vis-a-vis

Happy birthday, Church! by Teresa R. Albright, Pastoral Associate   scriptural Background (Acts 2:1-11) Our first reading on the feast of Pentecost, as are all first readings during the Easter season, comes to us from the Acts of the Apostles . This book is Volume II of the gospel according to Luke, which was written down around the same time as Matthew’s gospel. While Matthew wrote to Jewish followers of Christ and others sympathetic to Judaism, Luke’s audience was primarily made up of “God-fearing” gentiles. And so, in this second chapter of his Acts of the Apostles , Luke attempts to paint a picture for his gentile listeners of the pandemonium that is Jerusalem during a pilgrimage festival like Pentecost. Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish holidaycalled Shavuot , which continues to be celebrated by Jews around the world today. Like all ancient pilgrimage festivals, Pentecost celebrates the harvest. A multitude of pilgrims from all over the world, with all their ...

Marriage Preparation Continues During Pandemic by Chris Sanders, Pastoral Associate Gracious Brides and Grooms would be the best way to describe our Visitation couples in waiting. Since our stay at home order began, all of our couples have been extremely concerned for the welfare of their guests. They have made tough decisions as they either have moved their weddings, postponed dates or proceeded with the limits and constraints of our time. One thing is for sure these couples are strong, resilient and full of love and hope. Visitation has a wonderful tradition of Marriage Preparation that far surpasses any marriage preparation I have seen in our area. There is great pride, hard work and dedication that guides our new couples through the process. From the first meeting to the last, special attention and intention is placed, providing as much care and connection to our parish community as possible. We have amazing Lead Couples and Wedding Coordinators who are some of our parish’s gifts...

A New Day by Megan Burdolski, Director of Stewardship “No matter what yesterday was like, birds always start the new day with a song.” - Unknown It’s the dawn of a new day. In our city, businesses have re-opened, people have returned to their offices after two months of working from home, public Masses have resumed. But it’s not a return to “normal.” It’s anything but. Social distancing, curbside pick-up, face masks, occupancy limitations and plexi-glass dividers have replaced the familiar and become our new “normal.” As we learn how to live our lives amidst these new restrictions, it is more important than ever that we try to be the best humans we can be and love our fellow man in the way that Jesus taught us. We need to behave as stewards - -             - Grateful each morning for the new day we have been given             - Respectful of the protocols put in place ...

Change and Choice by Chris Sanders, Pastoral Associate So many times, we feel apprehensive when it is time to make decisions regarding one thing or another. We live on a thin thread of waiting for change so we can make the perfect choice. Should we purchase that new sofa, or wait until we redo the entire room? Maybe a new car or do we wait until the economy is better or our family outgrows the current vehicle? Perhaps now is a good time to plan having children or should we wait a little longer after our career has really taken off? Change brings apprehension, excitement, doubt and fear of the unknown. We wait to make decisions regarding important conversations, making big plans or changing stocks after weighing all our options and researching every avenue. Life presents so many moments of change and choices. Right now is an uncertain time with a worldwide pandemic that most of us are tired of hearing about. Our interaction with Covid-19 depends on our own underlying conditions...

STEWARDSHIP LESSONS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME by Megan Burdolski, Director of Stewardship  "The mother is the first teacher of the child. The message she gives  that child, that child gives to the world." - Malcolm X When I talk, read or teach about stewardship, I try to focus on more than just sharing resources or volunteering. I especially like to focus on the behaviors that we can adopt that will make us better stewards in our everyday lives. While my father set a perfect example of a steward who shared his time, talent & treasure with his church, I credit my mother with teaching me many of the little character traits that I think should be part of our stewardship: M - Mercy: It may not always be easy but I do try to show mercy or compassion to those who need it, particularly those whose circumstances may not be as positive as my own. My mother modeled mercy for my sister and me as young children, showing mercy when we made mistakes. O- Openness: It can be so easy to judge o...

“Playing” Mass by Teresa R. Albright, Pastoral Associate I have happy memories from childhood of me and my two sisters “playing Mass” at home. Taking turns as presider, we would make our way to the kitchen, take a piece of bread from the bread box and schmush it with the heel of our hand. In our young imaginations, flattening the bread in this manner was the easiest way to make it “unleavened.” Then we would search nearby for a circle shaped tool—a small juice glass, jar lid or biscuit cutter would do the trick. Pressing the found object into the already beaten-down bread, we deliberately tore away the edges to create a perfect circle. Grabbing some juice from the refrigerator, we headed back to the play area where a child-sized table, normally used for creating and coloring, was adorned with a pillowcase (our altar cloth). A linen napkin – the kind used for Thanksgiving dinners – served as our corporal. All we needed now was a fancy wine glass and small plate from the china set reserv...

Past, Present, and Future by Chris Sanders, Pastoral Associate Have you ever been on a road trip and gotten lost or could not decide where you even wanted to go? Do you argue with your GPS directions and choose your own path? Our faith life is remarkably like a road trip with all the winding paths we take. On a road trip, we must know where our location is in order to get to our destination. So it is, with our faith, that we must know where we are right now if we want to get to where we want to be in our relationship with Christ. A journey implies we have been somewhere and moving elsewhere. Where do you want to be in your connection with God? What has your connection looked like in the past versus now? We are the authors of our stories and it is in the living, experiencing and recognizing where we have been and where we are now that we may move closer to that connection we seek. Today, during this Covid pandemic, we are called to social distance or to be on the front lines, W...