St. Michael Catholic Church located in Fernandina Beach Florida

Notes From The Pastor..........

Kiwi

Pastor’s letter

This week opens up a great opportunity for us to

grow in our faith and fellowship with other people.

The program is called “Why Catholic”, one

of the best adult faith formation programs in the

country. This program was initiated in our diocese

two years ago and now we have the chance

to make use of it.

“Why Catholic” is a six weeks’ study program

based on the Creed and the Catechism of the

Catholic Church presented with Scriptural insights.

We gather in small groups wherever convenient,

study the chapters of the book, read the

Scripture and pray together.

This program is the implementation of one of the

major suggestions received through the ‘Parish

Survey’. I wish and hope that all our families

make use of it and grow in faith and mutual relationship.

Consequently we will see its effects in

our parish life, in its ministries and in our family

life. Therefore please do not hesitate to sign up.

I would like to congratulate our young people

who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last

Saturday. All thirty of them are confirmed to be

witnesses of faith and to be leaders of the next

generation of St. Michael’s. I wish and pray that

they be helped to grow in their faith by continuing

to attend church regularly and participating

in youth formation programs.

It is also wonderful to see that St. Michael’s

Academy Soccer team won the Diocesan Championship

this year – now it is four years in a row.

Congratulations to the players, coaches and the

principal and teachers.

When I went home a few weeks ago, I had the

opportunity to participate in the Golden Jubilee

celebrations of my Seminary. More than 500

priests and 30 Bishops participated in the concelebration.

That was a touching moment. There

were also other programs to celebrate the occasion.

However, I am happy to be back to the parish

to continue my ministry here with you.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

Pastor

ST. BRIGID OF IRELAND

(Known as Bride of the Isles, Bridget of Ireland,

Mary of the Gael)

This weekend marks a turning point in the Celtic year. February 1st is the festival of Imbolc, announcing the arrival of new life: never more needed, and never more welcome. The month of February is also called Mi na Feile Bride (Month of the Festival of Brigit). In Celtic myth, Brigit was goodness of poetry, healing and smithwork; in Christian history she was an abbess and saint. She was also a weaver whose cross was made of newly plucked rushes; her belt of new straw, and her cloak of woven material. Some of the few surviving relics of St. Brigit are thought to be her weaving or embroidery tools, held in Glastonbury, England. She started her first convent with 7 nuns, and then all over Ireland. She was a great traveler which led to her patronage of travelers, sailors, and blacksmiths. Born in 453 in Faughart, County Louth, Ireland, she died February 1, 523 of natural causes.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

“Ordinary” is not always a desirable adjective. Who would not

be insulted to receive a thank-you note for your “ordinary birthday

gift,” or “the ordinary hospitality at the dinner party”? No

restaurant advertises its “ordinariness,” no car dealer seats a customer

at the steering wheel and whispers, “Look how ordinary it

is!” Yet here we are in “Ordinary Time.” The word carries a different

meaning here: it does not mean these days are dull, boring,

pedestrian, uninteresting. It means “ordinal,” or “numbered”

Sundays, a season of the year when we follow the story of Jesus’

life and ministry in an ordered way, with each Sunday assigned

an ordinal number.

You can amaze your friends with this example of Catholic arithmetic:

the “Ordinary Sundays” begin with the last Sunday of

Christmas, the Baptism of the Lord, continue until the Sunday

before Ash Wednesday, and resume after a cluster of feasts following

Pentecost Sunday. The numbers are calculated by counting

backwards from the Solemnity of Christ the King, the Thirtyfourth

Sunday in Ordinary Time. Now you know there is nothing

“ordinary” about “Ordinary Time!

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

Every year, close to the feast of the Conversion of St.

Paul on January 25, and before the feast of the Chair

of St. Peter on February 22, the cause of Church unity

is commended to Christians everywhere. Sadly, Protestants,

Orthodox, and Catholics have settled to a

status quo of separation. When baptized people become

Catholic, we speak of them as being received

into “full communion.” That means we already share

a communion in faith in many ways, including the

Word of God. Many Protestant denominations have

received and revised the three-year cycle of readings

first arranged by Catholics in the early 1970s. Therefore,

many of your neighbors who are not Catholic are

celebrating and reflecting on the same readings we are

savoring on most Sundays of the year. This makes for

a new spirit of cooperation among preachers of the

gospel, and gives hope that the cause of reunion, desired

by Christ, has great vitality at the table of God’s

Word, and will one day lead to unity at the table of the

Lord’s Body and Blood.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

Before long, people will be throwing Mardi Gras beads

in the streets of New Orleans—purple, gold, and green. A few

will be in on the secret: the colors of the beads are derived from

the gifts of the magi. Gold for wealth, purple for power, green

for good health. The gifts are also a key to the identity of the

Christ Child: the incense for God; the gold for a king; the myrrh,

fragrant burial ointment for one who comes to die.

Centuries ago, today’s feast bore the heavy burden of

celebrating all the manifestations of Christ’s identity: the birth of

Jesus, the coming of the magi, the baptism of the Lord, the wedding

feast at Cana. It was too much for one day. Fortunately the

one day has blossomed into a whole season of grateful celebration,

stretching behind us into Advent, and ahead of us into the

Baptism of the Lord and to Christ’s coming again in glory. Tonight,

be sure to light the Christmas lights, and gather at the

crèche for a favorite carol and a prayer.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas filled with

God’s blessings. May you have a great time with

your family members, celebrating the joyful

event of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Christmas

gifts, decorations, good food, and everything

else distinctive to this season enhance our

joy. I wish and hope that in the rush of those peripherals

of the celebration, we do not forget to

participate in the most important of all – the Eucharistic

Celebration.

I am also aware that some of those participating

in the Christmas Liturgy take this as a unique

opportunity to come to church. However, it need

not necessarily be the only time of the year we

should find Eucharistic Celebration meaningful

enough to go to. All the year around, we need

God’s grace. Besides, by bringing our children to

Church regularly, we are also helping them to

grow up with a value system.

St. Michael’s Church with its various ministries

and organizations help people to be closer to

God and one another. Besides coming to church,

you will find fulfillment though your participation

in them. Our School and Religious Education

give children a great opportunity to know

more about God, about Church and about the

means to grow in faith. Therefore, being an active

member of this parish will help everyone to

find better meaning for life.

Pastor’s Letter

Dear brothers and sisters, I believe all of you had a very happy

‘Thanksgiving’. Family and friends getting together on occasions like this enhances our joy and strengthens our relationship. I am sure, now we all are looking forward to Christmas Celebration. In preparation for Christmas, last Sunday we entered the Liturgical season of Advent. This is a time to spiritually prepare ourselves to receive the Lord Jesus, who became incarnate 2000 years ago, but is born again in our hearts and lives. May this season be very fruitful for each one of us and for our Parish Community.

Parish Hall

I am sure, all of you are aware that we are about to begin the work to accomplish one of our long awaited dreams - the renovation and expansion of our Parish Hall. You have been very generous in contributing to the ‘Expansion Fund’. Now owing to your generosity and co-operation we are about to start the work of the remodeling and expansion of our hall. I think you will be interested in knowing the process that brought us to this point. First we got a plan drawn by the architect and it was presented to the Finance Council and Parish Council and after much deliberation and discussions, the plan was finalized with necessary modifications. It was then submitted to the Diocese and to the City for their approval. Finally it was placed for bids by contractors who have the diocesan approval. Out of the five bids, the lowest – at the same time - one that also has other credentials to their merit was chosen in consultation with the diocesan representative. The approved contractor is ‘Call Construction’ owned and managed by a parishioner, Brent Rewa. The plan of the Parish Hall will soon be exhibited outside the Church for your information.They will begin work in December and will finish it in six months if everything goes well. Let us pray and hope that we may be able to use the hall and its facilities at least by June 2012. Meanwhile I hope you will continue to contribute to our ‘Expansion Fund’. Our new Parish Pastoral Council will discuss the ideas you all sent through e-mails to me and through the survey cards. A ‘Vision Plan’ based on your suggestions will help us to do more things for our parish. May God bless all our endeavors.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am very glad to be back from my vacation. It

was a very nice time with family and friends.

Thank you for your valuable prayers for my safe

trip. Though I was frequently checking my mails

and responding to the most urgent ones during

my vacation, now I am fully into the regular

schedule of the parish. I thank Fr. Joe, Fr. Gerry,

our staff and all the ministries and organizations

who made sure that everything went well.

This Sunday is observed as Stewardship Sunday

all over the Catholic dioceses of the United

States. This day reminds us of the three areas of

stewardship: time, talents and treasure in service of

God and His Church. Accepting the Biblical model of

returning 10% of the "first fruits" to the Lord, we attempt

to utilize at least 10% of our time for prayer,

reflection, and works of mercy and ministry. St. Peter

reminds us of our duty of stewardship: "As each one

has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good

stewards of God's varied grace" (1Peter 4:10).

Our individual talents are difficult to fit into a tithing

model of returning 10% to the Lord, but in true Christian

humility we recognize that the gifts that are

uniquely ours are not to be "hidden under a bushel,"

nor to be used solely for our own satisfaction and

profit. Rather, our talents are to be used to glorify the

Giver by using them wherever they are needed, in

our parish or in the wider community. Sharing our

time, talents and treasure is an act of thanksgiving to

God who continues to bless us with time, skills,

health and wealth. By sharing these blessings with

God's children in, as well as outside of, the parish, we

are returning to God what is due to Him.

In this context, I am very happy to acknowledge that

the parishioners of St. Michael are very generous

with their time, talents and treasure. Your active participation

in different ministries and organizations,

willingness to make good use of your talents for the

good of the parish and generosity in giving financial

support to the Church and its causes are obvious. I

express a big “thank you” to all the parishioners who

are actively involved in the various ministries of our

parish (which impact the lives of hundreds of people),

and who sacrificially and regularly make their

financial contributions. I pray that God may multiply

your talents and treasures in manifold ways and bless

your families abundantly.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

Dear brothers and sisters,

I would like to thank all of you for your participation

in last Sunday’s events at the Church. Thanks for

your prayers for me as I was officially installed as

Pastor of St. Michael’s parish. The first visit of our

new bishop, Most Reverend Felipe Estevez to our

parish made the occasion extraordinary. Special

thanks to the different ministries and our choir for

making the ceremony beautiful. I hope to continue to

work together with all of you, to lead our parish on

the path God wants us to take.

The celebration of the Feast of our Patron Saint St.

Michael was a great success due to the strenuous efforts

of a lot of people. Members of Men’s Club,

Knights of Columbus, CCW, St. Michael’s Academy

and a number of others worked hard in making it

successful. Roger Wasik, Ed Livingston, Janet Treadwell,

Debra Suddarth, Katie Rewa, Mary Elwell and

the school children, Maureen Anderson and the

youth choir and all those hard working people with

them made it a memorable event. I also thank Larry

Miller and Catherine Turner for decorating the

church beautifully. Thank you one and all.

The survey findings published last Sunday tells us

about the priorities we need to look at. Our Pastoral

Council and Finance Council together with all the

different ministries have an added responsibility now

to take the next step together with the pastor. One of

the main suggestions surfaced on the survey was to

plan adult faith formation programs. I contacted

‘RENEW International’ the best in the country that

helps parishes to conduct the program “Why Catholic”.

This program is already being done in several

parishes of our diocese. We might need several team

leaders and facilitators to run the program. As soon

as I come back from my vacation, we will start preparation

to initiate the program in Lent.

Speaking of vacation, it was decided that all priests

should take vacation for a month. The logic is: if the

pastor is good and hardworking he deserves it; and if

he is not good the people deserve it. Don’t you think

you deserve it? But I am taking only three weeks

now. If you want me to come back, please pray that I

may have a safe trip. Please pray also that we, the

priests of the diocese, may have a fruitful retreat this

week.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am glad to see that many of our families are back. Sunday Masses are getting crowded and that is very good. As you already are aware, we will go back to four Masses on Sundays from October. I am also happy to see that the children's religion classes for 3-4 year olds during the Mass (that is even better than just a nursery) and children's Liturgy of the Word for 5-6 year olds are welcomed by everyone. It is also wonderful that our children's choir will be singing at one of the Sunday Masses every month from October. You also may have heard of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal that will be introduced on the First Sunday of Advent. Please be aware that it is not a new Mass, but only a few changes in the wording of some of the prayers, in order to be more true to the original Latin. Former translation was close to our everyday conversation style, while this is more faithful to the intended meaning in the original text. At first it may sound a little unfamiliar, however we need to know that Liturgical language is different from our conversation style. From this week onwards we will have a short write-up in our bulletin about the changes and some explanations of them.I have also made ready some leaflets that tell us about the changes. They will be distributed to the parishioners shortly. We also have the pew cards ready with the changed texts. They will be on the pews on the First Sunday of Advent. You will see that most of the changes are in the prayers of the celebrant. Deacon Art Treadwell will be leading some sessions regarding the changes and about the vision, goals and objectives for implementing the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Dates and times will be announced through the bulletin. Please make the best use of it. I am also planning to talk to the congregation about the different parts of the Mass and how we need to make our participation more active. It will be before Saturday/Sunday Masses in Advent, for about 10 minutes.All these together will help us to understand the Mass and to participate in it more actively. We also need to help our children understand these. A little family catechism will be really helpful.Parents should speak to their children about Mass and explain to them about the need to actively participate in the Liturgy. I wish and pray that we become a "Worshiping Community" true to the original splendor of the Early Church.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

FEAST OF FAITH

What Jesus Did, What Jesus Said

The oldest account of what happened at the Last Supper

comes to us not from the Gospels but from the First Letter of

Saint Paul to the Corinthians: “I received from the Lord

what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the

night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had

given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is

for you. Do this in remembrance of me’ ” (11:23–24). In

our celebrations of the Eucharist, we are obedient to

Christ’s command to “do this.” The priest, acting in the

person of Christ, does what Jesus did and says what Jesus

said. He takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to

the Lord’s disciples. He takes wine, gives thanks, shares it

with us. We believe that the entire Eucharistic Prayer is

consecratory, but we continue to hold these words of Jesus

in special reverence. They are called the words of consecration,

and the elevations of the host and chalice, the

genuflections of the priest, and the optional ringing of a

bell and use of incense remind us that we are in the presence

of the Lord.

FEAST OF FAITH

Come, Spirit!

The presider at the Eucharist can choose from among

a number of different Eucharistic Prayers, all of which

follow a similar pattern. Almost always, they begin

with an epiclesis, a Greek word that means

“invocation upon” or “calling over here.” At this moment

in the prayer, the priest calls down the Holy

Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine that we have

brought to the altar: “Father, we bring you these

gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power

of your Spirit, that they may become the body and

blood of your Son” (Eucharistic Prayer III). The

words of the prayer are accompanied by the ritual gesture

of the laying on of hands, the ancient sign of the

gift of the Spirit, which is also used in most sacramental

celebrations, from the rite of confirmation to the

ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops. Liturgists

sometimes call this first epiclesis the epiclesis of consecration.

Later in the Eucharistic Prayer, there will

be another epiclesis, the epiclesis of communion, as

the priest asks that the Holy Spirit be sent upon us to

transform us. “Grant that we, who are nourished by

his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy

Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in

Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer III).

FEAST OF FAITH

The Shape of the Eucharistic Prayer

Our Eucharistic Prayers originated in the traditional Jewish

meal prayers known as berakah, which were prayers of

thanksgiving used at meals. Over the centuries, the Christian

thanksgiving, or Eucharist, gradually took shape.

While in the East the Eucharistic Prayers (called anaphora)

took many forms, in the Roman Church there was for

many centuries just one Eucharistic Prayer, called the Roman

Canon (now known as Eucharistic Prayer I). Almost

all Eucharistic Prayers include the same basic elements.

They begin with thanksgiving and acclamation. Then there

is an epiclesis, as the priest calls down the Holy Spirit upon

the gifts. Then follows the institution narrative and consecration,

as the words that Jesus spoke at the Last Supper

are repeated. After the consecration, we remember in an

explicit way all that Christ has done for us—this is the anamnesis,

or remembering. The prayer concludes with the

offering, the intercessions—prayers for the Church, our

leaders, ourselves—and a final doxology of praise.

The reforms of the Second Vatican Council enriched our

liturgy with additional Eucharistic Prayers, including both

ancient texts (Eucharistic Prayer II is based on the most

ancient of all existing Eucharistic Prayers) and new compositions

FEAST OF FAITH

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus: Song of Heaven

The words of the Sanctus are rooted in the scriptures. They

recall the song of the seraphim in the prophet Isaiah’s vision

of God in majesty: “Seraphim were stationed

above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled

their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two

they hovered aloft. ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of

hosts!’ they cried one to the other. ‘All the earth is filled

with his glory!’ ” (Isaiah 6:2-3). They recall the Gospel

accounts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: “Hosanna to the

Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of

the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9). Yet

the liturgy adds something new to these ancient texts. The

seraphim sang, “the earth is filled with his glory.” But

the liturgy proclaims, “heaven and earth are full of your

glory.” In the Eucharist, earth and heaven meet. For a moment

in time, we join in the song that the angels sing for all

time. The Sanctus raises us to heaven, but does not remove

us from the earth. It is the song of the King who took on

our human flesh so that we might share in his divine life.

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is good to see that most of our parishioners are back from vacation trips and getting ready for school re-opening and other regular activities. I am happy to note that more than 600 people have filled out the survey cards. The responses clearly indicate the direction in which we need to move in the next decade. If any of you have not completed the survey form, please take one from the back of the church and return it to the office at the earliest. Next step towards getting the feedback from the people is making phone calls to the families that have not yet had the chance to fill out survey cards. Please co-operate with it so that we have a complete picture of what the people of our parish wish to see done here. Just as in the case of the e-mails you sent to me, some of the suggestions can be immediately implemented while others need more time. A few of the most important proposals require a lot more planning and resources for their execution. However there is nothing that we cannot achieve if we rely on God’s grace and team effort. A few of the suggestions have already been implemented while some others are going to be carried out soon. One of the desires expressed by families with small children was to have a nurseryon Sundays so that parents could better participate in the Mass. I am very glad to inform you that from the first Sunday of September, we will have a nursery for children age 3 and above. During Sunday Mass, there will also be the option of Children’s Liturgy of the Word for 5—6 age group. Though some people have asked to have a “cry room”, it will be possible only when we have a more spacious church. (I hope and pray that it also becomes a reality sometime!) As you may already know, our school has added another pre-K with the help of the old Baptist pre -school building leased out to us. Special thanks to Tom Hable, our business manager, who was instrumental in finding the place. A lot of people have already contributed their time and talents to beautify the class rooms there. I think our principal Deborah Suddarth has some new ideas springing up in her mind to utilize the extra rooms innovatively. Not before long, we will see more of your ideas being realized. Meanwhile we should fervently pray that we may continue our goodwill and sacrificing spirit for the good of our parish. St. Michael, pray for us.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

FEAST OF FAITH

The Preface Dialogue

“Lift up your hearts.” “We lift them up to the

Lord.” “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.”

“It is right to give him thanks and praise.” With

this ancient dialogue we enter the Eucharistic Prayer,

the heart of the Mass. These venerable words have

been part of the Christian liturgy almost from the beginning—

by the time of Hippolytus of Rome (c. 215)

they were already fixed in the liturgy.

Several times during the Mass the priest has invited us

to pray. There is something different here. We are invited

to be “lifted up,” to ascend, to climb the Lord’s

mountain, as it were, to go to a new place for this

most solemn part of the Mass. And we are invited to a

new frame of mind, a sense of joy, of focused dedication:

our hearts must not be cast down, but lifted up,

and lifted to the Lord. Why? Because we are going to

give thanks—we are going to “eucharist!” It is right

and just that we do this.

FEAST OF FAITH

The Prayer Over the Gifts

In the liturgy of the 1570 Missal, this prayer was

called the “secret” prayer. It was “secret” not because

its content was mysterious, but because it was prayed

in silence by the priest, who only recited the conclusion

aloud: . . . per omnia saecula saeculorum. With

the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, we again

hear these rich prayers spoken aloud. They remind us

to prepare ourselves for what is to happen in the Eucharistic

Prayer, for it is not only the bread and wine

that will be transformed.

The Prayer Over the Gifts is a prayer for transformation,

an expression, in a few words, of all that we

hope that the liturgy will accomplish in our lives. We

ask God to accept the gifts we present, and to change

us even as God hallows the bread and wine. As we

listen carefully to the Prayer Over the Gifts, we are

reminded of what it is that we seek in the Eucharist: to

be made holy; to be drawn closer to God; to come to

eternal joy, unity, peace, and salvation.

FEAST OF FAITH

Invitation to the Eucharistic Prayer

After the presider washes his hands, he turns to the people

and says, “Pray that our sacrifice may be acceptable to

God the almighty Father.” We have brought forward

bread and wine, and now we are asked to see in these simple

gifts upon the altar a sacrifice offered to God. Our response

is rich in theological meaning. “May the Lord accept

the sacrifice at your hands.” The words point to the

unique role of the priest, whose hands, at his ordination,

were anointed for just this purpose: that he might “sanctify

the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God” (Rite of

Ordination). We ask God to accept our sacrifice not because

it is worthy of God, but simply “for the praise and

glory of his name.” God does not need our offering, but

allows us to give it so that we might grow in holiness. And

God, never to be outdone in generosity, gives all that we

have given back to us, “for our good and the good of all

his Church.” This Mass benefits not just those who have

gathered, but, in the mysterious economy of grace, the

whole Church. In the words of Saint Paul, when one

part rejoices, the whole body “share[s] its joy” (1 Corinthians

12:26).

Dear brothers and sisters,

I would like to thank everyone who sent responses

to my invitation to suggest five things you want to

see done at our parish. I am very glad to note that

all the ideas and suggestions I received are wonderful.

Some of them really reflect brilliant insight

into the future of the parish and the direction in

which we need to go. I will update you with what

happens at the next stages of the Visioning Process.

Some of the ideas can be implemented immediately

without any delay (in fact at least one or two have

already been done), some need more time and

planning while others require much more time

and resources. However, if we have clear goals, a

flawless vision and a definite plan, everything else

will fall in place. In this context I would like to acknowledge

the generosity with which you respond

to some of my requests for cooperation.

Next step in our process will be a ‘Survey’ in order

to bring more clarity to certain ideas suggested in

your responses. It is also intended to update our

parish data base as well as to get more involvement

of people in the parish activities. Therefore, when

you are requested, please respond whole-heartedly.

You will be informed of the details of the survey

very soon.

Let us pray that God may bless us abundantly in

all our endeavors. I keep all of you in my prayers.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

“FEAST OF CHORPUS CHRISTI — BODY OF

CHRIST”

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi translates from

Latin to “Body of Christ.”

This feast calls us to focus on two manifestations of

the Body of Christ, the Holy Eucharist and the

Church. The primary purpose is to focus our attention

on the Eucharist. The opening prayer at

Mass calls our attention to Jesus’ suffering and

death and our worship of Him, especially in the

Eucharist. At every Mass our attention is called to

the Eucharist and Real Presence of Christ in it.

The secondary focus of this feast upon the Body of

Christ as it is present in the Church. The Church

is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate

communion which Jesus shares with his disciples.

He expresses this in the gospels by using the metaphor

of a body where He is the head. This image

helps keep in focus both the unity and the diversity

of the Church.

Our worship of Jesus in His Body and Blood calls

us to offer to God our Father a pledge of undivided

love and an offering of ourselves to the service to

others.

THANKS FOR THE VESTMENTS!!!

I would like to thank the following for their generous

donation for new vestments for St. Michael Church:

1. Jake & Pat Gosa in memory of their son, Ryan

Gosa.

2. Nancy Milutis in memory of her husband, Ray

Milutis.

3. Dawn Lunt in memory of the Maffucci, Siptroth

and Lunt families.

Fr. Jose

Dear brothers and sisters,

As we come to the close of the fiscal and school year,

we are winding up some of our activities at the parish.

Religious Education classes have already been over,

schools are closing and some of you may be planning

vacation programs. This is also a time to plan for the

coming year with renewed enthusiasm and far sighted

vision.

We are waiting for the HDC’s nod to go ahead with

our parish hall renovation and expansion. I know you

have in your mind some of the other urgent projects

that we should undertake. I myself see some of the

felt needs of our parish and people. We need to introduce

spiritual enrichment programs, liturgical renewal

activities, fellowship enhancement programs, etc. Besides

these, we also need to think of the construction

or improvement of some of the infra-structures and

facilities including church.

Here is an opportunity for you to share with the pastor

your ideas and visions. Before leaping into any project,

I would like to see what our felt needs are, in

your opinion. Therefore I would suggest that you

prayerfully consider and give me in writing or via email

before June 20th, FIVE things you wish to see

done at our parish. Please send them to me with your

full name and phone number so that I can contact you

in case any clarification is necessary. My e-mail ID is

frjosek20@gmail.com.

It does not mean that we will be able to accomplish all

that you might suggest. This is a preliminary brainstorming

towards getting ideas for the parish consultative

bodies to chart out a Vision Plan. After that, your

suggestions will be brought to elaborate discussions in

order to identify the most important felt needs. This

process will help us to form a clear vision about what

we need to achieve in St. Michael’s in the next five or

ten years. I look forward to hearing from you.

I take this opportunity to congratulate all our graduates.

I wish all of you a great summer and to those

who will be travelling, “Have a great time.”

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

Dear brothers and sisters,

I wish all of you a very happy Easter Season. We are into

a Liturgical Season of celebration and joy—the joy and

hope of resurrection and eternal life. Our Lenten preparations

have made the Easter celebration meaningful and

fruitful. In this connection I would like to thank all the

ministries and volunteers who made our Easter Liturgy

really significant and beautiful.

There are also things we can improve for next year. At

one of the Masses I went around to see how the open air

Liturgy looks and sounds and how people respond to the

celebration. I am sure you may have your own observations

and suggestions. Therefore please feel free to contact

me with your ideas at my email

frjosek20@gmail.com and that would give me your perspective

of it.

Some of you may be going back north shortly, some others

may be travelling with family and yet others will be

taking short vacations. No matter what, remember that St.

Michael Parish is you family and all of you will be in our

prayers. No matter where you go, please make sure that

you find a church to go to on Sundays. We take vacation

from our work in order to refresh ourselves and to return

to work re-energized. We travel with family to strengthen

relationships and to enhance our unity and love. However,

we do not take vacation from our spiritual life. I

wish all of you who are traveling, a safe and joyful trip.

During this time, our parish is not going to be inactive

even though some of our ministries may take a break from

their activities for some time. We will have different

events at the parish to enrich our fellowship and to

strengthen our spiritual life. Our Parish Pastoral Council

might plan different programs and Finance Council might

think about the feasibility of them. Whatever contributes

to our spiritual growth and development as well as to the

reinforcement of fellowship would be introduced. May

God bless our efforts and sanctify your families in His

love.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

FROM THE PASTOR………

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are entering the holy Liturgical Season of Lent this

week. This is a time when we are called to renew our

life, reflecting on the Pascal Mysteries that we remember

in this Season—the suffering, death and resurrection

of Jesus our Savior. All the special programs that

we have at the church during this time will help us to

do that. Sunday Liturgy invites us to reform our lives

in a spirit of repentance and penance, Stations of the

Cross on Fridays will help us to meditate on the suffering

and death of Jesus that brought us salvation.

Parish Mission retreat (March 19—23) will inspire us

to a renewed life while the Penance Service will help us

to be reconciled with God and one another. However,

all these will be of avail to us only if we participate in

them. In the busy schedule of our daily life, if we do

not find time to participate, we will be missing another

great opportunity. Without some sacrifice from our

part we will not be able to achieve anything great. That

means, we may have to go to church either before we go

to work or after work hours. We may have to sacrifice

some of our leisure or entertainment time. We may

have to wake up a little early. Should we not be willing

to make that sacrifice for our own good?

Another important responsibility of the parents is to

teach their children by word and example, about the

importance of this liturgical season. Encourage them to

go to church every Sunday without fail. Persuade them

to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Inspire

them to do some little sacrifices during this season and

thereby prepare them for the celebration of Easter. If

we want our children to have the best quality of life,

that is the least we should do. I wish all of you a very

fruitful Lenten Season.

Fr. Jose Kallukalam

FEAST OF FAITH

Postures of the Mass

In the Mass, we pray not only with our lips, but with

our bodies as well. We stand when the ministers enter.

In Western culture, standing is a sign of attention, a

mark of respect: all stand when the judge enters the

courtroom, for example. Standing is also an ancient

posture of prayer, mentioned frequently in the Old Testament.

When the readings begin, we sit down: a listening

posture. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to his

teaching; the crowds sat on the hillside or the seashore

to hear his words. Kneeling is another posture that is

full of meaning. It expresses adoration and worship, but

it can also express humility and contrition. We bow: a

sign of honor and reverence, acknowledging the presence

of God, especially when we receive the Eucharist.

And there are other ritual gestures as well—striking

the breast, genuflecting, and of course making the sign

of the cross. The liturgy invites us to pray with our

whole person—with heart and mind, voice and body.

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Participation in Sunday Liturgy is one of the ways we nurture

our relationship with God and one another. Moreover,

it is better to begin the week with God’s blessings. By

bringing our children to church regularly, we also nurture

in them the awareness of the meaning of Sunday observance.

All that we do and hear at the church subtly give

them (and us) a value system to live by. Therefore if we

want our children to grow up as persons of integrity, it is

essential to encourage them to go to church on Sunday.

I know very often it takes some sacrifice from the part of

the parents, especially if they had been working hard on

Saturday or busy with other things. However, we are all

aware that any great achievement in life has its sacrifices.

If you want to be a great player you have to sacrifice a lot

of things. If you want to be a musician you may have to

sacrifice some other things. If you want to get high scores

in your studies, you may have to sacrifice some of your

play time, media time and even sleep. Later as you are up

on the ladder of successful life, you would understand that

all those sacrifices were worth taking. That is the same

with attending church on Sundays.

As you know, this Sunday we are changing the Mass

schedule. Adding one Mass on Sunday is in view of helping

more people to attend Sunday mass and to help people

to participate in Mass without the strain of standing up the

whole time. That also opens up opportunity to participate

in different ministries of the parish. One of the meaningful

ways of participating in the Mass is to sing in the choir and

lead the community in music. Our young people with

great talents should be encouraged to do it,. That is why I

had asked you to consider forming a young adult choir to

sing at the 12:30 p.m. Mass.

St. Michael Catholic Church

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