What a wonderful announcement last week that came from the Vatican: Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1st, Divine Mercy Sunday (which he instituted for the universal Church)! From then on, until his canonization, he will be known as Blessed Pope John Paul, and a special Mass for his feast day each year and additional Church prayers will be presented. Beatification is the next to the last step in having someone officially proclaimed a saint. Some of us have been already blessed to know him (I first met him in June of 1967, and then many times thereafter until some months before his death) and to come into contact with him on one or more occasions. We will continue the prayers we have been praying for his canonization, and may that grace which we ask through his intercession be given us, as well as the grace to see canonized!

Catholic Schools Week will be observed this year from Sunday, January 30th to February 5th. The theme for this year’s observance is: “Catholic Schools are A+ for America.” The opener on Sunday will begin with the Children’s Mass at 10 AM., followed by a Pancake Breakfast put on by our Knights of Columbus. Monday will feature Vocations and Clergy Appreciation; on Tuesday, there will be a Spelling Bee Contest (Grades 4-8), and the delivery of nonperishable food to our Haitian Mission Church (collected on the 100th day of the school year); Wednesday will be set aside for Coffee With the Principal, and an outdoor Field Day (K-8);Thursday will be “Teacher Appreciation Day (the “apples for the teachers” will be donated to Caring Kitchen) and School Spirit Day;” Friday will be “Grandparents Day” in the Gym, concluding with a Mass at 11 AM, and a Home & School Association sponsored lunch for the faculty and staff. The close of the week always features a fabulous Family Spaghetti Dinner in our gym, preceded by an “OPEN HOUSE.” Later, that night, we put on a rather delightful “Talent Show.” So, you can see that it will be a busy and fun week, showcasing our appreciation of what Catholic Schools have to proudly offer in the way of education and formation of our young people. I invite you to join in as many of these events as possible, and I know our children will always show their gratitude for all you do to support them by being the best they can be, and by praying for their supporters.

Thank you to all who made the Dead Sea Scrolls lecture a success, from beginning to end: our anonymous donor (who underwrote the costs); our maintenance crew under the direction of Jay Flood; John Krolikowski (our Parish Manager); Deacon Bruce and Karen Turnbull; John and Sharon Lynch; and the over 300 persons who came to enjoy the lecture. It would have been even more spectacular if Dr. Emilio Chavez could have had more time to further his interesting presentation, but he squeezed much into that time span for us to reflect upon for days to come.

No sooner will Catholic Schools Week close than we will open our annual Parish Mission. It is a very special spiritual opportunity to help us mark our 70th anniversary as a parish with pride, celebrating so many of the blessings lavished upon us by God. Led by Father Patrick Martin, a well-known leader of retreats throughout the country, it will take place from February 6th to the 9th. I’m asking that all men, women and youth of our parish, including our seasonal and regular members, to set aside time to participate in the services each evening (and the morning Masses, where possible). We all need a spiritual retreat to push aside those tensions and anxieties, and to give us an opportunity to re-connect with the spiritual side of our life.

Thank you to all those parishioners who attended the annual Pro-Life Rosary at the Court House in West Palm Beach on Friday with Bishop Barbarito. This 38th anniversary of the very infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which has left a dark mark upon the soul of this nation, was observed in many ways throughout the nation. Two large marches are taking place this weekend, one in California (for the West Coast supporters of life), and the larger one in our nation’s capital, this coming Monday, attesting to our ever-constant need and efforts to promote and defend human life from the womb to the tomb. May we live to see the day when this “One Nation Under God” really lives in a godly way and fully supports the unborn and their parents.

I invite the men of our parish for a special Catholic Men’s Rally at our diocesan Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens, called “A Morning of Spiritual Growth for Men of All Ages.” This rally will take place this Saturday, January 29th. Bring a friend or your son. The main speaker, Matthew Kelly, gave a great presentation almost two years ago in our parish and at our local Pope John Paul II Catholic High School. You’ll enjoy the morning-long rally!

As a special service announcement to all Catholics in our area, we’ve been informed that a Rev. William Butler, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, currently living in our area, has been restricted from public ministry by Church officials in Boston, and therefore should not be functioning as a priest in our diocese, including being invited to celebrate Mass in homes. Any questions may be addressed to Rev. Thomas Foley in the Archdiocese of Boston (617) 746- 5834.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we approach this weekend facing two very difficult anniversaries. The first one: the anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which claimed over 230,000 lives, and made more than a million survivors homeless.

It destroyed or made unusable 38 Catholic churches in the capital, Port-au-Prince, including its lovely centerpiece cathedral; and also claimed the lives of the Archbishop, his Vicar General and his Chancellor, as well as many priests, sisters and seminarians. Some encouraging news there is that Pope Benedict just named a new archbishop this week (a friend of our Fr. Danis Ridore). The continuing political turmoil and the machinations of evil entrepreneurs have slowed the process of rebuilding lives, and political and material structures. We need to continue to help and pray for Haiti!!!

The second anniversary: this coming Saturday will mark the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision. In a 7-2 vote, that court of very fallible individuals legalized the killing of unborn children in America, severely restricting the states’ rights to regulate it. Not only has that decision split people and political parties into 2 camps; worse, it has split Catholics into 2 groups: those who are faithful to the Church’s teaching on human life, and those who are not.

This picture is not unlike the ancient Christian community at Corinth being addressed by St. Paul in this week’s Mass. It, too, was a community that was torn apart: rich v. poor and slave v. free. And Paul’s message reminds us that with the death of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be HOLY; and we are called to be FAITHFUL!

Some shrill advocates of unlimited abortion have changed the original rhetoric from Pro-Life vs. Pro abortion, to pro- Choice vs. anti-Choice. What a turnaround! For the unborn child, there is NO CHOICE! They continue to be the victims of a play-on-words. Sadly, to be pro-abortion is to say that God is not the real author of life, and that the beginning of human life is really vague or unknowable.

For sure, judges, politicians and individuals may continue to argue about when life begins. But we know from listening to the Word of God, it is quite clear. No life comes to exist apart from the will of God. The prophet Isaiah, speaking to the Chosen People who were taken into Babylonian captivity as a punishment for turning from God, says: “Now the Lord has spoken, who formed me as His servant from the womb.”

Here, he is reflecting upon the earlier words of the prophet Jeremiah: “From my mother’s womb you pronounced my name.” For sure, we can recognize and empathize with a pregnant mother’s trauma, more especially if she’s unmarried, or a victim of violence; and we do owe her much moral, spiritual and financial support because of the difficult decision she must make to bear a child in a society that values convenience and pleasure over life itself.

In today’s Gospel, John readily recognized Jesus as the Messiah because of his faithfulness to all that God had revealed over the centuries. This faithfulness, in the midst of Israel’s infidelity, prepared him for the coming of the Messiah. We, too, can recognize Jesus in His teachings as we actively pursue His Word and help Him to transform our world and our lives. Our concern as followers of Jesus is to follow the Gospel. We may live in a world that prefers darkness -- a world filled with the stench that comes from a culture of death; but Christ has already come as a light to lead all those who wish to follow Him, and who are not afraid to witness to His teaching and to live the Gospel of life in faith.

Come this Friday, January 21st, and offer the annual Rosary with Bishop Barbarito outside and across the street from the main County Courthouse building in West Palm Beach at 11:00 A.M. for the unborn and their victim parents. Bring your children or friends to witness to the Gospel of Life vs. the Culture of Death that came about through the infamous Roe v Wade.

Let us also remember the victims of the shooting spree in Tucson this past week, and offer our prayers for the families who suffer from this tragedy, including the parents of the shooter, as they are also lamenting these losses, unable to comprehend why their son would do such an evil deed.

Don’t forget that this Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M., we will have the special presentation of “The Dead Sea Scrolls: Fact or Fiction,” by Dr. Chavez, Scripture Scholar at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary. You will have a chance to meet with Dr. Chavez at the reception which follows. I promise you that you will have a delightful evening unraveling the mysteries with Dr. Chavez.

Men, there is a whole page in this bulletin dedicated to the upcoming annual Catholic Men’s Rally, called “A Morning of Spiritual Growth For Men Of All Ages.” This rally will take place on Saturday, January 29th at our diocesan cathedral.

When you come, please bring a friend or your teenage son. The main speaker, Matthew Kelly is a ‘dynamo,’ – it may be just what you need!

Very Rev. Canon Tom