A very generous parishioner moved by the devastating effects of the Hurricane Katrina has donated to St. Edwards two cemetery graves that his family does not need. We will use these funds in part for the Katrina family that our Parish is sponsoring. The two graves are located at the Pleasant View Memorial Gardens in Burnsville and include two vaults and two 20x10 bronze markers with granite bases. The actual value is over $5,000. We would consider offers from any who are interested in such a purchase. It can help with your own needs and truly be a great support to others.

ADVENT & THE ENVIRONMENT

Advent begins this weekend with the gospel of Mark. Jesus tells a story of servants being entrusted with care of the home until the homeowners return. We also have been entrusted with a home to care for, mother earth, the gracious gift of a loving Creator. Advent is a good time to reflect on our
stewardship.

Advent is also a time to hear the prophets. Indeed, the security of present and future generations is threatened by environmental degradation, the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations recently told the international body in New York.

Human development plans and poverty reduction strategies must be integrated with environmental sustainability, Archbishop Celestino Migliore said last week. Addressing the General Assembly Commission on Sustainable Development, he said that “without environmental stewardship, development will have no sound foundation.” Costs to natural ecosystems “need to be taken into account in all economic decisions,” he suggested, “since nature's resources are clearly finite.” He called for international collaboration to bring about sustainable development, which is development that does not undermine the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

This strong statement suggests that Benedict XVI will continue to support the gradual greening of the Church. On the eve of the 2002 UN World Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg, John Paul II called on Catholics to take on “an ecological vocation.”

Growing worldwide awareness of climate change and its impacts was welcomed by Archbishop Migliore, but he expressed concern that the poorest parts of the world would be the least able to adapt to the severest consequences. He urged the phasing out of fossil fuels - a major contributor to global warming - and said the Vatican firmly supported renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, as alternatives. “Serious discussions should follow on the means by which states can provide incentives for the further development of renewable energy sources,” he said. Noting that energy use is likely to rise over the next 50 years, he said that “we owe it to future generations everywhere to start immediately on such a path.”

He was also concerned about diminishing forests “which remain essential in terms of food and shelter, to 90 percent of the world's 1.2 billion extreme poor.” Other issues raised by the archbishop included the conclusion of an international treaty to protect forests, desertification and anxiety that the UN Millennium Development Goal of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without access to clean drinking water seems unlikely to be met.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, I want to thank you and our staff for all that you do for our parish. St. Ed’s has been a special blessing for me. I truly thank God for you. May this be a special time of blessing for you and your families. On Thanksgiving day we have mass at 9:00am. The Greek word for the mass is "Eucharist" which itself simply means "thanksgiving." We have much for which to be thankful to our gracious God.

EVOLVING APPRECIATION OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION

The Vatican has issued a strong defense of Charles Darwin, voicing criticism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and literally interpret the biblical account of creation.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis account of how God created the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution were "perfectly compatible" if the Bible were correctly understood.

His statement was a clear rejection of creationist campaigners especially in the U.S.A., who see evolution and the Genesis account as mutually exclusive.

"The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim," he said at a Vatican press conference. He said the real message in Genesis was that "the universe didn't make itself and had a creator".

This idea was part of theology, Cardinal Poupard emphasized, while the precise details of how creation and the development of the species came about belonged to a different realm - science. Cardinal Poupard said that it was important for Catholic believers to know how science saw things so as to "understand things better".

His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the "intelligent design" view, which says the universe is so complex that some higher being must have designed every detail.

Last weekend we delivered winter clothing to the Tran family. The clothing was purchased with your generous donations three weeks ago. (All the envelopes on the “Clothes Tree” board were taken. Extra envelopes had to be provided for the people donating after 11:00 Mass). The Tran family thanks you for your kindness and support.

Chien has a cousin in Burnsville who invited them to come to Minnesota to get a new start. The Tran family has been living in temporary housing in Bloomington. The three youngest children are enrolled in Bloomington schools. With the help of St. Edwards, the family has now found long term housing in Bloomington.

The Tran family has joined St. Edwards and is looking forward to participating in our parish community.

THANK YOU FATHER TIM POWER

Fr. Tim Power was an associate here with our founding pastor Bishop Paul Dudley. Tim is still very much remembered and loved by many parishioners from the early days of our parish. He went on to start and very creatively lead our neighboring parish, Pax Christi. Recently retired he still remains very much involved in ministry including writing a spirituality column in the Eden Prairie News.

In a recent article, in light of a lottery jackpot approaching $300 million, he mused on what he would do if he won. He had all kinds of wonderful ideas including, "I would send a whopping check to each of the parishes that I have served over the years." Thank you, Tim!

He had many other dreams that could come true. But then reality set in: "All of this fantasizing I did while out for a nice long walk amid the falling leaves of October. I had spent nearly an hour with these dreams flowing through my mind when God stepped in and whispered: 'Tim, you have already won the lottery!' God as usual, was right...I was already a winner - and it was worth much more than hundreds of millions of dollars."

Tim went on to recall all of his blessings and the daily opportunities to share them. "Most of all I realize that I can pray to the creator of all regarding these things and seek divine guidance so that I might use the winning lottery of time, life and blessings already given me."

Yes, Tim's ticket did not win. But I thank him for thinking of us. And I will send him some church envelopes!

A PLACE AT THE TABLE

My 95 year old uncle, Father Vincent, has been a 70 year member of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Every so often when I visit him at the Abbey I have been able to eat with the monks in the Abbey Refectory. They maintain a number of ancient monastic traditions. At lunch there is a time of silence during which the Rule of St. Benedict and some other topical reading is publicly read as the monks eat. (It prevents a lot of arguments!) And when there has been a death of a community member, a place is set for him for the first week. A lighted candle is placed on the plate. It is a very lovely and powerful reminder that the person is still part of the community, part of the communion. There is a place at the table.

As we remember our deceased loved ones during the month of November in our Book of Life, we are also powerfully aware that they also remain part of our families, part of our community, part of our communion. There is a place at the table. Most especially as we celebrate mass we give thanks for all they have been for us and for all they continue to be for us.

That is why one of the most common and meaningful images for the heavenly kingdom is the banquet. We call it the communion of saints. There is a place at the table of our God for us all.

CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN IRAQ

In an interview with The Georgia Catholic and reported by the Catholic News Service (Oct. 25, 2005) Father Michael Heninger talked about his two tours in Iraq as an Army chaplain.

"We were certainly exposed to constant threat, but certainly felt safer in the house of the Lord," Father Heninger said. In the military about one-fourth of the soldiers are Catholic, but only one out of twelve chaplains is Catholic, the report notes. While it's easy for Catholics to become remiss back home about praying and receiving the sacraments, the priests in Baghdad saw clearly how important it was for soldiers who risked their lives to receive the Eucharist in community. " have to say that all the people who would participate in the celebration of the Mass would come early and not one would ever want to leave early. In two years  can't think of one who ever walked out early," he said.

With his obligation to the Army completed, Father Heninger is returning to serve in the Atlanta Archdiocese. Regarding the possibility of re-enlisting, however, it's "never say never," he said. The priest prays for wisdom for national leaders and the safety of the soldiers and civilians. "Let's pray our soldiers home by praying for peace," he said.

KATRINA FAMILY

Our Katrina committee has been working with representatives from Catholic Charities and St. Edwards is now the first parish in the Archdiocese to be selected by Catholic Charities to sponsor an evacuee family. (70 families and 26 individuals have come to CC for help). We are sponsoring a southeast Asian family consisting of a husband and wife, the husband's father and their 4 nieces and nephews. They have some relatives in the Twin City area.

The committee has been working diligently over the last 2 weeks with the Giving Tree project to get clothes for the family. Much of the communication has been done through e-mail thereby limiting meetings. This has gone extremely well with committee members getting the clothing needs directly from the family and then getting the best prices and discounts. It has been amazing to follow the e-mails and see the creativity used to meet the family's needs. They should do just fine in our Minnesota winter!

Your generosity has made this possible.

Fr Mike