December 2019 Newsletter

The Church in the Modern World BY JOHN AND JACQUE CALZAVARA On January 25, 1959, Pope John XXIII shocked the world by calling a council that would change the face of the Church forever. Pope John often used the term aggiornamento for what he had in mind for the council - an Italian word meaning bringing up to date. On December 8, 1965, the council, having finished its work, held a solemn closing in the piazza of St. Peter’s. It has been almost 55 years since the council closed and, in many ways, Catholics are still trying to understand exactly what happened at this event that changed not only the Catholic church but the understanding and attitudes toward religion around the world.

On October 7, 2019, parishioners of Holy Family came together to gain a deeper understanding of some of the documents of Vatican II and dialogue about their meaning and far reaching implications, not only in the Church but also in their lives. The sessions have included an exploration of the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope), an exploration of how the council affected the roles of the clergy and the laity, a session on women in the church and Mary, building community out of diversity, an exploration of the Vatican II document Sancrosanctum Concilium, and a closing session on how we can try to bring Christ into the world with a musical concert. Rahner, has said that, “knowing God is more important than knowing about God.” While it is important to have information regarding the church and its teachings, the group follows the advice of Fr. Rahner and seeks a closer relationship with the God of all creation through the community of faith at Holy Family.

All parishioners are invited to these sessions. It is not necessary to attend all of the sessions in a particular series as each presentation is structured to be independent but connected to the series. The next series will take place during Lent of 2020. Pope Francis

The spirit of the group is founded on the principle of empathetic dialogue with a deep respect for the opinions of others and a willingness to participate with fellow parishioners to advance formation in the faith. A sense of community has emerged in the group, and the participants have reacted to the presentation of the material and the discussions with enthusiasm. The informal atmosphere allows parishioners to get to know each other better and learn from one another. Jesuit theologian and prominent figure of Vatican II, Karl has said that, “The Church is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church in this path.” May all who attend these sessions experience this vision of our Pope at Holy Family Parish.

On January 25, 1959, Pope John XXIII shocked the world by calling a council that would change the face of the Church forever. Pope John often used the term aggiornamento for what he had in mind for the council - an Italian word meaning bringing up to date. On December 8, 1965, the council, having finished its work, held a solemn closing in the piazza of St. Peter’s. It has been almost 55 years since the council closed and, in many ways, Catholics are still trying to understand exactly what happened at this event that changed not only the Catholic church but the understanding and attitudes toward religion around the world.

On October 7, 2019, parishioners of Holy Family came together to gain a deeper understanding of some of the documents of Vatican II and dialogue about their meaning and far reaching implications, not only in the Church but also in their lives. The sessions have included an exploration of the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope), an exploration of how the council affected the roles of the clergy and the laity, a session on women in the church and Mary, building community out of diversity, an exploration of the Vatican II document Sancrosanctum Concilium, and a closing session on how we can try to bring Christ into the world with a musical concert.

The spirit of the group is founded on the principle of empathetic dialogue with a deep respect for the opinions of others and a willingness to participate with fellow parishioners to advance formation in the faith. A sense of community has emerged in the group, and the participants have reacted to the presentation of the material and the discussions with enthusiasm. The informal atmosphere allows parishioners to get to know each other better and learn from one another. Jesuit theologian and prominent figure of Vatican II, Karl

Rahner, has said that, “knowing God is more important than knowing about God.” While it is important to have information regarding the church and its teachings, the group follows the advice of Fr. Rahner and seeks a

closer relationship with the God of all creation through the community of faith at Holy Family.

All parishioners are invited to these sessions. It is not necessary to attend all of the sessions in a particular series as each presentation is structured to be independent but connected to the series. The next series will take place during Lent of 2020. Pope Francis

has said that, “The Church is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church in this path.” May all who attend these sessions experience this vision of our Pope at Holy Family Parish.