Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
The Staff of our parish continue to pray that you and your dear ones remain safe and have the peace that only God can bestow deep in our hearts. We are His People, ever close to His Heart. How much safer can anyone be?
Thank you and God Bless your tremendous financial generosity these past months. Your accompanying notes of encouragement are most sincerely appreciated.
Having said this, your pastor composes this week’s corner with elevated blood pressure! Once again “anonymous rumors” from an “anonymous pastor” have reached my ears. Yes, they are red and were releasing steam. As I have stated publicly on many occasions, and will again at all Masses this weekend, our wonderful and award winning school, is preparing for the opening of school this Fall. And yet the cockamamie rumors from outside our parish, that confuse/twist far too many issues to be addressed here, persist. Our parish with your devoted generosity, especially these past months, remains on a very sound financial footing (far better that 95% of our Archdiocesan Parishes)! A healthy parish makes possible a healthy school.
Thanks to our parish business manager, Mr. Michael McCafferty, SSPJ was able to utilize funding from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) that was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP provision provided for the application of a SBA Loan that can be forgiven if certain conditions are met. Prior to applying for and receiving the PPP funds, our Parish Finance Council approved a resolution to authorize the borrowing. While all parishes throughout the Archdiocese applied for PPP funds we had been advised that SSPJ was among the first to submit the loan application and to receive the funds. Our application was submitted on April 6th and the PPP funding in the amount of $333,000 was received within two weeks. We have tracked and documented the utilization of these funds and fully intend to pursue 100% loan forgiveness. This information was previously reported on April 25 th and is being reissued since one of the elements in the rumor mill that is being spread outside of our parish is that SSPJ had to borrow $333,000 from the Archdiocese supposedly to cover some imaginary debt. This is nonsense, pure and simple. PLEASE, CONTINUE TO CORRECT THESE PROPHETS OF DOOM AND GLOOM (many of whom hope to profit students for their school). EXPOSE THE FALSE, AND SLANDEROUS “NEWS” THEY CONTINUE TO MEAN SPIRITEDLY PERPETRATE, FOR WHAT IT IS: GARBAGE.
SSPJ Parish School is here to stay! Thank you to our wonderful parishioners and those from outside our parish who contribute to SSPJ so generously, our I.H.M. Sisters, school parents, the Home and School Association and the Board of Limited Jurisdiction members! Thank you also to those who support our Thanks-for-Giving Raffle and our Thrift Shop volunteers, donors and patrons. Special thanks to our SSPJ School Students who continue to shine, indeed outshine so many!
P.S. Next week we hope to have our printed Sunday Bulletin’s available. I am grateful to Rene Coady and our electronic Bulletin for getting the word out these past months.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
As noted last week our staff wishes you and your dear ones a celebration of our National Day of Independence that is to your liking, while keeping safe. To be sure, it is a 4th of July weekend like no other for most of us. Hopefully, we have found time to thank the Almighty God for the blessings we enjoy as Americans, and to ask God’s Blessing on this county of ours. Let pray especially for peace and fair treatment for all!
We are grateful to our wonderful IHM Sisters for all the blessings they bring to our parish. We especially recognize and thank Sister Carol, IHM for her having been a wonderful Superior of our convent these past several years and who will be leaving her term of office this month. Sister Carol has been assigned for residence to the convent attached to Sister’s University. Sister has been on the faculty of Immaculata University these past several years. Sister Teresa, our School Principal and Sister Marie, our Director of Religious Education continued to be busy with the planning of, and for, the year ahead for our wonderful parish school and religious education program. We continue to be very grateful to the devoted lay staff that works so closely with the Sisters in the spread of the Gospel to our youth.
Our Seminarian, Eric Tamney, taking time from his theological studies, is benefiting from a year of pastoral service at St. Patrick’s Parish in Malvern. We continue to pray for him, and all those preparing for Holy Orders and the service of our Catholic Faith. Let’s continue to pray for Religious Vocations.
Mr. Michael Mc Cafferty, our Parish Business Manager, is ever engaged for the continuation and improving of all our efforts for our Lord. Our competent maintenance staff: Eric and Max Miller have also continued to improve and prepare our grounds and school buildings for another year of service. Our employees are second to none in their service.
Thank you, and all, who have help in such extraordinary ways to keep SSPJ financially afloat in these so very irregular times. May we always keep in mind that the good Lord is never outdone in generosity. We pray each day for all whose generosity of time, talent and treasure, make possible our parish and its service to God and neighbor. + jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
As we prepare to welcome the month of July, please note that due to St. Mary’s Chapel being closed till the Fall, the First Friday 7 PM Mass, this Friday, will be celebrated in church. Saturday the 4 th of July will find our usual Mass celebrations at 8:30 AM (the usual Saturday morning liturgy) and the Vigil Mass of Sunday at 4 PM.
Our staff join in wishing you an enjoyable 4 th, to be sure a little different than most of us are used to observing, but still a day of celebrating and giving thanks for this great country of ours none the less. How grateful we are to those who have sacrificed their lives or wellbeing in order to protect our freedoms. How sad that the greatest of these, the freedom to worship, is ignored by so many Sabbath after Sabbath. Do any of us wonder why our fellow citizens seem to have lost their mooring to the values that have made this land the greatest ever: respect for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Dare we say that in forgetting the Giver, we lose sight of the gifts. Let’s pray with renewed trust: “God Bless America!” +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
The Easter Season has now ended and this weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. We profess, we celebrate, One God, in Three Divine Persons. How wonderful, that when in the state of grace, we know that we, you and me, are caught up in the very life of God. While our appreciation of this reality is veiled due to our fallen, though redeemed, state, we are assured by Sacred Scripture that what awaits us: eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor entered the human mind, what God has waiting for those who love Him. In the midst of every trial and sorrow let’s remember that God is with us as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. What great consolation is ours when we own this truth by the wonderful gift of Faith. Next weekend we observe Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
SSPJ was greatly saddened by the death of Andy Phillips, this past week, after many long weeks struggling with illness. He, his wife Trish, and their children Grace, Colin, Aidan and Andrew have been in the thoughts and prayers of many. Well known especially through their children who attended our parish school and CYO activities, Andy will be remembered for being a great husband and dad, always ready to help. Our parish is grateful to Fr. Don Reilly, OSA, of Malvern Prep for his closeness to Andy and his family these past weeks. Fr. Reilly is a long-time family friend of Trish, and her family the McDonough’s from when Fr. Reilly was their pastor at St. Dennis Parish, Havertown. He witnessed the marriage of Andy and Trish. May Andy, his dad, Donald, who went to God, April 28, 2020, and all the Faithful Departed rest in peace! Funeral arrangements will be announced by D’Anjoleil Funeral Home of Broomall, Pa, at a future date.
Congratulations to all our SSPJ parishioners who are graduates in this Spring of 2020, many of who had great careers with parish activities, Altar Servers, Choir, CYO. Special congratulations to our SSPJ School Graduates on their many academic achievements and devotion to the life of our parish. +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
As we bid adieu to the Easter Season with the Church’s Evening Prayer of “Vespers” this Sunday evening, we are conscious of the fond funereal farewells to three parishioners. Joan Wojciechowski, Maria Schubert, and James Hanlon were honored with Masses of Christian Burial this past week. Our prayerful condolences to their loved ones will certainly continue in the days, weeks, months and years ahead as we pray for our dead and those who morn their passing. May we rest secure, as the beautiful 2020 Easter Season draws to a close, that where the Risen and Ascended One has gone, our beloved dead are called to follow. May Joan’s, Maria’s and Jim’s souls and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
Many of you may especially know of Fred and Maria Schubert due to the beautiful family they raised in our parish and school. Their charity and involvement in good works of every kind will long be remembered. Our Rectory and Convent were the fruit of Fred’s marvelous talents as an architect and builder. Fred’s great dream was a new church building to stand on the corner of our property. Alas, not to be but as we all know from personal experience: “The best laid plans of mice and men…” Maria’s pro-life activities were no doubt a tribute to her Catholic upbringing, which included training as a Registered Nurse, graduate of Mater Misericordia Hospital School of Nursing in West Philadelphia. Many an unborn child or expectant mothers in need benefited from Maria’s faith in action. One of our 1890’s Bavarian Glass church windows, the “Raising of the daughter of Jarus” is in memory of Maria’s dear parents the Ainsleys. The beautiful dogwood trees that now line our parking lot along Rt. 30 were one of the more recent of the so many kindnesses that Maria and Fred gave to our SSPJ family.
I am happy to announce that a donor has stepped forward to pay for the new “poor boxes” as you exit church both front and back. They were given in memory of Howard Walker, a devoted parishioner, who went to God a few weeks ago.
As we prepare to step forward from Lent and the 2020 Easter Season to be sure like none other, let’s continue to follow the example of our Blessed Mother and her twelve adopted children. They kept uppermost in their hearts the comforting words of Jesus, Who in His Gift of the Holy Spirit, makes good on His promise to empower us to overcome the world (“world” understood as all in our experience that is not of God and His Goodness).
As we again don the green vestments of Ordinary Time lets recall that there is nothing “ordinary” about our Catholic Sundays. They are the “ORDINAL” or “ NUMBERED” Sundays that are always extraordinary little Easters for true believers. Speaking of which, the next two Sundays find us in white vestments again for the wonderful FEAST of the MOST BLESSED TRINITY and THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD. +jcd
P.S. A word of explanation and apology is due from your pastor. Friday evening, a week ago, your pastor was so excited to hear the President order the opening of all churches. Your pastor immediately activated a group of parishioners (they were in the right place at the wrong time) to prepare our church building last Saturday to be safely opened for the celebration of Holy Mass. As a result, Deacon Chuck, Sr. Teresa, our School Principal, Carol and Will Tamney, and Frank Datillo, all worked tirelessly to get us ready to be a welcoming and safe haven. We carefully followed the directives of several Archdioceses in the South, which I had become aware of from the rector of the Co-Cathedral in Houston, TX. When I later heard, on Saturday evening, of our Archbishop’s remarks that next weekend was to be the opening of our churches, I took comfort in his statement, “I (His Excellency) am not ordering the opening of any church against a pastor’s judgement to keep his church closed out of some concern.” Because of the “everything ready” clause of some of our Church Laws, or Canons, I supposed the reverse could be assumed. Consequently, because it was simply too late to get the word out, we opened and have remained open with all due cautions in place. Please note that no flaunt of the Archbishop’s directives were ever intended by your pastor. After these last twelve years, you know him well enough not to imagine that he would ever intentionally disobey church authority. Please note at his excitement, with hearing the President’s intention, you pastor, with impunity, he believes, jumped the gun. I am truly sorry that some might have thought it was in anyway intentional! Please again note, as was noted last week, that there continues to be no “obligation to attend Sunday Mass” for any person with any concern as to safety. Certainly those of advanced years and/or with compromised health do well to pray in the safety of home, making Spiritual Communion.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Saturday, May 14, is/was Armed Forces Day. Prayerful thanks and best wishes to our men and women in uniform as well as to all who have served our great country in the past. As many great leaders have assured us: “The price of peace is eternal vigilance!” I have been particularly edified by many of the sons and daughters of our parish family who serve in the military. May the Good Lord bless them and protect them and, with their vital help, bless and protect all of us privileged to be citizens of the greatest nation known to mankind. Our various military flags along Lincoln Highway are flying in gratitude for you!
Thursday of this week, May 21, is the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord. As our Mass intentions continue to be celebrated, please be certain that your wonderfully prayerful presence continues to be missed by our bevy of celebrants but certainly not by our loving God, Who knowing our present situation, is pleased to hear our prayers of adoration, petition, reparation and thanksgiving being offered in our homes, many times with the assistance of being “virtually” in union with Holy Mass.
The quarterly food drive at SSPJ benefits The Lord’s Pantry and the West Chester Food Cupboard with donations by way of cash and checks being divided equally between these two organizations. Donations may be mailed to these organizations or you may visit their website for online giving options.
The Lord’s Pantry
141 East Lancaster Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335
www.lordspantryofdowningtown.org
West Chester Food Cupboard
431 South Bolmar Street
West Chester, PA 19382
www.westchesterfoodcupboard.org
I don’t know about you, but so often I find myself singing the beautiful Marian Hymns in this Our Lady’s Month of May. With fondness, little Joey D clearly remembers joining his dear mother in singing the Hail Mary as the wash, in those days of yore, got hung out to dry. Our dear parents helped us in so many ways to be close to God and His Saints. Hopefully the added time together, these unique days, find us sharing the beauty of our Catholic Faith with those we love in a rich variety of ways. I am grateful to our Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters and Faculty for staying in touch through our parents with our young’uns and their faith journeys. +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
“Let your hearts be not troubled, you have faith in God, have faith also in Me! These words have always had a wonderful resonance in my heart and I hope also in yours. They first especially came to my attention as a seminarian trying to allay the trepidation's of an upper classman who was greatly troubled about stepping forward for ordination.
Interesting, it was also the message last Friday at daily Mass and by coincidence, (are there really any such things); it was the Gospel chosen by the family for the funeral of a wonderful wife and mother, Dottie Tuccio, that same day. She had gone to God after a valiant battle with poor heath for several years.
And yes, here it is in the Gospel, a third time for me, on this Fifth Sunday of Easter in the current cycle of readings. Earlier this week I attempted several times to work on this little message…and always there were interruptions. There are no accidents with God. Clearly the message became certain, if not loud and clear, the Lord wants us to hear His words to Philip in this Sunday’s Gospel. “DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED.” Jesus’ words two thousand years ago to the twelve, and in this Easter of unusual grace, we hear the message once again! Let’s open our hearts and really take and make our own, Jesus’ words.
In the midst of life’s present uncertainties, may our hearts resound with a fervent:
P.S. The above noted seminarian is celebrating his forty-eighth anniversary of a happy and fruitful Priesthood this year. +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Please be certain that all our wonderful parishioners are in the prayers of our I.H.M Sisters, our Augustinian helpers, Fr. Quan and yours truly. We are grateful for your prayers for us and our Church. We, also, are very grateful for the tremendous out poring of support from our SSPJ family, and those who sometimes worship with us, for our continuing financial needs. Thank you and God bless you for your always marvelous generosity to our parish and it’s good works.
I wanted to remind everyone about the SSPJ Helping Hands Volunteers that are here for the asking! They are ready to help our parishioners with temporary needs. They make meals, visit with, drive for errands and doctor appointments, groceries, and more for those that can’t do these things on their own. If you need a helping hand or if you would like to join the group contact LeeAnne Kaminski at 610.524.9335 or HelpingHands.sspj@gmail.com.
I have had an inquiry about church being opened for visits, (this to the Pastor who was reported to the “liturgy police” a few weeks ago), prior to the Governor’s order, for having church open. In light of the Governor’s decree, I am convinced that opening church or chapel is prohibited. This despite the fact that some churches disregard civil authority.
The good Lord certainly knows our desire to be in His Eucharistic Presence as well as received Him and He certainly understands why we, at this time, cannot safely do so. In His marvelous way the Lord allows us to be spiritually in his Presence, similar to the spiritual communions that have been necessary these past weeks.
I just cannot see the “necessity” of visits when we cannot attend Holy Mass with impunity. Contaminated pews do not know Mass times from visits times and without disinfecting the pews, they can be dangerous. Actually, in places in the south that are contemplating opening for Mass, the recommendation is that only every third pew be available for seating (no one in the pews in between). Also, after every Mass the pews used must be disinfected. (I recommended to one pastor that it would be easier to alternate pews at each of three Masses, that are available and then after all three Masses sanitize all the pews.) In light of all this I hope you can understand my concern about being open for “visits” at this extraordinary time. We just don’t have the ability to continuously disinfect pews during “visit” times.
In the meantime, let’s focus on the joy of the wonderful Easter Season and in the midst of media Masses, spiritual communions and visits, remember that our kindness to others is the best indication of union with the Risen One!
Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia! For the Son, Whom you did merit to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia! Pray for us to God, Alleluia!
Having entered the beautiful month of Our Blessed Mother let’s remember to take advantage of Jesus’ gift to us of His own mother, always seeking her intercession on our behalf. Our Lady’s shrine in church has been decorated and her image crowned. Similarly, very kind parishioners have planted Our Lady’s grotto for the season. Why not honor Our Lady in your home. Adorn her image and pray her rosary. +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
I hope and pray this finds you and your dear ones well. You are very much missed! Please be certain of a daily remembrance at our altar.
As Catholics, we continue to be blessed by our sojourn through the beautiful fifty days of the Easter Season. I know the Risen One has manifested Himself to all of us in a wide variety of ways this year. These unusual weeks abound with opportunities to encounter Him. I am truly delighted to hear how many make use of the Eucharistic opportunities given by the media and on the internet. Our ability to receive Him spiritually, and as noted last week to experience the forgiveness of all our sins through a perfect Act of Contrition, until we are able to receive sacramental absolution, hopefully continue to empower our steps in closer union with Him as we journey onward. The warmth of family and friends made possible by the variety of communication opportunities and even the simple smile through our safety masks or little wave are all opportunities of our being the Body of Christ with and for others.
Let’s not forget to give thanks for the beauty of Spring, this year especially bold, in the shrubs and trees and the bright colors of the flowers sprung from those dark crusty branches and bulbs. All moments to keep uppermost in our minds that the One, who could not be held by the darkness of the tomb, offers us His Company in wonderfully rich and varied ways. As He told Mary of Magdala and those first frightened disciples, “do not be afraid.” May we, too, experience the voice of the Risen One. He alone can empower us to live each moment emboldened by the Faith, Hope and Love that He offers us until we are safely with Him in the unimaginable wonder of life in the Most Blessed Trinity.
Continue to pray for God’s blessings for researchers, all hospital and healthcare workers, and all those serving in the essential services. Please remember all the sick, and our faithful departed, especially the mother of Dr. Louis Manna who died this week. Dr. Manna is a regular usher at Saturday 4 PM Mass. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. +jcd
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Again, I say, rejoice!
As we depart the beautiful Easter Octave (eight days of Sunday) that comprise our Catholic liturgical “Easter Sunday,” we move on to the extended Easter Season. As our celebration of the great “day” or Octave of Easter found us at a loss to personally be present to the Sacred Mysteries, I am sure, however, that the good Lord helped each of us to experience the beauty of Holy Week and Easter Week in our homes. Our private devotions, aided for many by the televising or skyping of the celebration of Holy Mass, will hopefully continue to bolster up our faith in these trying times.
Please be certain that a perfect Act of Contrition (one when we are sorry for offending God not because we fear punishment, but because we have offended God who loves us beyond our imagining,) always restores us to the State of Grace, until we can make Sacramental Confession to a priest. Similarly, when we are prohibited from the reception of Our Lord in Holy Communion, we certainly can welcome the Lord “Spiritually” into ourselves as if at Communion. Remember our Blessed Lord is never outdone in generosity. Let’s be certain that that the remainder of this beautiful season will find us in ever deeper union with God, through our union with Christ in prayer, and the workings of their Holy Spirit in our lives.
Speaking of prayer, the present circumstances give us a great opportunity to also renew our devotion to Our Blessed Mother Mary with the daily recitation of the Rosary and recitation morning, noon and night of the lovely “Queen of Heaven” prayer that replaces the Angelus through the Season of Easter.
Queen of Heaven, Rejoice, Alleluia
For He Whom you did merit to bear, Alleluia
Has risen as He said, Alleluia
Pray for us to God, Alleluia
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia
For the Lord has risen indeed. Alleluia
Let Us Pray
O God, Who gave joy to the whole world
Through the Resurrection of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Grant that we may obtain, through
His Virgin Mother, Mary,
The joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen!
Even in the midst of the trials of this life, may our faith and trust in our good and gracious God, and the example and prayers of Our Lady, the Saints and Angels, sustain us and ever keep us God’s Holy People! +jcd