Messages from the Pastor - Archive

August 30, 2009

My dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

In last week’s Bulletin I urged everyone to become more involved in our parish’s liturgical ministries. This will come up again in early October when we observe Stewardship of Ministry weekend.

But why stop with liturgy? Although we won’t observe Stewardship of Finances weekend until after the first of the year, it’s probably a good idea to share with you some of my initial thoughts regarding the parish’s financial situation and plans.

About two weeks ago the Parish Office made its “end of the fiscal year report† for June 2008-July 2009 to the bishop’s office. After our Parochial Finance Council has had a chance to review the numbers, we’ll be publishing a summary of it for you here. (If you’re interested in reviewing the whole 30-page report, you’ll have to stop by the Parish Office, since it’s too big to reprint in the Bulletin!)

But I can already share a summary of the summary! Last year the parish’s total income was $991,473.19; its total expenses were $1,020,926.14. Now before you panic over what looks like a $29,452.95 deficit – like I was tempted to do when I found out about it! – remember that our expenses included all of our savings deposits! Why our diocesan accounting programs insist on labeling savings-deposits as expenses I’ve never understood, but they do. In any case, in reality our parish’s income exceeded “real† expenses by quite a bit.

That’s not a bad result, especially in a struggling economy like ours. Just like your family’s investments, our parish’s funds on deposit (with the diocesan Deposit and Loan Fund and with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation) in the past year have not enjoyed the growth that we enjoyed in the previous decade. It does appear that interest rates on investments have begun to turn around however, which is a good sign. Praying for a better economy probably isn’t the highest prayer priority for you – it’s not in my top ten, either! – but it certainly is worthwhile to pray for increased prosperity. Many people, as well as the institutions who employ them, are suffering right now. Thus they are in the heart of Christ, and lie within our circle of care and prayer as well.

And so far this fiscal year things seem to be “on track† and well within our budget. We did have to handle a significant emergency plumbing bill in July, when a pipe feeding the church’s air-conditioning system burst beneath our parking lot, but the wasted water and limited air conditioning caused more aggravation than anything else. And on a very positive note, I am happy to acknowledge with gratitude the receipt of two bequests this month. The late Mr. and Mrs. John and Joy Bani were longtime, loving and generous parishioners, and made a sizable donation to St. Joseph Cathedral in their will. Also, the late Mrs. Mary (Betty) Westerfield – a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel in Jackson, but a wonderful “friend of the Cathedral† for many years – also remembered us in her will very generously. Please pray for the repose of their souls, that God reward them for their kindness.

Frankly, everyone should have a will, so that their personal property is disposed of according to their wishes when the inevitability of death occurs. And when drawing it up, make sure you include a return to God and His holy Church when listing beneficiaries: in particular, the community of St. Joseph Cathedral which sustains your life of prayer and grace here on earth will welcome your final generosity with immense gratitude.

In Christ,
Father Paul

August 23, 2009

My dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

The first temptation I encounter when I sit down to write an article for the Parish Bulletin is to mention how busy everything is around here! Well, this week I’m going to fight off that temptation. (It is still true, but I’d rather focus on something else!)

No, this week I’d like to ask you something, especially if you are a regular worshipper at the Cathedral. Our “Stewardship of Ministry† weekend isn’t scheduled until October, but I’d already like to ask you to give some consideration to becoming more active in some liturgical ministry here.

Virtually every role during our shared prayer times could use some new and smiling faces. For instance, we need more adult and youth altar servers for all of our weekend Masses. Sacristans are needed to open and set up our worship space. We need more readers, and hospitality ministers and ushers. We’re always looking for singers to join our choir. We need persons willing to distribute holy communion, during Mass and outside Mass to our sick and homebound. Dusting and cleaning may not be glamorous jobs, but they are necessary ones. If your washing machine is Catholic and you’re handy with an iron, we even could use your help in washing and folding various altar linens and vestments!

Please give some consideration to how best you could add more explicitly to our liturgy. Of course we want to “match† gifts and talents: if you can’t hold a tune then we understand why you can’t be in the choir, for instance. We understand that “mumblers† can’t be lectors, and so forth. The Church also has various – and sensible! – requirements about proper formation for liturgical ministry, and insists that its clergy and lay ministers be exemplary in their lifestyle outside the church building.

I think all of us are proud that the liturgies of our Cathedral Parish are so beautiful, and this is as it should be. The daily and weekly rhythm of worship and prayer that takes place here sanctifies not just those who take part but redound to the benefit of all of our far-flung friends and the wider Baton Rouge community. We won’t be resting on our laurels: as I hinted in last week’s Bulletin, a “Ministry Focus† evening has been scheduled. It will be on Tuesday evening, September 29. Both veteran and new liturgical ministers – and persons perhaps considering this work – will be invited to spend a little time in prayer together that evening, and to rededicate ourselves to the task of serving God and His holy people in their prayer. More about this will be publicized as details are finalized.

Sure the best way to end here is with a word of appreciation for all who have done so much to make St. Joseph Cathedral well-known as an outstanding, inspiring “house of prayer.† Our Cathedral building itself is a treasure because it’s historic and beautiful, but our Cathedral community is even more of a treasure because it is prayerful and dedicated to worshipping Almighty God as best we can. I hope you feel like I do, fortunate to be part of this wonderful parish family.

In Christ,
Father Paul

August 16, 2009

My dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

After six full weeks here I think I’m settling in well to the routine of life and ministry here at the Cathedral Parish. But some things are still a bit overwhelming. For instance, thanks especially for being patient with me as I try to remember your names: it’s proving harder than anticipated, although many, many faces are becoming quite familiar.

Many people have asked about activities that are being planned for the coming weeks and months. I’m trying to become familiar with them all, and with the folks who are responsible for getting them going.

There are lots of “usual† things that are on the calendar. For example, our Parish School of Religion will begin its sessions on September 13. It offers religious education to elementary and high school students not enrolled in Catholic schools, and to all children preparing for first holy communion and confirmation. (Probably a lot of people still refer to PSR as “catechism class,† but whatever you call it, we’re happy to assist parents in training their children in the faith.) As announced at Mass this past Sunday, parents are asked to register their children on Sunday, August 23, after the 10:00 am Mass.

Another great example of an ongoing activity that really makes a difference in the life of any parish – but especially small ones, like ours – is the RCIA process. This stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: it’s a series of formation classes, sharing sessions and liturgical celebrations by which persons interested in the Catholic Church can learn more and in time become members. A little bird told me last week that it looks like we may have our largest RCIA groups in years, over a dozen or so persons. Wonderful! It’s a great credit to our parishioners that so many among our friends and families want to “be like us† and embrace our faith.

Other, more “unique† activities are planned in the coming months too. Every few years we publish a Parish “pictorial directory,† for instance. This project, proposed by the “Ladies of the Cathedral† group, will get underway in the late fall.

Well before that, in late September, I plan on having a “Ministers’ Focus† day for all who contribute to our worship. Readers, servers, ushers, musicians, communion ministers and sacristans not only need encouragement and appreciation from time to time, it’s also good to have a chance to update our practices and procedures. Liturgy is supposed to look smooth and effortless, but to do it right takes preparation and dedication. Our volunteers are marvelous in the way they eagerly cooperate in service of God and the congregation, and I sure don’t want them taken for granted!

Incidentally, maybe you noticed this past weekend something a little different in our liturgical music? Our Church’s emphasis on religious hymns over the past half century has led us rather much to neglect the grand traditional Scriptural antiphons and verses which are also part of the Mass. So we’ll try to rediscover them a bit. Our musicians will try to incorporate these quite a bit more in the months and years ahead. These brief texts, known as the entrance or introit antiphons, and the offertory and communion chants – sometimes even in the classic, original Latin – will be presented in various ways, mostly to focus our prayers and reflections on the great mysteries we celebrate.

What about some “long range projects†? Well, the Finance Council and I are still committed to overcoming the limitations of our Parish Hall (and especially its inadequate bathrooms and gathering spaces). The Cathedral’s interior lighting itself needs significant improvement, while many elements of the sound system also deserve attention. Our antique airconditioning systems cannot stave off replacement forever, either. All of these of course will need to be carefully planned out and budgeted: they’re not the kind of things we can address hastily. But deal with them we will: the faith, resolve and generosity of our Cathedral community have always been adequate to such tasks in the past. The future will be no less remarkable. Thanks for being a part of it!

In Christ,
Father Paul

August 9, 2009

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

The well-known American humorist Garrison Keillor always begins his weekly comedy monologue about his fictional hometown by saying “It’s been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone.† Those are NOT words used in speaking about St. Joseph Cathedral Parish, however, even in the hottest part of midsummer.

True, a lot of people are on vacation, and some of the Parish’s most important ministries and activities “take a break† during the summer months. Our choir is enjoying some time off, for example. And our RCIA and other catechetical programs for children and adults don’t begin a new term until September.

(But this gives me the opportunity to remind parents with children in public schools – or in second or tenth grades, for first penance/first eucharist or confirmation preparation – that registration for our Parish School of Religion is coming up soon! Regular PSR classes are held on Sunday mornings in fall and spring – except for the first weekend of each month. For more information just call the Parish Office.)

Yet even without choirs and catechists things have been busy lately. When our usual sacristans and readers, musicians and ministers are away, it usually means that the office staff has to scramble to find substitutes. Electrical, air conditioning and plumbing systems are especially cantankerous during hot weather and thunderstorms, so we’ve had a parade of workmen traipsing around our property tending to them. My own move into the rectory has provided an opportunity to organize and spruce things up a bit.

And the usual things continue as well. Liturgy needs to be celebrated daily at least twice, and good worship always needs planning and attention to detail. Summertime is a favorite time for weddings, and so a necessary time for wedding rehearsals too. Some weekly activities never stop, such as our Food Pantry and our Wednesday night Small Christian Community meeting. Our annual participation in the diocesan Missionary Cooperative Plan took place last week (and thank you for your welcome to Father Gerard Namunga, C.S.Sp., and support for the Diocese of Lwena in Angola for which he spoke!). Unfortunately sickness and death go on, and so I’ve been visiting our local hospitals and tending to a few funerals in the past few weeks as well.

At the Cathedral the doorbell rings constantly during the day: sometimes it’s a homeless person looking for a meal, often it’s a couple of “lovebirds† looking for the perfect setting for their upcoming wedding, daily it’s a crew of parishioners tending to their ministries and religious work, sometimes it’s a tourist wanting to know more about our historic Cathedral building, and once or twice it’s even been a priest friend just wanting to see “how I’m doing† in my new surroundings!

And so how am I doing? Quite well, thank you, I think. The daily and weekly schedules are almost second-nature now, and I can generally find what I’m looking for. My prayer life is adjusting to the rhythms of the Parish – remember, priests have a lot more prayers to say each day for you than Mass, and we have to squeeze them in! I’m almost caught up on my list of calls to return and people to meet. My calendar is filling up with marriage-preparation sessions and a few other counseling meetings. My “commute† back to the Catholic Life Center for a few hours of Tribunal work there twice a week is usually “against† rush hour traffic! I’m looking forward to a new symphony season, and am very gradually exploring the various places to eat downtown (and they’re ALL good!). And with the Lamar YMCA barely a block away I’ve even begun working in a little exercise there every couple of days!

What this all tells me is that even in the midst of summer, ALL of us are busy. Thank goodness it’s almost all productive work – and even a little play! – for the Kingdom of God is built up not by our wishing for it to happen, but by our actual efforts. THANK YOU for doing your part, and in giving me the chance to do my part with you!

In Christ,
Father Paul