Saint Joseph Parish: $1,099.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $108.00 from the second collection (plate); $15.00 from the Dues envelopes; $138.00 from the Campaign for Human Development envelopes; $110.00 from the loose. Thank you.

Saint Vincent DePaul Parish: $840.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $58.55 from the second collection (plate); $7.00 from the Building Maintenance envelopes; $358.00 from the Christmas Flowers envelopes; $35.00 from the loose. Thank you.

The idea came to mind of offering a free turkey to everyone who goes to Confession this week.
However, you’ll be happy to know that we tucked that idea away in the NOT-A-REAL-GOOD IDEA FILE.
So, no turkey! However, we are happy to offer free absolution, which is far more valuable than a free turkey!

Personal note: I have never made it a secret that I am opposed to the practice of “Communion in the hand”. Some persons mistakenly interpret this to mean that I am saying that it is illegitimate to receive Communion in the hand. I do not say this and I would not say this. It is legitimate (I regret to say) to receive Communion in the hand. There is no question about it! My point is this: Although legitimate, Communion-in-the-hand is a very bad idea. If anyone does not understand how it is that someone can say that some practice, although legitimate, is nonetheless “a bad idea”, I don’t know what to say. Some persons interpret my opposition to Communion in the hand as meaning that I would not under any circumstances give “Communion in the hand”. This is manifestly not true! The fact is that I have given “Communion in the hand” and, if pressed on the matter, would, although reluctantly, do so again. Why? Two reasons: (1) Because I obey lawful authority even if I disagree with lawful authority (as long as the lawful authority does not compromise my fundamental moral principles). (2) Because I am sometimes called upon to distribute Holy Communion in situations where I am not “the guy in charge”. (Note: I consider myself to be “the guy in charge” — more or less — in the two parishes of which I am pastor!)

"There is an apostolic letter on the existence of a special valid permission for this [Communion in the hand]. But I tell you that I am not in favor of this practice, nor do I recommend it."

Pope John Paul II
responding to a reporter from Stimme des Glaubens magazine, Fulda (Germany), November 1980.

"Holy Communion received on the tongue ‘signifies the reverence of the faithful for the Eucharist ... assures that Holy Communion will be distributed with due reverence ... is more conducive to faith, reverence and humility.... It [Communion in the hand] carries certain dangers with it: the dangers of a loss of reverence for the August sacrament of the altar, of profanation, of adulterating the true doctrine."

Pope Paul VI
Memoriale Domini

"Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand."

(Blessed) Teresa of Calcutta

Fr. George Rutler is the source for this quote. He also says that Mother Teresa told him that, to the best of her knowledge, all of her Sisters receive Holy Communion only on the tongue.

"Behind Communion in the hand—I wish to repeat and make as plain as I can—is a weakening, a conscious, deliberate weakening of faith in the Real Presence. Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.”

Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ
1 Nov 97, Call to Holiness Conference, Detroit MI

"There can be no doubt that Communion in the hand is an expression of the trend towards desacralization in the Church in general and irreverence in approaching the Eucharist in particular.... Why—for God's sake—should Communion in the hand be introduced into our churches when it is evidently detrimental from a pastoral viewpoint, when it certainly does not increase our reverence, and when it exposes the Eucharist to the most terrible diabolical abuses? There are really no serious arguments for Communion in the hand. But there are the most gravely serious kinds of arguments against it."

Dietrich von Hildebrand
8 Nov 73, article entitled “Communion in the Hand should be rejected”
Note: Pope Pius XII called Dietrich von Hildebrand “a 20th century doctor of the Church”.

"With Communion in the hand, a miracle would be required during each distribution of Communion to avoid some Particles from falling to the ground or remaining in the hand of the faithful.... Let us speak clearly: whoever receives Communion in the mouth not only follows exactly the tradition handed down but also the wish expressed by the last Popes and thus avoids placing himself in the occasion of committing a sin by negligently dropping a fragment of the Body of Christ.”

Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise
San Luis, Argentina
Communion in the Hand: Documents and History

ISABELLE GILLIS STAKOFSKY [STACK],
a member of St. Vincent dePaul Parish, died on Sunday, 16 November. Born on 6 April 1920, she was 88 years old.
She is a daughter of the late John and Rose (Regalis) Gillis.
She was the widow of John E. Stakofsky, to whom she was married on 3 February 1940. John died on 6 July 1997.
John and Isabelle are the parents of one daughter and two sons: Isabelle Stakofsky Tylock; Edward S. Stakofsky [Stack]; Charles J. Stakofsky [Stack]. Charles is deceased.
They have four grandchildren: Charles J. Stack; Melissa Stack; David Blair; Janet Blair.
Isabelle has three sisters and one brother, all of whom are deceased: Nellie Gillis Murphy; Monica Gillis Gowka; Annie Gillis Kriznauskas; Albert Gillis.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Vincent dePaul Church on Saturday, 22 November. The interment of cremains will take place on Monday, 24 November, at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
Father David C. Gillis, assistant pastor of St. Ann Parish, DeBary (FL), is a nephew of Isabelle. He was the celebrant of the funeral Mass for his aunt. We welcome him back to his home parish.

Eternal rest grant unto Isabelle, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

JOSEPH V. KRICK,
a member of St. Vincent dePaul Parish, died on Sunday, 16 November. Born on 11 February 1947, he was 61 years old.
He is a son of the late Alphonsus and Elizabeth (Kehler) Krick.
He is survived by his wife, Carole Ann Doraski Krick, to whom he had been married for more than 38 years — since 24 April 1970.
Joseph and Carole have two children: Robby Jo Krick Anderson and Ron T. Krick.
They have four grandchildren: Savannah M. Krick; Zackery W. Krick; Aiden T. Krick; J. Antonio Marrone.
In addition to these, Joseph is survived by his two brothers and one sister: Alphonsus D. Krick; Robert A. Krick; Anna Dillman Kessler.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Joseph at St. Vincent dePaul Church on Wednesday, 19 November. The interment took place in the parish cemetery.

Eternal rest grant unto Joseph, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

IDA TENAGLIA FRIERI,
a former member of St. Joseph Parish, died on Friday, 21 November. Born on 27 September 1927, she was 81 years old.
She is a daughter of the late Philip and Viola (Casari) Tengalia.
She was the widow of Joseph J. Frieri.
Joseph and Ida are the parents of two daughters: Joann Frieri Mascioli and Judy Frieri Cappa.
They have four grandchildren: Joseph Cappa; Carla Cappa; Mario Mascioli; Nick Mascioli.
In addition to these, Ida is survived by her sister, Mary Tenaglia Traini, and by her brother, Anthony Tenaglia. Her brother, Albert Tenaglia, is deceased.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Ida at St. Joseph Church on Wednesday, 26 November. The interment will take place in St. Joseph Parish Cemetery.

Eternal rest grant unto Ida, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

 STANDING IN LINE AT THE WAL-MART, waiting to get checked out, I had plenty of time to scan the front pages of the tabloids. For the benefit of those in our community who don’t get out much and who could use a little excitement in their otherwise humdrum lives, I thought I’d share with them the following from the front page of the WORLD NEWS / SUN. I was too cheap to buy a copy. So, you’ll just have to content yourselves with the headlines. I scribbled these down on the back of an envelope while I was in line:

IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME MORE THAN ONCE that people will get religion one way or the other. They will either go to churches grounded in the Word of God (churches like St. Joseph and St. Vincent dePaul in Girardville, for example) or else they will believe in UFO’s, the Lost Continent of Atlantis, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Rapture, Nostradamus, the Book of Mormon, Edgar Cayce, Pow-Wows, Fortune Tellers, John Edward, Benny Hinn, Space Aliens, Chain Prayers, the Tooth Fairy and Lord knows what else! All of these things have some entertainment value but no sensible person believes in them!