Saint Joseph Parish: $1,287.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $65.00 from the second collection (plate); $42.00 from the Dues envelopes; $355.00 from the Mission Cooperative (MSHR) envelopes; $50.00 from the Easter envelopes; $63.00 from the loose. Thank you.

Saint Vincent DePaul Parish: $1,100.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $95.00 from the second collection (plate); $371.00 from the Mission Cooperative (MSHR) envelopes; $10.00 from the Good Friday collection; $20.00 from the Easter envelopes; $94.00 from the loose. Thank you.

In brief: Our two parishes, together with the children of Trinity Academy, will honor the Blessed Mother by processing from St. Joseph Church, Girardville, to St. Vincent dePaul Church, Girardville.
We are in need of at least four men to carry the statue of the Blessed Mother. Please volunteer by calling the Rectory.
We encourage ALL of our parishioners and ALL of the residents of Girardville to turn out for this beautiful expression of our Faith.

LET US REVIEW THE SITUATION IN REGARD TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF PARISHES. I don’t really have anything new to tell anyone. I simply want to go over some information that is already common knowledge (although there are probably some persons for whom this will be new information!).

Point #1
There are four towns and eight parishes that constitute our region.
The four towns are Ashland, Frackville, Girardville and Gordon.
The eight parishes are as follows:
Ashland: St. Joseph Parish; St. Mauritius Parish
Frackville: Annunciation BVM Parish; St. Joseph Parish; St. Ann Parish
Girardville: St. Joseph Parish; St. Vincent dePaul Parish
Gordon: Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish

Point #2
At the present time there are four priests assigned to serve these eight parishes.
They are:
Fr. Bambrick (for the two parishes in Ashland and for the parish in Gordon);
Fr. Beers (for St. Joseph Parish, Frackville);
Fr. Connolly (for the two parishes in Girardville);
Fr. Essig (for the other two parishes in Frackville).

Point #3
The Bishop decided last year, based on advice he received from the Synod, to assign three priests to our region. The fact that there are currently four priests assigned to the region is a temporary measure. It is very likely that, in the near future, there will be three priests instead of four. The allotment of three priests to the region is based on the mathematics of the situation, i.e. number of Catholics in the region and number of priests that the Diocese of Allentown has available for assignment.

Point #4
The Bishop decided last year, also based on advice he received from the Synod, that one priest should not be responsible for more than one parish. The fact that, at the present time, Frs. Bambrick, Connolly and Essig are responsible for more than one parish is a temporary situation.

Point #5
With three priests available to the region, there can be a maximum of three parishes in the region. Theoretically, there could be (a) one parish with three priests (a pastor and two assistants) or (b) two parishes, one of which would have a pastor and the other of which would have a pastor plus an assistant or (c) three parishes, each of which would have a pastor.

Point #6
I do not know which of the three scenarios the Bishop will choose. However, whichever one he chooses, we must (logically) anticipate that either (a) all eight of the parishes in the region will be closed or (b) seven will be closed or (c) six will be closed or (d) five will be closed.

Point #7
Taking the least drastic option (viz. five parishes being closed), it is astronomically unlikely that both parishes in Girardville will remain open.

Point #8
Therefore, we in Girardville must now prepare ourselves for the possibility that either (a) both of our parishes will be closed or that (b) one of them will be closed and the other remain open.

Point #9
The prospect of Girardville having no parish of its own is, admittedly, difficult. If it happens, we will weep, but we will survive. The possibility that one of our parishes will survive is a happy prospect indeed.

Point #10
I have no doubt whatsoever that the Bishop, after carefully considering all the facts and figures presented to him by the members of the Synod, will do what seems to him to be the best thing possible for the Catholic people of Girardville.

Point #11
It is my recollection, from when the Synod started, that the Bishop had set June of 2009 as the deadline for proposals to be made and submitted throughout the Diocese in regard to realignments / consolidations / mergers of parishes. I just looked at my calendar and noticed that it is now May of 2009. I remember memorizing the order of the months of the year. If memory serves me correctly, next month is June of 2009.

Point #12
I ask God to give me the strength and the humility to accept the Bishop’s decision with a good heart and a good mind. I ask God to help me to be a big boy, to take a deep breath, to acknowledge reality and to do what needs to be done for the good of Christ’s Body, Which is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I ask God to help me to behave myself and not to shout or scream or to say unpleasant things about the Bishop. (I’m sure I shall not!) But, if anyone feels absolutely compelled to post nasty blogs on snarling websites or to make angry phone calls to Thunder Enlightning, please make it a point to say nasty things about the pastor and not about the Bishop, because I get points from God whenever someone writes or calls in something mean about me. Of course, the Bishop also gets points from God when people say mean things about him, but I figure that Bishop Cullen is already very holy and doesn’t need the points nearly as much as I do.

MARRIAGE: A contract whereby a man and a woman exchange with one another in terms of the present tense the exclusive and perpetual right to engage in those actions which, in and of themselves, are directed towards the procreation of the human race.

The above definition of marriage has been in my head since college days. I remember that Father Handren, one of our Theology professors at Saint Joseph College, required us to memorize it.
[May I respectfully suggest that you memorize it too? It might come in handy some day!]
I think of this definition whenever the subject of “same-sex marriage” comes up.
“Same-sex marriage” is a ludicrous term, when you come to think of it. It is an oxymoron. It is a monumental joke. It is a hoax. It is a thing that never was, is not now and never can be. It makes absolutely no sense. It is utterly perverse. It deserves to be laughed out of town.
The fact is, however, that four (or is it five?) states have now legalized “same-sex marriage”. The legislators, governors and judges responsible for this travesty are agents of chaos and enemies of the LOGOS. They will pay a heavy price for crucifying God’s only begotten LOGOS.
You know Who the LOGOS is, do you not? The LOGOS is the One Who has been in existence since the beginning. He is the One Who has always been with God and Who is God. He is the One through Whom all things were made. In fact, there is nothing that was ever made that was not made through Him. The LOGOS is the Reason and the Logic that pre-exists and permeates all of creation. In the LOGOS we know that two plus two equals four and that the Whole is equal to the sum of its parts and is greater than any one of them and that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides and that the ratio between the circumference of a circle and the diameter of same is twenty-two to seven and that a man is meant to lie with a woman and a woman with a man and never a man with a man or a woman with a woman.
“Same-sex marriage” is two plus two equals seven. It is a Whole being more or less than the sum of its parts. It is the hypotenuse of a right triangle having any kind of relationship you might want it to have to the other two sides, depending on your mood at the time. It is the circumference of a circle being related to the diameter of same by the ratio of “whatever”.
“Same-sex marriage” is not about two guys being best buddies and sharing a house or apartment and going on vacation together. Two guys can be best buddies and share a house or apartment and go on vacation together without any need for the state to formalize their relationship. “Same-sex marriage” is the formalization and recognition of sodomy and the placement of sodomy on the same level as honorable, life-giving intercourse between a husband and wife.
“Same-sex marriage” cries out to God for revenge, along with willful murder, oppression of the poor and defrauding the working man of his wages.
We who are members of the Body of the LOGOS must bear witness in this world, regardless of whether or not we think we can succeed, to the Logic and Reason inherent in the created order. No Catholic can ever approve of same-sex marriage. It is an abomination.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT THIS PERSON
We say “this person” rather than “this boy” or “this girl” because we are not yet certain about the gender. However, his or her gender was determined at the moment of conception. We will find out in due time whether this person is a “boy person” or a “girl person”. Either will do!

We are happy to say that this child has been to Mass on at least two occasions at St. Joseph Church, Girardville. His / her parents are friends of mine. Their names are Patrick and Silvia Mohan. They live in New York City. When they come to Schuylkill County to visit family, they have been known to come to Mass in Girardville.

This very recent photo shows the child at twenty-six weeks gestation. Twenty-six down and fourteen to go! At least, that’s the game plan.

I asked Pat and Silvia for permission to print this photo.
Reason?
Because it is good for all of us to know what we are talking about when we discuss issues having to do with the right to life of unborn children and when we discuss abortion and the so-called pro-choice position.
We are not talking about an abstraction. We are not talking mere theory. We are talking about the child whose picture we see at the top of this page. We are talking about countless others like him or her. Ultimately, we are talking about the human race and about ourselves.
Nobody has the right deliberately to kill an innocent human person.
Nobody has the right deliberately to choose to kill an innocent human person.
Nobody!
Nobody at all!