I admit that I've had the movie, Molokai: The Story of Father Damien, sitting around at home for months. I rented it from Netflix. It's a gorgeous movie with a star-studded cast, the acting superb, the cinematography wonderful, period clothing impeccable, script well-written, the events historically accurate. There's not a thing wrong with this movie. The problem? The subject matter.

Fr. Damien, who I just discovered was canonized less than two weeks ago by our holy pontiff (YES!!!!), was a Belgian Sacred Heart priest who worked among the lepers on the island of Molokai in Hawaii during the mid to late 1800s. When considering the topic of leper colonies--something I never thought much about, to be honest--it simply never occurred to me that children found to have the disease would be forcibly separated from their parents, wives from husbands, and so forth, never to be seen again. To be shipped off to Molokai was itself like death.

They were treated more like criminals than innocent victims of disease. The infected were hunted out, often by police and officials, and put into forced segregation. Torn from family and friends and lost in the grim strokes of despair and death, the unwanted existed in their damp seclusion....most of the patients' ceilings were only the canopy of the sky.*

To witness this barbarism even in movie form was simply heart wrenching. That's why it took so long to finish the movie.

Another effect of exile I had never considered was that of vice. Apparently, faced with one's inevitable demise and death, and lacking the mores and expectations of a larger society, many felt they had nothing to lose in debauchery. Fr. Damien, who volunteered and was not sent to live among the lepers, had all these difficulties to face and more. The only priest on the island, and disallowed to leave, he was not permitted to go to confession for long periods of time. Refused permission to board a steamliner with a priest (Fr. Modeste) aboard, and the ship not allowed to dock on Molokai, Fr. Damien was forced to make his confession while screaming from a rowboat. (This true event is portrayed in the movie.)

Though he repeatedly requested and prayed for not only a priest to come hear his confession, but also material and human aid for the more than a thousand sick and dying people on Molokai, he was refused time and again by his bishop and superiors. Although there were nuns and others willing to come help, they were refused admittance to the leper colony by the bishop and Board of Health, and money and materials were withheld from the saint and needy lepers. He had no doctors, no nurses.

Additionally, the protestants on the Board of Health had a hand in forcing Fr. Damien to remain on the island, supposedly for fear of spreading the disease. They thought that "by forcing him to stay he would leave  the settlement altogether. Jealousy had prompted them to destroy a hope that they would not fulfill themselves."**

Because Fr. Damien had no doctors or nurses, grave diggers, construction workers, maintenance men, farmers, teachers, and children were without parents, he became all these things. "Everyone looks on me as a father. As for me I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ," the great saint said. His sermons began, "We lepers."

As if all this was not enough, he also established sodalities, a brass band, trained interested people in church music, evangelized voraciously the many non-Catholics (he baptized over a thousand people), administered the sacraments, established perpetual adoration, and built orphanages. Needless to say his favorite saint was the great missionary Francis Xavier.

Despite Fr. Damien's tireless efforts, his bishop said this, "I regret that the admiration for this work of charity is erroneous. I see with displeasure that the newspapers who admire you exaggerate by putting things in a false light."*** Both his provincial superior and his bishop were not only discouraging, they treated him horribly and undermined his efforts to do the Lord's work among people who needed so much help. Finally his superior, Fr. Leonor (depicted in the movie by Derek Jacobi) admitted that the bishop was "suffering from the disease of jealousy. Public esteem for anyone other than himself is his torment." The bishop did not wish donations to be given to Fr. Damien on Molokai but all to be lavished instead on him. Again we see how greed undermines God's will. But the provincial superior, Fr. Leonor, was no better. In fact as time went on the Board of Health relaxed somewhat in restricting Fr. Damien's movements, but Fr. Leonor continued to restrict him and severely limited his ability to go to confession.

Finally Fr. Damien contracted leprosy, a natural result of his coming into direct contact with the disease for so long. Adding insult to injury, he was accused of "impious activity," shall we say, in contracting the disease. This was completely without foundation, meant only to drag down his reputation.

It seems Fr. Leonor treated Fr. Damien with disdain until the great saint's death. As Fr. Damien lay dying (left), Leonor even refused to send him a crucifix for the leper's chapel. It is unfortunate that throughout Catholic history, despite physical and spiritual need, there have been too many bishops and prelates who care little for the salvation of souls. We need only read the lives of countless saints to see how many struggled with their superiors and bishops. We find ourselves living in another of these eras in which material and corporate logic trumps spiritual need, an era in which not only are we being deprived a crucifix but our entire churches are being stolen away. May the good Lord bless his very many faithful servants throughout our blessed Church's history. And may Fr. Damien, saint of the lepers, faithful despite all opposition, pray for all of us.

Thankfully by the time of his death he received some human assistance and increased supplies, and his reputation has of course been vindicated. The great saint was only 49 at the time of his death.

No description on my part could ever do St. Damien of Molokai or the movie justice. I highly recommend renting or buying the movie. Also, supplement your viewing by obtaining for $2 the From the Housetops periodical (link below) with a succinct but ample biography of this great new saint of the Church. He is yet another saint who, in the face of persecution from both his immediate superior and bishop, was able to build chapels, spread the Faith, and act as a true father as shepherd of all to a people without hope.    


*From the Housetops, Volume XVIII, No. 2, Serial No. 39, page 2. Note: I noticed that this particular issue is not linked on the website of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I bet if you give them a call they may send it to you or copy it for you. It is excellent. Here is the wikipedia entry on Fr. Damien: click here.
**Ibid, page 8
***All quotes are taken from historical account or from From the Housetops, not from the movie. 

I sometimes think Our Lady never rests! She is constantly interceding for us and sending us messages and even favors, whether it be at Lourdes, Fatima, or in somewhat smaller ways in less notable places like Malaga. She is so concerned about the spiritual welfare of all her children.

Our Lady constantly warns us about the dangers of error and secularism taught from within the Church and how we must be constantly on our guards! This is a large part of the reason why we must pray for our priests and bishops daily. Do not miss even a single day to offer your prayers for them! For many souls are entrusted to their care, and they could guide souls into the life of grace and truth or into error. It is so crucial that we know our faith so that we may not be easily misled by any person.

Please continue to pray and work for good, sound catechesis and for the church leadership, that they lead all souls in the Truth according to God's will and not their own. May God continue to bless all our parishes and keep them safe from all malice.

It is so difficult to face the reality that there are those within the Church--even within its leadership--who do not truly believe in all the Truths of our Holy Catholic Faith. It is sometimes hard to overcome selfish motives and to submit to true Church teachings, to the will of God above seeming "good ideas," and to the pope. We should all have a healthy fear of hell and desire for Heaven, our true home.

Unbelief in our eternal destiny and egoism is why we are seeing such carnage inflicted on our blessed Diocese instead of a renewed desire to evangelize and to support vocations to the priesthood and religious life!

What does Our Lady want us to do? We should pray the following prayers of reparation that were given in Fatima:

• O God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love you.
  

• O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

Our Lady, please continue to intercede for us.

I am fortunate to have a Eucharistic Adoration slot once a week. This gives me a little time for spiritual reading, among other things. I happen to love the many books written by Joan Carroll Cruz, such as The Incorruptibles, Secular Saints, and the one I had with me, which is called Miraculous Images of Our Lady. I was reading about Our Lady of Siluva (see also this link).

Our Lady of Siluva
In the early through mid-1500s, Lutherans and Calvinists were able to win over converts in Lithuania, but only among the nobles and ruling class. The peasantry (the vast majority of the people) remained staunchly Catholic, but were persecuted. Church properties were confiscated and turned over to Protestants. In 1570 the church in Siluva was similarly threatened and in his wisdom, the pastor, Rev. John Halubka, collected

some of the church's treasured articles including a few vestments, a favorite image of the Madonna and Child that hung above the main altar, and the church's records. Placing them in a metal-covered oak chest, he buried it a short distance from the church near a large rock. This was providential, since the church was soon seized by Protestants.

Finally, in 1588, a new law was passed which gave Catholics the right to repossess church properties unjustly taken from them, but the documents clearly proving previous ownership were required. For the church at Siluva, documents could not be found to prove that Peter Giedgaudas had given the land to the Church in 1457.

...in the summer of 1608...children shepherding their flocks, saw a beautiful lady standing on a large rock. Holding a child in her arms, the lady wept bitterly. Startled by the vision, one of the children ran to a Calvinist teacher, Mikola Fiera, who promptly claimed it to be an apparition of the devil who was trying to draw people away from Calvinism.

Hearing about the vision, people flocked to the rock. The Calvinist teacher continued to insult and riducule the people for paying any creedance to the children. But the Lady and Child appeared again. Fiera, the Calvinist, asked Her, "Why are you weeping?"

Sadly the vision answered, "Formerly in this place my son was adored and honored, but now all that the people do is seed and cultivate the land." Saying this, the lady and child disappeared.

The Calvinists tried to dismiss and argue against the apparation, but the people knew that they saw Our Lady and the Holy Infant Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Mikola Fiera left Siluva. The bishop had the matter fully investigated. A blind man, having heard about the vision,

remembered the metal-covered oak chest that the pastor had buried years before....when...taken to the rock, his sight was immediately restored. He was then able to indicate the exact location of the chest.

Inside they found all the contents, including a miraculously undamaged picture of the Virgin and Child. Now having the papers in their possession, the Catholics were able to get their church back, although it took years of court negotiations with the Calvinists. Because of the sheer number of people attending the church, it had to be expanded and expanded again in 1786 (picture left). By order of the bishop, in 1663 a chapel was built in the exact location of the rock, but again the sheer number of people required its expansion in 1818 and then in 1924. (The apparition was officially approved by Pope Pius VI.) The miraculous image has been credited with many countless healings.

We may even visit a shrine to Our Lady of Siluva in Washington DC at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where beautiful mosaics depict the story.
 

Our Lady's Desire
In the case of Our Lady of Siluva, She wanted Her Son to be worshiped, the church returned to Catholic hands. In the history of our Catholic faith, there are many such stories that have gone like this. I'm sure you might know of some others. What does Our Lady always do, without exception? She points to Her Son. She wants nothing more than for Her children to worship Her Son, Jesus. So when She miraculously appears, what does She so often request? She requests that a shrine or church be erected in a certain spot.

In the history of our Church, can you think of one single time that Our Lady has requested that a church faithfully dedicated to the worship of Her Son be closed? When has she said, "Knock it down! Cose it up! Replace it with a Wawa!" No, never. Not once. She has appeared miraculously in the obscurest of locations, in places where the church had long ago fallen into ruin. But no mere falling mass attendance deters Our Lady. The church can be laying in pieces on the ground and She requests it be raised up again and the worship of Her Son continue. And it does. Why? It is Our Lord's holy will, and Our Lady's desire. Of that we can be completely confident. Truly Our Lady weeps at such travesties as churches falling into disuse, disrepair, or closure.

At St. Mary's we know that Our Lady is with us. She is our much loved patroness, as She is the patroness of every Catholic. She is our Single Greatest Advocate in Heaven, our Queen, Mother of every saint, and our Mother. Most of all, She is Mother of the Church, Mater Ecclesiae, and she intercedes for the Pilgrim Church on Earth. This is why at St. Mary's over the past year She has granted us the grace of her miraculous image changing color before our eyes. In this small way, She has reassured us of Her loving presence and protection. "Our Lady of Malaga," Mater Ecclesiae, ora pro nobis!

We know that there are those of you who have expressed interest in how things are going at St. Mary's generally and so here's a brief update.

We had quite a number of young people confirmed recently [by Fr. Namiotka]--32 if I counted correctly--and this was a joyous occasion for all, followed by a little party in the basement and in people's private homes, too.

Rosary Garden
The Rosary Garden looks beautiful as usual, thanks to God and to our hard-working parishioner, Charlie. Today when I visited I noticed that the roses were in bloom and their sweet fragrance was in the air! I recommend you visit, and maybe even bring a picnic or snack, a rosary and spiritual reading.

Mass
Sunday morning/Saturday evening mass times remain the same (5:00, 8:30 & 11:30), and we continue to pray the beautiful consecration prayer in which we consecrate our parish and our families to the Sacred Heard of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Following mass, we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Of course, all are welcome. Don't forget, we also have Latin (low) mass on the last Sunday of each month at 6pm, presided over by Fr. Romanowski.

Feast Planning
Plans for the Feast of the Assumption in August are just in their beginning stages. We are sure it will be a beautiful and festive time! If you have any ideas for the Feast or would like to help plan it, contact us or call the rectory (856-694-2576).

Sunday School
CCD is done until the Fall, but of course St. Mary's families continue in the religious education of their children all year long, as the Church teaches that the primary educators of the child are his parents. My kindergartner loves CCD at St. Mary's, I think in large part due to its intimate atmosphere. It is very different from the CCD program of which I was a part when I was a child, one that was a lot larger and, well, colder. The littlest children at St. Mary's have CCD in the shrine room, surrounded by the saints and even relics. The older kids have CCD in the church itself, which is wonderful and beautiful. We have, to the best of our knowledge, never had a shortage of catechism teachers, thanks be to God. There is no shortage of generosity at St. Mary's, to be sure. We wish all parishes have the blessing of so solid a CCD program as we've been fortunate enough to have. Thank you to all the CCD instructors!

Fr. Namiotka
We pray our new pastor, Fr. Namiotka, is settling in well and maybe even getting to like us, despite our quirkiness! (He is not living at St. Mary's, though.) He delivered a wonderful sermon today on consecrating our lives to God and we look forward to getting to know him better.

Be a Servant of God by Serving St. Mary's!
Most recently Fr. Namiotka is helping to better organize various parish functions such as ushers, lectors, etc. and will be holding a meeting for all interested people this Tuesday night at 7:00 in the Shrine Room (in the rectory). Luckily at St. Mary's we barely need any "Extraordinary Ministers" for holy mass since we are a small church and most wish to receive the Blessed Eucharist from the hands of the parish priest. However, in the bulletin Fr. Namiotka says his goal "is to have each and every sick or homebound parishioner visited and brought Holy Communion weekly." (Emphasis his.) An Extraordinary Minister needs to be "living a life in union with Church teachings." This is a laudable goal and one which we ought to help with.

Certainly there are so many ways in which you may offer your time as a gift to God through our parish, St. Mary's. Please be sure to attend the meeting if you have an interest in participating in any way! Well, just about every way. Father Namiotka says he will be organizing the altar boys at a later time. If you have any questions call Fr. Namiotka via the St. Mary's rectory or Queen of Angels (856-697-1450).

Fr. Romanowski
Our much loved Fr. Romanowski, pastor emeritus, is still settling in at his house but will be back, we understand, for the Latin mass on the final Sunday evening of each month--that would be next week--at 6pm. Fr. is also very busy with the various events and masses around the region having to do with the Holy Name Society. We hope to publish a list of the dates and locations very soon.

Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary continues to regularly meet, as well as the Junior Legion. At both, new members are always welcome. The Junior Legion meets Thursdays from 4-5:00pm and the Adult Praesidium meets Thursdays from 7-8:00pm.

Choir
Both the Junior and Adult Choir also continue to practice and sing at mass. News singers are always welcome there as well. Call Angela, our parish secretary, at 856-694-2576 with any questions you may have. Regular choir practices from 7:30-9:00pm on Tuesdays, Junior choir rehearses Tuesdays from 7-8:00.

A certain "newspaper" which shall remain nameless but whose initials are "CSH" is again "misrepresenting" information (we are being kind here). We have shared the truth with you before (twice at least) and for truth's sake will give you the link to our most recent post on the subject.

The bottom line? The Catholic population in NJ has increased. You see, since the total population in the state has increased, there has been an increase in the religious diversity of the state, making the total Catholic percentage or proportion of the total population decrease. Numerically, there are many more Catholics in the state of NJ than ever before. 2.5% more since 1990, actually.

See link to this March 13, 2009 article in which we give you the numbers.

An aside regarding the artificially created priest shortage...
Oh, you may find this entertaining as well. Apparently those who resist the closure or merger of the parishes are now being "mean" to priests. (We won't even bother linking to the piece of junk disguised as journalism we refer to.) Boo hoo, cry me a river. All we ever do is encourage all Catholics to pray for priests! These are the men who counsel us, hear our confessions, and bring us the body and blood of Our Lord. As if we were the ones who decided to send dozens of priests out of the diocese, force retirements, forbid both religious priests from outside the diocese and Fraternity of St. Peter priests, create a priest shortage, and then overwork the ones who are left. Our new pastor at St. Mary's now has three churches and a high school to look after. He himself has told us that he has a near impossible situation since he does not yet know how to bilocate. Well we the lay faithful didn't create that situation--but we all know who did. These priests are being set up for failure. Why? To make legitimate the mergers and closures of our parishes and the institution of a lay-led, feel-good Church. Oh, and by the way, how precisely is the Diocesan Administration encouraging priestly vocations? What young man in his right mind would want to walk into the mess that is the Camden Diocese, anyway? May God help us and His Immaculate Mother pray for us!

Pray for the courage and faithfulness of your priests at this difficult time and always.

Divine Mercy Sunday was a full day at St. Mary's. It was kicked off, of course, with Saturday afternoon confessions and Saturday evening anticipated mass. But on Sunday there was CCD, the two normal masses, and an additional mass at 3:00pm, the hour of mercy. We were blessed to have Fr. Romanowski saying all of the masses (he must be exhausted!). After 11:30 mass, we sang one of my favorite hymns, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" and then prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as usual. (We had been praying the Novena of Divine Mercy over the past days as well.) Following that, there was a baptism! What a grace it is to see so many babies at St. Mary's. I just happened to be lingering, taking pictures around the church after mass and got to see the sweet little girl and her family gathering for the blessed event. We are truly blessed at St. Mary's to have such a variety of people of all ages and backgrounds, even people originally from different places or who travel a distance to attend St. Mary's. There are also not an insubstantial number of converts and "reverts," and I believe this is a testament to how Our Lady draws souls to the Church by using St. Mary's. After the baptism confessions were heard by our wonderful Fr. Gannon (if you have not met Fr. Gannon you must!) and Fr. Romanowski and there was Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament until 3:00pm mass.

Below you can view a little slideshow of St. Mary's. These are just a few pictures from around and within the church on Divine Mercy Sunday. You may wonder why I included a few pictures of the parking lot and street. That was just to show that despite having four masses, our small church still has full attendance. Though I only attended the 11:30 mass this weekend, I heard that the other three masses were full as well.

You will also see that in one of the pictures Fr. Romanowski is kneeling beside the altar. This was during our consecration prayer. After every mass we say a special prayer in which we consecrate ourselves, our families, and our parish St. Mary's to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We pray that we are under the protection of the Two Hearts! We are so privileged to have a priest as committed as Fr. Romanowski who gives so much to us and to Our Lord every single day.


Created with flickr slideshow.

$800,000 EXECUTIVE HOME PURCHASED BY DIOCESE
by Cindy Merckx  

The Sisters of Mary Immaculate Nyeri Convent in Elmer will soon be moving into a beautiful new home in neighboring Pittsgrove Township. The dedicated religious order of sisters is appreciated by many in the community because they take care of the elderly residents at Mater Dei Nursing Home that is located on Route 40, just west of Franklin Township. The Diocese of Camden recently surprised the Sisters with the news of the purchase of a convent.

"We were very surprised," said Sister Bernadette. "We are very happy that  they decided to give it to us." The five sisters have been taking care of the patients of the nursing home and take a vow of poverty like most religious orders. They are not used to extravagant living and they presently live together in a small home in Elmer that has three bedrooms. "It's God's Blessing!" said Sister.

The spacious executive home that was purchased last year by the Diocese for future use as a convent or retreat house.

The property is located at 425 Langley Road in Pittsgrove Township, just off Porchtown Road and was listed by the real estate agent as: "enticingly elegant is this lavish 5-6 bedroom, 11 acre country estate. The white fence surrounds this custom built brick cape home that includes a grand entrance foyer, living/great room with fireplace, dining room, game room with wet bar and sun room. It has fabulous grounds that include a circular driveway with fountain and 3 car attached garage/2 car detached garage and a rear patio. The property has a six stall barn with three run in areas for horses."

On July 22, 2008, the Diocese purchased the property for $800,000. It has been vacant for a year and residents that were interviewed stated they have been concerned as to the status of the property.

According to records obtained at Pittsgrove Township Tax Offices, the property taxes are paid and up-to-date. In 2008 the property taxes for the year were $20,507. The property is listed as QFARM in its assessment. The Diocese has not yet filed an application to change the status of the farm to a convent or other type of institutional classification according to Pittsgrove Township's planning board secretary, yet Walton commented that the tax status of the property was in the process of being changed to 'tax exempt' because it will be used as a convent for the sisters.

Walton was asked why the Diocese decided to by such an expensive home when many parishes are closing and in financial stress.

"The five sisters presently live in a small three bedroom home in Elmer," said Walton. "They will be moving in soon and some furniture has been delivered. The property was offered to the Diocese at a substantial savings and we felt the grounds are an appropriate setting that could be used for a future retreat." *

The future convent is located between the neighboring parishes of St. Ann's in Elmer and St. Mary's of Malaga that are to be either closed or merged.** Parishioners from both parishes expressed concerns when interviewed about the purchase of the property. Some stated that they have questions regarding the Diocese's reasoning behind buying an expensive home for Sisters who take a vow of poverty with many suitable properties for sale in the area at a lower cost.

News reports last year about Bishop Galante selling his shore home to an Italian businessman, Raffaello Follieri, who was accused of scamming real estate investors to purchase Catholic Curch properties, led to rumored talk of the expensive purchase made by the Diocese on this executive property. The Bishop sold his North Wildwood four bedroom townhouse [to Folliri] last year for $400,000. In June 2008, Follieri was jailed on federal fraud and money laudering charges. He was charged with posing as a representative of the Vatican to buy Roman Catholic Church property.

With Diocesan officials deciding to reduce the number of parishes in the Camden Diocese from 124 to 66 in the next few years it will mean that 58 parishes and 24 church buildings will no longer be used for worship.

Parishioners wonder if their Church will be closed and what the future holds for the Catholic Church and its schools. The process of merging parishes has left several parishes staging protests at locations where Bishop Joseph Galante is present. One of the more vocal churches protesting the closing of Churches has been St. Mary's of Malaga, that has been a historical landmark in Franklin Township for over 80 years. The Pastor, Father Jerome Romanowski, has been vocal to oppose the plans to close churches in the Diocese. He was notified last week that he had been transferred by the Bishop to Atlantic City. Romanowski has decided that he will retire.

Several parishioners described the merging effort as tearing the hearts of many of the older parishioners who were instrumental in building the Church.

Diocesan spokesman Andrew Walton explained the reasoning for the decision to merge parishes and stated that by the year 2015 there will only be about 85 priests to serve 124 parishes.

:Every parish is used to having at least one priest serve the parish," said Walton, who stated that the diocese sees these types of protests as 'expected' because of the love the parishioners have for their Church building.***

Walton commented that the number of practicing Catholics has dropped from what it was at 74% in 1960 to 25%. "You have to do something," said Walton. "There are several misconceptions that are out there."

Walton explained that 41 parishes in the diocese can not pay their bills and utilities every month. He stated that this amounts to over 11 million dollars in debt and they can not pay it back.

"One of the misconceptions is when people say that we are trying to sell our properties for profit," Walton said. "All of the property belongs to the parishes. We have no rights to them. All of the assets of the parish leave when yu merge parishes, and none have merged yet." ****

   Editor's Comments/Notes  

* OH MY GOSH! The stuff this guy doesn't come up with, huh?! It's almost entertaining to read. What a creative mind. Andy, Andy, he's our man! If he can't spin it, no one can!

** Just for the record, we will be closed over our dead bodies (so to speak).

*** Of course, Walton is wrong on at least two counts here. St. Mary's and many other area churches that began as missions shared a priest with at least one other church for much of their histories.Returning to a shared-priest scenario would be acceptable to most Catholics. Second, you don't see the Diocese encouraging new vocations, and in fact they seem to be suppressing and discouraging existing priestly vocations by removing priests from the diocese by the dozen on various pretexts. Third, people love The Church, as in, the Bark of Peter, and their Houses of the Lord Jesus are not just buildings. This is heresy. It is Protestantism. Additionally, we must always remember every number spouted by Walton must be questioned as they are usually misleading.

****We have already shown that the "property belongs to the parish" statement often used by the diocese is basically untrue. Read about it here.

We are late in posting Fr. Romanowski's piece from last week's bulletin. Here it is.


Our Lord uses St. Mary's for the salvation of souls. In the world of the twenty-first century, we are to be at the head of the battle against Satan and his evil forces. Those forces come in many different ways. There are the aggressive ones which are the easiest to face up to, namely the pro-abortion groups. The middle group is made up of those who pretend to be persecuted, namely those whose ancestors were really persecuted. They want to take full advantage of the easy pay-offs. And the most insidious are those who pretend to be the defenders of the persecuted. They wish to "help the poor," meanwhile staying rich themselves. These are the modern Pharisees. During the war [with Satan], they are known as collaborators.

We oppose all three groups and the others of a similar caste because they all are enemies of Our Lord and His Church. This is the reason why we are extending Eucharistic Adoration starting Monday February 23rd in the year of Our Lord. Those who have been so faithful through the past twelve or so years shouldn't mind adding an hour on to the schedule, I am sure.

We are continuing to fight the good fight that St. Paul outlines for us, from whom we are the continued recipients of intercession with God. Never forget the way to fight evil is only through the Power and Glory of Our Lord, who always sends His Spirit and His Immaculate Mother to protect us and show us the way to victory here and in eternity.

Lest we forget:

• Stations of the Cross each Friday during Lent at 7:00pm.
• What are Ember Days? These are days of fast and abstinence--one full meal. Meat is only allowed at the main meal except on Fridays, when no meat is allowed at all.
  
• Come to Mass or Eucharistic Adoration more during Lent and you'll continue to do so the rest of the year! 
• Marian Movement: 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm.
• Special thanks to all those who have contributed to the Save St. Mary's bake sale.
  

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Father Jerome C. Romanowski, Pastor

Clarifying a Misleading Diocesan Administrator on Prayer

When Marilyn Vollmer tried to explain prayer to the multitudes, she said we often don't receive what we pray for. I thought and prayed about that point when I was in first grade. I later found out that we often get something better than what we pray for.* In fact, true prayer--which Marilyn Vollmer ought to study because her immortal soul depends on it--always has a primary goal to give honor and glory to God.

Our Lord teaches us that fact in the Our Father. The fact that the first words and the Name of that prayer are stressing the relationship we have with God. Any other reason for praying is secondary, far down on the list of genuine prayer. "Lifting of the mind and heart to God" says everything. No conveners or facilitators need apply.


Prayer and Our Blessed Mother

In our battle against the devil Catholics make the consecration to Our Lord through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and that is true prayer. Our Blessed Mother's prayer, which is subordinate to the Our Father but flows from it, gives all honor and glory to God. "My soul doth magnify the Lord" (St. Luke 1:46). The actions of our Blessed Mother and St. Elizabeth portray the perfection of prayer.

First, there is the salutation of our Blessed Mother that leads to the sanctification of her child, St. John, in her womb. This encounter is the model for all who hold human life sacred. When prayer is performed properly, great and majestic events take place.

Our Blessed Mother greets us in every prayer because she is always united to Our Lord and brings Our Lord to us. St. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost (St. Luke 1:41). This is what happens to us in our devotion to our Blessed Mother. Unbelievers don't allow these words to penetrate the heart. Believers never doubt nor fear the encounter with Jesus through the intercession of His Mother.


Proper Lenten Prayer and Practices

That is why our prayers enable us to prepare for Lent properly as in the Latin Ordo (calendar of the saints). We dismiss the apostates'** practices of stones in the holy water font, having the Resurrected Lord in place of the Crucified Lord, failure to practice bodily mortification (we practice penance), substituting yoga instead of the Stations of the Cross, and ignoring the law of abstinence on Fridays. The apostates in the Church like to tell us how they enjoyed their vacations. There aren't any vacations in Hell.***


Holy Examples are No Accident: They are God's Grace!

Sr.Mary Celine of the Felician Sisters of Lodi taught us the above in the seventh grade. We knew of that material on prayer before that, but Sr. Mary Celine stood out by living that prayer in a cheerful way. It was a grace for me to find out that Sr. Mary Celine often visited a family at St. Mary's, Malaga long before I came here. Those graces never stop coming to our Shrine Parish!

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Father Jerome C. Romanowski, Pastor


* From the Editor: God answers all prayers of his children! But the problem of the current diocesan administration is something we've long known at Savestmarys: they have no hope.
 

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.... We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere 'to the end' and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God's eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1817-1821)

See also the following texts, all of which show how those people currently running the diocese into the ground lack are confusing the faithful with their words:

• John 16: 23-24: Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full.

• Mark 11: 21-23: And Peter remembering, said to him: Rabbi, behold the fig tree, which thou didst curse, is withered away. And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe, that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him. Therefore I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive; and they shall come unto you.

• Matthew 21: 18-22: And in the morning, returning into the city, he was hungry. And seeing a certain fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and he saith to it: May no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away. And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: How is it presently withered away? And Jesus answering, said to them: Amen, I say to you, if you shall have faith, and stagger not, not only this of the fig tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done. And in all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

• Interestingly, see James 4:1-5, the section summarized as, "The evils that flow from yielding to concupiscence and being friends to this world." Perhaps this is why Ms. Volmer does not receive that for which she purports to pray.
  

  From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members? You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and can not obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences. Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God. Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you.

• Again, if we keep his commandments. See 1John 3:21-22: Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God: And whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.

• Matthew 7: 6-10: Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you. Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?

• Luke 11: 9-13: And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?

**Footnote from Father Romanowski: An apostate is one who denounces the teachings of the Catholic Church and instead malpractices a denomination (that is, a cult).

***Emphasis above from the Editor.

The following is from a holy card distributed by the Salesians. On the front of the card is the picture below, on the back is the vision. It just so happens we have this very same large picture hanging in the back of St. Mary's.


In a vision, the Lord showed St. John Bosco the danger threatening the Church. He saw the Church, Ship of Peter, surrounded by a loyal flotilla, locked in mortal combat with superior forces which repeatedly brought it to the edge of annihilation. At a crucial moment, the Holy Father fell mortally wounded. The enemy, sensing victory, closed in for the kill.

Suddenly two columns surged from the depths of the ocean. One was surmounted by a monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament--"Salvation of Believers;" the other by a statue of Mary Immaculate--"The Help of Christians."

The sight of the columns and the election of a new pope caused the enemy to unleash a las blistering attack to prevent the pontiff from anchoring the Church between the two pillars. The assailant's plan failed, and their attack turned into a rout and total disaster.

The pope and his faithful defenders found safety anchored between the two pillars. The winds subsided and the sea grew calm. The victory was complete.

St. John Bosco assures us that when the Church is battered by enemies from within or from without, salvation can only come from JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST; MARY, THE HELP OF CHRISTIANS; and  THE POPE, the vicar of Christ on earth.



From EWTN:

This letter/article was submitted to Save St. Mary's a few days ago. We thank you for your submission.

I wrote a small piece and will send it to the Courier Post. The CP will never publish an editorial that doesn't glorify the Camden Diocese, So, I decided to share with your site too.

Can you serve both God and Mammon*?
It seems Bishop Galante thinks so.
Find Christ's answer here and the author's below.
(* Mammon: Riches, worldly interest See Luke 16:13 and Matthew 6:24)

Announcement from the Camden Diocese: Low enrollment, rising deficits force closure at end of school year of Our Lady of Guadalupe...

Here we go again!

Our Lady of Guadalupe's in Bridgeton will close at the end of this year due to low enrollment. It's no surprise that their enrollment continued to decline when you consider the atmosphere that Bishop Galante has created within the Catholic community of the Camden Diocese. How could enrollment grow with massive school closings, escalating tuition, and Church closures that demonstrate how the Diocese has turned its back on promoting our faith? The Diocese will quickly point to the declining numbers within the schools; on the other hand, one could speculate that poor decisions by a Diocese not driven by faith are at the root of the numbers decline.

Then we have the Church closures. Take a look at St. Gregory's Church in Magnolia and the prospect of this beautiful church becoming the site of yet another Super Wawa.

The beautiful St. Gregory's in Magnolia, NJ

These church closures represent a battle, Land Value vs. Faith. Sadly, I think land value is winning.

Surveyor outside St. Gregory's Magnolia.
Look out! Your church is next.

The people of the Camden Diocese need to say, enough is enough and unite to stop the damage this Diocese has done. With an apparent lack of devotion to our faith by those in charge at the Camden Diocese, how could the numbers increase in the pews or in the classrooms? Their devotion appears to be to the business of running a Diocese.

To top it all off, there is a general mistrust of Bishop Galante due to his dealings with Follieri, who is a criminal with his hands in the real-estate market.

One has to question Galante's motives in the light of his ties.

Bishop Galante on the front page of the
7/15/08 NY Post because of his financial
involvement with criminal Raffaello Follieri

For the future, my hunch is more closures will follow. In my area, watch out St. Teresa's in Runnemede. Forget about the dedication of the IHM sisters or your 80+ years of teaching our children so much more then just the academics. You are sitting on prime real estate (Black Horse Pike & Evesham).

View Larger Map

I beg you, if your number is called, don't go quietly.

Whether it's a school or church closure, it's all related. Neither closure will promote growth in the Catholic Faith. Both closures will free up real estate that could be sold for big profits. What is Galante's objective, to promote our faith or make money? Is he the right man to lead us in our faith? I think not.

In closing, Thank You Father Romanowski (St. Mary's Malaga) for proving that there is good in the churches of the Camden Diocese.

D. Lamancusa

This weekend we have many opportunities to attend Mass.  Monday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, therefore we will have Mass on Sunday night.  On Monday, our Masses will be at 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM.  We will have Latin Mass on Sunday night. 

 

This all important feast recognizes the solemn Truth that Our Blessed Mother was conceived without sin.  This special privilege also blesses everyone in a prominent way because as a member of the human race whatever blessing comes to Our Blessed Mother flows into our souls.  This is a powerful Truth that encourages, or rather demands, that we express our gratitude to Almighty God by praying always to the Immaculate Virgin and Mother to avoid personal sin at all cost.  This devotion was emphasized by the apparition of Our Blessed Mother to St. Catherine Labouré in 1831 at France.  Blessed Virgin Mary asked that a medal be forged to commemorate this important event in the history of mankind.  The apparition of Our Blessed Mother at Lourdes to St. Bernadette Soubirous confirmed the need for devotion to this honor bestowed on the Blessed Virgin and thus to all of us.

When we live in the truth, we live in God, and we discover His Holy Will.  That Will unquestionably calls us, implores us, directs us to adore the Almighty through our relationship with the Holy Mother of God. 

 

When we see a diocese that only gives lip service to God's Mother and does not propagate devotion to the Patroness of the Diocese of Camden and the United States of America, we know that God is not pleased with that diocese.  Therefore, St. Mary's Shrine Parish is particularly blessed by the constant devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  Remember we have had for many years now the Perpetual Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on Wednesday nights.  We also distribute the medal of the Immaculate Mother all the time and attach it to our scapular.  Come, join us in the crusade to bring the United States to its knees in giving honor and glory to God by our devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  What is engraved on the Miraculous Medal, the medal that Blessed Teresa of Calcutta gave to everyone who came to her for help, "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

 

Praised by Jesus Christ

Now and Forever

 

Father Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor

Wonder what will happen to the beautiful stained glass windows in your church if the closures go through?  Check out this article from the Republican Herald.

"The Diocese of Allentown is using the Internet to sell the stained-glass windows from the former Immaculate Conception Church in Kelayres and the former St. Bertha Church in Tuscarora.

Matt Kerr, director of communications for the Diocese of Allentown, confirmed Wednesday the diocese is "organizing" the sale of the windows, but will not get the money from the windows' sale.

"The diocese posted the windows for sale on the Internet 10 days or two weeks ago," Kerr said. "Proceeds from the sale will go to the succeeding parish."

Funny how the Diocese is always quick to point out that they have nothing to gain by these church closures, yet they seem to have their hand in everything.  I want to know if the parish owns the property, not the diocese, then why does the parish have no say whatsoever in whether the church is closed.  Sounds to me like selective ownership.  If a diocese is being sued, they own and control nothing.  If convenient for the diocese, they make decisions about the very existance of such parishes and their right to continue without any concern for the parishioners. 

Anyway, if you are interested in purchasing stained glass windows or just curious to know how much those stained glass windows are worth, you can check them out here.  Here's a cute little window you can buy for $2,135, complete with the inscription "In Loving Memory of Corporal Paul Kuhn." 

Makes you think twice about making donations in memory of loved ones, doesn't it?  I can only imagine what the windows at a church like Sacred Heart in Vineland are worth!

On the brighter side, we are hearing all sorts of rumors about change that may be coming our way.  At this point, none are confirmed, but it seems promising, so keep up the prayer and hard work.  Let's be like that persistent friend from Luke 11:5-13:

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

After all, if we aren't willing to stand up and fight for our churches and parishes, maybe we don't deserve them. 

Candlelight procession to follow the 7:00 PM Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (12/8).

 

We'll be decorating the Church for Christmas on Wednesday, following the 8AM Mass. 

 

On Friday December 12^th, St. Mary's will host the 23^rd annual concelebrated Mass honoring God's Holy Angels, sponsored by the Legion of Mary.  The evening will begin with the Angelus at 6:00.  A dinner will follow Mass.  For those interested in attending the dinner, the cost is $10 per person.  Call the rectory (694-2576) for reservations.

 

Our parish Christmas Party will be held on December 21^st, following the 11:30 AM Mass.  Bring a covered dish to share.  We'll also be watching The Bells of St. Mary's!

We are naming our new Praesidium of the Legion of Mary, Queen of All Hearts because that was the immediate, positive response of everyone at the initial meeting. When we pray the Rosary, we are speaking and imploring from the heart to ask the Blessed Mother to touch our hearts with fervor for her Divine Son. Our hearts must be pure when we pray because it is then when we see God, experience His Presence in all that we are and all that we do.

God cannot become man in any body that was not free from sin. The special privilege of the Blessed Mother to be conceived without sin prepared her human heart to become the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus, it is our privilege, also, to surrender our searching hearts, focused on ourselves, to the grace that the Blessed virgin Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces, pours into our hearts and souls.

Our entire being yearns for the true happiness that comes from God alone. The Church enriches our lives with the sacraments and the devotions that enable us to become one with the Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is the way of the saints and the refuge of us sinners who have become tainted with the world, the devil, and the flesh. To combat this threefold temptation we need the power of Our Lord. He came to us at the crucial point of time in the perfect woman, therefore it is fitting that we follow our Mother to the Heart of her Divine Son.


The Church given to us by Our Lord when he was on this earth, the Body continues to be present to us particularly and decisively in the Most Blessed Eucharist. Our late Holy Father, Servant of God, Pope John Paul II the Great, introduced us to the five mysteries of light ("luminous mysteries"). That is the Light that offers us brilliant insights into the light of God. The Blessed Mother, Queen of all Hearts showers her blessings on us by:

1.) the Baptism of Our Lord
2.) the Wedding Feast at Cana
3.) the Proclamation of the Kingdom through the Forgiveness of sins
4.) the Transfiguration of Our Lord
5.) the institution of The Most Blessed Eucharist.

Follow that path with the other fifteen mysteries of the Rosary and find that it makes our hearts filled with the promises of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you. Learn of me for I am meek and humble or heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light. (St. Matthew 11:28-30)

Praised Be Jesus Christ!
Now and Forever.
Fr. Jerome C. Romanowski, Pastor

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was published in 1992 AD, is the definitive statement and application of the teachings of the Catholic Church. We must follow that teaching in order to give honor and glory to God and therefore to save our own souls and be a positive influence in saving other souls. There is often discontent and division in the Catholic Church about the true teaching and what St. Paul says about those who go around with itching ears trying to falsify the true teaching. St. Paul is very blunt in his condemnation of those who falsify this teaching. He tells them, in effect, they should ruin themselves because of what they do to the souls of the faithful.

Since we are in a controversial period of Church history and that controversy has spread to our own diocese, let's be clear on what Church teaches. Our Lord says the following to St. Peter (notice I write in the present tense to demonstrate that what Jesus proclaims for us is now). Our Lord says to St. Peter:

Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.I give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (St. Matthew 16:18-19)

For the beloved members of St. Mary's Shrine Parish, those words become the heart of the present controversy in the diocese of Camden. When we only get a passing reference to the words of Pope Benedict XVI from the chancery, and when our souls are not being nourished by the sound teaching of the Catholic Church, we must respond with the Truth. The final statement on any controversy comes from the Holy See: "Roma locuta est, causa finita." Rome has spoken, the cause or controversy is closed. It has always been that way and it will always be that way.



The late, great Servant of God, Pope John Paul II tells us: "Do not be afraid" because Jesus protects us through His Immaculate Mother. Let those at the chancery, misguided by people from other parts of the country where there has been disaster to the Church in places like the Archdioceses of Los Angeles and Seattle, heed the words of Our Lord and Savior:

Go behind me Satan: thou art a scandal unto Me, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men. (St. Matthew 16:23)

The Catholic Church is made up of human beings, but it rises above humanity by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Often little voices like St. Therese awaken the snoozing bodies of the powerful. The little way of the saints will always emerge victorious despite the apparent obstacles that confront us. We live because of Our Lord's death on the cross. From that water and blood that flows from His side we are forever strengthened. We don't use arguments with ambiguous meanings--no maybes. If we live with a pure heart, only attained through the consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart, we will attain the true, final victory of the Kingdom of Heaven, so help us God.

Praised be Jesus Christ1 Now and Forever.
Fr. Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor




Date to Remember: Rosary on Delsea Drive noon Saturday October 11th.

Hmmm...the only thing that St. Mary's lacks in "vibrancy" is frothy mochaccinos. Oh well, our loss. There's a Wawa down the street.

• The Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima is available for devotion in the home. Call the rectory or sign up in the back of the church.

• Father kindly thanks everyone for the lovely cards and gifts he received for his birthday. (Incidentally, the party was a lot of fun and we hope to get some pictures up soon!)

• A new Praesidium of the Legion of Mary will be on Sat. Oct. 4th at 10:00am.

• Donations to the food pantry are requested.

• Movie night, which is every 4th Saturday, will be Sat. Sept. 27th following the 5:00pm mass. The movie Miracle of St. Therese will be shown. All ages are welcome, and refreshments will be available.

• Family Game Night, which is every 1st Friday to coincide with First Friday devotions, will be on Fri. Oct. 3rd. There will be a potluck dinner from 5:00-5:30. Bring a game to share from 5:30-6:30. After that, there will be Rosary in the church beginning at 6:30, Sacred Heart Devotions and Benediction at 7:00, and Holy Mass at 7:30.

• Junior Legion of Mary will meet in the Shrine Room on Thursday from 4-5:00pm. Draw closer to Jesus and Mary through the Holy Rosary, Legion prayers, and our holy pastor's instruction. Bring Jesus and Mary to others through your prayers and service.

• Junior choir will practice on Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm. Sing at various masses and Christmas concerts, as well as at local nursing homes.

• A Camden Diocese sponsored Marian pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will be on Saturday Oct. 11. Call 856-845-8575 if you're interested.

• CCD will begin October 5th. Don't forget to register if you haven't done so already!

• CCD teachers and aids: There will be a meeting in the Shrine room on Sept. 28th after the 8:30am mass.

• A Harvest Dance with Jerry Blavet will be hosted by Queen of Angels parish and held at Notre Dame Regional School (601 Central Ave., Landisville) on Sat. Nov. 22nd from 7:00pm until midnight. Doors open 6:30. $25 admission includes buffet, dessert, coffee, soda, etc. (BYOB) Tickets on sale now. Call 856-697-1450 to buy a ticket. There is limited seating, but tables of ten can be reserved, so buy your tickets now.

Undoubtedly some things have been left out, so please don't hesitate to contact savestmarys with your news/event information.

On the twenty-second day of August we celebrate Our Blessed Mother's Feast entitled, "Queen of Heaven and Earth." Nothing is so consoling in this valley of tears than having a spiritual mother. Some of us have been blessed by having a holy natural mother who consoled us when we were growing up. If things didn't go right for us, we knew where to turn. There was a bond that nourished us by the fact that our mother taught us how to pray by word and example. I never knew how important the consolation of our spiritual mother is until one day in early seminary days a teacher told us very assuredly that no matter how strong our family relationship is, the relationship we have in a spiritual way with Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the saints is infinitely stronger than our natural, human relationship. I've meditated on that truth very often through the years and came to the conclusion what a powerful actual grace that has been in my life as a priest. The simple truth is a central point of having a strong spiritual life. With the fundamental qualities learned about prayer--persevering and always praying attentively, humbly and confidently--these key elements build the character formation that everyone needs. In the world today organizations like the Legion of Mary and the Holy Name Society are the necessary family-type groups that make continual growth a part of a Catholic's heart-to-heart relationship with the Almighty, the Blessed Mother,and the saints. Holy Name members pray the Holy Name Pledge. Legion of Mary members pray the consecration prayer, "My Queen, My Mother I am yours and all that I have is yours." Members of St. Mary's Parish join those prayers with the total surrender to the Sacred Heart by our consecration of our parish and diocese through, with, in and for the Immaculate Heart of Mary who is truly the Queen and Mother of us all.

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Fr. Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor

Click here to read article. (Yes it's here!)

St. Bartholomew's Church in Camden, the only African-American Catholic church in the Diocese of Camden, has been slated to merge with another parish and lose its historic and culturally unique character. Church members have been united in opposition to the plan for quite a while now. We in the COP have been utterly amazed and confused by the senselessness of this plan. Clearly an irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind asset to the Diocese, St. Batholomew's was set up for Black Catholics who experienced outright rejection in other parishes. The parish draws Black Catholics from far and wide. Says Rachel Loveland Fisher, 70, of Cherry Hill:

Before the church was built...[she] recalls standing at the back of churches in Camden as a young child because black parishioners were not allowed to sit in the pews.

"They refused my granddad, who used to be a slave," Fisher said. "I remember they wouldn't let him sit down, and if it was really crowded, they would make us go outside. They put us out on the steps."

This statement reminded me of the stories of my own family, who is Italian. Apparently they were not permitted to sit in the same church as the Irish-Americans and, like those at St. Bart's, my own relatives were forced to worship elsewhere. Finally they came to Vineland where they farmed and set up their own church, which is now the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (originally called Sacred Heart), which is scheduled for closure. After outgrowing this church, they later built the (current), cathedral-like, beautiful Sacred Heart, whose status will now be "secondary worship site." Yikes, my grandparents and great-grandparents must be rolling in their graves. But I digress.

Under [Bishop Galante's] plan, St. Bartholomew would merge with St. Joan; St. Joan would become the worship site. The new parish would then cluster or share a priest with Sacred Heart Church in Camden.

Further, in a June 23rd response to St. Bart's parishioners:

"As you write, St. Bartholomew's was established and has maintained its mission to serve the black Catholic community within a specific portion of the Diocese of Camden," Galante wrote. "I assure you that the proposed merger intends to not only acknowledge, embrace and endorse this mission, but also to strengthen this mission into the future."

Walton said it was the bishop's intention from the beginning that St. Bartholomew would remain open "because of its historical value as an African-American church."

Clearly this intention is far from clear to members of St. Bart's, who want to maintain their church as it is and without diocesan interference. No wonder there's confusion. In April they're set to be squashed as a historically Black parish to merge and worship elsewhere, and then a few months later Mr. Walton transforms into the picture of cultural sensitivity, saying St. Bart's will stay open "because of its historical value as an African-American church." Gee, why all the confusion? Could it be a pattern of inconsistency and misleading rhetoric on the part of the diocese? Could it be that Galante, McGrath, Vollmer, and Walton had assumed that lumping non-white minorities together into one parish wouldn't make any difference until they experienced such tremendous resistance that they became concerned with the appearance of cultural insensitivity, at best?

Isn't it ironic that, historically, no matter what happens with the African-American Catholics in our diocese, they are consistently being forced to worship or not to worship somewhere against their will? First they are rejected at what would have been their normal parishes, then a mission church is set up where they are to attend, and now they're being forced to worship in yet another church.

We in the COP see absolutely no reason why St. Bart's should be anything other than what it has been--a "stand-alone" church. At savestmarys, we feel it is nothing short of shameful that Bishop Galante would want to merge and consequently dilute the character of a congregation with as rich a history as St. Bartholomew's.

This letter was submitted to savestmarys from Robert Walsh of the Council of Parishes. He requested we put it up on the website for public perusal. We've had this letter for awhile now but we're just getting around to putting it up now, so my apologies.

Comments about the letter:

What is not said is just as important as what is. While reading, notice that nowhere within the letter does Bishop Galante mention Meitler Consultants (the consultants of doom), nor does he mention that our Lady of Lourdes has tremendous debt and OLQP tremendous assets. Bishop Galante also takes a passive tone ("I accepted the merger recommendation of the deanery planners"), attempting to distance himself from the foregone conclusion and pass the buck for the decision to the laity and his Presbyteral Council, almost as if he himself was a disinterested witness.

Additionally, he attempts to paint the decision as one of pastoral care, which I don't think anybody really buys with regard to any church. He also does not mention that canonically, a "worship site" is not protected in the same way as a "parish," a fact he well knows what with his background in Canon Law.

Bishop Galante brings up the ridiculous Speak Up Sessions yet again, failing to mention that a virtually identical "process" has been used in many other diocese around the country, all with dire consequences. For your entertainment, we have italicized each use of the word "process" or like phrases within the letter. Why? Anytime you feel the need to emphasize the fluid and open nature of such a thing as a "process" it is very clear that no one in fact believes that there really was a true and open "process." Be assured that if, for research purposes, actual polls or votes had been taken which involved all Catholics in the Diocese of Camden, the choice to close or merge parishes would have been overwhelmingly and resoundingly denied.

In the second to last paragraph he again emphasizes pastoral care as the motivation for his desire to deny foreign priests to the diocese. Yet Bishop Galante fails to mention his lay-led ministry program that would effectively undermine various priestly functions and relegate them to the realm of the paid laity; he fails to mention his intention to bring in priests from the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, known to be very liberal; and he fails to mention the trickle of diocesan priests who he has assigned and continues to assign outside the diocese, arguably creating a priest shortage.

By the way, though the letter was dated June 10th, it was not postmarked until June 13th. Last we heard, Mr. Walsh has written somewhere around 27 letters to the bishop thus far.

June 10, 2008

Dear Mr. Walsh:

I write in response to your April 23, 2008 and June 3, 2008 letters in which you seek clarification regarding the status of the announcement of my intention to merge Our Lady Queen of Peace with Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as your request that I reconsider the announced merger.

As you are aware, on April 3, 2008 I announced to the people of the Diocese of Camden my intentions for the reconfiguration of the parishes of the Diocese. The announced reconfiguration grew out of almost three years of extensive consultation, study and review under the guidance of the Vicars Forane.

Deanery planners overwhelmingly recommended that Our Lady Queen of Peace should merge with Our Lady of Lourdes. This deanery recommendation was reviewed by the Diocesan Planning Commission and was the subject of a canonical consultation with the Presbyteral Council. Following the process that was established for this purpose, I accepted the merger recommendation of deanery planners in order to improve pastoral care to the people of this area of the diocese, to strengthen parish life and to create greater opportunities for the parish to advance the pastoral priorities identified by parishioners at Speak Up sessions. I also stressed in my April 3 announcement that Our Lady Queen of Peace would remain as a worship site for liturgy.

Further, as I explained on April 3, these are my intentions for reconfiguration, but there must be preparation time, perhaps 12-24 months, before mergers are formally promulgated with a decree establishing the new parish.

Last September, while the planning process was still underway, the "Alternate Options Committee" sent me a proposal for Our Lady Queen of Peace to remain as presently configured. While I appreciate your concern for the parish and the time you and the Committee spent preparing the proposal, it would have been inappropriate at that time for me to formally respond to your proposal, as it would have compromised and circumvented the clearly defined process that had already been established to evaluate such matters. However, I did speak personally with you at a fall meeting where I acknowledged your correspondence and spoke to you directly about certain aspects of the proposal.

As I indicated when we spoke last fall, your proposal to invite the Priestly Congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate to serve Our Lady Queen of Peace fails to address the key motivation for parish reconfiguration. While certainly we must plan for the reduced number of priests that will be available to the diocese in the future, planning is being driven primarily by the need to improve pastoral care to the people of the diocese, to expand the range of ministries and services that will benefit the people of the diocese, to respond to the needs that they themselves have indicated must be priorities for this diocese, and to serve the common good of the diocese.

While I do not believe the proposal responds to the particular concerns that make parish reconfiguration necessary at this time, I assure you that I have reviewed your proposal carefully, as well as the background information you have provided regarding your parish, its history, and the activities and ministries now provided by the parish and its parishioners. In addition, since I already have obtained a wide range of input regarding the configuration involving Our Lady Queen of Peace, both before and after the April 3 announcement, I do not believe that it is necessary, as per the request of your June 3, 2008 letter, to schedule a meeting to further discuss the proposal.

I thank you again for taking the time to share your concerns and proposals in such a detailed and constructive manner.

May God continue to guide you and bless you.

Fraternally,
Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Camden