Earlier this month EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) did a beautiful tribute to the September 11 heroes. Many of you probably listened to it on Sacred Heart Radio (1050 AM). The interviewed several firefighters and police officers who were eyewitnesses to the events. One interesting note was that, as the funerals were announced, it became apparent that a high percentage of those who died were Catholics. It has been estimated that over 80% of the 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, and 37 officers for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who died on September 11 were Catholic. Considering that the New York area is about 40% Catholic, this statistic was quite remarkable.
We saw something similar in the Pang fire here in Seattle almost six years ago. Fire Fighter James T. Brown, Fire Fighter Randall R. Terlicker, Lieutenant Walter D. Kilgore, Lieutenant Gregory A. Shoemaker were all Catholic. At first it seemed like an incredible coincidence. However, Mary Beth Celio, Director of Research for the Archdiocese, had a different explanation. She said that, according to her research, Catholics tend to be prominent in helping professions. In our families, schools and religious education programs we have evidently done a good job instilling a spirit of service in our young people.
A person in our parish who exemplified that spirit of service was Iris Weaver. In her retirement she volunteered her time by doing art projects and tutoring Holy Family students. She did volunteer work clearing people’s houses, running errand and making meals for elderly, as well as putting together volunteer parties to help fix-up houses, build handicap ramps and clean up yards. Iris died about midnight on September 14. Please remember her in your prayers that God will grant her eternal rest. Also I ask your prayers for Gerald F. Schmieder who died on Monday. His parents, Frank and Adelaide Schmieder, were pioneer members of Holy Family. Jerry himself designed the robe for the St. Michael statue in our church vestibule. Mentioning parishioners who died recently, I ask you also to remember Alejandro Maza, whose children and grandchildren attend Holy Family - and a young man named José de Jesús Mendoza who died suddenly leaving a wife and two children. Requiescant in pace.
Speaking of Holy Family School, this Wednesday we will be having the Listening Session for school parents. It is the final session before our All Parish Listening Session on October 17. The sessions we have held so far (Filipino, Liturgical Volunteers, Eucharistic Adoration participants, Hispanics and Vietnamese) have gone very well. Each group had the opportunity to hear about parish needs and some proposals for addressing them. We have received very helpful suggestions which our Parish Council will be taking into account as they work with me this Fall to form a strategic plan for our parish.
Last Sunday Mr. Tom Swim gave an excellent presentation on our parish financial situation. Many people mentioned to me how much they appreciated it and how it gave them some idea what to look for in the Annual Report which was mailed to all parishioners who are identified donors. We want you to know how your money is utilized and to get your feedback.
As Tom stated, we are making progress in resolving our negative cash situation. Besides our two-bit collections, there has been other fundraising toward that goal. For example, after the Spanish Masses, different groups have been selling food to help reduce our parish debt. Also last week we received two beautiful donations: checks for $2,000 and $6,814! This of course is a great help and boost of spirits for myself and many others. Little by little we are working together to address our common needs and to be able to advance with urgent programs of our parish.
The parish not only needs your support, but you need to support your parish. God has given each one of us certain gifts and he requires us to use them well. The parable of the vineyard workers reminds us that it is never too late to get to work in the Lord’s vineyard, that is, his Church. And that the important thing is that, when our own sunset arrives, he finds us within his Church. I mentioned Iris, Jerry and Alejandro, three elderly people who died, but also José de Jesús, a young man who passed away quite unexpectedly. I celebrated his wedding just three years ago. He did not know one of his blood vessels had a weakness. His death came as a total surprise to his wife and family members. None of us know our own hour.
Talking about the final hour, you will find a pamphlet in the church vestibule which addresses that and other questions. It is called Top Ten Questions Catholics Are Asked. I am sure you have had people ask you questions like: Are your beliefs found in the Bible? Why do you call your priest “Father”? The pamphlet also addresses somewhat more personal questions which Evangelicals will ask us: If you died tonight, would you go to heaven? Are you saved? I encourage you to pick up the pamphlet. It has a lot to think about and will help you in dialoging with Protestants.
Another pamphlet which addresses an urgent issue is What the Church Teaches about Human Cloning. It can also be picked up in the vestibule. This is an issue all of us must examine in light of Jesus’ teaching. Cloning is an extreme form of artificial reproduction. It involves removing an egg from the mother, destroying its nucleus and injecting the nucleus from a body cell of another animal into the empty egg. Some scientists want to perform this process on human beings. It is called reproductive cloning when the goal is to produce a baby who would be genetically identical to the nucleus donor. It is called therapeutic cloning when an embryo is produced, then used for research. The latter is sometimes referred to as “clone and kill.” The pamphlet explains why both types of cloning are contrary to God’s design for creating new life. They are an extreme attack on the meaning of marriage and family life.
G.K. Chesterton noted that there are certain things we want a man to do for himself even if he does them badly. He mentioned as examples writing one's own love-letters or blowing one's own nose. “In short, the democratic faith is this: that the most terribly important things must be left to ordinary men themselves--the mating of the sexes, the rearing of the young, the laws of the state. This is democracy; and in this I have always believed.”
As Catholics we resist the intervention of third parties, like medical technicians, in reproduction of human life. While the Catechism encourages research aimed at reducing human sterility, it points out that “techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife…are gravely immoral.” (#2376) It continues: “A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged ‘right to a child’ would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right ‘to be the fruit of the specific act of conjugal love of his parents,’ and ‘ the right to be respected as a person from the first moment of his conception.’” (#2378)
Simple Catholicism receives citation in Daily Kos! (Caution: contains reference to a private body part)
Homily on Birth Control and Abortion.