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

John Allen Chau Tries To Evangelize an Isolated Tribe and Dies Trying

I'm not the only one fascinated by this story. According to news reports, John Allen Chau, the American Christian missionary who was recently killed on North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean, by a small isolated tribe, that has no contact with the outside world was prepared to die. He knew the dangers but he went anyway. The tribe are obviously fearful of outsiders and unfortunately their fear led them to kill the 26 year old. But he knew that was a possibility. They've killed others before, they want to be left alone.
He was trying to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to a forbidden area of the world. He went against authorities by going there which is never a good or wise thing to do. The Indian Navy is responsible to make sure no one gets close to the island but he did get close with help from locals, from other islands.
Going to North Sentinel Island became an obsession for him. He wanted to preach but his zeal and lack of understanding of the threat he posed and the danger he was in, should have been identified by others. Many others have tried to get close to the tribe and turned back.
Fishermen brought him to the island and he tried several times to make contact, to give small gifts, but it wasn't going well, according to a letter he wrote and gave to the fisherman as he paddled back and forth, over days, in a kayak.
The warning came. He should have heeded it. Besides the yelling they did at him and the arrows they shot at him, he wrote, "an arrow went directly into my Bible which I was holding." That was a clear sign he should get out of there.
I don't know what to make of this story. It's sad for the fishermen who were arrested because they brought him there, its sad for the young missionary, and his family.
Yet his words to the isolated tribe intrigue me, he yelled to them, "My name is John, I love you and Jesus loves you." But they couldn't understand his words. They don't speak English.
In the Catholic Church our history is filled with martyrs and missionaries who gave their lives for the faith, for Jesus and the gospel.
And though at first, I thought John Chau must have been crazy to do what he did, I'm not so sure. His brave and selfless actions, although they seem extreme, have probably inspired others. But missionary schools should always discourage missionaries from attempting what he did.
May some good come from this.
NJA

USCCB Fall General Assembly Meeting 2018 and the National Advisory Council

I watched some of the televised fall conference of the U.S. Bishops meeting in Baltimore and was saddened that so much time had to deal with the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. The U.S. Bishop's National Advisory Council spoke about the issue of the sexual abuse crisis in a sincere and strong way. I thought the speakers were honest, firm and realistic. They said what needed to be said, it was the truth. As Fr. David Whitestone, chair of the Bishops' advisory council said, "The depth of anger, pain and disappointment expressed by members of the NAC cannot begin to be expressed adequately in words." Well that is exactly how most of the Catholic lay faithful and many priests feel as well.
The conference should be dealing with issues such as how to better serve the poor, outreach to the homeless, walking alongside the sick and marginalized, helping with prison reform, working for affordable housing in cities across the country and other issues that our Lord would want addressed. But instead so much time, energy and resources must be used to deal with the sexual abuse crisis, when so many other important issues need attention and time.
Very sad indeed. So far from what Jesus Christ wants for His Church.
Purification, sanctification, greater holiness.....let's see, because unless the Spirit leads, unless there is great purification, transparency and humility the Church will see older, devout Catholics die off, in time and no one to replace them in the pews. That's the reality of it.
Recently, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, in the town of Mineola was removed from ministry because of sexual abuse allegations. They have to be investigated. The parishioners were shocked. My friend who lives in the parish told me, that on a Facebook page from a mother's group in the town, people were leaving messages saying, "That's why I don't bring my children to Church."
The National Advisory Board seemed to realize the severity of the problem and I just hope the bishops take it as seriously as the NAC did.
NJA

Guns in the Hands of the Mentally Ill-Thousand Oaks Mass Shooting

We live in a scary world. Of course, other times in history were scary too, but in the great country of America, there are too many mentally ill people who are in possession of guns and most of them are owned legally. So really no where is safe.
It's quite the conundrum. How do you get guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, while allowing law abiding citizens to have legally owned guns? This is the dilemma.
Yesterday as I watched the horrific news of yet another senseless mass shooting in southern California, in Thousand Oaks and watched as a father broke down after learning his young adult son, Cody Coffman had been killed, I once again was in disbelief.
In this modern world of technology, there should be a way to keep track of the mentally ill who show violent tendencies and make sure they do not own guns or have access to them.  It seems so simple and yet at this time in history, there is no follow-up (or follow-ups) when a person is showing signs of mental illness and has been evaluated. (At least in this case there didn't seem to be.)
I don't get it. People are suffering, innocent people are dying at the hands of people who should not own guns. Fathers and mothers, relatives and friends are crying, losing innocent children and young adults in senseless gun violence, as the holiday season draws near.
It's scary, senseless and sickening.
NJA

The Desecration Of A Sanctuary-Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre

My husband and I have many Jewish friends.  We've attended all their sons bar mitzvahs and weddings. We've been in temple with them for special occasions. We've prayed with them and their family. We all grew up together in Old Mill Basin and then later Marine Park, Brooklyn. In those areas of Brooklyn, NY, (and other NYC neighborhoods as well), it didn't matter what religion you were. We all played together, had similar values and our cultural and religious differences were not important.
It's unimaginable that someone can be so mentally disturbed and so filled with hate that they can walk into a place of worship, where innocent people are praying and kill them. What kind of world is this?
Those who were killed were the most dedicated, committed people, the ones who showed up early at the synagogue, and began early morning prayer. And yet in what should be a holy, sacred, safe place, evil flew through the door. One member of the congregation said, "We are questioning everything." I would be too. I do believe we need better security in places of worship, (and schools) so we can all feel safer while worshipping God or learning. This is the new reality.
Why are there always so many warning signs on social media and yet violent people fall through the cracks and are able to carry out heinous crimes? People blatantly post hateful threats which go unnoticed or unchecked. None of it makes sense to me.
God bless those poor, innocent people who were killed, as they prayed and their families who grieve.
God weeps.
NJA

Reason To Hope-Kim Jong-un Extends Invitation to Pope Francis

For the people, religious, priests and bishops of South Korea and others who have been praying for the people of North Korea,  and the conversion of Kim Jong-un, I consider it a miracle that South Korea's President relayed to the Pope at a meeting, at the Vatican this week, that Kim Jong-un would like Pope Francis to visit North Korea. What? Can it really be true?
After watching a documentary about North Korea about two years ago, I've been praying for the repentance and conversion of Kim Jong-un, since the people of North Korea are not free to worship God openly or read the Bible or take part in religious services. Sadly, Christians and Christian missionaries are persecuted in North Korea, and apparently there are thousands suffering in labor camps. According to a U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, "The North Korean government's approach to religion and belief is among the most hostile and repressive in the world." Watching the documentary, it struck me that North Koreans have to have a picture of Kim Jong-un in their house to honor. I thought when I watched the show on CNN, wouldn't it be wonderful if Christ's picture could be hung alongside Kim Jong-un. I brought it up at my prayer group and we prayed for those suffering oppression in North Korea and for the conversion of Kim Jong-un. And I continue to pray.......
So when I heard this news, I was beside myself. It sounded too good to be true.
Let us all pray for the repentance and conversion of Kim Jong-un and the people of North Korea and for all those suffering in labor camps. I pray the Pope will visit North Korea for an historic meeting between the leaders,  and be able to help the imprisoned Christians there.  Pope Francis can witness to faith and belief in God and all the benefits that brings and give hope to Christians in that part of the world.
It's such wonderful, hope-filled news!
NJA