Msgr. Schaedel’s letter for bulletin of January 30, 2000:

Dear Parishioners,

Let me begin this week’s letter with a chuckle:

Vice-president and presidential hopeful Al Gore gave a speech this week. Part of his speech was about how his faith is so important to him and so forth. In this attempt to convince his listeners that we should consider him for president, he announced that his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3.

Well, either the speechwriter or Mr. Gore were confused. I’m sure they meant John 3:16. That’s the very familiar Scriptural verse people hold up on large signs at ball games and other public gatherings. John 3:16 is "Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life."

But Al Gore said his favorite verse is John 16:3. That’s "All this they will do to you because they knew neither the Father nor me." Now it was either a slip of the tongue or pen or it was the action of the Holy Spirit. Or maybe that is his favorite Bible verse. Draw your own conclusions.

Congratulations and thanks to the young people of our parish who participated in the annual Pro-Life March in Washington, D.C. They battled harsh weather and road conditions in order to get there. I think they left Washington just in time—before the big snowstorm hit! The march is the annual march to protest the horrible Roe vs. Wade Decision in the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. It legalized abortion.

I’d also like to re-emphasize the need for quiet in church, particularly before Mass. Many people come to Mass early for some peace and quiet in which to pray. Loud talking disturbs this. We can talk, talk, talk just about any other place, any other time. But the quiet of a church is one of the few (if not the only) places where we can have some peace and quiet to pray. Let’s respect that. Let’s save the loud chatter for the vestibule or the front steps. I think we are doing better. Now, if we can just get over leaving Mass early!

The Parish Council will meet this Wednesday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m. Anyone is always invited to attend.

As of this writing, the new roof seems to be holding out. You’ll remember that it was precisely at this time last year when the snow and ice caused some leaks. You can still see the effects on the ceiling in the Southeast and Southwest corners of the church.

I would again like to list some chances to give to God and His Church while at the same time honoring or remembering our loved ones:

The perpetual votive candles burn before the statues of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and Saint Anthony in the front of our church. Each candle burns for the intention of a person or a family who has donated the candle for that particular month. We list these families and intentions the first Sunday of each month in the bulletin. The donation is $10.00 per month per candle.

Fresh flowers adorn our altar each weekend, except during Lent. I would like to invite you to cover the cost of the altar flowers in memory of someone. We would list this also in the bulletin. For example, "The altar flowers this weekend are in memory of John and Anna Smith." The cost of these flowers is $30.00 per weekend.

We are planning to purchase some altar frontals (altar cloths with an embroidered design that hangs in front). It’s been a long, long time since we have purchased some new altar cloths here. We want some especially nice ones to use for Christmas, Easter, and other special feasts. At present, we do not really know how much they will run.

If you would like to assist with any of these Parish Memorials that I have listed above, please call Bernie Greene or David Walden at the parish office. They can assist you. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, let them or Fr. Duvelius or myself know.

Our church, the temple of the Lord and gate of heaven (il tempio del Signore, la porta del cielo as Msgr. Priori called it) deserves the very best. It is here that we approach the Throne of Grace. Anything you can do to assist us with this will be deeply appreciated.

Faithfully yours in God’s Providence,

Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel