Changes are Coming: But We will Survive and Thrive – Beginning this Sunday and throughout the Sundays of October, we will be talking in our homilies about the upcoming changes to the Roman Missal that will take place on the First Sunday of Advent (Nov. 27, 2011). This Sunday, we will talk about how we deal with changes in our lives, and the next four (4) Sundays we will go over the 4 different parts of the Mass: The Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Concluding Rites. An unknown author wrote: “Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.” And another unknown author wrote “The key to success is often the ability to adapt.” Lastly, a third unknown author wrote “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.”
We all know that changes can be difficult and they are not always for the better. But change is the only constant in life, just as women’s fashion is always changing. But we’ve always survived change. The only thing that ceases to change in life are things that are dead. I was reading about the last major change that happened in the liturgy and that was back in 1965. In some parishes, the change came even later. Some of you may remember with fondness those days before the change. Mass was in Latin. The priest celebrated Mass with his back to the people. There was a certain mystery to the Mass as women and girls wore white veils in Church, communion was received on the tongue, while kneeling. There were 40 hour devotions, meatless Fridays, collections in school for pagan babies, “JMJ” spontaneously scrawled at the top of your homework papers. The bus driver put his hand over the fare box whenever a priest or Sister entered the bus. We crossed ourselves each time we passed by a Church. Even firefighters with axes and poles, while fighting a fire inside the church, would genuflect each time they passed back and forth before the Blessed Sacrament. It was a time when Catholic culture in the City was strong.
However, the changes that the Second Vatican Council brought changed many of that. Besides the changes in the liturgy, Catholics were able to attend Protestant churches for weddings and funerals. There is a greater sense of collegiality as lay Catholics are invited to participate in the leadership and ministry of the Church. These days, men and women serving as Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers are the norm. Lay people serve in all levels of parish ministry from the advising the pastor regarding the mission of the parish, to finances, the care of the property and teaching and administering our Catholic Schools. Girls, too, are now able to serve alongside boys as altar servers. And the reason is not simply that the Church is running out of priests and sisters to serve the Church. There was a fundamental change in the Council’s view of the laity. No longer are you uneducated, unable to read or write, simple farmers. But many of you are now even more educated than the priests and are invited to use your gifts and talents not only for the growth of the Church, but to serve God in the world where you live, work and play.
So in every change, there is a bit of a loss. But similarly, there is a world of opportunities. Although the upcoming changes in the Roman Missal seem small in comparison to the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council, but my point is simply that we’ve survived and good things came as a result of it. Similarly, the small changes will lead some of us to grieve the loss of the familiar. (Note: the changes are only in the wording and there are less than 50 changes in the people’s response. However, the structure of the Mass remains the same). So let us entrust the future of the Church into God’s hands and that God will bring about a blessing out of these changes. Jesus taught us, “do not be afraid.” So we have nothing to fear, because He said “I will be with you all days, even until the end of the world.”
Altar Server Installation – I want to acknowledge and thank our newest 7th grade altar servers. Last Spring they’ve shadowed with an experienced altar server to learn their role and throughout the Summer, they’ve practiced serving at the weekday and Sunday Masses. Now they are ready to make a commitment to serve God and His Church. We will accept their commitment and dedication at this Sunday’s 9:30am Mass. I also want to thank Mr. Bolden who prepared them and for their parents who assist them by getting them here on time for their Masses.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dan
Friday, September 30, 2011
News Around the Parish
Sunday Homilies in October – October will be a busy month with Altar Server installation, 8th graders becoming Candidates for Confirmation, Advisory Board and other Club officers renewing their commitment to service. And in the midst of the photo sessions for the parish photo directory, the bake sale and the Youth Ministry BBQ, we do want to make time to talk about the upcoming changes to the New Roman Missal. Our committee planning for this upcoming change thought it would be important to talk about them at the Sunday Masses in October, simply because it is where we can reach the greatest number of people. Although this topic has already been presented in Lent to smaller groups, however, it is at the Sunday Mass that we can introduce this topic to most of our parishioners.
So it is my prayer that you will come with an open mind and heart to what the Lord is doing in His Church. Next Sunday, I would like to begin the conversation by touching upon a subject that affects all of us. “How do we handle change?” Although it is a topic aimed at the New Roman Missal, but it will certainly be relevant in other areas of our lives. I hope you will look at the upcoming changes not only with a sense of remorse and loss, but also with a view of the opportunities it presents. After grieving my disappointments, I can now see the blessings it can bring. For those of you who might be interested to study the changes in greater detail and to have a conversation with fellow parishioners about them, we are planning a sign-up for small study and discussion groups. The Mass that we attend in good times and in bad, from here in the U.S. to Africa, Asia and Europe, have a great richness in history and spirituality. I hope you will use this opportunity during our changes, to deepen your own understanding of the Mass and to grow spiritually. That is certainly our goal, as we prepare for the implementation on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.
Update on the Hall Renovation – the summer months have certainly passed by quickly and after a slow start in the hall renovation, the work is now coming along smoothly. The costliest and least visible work has been the rewiring of the hall. The electrical upgrade included centralizing the power panels, which was disjointed because of additions that were added later to the church building. This upgrade makes provisions for security cameras, sound system, internet and cable TV and they should be good for another 80 years. As you might have noticed if you went downstairs to use the restrooms, we are using tiles to keep up the Mission theme of the parish. Our parishioner and contractor, Bryan Birmingham, still expects the hall to be completed mid-October. The kitchen, which began later because of permit issues, should soon follow. At least our students will be able to use the hall again for motor skills and dancing. Our estimate for the cost of this 2nd part of the hall renovation is $472,868. This figure includes new furniture, appliances for the kitchen, permits and a 10% contingency fee for unexpected expenses. As always, thank you for your financial support that have allowed us to renovate the hall and to pay the bills on time without taking a loan.
Photo Directory – I would like to remind you, if you have not signed up for a portrait session for the Photo Directory, please take a moment to do so. Your portrait will make our parish directory more complete and you can take home a free 8x10 to share with your family. You can sign-up online through our website at www.stbrendanparish.org.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You – I want to extend a great big thank you to the Mothers’ Club and the Men’s Club for their generous donation of $5,000 each to the parish, totaling $10,000. Their gift will be used to improve the Church’s sound system and to add a projection system to display songs, slides or videos. Thank you, Kim Fama, Mother’s Club President 2010-2011 and thank you ,Glenn Fama, Men’s Club
President 2011-2012 and to their members for this generous donation to our parish.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dan
So it is my prayer that you will come with an open mind and heart to what the Lord is doing in His Church. Next Sunday, I would like to begin the conversation by touching upon a subject that affects all of us. “How do we handle change?” Although it is a topic aimed at the New Roman Missal, but it will certainly be relevant in other areas of our lives. I hope you will look at the upcoming changes not only with a sense of remorse and loss, but also with a view of the opportunities it presents. After grieving my disappointments, I can now see the blessings it can bring. For those of you who might be interested to study the changes in greater detail and to have a conversation with fellow parishioners about them, we are planning a sign-up for small study and discussion groups. The Mass that we attend in good times and in bad, from here in the U.S. to Africa, Asia and Europe, have a great richness in history and spirituality. I hope you will use this opportunity during our changes, to deepen your own understanding of the Mass and to grow spiritually. That is certainly our goal, as we prepare for the implementation on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.
Update on the Hall Renovation – the summer months have certainly passed by quickly and after a slow start in the hall renovation, the work is now coming along smoothly. The costliest and least visible work has been the rewiring of the hall. The electrical upgrade included centralizing the power panels, which was disjointed because of additions that were added later to the church building. This upgrade makes provisions for security cameras, sound system, internet and cable TV and they should be good for another 80 years. As you might have noticed if you went downstairs to use the restrooms, we are using tiles to keep up the Mission theme of the parish. Our parishioner and contractor, Bryan Birmingham, still expects the hall to be completed mid-October. The kitchen, which began later because of permit issues, should soon follow. At least our students will be able to use the hall again for motor skills and dancing. Our estimate for the cost of this 2nd part of the hall renovation is $472,868. This figure includes new furniture, appliances for the kitchen, permits and a 10% contingency fee for unexpected expenses. As always, thank you for your financial support that have allowed us to renovate the hall and to pay the bills on time without taking a loan.
Photo Directory – I would like to remind you, if you have not signed up for a portrait session for the Photo Directory, please take a moment to do so. Your portrait will make our parish directory more complete and you can take home a free 8x10 to share with your family. You can sign-up online through our website at www.stbrendanparish.org.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You – I want to extend a great big thank you to the Mothers’ Club and the Men’s Club for their generous donation of $5,000 each to the parish, totaling $10,000. Their gift will be used to improve the Church’s sound system and to add a projection system to display songs, slides or videos. Thank you, Kim Fama, Mother’s Club President 2010-2011 and thank you ,Glenn Fama, Men’s Club
President 2011-2012 and to their members for this generous donation to our parish.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dan
Friday, September 16, 2011
News Around the Parish
Congratulations to our Canossian Sisters – In late August, three (3) women from our parish and one(1)from St. Stephen’s made their “First Promise” as Lay Canossians. As a Lay Canossian, they serve alongside our sisters in their ministry. The Canossian Sisters were founded by Magdalene of Canossa. She came from a noble family and began her ministry in 1808 when she tried to address the needs of the poor in Verona, Italy. Gathering other men and women to assist her, the Canossian Community spread throughout the world. Their charism is to make Jesus known and loved. They do so by caring for the poor, especially women, youth and children. In the 1800s, they began serving in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Timor, India and Singapore. In the 20th century, they continued their ministries into the rest of Europe, Africa and South America. They are truly an international religious community that is in 6 different continents and 39 countries. And they accept volunteers who desire to work alongside them throughout the world. Through the Canossian International Voluntary Service, men and women are able to join them for a one-year service in mission areas like Tanzania, Togo, Malawi, Egypt and East Timor. However, one can also join and serve alongside them right here in our city and in our parish. And that is what the four (4) Lay Canossians that will be recognized this Saturday at the 5:00 pm Mass have done. Lucille Kovash assists Sr. Rita in RCIA, teaching the Catholic faith to Adults. Marilu Illenberger serves in the liturgy committee at her parish in St. Stephen’s. Dr. Lourdes Scheerer and Genilin Wong join Sr. Catherine and Sr. Elizabeth in the visit and care of the sick in our parish and at Laguna Honda Hospital. Congratulations to them on becoming part of this wonderful Canossian Community and thank you for your loving service to this parish and our community.
Please visit http://www.canossiansisters.org/ for more information regarding our Canossian Sisters.
Parish Picnic – Don’t forget, next Sunday, September 25 will be our 6th Annual picnic at Blackberry Farm in Cupertino. Although the location is a little farther south, however Cupertino is a nice location where the weather is warm and kids can swim. They have 2 pools, one especially for the little ones. Mass will be celebrated at the picnic site at 11:00 am. Lunch will follow with a delicious BBQ prepared by the Men’s Club. I want to thank the Advisory Board for coordinating this yearly event, and for the Mother’s and Men’s Club for preparing the treats. Although we charge only $5 per person (under 3 are free), however, bring a little extra cash $3.00 for each person who would like to swim.
See you there………….. their address is 21979 San Fernando Avenue, Cupertino, CA.
Photo Directory – This weekend, volunteers will be assisting in signing up for your photo session for our photo directory. I’d truly like to encourage you to make time to make our parish directory complete. Because our community has about 1,400 households, about 4,180 members, having a photo directory truly helps us to know one another. How many times have you had a great conversation with someone and then forgot his or her name? Lifetouch, the company that will be taking our portraits, will be here for 12 days on weekdays and weekends, starting September 29 – October 16. Bring your calendar and schedule a date for yourself and your family. You can also sign up online by visiting our website at www.stbrendanparish.org, click on News/Events, and select Sign-up for Portrait Sessions.
For your troubles, Lifetouch will give you a free 8x10 portrait and a free photo directory. Because our hall is still under renovation, the photo sessions will take place in the rectory. Say cheese……………
Please visit http://www.canossiansisters.org/ for more information regarding our Canossian Sisters.
Parish Picnic – Don’t forget, next Sunday, September 25 will be our 6th Annual picnic at Blackberry Farm in Cupertino. Although the location is a little farther south, however Cupertino is a nice location where the weather is warm and kids can swim. They have 2 pools, one especially for the little ones. Mass will be celebrated at the picnic site at 11:00 am. Lunch will follow with a delicious BBQ prepared by the Men’s Club. I want to thank the Advisory Board for coordinating this yearly event, and for the Mother’s and Men’s Club for preparing the treats. Although we charge only $5 per person (under 3 are free), however, bring a little extra cash $3.00 for each person who would like to swim.
See you there………….. their address is 21979 San Fernando Avenue, Cupertino, CA.
Photo Directory – This weekend, volunteers will be assisting in signing up for your photo session for our photo directory. I’d truly like to encourage you to make time to make our parish directory complete. Because our community has about 1,400 households, about 4,180 members, having a photo directory truly helps us to know one another. How many times have you had a great conversation with someone and then forgot his or her name? Lifetouch, the company that will be taking our portraits, will be here for 12 days on weekdays and weekends, starting September 29 – October 16. Bring your calendar and schedule a date for yourself and your family. You can also sign up online by visiting our website at www.stbrendanparish.org, click on News/Events, and select Sign-up for Portrait Sessions.
For your troubles, Lifetouch will give you a free 8x10 portrait and a free photo directory. Because our hall is still under renovation, the photo sessions will take place in the rectory. Say cheese……………
Friday, September 9, 2011
Welcome Brother Dat Joseph Nguyen
If you ask any young man the exact time he fell in love, he would probably find it difficult to pin point the exact moment. However, he can probably tell you the significant events that solidified their relationship. In a similar way, I cannot point out the exact moment when my vocation journey began but I can tell you for certain, the sexual abuse scandal of 2002 helped me to take a decisive step.
I have thought about the priesthood long before 2002, but never actually decided. Like a young boy who wants to be a fireman but then learns about the requirements and loses interest, my call to the priesthood also began with admiration for priests. However, the priests’ scandal caused me to be angry and to lose that admiration. One day, in a homily, my parish priest said that we often complain about problems, but have we ever thought about what we could do to help solve the problems?
Certainly, I never saw myself as a solution to the priest pedophile scandal. But as a new college graduate, and as I was thinking about my life and how I felt comfortable being a healthy celibate, I decided to try the seminary. Even though I had received notice for an interview for Drexel Medical School in Philadelphia, as I weighed my chances and options, in the end, I applied for the seminary. I did not think I would last; nevertheless, I wanted to give God a year of my life. I never want to live my life with “what ifs,” and since I had just finished college, I thought that it was the perfect time for me to explore priesthood. After one year in the seminary, I was happy with my decision and continued my journey to priesthood.
Perhaps I am a fool to pursue the priesthood at this point in my life with the knowledge of the scandal and its ramifications. But I am nothing compared to the great Nazarene “fool” who believed His suffering and death would redeem humanity from sins and showed everyone the value of love. I want to follow this Nazarene “fool” because He exemplified the foolishness of God, and this type of foolishness is wiser than human
wisdom (1 Cor 1:25). This is the scandal of the cross, and in my own way, I am involved in that scandal. My vocation journey began with a scandal…. yet it is not the type of scandal you would expect.
Bro. Dat
Theology of Priest Formation – Although the Seminary exists to form men to become priests, however, our theology teaches us that the formation of a priest is not complete in the seminary alone. Pope John Paul II called the family as the first seminary where we are first taught the faith. As we grow and prepare for the other sacraments of initiation (Holy Communion and Confirmation), other men and women taught and modeled the faith for us. The faith community where we worship is also a place of formation. It is where the Body of Christ gathers. It is a place where we are continually nourished by Word and Sacrament, where we see the faith lived out from visiting the sick, caring for the poor, to teaching our youth. You, the members of this faith community, are also essential to Bro. Dat’s formation as a priest. When I was newly ordained and was assigned to St. Catherine in Burlingame, it was the people of God there that taught me how to be a priest. Just as fathers and mothers learn to be parents through their children, so we learn to be servants of God and His people through you. Bro. Dat needs your encouragement, needs your support, and needs your constructive comments. And together, may we help this generous young man to be the best possible priest God called him to be.
Fr. Dan
I have thought about the priesthood long before 2002, but never actually decided. Like a young boy who wants to be a fireman but then learns about the requirements and loses interest, my call to the priesthood also began with admiration for priests. However, the priests’ scandal caused me to be angry and to lose that admiration. One day, in a homily, my parish priest said that we often complain about problems, but have we ever thought about what we could do to help solve the problems?
Certainly, I never saw myself as a solution to the priest pedophile scandal. But as a new college graduate, and as I was thinking about my life and how I felt comfortable being a healthy celibate, I decided to try the seminary. Even though I had received notice for an interview for Drexel Medical School in Philadelphia, as I weighed my chances and options, in the end, I applied for the seminary. I did not think I would last; nevertheless, I wanted to give God a year of my life. I never want to live my life with “what ifs,” and since I had just finished college, I thought that it was the perfect time for me to explore priesthood. After one year in the seminary, I was happy with my decision and continued my journey to priesthood.
Perhaps I am a fool to pursue the priesthood at this point in my life with the knowledge of the scandal and its ramifications. But I am nothing compared to the great Nazarene “fool” who believed His suffering and death would redeem humanity from sins and showed everyone the value of love. I want to follow this Nazarene “fool” because He exemplified the foolishness of God, and this type of foolishness is wiser than human
wisdom (1 Cor 1:25). This is the scandal of the cross, and in my own way, I am involved in that scandal. My vocation journey began with a scandal…. yet it is not the type of scandal you would expect.
Bro. Dat
Theology of Priest Formation – Although the Seminary exists to form men to become priests, however, our theology teaches us that the formation of a priest is not complete in the seminary alone. Pope John Paul II called the family as the first seminary where we are first taught the faith. As we grow and prepare for the other sacraments of initiation (Holy Communion and Confirmation), other men and women taught and modeled the faith for us. The faith community where we worship is also a place of formation. It is where the Body of Christ gathers. It is a place where we are continually nourished by Word and Sacrament, where we see the faith lived out from visiting the sick, caring for the poor, to teaching our youth. You, the members of this faith community, are also essential to Bro. Dat’s formation as a priest. When I was newly ordained and was assigned to St. Catherine in Burlingame, it was the people of God there that taught me how to be a priest. Just as fathers and mothers learn to be parents through their children, so we learn to be servants of God and His people through you. Bro. Dat needs your encouragement, needs your support, and needs your constructive comments. And together, may we help this generous young man to be the best possible priest God called him to be.
Fr. Dan
News Around the Parish
Parish Directory – As many of you may have seen the inserts in our bulletins, we are planning to publish a new parish directory. The last one was published in 2006 and our children have grown, some families have grown larger, and we have some new families joining us. We had first considered this late last year, but the Advisory Board thought that we should aim for this Fall, when most of us are back from vacation. The Company that will be taking the portraits is Lifetouch. It is also the same company that takes portraits of our students and faculty. We found them to be the most flexible and easiest to work with among the different vendors out there. I want to thank the Welcome Committee for coordinating this event.
In order for the parish family album to be complete, we would like to invite all of you to participate. Beginning next Sunday, volunteers will be around after masses to help you sign up for a time to take your picture, so bring your appointment books. Lifetouch will be out here 12 days, in the weekdays and on weekends from September 29th to October 16th. We hope you will participate. Lifetouch will give each participating family a complimentary 8x10 portrait and a parish directory. The way they will cover their costs and make some profit is, of course, to sell you portraits. That’s why the Advisory Board and Welcome Committee thought the Fall schedule would work better for us, because then you can also use these portraits for the upcoming Christmas Season as Christmas cards or gifts. It should be a win-win for everyone and I hope you will participate to make our parish family album complete.
Staff/Lay Leaders Retreat – Last Thursday (8/25), the parish staff and some lay leaders took time away from the office to reflect on our ministry. Although the Advisory Board helped us identify our strategic vision for our parish, however, our time away was simply to look at what was going well and what needed attention in our daily work. We reflected on the various ministries in our parish and evaluated each one. The one that scored the highest was the Welcome Committee. The lowest was high school youth ministry and young adult ministry.
With approval from the Finance Committee, we will look to find a suitable candidate for this part time position to replace Sr. Necy. We also discussed ways to strengthen the spirituality of our parish, which was what the parish survey, done by the Advisory Board, revealed as one of the most important priorities in our parish. A program called, “Why Catholic?” distributed by Renew International, was discussed. It is designed for small groups (10-12 people), where a lay leader using the materials prepared, can guide discussions on the different topics of our faith. So often, we may hear of critiques of our faith, but feel inadequate to respond. In the context of prayer and a small faith community, we can discuss issues that are near and dear to us. Overall, the retreat was helpful for us to gauge our effectiveness so that we can improve.
Please Keep in your prayers – the mother of our principal passed away earlier last week (8/30). Mrs. Carol Grewal, our principal, returned to Ireland to be with her family. Her mother’s name is Theo Davis. Please hold her and her family in your prayers.
Peace,
Fr. Dan
In order for the parish family album to be complete, we would like to invite all of you to participate. Beginning next Sunday, volunteers will be around after masses to help you sign up for a time to take your picture, so bring your appointment books. Lifetouch will be out here 12 days, in the weekdays and on weekends from September 29th to October 16th. We hope you will participate. Lifetouch will give each participating family a complimentary 8x10 portrait and a parish directory. The way they will cover their costs and make some profit is, of course, to sell you portraits. That’s why the Advisory Board and Welcome Committee thought the Fall schedule would work better for us, because then you can also use these portraits for the upcoming Christmas Season as Christmas cards or gifts. It should be a win-win for everyone and I hope you will participate to make our parish family album complete.
Staff/Lay Leaders Retreat – Last Thursday (8/25), the parish staff and some lay leaders took time away from the office to reflect on our ministry. Although the Advisory Board helped us identify our strategic vision for our parish, however, our time away was simply to look at what was going well and what needed attention in our daily work. We reflected on the various ministries in our parish and evaluated each one. The one that scored the highest was the Welcome Committee. The lowest was high school youth ministry and young adult ministry.
With approval from the Finance Committee, we will look to find a suitable candidate for this part time position to replace Sr. Necy. We also discussed ways to strengthen the spirituality of our parish, which was what the parish survey, done by the Advisory Board, revealed as one of the most important priorities in our parish. A program called, “Why Catholic?” distributed by Renew International, was discussed. It is designed for small groups (10-12 people), where a lay leader using the materials prepared, can guide discussions on the different topics of our faith. So often, we may hear of critiques of our faith, but feel inadequate to respond. In the context of prayer and a small faith community, we can discuss issues that are near and dear to us. Overall, the retreat was helpful for us to gauge our effectiveness so that we can improve.
Please Keep in your prayers – the mother of our principal passed away earlier last week (8/30). Mrs. Carol Grewal, our principal, returned to Ireland to be with her family. Her mother’s name is Theo Davis. Please hold her and her family in your prayers.
Peace,
Fr. Dan
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