May We All Know Peace

Dear Sisters, Associates, and Friends,

As we enter into remembrance and renewal today, September 11, we offer
this prayer poem created by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on the
afternoon of September 11, 2001. Let us remember all those who met
death today, all those whose lives were in any way impacted, all those
who continue to grieve, all those who performed acts of increible
bravery. Let us remember also the many throughout our world who live
with this level of violence and struggle to be people of peace each and
every day. May our remembering, our praying, and our living lead us to
a new world where all are welcome. May we all know peace.

Peace,
Chris

Chris Koellhoffer, IHM
Councilor for Spiritual Development
IHM Center


Rest in Peace:
September 11, 2001


By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

I am a World Trade Center tower, standing tall in the clear blue sky,
feeling a violent blow in my side, and
I am a towering inferno of pain and suffering imploding upon myself and
collapsing to the ground.
May I rest in peace.

I am a terrified passenger on a hijacked airplane not knowing where we
are going or that I am riding on fuel tanks that will be instruments of
death, and
I am a worker arriving at my office not knowing that in just a moment my
future will be obliterated.
May I rest in peace.

I am a pigeon in the plaza between the two towers eating crumbs from
someone's breakfast when fire rains down on me from the skies, and
I am a bed of flowers admired daily by thousands of tourists now buried
under five stories of rubble.
May I rest in peace.

I am a firefighter sent into dark corridors of smoke and debris on a
mission of mercy only to have it collapse around me, and
I am a rescue worker risking my life to save lives who is very aware
that I may not make it out alive.
May I rest in peace.

I am a survivor who has fled down the stairs and out of the building to
safety who knows that nothing will ever be the same in my soul again,
and
I am a doctor in a hospital treating patients burned from head to toe
who knows that these horrible images will remain in my mind forever.
May I know peace.

I am a tourist in Times Square looking up at the giant TV screens
thinking I'm seeing a disaster movie as I watch the Twin Towers crash to
the ground, and
I am a New York woman sending e-mails to friends and family letting them
know that I am safe.
May I know peace.

I am a piece of paper that was on someone's desk this morning and now
I'm debris scattered by the wind across lower Manhattan, and
I am a stone in the graveyard at Trinity Church covered with soot from
the buildings that once stood proudly above me, death meeting death.
May I rest in peace.

I am a dog sniffing in the rubble for signs of life, doing my best to be
of service, and
I am a blood donor waiting in line to make a simple but very needed
contribution for the victims.
May I know peace.

I am a resident in an apartment in downtown New York who has been forced
to evacuate my home, and
I am a resident in an apartment uptown who has walked 100 blocks home in
a stream of other refugees.
May I know peace.

I am a family member who has just learned that someone I love has died,
and
I am a pastor who must comfort someone who has suffered a heart-breaking
loss.
May I know peace.

I am a loyal American who feels violated and vows to stand behind any
military action it takes to wipe terrorists off the face of the earth,
and
I am a loyal American who feels violated and worries that people who
look and sound like me are all going to be blamed for this tragedy.
May I know peace.

I am a frightened city dweller who wonders whether I'll ever feel safe
in a skyscraper again, and
I am a pilot who wonders whether there will ever be a way to make the
skies truly safe.
May I know peace.

I am the owner of a small store with five employees that has been put
out of business by this tragedy, and
I am an executive in a multinational corporation who is concerned about
the cost of doing business in a terrorized world.
May I know peace.

I am a visitor to New York City who purchases postcards of the World
Trade Center Twin Towers that are no more, and
I am a television reporter trying to put into words the terrible things
I have seen.
May I know peace.

I am a boy in New Jersey waiting for a father who will never come home,
and
I am a boy in a faraway country rejoicing in the streets of my village
because someone has hurt the hated Americans.
May I know peace.
I am a general talking into the microphones about how we must stop the
terrorist cowards who have perpetrated this heinous crime, and
I am an intelligence officer trying to discern how such a thing could
have happened on American soil, and
I am a city official trying to find ways to alleviate the suffering of
my people.
May I know peace.

I am a terrorist whose hatred for America knows no limit and I am
willing to die to prove it, and
I am a terrorist sympathizer standing with all the enemies of American
capitalism and imperialism, and
I am a master strategist for a terrorist group who planned this
abomination.
My heart is not yet capable of openness, tolerance, and loving.
May I know peace.

I am a citizen of the world glued to my television set, fighting back my
rage and despair at these horrible events, and
I am a person of faith struggling to forgive the unforgivable, praying
for the consolation of those who have lost loved ones, calling upon the
merciful beneficence of God/Lord/Allah/Spirit/Higher Power.
May I know peace.

I am a child of God who believes that we are all children of God and we
are all part of one another.
May we all know peace.

We have lost a great Man and Friend

Bishop emeritus F. Joseph Gossman, the fourth bishop of the Raleigh Diocese, died August 12, 2013, at the age of 83, following a long illness. Bishop Gossman served as Bishop of Raleigh from May 19, 1975, until June 8, 2006, when Pope John Paul II accepted his retirement due to age. He was appointed Bishop of Raleigh at the age of 45 by Pope Paul VI on April 8, 1975, succeeding Bishop Vincent S. Waters, who died December 1974.

During his 31 years as shepherd of the Raleigh Diocese, Bishop Gossman faced the challenge of extensive growth of the Catholic population of the Diocese, which comprises the 54 eastern-most counties of North Carolina. At the time of his appointment, Catholics numbered approximately one percent of the statewide population. At the time of his retirement, the registered Catholic population in the Diocese of Raleigh was 192,000, with an additional 200,000 Hispanics residing in the Diocese, many of whom were Catholic.

During his tenure, Bishop Gossman blessed and dedicated more than 60 parishes, schools and all-purpose buildings, most of them in his last 12 years. 

Read more:   http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org/news/view.aspx?id=2061

Woman you have great faith

I have taken classes with the University of Dayton for the Diocese and really enjoy the learning opportunities they provide. This article I thought was worth sharing with our group.

Year of Faith Article IV: 

Woman you have great faith. Your daughter is healed.

And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district (Tyre and Sidon) came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us"...But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."... Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish."And her daughter was healed from that hour. Matthew 15: 21-28 (NAB)


Please note that this is a shortened version. It will be helpful to read the whole periscope of chapter 15 which is filled with traditions, healings and miracles.


Now, don’t you just love these Disciples of Christ? They are forever sending people away from him! Remember the little children who came for blessings? (Mk. 10:13-16). In fact, Christ chided them for sending the little ones away and embraced and blessed the children. What is with those who seem to think they are closest to Christ? Instead of pleading on behalf of the obviously worried woman who was asking a favor for her child, they were ready to send her packing because... hmm... (you fill in the blank!)
I love the woman’s steadfastness. She stood her ground and rather than engage in a battle with the disciples, paid homage to Christ, the King of kings. Not only that, she pleaded again, "Lord, help me." Three simple words - how often do we remember to go before the Lord with these words, "Lord, help me"?
See, sometimes, it pays to be steadfast even if we do not get the answers we seek. Christ had of course heard the Canaanite woman’s plea for help. She was not even asking for herself. That is how strong her faith was. She was asking for help for her daughter, despite the fact that Canaanites in those days were not friends of the Jews. She was not afraid to be seen asking the "King of the Jews" for a favor.

We can learn a few things from this story:

1. Jesus loves each one of us. It does not matter our heritage; after all are we not made in his image and likeness? I wish humanity will remember this fact.

2. The disciples, like some modern day evangelists will place impediments in your way - but, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and do not let your faith waiver. After all, they too are followers and make mistakes just like you and I do.

3. There is no need to argue...just go straight to the master healer. Christ sees our hearts and knows our thoughts. He loves us; that is the heart of the matter.

4. Be bold! Ask on behalf of friends and family. The more you intercede for others, the more you grow closer to God. Why? You tend to forget your own problems when your focus is on helping others - psychologists attest to this fact.

5. Pay homage to Christ and no one else. Remember the first commandment - ah, you thought I was going to write it down, huh? Nope! Go and do some research; it will your do heart some good!

6. If your parents are alive, thank them over and over again for the many times they sought help on your behalf. They felt no shame or humiliation. They just did it out of love for you. Remember, there is only one commandment with a promise. This time, I will write it down - "honor your father and mother so that your days may be long." (Exodus 20:12, Deut. 5:16, Ephesians 6:1-3).

7. If you are a parent and your child has gone wayward, do not give up. Prayers work wonders. Keep interceding on behalf of your children even if you think they do not deserve your love. Wait a minute - can we ask God for favors if we bear grudges against others?

8. "Lord, help me." Let this be your mantra. The Canaanite woman placed all her trust in the Lord. This is a sign of complete abandonment and humility. Be humble enough to realize you cannot solve all your problems. Jeremiah reminds us in Lamentations 3:22 that, the "steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end..." How beautiful, how reassuring, how loving. Don’t you love this wonderful God who never ceases to be merciful? I do, I love him so.

9. "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." It is all about faith, isn’t it? How I will love to hear these words from Our Lord on my last day on earth! "Great is your faith!" Recall how many times Christ healed people because of their faith. Faith matters, faith in God matters. Hold on to your faith like it is all you have. Well, it is all we have really.

10. Be thankful. Be grateful to God for all the blessings you have received and are yet to receive. Count your blessings, for the God we serve is a God of miracles and love!


Author:
Dorothy Mensah-Aggrey, MA
Administrative Specialist-Curriculum Design & Adult Catechesis
University of Dayton
Institute for Pastoral Initiatives
Note: This is a series of articles that will be published periodically during the Year of Faith taking a different perspective on the biblical aspects of the Year of Faith.
Original Release Date: Jun. 2013

Nun on the Train Pictures

Dianne Young shared her pictures from yesterday.  We met Dianne in Rocky Mount and she took us to this wonderful little "joint" that had the best omlets for breakfast. Then we were off to the train station and a wonderful surprise; Sisters Carol and Betty.

Nun on the Train

Sister Kieran has left the state.  She sends her love and promise of prayers at the sunrise and sunset. She looks forward to Skyping with us soon.  She wanted me to say thank you to everyone!

Saying Good-Bye – How do you do it?

Here at Holy Trinity good-bye has become a family event.  Sister Kieran has been preparing us for over two years for her leaving, which is now only 8 days away. 

We started with her award as Master Catechist of the year last year for the Diocese of Raleigh.  Many of the Diocesan staff was here with us celebrating her unique gifts used for the Glory of God.  For the first time she let us plan the entire event; granted we had Mary DiSano and Gerard Hall helping us along the way as we planned the Mass and reception that followed.  I was so pleased to see everyone work together for this celebration.  While it was Sister Kieran’s award; she was our pastoral administrator, we could not have been any prouder than her mother (who was able to attend) was that day.  I remember standing there watching different people hurrying around setting up the sacred space for the mass, setting up tables for the reception, decorating the tables, fixing foods from many different cultures, and realized this was the beginning of her last year with us. 

As I stood there watching the spiritual growth of Holy Trinity, I was deeply moved.  I couldn’t help but think back to another time; 13 years earlier, when I had tried to get this community of believers separated by culture and language to work together on another celebration and failed.  Thirteen years earlier we were losing our first pastoral administrator, Sister Betty Bullen.  Sister Betty and Sister Kieran are both Congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Scranton, PA and have been so very influential to the growth of Holy Trinity parishioners.  As much as we tried to come together as one church, we were still two very distinct communities sharing one Catholic Church building.  That doesn’t mean there weren’t a few on both sides that were reaching across the divide, learning to call each other by name, sharing their life stories and discovering how God’s love was so big as to embraced everyone.  Going away lunches, dinners, socials were held; just not with the whole church.  I felt such a failure for not being able to convince my Holy Trinity family to come together as family to send our pastoral administrator off to her new assignment.  Thirteen years ago we weren’t ready to come together as one; even for someone everyone loved so much.  Know we did and do love Sister Betty, we look for her any time we go to Diocesan sponsored events; we hug her, embrace her and catch her up on the latest news of our families.  She will forever be a part of our lives. 

Not wanting to dwell on the past, I wondered how this pastoral administrator’s leaving would be different.  We had a little over a year to flesh out what we would do.  I started asking folks what did they want to do for Sister Kieran’s leaving, how did they want to mark the event?  I listened very closely; fearing a repeat of years earlier, prayed for guidance.   A community close to ours lost their pastoral administrator during this time and I watched them struggle with acceptance of a new person.  We had been through what they were going through and were able to help them realize that it would be okay.  Yes, it will be different but that is not a bad thing and allows for growth. 

Time moved by quickly, Sister Kieran kept encouraging and empowering everyone to make use of their gifts.  Teachers stepped up to take over teaching of the religious education classes; others were taking on the responsibility of grounds keeping, church and parish house cleaning, fund raising, the Caring House food pantry.  The ecumenical programs in the county were turned over to others (with well written detailed plans from previous years).  Sister Kieran began backing out of more and more things, leaving capable people in her place to carry on. 

There came a day when Sister Kieran and I were working on a project and we had taken a break.  “Sister Kieran, what would you like to see the parish do for your going away?” I asked her not very subtlety, as I am not known for beating around the bush.  With just a pause for a thought and a smile, she said, “Family fun day.”  She wanted a day where families came together, children played, good food was shared from all the different cultures of the parish, and everyone was there.  If you know Sister Kieran, you know this sounds just like her.  I wanted to give her that day but it would not be up to me; it would be up to the church families.  I could spread the word that these were her wishes, but . . .  well. . .  we would have to see what everyone else wanted to do.

Several people were willing to serve on a steering committee for the planning of this event.  Others had different ideals of what this day should be.  I cannot say I was not disappointed; I listened, took it to prayer and decided to follow Sister Kieran’s lead and empower others.  The Senior Ladies group of the church planned a very nice Open House at the Parish Home and invited the community.  The Ladies really out did themselves, the food and decorations were all wonderful, and there was a great turn out from the community to come by to wish Sister Kieran well.  Two Martin County Commissioners came by with a proclamation of thanks for all Sister Kieran has done for the county.  The day was a success.

Plans were still being worked on for the Family Fun Day.  Rose and Jie Linsangan, working with Jennifer and Edgar has put together a program of all the volunteers who agreed to perform for this day.  There were dancers, singers, chanted cheers , poems to read, and so many different kinds of food that were prepared.  One thing family events in the South are well known for is food and our parish family is no different, but I get ahead of the story.  I had been asked to be the driver for Sister Kieran for that day and to pick her up at an appointed time to make sure of her arrival time.  I had arrived at the church at 8:30 that morning to help finish setting up and watched all the many practices that were going on. 

Time flew and I was soon sent to pick up Sister Kieran and bring her to the church with instructions to drive slowly on the return drive.  As I pulled up on to the church property, we both were surprised at the number of cars there.  I dropped Sister Kieran at the front door where Jie was waiting for her; all these cars and not a single person to be seen or heard.  Jie stood talking with Sister as I parked and then motioned for me to go in front of them and knock on the church doors.  As I did, Gene Tranbarger opened one door and motioned for me to open the other door as Sister stepped up the steps.  There inside the church stood over a hundred parishioners lining the aisle all the way to the sanctuary waiting to embrace Sister Kieran as she entered.  She stood there on the steps, so over whelmed, tears flowing.  I turned to look from her to all my brothers and sisters standing there silently, patiently waiting for her to move.  She stepped through the church doors and was embraced by each in turn. 

Later as I was carrying Sister Kieran home after a long day, she said that moment at the door is one she will always remember.  She went on to say she felt so loved and held by everyone as she walked up the aisle getting and giving many hugs with tears flowing from men and women alike.  I will always remember as I stood at that door that day, watching and experiencing all of this, I was filled and overflowing with the knowledge that God was truly in His House with us that day. 

For the rest of the day’s stories, you will have to ask Sister Kieran; after all it was her day.  All I will say now is that my church family made me extremely proud of how much they have grown in their faith and how well everyone worked together to make this sending of a pastoral administrator on to another job a day that will be remembered with warmth, compassion, laughter and love for many many years to come by this humble servant of Holy Trinity.

On our Way Soon!

We are on our way to New Bern to welcome 4 new Associates today with their covenant signing.

 We are so happy to have been able to spend time with Sister Jean Louise and with Sister Carol Tuesday evening and to pray with them.  Sister Jean Louise introduced us to a new song, "You Are Called to Tell the Story" by Marty Haugen.  We have talked in the past of God Winks and how comforting they can be.  We have talked about hearing God speak to us in many and varied ways; through others, through readings, through nature, through art, even a gentle breeze.  Once again He was there with us in the gathering of our circle. I had something in the back of my mind I did not share it with the circle (I did share it with Sister Jean Louise afterwards), God let me know he had heard me and gave me my answer at the same time in Sister Jean Louise's reflection for the night.  

On the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, due to circumstances that have come about, I will be leading our parish family in a scripture and communion services that week. While I  lead these services in awe that I have been given this gift, I am well aware of the ones that will not attend due to the fact that it is a scripture and communion service and not a Mass.  I feel their disappointment when this happens and I question "am I one one to be leading this service?".

Here are some of the words to this song and an answer to my question.

You are called to tell the story,

passing words of life along...

You are called to teach the rhythm...

hand in hand with strangers, friends,

You are called to set the table...

feeding all with signs of love.

and the reflection by Monika K Hellwig  ..."We are called to active leadership in the church and in the world."

We ended with a quote by T S Elliot, "Lead us, guide us O Wisdom Sophia, "Do [we] dare?...Do [we] dare/Disturb the universe."  

All I could do is laugh and as Maggie would say, "Yes Lord, I hear you."  Do I dare, do I dare to lead this scripture and communion service?  Yes Lord, I dare but only with your wisdom and guidance calling me to tell your story.