Blessings and More

Because The Villages, our community here in central Florida, is so very large and still expanding, our parish receives many new parishioners every month. Part of our welcoming process includes an offer to bless each family's new home. Many folks accept this offer.  

The Church actually has a specific rite for the blessing of a new home; indeed, it has rites for the blessing of people, homes, businesses, religious articles, vehicles, pets...you name it. And here in our parish, we permanent deacons are often called on to perform many of them...sort of a "Blessings are Us" kind of thing. 

October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a saint who was particularly fond of all God's creatures. And so, on that morning, shortly after morning Mass, two of us, Deacon Greg and I, spent some time blessing a large gathering of family pets our parishioners had brought to the parish. We conducted the blessing rite outside, under a portico, so we would all remain dry in the event of rain. As it turned out the day was perfect. After the readings, prayers, and general blessing, we then blessed each animal individually, while sprinkling it with holy water. Given the circumstances, and the large number of animals, I'm amazed at how placid most of these wonderful creatures remained.    

As I recall, the animals that morning were all dogs and cats, nothing too odd or too wild, so this year was fairly normal. In the past I've been asked to bless snakes, tarantulas, lizards, and a few other of God's not very domestic critters. A few of our local farmers and ranchers have also asked me to bless cattle, goats, and horses. Yep, we do it all.

One of our parishioners, Maria, had asked if I would go to her house that morning and bless her two birds. She didn't want to take them to the parish blessing rite because it would probably upset them, being surrounded by dozens of noisy dogs and cats. Of course I agreed.

My experience with birds as pets is limited to a single bird. When I was a child, our family had a parakeet named Heinz, a clever little bird with a fondness for learning new words. Heinz had developed a close relationship with our female Weimaraner, Heidi. Heidi, a very tolerant dog, readily accepted her new flying friend. Heinz often landed on her back, then made his way across her head, and down to her nose. There he would stand, sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes, just looking at her. Heidi accepted all this and seemed to enjoy his walking on her back. Perhaps she appreciated the massage delivered by his little bird feet.

I won't go into the details of Heinz' sad and premature demise in which Heidi played no part. Although accidental and certainly unintentional, it was all my doing, a truth I have tried to repress for the past 70 years.

Anyway, when I arrived at Maria's home, she, her husband, and their little dog greeted me. I was then introduced to their two birds who were enjoying themselves out of their cages. Other than the limited knowledge I picked up from my childhood experience with Heinz, I know very little about tropical birds. Parrots, cockatiels, cockatoos, mynahs, and others are mysteries to me. They're very attractive birds, are long-lived, and seem quite intelligent. I'm also intrigued by their remarkable ability to imitate human speech and other sounds. 

I can't recall the names of Maria's two birds, although given the state of my aging brain, that's not unusual. But both birds, and the dog, seemed very interested in this man who had invaded their home, at least until I blessed them and sprinkled them with holy water. That led to some confusion. One bird, I believe it's a cockatoo (?), stood on my hand as I blessed it, and Maria captured the moment with her phone's camera. The bird, however, was eyeing my ear, so it was probably wise that I handed it back to Maria.

So, there you have a few hours in the life of a deacon, extending God's blessings to His people and His creatures. It's a small but enjoyable part of my ministry, and I'm always overwhelmed by the joy it brings to His people.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (1927-2022) - Rest in Peace

I've met a few famous people during my 78 years, but the greatest, the humblest, surely the most intelligent was Joseph Ratzinger, better known to the world as Pope Benedict XVI. This wonderful, faithful servant of God died this morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens at the age of 95. My personal belief is that Pope Benedict XVI was among the greatest of the modern popes, not only for what he accomplished during his papacy, but also for all he did during his many years as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith where he served the Church as the leading theological advisor to Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict XVI (2005)

This morning, as I sat here in my messy den considering this remarkable man, I happened to glance at one of my bookcases in which several shelves are filled entirely with books by and about him. I suppose that's one thing I have in common with Pope Saint John Paul II: we both listened to Jospeh Ratzinger on all things theological.

I actually met then-Cardinal Ratzinger years ago on February 26, 2000. The Church had set aside a week of that Holy Year expressly for deacons, so Diane and I joined a few thousand other permanent deacons and their wives from around the world and made the pilgrimage to Italy, where we visited Florence, Assisi, Venice, Orvieto, and, of course, Rome and the Vatican.

When we arrived in Rome, we intended to call a friend, Fr. Adam Domanski, a Polish priest who had served in our parish on Cape Cod for a few summers. Fr. Adam was studying in Rome, earning his doctorate in Sacred Scripture. Afterwards, he would return to his native Poland and teach in one of the seminaries. Anyway, on our first morning in Rome, before we had an opportunity to call Fr. Adam, we ran into him on a small street as we searched for a particular vestment shop. If I believed in coincidences, which I don't, it would have been a remarkable one. We asked Fr. Adam if we could take him to lunch the following day, and he agreed.

The next day he met us at our hotel and then led us to a lovely, little restaurant on Borgo Pio, a pedestrian-only street just a block from St. Peter's Square. As we made our way to a table, Fr. Adam laughed and said, "A lot of bishops and cardinals eat lunch here, so we'll have to be on our best behavior." And he was right, I noticed several bishops sitting at nearby tables.

Afterwards, as we made the short walk back to the Vatican, Fr. Adam turned to me and said, "Well, well, there's a very important man in the Church." I looked up and saw Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger walking toward us. He was accompanied by a young, tall priest who I believe was George Gänswein, a member of his staff and his future personal secretary.

If you know me, you'll guess that I didn't hesitate, but instead went right up to the cardinal and introduced myself as one of the American deacons on our Holy Year pilgrimage. He asked about my bishop, Sean O'Malley, then Bishop of Fall River, and I then expressed my thanks for teaching me so much through the many books he had written. He was extremely kind, soft-spoken, and very interested in Diane's work as a teacher in a Catholic elementary school. I asked if we could take a picture and Fr. Adam volunteered to handle my new digital camera. I've included the photo below. I believe I was instructing Fr. Adam on how to use the camera, when he snapped the photo.

Our brief meeting had a pleasant epilogue. Weeks later, our local diocesan newspaper wrote a front-page story about this meeting between me and Cardinal Ratzinger and included the photo. I had expected only a brief mention in a longer article about the deacons' Holy Year pilgrimage, but the writer, another deacon, had other ideas. When the issue appeared, I sent a copy to Cardinal Ratzinger, along with a letter thanking him for taking the time to chat with us on the streets of Rome. Surprisingly, he responded with a beautiful, personal letter, now among my most cherished possessions.

Pope Benedict may well have been the most brilliant theologian who ever served the Church as pope. I certainly think so. He was a man who had no desire to be pope, a man with no personal ambition, a saintly man who wanted only to serve his Lord by helping the Church stay true to the deposit of faith with which it is entrusted.

A little over a year ago, commenting on the death of a close friend, the Pope Emeritus wrote, “Now he has arrived on the other side, where surely many friends already await him. I hope that I can join their company soon.” Today this hope is fulfilled.

Rest in peace, Holy Father. Today may we come together as Church and sing our Song of Farewell:

May the choir of angels, come to greet you.

May they speed you to paradise.

May the Lord enfold you in His mercy.

May you find eternal life.

Holy Father's Prayer Intentions

How nice that Pope Francis has chosen deacons as the subject of his prayer intentions for the month of May. I ask all who visit this blog to keep us deacons in your prayers; and know that you certainly remain in mine.

The full text of the Holy Father's intention:

Deacons are not second-level priests. They are part of the clergy and live their vocation in and with their family. They are dedicated to the service of the poor, who carry within them the face of the suffering Christ. They are the guardians of service in the Church. Let us pray that deacons, in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.

Thank you, Holy Father. We need the prayers of all the faithful.

Ellen Louise Thomas, R.I.P.

Ellen Thomas 1949-2020

Last week Diane and I lost a dear friend. Ellen Thomas, the wife of Deacon Walter Thomas, died suddenly and unexpectedly on January 15. We will miss her dearly.

Walter and I, along with about 20 other men, were in the same deacon formation class of the Diocese of Fall River. We were ordained together on May 24, 1997 by then-Bishop Sean O'Malley, who went on to become Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston.

Ellen and Walter, Diane and I, and another diaconate formation classmate, Deacon Joe Mador, and his wife, Ann, all made the move to The Villages in Florida. As it turned out we ended up together, at least for a while, at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Wildwood, Florida.

Today we celebrated a memorial Mass for Ellen at St. Vincent's, and Walter honored me by asking me to preach the homily. The family plans to celebrate Ellen's funeral Mass in Massachusetts within a week or two.

I have included my homily below:

____________________________

Readings: Wisdom 3:1-6,9; Psalm 25; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; John 14:1-6
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Walter, on behalf of Father Peter, our pastor, and Father John, along with our brother deacons, and the entire St. Vincent de Paul Parish community, I extend our deepest condolences to you, and to Kim and Larry, to Eric and Jessica, and to those beautiful grandchildren that Ellen loved so dearly and was so proud of. 

To Ellen’s friends who have joined us to support this family, thank you; it is good that you are here today. Thank you for your love and your prayers.

Yes, indeed, Walter, it is good, good and fitting that all of us who love Ellen should come together at this difficult time. I know it’s a difficult time…it’s a sad time because one we love is no longer with us as she once was. 

But even though we know she remains with us in spirit, it’s still a time that can generate questions to which we seek answers, answers about life and death.

St. Paul, of course, provides an answer, reminding us that Jesus, through His death and Resurrection, destroyed that final enemy. He destroyed death. But perhaps the best answer is the one we just heard from Jesus:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” [Jn 14:1].

Remarkable words, really, since Jesus said them the night before He died, knowing what would happen the next day. But is He concerned about Himself? No, He’s concerned about His friends: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

These are good words for us today as well. And knowing Ellen, as we all do, I think we can hear her saying these same words, for she would not want troubled hearts here today.

“You have faith in God,” Jesus added, “have faith also in me.” Even at difficult times such as this, Jesus tells us, it is our faith that allows our hearts to be untroubled. Yes, it’s all about faith, isn’t it? And because Ellen was a woman of deep faith, she would want our hearts to be joyful. It is our faith that calls us to be joyful. As St. Paul reminds us: because of our faith we do “not grieve like the rest, who have no hope” [1 Thes 4:13].

Do you recall the words of our first reading? 

“…they are at peace… their hope full of immortality” [Wis 3:3,4].

Ellen, who for years suffered so very much, is indeed at peace, tasting the immortality we all hope to share. And she would want us, those whom she loved so deeply, to be at peace too. I can say this with confidence because, well, I speak from experience.

Diane and I came to know Ellen and Walter well over 25 years ago, when Walter and I, along with Deacon Joe Mador, whom many of you know – began diaconate formation in the Fall River diocese. That formation certainly didn’t exclude the wives of those deacon candidates.

And these good women, doing the work of the Holy Spirit, rejoiced with us through all the joyful times, and pushed and pulled us through the many challenging times. 

Believe me, during five years of intensive formation you learn a lot about each other. Secrets are shared, hearts are opened, and despite it all we came to love each other.

Ellen, of course, was easy to love. Smart, strongly independent, she was ever full of laughter and fun.
But more importantly, she was a devoted and loving wife and mother. She and Walter were not two, but one: “Joined at the hip,” she would say.

Her familial love was of the best kind: it was a sacrificial love – a love that gave, expecting nothing in return.

She was also a remarkable friend, and it was a friendship that Diane and I cherished deeply – a friendship that began in Massachusetts and continued here in The Villages. You see, 20 years ago, after Diane and I had made an exploratory visit to The Villages, we happened to mention it to Ellen and Walter. The next thing we knew, they had gone south and bought a home here. They beat us to the punch. It would be another three years before Diane and I became Villagers.

How can we forget her Cinco de Mayo birthday celebrations at local Mexican restaurants, always including a margherita or two?

And to be Ellen’s friend, it really helped if you were a Red Sox and Patriots fan. Believe me, she gave new meaning to the word fan, which in her case truly is short for fanatic. You can imagine how difficult this past year was for her.

But Ellen’s fervor for those teams was just symptomatic of the enthusiasm she brought to so many aspects of her life. And along with that enthusiasm came remarkable organizational skills. Whether organizing a cruise for her friends or planning parties or dinners for playoff games or holidays, it was Ellen who pulled it all together. Our lives would have been boring and lackluster without Ellen to draw us out of our shells.

I could go on and on, but I know she’s listening, and it would embarrass her. So, let me just say that we love her dearly. She will remain always in a very special place in our hearts.

To Ellen’s family, I can only encourage you to keep her spirit alive, to tell the stories, the stories that bring laughter and those that bring tears, to pass them on from one generation to the next. Those future generations won’t have known Ellen, but because of you, they will come to appreciate all that she did for this family and will love her as well.

But it’s also important for us to remember that this Mass, although a memorial for Ellen, remains primarily an act of worship, but worship in the form of thanksgiving. You see, today we thank our loving, merciful God for Ellen Louise Thomas. We thank Him for the gift of this woman’s unique, unrepeatable life, a life you and I were privileged not only to witness, but also to share.

But more importantly, as Christians, whenever we gather in prayer, we thank our God for the gift of His Son, Who gave His life for us. For without that gift, we would have no hope…no hope of forgiveness, no hope of mercy, no hope of salvation, no hope of eternal life.

It’s because of this gift that we can gather here today and not be consumed by grief.

It’s because of this gift that we can go on with our own lives secure in the knowledge that Ellen, and you, and I, that we have all been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resting in the embrace of our loving God, Ellen now holds this truth in the very depths of her being.
St. Paul said it best: 

“We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence” [2 Cor 4:14].

And who is this Jesus? Well, He told us, didn’t He?

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” [Jn 14:6].

The Way – nothing less than our Christian faith – the Truth, why that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the life is everlasting life. It’s the understanding that we’re here for a purpose: to do God’s will so that we may spend an eternal life of happiness with Him – that eternal life Ellen is just now beginning to experience. For God has put Ellen’s suffering behind her, and we thank Him for that.

This is what we celebrate here today: the Good News of Jesus Christ.

…the Good News that lies at the very core of our faith

…the Good News that tells us the Father loves us so intensely He sent His only Son to become one of us

…so intensely He allowed His Son to die for our sins, for the sins of those who put Him to death
…so intensely that through His redeeming death and Resurrection He gave us the gift of eternal life.

This is what we celebrate today. We celebrate the reality of the Good News for Ellen and for us.

We’re here to give Ellen to the Father, to thank God for her life, and to ask the Father to grant her a new life, a life far greater than the one she shared with us, an eternal life of happiness.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Homily: Monday, 3rd Week of Easter

Reading: Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119; Jn 6:22-29
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Stephen Preaching to the Sanhedrin

Chapters 6 and 7 of the Acts of the Apostles introduce us to the person, the preaching, and ultimately to the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Because Stephen was among those first seven deacons, I've long had a particular fondness for him. But more than that...for me, tucked away today as I am in this relatively safe corner of our world, I am humbled by Stephen. 

I am simply overcome by this remarkable saint; and not just by his death, his martyrdom - which we'll hear about in tomorrow's reading - but by his life. Listen to how Luke introduces Stephen to us: 

"Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people" [Acts 6:8].

Now, how many of us are "filled with grace and power"? How many of us work "great wonders and signs among the people"? 

Yes, indeed, coming to know St. Stephen can be a humbling experience. But then I find myself asking, How does one come to be filled with grace and power?

We know God's grace is a gift, a powerful gift, but also a gratuitous gift; for none of us is worthy of God's grace. God certainly blessed Stephen with this gift, a gift that literally shone through his face. As Luke describes him:

"All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel" [Acts 6:15]

Yes, the Sanhedrin looked intently at this angelic face, but blinded by their hatred of this new and seemingly heretical sect they couldn't accept the truth. These men, like the crowds in our Gospel passage, could not accept or even see the signs Jesus had wrought in their midst. These signs, of course, pointed to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Ultimately they pointed to the Risen Jesus.

But the Sanhedrin were so driven by their jealousies and hatreds, just more of that same food that perishes, they not only rejected the gift that Jesus offered, but also rejected the living, risen Jesus. They simply couldn't understand why Stephen and these so-called Christians hadn't disappeared after the crucifixion. 

Instead, thousands had come to believe in the Risen Jesus. Thousands now accepted the Word of the Word made flesh as taught by His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Not only had these disciples of Jesus "filled Jerusalem with their teaching" [Acts 5:28], but they had already sent the Word of God to every corner of the Roman Empire.

Indeed, the Church was Catholic - it was universal - from the very beginning, for on that first Pentecost 3,000 Jewish pilgrims were baptized, only to leave Jerusalem for their homes throughout the known world [Acts 2:9-11,41]. From the beginning, then, the Church was blessed with many Stephens.

But again, how does one come to be filled with grace and power? Jesus, of course, provides the answer.

When we do God's work in the world, He will shower us with His grace and His divine power will manifest itself and shine through us. And it all begins with our response to the gift of faith. How did Jesus put it?

"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one He sent" [Jn 6:29].

With faith, then, and only with faith, can we carry out the work of God. And to sustain and nourish us on this remarkable journey, He provides us with another gift. As he responded to those who looked for Him hoping for more bread and fish: 

"...work not for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" [Jn 6:27].

Did you hear that? As believers in the One God sent, it is our task to work for the food Jesus gives us. And that food is Jesus Himself. Christ's Eucharistic Presence will draw the world to Him. As Jesus told the doubting crowd:

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst" [Jn 6:35].

God, then, will fill the faithful with the grace and power needed to do His work in the world.

But we must always remember, those great wonders and signs are God's, not ours, and they will manifest His Presence in ways you and I can never imagine.

Our reward? The answer, again, comes from Jesus:

"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day" [Jn 6:40].

Pope Francis - Jubilee Mass for Deacons

This post is aimed primarily at my brother deacons who, like me, were unable to travel to Rome for the Jubilee for Deacons -- all part of the special Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Thousands of permanent deacons from around the globe did, however, manage to make the trip. Among the highlights was the Mass Pope Francis celebrated last Sunday, May 29, in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee for Deacons. The Mass lasted about two hours, and I have included a video of the entire Mass below. I even recognized a few of my brother deacons from the USA in the video.

On Tuesday I posted some comments on the Holy Father's homily.

Pope Francis' Challenge to Deacons

Diane and I have visited Rome several times in recent years, including a pilgrimage during the Holy Year in 2000 when St. John Paul II was pope. On that occasion we joined hundreds of deacons from around the world who had come together to focus on our diaconal ministry. What a blessing that was!

This year the Church is celebrating the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy and last week in a special way it celebrated the Jubilee of Deacons. This celebration drew permanent deacons from all over the world. Unfortunately Diane and I were unable to make the trip, but thanks to the worldwide web I could follow the events each day.

Deacons in Procession at St. Peter's - Jubilee for Deacons

One of the more interesting of these events was a Mass celebrated for the Jubilee of Deacons by Pope Francis this past Sunday, May 29, in St. Peter's Square. I was especially moved by the pope's homily in which he encouraged deacons to strive to live up to their calling as servants. He made a point that to be a good servant, one must be available:

"A servant daily learns detachment from doing everything his own way and living his life as he would. Each morning he trains himself to be generous with his life and to realize that the rest of the day will not be his own, but given over to others...One who serves is open to surprises, to God’s constant surprises. A servant knows how to open the doors of his time and inner space for those around him, including those who knock on those doors at odd hours, even if that entails setting aside something he likes to do or giving up some well-deserved rest."

Pope Francis meeting several deacons

The Holy Father then went on to challenge our parishes to focus on availability and not be slaves to a timetable. The needs of the people we serve do not mirror the parish schedule:

"One who serves is not worried about the timetable. It deeply troubles me when I see a timetable in a parish: 'From such a time to such a time.' And then? There is no open door, no priest, no deacon, no layperson to receive people…This is not good. Don’t worry about the timetable: have the courage to look past the timetable. In this way, dear deacons, if you show that you are available to others, your ministry will not be self-serving, but evangelically fruitful."

The Holy Father is right. So many parishes operate as if they are store-front providers of retail services, available only when the store is open for business. Perhaps deacons can be the catalysts for change and develop creative ways to make our parishes more available to those we serve.

Finally, Pope Francis addressed the need for spiritual healing so we can more readily give ourselves to others.

"To be ready to serve, we need a healthy heart: a heart healed by God, one which knows forgiveness and is neither closed nor hardened. We would do well each day to pray trustingly for this, asking to be healed by Jesus, to grow more like him who 'no longer calls us servants but friends.'”

You can read the Holy Father's entire homily here: Homily - Jubilee of Deacons.

St. Anthony Church, New Bedford, Massachusetts

Exterior of St. Anthony Church

Less than two weeks ago, on May 24, I and 20 of my brother deacons celebrated the 15th anniversary of our ordination as permanent deacons by then-Bishop of Fall River, Sean O'Malley. We were ordained in one of the largest and most beautiful churches in New England, St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Our ordination, May 24, 1997

Yesterday, while reading the latest issue of the National Catholic Register, I came across a wonderful article celebrating St. Anthony's 100th anniversary. I truly enjoyed reading about this remarkable church and its history, and expect you will as well. Here's the link: St. Anthony's Church Has Cathedral Proportions.

I've included just a few photos of the church. Visit the parish's website and view the "Virtual Tour" to get a true impression of the beauty of this church.

The nave of St. Anthony Church

How blessed we were to have been ordained at St. Anthony's.

Please keep me and my brother deacons in your prayers.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Deacons' Retreat Weekend

Diane and I leave later today for our annual diaconal retreat to join the other deacons and their wives of the Diocese of Orlando for a weekend of prayer and reflection. This is probably my favorite weekend of the year, a time to step away from all the busyness of daily life and ministry and regroup spiritually.

We also look forward to spending some time with our new bishop, John Noonan, who will join us Sunday morning to celebrate Mass and to install several men as acolyltes. They are currently in the diocese's diaconate formation program.

In any event, I won't be posting anything until Sunday evening at the very earliest.

Please keep us all in your prayers.

Thanks and blessings...

Advent Mission

As I may have mentioned on another occasion, our parish -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Wildwood, Florida -- is blessed to have eight permanent deacons assigned to assist our pastor, Fr. Peter Sagorski. Of these eight deacons four are "seasonal residents" (that's our local euphemism for "snowbirds") who spend about half the year with of us. Of course, we have this large number of deacons because of The Villages, the large retirement community in which most of us live. And because all future growth in The Villages will take place within our parish boundaries, I suspect we might collect a few more deacons over the next few years.

One nice benefit of having so many deacons is their willingness to take on the ministerial and pastoral needs of our parish community. Earlier this year, for example, five of us conducted a very successful Lenten mission here at the parish. It went over so well that our pastor suggested we conduct another.

And so next week five deacons of our parish will conduct an Advent Mission. The theme of the five-day mission is "Open Wide the Doors to Christ" and will focus on Advent as a time of conversion. Each day of the mission, conducted by a different deacon, has its own sub-theme:

• Monday - Stay Awake...Watch for the Lord
• Tuesday - Christ Comes to Forgive
• Wednesday - Receiving the Good News
• Thursday - Carrying Christ to Others
• Friday - Walk in the Peace of Christ
  

On each day of the mission the assigned deacon will preach at the 8:30 a.m. daily Mass. After Mass the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration throughout the day. At 6 p.m. the "deacon of the day" will lead a Liturgy of the Word, then give a mission talk on the particular sub-theme listed above. This will be followed by Benediction and reposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

We hope and pray for a large turnout and ask you to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and inspire the five of us who will conduct the mission.

God's peace...

Parish Deacons

For several years now I have been my parish's Director of Liturgy, an interesting assignment for which I am uniquely unqualified. I am certainly no liturgist, since I often find myself at a loss when faced with a particular liturgical issue, and usually have to run to the books and documents for the answer. Most liturgists I have known always seemed to be able to provide ready answers to pretty much any liturgical questions that came their way. Ah, well...I will muddle through and trust our liturgies do not stray too far from what the Church intends.

The reason I bring this up is the nearness of Holy Week and Easter, a time of the year when liturgy takes a front row seat and all its elements must be blended smoothly, with grace and holiness. The problem for me is that I spend so much time preparing for the Triduum liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil that I really don't have the opportunity to prepare for them spiritually. Even worse -- for me, at least -- is that I usually function as a sort of Master of Ceremonies during the Triduum and find myself necessarily focusing only on the liturgical process, making sure everything "goes well", and unable to appreciate the liturgy as it really is. I suppose that's just the way it is for anyone with liturgical responsibility and rather than whining, I should just thank God for the opportunity to serve Him, even as a part time liturgist. And, fortunately, I have the full support of my pastor and my brother deacons in the parish.

Because our parish is located adjacent to The Villages, a large retirement community here in central Florida, a significant majority of our parishioners are retired age. As you might expect we have relatively few young families and so baptisms are not very common in the parish. We will, however, celebrate an adult baptism at our Easter Vigil Mass, followed by four adult confirmations -- all the result of our budding R.C.I.A. program. We look forward to welcoming these new members into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

Another benefit of our location is the size of our parish's diaconal community. We have a total of eight deacons assigned to the parish, and all eight of us are transplants from other dioceses. Four are seasonal deacons (for some reason, they prefer not to be called "snow birds") who spend only part of the year with us; but the other four minister here year round. Given the rapid growth of our parish -- 20 to 30 percent per year -- these men have been a true blessing, and we will certainly miss our seasonal deacons as they begin their northern migration next month.

Seven of us and our wives got together last week for a little R&R in advance of Holy Week. (One of our brother deacons and his wife had to go north to care for a family medical emergency and were unable to join us.) We drove to the nearby resort town of Mt. Dora, enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the lovely, old, 19th century Lakeside Inn, and then took a two-hour boat tour of Lake Dora and the old Dora Canal offering us a glimpse into a more natural, almost primeval Florida. It proved to be a wonderful trip to view some of God's marvelous creatures: bald eagles, osprey, storks, herons, alligators, hawks, snapping turtles, and many other critters that I couldn't identify. I placed a few of the photos I took during our boat trip on flickr.com. Click here to view a slide show of these photos.

Above: Parish deacons and wives on the steps of the Lakeside Inn, Mt. Dora, FL

And so, we had a wonderful day. We not only strengthened the bonds of our community of deacons in the parish, but had an opportunity to enjoy and reflect on the wonders of God's creation, right here in our own backyard.

Blessings and God's peace.