Kevin's Corner 07-11-10
SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVING IS: For those of us who follow the calendar closely, summertime is flying! I am reminded regularly of just how precious these days are: the beauty of gardens in a rainier-than-normal summer; the pleasure of softball on a luxuriantly green field; the chestnut beauty of our children’s skin after a month of playing in the sun; the simple delight of lingering outside as the sun sets after 9:00 PM. Now, here is a little check-in as we near the midpoint of summer. Are you seeing the people you most want to see? Been to a state park yet? Spent time floating on water? Napped outside (preferably in the shade)? Walked around a lake? Licked an ice cream cone? Said your morning prayers on the front stoop? Even better: said your morning prayers on the front stoop with a cup of coffee in your hand? Please do not let God’s precious gift of summer slip away unappreciated.
PARISH PICNIC: One special midsummer day for us at Claver is the Parish Picnic. It happens next Sunday, starting right after the 10:00 Mass. It is a low-obligation, high-relaxation event. Come when you can, and stay as long as your other commitments permit. We will enjoy some simple food, play some volleyball, bingo, cards, kids’ games – and mostly just visit with a few friends. See you next Sunday!
RONDO DAYS: We schedule the Parish Picnic each year to coincide with the Rondo neighborhood’s annual celebration of its history and continued unity. That way, we hope that some “old time” parishioners who are in town for family and friends’ reunions might be able to include Claver in their calendars – please extend an invitation if you know any such visitors. And if your own calendar permits, plan to take part in some of the events of Rondo Days. For me, the highlight is always the parade, which begins at the northeast corner of our parish property next Saturday at 10:00 AM. I will have made some coffee early, so come about 9:30 and watch the parade line-up, chat with the politicians and candidates, and get a extra look at the routines of the drill teams. God bless this neighborhood!
WELCOME TO A CAMEROONIAN BISHOP AND BROTHER: We welcome a surprise visitor to Saint Peter Claver this Sunday. Bishop Immanuel Bushu is the leader of the Catholic community in a part of Cameroon from which many of our members come, Buea in Southwest Province. All Cameroonians are welcome here, of course, but there is an additional reason for us to welcome Bishop Bushu. He is not only our brother and leader in the Faith and a “homey” to many of our members, he also shares our commitment to the importance of education for the advancement of the people whom he serves. Bishop Bushu is touring Cameroonian communities across the U.S. to stir up support for his new initiative: the University Institute of the Diocese of Buea. There is a state-run university in that city, but it can enroll only about a quarter of the eligible applicants. Bishop Bushu decided to supplement the efforts of the University of Buea, and to strengthen the Church at the same time, by opening a program of post-secondary studies. Please pray for his success in finding “angels” to help that work. God bless your efforts, Bishop Bushu.
THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM (NCCA): The sixtieth annual national conference of an important organization takes place in Saint Paul over the next few days. The NCCA was founded to bring a “Catholic blessing” to the powerful spiritual movement based in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over two generations ago, some voices in our faith tradition expressed reservations about AA, suggesting that it might promote religious indifference. Of course, effective recovery from alcohol addiction does just the opposite, and the NCCA helped spread the word. I have the privilege of addressing the Conference as a keynote speaker.
REMEMBERING THE LUGER BROTHERS: I will also receive an award at an opening banquet. The award is named for Father Ralph Pfau, founder of the NCCA, and is presented annually “to a priest or deacon who, through his own ministry, has helped advance recovery from addictions both in religious life and in the general community”. What a wonderful award to receive. If given the chance to speak when I receive the award, I intend to honor two former pastors of Saint Peter Claver, the brothers Jerome and Arnold Luger. Father Jerome, as you have read here before, founded our parish school as a way to combat that historic American addiction to racism. His brother Arnold, who succeeded Jerome after his sudden, early death, was deeply beloved by the priests of this Archdiocese as the first among us to acknowledge publicly his own alcohol addiction, to testify to the power of the Twelve Steps, and then to encourage dozens of his fellow priests to find sanity through AA. Both of them were courageous men of faith, who allowed God to lead them where others of lesser faith would not go.
THE FIRST WEEK AT MY NEW PARISH: I thank Claver’s members for your patience with my partial absence from the parish on these first two weekends of July. I became administrator (acting pastor) of the Church of the Incarnation in South Minneapolis on July 1. In the first ten days I have had two deaths and something of a financial crisis. Please pray for my two soon-to-be-merged Minneapolis communities: Spanish-speaking Sagrado Corazon de Jesus and English-speaking Incarnation. There is rich history and great potential there.
MY MOTHER AND THE PRESIDENT: When my mom was not at Saint Peter Claver parish a few weekends ago, a few parish members asked after her. I told them that she was visiting some of my East Coast family members, and shared no further details. But the fact is that she had a wonderful trip to Washington DC, a trip that included a visit to the White House. You can see one of the greatest highlights for her, a chance to meet our President in the Oval Office. I have posted two photos in the church entryway, and will leave them there till next week. Check them out.