Change Time

Dear Parishioners

In my last posting, I welcomed aboard Ms. Colleen Kotrba as our new grade school principal. She will be taking over the ship that has been faithfully steered by Ms. Frankie Bytheway. Well, at this time of the year, there are many changes that occur and in the area of personnel, this continues.

This week, we welcomed on board, Debbie Todor, who will be taking over for Kathy Zahniser who is retiring. The two are both working feverishly in the office this week with Kathy training Debbie the ropes of the job. Beginning next week, Kathy will start to decrease her presence as Debbie feels more confident in the work.

I want to thank Kathy for her 8+ years of ministry as our administrative assistant in the front office. She has been our front line of ministry to all who come to our office each day. Thank you, Kathy! You will be missed. So, if you want to come by before she leaves, this week is the best time. And so as she transitions out, please join me in welcoming Debbie. She comes to us from years of experience in the personnel department of Josephine County. We feel that her skills are very well suited for the work and that we are going to learn a lot from her.

This past week, Joe Trainor notified me that he would need to leave and begin a new venture for his family who live in the Philippines. He will likely stay through July which will ensure that VBS is managed well. So, I have posted our Pastoral Associate position on CatholicJobs.com and invite anyone who believes they are qualified and called to be part of our team to apply. One can do that by clicking this link.

So., yes, change is happening. It can be stressful, but good for us. It reminds me that I am not in control. Furthermore, God's plans are beyond any of ours. So, please set to prayer all four of these fantastic people" Frankie Bytheway, Colleen Kotrba, Kathy Zahniser, Debbie Todor, and Joe Trainor. It is an honor to work with each one of them. May God bless them all!

Blessings,


Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

New Principal Selected

Dear St. Anne Parish and School Community,

It is an honor and pleasure to officially announce the selection of Mrs. Colleen Kotrba as our new principal effective July 1, 2015.  This is an important transition in the history of our school, and I am excited, confident, and  thankful that Mrs. Kotrba will be leading our precious school into the future. This decision caps a year-long process that began when Frankie Bytheway announced her intention to retire after 22 years of selfless service to our school as a teacher and two-term principal.  

When I arrived six years ago, I was immediately given the task of finding a new principal. Frankie did not even apply and was quite content teaching first grade. When it became apparent that she was the one we needed to help steer the school back on course, she was more than gracious to accept my request to take up the helm once again. I will be forever grateful for her selfless dedication to St. Anne Catholic School.

Mrs. Kotrba will be stepping up to succeed Ms. Bytheway, having already taught four years at St. Anne and several years in both private and public schools prior to coming on board with us. She originally came to St. Anne as a Title One Math teacher through Grants Pass School District #7. The following year, we invited her to work additionally with St. Anne as our teacher for language arts. The next year she was brought on even further to teach 7/8th grade social studies and create a language arts/Social Studies block. This year she has been serving as our main middle school teacher focusing on math, language arts, and social studies in addition to her continuing role as a Title One teacher through District #7. This will be her first time serving as a principal. Officially, Colleen will be spending 80% of her time as our Principal and 20% in a teaching capacity. This is a shift from Frankie’s 50-50 role as principal/teacher. I believe this will help Colleen to immerse herself in this new role as well as help us in ways that have not been possible due to previous time constraints. 

Colleen has my full support. And while her new role does not begin until July, we are immediately beginning her transition process to make her first days, weeks, and months as smooth as possible. Colleen has that rare and very important quality of a servant’s heart for children. She is full of ideas and experience that come from being a teacher, wife, and mother of four children. Colleen has a heart for Jesus and is focused on why our school exists. I am very excited about her new appointment, as I believe she will continue to build on our commitment to faith formation, scholarship, leadership, and service according to our Catholic Values which we expect of our school. 

Finally, I want to thank all those who helped in this search process, most especially the critical help of the search committee and the superintendent of the Archdiocese Department of Catholic Schools.  Please share your heart and hopes with Mrs. Kotrba while also thanking Frankie for a job well done.  This year is ending with clarity of focus and hope for the coming years for our families.  Please join me in congratulating and thanking these two wonderful women in our school for their service and dedication.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Lent and Forgiveness

Dear Parishioners,

Prayer.  Fasting.  Almsgiving.  These are called the three pillars of Lent. How are you doing with these observances?  We’re still in the middle of Lent and you can still take some time to concentrate on one of these.  In addition, this week is our chance to attend our Communal Reconciliation service.  At St. Anne's will offer it on Thursday, March 19th at 7 PM.  At St. Patrick of the Forest it will be Monday the 16th at 7 PM.  We will have many priests to assist us.  Lent is a wonderful way to set things straight, repent, and allow God’s forgiveness to penetrate our hearts.

This weekend, we hear from probably the most famous passage of Scripture denoted simply as John 3:16.  But, instead of its context being a football game, we hear it proclaimed in the midst of the assembly at Mass.  God loves all that he has created.  He loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son for our salvation.  We are challenged by the knowledge and testimony of the Scriptures that remind us that while we prefer the darkness of sin, Jesus, who is the light of the world, calls us to live in the light of his truth.  This week’s Communal Reconciliation service is a perfect way to live out this call.  Let the darkness of sin in your life be exposed to the light who is Jesus.  Then listen and experience the forgiveness that can be yours.

For God so loves you that he gave his only Son, so that you who believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life.  Now that is Good  News!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Vatican Observatory Foundation Hosts Clergy and Educators

Dear Parishioners,

Last summer, an invitation went out to the dioceses of the United States to join the Vatican Observatory Foundation for a five day workshop on faith and astronomy for priests and Catholic educators.  This was their first time offering such a workshop.  Among the 60 clergy applied, 25 were accepted, including myself.  As a amateur astronomer, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  So in late January, I packed my bags and headed to Tucson, AZ.  That’s right, Tucson, not the Vatican.

The Vatican Observatory actually has two large observatories, one at Castel Gandolfo and the other on Mt. Graham near Tucson, AZ.  As it turns out, the mountains near Tucson have some of the best skies in the country for astronomy, thus there are many observatories near by, Kitt Peak National Observatory being the most famous.  Now, the immediate question arises, “Why does the Church have an observatory, let alone two?”  Originally, the Vatican Observatory was founded to help Pope Gregory XII reform the calendar which occurred in 1582. Since the 1930’s, the Jesuits have been given the stewardship of the two current observatory.  The goal of the Vatican Observatory is simply to do great astronomy in harmony with our faith.  To understand the heavens is to come to understand something about our creator.

The Faith and Astronomy Workshop (FAW) included mostly priests, but also deacons and lay teachers. Participants were from all over the United States.  We were led by Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., astronomer, author, researcher, former Vatican Observatory Curator of meteorites, planetary scientist, new President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, and recent winner of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science.  

Each day consisted of a talk by a scientist followed by lively discussions, lunch, and then a trip to a local lab working on an astronomical project. Then we would return to the Redemptorist Renewal Center where we were based for Mass, dinner, and an evening of star gazing through various telescopes.  The labs we visited were working on various satellite missions.  One created a special camera for a satellite currently orbiting Mars and taking optical surveys.  Another group was in the process of designing a space vehicle(called OSIRI-REX) that will be launched toward the asteroid “Bennu,” land on it, and bring back samples.  We also visited the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab who is currently building the mirrors for the soon-to-be constructed Magellan Telescope.  Due to the distance and snow in the mountains, we did not get the opportunity to visit the actual location of the Vatican Observatory nor any other observatories.

The lectures topics we heard included methods on teaching the constellations to children as well as the philosophy of science in an age of “new atheists.”  Br. Guy gave a talk on the current issue of physics, metaphysics, and cosmology.  A caution he offered revolved around common arguments that involved what he called “the God of the gaps,” whereby we ascribe to God all things in science that we do not yet understand.  The issue is that once we do understand those natural processes, then what does that say about God?  Br. Guy reminded us that we are not Deists who believe in a God who created everything and then backed off to watch everything unfold like a divine watchmaker.  Furthermore, God is not a natural phenomena or power akin to gravity.  God is totally holy, completely other, separate from creation, and supernatural.  Therefore, any attempts to prove the existence of God by scientific means is doomed to fail, for physics cannot and is not meant to make such an explanation. From the earliest times, we have believed that God is supernatural and outside of creation, yet intimately involved in the events of creation and, in particular, involved with us.  So, any perceived conflicts between faith and science are simply erroneous perceptions.  Both faith and science have the same goal: the Truth.  And since God is real, can be known, created all the laws of the cosmos, and is completely consistent within himself, there can be no contradictions or conflicts between faith and science.  Indeed, they collaborate in the search for the Truth.  One asks how to things happen (physics and astronomy) and the other asks from whom they exist and what meaning do they have (theology and philosophy).

The Faith and Astronomy Workshop, hosted by the Vatican Observatory Foundation, will be held again, beginning on January 16, 2016.  We need to encourage more clergy and Catholic educators to take advantage of this new opportunity being offered by our Church.  We, as Catholics, need to truly understand the theological, philosophical, and scientific fields being discussed in today’s culture.  We need to enter into the cultural debate and help assist in the quest for the Truth. After all, as the now long canceled TV show The X-Files would say, “the truth is out there.”  We Catholics simply need to encourage more of the faithful to take up physics, astronomy, as well as theology and philosophy.

For a astronomy geek like me, it was an amazing experience.  I look forward to sharing the work of the Vatican Observatory in my preaching and other public speaking opportunities.  It was truly a thrill to be able to meet Catholics doing serious astronomy and spend time with clergy and laity who are as passionate about this science as I am.

For more information, go to vaticanobservatory.org and vofoundation.org

Much Ado About Ash Wednesday

Dear Parishioners,

Ash Wednesday is coming soon. As such, I believe it timely to make clear an incorrect theological/liturgical statement that was in the Jan.25th bulletin entry entitled, “Treasures From Our Tradition.” In that segment on the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick there was a parenthetical comment that was not accurate. Trying to parallel the Anointing of the Sick with the sacramental of placing ashes on our heads on Ash Wednesday, the article stated, “For the same reason, they [children] do not receive ashes on Ash Wednesday” (Bracket is added by me for clarification of context). Plain and simple, no such rubric exists. Furthermore, there is no good reason that I can think of to reject anyone who comes forward to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, regardless of age or Christian faith tradition, In fact, the rubric in the Roman Missal for the distribution of ashes clearly states, “…the Priest places ashes on the head of all those present who come to him….” From the standpoint of the giver of the ashes, good faith should be assumed on the part of the receiver.

It is not generally the practice to offer children the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick who are under the age of reason and have not previously received Reconciliation. This is because the Sacrament of Reconciliation is intimately wrapped within the anointing itself. Placing of ashes on children, however, has no such conditions placed upon it. Furthermore, the placing of ashes is not a sign of communion, as Eucharist is. Children under the age of reason have no need to repent due to their lack of culpability. However, I would never recommend the withdrawal of offering ashes to children or anyone else just as I would never discourage someone from learning the sign of the cross, praying a rosary, or attending Mass. The reception of ashes can be a way to teach our children one of the many sacred traditions of our faith. The reception of ashes is open for the good of the faithful which can help them in their spiritual walk and may very well mark the beginning of repentance of some particular sin in their lives. Repentance is something everyone should learn and practice.

In expectation of a common question about Ash Wednesday, the rubrics found in the Book of Blessings states, "This rite may be celebrated by a priest or deacon who may be assisted by lay ministers in the distribution of the ashes. The blessing of the ashes, however, is reserved to a priest or deacon.” In addition, the help of lay ministers is critical in the offering of ashes to those in nursing homes and other locations where needed.

For the really geeky liturgist, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but what the 1962 Missal describes as a First Class Ferial Day (derived from the Latin “feria” meaning “free day”) which out ranks any other feasts that may coincide with that date. The current General Instructions to the Roman Missal (GIRM ¶59 §2) does not give a title for this kind of liturgical observation, but its ranking and precedence over other potential memorials or feasts is the same as in the 1962 Missal. Holy Week also has the same liturgical ranking. All the faithful, of course, are highly encouraged to fully participate in all of these profound liturgical celebrations which are special in their uniqueness in the liturgical calendar. If that is totally confusing, check out my brief explanation of the principle of “Progressive Solemnity” at frbill.org/liturgicaldefs.html.


Finally, some folks have asked in the past about the variations of placing ashes on the faithful. When watching papal Masses on TV, people have noticed that the Holy Father sprinkles ashes on the tops of the heads of those coming to him while we rub the ashes on people’s foreheads in the sign of the cross. The rubrics do not offer any explicit help here. Instead, it is a matter of cultural custom. For example, most English speaking countries have the ashes marked on their foreheads while Spain, Italy, and several Latin American countries sprinkle the dry ashes on the crown of the head. There may be even other local customs that dictate how this ritual is done. The most important thing to remember is the meaning of this ritual. The Directory for Popular Piety may be of great help here:

"The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent. The faithful who come to receive ashes should be assisted in perceiving the implicit internal significance of this act, which disposes them towards conversion and renewed Easter commitment.”

May this coming Ash Wednesday and all of Lent bring you new grace from God to help us all repent of those things that are obstacles to God’s love.

B;essings

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

A Year of Gratefulness

Dear Parishioners,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! With all the bad news in the world that covers our headlines, it is important not just to be nostalgic, but to once again, root ourselves in those things that are truly good, beautiful, and true (cf. Philippians 4:7- 9). For in these things are true joy and peace. For in these things we encounter the Good News who is Jesus Christ.

This year, for me, I look back and I am thankful for the work of all our pastoral ministers who have tirelessly worked in the vineyard with equally passionate volunteers. Events such as Joe’s Camp to Summer Bible School to the events surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe show how much God had been working in the lives of our people. For a second year in a row, those who entered the Church through the Easter Vigil celebration, made up a group so large that the room where their classes where held was moved to a much larger one in the Parish Center. This year our sacristan crew (those who help prepare for Mass), more than tripled in size! I am so humbled to see their selfless dedication to this important task each week.

I am grateful that the Lord has blessed our school with a large increase in students which has allowed us to spread the Good News to more children and their families. The school community continued to grow in vibrancy. I am also so grateful for our wonderful teaching and administrative staff at the school. The sense of camaraderie and morale is inspiring.

I am excited about the work and direction our Core Building Committee who have taken a year to explore all the options for a new church building. Please note that I did not say renovation. In the course of our explorations, it turned out not be a significant cost difference to rebuild versus renovate the existing structure. So, early on after making that decision, we explored almost every location and arrangement of a proposed new church. In the Spring, we will have a feasibility study done in order to determine what financial potential there is in this project. I am so pleased with the discernment that has been so seriously undertaken in this task. I believe you will love what will come out of it all.

Finally, I am so very thankful for all the people who have newly come to worship here at St. Anne’s. They have helped us have new people helping with ministries. They have brought fresh eyes and ears to help us with our mission. I hope that we continue to be that church where Jesus is prophetically preached, hearts are healed, and the Mass becomes ever-more the center of our faith, for it is there that we encounter the sacrificed and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. In all, there is much for which to be grateful. May all these things give glory to God!

May God bless you all!

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

True Death With Dignity

Dear Parishioners,

The recent death of Brittany Maynard who took a lethal dose of drugs has sparked much controversy in our country and especially here in Oregon, since it was to here that she moved specifically so as to commit suicide under the so-called "Doctor Assisted Suicide" law. I noted my sadness on a Facebook entry recently which drew many comments both for and against her decision. A common argument is offered that we must be in the person's shoes to understand their plight. One person commented that they hated seeing their loved one die such a painful death which could have been eliminated if they would have directly ended it sooner. Another person commented that there were only two choices: die in great agony or be so drugged up that they are never awake or lucid. The most common argument I hear is that the person as a right to do what they wish. There were some beautiful comments about God's plan and the value of redemptive suffering. So, I thought, that I would reproduce my response to this lively thread here in our bulletin in order to shed some light on Catholic Social Teaching and my perspective as a priest:

My final thoughts in this lively discussion: We have long been idolitrizing personal rights at the expense of the common good. My life is not my own. It is God's. When I realize that, all life is more precious and full of dignity.

It is a fallacy of logic to demand that someone has to have had a similar experience in order to render a right judgement. Sometimes, personal experience can blind us to the objective truth of a matter and falsely justify it in order to maintain comfort about one's personal option. The value of a person isn't measured in their abilities or lack therein (autonomy, control, and the like). If that were true, then a person struck by paralysis would be less of a person. Not true. When someone is dying, the process of dying can be a very cleansing journey whereby the dying person is humbled and allows others to serve them, an act of love on both sides.

The natural dying process also allows for reconciliation and healing beyond a predetermined time frame. It [suicide] shuts out God who had plans for something miraculous in the journey. Palliative care can be done in such a way as to keep pain down and the person alert. In the final days or hours, the dying person may be unconscious, but the family or friends holding vigil are mystically bonded to each other and the dying person through the grace of God which has created unforgettable moments for all involved. There is no way to know all the good things that can happen in the full journey of natural death, but the facts are that it does happen, and all are better for it.

The natural dying process is a blessed journey. It helps the person discover new things about themselves that they would never have discovered by suicide. In those days and moments, much healing can occur for the dying person and all those with him/her. Praying in vigil with one who is near natural death is an encounter with God, the angels, and the saints. It is a corporal work of mercy which connects us to the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, a connection that heals. It is a way of letting others serve the one dying. It is a way to allow love to break its romantic bonds to be seen in all its sacrificial glory.

Letting go instead of taking control is a spiritual good in the natural dying process. I hope that when my time comes, I will let others into my suffering so that we can all be transformed into the image of the Son of God. With faith in Jesus Christ, suffering is not an evil, but a door to sanctity. May all the souls of those dying allow others to love them to the natural end and so encounter Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and rose for us all. May we always conform our lives to His.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger 

Pastor

Think With The Church

Dear Parishioners,

The voting season is upon us which makes me wonder about two things: 1. our ability to think clearly with the mind of the Church, and 2. whether people will take the time to vote.

First, I think it is safe to say we live in a time more politically polarized time than ever. We are more likely to see the world in terms of “liberal” or “conservative.” Yet, the mind of the Church is focused on Jesus and the teachings of his Apostles. Remember our Creed we say each week? Political thinking robs too many of us of vision to think, see, and act as the Bride of Christ would. When a bill or law is debated, how one analyzes the discussion will reveal whether one is politically minded first or Church-minded first. If the most potent terms of analysis are “liberal” or “conservative” rather than “faithful” or “orthodox” then politics is first in one’s mind. Political camps on these two fronts see the other’s ideologies as inherently bad. Yet, the Bible and the Church are both liberal and conservative, both seek out liberty and freedom as well as preserve the truths which have been handed on to us. In many ways, society doesn’t understand Jesus or his Church. Prophetically, Jesus said:

To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn. ’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. ’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works” (Matt. 11:16-19).

Seeking out the lost and keeping company with those who are sinners is what Jesus came here to do. At the same time, he stood fast to the moral teachings, challenged corruption, and passed on and even fulfilled ancient covenantal rituals (think the connection with the Passover and the Mass) which we now hold on to so dearly. As Catholics, our goal is to be faithful not just liberal or conservative.

Secondly, in this season when we are being called to do our duty to participate in the process of civil government through voting, we need to steep our hearts and minds in the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles as well as the mind of the Church so as to form good consciences. Check out our webpage, stannegp.com, and read about the issues from the view of the Gospel of Christ. Read the Oregon Voters Pamphlet which should have been delivered in your mail already. If you have a computer, look up more details about questions you have regarding the issues on the ballot as well as persons running for various offices.

Finally, remember that people of good will are going to differ on issues and persons for whom to vote. This fact then calls us, above all, to charity in our thoughts, words, and actions. Please pray for God’s will to be done. Please take seriously the issues before us and vote. Your vote counts. Many issues and candidates have won or lost because of just a few votes. Do your duty as a Catholic and vote with your conscience informed by your faith.

Blessings,


Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

The Common Good

Dear Parishioners,

The term, “Common Good,” is something that may be lost on many people and is too often being replaced with individual rights with no regard to anyone else.  This rugged individualism has been condemned by the Church.  We can ill afford to be silent about this issue which is at the base of many if not all social issues confronting our society today.  

In general, when the justification is used that a certain behavior doesn’t hurt anyone else, commonly such an argument reveals a myopic vision of the world and a lack of understanding of the consequences of our individual and even private actions.  We must more deeply grasp the effects we have on our relationships with others near to us as well as the larger community in which we live in order to understand the common good.  We are not an island.  To think and behave as if we are opens up the potential to great harm for all.  Here’s some examples which illustrate this point. 

Here’s a simple yet less controversial issue: When someone dies and they want their ashes scattered over a mountain or forest, everyone else is robbed of the ability to go to a burial place where they can mourn.  The deceased person’s wish negates the good of others who need to mourn.  It is also an undignified way to repose the former temple of a person who was made in God’s image.  This is not a viewpoint with the Common Good in mind, just the individual.

In the abortion debate, the individual right of the mother trumps the good of the child in the womb or even the right of the father who may disagree with the decision.  In this holocaustic viewpoint, countless millions have been killed in the name of an individual.  The fact that entire generations have been wiped out by a so-called right is clear evidence that it is against the dignity of the human person and the Common Good.

So-called, doctor assisted suicide arguments claim the individual’s right to end their own life on their terms so as to avoid suffering, autonomy, control, and the like, negating the use of effective palliative care and equating one’s value or dignity in terms of abilities or capacity.  It is a grievous act akin to murder (See The Gospel of Life., #66).  The legalization in Oregon of euthanasia, its true title, may justify its use in some people’s minds, but it is against the dignity of the human person and the Common Good.

The current movement to redefine marriage is based on the assumption that marriage is the simple desire and right of individuals to do what they want, regardless of the good of children and Divine law.  Marriage is not a right which just anyone can validly undertake even between heterosexual couples. I have processed all too many annulments which were granted on the grounds that they did not, and may never have, the capacity to live out the commitment that marriage demands. In these cases, the couple erroneously attempted to enter into the Sacrament which they could not do.  Marriage is a privileged state which God designed and which we have no authority to define or reinvent.  Anyone desiring to be married should send to prayer if they are capable and sufficiently prepared to undertake such an awesome Sacrament. Redefining marriage diminishes its sanctity and is against the Common Good.

A more current issue which is being placed before the voters this November 4th is the effort to legalize recreational use of marijuana.  Proponents of this movement commonly argue the right to do what they will with their own body.  However, this viewpoint does not consider the consequences to children and the safety of others. Archbishop Sample’s current column in the Catholic Sentinel fills this in well. The argument that it does not harm the user taking the drug is fallacious since the very act of getting “high” diminishes one’s abilities, distorts one’s senses, suppresses the immune system, decreases motivation, darkens the conscience, and ultimately damages the soul. The fact that marijuana may be easy to acquire or that it is being used by one’s family or friends, or even if it does become legal, does not change the fact that it is harmful to one’s body and soul as well as to our culture. It is against the common good.

With regard to the current ballot measure for offering drivers cards for those without a social security number, particularly immigrants who are our modern day neighbors, there needs to be  away to help them.  By offering a way for them to acquire a drivers card increases the number of people who are trained in driving and thus makes our roads safer.  Voting “yes” for this bill will create safer drivers.  Voting for this bill is for the Common Good.

So, we need to ponder more deeply than our own desires and wants.  We need to be on guard against our own desire for individualism.  As Catholic Christians, we need to consider the consequences of things in regard to the Common Good.  Such a frame of reference broadens our minds and allows us to make more ethical and moral choices.  It also gets us out of partisan thinking and voting.  It brings to the fore our faith before all other ideologies. Remember that we are Catholic Christians before all else. We need to pray to have the view of God who desires the good for all.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Parish Offertory Program 2015

Dear Parishioners,

Today now more than ever we need to be sharing the Good News to a world that is evermore in need.  The Good News, of course, is that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and is risen for us.  He has set us free from the bondage of sin and opened the gates of heaven for his faithful.  Having received this Good News, we are called to bear it and preach it with our very lives.  This Kerygma (think: proclamation) is one of the main purposes for our lives.  We are not to keep it to ourselves.

This past weekend, Fr. Nguyen and I spoke about our Parish Offertory Program.  Each year, we set aside time to ponder on how we can proclaim and live out this Good News.  It challenges us to deeply know this immense gift, and respond in gratitude.  This is where the term, Stewardship, is of great help.  To be a steward is to be one who tends rather than owns.  It is a response of gratitude for all that we have been given. If we think about it, all that we have, all that we are is a gift from God.  Our response of gratitude is how we proclaim or live out the Kerygma.

Stewardship, therefore, is the tending of the gifts of time, talent, treasure, and tradition which we have all been given.  What gifts have you been given and how are you sharing them?  What abilities have you been given which can be used to share the love of Jesus? What financial gifts have you been blessed with which can be used to further the mission (again think, Kerygma) of the Church, and specifically St. Anne’s?  

Each year, I ask us all to ponder on these things and be prepared to make an annual commitment of stewardship to your parish community.  That means you may want to try something new by getting involved in a different ministry.  It may be the call to change your financial giving by examining if you are simply offering a tip like being at a restaurant or are making a faith-filled sacrifice based on a percentage of your income.  The things we value we invest in.  So, we should consider the Church to be of great importance and examine truly the value we place on our parish church. Regarding tradition, ask yourself how you are sharing the beauty of the traditions which have been handed on to you?  Maybe that might mean inviting a neighbor to join you to go to Mass or a bible study, or the the Altar Society, or the Funeral Reception Committee.  There’s just so many ways to share our amazing traditions.

The Good News of Jesus Christ has transformed the world for two millennia, and we have been entrusted to share and participate in the ministries which are present at St. Anne’s in order to proclaim (Kerygma) it.  So, this week you will receive a brochure which will detail some more ideas about our Parish Offertory Program.  Read it and review the sample Commitment Card which is at the back of the brochure.  Next week, I will be leading us all, during the homily time, to make a new or renewed commitment to St. Anne’s and our ministries.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to talk with me, Fr. Nguyen, or Stephen Voehl, our business manager.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor