Parish Newsletter September/October 2014
Message From Father Ron
A Silver Jubilee Year for Father Ron Potts
Dear Parishioners, Labor Day has come and gone and our parish activities are up and running. Once again our parish offers many opportunities to deepen our relationship with Jesus and to serve one another by participating in the many ministries we have here in our parish. Our parish school opened on Monday, August 25th, with an enrollment of 535 students, the largest enrollment in several years. We received a very special gift of an exterior clock for the school building from the Blessed Sacrament Class of 2014. During the summer, the apartment parking lot and rectory driveway were newly paved with asphalt, and the parish parking lot was sealed and lined. Through the generosity of the ladies of the Sanctuary Sodality, the repair of the top and side marble steps of the high altar have been completed, and the baptismal font has been refurbished and polished, along with the side altars and marble bases of the statues. This coming year will we will celebrate two important milestones in the life of our parish—the fiftieth anniversary of Father D’Silva’s ordination to the priesthood, and the ordination of Deacon Rob Maro, our former Director of Religious Education. On Sunday, December 7th, we will celebrate Father D’Silva’s Jubilee at the 10:30 a.m. Gym Mass with a reception following in the school auditorium and at the 12:30 p.m. Mass with a reception following in the parish enter on the main level. On Saturday, June 20, 2015, Deacon Rob Maro will be ordained at the Basilica of the
On The Pages Of This Issue
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 10:00 a.m., along with his classmates including Deacon Martino Choi. On Sunday, June 21st, Deacon Rob will celebrate his first Mass of Thanksgiving here at Blessed Sacrament at 12:30 p.m. with a reception following in the school auditorium. Deacon David Kruse from the Diocese of Spokane has returned to serve his second year with us as he completes his last year of studies at Theological College in preparation for his ordination as a priest. We welcome Cody Ford, a seminarian from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, who is entering his third year of studies at Theological College. Raised as a Baptist, he grew up in Poca, West Virginia, and became a Catholic in his senior year of high school. He attended West Virginia University, earning a BA in English and an MA in Public Administration. Before entering theology, Cody was the Executive Director of the West Virginia Council of Churches. I have a special prayer request to ask you. Please continue to pray for peace in our world, especially in the Middle East and Iraq and for our persecuted sisters and brothers. As always be assured of my prayers for you and your families. I appreciate all you do to serve our parish family with your time, talent, and treasure. Peace,
Father Ron
2 Mildred Lavinia Malcolm 3 Teen Corner 3 Deacon/Student/ Soldier/Biker— Man on Fire 4 School is Now Back in Session! 4 Exploring the Catholic Letters 5 Caring for Creation 6 Working Together to Aid the City’s Poor 7 A Bard Reminder 7
A Silver Jubilee Year For Father Ron Potts Twenty-five Years in the Priesthood Father Tom Wells, whose family was for many decades an active part of Blessed Sacrament Parish. At Mother Seton Parish, Father Ron led the parishioners in building a new rectory and church, and rebuilding the spirit of the parish. In September 2007, Cardinal Wuerl appointed Father Ron pastor of Sacred Heart parish, La Plata, and in July, 2011 appointed him pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. In the three years Father has been at Blessed Sacrament, he has captured both the admiration and respect of the many sectors of the parish. An effective, gentle man, he is extremely generous with his time and many talents. He is as much at ease in the Blessed Sacrament School and CCD classrooms as in nursing homes; he’s present at the many parish meetings, presides at the many weekday and weekend Masses and the sacraments, and is the CEO of an almost nine thousand member parish. He is known for his thought-provoking and motivating sermons, and his letters to his flock in our parish bulletin and newsletter. In other words, if you look around Blessed Sacrament, he is there, or he has just been there. Father’s work extends beyond the parish perimeter—boards, councils, and committees—impacting the ecclesiastical and secular world of Washington. Photo by Pat Watson
Editor: Pat Watson Layout: Delphine Clegg Parish Logo Designs: Ellen Smyth Artwork: Blessed Sacrament School students under the guidance of their art teacher, Judy Kearns
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Blessed Sacrament parish is indeed blessed to have been a part of Father Ron’s twenty-five years as a priest. In June, Father celebrated his silver jubilee with friends and parishioners, and we continue to salute him as his 25th year unfolds. Father Ron came to Blessed Sacrament from the South—the southern part of Maryland, that is— the land of his birth and early education. After ordination he returned to Southern Maryland, serving six years at St. John’s Parish, Hollywood. Next, he moved to St. Jane de Chantal Parish in Bethesda where he spent six years, before being appointed as pastor to Mother Seton Parish in Germantown. There he shepherded a parish grieving the tragic loss of their murdered pastor,
Renaissance man? Yes. Good shepherd? Definitely yes. Great pastor award? Affirmative!!! Father, we hope the three years you have spent at Blessed Sacrament will extend to many more, and we wish you a truly joyful jubilee year.
Artwork by James Deerin, Second Grade
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Mildred Lavinia Malcolm Forty Years at Blessed Sacrament If you don’t know this lady who is a powerful force of happiness and good cheer, you have to meet her! She wears a constant smile and is the hallmark of professionalism.
Photo by Pat Watson
Currently, Mildred comes on Saturdays to the Blessed Sacrament parish office from her residence in Upper Marlboro; she has been working at Blessed Sacrament for forty years. Saturdays are one of the busiest days of the week at Blessed Sacrament, and Mildred is there to ensure that operations go smoothly. In between phone calls, requests for Mass cards, and other secretarial activities, Mildred attends unflappably to requests related to weddings and funerals, baptisms and First Communions, parish and visiting priests, and activities in the chapel, the main church, and throughout the campus. The parish center office is Blessed Sacrament Central! Ninety-four years young, Mildred was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, one of four siblings and an identical twin to her sister, Marian. She and Marian shared the valedictorian role at Gallia Academy High School, both straight A students. After college, Mildred came to Washington to assist a cousin and her family and met and married her husband, Richard Malcolm, now deceased. She earned a master’s degree, taught for forty years, and had three children. One son is deceased, but her other son and a daughter are the lights of her life. Mildred is the paragon model of how to age well. She has mastered her daily three-quarter mile walk, does yoga, pilates, and Zumba. She has taught all of her thirteen grand and great-grandchildren how to play chess and Scrabble. She reads the Bible and fiction, works puzzles and plays cards. Most notably she has a tenacious positive attitude about everything and everyone. Let’s all smile as we congratulate and thank this young, vibrant lady.
Teen Corner By Thomas Gillespie With the opening of the new school year comes the start of high school football, and so far this season all of the local Catholic high schools are off to a resounding start! St. John’s has opened up with two victories, one over IMG Academy in Florida, and one over Baltimore’s Loyola Blakefield. Georgetown Prep and Good Counsel are off to solid starts as well, both having earned team victories. On Friday, September 5th, Gonzaga visited powerhouse Centreville in a nationally televised game and came home with a win. Several Blessed Sacrament grads and parishioners play for the local Catholic football teams, so why not go see a game this fall?
Editor’s Note: We welcome Thomas Gillespie as columnist for the “Teen Corner.” He replaces fellow St. John’s student, Molly Flores, who graduated and is now in college.
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Deacon/Student/Soldier/ Biker—Man on Fire All of the above and more defines David Kruse who, as a continuation of his seminary pastoral assignment, is assisting this year at weekend Masses at Blessed Sacrament.
In speaking about the persecuted of Iraq and Syria, Cardinal Wuerl reminded the faithful in September, 2014: . . . they are a part of our human community. I think it should rest on the conscience of each one of us. Atrocities happen
because
there are those who commit them and those who simply remain silent.
Source of Photo: www.operationsaintgeorge.org
A decorated member of the United States Army Special Operations, Deacon David is a combat veteran of the Iraq War, who received the order of Deacon last February. Currently David is in his last year of formation before his ordination to the priesthood, scheduled next May. He is deeply convinced that to attack the evil and carnage wrought by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, we should “fight fire with fire”—the fire of the Spirit. Deeply affected by the videos and photos emerging from Iraq that depict the unleashing of unspeakable horror upon Christians, Deacon David launched Operation Saint George, a community organization devoted to raise awareness and support for persecuted Christians, especially in Northern Iraq.
Last summer Deacon David began the inaugural mission of Operation Saint George: phase one termed “Firebrand,” by touring 2,000 miles of the Pacific coastline from Spokane to San Diego on his motorcycle to raise awareness for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in Iraq. He brought his mission to the streets as he prayed with and talked with the people. Operation Saint George seeks to bring spiritual and material aid to our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in Northern Iraq. To assist in this historic endeavor, you can join Operation Saint George through your prayers, financial support, or volunteer work, or all three. To learn more, visit: www.operationsaintgeorge.org.
St. George was a Roman soldier martyred for his Christian faith in the early fourth century. He is a role model of heroic courage and virtue, and because of his occupation as a military soldier and his witness for Christ, St. George has been venerated in the Catholic Church for centuries as the patron saint of warriors. St. George is also the patron saint of Mosul, Iraq, where the Islamic State has wiped out Christianity.
School Is Now Back In Session! Scenes From The Beginning of the School Year
A first and second grade brother and sister help Sister Mary Ann lead morning prayer.
A scrum of parents and Kindergarteners on the first day of school. The new eighth graders rock the red.
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Photos courtesy of Nancy Ryan
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Exploring The Catholic Letters By Nery Mangoosing-Koeppen Have you ever wondered how the early disciples began to create an institutional church? Have you imagined what it was like to live as a Christian in a pagan world? Do you think about how to apply the Scriptures to your daily life? If these questions, and others, intrigue you, join the Wednesday morning Bible Study, Bread, Book, and Brethren, to explore the epistles of James, Jude, and Peter. These letters, named the catholic letters by the Eastern church, were remarkable for addressing all the Christian communities, not just particular groups such as the Galatians, Romans, or Phillippians. According to the Collegeville Commentary, the writers of these epistles might seem by their names to be among the closest friends and followers of Jesus. However, each letter was probably written by a follower after the disciple’s death to expound on his message. Hence, these letters reinforce the message of Jesus for newer Christians who may not have shared the personal experience of Jesus’ historical presence. James speaks in the voice of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, reminding his readers of the values which give them their identity and in some ways separate them from the wider society. James calls on his hearers to align their faith with their actions. Since God is merciful and compassionate, His people should champion the poor and distressed, affirming their faith and their inheritance of the Kingdom of God.
Artwork by Griffin Pardo, First Grade
The exceptional Greek of Peter’s epistles suggests that the writer was a member of Peter’s community, writing in Peter’s name after his death and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Peter the Fisherman probably didn’t speak and write fluent Greek! This pastoral letter aims to strengthen the faith of the early Christian communities. In the midst of hostility, suffering, and even persecution, the writer reminds the early Christians that Christ, who suffered so deeply and compassionately for all and promised resurrection, is their model. Through faith and perseverance they can come to glory as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His (God’s) own.” Jude’s epistle is the shortest, but his ideas were echoed in Second Peter. Jude supports Christians struggling to hold firm to their traditional faith while opening up to the culture surrounding them. These major themes will be explored in their historical and theological context through lectures by speakers, DVDs from the Collegeville Bible commentary, and in small group discussion with other members. By reading and studying these epistles, and by discussing how they apply to contemporary Christian life, members of the Bread, Book, and Brethren group will continue to discover how the Word of God illuminates individual lives. Join us to sample our “faith through understanding” community.
Blessed Sacrament’s Bible Study Group—Bread, Book, and Brethren—meets Wednesday mornings in the main meeting room of the parish center from 8:30 to 9 a.m. for coffee, snacks, and fellowship before breaking into small groups to discuss the readings. At 10 a.m. all reconvene for a lecture or DVD, which concludes by 11 a.m.
Artwork by Ciara Jacobs, Seventh Grade
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Caring For Creation Pledging to do our Part By Kevin Kelley How do we care for Creation? As we approach the Feast of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, let’s consider the role we play as stewards of God’s gifts. How do our actions ensure that the poor have access to the universal goods of Creation?
Source of Photo: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org
The Saint Francis Pledge I/We pledge to: PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable. LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change. ASSESS how we—as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations—contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc. ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.
In an address in South Korea to civil leaders in August, the Holy Father addressed Creation care in solidarity with all persons, especially the poor and vulnerable: Like most of our developed nations, Korea struggles with important social issues, political divisions, economic inequities, and concerns about the responsible stewardship of the natural environment. How important it is that the voice of every member of society be heard, and that a spirit of open communication, dialogue and cooperation be fostered. It is likewise important that special concern be shown for the poor, the vulnerable and those who have no voice, not only by meeting their immediate needs but also by assisting them in their human and cultural advancement.
God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change. Our parish, through the Environmental Action Ministry (EAM), has already acted on several of these commitments over the past several years. For example, we have: Sponsored speakers that presented the Catholic perspective on the environment for parish discussions, including most recently, a screening and discussion of the Academy Award-nominated short film Sun Come Up. Helped develop and disseminate the Archdiocese Care for Creation Lenten Calendar. Created and tended a Parish Community Garden behind the rectory; the garden’s harvest is given to the poor or to Shepherd’s Table to feed the homeless. Organized the Broad Branch section of the Rock Creek Conservancy’s Extreme Cleanup with other churches, scout and service groups for Earth Day.
On October 4, the Feast of St. Francis, Blessed Sacrament parishioners are invited to reflect upon and take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor. The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations, and institutions to live our faith by protecting
For more information, visit: www.blessedsacramentdc.org/environmental-action-ministry, or contact Kevin Kelley at
[email protected] or 301.741.7752.
Artwork by Maria Eberly, Age 7
Artwork by Maggie Morrissey, Fifth Grade
ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.
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Working Together To Aid The City’s Poor By Brian Mulholland Below the church, next to the boiler room, there are two small offices for the Outreach Ministry of our parish. It is run by Mrs. Pat Kavanaugh (I call her “Saint Pat”). Like many parishioners, I did not know that Outreach was there, much less all that Pat did, until last year. The work is too voluminous for me to mention here, but suffice it to say, our parish helps the poor in so many incredible ways—from making sandwiches and serving the dozen people who ring the bell each day to outreach to the poorest areas of the archdiocese—in large numbers. For me, it became personal when we formed the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity which serves the four poorest parishes of the archdiocese. We collect canned goods all
high schools that participated in the Lenten Drive, to the twenty plus parishes that participated in the Summer Campaign, to companies such as Accenture Federal. It will not surprise you, of course, to learn that the most generous of all has been Blessed Sacrament, and your
Thousands of people have responded with a resounding “YES”—from the eight
By Nancy Ryan When September sunshine lessens, and the leaves begin to fall, The hardworking folks among us begin closet cleaning all. As they pull down suits and dresses, their thoughts would be amiss, If they didn’t say to themselves, where should I donate all of this? Well, these Blessed Sacrament lads and lassies, they are a clever bunch, So they start to bag up all their goods, and then have a hunch
kind charity has been directed to the Foundation’s work by Father Ron and Pat Kavanaugh. So, this is to say thank you, and we hope you will become more aware of our work by visiting our website at jsmff.org. We are 100 percent volunteer so that all donations go directly to purchasing food. We are honored to have Monsignor O’Connell on our Board, and we keep this “retired” priest quite busy in our begging department.
year long from churches, schools, civic organizations, and companies and deliver them to the food pantries at Church of the Assumption, St. Thomas More, and St. Francis Xavier (Father Jim Boccabella’s parish) in Southeast and Holy Name in Northeast. With monetary donations, we purchase and deliver fresh food such as milk, eggs, and produce. You might find it hard to believe many people had never received fresh food before we arrived.
A Bard Reminder
Our mission is simple: To ease the burden these families in our inner city face in everyday life with something as simple as a meal. Thank you for so generously helping us to live the Gospel, and please keep us in your prayers.
That the annual fun is coming and used clothes and treasures go To the Sodality November Bazaar— it comes each year, you know. So, save all your precious giveaways; the bazaar will take them all, As long as they are ship-shape, we will sell them big and tall. Hold them until November, at which time bring them to us, and We will get rid of them for you—no problem, muss or fuss!! In other words, as you start cleaning out your closets for fall, Don’t forget to save your choicest gently-used clothes and white elephants for the Sodality Bazaar— coming to you on November 8! More information about who to contact for details, and where and when to drop off clothes and white elephants will begin to appear soon in each weekly edition of the parish bulletin.
Photos courtesy of Brian Mulholland
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3630 Quesada Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20015 202.966.6575 www.blessedsacramentdc.org
