The Catholic Sun June 8, 2023

Catholic the

They answered the call: ‘Come follow me’

Transitional deacons one step closer to priesthood

By Eileen Jevis Staff writer

Sun Catholic Sun the Cath the

On Saturday, May 20, close to 40 priests and deacons and several hundred congregants joined Bishop Douglas J. Lucia to celebrate the ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Syracuse’s westside. Transitional deacons Benjamin Joseph Schrantz and Pawel Lukasz Zmija were instructed by Bishop Lucia on the Office of Deacon and its responsibilities.

Last one is reversed type

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Carrying the light of Christ

Plan for NYS Eucharistic Congress

In his homily, Bishop Lucia told the deacons that their main task is the proclamation of the Gospel at all levels and forms. “It especially comes alive in your service at the altar of humanity where like Christ, you set the table for the feast and wash the feet of those who approach the Church, our Mother, to be fed.”

The Bishop referred to the reflections of Pope Benedict XVI on the Order of Deacons. “In his notes, Pope Benedict XVI said, ‘The diaconate is and remains a dimension of every clerical ministry because the Lord who sustains all these ministries became himself our deacon and remains such in the Holy Eucharist until the end of all days,’” said Bishop Lucia.

Accepting his call

Deacon Pawel Zmija’s first thoughts of

Pilgrim describes emotional experience at Lourdes

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6 Ribboncutting for Catholic Charities shelter

From left, Deacon Pawel Zmija, Bishop Douglas J. Lucia and Deacon Benjamin Schrantz. (Sun photos | Deacon Tom Cuskey)

“Happy 80th Birthday Bishop Cunningham from the People of St. Vincent de Paul / Blessed Sacrament! ank you for all you have done for our Diocese.”

m t h e O f f i c e s o f :

e s p e c t L i f e M i n i s t r y

F a m i l y C a t e c h e s i s

M i n i s t e r i a l F o r m a t i o n

o r a l L e a d e r s h i p

C a t e c h e s i s & D i s c i p l e s h i p

May your birthday be filled with grace, love, and joy. May God bless you in your calling, and may He strengthen and protect you daily.

With love and prayers from the faithful of:

Make your plans for New York State Eucharistic Congress

This past Saturday, May 27th, was the fourth anniversary of the phone call that literally changed my life and I found out that Pope Francis had named me the Eleventh Bishop of Syracuse. A lot has happened since that phone call, but one thing I realize more than ever is that our loving God was calling me to a deeper intimacy with the communion of the Trinity — a deeper sharing in the life of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and to shake off any complacency from me. For the most part, I think this is happening, but I am still a work in progress!

I share my own spiritual journey with you because I believe our whole diocesan Church is about to receive a wonderful gift to grow in our own communion with God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — as we enter the second year of our three-year national Eucharistic Revival. This year of the revival is meant to be observed specifically in the parishes of the United States and is to focus on three areas:

(1) Education involving a renewed understanding of the Holy Eucharist, especially as experienced in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; (2) more chances for Eucharistic devotion; and (3) a renewal of the ministries essential to the celebration of Holy Mass in our parishes.

This Sunday, June 11th, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Diocese of Syracuse will also resume the distribution of the Precious Blood from the chalice to communicants who desire

to do so. As noted by Fr. Christopher Seibt from the Office of Worship and RCIA in an April 6th communication:

The USCCB’s Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America state that the Precious Blood has been distributed to the faithful since the earliest days of Christianity in fulfillment of Christ’s command to “take and eat… [and] take and drink” (no. 6). This ancient practice was generally discontinued during the scholastic era after the turn of the first millennium, due, in part, to concerns over spillage of the Precious Blood. However, recognizing the importance of the effective use of signs within the celebration of the liturgy, and reflecting on the institution of the Eucharist within the context of a sacred meal, the Second Vatican Council called for the reintroduction of the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds in 1963’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosantcum concilium.

As I once heard a Passionist Father say in a homily on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (which we observed this past Sunday): “The Holy Trinity is not a mystery to be solved, but a relationship to be entered into.” He then went on to describe God as “personal and relational” and that this was sealed by “a kiss” — quoting the early Church Fathers, he stated that “the Holy Spirit is the kiss between Father and Son.”

Now before we get too squeamish over such overt affection — is it not true

that the Holy Eucharist itself is none other than God [who is Love] made flesh … made real for the life of the world? Is it not our gathering each Lord’s Day around his altar … his holy table … with the Priest Presider who is known as In Persona Christi Capitis … a sharing in the “kiss” of God’s love for you and me? In fact, the priest as God’s instrument invokes the Holy Spirit over the gifts of bread and wine so that they will become the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus for the assembly. It is this realization that I would like to be the focus of all members of this Diocesan Church in the coming year. To further our recognition of the presence of the Risen One who comes to us in the breaking of the bread, I would like to invite you to join me at the New York State Eucharistic Congress at Our Lady of the Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, N.Y., the weekend of October 20 –22. You can find more information, a schedule of liturgies and events, and how to register at nyseucharisticcongress.org.

As the website notes:

It wasn’t enough for the Son of God to take on our humanity, even to suffer, die and rise for us and our salvation. He wanted to feed us and remain with us always until the end of time. That’s what he does in the Eucharist. In this New York State Eucharistic Congress we will thank him for this supreme gift and seek to bring others to thank him with us! Register today and bring your

Carrying the light of Christ

Bishop Douglas J. Lucia

family and friends.

Let me conclude with one of my favorite liturgical antiphons associated with Corpus Christi — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord:

“How holy this feast in which Christ is our food; his passion is recalled; grace fills our hearts; and we receive a pledge of glory to come.” Amen.

Bishop Douglas J. Lucia’s schedule for the weeks of May 25 - June 7

June 8th: Baccalaureate Mass for Bishop Grimes Jr/Sr High School, St. Matthew, East Syracuse, 6:30 pm

June 9th: Baccalaureate Mass for Bishop Ludden Jr/Sr High School, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse, 7:00 pm

June 10th: Mass at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse, 5:10 pm

June 11th: Masses at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse

Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas, Binghamton, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Little Sisters of St. Francis, 1:00 pm

June 13th – Friday, June 16th: 2023 USCCB Plenary Assembly – Orlando, FL

June 19th: Light a Child’s Future Golf Tournament, Turning Stone Resort

becoming a priest began in kindergarten and stayed with him throughout school. His interest in the history of the Catholic Church and how the history of Catholicism developed in the United States, influenced his decision to enter the seminary in 2014. While discerning his vocation to the priesthood in Poland, Deacon Pawel received inspiration and advice from the pastor of his home parish, Father Stanislaw Res. “He offered support and good advice and I have chosen the path I want to follow for the rest of my life,” said Deacon Pawel.

Deacon Pawel arrived in the United States three years ago and has overcome much of the language and cultural differences. As a deacon, he feels his openness and ability to talk to others are one of the most important things in religious life. “I want to use these skills in my ministry. I would also like to focus more on my pastoral formation to better prepare for my priestly ordination. I will continue my intellectual formation at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore,” said Deacon Pawel.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Syracuse is his home parish. Deacon Pawel said pastor Father Andrew Baranski is just one of the priests in the Diocese whom he could rely on to set an excellent example on

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The official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., serving Catholics of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego Counties.

The ordinands are called forth from the congregation to receive Holy Orders.

From left, Fr. John Kurgan, Dc. Pawel, Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Cunningham, Bishop Lucia, Dc. Benjamin, Fr. Andrew Baranski.

his journey to the priesthood. “I will continue to ask for guidance through conversations with God,” he said, “and I hope that Father Baranski will accompany me on my priestly path. I ask that your readers please pray for an increase in vocations to religious life, for all who serve and those already ordained. Prayer is essential because I will know that I’m not alone.”

Choosing a life of service

While completing his undergraduate degree at SUNY Fredonia, Deacon Ben Schrantz credits the Newman Center’s sense of family and community for his growth as a young Catholic. “I met a great bunch of college students who were serious about their own faith,” he said. “The community quickly became my second family.” Deacon Ben planned to earn a master’s degree in library science but his experience at the Newman Center placed a “kernel” in his heart that perhaps God was calling him to travel another path.

Instead of applying to graduate school, Deacon Ben took a gap year

and worked full time at his home parish of St. Paul’s in Whitesboro. That experience led him to apply for the seminary at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “Of the courses I’ve studied, I’ve enjoyed the Scripture courses because it allows us the opportunity to take a ‘deep dive’ into the Bible in ways I have not been able to do before,” said Deacon Ben. “I have also enjoyed the morality courses such as Catholic social teaching and biomedical ethics. We were able to focus on many of the hot-button issues.”

Deacon Ben will work at St. Peter’s in Rome, Oneida County, for the remainder of the summer. In August he will return to the Theological College in Washington to complete his final year of seminarian studies.

Deacon Ben said the promises he made as a transitional deacon — a life of service to the Church and her people — are the building blocks for his future ordination to the priesthood.

“In every walk of life, no matter what path we find ourselves on, there are people who can help and guide us,” said

Deacon Ben. “Over the past six years as a seminarian I met people who have helped me along the way. I think it is those people who I will seek out for guidance in the future.”

“God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts,” said Deacon Ben. “To find where God is calling us, we need to enter into that silence and follow the peace that comes from it. When you allow him to work in your heart, he will fill your life with an abundance of grace and peace.”

Happy Birthday

Bishop Robert Cunningham

From your friends at St. Mary’s of the Lake

Celebrating Father James Buttner in the next Catholic Sun…

Due to press deadlines, our coverage of the Ordination of James Buttner to the priesthood, scheduled for June 3, will be fully covered in our next print edition. In the meantime, visit us on Facebook and Instagram for photo coverage and consider subscribing to our free bi-weekly digital updates by signing up here: thecatholicsun.com/ subscriber-email-address-submission/

The ordinand deacons arrive at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Syracuse for their ordination liturgy.

Deacon Pawel’s mother made the trip from Poland to attend the ordination. The Mass was livestreamed to Pawel’s family in his native country.

My miracles at Lourdes

By Michele Ryan

Contributing writer

On a recent pilgrimage to Lourdes, France I wondered, Can a miracle happen for me?

I watched stories about Lourdes before my May 2-11, 2023, pilgrimage with Holy Family Church of Syracuse but I thought it unlikely that I would encounter the miraculous. Surprise, I discovered that every day of the pilgrimage provided little miracles, little gifts from a most loving and generous God that culminated in a miracle for my friend.

After thanking God daily for his loving care in Lisieux, Mont-Saint-Michel, the Normandy battlefields and Paris I arrived in Lourdes unable to imagine how the trip could get any better, but it did. After all, this was a trip for my soul.

At a nightly Marian procession at Lourdes, thousands of pilgrims walk with lit candles reciting the rosary and lifting their candles high as they sing Ave Maria. I felt such joy and love being surrounded by believers from all over the world who love Jesus and his Most Blessed Mother. I thought, It can’t get any better than this. One of the most famous features of Lourdes is the Grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858 and told her to dig and a miraculous spring would appear. We celebrated Mass there with our priests, Father Malachi Clark, Father Dennis Walker and Deacon Bob Fangio. It was so inspiring to watch all the people in wheelchairs lined up with their volunteer helpers. I was especially moved earlier in the day when I saw two people sitting side by side in wheelchairs holding hands as they looked at the statue of the Blessed Mother in a niche of the Grotto wall.

We learned the water has no healing properties of its own. The Society of St Pius X website explains in a Feb. 16, 2017, article that “throughout the history of Lourdes no one who approaches the Grotto leaves without receiving some grace for a spiritual cure … graces

that emanate from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose mediatrix is his Most Holy Mother.”

At the Baths of Lourdes volunteers used to help the faithful bathe in the water but since COVID they lead individuals through “Water Gestures” instead. I waited for almost an hour sitting on benches in front of the Baths for my turn to enter and pass behind the blue and white striped curtain to meet my volunteer and experience this special gift. I was amazed at the silence and reverence of everyone waiting. Many, like me, were silently praying the rosary and likely thinking about hoped-for healing. I prayed for healing of some physical ailments but also for healing of any unforgiveness left in me and any bitterness that remains for those I had forgiven.

My volunteer welcomed me and asked me which language I speak. As I looked at the stone tub where people bathed in the past I was grateful that I didn’t have to descend into freezing cold water! Instead she asked me to pray to Our Lady and stepped back to give me privacy. Then she asked me to perform three water gestures in honor of what Our Lady asked St. Bernadette to do. She reverently took a beautiful tall china pitcher and poured water over my outstretched hands for me to wash them. Then she poured water into my hands and signaled me to wash my face. Finally, she poured water into my hands and asked me to drink. Then we prayed together.

I was overcome with emotion! I started to cry and felt peace and joy. I never expected such an outpouring of emotion from a simple ceremony. I know that something in my spirit that was broken had been released, had been healed. I remembered that it is our earthly mother who first teaches us how to wash our face

and hands and our heavenly mother who wants us to drink of the living waters from her Son Jesus.

Later I was able to follow the Way of the Cross as it winds up the mountainside adjacent to the Basilica. As I prayed alone in front of the life-size figures the emotional afternoon of spiritual healing continued.

We were leaving the next day and I thought, I have had my Lourdes miracle! It was beautiful. It can’t get any better than this.

I momentarily forgot about the notebook of prayers for family and friends and their needs I had deposited in a special container by the Grotto.

The next day I began a 24-hour journey home from Lourdes to Syracuse. When I got to Atlanta I was so exhausted I

could hardly think straight and I dreaded trying to figure out the best way to get home from the airport at 12:30 a.m. I was praying when my phone rang. It was a friend I had been praying for fervently; her name was left in the Grotto on a slip of paper. I couldn’t believe I was talking to the same person I had left behind in a rehab facility two weeks earlier. She was filled with joy, talkative and eager to hear about my trip. Gone was the depression, the anger with God, the difficulty completing sentences. Gone was the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

e Priests and Deacons of the Diocese of Syracuse extend birthday wishes to Bishop Cunningham! Happy 80th Birthday!

Drawing pilgrims in Lourdes is the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes. (Courtesy Michele Ryan)

Missionary Franciscan Sisters celebrate significant milestone: 150 years

By Sister Helene Byrne Contributing writer

The Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception are this year celebrating the 150th anniversary of their founding. We have been blessed to minister to God’s people on five continents including many dioceses throughout the United States, the Diocese of Syracuse among them. The mission is to spread the Gospel message of love in the Franciscan tradition of St. Francis and St. Clare to those most in need. The Sisters, in their outreach to the people, shared their charism with its special emphasis on peacemaking, hospitality and compassion. Their presence fostered welcoming and inclusive communities, with solidarity in service to and with the poor as their guiding star.

The order was founded by Mother Mary Ignatius Hayes, a convert to Catholicism, in 1873. She established the first house of the Institute in a log cabin in Belle Prairie, Minn., with an immediate aim to open a school to address an obvious need in a far-flung outpost of largely French-Canadian settlers. Her ability to inspire this rural

community resulted in the school opening a few months after her arrival. That marked the beginning of a focus on formal education by the order up to the time of Vatican II. The early Sisters were heroic women who believed in going the extra mile, even at great personal cost. Following Vatican II, while education continued to be a focus, many Sisters felt called to respond to other challenges needing attention including pastoral work, social work and catechesis.

The ministry of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters in the Diocese of Syracuse had a unique beginning. The Diocese, in its infancy, covered a large area. Cities such as Syracuse attracted a steady stream of immigrants, many of Italian heritage. Fortunately, lay initiatives enabled the Church to cope with the influx and the shortage of priests. A group of Catholic women organized themselves into the Saint Anthony Society to tend to the spiritual and educational needs of these families living near St. Peter’s Church, then the primary Italian parish, on the city’s Northside. The women petitioned Bishop John Grimes to find Sisters who would assume the duties of teaching the faith and be responsible for supporting this immigrant community in its many needs.

In 1919, four Missionary Franciscan Sisters were assigned to this ministry, two of whom spoke fluent Italian. Others were added later. The Sisters not only provided religious instruction but also facilitated classes in general housekeeping, cooking, sewing and millinery. The Sisters also did considerable home visiting in the neighborhood.

The Church and the ministry of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters continued to grow. St. Cecilia’s Catechetical Center, Solvay, established in 1940, prospered from the outset. St. Charles Borromeo Center in Syracuse opened in 1943. The Sisters also ministered at Assumption School of Religious Education in Binghamton beginning in 1941 serving several parishes in the Binghamton area. St. Michael’s Catechetical Center on Onondaga Hill opened in 1961.

These very effective catechetical centers were the forerunners of dynamic Catholic schools which evolved from them and were blessed from their inception with the cooperative and family-centered charisma of the catechetical centers. Graduates of these schools have enriched the greater Syracuse area and beyond.

In more recent times, the Sisters

served the Diocese as hospital chaplains, pastoral associates, social workers for at-risk students in public schools, faith formation, spiritual direction and hospital and nursing home visitation.

Today, the Sisters remain a Franciscan presence in the areas in which they live.

As we begin the 150th Anniversary Celebration, we want to thank everyone for the truly blessed experience of ministering among you. Our wishes are best expressed by the touching words of St. Paul: I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you (Philippians 1:3).

A typical class at Our Lady of Pompei in Syracuse, one of many diocesan schools where the Missionary Franciscan Sisters served.

Happy Birthday Bishop Cunningham!

Thanks for your years of service to Christ & His Church. The students & faculty of the Catholic Schools of Broome County.

Tracy Caezza, President

Sy racuse Diocese Catholic Schools

IC School’s ‘A Day at the Wax Museum’

Third-graders at Immaculate Conception School in Fayetteville celebrated their reading program with their annual Wax Museum. The students dressed as their chosen special person — a historical figure or a sports personality. Students from kindergarten to sixth grade went to visit the Wax Museum and watched and listened as they came alive to tell their story. Families were also invited to the event. (Photos courtesy Caroline N. AgorCalimlim)

Happy birthday Bishop Cunningham! ank you for your years of guidance to our young ock

Happy birthday Bishop Cunningham! ank you for your years of guidance to our young ock

Abraham Lincoln

Amelia Earhart

Henry Ford

Jane Goodall Jim Thorpe

Finding a loved one

Diocese works on digitizing records in 16 Catholic cemeteries

Dennis McCarthy - US Congressman and NY Lieutenant Governor. He was the owner of a successful salt works and for over 40 years, one of Upstate NY’s largest employers. He died in 1886 and is buried in St. Agnes Cemetery, Syracuse.

Steve Charles (Lefty) Kraly (died March 7, 2016) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played five games for the New York Yankees in 1953, compiling a 0–2 record, with a 3.24 ERA over 25 innings. He batted and threw lefthanded. His baseball card was blown up and put on the lid to his vault with the old Yankees Top Hat logo and the blue and white pinstripe paint. - Buried in Calvary Cemetery in Johnson City, NY.

Christopher Joseph Gedney was an American college and professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League for six seasons. He played college football for Syracuse University, and earned All-American honors. He played professionally for the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Wikipedia.

Born: August 9, 1970, Wilmington, DE, Died: March 9, 2018, Syracuse, NYBuried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, DeWitt.

By Eileen Jevis Staff writer

For families and friends of a deceased loved one, gravestones provide a memorial that will last for centuries. They also act as a valuable source of information for descendants who are interested in tracing their ancestry. Catholic Cemeteries of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, Inc. includes 16 cemeteries that date to the 1800s. The oldest gravesite, dated 1830, is in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Johnson City. Upon their founding, each cemetery created its own records-management system, including unique mapping and documentation materials. Over the years, some of this information has been destroyed in fires and flooding, and by decay. In recent years, the cemetery team has created standards for documentation

and record-keeping, ensuring that modern data is consistent and thorough across all diocesan cemeteries. Through digitalization, all records will be accessible and searchable by the public, including loved ones wishing to stay connected to and memorialize their family members. Digitalization ameliorates the risk from fire, flood and decay ensuring the records are available in perpetuity.

For four years, the diocesan cemetery team has worked to compile comprehensive electronic records for those buried in their cemeteries located in Broome, Cortland, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego counties. To date, 11 cemeteries have been completed. The remaining five — St. Agnes in Syracuse, Calvary and St. Patrick’s in Johnson City, St. Mary’s in Cortland and St. Mary’s in Clayville will be completed by the end of 2023.

It has been a grueling process with some cemetery maps and handwritten records missing or illegible. Out-of-date records sometimes don’t reflect graves that have been added or removed. Other maps don’t reference lot numbers, but instead reference the position of the lot based on a landmark, explained Tina Smith, Family Service Manager. “The records may state that a particular grave is four paces from the oak tree and that tree may no longer be there,” she said. “Each cemetery’s recordkeeping methodology is different both between cemeteries and within the same cemetery depending on the employees who worked there at the time.”

Working with cemetery software vendor webCemeteries, Inc., the team utilized Google Earth, newspaper archives, ancestry.com, www.findagrave.com and a host of other resources to validate or complete data records to identify the deceased.

The vendor scans burial records, and the cemetery team scans other documents such as contracts and monument applications and enters the information into the webCemeteries system. If there is not enough information to assign a lot number to the deceased, the cemetery staff will walk the cemetery grounds and review the layout and stones placed in that location. “The cemetery team also takes photographs of monuments, crypt

and niche fronts to add to the cemetery lot record,” explained Smith.

The team is currently researching the graves of veterans to catalog their location and information. “It’s a subject very dear to me and to other staff across our diocesan cemeteries,” said Smith. “We are trying to capture the branch of service, the wars in which they fought, and any medals or commendations that were bestowed on our service men and women.”

“Our veterans and their stories are often remarkable and touching,” added Smith. “It is interesting to read about people who you might consider having lived an ordinary life but had a long-lasting impact on their family and community. We want to provide a space where family can share stories and visit and remember their loved ones.”

Visit the diocesan cemetery website at www.syracusecatholiccemeteries.org and select menu option “Locate a Loved One” to find the records of your family

and friends. There is also an online form available to share a memory or upload a photo or video. The team will review submissions for appropriateness.

The vision of the Catholic Cemeteries is to provide a welcoming, enduring place of inspiration, comfort, respect and love where people can honor and remember,” said Smith. “Our team is dedicated to helping people find the burial place for those souls who have been entrusted to us.”

Smith said she recently sold a monument for a person who was laid to rest in 1918. “The most rewarding days of work for me are when I can help a family who has lost one of the most important pieces of their family history. Families are still trying to connect with their past. For me, putting together a complete picture of a soul in our cemetery is a way to honor that person forever.”

Christ the King Retreat House would like to wish Bishop Cunningham a very Happy 80th Birthday!

Thank you for your support. We appreciate all you do for the diocese and Christ the King Retreat House!

May God continue to Bless You!

For more information or a listing of our events go to www.ctkretreat.com or call 315-446-2680 500 Brookford Rd, Syracuse, 13224

Father George Wurz feted at 90th birthday party in Oswego

A 90th birthday party for Father George E. Wurz, Sacramental Minister (retired) at Our Lady of the Rosary in Hannibal, was held on April 29 at the St. Marianne Cope Hall at Christ the Good Shepherd @ St. Peter’s in Oswego with over 100 people in attendance. (Photo submitted)

Parish concert to honor Msgr. Yennock’s anniversary

St. Daniel’s Parish in Lyncourt will hold a free concert dedicated to Msgr. Eugene Yennock’s 73 years of priesthood. The parish’s Wisdom People will honor their beloved former pastor with music from the Lyncourt Community Band, the Harmony Katz barbershop chorus as well as the Katz Meow, the allfemale harmony group. Admission and parking are free; refreshments will be available for purchase. The date is Thursday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the former St. Daniel School, 3004 Court St.

Plain talk. Exceptional expertise.

Plain talk. Exceptional expertise.

Congratulations on your birthday Bishop Cunningham from the parish community of St. Leo, Holland Patent.

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DECREE ON THE EXTINCTIVE UNION - MERGER OF THE PARISHES OF SAINT AGATHA (CANASTOTA), SAINT HELENA (SHERRILL), HOLY FAMILY (VERNON), SAINT JOHN (NORTH BAY), SAINT JOSEPH (ONEIDA), SAINT MARY (IRISH RIDGE), SAINT MARY OF THE LAKE (VERONA BEACH), AND SAINT PATRICK (ONEIDA)

Whereas the parish of Saint Agatha was founded in 1883 as a m1ss1on of Saint Patrick (Chittenango) following a transfer of territory from the parish of Saint Patrick (Oneida), the parish of Saint Helena was founded in 1917 following a transfer of territory from the parish of Saint Patrick (Oneida), the parish of the Holy Family was founded in 1974 as a mission of Saint Helena (Sherrill) and Saint Agnes (Vernon Center), the parish of Saint John (North Bay) was founded in 1949 as a mission of Saint Mary (Cleveland), the parish of Saint Joseph (Oneida) was founded in 1893 to serve the needs of the German Catholic population of Oneida, the parish of Saint Mary (Irish Ridge) was founded in 1831 as a mission Church eventually of Saint Joseph (Oneida), the parish of Saint Mary of the Lake (Verona Beach) was founded in 1900, and the parish of Saint Patrick

(Oneida) was founded in 1851 to serve the needs of the Irish Catholic population of Oneida, encompassing the territory of Canastota, Vernon, and Verona;

Whereas the other parishes were “linked,” (served by one pastor (c. 526 §1)) in various configurations first in 2008: (1) the parishes of Saint Agatha and Saint Mary of the Lake, (2) the parishes of Saint Helena and the Holy Family, and (3) the parishes of Saint Joseph and Saint Patrick, then in 2012: the parishes of Saint John and Saint Mary of the Lake; then in 2017: the parishes of Saint Mary and Saint Joseph, and finally in 2020: all were “linked” together; Whereas the reason for these “linkages” were: changing demographics in the Madison and Oneida County, concerns regarding their individual pastoral vitality, ability to celebrate the liturgy, financial situations, and limited resources, their geographical proximity; and the declining numbers of available clergy in the Diocese of Syracuse to provide pastoral care;

Whereas an examination of the condition of the parishes took place in 2019 and 2020, evaluating the sacramental statistics, Mass attendance, finances, vitality of each parish, options for pastoral care, etc., involving the pastors, trustees, finance councils, and pastoral councils of each parish as well as diocesan officials, resulting in a unanimous recommendation to merge into one parish named “Spirit of Hope” (Romans 15:13) in order to provide for the pastoral care of the faithful and to better promote their active engagement in the Church’s mission of worship, evangelization, and care for the poor, the results of which were made known via letters sent to the households of the parishioners of each parish and announcements made at Mass, in the bulletin, etc.;

Whereas I then convoked the Presbyteral Council on 28 February 2023 and presided over it according to the norm of law (cans. 127 §1, 166 §1, and 500 §1), placing the proposed

modifications of the parishes of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint Joseph, Saint Mary of the Lake, and Saint Patrick on the agenda ahead of time, ensuring that a summary of the status of each individual parish was provided to the members of the Council (can. 50), proposing the merger of each individual parish, seeking the informed and free counsel of the members concerning the proposed modification of each individual parish (can. 515 §2), listening to arguments both for and against the proposed modification of each individual parish, and receiving unanimous support for the proposed modification of each individual parish;

Whereas “It is only for the diocesan bishop to erect, suppress, or alter parishes. He is neither to erect, suppress, nor alter notably parishes, unless he has heard the presbyteral council” (can. 515 §2);

Whereas the parish of Saint Agatha has experienced a significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments, has limited resources, and operates at a yearly financial deficit;

Whereas the parish of Saint Helena has experienced a significant decline 111 Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments and has limited resources;

Whereas the parish of the Holy Family has experienced a significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments, has limited resources, and operates at a yearly financial deficit;

Whereas the parish of Saint John no longer offers Mass and the celebration of the sacraments regularly, but only when there is a need or by request;

Whereas the parish of Saint Joseph has experienced a significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments, has limited resources, and operates at a significant yearly financial deficit,

Whereas the parish of Saint Mary no longer offers Mass and the celebration of the sacraments regularly, but only when there is a need or by request;

Whereas the parish of Saint Mary of the Lake has likewise experienced a significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments, has limited resources, and operates at a significant yearly financial deficit,

Whereas the parish of Saint Patrick has experienced a significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance and in the celebration of the sacraments, has limited resources, and operates at a yearly financial deficit,

Whereas the population of the Madison and Oneida counties has decreased such that there is no longer a need for the current number of individual parishes, the number of priests available in the Diocese of Syracuse to provide pastoral care has decreased while the average age of those available to serve has increased, the financial resources of each parish are directed primarily to the maintenance of buildings and physical plants as well as to provide for adequate personnel, and that various other options concerning the pastoral care of some of these parishes have been attempted and exhausted; Therefore, in order to promote the good of souls as well as the good of the diocese, I the undersigned Bishop of Syracuse, have decided as follows:

DECREE

1. The parishes of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Mary, Saint Mary of the Lake, and Saint Patrick (and Saint Francis, Durhamville and Saint Therese, Munnsville; previously merged, relegated, and alienated in 2021 and 2022 respectively) are united via an extinctive union-merger to form the new parish of Spirit of Hope Parish.

MOST REVEREND DOUGLAS J. LUCIA BISHOP OF SYRACUSE

2. The members of the originating parishes will now become members of the new parish.

3. Given its historical, architectural, and liturgical significance as well as its central location and ministerial import (e.g., the location of the parish school), the principal church will be the church of Saint Patrick located at 347 Main Street, Oneida, New York.

4. The auxiliary churches of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Mary, and Saint Mary of the Lake will remain open. At present, the faithful will continue to have the right of entry to these churches for public worship. Also at present, the Most Holy Eucharist will be reserved at the churches of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint John, Saint Joseph, and Saint Mary of the Lake (can. 934 §1, 1 °).

5. The regular schedule of Masses and

the celebration of the sacraments will be determined by the pastor.

6. All sacramental registers hitherto preserved by each parish are to be conveyed to the office of the newly merged parish currently located at the church of Saint Joseph at 121 Saint Joseph Place, Oneida, New York, where they are to be faithfully preserved according to the norms of can. 535 §§ 1-5.

7. The temporal goods as well as any patrimonial rights and obligations of the parishes of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Mary, Saint Mary of the Lake, and Saint Patrick will be assumed by the new parish. The intentions of the founders and donors as well as any acquired rights are to be respected (can. 121).

This merger will become effective on 11 June 2023, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

This decree hereby revokes and replaces the decrees issued by my predecessor, the Most Reverend Robert J. Cunningham, concerning the parishes of Saint Agatha, Saint Helena, Holy Family, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Mary, Saint Mary of the Lake, and Saint Patrick.

I further order this decree to be made public to all the faithful through its publication on this day, 28 May 2023. This publication on the diocesan website (www.syrdio.org) and in the local diocesan newspaper (The Catholic Sun) will be the legitimate notification. A letter of notification of this decree is to be sent to the parishioners of the parishes concerned by 28 May 2023.

This decree may be challenged by anyone who feels aggrieved by it within the peremptory time limit of ten days from the legitimate notification of the decree, that is, on 28 May 2023, by seeking its revocation or emendation

directly from me (can. 1734 §2).

Given at the Chancery of the Diocese of Syracuse on this twenty-eighth day of May in the year of our Lord, twothousand twenty-three, the Solemnity of Pentecost.

‘Color Run’ paints a picture of healing, hope and happy faces

The fight against childhood cancer apparently comes in vivid, living colors, at least at St. Patrick’s School in Oneida.

On May 19, students from the school held a Color Run in honor of Jennah Jbarah, a St. Patrick’s student who lost her life in 2017 to childhood cancer. Students and faculty at the school have continued to honor her memory through fundraising, memorials and dress-down days.

Cabrini Team Health, part of the diocesan schools office, sponsored the run. Jennifer Brown is the Cabrini program coordinator and she explains that “the initiatives of Cabrini Team Health aim to improve the social determinants of health of students and families in our Catholic school community. We accomplish this by creating programs to address physical and mental health and family needs.”

Brown adds that Kristin Healt, principal of St. Patrick’s, had the idea to do the Color Run in support of Golisano Children’s Hospital. “I immediately knew this was something we needed to do together. Bringing the school community

together, promoting physical fitness, honoring Jennah Jbarah and her family, and raising money for the children’s hospital is exactly what Cabrini Team Health strives to accomplish.”

Healt added that the run materials themselves were somewhat expensive, but Cabrini’s help made the difference they needed, saying they “not only purchased the color powder, but bought each student a pair of sunglasses and a white bandana as well. This was such a blessing to us because we were able to donate all proceeds to Golisano in memory of Jennah.”

Those proceeds amounted to just under $3,400.

Diocesan schools Superintendent William Crist participated in the event along with Bishop Douglas J. Lucia and Fathers Christopher Ballard and Nathan Brooks from the Spirit of Hope linked parishes in Madison County. Bishop Lucia also donated popsicles for the kids to enjoy, a great post-run treat.

Diocesan schools Superintendent William Crist, Fr. Nate Brooks, Fr. Chris Ballard and Bishop Douglas Lucia got in on the Run and the fun.

Students ran the color course in staggered times based on grade level.

Students passed through dusting stations along the course where colors were liberally applied.

‘Today is a miracle’: Catholic Charities celebrates new shelter

$13.9M Housing Services Center lauded at ribbon-cutting on Erie Boulevard East

By Tom Maguire Associate editor

They skedaddled but kept their commitment.

A few years ago, Catholic Charities of Onondaga County ran a men’s shelter on South Clinton Street. But it bowed to the potential of economic growth from a new JMA Wireless manufacturing campus at the same site. The only thing that matters, said CCOC Executive Director Michael Melara, “is fulfilling our commitment to the people that we serve.”

So he consulted with his chief operating officer, Christopher Curry. “Chris listened and quietly assured me that relocating the shelter wasn’t the worst thing ever,” Melara recalled. “And as Chris always says, ‘We will figure it out.’”

Matching Curry’s can-do tone was Bishop Douglas J. Lucia, who recalls saying, “‘Mike, we’ll do it. Somehow, we’ll put this in the Lord’s hands and it’s going to work’ and it worked … and this has certainly been a great blessing.”

The optimists were right. On May 23, the Bishop, Melara and Curry were among the notables at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for CCOC’s $13.9 million Housing Services Center (HSC) at 1801 Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse.

Tackling an ugly issue

“Homelessness is an ugly issue that requires a community response to address it,” Melara said. “We at Catholic Charities are privileged to be part of that response.”

CCOC CFO Lindsay M. Cronkright supplied this summary:

The Housing Services Center includes an 80-bed emergency shelter for homeless men, eight apartments for chronically homeless men who are either living on the streets or in a shelter, on-site health and mental-health services, case management, a culinary-training program, and office space for approximately 40

professional Catholic Charities staff who were previously located at different sites throughout the city.

Residents who arrive under the influence are not turned away for service. Instead, they are assessed based on health and safety and allowed to stay if they are not in need of immediate medical care or safety interventions from emergency staff. By providing emergency shelter services 24/7, Catholic Charities provides an immediate response to homelessness while also addressing the issues that lead to homelessness.

The HSC model incorporates critical treatment and job-readiness components that directly impact the length of time an individual might spend in a shelter. And the presence of on-site professional HSC staff will facilitate a more comprehensive approach to delivering services.

Praise for team

“Considering the circumstances and pressures we were under, today is a miracle,” Melara told the guests under a tent outside the center. “And my team at Catholic Charities, they are miracle workers.”

Melara had gotten the call about the JMA Wireless project from Deputy County Executive for Human Services Ann Rooney in August 2019. Expenditures for the project began in October 2021 with the purchase of real estate. Site work began in late 2021, and an intake center opened in downtown Syracuse in April 2022. Total rehabilitation of an existing structure and new construction were completed in March 2023.

Men are already living in the 80-bed emergency shelter. The eight apartments across the street, which are expected to be completed soon, will have a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom.

Over in the 80-bed shelter, a big sign on a wall says, “Rev. Msgr. J. Robert Yeazel Dormitory.”

“Catholic Charities has done a marvelous job, because they always do, in helping people who are most in need,” said Msgr. Yeazel, one of the guests. “And I can’t think of anything greater than

having a wonderful home for people who are homeless.”

The Yeazel Dormitory has five skylights and 10 pods with 4-foot walls separating them. The eight beds in each pod have a light and a lockable wardrobe. “Beautiful in here,” said Jessie Butts, CCOC’s program officer for prevention and shelter programs, “and you wouldn’t think that it’s so functional because it’s so nice and light and bright and pretty. But it’s extremely functional.”

Tasks for caseworkers

“We have caseworkers that help to connect people with housing, mentalhealth services, substance-abuse services, job employment,” Butts said. Some residents will be there for one or two nights, she said, and some for a much longer time. CCOC will never turn away somebody who is homeless, even if the shelter is at capacity. “We figure it out,” she said.

CFO Cronkright said Catholic Charities has over 300 apartment units around the county — permanent supportive housing for housing-vulnerable individuals.

Skills training for shelter residents will include culinary study. “The kitchen is the hub of the house, the nerve center,” Executive Director Melara said. “Chris Curry is the hub of this construction project.”

Therefore, Melara said, “We’re going to name it the Curry Culinary Center.”

His sign was to go up, just as Msgr. Yeazel’s did.

Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of the Sun’s coverage of the new CCOC Housing Services Center. In our next issue, read about a 26-year-old resident of the shelter who wants a job, a family and a financially stable life.

Key contributors

Lindsay Cronkright, CFO of Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, says this is where the key funding came from for CCOC’s new Housing Services Center:

The $13.9 million project was constructed with $7.1 million from the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, which is administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Other governmental funding includes $3.0 million from a federal appropriation, $2.8 million from Onondaga County, and $500,000 from the City of Syracuse. Funding was also received from our community of generous foundations, organizations and individuals.

The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is also providing $200,000 annually in operating funding for the eight units of permanent supportive housing through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

The ribbon-cutting brings smiles at the Housing Services Center in Syracuse. “This is a beautiful center,” says CCOC Executive Director Michael Melara. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)

‘LOURDES,’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

despair about her future and her inability to return to her apartment and live on her own. Gone was her feeling that God was far, far away. I was astonished and asked her what had happened. She said, “I felt a complete change come over me. It must be the prayers you offered at Lourdes.”

When I talked to her sister she confirmed that my friend no longer has to sleep in her wheelchair in front of the nurse’s station to prevent falls, no longer has to get an aide to dial the phone for her. My friend joined a craft group to make hats for Mother’s Day and went to the religious service on Sunday. She said this all started a few days ago and she doesn’t know what to attribute it to. I told her it is a miracle from Our Lady of Lourdes! As my friend took her first steps and the physical therapist told her she can now use a walker she said, “Another miracle from Lourdes!”

I boarded my flight to Syracuse exhausted but so happy when I heard a voice call “Michele!” It was my dear friend’s husband returning from a biannual business trip to Atlanta. I said, “It is nice to see you. Can you drive me home?” He replied, “I would love to!” One last miracle from Lourdes. As I carry the memory of Lourdes into the future I know it can always get better than this!

Michele Ryan is a parishioner of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Syracuse. Note: More information about Lourdes and the water can be obtained by going to the website of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers located in Syracuse, lourdesvolunteers. org.

Many people come to be healed at Lourdes. Here, two people in wheelchairs hold hands in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Grotto.

May your birthday be blessed with gr ace and g lory from above full of God’s almighty goodness, happine ss and love 80th 10475

NY 13502

Happy Birthday To Bishop Emeritus Cunningham.

e Ademoyo Family wishes our dear and loving Bishop Emeritus Cunningham a Happy 80th Birthday. Bishop Cunningham your love, kindness, support for our family are constant as the lode star. You are the Shepherd of our family and our children. Your love, support, inspiration, and motivation for our children remain evergreen and unwavering. Today and always, we remember your words of encouragement and love when you came to our parish St. omas Aquinas Church years ago, and you expressed to us how joyful you always are serving with our children in the Sanctuary! We are humble by yourwords, love, and kindness. May Almighty God continue to strengthen you, bless you, be kind to you, be merciful to you today on your 80th birthday and always.

God loves you. Our Children love you. We love you.

Happy Birthday To Our Shepherd, the Shepherd of our family.

Deacon Ade and Bola

(For Ademoyo Family and Children St omas Aquinas Church; St Patrick’s Church Binghamton, NY)

Shown at a lookout in Mont-Saint-Michel, France, are Fathers Dennis Walker and Malachi Clark. (Photos courtesy Michele Ryan)

Pope has named two-thirds of cardinals eligible to elect his successor

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the retired archbishop of Naples, celebrated his 80th birthday June 2 and, consequently, became ineligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope. The cardinal’s aging out left the College of Cardinals with 121 clerics under the age of 80 and eligible to vote. Of those 121 cardinals, 81 — 66.9% — were inducted into the college by Pope Francis. According to modifications to the norms governing the election of the bishop of Rome promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 and still in force, “a majority vote of two-thirds of the cardinal electors present is always necessary for the valid election of a Roman Pontiff.” With Cardinal Sepe’s birthday, just over twothirds of the currently eligible voters were made cardinals by Pope Francis.

Profit-at-all-costs is not a good model for business, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Business leaders must fight the temptation to seek financial gain above all else and instead promote a “culture of encounter” that improves their balance sheet and the lives of their employees and communities at the same time, Pope Francis said. “It is essential to approach work from a culture of encounter. The values of this culture can enable the world of business to defend itself from the shadows of evil that invade us when profit at all costs distorts our relationships, to the point of degrading or even enslaving people,” the pope told business leaders from Latin America June 1. The Latin American Business Council was holding its annual meeting in Rome May 31-June 2 and used the opportunity to meet with a variety of

Vatican officials to discuss social themes that, Pope Francis said, “affect us all, like work, migration, climate change and integral human development.”

Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ OKs some abortion protections

CARSON CITY, Nev. (OSV News)

— Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Catholic who campaigned on a prolife stance, signed legislation in May granting some protections for those who travel to the state seeking to undergo or perform an abortion. The move sets the Republican governor apart from his GOP counterparts in other states that signed legislation restricting abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 that overturned prior precedent making abortion access a constitutional right. The bill, SB 131, prohibits law-enforcement officials and agencies from aiding in any investigations by other states into their own residents who undergo abortions in Nevada. It also prohibits state medical boards or licensing committees from penalizing doctors who perform abortions in the state. Elizabeth Ray, a spokesperson for Lombardo, told OSV News the governor “made a campaign commitment to sign a law ensuring that Nevada would not participate in prosecuting those seeking legal medical care in the state.” Ray added, “This week, Governor Lombardo kept that commitment, signing SB 131 into law.” Phil Scott of Vermont and former Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, who left office in January, are other GOP governors who enacted post-Dobbs abortion protections in their states. Lombardo is currently the only GOP governor to do so in a swing state.

Nicaraguan regime freezes bank accounts of dioceses in wave of Church persecution

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (OSV News) — Nicaragua has frozen the bank accounts of dioceses nationwide as the regime of President Daniel Ortega escalates its persecution of the Catholic Church with accusations of theft and money laundering. The country’s banking regulator also requested of the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua “the presentation of the documents that show the movements of the dioceses’ bank accounts so that the laws of the country are complied with at all times, avoiding the illegal acts that have been committed,” according to a May 27 statement from the National Police. The statement describes Cardinal Brenes as “Head of the Nicaraguan church.” The independent newspaper Confidencial wrote that the frozen accounts were first reported in the Diocese of Estelí, where imprisoned Bishop Rolando Álvarez of

Matagalpa is apostolic administrator. Bishop Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison in February after a sham trial on charges of undermining national sovereignty and spreading false information. Two priests there, Fathers Eugenio Rodríguez Benavides and Leonardo Guevara Gutiérrez, were detained May 20 and May 22, respectively, and are being investigated for matters pertaining to a now-extinct Caritas chapter, according to a Diocese of Estelí statement. Another priest, Father Jaime Iván Montecinos, pastor at St. John Paul II Parish in the Diocese of Matagalpa, was detained May 24 for unknown reasons. The freezing of bank accounts complicates church ministries and the maintenance of parishes.

Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua, Nicaragua, is shown celebrating Mass. Nicaragua has frozen the bank accounts of dioceses nationwide as the regime of President Daniel Ortega escalates its persecution of the Catholic Church. (OSV News file photo/Oswaldo Rivas, Reuters)

Televised Mass air times youtube.com/syrdio

Syracuse area:

Sun., 6:30 a.m., Channel 9 (WSYR, Syracuse)

Sat., 8:30 p.m., Channel 98*

Binghamton area:

Sun., 6 a.m., Channel 12 (WBNG, Binghamton)

Utica / Rome area:

Sun., 6:00 a.m., Channel 2 (WKTV, Utica)

Thu., 6:30 p.m., Channel 99*

* Denotes Public Access station. Stations will attempt to air the Mass at the times listed, however, the Mass could be preempted without notice.

HOPE Appeal Ministry

Catholic Crossword

48 “The wicked shall be turned — hell” (Psa 9:17)

49 “And — — go and prepare a place…” (John 14:3)

24 Biblical sea

25 “Ye — a pit for your friend” (Job 6:27)

27 Poker kitty

28 “Abraham set seven — lambs”

Ice mass, for short

“How long will it be — they believe me” (Num 14:11)

DOWN

1 Sheltered, out of the wind

2 Hitchcock’s “ — Window”

3 Informal discourse

4 “Before it be — with” (Prv 17:14)

5 Type of street (Abbr)

6 Garden flower

7 Beige color

8 Bangkok native 9 Religious song 10 — Bodkins!’

12 “Every man of his — ” (2 Ki 12:5)

Hall of Famer Stan 44 “They that trust in their — ” (Psa

17 Israeli high priest 19 Long, long time

Word of the Lord: Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a; Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; 1 Cor 10:16-17 Jn 6:51-58

Years ago, I heard the story of a priest who was getting ready for Sunday Mass. While puttering around in the sacristy, he reached into a storage cabinet, took a plastic container of unconsecrated hosts and started pouring them into a gold ciborium. One of the hosts fell on the floor. The priest picked it up, held it between his thumb and forefinger, and before tossing it in the trash sighed and said, “Oh, to think of what you could have become!”

There we see the wonder of Corpus Christi, the late-spring feast when we honor the astounding fact that, in the hands of the priest, a sliver of bread becomes the Body Christ. In many parishes, there are processions and prayers — monstrances elevated and paraded through streets, as bells ring and “Tantum Ergo” echoes and the world stops to look and stare and sometimes even, in wonder and adoration, kneel.

Surveys tell us again and again that only a minority of Catholics, about a third, understand that what is being shown, what is being blessed and broken and shared, is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.

With that in mind, I’m not sure we sufficiently appreciate the full magnitude of this Sunday. Sometimes the pageantry and pomp can overwhelm its meaning and power. The reading from St. John’s Gospel seems to underscore the mystery of it all:

“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” the Jews asked. And Jesus replied, “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

Among other things, the Scriptures for this Sunday remind us that ours is a God of bewildering creativity, a God who gave manna in the desert and even now enters our lives through loaves of bread and the “cup of blessing.”

We should be humbled by all that this implies. But we should also take this moment to reflect on where we are in the liturgical calendar.

Across the last few weeks, we’ve rejoiced in the Resurrection, embraced Divine Mercy, celebrated the Good Shepherd, welcomed the Holy Spirit and marveled at the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Now, after Easter, Corpus Christi Sunday is in some ways the grand finale — the last big Sunday feast for several weeks. We slip at last into the ordinariness of Ordinary Time. But there is still this glimpse of the extraordinary: Christ’s Real Presence, still among us, under the appearance of bread.

If we take nothing else away from this feast, we should remember how God in his greatness continues to dwell among us in the smallest of things.

He came to us once as an infant in a manger. He comes to us now as a crumb of bread.

While this feast celebrates the continuing miracle that is (to use a big word) transubstantiation, it also reminds us of another miracle, the generosity and enduring love of our God, one so great, yet who comes to us as something so humble.

Centuries before Christ, Elijah discovered that God didn’t come in fire or a roaring wind or an earthquake. He came in a whisper.

So, too, he comes to us today in a whisper — a sliver of a host, a sip of a cup. It is a mystery of our faith: how God can take the insignificant — the small, the broken, the easily overlooked — and dwell within and make it sacred. He does it with bread. He can do it with each of us.

As St. Augustine once famously put it, “We become what we receive.” How could any of us not be overwhelmed, to consider what we receive in the Eucharist, and to think of what we can become?

Divine Comedy

By Dan Reynolds

If your parish is interested in inviting Deacon Dan to do his “DIVINE COMEDY” presentation, contact him at divinecomedydan@gmail.com.

“Divine Comedy” is full of clean jokes, saintly humorous examples and hysterical religious cartoons. It is about how our faith life is enriched by daily humor. You will learn how God loves you yesterday, today and “ever-laughter.”

Scripture readings

Thursday,

6-8, 10; 1 Jn 4:7-16; Mt 11:25-30

Saturday, June 17: 573: 2 Cor 5:14-21; Ps 103:1-4, 9-12; Lk 2:41-51

Sunday, June 18: 91: Ex 19:2-6; Ps 100:1-3, 5; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36–10:8

Monday, June 19: 365: 2 Cor 6:1-10; Ps 98:1-4; Mt 5:38-42

Tuesday, June 20: 366: 2 Cor 8:1-9; Ps 146:2, 5-9; Mt 5:43-48

Wednesday, June 21: 367: 2 Cor 9:6-11; Ps 112:1-4, 9; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Necrology

Father Robert J. Sullivan: 8, 1996

Father Edwin T. Comeskey: 9, 2004

Father John A. Booth: 9, 2010

Father John Reuland: 12, 1922

Father Raymond P. Lawrence: 12, 1968

Father John J. Toomey: 13, 1891

Father William N. Comeskey: 13, 1971

Msgr. Casimir S. Piejda: 13, 1976

Deacon Gerald M. Cullen: 13, 1987

Father Edward R. Prendergast: 14, 1931

Father John J. Quigley: 14, 1963

Father Charles L. Foster: 18, 1991

Father Benoit C. Thibault: 19, 1929

Father Moritz Fuchs: 19, 2018

Msgr. D. Francis Curtin: 20, 1964

Father Leon J. Kalinowski: 20, 1973

Father William Hourigan: 21, 1925

Father Walter Cannan: 21, 2007

Msgr. William J. Donovan: 21, 2014

Deacon Greg Kandra is an awardwinning author and journalist, and creator of “The Deacon’s Bench” blog. He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Congratulations

With praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, we joyfully celebrate your Ordination to the Priesthood!

We are so thrilled and proud of all your hard work and dedication to the Church. We wish you all the best and God’s joy and peace as you begin this next phase of your journey!

Many blessings from your friends at Holy Cross

www.holycrossdewitt.org

Fr. James Buttner!