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Weekly Bulletin July 28, 2024
by Terrie Evans
On this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we send condolences and prayers to the Stanghetti, Florimonte, DiScenza, Aghajanian, Lattarulo, Johnson, and Flowers Families on the passing of our parishioner, James Raymond Stanghetti on July 11, 2024, at the age of 77. Jim served as an EM2, Petty Officer Second Class, in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War (1966-1972). After he returned from serving his country, Jim wed the late Patricia (Florimonte) Stanghetti and welcomed daughters Michelle (Stanghetti) DiScenza (Lars), Nikki Stanghetti, and Angie (Stanghetti) Aghajanian (Justin). James “Jim” will forever be remembered as a caring devoted husband, great dad and much-loved grandpa to Lena, Ethan, Anastasia, and Pearl. Throughout his life Jim had a close bond with siblings, Carol (Stanghetti) Lattarulo and her spouse John, Rick Stanghetti and wife Kathie, and Delores (Stanghetti) Johnson and her spouse Patrick who will mourn their loss. He also leaves his brother-in-law and work out buddy, Jim Flowers, who was married to Pat’s sister, the late Nancy (Florimonte) Flowers. Everyone at the Mercy Health Plex has missed seeing Jim in the last few months, especially the morning coffee group who enjoyed his stories about GusGus, his canine companion and all the accomplishments of his daughters. Jim also leaves cousins Earl and Rose Einhaus, Larry and Eileen Vickery, Vince and Jean Cerchio and his good friend Ken Wilzbach. His funeral service with full military honors was held on Monday, July 22, 2024, at the Neidhard-Minges Funeral Home.
On Monday, July 29th we celebrate the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. This feast day includes Martha, her sister Mary and Brother Lazarus who were added for the July 29th feast day since 2021 on the General Roman Calendar in the Catholic Church. This decree was approved by Pope Francis after “considering the important evangelical witness they offered in welcoming the Lord Jesus into their home, in listening to him attentively and in believing that he is the resurrection and the life.” Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus, and they welcomed him many times as a guest. After Lazarus’ death, the sisters called on Jesus to return to Judea with Martha knowing the faith she had in Jesus. Jeus told her. “I am the Resurrection and the Life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies will live, and everyone who lives and believe in me will never die.” Jesus asked Marta, “Do you believe in me, she said yes, Lord I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Martha asked if her brother would again rise at the end of time, Jesus said that no one really dies if they believe in him. Jesus told Martha, who worried about many things, to find a balance in her life-between her domestic and spiritual causes as she fluttered about cooking and cleaning. Jesus did say to Martha, sometimes avoid cooking even though cooking a family meal is a gift of love and a great blessing for others. Mary was seen as calm and focused when Jesus spoke to her. Jesus said about Mary, “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her;” as she listened to his teachings instead of helping with the meal. According to John 12:1-8., Mary anointing Jesus’ feet at Bethany, an act that Jesus would offer much praise. After the death of Jesus, Lazarus is supposed to have written what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life and later, he Martha and Mary arrived safely in Cyprus where he would serve as the Bishop for over 30 years.
On Tuesday, July 30th we honor St. Peter Chrysologus, a revered saint in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church who was a Bishop of Ravenna from 433 until his death in 450. Born in Imola, Aemilia in the Roman Empire in the year 380 where he was Baptized and educated by Cronelius, Bishop of Imola who later ordained him a deacon. After being ordained a deacon, Peter was appointed an Archdeacon through the influence of Emperor Valentinian III and in 433, Pope Sixtus III appointed Peter, Bishop of Ravenna at the time Ravenna was the capital of the West. He was called the Doctor of Homilies for his simple to the point inspired sermons so not to bore those in his presence. Because of his oratory skills and the piety and zest of his sermons, Roman Empress Galla Placidia gave him the title Chrysologus meaning, “Golden Worded.” His sermons are considered incredibly significant for that time during the history of the Church as they reveal many aspects of Christian life in Ravenna in the 5th century. Bishop Peter condemned Arianism while explaining the Apostles Creed, and Biblical texts in simple concise wording everyone could understand. He promoted all topics concerning the Catholic Church and dedicated homilies to John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary while promoting the daily reception of the Eucharist and forgiveness offered through Christ. His surviving works detail the traditional beliefs about Mary’s perpetual virginity, obeying the penitential season of Lent, and the Eucharist presence in our lives. After his death in 450, he became known for his short sermons that were full of moral applications and in the 8th Century, Archbishop Felix of Ravenna collected and preserved 176 of his homilies. They were later edited and translated by various authors into numerous languages. In the13th Century, he was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and is considered a teacher on the universal church. There is the portrait of St. Peter Chrysologus in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Ravenna.
On Wednesday, July 31st we honor the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the son of a Nobleman who began his career as a soldier in the Army of the Duke of Niagara. In 1521, he was seriously wounded in battle at Pamplona, and while convalescing, became interested in the Lives of Saints and the history of Jesus. As he read and studied their achievements, he wondered if he could do what the saints had accompanied, “Since these men were as human as I,” he wondered if, “I could be as saintly as they were.” Knowing he wanted to change his life, Ignatius turned in his military dress for the clothing of a beggar. He went to confession and visited the famous portrait of the Virgin in the Benedictine Monastery where a gesture of starting a new life, placed his sword next to the portrait. Ignatius retired to Mantesa Italy, fasting, praying, and writing his first draft of Spiritual Exercises, the manual for training one’s soul to grow nearer to God. He then journeyed by donkey on a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem finally returning to Europe and for the next 7 years, studied at Spanish Universities in Paris. At 35 years old, while in Paris, he laid the foundation for the Society of Jesus and the beginning of the Jesuit Order. Six students joined him vowing poverty, chastity, and obedience choosing a life preaching Christianity in Palestine. Ignatius and his followers offered their service to Pope Paul III as many were falling away from the Church and in 1540, the Pope formally approved the Society of Jesus and for the next 16 years, Ignatius and his Order founded schools, retreats, all while preaching and doing missionary work. Before his death, on July 31, 1556, Ignatius saw his Order grow rapidly throughout Europe and America with 39 Jesuit houses with missionaries on 3 continents. In America, his men from the “Company of Jesus” began teaching the Faith to the Indian population and serving those in need. St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron of retreats, was canonized in 1662. A Prayer to St. Ignatius of Loyola: “O God, You raised up St. Ignatius in Your Church to inspire men to work for Your greater glory. Grant that we may labor on earth with his help and after his example and merit to be crowned with him in heaven.”
On Thursday, August 1st, we honor St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787. Born near Naples on September 27, 1696, the eldest of 7 children to Giuseppe Liguori, a Naval Officer and Captain of the Galleys and Anna Maria Caterina Cavalieri. The family had noble lineage and he was Baptized just two days after his birth with a succession of family names, Alphonso Mary Anthony John Cosmos Damian Michael Gaspard de Liguori at Our Lady of the Virgin Church. He was tutored at home until he entered the University of Naples where he graduated at the age of 16, earning his Doctorate Degree in Canon and Civil Law. At the age of 18, Alphonsus joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, a service organization in the care of the sick and incurable at a nearby hospital while becoming a successful lawyer. He never went to court until he attended Mass and recited prayers for guidance before representing his clients. When he lost an important case, he made the decision to leave the profession he had practiced for 8 years. He wrote to a lawyer friend, “My friend, our profession is too full of difficulties and dangers. We lead an unhappy life and run the risk of dying an unhappy death.” At the age of 27, he left the profession he once loved and made a vow to never waste another moment. Alphonsus also declined an arranged marriage when his own interior voice told him: “Leave the world and give yourself to me.” He then began his studies in theology and in 1723, Alphonsus became a Novice in the Oratory of Philip Neri in hopes of becoming a priest. At the age of 30, he was ordained to the priesthood on December 21, 1726, spending his first years serving the homeless and marginalized youth in the seeder areas of Naples. He became known for his oratory skills, preaching in a simple way for all to understand when he said: “I have never preached a sermon which the poorest old woman in the congregation could not understand.” In Naples, he founded “Evening Chapels” run by those teens to give them hope and a future. The Evening Chapels became centers as a place for prayer, piety, social activities, and education while steering those less fortunate young men toward a better life. In 1731, he was in the town of Foggia ministering to the victims of the earthquake when he had a vision of the Virgin Mother as a young girl dressed in white appearing before him. His friend Sr. Maria Celeste Crostarosa also had been told that he was the one chosen to find a new congregation, for his followers to continue his work. In 1732, he started the Redemptorists, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, to preach to the poor in the slums within the cities with Alphonsus saying: “The penitents should be treated as souls to be saved rather than as criminals to be punished.” He wrote and preached beautifully while writing 111 books about moral theology explaining what was sinful in the actions of human beings and what is regarded by simple error. Alphonso was also a gifted musician composing in 1732, the Italian Carol “Tuscendi dale stelle” (from Stary Skies Descending). He was consecrated Bishop of Sant’ Agata dei Goti in 1762 and penning sermons, books, and articles encouraging devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He died at the age of 90 on August 1, 1787, in Pagani, Italy in the Redemptorist Community after much suffering from his infirmities. He was Beatified by Pope Pius VII on September 15, 1816, and Canonized by Pope Gregory XVI on May 26, 1839, with Shrines in Italy and the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Baltimore, Maryland. St. Alphonsus Liguori once wrote: “He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.” He is the patron saint of lawyers and vocations.
On Friday, August 2nd we celebrate the life of St. Eusebius of Vercelli (300-371) who was born on the Island of Sardina in the Province of the Roman Empire. After the death of his father, he was taken to Rome by his mother where he was educated, became a lector proclaiming the word of God during liturgical celebrations. He became recognized for his piety by local leaders and was elected as the Bishop of Vercelli, the 1st recorded Bishop in the northern area of Piedmont, Italy. He founded a monastic priestly community living within the clergy while serving the needs of the diocese. He devoted much of his time forming them into the devout life of piety and zeal while ministering to his congregation and converting pagans. His approach led to a fraternity of spiritual growth, accountability, and positive outcomes for Bishop Eusebius’ common mission. In 355, during the time of Arianism, Emperor Constantius II forced Bishop Eusebius along with other Bishops into exile. Because of their opposition of the monk Arius who claimed that Jesus Christ was created and therefore not divine. While sent away first in Turkey and finally in Egypt, Bishop Eusebius barely survived the harsh conditions while suffering much abuse by his jailers. During those years, he wrote letters, theological treatises, homilies and defended the Nicene Creed while in exile. In 361, after the death of Emperor Constantius II, the new successor, Emperor Julian was now in charge, and all of the Bishops were then allowed to return and be in charge of their dioceses. In 362, Bishop Eusebius participated in the Second Council of Alexandria, affirming the Council of Nicaea’s teachings and the theological concerns of Arianism. He allowed the wayward faithful to be readmitted into full communion with the Church if they were repentant and professed the Nicene Creed. He would be remembered as a defender of Christ’s true nature as he offered himself up for his faith. Many scholars believe Bishop Eusebius helped write the famous “Athanasian Creed” which has had an enormous influence in bringing both Catholics and Protestants to a proper understanding of their faith and Savior. He died in 371, was Canonized Pre-Congregation, is Venerated in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches and is considered the Patron of Piedmont, Italy. A Prayer to Saint Eusebius: “You were a faithful pastor who loved his flock, cared for the clergy, and defended Christ’s divinity while suffering greatly. Pray that I will never allow suffering to deter me from my calling to share the love of Christ and to defend the truth for the good of others. Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.”
On Saturday, August 2, we honor St. Peter Julian Eymard, a French Catholic Priest who founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for men and the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament for women. He was born in 1811 in the Frensch Alps and while young, developed an intense devotion to Mary as he visited various Marian Shrines throughout France. On the death of his mother in 1828, Peter Julian entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1829 though not becoming a seminarian due to poor health. Returning home, Peter Julian tried again after the death of his father in 1831 and with the help of his former Superior was admitted to the seminary within the Diocese of Grenoble. Two years later, on Jule 20, 1834 Peter Julian Eymard was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Grenoble and assigned as an assistant pastor in the town of Chatte. A few years later, he was appointed pastor of Mount-Saint-Eymard, a poor farming community with a run-down church, a poor rectory, few people practicing their faith, and no regular pastor. The Bishop asked him to have his two sisters to accompany him and possibly furnish and live at the rectory. He along with his sisters revitalized the rectory and the church building but Peter Julian was not satisfied with this type of work and in a small community and he soon decided to join the Marisits, the Society of Mary. Even though his sisters were not pleased with his decision, he entered the seminary at Lyon, On August 20, 1837, making his profession in 1840. Peter Julian-Eymard was now doing the work he had always wanted, working with lay organizations promoting devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary and promoting the 16th Century Forty Hours adoration of the Eucharistic devotion. In 1844, he became Provincial of the Society and was now in charge of the Third Order of Mary, the lay group dedicated to Marist spiritually. In 1851, he tried to establish his own community dedicated to Eucharistic adoration, but his superiors did not approve and transferred him to the Marist College at La Syne-sur-Mer. By 1856, the Bishops of Paris relented and gave him permission for his plans for a Society of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1857, the public exposition of the Blessed Sacrament took place in a rundown building in Paris at 114 Rue d’Enfer (street of hell) with the Congregation working with children in Paris to prepare them for their 1st Communion. They would reach out to nonpracticing Catholics and with their growing mission, a second community was established in Marseille in 1859, and a third in Angers in 1863. In 1858, Peter Julian-Eymard along with Marguerite Guillot founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament for women, a contemplative life that seeks God by prayers and mortification, the practice of self-denial. Peter Julian-Eymard had many contemporaries and friends throughout France including John Marie Vianney, Peter Chanel, Marcellin Champagnat, Basil Moreau, and Oauline-Marie Jaricot before his passing in 1868 at the age of 57 from a brain aneurysm. His remains were buried in the cemetery at La Mure until 1877 when they were relocated to the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s Corpus Christi Chapel in Paris. He will forever be known as a speaker, organizer and educator who composed numerous sermons, and reflections on the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. The 9 volumes he wrote are still considered spiritual treasures when he said: “How happy I will be if I keep my heart free from attachments to anyone, and, chained to Jesus my God alone”. Peter Julian-Eymard was declared Venerable in 1908, Beatified by Pope Pius XI on July 12, 1926, with the cause for Canonization opened on July 28, 1926. He was Canonized on December 9, 1962, by Pope John XXIII along with Servite Priest, Anthony Mary Pucci (1819-1892), and Capuchin Lay Brother Francis Mary of Camporosso (1814-1866). Pope John Paul II named St. Peter Julian Eymard the “Apostle of the Eucharist” and is recognized as a major contributor to 19th Century French Spirituality. Ther are Catholic Churches in Australia, France, Senegal, New Orleans, Louisiana, and in Holiday, Florida named in his honor. In New York City, there is a statue of St, Peter Julian-Eymard placed in the Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church where a reliquary (receptacle containing relics of a saint) displays his right humerus bone. There are landmarks established in his honor in Quebec, Canada and in the Philippines.