WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi or the Body of Christ. This evocative name has many meanings, but St. Paul stressed the fact that we as disciples make up the Body of Christ now. Each Christian community makes up the Body of Christ.

I was just powerfully reminded of this reality. A week ago, I saw the obituary for a former parishioner, Marvin Freund, in the Star Tribune. There was a special article about him and his career as a top manager and labor negotiator for the former Republic Airlines. He, like a number of our parishioners, had an eventful career in the airline industry during the "glory years." A co-worker was quoted that Marvin was creative in his work because he was a good listener.

But what especially got my attention was the inclusion in the article that he was one of the first Eucharistic ministers here at St. Edward’s, going back to the beginning of our parish 40 years ago. Apparently, he and his family still considered his sharing the Body of Christ in the Eucharistic to have been a real honor in his very full life.

It is a honor to share the Body of Christ and to make up the Body of Christ here at St. Ed’s. So many, going back to our founding pastor, Bishop Paul Dudley and people like Marvin, have made that commitment. Thank you all for sharing your gifts as we continue to build up the Body of Christ.

CLASS OF 2010

This weekend we have the special High School Graduation Mass at 11:00 am on Sunday. This gives me the opportunity to wish the very best to all of our graduates at their different levels of educational attainment. And our prayers are with you as you make the next steps in your life journeys.

God bless you.


BIKE/WALK TO WORK WEEK

I have been impressed to see recent articles that the Twin Cities is the number one city in the United States for bicycling. With the nearby location of Quality Bike Parts warehouse,  I am used to seeing their employees biking down Nesbitt Ave on there way to work even on below zero January days. Whether it's biking to work or school, taking a leisurely weekend ride in Hyland Park, or walking around Normandale Lake, residents are walking (or biking) the talk. This is something to celebrate with Bike Walk Week 2010, June 5-11, with a week of activities across the Twin Cities.

The metro-area Bike Walk celebrations started out as a "day" in 2007 and grew to a "week" in 2008. I plan to participate at least on one of the days. All information and registration tools are available at http://www.bikewalkweek.org/.

MEMORIAL WEEKEND

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, which is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. In a more general way we also honor all who have served our country. It is good to have such civic celebrations, but it is also good to rededicate ourselves to lives of service and generosity.

I am reminded of your generosity on a daily basis. Just today, I received a letter from the Archdiocese's Campaign for Human Development. They thanked us for your donations to the CUD collection last December. They amounted to $3,057, The fund are allocated to nine local community controlled self-help organizations.

And last Monday, the Tithing Committee had its final quarterly meeting of the year. At that meeting the final monies were given out for the current fiscal year. The total amount for the year amounted to $164,000 that the parish gives out to works of charity and justice. This is 10% of our parish budget and is a very significant commitment on the part of the parish.

In addition there are many other collections and supportive events such as the baby showers for the life care centers and weekly food donations to the VEAP emergency food shelf.

Thank you so much for your gifts of care and compassion. This year we have again outspent our funds allocated for emergency needs. This is called the Dudley Fund after our founding pastor, Bishop Paul Dudley. We have been able to help many parishioners and others in the community facing job loss,
medical bills, etc. I am so thankful that we can do this. It is memorable.

AUSTRIAN BISHOPS:  PENTECOSTAL WINDS OF CATHOLIC REFORM

The hills of Austria are alive with more than Maria Von Trapp's Sound of Music. The Catholic bishops there are adding to the reverberations.

The Austrian bishops in the course of a three day meeting:

(1)     have asked that the Vatican open discussion about priestly celibacy

(2)     have called for the ordination of married men

(3)     have called for "great reforms in the Church"

Earlier, a few weeks ago, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna told a group of journalists that Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the former Vatican Secretary of State, had "deeply wronged" the victims of sexual abuse by downplaying the importance of the issue. On Easter Sunday, Cardinal Sodano had surprised everyone at the papal liturgy in St. Peter's Square with an unscheduled statement of support for Pope Benedict XVI. In that statement Cardinal Sodano had referred to criticism of the Pope's handling of the abuse issue as "petty gossip."

During his interview with Austrian newspaper reporters, Cardinal Schönborn made several other noteworthy comments:

On homosexual couples: "a stable relationship is certainly better than if someone simply indulges in promiscuity."

On Catholics who divorce and remarry: the cardinal said the Church might need to reconsider the idea that they should not receive Communion.

On  the Roman Curia: it is "urgently in need of reform."


MEANWHILE IN OUR ARCHDIOCESE

Enclosed in the bulletin this week is a special message from Archbishop Nienstedt about the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Process. I was disappointed that in the section titled, "We heard you," there was no mention of what came out as the strongest recommendation at the 3 leadership and parishioner meetings that I attended: we need to start ordaining married men and women. I clearly heard that. This is all the more obvious in the section, "Why change is needed," which reports that over the next ten years the number of priests eligible to be pastors in the Archdiocese is projected to decrease from 182 to 163. Some might be content with this reality. On this Pentecost, I believe that it is another sign from the Holy Spirit that real change is needed.

Fr. Bill Whittier, priest, author and previous pastor at St. Edward’s has released his  autobiography - The Journey of a Priest - to find himself, his God and his own Wisdom. For more information go to his website -http://www.frbillwhittier.com/. You can order his autobiography from his website or send a check for $15.95 + $4.00 for S&H to: Fr. Bill Whittier, P.O. Box 412, Lindstrom, Minnesota 55045. Enjoy and feedback is welcome.

GOING ORGANIC

Last Sunday afternoon we pulled out all the stops (or rather, our gifted organists, Judy DeBruyne-Hodgson and Roger Burg, pulled out all of the organ stops) for our special blessing and dedication service for our newly restored and renovated organ. It was a great celebration with other parish musicians including our Adult, Funeral, Bell and Childrens' Choirs. Thanks to all who made this happen, Roger and Judy most obviously, but also our staff Lonne Murphy and Mary Pat Deering and all who participated and enjoyed the service and reception. And I thank all of you who participated in the Parish 40th Anniversary Fund. Your stewardship made this happen.

BLEEDING HEARTS

I just love the Bleeding Hearts that are blooming so beautifully in our Parish Memorial Garden. You too can be a bleeding heart this Tuesday, May 4, at our Blood Bank Drive.