ABVM PARISH COMMUNITY

              Catholic parents have long had to be concerned about their children’s faith and moral beliefs when they go off to college, even if they are enrolled in an institution with a Catholic affiliation.   This is because many professors teach according to a secularist worldview which rejects natural law and organized religion.   They impress their opinions on their young students, who are intimidated by their professors’ credentials and rarely have the confidence or knowledge to defend their faith against the secularist onslaught.               Today, parents are finding that the challenge to the faith and moral teaching which they give to their children begins not in their college years but in their elementary and teenage years.   The biggest challenge are the ideas and temptations swirling around on television, social media and the internet.   Children today have all too easy access not only to ideas, but to videos and images that can harm them.   According to Google Analy

              The Catholic Church’s teaching on the equal dignity of all human beings has strong biblical foundations, beginning with the two creation accounts in the Bible’s first chapters.   In the first account the sacred author writes, “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).   Both are created in his image.   In the second account Adam at first is alone, but God sees that this is not good and causes Adam to fall asleep.   He takes a rib from Adam’s side and forms Eve from it.   This indicates that they share the same Creator and the same human nature.   They are suited to one another as equals.   Adam joyfully professes: “This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” and they join together to form “one flesh” (Gen 2:23 & 24).             The original unity was undone by the introduction of sin into the world.   Soon, brother kills brother (Cain vs. Abel) and eventually the human race

  Often these days the sins of prominent clergy are made known publicly.   Men who were thought to be true and holy are revealed as false and corrupt.   For the cause of reform and healing for victims it is good that these things be brought into the light of public scrutiny.   Such scandals, however, cause great pain in those who love and believe in the Church, and worse, leads some to question the credibility of the Church’s teaching and her Sacraments.   These I would hope to help by pointing to the sins of Biblical heroes.   They reveal that human weakness is not to be unexpected, even in servants of God.   Here are some examples: Noah enjoyed the fruits of the newly recovered earth after the Flood a little too much, got drunk, passed out and exposed himself naked in his tent, to the shame of his sons.            Out of fear Abraham lied about his relationship with his wife Sarah twice, and doubted that God would fulfill his promise of a son by her. Moses lost patience with

  September is traditionally the unofficial beginning of the year for parishes.   The lazy days of summer are past.   The parish calendar has been filling up!   As we look forward to the fall and winter, I am excited about bringing back the normal events that we were unable to have last year due to the pandemic, and look forward to the beginning of some new things.             Nothing is more important than our ministry with young people.   Assumption BVM School is off to a good start with solid enrollment and a plan for some capital improvements to the building which we hope can begin soon.   We have almost 200 students enrolled in our Catholic Youth Faith Formation (aka PREP or CCD) which offers parents the option to have their children meet for class in the Parish Life Center once a week or to teach them at home with the guidance of our dedicated catechists.   We are also looking forward to returning to the Children’s Liturgy of the Word as part of the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass, be