Our Lady of Lourdes
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Although they’ve now moved to Southport, Frank and Cheryl Janasiewicz have fond memories and strong friendships from their time in the Our Lady of Lourdes community.
Frank and Cheryl Janasiewicz Fondly Reflect on Their Years as Parishioners at OLL
Frank and Cheryl Janasiewicz spent about 37 years — half of their lives — at Our Lady of Lourdes. Although they’ve now moved to Southport, they have fond memories and strong friendships from their time in the Our Lady of Lourdes community. It’s an important place for their whole family — their three children received almost all of their sacraments here.
Frank has a chemical engineering degree and a master’s in business administration. With his finance knowledge, he served many years on the Finance Council at Our Lady of Lourdes, which he found very rewarding.
“I think of all the priests I served under over the years,” Frank says. “It was very rewarding.”
Frank appreciated the opportunity to use his skills to benefit the parish. He served on the council through various building projects, expansions, and additions at Our Lady of Lourdes.
continued on page 5 FEBRUARY 2023
GOOD FOR THE Giver
Here’sa simple riddle: Name something you can’t keep if you don’t give it away, but if you give it away, it will increase.
The best answer to this riddle, if you haven’t already guessed, is love. But the beauty of this paradox is that there can be a number of different answers. Another response might be artistic talent. Ask any artist, and they’ll tell you that their skill for drawing or painting diminishes after a few weeks or months of inactivity. But the more they paint, the more their talent grows.
We also see this truth illustrated in nature. The Sea of Galilee, teeming with fish and other wildlife, is one example. All of the water in this beautiful reservoir is constantly being drained through the Jordan River, which stretches for about 60 miles, providing the only fresh water for all of Israel. It finally drains into the Dead Sea, which has no outlet. It is consequently stagnant and totally lifeless, continually evaporating into thin air.
The point, in a nutshell, is that the good steward takes care of his or her gifts by giving them away. As a result, you won’t have less left over, but will instead have more!
There is a story about St. Teresa of Calcutta and her visit to one of the hundreds of convents she
had founded. The Superior of the convent told her, “Mother, we don’t have enough time to do our work with the poor; there’s just not enough hours in the day.” St. Teresa responded, “Then you need to pray more.” When the convent added another full hour of prayer each day, they somehow found that they had enough time to do even more for the poor in that city.
The difficulty with this idea – that by giving we receive – is that it is still a struggle to give. When we arrive at the moment of giving, it appears on the surface that we will have less left over. This is especially true regarding money. When writing a check to a charity or to the parish, you mathematically end up with less money to spend on other things. And yet, the immaterial value of our sacrifice is immeasurable. This is why Jesus speaks so frequently in the Gospels about the spiritual benefits of giving to others. We do have more after we give, but it is simply more of something else – and something better.
When we emphasize stewardship, it is not primarily to increase “volunteerism” or to swell our budget. Indeed, our first aim is always the “good of the giver.” It is not because the parish has needs, but because we have a need to give. We recognize that the model Steward is Jesus, who gave all, even His very life, so that we may have everything.
STEWARDSHIP IN NATURE
The Sea of Galilee stays fresh and healthy because it “gives away” all its water through the Jordan River. When all that water is finally drained into the Dead Sea, it stays there, becoming stagnant and lifeless. Human beings are the same way. Giving of ourselves is one of the main ways we stay spiritually healthy.
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A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR
The Word of God:
Hearing It and Responding to It
Dear Parishioners,
A few short weeks ago, we completed our Christmas season. We are now in what we call Ordinary Time – but as the month of February winds down, we will begin Lent with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22.
The Gospel of John begins with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We speak often of the Word in the Church. As most of you are aware, the first part of our Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. What does that mean to us?
Basically, there are four parts of our celebration of Mass: Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist; and Concluding Rites. My focus in this reflection is that second part – the Liturgy of the Word. The main parts of that are a First Reading, a Responsorial Psalm, a Second Reading, the Gospel, and a Homily.
We draw on Holy Scripture from the Bible for the readings. As Catholics, we do not consider that these readings are about God, or about the Church, or about our faith, or a history lesson, or a nice story from long ago. We consider them to be God speaking directly to us. Thus, our attentiveness to what is being proclaimed is important. Are we listening? Do we hear? And then, do we respond in our
lives? All of those should be facets of how we approach the Word of God. For us, the Word of God is the living Word. God is speaking to us as a community, and He asks us to be faithful to His Word. If we pay attention and truly listen, God can nourish our spirit, and Christ can be more real and present to us. The Homily, the Responsorial Psalm, the Profession of Faith, and the Intercessions develop the Word further and complete it. The Profession of Faith is our acceptance of God’s Word.
However, the question for us is, how do we respond to the Word? Does it change our lives? Does it bring us to the conversion necessary to live lives of stewardship and service? It is not easy, I know. Being able to listen, to hear and then to act requires time, practice, commitment, and a desire to fulfill all of this. That is one of my prayers for us – that we can hear the Word, and that we can bring it to life in our own lives and in the lives of others.
In Christ, Fr. Patrick Keane Pastor
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Warm Greetings and Hospitality Abound New Ministry Designed to Help Newcomers
The Welcome Ministry, a new ministry here at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, has found that it has become a most welcome ministry, as members greet arrivals at our four weekend Masses.
“The reason it was organized, is that we felt often our church and other Catholic churches didn’t do an effective job of welcoming people,” says Dorothea Bitler, who coordinates the ministry. “We wanted to be more intentional in the way we welcome people and make them feel one with us.”
Dorothea, along with ministry partner Rachel Vann, organized the ministry during the summer, with Welcomers, as they are called, first taking their places before the weekend Masses in November.
“Throughout the fall, we tried to figure out how to make it run,” Dorothea says. “We wanted to do it without imposing on people, and we wanted to make it a good fit for the members.”
Members are asked to sign on with the Masses they typically attend, and Dorothea and Rachel arrange the schedule accordingly.
With the membership now at 25 parishioners, there are typically two to four Welcome Ministry members at each Mass who offer a welcome greeting, distribute worship aids, and answer any questions the arrivals may have. As Mass-goers leave, the members offer a farewell and distribute bulletins and tri-fold brochures with contact numbers for the parish, as well as other ministries, and a map of the parish campus.
The Welcome Ministry members are easy to identify — they wear a blue sash with the letters
“OLL,” as well as name tags, so arrivals can put a name to a face.
“The people have just responded beautifully,” Dorothea says. “We will do whatever tasks our parish wants us to do — if there is a special retreat or any kind of event for our Welcomers to be part of.”
The Welcome Ministry strives to foster the stewardship way of life in our parish and to be a ministry of community-building and evangelization. The members are finding that taking part has enabled them to grow in their own faith as they offer their time to Our Lady of Lourdes.
“We strive to be the face of welcome representing the faces of the parish,” Dorothea says. “We have all age groups.”
Members include our school administrators, coordinators of other ministries, older parishioners, and young families.
It makes a difference for our parishioners to be warmly welcomed as they arrive. They appreciate being spoken to when they enter the church and asked if they need any worship aids.
“A comment made by an individual was that
If anyone would like to join the ministry, but did not have the opportunity during the Stewardship Renewal, please contact Dorothea Bitler at 919-621-6841.
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continued on page 5
Abound with the Welcome Ministry Newcomers and Visitors Feel at Home
it was appreciated that someone noticed they came,” Dorothea says. “It was a welcome, and not just an obligation.”
As we prepare for Lent, with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22, the Welcome Ministry is preparing, as well by ensuring everyone comes into the church feeling a sense of belonging as they make their Lenten journeys.
“We want people to see themselves in the faces of the Welcomers,” Dorothea says.
Frank and Cheryl Janasiewicz continued from front cover
“I wanted to always make sure to have the best interest of the parish and school in mind,” he says.
In addition, Frank was involved in the That Man is You! Ministry and both he and Cheryl served as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Frank brought Communion to the nursing home, and Cheryl brought Communion to the hospital.
“That was a ministry I really enjoyed,” Cheryl says. “It meant a lot to bring people the Eucharist.”
Frank and Cheryl also took an adoration hour from the time the chapel opened, and Cheryl was involved in the Altar Guild. Through the years, she served on the Parish Council three separate times. She also sponsored two people entering the church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
Now that the couple has moved to Southport, they plan to find ways to get involved at their new parish, Sacred Heart. They moved to be closer to family and are also building a new house. Frank has gotten involved in the Men’s Group, while Cheryl joined the Ladies Guild, the Social Justice Committee, and a Bible study.
“Once we get more settled, I can’t wait to get involved and use my talent and experience on the Finance Council,” Frank says. “I also want to get back into the ministries of visiting the elderly.”
Frank and Cheryl were both born and raised Catholic, and their years spent as parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes greatly impacted them.
“It’s beautiful to be able to share your joys and challenges with others,” Cheryl says. “It’s been a real blessing — witnessing the faith of people in the parish has, in turn, strengthened our faith. Being active has also strengthened our marriage.”
Last year, Frank was involved in a head-on crash that has made him look at life differently. Since he made it through the accident, he knows the Lord has a purpose for him.
“I learned you can be here one second and gone the next,” Frank says.
He wants to be intentional about staying involved in their new parish.
“When you get involved, you start to realize how you can help other people,” Frank says. “You get to know people, and that gets you more interested and more involved.”
In their free time, Frank and Cheryl stay pretty busy. Cheryl likes to read, walk, garden, and spend time with friends and family. Frank enjoys being outside, going for a walk, and fishing. The couple has seven grandchildren.
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Gearing up for Lent
A Time to Work on Our “Spiritual Game” and Put God First
Lent is right around the corner — and if it’s taking you by surprise, you’re not alone. It can be difficult to prepare for the rigors of Lent. Taking time to prayerfully discern what to give up, where to give alms, and where to add prayer into your life is a great start. If you’re looking to go deeper, opportunities abound at the parish to enter into this season of penance and preparation.
Fr. Pat sees this preparation as a sort of spiritual training session.
“Lent is like spring training in baseball,” Fr. Pat says. “It can be a time of fun and enjoyment, but we have to put in the work. It is a time for individuals to work on their game, but also to gel as a team with other Christians. Focus on strengthening a particular liability or weakness with a corresponding virtue.”
Beginning with Ash Wednesday — on Feb. 22 this year — Lent is a time set apart. It calls us to publicly and wholly choose God first.
“It is always a great witness to be out and about with ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday,” Fr. Pat says. “It reminds people that this is a special time.”
Lent invites us to reevaluate our relationship with the world and to ensure that our relationship with God takes precedence. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s when growth happens. The Church gives us the three pillars of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving to guide us. Making a Holy Hour, praying a daily Rosary, and praying with Scripture are great options. While we are given days of fasting and abstinence, we can take our Lenten fasting further.
“Consider fasting from technology, gossip or
criticism, unhealthy eating, or anything that is not good for us,” Fr. Pat says.
While you can find many places to give alms, our parish will be offering Operation Rice Bowl to benefit Catholic Relief Services which is a way to get the whole family involved in almsgiving.
Making a good Confession is a way to start fresh, receive incredible graces, and find strength for the discipline of Lent. Whether it’s been six months or 20 years since your last Confession, God is waiting eagerly for you with His boundless mercy. In addition to normal Confession times, we will be offering a Penance Service. Details can be found in the bulletin or on the parish website.
To enter more deeply into the Passion of our Lord, consider coming to Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7 p.m. Walking with our Lord through His sufferings will draw you into the reality of his Passion and the depth of His love for you.
Lent is a challenge, but the fruits are bold and lasting. It’s never too late to get back on track if your Lenten journey takes a detour.
“Each day must be a day where we strive to grow in spiritual strength and holiness,” Fr. Pat says.
For more details about the Lenten schedule, see the bulletin or visit the parish website at www.ourladyoflourdescc.org .
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Understanding the Role of Sacramentals in Our Faith
Most Catholics are familiar with the idea of sacraments in the Church, of which there are seven. Sacraments are the foundation of the spiritual life for an individual and the Church. Sacraments are sources of grace — God’s very presence in our lives and unmerited favor from God. They are signs of God’s love, and these signs make present what they signify. Although a person benefits — receives the gift of grace — from the sacraments regardless of whether he or she is well disposed to them, one must cooperate with what the Spirit is doing in the sacrament to receive its full benefit.
Sacramentals are different. These are also sacred signs that can build holiness, but they do not work on their own. One must be aware and fully conscious of the sacred action. Sacramentals sanctify us to get the most benefit from the Sacraments (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1667). Sacramentals are given to us to make holy certain actions in life and life’s circumstances. There are many such sacred signs that are reminders to us of God.
The sign of the cross is perhaps one of the most fundamental of these signs, and for Catholics, this invocation is done at the start of every sacred action
A Word of Thanks
and prayer. Holy water is a sacramental, as it reminds us of our Baptism. By dipping our fingers into holy water and making the sign of the cross, we are combining two foundational symbols of the Christian life and the Paschal Mystery — the passion, dying and rising of Christ — and bringing them to life in us.
The exchange of peace in the Mass — and at other Catholic rites — is another example of a sacramental. By making some kind of meaningful sign of peace, we are giving the peace of Christ to another person. The chalice and other sacred vessels at Mass also are sacramentals, as they remind us of what they are to contain — the very Body and Blood of Christ.
It might be helpful to organize the types of sacramentals into categories, as author Michael Pennock lists in This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults:
“Actions (blessings; genuflections; the sign of the cross; bowing one’s head at the name of Jesus; church processions); Objects (candles; holy water; statues and icons; holy pictures; blessed ashes; palms; rosaries; relics; incense; vestments; scapulars; church buildings; crosses; religious medals); Places (the Holy Land; Rome; Fatima; Lourdes; the National Shrine in continued on back cover
FROM NOTE IN THE POCKET
On behalf of the team at Note in the Pocket, I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for Our Lady of Lourdes’ support. Thank you for hosting a clothing drive in 2022! With your support, we received over 255,000 lbs. of clothing and clothed over 8,500 children and families across Wake and Durham counties. The donations we receive from clothing drives are critical to our mission and ability to address clothing insecurity across our community.
“There is a tremendous difference in the way the students hold themselves, walk, speak, and behave when they are wearing their quality, properly fitting clothing. With all the other stressors going on in their lives, having nice, clean clothes is one less thing they need to worry about. I’ve had multiple parents who want to keep their children home from school rather than send them to school without clean clothing. Clothes from Note in the Pocket preserves dignity and instills confidence in our students and parents.” — Case Manager, Referral Partner
Because of the continued support from our community we can meet the growing need and work towards our bold goal to clothe 10,000 children and families this year.
Thank you for providing comfort and confidence to these children and helping us get them dressed for success.
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2718 Overbrook Drive | Raleigh, North Carolina 27608 919-861-4600 | ourladyoflourdescc.org
Understanding the Role of Sacramentals in Our Faith
continued from page 7
Washington, D.C.; and other places of pilgrimage; chapels, retreat centers, and even Catholic cemeteries); Prayers (short prayers we say throughout the day; grace before and after meals; prayers at rising and going to bed; praying the rosary, praying a host of other traditional Catholic prayers and devotions); Sacred Time (liturgy; holy days; feasts of saints; your saint’s name day; special days of prayer; fasting and abstinence; retreats, etc.)” (This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults, 176-177).
“Sacramentals… prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to
cooperate with it” (CCC 1670). In a word, sacramentals, through the prayer of the Church, bring us to holiness in Christ. All devotions of piety, including sacramentals, should point us toward the liturgy of the Church, a connection to a local parish community, and to the Eucharist (CCC 1675).
The Church, through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, has given us these sacred signs to lead us in holiness, and to better recognize an authentic Christian life. How many sacramentals can you recognize in your life? Probably more than you think.
SATURDAY VIGIL, 5:00 PM | SUNDAY, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM Spanish, 5:00 PM MONDAY, 8:00 AM | TUESDAY — FRIDAY, 8:30 AM | THURSDAY, 6:30 PM Spanish
Confession Times: WEDNESDAY, 12:00 PM | SATURDAY, 3:00 PM
Mass
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