Saint Joseph Parish: $1,589.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $141.50 from the second collection (plate); $148.00 from the Dues envelopes; $100.00 from the Block envelopes; $109.00 from the loose. Thank you.

Saint Vincent DePaul Parish: $970.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $131.00 from the second collection (plate); $202.00 from the loose. Thank you.

The first classes of the new CCD school year for both of our Girardville parishes were held last Sunday (14 Sept) from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.
The teachers, the pastor and the children and their parents met in the Fr. Sheridan Room for signing up and for assignment of teaching areas.
At the present time, we have thirty-four children signed up, from grades one to six.
There should be more!
We remind parents to see to it that their children are signed up for CCD and that they attend faithfully.
Our teachers at the present time are:

I have asked Rose McCarthy to serve as our CCD Principal (Co-ordinator) for this year. She kindly accepted.

Having Grades Five and Six combined is not ideal. If there is anyone who is qualified to teach and who would like to volunteer to take one of these grades, please call Rose or else call the Rectory.

REMEMBER: CCD is on Sundays from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Unless told otherwise, please expect that all classes will be held in St. Joseph Rectory and in the Father Sheridan Room.

Hereby go on record as being absolutely opposed to the continued legalization of the enslavement of the descendants of those Black Persons who were transported, clearly against their will, to the North American continent by our forebears. We condemn without reservation the entire practice of slavery. We are unashamedly PRO-FREEDOM. We insist that the Black Man and the White Man are absolutely equal in the eyes of God. We consider it a horror in the Eyes of God that any race or set of human beings should consider themselves qualified to enslave any other race or set of human beings.
Furthermore, we reject absolutely the protestations of those who call themselves PRO-CHOICE, most especially those who say that, while they themselves do not wish to own slaves and would not own slaves even if they could,, yet wish not to impose their opinion on those who freely choose to own slaves.
We declare that the so-called PRO-CHOICE position is a PRO-SLAVERY position.
We wish to go on record as giving our support to those politicians and candidates who are pledged to do away with the scourge of BLACK SLAVERY in this land.
At the same time, we wish to go on record as opposing, with might and main, the election to public office of those candidates who are PRO-CHOICE in the matter of slavery.
It is time for all Catholic parishes and dioceses to cast aside concern for their tax-exempt status and to go on record, explicitly and boldly, as being opposed to all forms of human slavery!

PS - Lest anyone think that the pastor has lost his mind (or else flunked American History 101) and is unaware that Black Slavery is no longer legal in the United States of America, let me assure you: I haven't lost my mind. I'm just doing an exercise in analogy.
If anyone is uncertain what the other term of the analogy might be, he or she could ask around.

WE SHARE THE MAIL
From: Joy Happy [mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, 15 September, 2008 11:57 PM
To: ebconnolly@verizon.net
Subject: Offensive man!

Father
With all due respect, I think it's highly inappropriate for you personally to have a blog where you hide behind a keyboard and write truly offensive comments. This goes back to the bulletin a few months ago where you criticize women with tattoos - why was there no mention of men and tattoos?

Why did you feel the need to criticize the young man's appearance at Burger King for supper one day - it drove you to almost be physically sick as you sat there over your well-documented and descriptive meal of a fish sandwich, fries, etc (was that information vital to the story or is it the usual case of you delivering worthless information?)? Why didn't you just look the other way? Why do you concern yourself so much with the appearance of others? Maybe YOU make people sick by your rather odd appearance.

And now this week you tell people not to make the sign of the cross while genuflecting...why? I'd like to know instead of being told. Oh wait, I can almost anticipate the answer - "because I told you so." I think I'll forward your advice to your diocese and recommend that you educate more Catholics on this topic specifically since I and my entire family who went all through elementary and high school (and in some cases, college) practicing this as taught by our teachers, priests, and nuns. I'm not sure how it is that so many people have been wrong all of these years and not corrected before now. But it seems I'll have to research that on my own or seek counsel elsewhere since you are only good for handing out orders, criticisms, JUDGMENTS and sarcasm.

I wonder if Jesus ever turned away a follower because he or she was not dressed "modestly." You truly are judgemental for being a man of faith. I just hope Jesus doesn't turn you away because of your unsightly beard or hairstyle. There's a 50% that He won't like them so I guess you'll be out of luck.

Finally, and most importantly, I attended the funeral of xxxx xxxxxxx a couple of months ago and was APPALLED by the fact that you stated "she wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch" and that she was a little slow. REALLY? Did you even know that it wasn't a mental handicap but rather a speech impediment that she developed at a young age due to a life-threatening illenss? Her family supported St. Joe's and loved that church - gave of themselves physically and financially to the best of their ability and this is how you honor them? By insulting a woman in front of her family and friends? You best believe that I will pass this on to the higher-ups in your diocese. I think you need to spend less time surfing and blogging on the internet and more with your bible in a quiet room, by yourself. Perhaps instead of having a meal with two young boys, you should be enrolled in etiquette and communication courses. Infact, when I contact the diocese, I'll ask them if it can possibly fund this on your behalf before you insult and drive others from the church.

I've let your appalling behavior go unaddressed for far too long now - opting to forgive rather than not but you are a hazard to society.

Joy

NOTE
I have re-printed this email in its entirety, without editing of any sort - with two exceptions: I omitted the writer's email address and also the name of the deceased woman to whom the writer refers. A clarification: The "St Joe's" referred to is the former St. Joseph Parish, Pottsville, not St. Joseph Parish, Girardville. For the record, I am reasonably certain that "Joy Happy" is the writer's nom de plume. I am almost certain it is not her real name. I don't know who the lady is. My reason for printing this letter in the bulletin for public consumption is this: I think it provides grist for interesting conversation. Note in particular the emphasis on what is called "being judgmental". Note also the attempts to intimidate. Likewise, note the not-so-sly defamatory innuendo. In the Catholic Church, especially in these days, priesthood carries with it a call to the prophetic office. Prophecy is a hazardous occupation. May God bless Joy Happy!

About a month or more ago, I was doing some work in St. Joseph Rectory and I came across a button on the wall. I can't leave well enough alone, so I pressed it "to see what would happen". Something happened! It was a fire alarm - fortunately not the kind that sounds in the fire station, but the kind that is meant to alert the residents of the house to evacuate and maybe the neighbors to get some buckets of water.
You might possibly remember that I referred to this incident in a recent edition of the bulletin. But there is a corollary to this minor incident. As mentioned already, I called Mr. Richards and asked him, "How do I turn this doggone thing off?" He told me to go down to the basement and said that, near the bottom of the steps, I would find a box on the wall. I should open the box and there I would find the magic button I was looking for. He cautioned me to be careful going down the cellar steps. The St. Joseph Rectory basement is not a very congenial place. You wouldn't care to spend a lot of time down there. It is the kind of place that lends meaning to the phrase, "unfinished basement".
Having located the box and turned off the alarm, I decided - since I was down there anyway - that I would poke around and explore the cellar. It was the first time I had had any reason to go down to the cellar of St. Joseph Rectory. I had a flashlight with me and I found a broom that I used to push away the cobwebs.
While poking around, I came across some old framed pictures that were propped up against an empty coal bin.
I picked up one of the "pictures" and read the words written on it. It was typical 19th century art, kind of schmaltzy. But the words were not schmaltzy. They were direct and to the point. They were printed within a kind of shield and the shield was framed with faded painted roses. Here are the words:

All of a sudden, in that dank and cheerless cellar, I felt my heart and my mind invaded by an intense awareness of the presence of God. There is nothing sweeter than His presence - super mel et omnia.
I blew the dust off the glass, took the picture up the steps, put it in my car and took it over to St. Vincent dePaul Rectory. I asked Ginny to clean it up for me and hang it on the wall in my bedroom. I expect to look at those words from time to time, especially before going to sleep at night.
Every once in a while, going back to when I was a small child, I have moments of intense awareness of being loved by a Mysterious Person. Thanks to my parents and teachers over the years, I have come to identify this Mysterious Person with the One Whom philosophers call "THE PRIME MOVER", "THE UNCAUSED CAUSE", "THE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY BEING". Speaking to Moses, He called Himself "I AM THAT I AM". We call Him simply "GOD". Better yet, we call Him "FATHER". We call Him "HOLY ONE" and "BEAUTIFUL ONE". We call Him "TREMENDOUS LOVER".
He is not far from any one of us. We long to see His Face. Our hearts were made for Him and, truly, will find no rest until they rest in Him.
I think it was He Who made me push the button that set off the alarm, so that I would have to go down to the cellar.