Happy New Year! Church Reform and Renewal in the New Year of 2019-Please God!!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.....May all your hopes and dreams come true!!

This week I had lunch with my cousins.  One of them graduated from Kellenberg HS on Long Island and is now in college doing very well. I am his godmother and also his Confirmation sponsor, so naturally I am interested in his spiritual growth. When he's home from college he attends St. Mary of the Isle in Long Beach, with his family.  From what I hear,  everyone at that parish loves the pastor, Fr. Brian Barr. As he's been described to me by another priest in the diocese of Rockville Centre, "He's a cool priest!" My cousins would agree. They especially like the Mass on the beach in the summertime.....(Fr. Brian has special permission for that.)
Another one of my cousins who was at the lunch, is presently enrolled in Kellenberg Memorial High School, which is run by the Marianist Brothers He is a sophomore. I was his Confirmation sponsor so I am interested in his spiritual growth as well. It's well known on Long Island that the Marianists run two great schools on Long Island-Kellenberg High School in Uniondale and Chaminade High School in Mineola. (Many priestly vocations are nurtured in those schools, so they are doing something right!)
At the lunch I discussed what my cousin was studying in religion this year at Kellenberg. The answer was "Church history"......"the entire year?" "Yes"........I have nothing against Church history but I really think the curriculum at Catholic High Schools should be re-evaluated.......We need as Bishop Barres always says, "Dramatic Missionary Growth" on Long Island. That would be great! I agree. We have the right message, there is no greater message than the Christian message of love, hope, compassion, grace, love of God and neighbor and when its lived in its fullest, it can have life changing effects, as Christians know. But how do we encourage enthusiastic discipleship and dramatic missionary growth in Catholic high school students? That's an important question that needs to be answered. I believe they need a year of study, prayer and reflection on how to be a Christian disciple, an evangelist for Christ, a great missionary who is open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
If it was up to me, I think Catholic high school students would greatly benefit from one year of studying the Hebrew Scriptures, one year of the New Testament, ( I feel biblical studies are extremely important), one year on how to be a Spirit-filled missionary disciple and evangelist for Christ and one year of morality/Christian service.
I think that would help with the renewal, reform and dramatic missionary growth that all the bishops would like to see, as well as those of us in the pews.
Just my humble opinion!

God Bless
Nancy

Celebration of Mary at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception-Huntington,NY-2018

I attended the "Celebration of Mary," at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception yesterday. Bishop John Barres, the Bishop of Rockville Centre was the celebrant for the Mass ( he stayed for the whole day). The Seminary is beautiful and it was a beautiful, spiritually uplifting day. The bishop was personable as all bishops should be. Before the Mass began, he went around the chapel and shook hands with the congregation. A nice, sincere and simple gesture, but simple, sincere gestures mean a lot. In his homily he mentioned the You tube sensation-the famous professor/psychologist, Jordon Peterson, who speaks about the importance of the Old Testament stories in some of his videos.
Msgr. Peter Vaccari, rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers is a scholar and great speaker so we all enjoyed his talk on Mary. Mary's fiat, her "Yes" to God's plan was repeated throughout her life. She was open to the Holy Spirit and God's will. Mary was the disciple who set her gaze on God. She was "full of grace," open to divine grace and love and that is God's will for us all. 
He suggested we read the Book of Isaiah- Chapter 60 during Advent which I intend to do. He spoke about the connection between the Annunciation and the Cross.
Brother Timothy Driscoll, a Marianist Brother from Kellenberg HS gave an excellent powerpoint presentation about the beautiful painting, "The Immaculate Conception," by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo,  an oil on canvas, which is at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. You can go to their website and search for the painting and examine it online. I love art and I love the Catholic faith, so naturally I enjoyed his expertise and art knowledge on the powerful painting.
Finally, the Cathedral Seminary Schola performed at the end of the day.
It was all good and a great way to spend a Marian feast day.
A Blessed Advent to you!!
NJA