St. Nicholas Catholic Church : Site News

Leten Fish Fry Begins Friday, February 17, 2012

2012-02-23T00:00:00-05:00

Checkout the New Preschool's Website*****

2011-01-26T00:00:00-05:00

"Mr. Earl Wilson Jr., We will live on through your legacy."

2010-12-07T00:00:00-05:00

Earl Wilson Jr., founder of the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation, died on Friday, October 29, 2010 at his home in Richmond Heights. He was 78.

The Gateway Classic Foundation was most known for its annual philanthropic Gateway Classis football games played by historical black colleges. However, year around the Gateway Classic Foundation awarded four year scholarships to well deserved underprivileged youth, fed thousands of Saint Louis’s homeless and most neediest families, and hosted a number of charity events that benefited the entire Saint Louis community.

Mr. Earl Wilson was a trailblazer and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He worked hard and shared his entire heart with St. Nicholas Catholic Church and the entire community. Although, his spirit has been embraced by the angels in heaven, his legacy, faith, love, and mission will live on through us all. His memory will be a catalyst to inspire all of us to be good stewards, help the less fortunate, and to encourage youth all over our city to stay in school and go to college.

Mr. Earl Wilson’s presence will be greatly missed.

Services are planned for Saturday, Nov. 6 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. and Mass will begin promptly at 11 a.m.

For more information please call the office rectory.

St. Nicholas is Filming a Movie

2010-11-17T00:00:00-05:00

St. Nick’s Skating Rink

1804Lucas Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63103

For more info:

Productions77@gmail.com

Skaters and Non-Skaters come and skate for free! Looking for the 1 ^ST 250 people of all kinds to be a part of the Film!!!

Death Forces a Shattering With Truth

2010-11-14T00:00:00-05:00

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

Jerry Naunheim Jr.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

There is no more powerful image in all Christian art than Michelangelo’s Pietà. The Mother of Jesus, our mother, holds the crucified Christ in her arms. All earthly hope has been destroyed by the power of sin and death. Still, Mary remains faithful to God’s promises. She grieves profoundly, but she does not let go of the holy hope that sustains her in spite of everything.

Those of us who have encountered death and have lost parents, children, family members or friends know something of Mary’s sorrow. We know what it feels like to experience the sudden, shattering emptiness that death imposes on us without mercy. Jesus felt it too when his friend Lazarus died. St. John’s Gospel tells us that the Lord wept over His friend’s death and was deeply disturbed (John 11:41-44).

In Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI teaches that there are two kinds of mourning. “The first is the kind that has lost hope and that has become mistrustful of love and truth.” This form of unhealthy mourning eats away at us and makes us bitter and resentful. But as we see in Jesus and His Blessed Mother, there is another kind of mourning that leads to healing, forgiveness and profound love. “This mourning heals,” the Holy Father says, “because it teaches man to hope and love again.”

What is the difference between these two kinds of mourning? Hopeless mourning is of the Evil One. It is a form of despair that refuses to believe that a loving and forgiving God has prepared a place for us in His heavenly kingdom. Pope Benedict cites Judas as an example of this first kind of mourning without hope. “Struck with horror at his own fall, he no longer dares to hope and hangs himself in despair.” The double tragedy of Judas is that he betrayed the Lord who loved him and then could not bring himself to trust in the saving power of His love.

Trust is at the heart of the second kind of mourning — the kind that asks for healing and forgiveness. The Holy Father says that Peter is a good example of healthy mourning. “Struck by the Lord’s gaze,” the pope writes, “he bursts into healing tears that plow up the soil of his soul. He begins anew and is himself renewed.” Sin and death do not lose their power for those who mourn in a healthy way, but “the shattering encounter with truth” that is embraced by those who mourn in love and hope occasions a conversion of heart and a commitment to continue life’s journey filled with hope in the Lord.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). The comfort Christ gives is not the absence of pain or sorrow. After all, His way is the Way of the Cross. But the grace of Christ helps us transform our suffering, “offer it up” and use it as a form of spiritual healing. We mourn the power of evil and the consequences of sin, but we do not despair. Instead, we gaze on the cross of Christ, and we recognize in this hateful instrument of torture and capital punishment a powerful symbol of the victory of infinite love over the forces of death and destruction.

We Christians find our comfort in the crucified Christ. Nothing that we can suffer — rejection, loneliness, sickness or death itself — can exceed what He suffered. None of our mourning can be more intense or horrifying than the sorrow experienced by the mother of Jesus standing under the cross with her sister, the wife of Clopas, with Mary Magdalene and with John (John 19:25). What they experienced is too awful for words. But it did not cause them to lose hope or to give up their faith in the saving power of God’s love.

The second beatitude challenges us to find comfort and hope even in life’s darkest moments. We don’t deny death or pretend that everything is wonderful. No, sometimes we must mourn — with bitter tears and profound sadness — only to rise up again with renewed confidence in the healing power of God’s love.

May our crucified Lord inspire us with the hope of His Resurrection. May He sustain us in our sadness and lead us to the fullness of His joy!

"Mr. Earl Wilson Jr., his legacy will live on through us all. "

2010-10-31T00:00:00-05:00

Earl Wilson Jr., founder of the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation, died on Friday, October 29, 2010 at his home in Richmond Heights. He was 78.

Mr. Earl Wilson’s presence will be greatly missed.

Services are planned for Saturday, Nov. 6 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. and Mass will begin promptly at 11 a.m.

For more information please call the office rectory.

HALLOWEEN SKATE PARTY

2010-10-28T00:00:00-05:00

Halloween Skate Party

St. Nichoas Roller Skating RInk

1805 Lucas Avenue

Saturday, October 30, 2010

6pm -10pm

Ticket Prices:

Adults & Children 13 and older: $10/person

Children 12 $ Under: $7/child

Twoor more children: $5/child

Do not miss best constume contest, attendance prizes, and more.....

For more infromation or ticket puchase, please contact:

Kasey @ 314-814-1794

Gloria @ 314-974-1977

Val @ 314-664-6270

Niya @ 314-363-5910

All children must be supervised by their parent or appointed guardian, no "dropping off" for minors permitted.

Before the cross, the priestly vocation

2010-10-19T00:00:00-05:00

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

Jerry Naunheim Jr

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

Priesthood is a vocation that requires courage and self-sacrifice, but it's also a way of life that is filled with joy and satisfaction.

The call to be a priest comes from Christ through many diverse people and situations. Some men hear the call in grade school through their parish priest or a family member. Others receive the call when they are older — sometimes well into a professional career. In every case, the call is personal, an invitation from our Lord to know and love Him intimately, to be a man for others, to live simply and to grow in holiness through a life of prayer and service.

Like all Christian vocations, priesthood requires surrender and self-sacrifice. It means embracing a lifestyle that demands discipline, obedience and a lifelong commitment to serving God's people as a spiritual father and a companion on the road to heaven. Being a priest is a challenging vocation in every age, but especially today. Why? Because everything in our culture argues against being a "man for others." Instead, we are urged to look out for our own interests — first and foremost.

Studies show that the majority of priests today are joyful and fully satisfied in their chosen way of life. In fact, the vast majority of priests are not only happy in the priesthood, they readily admit they would do it all over again if given a choice.

Of course, there are challenges and stress in the priesthood. Pastors today have more responsibilities and fewer resources than they did to a generation or two ago. To be responsive to the needs of their people, and to be present at key moments in the lives of their parishioners, our priests serve long hours and are "on call" at odd hours of the day and night.

The people who are served by our priests here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis recognize and respect their priests' unique calling. In addition, the priestly fraternity that our priests are an integral part of (either through the diocesan presbyterate or the religious community that a priest belongs to) is there to help and support our priests in their ministries and in their personal and spiritual lives.

I urge each priest in our archdiocese to take care of himself — spiritually, emotionally and physically — precisely so that he can be a good leader and good shepherd of the people entrusted to his care. If a priest works at being a good steward of all the gifts God has given him, the grace of Christ will sustain him in his priestly ministry.

A priest learns a lot about his vocation simply by being a priest with and for others. He takes the excellent formation he has received in the seminary and applies it to his daily life as a priest. He learns what it means to be a man of prayer by praying with and for his people. He learns what it means to preach God's Word by taking his daily spiritual reading and using it to reflect on the pastoral needs of his people. He learns about sacramental ministry through his own faithful reception of the sacraments — especially the holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance.

A priest learns what it means to be a pastor by growing in his personal relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and by developing a genuine sensitivity for his people. He learns how to teach moral principles that are countercultural by being a man of courage who stands his ground even when it's not popular. He learns how to help others live for Christ in a secular, consumer-oriented society by being a good steward — one who lives simply, accepts responsibility for others and shares generously his time, talent and money with those whose needs are greater than his.

The archdiocese is blessed with outstanding priests — both diocesan priests and members of religious orders. Yes, they experience stress. Yes, like all of us, they sometimes feel overworked and underappreciated. Yes, they are embarrassed, hurt and angry about the scandals that have hit us all so hard in recent years. But our priests are men of courage and compassion. They are men of prayer and men of action. They are faithful to our Church and to the people they serve.

The great majority of our priests will tell you that when they said yes to the Lord's call, they gained a whole lot more than they gave up. We owe all our priests a tremendous debt of gratitude. Theirs is a way of life that is filled with opportunities for joyful surrender to God's will. Let's pray for them. Let's thank them often, and let's support them in every way we can.

World Mission Day

2010-10-19T00:00:00-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We will celebrate World Mission Sunday on Oct. 24. This is the one Sunday of the year when Catholics worldwide pray and sacrifice for missionaries in over 1,150 mission territories who depend on this support in order to share the message of the Gospel.

In his message for World Mission Sunday, Pope Benedict observes: "Like the Greek pilgrims of 2,000 years ago, the people of our time too ask believers not only to 'speak' of Jesus, but to 'make Jesus seen.'"

Missionaries worldwide make Jesus seen in striking ways. Here are some examples:

The Little Sisters of Jesus delivered food to local families in Haiti after the earthquake.
Sister Julie of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Karachi, Pakistan, helps educate the little children on the roads of Pakistan so that they can earn their living instead of begging.
A native priest of Bluefields, Nicaragua, said: "I was inspired by the missionaries I met when I was growing up. Now I am a missionary in my own country."

Please be generous to the special collection for World Mission Sunday on Oct. 24. May our prayers and support enable missionaries "not only to speak of Jesus, but to make Jesus seen." May God reward you for having a missionary heart!

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson,
Archbishop of St. Louis

Let Yes mean Yes and No mean No

2010-08-02T00:00:00-05:00

Lwanga Center Director Retires

2010-07-12T00:00:00-05:00

Lwanga Center director to retire after decade of service

By Jennifer Brinker | jbrinker@stlouisreview.com

Jane Wexler Brown

If there's anything to be said about the legacy that Jane Wexler Brown is leaving at the St. Charles Lwanga Center, it's that she worked tirelessly to ensure that the African-American Catholic community in St. Louis was seen as more than just a segment of life in the Church.

After a decade of service as executive director, Brown, 74, recently announced that she will retire Aug. 1. The archdiocesan agency, located in North St. Louis, provides spiritual and leadership development for the African-American Catholic community and beyond.

In an interview earlier this week with the Review, Brown said her decision to step down was based on a desire to enjoy her retirement years and spend more time with her family, including her husband of 55 years, Andrew. The Browns are members of St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Parish in North St. Louis.

Over the years, Brown said, she has enjoyed the support and a good rapport with staff and friends of the center, as well as the pastors of the center's 10 sponsoring parishes in the North City Deanery.

"It can easily be compared to a nurturing family working together to accomplish God's purpose," she noted.

Brown came on board with the Lwanga Center in the early 1980s, first as a volunteer board member and later as board president for several years. She had previously worked for three and a half decades, 19 of them in a managerial role, with the Accounting Services Department at Washington University in St. Louis, an experience she said "laid the foundation" for what was to come in her role at the Lwanga Center.

Under her leadership, evangelization has been a priority of the center. Through activities such as Bible study, marriage preparation, a grief ministry, youth events such as the annual Kujenga retreat, and others, opportunities are provided for Catholics to become more engaged in their faith. In 2003, Dominican Father Art Cavitt joined the staff as a minister of evangelization and spiritual adviser. Brown estimated that between 3,500 and 5,000 people yearly participate in the center's activities.

Those evangelization efforts have extended beyond center-sponsored activities, too. In 2005, when the Northeast County and South City deaneries underwent parish consolidations, Brown was involved in several listening sessions that offered an opportunity for Catholics to voice their concerns and hopes for the future of those parishes in the archdiocese.

"It's so important, when any type of change comes along, to get people involved right up front," she said, "which is exactly what happened at those two listening sessions. They were very candid expressing what their expectations were, what they saw as a welcoming parish. It breaks down the barriers and removes fears a person might have."

In 2003, Brown oversaw the center's move from its former location on Northland Avenue in North St. Louis to a nearby location at Carter and Shreve avenues, between St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Parish and St. Louis Catholic Academy. At the time of the move, Brown said the new location would provide more usable space and an ability to expand services. "It's a hand-in-glove situation," she said.

Under her tutelage, the center has hosted several other events, including an annual testimonial dinner and fundraiser, a Mass to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and its Model of Justice Award for youths, and a Mass in honor of the center's patron saint, St. Charles Lwanga and his companions who were martyred in Uganda in 1886.

Brown said she's never felt any adverse challenges in her work. "Never one day did I wake up and say, 'Oh, I have to go there.'" She also gave much credit to her husband Andrew, who she said has been a constant support and her best friend.

As for the future of the Lwanga Center, Brown said she hopes it will "position itself so that it has the strength to operate effectively in the new millennium. And again, providing leadership training that is reflective of the African-American community, but still with that sense of collaboration" with the greater archdiocese.

"That's for the benefit of building up the Kingdom of God on Earth," she said. "Collaboration is just how we operate daily here at the center."

Norman Williams appointed interim director

Norman Williams, a longtime staff member with the St. Charles Lwanga Center, has been appointed to serve as interim director of the center. His appointment is effective Aug. 1.Williams, 76, has been a member of the Lwanga Center staff since 1990, most recently as director of development and administration. Previous to that, he had served as a volunteer with the center. Williams and his wife, Linda, are members of St. Alphonsus "Rock" Parish in North St. Louis.

Last month, the archdiocese announced that it would undertake a collaborative review of Lwanga Center through consultation with the center's board of directors, the priests of the North St. Louis Deanery and Archbishop Robert J. Carlson. Additionally, a search committee, led by Vicar General Msgr. Vernon Gardin, will be formed to find a new executive director for the center.

Mass of Thanksgiving

A Mass of thanksgiving for Jane Brown's service to the St. Charles Lwanga Center will be celebrated at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, at St. Alphonsus "Rock" Parish, 1118 N. Grand Blvd. in North St. Louis. All are invited.

A reception and presentation will be held afterward. For more information, call Corliss Cox at (314) 367-7929.

Archbishop Carlson: 5th Commandment demands respe

2010-07-07T00:00:00-05:00

Archbishop Carlson: 5th Commandment demands respect for life

Posted on July 6, 2010 - 9:10am

Archbishop Robert J. CarlsonGod’s law in the Old Testament is clear and unambiguous: You shall not kill. Jesus is even more demanding: Every one who is angry is liable to judgment.

Sins against the Fifth Commandment are easy to commit. Any time we think, speak or act out of anger or hatred or jealousy or revenge, we abuse God’s commandment that we respect His most precious gift, the gift of life — especially human life.

Human life is sacred because, from its beginning until its natural end, it involves the creative action of God. The Fifth Commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. God alone is the Lord of life. No one has the right to end arbitrarily what God has begun, and sustained, through the gift of His love.

In the account of Abel’s murder by Cain (Genesis 4:8-12), Scripture reveals the presence of anger and envy in humankind, consequences of original sin, from the beginning of recorded history. God declares this as wicked, and He asks the question to be answered over the ages: “What have you done?” Today this question is asked not only of those who kill someone, but also of those responsible for violence, anger, hatred and vengeance in any form.

It is a shame that there are so many violent words expressed between members of the same family day in and day out. Anger and intolerance are also pervasive in our Church and in society. Such attitudes are destructive and sinful. They are of the Evil One and not of God.

Sections:

Archbishop Carlson

Global Count of Catholics of African Descent: 270 MILLION *

2010-06-30T00:00:00-05:00

Global Count of Catholics of African Descent: 270 MILLION *

Today the 270 million Catholics of African descent represent almost 25% of the one billion Roman Catholics throughout the world in more than 59 countries.

AFRICA	141 Million
Angola	8.0
Benin	1.6
Burkina Faso	1.4
Burundi	4.0
Cameroon	3.9
Central Africa Republic	0.8
Chad	0.8
Democratic Rep. of Congo	28.0
Ethiopia	0.5
Gabon	0.8
Ghana	2.3
Ivory Coast	2.9
Kenya	7.5
Malawi	2.8
Mozambique	4.2
Nigeria	34.0
Rwanda	3.8
Senegal	0.5
South Africa	3.0
Sudan	3.8
Tanzania	10
Togo	1.3
Uganda	10.0
Zaire	3.0
Zambia	3.0
Zimbabwe	1.1

LATIN AMERICA	105.9 Million
Brazil	65
Columbia	20
Ecuador	1.5
Guatemala	.2
Honduras	.2
Mexico	12
Panama	2
Venezuela	5

CARIBBEAN & NORTH AMERICA	21 Million
Cuba	4
Dominican Republic	8
Haiti	6
United States	3

U.S. Statistics of Black Catholics

1300 Parishes

250 African American Priests

300 African American Sisters

380 African American Deacons

Research done by the Catholic African World Network. The principal resources used were: The World Christian Encyclopedia edited by D. Barrett; The 2004 Catholic Almanac edited by Matthew Brunson, D.Min.; The African American Secretariat of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference; the Internet and global in the field research. Contact: CatholicAWN@aol.com

*The count is based on millions and fractions of a million. Countries listed above have at least .2 million count of Catholics of African descent, while other countries not listed have less than this number. The racial conventions used to identify 'African descent' vary throughout the world. Also not accounted for are the emerging Asian populations of African descent.

© The Catholic African World Network, 2005

US African American Catholic Bishops

2010-06-30T00:00:00-05:00

US African American Catholic Bishops

Most Rev. Moses B. Anderson, S.S.E. (Retired) (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. Leonard J. Olivier, S.V.D. (Retired) (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Gordon D. Bennett, S.J. (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. John H. Ricard, S.S.J. (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Dominic Carmon, S.V.D. (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. Guy Sansaricq (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, S.L.D. (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D. (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. Elliott G. Thomas (Retired) (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. Joseph Howze (Retired) (Click to View Bio)	Most Rev. Martin D. Holley (Click to View Bio)
Most Rev. George V. Murry, S.J. (Click to View Bio)

Pope Benedict XVI Creates Council for New Evangelization

2010-06-30T00:00:00-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI Creates Council for New Evangelization

Posted on June 30, 2010 - 10:16am

Pope Benedict XVI has created a new pontifical council dedicated to a renewed evangelization.VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) — To ward off secularization in nations where the Gospel put down roots centuries ago, Benedict XVI is creating a new pontifical council.The Pope announced the newest Vatican dicastery today, as he was celebrating vespers for Tuesday's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

This council—dedicated to a "renewed evangelization"—will be the 12th of the Roman Curia. There are also nine congregations.

"Man of the third millennium also desires an authentic and full life, he has need of truth, of profound liberty, of gratuitous love," the Holy Father said before announcing the new organization. "Also in the deserts of the secularized world, man's soul thirsts for God, for the living God."

The Pontiff cited his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in affirming that the mission Christ entrusted to the Church is still far from completion, and that it requires strong commitment.

"There are regions in the world that still wait for a first evangelization; others that received it but need more profound work; others still in which the Gospel put down roots a long time ago, giving place to a true Christian tradition, but where in the last centuries—with complex dynamics—the process of secularization has produced a grave crisis of the sense of the Christian faith and of belonging to the Church," Benedict XVI observed.

And he announced: "In this perspective, I have decided to create a new organism, in the form of pontifical council, with the specific task of promoting a renewed evangelization in countries where the first proclamation of the faith already resounded, and where Churches are present of ancient foundation, but which are going through a progressive secularization of society and a sort of 'eclipse of the sense of God,' which constitutes a challenge to find the appropriate means to propose again the perennial truth of the Gospel of Christ."

The Holy Father did not announce who will be the president of the new dicastery.

Summer Jobs 2010 - Sign Up NOW!!!!

2010-06-17T00:00:00-05:00

Missouri Summer Jobs Program

With the success of last year’s summer employment program that that helped over 7,000 Missouri youth develop invaluable career skills, and the continuing need to help get young Missourians to work, Gov. Nixon is providing a similar program for 2010. The Missouri Summer Jobs Program will provide young Missourians on-the-job training and work experience with top-notch employers across our state.

If you are a young person between the ages of 14-24* or an employer willing to give someone the chance of a lifetime please sign up on the simple electronic forms on this website.

* Specific income eligibility guidelines apply: See Youth Signup tab.

Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian

2010-06-17T00:00:00-05:00

Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian
| Print Version | Discuss Online

Youth Article Index

About St. Lawrence

Abstinence Education

Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian

Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist: Two Sacred Sacraments and Blessed Acts

Who Am I

My life serving in the African American Catholic Community

African American Young Adult Ministry is an act of Social Justice

It's Time to Walk the Walk

Your talents: Gifts from God and a call to action.

A Purpose-Driven Life

Not My Own

Abstinence Saves Lives

Our Forgotten Children

"Prayer Changes"

Pro-Life Pilgrimage

If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Take You There

Transitioning from High School to College

Examination of Conscience

PRE-CANA

Archdiocese of New Orleans's IMANI Team

Youth Article Index

(WBBM) -- History is being made at the University of Notre Dame this Spring.

In the 161 years the University of Notre Dame has been awarding degrees, never had there been an African-American as valedictorian. Until this year.

She's Katie Washington of Gary, Indiana. She carries a 4.0 GPA majoring in biology and minoring in Catholic Social Teaching.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, Washington plans to continue her studies at Johns Hopkins University and follow in her father's footsteps into medicine.

Washington says she's humbled by the honor of being named valedictorian.

More information from Notre Dame University:

Katie Washington, a biological sciences major from Gary, Ind., has been named valedictorian of the 2010 University of Notre Dame graduating class and will present the valedictory address during Commencement exercises May 16 (Sunday) in Notre Dame stadium.

Washington, who earned a 4.0 grade point average, has a minor in Catholic Social Teaching. She has conducted research on lung cancer at the Cold Spring Harbor labs and performed genetic studies in the University's Eck Institute for Global Health on the mosquito that carries dengue and yellow fever. She is the co-author of a research paper with David Severson, professor of biological sciences.

Washington directs the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir at Notre Dame, is a mentor/tutor for the Sister-to-Sister program at South Bend's Washington High School and serves as the student coordinator of the Center for Social Concerns' "Lives in the Balance: Youth Violence and Society Seminar."

Upon graduation, Washington plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D program at Johns Hopkins University.

Juneteenth

2010-06-17T00:00:00-05:00

June 19th, 2010

JUNETEENTH

Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most slaves' day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas, which was almost entirely under Confederate control. Texas was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation, and though slavery was very prevalent in East Texas, it was not as common in the Western areas of Texas, particularly the Hill Country, where most German-Americans were opposed to the practice. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. On June 19, 1865, legend has it while standing on the balcony of Galveston's Ashton Villa, Granger read the contents of "General Order No. 3":

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name derived from a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth.

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year.[9] Across many parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities' increasingly large Juneteenth gatherings - including Houston's Emancipation Park, Mexia's Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin

Preparation beginning for implementation of 3rd Edition of Roman Missal

2010-06-17T00:00:00-05:00

Preparations beginning for implementation of 3rd Edition of Roman Missal

Posted on June 17, 2010 - 9:42am

By Kevin Kelly (Kansas City Key) — Mark the date: Nov. 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent.

That's the target date for full implementation of the English translation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, which received Vatican approval on March 25.

Parishioners will see many changes in both the prayers priests will say, and in their responses, said Father Richard Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Divine Worship.

Speaking to some 115 priests and parish liturgy directors at a May 13-14 workshop at Visitation Parish in Kansas City, Father Hilgartner said that the change most parishioners will notice will be the response to "The Lord be with you."

"And also with you" is out. "And with your spirit" is in.

That is a much closer translation to the Latin "Et cum spiritu tuo" and a response that dates to the early Church and the fourth century writings of St. John Chrysostom, Father Hilgartner said.

Continue Reading on the St. Louis Review website »

Keep the LORD's Day Holy

2010-06-17T00:00:00-05:00

The Third Commandment requires us to keep the Lord's Day holy

Submitted on June 16, 2010

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By Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

Lisa A. Johnston

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath day to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:8-10).

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28).

I'm not going to sugar coat the truth. Too many Catholics ignore their solemn obligation to attend Mass every Sunday. Parents who fail to bring their children to Mass on the Lord's Day sin twice — by failing in their Sunday obligation and by being a source of scandal for their children.

This is a serious problem for individuals, families, parish communities and for the whole Church. Sunday Mass is not optional. It is an essential requirement for all of us, and unless we have a serious reason, there is simply no excuse for missing Mass on the Lord's Day. If through your own fault you miss Mass on Sunday, you are committing a serious sin. You should not receive holy Communion until you have gone to confession.

The Sunday eucharistic celebration, which may begin with the anticipated Mass on Saturday evening, is at the heart of the Church's life. Sunday is that special day when we celebrate the Lord's passion, death and resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) until He comes again. It is here that we are fed with the Bread of Life. It is here that we prepare ourselves for discipleship and service during the coming week. If we fail to worship God on the Lord's Day, we betray our baptismal promises and we neglect our responsibilities as disciples and as stewards of the mysteries of God.

What could be more important than being with the Lord, and with our parish family, on the first day of each week? Surely our excuses fail miserably when compared to the opportunity to hear God's Word proclaimed and to receive Christ's gift of Himself in the Eucharist! Too many of us are letting the precious gift of faith slip through our fingers by our lazy and sinful ways — missing Mass regularly and excusing ourselves for reasons that are unworthy of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

Wake up, brothers and sisters! Our salvation is at stake, and the evil one is only too happy to entice us down a path that leads to hell.

While we're at it, we should also talk about unnecessary work on Sunday. Our contemporary culture makes Sunday a part of "the weekend" with virtually no special significance. Now, most retail businesses are open on Sunday, and as a result many people have to work on the Lord's Day. This has had a profound impact on family life. It's hard enough these days to gather the family together for meals and for family time. Now even Sunday dinner is disappearing as an anchor for family life.

The Church teaches that God's action is the model for human action. If God rested and was refreshed on the seventh day, we should do likewise. We should especially make sure that the poor, and those who work to provide for our basic needs and for the luxuries we enjoy, also have the opportunity to rest and be refreshed. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, the Sabbath (the Lord's Day) exists to bring everyday work to a halt — reminding us that there is more to life than working and earning our daily bread. For us, the Sabbath is, or should be, a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money and material things (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2172).

The Third Commandment warns us not to neglect our solemn Sunday obligation. But it also reminds us that the Sabbath (the Lord's Day) is a gift from God that provides us with wonderful opportunities to be refreshed and renewed as we face life's difficulties week-in and week-out. That's why our Lord reminded the Jewish leaders, and all of us, that the Sabbath is for us — a gift to be cherished and enjoyed as we worship God together and as we let Him strengthen us in His service.

Gathering together each week to keep holy the Lord's Day is not optional. It's what's expected of each one of us. Sunday Mass should not be a burden. Celebrating the Sunday Eucharist with our parish community and, indeed, with the whole Church allows us to worship God, to learn about our faith, to open our hearts to the Word of God, to receive the Bread of Life at the table of the Lord, and to be strengthened for the work we must do during the coming week.

Let's remember to keep the Lord's Day holy — for the salvation of our souls and for the good of our families, our society and our Church.

Catholics to join other Christians in Global Day of Prayer

2010-05-21T00:00:00-05:00

By Joseph Kenny, Review Staff Writer

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson is encouraging Catholics of the archdiocese to join other Christians in the Global Day of Prayer from 4 to 6 p.m. on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, at the Chaifetz Arena 1 S. Compton Ave. on the St. Louis University campus in Midtown St. Louis.

Hundreds of thousands of Christians worldwide are expected to be meeting Pentecost Sunday in similar venues to pray.

"Since prayer with other Christians is described as the very 'soul' of the ecumenical movement encouraged by the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, it is fitting that we, who profess the fullness of the Christian faith, provide leadership in uniting in prayer with other believers in Jesus," Archbishop Carlson and Lawrence J. Welch, director of the archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, wrote in a letter to parish pastors.

This year's Global Day of Prayer will focus on the Lord's Prayer, which will be the template for the prayer service. The observance at the Chaifetz Arena will incorporate various styles of prayer to praise Our Lord, Archbishop Carlson and Welch noted. "Christians will be praying that God will transform the St. Louis metropolitan region according to His will."

Begun in Africa, Global Day of Prayer is observed in more than 220 nations and is considered the largest prayer meeting in history. The event intends to encourage all who follow Jesus Christ to unite in repentance and prayer and to collaborate as God's instruments for the blessing and healing of nations.

Archbishop Carlson and Welch said it is fitting to prepare for the event with prayers during the days before Pentecost. "As we seek to grow in unity with those who are separated from us in the faith, it is necessary to pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we might give a common witness to the St. Louis metropolitan region and the world." [Continued on the St. Louis Review website »]

For more information visit www.praystl.org or call the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at (314) 792-7162.