The Areopagus 9-21-09
posted by Phil Lawson
9-21-09
With the pastor away last week, I had the pleasure of writing a “Guest Column” for the bulletin. I chose to focus on the Year of the Priest, sharing some of my own favorite memories. Enjoy!
Guest Column
9-20-09
The Year of the Priest
In his letter proclaiming a Year for Priests (which we are currently celebrating), Pope Benedict XVI quoted St. John Vianney, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”. Benedict continued, “This touching expression makes us reflect , first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity?”
We’ve all been touched by priests at various points in our lives both sacramentally—from Baptisms to Confirmations, to weddings to funerals--- and in the mundane—conversations, parish festivals, meals, even an occasional polka (so I hear!). The Year of the Priest is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the priests who have touched our lives---to thank God for these men and to pray for them.
In the sessions I’ve had with our catechists and students, I’ve asked them to share some of their favorite stories of priests in their own lives. These both celebrate the priesthood, but also serve as an encouragement to our young men to consider the priesthood themselves. Allow me to share some of my own memories:
Growing up on the South Side of the City of Milwaukee, which was no haven of morality, I fondly remember Fr. Tom Whitliff. He was affectionately referred to as the “bishop of Bay View”—our neighborhood. All the kids, Catholic and not, knew him. In fact, it wasn’t unusual for him to stop by the basketball courts on his bike and give the guys a few dollars to go buy a soda. You’d also regularly see him working out at the local gym. And you know what? When these same young people had a question concerning God—they knew who they could go too.
One of the more humorous priestly images I’ve ever encountered also happened in Milwaukee. Fr. Larry Dulek was pastor of two city parishes about 3 blocks from each other. He would celebrate Sunday Mass at St. Anthony’s and then go over to St. Stanislaus later in the morning. One morning, driving up Mitchell Street I see this man, speeding down the sidewalk on rollerblades with a black cassock billowing behind him—our dear Fr. Larry. I’m surprised he didn’t cause an accident! Incidentally, that area was also plagued by gangs—yet Fr. Larry provided a peaceful presence—even rushing on to the scene when a young man was shot on the steps of his church.
When I first came to St. Peter’s (9 years ago—my how time flies!), I resided at the Rectory as so many of our seminarians have done over the years. One night, I came down with the stomach flu. Since I was scheduled to Lector at the morning Mass I knocked on Fr. Schaller’s door early in the morning to let him know I was incapacitated and retired back to my room. The next time I emerged, I found a TV tray outside my door with a glass, a can of 7-UP, and a bag of saltine crackers! That small example of caring has remained with me to this day.
Many of you know Fr. Joe Hirsch, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of LaCrosse. The first time I met him, through a mutual friend, I was not Catholic. My friend insisted I meet Fr. Hirsch. So we attended Mass at his parish and I was thoroughly impressed, especially with his homily. Introduced to him after the Mass, I mentioned what a great homily he had given. His response was to encourage me to be a priest! When I informed him I wasn’t Catholic, he replied, “We can take care of that!” Lo and behold, I did become Catholic and now have the privilege of working with Fr. Hirsch on numerous projects throughout the year.
I could keep going, but I’m almost out of space. Here’s a thought though—take some time to share some of your own memories of priests—to celebrate them—and then to pray for all of our priests, for as St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests said, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”.
God bless you all!
Phil Lawson
Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
Phil’s Tidbits:
Recently my family and I were at a Catholic Church. There was a large, dark, and modern image of Jesus in the vestibule. My 3 year-old son looks up at it and asks “bad guy?” Says a lot about much modern religious art doesn’t it?
Our dear Fr. Derek Sakowski spent the summer studying abroad and regularly sent us updates and commentaries. I thought this one worth passing along from his time in Scotland.
From Father Derek Sakowski:
Just in the past few months the Scottish bishops closed down the last of their local seminaries. Now all of their seminarians (and there are only about 20 for all of Scotland) are trained in Rome. What John Knox spent all of his final years trying to accomplish has now been done at the hands of the Scottish Catholics themselves.
It’s funny that way. Often we in the United States think of our Church as facing hard times, and certainly it is no cakewalk at the moment. But we have so many signs of vibrancy and hope for the future. My diocese alone has more seminarians than all of Scotland. And though our overall Catholic numbers are shrinking, we are getting more dedication out of our laypeople than ever in recent decades. In addition, our birth rates (though low) are at least at the replacement level. As my priest friends from Europe look upon their secularized, post-Christian society and the impending demographic doom of Europe’s native population, they really envy and admire what we have going in the United States. I’ve come to appreciate it more and more myself as I travel throughout Europe.
Now this is a debate, I’d enjoy being at:
Cardinal Pell to Debate Christopher Hitchens
Festival of Dangerous Ideas Aims to Provoke Discussion
SYDNEY, Australia, SEPT. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The first ever Festival of Dangerous Ideas will pit Sydney's archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, against one of the most prominent exponents of modern atheism, British journalist Christopher Hitchens.
A press release from the Sydney Archdiocese announced today that this festival will take place Oct. 3-4 in the Sydney Opera House.
In his address, titled "Without God We Are Nothing," Cardinal Pell plans to speak about secularism as a "minority sport and a temporary phenomenon" that only survives "by attacking Christianity or living off Christianity's moral capital."
The communiqué stated that the prelate will respond the anti-theist address by drawing on his own faith and scholarship, as well as the example of scientific figures.
In a preliminary description of his presentation, Cardinal Pell stated, "Science by itself cannot provide an answer to the God or atheism options. To make such enquiries we need to engage in meta-physics."
He referred to Anthony Flew, a philosopher who converted from atheism, who affirmed, "How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self replication capabilities and 'coded chemistry?'"
The festival will feature over 50 speakers, and is being organized by the St James Ethics Centre in partnership with the Special Broadcasting Service, Foxtel and the Sydney Morning Herald.
Some of the other speakers include: Germaine Greer, Carmen Lawrence, Gary Foley, Susan Greenfield and Keysar Trad.
Other topics include: the merits of democracy, the effect of online networking on developing brains, polygamy and other Islamic values, genetic enhancement, and whether people really want freedom.
The festival Web site states that this event aims to "push the boundaries enough to stimulate, provoke and engage people in wider discussion."
It adds: "Bombs, guns and bullets may be dangerous. Closed or complacent minds make them lethal."
On the Net:
Festival of Dangerous Ideas: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/program/festival_of_dangerous_ideas.aspx
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
With the pastor away last week, I had the pleasure of writing a “Guest Column” for the bulletin. I chose to focus on the Year of the Priest, sharing some of my own favorite memories. Enjoy!
Guest Column
9-20-09
The Year of the Priest
In his letter proclaiming a Year for Priests (which we are currently celebrating), Pope Benedict XVI quoted St. John Vianney, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”. Benedict continued, “This touching expression makes us reflect , first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity?”
We’ve all been touched by priests at various points in our lives both sacramentally—from Baptisms to Confirmations, to weddings to funerals--- and in the mundane—conversations, parish festivals, meals, even an occasional polka (so I hear!). The Year of the Priest is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the priests who have touched our lives---to thank God for these men and to pray for them.
In the sessions I’ve had with our catechists and students, I’ve asked them to share some of their favorite stories of priests in their own lives. These both celebrate the priesthood, but also serve as an encouragement to our young men to consider the priesthood themselves. Allow me to share some of my own memories:
Growing up on the South Side of the City of Milwaukee, which was no haven of morality, I fondly remember Fr. Tom Whitliff. He was affectionately referred to as the “bishop of Bay View”—our neighborhood. All the kids, Catholic and not, knew him. In fact, it wasn’t unusual for him to stop by the basketball courts on his bike and give the guys a few dollars to go buy a soda. You’d also regularly see him working out at the local gym. And you know what? When these same young people had a question concerning God—they knew who they could go too.
One of the more humorous priestly images I’ve ever encountered also happened in Milwaukee. Fr. Larry Dulek was pastor of two city parishes about 3 blocks from each other. He would celebrate Sunday Mass at St. Anthony’s and then go over to St. Stanislaus later in the morning. One morning, driving up Mitchell Street I see this man, speeding down the sidewalk on rollerblades with a black cassock billowing behind him—our dear Fr. Larry. I’m surprised he didn’t cause an accident! Incidentally, that area was also plagued by gangs—yet Fr. Larry provided a peaceful presence—even rushing on to the scene when a young man was shot on the steps of his church.
When I first came to St. Peter’s (9 years ago—my how time flies!), I resided at the Rectory as so many of our seminarians have done over the years. One night, I came down with the stomach flu. Since I was scheduled to Lector at the morning Mass I knocked on Fr. Schaller’s door early in the morning to let him know I was incapacitated and retired back to my room. The next time I emerged, I found a TV tray outside my door with a glass, a can of 7-UP, and a bag of saltine crackers! That small example of caring has remained with me to this day.
Many of you know Fr. Joe Hirsch, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of LaCrosse. The first time I met him, through a mutual friend, I was not Catholic. My friend insisted I meet Fr. Hirsch. So we attended Mass at his parish and I was thoroughly impressed, especially with his homily. Introduced to him after the Mass, I mentioned what a great homily he had given. His response was to encourage me to be a priest! When I informed him I wasn’t Catholic, he replied, “We can take care of that!” Lo and behold, I did become Catholic and now have the privilege of working with Fr. Hirsch on numerous projects throughout the year.
I could keep going, but I’m almost out of space. Here’s a thought though—take some time to share some of your own memories of priests—to celebrate them—and then to pray for all of our priests, for as St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests said, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”.
God bless you all!
Phil Lawson
Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
Phil’s Tidbits:
Recently my family and I were at a Catholic Church. There was a large, dark, and modern image of Jesus in the vestibule. My 3 year-old son looks up at it and asks “bad guy?” Says a lot about much modern religious art doesn’t it?
Our dear Fr. Derek Sakowski spent the summer studying abroad and regularly sent us updates and commentaries. I thought this one worth passing along from his time in Scotland.
From Father Derek Sakowski:
Just in the past few months the Scottish bishops closed down the last of their local seminaries. Now all of their seminarians (and there are only about 20 for all of Scotland) are trained in Rome. What John Knox spent all of his final years trying to accomplish has now been done at the hands of the Scottish Catholics themselves.
It’s funny that way. Often we in the United States think of our Church as facing hard times, and certainly it is no cakewalk at the moment. But we have so many signs of vibrancy and hope for the future. My diocese alone has more seminarians than all of Scotland. And though our overall Catholic numbers are shrinking, we are getting more dedication out of our laypeople than ever in recent decades. In addition, our birth rates (though low) are at least at the replacement level. As my priest friends from Europe look upon their secularized, post-Christian society and the impending demographic doom of Europe’s native population, they really envy and admire what we have going in the United States. I’ve come to appreciate it more and more myself as I travel throughout Europe.
Now this is a debate, I’d enjoy being at:
Cardinal Pell to Debate Christopher Hitchens
Festival of Dangerous Ideas Aims to Provoke Discussion
SYDNEY, Australia, SEPT. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The first ever Festival of Dangerous Ideas will pit Sydney's archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, against one of the most prominent exponents of modern atheism, British journalist Christopher Hitchens.
A press release from the Sydney Archdiocese announced today that this festival will take place Oct. 3-4 in the Sydney Opera House.
In his address, titled "Without God We Are Nothing," Cardinal Pell plans to speak about secularism as a "minority sport and a temporary phenomenon" that only survives "by attacking Christianity or living off Christianity's moral capital."
The communiqué stated that the prelate will respond the anti-theist address by drawing on his own faith and scholarship, as well as the example of scientific figures.
In a preliminary description of his presentation, Cardinal Pell stated, "Science by itself cannot provide an answer to the God or atheism options. To make such enquiries we need to engage in meta-physics."
He referred to Anthony Flew, a philosopher who converted from atheism, who affirmed, "How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self replication capabilities and 'coded chemistry?'"
The festival will feature over 50 speakers, and is being organized by the St James Ethics Centre in partnership with the Special Broadcasting Service, Foxtel and the Sydney Morning Herald.
Some of the other speakers include: Germaine Greer, Carmen Lawrence, Gary Foley, Susan Greenfield and Keysar Trad.
Other topics include: the merits of democracy, the effect of online networking on developing brains, polygamy and other Islamic values, genetic enhancement, and whether people really want freedom.
The festival Web site states that this event aims to "push the boundaries enough to stimulate, provoke and engage people in wider discussion."
It adds: "Bombs, guns and bullets may be dangerous. Closed or complacent minds make them lethal."
On the Net:
Festival of Dangerous Ideas: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/program/festival_of_dangerous_ideas.aspx
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
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