ARCHDIOCESAN PLANNING PROCESS AND REALITY

An insert is included in the bulletin this week about the Archdiocese's planning process. It contains some common comments that the planning task force has received from parishioners. Not noted in the insert is that at 3 meetings that I have attended one of the strongest refrains has been that we need to expand who can be ordained, first of all married men. Indeed this entire process seems to be primarily motivated by the obvious but unstated fact that we do not have enough priests to staff existing parishes. Thus we have to close or consolidate parishes that otherwise are very viable. Most Protestant denominations would keep such parishes open as they have more than enough clergy to staff them. We are losing what the insert calls "parish culture and community" because our leadership refuses to face reality.

Or maybe they are facing reality but just in an unreal way. I had to laugh at the insert's stating, "There is a deep concern for the well-being of priests..." Just this week I received the minutes of the last meeting of Archbishop Nienstedt with our Council of priests.  In them it is noted that the Archbishop apparently without consultation has dictated that priests can no longer retire at age 65 but must wait until age 70. "Archbishop Nienstedt indicated that a new policy is needed, because given the shortage of priests we cannot afford to have them retiring at age 65." Now that is deep concern.

I am glad that we have already conformed for years on the Parish Annual Disclosure Form being published annually to the parish.

OUT OF THE PARK

I want to thank you and the Bloomington Athletic Association for your generous response for baseball equipment for the youth of our sister parish community in Jinotega, Nicaragua. Sister Parish volunteers packaged up last Sunday 45 boxes and 1360 pounds of mainly baseballs, along with some soccer and basketball, equipment. Bridging provided a truck to take it all to the shipper.

Thanks to all for your help and donations!  Thanks also for your ongoing and undying support of the efforts of the Sister Parish ministry! Thanks especially to Sue Kellett who leads this great effort. What a team! You hit it out of the park!

LOCK-UP TEAMS

One very unique ministry at St. Edward’s are the Lock-up Teams. This sounds rather threatening, but it actually allows for hospitality and openness. Two nights each week we do not have maintenance staff present to lock the church. And so on Thursday and Friday nights the Lock-up teams close the church. This lets us schedule meetings on those evenings and enables the chapel to be kept open beyond normal business hours. We are one of the few parishes in the Archdiocese that has its chapel open from early morning, usually by 7:30 am, until 9:30 or 10:00 pm. The Lock-up teams are essential for this to happen.

Since I have been here (1998) Fran O'Brien has served as coordinator of this program. He has done a wonderful job and is now stepping down. Parishioner Bill Bach has volunteered to head it now. Thank you Bill, and thanks to all who serve in this great ministry. And a very special thank you to Fran.

All members of the volunteer Lock-Up Teams are invited to a special Open House.

Date:         Saturday, March 13
Time:        9:00 am - 10:30 am
Location:   Auditorium (lower level)
RSVP:       Call the parish office, (952) 835-7101 by Monday, March 8

Donuts, coffee and juice will be served.  We have a few vacant positions on the Teams and would welcome any new volunteers to come to the Open House. For more information call Rena Chrysler, Director of Stewardship & Administration (952) 835-7101 x208, or the new Chair of the Lock-Up Teams, Bill Bach, at (952) 884-7300 (work) or (952) 884-3811 (home).

ANYWAY

We began Lent with 3 very prayerful Ash Wednesday services. At the noon service, our Director of Adult Faith Formation, Heidi Busse, gave a wonderful message in which she recited a poem attributed to Mother Teresa. It is titled,
"Do It Anyway," and reportedly was written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta. This poem seems to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.  It is a good reflection as we begin Lent which is a special time for us to focus on our relationship with God.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
               Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. 
               Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. 
               Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. 
               Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
               Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. 
               Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 
               Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 
               Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. 
               It was never between you and them anyway. 

THANK YOU FOR MOVING FAMILIES FORWARD

I received a heartfelt thank you from Kate Van Schyndle, LSW, the social worker for the Families Moving Forward Program which we hosted last week. She writes:

Thank you for hosting! Families Moving Forward truly appreciates the warmth and love you have given to the families while they have been at your congregation.

The families absolutely loved staying at your congregation. They appreciated all of the extra help that your volunteers gave them. The families loved spending time with your volunteers!

Thank you for the wonderful communication that you kept with Families Moving Forward! FMF and volunteers communicating openly is what our program is all about - and is the best for our families!

Thank you for caring for the families while they were going through such a hard time. The understanding and care you were able to provide truly made the week easier for the parents and much better for the children.

Thank you for loving the children and taking time for each one of them. Thank you for ensuring that they had food in their tummies and a warm safe place to sleep.

Thank you, as well, for coping with such an uncertain week of health concerns! Your congregation did such a wonderful job taking it in stride and working to keep all of the families and the volunteers safe and healthy! Your congregation did such a wonderful job with the families - especially with the children. Thank you for your love!

SCOUT SUNDAY

We have many young people and their families involved in scouting programs. This weekend is designated as Scout Sunday for the Boy Scouts. Scout Sunday is celebrated every year to acknowledge the component of scouting that includes that a scout is reverent. The scouts, leaders and parents truly embody the principles of time, talent and treasure.  For instance, Pack 374 this past year collected food for VEAP, raised money for the relief efforts in Haiti, supported the Tyler Fey scholarship at Holy Angels (a  former AHA student that was killed in Iraq), sent care packages and cards to the troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and have created birthday bags for children who are served through VEAP.

This year's Scout Sunday falls the day before the 100th anniversary of Scouting Feb 8th.

Congratulations Scouts.