Current Events & Information

  

SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE CATHOLIC CHURCH PARISH COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY February 2008

4 February 2008 Present at the Meeting: This was a combined parish council meeting with both St. Martin and St. John parish council members. Location – St John School Cafeteria. St. John parish council members present were: Father Paul Beach, Teri Pierce, Judy Sipes, Judy Lyons, Cliff Canavera , Judy Rosacker, Danny Roberts, and Monica Lucas. Also present were Paul Poole representing the Stewardship Committee and Kyle Cook, Administration.

The next parish council meeting will be Monday, 3 March 2008, 7:15 pm at St Martin Parish Center.

Father Paul Beach: The Penance service for this Easter season will be 10 March, Monday, at St John’s. The Archdiocese is going to do a capital campaign. For now, this will take the place of CSA. From the donations, 50% will go to the parish, 50% will go to the diocese. The funds will provide for things such as renovation of the Flaherty gym and expansion of St John Church. Some other things it will provide for (but not all inclusive) are: priest retirements, parish assistance, education of seminarians, tuition assistance, legacy fund, etc. The campaign goal will be $77 million. There was a meeting with the Financial, Stewardship, and Administration meeting. The main topic of the meeting was the church HVAC system. Kyle Cook advised that contractors are giving us bids for the job. We need a chair for the parish picnic. Currently there is not one. Applications have been received for the Music leader position. Interviewing will begin.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Chairperson, Terri Pierce: No changes to the January minutes and were approved.

GYM COMMITTEE - None.

FORMATION submitted by Monica Lucas:
-Confirmation candidates and sponsors have begun meeting. They will meet once a month as a group and other times on their own.
-Altar server training will begin next week. All 4th graders have received the information about the training.
-Small groups will meet during Lent to read and reflect on the book, “Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous”. (3 groups)
-We will have a prayer service and distribute ashes Wednesday night during religious education for any children who couldn’t attend Mass.
-The Knights of Columbus have asked to have some youth help with their fish frys. We have some Confirmation candidates working as well as some middle school students earning money for their summer trip in 2009. Monica will be attending the NPCD (National Parish Catechetical Directors) in Indianapolis from March 25-28.
-Forms have been received from the archdiocese concerning the CEF Grant. There is a February 29th deadline to apply. Monica is applying for money in the areas of Professional development, Religious Education, and Technology/Multimedia.
-Chili supper update-Madrigals will sing as well as our Children’s Coir, Tables will be set up for the various committees. 3 gift cards will be given away at the end of the dinner. Money is the budget for parish council gatherings – add to budget for next year.
-Several new people have signed up to make rosaries. The major expense is mailing the rosaries to foreign missions.
-New videos and DVDs for check out at entrance of church.

Stewardship Committee -
The Stewardship committee will be giving recommendations to the parish council which will include the issue about picnic chairperson.

Minutes submitted by Judy Sipes.

Pilgrimage to Italy – November 26-December 6, 2007

Our plane landed in Rome on November 27 and the pilgrimage began! Words cannot express the joy and awe that we felt each day. We boarded our tour bus and were greeted by Elena – the world’s greatest tour guide, and Salvatore, our wonderful bus driver.

Our first stop as we traveled through the beautiful countryside was Orvieto, where in 1262 a Eucharistic miracle took place, which subsequently leads to the institution of Corpus Christi. We checked into our lovely hotel, had dinner, and spent the evening admiring the village of Assisi. It is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Italy, and as the birthplace of both Francis and Clare holds special significance for pilgrims. The two churches came to be built as places of pilgrimage, meditation, and burial for the two saints.

On Wednesday, we began with Mass at the Basilica of St. Francesco and time to visit the tomb of St. Francis. We continued to the lower town of Assisi to the beautiful Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. After a walking tour of Assisi, we viewed the San Damiano crucifix that spoke to St. Francis housed in the Church of St. Clare, then visited the Hermitage of the Carceri to experience what Francis found in his search for a vocation and where the caves on Mt. Subasio offered him a place of prayer. The spirit of Saint Francis surrounded us this day.

On Thursday we traveled through the Tuscany area, known for its landscapes and artistic legacy, to the city of Siena where we celebrated Mass at the Dominican Church which commemorates Saint Catherine. We spent some time that afternoon at the Piazza del Campo, the principal public space of Siena and one of Europe's greatest medieval squares.
Friday morning we continued our pilgrimage with Mass in Loreto. The Holy House of Loreto is one of the most revered Marian shrines in the world. Since medieval times, the Holy House has been believed to be the very home in which the Virgin Mary lived, conceived and raised the young Jesus. Many of us knelt in reverence at the altar of the Madonna. Our travels continued southward along the costal highway to Montesilvano Pescara, arriving at our beachside hotel on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. This stopover allowed us time to relax, stroll the sandy beach, and view the magnificent sunset.
Lanciano is a small, medieval town, nestled halfway between San Giovanni Rotondo and Loreto. On Saturday morning we visited Lanciano to see the site of the oldest Eucharistic Miracle certified by the Church. During Holy Mass the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine was changed into live Blood as a divine response to a Basilian monk's doubt about Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist. The miracle is ongoing. The Host-turned-Flesh, and the wine-turned-Blood, without the use of any form of preservative, is still present in the reliquary after almost eight centuries. Next we continued on to San Giovanni Rotondo where we celebrated Mass at the tomb of Saint Padre Pio. The Shrine of Padre Pio is the second-most visited Catholic shrine in the world. It centers around the tomb of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, a Capuchin friar, priest and mystic known for his devotion to God, supernatural gifts, and the stigmata. He died in 1968 and was declared a saint in 2002.
The first Sunday of Advent began in Subiaco where Saint Benedict and his sister Scolastica built five monasteries. We visited the Monastery of St. Benedict and the Sacred Cave where Benedict lived as a hermit for three years. We celebrated Mass in the Monastery before traveling to Rome.
On Monday we divided into two groups. One group remained in Rome for a walking tour while the majority headed to Pompeii for a tour of the ancient city. Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days on 24 August 79 AD. It was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Its excavation provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.

Tuesday was an eventful day taking us to the many sites that Rome has to offer. We toured the extraordinary Saint Peter’s Basilica. It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City and built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter's Basilica. Words cannot express the beauty we saw and the magnificence of the works of Bernini, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and the like in the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum. Our day continued with time at the Coliseum, an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and a tour of the Catacombs. The Catacombs of Rome are ancient Jewish and Christian underground burial places.
Wednesday morning began with our audience with Pope Benedict XVI. This was an extraordinary experience for all. (A copy of his address to us can be seen below.) The highlight was receiving the Papal Blessing bestowed on all of us and our families. Two of our group members, Janice and Keith Smith, were privileged to receive a personal blessing from the Pope onstage. That afternoon we visited two more major Basilicas as well as St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo’s sculpture, The Moses.
Thursday morning we boarded the plane back to the USA with amazing memories, a closer connection to our Catholic Church, and thousands of pictures!
This does not even begin to touch on the multitude of things we saw and did during these 11 days. We enjoyed many delicious meals together. Some stayed up late at night enjoying a friendly game of Rook; others enjoyed a chat by the fire or a glass of wine with old and new friends. Some took time to buy souvenirs and keepsakes, while others searched for the gelato (Italian ice cream) shops. Our cameras flashed constantly. All who attended feel blessed by this experience. Our trip was not only memorable, it was fun as well.
A special and heartfelt thanks to Father Paul Beach for organizing our pilgrimage.

Those attending: Mike and Debbie Jones, Bill and Judy Rosacker, Ed and Nancy Tate, Monica and Angela Lucas, Richard and Karen Bonn, Barbara Muncy, Jean Simers,, Mary Jo Hardesty, Jennifer Woolfolk, Judy Sipes, Theresa Prather, Karen Stiff, Carol Hubbard, Joe and Ann Sipes, Hugh and Wanda Martin, Bob and Ann Caspar, Carol and Teresa Bertrand, Keith and Janice Smith, Father David Naylor, Tony and Jackie Singleton,, Father Paul Beach.


Below are links to pictures of our pilgrimage as well as comments from some of our pilgrims.


I think the most impressive thing to me was how these massive structures were built with none of the technology we have in place today and how the original roads and water systems are still in use to a certain extent hundreds of years later. There is no doubt that God had a hand into these projects! Debbie Jones

The Basilicas and the places where the Saints lived were a humbling experience for me to see. They are an inspiration for all of us. Deacon Mike Jones

“I’ve learned of many shrines, miracles, and facts of Saints' lives that challenge me where I am spiritually and where I need to go." Deacon Bob Caspar

" I appreciate, most of all, being in the space of Assisi that St. Francis occupied. I feel a closeness to him that makes him more human to me and, therefore, more of a model to imitate. He surely loved all of God's creatures, especially those who were most needy, and all that he had was shared with them." Ann Caspar

“I enjoyed learning the following about my faith’s history and leaders: Virgin Mary’s childhood home is preserved in Italy. St. Catherine was named a doctorate of Catholic theology. Padre Pio suffered the stigmata for over 50 years and knew peoples sins before they even spoke. The First Eucharistic miracle has only one strand of chromosomes in the DNA since the Holy Ghost doesn’t have DNA.
Father Paul Beach won his first game of Kentucky Rook in Rome, Italy.
The trip was especially fun for me because I got to share it with my sister-in-law Karen Stiff.” Carol Stiff Hubbard

The pilgrimage impressed me with the humanity of the saints. Walking some of the same paths walked by St. Francis was peaceful. The saints were always seeking peace for themselves. As a result they inspired their colleagues to seek peace. I realized that some of these saints had detours in their faith journey. Throughout history man has sought to understand the meaning of life. The saints were no different. They showed us that this search can lead us closer to our God.
Vatican City was the favorite part of the pilgrimage for me. Many talented people built Vatican City. These people had a great love for their Church and their God. The audience with Pope Benedict XVI was a moving experience. By reaching out to the Muslim world in his recent trip to Turkey, I believe that he will continue the ecumenical spirit of his predecessors. Joe Sipes

It would be difficult to choose just one part of the trip that I enjoyed the most. I was very impressed with the village of Assisi. I found the information on Padre Pio moving as well as interesting. Pompeii was amazing and Vatican City beautiful. Seeing the sites of Rome and the audience with Pope Benedict was wonderful. However, experiencing it all with my daughter made it even more special. Monica Lucas

Everything on the pilgrimage was wonderful and awesome. I can still see the Sistine Chapel when I close my eyes and think about it. Such magnificent art work. WOW!!! We had a great group and I enjoyed sharing those days with them. I felt so blessed to have Mass in a different church everyday. (Thanks to Father Paul and Father David)
We survived even after the taxi cab rides in Rome. But I have to mention also that even though I fell off the bus and Theresa had a start on burning the hotel down with the blow dryer the whole trip was awesome. Would love to go back on another piligrimage. I really, really appreciate Father Paul getting the pilgrimage together.
Judy Sipes

OVERWHELMING, AWESOME, AMAZING, SPECTACULAR…I’m trying to find one word that best describes our pilgrimage to Italy---it’s impossible to describe in one word! Each day brought incredible sites and facts about people and places that we have all read and learned about throughout our lives as Catholics. It was very humbling to walk the very streets and wooded paths that many of them walked so many years ago. Vatican City was breathtaking, and for me the highlight of the trip was getting to be in audience with Pope Benedict XVI. I’m very grateful to have been able to take part in the pilgrimage with such a wonderful group of people. I made new friends and became reacquainted with others. It was an incredible journey and I feel that it has renewed and strengthened my catholic faith! Karen Stiff

"This Pilgrimage showed me just how ignorant I am of the history of not only my Catholic Religion, but of the history of Christianity. Father Paul is very knowledgable in this area, and has offered to provide me with reading materials so I can continue to learn." Karen Bonn

My most memorable moments. 1. Walking in the house that Mary lived in. 2. Seeing the bones of St. Peter on the Scavi tour. 3. Seeing the spear that pierced the side of Jesus. 4. Millions on motorscooters hell bent on committing suicide, yet no observed accidents. 5. Salami and Cheese with Italian hard rolls for breakfast. I really miss that and the chocolate granola cereal. 6. Sistine Chapel. Spent too little time there to observe all that was done. 7. Pompeii, the long tour we (Monica, Angela and I) took. Saw the real city, and let my imagination work on how they lived, and the horror of how they died. The body casts especially that of the poor pooch that was all curled up in a ball. 8. The ability of Salvatori to drive the bus on roads two motorcycles would have a hard time passing each other on. 9. “hello, follow Nino”!!!! 10. Audience with the Pope, even though he wouldn’t make me the first living Saint! No way to make a single memory. Too many rich, cultural experiences and special moments that clatter in the brain for recognition, only to be replaced quickly by other thoughts and memories, clouding what was best, and concluding the company of pilgrims made the entire experience unforgettable. Bill Rosacker

Viewing the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ in Lanciano, the site of the first Eucharistic Miracle, made a lifelong impact on me. It was confirmation that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and that participation in Communion is the way to eternal life in heaven. Nancy Tate

The wole trip was just so overwhelming. First of all thanks to Father Paul for setting it up for us. He did a great job. The most special to me was having Mass at St. Francis and Padre Pio's tombs. I love the town of Assisi and they way they farmed the whole mountailsides was also impressive. The group that went was also pretty special. I feel like I've made some great friends along the way. Thanks everyone. Ed Tate

The entire trip was "wonderful" and I feel so blessed that I was able to make this venture. I am very much appreciative to Father Paul for getting this trip together and anyone else who had a hand in organizing it. I enjoyed seeing the home of the "blessed family" and the imprints in the stones surrounding the home were so many people have come to kneel and pray. The craftsmanship, artistry, and skill of the people that lived back then is "awesome". Theresa Prather

Below are links to some pictures. Anyone with other links, please let us know.


http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.7o3t972x&x=0&h=1&y=-ngog6z
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.58d0sbvd&x=0&h=1&y=-mmpxbv
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.5defg2ft&x=0&h=1&y=-7k4l3f
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.9cl7mhnd&x=0&h=1&y=-18ky1n
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.7dgfvx09&x=0&h=1&y=-ektjfp
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8t5qb91.bu94r9i1&x=0&h=1&y=eh7825

http://picasaweb.google.com/duckboy03

 

ST. CHROMATIUS INVITES US TO ENTER INTO CONTACT WITH GOD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 5, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI dedicated his remarks to the figure of St. Chromatius, bishop of Aquileia in northern Italy, "a dynamic center of Christian life located in the 'Decima regione' of the Roman empire, 'Venetia et Histria'."
"Between the middle of the third century and the early years of the fourth," said the Pope, "the persecutions of Decius, Valerian and Diocletian had produced a large number of martyrs." At the same time, the Church of Aquileia was facing "the threat of the Arian heresy."
In 381 Chromatius, then a priest and the expert assistant of Bishop Valerian of Aquileia, participated in a synod "to eliminate the last residues of Arianism in the West."
The Holy Father recalled how Chromatius was born in Aquileia in the year 345, "he was ordained a deacon then a priest and finally elected as pastor of that church in 388. Having received episcopal consecration from St. Ambrose, he dedicated himself courageously and energetically to a task of immense proportions because of the vastness of the lands entrusted to his care: the ecclesial jurisdiction of Aquileia stretched to what is currently the territory of Switzerland, Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia, even reaching as far as Hungary." The saintly bishop died an exile in Grado in 407, the same year as St. John Chrysostom.
The Holy Father indicated that of St. Chromatius' works, more than 40 sermons and over 60 commentaries on the Gospel of St. Mark survive. "He was wise master and a zealous pastor," said the Pope. "In his teaching he always began from the Word of God and to that he always returned. Among subjects particularly dear to him were, primarily, the Trinitarian mystery which he considered in its revelation throughout the history of salvation, the theme of the Holy Spirit, ... and the mystery of Christ. The incarnate Word is true God and true man: He fully assumed the human condition so as to give it His own divinity."
His "insistence on the human nature of Christ led Chromatius to speak of the Virgin Mary," said the Pope, pointing out how the saint described Mary in various ways such as "the evangelical virgin capable of accepting God," and compared her with the Church, both being "virgins and mothers." The Holy Father then explained that "Chromatius' ecclesiology is developed above all in his commentary on Matthew," where he writes that "the Church is unique, she is born from the blood of Christ."
Chromatius "knew how to address his people using a fresh, vivacious and incisive language." As a "good pastor, in troubled times such as his own marked by the barbarian incursions, he stood alongside the faithful to comfort them and open their souls to faith in God, Who never abandons His children."
In off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his talk, the Pope noted how "St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer, in which we must enter into contact with God. God knows us, He knows me, He knows each of us. He loves me, He does not abandon me. Thus trustingly, let us proceed into the liturgical time that has just begun."
AG/ST. CHROMATIUS/...VIS 071205 (560)