey, what are monopolies for? I am sure this process of getting them to pay up will be no less arduous and lengthy than our previous dealings with them have been. Joe Thomas came to our rescue, and wired around the mess to get us back into the light. Thanks, Joe. Might as well get all of the maintenance stuff out of the way. We have also discovered a major mold problem inside the walls of the parish office and in the friary. I mean major as in you can smell it, and the paint is peeling off the walls. We are hoping to recover the cost of this without recourse to the facilities fund, possibly getting it back from contractors who recently did work in the areas affected, or from our insurance carrier. We are awaiting estimates from a contractor to be presented to the Finance Council on Monday. Speaking of the facilities fund, it currently has over $20,000 in it. I know that sounds like a lot of money, but just replacing one of the six air handling units in the church, all of which are “maturing”, would eat most of that in one bite.

Fr. Tony and I have very much enjoyed celebrating the Wednesday evening Mass. We have a very loyal group of about 60 people who come every week. David deBrosse and the Y.E.S. choir have let us interrupt their rehearsal, and have really made it an immensely more beautiful experience with their talents. The G.I.F.T. Soup and Salad Dinner before the Mass has also attracted its own small, but loyal group that come to share a simple meal and Christian fellowship every week. In fact, John even celebrated his 80^th birthday dinner one night there when his wife had offered him the alternative of a restaurant. Congratulations, John, God Bless, and many more.

Speaking of birthdays, belated birthday wishes to the indefatigable Miss Margaret (Mason). She turned, dare I say it, 80. The Lady’s Auxiliary had a surprise party for her last week. My guess is that she knew about it. Nothing gets past Margaret. God bless, Margaret, and many more.

Know that I thank God for you and that you are a blessing to me. Let’s keep one another and Fr. Thom in our prayers.

In Christ and St. Augustine,
Russell A. Ortega, OSA
Pastor                                                                  Return to top of page

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL!

The Installation Committee and the entire Leadership Team of SJN extend our sincere thank you to all who helped make Fr. Russ’ special day such a tremendous success. The church was full for the Installation Mass and over 500 people enjoyed the reception and/or the spaghetti dinner.

Many hands worked together to ensure the success of this event and we thank all who donated their time, talent and treasure. The giving spirit of our SJN parish was clearly evident in this endeavor. It was heartwarming to see so many of our parish family come together in fellowship. Thank you all for helping to make this a memorable occasion for Fr. Russ and our parish.
 

John Kane -PPC Terri Wilhelm - PPC Sue Munao - PPC       Patty Matys - PPC Christie Silvestri - FC